Reviews by hitchhiker
Overview
Thanks to team AG and FlipEars for an opportunity to audition the Artha Argentum. As always, all opinions expressed are mine and have not been influenced in any manner.
FlipEars is the first Filipino company to manufacture universal and custom in-ear monitors in the country.
The FlipEars Artha Argentum is an upgrade to the previous flagship, the Artha. Having owned the Artha for a while, I was very curious to see what has changed. Quite a bit of change.
The OG edition wowed from when the box was opened, with a led screen running the creation of FlipEars video, with the Artha nestled in a jewel like manner. Unfortunately the review unit didnt come in
the original packaging, hence I couldnt compare the unbox experience.
Build
The shell of the OG Artha was resin and looked very good. The Argentum takes your breath away straight away with the silver (Argentum duh..) with the motifs on the shell, not just the faceplate.
And with all the silver, there is the weight that gives it a lot of heft. The only reason to let go of the OG was the nozzle size. The OG had a flared nozzle in resin, and is nearly reproduced here in metal!
Both OG as well as the Ag versions have a big nozzle, and this almost fit like a CIEM, without any tips. However, since the isolation took a hit, I picked through my tip collection and fitted a S sized siliconne
eartip from the Samsung buds pro 2, which are very flexible and soft. With a comfortable fit, I went over to listening to the songs.
The shells sport 2 switches, similar to the OG Artha for Bass and Treble adjustment.
The iems sport recessed 2 pin connectors. This is a bit of a hit or miss, as I have seen many iems having recessed connectors to cause users to break the 2 pin connectors when replacing cables. However this allows the cables to firmly fit into the iem shells. The cables are a nice set that look like an SPC cable.
The iems sport 8 BA drivers with 4 way crossovers incharge of frequency division.
Pairing and driveability
The iems are very easy to drive, and I was pleasantly surprised to drive it very well at a 19 volume on the iBasso DC04 pro in high gain mode, with the 4.4mm output. I dont see any issue in terms of driveability.
I listened to a combination of flacs out of Winyl through the dc04 pro and YT premium.
Sound Signature
The overall sound signature is V shaped, with the bass being well present even with the bass boost switch in the Off position. The iems are overall dark in presentation.
Bass - 4.25/5 - How in the world did FlipEars produce so much quantity of bass with an all BA iems is huge mystery! The bass goes deep and slam hard. However, there is a slight spread of the bass and not the tightest in terms of resolution. And the bass only increases with the switches moved to the On position. This is a bass monster, very reminiscent of the original Beats iems from the 2000s.
Mids - 4/5 - The mids on the Ag are slightly pushed back in comparison to the surrounding regions of sound. There is no bleed from the bass, inspite of the bass quantity. Female vocals are a bit recessed as well as the male vocals, except for the most baritone of voices.
Treble - 4/5 - The treble transitions are fast as can be expected from an all BA unit. Speed is good, with decent noteweight of stringed instruments. On poor tracks there is a bit of glare from the iems, and this can be a bit of a fatiguing listen. However, trebleheads can enjoy this, and can make them a basshead at the same time!
Imaging and Stage - Excellent instrument placement in front and around of the listener. Stage height is average and like a large room. The stage is in 3d, with a good spread in the front of the listener. The presentation is front row experience with bands being a very nice personal presentation.
Isolation - With a large nozzle, and with a flexible eartip, the isolation was very good. However a minor nitpick, would be what is close to a driver flex - a vaccuum pressure build up with sticky tips.
Conclusions
The iems are beautiful to look at and provide a top of the line V shaped signature to discerning listeners. The only worry would be with the size of the nozzles! A worthy and true successor to the original Artha in every way!
Thanks to team AG and FlipEars for an opportunity to audition the Artha Argentum. As always, all opinions expressed are mine and have not been influenced in any manner.
FlipEars is the first Filipino company to manufacture universal and custom in-ear monitors in the country.
The FlipEars Artha Argentum is an upgrade to the previous flagship, the Artha. Having owned the Artha for a while, I was very curious to see what has changed. Quite a bit of change.
The OG edition wowed from when the box was opened, with a led screen running the creation of FlipEars video, with the Artha nestled in a jewel like manner. Unfortunately the review unit didnt come in
the original packaging, hence I couldnt compare the unbox experience.
Build
The shell of the OG Artha was resin and looked very good. The Argentum takes your breath away straight away with the silver (Argentum duh..) with the motifs on the shell, not just the faceplate.
And with all the silver, there is the weight that gives it a lot of heft. The only reason to let go of the OG was the nozzle size. The OG had a flared nozzle in resin, and is nearly reproduced here in metal!
Both OG as well as the Ag versions have a big nozzle, and this almost fit like a CIEM, without any tips. However, since the isolation took a hit, I picked through my tip collection and fitted a S sized siliconne
eartip from the Samsung buds pro 2, which are very flexible and soft. With a comfortable fit, I went over to listening to the songs.
The shells sport 2 switches, similar to the OG Artha for Bass and Treble adjustment.
The iems sport recessed 2 pin connectors. This is a bit of a hit or miss, as I have seen many iems having recessed connectors to cause users to break the 2 pin connectors when replacing cables. However this allows the cables to firmly fit into the iem shells. The cables are a nice set that look like an SPC cable.
The iems sport 8 BA drivers with 4 way crossovers incharge of frequency division.
Pairing and driveability
The iems are very easy to drive, and I was pleasantly surprised to drive it very well at a 19 volume on the iBasso DC04 pro in high gain mode, with the 4.4mm output. I dont see any issue in terms of driveability.
I listened to a combination of flacs out of Winyl through the dc04 pro and YT premium.
Sound Signature
The overall sound signature is V shaped, with the bass being well present even with the bass boost switch in the Off position. The iems are overall dark in presentation.
Bass - 4.25/5 - How in the world did FlipEars produce so much quantity of bass with an all BA iems is huge mystery! The bass goes deep and slam hard. However, there is a slight spread of the bass and not the tightest in terms of resolution. And the bass only increases with the switches moved to the On position. This is a bass monster, very reminiscent of the original Beats iems from the 2000s.
Mids - 4/5 - The mids on the Ag are slightly pushed back in comparison to the surrounding regions of sound. There is no bleed from the bass, inspite of the bass quantity. Female vocals are a bit recessed as well as the male vocals, except for the most baritone of voices.
Treble - 4/5 - The treble transitions are fast as can be expected from an all BA unit. Speed is good, with decent noteweight of stringed instruments. On poor tracks there is a bit of glare from the iems, and this can be a bit of a fatiguing listen. However, trebleheads can enjoy this, and can make them a basshead at the same time!
Imaging and Stage - Excellent instrument placement in front and around of the listener. Stage height is average and like a large room. The stage is in 3d, with a good spread in the front of the listener. The presentation is front row experience with bands being a very nice personal presentation.
Isolation - With a large nozzle, and with a flexible eartip, the isolation was very good. However a minor nitpick, would be what is close to a driver flex - a vaccuum pressure build up with sticky tips.
Conclusions
The iems are beautiful to look at and provide a top of the line V shaped signature to discerning listeners. The only worry would be with the size of the nozzles! A worthy and true successor to the original Artha in every way!
Thanks to AG Brotherhood for the review unit of the much talked about ThorKing
As always, all opinions are mine and are not influenced in any way or form.
ThorKing is the current flagship of Kinera, with an impressive driver configuration of 1DD + 6BA + 4EST with a quad crossover keeping frequency splitting duties across the drivers.
ThorKing, imho, takes all the good parts from the Imperial Urd and takes it to the next level, in terms of resolution, keeping its near neutral stance with impeccable poise.
Build
Since I received the unit with the cable and carry case only, I wont be talking about the box and accesories.
The first thing that draws attention is the size of the iems. These are chonkers with a solid metal shell and an incredible faceplate that was handcrafted, according to the product literature.
From what I recall,they are just a touch bigger than the Urd.
The cable is a braided paracord unit with a 7N single crystal copper, with a 4.4mm balanced termination.
Fit
The iems, while being large, fit nicely, and quite similar to the Urd again (I will keep going back to the Urd as there are a lot of similarities in terms of the overall usage, not looks). The cables hold the iems in the ear.
As with the Urd, good fitting eartips are essential for the iems to feel comfortable. Once that is sorted, the iems set you up for a beautiful and long listening session.
