Thanks to Hifigo and gadgetgod for organising the review of the Celest Plutus Beast.

Overview

The Plutus Beast is a stunning looking iem with an almost spherical curve to the overall shell. The faceplate looks fantastic.

Build
The Beast is an all resin iem with a fairly lightweight body. However, they do look like they can get damaged quickly if not babied. The black background helps the faceplate graphics stand out in a stunning manner.

The nozzles are chonky and require fairly large ears to get a good fit. As a result, the Bone conduction may or may not work for you. I was able to fit it in to get a good contact for the bone conduction.

Cables
The cables that the review unit came with were similar to the Letshouer Chimera cables with a similar modular termination on the source end and a 2 pin into the iem shells. The cables are well built and thick, with very good non conduction of microphonics.

Sound impressions
Due to the overall size of the nozzles, I paired the Beast with a small silicon ear tips. This helped with the BC driver contact and hence plenty of bass slam/rumble.

Bass (4/5)
Due to the BC drivers, the bass was strong in this one. However, that may not mean too much as the bass does come across as being muddy and oftentimes bleeding into the mids. However, the rumble and slam could be felt at a slightly higher level than the UM Mest 2 (Unfair comparison I know).

Mids (3.5/5)
Due to the BC drivers, there is a bit of bass bleeding into the mids. Along with a strong treble, the mids take a slight back seat in the presentation. So not the best for vocals and mid favored music

Treble (4/5)
Due to the EST drivers serving up the treble frequencies, there is plenty of extension in the treble sections. However, there is also a sense of harshness in some of the steel guitar and string tracks. Poor recording do make their presence felt.

Conclusions
The Plutus Beast is a lovely looking iem, that could have been tuned a bit better. I compared it against the BQEYZ Wind, which sport a simiar setup, and that was tuned a bit better for a more balanced sound.

Thanks to Concept Kart for the review tour and gadgetgod for organising the tour.
QuietSea - Buy link

Rose Technics has been an underrepresented brand, with some very nicely tuned iems in the past. Off late, they are making more inroads in terms of very nicely tuned iems.

The QuietSea (https://conceptkart.com/products/rose-technics-quietsea-iem) is no exception. The QuietSea (QS henceforth) is a 10mm single DD iem that is tuned with zinc alloy acoustic cavity.

Like the QT9, the QS is a similarly sized (tiny) iem that practically dissappears in the ears. They are very comfortable to wear and look fairly industrial in design with a 2 tone faceplate.

The cables are a twisted paracord covered OCC copper with decent heft. The cables are mmcx terminated (I dislike mmcx terminations in general). The cables, clad in paracord fabric can carry rustling through the cable to the ears.
The around the ear wear helps to a certain extent, but still has some noise carried over.

The cable looks very nice overall, in a darkish gray color, with a 3.5mm termination.

Sound and impressions

The iems sport an oval nozzle, that I havent seen since Klipsch iems. I used the Sony MH755 tips and got an excellent fit with no discomfort. Playing off the Akliam PD4 Plus dac dongle (also part of the tour),
the iems were powered well.

From a sound perspective, the iems are decently V shaped iem, with decent bass and treble extensions. There is decent amount of mid and sub bass on the unit. The tuning is a slight variation of harman tuning. There is treble extension and bass.
The mids are slightly pushed back, but the rest of the spectrum is fairly well tuned.

The treble extends decently well, but there can a little more brightness than I would like. The micro detail retrieval is superb and the stage is above average - large room, with good imaging.

Conclusions
The low - mid budget market is fairly congested and the Rose Technics QuietSea adds a nicely fitting (for small ears) iem in the mix, which does a lot of things well. One can compare it with the Simgot EA500 on an even keel.
For those small ears, this is a decent option, if you like harman tuning.

The Akliam PD4 plus dac dongle is part of the review tour organised by Concept kart and thanks to gadgetgod for coordinating the same.

Overview

The PD4 plus (https://conceptkart.com/products/akliam-pd4-plus-portable-dac-amp) is a dual CS43131 Cirrus Logic chipset, that comes with a 4.4mm and a 3.5mm output option.
Like most other CS43131 chipset dacs, the PD4 Plus comes with a gain switch and physical volume control buttons. They do have a transparent window on top, similar to the newer dac dongles (like the Tempotec BHD Pro, Questyle dacs, Muse M4 etc).

Performance impressions

The PD4 plus is a nice little dac dongle, with a USB C input and works out of the box with all the devices I tried - laptop, mobile phone etc. The CS43131 is a well received chipset, with sound sitting between the ESS and AKM chipsets.
The dac dongle runs fairly cool over long listening sessions, and provides a decent amount of power for most iems. It was able to power the notorious Tin P1 fairly well on high gain, with good sound.

The sound signature is a slight warm with excellent detail (typical of the CS chipset). They perform similar to the Audiocular TP20Pro, and is priced similarly.

There are LED indicators for PCM and DSD decoding, with support for upto 32-bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD256.

Overall a decent dac dongle in a hotly competitive space at a matched price in comparison to the competition

Thanks to Concept Kart and gadgetgod for organising the iem and dac review tour!
QT9 MK3 Buy link

Rose Technics has been a well regarded brand but with not much of a presence here in India. Their house tuning has been pleasant with almost no harshness in the past.

As part of the review tour, the QT9 mk3 iems (with the cable and case) and the RZ200 dac dongle were sent together. The review unit came only with the case and dac, no tips or packaging, I wont talk much about the package.

Build

QT3 mk3 - The iems are very tiny, with a resin body and milled aluminium faceplate. They are tiny in size, dissapearing into the ears. The nozzle is slightly medium-large in size, and I paired it with the KZ starlines M tips for the review.
The iems sport mmcx connectors, with a paracord braided 5N OCC copper cable that is 3.5mm terminated. (I reviewed the iems with the stock cables only).

RZ200 Dac - The dac dongle is a tiny one reminiscent of the older Zorloo Ztella and the likes, with a very small footprint. The dac dongle has a usb c termination and a female 3.5mm jack for the audio.
Nothing fancy, very functional.

Performance

QT3
The QT3 fits in easy into the ears and one wouldnt expect it to be multi drivers. I was surprised to learn that it was 10mm tesla DD + 4 BA driver config. These feel about the same size as the Aful Magic One! How did they manage to fit so many drivers on such a small shell completely baffles me!

The iems are very efficient and easily drive off mobile phones. However, as always, I prefer driving iems out of my standard dac dongles, and in addition, the RZ200.

RZ200
The dac dongle is a simple device, a callback to a few years ago when dac dongles made their appearance in a trimmed down mode. These again are very energy efficient and run fairly cool.
No fuss whatsoever. The dac appears as Realtek dac, happy to see that name after a long time.

Sound impressions

QT3
I drove the iems off the THX Onyx dac dongle and the RZ200 dac dongles. The THX Onyx is fairly neutral/bright, while the RZ200 is a little warmer in comparison. Both were able to drive the iems to ear shattering levels, without any distortion even at high volumes on either dongles.

Bass - The iems pack a good punch and sound full with good subbass off the RZ200. A 10mm driver tends to do that! And surely enough, the QT3 is nicely punchy and detailed
They sound similar to the Aful Performer 5 in the bass and mids department. While not at true basshead level bass, the bass carries decent punch and slam. 3.75/5

Mids - The mids are present and decently supported although slightly recessed in the male vocals. There is a lot of nuances and detail retrieval, although from a slightly pushed back position.
Female vocals get a little more support and are slightly more forward. Good amount of detail retrieval and tone on the vocals. 3.75/5

Treble - Unlike say the Performer 5, there is a lot more extension on the treble side of the spectrum. There is sparkle on instruments and excellent imaging. On slightly poor tracks, the female vocals and some of the instruments can have a nasal tone to the proceedings.
On well done tracks, the details are excellent with very good imaging and stage. The 4 BAs help with speed in fast instrument sections while keeping the instrument positioning very well.
4/5

RZ200 - The dac dongle is surprisingly powerful and full sounding with the QT3. It is slightly warm sounding, without any harshness/glare. Quite efficient with the battery usage too.
I quite like it a lot!

Conclusions
No comparisons here, but the iems are a surpriging package considering its size. The pricepoint will be the one decision point, when compared to other similar offerings. For small ears, this is definitely a nice option

Thanks to Hifigo and Pulkit for organising the review tour of the Effect Audio x Hifigo Griffin cables.
The impressions shared below are mine and there is no compensation whatsoever in exchange of the review.
Effect Audio and the Hifigo collab brings a beautiful cable with some real cool features - Replacable terminations on both end! Read on and find out!

Effect Audio has a set of very nice looking cables that have been popular on the market. The Griffin retails at $199 on Hifigo (https://hifigo.com/products/effect-audio-x-hifigo-griffin)

Package

The Griffin comes in a nice box and a unique looking carry case, in a nice cardboard box. It also carries a pamplet of other Effect Audio cables.

Build
The cables are a nice silver colored 8core Silver plated Copper cable. There is sufficient heft in the cables and looks like a long lasting one. There is a bright red carbon fibre like material in the strain relief that looks like a jewel.

Connectors
The cable comes with 2 features - replaceable connectors and ConX connectors on the earphone end. What this means is that the cables can be used with a lot of iems (mmcx/2Pin) and sources (2.5, 3.5, 4.4mm)!

Sound impressions
The cables perform fairly well, with a balanced sound. In comparison with other SPC cables, these dont seem to boost the bass all that much (keeps it nice and tight) and enhances the treble a touch more.

Do note that this is in comparison with other similar SPC cables and not standalone impressions.

I tried it with a Single DD iem (QDC Dmagic Solo) as I prefer to audition single driver iems when doing cable impressions.

