Reviews by hitchhiker
Thanks to Concept Kart and gadgetgod for organising the tour of the Artti iems. Below is the review of the Artti T10 .
All views of the iem are my own and have no incentives of any sort for the same.
Artti is a relatively new brand to hit the market with a set of iems that have gathered positive reviews quickly.
Build and fit
The T10 is the planar iem offering from Artti. Sporting a 14.2mm planar driver, the iems are moulded into a ABS plastic like shell with a CNC milled aviation aluminium faceplate.
The iems come with a nice 4 core SPC cable with a 2pin connection to the iem shells. The iems are very lightweight as a result, with a very nicely sized nozzle. As a result,
long term fit and usage is excellent.
No microphonics in the cables, excellent comfort overall. Best fitting of all the Artti iems.
Sound impressions
Typical of a planar driver, the iems scale on power, but are fairly decent to drive easily. They are well tuned with a V shaped tuning with a very slight mid recess.
Bass - 4/5 - As the iems are planar drivers, they dont get the decay of a well implemented DD for bass. However, there is plenty of slam and texture to keep the overall composure.
Bassheads will love the bass for sure.
Mids - 3.75/5 - While the vocals are slightly recessed, there is still a lot of details and nuances that the drivers are able to portray. However, there is a little bit of domination from the bass.
Treble - 4/5 - The treble speed is very good as expected from a planar iem. There is a touch of brightness on poor tracks, that are typical of planar drivers.
Again, treblehead heaven.
Imaging - Above average imaging provides a very nicely done instrument presentation. Precise presentation of vocals and instruments are a highlight
Conclusions
The planar budget game is definitely heating up with the T10. It is a superb offering for the price, outcompeting some of the previous gen planar iems like the Hook X or the Tangzu Zetian Wu.
Artti is definitely promising and a brand to watch out for
All views of the iem are my own and have no incentives of any sort for the same.
Artti is a relatively new brand to hit the market with a set of iems that have gathered positive reviews quickly.
Build and fit
The T10 is the planar iem offering from Artti. Sporting a 14.2mm planar driver, the iems are moulded into a ABS plastic like shell with a CNC milled aviation aluminium faceplate.
The iems come with a nice 4 core SPC cable with a 2pin connection to the iem shells. The iems are very lightweight as a result, with a very nicely sized nozzle. As a result,
long term fit and usage is excellent.
No microphonics in the cables, excellent comfort overall. Best fitting of all the Artti iems.
Sound impressions
Typical of a planar driver, the iems scale on power, but are fairly decent to drive easily. They are well tuned with a V shaped tuning with a very slight mid recess.
Bass - 4/5 - As the iems are planar drivers, they dont get the decay of a well implemented DD for bass. However, there is plenty of slam and texture to keep the overall composure.
Bassheads will love the bass for sure.
Mids - 3.75/5 - While the vocals are slightly recessed, there is still a lot of details and nuances that the drivers are able to portray. However, there is a little bit of domination from the bass.
Treble - 4/5 - The treble speed is very good as expected from a planar iem. There is a touch of brightness on poor tracks, that are typical of planar drivers.
Again, treblehead heaven.
Imaging - Above average imaging provides a very nicely done instrument presentation. Precise presentation of vocals and instruments are a highlight
Conclusions
The planar budget game is definitely heating up with the T10. It is a superb offering for the price, outcompeting some of the previous gen planar iems like the Hook X or the Tangzu Zetian Wu.
Artti is definitely promising and a brand to watch out for
Thanks to Concept Kart and gadgetgod for organising the tour of the Artti iems. Below is the review of the Artti R2.
All views of the iem are my own and have no incentives of any sort for the same.
Artti is a relatively new brand to hit the market with a set of iems that have gathered positive reviews quickly.
Build and fit
The R2 is a fairly small iem that dissappears into the ears fairly easily. The shell is resin based with a nice tesseract like faceplate in brown.
The R2 comes with a 2pin detachable cable and the the cable is a nice sturdy brown cable, but I dislike the L shaped taper.
The review unit came with a 3.5mm SE termination. The nozzles are fairly short and slightly above average in diameter, and did give me a fair bit of tip rolling
to get a semi decent fit. I wish the nozzles were a bit longer, and help get a deeper insert. This could be an overall dampener as the fit could be a bit of a compromise for people.
The driver is a beryllium DD. Wow, a BE diaphragm driver at this budget price is definitely welcome! Without going into the controversies in the annals of BE driver history (kbear believe et al),
the driver at this price is definitely an option to try atleast.
Sound impressions
While the iems drive alright at low volumes, I "believe" this will scale better with more power.
The sound is quite balanced, and quite reminiscent of the other BE iems that i mentioned earlier. Warmish neutral is how I would put it.
It is not a basshead or treblehead iem. The tuning is fairly neutral with very good detail retrieval and imaging. If I had a deeper fit with longer nozzles, I believe this iem has very good potential. Maybe a V2 will sort it out.
Bass - 3/5 - I was unable to get a deep fit and hence the bass was light overall. I think the bass body will definitely be helped with a longer nozzle.
Mids - 4/5 - Excellent textures and upfront presentation the vocals. Both male and female vocals are well represented
Treble - 4/5 - The treble speed is very good as expected from a BE based drivers. The iems are very nuanced on the treble end, without getting too bright.
Imaging - Above average imaging provides a very nicely done instrument presentation. Precise presentation of vocals and instruments are a highlight
Conclusions
The R2 is so full of potential, if only the nozzles were extended a little bit more. So close!
All views of the iem are my own and have no incentives of any sort for the same.
Artti is a relatively new brand to hit the market with a set of iems that have gathered positive reviews quickly.
Build and fit
The R2 is a fairly small iem that dissappears into the ears fairly easily. The shell is resin based with a nice tesseract like faceplate in brown.
The R2 comes with a 2pin detachable cable and the the cable is a nice sturdy brown cable, but I dislike the L shaped taper.
The review unit came with a 3.5mm SE termination. The nozzles are fairly short and slightly above average in diameter, and did give me a fair bit of tip rolling
to get a semi decent fit. I wish the nozzles were a bit longer, and help get a deeper insert. This could be an overall dampener as the fit could be a bit of a compromise for people.
The driver is a beryllium DD. Wow, a BE diaphragm driver at this budget price is definitely welcome! Without going into the controversies in the annals of BE driver history (kbear believe et al),
the driver at this price is definitely an option to try atleast.
Sound impressions
While the iems drive alright at low volumes, I "believe" this will scale better with more power.
The sound is quite balanced, and quite reminiscent of the other BE iems that i mentioned earlier. Warmish neutral is how I would put it.
It is not a basshead or treblehead iem. The tuning is fairly neutral with very good detail retrieval and imaging. If I had a deeper fit with longer nozzles, I believe this iem has very good potential. Maybe a V2 will sort it out.
Bass - 3/5 - I was unable to get a deep fit and hence the bass was light overall. I think the bass body will definitely be helped with a longer nozzle.
Mids - 4/5 - Excellent textures and upfront presentation the vocals. Both male and female vocals are well represented
Treble - 4/5 - The treble speed is very good as expected from a BE based drivers. The iems are very nuanced on the treble end, without getting too bright.
Imaging - Above average imaging provides a very nicely done instrument presentation. Precise presentation of vocals and instruments are a highlight
Conclusions
The R2 is so full of potential, if only the nozzles were extended a little bit more. So close!
Thanks to Concept Kart and gadgetgod for organising the tour of the Artti iems. Below is the review of the Artti R1.
All views of the iem are my own and have no incentives of any sort for the same.
Artti is a relatively new brand to hit the market with a set of iems that have gathered positive reviews quickly.
Build and fit
The R1 sports an all metal shell and is very reminiscent of the MP145 in terms of feel or alteast the faceplate. The iems come with a very nice
looking braided brown cables with no microphonics and feels nice and sturdy. The iems sport 2pin connectors and the stock cable came with the 3.5mm termination.
The iems sport a 3 DD combination that I was quite surprised (having not read reviews of the iems before the listen! I roll like that).
The shells seem to be normal sized, and fit quite well even with the above normal sized nozzles.
The iems came in a standard fabric covered carry case that seems sturdy enough for every day usage.
Sound impressions
The iems drive well with most sources and dont need much power. However, they can scale with amping, give the 3 DD setup of the iems. I paired them with the Penon Liquer tips due to the fairly large size nozzles (I have small ears)
Overall sound is very large, with a lot of reverb that makes a lot of tracks sound like being listened to in a theatre. The largeness of the sound makes me think they will be wonderful for open world games and action movies!
The tuning is quite mature, with hardly any bass bleed into mids. The iems sport 3 way crossovers that have done an excellent job of controlling bleed.
The vocals are slightly recessed, with the instruments on both ends of the spectrum being given a more prominent positioning. However, vocal nuances are not lost.
Bass - 4/5 - There is plenty of slam and rumble with a deep insert. I docked about 0.5 points for the nozzle size that makes it a little painful for me to get a deep insert.
However, for whatever little time that I got a deep fit, the bass goes deep and slam hard. The texture is a little bit muddied though, just a tiny bit, to get a higher score.
Mids - 3.75/5 - As mentioned, the mids are slightly recessed in comparison to the rest of the spectrum, especially with the deep fit. Nuances and details are good and enjoyable.
Treble - 3.75/5 - Treble extends quite a bit with a lot of details. However, speed is touch slower for the faster tracks, along with a slight bit of harshness in the upper registers.
Soundstage - The stage is super sized. One of the larger stage sounds that I have heard in recent times. The experience is theatre like and there is no missing the largeness of sound.
They remind me of the Final VR3000 in terms of stage size, that extends in height and width equally.
Imaging - Above average imaging provides a very nicely done instrument presentation. These will add atmosphere to open world and FPS games alike.
Conclusions
Artti R1 definitely took me by surprise on first listen, giving a very different flavour from the competition, that makes it well worth adding to the collection! And at budget! I am looking at you, very expensive but poor implemented iem!
All views of the iem are my own and have no incentives of any sort for the same.
Artti is a relatively new brand to hit the market with a set of iems that have gathered positive reviews quickly.
Build and fit
The R1 sports an all metal shell and is very reminiscent of the MP145 in terms of feel or alteast the faceplate. The iems come with a very nice
looking braided brown cables with no microphonics and feels nice and sturdy. The iems sport 2pin connectors and the stock cable came with the 3.5mm termination.
The iems sport a 3 DD combination that I was quite surprised (having not read reviews of the iems before the listen! I roll like that).
The shells seem to be normal sized, and fit quite well even with the above normal sized nozzles.
The iems came in a standard fabric covered carry case that seems sturdy enough for every day usage.
Sound impressions
The iems drive well with most sources and dont need much power. However, they can scale with amping, give the 3 DD setup of the iems. I paired them with the Penon Liquer tips due to the fairly large size nozzles (I have small ears)
Overall sound is very large, with a lot of reverb that makes a lot of tracks sound like being listened to in a theatre. The largeness of the sound makes me think they will be wonderful for open world games and action movies!
The tuning is quite mature, with hardly any bass bleed into mids. The iems sport 3 way crossovers that have done an excellent job of controlling bleed.
The vocals are slightly recessed, with the instruments on both ends of the spectrum being given a more prominent positioning. However, vocal nuances are not lost.
Bass - 4/5 - There is plenty of slam and rumble with a deep insert. I docked about 0.5 points for the nozzle size that makes it a little painful for me to get a deep insert.
However, for whatever little time that I got a deep fit, the bass goes deep and slam hard. The texture is a little bit muddied though, just a tiny bit, to get a higher score.
Mids - 3.75/5 - As mentioned, the mids are slightly recessed in comparison to the rest of the spectrum, especially with the deep fit. Nuances and details are good and enjoyable.
Treble - 3.75/5 - Treble extends quite a bit with a lot of details. However, speed is touch slower for the faster tracks, along with a slight bit of harshness in the upper registers.
Soundstage - The stage is super sized. One of the larger stage sounds that I have heard in recent times. The experience is theatre like and there is no missing the largeness of sound.
They remind me of the Final VR3000 in terms of stage size, that extends in height and width equally.
Imaging - Above average imaging provides a very nicely done instrument presentation. These will add atmosphere to open world and FPS games alike.
Conclusions
Artti R1 definitely took me by surprise on first listen, giving a very different flavour from the competition, that makes it well worth adding to the collection! And at budget! I am looking at you, very expensive but poor implemented iem!
Thanks to Concept Kart and gadgetgod for the review tour of the Softears Studio 4.
As always, there is no incentive for me to post anything favorable unless I actually feel so in the product.
Softears have had a good run in terms of quality iems at the mid-upper budget segment (or lower luxury?) of the price range.
The Studio 4 is another such example of well done iems for a specific target audience.
Build, package and fit
The Studio 4 iems came in the stock padded pelican like case which feels luxurious. A lot of much higher priced iems come with lesser box than this.
The iems are covered in a drawstring velvette pouch to protect the iems. The iems themselves are resin based shells with a minimalistic lettering on the shells.
The iems come with 2-pin detachable connectors and slightly above average sized nozzles. This did cause a bit of a pain for me to use. These are not monstrously big,
but comparable to nozzles of BGVP iems or the CA Solaris.
The cables are strong and lightweight with very little to no microphonics. The review unit came with the 3.5mm termination and that was used for the review.
I paired the iems with the Penon Liquer tips, as they help with large nozzles for me. Aside from the nozzles, the fit is pretty good with the iems almost feeling weightless.
This is a good fit for long term studio monitoring.
Sound Impressions
The Studio 4 is a neutral with 4 BA drivers doing the duties of sound reproduction. They are tuned to not add any color to the sound, and this is the case with the iems.
They are easily driven (considering a low 14ohm impedance) and dont seem to carry forward any interference noises. Well done from a monitoring perspective.
Overall signature - The iems are mostly neutral with a rounded sound, with no peaks anywhere in the spectrum. As a result, people looking for treble extension, brightness and bass slam could find it boring.
Bass - 3.5/5 - The bass detail is good, with bass guitars, double bass and percussion sounding just about right, without any added emphasis.
Mids - 4.5/5 - Vocals come through with a lot of nuances and detail. This is true of both female and male vocals. No recession of the vocals in the overall sound. Inhalation, trills, and any detail in the track is represented well.
Treble - 4/5 - Treble is well represented in terms of quality. There is no sibilance or brightness from the instruments. Speed is not an issue again, with fast decay thanks to the all BA setup.
Stage - Intimate - The listener is put in front of the performers in a intimate setup to savor and monitor all the details required.
Conclusions
The Softears Studio 4, after a detailed listen, is a very good iem that is an excellent monitor.