Inspite of the memory wire tubing the cables sit well around the ear providing for a very decent fit in place.
Source and matching
The iems are sensitive. No two ways about it. Hence the question of providing a 4.4mm termination with the iems. They are very sensitive and hence have a little bit of hiss/rattle when connected to a fairly decent powered source.
I had initially tried the Zorloo Ztella 2 and then the Onix XL1 dac on high gain, but then reduced to low gain and a 40 volume, and the iems became very well behaved.
For the music, I used Youtube premium and Qobuz.
Sound impressions
As mentioned earlier, the iems are very neutrally tuned. No bass slam monster, but bass is present in refined quantity and quality. The mids and treble are where the iems shine, and are quite comparable to the Trailii. That good.
Bass - 3.75/5 - The bass is restrained and is present in quality, but a little shy in the quantity area. The bass is similar to the Urd.
Mids - 4.5/5 - Fantastic mids with excellent support for both male and female vocals with a lot of nuances coming through very well.
Treble - 4.5/5 - Excellent sparkle and detail without getting harsh. The string decay is fast and the iems keep pace with the fastest of transitions with authority and without feeling fatigued. Detail retrieval is fantastic and the iems resolve
very small details in the sound
Imaging - Superb imaging with excellent instrument placement and accuracy
Conclusions
For those looking for a neutral magician with budget that is inadequate to pick the bird, the ThorKing offers a fantastic standin to that neutral mid-treble focussed sound. They are not thin sounding, but offer very nice way to enjoy technical compositions such as classical, metal, rock and roll etc in a fantastic manner.
As always, all opinions are mine and are not influenced in any way or form.
ThorKing is the current flagship of Kinera, with an impressive driver configuration of 1DD + 6BA + 4EST with a quad crossover keeping frequency splitting duties across the drivers.
ThorKing, imho, takes all the good parts from the Imperial Urd and takes it to the next level, in terms of resolution, keeping its near neutral stance with impeccable poise.
Build
Since I received the unit with the cable and carry case only, I wont be talking about the box and accesories.
The first thing that draws attention is the size of the iems. These are chonkers with a solid metal shell and an incredible faceplate that was handcrafted, according to the product literature.
From what I recall,they are just a touch bigger than the Urd.
The cable is a braided paracord unit with a 7N single crystal copper, with a 4.4mm balanced termination.
Fit
The iems, while being large, fit nicely, and quite similar to the Urd again (I will keep going back to the Urd as there are a lot of similarities in terms of the overall usage, not looks). The cables hold the iems in the ear.
As with the Urd, good fitting eartips are essential for the iems to feel comfortable. Once that is sorted, the iems set you up for a beautiful and long listening session.
Inspite of the memory wire tubing the cables sit well around the ear providing for a very decent fit in place.
Source and matching
The iems are sensitive. No two ways about it. Hence the question of providing a 4.4mm termination with the iems. They are very sensitive and hence have a little bit of hiss/rattle when connected to a fairly decent powered source.
I had initially tried the Zorloo Ztella 2 and then the Onix XL1 dac on high gain, but then reduced to low gain and a 40 volume, and the iems became very well behaved.
For the music, I used Youtube premium and Qobuz.
Sound impressions
As mentioned earlier, the iems are very neutrally tuned. No bass slam monster, but bass is present in refined quantity and quality. The mids and treble are where the iems shine, and are quite comparable to the Trailii. That good.
Bass - 3.75/5 - The bass is restrained and is present in quality, but a little shy in the quantity area. The bass is similar to the Urd.
Mids - 4.5/5 - Fantastic mids with excellent support for both male and female vocals with a lot of nuances coming through very well.
Treble - 4.5/5 - Excellent sparkle and detail without getting harsh. The string decay is fast and the iems keep pace with the fastest of transitions with authority and without feeling fatigued. Detail retrieval is fantastic and the iems resolve
very small details in the sound
Imaging - Superb imaging with excellent instrument placement and accuracy
Conclusions
For those looking for a neutral magician with budget that is inadequate to pick the bird, the ThorKing offers a fantastic standin to that neutral mid-treble focussed sound. They are not thin sounding, but offer very nice way to enjoy technical compositions such as classical, metal, rock and roll etc in a fantastic manner.
RJC9z
Great review! This is certainly a cool-looking set. Of course, being an expensive set it’s hard to say, but do you think it’s ‘worth’ the asking price?
hitchhiker
It is a cheaper version of the trailii, simply put.
Thanks to AG family for the review tour of the Dita Mecha .
Disclaimer : All opinions of the iems are mine and are not influenced in any manner
Dita has been an old player in the fairly middle-high end of the iem spectrum especially with the excellent Truth, Answer, Perpetua etc iems. They have been single DD specialists for a long time, my choice of poison!
When the opportunity to try out the latest single DD from Dita, I decided to come out of a break from reviewing for the Dita. So here goes..
Build and package
The box is almost typical Dita size, with slightly different configuration than usual. The box comes with a set of stickers and a nice foldup brochure of what the Mecha is all about. Havent seen something like this in a loong time!
The foldup poster has a very nice shot of the shells while the insides have details of the manufacturing process, the materials of the shell, connectors etc. Tastefully done!
The box contains a very futuristic plastic carry case that is a piece of decor on any tech enthusiasts table. The case houses the cables, with a usb c, 3.5 and 4.4mm connectors utilizing the Awesome Plug 2 interchangable connectors.
There is a selection of soft silicone tips in a very nice tip case. The iems themselves are nestled in foam, muscular in their look.
The iems are titanium shell of fairly big size. They have a heft about that makes you feel like hulk when worn. They are not heavy though and are ably supported by the excellent cables.
The drivers are made of a newly developed Lithium-Magnesium dome (LiMa) with a carbide surround, sounds like very stiff material, that might mean excellent transients and quick responses!
Fit
Inspite of the imposing build, the ergonomics are fantastic and inspite of me having small ears, they fit in near perfectly. They dont weigh down from the ears and are well supported by the cables. The nozzle is medium sized and helps with the fit very well. No discomfort or pain on wearing. The cables are supple but strong, almost feeling like an olive python (the snake)!
Source and pairing
For this quick review, I played the mecha with a Onix XL1 dac dongle utilizing its 4.4mm output on high gain, just for the kicks. The Onix are able to drive them very well at a volume of 35 on the high gain.
I played off Youtube Premium and Qobuz for this review.
Sound Impressions
The Mecha sound full and the typically warmish tuning of the older Dita siblings. There is heft and slam in the bass section, without any trouble in bringing out the vocals well. Maybe a touch at the back. Treble is decently well represented as well. Female vocals are a touch pushed back, giving a very relaxed listening setup.
Bass - 4.3/5 - The bass reaches deeeeeeeep. And there is rumble and slam with a lot of authority. The drum decay is excellent and feels very organic
Mids - 3.5/5 - The bass and treble to an extent are slightly more pronounced in comparison to voices, unless the voices are bordering on baritone. However, there is absolutely no bleed from the bass
Treble - 4/5 - The treble performance of the iems are very nice, with a lot of detail. Typical of a lot of DD iems, there is much shimmer/sparkle in the treble, and this makes for a very forgiving iem for poor recordings. String instruments have a good amount of note thickness and feel full sounding
Imaging - Excellent imaging, with very good instrument positioning
Stage - The sound stage is quite wide with average height. The iems are able to render a stage well in 3d when called for.
Conclusions
Fantastic build, excellent sound especially for the relaxed and musical genre including jazz, pop, bollywood, r&b. Another hit with the house tuning of Dita!
Disclaimer : All opinions of the iems are mine and are not influenced in any manner
Dita has been an old player in the fairly middle-high end of the iem spectrum especially with the excellent Truth, Answer, Perpetua etc iems. They have been single DD specialists for a long time, my choice of poison!
When the opportunity to try out the latest single DD from Dita, I decided to come out of a break from reviewing for the Dita. So here goes..
Build and package
The box is almost typical Dita size, with slightly different configuration than usual. The box comes with a set of stickers and a nice foldup brochure of what the Mecha is all about. Havent seen something like this in a loong time!
The foldup poster has a very nice shot of the shells while the insides have details of the manufacturing process, the materials of the shell, connectors etc. Tastefully done!
The box contains a very futuristic plastic carry case that is a piece of decor on any tech enthusiasts table. The case houses the cables, with a usb c, 3.5 and 4.4mm connectors utilizing the Awesome Plug 2 interchangable connectors.