What I also had on hand to compare is the Effect Audio Cadmus, which has a similar construction and very nearly the same pricepoint. And surprise surprise, or not, the cables performed very similarly.They are priced near identically too.

Conclusions
Overall, a well constructed cable with replaceable connectors that should be offered by most iem makers in the expensive bracket atleast.

Thanks to Hifigo and Pulkit for organising the review tour of the SeeAudio Neko (https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-neko).

SeeAudio is a coming together of seasoned audio engineers in recent times post Covid and have delivered very interesting iems including the Yume, Yume Midnight and Yume 2 iems.

The Neko is a 6BA iem in a beautiful shell. Historically, SeeAudio iems were among the best looking iems in the recent times.

The iem impressions are my own and have no incentive attached either in cash or in kind.

Package and Build

The iems were shipped to me in a standard SeeAudio round carry case, with the Effect Audio Cadmus cable that comes stock with the iems.
The iems are made of blue resin, with a beautiful floral motif on the faceplate. The iems sport 2 pin connectors that are not recessed, so can take a variety of 2 pin cables.

The cables are beautiful and match the iems in terms of looks. They are very sturdy and pliable, with a nice marbled plate on the strain relief. The cables came terminated with a 4.4 balanced connector.

Fit

The iems are fairly small and lightweight, very similar to the BGVP DM6 (similar configuration in terms of drivers). The Neko also has fairly big nozzles similar to the BGVP iems (DM6/DM8/DM9).
There is a wing on the back of the shell that should help with the fit for a lot of people. Since they are lightweight, they are mostly comfortable to wear for long.

The cable weight does pull the iems a bit, but since the cables are worn around the ear, they are fairly fine for wear.

The nozzle being a touch big, did give me some trouble over an extended period of wear (about 1 hour).

Sound Impressions

I drove the iems out of the Fiio KA2 balanced dac dongle that delivers a lot of power. The dac volume was kept at 13, and the iems were sufficiently loud. Easy to drive, also considering that they are all BA.

The overall sound signature is quite balanced and relaxed. There is no sibilance. There is enough microdetail retrieval and enough bass to keep most people happy.

Overall here are some scores.

Bass - 3.5/5
Mids - 4/5
Treble - 4/5
Stage - Intimate and immersive in a small hall with the musicians. Very involving
Imaging - 4.5/5 - Beautiful rendering of the instruments around the listener
Depth - 3.5/5 - Depth is present, but not the best in class by any means.

TR1> Tool - The Pot () - This track has a lot of mixed time and rhythm with a lot of instruments. The Neko was able to navigate the complexities very well, while keeping composure right through.
Bass was present in the drum tracks with a lot of guitar cues and micro details being delicately retrieved.

TR2> Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere but not here () - This track was thoroughly enjoyed when paired with the Letshuoer Chimera cables. The song was enveloping and the whole track was enjoyable. The iems dissapeared and in its place was a sea of immersive music

TR3> Planet Funk - Chase the Sun () - A classic track from the early 2000s that is still a banger. The iems made me dance (or just shuffling around, for others watching me). The bass hits were sufficient without going into basshead territory. The synths were rendered very well. The vocals were spot on.
Nostalgic

Comparisons

Thieaudio Monarch MK2 - This is from memory as I dont have the mk2 with me. However, both iems seem neck and neck in the balanced sound signature game. Both are technically excellent, with a very slight edge to the mk2.
And that is an impressive feat on its own.

Kinera Imperial Urd - This is my to go for balanced long term listening. The Neko is very similar in characteristics, especially with the Chimera cables. Like Master Oogway said, everything in balance!
Or was it thanos? Either ways, I prefer the Urd just a bit more due to an easier fit for my ears. Again, neck and neck in terms of sound.

Aful Performer 8 - The Aful, with a DD in addition to its BA drivers, has a touch more bottom end than the Neko. However, the detail retrieval and finesse on the treble end more than evens out the score, and with better technicalities, outdoes the P8, just by a little though.

Conclusions
The Neko is an excellent iem from SeeAudio, taking away my main gripe of looking good but sounding average as with the Yumes. Those that liked the Yume will like the Neko even more, as it has a bit more character to it.
In summary, a well built, musical iem whose only concern may be on the pricing bit.
Conclusions -

Thanks to hifigo and Pulkit Dreamzz for organising the review tour of the Aful Performer 8, the successor of the generally well regarded P5.
As usual, the impressions are mine only with zero influence of anything/anyone else.

PACKAGE AND BUILD

The iems come in a mid sized cardboard box with a minimalistic approach. The iems are present in the foam cut out, while the brown/silver cables in 3.5mm termination and 2 pin at the shell end coming in a nice round faux leather case.
Under the foams, there is a selection of tips with various colors and sizes. and a product literature booklet.

The iems are dark resin shells with a nice faceplate that is reminiscent of recent iems from other manufacurers across priceranges. The cable is a SPC cable with 4 core braided cables that is supple and nice feeling.

FIT AND COMFORT​

These are some of the better fitting iems even for small ears. There is a very small wing at the back that has a nice dip and sits very nicely in the ear. The nozzle is medium-small and very comfortable. The nozzles fit the sony tips very well, and indicates a very comfortable longtime wear.

Well done in the fit department. The iems are lightweight and one can practically wear it for a long time without much issues.


Similarly, the cable being nice and supple, wear very comfortably around the ears. The 4 core braid ensures that there is not much of a weight and this does not pull the iems in any way. No microphonics either.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS​

I drove the iems off the Tanchjim Space dongle on the 3.5mm and 4.4mm taps with an aftermarket cable. The sound was consistent with both inputs.
The selection of tracks from Qobuz, youtube premium and flac was used to test the iems.

Bass - These iems are not basshead iems. That said, they do have a decent punch in both mid bass rumble as well as palpable slam in the subbass areas on selected tracks. The textures come across nicely although a little softer than other basshead focussed iems. (3.75/5)

Mids - These iems are mid forward. They have a sense of a lot of air in the mids, making the vocals sound prominent and spacious. Both male and female vocals are provided good amount of support. However, sometimes this can be too much off a good thing. There can be honkiness on some tracks in the upper mids. This can also come out as being a little harsh in the upper mids/lower treble. (4/5)

Treble - There is good extension and space in the treble areas. There isnt much details lost in translation, be it imaging or staging. The size of stage is quite wide and a above average depth, like a large hall. (4/5)

COMPARISONS​

The other mid focussed iems that I have on hand are the Juzear 41T and the Kinera Imperial Urd, and hence I will compare them with the P8, which is priced between the 2 iems.



Juzear 41T - The Juzear 41T was a recent acquisition and has a slightly larger nozzle than the P8. The size and weight is very similar between the 2. The key area where the 41T pulls a little ahead of the P8 is in the upper mids. Where the P8 sounds a bit honky, the 41T is a little more controlled. However, the bass on the P8 is slightly stronger.

Kinera Imperial Urd - The Urd is one of my favorite mid focussed iems at a much higher price bracket than the P8. Understandably, it has better performance across the board. However, the difference is much narrower than the prices make out and hence the comparison still stands valid.

CONCLUSIONS​

The P8 is a very good performer in the mid budget segment, offering good fit with airy soundscapes that is not the traditional harman tuned. With a good mix of technical chops and fit, it performs very well.

Thanks to Concept Kart for organising this review tour of 2 dacamp dongles. Audiocular is Concept Kart's own brand and is their first foray under the brand. Wishing them the very best in bringing excellent products under the umbrella!

TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro are balanced and single ended dacamp dongles that are affordable and provide excellent features in a tight budget. The review is from a very neutral standpoint and has absolutely no influence in any way from Concept Kart. All opinions are mine only.

Specifications

The TP20 Pro dacamp comes with dual independent Cirrus Logic dac chipsets (CS43131), supporting 3.5mm (SE) and 4.4mm (Bal) ports on the output section, while taking a usb c input. It supports 32 bit/384khz PCM, DSD256 decoding as well as MQA decoding.

The TP30 Pro comes with dual ESS ES9038Q2M chipsets that has a 3.5mm (SE) and 4.4mm (Bal) output with a similar usb c input. The dac decodes 32 bit/768khz PCM, DSD512 decoding as well as MQA decoding.

Both dacamps have an option of USB C or Lightning cables, for use with appropriate input sources.

There are minor differences in terms of THD, sensitivity, SNR, dynamic range parameters, while providing a similar output impedance of 32 ohms. The TP20 Pro has a green LED while the TP30 pro has a red LED indicator when they are powered on.

Package and build

The devices come in identical carboard packages with the corresponding usb-c to usb-c or lightning cable nestled in foam, while the dacamps are nearly identical in terms of dimensions.

The TP20 Pro is a black brick, while the TP30 Pro is a golden brick (or biscuit!). Both look solid with metal construction that looks like it can take a lot of abuse. Both weigh a bit and give a feeling of solid metal mass.

The input and output ports are near identical on both units, with the output ports switching order in comparison to the other.

The TP20 pro comes with a gain switch as well as volume buttons that control the source volume nicely. The TP20 pro also has a Play/pause button that pauses and resumes play on the source (Even on a windows laptop!).

The TP30 pro does not have the gain switch or the pause/play button, but has a similar volume control buttons.

Screen printing on the cases of both dacamps are similar, with the logo on one side, and the name and chipset capabilities on the other side.

Both units came with identical cables.

Sound profile

With impressive output power specs on both units (2Vrms - single ended, and 4 Vrms on balanced), there is plenty of juice to drive iems with ease. I was able to drive KZ PR1 Pro and CCA PLA13 to ear shattering levels on both dacs.