However, for genre that dont need sharp treble, deep bass slam, will be well rewarded with the iems from a pure music enjoyment. This is especially the case with true instrument based presentations including classical, rock, jazz, blues etc.
These may also work well with movies and games, where details are important, without the listener being fatigued. Easily one of the better mid budget iems that I have reviewed in the recent past.
As always, there is no incentive for me to post anything favorable unless I actually feel so in the product.
Softears have had a good run in terms of quality iems at the mid-upper budget segment (or lower luxury?) of the price range.
The Studio 4 is another such example of well done iems for a specific target audience.
Build, package and fit
The Studio 4 iems came in the stock padded pelican like case which feels luxurious. A lot of much higher priced iems come with lesser box than this.
The iems are covered in a drawstring velvette pouch to protect the iems. The iems themselves are resin based shells with a minimalistic lettering on the shells.
The iems come with 2-pin detachable connectors and slightly above average sized nozzles. This did cause a bit of a pain for me to use. These are not monstrously big,
but comparable to nozzles of BGVP iems or the CA Solaris.
The cables are strong and lightweight with very little to no microphonics. The review unit came with the 3.5mm termination and that was used for the review.
I paired the iems with the Penon Liquer tips, as they help with large nozzles for me. Aside from the nozzles, the fit is pretty good with the iems almost feeling weightless.
This is a good fit for long term studio monitoring.
Sound Impressions
The Studio 4 is a neutral with 4 BA drivers doing the duties of sound reproduction. They are tuned to not add any color to the sound, and this is the case with the iems.
They are easily driven (considering a low 14ohm impedance) and dont seem to carry forward any interference noises. Well done from a monitoring perspective.
Overall signature - The iems are mostly neutral with a rounded sound, with no peaks anywhere in the spectrum. As a result, people looking for treble extension, brightness and bass slam could find it boring.
Bass - 3.5/5 - The bass detail is good, with bass guitars, double bass and percussion sounding just about right, without any added emphasis.
Mids - 4.5/5 - Vocals come through with a lot of nuances and detail. This is true of both female and male vocals. No recession of the vocals in the overall sound. Inhalation, trills, and any detail in the track is represented well.
Treble - 4/5 - Treble is well represented in terms of quality. There is no sibilance or brightness from the instruments. Speed is not an issue again, with fast decay thanks to the all BA setup.
Stage - Intimate - The listener is put in front of the performers in a intimate setup to savor and monitor all the details required.
Conclusions
The Softears Studio 4, after a detailed listen, is a very good iem that is an excellent monitor.
However, for genre that dont need sharp treble, deep bass slam, will be well rewarded with the iems from a pure music enjoyment. This is especially the case with true instrument based presentations including classical, rock, jazz, blues etc.
These may also work well with movies and games, where details are important, without the listener being fatigued. Easily one of the better mid budget iems that I have reviewed in the recent past.
Thanks to Hidizs and gadgetgod for the review tour of the MP145.I know this is quite late in coming, but here it is.
Link to the site here
As always, the reviews are all mine, and am not compensated in any way by either cash or kind.
The MP145 is a special iem in that 1% of every MP145 order goes directly to supporting Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC).
Build
The MP145 is a fairly large iem with a full metal body with an interesting faceplate. The plate's grooves represents a whale's tail, in effect representing the Whale and Dolphin Conservation effort.
The Tin P1, in the picture is dwarfed by the iems. The MP145, still weighs in as much as the Tin P1! The nozzles are fairly large and I was able to find a fit with the Penon Liquer tips.
I have small ear canals and dont prefer large nozzles due to comfort issues. However, with the Liquer tips, the iems sat comfortably in the ears.
The stock cable is a nice braided litz cable and sport a 14.5mm planar driver to do the sound duties. The iems also come with replaceable nozzle filters, which I did play with during the review.
Sound impressions
For the review I used a Lotoo Paw S1 in High gain mode and was able to drive the iems well at 50 volume.
The filters dont seem to change the sound by much, from my A/B ing, and will continue the rest of the review with the Gold filters, for the sake of convenience.
Tuning
The MP145 is tuned against the Harman 2024 target and this shows very clearly, with a sort of pleasing V shaped signature with slightly boosted bass and treble.
The tuning is very reminiscent of the Tangzu Zetian Wu in terms of tonality and resolution.
Imaging is excellent with fast decays and excellent instrument placement. There is some mid thickness that borders on fuzziness in the vocals. Could be the tips or source, I am not sure.
There is a very little bit of treble sizzle on high hats that works for a lot of tracks, but could get fatiguing on poor recordings and bright tracks.
Bass is quick and thick, but not the same quality as a DD, but again not as short a decay with other planar iems. There is a little more sustain, adding to weight of percussion tracks.
The sustain almost has a little bit of influence on the lower mids, lending a little bit of weight to the mids.
Mids are quite decently done, but a tad bit recessed, especially male vocals. Female vocals benefit a bit more than the male vocals. A lot of the nuances are translated especially with female vocals.
Stage is wide, but quite 2D.
I did briefly watch the Joker: Folie à Deux trailer with the iems, and boy they sound good. Looks like a special usecase in addition to music with the iems.
Conclusions
While the review is fairly short, this summarizes the MP145 in a very crowded mid-budget market of excellent iems. The MP145 does hold out on its own and is a choice that could outlive other planars in its price range, eg, Tangzu Zetian Wu and the Hook X.
This is post the kickstarter and marketing controversies, therefore with an undiluted view of the iem with its competition
Link to the site here
As always, the reviews are all mine, and am not compensated in any way by either cash or kind.
The MP145 is a special iem in that 1% of every MP145 order goes directly to supporting Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC).
Build
The MP145 is a fairly large iem with a full metal body with an interesting faceplate. The plate's grooves represents a whale's tail, in effect representing the Whale and Dolphin Conservation effort.
The Tin P1, in the picture is dwarfed by the iems. The MP145, still weighs in as much as the Tin P1! The nozzles are fairly large and I was able to find a fit with the Penon Liquer tips.
I have small ear canals and dont prefer large nozzles due to comfort issues. However, with the Liquer tips, the iems sat comfortably in the ears.
The stock cable is a nice braided litz cable and sport a 14.5mm planar driver to do the sound duties. The iems also come with replaceable nozzle filters, which I did play with during the review.
Sound impressions
For the review I used a Lotoo Paw S1 in High gain mode and was able to drive the iems well at 50 volume.
The filters dont seem to change the sound by much, from my A/B ing, and will continue the rest of the review with the Gold filters, for the sake of convenience.
Tuning
The MP145 is tuned against the Harman 2024 target and this shows very clearly, with a sort of pleasing V shaped signature with slightly boosted bass and treble.
The tuning is very reminiscent of the Tangzu Zetian Wu in terms of tonality and resolution.
Imaging is excellent with fast decays and excellent instrument placement. There is some mid thickness that borders on fuzziness in the vocals. Could be the tips or source, I am not sure.
There is a very little bit of treble sizzle on high hats that works for a lot of tracks, but could get fatiguing on poor recordings and bright tracks.
Bass is quick and thick, but not the same quality as a DD, but again not as short a decay with other planar iems. There is a little more sustain, adding to weight of percussion tracks.
The sustain almost has a little bit of influence on the lower mids, lending a little bit of weight to the mids.
Mids are quite decently done, but a tad bit recessed, especially male vocals. Female vocals benefit a bit more than the male vocals. A lot of the nuances are translated especially with female vocals.
Stage is wide, but quite 2D.
I did briefly watch the Joker: Folie à Deux trailer with the iems, and boy they sound good. Looks like a special usecase in addition to music with the iems.
Conclusions
While the review is fairly short, this summarizes the MP145 in a very crowded mid-budget market of excellent iems. The MP145 does hold out on its own and is a choice that could outlive other planars in its price range, eg, Tangzu Zetian Wu and the Hook X.
This is post the kickstarter and marketing controversies, therefore with an undiluted view of the iem with its competition
Thanks to gadgetgod for the review unit of the Questyle CMA18.
Questyle is well known for quality audio products for a while now. The CMA18 is a portable dac amp that sounds like the swiss army knife of portable audio products.
Package and Build
The CMA18 comes in a fairly large carboard box, with foam inserts for the dacamp and accessories. The dacamp itself is a sight to look at on opening the box.
The large transparent window showcases the circuitboard with all the components on display. The size of the dacamp is about 3x the size of the M15 dongle.
While the unit itself isnt heavy, I wonder how the transparent top will take a fall from a considerable distange. This is one of my main worries of transparent units.
The accessories that come with is a very good selection. Lightning cable (for apple devices), usb-c cable for android and windows alike, toslink cable, adapters. wow this will fit almost all use cases
Features
The dacamp supports ios, android and desktop (linux/mac/windows) out of the box thanks to the xmos USB decoder.
It support the following inputs - USB, optical, bluetooth
Output - USB out, bluetooth (LDAC, aptx), 3.5mm SE, 4.4mm balanced and lineout on both outputs.
The volume is controllable via volume rockers on the side, and from the source device.
With support for multiple codecs (BT, DSD512 Native, PCM768 etc) the device can run in so many configurations.
Sound
Boasting a 2W x 2 power output with the current mode amplification, the device can drive a lot of hard to drive iems and headphones with ease.
I tried a lot of headphones including HD650, Fostext T50rp mk3 and a selection of iems to determine its ability to drive. Aside from the T50rp, the CMA18 was able to drive all the devices thrown at it with ease.
The DAC duties are performed by a well implemented AK4493 chipset. The characteristic house sound questyle - clear all through while being musical at the same time is the tuning here too.
The dacamp itself does not add color to the sound in a perceptible way. However, with excellent clean power, the CMA18 sounds dynamic with a large stage (again depending on the transducers being driven).
Boasting a 10hr battery and 60hr idle time, this will keep the music flowing through the day.
Another feature that I didnt test out but am very impressed with is the analog line in on both the 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced connectors. This enables usage of the device for recording from analog sources.
While playing back, the device does get a bit warm. So they may not be exactly pocketable over a little bit of time, but play a suberb role on the desk.
Conclusions
The CMA18 is a no brainer device for those looking to drive hard to drive gear, or even for recording analog audio with very good fidelity. This device is a veritable swiss army knife of the portable audio world.
Well done again, Questyle !
Questyle is well known for quality audio products for a while now. The CMA18 is a portable dac amp that sounds like the swiss army knife of portable audio products.
Package and Build
The CMA18 comes in a fairly large carboard box, with foam inserts for the dacamp and accessories. The dacamp itself is a sight to look at on opening the box.
The large transparent window showcases the circuitboard with all the components on display. The size of the dacamp is about 3x the size of the M15 dongle.
While the unit itself isnt heavy, I wonder how the transparent top will take a fall from a considerable distange. This is one of my main worries of transparent units.
The accessories that come with is a very good selection. Lightning cable (for apple devices), usb-c cable for android and windows alike, toslink cable, adapters. wow this will fit almost all use cases
Features
The dacamp supports ios, android and desktop (linux/mac/windows) out of the box thanks to the xmos USB decoder.
It support the following inputs - USB, optical, bluetooth
Output - USB out, bluetooth (LDAC, aptx), 3.5mm SE, 4.4mm balanced and lineout on both outputs.
The volume is controllable via volume rockers on the side, and from the source device.
With support for multiple codecs (BT, DSD512 Native, PCM768 etc) the device can run in so many configurations.
Sound
Boasting a 2W x 2 power output with the current mode amplification, the device can drive a lot of hard to drive iems and headphones with ease.
I tried a lot of headphones including HD650, Fostext T50rp mk3 and a selection of iems to determine its ability to drive. Aside from the T50rp, the CMA18 was able to drive all the devices thrown at it with ease.
The DAC duties are performed by a well implemented AK4493 chipset. The characteristic house sound questyle - clear all through while being musical at the same time is the tuning here too.
The dacamp itself does not add color to the sound in a perceptible way. However, with excellent clean power, the CMA18 sounds dynamic with a large stage (again depending on the transducers being driven).
Boasting a 10hr battery and 60hr idle time, this will keep the music flowing through the day.
Another feature that I didnt test out but am very impressed with is the analog line in on both the 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced connectors. This enables usage of the device for recording from analog sources.
While playing back, the device does get a bit warm. So they may not be exactly pocketable over a little bit of time, but play a suberb role on the desk.
Conclusions
The CMA18 is a no brainer device for those looking to drive hard to drive gear, or even for recording analog audio with very good fidelity. This device is a veritable swiss army knife of the portable audio world.
Well done again, Questyle !
Thanks to gadgetgod and Concept Kart for organising the review of the Softears Twilight .
As always, these are my own opinions and with no compensation of any kind accepted or given.
Softears has been a raved about brand in the recent times. I have personally heard and probably reviewed the RSV and the Turii (maybe didnt write a review for the turii).
The Turii is the elder sibling of the two, both in terms of looks as well as build config. Both the Turii and Twilight sport a single DD in a unusually engineered shell.
The faceplate is rectangular and the pin sockets are at the tall end of the rectangle!
Build
The Twilight is built with a magnesium aluminium alloy shells. The detachable cables plug into the shell using a 2 pin recessed connector.
The cable is fairly supple and is non fussy with a smooth glossy finish. The stock cables came with a 4.4mm balanced pentacon termination at the source end.
The faceplate is rectangular as mentioned earlier, with a small rounded bulge holding the drivers and sporting a fairly small (about 5mm similar to Sony iems) nozzles.
While the nozzle size allows for deep insertion, the rounded driver bulge do make contact with my pinna. Comfortable to use for a fairly long time, but does introduce a little bit of a bother with deeper inserts.
I used a standard M sized silicone tips, and got a comfortable fit. With a single 10mm doing the duties, I very much look forward to reviewing this unit!
Driveability
The iems seem fairly easy to drive, and posed no challenge to the Lotoo PAW S1 in the balanced out with farfield eq enabled (personal preference for now).
Sound
From the get go, there is nothing that seems harsh in the sound. The soothing single DD takes you on a beautiful musical journey, like all well tuned single DDs should do.
The Twilight shines in presenting a balanced W tuning across, without any bleed, harshness or sibilance. The overall signature is warm with good extension.
Bass (4/5)
With deep insertion, the bass is well represented and with very good slam and rumble. There is no bass bleed into mids and the iems are excellent to listen to, be it basshead or not.
Mids (4/5)
On tracks with male and female focus, the Twilight is able to bring out the nuances and emotions in the vocals well. There is no nasality or harshness/shoutiness in the mids. Well done!