There is a selection of soft silicone tips in a very nice tip case. The iems themselves are nestled in foam, muscular in their look.
The iems are titanium shell of fairly big size. They have a heft about that makes you feel like hulk when worn. They are not heavy though and are ably supported by the excellent cables.
The drivers are made of a newly developed Lithium-Magnesium dome (LiMa) with a carbide surround, sounds like very stiff material, that might mean excellent transients and quick responses!
Fit
Inspite of the imposing build, the ergonomics are fantastic and inspite of me having small ears, they fit in near perfectly. They dont weigh down from the ears and are well supported by the cables. The nozzle is medium sized and helps with the fit very well. No discomfort or pain on wearing. The cables are supple but strong, almost feeling like an olive python (the snake)!
Source and pairing
For this quick review, I played the mecha with a Onix XL1 dac dongle utilizing its 4.4mm output on high gain, just for the kicks. The Onix are able to drive them very well at a volume of 35 on the high gain.
I played off Youtube Premium and Qobuz for this review.
Sound Impressions
The Mecha sound full and the typically warmish tuning of the older Dita siblings. There is heft and slam in the bass section, without any trouble in bringing out the vocals well. Maybe a touch at the back. Treble is decently well represented as well. Female vocals are a touch pushed back, giving a very relaxed listening setup.
Bass - 4.3/5 - The bass reaches deeeeeeeep. And there is rumble and slam with a lot of authority. The drum decay is excellent and feels very organic
Mids - 3.5/5 - The bass and treble to an extent are slightly more pronounced in comparison to voices, unless the voices are bordering on baritone. However, there is absolutely no bleed from the bass
Treble - 4/5 - The treble performance of the iems are very nice, with a lot of detail. Typical of a lot of DD iems, there is much shimmer/sparkle in the treble, and this makes for a very forgiving iem for poor recordings. String instruments have a good amount of note thickness and feel full sounding
Imaging - Excellent imaging, with very good instrument positioning
Stage - The sound stage is quite wide with average height. The iems are able to render a stage well in 3d when called for.
Conclusions
Fantastic build, excellent sound especially for the relaxed and musical genre including jazz, pop, bollywood, r&b. Another hit with the house tuning of Dita!
TobinWalker91
Well written and well said 
Thanks to @gadgetgod for the review unit of Aful Cantor - MarineEcho 4.4 edition.
Aful has been well received in the recent past with their well rounded Aful Performer series of iems. The Cantor takes the series up a notch with a fantastic faceplate with a sound that is well within the house tuning.
The iems came in a nice medium sized box with the product info on the outer sleeve. The inner box is a nice 2 piece faux leather finished one with iems nestled in foam and a
fairly large leatherette carry case housing the cables, and 3 sets of tips, a cleaning brush, all nestled in a golden velvette fabric on the inside.
The iems are quite lightweight and sport small diameter nozzle (Yay). They also have a slight metal extension, allowing for deep insert.
The faceplate looks fantastic with blue-silver mosaic in resin.
The cables are a sturdy paracord sleeved iems terminating in 4.4 on the source end and slightly angled 2 pin connectors with a chrome plated housing. They plug in flat into the iems.
Nicely minimal packaging without going over the top.
The music is rendered very soulfully and does not intend to wow the audience in presenting a lot of energy in either the bass or treble areas. Instead it is a nice warm cup of soup on a cold night.
Bass : 3.75/5 - The bass is quite deep and has a soft presence. There is sufficient quantity of bass, without going over board with slam or bleed into the mids. However, it hsa a softer landing and sustain
Mids : 4/5 - Both male and female vocals are well represented with good amount of emotions carrying through. Without any interference from the bass area, mids are quite well rendered.
Treble : 4/5 - While the iems are bright, there is good amount of treble detail and the all BA config allows for very fast transients being rendered without getting mushy. This is all presented without any harshness whatsoever even on
fairly bad mastered tracks. They may not impress a treblehead, but there is nothing missing in the music.
Stage and Imaging - The iems are average in terms of stage size, and goes wide from a imaging perspective. However, the depth is quite shallow and the presentation feels 2d.
Sony IER M9 - Are we comparing this to the classic from Sony? Why not, considering that both are in a similar price range and are both all BA iems! The M9 has more pronounced bass and detail retrieval, and shows off an upper hand in the music arena.
However, the Cantor is no slouch either, and hits back with better wear comfort (as there are no parts touching the back of the concha, unlike the M9). The fact that it is being compared to a legendary iem as the M9 itself is a commendation of the quality of tuning.
Overview
The Cantor is the Aful flagship, and sports an all BA combination. The iems are claimed to sport 14 BA drivers, although I wasnt able to get info about whether those include drivers on both sides (I think so considering the size).Aful has been well received in the recent past with their well rounded Aful Performer series of iems. The Cantor takes the series up a notch with a fantastic faceplate with a sound that is well within the house tuning.
Build and Package
The iems came in a nice medium sized box with the product info on the outer sleeve. The inner box is a nice 2 piece faux leather finished one with iems nestled in foam and a
fairly large leatherette carry case housing the cables, and 3 sets of tips, a cleaning brush, all nestled in a golden velvette fabric on the inside.
The iems are quite lightweight and sport small diameter nozzle (Yay). They also have a slight metal extension, allowing for deep insert.
The faceplate looks fantastic with blue-silver mosaic in resin.
The cables are a sturdy paracord sleeved iems terminating in 4.4 on the source end and slightly angled 2 pin connectors with a chrome plated housing. They plug in flat into the iems.
Nicely minimal packaging without going over the top.
Sound pairing
As usual, I paired the iems with the trusty Lotoo PAW S1 with music from my playlist selection from Qobuz and YT Premium. The iems drove well at a 50 volume on high gain on the device and was plenty loud.Sound impressions
The Cantor is tuned for musicality (based on the house signature) and that means it is not analytical, harsh/bright in any way. It is a balanced and a slightly subdued (treble wise) iem that works very well with vocals, Jazz and old bollywood in general very well.The music is rendered very soulfully and does not intend to wow the audience in presenting a lot of energy in either the bass or treble areas. Instead it is a nice warm cup of soup on a cold night.
Bass : 3.75/5 - The bass is quite deep and has a soft presence. There is sufficient quantity of bass, without going over board with slam or bleed into the mids. However, it hsa a softer landing and sustain
Mids : 4/5 - Both male and female vocals are well represented with good amount of emotions carrying through. Without any interference from the bass area, mids are quite well rendered.
Treble : 4/5 - While the iems are bright, there is good amount of treble detail and the all BA config allows for very fast transients being rendered without getting mushy. This is all presented without any harshness whatsoever even on
fairly bad mastered tracks. They may not impress a treblehead, but there is nothing missing in the music.
Stage and Imaging - The iems are average in terms of stage size, and goes wide from a imaging perspective. However, the depth is quite shallow and the presentation feels 2d.
Comparisons
Aful P8 - In comparison to its older sibling, the Cantor has a touch more details in the treble and with a slightly deeper bass. The relatively small nozzles also help with long usage and provide a more mature listening session.Sony IER M9 - Are we comparing this to the classic from Sony? Why not, considering that both are in a similar price range and are both all BA iems! The M9 has more pronounced bass and detail retrieval, and shows off an upper hand in the music arena.
However, the Cantor is no slouch either, and hits back with better wear comfort (as there are no parts touching the back of the concha, unlike the M9). The fact that it is being compared to a legendary iem as the M9 itself is a commendation of the quality of tuning.
Conclusions
The Aful Cantor is a nicely done iem which work very well with genre such as Jazz, vocals, old bollywood etc and for older ears that would like a velvetty treat without harshness.
Eminent Ears - Ruby
Thanks to Pulkit Dreamzz for the review tour of the Eminent Ears Ruby.
Eminent Ears is a relatively new group of enthusiasts from Hong Kong who came together to try their hand at putting together a prototype iem, and liked it enough to present it at the global scale. And Ruby is the culmination of refining the prototype, and is the flagship (well it is their only iem!).
Build and Package
Oh boy does it look fantastic. The faceplate looks literally like a bunch of ruby gems were embedded in.The iems are 1 DD + 4 BA + 4 EST drives
The package consists of a fantastic looking cable with a very nice strain relief, and 4.4 terminated SPC litz cables. The iems ends are connected with a 2 pin connector.