Tuning

TP20 Pro - The TP20 Pro has a slightly more pronounced bass, of the two. Details are good, lots of head room without any distortion experienced at any level. The mids are pushed slightly back in comparison with the TP30 pro, more due to slightly bassiser output.

TP30 Pro - The TP30 Pro is slightly more neutral sounding of the two. The mids are a touch more clearer, with excellent treble detail. The bass is more rounded than the TP20 pro, that has a bit more oomph. The typical sabre glare is mostly avoided, and the sound is very clean.

Conclusions

Coming at excellent price points, both dongles offer very high value in terms of features and excellent sound. The only probably qualm is that both are on the chunkier side. This could auger well as the metal builds inspire confidence in terms of longevity. Standard usb c input means the most common failure point of dac dongles is well addressed.
The TP20 Pro is an easy recommendation for those looking for a fun sounding dongle, while the more detail oriented and technical audience will enjoy the TP30 Pro more. Well done, Concept Kart / Audiocular!

BGVP DM9 - Quick impressions​

Thanks to Bgvp Acoustics for the review unit of the BGVP DM9. This is part of a worldwide tour by BGVP.
As usual, there was no compensation in cash or kind (not even shipping charges) was offered or taken for the review. It is completely my unbiased opinion.

I have been using the BGVP flagships for a long time, including the DM6, DM8, NS9 etc. I will compare between the DM6, DM8 and DM9 as part of this review. The DM6 and DM8 are my own units and previous flagships of BGVP.

PACKAGE AND BUILD​

The package of the DM9 is a slightly smaller box than the DM8, however with similar contents. It came in a nice box with the iems nestled in a foam board. The cables are a thick mmcx iem (similar to the DM8 cables), thick but supple.
No microphonics carried through the cables, whatsoever.

The iems are a beautiful shade of purple and blue, similar to the stabilized wood from the DM8 series. The cable is modular and came with a 3.5mm and 4.4mm terminations.

The carry case of the DM9 is a fairly large oval white box that can house the cables and iems, along with a selection of tips. An iem cleaning brush also came as a part of the standard kit.

The iems carry 9 drivers, as opposed to the 6 BAs of the DM6 and 8 BA drivers of the DM8. However, the 9 drivers are a combination of one liquid silicone DD, 4 BA and 4 low voltage EST drivers. The iems also came with a 4 way crossover for frequency division and 3d printed acoustic tube structure.

FIT AND COMFORT​

The DM9 is a lightweight iem, however when paired with the stock cables, there is a bit of added weight. An aftermarket cable like the Smoky Litz will reduce weight and increase wearing comfort significantly.

The biggest gripe I have with the BGVP iems are the nozzle size. As with the other models. the DM9 has a chonky nozzle that can hurt small ear canals. So if you do have smallish ear canals, try before buy is a must. The nozzle size is similar to that of the CA Solaris.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS​

From an overall tuning perspective, the DM_ series has been mostly neutral balanced with very good detail retrieval. The DM9 changes this a little bit with a little more presence in the lower end with the DD driver prodiving for thick and palpable thump and rumble in the bass section.


The mids are slightly recessed in comparison, while the treble have good details and energy without being sibilant.

The bass is thick and reverby, which makes it sound fun. There is a lot of thump and impact in the mid bass and sub bass regions, making you want to listen to fun sounding tracks. This will be ideal for R&B genre more than tight bass decay requirements of EDM.

The mids are a slight bit recessed, but provide sufficient support for male and female vocals alike. However, vocals are a touch back in comparison to the surrounding bass and treble sections.

Treble performance is very good, with the EST drivers playing their part in good detail retreval and imaging.
Stage depth is average with a decent amount of layering of the instruments.

Driveability is decent, middling between very easy to drive single DDs and hard to drive yesteryear planars like the Tin P1.

COMPARISONS

BGVP DM6
The DM6 from one of the earliest batches manufactured have a very balanced sound, easy driveability and package. The DM6 are easier to driver, but are more neutral in comparison to the DM9. The DM9 have a lot more bass impact thanks to the DD included.
The size and fit is very similar to the DM9.

BGVP DM8
The DM8 is very similar in terms of package and presentation. The stabilized wood shells make them look excellent and this is a similar case with the DM9 again. The fit is identical and the iems are just a touch more heavier than the DM9.
Soundwise, the DM9 has more lowend, while requiring similar drive current as the DM8.

CONCLUSIONS​

The DM9 carries forward the design language of the DM_ flagship series, while offering a bit more fun signature, when compared to the more neutral/balanced sounding DM8 and DM6.

Thanks to my dear friend Srinivas Vignesh, I had the good fortune of auditioning and listening to the Aroma Jewel over the week. I received the stock cable, tips and the round case for the listen.

Over the last couple of days, I have been listening to the Jewel on a variety of sources and cables. Below is a summary of my experience overall.

Build and accessories

The Jewel is an all resin build and is fairly lightweight. Packing a large number of drivers and also at the kidney replacing cost of the iems, I babied them for all the time that I was in possesion of the iems.

The shell is a beautiful transparent blue resin through which the drivers can be seen. The crossover board seems well hidden behind the faceplate. The faceplate has shimmery blue specks in the faceplate with Aroma and Jewel as part of the faceplate with a layer of transparent epoxy on the faceplate. Overall, looks amazing!

The Aroma Jewel is no IER-Z1R in terms of package and accessories. The iems come with what looks like a 4 core silver cable with a Y splitter with Aroma engraved on it. There is a selection of 3 tip sizes, and a leatherette carry case similar to other ones that other chi-fi manufacturers like dunu provide. And we are done.

Source, tips and cable pairing

I wanted to try the iems out with my standard reference sources (dac dongles to be precise, namely - Lusya Fever dac and the iBasso DC04), that I use on a daily basis. I will use other sources on another occasion and update back.

I used Flacs, CDs and streaming platforms such as Qobuz, YT and Spotify to try out a variety of sources and see how the iems perform with poor and excellent bitrate.

I went back and forth between the stock cable (2 pin) and the Letshuoer Chimera, utilizing the 4.4mm balanced terminations in both cables.

I used the stock tips, Spinfits CP800 and KZ Starlines, with Starlines providing max comfort and deepest bass of the selection. The sound is very dependent, as expected, on the tip selection. I used the KZ starlines for most of the review.

Overall Sound Impressions

Bass
The Aroma Jewel is an incredible sounding iem pair. With the right tips (Starlines for me) and the Chimera (SPC), the bass is incredible. I have not heard such bone rattling bass in any other iem, that also sounds very clean at the same time. There is rumble, slam and also super quick decay where required from the track.

Mids
The Chimera cables do enhance the top and bottom ends significantly, with the vocals taking a slight step back from the front. Howerver, what does come through is very composed, nuanced and detailed with excellent portrayal of the singer's emotions. With the stock cables, the Bass and treble take a step back and let the mids even out in the spectrum. The nuances come through a little more up front and are very enjoyable.

Treble
The EST drivers do a terrific job of the treble, providing incredible space, accurate imaging and separation. This is with either cables that I tried it with. The staging, is large, 3D and extends on both axes very well.

Sensitivity
It doesnt take too much to drive the iems very loud. They take about half the power of a modern planar iem to make them super loud.

The instruments sound natural with excellent decay and reverb characteristics. There is an added sense of reverb in a lot of tracks that make the iems sound like speakers with a lot of tracks.

Technicality
One word, brilliant. There is no loss of detail, muddiness anywhere on the spectrum. There are no bleeds across the frequency ranges either. On some tracks there is an added air/reverb that feels a bit out of place though, or maybe a case of user burn in required.

Reference tracks
Travis Scott - The Plan (From the motion picture TENET) (Source : )
Right from the start, the bass track is felt deeply, with visceral impact. The vocals nestled within the track also comes through cleanly, with the bass providing the rhythm almost throughout. The backing instruments are a distant second to the bass and vocals in the middle. There are spatial cues throughout, to almost feel the instruments properly placed. There is no muddiness whatsoever.

Echoes - Pink Floyd (Source Sony Discman + CD)
The track is a masterpiece from PF that has everything in it - vocals, instruments, layering.. The piercing ping at the start, the slow guitars, the spactial cues from the start, is magical. The bass guitar's warmth feels like sitting beside the fireplace, richly enveloping the listener, while the nylon strings convey a beautiful and meloncholic progression. The vocals sound full, with the feeling of sitting in front of a vintage Klipsch or Focal stereo speakers. This track is like meditation with the Jewels.

Rangapura Vihara - Agam (Srouce : )
This track is a test track that I used to test hot treble, due to compression/bitrate. There is a bit of saturation on the vocal sections around 2:00 mark, when the singer hits the high notes. On most iems, this sticks out like a sore thumb. On the Jewel, the harshness is contained significantly and the highs are well managed, and the rest of the track comes together with all sorts of symphony, rock, operatic singing blended in beautifully. The Jewel brings together the track very well (especially with the stock cables).

Janine Jansen - Vivaldi Four Seasons (Source : Tidal Masters)
This track I use to test speed and decay as a certain section of the tracks get very fast, with multiple violins, violas and cellos keeping the attack high. The Jewel had no issues conveying the speed without muddiness and movement of the bow across the string was well placed and detailed, proving beyond doubt the iems' technical chops.

Comparisons

Aroma Musical Box Yao - This is a unit that I owned for a long time and was Aroma's flagship for a while, before being superseeded. The Yao shares the nozzle size and overall shell size with the Jewel. The Yao was is a 12 driver iem, packing a solid punch and technical chops, and the Jewel seems to be a refined version of the same. They are more similar than different. The Yao is a warm iem too, with excellent technicalities. The Jewel does a one up on the Yao with a more punchy and rumbling bass than the Yao. In terms of resolution too, the Jewel takes a step ahead of the Yao, bringing out a little more of the micro details across. The Yao did have a little bit of bass bleed that is taken care of well by the Jewel. The Jewel is the new king, straight and simple!