Treble (4/5)
Tracks with strings, cymbals etc carry a lot of energy. The Twilight is able to carry the energy with aplomb and is very articulate in presentation. Again no harshness or sibilance on even poor tracks.
Staging, imaging - The iem shells are vented and allow for a good amount of air in the treble. As a result, the stage is wide around the ear. The imaging is good too, and the general placement of the instruments is good.
The stage is quite shallow though, and the sound is more or less flat around the listener. You are in front of the stage, and the music is around in front and around the ears in a arc.
Comparisons
Intuaura Purple - The Purple is the flagship (atleast here) offering from Intuaura. The Purple is also a single DD iem that is well implemented. The iems from a sound perspective are quite similar in terms of presentation and balance,
and both are neck and neck in terms of competition, although the Purple is priced about 25-30% lesser than the Twilight. This is not a easy win, as the Purple shells are acrylic, while the Twilight sport a much stronger Mg Al alloy,
easily justifying the price difference. Hence a tie in almost all ways.
Meze Advar - The Advar was a breathe of fresh air when a lot of the upper mid budget iems were multi driver units. The Advar, while being a bit more heavier and polished looking of the two, was not quite as balanced as the Twilight.
The Advar is made a lot more special to look at (and does win in terms of looks). The Twilight possibly edges out the Advar in terms of the balance of sound and tonally being more accurate of the two.
Conclusions
The Twilight is a beautiful sounding single DD iem, and it gets an easy recommend from me, as this config is my preference. And the twilight does almost everything very well.
As always, these are my own opinions and with no compensation of any kind accepted or given.
Softears has been a raved about brand in the recent times. I have personally heard and probably reviewed the RSV and the Turii (maybe didnt write a review for the turii).
The Turii is the elder sibling of the two, both in terms of looks as well as build config. Both the Turii and Twilight sport a single DD in a unusually engineered shell.
The faceplate is rectangular and the pin sockets are at the tall end of the rectangle!
Build
The Twilight is built with a magnesium aluminium alloy shells. The detachable cables plug into the shell using a 2 pin recessed connector.
The cable is fairly supple and is non fussy with a smooth glossy finish. The stock cables came with a 4.4mm balanced pentacon termination at the source end.
The faceplate is rectangular as mentioned earlier, with a small rounded bulge holding the drivers and sporting a fairly small (about 5mm similar to Sony iems) nozzles.
While the nozzle size allows for deep insertion, the rounded driver bulge do make contact with my pinna. Comfortable to use for a fairly long time, but does introduce a little bit of a bother with deeper inserts.
I used a standard M sized silicone tips, and got a comfortable fit. With a single 10mm doing the duties, I very much look forward to reviewing this unit!
Driveability
The iems seem fairly easy to drive, and posed no challenge to the Lotoo PAW S1 in the balanced out with farfield eq enabled (personal preference for now).
Sound
From the get go, there is nothing that seems harsh in the sound. The soothing single DD takes you on a beautiful musical journey, like all well tuned single DDs should do.
The Twilight shines in presenting a balanced W tuning across, without any bleed, harshness or sibilance. The overall signature is warm with good extension.
Bass (4/5)
With deep insertion, the bass is well represented and with very good slam and rumble. There is no bass bleed into mids and the iems are excellent to listen to, be it basshead or not.
Mids (4/5)
On tracks with male and female focus, the Twilight is able to bring out the nuances and emotions in the vocals well. There is no nasality or harshness/shoutiness in the mids. Well done!
Treble (4/5)
Tracks with strings, cymbals etc carry a lot of energy. The Twilight is able to carry the energy with aplomb and is very articulate in presentation. Again no harshness or sibilance on even poor tracks.
Staging, imaging - The iem shells are vented and allow for a good amount of air in the treble. As a result, the stage is wide around the ear. The imaging is good too, and the general placement of the instruments is good.
The stage is quite shallow though, and the sound is more or less flat around the listener. You are in front of the stage, and the music is around in front and around the ears in a arc.
Comparisons
Intuaura Purple - The Purple is the flagship (atleast here) offering from Intuaura. The Purple is also a single DD iem that is well implemented. The iems from a sound perspective are quite similar in terms of presentation and balance,
and both are neck and neck in terms of competition, although the Purple is priced about 25-30% lesser than the Twilight. This is not a easy win, as the Purple shells are acrylic, while the Twilight sport a much stronger Mg Al alloy,
easily justifying the price difference. Hence a tie in almost all ways.
Meze Advar - The Advar was a breathe of fresh air when a lot of the upper mid budget iems were multi driver units. The Advar, while being a bit more heavier and polished looking of the two, was not quite as balanced as the Twilight.
The Advar is made a lot more special to look at (and does win in terms of looks). The Twilight possibly edges out the Advar in terms of the balance of sound and tonally being more accurate of the two.
Conclusions
The Twilight is a beautiful sounding single DD iem, and it gets an easy recommend from me, as this config is my preference. And the twilight does almost everything very well.
Thanks to Hifigo and gadgetgod for organising the BQEYZ Wind review tour.
Overview
BQEYZ was one the earlier iem brands to sport multiple drivers that was a fan favorite for a very long time, with the KC2. I had owned the KC2 for a long time too for providing a very nicely balanced and rich soundscape. It still has its fan following.
The Wind felt like a spiritual successor to the KC2 in terms of tuning.
The Wind (part of the Weather series of iems) is a hybrid driver iem with a dual cavity dynamic driver, paired with a bone conduction driver. This combination made me think that the iems may be a basshead iem. However, this was not the case.
Build
The iem shells are CNCed aluminium alloy that are sturdy and look strong and are unlikely to break in a long time. The shells are lightweight and have a fairly large sized nozzle, but not as big as say the Celest Plutus Beast.
The iems came with a silver colored cable and a selection 6 pairs of tips in S, M and L for reference tuning and atmospheric tuning.
The review unit came without the stock box, hence the accessories were minimal.
Sound impressions
As mentioned previously, the Wind is a warm iem, but not quite basshead level. The bass, while present, is well restrained within its frequency range and do not bleed into the mids.
The mids again are presented nicely, with good detail retrieval and sonic nuances.
The treble, while being a little short on the extension, has plenty of detail for everyday listening.
Overall, the tuning is very reminiscent of the KC2.
In comparison to the Celest Plutus Beast (in a similar price benchmark), the Wind sounds more coherent and clean, with the BC being a bit more controlled in delivering the goods.
Conclusion
In a hotly contested mid budget space, the Wind offers a continuation of the sonic signature that was previously loved in the KC2. If you are looking for the KC2, and cant find one, the Wind is the one to get.
The bone conduction and the bass drivers, while having decent bass, dont seem to overpower the mids and the other frequencies.
Overview
BQEYZ was one the earlier iem brands to sport multiple drivers that was a fan favorite for a very long time, with the KC2. I had owned the KC2 for a long time too for providing a very nicely balanced and rich soundscape. It still has its fan following.
The Wind felt like a spiritual successor to the KC2 in terms of tuning.
The Wind (part of the Weather series of iems) is a hybrid driver iem with a dual cavity dynamic driver, paired with a bone conduction driver. This combination made me think that the iems may be a basshead iem. However, this was not the case.
Build
The iem shells are CNCed aluminium alloy that are sturdy and look strong and are unlikely to break in a long time. The shells are lightweight and have a fairly large sized nozzle, but not as big as say the Celest Plutus Beast.
The iems came with a silver colored cable and a selection 6 pairs of tips in S, M and L for reference tuning and atmospheric tuning.
The review unit came without the stock box, hence the accessories were minimal.
Sound impressions
As mentioned previously, the Wind is a warm iem, but not quite basshead level. The bass, while present, is well restrained within its frequency range and do not bleed into the mids.
The mids again are presented nicely, with good detail retrieval and sonic nuances.
The treble, while being a little short on the extension, has plenty of detail for everyday listening.
Overall, the tuning is very reminiscent of the KC2.
In comparison to the Celest Plutus Beast (in a similar price benchmark), the Wind sounds more coherent and clean, with the BC being a bit more controlled in delivering the goods.
Conclusion
In a hotly contested mid budget space, the Wind offers a continuation of the sonic signature that was previously loved in the KC2. If you are looking for the KC2, and cant find one, the Wind is the one to get.
The bone conduction and the bass drivers, while having decent bass, dont seem to overpower the mids and the other frequencies.
Thanks to Hifigo and gadgetgod for organising the review of the Celest Plutus Beast.
Overview
The Plutus Beast is a stunning looking iem with an almost spherical curve to the overall shell. The faceplate looks fantastic.
Build
The Beast is an all resin iem with a fairly lightweight body. However, they do look like they can get damaged quickly if not babied. The black background helps the faceplate graphics stand out in a stunning manner.
The nozzles are chonky and require fairly large ears to get a good fit. As a result, the Bone conduction may or may not work for you. I was able to fit it in to get a good contact for the bone conduction.
Cables
The cables that the review unit came with were similar to the Letshouer Chimera cables with a similar modular termination on the source end and a 2 pin into the iem shells. The cables are well built and thick, with very good non conduction of microphonics.
Sound impressions
Due to the overall size of the nozzles, I paired the Beast with a small silicon ear tips. This helped with the BC driver contact and hence plenty of bass slam/rumble.
Bass (4/5)
Due to the BC drivers, the bass was strong in this one. However, that may not mean too much as the bass does come across as being muddy and oftentimes bleeding into the mids. However, the rumble and slam could be felt at a slightly higher level than the UM Mest 2 (Unfair comparison I know).
Mids (3.5/5)
Due to the BC drivers, there is a bit of bass bleeding into the mids. Along with a strong treble, the mids take a slight back seat in the presentation. So not the best for vocals and mid favored music
Treble (4/5)
Due to the EST drivers serving up the treble frequencies, there is plenty of extension in the treble sections. However, there is also a sense of harshness in some of the steel guitar and string tracks. Poor recording do make their presence felt.
Conclusions
The Plutus Beast is a lovely looking iem, that could have been tuned a bit better. I compared it against the BQEYZ Wind, which sport a simiar setup, and that was tuned a bit better for a more balanced sound.
Overview
The Plutus Beast is a stunning looking iem with an almost spherical curve to the overall shell. The faceplate looks fantastic.
Build
The Beast is an all resin iem with a fairly lightweight body. However, they do look like they can get damaged quickly if not babied. The black background helps the faceplate graphics stand out in a stunning manner.
The nozzles are chonky and require fairly large ears to get a good fit. As a result, the Bone conduction may or may not work for you. I was able to fit it in to get a good contact for the bone conduction.
Cables
The cables that the review unit came with were similar to the Letshouer Chimera cables with a similar modular termination on the source end and a 2 pin into the iem shells. The cables are well built and thick, with very good non conduction of microphonics.
Sound impressions
Due to the overall size of the nozzles, I paired the Beast with a small silicon ear tips. This helped with the BC driver contact and hence plenty of bass slam/rumble.
Bass (4/5)
Due to the BC drivers, the bass was strong in this one. However, that may not mean too much as the bass does come across as being muddy and oftentimes bleeding into the mids. However, the rumble and slam could be felt at a slightly higher level than the UM Mest 2 (Unfair comparison I know).
Mids (3.5/5)
Due to the BC drivers, there is a bit of bass bleeding into the mids. Along with a strong treble, the mids take a slight back seat in the presentation. So not the best for vocals and mid favored music
Treble (4/5)
Due to the EST drivers serving up the treble frequencies, there is plenty of extension in the treble sections. However, there is also a sense of harshness in some of the steel guitar and string tracks. Poor recording do make their presence felt.
Conclusions
The Plutus Beast is a lovely looking iem, that could have been tuned a bit better. I compared it against the BQEYZ Wind, which sport a simiar setup, and that was tuned a bit better for a more balanced sound.
Thanks to Concept Kart for the review tour and gadgetgod for organising the tour.
QuietSea - Buy link
Rose Technics has been an underrepresented brand, with some very nicely tuned iems in the past. Off late, they are making more inroads in terms of very nicely tuned iems.
The QuietSea (https://conceptkart.com/products/rose-technics-quietsea-iem) is no exception. The QuietSea (QS henceforth) is a 10mm single DD iem that is tuned with zinc alloy acoustic cavity.
Like the QT9, the QS is a similarly sized (tiny) iem that practically dissappears in the ears. They are very comfortable to wear and look fairly industrial in design with a 2 tone faceplate.
The cables are a twisted paracord covered OCC copper with decent heft. The cables are mmcx terminated (I dislike mmcx terminations in general). The cables, clad in paracord fabric can carry rustling through the cable to the ears.
The around the ear wear helps to a certain extent, but still has some noise carried over.
The cable looks very nice overall, in a darkish gray color, with a 3.5mm termination.
Sound and impressions
The iems sport an oval nozzle, that I havent seen since Klipsch iems. I used the Sony MH755 tips and got an excellent fit with no discomfort. Playing off the Akliam PD4 Plus dac dongle (also part of the tour),
the iems were powered well.
From a sound perspective, the iems are decently V shaped iem, with decent bass and treble extensions. There is decent amount of mid and sub bass on the unit. The tuning is a slight variation of harman tuning. There is treble extension and bass.
The mids are slightly pushed back, but the rest of the spectrum is fairly well tuned.
The treble extends decently well, but there can a little more brightness than I would like. The micro detail retrieval is superb and the stage is above average - large room, with good imaging.
Conclusions
The low - mid budget market is fairly congested and the Rose Technics QuietSea adds a nicely fitting (for small ears) iem in the mix, which does a lot of things well. One can compare it with the Simgot EA500 on an even keel.
For those small ears, this is a decent option, if you like harman tuning.
QuietSea - Buy link
Rose Technics has been an underrepresented brand, with some very nicely tuned iems in the past. Off late, they are making more inroads in terms of very nicely tuned iems.
The QuietSea (https://conceptkart.com/products/rose-technics-quietsea-iem) is no exception. The QuietSea (QS henceforth) is a 10mm single DD iem that is tuned with zinc alloy acoustic cavity.
Like the QT9, the QS is a similarly sized (tiny) iem that practically dissappears in the ears. They are very comfortable to wear and look fairly industrial in design with a 2 tone faceplate.
The cables are a twisted paracord covered OCC copper with decent heft. The cables are mmcx terminated (I dislike mmcx terminations in general). The cables, clad in paracord fabric can carry rustling through the cable to the ears.
The around the ear wear helps to a certain extent, but still has some noise carried over.
The cable looks very nice overall, in a darkish gray color, with a 3.5mm termination.
Sound and impressions
The iems sport an oval nozzle, that I havent seen since Klipsch iems. I used the Sony MH755 tips and got an excellent fit with no discomfort. Playing off the Akliam PD4 Plus dac dongle (also part of the tour),
the iems were powered well.