The overall package looks high quality, with gold colored borders on the box opening to 2 spectacular gem like iems nestled in foam. There is a carry case, and a selection of 2 types of siliconne tips and a nicely embossed microfibre cleaning cloth. The case is a nice and compact cuboid faux leather thingy that serves the purpose well.
Source and pairing
The iems clock a 60ohm impedance figure, and require a little bit of power to shine. But provide power and they do shine very well. I tested them with the trusty Lotoo PAW S1 on high gain,
farfield ATE and a volume of 62, playing music from my YT premium and Qobuz playlists to enjoy music. I paired them with the JVC Spiral Dots Pro tips for the review.
Sound Impressions
Overall, with the stock cable and the Vortex Lavinia cables, the iems have a V shaped profile, that borders on W with decent support for the mids.Bass : 4/5 - The bass is quite well done, but not planar like quick. There is good rumble and decay, to provide for some tactility. There is decent rumble and slam in the lower ends, but is just shy of basshead requirements
Mids : 3.75/5 - Vocals are well rendered, albeight a touch recessed. There is good support for male and female vocals, and sound coherent overall. There is hardly any bleed from the lower end into the mids.
Treble : 4/5 - The treble is very well extended and carry a lot of energy. There is a hint of sibilance on some tracks, nothing ear shattering. Trebleheads will love it for sure.
Stage : The sound stage is fairly wide but not very tall. Large room feel mostly. Imaging is good too with the instruments placed well.
Conclusions
The Eminent Ears Ruby is certainly eye catching and aesthetically pleasing. The sound matches the looks too and sound very nice and coherent. Well done Eminent Ears!Attachments
Thanks to @gadgetgod for the loaner unit of the Camelot and Lancelot to try and participate in the quest for the Grail!
Nostalgia Audio is a well received iem maker with presence in much of the Asia Pacific countries. The Camelot and Lancelot are derived from
the Arthurian legend, with Camelot being the flagship iem and the Lancelot being a flagship cable that pairs well with the Camelot.
Build and Package
The packages of the Camelot and Lancelot are very nicely done with ink illustrations of the Camelot castle with the Excalibur in the centre of the picture of the Camelot box and
the illustration of Sir Lancelot on a his horse hurrying towards a burning castle in the background.
These could easily be the cover of a leather finished book or a table top game, top quality box. Sliding out the box drawers from both the boxes brings out very similar by very well done
leather like round cases housing the cables (stock Avalon in the Camelot box, and the Lancelot respectively).
The iems look very nice in through the window on the cover of the box.
Both boxes have foam to protect the main packages. The Camelot came with a collection of eartips and a cleaning brush to complete the package.
The Camelot is 3d printed, with each side carrying 10 drivers - 2 DD, 4 BA and 4 EST drivers per ear! and understandably the shells are big. These are comparable in size to the vintage JH Audio Roxanne 2,
but with very little weight in comparison. The nozzles are of good length to allow for deep insert. However, I am at a slight disadvantage due to smaller ear canals, but were able to get a good fit with the
JVC spinfits that I used for the review.
The stock cable - Avalon is a braided cable in black paracord, and seems to be well built. Sonically, the Lancelot perform better, also granted that it is a flagship (Signature series). The Lancelot is "25AWG Gold Silver Alloy and Gold plated Silver in the core, wrapped by our specially designed silk with Graphene and Oil".
Exotic materials, that I have not come across in this configuration before this audition.
The dac dongle is the usual test fixture, and helps evaluate iems with as close as possible to identical source setup. I used a combination of YT Premium and Qobuz to listen to music on the iems.
Bass - 4.5/5 : While the tuning of the iems are warm, the bass is very good quality, with the right amount of decay on the bottom end to make for an engaging listen without any bleed.
Mids - 4/5 : Vocals come across quite nuanced, with a little more support for male vocals due to the warmish tuning. This is not to say that female vocals are not well represented. They are good to listen to too, but the iems prefer male vocals a touch more.
Treble - 4.25/5 : The treble details are excellent thanks to the EST driver array on each side. There is no harshness in the treble, no signs of sibilance at any time.
Imaging - Imaging is very good, with very good instrument placement.
Staging - The staging is above average, and wide around the the ear. Stage depth is a bit shallow. The iem places the listener right in front of the stage, with a stunning wall of sound in the face. You get front row seats for free!
I would have preferred a little more air and a slightly middle of the theatre seating (nitpicks mostly)!
Both iems are excellent top of the line sounding and have thier minor differences in terms of presentation - the camelot is right in front of the stage, and the Omnium with a slightly in the middle listening experience.
I would have preferred a little more air in the Camelot, and a little more mid presence in the Omnium. However, would be more than happy to have either in my collection!
Nostalgia Audio is a well received iem maker with presence in much of the Asia Pacific countries. The Camelot and Lancelot are derived from
the Arthurian legend, with Camelot being the flagship iem and the Lancelot being a flagship cable that pairs well with the Camelot.
Build and Package
The packages of the Camelot and Lancelot are very nicely done with ink illustrations of the Camelot castle with the Excalibur in the centre of the picture of the Camelot box and
the illustration of Sir Lancelot on a his horse hurrying towards a burning castle in the background.
These could easily be the cover of a leather finished book or a table top game, top quality box. Sliding out the box drawers from both the boxes brings out very similar by very well done
leather like round cases housing the cables (stock Avalon in the Camelot box, and the Lancelot respectively).
Both boxes have foam to protect the main packages. The Camelot came with a collection of eartips and a cleaning brush to complete the package.
The Camelot is 3d printed, with each side carrying 10 drivers - 2 DD, 4 BA and 4 EST drivers per ear! and understandably the shells are big. These are comparable in size to the vintage JH Audio Roxanne 2,
but with very little weight in comparison. The nozzles are of good length to allow for deep insert. However, I am at a slight disadvantage due to smaller ear canals, but were able to get a good fit with the
JVC spinfits that I used for the review.
The stock cable - Avalon is a braided cable in black paracord, and seems to be well built. Sonically, the Lancelot perform better, also granted that it is a flagship (Signature series). The Lancelot is "25AWG Gold Silver Alloy and Gold plated Silver in the core, wrapped by our specially designed silk with Graphene and Oil".
Exotic materials, that I have not come across in this configuration before this audition.
Driveability and Source
The iems (with the Lancelot for the rest of the review), are easy to drive, inspite of the number of drivers, running in plenty loud on the Lotoo PAW S1 at 38 on High gain, or a 65 in Low gain.The dac dongle is the usual test fixture, and helps evaluate iems with as close as possible to identical source setup. I used a combination of YT Premium and Qobuz to listen to music on the iems.
Sound Impressions
The Camelot is a warmly tuned W shaped frequency response, with excellent balance across the spectrum. There is good quality bass, well done vocals and excellent details on the treble ends.Bass - 4.5/5 : While the tuning of the iems are warm, the bass is very good quality, with the right amount of decay on the bottom end to make for an engaging listen without any bleed.
Mids - 4/5 : Vocals come across quite nuanced, with a little more support for male vocals due to the warmish tuning. This is not to say that female vocals are not well represented. They are good to listen to too, but the iems prefer male vocals a touch more.
Treble - 4.25/5 : The treble details are excellent thanks to the EST driver array on each side. There is no harshness in the treble, no signs of sibilance at any time.
Imaging - Imaging is very good, with very good instrument placement.
Staging - The staging is above average, and wide around the the ear. Stage depth is a bit shallow. The iem places the listener right in front of the stage, with a stunning wall of sound in the face. You get front row seats for free!
I would have preferred a little more air and a slightly middle of the theatre seating (nitpicks mostly)!
Comparisons
The closest I could compare the Camelot with iems in similar price bracket and capabilities in the recent past would have to be the Craft Ears Omnium.Both iems are excellent top of the line sounding and have thier minor differences in terms of presentation - the camelot is right in front of the stage, and the Omnium with a slightly in the middle listening experience.
I would have preferred a little more air in the Camelot, and a little more mid presence in the Omnium. However, would be more than happy to have either in my collection!
Attachments
Thanks to Hifigo and gadgetgod for organising the review tour of the Dunu's collab with Gizaudio - the Davinci.
As always, the opinions are my own and there was no incentive of any kind requested or offered.