Vision Ears Phonix
The VE Phonix is one below the totl (Erlkonig), and has all the technical chops from a near TOTL. The fit is supremely comfortable and is light. However, when compared the Jewel, it has a smaller stage and a more reigned in bass. The treble is fast and the mids are good too. However, the Jewel bests it in sheer scale of the sound.

I havent heard too many of the multi kilobuck iems, and hence wont compare the Jewel with any of the other much lower priced iems as they are not on the same planet.

Conclusions
The Aroma Jewel is a true jewel among iems, with a price to match. My biggest gripe has been the nozzle size, but this is due to my small ear canals. Another gripe is the accessories that could have been provided along with the iems, especially at the price that it comes at. The sound is very large and capable and can be used across most genre easily. As they respond to cable and tip rolling, everyone who buy the iems can match their preference of cables an tips. Thumbs up all the way!

Thanks to Henry and Michael Browne for organising the India tour of the Astral Acoustics cables (https://www.astralacousticscables.com).

Astral Acoustics are based out of Hong Kong and have plenty of exotic cables (and materials) including silver, gold, palladium etc. Their cables are very nicely build and look the part of premium range of cables. A lot of the cables cost around the same or lower than other exotic cable makers (pw audio, effect audio). Since the review is for multiple cables, I will add cable reviews to this post as and when I have a listen to them. I will not mention the list prices here. I am neither compensated for in cash or kind for the reviews, as usual. I do make cables myself and can understand differences that cables make for iems and fairly sensitive headphones. YMMV.

In the review chain, I was handed off the Mercury and the Milky Way cables. Initially, it was very difficult to make out the difference between the two as they look identical. However, after a little bit of usage, I can identify them with eyes closed, by touch and by hearing along. For cable skeptics, here is a short summary I would like to provide regarding my opinion about the same.

My opinion about cables in general

There is a fairly developed science called metallurgy and material science, which looks at materials in general and for specific usages. The metal composition in cables, for example, provide for minor variations in sensitive drivers, aka iems, some headphones etc. In my books there are 2 general types of cables - Good cables, and bad cables. Bad cables dont transmit current across the frequency range as well as the good cables do. Also the iem/headphone performance depends on how the prototype was tuned (and eventually the economics of manufacturing). This trickles down into the manufactured products wherein iems and headphones come with poor/bad cables. I am specifically looking at marquee brands such as Sennheiser, Campfire Audio, Vision Ears etc, whose stock cables are generally poor from an electrical conductivity/SQ performance for their drivers. A lot of those are benefitted from aftermarket cables.

I dont want to do a lecture on materials and the electronics here, as they are quite difficult to measure precisely with cheap equipment. Instead, I can easily rely on my ears on how the cables work with the iems or headphones. Which brings me to the process of review.

Review process

I like to do my reviews on single driver iems or headphones, to reduce the impact of complex arrangement of driver types and cross overs, giving me a simpler way to try and understand the synergy.

Henceforth, for the series review, I will use the 7Hz Salnotes Zero (single DD) and KZ PR1 Pro (single planar) iems to do the review, as the cables are 2 pin, with 4.4mm balanced terminations. The Left - Right indicators on the cables are done cleverly with the Astral Logo pointing to the outside of the connector. Similar to PW on the UM Mest (go figure)!

This also brings me to the point about the source, as the impact or what is perceived of the cables can vary based on the source. I am using my trusty iBasso DC04 balanced dac dongle, playing from a wide variety of tracks from tidal, youtube, flac, CD etc. I also do comparisons with other iems (where I mention them specifically in the review).

The Review

1) Mercury - The Mercury cables are a beautiful silver looking cable, that are made of Silver plated copper wires (SPC), braided in 8? core bundles. The Cables are fairly tough, and slightly stiff. They are about 34g in weight overall, with gold plated 4.4 connectors.


Sound impressions - It does feel to write about sound impressions about cables, but here goes. The Mercury is definitely V shaped and in a huge manner. The mids take a bit of the backseat, but with a lot of body and slam to the bass. My Mangird Tea turned into a bass monster with the Mercury! The treble is definitely high on energy too. And very significantly. There is no microphonics from the cables, even though they are slightly stiffer than other cables in my inventory (PW mest cables, Letshoer HBB Chimera, Linsoul hybrid etc).
In comparison to other SPC cables in my collection, the Mercury sounded a bit more V shaped than the others. The treble was bright and peaky on the Tea, as well as on the Zero. The PR1 Pro already was a bit bright like the HE400i, but the mercury added very solid bottom end along with treble energy aka return of the KZ treble!

Since I dont have the other SPC cables from Astral, I will update back the ratings once I have listened to the others.

Looks - 4.5
Flexibility - 3.5
Weight - 3.5
Bass - 5
Mids - 3
Treble - 4.5 (half point docked for brightness)


2) Milky Way - The Milky Way is a limited edition Silver cable that looks identical to the Mercury. The comparison ends there. The Milky Way (MW here onwards) is a soft pliable 8? core cable that looks and feels special. The cable itself is very flexible and carries no microphonics whatsoever. They are a light 24g.



Sound impressions - The Milky Way brings about a sense of detail, intimacy and tonality upgrade to both the Zero and the PR1 Pro. On the Zero, the treble is enhanced with more detail, without sounding grating. Even with the PR1, the sound is full and with no trace of the treble spike as with the mercury. The sound is richer, fuller with more details across the spectrum. The bass is there, without becoming basshead level, the mids are pronounced and the treble is exquisitely done. I will put my neck on the line and claim that this is the single best cable I have used till date.

Looks -5 (there is a sheen that the silver brings that makes it look special)
Flexibility - 5 (very soft yet sturdy - Very similar to PW1950s in terms of pliability)
Weight - 4
Bass - 4
Mids - 5
Treble - 5 (No sibilance, exceptional details)

3) JUPITER​

The Jupiter is a very interesting cable in terms of materials. It uses a 6 core design with 4 copeer and 2 SPC configuration. Weighing in at about 31g, it is decently pliable and looks stunning. The material selection is very interesting (also see cues on the site for more poetic descriptions).


Sound impressions
The Jupiter has a gooey warm presence, similar to summer. It does not increase slam like what Mercury does. Instead, it creates a warm stage for the iems to deliver. As a result, sharp sounding iems, like the PR1 Pro, get a warm base. The warmth makes the iems a lot more enjoyable. I didnt like it too much on the Zero, as it made the bass a bit muddy. With the PR1 Pro, it is a match made in heaven. The 2 strands of SPC, keep the treble involved without rolloff, and creating a nice soundstage too. Overall, an excellent choice for treble heavy iems to provide much needed balance, without the treble taking a backseat.

Looks -5 (beautiful looking, reminding me of Takumi's colors)
Flexibility - 4 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4
Bass - 4 (everything is warmer!)
Mids - 4
Treble - 4 (No sibilance, good details)

4) ECLIPSE​

The Eclipse is a flagship silver litz cable that looks similar to the mercury and the Milky Way. The Mercury is a little bit heavier, but the eclipse is light, and very similar in construction to the Milky Way. It is nicely pliable and soft while being sturdy at the same time.

Sound impressions
The Eclipse has the characteristics of a well made pure silver cable. There is excellent representation across all the frequencies, although it is a touch behind the Milky Way. There is a magical resolution and space across the spectrum with the Milky Way. Aside from that, the Eclipse is a definite flagship grade cable. The bass is present as is the mids. What is definitely going to tempt audiophiles with the Eclipse is the airyness and extension in the treble areas. Splendidly extended. Ofcouse, this is assuming that the iem drivers are capable of utilizing the extension to present the soundscape.

Looks -4.5
Flexibility - 4.5 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4.5
Bass - 4
Mids - 4
Treble - 4.5 (No sibilance, good details)

5) REFERENCE SILVER​

The Reference Silver is another flagship grade silver litz cable that looks similar to the mercury and the Milky Way. The Ref cable is light, and very similar in construction to the Milky Way. It is nicely pliable and soft while being sturdy at the same time.

Sound impressions
The Reference silver is another flagship grade silver cable that has a lot of personality. It goes neck and neck against the Eclipse, but with a slight bit of restraint at the top and bottom end. This is noticeable when compared side by side. However, the restraint provides the Reference Silver its name, and characteristics. Everything is very balanced with the Zero as well as the PR1. The resolution is good, but a touch lesser than the Eclipse. The bass similarly is a tiny bit restrained. The stage is wide with very good imaging, thanks to the treble extension without any sibilance or brightness.

Looks -4.5
Flexibility - 4.5 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4.5
Bass - 4
Mids - 4
Treble - 4 (No sibilance, good details)

6) VOYAGER​

The Voyager is an entry level copper cable that is the odd one out of the whole range in the audition, with a paracord sleeve on the cable braiding. The paracord reminds me very much of the UM Mest cables (or the Effect Audio cables). The cable comes with a neck cinch, that helps avoid microphonics fairly well. A shirt clip is still recommended to keep out the odd brushing of the shirt.


Sound impressions
The cable, provides good amount of mid energy with vocals being pushed a notch forward, in a nice way. The typical copper low end forwardness is still present, without sacrificing too much of the treble. Top end extension is sufficient for most listening. Overall a very good set of cables.
Looks -3.5
Flexibility - 4.5 (Pliable and nice)
Weight - 4.5
Bass - 4
Mids - 4 (strength area)
Treble - 3.5 (No sibilance, good details)

CONCLUSIONS​

Excellent cables with very good build quality! This concludes the Astral Acoustics tour! Excellent cables sonically well done, with enough body and weight that makes them look fantastic too. Thank you Henry Tik and Michael Browne for organising the tour!