From a sound perspective, the iems are decently V shaped iem, with decent bass and treble extensions. There is decent amount of mid and sub bass on the unit. The tuning is a slight variation of harman tuning. There is treble extension and bass.
The mids are slightly pushed back, but the rest of the spectrum is fairly well tuned.
The treble extends decently well, but there can a little more brightness than I would like. The micro detail retrieval is superb and the stage is above average - large room, with good imaging.
Conclusions
The low - mid budget market is fairly congested and the Rose Technics QuietSea adds a nicely fitting (for small ears) iem in the mix, which does a lot of things well. One can compare it with the Simgot EA500 on an even keel.
For those small ears, this is a decent option, if you like harman tuning.
The Akliam PD4 plus dac dongle is part of the review tour organised by Concept kart and thanks to gadgetgod for coordinating the same.
Overview
The PD4 plus (https://conceptkart.com/products/akliam-pd4-plus-portable-dac-amp) is a dual CS43131 Cirrus Logic chipset, that comes with a 4.4mm and a 3.5mm output option.
Like most other CS43131 chipset dacs, the PD4 Plus comes with a gain switch and physical volume control buttons. They do have a transparent window on top, similar to the newer dac dongles (like the Tempotec BHD Pro, Questyle dacs, Muse M4 etc).
Performance impressions
The PD4 plus is a nice little dac dongle, with a USB C input and works out of the box with all the devices I tried - laptop, mobile phone etc. The CS43131 is a well received chipset, with sound sitting between the ESS and AKM chipsets.
The dac dongle runs fairly cool over long listening sessions, and provides a decent amount of power for most iems. It was able to power the notorious Tin P1 fairly well on high gain, with good sound.
The sound signature is a slight warm with excellent detail (typical of the CS chipset). They perform similar to the Audiocular TP20Pro, and is priced similarly.
There are LED indicators for PCM and DSD decoding, with support for upto 32-bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD256.
Overall a decent dac dongle in a hotly competitive space at a matched price in comparison to the competition
Overview
The PD4 plus (https://conceptkart.com/products/akliam-pd4-plus-portable-dac-amp) is a dual CS43131 Cirrus Logic chipset, that comes with a 4.4mm and a 3.5mm output option.
Like most other CS43131 chipset dacs, the PD4 Plus comes with a gain switch and physical volume control buttons. They do have a transparent window on top, similar to the newer dac dongles (like the Tempotec BHD Pro, Questyle dacs, Muse M4 etc).
Performance impressions
The PD4 plus is a nice little dac dongle, with a USB C input and works out of the box with all the devices I tried - laptop, mobile phone etc. The CS43131 is a well received chipset, with sound sitting between the ESS and AKM chipsets.
The dac dongle runs fairly cool over long listening sessions, and provides a decent amount of power for most iems. It was able to power the notorious Tin P1 fairly well on high gain, with good sound.
The sound signature is a slight warm with excellent detail (typical of the CS chipset). They perform similar to the Audiocular TP20Pro, and is priced similarly.
There are LED indicators for PCM and DSD decoding, with support for upto 32-bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD256.
Overall a decent dac dongle in a hotly competitive space at a matched price in comparison to the competition
Thanks to Concept Kart and gadgetgod for organising the iem and dac review tour!
QT9 MK3 Buy link
Rose Technics has been a well regarded brand but with not much of a presence here in India. Their house tuning has been pleasant with almost no harshness in the past.
As part of the review tour, the QT9 mk3 iems (with the cable and case) and the RZ200 dac dongle were sent together. The review unit came only with the case and dac, no tips or packaging, I wont talk much about the package.
Build
QT3 mk3 - The iems are very tiny, with a resin body and milled aluminium faceplate. They are tiny in size, dissapearing into the ears. The nozzle is slightly medium-large in size, and I paired it with the KZ starlines M tips for the review.
The iems sport mmcx connectors, with a paracord braided 5N OCC copper cable that is 3.5mm terminated. (I reviewed the iems with the stock cables only).
RZ200 Dac - The dac dongle is a tiny one reminiscent of the older Zorloo Ztella and the likes, with a very small footprint. The dac dongle has a usb c termination and a female 3.5mm jack for the audio.
Nothing fancy, very functional.
Performance
QT3
The QT3 fits in easy into the ears and one wouldnt expect it to be multi drivers. I was surprised to learn that it was 10mm tesla DD + 4 BA driver config. These feel about the same size as the Aful Magic One! How did they manage to fit so many drivers on such a small shell completely baffles me!
The iems are very efficient and easily drive off mobile phones. However, as always, I prefer driving iems out of my standard dac dongles, and in addition, the RZ200.
RZ200
The dac dongle is a simple device, a callback to a few years ago when dac dongles made their appearance in a trimmed down mode. These again are very energy efficient and run fairly cool.
No fuss whatsoever. The dac appears as Realtek dac, happy to see that name after a long time.
Sound impressions
QT3
I drove the iems off the THX Onyx dac dongle and the RZ200 dac dongles. The THX Onyx is fairly neutral/bright, while the RZ200 is a little warmer in comparison. Both were able to drive the iems to ear shattering levels, without any distortion even at high volumes on either dongles.
Bass - The iems pack a good punch and sound full with good subbass off the RZ200. A 10mm driver tends to do that! And surely enough, the QT3 is nicely punchy and detailed
They sound similar to the Aful Performer 5 in the bass and mids department. While not at true basshead level bass, the bass carries decent punch and slam. 3.75/5
Mids - The mids are present and decently supported although slightly recessed in the male vocals. There is a lot of nuances and detail retrieval, although from a slightly pushed back position.
Female vocals get a little more support and are slightly more forward. Good amount of detail retrieval and tone on the vocals. 3.75/5
Treble - Unlike say the Performer 5, there is a lot more extension on the treble side of the spectrum. There is sparkle on instruments and excellent imaging. On slightly poor tracks, the female vocals and some of the instruments can have a nasal tone to the proceedings.
On well done tracks, the details are excellent with very good imaging and stage. The 4 BAs help with speed in fast instrument sections while keeping the instrument positioning very well.
4/5
RZ200 - The dac dongle is surprisingly powerful and full sounding with the QT3. It is slightly warm sounding, without any harshness/glare. Quite efficient with the battery usage too.
I quite like it a lot!
Conclusions
No comparisons here, but the iems are a surpriging package considering its size. The pricepoint will be the one decision point, when compared to other similar offerings. For small ears, this is definitely a nice option
QT9 MK3 Buy link
Rose Technics has been a well regarded brand but with not much of a presence here in India. Their house tuning has been pleasant with almost no harshness in the past.
As part of the review tour, the QT9 mk3 iems (with the cable and case) and the RZ200 dac dongle were sent together. The review unit came only with the case and dac, no tips or packaging, I wont talk much about the package.
Build
QT3 mk3 - The iems are very tiny, with a resin body and milled aluminium faceplate. They are tiny in size, dissapearing into the ears. The nozzle is slightly medium-large in size, and I paired it with the KZ starlines M tips for the review.
The iems sport mmcx connectors, with a paracord braided 5N OCC copper cable that is 3.5mm terminated. (I reviewed the iems with the stock cables only).
RZ200 Dac - The dac dongle is a tiny one reminiscent of the older Zorloo Ztella and the likes, with a very small footprint. The dac dongle has a usb c termination and a female 3.5mm jack for the audio.
Nothing fancy, very functional.
Performance
QT3
The QT3 fits in easy into the ears and one wouldnt expect it to be multi drivers. I was surprised to learn that it was 10mm tesla DD + 4 BA driver config. These feel about the same size as the Aful Magic One! How did they manage to fit so many drivers on such a small shell completely baffles me!
The iems are very efficient and easily drive off mobile phones. However, as always, I prefer driving iems out of my standard dac dongles, and in addition, the RZ200.
RZ200
The dac dongle is a simple device, a callback to a few years ago when dac dongles made their appearance in a trimmed down mode. These again are very energy efficient and run fairly cool.
No fuss whatsoever. The dac appears as Realtek dac, happy to see that name after a long time.
Sound impressions
QT3
I drove the iems off the THX Onyx dac dongle and the RZ200 dac dongles. The THX Onyx is fairly neutral/bright, while the RZ200 is a little warmer in comparison. Both were able to drive the iems to ear shattering levels, without any distortion even at high volumes on either dongles.
Bass - The iems pack a good punch and sound full with good subbass off the RZ200. A 10mm driver tends to do that! And surely enough, the QT3 is nicely punchy and detailed
They sound similar to the Aful Performer 5 in the bass and mids department. While not at true basshead level bass, the bass carries decent punch and slam. 3.75/5
Mids - The mids are present and decently supported although slightly recessed in the male vocals. There is a lot of nuances and detail retrieval, although from a slightly pushed back position.
Female vocals get a little more support and are slightly more forward. Good amount of detail retrieval and tone on the vocals. 3.75/5
Treble - Unlike say the Performer 5, there is a lot more extension on the treble side of the spectrum. There is sparkle on instruments and excellent imaging. On slightly poor tracks, the female vocals and some of the instruments can have a nasal tone to the proceedings.
On well done tracks, the details are excellent with very good imaging and stage. The 4 BAs help with speed in fast instrument sections while keeping the instrument positioning very well.
4/5
RZ200 - The dac dongle is surprisingly powerful and full sounding with the QT3. It is slightly warm sounding, without any harshness/glare. Quite efficient with the battery usage too.
I quite like it a lot!
Conclusions
No comparisons here, but the iems are a surpriging package considering its size. The pricepoint will be the one decision point, when compared to other similar offerings. For small ears, this is definitely a nice option
Thanks to Hifigo and Pulkit for organising the review tour of the Effect Audio x Hifigo Griffin cables.
The impressions shared below are mine and there is no compensation whatsoever in exchange of the review.
Effect Audio and the Hifigo collab brings a beautiful cable with some real cool features - Replacable terminations on both end! Read on and find out!
Effect Audio has a set of very nice looking cables that have been popular on the market. The Griffin retails at $199 on Hifigo (https://hifigo.com/products/effect-audio-x-hifigo-griffin)
Package
The Griffin comes in a nice box and a unique looking carry case, in a nice cardboard box. It also carries a pamplet of other Effect Audio cables.
Build
The cables are a nice silver colored 8core Silver plated Copper cable. There is sufficient heft in the cables and looks like a long lasting one. There is a bright red carbon fibre like material in the strain relief that looks like a jewel.
Connectors
The cable comes with 2 features - replaceable connectors and ConX connectors on the earphone end. What this means is that the cables can be used with a lot of iems (mmcx/2Pin) and sources (2.5, 3.5, 4.4mm)!
Sound impressions
The cables perform fairly well, with a balanced sound. In comparison with other SPC cables, these dont seem to boost the bass all that much (keeps it nice and tight) and enhances the treble a touch more.
Do note that this is in comparison with other similar SPC cables and not standalone impressions.
I tried it with a Single DD iem (QDC Dmagic Solo) as I prefer to audition single driver iems when doing cable impressions.
What I also had on hand to compare is the Effect Audio Cadmus, which has a similar construction and very nearly the same pricepoint. And surprise surprise, or not, the cables performed very similarly.They are priced near identically too.
Conclusions
Overall, a well constructed cable with replaceable connectors that should be offered by most iem makers in the expensive bracket atleast.
The impressions shared below are mine and there is no compensation whatsoever in exchange of the review.
Effect Audio and the Hifigo collab brings a beautiful cable with some real cool features - Replacable terminations on both end! Read on and find out!
Effect Audio has a set of very nice looking cables that have been popular on the market. The Griffin retails at $199 on Hifigo (https://hifigo.com/products/effect-audio-x-hifigo-griffin)
Package
The Griffin comes in a nice box and a unique looking carry case, in a nice cardboard box. It also carries a pamplet of other Effect Audio cables.
Build
The cables are a nice silver colored 8core Silver plated Copper cable. There is sufficient heft in the cables and looks like a long lasting one. There is a bright red carbon fibre like material in the strain relief that looks like a jewel.
Connectors
The cable comes with 2 features - replaceable connectors and ConX connectors on the earphone end. What this means is that the cables can be used with a lot of iems (mmcx/2Pin) and sources (2.5, 3.5, 4.4mm)!
Sound impressions
The cables perform fairly well, with a balanced sound. In comparison with other SPC cables, these dont seem to boost the bass all that much (keeps it nice and tight) and enhances the treble a touch more.
Do note that this is in comparison with other similar SPC cables and not standalone impressions.
I tried it with a Single DD iem (QDC Dmagic Solo) as I prefer to audition single driver iems when doing cable impressions.
What I also had on hand to compare is the Effect Audio Cadmus, which has a similar construction and very nearly the same pricepoint. And surprise surprise, or not, the cables performed very similarly.They are priced near identically too.
Conclusions
Overall, a well constructed cable with replaceable connectors that should be offered by most iem makers in the expensive bracket atleast.
Thanks to Hifigo and Pulkit for organising the review tour of the SeeAudio Neko (https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-neko).
SeeAudio is a coming together of seasoned audio engineers in recent times post Covid and have delivered very interesting iems including the Yume, Yume Midnight and Yume 2 iems.
The Neko is a 6BA iem in a beautiful shell. Historically, SeeAudio iems were among the best looking iems in the recent times.
The iem impressions are my own and have no incentive attached either in cash or in kind.
Package and Build
The iems were shipped to me in a standard SeeAudio round carry case, with the Effect Audio Cadmus cable that comes stock with the iems.
The iems are made of blue resin, with a beautiful floral motif on the faceplate. The iems sport 2 pin connectors that are not recessed, so can take a variety of 2 pin cables.
The cables are beautiful and match the iems in terms of looks. They are very sturdy and pliable, with a nice marbled plate on the strain relief. The cables came terminated with a 4.4 balanced connector.
Fit
The iems are fairly small and lightweight, very similar to the BGVP DM6 (similar configuration in terms of drivers). The Neko also has fairly big nozzles similar to the BGVP iems (DM6/DM8/DM9).
There is a wing on the back of the shell that should help with the fit for a lot of people. Since they are lightweight, they are mostly comfortable to wear for long.
The cable weight does pull the iems a bit, but since the cables are worn around the ear, they are fairly fine for wear.
The nozzle being a touch big, did give me some trouble over an extended period of wear (about 1 hour).
Sound Impressions
I drove the iems out of the Fiio KA2 balanced dac dongle that delivers a lot of power. The dac volume was kept at 13, and the iems were sufficiently loud. Easy to drive, also considering that they are all BA.