Overview
I have been a user of Dunu iems for a fairly long time and still do break out some of them from time to time. The house signature is a very
well done warm sound with requisite amount of details.
The Davinci doesnt fall too far from the tree either.
Armed with 2 DD and 4 BA, the iems look quite nice with a stabilized wood faceplate, metal nozzles and a recessed 2 pin connector on the shells.
The shells are slightly above average sized, and quite light in the ear. The cable is a fairly nice looking 4.4mm balanced terminated.
The iems came in the Dunu carry case with the Dunu S&S tips on.
Fit and comfort
The iems came with a Dunu S&S tips on a slightly larger than medium nozzles with a lip, so getting the tips off the nozzles is not for the weak hearted.
While S&S tips did a good job the sound, they were a size too large for me. I prefer S or M sized tips mostly. Hence switched them with a Penon Liquer black tips.
The rest of the review was done with these tips due to a better fit.
While the iems are lightweight and comfortable, I would have preferred a slightly longer nozzle, providing a deeper fit and a more throbbing bassline.
With the shallow insert, (due to my small ear canals), the treble is slightly enhanced, but so is the pinna gain and slightly shouty upper mids.
Sound impressions
The iems drive fairly well, inspite of the 6 driver combination per ear. They easily ran off my Lotoo Paw S1 at a low volume and provided sufficient loudness already.
Bass - When the iems are pushed into the ear with a little more pressure/force, the bass is quite well done (as expected from a Dunu). There is good amount of body
and slam, and the decay is almost just right. With a shallow fit, the bass takes a slight backseat and comes across fairly neutral.
Mids - With the shallow fit, the vocals (especially female) gets a little more boost due to pinna gain, and carry a lot of energy. However, with a deeper insert,
the male vocals are well supported with excellent texture and nuance.
Treble - While there is good amount of detail retrieval, this is not for a treblehead, or people that prefer a lot of sparkle on the top end. There is sufficient detail retrieval, but
the iems do get a bit overwhelmed with fast instrument tracks.
Stage - The stage is average an with decent accuracy of instruments
In comparison with competition, this one goes head to head with the Aful Performer 5/8 iems on an even keel, and is also priced in a similar range.
Conclusion
The Davinci is a safely tuned iem that is almost non-fatiguing and works well with jazz, blues, vocal oriented music such as bollywood. They are comfortable to use and look fairly good too!
As always, the opinions are my own and there was no incentive of any kind requested or offered.
Overview
I have been a user of Dunu iems for a fairly long time and still do break out some of them from time to time. The house signature is a very
well done warm sound with requisite amount of details.
The Davinci doesnt fall too far from the tree either.
Armed with 2 DD and 4 BA, the iems look quite nice with a stabilized wood faceplate, metal nozzles and a recessed 2 pin connector on the shells.
The shells are slightly above average sized, and quite light in the ear. The cable is a fairly nice looking 4.4mm balanced terminated.
The iems came in the Dunu carry case with the Dunu S&S tips on.
Fit and comfort
The iems came with a Dunu S&S tips on a slightly larger than medium nozzles with a lip, so getting the tips off the nozzles is not for the weak hearted.
While S&S tips did a good job the sound, they were a size too large for me. I prefer S or M sized tips mostly. Hence switched them with a Penon Liquer black tips.
The rest of the review was done with these tips due to a better fit.
While the iems are lightweight and comfortable, I would have preferred a slightly longer nozzle, providing a deeper fit and a more throbbing bassline.
With the shallow insert, (due to my small ear canals), the treble is slightly enhanced, but so is the pinna gain and slightly shouty upper mids.
Sound impressions
The iems drive fairly well, inspite of the 6 driver combination per ear. They easily ran off my Lotoo Paw S1 at a low volume and provided sufficient loudness already.
Bass - When the iems are pushed into the ear with a little more pressure/force, the bass is quite well done (as expected from a Dunu). There is good amount of body
and slam, and the decay is almost just right. With a shallow fit, the bass takes a slight backseat and comes across fairly neutral.
Mids - With the shallow fit, the vocals (especially female) gets a little more boost due to pinna gain, and carry a lot of energy. However, with a deeper insert,
the male vocals are well supported with excellent texture and nuance.
Treble - While there is good amount of detail retrieval, this is not for a treblehead, or people that prefer a lot of sparkle on the top end. There is sufficient detail retrieval, but
the iems do get a bit overwhelmed with fast instrument tracks.
Stage - The stage is average an with decent accuracy of instruments
In comparison with competition, this one goes head to head with the Aful Performer 5/8 iems on an even keel, and is also priced in a similar range.
Conclusion
The Davinci is a safely tuned iem that is almost non-fatiguing and works well with jazz, blues, vocal oriented music such as bollywood. They are comfortable to use and look fairly good too!
Thanks to AG and Canpur for the CP622B review unit.
As always I dont have nor expect incentives of any kind for the review and all opinions are mine.
Overview
Canpur have been making waves in the high end iem segment with stunning iems. The CP622B (herein referred to as 622) are no exception.
The iems are fairly large sized with a stunning faceplate. The iems sport 2 pin connectors and the review units shipped with a 4.4 balanced cable with some
really fancy splitter and connector components.
The iems also came in a rectangular faux leather case with a microfibre cloth and a pick to clean the iems with. The tips are of 2 types - black and white with an orange
sleeve inside.
The iems themselves are resin based and carry impressive tech - 6BA + 2EST + 2BC per side, explaining the need for large shells.
Fit
The shells being fairly large sized, and with wings, have a little bit of an issue with small ears (like I do). I was able to get a good fit with the small sized tips and used the same for the review.
The cables, with their memory wire helped to hold the iems in place, but do have a little bit of tug and cause sensitivity around the ears over time
Sound and Driveability
Inspite of all the drivers in the iem, they are very easy to drive at only 10ohms. This results in being able to be driven by anything from a mobile phone upwards.
The combination of drivers provide the iems to drive most genres with authority. They are quite detail oriented, with the deep rumble of the BC drivers.
Bass - They have strong bass thanks to the Bone conduction driver pair per side. This gives it an immense rumble and slam. On some tracks they rumble the brains out.
Bassheads, this one is for you!
Mids - The mids are present in greater extent when compared to other V shaped iems. These do have a slightly pushed back mids but only slightly.
Treble - With the multiple EST drivers, the treble is fast and very detail oriented, providing a lot of technical cues, be it imaging or stage. There is quite a bit of air to
make the iems sound spacious too. There is no congestion inspite of all the details being thrown around.
Conclusions
Canpur CP622B is a TOTL offering and does well with almost all genre. Start saving up!
As always I dont have nor expect incentives of any kind for the review and all opinions are mine.
Overview
Canpur have been making waves in the high end iem segment with stunning iems. The CP622B (herein referred to as 622) are no exception.
The iems are fairly large sized with a stunning faceplate. The iems sport 2 pin connectors and the review units shipped with a 4.4 balanced cable with some
really fancy splitter and connector components.
The iems also came in a rectangular faux leather case with a microfibre cloth and a pick to clean the iems with. The tips are of 2 types - black and white with an orange
sleeve inside.
The iems themselves are resin based and carry impressive tech - 6BA + 2EST + 2BC per side, explaining the need for large shells.
Fit
The shells being fairly large sized, and with wings, have a little bit of an issue with small ears (like I do). I was able to get a good fit with the small sized tips and used the same for the review.
Sound and Driveability
Inspite of all the drivers in the iem, they are very easy to drive at only 10ohms. This results in being able to be driven by anything from a mobile phone upwards.
The combination of drivers provide the iems to drive most genres with authority. They are quite detail oriented, with the deep rumble of the BC drivers.
Bass - They have strong bass thanks to the Bone conduction driver pair per side. This gives it an immense rumble and slam. On some tracks they rumble the brains out.
Bassheads, this one is for you!
Mids - The mids are present in greater extent when compared to other V shaped iems. These do have a slightly pushed back mids but only slightly.
Treble - With the multiple EST drivers, the treble is fast and very detail oriented, providing a lot of technical cues, be it imaging or stage. There is quite a bit of air to
make the iems sound spacious too. There is no congestion inspite of all the details being thrown around.
Conclusions
Canpur CP622B is a TOTL offering and does well with almost all genre. Start saving up!