Rose Technics - Martini - Impressions

Rose Technics - Martini is a premium single dynamic driver earbuds featuring a two-Way Air Pressure Management System.
The impressions are part of a group review courtesy of Concept Kart (https://conceptkart.com/products/rose-technics-martini-wired-earbuds).

No influence or compensation was paid for the review and is the personal opinion of yours truly!

The Review unit came in a nice velvet lined plastic case that reminds of well made pen cases. The shell of the buds is Gold-Plated Brass and feature third-generation Carbon-Based Ceramic Diaphragm dynamic driver measuring a large 15.4mm diameter.

The cable has a paracord like sheath with coiling until the split at the middle. There is a provided neck cinch and a decent and non intrusive strain relief. The unit came with a gold plated 4.4mm balanced connector. The cables are not detachable, and dont carry microphonics when rubbed against the shirt or due to wind. The earbuds also came with standard black foam covers for the shells.

The earbuds, being all brass, is heftier than other earbuds that are usually acrylic builds. The weight is similar to the DQSM turandot, which is all Stainless steel shell in comparison. The earbuds rested comfortably in my ears without issues. The weight is a matter of getting used to, but the shells do look premium and bordering steampunk styling.


Sound impressions

The overall signature of the earbuds is a defined V shape. The bass comes through with power, especially with a close fit in the ear canals. When sitting lightly, there is a slight bass impact, as expected. Subbass does carry through well, as does midbass rumbles. There is a distinct treble presence that makes it sound detailed and wide. Vocal notes carry weight and conveys emotions well.


The large drivers require a bit of power to run. I have used the ibasso DC04 to do the dac duties with songs from Tidal and Youtube to test the buds.

Track selection

TR1> Olulleru - Ajagajantharam ()
This track consists of fast beats, female vocals and a lot of different instruments and sonic ranges. The Martini brings the bass impact from the start, with punchy notes. The female voice is bang center with a lot of energy, and pushed forward, bordering on harshness. Most instruments play a background role in comparison to the vocals and the bass tracks.

TR2> Tabakova - Concerto for Violoncello And Strings II. (Longing) (https://tidal.com/browse/track/79141066)
The track is a deeply emotional composition with strings all through - cello, violin, that showcases fantastic orchestration of the instruments to create a landscape of the theme (longing). The Cello digs deep while the viola and violins provide tasteful and full soundscape. The Martini is able to dig deep with the cello while keeping in pace with the violin's upper registers. The stage is not super wide, but intimate, putting the listener in the presence of the musicians. There is a lot of details and texture in the cello notes, as well as violins. There is a bit of resonance that comes across a little harsh in the upper registers starting around the 1:52 mark. The track is immersive otherwise with the Martini.


TR3> Way Down Deep - Jennifer Warnes (https://tidal.com/browse/track/4964763)
This track is a well mastered track with deep bass, wide staging and imaging cues with the central female vocals. The track starts off with marakas, followed by deep bass drum notes and what sounds like a tensioned drum, before the guitar starts the proceedings. The Martini is able to effortlessly place the instruments while hitting very deep with the drum beats. The stage width is fairly large, keeping the listener facing the centre of a large stage. The guitar notes have texture from the metal strings, that can be almost felt.


Comparisons

DQSM Turandot - The turandot was the DQSM flagship earbuds sporting a 13.5mm CNT diaphram drivers in a stainless steel shell that probably inspired the Monk SM from Venture Electronics. The shell is slightly smaller than the Martini, while also differing in the material of the shell. The fit is easier with the Turandot due to its smaller shell. The Turandot doesnt hit as deeply as the Martini, while matching the Martini in the technical areas. The harshness of the guitar from TR3 does not occur with the Turandot. The stage width is similar, while sounding a touch less warmer than the Martini.

VE Zen 2.0 - The Zen is the VE flagship that comes with very different offering from the Martini. The Zen is an acrylic shell earbud that is close to the size of the Martini. The Zen is a more W shaped earbud than the V shaped Martini. Being acrylic also offers Zen the advantage of being lighter and stays in the ears better. The Zen is a bit more difficult to drive, and requires a good amp to shine, and it does sound like a full sized headphone. The Martini is a tad easier to drive and provides a very deep V signature to people having a good fit.

Conclusions

The Rose Technis Martini is a flagship grade earbud that delivers strongly on a V shaped signature with deep bass and lots of treble energy. The size of the shell could be a drawback for smaller ears. For those blessed with a good fit, will find a portable hard hitting option to chill out on a variety of genre.

Burson - Supercharger - A quick review

Thanks to Burson audio and Bhavneet Matharoo for the review unit of the Supercharger.

The Supercharger is a power adapter that provides clean power from noisy power sources.

Build and package : The supercharger comes in a nice box, with the super charger, and 3 adapters for the various power plug configurations across the world (australia, europe, US). Functionaly and securing the items in the box, as can be seen from the image.


The build quality is good quality ABS plastic and weighs in slightly more than most laptop chargers.


How does it perform
My office power supply comes from a power backup that is extremely noisy. When I connect any audio device (dac or amp), or even charge the laptop. noise creeps into the iems/ headphones. This is the normal state of affairs.
In the Supercharger world, the noise is near completely eliminated, almost like someone closed a very well padded door. The current delivered to the amp is very clean, and the device performs very well, thanks to the super charger.

Whom will I recommend it to - Anyone with poor grounding, noisy power supply and those willing to upgrade the power source of their dac/amp (24V 3A VDC), they are in for a treat with the Burson Supercharger!

Dunu Titan S - A short review​

Thanks to Concept Kart for a super quick delivery (https://conceptkart.com/).

BACKGROUND​

Dunu as a company, have produced very well regarded iems in the audiophile community, and I have owned/listened to multiple iems in the past including DN2001, Falcon Pro and the Dunu Titan (v1).

The Titan series have been single DD implementations that have been reference tuned. The Dunu Titan v1, which was also sold by Fiio as the Ex1 with a poorer cable, was semi open. With earbud like staging, the single DD still sounds fantastic, organic and tonally correct.

The latest revision is the Titan S, which is another Single DD implementation with 11mm LCP diaphragm, but in a closed form factor.

BUILD AND PACKAGING​

The Dunu has never shied away from excellent packaging. This time again, they have a well protected iem in the foam packaging, with a rectangular zipper case to hold the iems, and 3 sets of eartips (red, blue and white). I found the blue tips to fit excellently.

The cable while looking familiar to the KZ brown ones, are better built, with no microphonics, supple and terminated with a 2-pin connector into the iems and a 3.5 L shaped connector. The cable is SPC and feels robust, with a chin slider.

FIT​

The Titan S is slightly bigger than the Titan v1, and in a different form factor (for those who remember). It is worn over the ear wear, and sits well in the ear (I have small ears and it feels very comfortable).

SOUND​

The iems sounded right, from the word go. It sounds like a good upgrade to a well modded Blon03 (sounds like an insult, but the blon03 when modded, sounds very good). It is slightly W shaped.
Bass : The bass is well represented, with a bit of sub and mid bass. It is not a bass monster, and instead sounds like what bass should sound like. The bass does not bleed into the mids. It is a warm and rich sounding iem from the word go.
Mids: The male and female vocals sound very good, with a lot of detail and emotion. Gilmour on the Pulse Live album, conveys emotions very well. As does Harish on the Agam tracks. Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal too sound fantastic on multiple tracks. All in all, good support for vocals.
Treble: The treble has slight emphasis, with decent extension. Guitars, triangles, cymbals, sound shimmery and with good presence. The slight emphasis is made apparent on poor recordings, where things can get a little bit hot, but much lesser than say a Zex pro or a CCA NRA. There is excellent treble energy and keeps the proceedings nice and lively

Stage: The stage is not the widest, and is slightly above average room sized. What it does is put the listener close to the performers, and gives them a front of the stage feel.
Imaging is excellent, with instrument placement being very accurate.
Speed is excellent too, with no fuzziness or muddiness in well mastered tracks. If an iem can keep pace with Pt. Ravishankar, it is a fast iem indeed!

A recent reference track discovered : The Song o f the Butterfly - Channeling Music from Hungary

Conclusions​

This is an easy recommendation, with a very well implemented single DD, nothing short of expectation from the venerable Dunu. I can see this iem become my everyday carry. Except for a little reveal on poor tracks, Dunu has captured magic at an excellent pricepoint!

Thanks to Hifigo (https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1) and gadgetgod (https://www.head-fi.org/members/gadgetgod.528602/) for organising the review tour of the Kinera Imperial Urd.

The Urd comes with the following specifications

• 2 Sonions EST + 2 Titanium Crystal Diaphragm Coaxial DD + 1 Kinera Customize 11021 BA
• Impedance: 20 ohm
• Sensitivity: 107db±2db
• Frequency Response: 5Hz-50kHz
• Modular 6N OCC + OCC with Silver Plated + OCC with Gold Plated Cable

BUILD AND ACCESSORIES​

The review unit came in a blue canvas case with adequate space for the iems and the adapters. The unit also came with excellent cables with replaceable connectors, with the selection of 2.5, 3. and 4.4mm terminations. The cable is nice and soft with low to no microphonics. The cables terminate in a 2-pin connection into the iems. The units came with a selection of 2 silicon tips and a cleaning brush.

FIT​

The Urd shell is on the bigger side. When worn, it does jutt out of the ears, looking a bit comical. The blue shade on the shell is beautiful and has a very nice shimmer in the light. It looks very nice overall. I was afraid of the fit of the iems, as I have small ears. The Urd had absolutely no problems with the fit, thanks to its medium sized nozzles. The nozzles are slightly long and help with the comfort. There was no pain experienced despite long listening sessions.