The overall sound signature is quite balanced and relaxed. There is no sibilance. There is enough microdetail retrieval and enough bass to keep most people happy.
Overall here are some scores.
Bass - 3.5/5
Mids - 4/5
Treble - 4/5
Stage - Intimate and immersive in a small hall with the musicians. Very involving
Imaging - 4.5/5 - Beautiful rendering of the instruments around the listener
Depth - 3.5/5 - Depth is present, but not the best in class by any means.
TR1> Tool - The Pot () - This track has a lot of mixed time and rhythm with a lot of instruments. The Neko was able to navigate the complexities very well, while keeping composure right through.
Bass was present in the drum tracks with a lot of guitar cues and micro details being delicately retrieved.
TR2> Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere but not here () - This track was thoroughly enjoyed when paired with the Letshuoer Chimera cables. The song was enveloping and the whole track was enjoyable. The iems dissapeared and in its place was a sea of immersive music
TR3> Planet Funk - Chase the Sun () - A classic track from the early 2000s that is still a banger. The iems made me dance (or just shuffling around, for others watching me
). The bass hits were sufficient without going into basshead territory. The synths were rendered very well. The vocals were spot on.
Nostalgic
Comparisons
Thieaudio Monarch MK2 - This is from memory as I dont have the mk2 with me. However, both iems seem neck and neck in the balanced sound signature game. Both are technically excellent, with a very slight edge to the mk2.
And that is an impressive feat on its own.
Kinera Imperial Urd - This is my to go for balanced long term listening. The Neko is very similar in characteristics, especially with the Chimera cables. Like Master Oogway said, everything in balance!
Or was it thanos? Either ways, I prefer the Urd just a bit more due to an easier fit for my ears. Again, neck and neck in terms of sound.
Aful Performer 8 - The Aful, with a DD in addition to its BA drivers, has a touch more bottom end than the Neko. However, the detail retrieval and finesse on the treble end more than evens out the score, and with better technicalities, outdoes the P8, just by a little though.
Conclusions
The Neko is an excellent iem from SeeAudio, taking away my main gripe of looking good but sounding average as with the Yumes. Those that liked the Yume will like the Neko even more, as it has a bit more character to it.
In summary, a well built, musical iem whose only concern may be on the pricing bit.
Conclusions -
SeeAudio is a coming together of seasoned audio engineers in recent times post Covid and have delivered very interesting iems including the Yume, Yume Midnight and Yume 2 iems.
The Neko is a 6BA iem in a beautiful shell. Historically, SeeAudio iems were among the best looking iems in the recent times.
The iem impressions are my own and have no incentive attached either in cash or in kind.
Package and Build
The iems were shipped to me in a standard SeeAudio round carry case, with the Effect Audio Cadmus cable that comes stock with the iems.
The iems are made of blue resin, with a beautiful floral motif on the faceplate. The iems sport 2 pin connectors that are not recessed, so can take a variety of 2 pin cables.
The cables are beautiful and match the iems in terms of looks. They are very sturdy and pliable, with a nice marbled plate on the strain relief. The cables came terminated with a 4.4 balanced connector.
Fit
The iems are fairly small and lightweight, very similar to the BGVP DM6 (similar configuration in terms of drivers). The Neko also has fairly big nozzles similar to the BGVP iems (DM6/DM8/DM9).
There is a wing on the back of the shell that should help with the fit for a lot of people. Since they are lightweight, they are mostly comfortable to wear for long.
The cable weight does pull the iems a bit, but since the cables are worn around the ear, they are fairly fine for wear.
The nozzle being a touch big, did give me some trouble over an extended period of wear (about 1 hour).
Sound Impressions
I drove the iems out of the Fiio KA2 balanced dac dongle that delivers a lot of power. The dac volume was kept at 13, and the iems were sufficiently loud. Easy to drive, also considering that they are all BA.
The overall sound signature is quite balanced and relaxed. There is no sibilance. There is enough microdetail retrieval and enough bass to keep most people happy.
Overall here are some scores.
Bass - 3.5/5
Mids - 4/5
Treble - 4/5
Stage - Intimate and immersive in a small hall with the musicians. Very involving
Imaging - 4.5/5 - Beautiful rendering of the instruments around the listener
Depth - 3.5/5 - Depth is present, but not the best in class by any means.
TR1> Tool - The Pot () - This track has a lot of mixed time and rhythm with a lot of instruments. The Neko was able to navigate the complexities very well, while keeping composure right through.
Bass was present in the drum tracks with a lot of guitar cues and micro details being delicately retrieved.
TR2> Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere but not here () - This track was thoroughly enjoyed when paired with the Letshuoer Chimera cables. The song was enveloping and the whole track was enjoyable. The iems dissapeared and in its place was a sea of immersive music
TR3> Planet Funk - Chase the Sun () - A classic track from the early 2000s that is still a banger. The iems made me dance (or just shuffling around, for others watching me
). The bass hits were sufficient without going into basshead territory. The synths were rendered very well. The vocals were spot on.Nostalgic
Comparisons
Thieaudio Monarch MK2 - This is from memory as I dont have the mk2 with me. However, both iems seem neck and neck in the balanced sound signature game. Both are technically excellent, with a very slight edge to the mk2.
And that is an impressive feat on its own.
Kinera Imperial Urd - This is my to go for balanced long term listening. The Neko is very similar in characteristics, especially with the Chimera cables. Like Master Oogway said, everything in balance!
Or was it thanos? Either ways, I prefer the Urd just a bit more due to an easier fit for my ears. Again, neck and neck in terms of sound.
Aful Performer 8 - The Aful, with a DD in addition to its BA drivers, has a touch more bottom end than the Neko. However, the detail retrieval and finesse on the treble end more than evens out the score, and with better technicalities, outdoes the P8, just by a little though.
Conclusions
The Neko is an excellent iem from SeeAudio, taking away my main gripe of looking good but sounding average as with the Yumes. Those that liked the Yume will like the Neko even more, as it has a bit more character to it.
In summary, a well built, musical iem whose only concern may be on the pricing bit.
Conclusions -
Thanks to hifigo and Pulkit Dreamzz for organising the review tour of the Aful Performer 8, the successor of the generally well regarded P5.
As usual, the impressions are mine only with zero influence of anything/anyone else.
PACKAGE AND BUILD
The iems come in a mid sized cardboard box with a minimalistic approach. The iems are present in the foam cut out, while the brown/silver cables in 3.5mm termination and 2 pin at the shell end coming in a nice round faux leather case.
Under the foams, there is a selection of tips with various colors and sizes. and a product literature booklet.
The iems are dark resin shells with a nice faceplate that is reminiscent of recent iems from other manufacurers across priceranges. The cable is a SPC cable with 4 core braided cables that is supple and nice feeling.
Well done in the fit department. The iems are lightweight and one can practically wear it for a long time without much issues.
Similarly, the cable being nice and supple, wear very comfortably around the ears. The 4 core braid ensures that there is not much of a weight and this does not pull the iems in any way. No microphonics either.
The selection of tracks from Qobuz, youtube premium and flac was used to test the iems.
Bass - These iems are not basshead iems. That said, they do have a decent punch in both mid bass rumble as well as palpable slam in the subbass areas on selected tracks. The textures come across nicely although a little softer than other basshead focussed iems. (3.75/5)
Mids - These iems are mid forward. They have a sense of a lot of air in the mids, making the vocals sound prominent and spacious. Both male and female vocals are provided good amount of support. However, sometimes this can be too much off a good thing. There can be honkiness on some tracks in the upper mids. This can also come out as being a little harsh in the upper mids/lower treble. (4/5)
Treble - There is good extension and space in the treble areas. There isnt much details lost in translation, be it imaging or staging. The size of stage is quite wide and a above average depth, like a large hall. (4/5)
Juzear 41T - The Juzear 41T was a recent acquisition and has a slightly larger nozzle than the P8. The size and weight is very similar between the 2. The key area where the 41T pulls a little ahead of the P8 is in the upper mids. Where the P8 sounds a bit honky, the 41T is a little more controlled. However, the bass on the P8 is slightly stronger.
Kinera Imperial Urd - The Urd is one of my favorite mid focussed iems at a much higher price bracket than the P8. Understandably, it has better performance across the board. However, the difference is much narrower than the prices make out and hence the comparison still stands valid.
As usual, the impressions are mine only with zero influence of anything/anyone else.
PACKAGE AND BUILD
The iems come in a mid sized cardboard box with a minimalistic approach. The iems are present in the foam cut out, while the brown/silver cables in 3.5mm termination and 2 pin at the shell end coming in a nice round faux leather case.
Under the foams, there is a selection of tips with various colors and sizes. and a product literature booklet.
The iems are dark resin shells with a nice faceplate that is reminiscent of recent iems from other manufacurers across priceranges. The cable is a SPC cable with 4 core braided cables that is supple and nice feeling.
FIT AND COMFORT
These are some of the better fitting iems even for small ears. There is a very small wing at the back that has a nice dip and sits very nicely in the ear. The nozzle is medium-small and very comfortable. The nozzles fit the sony tips very well, and indicates a very comfortable longtime wear.
Well done in the fit department. The iems are lightweight and one can practically wear it for a long time without much issues.
Similarly, the cable being nice and supple, wear very comfortably around the ears. The 4 core braid ensures that there is not much of a weight and this does not pull the iems in any way. No microphonics either.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
I drove the iems off the Tanchjim Space dongle on the 3.5mm and 4.4mm taps with an aftermarket cable. The sound was consistent with both inputs.The selection of tracks from Qobuz, youtube premium and flac was used to test the iems.
Bass - These iems are not basshead iems. That said, they do have a decent punch in both mid bass rumble as well as palpable slam in the subbass areas on selected tracks. The textures come across nicely although a little softer than other basshead focussed iems. (3.75/5)
Mids - These iems are mid forward. They have a sense of a lot of air in the mids, making the vocals sound prominent and spacious. Both male and female vocals are provided good amount of support. However, sometimes this can be too much off a good thing. There can be honkiness on some tracks in the upper mids. This can also come out as being a little harsh in the upper mids/lower treble. (4/5)
Treble - There is good extension and space in the treble areas. There isnt much details lost in translation, be it imaging or staging. The size of stage is quite wide and a above average depth, like a large hall. (4/5)
COMPARISONS
The other mid focussed iems that I have on hand are the Juzear 41T and the Kinera Imperial Urd, and hence I will compare them with the P8, which is priced between the 2 iems.
Juzear 41T - The Juzear 41T was a recent acquisition and has a slightly larger nozzle than the P8. The size and weight is very similar between the 2. The key area where the 41T pulls a little ahead of the P8 is in the upper mids. Where the P8 sounds a bit honky, the 41T is a little more controlled. However, the bass on the P8 is slightly stronger.
Kinera Imperial Urd - The Urd is one of my favorite mid focussed iems at a much higher price bracket than the P8. Understandably, it has better performance across the board. However, the difference is much narrower than the prices make out and hence the comparison still stands valid.
CONCLUSIONS
The P8 is a very good performer in the mid budget segment, offering good fit with airy soundscapes that is not the traditional harman tuned. With a good mix of technical chops and fit, it performs very well.
Thanks to Concept Kart for organising this review tour of 2 dacamp dongles. Audiocular is Concept Kart's own brand and is their first foray under the brand. Wishing them the very best in bringing excellent products under the umbrella!
TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro are balanced and single ended dacamp dongles that are affordable and provide excellent features in a tight budget. The review is from a very neutral standpoint and has absolutely no influence in any way from Concept Kart. All opinions are mine only.
Specifications
The TP20 Pro dacamp comes with dual independent Cirrus Logic dac chipsets (CS43131), supporting 3.5mm (SE) and 4.4mm (Bal) ports on the output section, while taking a usb c input. It supports 32 bit/384khz PCM, DSD256 decoding as well as MQA decoding.
The TP30 Pro comes with dual ESS ES9038Q2M chipsets that has a 3.5mm (SE) and 4.4mm (Bal) output with a similar usb c input. The dac decodes 32 bit/768khz PCM, DSD512 decoding as well as MQA decoding.
Both dacamps have an option of USB C or Lightning cables, for use with appropriate input sources.
There are minor differences in terms of THD, sensitivity, SNR, dynamic range parameters, while providing a similar output impedance of 32 ohms. The TP20 Pro has a green LED while the TP30 pro has a red LED indicator when they are powered on.
Package and build
The devices come in identical carboard packages with the corresponding usb-c to usb-c or lightning cable nestled in foam, while the dacamps are nearly identical in terms of dimensions.
The TP20 Pro is a black brick, while the TP30 Pro is a golden brick (or biscuit!). Both look solid with metal construction that looks like it can take a lot of abuse. Both weigh a bit and give a feeling of solid metal mass.
The input and output ports are near identical on both units, with the output ports switching order in comparison to the other.
The TP20 pro comes with a gain switch as well as volume buttons that control the source volume nicely. The TP20 pro also has a Play/pause button that pauses and resumes play on the source (Even on a windows laptop!).
The TP30 pro does not have the gain switch or the pause/play button, but has a similar volume control buttons.
Screen printing on the cases of both dacamps are similar, with the logo on one side, and the name and chipset capabilities on the other side.
Both units came with identical cables.
Sound profile
With impressive output power specs on both units (2Vrms - single ended, and 4 Vrms on balanced), there is plenty of juice to drive iems with ease. I was able to drive KZ PR1 Pro and CCA PLA13 to ear shattering levels on both dacs.
Tuning
TP20 Pro - The TP20 Pro has a slightly more pronounced bass, of the two. Details are good, lots of head room without any distortion experienced at any level. The mids are pushed slightly back in comparison with the TP30 pro, more due to slightly bassiser output.
TP30 Pro - The TP30 Pro is slightly more neutral sounding of the two. The mids are a touch more clearer, with excellent treble detail. The bass is more rounded than the TP20 pro, that has a bit more oomph. The typical sabre glare is mostly avoided, and the sound is very clean.
Conclusions
Coming at excellent price points, both dongles offer very high value in terms of features and excellent sound. The only probably qualm is that both are on the chunkier side. This could auger well as the metal builds inspire confidence in terms of longevity. Standard usb c input means the most common failure point of dac dongles is well addressed.
The TP20 Pro is an easy recommendation for those looking for a fun sounding dongle, while the more detail oriented and technical audience will enjoy the TP30 Pro more. Well done, Concept Kart / Audiocular!
TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro are balanced and single ended dacamp dongles that are affordable and provide excellent features in a tight budget. The review is from a very neutral standpoint and has absolutely no influence in any way from Concept Kart. All opinions are mine only.