Letshuoer Cadenza 4 - Quick Impressions
Thanks to gadgetgod and Letshuoer for the review tour of the Cadenza 4, the baby brother of the flagship Cadenza 12.
As always, the opinions are my own and are not incentivised in any way.
The Cadenza 4 (https://letshuoer.net/products/letshuoer-cadenza4-wired-iem-hifi-earphones-in-ear-monitor) is a 4 driver hybrid with 1 Beryllium coated 10mm dynamic driver, paired with 3 BA drivers (2 from Knowles and 1 from Sonion).
The sound tubes are 50 micrometer engineering marvels, according to the product literature.
The top part opened with a magnetic closing cardboard flap with the iems nestled in foam. The second layer slid out like the IER Z1r case with the following contents.
The lower drawer contained most prominently, the 3 modular connectors of the cables (3.5, 2.5 and 4.4). Nestled in the round rubberized plastic case
was the cables. Nicely done.
The cables are silvery 4 core cables with a very nice splitter and a transparent cinch. The shell body looks like strong plastic (ABS?) with a shiny metal faceplate.
The iems take 2 pin connectors, the 2 pin connector on the stock cables is nice again, with a flat profile.
The iems come with a set of 6 sizes of silicon tips. Overall very nice package.
the iems drive well off the High gain mode at about 50 volume.
Overall the sound is a nice W signature, with good note weight/body. The bass is sufficiently strong without any bleed, mids are right there in the middle without any push back.
The treble sounds good too with a lot of detail retrieval and air. There is no sibilance that I noticed on test tracks, but there is a bit of sparkle.
They do sound slightly dark, but combined with the air and decay, they make listening to prog rock sound very atmospheric (Pink Floyd - High Hopes).
Due to an excellent fit, passive noise isolation is good and the iems can be worn for a long time without discomfort.
Speed is very good and this results in excellent attack and decay (Alien Weaponry - Kai Tangata)
Who is this for - anyone looking for an excellent balanced sound, with a good fit for small - medium ears and upwards.
Who is this not for - Bassheads
Thanks to gadgetgod and Letshuoer for the review tour of the Cadenza 4, the baby brother of the flagship Cadenza 12.
As always, the opinions are my own and are not incentivised in any way.
OVERVIEW
Letshuoer has been making very well tuned iems for a long time now. Starting from the well received (among one of the earliest EST implementations) Tape, Letshuoer has come a long way in terms of iem offerings both from quality and quantity (of drivers).The Cadenza 4 (https://letshuoer.net/products/letshuoer-cadenza4-wired-iem-hifi-earphones-in-ear-monitor) is a 4 driver hybrid with 1 Beryllium coated 10mm dynamic driver, paired with 3 BA drivers (2 from Knowles and 1 from Sonion).
The sound tubes are 50 micrometer engineering marvels, according to the product literature.
PACKAGE AND BUILD
The package was quite fun and reminded me very much of the Sony Z1r, with 2 layers of packaging.The top part opened with a magnetic closing cardboard flap with the iems nestled in foam. The second layer slid out like the IER Z1r case with the following contents.
The lower drawer contained most prominently, the 3 modular connectors of the cables (3.5, 2.5 and 4.4). Nestled in the round rubberized plastic case
was the cables. Nicely done.
The cables are silvery 4 core cables with a very nice splitter and a transparent cinch. The shell body looks like strong plastic (ABS?) with a shiny metal faceplate.
The iems take 2 pin connectors, the 2 pin connector on the stock cables is nice again, with a flat profile.
The iems come with a set of 6 sizes of silicon tips. Overall very nice package.
SOUND AND IMPRESSIONS
The iems take a bit of power to drive, but are not too demanding. Paired with a Lotoo Paw S1 (as the lowest denominator for good quality sound while keeping the pricepoint right),the iems drive well off the High gain mode at about 50 volume.
Overall the sound is a nice W signature, with good note weight/body. The bass is sufficiently strong without any bleed, mids are right there in the middle without any push back.
The treble sounds good too with a lot of detail retrieval and air. There is no sibilance that I noticed on test tracks, but there is a bit of sparkle.
They do sound slightly dark, but combined with the air and decay, they make listening to prog rock sound very atmospheric (Pink Floyd - High Hopes).
Due to an excellent fit, passive noise isolation is good and the iems can be worn for a long time without discomfort.
Speed is very good and this results in excellent attack and decay (Alien Weaponry - Kai Tangata)
Who is this for - anyone looking for an excellent balanced sound, with a good fit for small - medium ears and upwards.
Who is this not for - Bassheads
CONCLUSIONS
This may be one of my favorites in mid-budget this year!
Thanks to GadgetGod and Hifigo for the review tour of the much anticipated mid budget iem from Elysian - The Pilgrim (White/First Path)!
As always, opinions expressed here are mine and have not been influenced in any way.
Overview
Elysian Acoustic Labs have a lot of very well made top shelf iems such as the Annhilator, Gaea, Diva etc. I previously owned the Gaea and know how good they sound.
When the Pilgrim was annouced, it did take a lot of people by surprise (me included) considering its price point and hence the anticipation of listening to the iems.
The Pilgrim comes in 2 colors/flavours and this review is for the White version.
Package and build
The Pilgrim comes in a nice cubic box with a white iem carry case. The iems are housed in industrial grade 304 stainless steel and will be able to stay strong for a long time.
Inspite of the stainless steel construction, the iems dont feel heavy at any point in time. With a medium sized nozzles, the comfort is very good with the iems.
Adding to the comfort, the cables are not heavy and dont pull on the ears, giving even more comfort for long listening sessions.
The driver config consists of one 9.2mm LSR dynamic drivers and three BA drivers consisting of 2 types of Sonion BA drivers, all being tuned with a 3 way crossover.
The cable is a nice silky silver looking cable that matches the shells very nicely. The review unit is terminated with a 3.5mm single ended connector at the source end.
As is standard from Elysian, iem end is connected with the Pentaconn Ear connectors.
Driveability and Sound
The Pilgrim is fairly easy to drive inspite of the number and type of drivers. The sound is quite balanced, which should play well with a variety of genres.
Bass - The iems are not for bassheads and the bass is more about a relaxed presentation. As a result, there is no bleed of the bass in any way.
Mids - The iems keep the mids right in the middle, without any recessed presentation. Even harsh vocals are handled like a champ
Treble - While the iems are not for trebleheads, there is good amount of extension and detail retrieval, going with the overall signature of balance.
Stage - The stage extends around the ears and is quite wide with average height
Conclusions
The Pilgrim offers a very low cost of entry into the Elysian's range of iems. The iems are tuned for balance and play well with a variety of genre without fatigue even after hours.
As always, opinions expressed here are mine and have not been influenced in any way.
Overview
Elysian Acoustic Labs have a lot of very well made top shelf iems such as the Annhilator, Gaea, Diva etc. I previously owned the Gaea and know how good they sound.
When the Pilgrim was annouced, it did take a lot of people by surprise (me included) considering its price point and hence the anticipation of listening to the iems.
The Pilgrim comes in 2 colors/flavours and this review is for the White version.
Package and build
The Pilgrim comes in a nice cubic box with a white iem carry case. The iems are housed in industrial grade 304 stainless steel and will be able to stay strong for a long time.
Inspite of the stainless steel construction, the iems dont feel heavy at any point in time. With a medium sized nozzles, the comfort is very good with the iems.
Adding to the comfort, the cables are not heavy and dont pull on the ears, giving even more comfort for long listening sessions.
The driver config consists of one 9.2mm LSR dynamic drivers and three BA drivers consisting of 2 types of Sonion BA drivers, all being tuned with a 3 way crossover.
The cable is a nice silky silver looking cable that matches the shells very nicely. The review unit is terminated with a 3.5mm single ended connector at the source end.
As is standard from Elysian, iem end is connected with the Pentaconn Ear connectors.
Driveability and Sound
The Pilgrim is fairly easy to drive inspite of the number and type of drivers. The sound is quite balanced, which should play well with a variety of genres.
Bass - The iems are not for bassheads and the bass is more about a relaxed presentation. As a result, there is no bleed of the bass in any way.
Mids - The iems keep the mids right in the middle, without any recessed presentation. Even harsh vocals are handled like a champ
Treble - While the iems are not for trebleheads, there is good amount of extension and detail retrieval, going with the overall signature of balance.