SOURCE - SONY CD WALKMAN (D-NF420)​

I dug opened my vintage Sony CD Walkman and put a battery in it. And the damn thing worked beautifully after a decade and a half of non-use! Sony take a bow! The sound output from the Walkman is incredible and gave me a very good reason to break out my old CDs collecting dust. Hence, for this review I use my CD collection, so no links, sorry!

TRACK SELECTION​

Pink Floyd - Time (Dark side of the Moon)
The Clocks at the start have the same wake up impact, as I heard it for the first time. The clocks are positioned super accurately, with the westminster chime finishing the clock part. The beginning of the next section with the deep guitar and percussions is absolutely enveloping. I could be standing right in the middle of a concert! Guitars are placed left and right, with the Gilmour in the center and the drums are layered at the back. The backing vocals are also coming from the back of the singer. The distortion guitar can be literally felt. I havent felt this much connection with the music in iems, apart from the EX1000, Qdc Gemini and the z1r. I just want to close my eyes and just immerse in the music. Stage width is good, as well as the depth. The height is average with this track. All details are present, vocals are brilliant. The grittiness in the voice is very nice.

Eric Clapton - Unplugged - Tears in Heaven
The Urd does something magical with strings. What a match with the acoustic guitars on this track. Each pluck with its nuances, brushes, can be heard very cleary. I have a front row seat in the audience with this track, very close to the stage. The space is very good, with Clapton sometimes hitting the highs with a bit of energy. Layering is spot on, as is the imaging. The soft female backing vocals comes across very delicately, complementing Clapton's vocals. When the audience roars and claps, is when you are brought back to the stage. The immersion is unreal. I want to listen to more tracks. Will come back later for more reviews!

Carmina Burana - O Fortuna (from the OST of The Doors)
I next picked up the OST of The Doors movie (it is what it is!), and track 10 is O Fortuna. This is one song to play during Ragnarok/Judgement Day kind of scenarios. And boy does the Urd do justice to the track. The chorus starts off grandly, proceeding to the light movement, building up to its crescendo, with the large drums kicking in like cannon fire. And it feels like it. The tension build up is incredible. If you have a huge task that you need to accomplish, or face a serious hill climb, I recommend the O Fortuna track, especially from the Urd. The sense of balance is very good. It sounds like a very good pair of full sized headphones. The cymbal strikes at the end of the track, feel real with its recoil. Very nice!

The Best of Bob Marley & the Wailers - Is this Love
One of my all time favorite tracks, the song is so groovy right through. The guitars sound so crisp and in place, with cow bells used on both sides of the stage, with Marley's voice at dead centre. The drumsticks on the cowbells sound real and pointed. Again, I just want to close my eyes and listen. There is a lot of instruments, trumpets, tuba etc in the background, that meld with Marley crooning out the belter track. Thoroughly immersive again.

Deep Purple 30: Very best of - Child in Time (25th anniversary remaster)
Another of my all time favorite tracks, one of the magical ones to get lost in for a long time (especially on the Live in Tokyo album). The vocals are in front, with the moog/synth on the right. The cymbal strikes again feel real.. like really real. The building crescendo with the howling/screaming, makes you want to join in. This track has one of the best guitar solos of all times, with incredible improvs in every live play. The guitar is slightly left off centre. Even in the faster sections, there is no muddiness. Incredible EST implementation here. I think the best of CD mastering has a little bit of mastering issue with treble peaks for a little bit of the guitar solo. Even with the slight glare in the mastering, the music is very cohesive and comes together very well.

Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing (Money for Nothing - West germany print)
This is one of the better mastered albums around. The main guitar, rhythms guitar, cymbals, vocals, everything is so beautifully rendered. There is enough space between the instruments, with excellent articulation, speed and timbre. Difficult to listen without keeping my eyes closed. This is definitely an iem made for listening to music in its entireity. With Knopfler's main guitar bang centre of the stage, the other instruments are spread around, with a front of the stage presentation. Personal concerts galore! The drums, when coming front, sound very realistic among the other instruments. Bass guitar is heard through the track in cohesion again!

P.S:
I wanted to put in more review tracks, but damn, the Urd just wants me to close my eyes and listen. So thats what I will do!

COMPARISONS​

Mangird Tea
The Teas are priced slightly lower than the Urd, but with a different configuration from the Urd. In the stock form, the bass is harder hitting, and the treble has traces of sibilance. The Urd, on the other had, has a slightly lesser bass impact, with almost a DF neutral bass response. The treble is also a little more forgiving than the Tea.

BGVP DM8
The DM8 is an all BA (8 drivers per side) unit, that does things quite well. The bass has a slight BA timbre, but is compensated for with good fitting tips. All other areas are very good, with excellent articulation of treble and slightly laidback mids. The biggest sore point on the DM8 for me is the fit. The nozzles are massive. The Urd in comparison has no such issues and sits very well in my ears, with no discomfort for long term listening sessions.

QDC Gemini
I am comparing Fiats with Ferraris here, but hear me out. The QDC Gemini is the best balanced iems that are not single DD, that I have put in my ears. It is supremely comfortable and easy to drive. The balance in sound is the best I have heard, full stop. The Urd, comes quite close to reproducing the balance, with a slightly lesser amount of detail. The balance is in the same ballpark. Both immerse you in the music very well. (Single DDs are my choice of poison and the better ones are exceptional, with better immersion and organic tonality)

CONCLUSIONS​

The Urd is not your analytical monster, or the defining benchmark for detail. However, it does convey all the details in the music in a very cohesive and balanced manner. It is, for me, a thoroughly enjoyable iem, that makes you enjoy the music. I thoroughly enjoyed the iems and found them to be a lot more enjoyable than a few other iems I have heard in the recent past. I will highly recommend them if you are after magical string reproduction, vocals and realistic tonality.

Thanks to Concept Kart (https://conceptkart.com) for the review tour. ​

​

The unit arrived in the iem case with what looks like a silver and copper hybrid cable, with the typical qdc tips (spinfits cp100 I think). It is available at the Concept Kart site (https://conceptkart.com/.../qdc-anole-vx-standard-wired-iem)

FIT AND BUILD​

The QDC Anole VX is built like a piece of jewellery. Lots of silver specles in a clear shell, that looks very nice when worn. It brings in the bling very well. Those looking for an understated appearance, use masking tape
The shell is very nicely sized and shaped. It is very light weight and fits comfortably for me, carrying forward the good fit trend across the QDC lineup.
The review unit came with the CP100 (like?) tips in the M size. It fits me well again, and is the preferred choise of tips for the QDC range.
The cable is soft and pliable, with gold plated 2 pin connector at the earpiece end. It came with the standard 3.5mm SE termination.
The VX comes with 10 BA drivers with the crossovers expertly tuned by the engineering team and is the highlight. The VX was the previous flagship of QDC and has its name origins in the VX gas which is a very powerful nerve poison used in the military.

TUNEABILITY​

The Anole VX features 3 switches for the Low, Mids and High frequency emphasis and work to enhance the respective areas. The switches work well and allow for various combinations to tweak the sound. I preferred to keep them off for the rest of the review (purely personal sound preference, as the switches do impact the sound well)
Out of the box, the iem is almost W shaped, with near perfect mids. There is bass as well as treble extension as expected from a former TOTL.

DRIVEABILITY​

The VX is a fairly easy to drive iem, but requires a little bit more drive than say the Gemini.

SOURCE​

People who have been reading my reviews know that I prefer a lot of portable and accessible options for selection of source. Since the iem does not require much power to drive, I selected the LG V30+ with Tidal and the AK PEE51 dac with Qobuz, Tidal and Youtube Premium as sources.
Sensitivity : 110-113dB SPL/mW
Frequency response :10Hz-20000Hz
Impedance:15-19Ω
Track selection
I used the following tracks for this review.
TR1> Ecstasy of Gold from The Good Bad and Ugly - Yo-Yo Ma (https://tidal.com/browse/track/18016422)
This track has some very fast violin/cello reproducing the legendary Good Bad and Ugly's Ecstasy of Gold, with additional embellishments from violin, trumpet etc, with a light percussion track. This is a busy track with a lot of transitions, instruments and space.
Impressions - The AnoleVX aced the speed test. Right from the word go, the violin stands out in front, with the other instruments layered at the back. The space is wide in front. The timbre of the violin comes through authoritatively. The AnoleVX breezes through the track, handling speed and transients effortlessly. There is a little bit of a bass support that makes the iem feel a bit warmish. The trumpets are layered in the center, a little behind the violin.
TR2> Why so Serious - Hans Zimmer - The Dark Knight OST (https://tidal.com/browse/track/1855831)
This is one track that keeps getting more and more intense, with a decently paced build up, the metallic droning sets this mood for the track from the workd go, with clock like sound and shepard's frequencies adding to tension.
Impressions - The droning starts from the beginning, increasing in frequency through the first minute. The droning has a lot of texture, and puts the listener in a state of suspence. The violins then take theme forward with a a more bassier plucked string, with a chorus of instruments translating the urgency in the track. The clock ticks like percussion and the thumping chorus then envelopes the user. Following it is more bassy metallic droning/drumming, with a lot of detail pickup in the AnoleVX. Incredible resolution. There is a bass rumble at near infrasonic frequencies from 3:29. The rumble is felt. No need for fancy bone conduction drivers or anything else. This is addicting. The subbass is in the background, with some more sticks on a metal tube of some sort, some foot steps and metallic sawing, before the percussion again comes back with the bass. So much happening, and the Anole presents the details wonderfully. The fantastic score by Hans Zimmer, makes you as tense as watching the movie, and is presented with all the details in a wonderful manner. I thoroughly enjoyed this track on the iems. There is speed, decay, very minor details (minor welding like sounds around the 6:40 mark, until about 7:13. You know the ominus and full blown chorus is coming. What a buildup by Hans! The bangs feel like gunshots proper, and feels like it. The clock ticks around the extreme left and right of the listener towards the end of the track indicates the soundspace and width! What a track! Take a bow Sir Hans, and Qdc
TR3> Speak to me & Breathe(Live in Gdansk) - David Gilmour - (https://open.qobuz.com/track/47026334, https://open.qobuz.com/track/47026335)
This is a track that opens the Live in Gdansk performance by David Gilmour. These tracks put you right in the centre of a phenomenal live performance by Gilmour and the band, playing the ever popular PF numbers.
Impressions - Right from the first claps to the roar of the crowd puts you right at the centre of the stadium. The energy and noise can be felt and positioned very well. This then transistions into the songs themselves, with Gilmour at the centre right of the stage. The drums and chorus are layered behind, with a wide presentation. Full marks to QDC!
TR4> Gaddar - Bloodywood (https://open.qobuz.com/track/133134251)
This is an intense heavy metal (nu-metal) track from the debut album by Bloodywood. This features heavy distortion, lots of screaming and energy. I use this track to test the ability to handle lots of instruments, brightness handling and cohesion of the iems. The benchmark for listening to this track is through the IER-Z1R. Most other iems and headphones sound a bit bright with this track.
Impressions - For this track, I enabled the bass boost on the iem. The iem feels a bit bright, due to its treble extension. The distortion guitars do sound a little faded on the treble, and having a lot of brightness on the track. Detail retrieval is very good, and a lot of the drum percussion coming through strong. I have found a few single DD iems or ones with DD handle this track a little better than most all BA iems. There is no sibilance however.