Specifications
The TP20 Pro dacamp comes with dual independent Cirrus Logic dac chipsets (CS43131), supporting 3.5mm (SE) and 4.4mm (Bal) ports on the output section, while taking a usb c input. It supports 32 bit/384khz PCM, DSD256 decoding as well as MQA decoding.
The TP30 Pro comes with dual ESS ES9038Q2M chipsets that has a 3.5mm (SE) and 4.4mm (Bal) output with a similar usb c input. The dac decodes 32 bit/768khz PCM, DSD512 decoding as well as MQA decoding.
Both dacamps have an option of USB C or Lightning cables, for use with appropriate input sources.
There are minor differences in terms of THD, sensitivity, SNR, dynamic range parameters, while providing a similar output impedance of 32 ohms. The TP20 Pro has a green LED while the TP30 pro has a red LED indicator when they are powered on.
Package and build
The devices come in identical carboard packages with the corresponding usb-c to usb-c or lightning cable nestled in foam, while the dacamps are nearly identical in terms of dimensions.
The TP20 Pro is a black brick, while the TP30 Pro is a golden brick (or biscuit!). Both look solid with metal construction that looks like it can take a lot of abuse. Both weigh a bit and give a feeling of solid metal mass.
The input and output ports are near identical on both units, with the output ports switching order in comparison to the other.
The TP20 pro comes with a gain switch as well as volume buttons that control the source volume nicely. The TP20 pro also has a Play/pause button that pauses and resumes play on the source (Even on a windows laptop!).
The TP30 pro does not have the gain switch or the pause/play button, but has a similar volume control buttons.
Screen printing on the cases of both dacamps are similar, with the logo on one side, and the name and chipset capabilities on the other side.
Both units came with identical cables.
Sound profile
With impressive output power specs on both units (2Vrms - single ended, and 4 Vrms on balanced), there is plenty of juice to drive iems with ease. I was able to drive KZ PR1 Pro and CCA PLA13 to ear shattering levels on both dacs.
Tuning
TP20 Pro - The TP20 Pro has a slightly more pronounced bass, of the two. Details are good, lots of head room without any distortion experienced at any level. The mids are pushed slightly back in comparison with the TP30 pro, more due to slightly bassiser output.
TP30 Pro - The TP30 Pro is slightly more neutral sounding of the two. The mids are a touch more clearer, with excellent treble detail. The bass is more rounded than the TP20 pro, that has a bit more oomph. The typical sabre glare is mostly avoided, and the sound is very clean.
Conclusions
Coming at excellent price points, both dongles offer very high value in terms of features and excellent sound. The only probably qualm is that both are on the chunkier side. This could auger well as the metal builds inspire confidence in terms of longevity. Standard usb c input means the most common failure point of dac dongles is well addressed.
The TP20 Pro is an easy recommendation for those looking for a fun sounding dongle, while the more detail oriented and technical audience will enjoy the TP30 Pro more. Well done, Concept Kart / Audiocular!
coldfish
Both dongles are from EPZ. Audiocular simply slap it's own logo on the casing and resell it. Another company YongSe is also selling the TP30 under their own brand.
Rsifur9
they look a lot like EPZ XD
hitchhiker
Yes, looks like OEM manufactured and rebranded. Penon TAIL also looks very similar and could be the same OEM!
BGVP DM9 - Quick impressions
Thanks to Bgvp Acoustics for the review unit of the BGVP DM9. This is part of a worldwide tour by BGVP.
As usual, there was no compensation in cash or kind (not even shipping charges) was offered or taken for the review. It is completely my unbiased opinion.
I have been using the BGVP flagships for a long time, including the DM6, DM8, NS9 etc. I will compare between the DM6, DM8 and DM9 as part of this review. The DM6 and DM8 are my own units and previous flagships of BGVP.
PACKAGE AND BUILD
The package of the DM9 is a slightly smaller box than the DM8, however with similar contents. It came in a nice box with the iems nestled in a foam board. The cables are a thick mmcx iem (similar to the DM8 cables), thick but supple.No microphonics carried through the cables, whatsoever.
The iems are a beautiful shade of purple and blue, similar to the stabilized wood from the DM8 series. The cable is modular and came with a 3.5mm and 4.4mm terminations.
The carry case of the DM9 is a fairly large oval white box that can house the cables and iems, along with a selection of tips. An iem cleaning brush also came as a part of the standard kit.
The iems carry 9 drivers, as opposed to the 6 BAs of the DM6 and 8 BA drivers of the DM8. However, the 9 drivers are a combination of one liquid silicone DD, 4 BA and 4 low voltage EST drivers. The iems also came with a 4 way crossover for frequency division and 3d printed acoustic tube structure.
FIT AND COMFORT
The DM9 is a lightweight iem, however when paired with the stock cables, there is a bit of added weight. An aftermarket cable like the Smoky Litz will reduce weight and increase wearing comfort significantly.The biggest gripe I have with the BGVP iems are the nozzle size. As with the other models. the DM9 has a chonky nozzle that can hurt small ear canals. So if you do have smallish ear canals, try before buy is a must. The nozzle size is similar to that of the CA Solaris.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
From an overall tuning perspective, the DM_ series has been mostly neutral balanced with very good detail retrieval. The DM9 changes this a little bit with a little more presence in the lower end with the DD driver prodiving for thick and palpable thump and rumble in the bass section.
The mids are slightly recessed in comparison, while the treble have good details and energy without being sibilant.
The bass is thick and reverby, which makes it sound fun. There is a lot of thump and impact in the mid bass and sub bass regions, making you want to listen to fun sounding tracks. This will be ideal for R&B genre more than tight bass decay requirements of EDM.
The mids are a slight bit recessed, but provide sufficient support for male and female vocals alike. However, vocals are a touch back in comparison to the surrounding bass and treble sections.
Treble performance is very good, with the EST drivers playing their part in good detail retreval and imaging.
Stage depth is average with a decent amount of layering of the instruments.
Driveability is decent, middling between very easy to drive single DDs and hard to drive yesteryear planars like the Tin P1.
COMPARISONS
BGVP DM6
The DM6 from one of the earliest batches manufactured have a very balanced sound, easy driveability and package. The DM6 are easier to driver, but are more neutral in comparison to the DM9. The DM9 have a lot more bass impact thanks to the DD included.
The size and fit is very similar to the DM9.
BGVP DM8
The DM8 is very similar in terms of package and presentation. The stabilized wood shells make them look excellent and this is a similar case with the DM9 again. The fit is identical and the iems are just a touch more heavier than the DM9.
Soundwise, the DM9 has more lowend, while requiring similar drive current as the DM8.
CONCLUSIONS
The DM9 carries forward the design language of the DM_ flagship series, while offering a bit more fun signature, when compared to the more neutral/balanced sounding DM8 and DM6.Attachments
hitchhiker
@poskus I will recommend the QDC Gemini, 64Audio U12T, Noble Sultan and VE Phonix
Thanks to my dear friend Srinivas Vignesh, I had the good fortune of auditioning and listening to the Aroma Jewel over the week. I received the stock cable, tips and the round case for the listen.
Over the last couple of days, I have been listening to the Jewel on a variety of sources and cables. Below is a summary of my experience overall.
Build and accessories
The Jewel is an all resin build and is fairly lightweight. Packing a large number of drivers and also at the kidney replacing cost of the iems, I babied them for all the time that I was in possesion of the iems.
The shell is a beautiful transparent blue resin through which the drivers can be seen. The crossover board seems well hidden behind the faceplate. The faceplate has shimmery blue specks in the faceplate with Aroma and Jewel as part of the faceplate with a layer of transparent epoxy on the faceplate. Overall, looks amazing!
The Aroma Jewel is no IER-Z1R in terms of package and accessories. The iems come with what looks like a 4 core silver cable with a Y splitter with Aroma engraved on it. There is a selection of 3 tip sizes, and a leatherette carry case similar to other ones that other chi-fi manufacturers like dunu provide. And we are done.
Source, tips and cable pairing
I wanted to try the iems out with my standard reference sources (dac dongles to be precise, namely - Lusya Fever dac and the iBasso DC04), that I use on a daily basis. I will use other sources on another occasion and update back.
I used Flacs, CDs and streaming platforms such as Qobuz, YT and Spotify to try out a variety of sources and see how the iems perform with poor and excellent bitrate.
I went back and forth between the stock cable (2 pin) and the Letshuoer Chimera, utilizing the 4.4mm balanced terminations in both cables.
I used the stock tips, Spinfits CP800 and KZ Starlines, with Starlines providing max comfort and deepest bass of the selection. The sound is very dependent, as expected, on the tip selection. I used the KZ starlines for most of the review.
Overall Sound Impressions
Bass
The Aroma Jewel is an incredible sounding iem pair. With the right tips (Starlines for me) and the Chimera (SPC), the bass is incredible. I have not heard such bone rattling bass in any other iem, that also sounds very clean at the same time. There is rumble, slam and also super quick decay where required from the track.
Mids
The Chimera cables do enhance the top and bottom ends significantly, with the vocals taking a slight step back from the front. Howerver, what does come through is very composed, nuanced and detailed with excellent portrayal of the singer's emotions. With the stock cables, the Bass and treble take a step back and let the mids even out in the spectrum. The nuances come through a little more up front and are very enjoyable.
Treble
The EST drivers do a terrific job of the treble, providing incredible space, accurate imaging and separation. This is with either cables that I tried it with. The staging, is large, 3D and extends on both axes very well.
Sensitivity
It doesnt take too much to drive the iems very loud. They take about half the power of a modern planar iem to make them super loud.
The instruments sound natural with excellent decay and reverb characteristics. There is an added sense of reverb in a lot of tracks that make the iems sound like speakers with a lot of tracks.
Technicality
One word, brilliant. There is no loss of detail, muddiness anywhere on the spectrum. There are no bleeds across the frequency ranges either. On some tracks there is an added air/reverb that feels a bit out of place though, or maybe a case of user burn in required.
Reference tracks
Travis Scott - The Plan (From the motion picture TENET) (Source : )
Right from the start, the bass track is felt deeply, with visceral impact. The vocals nestled within the track also comes through cleanly, with the bass providing the rhythm almost throughout. The backing instruments are a distant second to the bass and vocals in the middle. There are spatial cues throughout, to almost feel the instruments properly placed. There is no muddiness whatsoever.
Echoes - Pink Floyd (Source Sony Discman + CD)
The track is a masterpiece from PF that has everything in it - vocals, instruments, layering.. The piercing ping at the start, the slow guitars, the spactial cues from the start, is magical. The bass guitar's warmth feels like sitting beside the fireplace, richly enveloping the listener, while the nylon strings convey a beautiful and meloncholic progression. The vocals sound full, with the feeling of sitting in front of a vintage Klipsch or Focal stereo speakers. This track is like meditation with the Jewels.
Rangapura Vihara - Agam (Srouce : )
This track is a test track that I used to test hot treble, due to compression/bitrate. There is a bit of saturation on the vocal sections around 2:00 mark, when the singer hits the high notes. On most iems, this sticks out like a sore thumb. On the Jewel, the harshness is contained significantly and the highs are well managed, and the rest of the track comes together with all sorts of symphony, rock, operatic singing blended in beautifully. The Jewel brings together the track very well (especially with the stock cables).
Janine Jansen - Vivaldi Four Seasons (Source : Tidal Masters)
This track I use to test speed and decay as a certain section of the tracks get very fast, with multiple violins, violas and cellos keeping the attack high. The Jewel had no issues conveying the speed without muddiness and movement of the bow across the string was well placed and detailed, proving beyond doubt the iems' technical chops.
Comparisons
Aroma Musical Box Yao - This is a unit that I owned for a long time and was Aroma's flagship for a while, before being superseeded. The Yao shares the nozzle size and overall shell size with the Jewel. The Yao was is a 12 driver iem, packing a solid punch and technical chops, and the Jewel seems to be a refined version of the same. They are more similar than different. The Yao is a warm iem too, with excellent technicalities. The Jewel does a one up on the Yao with a more punchy and rumbling bass than the Yao. In terms of resolution too, the Jewel takes a step ahead of the Yao, bringing out a little more of the micro details across. The Yao did have a little bit of bass bleed that is taken care of well by the Jewel. The Jewel is the new king, straight and simple!
Vision Ears Phonix
The VE Phonix is one below the totl (Erlkonig), and has all the technical chops from a near TOTL. The fit is supremely comfortable and is light. However, when compared the Jewel, it has a smaller stage and a more reigned in bass. The treble is fast and the mids are good too. However, the Jewel bests it in sheer scale of the sound.
I havent heard too many of the multi kilobuck iems, and hence wont compare the Jewel with any of the other much lower priced iems as they are not on the same planet.
Conclusions
The Aroma Jewel is a true jewel among iems, with a price to match. My biggest gripe has been the nozzle size, but this is due to my small ear canals. Another gripe is the accessories that could have been provided along with the iems, especially at the price that it comes at. The sound is very large and capable and can be used across most genre easily. As they respond to cable and tip rolling, everyone who buy the iems can match their preference of cables an tips. Thumbs up all the way!
Over the last couple of days, I have been listening to the Jewel on a variety of sources and cables. Below is a summary of my experience overall.
Build and accessories
The Jewel is an all resin build and is fairly lightweight. Packing a large number of drivers and also at the kidney replacing cost of the iems, I babied them for all the time that I was in possesion of the iems.
The shell is a beautiful transparent blue resin through which the drivers can be seen. The crossover board seems well hidden behind the faceplate. The faceplate has shimmery blue specks in the faceplate with Aroma and Jewel as part of the faceplate with a layer of transparent epoxy on the faceplate. Overall, looks amazing!
The Aroma Jewel is no IER-Z1R in terms of package and accessories. The iems come with what looks like a 4 core silver cable with a Y splitter with Aroma engraved on it. There is a selection of 3 tip sizes, and a leatherette carry case similar to other ones that other chi-fi manufacturers like dunu provide. And we are done.
Source, tips and cable pairing
I wanted to try the iems out with my standard reference sources (dac dongles to be precise, namely - Lusya Fever dac and the iBasso DC04), that I use on a daily basis. I will use other sources on another occasion and update back.
I used Flacs, CDs and streaming platforms such as Qobuz, YT and Spotify to try out a variety of sources and see how the iems perform with poor and excellent bitrate.
I went back and forth between the stock cable (2 pin) and the Letshuoer Chimera, utilizing the 4.4mm balanced terminations in both cables.
I used the stock tips, Spinfits CP800 and KZ Starlines, with Starlines providing max comfort and deepest bass of the selection. The sound is very dependent, as expected, on the tip selection. I used the KZ starlines for most of the review.