Stage - The stage extends around the ears and is quite wide with average height
Conclusions
The Pilgrim offers a very low cost of entry into the Elysian's range of iems. The iems are tuned for balance and play well with a variety of genre without fatigue even after hours.
Thanks to AG community and Penon for the tour unit of the ISN H60 (https://penonaudio.com/ISN-Audio-H60.html).
I still own the D02 and when compared to the older sibling the H60 is very very similar in the looks department. It is slightly larger in size (very slightly),
with a all resin construction, as opposed to the older one sporting a metal nozzle.
The H60 utilizes a 2 pin connector, which is a very good move (considering the D02 was mmcx). The unit came in a blue carboard box housing the iem amid foam inserts.
A nice well made pleather case, in a slightly darker shade of blue does the protection duties.
The box also contained a selection of 3 types of silicon tips in 3 sizes each - Red, Green, Grey - I prefered the Red from a sound perspective. All 3 are soft, without being grippy,
but with a sturdy nozzle. The red tips sound the most balanced, with the green and grey being a bit more V sounding (YMMV).
The resin nozzles are a bit large, but the soft tips take care of comfort very well, even for my small ears.
The H60, unike the D02, does not sport a tuning switch - which is a good thing in my personal humble opinion. Lesser decisions is always a good thing.
The cable that came with a OCC Copper with what looks like 4 cores, with a nice protective sheath and terminated in 4.4 balanced connection.
Nitpick : From a pairing perspective, I felt a SPC cable would be a much better match sonically.
The 4 BA drivers do excellent duties in the mids and treble ranges
From a driveability perspective, the H60 drives fairly easily, running off dongles with a full sound.
Due to the dual diaphragm config, the bass is solid and rumbly. There is enough thump and slam on the tracks. With the copper cables though, the bass does get a bit more excited and bleeds into the mids slightly.
I switched to a Letshouer SPC cable and the bass tightened well, while air was added to the treble well.
There is also a nice resonance in the bass sections, that gives a roomy sound and lots of atmosphere.
From a scoring perspective, the H60 stands as follows.
Bass - 4/5
Mids - 3.75/5
Treble - 4/5
Imaging - 4/5
Stage - Large room
Well done ISN Audio
OVERVIEW
The ISN brand has been around for a while now (5+ years) with some well received iems in the past. Most noteably the D02 and the H40.
I still own the D02 and when compared to the older sibling the H60 is very very similar in the looks department. It is slightly larger in size (very slightly),
with a all resin construction, as opposed to the older one sporting a metal nozzle.
The H60 utilizes a 2 pin connector, which is a very good move (considering the D02 was mmcx). The unit came in a blue carboard box housing the iem amid foam inserts.
A nice well made pleather case, in a slightly darker shade of blue does the protection duties.
The box also contained a selection of 3 types of silicon tips in 3 sizes each - Red, Green, Grey - I prefered the Red from a sound perspective. All 3 are soft, without being grippy,
but with a sturdy nozzle. The red tips sound the most balanced, with the green and grey being a bit more V sounding (YMMV).
The resin nozzles are a bit large, but the soft tips take care of comfort very well, even for my small ears.
The H60, unike the D02, does not sport a tuning switch - which is a good thing in my personal humble opinion. Lesser decisions is always a good thing.
The cable that came with a OCC Copper with what looks like 4 cores, with a nice protective sheath and terminated in 4.4 balanced connection.
Nitpick : From a pairing perspective, I felt a SPC cable would be a much better match sonically.
TECH
While I didnt come across much literature in terms of construction at least at Head-Fi, it is quite apparent that the main driver units (DD) are premade dual drivers with 2 diaphragm opposing each other (Isobaric likely).The 4 BA drivers do excellent duties in the mids and treble ranges
SOUND PROFILE
The house sound of ISN audio is slight pronounced V shape with a slightly forward mid than traditional V sound. This gives enough weightage to the mids, while keeping things fun at the same time.From a driveability perspective, the H60 drives fairly easily, running off dongles with a full sound.
Due to the dual diaphragm config, the bass is solid and rumbly. There is enough thump and slam on the tracks. With the copper cables though, the bass does get a bit more excited and bleeds into the mids slightly.
I switched to a Letshouer SPC cable and the bass tightened well, while air was added to the treble well.
There is also a nice resonance in the bass sections, that gives a roomy sound and lots of atmosphere.
From a scoring perspective, the H60 stands as follows.
Bass - 4/5
Mids - 3.75/5
Treble - 4/5
Imaging - 4/5
Stage - Large room
CONCLUSIONS
At the asking price, I believe the H60 continues to offer high value similar to its older sibilings. It is an easy recommendation in the mid budget pricepoint. I thoroughly enjoyed it for the coherent and fun signature and continuing the D02's house sound and pushing it up by many notches.Well done ISN Audio
Thanks to AG and Penon for the review tour of the Penon Voltage iems.
As always the opinions expressed here are mine only with no influence of any kind requested or endorsed.
OVERVIEW
The Voltage is the flagship of Penon with 4EST+4BA+2DD Hybrid with 2 Tuning Switches. They are available in both Universal as well as CIEM form.
The review unit as expected, is the Universal. It came with the well received Penon Liquer tips (both black and orange) in a nice blue carry case.
The iems are resin shelled with 2 tiny switches on either earpieces that adjust the bass and treble side of the sound respective.
The faceplate have Gold speckling on red backing plate with the name of the company and the iem on either shells.
The cable is a nicely braided 4 core OCC with a gold plated OCC as well as per the Penon website.
The nozzles are a bit on the thicker side, so people with small ear canals need to try to understand unit comfort.
DRIVEABILITY
In spite of the number of drivers, the iems are fairly easy to drive, running comfortably at a 40 mark on the Lotoo S1.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
The iems with the switches at 00 on both iems, sound very balanced and neutral, with a good imaging, zero bleed and good representation across the spectrum. For vocal lovers, this is a very nice option.
The vocals are front and centre and with a lot of nuances. With Horikawa - Bubbles, the bass is very nice quality, and the balls, marbles etc are very accurately placed and the speed is excellent all round.
Stage is fairly wide, about the size of a large hall.
With the bass switch enagaged, the mid bass and sub bass get a slight boost in terms of presence. However, the bass boost is really realized with both switches at a 11.
The iems get a sudden boost in terms of liveliness, both from the bass perspective (more than just the 10 config), while treble has more sparkle to complement the nearly V shaped graph.
Mids are still clear of the bass intrusion, with no bleed. The vocals do take a slight backseat.
The 01 config of the iem switches however dont make the iems into a treblehead pair. They are still on the safer side of tuning. I would prefer a little more sparkle in the treble in the 01 config atleast.
Just a nitpick.
In summary
00 - Mostly neutral with forward vocals, details and imaging
10 - Slightly more bass than neutral
11 - More bass and treble with a V shaped sound (most lively)
01 - Little more treble weight
CONCLUSIONS
The Penon Voltage is a well made flagship pair, with tuning options, without true flagship prices.
As always the opinions expressed here are mine only with no influence of any kind requested or endorsed.
OVERVIEW
The Voltage is the flagship of Penon with 4EST+4BA+2DD Hybrid with 2 Tuning Switches. They are available in both Universal as well as CIEM form.
The review unit as expected, is the Universal. It came with the well received Penon Liquer tips (both black and orange) in a nice blue carry case.
The iems are resin shelled with 2 tiny switches on either earpieces that adjust the bass and treble side of the sound respective.
The faceplate have Gold speckling on red backing plate with the name of the company and the iem on either shells.
The cable is a nicely braided 4 core OCC with a gold plated OCC as well as per the Penon website.
The nozzles are a bit on the thicker side, so people with small ear canals need to try to understand unit comfort.
DRIVEABILITY
In spite of the number of drivers, the iems are fairly easy to drive, running comfortably at a 40 mark on the Lotoo S1.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
The iems with the switches at 00 on both iems, sound very balanced and neutral, with a good imaging, zero bleed and good representation across the spectrum. For vocal lovers, this is a very nice option.
The vocals are front and centre and with a lot of nuances. With Horikawa - Bubbles, the bass is very nice quality, and the balls, marbles etc are very accurately placed and the speed is excellent all round.
Stage is fairly wide, about the size of a large hall.
With the bass switch enagaged, the mid bass and sub bass get a slight boost in terms of presence. However, the bass boost is really realized with both switches at a 11.