COMPARISONS​

Vs QDC Gemini
The QDC Gemini has been my reference for a perfectly implemented iem. The Anole VX, especially with all the switches off, sounds very similar to the Gemini. The fit is near identical too. The Anole has a slight extension and detail retrieval, when compared to the Gemini. The AnoleVX feels like a nice improvement in those areas. The switch on the Gemini allowed for adjustment to the sound without removal of the iems from the ears. The VX requires a supplied tool (behind the cleaning brush) to make signature changes.
Vs Sony IER-Z1R
The Z1R is tonally very different when compared to the AnoleVX. It sounds like a headphone with insane scaleup with amping (and requires amping). The AnoleVX is relatively easier to drive and does almost all frequencies right, on well recorded high bitrate songs. It does show out a poor track or source very quickly. The Z1R makes even poorly recorded tracks fairly well and is a lot more forgiving.
Vs Vision Ears VE7
The Vision Ears VE7 is the best comparable iems in the VE stable around the same pricepoint as the QDC. Both iems share the tonality, speed, cohesion and clarity near equally. One area where the QDC edges out the VE7 is the layering and stage, where there is a lot more depth cues than the VE7. I will be happy with both iems in my collection . Nothing much to differentiate the two well made and well fitting iems.
Vs 64Audio Nio
The Nio is a fantastic offering at a slightly lower list price than the QDC. It comes with tunable Apex modules instead of switches, with the M20 module sounding the best and most fun. The Nio is a more V shaped iem, with excellent subbass and V signature. The detail retrieval and extension of the Anole is better than the Nio, with Nio adding in a lot of fun factor without losing out on either resolution or soundstage.

CONCLUSION​

QDC Anole VX is one of the best resolving iems, with a very coherent sound. It has great air and space representation on an all BA iem. Some of the very best, if you provide it quality sound.

Thanks to Concept Kart and Pulkit Dreamzz for organizing the review tour of the Mext. The Mext is available at Concept Kart (https://conceptkart.com/products/unique-melody-mext-wired-iem)

The unit is part of the review tour, and no compensation for the review has been received or entertained in exchange for the review. All opinions are mine.

SPECIFICATIONS​

Headphone Type: Coil Bone Conduction + Dynamic +Balance Armature
Air Conduction Frequency Bandwidth: 20Hz-23kHz
Vibration Conduction Frequency Bandwidth: 200Hz-7kHz
Sensitivity of Air Conduction: 108dB @1kHz
Sensitivity of Vibration Conduction: @1kHz 5m·N | Peak @400Hz 79m·N
Crossover: 4-way Crossover
Driver Counts: 6 Drivers
Impedance: 16Ω
Configuration:1 Coil OBC Driver + 1 Bass Dynamic Driver + 2 Mids BA Drivers + 2 Treble BA Drivers

PACKAGE, BUILD AND ACCESORIES​

The review tour unit came in the UM carry case, which is a pseudo leather case that is adequately wide to house the iems and cables comfortably. It also has an interesting velcro based restraining strip to hold the iems in place without moving around. Nice touch.

The review unit came with the Sednafit Xelastec tips in the M size. I used the Spinfits CP100 instead for the review, as I am more comfortable with it.

The stock cable comes with a 2pin connector and is very pliable with no microphonics. It does not seem to tangle much either. Well built and pretty good looking. The cable terminates in a 4.4mmm balanced connection.

I have used an aftermarket TRN cable (with 2.5 termination along with the stock 4.4 terminated cables for the audtition.

Source : Youtube Premium & Tidal with iBasso DC04, Hipdac v1, Chord mojo (v1). I specifically included the list so that it is easily accessible to users, specifically avoiding exotics.
Source matching - The iems are warm sounding, and will pair well with slightly brighter sources. I had good synergy with the dc04 and the AK pee51 dac dongles. The hipdac and mojo being a little warm, made the iems more warmer. I like balance, and hence personaly prefer the other synergies more.

FIT​

The iems are fairly large/thick and do stick out of the ear (for me). The nozzles are also on the bigger side, similar to the thieaudio and bgvp iems. With the spinfits, the fit was pretty good, with the Bone conduction driver kicking in and making an impact, as opposed to my experience with the Mest 2.

They fit similar to Mest 2 in terms of size and fit.

DRIVABILITY​

These are quite sensitive and can be driven very easily. No need for fancy amping.

TRACK SELECTION AND LISTENING COMMENTS​

Track 1 - Forest of Gold (Mazde) -
This is an ambient/synth track that I recently discovered. The Mext is made for the trance/edm/synth genres. It does an excellent job at immersing the listener with the soundscapes offered. The bass hits home nicely with a midbass rumble and a bit of subbass too. The treble is not overly bright and almost on a slightly laidback level. This will make an excellent work iem!

Track 1a - Carbon based lifeforms - Derelicts album ()
Another immersive track with chill trance, again excellent pairing with the Mext. The subbass slowly thumps away while you float away in the rest of the synth music.

Track 2 - OMNIA - Fee Ra Huri ()
Fee Ra Huri is a fusion track of folk flute, and other folksy instruments combining with acoustic guitars and drums. The listener is placed right in front of the stage with very good positioning. There is good cohesion across the various instruments , inspite of a smallish stage. The vocals are slightly recessed here.

Track 3 - Huun Huur Tu - Chiraa Khoor

One of my favorite mongolian throat singing bands! The Mongolian throat Look up Mongolian Throat singing for more info.
This song takes away the advantage of the BC driver, with no drums, drops, leaving it to the incredible vocals and accompanying strings and crowie shells in a wooden container. The bass from the singer's deep notes, combined with the high pitch whistle simultaneously, is very well represented. The listener can feel themselves in the grassy meadows with the horses and the singers. Beautiful balance across the board, lets music and singing do the talking. As it should be.

Track - 4 Have a Cigar - Main Squeeze ()
Outside of PF/Gilmour, the best rendition of Have a Cigar, along with original (mindblowing) guitar solo, this is a fantastic band. The track is a studio recorded live track with enough instrument cues, layering and imaging.
One of the standout instruments in this track is the cymbals and snare drums. The mext is able to reproduce the shimmer of the cymbals right off the bat. The presentation is right in the middle of the room with the musicians. The lead singer's slightly nasal singing can be heard clearly. The main guitar is just left off centre, while the drums are in the right. The positioning cues are quite adequate, with a little bit of layering being felt. The piano is in the background and is lightly heard. There is a little bit of fuzzyness on the faster sections in the solo. The drum sticks on the drum sides is very standout on the right side.On certain sections at the end of the solo, the cymbals have a slight harshness.

Very enjoyable and inoffensive listen. Nothing is in the face and have a slight laidback presence.

Quick Comparisons​

Vs. Mest 2
UM tried its bone conduction drivers starting from the Mest and followed it with the Mest 2. Due to its fit, I could not feel the bone condution do much for me. In comparison, the Mext has come through in spades. The bone conduction coil throws in a very perceivable rumble in the mid and subbass areas. The treble was a little bit more extended with the Mest 2, with slightly more brighter presentation. The Mext is a little more fun tuned, taking away some of the edge from the treble. I think the Mext has pushed itself in front of the competition with the Mest 2.

Vs. Monarch mk1
The Monarch (mk1) has been my benchmark for how hard the bass can hit, at this pricepoint. Its bass shook the entire being, while still holding up well in the treble areas. The mids were a slight bit recessed as a result. The Mext, attempts to go after the Monarch's class leading bass, and scores decently well. But Monarch still prevails. Easily.