Overall Sound Impressions
Bass
The Aroma Jewel is an incredible sounding iem pair. With the right tips (Starlines for me) and the Chimera (SPC), the bass is incredible. I have not heard such bone rattling bass in any other iem, that also sounds very clean at the same time. There is rumble, slam and also super quick decay where required from the track.
Mids
The Chimera cables do enhance the top and bottom ends significantly, with the vocals taking a slight step back from the front. Howerver, what does come through is very composed, nuanced and detailed with excellent portrayal of the singer's emotions. With the stock cables, the Bass and treble take a step back and let the mids even out in the spectrum. The nuances come through a little more up front and are very enjoyable.
Treble
The EST drivers do a terrific job of the treble, providing incredible space, accurate imaging and separation. This is with either cables that I tried it with. The staging, is large, 3D and extends on both axes very well.
Sensitivity
It doesnt take too much to drive the iems very loud. They take about half the power of a modern planar iem to make them super loud.
The instruments sound natural with excellent decay and reverb characteristics. There is an added sense of reverb in a lot of tracks that make the iems sound like speakers with a lot of tracks.
Technicality
One word, brilliant. There is no loss of detail, muddiness anywhere on the spectrum. There are no bleeds across the frequency ranges either. On some tracks there is an added air/reverb that feels a bit out of place though, or maybe a case of user burn in required.
Reference tracks
Travis Scott - The Plan (From the motion picture TENET) (Source : )
Right from the start, the bass track is felt deeply, with visceral impact. The vocals nestled within the track also comes through cleanly, with the bass providing the rhythm almost throughout. The backing instruments are a distant second to the bass and vocals in the middle. There are spatial cues throughout, to almost feel the instruments properly placed. There is no muddiness whatsoever.
Echoes - Pink Floyd (Source Sony Discman + CD)
The track is a masterpiece from PF that has everything in it - vocals, instruments, layering.. The piercing ping at the start, the slow guitars, the spactial cues from the start, is magical. The bass guitar's warmth feels like sitting beside the fireplace, richly enveloping the listener, while the nylon strings convey a beautiful and meloncholic progression. The vocals sound full, with the feeling of sitting in front of a vintage Klipsch or Focal stereo speakers. This track is like meditation with the Jewels.
Rangapura Vihara - Agam (Srouce : )
This track is a test track that I used to test hot treble, due to compression/bitrate. There is a bit of saturation on the vocal sections around 2:00 mark, when the singer hits the high notes. On most iems, this sticks out like a sore thumb. On the Jewel, the harshness is contained significantly and the highs are well managed, and the rest of the track comes together with all sorts of symphony, rock, operatic singing blended in beautifully. The Jewel brings together the track very well (especially with the stock cables).
Janine Jansen - Vivaldi Four Seasons (Source : Tidal Masters)
This track I use to test speed and decay as a certain section of the tracks get very fast, with multiple violins, violas and cellos keeping the attack high. The Jewel had no issues conveying the speed without muddiness and movement of the bow across the string was well placed and detailed, proving beyond doubt the iems' technical chops.
Comparisons
Aroma Musical Box Yao - This is a unit that I owned for a long time and was Aroma's flagship for a while, before being superseeded. The Yao shares the nozzle size and overall shell size with the Jewel. The Yao was is a 12 driver iem, packing a solid punch and technical chops, and the Jewel seems to be a refined version of the same. They are more similar than different. The Yao is a warm iem too, with excellent technicalities. The Jewel does a one up on the Yao with a more punchy and rumbling bass than the Yao. In terms of resolution too, the Jewel takes a step ahead of the Yao, bringing out a little more of the micro details across. The Yao did have a little bit of bass bleed that is taken care of well by the Jewel. The Jewel is the new king, straight and simple!
Vision Ears Phonix
The VE Phonix is one below the totl (Erlkonig), and has all the technical chops from a near TOTL. The fit is supremely comfortable and is light. However, when compared the Jewel, it has a smaller stage and a more reigned in bass. The treble is fast and the mids are good too. However, the Jewel bests it in sheer scale of the sound.
I havent heard too many of the multi kilobuck iems, and hence wont compare the Jewel with any of the other much lower priced iems as they are not on the same planet.
Conclusions
The Aroma Jewel is a true jewel among iems, with a price to match. My biggest gripe has been the nozzle size, but this is due to my small ear canals. Another gripe is the accessories that could have been provided along with the iems, especially at the price that it comes at. The sound is very large and capable and can be used across most genre easily. As they respond to cable and tip rolling, everyone who buy the iems can match their preference of cables an tips. Thumbs up all the way!
Attachments
Thanks to Henry and Michael Browne for organising the India tour of the Astral Acoustics cables (https://www.astralacousticscables.com).
Astral Acoustics are based out of Hong Kong and have plenty of exotic cables (and materials) including silver, gold, palladium etc. Their cables are very nicely build and look the part of premium range of cables. A lot of the cables cost around the same or lower than other exotic cable makers (pw audio, effect audio). Since the review is for multiple cables, I will add cable reviews to this post as and when I have a listen to them. I will not mention the list prices here. I am neither compensated for in cash or kind for the reviews, as usual. I do make cables myself and can understand differences that cables make for iems and fairly sensitive headphones. YMMV.
In the review chain, I was handed off the Mercury and the Milky Way cables. Initially, it was very difficult to make out the difference between the two as they look identical. However, after a little bit of usage, I can identify them with eyes closed, by touch and by hearing along. For cable skeptics, here is a short summary I would like to provide regarding my opinion about the same.
My opinion about cables in general
There is a fairly developed science called metallurgy and material science, which looks at materials in general and for specific usages. The metal composition in cables, for example, provide for minor variations in sensitive drivers, aka iems, some headphones etc. In my books there are 2 general types of cables - Good cables, and bad cables. Bad cables dont transmit current across the frequency range as well as the good cables do. Also the iem/headphone performance depends on how the prototype was tuned (and eventually the economics of manufacturing). This trickles down into the manufactured products wherein iems and headphones come with poor/bad cables. I am specifically looking at marquee brands such as Sennheiser, Campfire Audio, Vision Ears etc, whose stock cables are generally poor from an electrical conductivity/SQ performance for their drivers. A lot of those are benefitted from aftermarket cables.
I dont want to do a lecture on materials and the electronics here, as they are quite difficult to measure precisely with cheap equipment. Instead, I can easily rely on my ears on how the cables work with the iems or headphones. Which brings me to the process of review.
Review process
I like to do my reviews on single driver iems or headphones, to reduce the impact of complex arrangement of driver types and cross overs, giving me a simpler way to try and understand the synergy.
Henceforth, for the series review, I will use the 7Hz Salnotes Zero (single DD) and KZ PR1 Pro (single planar) iems to do the review, as the cables are 2 pin, with 4.4mm balanced terminations. The Left - Right indicators on the cables are done cleverly with the Astral Logo pointing to the outside of the connector. Similar to PW on the UM Mest (go figure)!
This also brings me to the point about the source, as the impact or what is perceived of the cables can vary based on the source. I am using my trusty iBasso DC04 balanced dac dongle, playing from a wide variety of tracks from tidal, youtube, flac, CD etc. I also do comparisons with other iems (where I mention them specifically in the review).
The Review
1) Mercury - The Mercury cables are a beautiful silver looking cable, that are made of Silver plated copper wires (SPC), braided in 8? core bundles. The Cables are fairly tough, and slightly stiff. They are about 34g in weight overall, with gold plated 4.4 connectors.
Sound impressions - It does feel to write about sound impressions about cables, but here goes. The Mercury is definitely V shaped and in a huge manner. The mids take a bit of the backseat, but with a lot of body and slam to the bass. My Mangird Tea turned into a bass monster with the Mercury! The treble is definitely high on energy too. And very significantly. There is no microphonics from the cables, even though they are slightly stiffer than other cables in my inventory (PW mest cables, Letshoer HBB Chimera, Linsoul hybrid etc).
In comparison to other SPC cables in my collection, the Mercury sounded a bit more V shaped than the others. The treble was bright and peaky on the Tea, as well as on the Zero. The PR1 Pro already was a bit bright like the HE400i, but the mercury added very solid bottom end along with treble energy aka return of the KZ treble!
Since I dont have the other SPC cables from Astral, I will update back the ratings once I have listened to the others.
Looks - 4.5
Flexibility - 3.5
Weight - 3.5
Bass - 5
Mids - 3
Treble - 4.5 (half point docked for brightness)
2) Milky Way - The Milky Way is a limited edition Silver cable that looks identical to the Mercury. The comparison ends there. The Milky Way (MW here onwards) is a soft pliable 8? core cable that looks and feels special. The cable itself is very flexible and carries no microphonics whatsoever. They are a light 24g.
Sound impressions - The Milky Way brings about a sense of detail, intimacy and tonality upgrade to both the Zero and the PR1 Pro. On the Zero, the treble is enhanced with more detail, without sounding grating. Even with the PR1, the sound is full and with no trace of the treble spike as with the mercury. The sound is richer, fuller with more details across the spectrum. The bass is there, without becoming basshead level, the mids are pronounced and the treble is exquisitely done. I will put my neck on the line and claim that this is the single best cable I have used till date.
Looks -5 (there is a sheen that the silver brings that makes it look special)
Flexibility - 5 (very soft yet sturdy - Very similar to PW1950s in terms of pliability)
Weight - 4
Bass - 4
Mids - 5
Treble - 5 (No sibilance, exceptional details)
Sound impressions
The Jupiter has a gooey warm presence, similar to summer. It does not increase slam like what Mercury does. Instead, it creates a warm stage for the iems to deliver. As a result, sharp sounding iems, like the PR1 Pro, get a warm base. The warmth makes the iems a lot more enjoyable. I didnt like it too much on the Zero, as it made the bass a bit muddy. With the PR1 Pro, it is a match made in heaven. The 2 strands of SPC, keep the treble involved without rolloff, and creating a nice soundstage too. Overall, an excellent choice for treble heavy iems to provide much needed balance, without the treble taking a backseat.
Looks -5 (beautiful looking, reminding me of Takumi's colors)
Flexibility - 4 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4
Bass - 4 (everything is warmer!)
Mids - 4
Treble - 4 (No sibilance, good details)
Sound impressions
The Eclipse has the characteristics of a well made pure silver cable. There is excellent representation across all the frequencies, although it is a touch behind the Milky Way. There is a magical resolution and space across the spectrum with the Milky Way. Aside from that, the Eclipse is a definite flagship grade cable. The bass is present as is the mids. What is definitely going to tempt audiophiles with the Eclipse is the airyness and extension in the treble areas. Splendidly extended. Ofcouse, this is assuming that the iem drivers are capable of utilizing the extension to present the soundscape.
Looks -4.5
Flexibility - 4.5 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4.5
Bass - 4
Mids - 4
Treble - 4.5 (No sibilance, good details)
Sound impressions
The Reference silver is another flagship grade silver cable that has a lot of personality. It goes neck and neck against the Eclipse, but with a slight bit of restraint at the top and bottom end. This is noticeable when compared side by side. However, the restraint provides the Reference Silver its name, and characteristics. Everything is very balanced with the Zero as well as the PR1. The resolution is good, but a touch lesser than the Eclipse. The bass similarly is a tiny bit restrained. The stage is wide with very good imaging, thanks to the treble extension without any sibilance or brightness.
Looks -4.5
Flexibility - 4.5 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4.5
Bass - 4
Mids - 4
Treble - 4 (No sibilance, good details)
Sound impressions
The cable, provides good amount of mid energy with vocals being pushed a notch forward, in a nice way. The typical copper low end forwardness is still present, without sacrificing too much of the treble. Top end extension is sufficient for most listening. Overall a very good set of cables.
Looks -3.5
Flexibility - 4.5 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4.5
Bass - 4
Mids - 4 (strength area)
Treble - 3.5 (No sibilance, good details)
Astral Acoustics are based out of Hong Kong and have plenty of exotic cables (and materials) including silver, gold, palladium etc. Their cables are very nicely build and look the part of premium range of cables. A lot of the cables cost around the same or lower than other exotic cable makers (pw audio, effect audio). Since the review is for multiple cables, I will add cable reviews to this post as and when I have a listen to them. I will not mention the list prices here. I am neither compensated for in cash or kind for the reviews, as usual. I do make cables myself and can understand differences that cables make for iems and fairly sensitive headphones. YMMV.
In the review chain, I was handed off the Mercury and the Milky Way cables. Initially, it was very difficult to make out the difference between the two as they look identical. However, after a little bit of usage, I can identify them with eyes closed, by touch and by hearing along. For cable skeptics, here is a short summary I would like to provide regarding my opinion about the same.
My opinion about cables in general
There is a fairly developed science called metallurgy and material science, which looks at materials in general and for specific usages. The metal composition in cables, for example, provide for minor variations in sensitive drivers, aka iems, some headphones etc. In my books there are 2 general types of cables - Good cables, and bad cables. Bad cables dont transmit current across the frequency range as well as the good cables do. Also the iem/headphone performance depends on how the prototype was tuned (and eventually the economics of manufacturing). This trickles down into the manufactured products wherein iems and headphones come with poor/bad cables. I am specifically looking at marquee brands such as Sennheiser, Campfire Audio, Vision Ears etc, whose stock cables are generally poor from an electrical conductivity/SQ performance for their drivers. A lot of those are benefitted from aftermarket cables.
I dont want to do a lecture on materials and the electronics here, as they are quite difficult to measure precisely with cheap equipment. Instead, I can easily rely on my ears on how the cables work with the iems or headphones. Which brings me to the process of review.
Review process
I like to do my reviews on single driver iems or headphones, to reduce the impact of complex arrangement of driver types and cross overs, giving me a simpler way to try and understand the synergy.
Henceforth, for the series review, I will use the 7Hz Salnotes Zero (single DD) and KZ PR1 Pro (single planar) iems to do the review, as the cables are 2 pin, with 4.4mm balanced terminations. The Left - Right indicators on the cables are done cleverly with the Astral Logo pointing to the outside of the connector. Similar to PW on the UM Mest (go figure)!
This also brings me to the point about the source, as the impact or what is perceived of the cables can vary based on the source. I am using my trusty iBasso DC04 balanced dac dongle, playing from a wide variety of tracks from tidal, youtube, flac, CD etc. I also do comparisons with other iems (where I mention them specifically in the review).
The Review
1) Mercury - The Mercury cables are a beautiful silver looking cable, that are made of Silver plated copper wires (SPC), braided in 8? core bundles. The Cables are fairly tough, and slightly stiff. They are about 34g in weight overall, with gold plated 4.4 connectors.