The iems get a sudden boost in terms of liveliness, both from the bass perspective (more than just the 10 config), while treble has more sparkle to complement the nearly V shaped graph.
Mids are still clear of the bass intrusion, with no bleed. The vocals do take a slight backseat.
The 01 config of the iem switches however dont make the iems into a treblehead pair. They are still on the safer side of tuning. I would prefer a little more sparkle in the treble in the 01 config atleast.
Just a nitpick.
In summary
00 - Mostly neutral with forward vocals, details and imaging
10 - Slightly more bass than neutral
11 - More bass and treble with a V shaped sound (most lively)
01 - Little more treble weight
CONCLUSIONS
The Penon Voltage is a well made flagship pair, with tuning options, without true flagship prices.
SoundRhyme Prado - Flagship impressions
Thanks to AG and (Penon) SoundRhyme for the review unit of the Prado.
All views of the iems are mine and are not compensated for in any manner.
OVERVIEW
SoundRhyme have been making waves with their SR and DTE lines of iems in their mid-budget segment with very good value fun tuned iems.
The Prado is their flagship (https://penonaudio.com/Sound-Rhyme-PRADO.html) sporting an incredible number of drivers - 4 EST and 12 BA drivers.
With a nicely speckled shell and faceplate, the iems are relatively small and compact for the number of drivers in the iems. The shells are resin with a sparkle effect
and a very light construction. The iems use the 2pin connection and have a medium large nozzles leaning on the broad side a little more.
The iems sport 2 tuning switches per side with the following configuration according to the product info on Head-fi
1, 2 off: pop music
1, 2 on: wide sound field
1 off, 2 on: clear voice
1 on, 2 off: deep bass
DRIVEABILITY
The iems are fairly easy to drive off dongles (middling 40s on the Lotoo PAW S1 and the Questyle M15i. I drove them off the 4.4 balanced output of both dongles.OVERALL SOUND SIGNATURE
The iems are tunable via the switches, and the sound signature does change a bit with the switches on and off.With 1 and 2 off, the signature is a relatively fun sound without overemphasis on either the bass or the treble end. The mids are decently present in this configuration
With 1 on, the bass is more pronounced and more forward. As a result the sound is quite warm, but with decent amout of details. The mids take a slightly recessed position.
With 1 off and 2 on, the treble is a little more extended and offer a lot of detail retrieval. There is a touch of brightness that creeps in with poor recordings.
With 1 and 2 on, the V profile is very prominent with deep bass and treble extension.
With the bass switch on, there is a lot of bass rumble, but there is a little bit of muddiness that is felt. Decay is slightly off with a little more sustain on the bass, with a thud being more prominent than a slam.
Fun tuned for sure, and a lot of fun can be had. Also I reached for the toothpick to change the switches for each genre change that I did as part of the audition, and the iems did change the sound quite significantly.
CONCLUSIONS
The Prado is a nice looking and compact flagship with a large number of drivers, and a fun tuning with a lot of promise.Attachments
Thanks to Conceptkart (https://conceptkart.com/) for the iems for the review units. The views expressed are my own and am not compensated in any way for the same.
Purple (https://conceptkart.com/products/intuaura-xue-qingpurple-iem).
These are selling well in the local markets of the maker, and for good reasons (YMMV).
The review units came as iem units only and a couple of cables, so I will not review the package or cables.
The iems are resin based and are fairly lightweight. The iems are single driver (DD) units and as a result, are very cohesive as expected.
The flagship of the Intuaura stable (atleast on ConceptKart) offers a purple shell as the name suggests. It sports a nicely done shell that fits very
comfortably and is usable over long sessions. Armed with a Japanese LCP driver from Fujimori, they sit very snugly and lightly.
Sound impressions - The Purple is the find of the year for me, with a beautiful balance across the spectrum, very reminiscent of the QDC Gemini (YMMV).
All areas of the spectrum are well represented and near perfectly balanced interms of quality and quantity. The bass hits well with all the textures,
vocals are a delight and the treble extends superbly with excellent texture and imaging. The stage is above average and the imaging is very nicely layered.
There is no harshness in any of the registers. More people should atleast try this iem.
I havent been this much impressed with the tuning of an iem after the QDC Gemini. And that is very high praise indeed. Near perfect for me. Highly recommended
OVERVIEW
Purple (https://conceptkart.com/products/intuaura-xue-qingpurple-iem).
These are selling well in the local markets of the maker, and for good reasons (YMMV).
The review units came as iem units only and a couple of cables, so I will not review the package or cables.
The iems are resin based and are fairly lightweight. The iems are single driver (DD) units and as a result, are very cohesive as expected.
IMPRESSIONS
The flagship of the Intuaura stable (atleast on ConceptKart) offers a purple shell as the name suggests. It sports a nicely done shell that fits very
comfortably and is usable over long sessions. Armed with a Japanese LCP driver from Fujimori, they sit very snugly and lightly.
Sound impressions - The Purple is the find of the year for me, with a beautiful balance across the spectrum, very reminiscent of the QDC Gemini (YMMV).
All areas of the spectrum are well represented and near perfectly balanced interms of quality and quantity. The bass hits well with all the textures,
vocals are a delight and the treble extends superbly with excellent texture and imaging. The stage is above average and the imaging is very nicely layered.
There is no harshness in any of the registers. More people should atleast try this iem.
CONCLUSIONS
I havent done any comparisons here, or reference tracks. The Purple is a definite recommendation from me, taking all the good things of the Aful Performer 8 and pushing it to a 12.I havent been this much impressed with the tuning of an iem after the QDC Gemini. And that is very high praise indeed. Near perfect for me. Highly recommended
Hazel3423
Wow, that's a very bold design, looks much more expensive than it's price bracket...
Quloos - MUB1 - Quick Impressions
Thanks to Concept Kart (https://conceptkart.com/products/quloos-mub1-bluetooth-portable-usb-dac-amp) and gadgetgod for the tour unit of the Quloos MUB1 portable dacamp.As always, the views expressed in the review are mine only and are not influenced or compensated in any way by any one.
BUILD
The review unit has been going around for a while now, and it has stood up to the abuse very well, so full marks for the build of the unit.
I have tried Quloos QA390 earlier (QA390 is a all in one desktop music player/DAP that can power the most demanding of headphones without any additional devices.
I havent tested them with Susvara, but everything else I threw at it, it drove it wonderfully!) and had the impression of a very beautifully balanced sound, with
excellent technicalities as well as balanced sound.
Hence the MUB1 also comes with those sort of expectations. The review unit came with a transparent silicone cover and nothing else. The unit has a small LCD (maybe monochrome led?)
display that is quite minimal in terms of readout.
The device has 2 USB C ports, one for charging only, and the other that does dual duty of charging as well as receiving digital data.
There is a 3.5mm output jack as well as a 4.4mm balanced out. The device also has a spdif/optical out, for DDC purposes. As the device also has a built in
femtosecond clock, this is a very good option for clean input to more sensitive devices.
The input is also BT enabled, for streaming from a source bt device such as a phone or streamer, and similar to the usecase of the BTR devices from FIIO.
USAGE/POWER IN THE REALWORLD
To test the gain options (Low, Medium, High, Super), I tried mutliple transducers - sensitive iems, single DDs that scale, planars that are hard to drive, headphones that test the amp sectionsand the MUB1 was able to drive them well.
For sensitive iems (some older micro drivers and BA iems), in the Low Gain mode, there was no hissing, excellent sound without noise in the background
* Single DDs were able to use the gain (High) very well, with excellent performance.
* Planars were driven well with top performance.
* Hard to drive headphones (vintage Sennheisers HD650) were driver very well in the Super gain mode.
Filters actually make a difference, similar to the QA390. NOS mode is very true to the original mastering, while fast and slow rolloff filters were very usable and produced perceptible change in the sound.
Fast rolloff provided for very quick decay, while there was adequate sustain with the slow rolloff filters, making the sound more analog.
COMPARISONS WITH QUESTYLE CMA18
The CMA 18 in comparison, provides similar options, but run hotter. However, the CMA18 has an additional ADC mode which allows for recording audio.Both have excellent performance overall and offer true high end value to discerning audiophiles looking for portable options.
CONCLUSION
The MUB1 is an excellent portable dacamp that provides high end sound in a portable form. The device didnt heat up after a lot of usage even in a hot 38 celcius environment.
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