Sound impressions - It does feel to write about sound impressions about cables, but here goes. The Mercury is definitely V shaped and in a huge manner. The mids take a bit of the backseat, but with a lot of body and slam to the bass. My Mangird Tea turned into a bass monster with the Mercury! The treble is definitely high on energy too. And very significantly. There is no microphonics from the cables, even though they are slightly stiffer than other cables in my inventory (PW mest cables, Letshoer HBB Chimera, Linsoul hybrid etc).
In comparison to other SPC cables in my collection, the Mercury sounded a bit more V shaped than the others. The treble was bright and peaky on the Tea, as well as on the Zero. The PR1 Pro already was a bit bright like the HE400i, but the mercury added very solid bottom end along with treble energy aka return of the KZ treble!
Since I dont have the other SPC cables from Astral, I will update back the ratings once I have listened to the others.
Looks - 4.5
Flexibility - 3.5
Weight - 3.5
Bass - 5
Mids - 3
Treble - 4.5 (half point docked for brightness)
2) Milky Way - The Milky Way is a limited edition Silver cable that looks identical to the Mercury. The comparison ends there. The Milky Way (MW here onwards) is a soft pliable 8? core cable that looks and feels special. The cable itself is very flexible and carries no microphonics whatsoever. They are a light 24g.
Sound impressions - The Milky Way brings about a sense of detail, intimacy and tonality upgrade to both the Zero and the PR1 Pro. On the Zero, the treble is enhanced with more detail, without sounding grating. Even with the PR1, the sound is full and with no trace of the treble spike as with the mercury. The sound is richer, fuller with more details across the spectrum. The bass is there, without becoming basshead level, the mids are pronounced and the treble is exquisitely done. I will put my neck on the line and claim that this is the single best cable I have used till date.
Looks -5 (there is a sheen that the silver brings that makes it look special)
Flexibility - 5 (very soft yet sturdy - Very similar to PW1950s in terms of pliability)
Weight - 4
Bass - 4
Mids - 5
Treble - 5 (No sibilance, exceptional details)
3) JUPITER
The Jupiter is a very interesting cable in terms of materials. It uses a 6 core design with 4 copeer and 2 SPC configuration. Weighing in at about 31g, it is decently pliable and looks stunning. The material selection is very interesting (also see cues on the site for more poetic descriptions).
Sound impressions
The Jupiter has a gooey warm presence, similar to summer. It does not increase slam like what Mercury does. Instead, it creates a warm stage for the iems to deliver. As a result, sharp sounding iems, like the PR1 Pro, get a warm base. The warmth makes the iems a lot more enjoyable. I didnt like it too much on the Zero, as it made the bass a bit muddy. With the PR1 Pro, it is a match made in heaven. The 2 strands of SPC, keep the treble involved without rolloff, and creating a nice soundstage too. Overall, an excellent choice for treble heavy iems to provide much needed balance, without the treble taking a backseat.
Looks -5 (beautiful looking, reminding me of Takumi's colors)
Flexibility - 4 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4
Bass - 4 (everything is warmer!)
Mids - 4
Treble - 4 (No sibilance, good details)
4) ECLIPSE
The Eclipse is a flagship silver litz cable that looks similar to the mercury and the Milky Way. The Mercury is a little bit heavier, but the eclipse is light, and very similar in construction to the Milky Way. It is nicely pliable and soft while being sturdy at the same time.
Sound impressions
The Eclipse has the characteristics of a well made pure silver cable. There is excellent representation across all the frequencies, although it is a touch behind the Milky Way. There is a magical resolution and space across the spectrum with the Milky Way. Aside from that, the Eclipse is a definite flagship grade cable. The bass is present as is the mids. What is definitely going to tempt audiophiles with the Eclipse is the airyness and extension in the treble areas. Splendidly extended. Ofcouse, this is assuming that the iem drivers are capable of utilizing the extension to present the soundscape.
Looks -4.5
Flexibility - 4.5 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4.5
Bass - 4
Mids - 4
Treble - 4.5 (No sibilance, good details)
5) REFERENCE SILVER
The Reference Silver is another flagship grade silver litz cable that looks similar to the mercury and the Milky Way. The Ref cable is light, and very similar in construction to the Milky Way. It is nicely pliable and soft while being sturdy at the same time.
Sound impressions
The Reference silver is another flagship grade silver cable that has a lot of personality. It goes neck and neck against the Eclipse, but with a slight bit of restraint at the top and bottom end. This is noticeable when compared side by side. However, the restraint provides the Reference Silver its name, and characteristics. Everything is very balanced with the Zero as well as the PR1. The resolution is good, but a touch lesser than the Eclipse. The bass similarly is a tiny bit restrained. The stage is wide with very good imaging, thanks to the treble extension without any sibilance or brightness.
Looks -4.5
Flexibility - 4.5 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4.5
Bass - 4
Mids - 4
Treble - 4 (No sibilance, good details)
6) VOYAGER
The Voyager is an entry level copper cable that is the odd one out of the whole range in the audition, with a paracord sleeve on the cable braiding. The paracord reminds me very much of the UM Mest cables (or the Effect Audio cables). The cable comes with a neck cinch, that helps avoid microphonics fairly well. A shirt clip is still recommended to keep out the odd brushing of the shirt.
Sound impressions
The cable, provides good amount of mid energy with vocals being pushed a notch forward, in a nice way. The typical copper low end forwardness is still present, without sacrificing too much of the treble. Top end extension is sufficient for most listening. Overall a very good set of cables.
Looks -3.5
Flexibility - 4.5 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4.5
Bass - 4
Mids - 4 (strength area)
Treble - 3.5 (No sibilance, good details)
CONCLUSIONS
Excellent cables with very good build quality! This concludes the Astral Acoustics tour! Excellent cables sonically well done, with enough body and weight that makes them look fantastic too. Thank you Henry Tik and Michael Browne for organising the tour!
Rose Technics - Martini - Impressions
Rose Technics - Martini is a premium single dynamic driver earbuds featuring a two-Way Air Pressure Management System.
The impressions are part of a group review courtesy of Concept Kart (https://conceptkart.com/products/rose-technics-martini-wired-earbuds).
No influence or compensation was paid for the review and is the personal opinion of yours truly!
The Review unit came in a nice velvet lined plastic case that reminds of well made pen cases. The shell of the buds is Gold-Plated Brass and feature third-generation Carbon-Based Ceramic Diaphragm dynamic driver measuring a large 15.4mm diameter.
The cable has a paracord like sheath with coiling until the split at the middle. There is a provided neck cinch and a decent and non intrusive strain relief. The unit came with a gold plated 4.4mm balanced connector. The cables are not detachable, and dont carry microphonics when rubbed against the shirt or due to wind. The earbuds also came with standard black foam covers for the shells.
The earbuds, being all brass, is heftier than other earbuds that are usually acrylic builds. The weight is similar to the DQSM turandot, which is all Stainless steel shell in comparison. The earbuds rested comfortably in my ears without issues. The weight is a matter of getting used to, but the shells do look premium and bordering steampunk styling.
Sound impressions
The overall signature of the earbuds is a defined V shape. The bass comes through with power, especially with a close fit in the ear canals. When sitting lightly, there is a slight bass impact, as expected. Subbass does carry through well, as does midbass rumbles. There is a distinct treble presence that makes it sound detailed and wide. Vocal notes carry weight and conveys emotions well.
The large drivers require a bit of power to run. I have used the ibasso DC04 to do the dac duties with songs from Tidal and Youtube to test the buds.
Track selection
TR1> Olulleru - Ajagajantharam ()
This track consists of fast beats, female vocals and a lot of different instruments and sonic ranges. The Martini brings the bass impact from the start, with punchy notes. The female voice is bang center with a lot of energy, and pushed forward, bordering on harshness. Most instruments play a background role in comparison to the vocals and the bass tracks.
TR2> Tabakova - Concerto for Violoncello And Strings II. (Longing) (https://tidal.com/browse/track/79141066)
The track is a deeply emotional composition with strings all through - cello, violin, that showcases fantastic orchestration of the instruments to create a landscape of the theme (longing). The Cello digs deep while the viola and violins provide tasteful and full soundscape. The Martini is able to dig deep with the cello while keeping in pace with the violin's upper registers. The stage is not super wide, but intimate, putting the listener in the presence of the musicians. There is a lot of details and texture in the cello notes, as well as violins. There is a bit of resonance that comes across a little harsh in the upper registers starting around the 1:52 mark. The track is immersive otherwise with the Martini.
TR3> Way Down Deep - Jennifer Warnes (https://tidal.com/browse/track/4964763)
This track is a well mastered track with deep bass, wide staging and imaging cues with the central female vocals. The track starts off with marakas, followed by deep bass drum notes and what sounds like a tensioned drum, before the guitar starts the proceedings. The Martini is able to effortlessly place the instruments while hitting very deep with the drum beats. The stage width is fairly large, keeping the listener facing the centre of a large stage. The guitar notes have texture from the metal strings, that can be almost felt.
Comparisons
DQSM Turandot - The turandot was the DQSM flagship earbuds sporting a 13.5mm CNT diaphram drivers in a stainless steel shell that probably inspired the Monk SM from Venture Electronics. The shell is slightly smaller than the Martini, while also differing in the material of the shell. The fit is easier with the Turandot due to its smaller shell. The Turandot doesnt hit as deeply as the Martini, while matching the Martini in the technical areas. The harshness of the guitar from TR3 does not occur with the Turandot. The stage width is similar, while sounding a touch less warmer than the Martini.
VE Zen 2.0 - The Zen is the VE flagship that comes with very different offering from the Martini. The Zen is an acrylic shell earbud that is close to the size of the Martini. The Zen is a more W shaped earbud than the V shaped Martini. Being acrylic also offers Zen the advantage of being lighter and stays in the ears better. The Zen is a bit more difficult to drive, and requires a good amp to shine, and it does sound like a full sized headphone. The Martini is a tad easier to drive and provides a very deep V signature to people having a good fit.
Conclusions
The Rose Technis Martini is a flagship grade earbud that delivers strongly on a V shaped signature with deep bass and lots of treble energy. The size of the shell could be a drawback for smaller ears. For those blessed with a good fit, will find a portable hard hitting option to chill out on a variety of genre.
Rose Technics - Martini is a premium single dynamic driver earbuds featuring a two-Way Air Pressure Management System.
The impressions are part of a group review courtesy of Concept Kart (https://conceptkart.com/products/rose-technics-martini-wired-earbuds).
No influence or compensation was paid for the review and is the personal opinion of yours truly!
The Review unit came in a nice velvet lined plastic case that reminds of well made pen cases. The shell of the buds is Gold-Plated Brass and feature third-generation Carbon-Based Ceramic Diaphragm dynamic driver measuring a large 15.4mm diameter.
The cable has a paracord like sheath with coiling until the split at the middle. There is a provided neck cinch and a decent and non intrusive strain relief. The unit came with a gold plated 4.4mm balanced connector. The cables are not detachable, and dont carry microphonics when rubbed against the shirt or due to wind. The earbuds also came with standard black foam covers for the shells.
The earbuds, being all brass, is heftier than other earbuds that are usually acrylic builds. The weight is similar to the DQSM turandot, which is all Stainless steel shell in comparison. The earbuds rested comfortably in my ears without issues. The weight is a matter of getting used to, but the shells do look premium and bordering steampunk styling.
Sound impressions
The overall signature of the earbuds is a defined V shape. The bass comes through with power, especially with a close fit in the ear canals. When sitting lightly, there is a slight bass impact, as expected. Subbass does carry through well, as does midbass rumbles. There is a distinct treble presence that makes it sound detailed and wide. Vocal notes carry weight and conveys emotions well.
The large drivers require a bit of power to run. I have used the ibasso DC04 to do the dac duties with songs from Tidal and Youtube to test the buds.
Track selection
TR1> Olulleru - Ajagajantharam ()
This track consists of fast beats, female vocals and a lot of different instruments and sonic ranges. The Martini brings the bass impact from the start, with punchy notes. The female voice is bang center with a lot of energy, and pushed forward, bordering on harshness. Most instruments play a background role in comparison to the vocals and the bass tracks.
TR2> Tabakova - Concerto for Violoncello And Strings II. (Longing) (https://tidal.com/browse/track/79141066)
The track is a deeply emotional composition with strings all through - cello, violin, that showcases fantastic orchestration of the instruments to create a landscape of the theme (longing). The Cello digs deep while the viola and violins provide tasteful and full soundscape. The Martini is able to dig deep with the cello while keeping in pace with the violin's upper registers. The stage is not super wide, but intimate, putting the listener in the presence of the musicians. There is a lot of details and texture in the cello notes, as well as violins. There is a bit of resonance that comes across a little harsh in the upper registers starting around the 1:52 mark. The track is immersive otherwise with the Martini.
TR3> Way Down Deep - Jennifer Warnes (https://tidal.com/browse/track/4964763)
This track is a well mastered track with deep bass, wide staging and imaging cues with the central female vocals. The track starts off with marakas, followed by deep bass drum notes and what sounds like a tensioned drum, before the guitar starts the proceedings. The Martini is able to effortlessly place the instruments while hitting very deep with the drum beats. The stage width is fairly large, keeping the listener facing the centre of a large stage. The guitar notes have texture from the metal strings, that can be almost felt.
Comparisons
DQSM Turandot - The turandot was the DQSM flagship earbuds sporting a 13.5mm CNT diaphram drivers in a stainless steel shell that probably inspired the Monk SM from Venture Electronics. The shell is slightly smaller than the Martini, while also differing in the material of the shell. The fit is easier with the Turandot due to its smaller shell. The Turandot doesnt hit as deeply as the Martini, while matching the Martini in the technical areas. The harshness of the guitar from TR3 does not occur with the Turandot. The stage width is similar, while sounding a touch less warmer than the Martini.
VE Zen 2.0 - The Zen is the VE flagship that comes with very different offering from the Martini. The Zen is an acrylic shell earbud that is close to the size of the Martini. The Zen is a more W shaped earbud than the V shaped Martini. Being acrylic also offers Zen the advantage of being lighter and stays in the ears better. The Zen is a bit more difficult to drive, and requires a good amp to shine, and it does sound like a full sized headphone. The Martini is a tad easier to drive and provides a very deep V signature to people having a good fit.
Conclusions
The Rose Technis Martini is a flagship grade earbud that delivers strongly on a V shaped signature with deep bass and lots of treble energy. The size of the shell could be a drawback for smaller ears. For those blessed with a good fit, will find a portable hard hitting option to chill out on a variety of genre.