Vs Monarch Mk2
The Mk2 tuned down the bass of the Monarch 1 and sounds fairly similar to the Mext. The treble section was a little more detailed/brighter than the Mext. The mids were slightly forward compared to the Mext. Both sound quite similar, and will be equal picks, with specific nuances; more laidback and fun sound with the Mext, slightly more mid forward with the Monarch mk2.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS​

The Mext is a fun sounding iem with bass emphasis via the bone conduction drivers. It is not very bright, and hence makes listening to fairly poor recordings, movies etc, very fun. It is very forgiving, and can be used for long listening sessions if the fit is fine. If you want to spend sessions with the band and music around you in an intimate manner, Mext is a fantastic option. It reminds me of the Vision Ears VE8 in a lot of ways!

Background
I do own/have owned discrete(ish) devices (R2R dacs, Sapphire discrete amp etc) and loved the analog sound out. I primarily use iems and headphones and have done a fair share of opamp and tube rolling on dacs and amps.

I had read up a lot of blogs about discrete opamps, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I had also read a lot of reviews calling out that the discrete opamps have more noise due to the design than tightly packed single die IC opamps. In order to satisfy this itch, I ordered the Sparkos dual discrete opamps from the manufacurer site directly. A couple of weeks later, I received it in a simple but well protected packaging.

Disclaimer: All devices mentioned in the review were purchased by me, and dont have any influence or compensation of any kind from anyone else.



Platform
I am partial towards my old Xduoo XD05 (original version), as it provides me an excellent platform to test out different opamps, while supporting high bitrates, while also providing a powerful amp section.
The XD05 with the LM 6172 was my preferred dacamp of choice, with the Hifiman Arya being the transducer to validate the chain.

I had to use another dip switch to provide some height to the opamp DIP on the board, (hack, yes, but easier than having to move the capacitors out to make space. This worked well, btw). Once the second dip adapter was added, I was able to install the Sparkos with no further issues.

What did the Sparkos do?
I had to put the amp on high gain, keep the bass on low (to prevent a Protect being triggered).

The LM6172 made the soundstage spacious with good sparkle on the treble. It made an otherwise ordinary dacamp to a fantastic dacamp. This is easily my favorite recommendation over bursons (v5i or v6).

In comes the sparkos. In terms of drivability, the sparkos offered the same output levels as the LM6172. However, what it added was magical. There was a very analogy sound from the amp. The lows were nicely rendered with a little bit of smoothness over the clinical sound from the LM6172.
The mids got a lot of support and male and female vocals sounded full and rich.
String instruments were more lifelike (slightly less treble than the 6172, but more real). The plucks felt real, the violin felt emotional in a way that the LM6172 hasnt.

The soundstage was very similar to the LM 6172. Wide open with a lot of air. This is incredibly close to the R2R sound. All the talk about noise being added to the stage goes through the window. Noise is still sound, and some of it added to the "Patina". The music became more lifelike. What is not to like about this..

And then the realization sunk in. I cant close the case of the xduoo as the opamp projects out from the dimensions of the case. Well.. I guess you cant have em all.

Comparisons with Orange Dual Discrete Opamps
I had ordered the Orange dual discrete opamps and coincidentally, received the Orange on the same day as the Sparkos. This made comparisons much more easier! Talk about luck.
(https://orangeamps.com/product/op-amp/)


The Orange layout is more vertical than horizontal. (Pics will be updated later today). This allowed me to plug the Orange straight into the primary DIP socket.

In terms of sound, the Orange has a more active treble (sizzly), and a slightly better soundstage.

Both opamps are brand new and havent been used for more than an hour in total. I will update back once I have used them for sufficient time.

Comparisons with NewClassD Dual Discrete Opamps Ultimate Edition (2021 version)

I had ordered the NewClassD 2021 edition from Lars (https://www.newclassd.com/index.php?page=125&hv=1) and had an excellent turnaround! Thanks Lars!

The NewClassD is the largest among the opamps that I have tested, dwarfing the Orange even. It also has LEDs on to indicate operation. Again, I havent used the opamp for more than 5 hrs (similar to the other opamps).

Overall, the NewClassD is a lot more V shaped, with emphasized bass with a lot of detail in the upper mids and treble sections. As a result, the mids are pushed back a bit. The stage is as wide as the other 2 opamps, with lower current draw ( the XD05 did not go into protect mode even on very high volumes with high gain and high bass). This was promised as per the update from Lars, and it does hold out the promise well.

The notes are very rich and organic, with excellent heft. Layering is excellent too, with equal performance from all 3 opamps.

Conclusions

I will recommend the discrete opamps for someone that has a platform that supports opamp rolling and is looking for an analog sound on the cheap (in comparison to a discrete amp or an R2R dac).

My personal preference, and this is quite subjective to the device and music used.
Sparkos > NewClassD > Orange, by very slight margins.

Disclaimer : I am reviewing the Tanchjim Tanya as part of the Hifigo review tour. The opinions are purely mine and dont involve any cash or kind compensation
(https://hifigo.com/products/tanchjim-tanya-7mm-dynamic-hifi-earbuds)

Package and Cable
The very excellently priced Tanya comes in a simple box with extra set of tips and a velvetty cloth pouch, something that much higher priced iems dont offer.
The cable is very familiar looking, I think they were the same on some of the KZ iems with an added 2 pin connector.
They do have a little bit of microphonics, and wind noise does carry through. A shirt clip or around the ear wear will minimize the noise.

At this price, I dont expect any manufacturer to offer replaceable cables, and neither does Tanchjim


Sound

Source : Hiby R5, Lusya Fever Dac > Quickstep Corda playing Tidal Masters.

The Tanya features a single DD in an aluminium body with a fairly prominent vent at the back. The vent allows the drivers to breathe and offer a fairly wide stage. Starting with Tunak Tunak Tun of Daler Mehendi, the vocals came through prominently, taking me back to the 1990s. The sound was very familiar, with lean low end, but excellent everything else. Made me want to listen to older music where vocals and the rest of the instruments were more prominent than bass.

There was a wave of mastering in the 90s in India, called Jhankar Beats, which involved slightly wider and brighter instruments. The Tanya brings out the best from that era! Very nostalgic! Very few iems capture an era of sound/music. One among such an attempt was the Piano Forte by Final Audio Design. Tanya is an excellent attempt at the same!

A minor non destructive mod will be to close the vent with tape, to increase the bass slightly. Makes the iem a bit warmer while sacrificing some of the stage width.

I will skip standard tracks for this review and try to include tracks that are very familiar to India, but virtually unknown outside.

Starting off, a classic 90s track from DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) - called Tujhe Dekha to (https://tidal.com/browse/track/85419905), where the nasal male vocals by the every popular Kumar Sanu, more than matched by the Indian nightingale - Lata Mangeshkar, transported me to listening to the soundtrack on tape and on TV/radios.

While not the 90s, the KANK (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna) was an excellently scored movie song with powerful singing and excellent mastering. The Mitwa track has very soothing but upbeat quality that is conveyed very well by the Tanya (https://tidal.com/browse/track/2855462). The instruments are well placed and vocals are again centrestage! The tabla coming to the fore in the middle of the track is rendered very well again.

Next, over to my favorite pick me up track called Zinda from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. This is an energy filled song that never fails to pick me up. On the Tanya, the vocals are a little laid back. With the vent mod, this track brings all the energy back and make you want to get up and go get it!

Conclusion
For the price ofa large pizza, the Tanya is capable of taking you back in time and wonderfully so!

Disclaimer : I am reviewing the Moondrop Aria as part of the Hifigo review tour. The opinions are purely mine and dont involve any cash or kind compensation

Overview The Aria (2021) has been a well hyped and received iem from Moondrop, featuring a Liquid Crystal Polymer based single DD in a beautiful anodized shell. It is a good overall performer across genre and does not offend anyone with its sound or pricing.
https://hifigo.com/collections/moondrop/products/moondrop-aria-2

Package and cable

The review package was the iems with the paracord sleeved SPC cables in a 2-pin configuration and memory wires near the earpiece. The iem came in a standard clamshell fabric box with additional tips. Fairly standard.

The cable did carry a bit of an odour due to the long review tour, otherwise doing a decent job. The cables after the Y-split did carry over some out of shape wire windings, carrying some memory of usage. There was no microphonics from the cable, which is great!

Sound

Source : Hiby R5, Lusya Fever dac > Quickstep Corda amp with Tidal Masters- Both sources are not colored and allow me to review the iem from a neutral standpoint.

The 10mm LPC diaphragm driver provides plenty of slam in the lower end and has a decent amount bass slam. I enjoyed the drums in Midnight Sky cover by Miley Cyrus, just foot tappingly enjoyable.

The synth sections are handled well without any jarring or sibilance. There is no trace of sibilance even on bad songs, making them ideal for poor recordings as well as good recorded tracks.

Einaudi's Lady Labyrinth (Live) had sufficient layering and width to warrant a good listen to the track. While the positioning was not pin point accurate, they sounded fairy cohesive, weaving a nice blanket of sound. The stage depth and height were slightly small, but sufficient to enjoy the music on its own.

Janine Jensen's Vivaldi did pick out chinks in the armour of an otherwise excellent iem. Cello/bass was well represented and juicy with the rendering. The violins were good too. However there was a bit of shoutiness in the upper mids/treble regions for certain sections. In the fast sections, the Aria did falter a bit at the fastest sections, with a little muddiness creeping in.

Vocals are fairly forward. A lot of the vocal details are well pronounced. Daler Mehendi's Tunak Tunak Tun had me dancing to his excellent singing and music.

Comparisons

Vs KZ ZAS
The KZ Zas is at the same pricepoint as the Aria. While the fit is quite similar, the KZ differs by using hybrid multi-driver approach against the single DD of the Aria. The bass slam on the KZ is stronger, with excellent treble energy. The Vocals on the Aria are slightly forward than the KZ. It is a matter of preference between the two and you will not be wrong for choosing either.

Vs Starfield
The slightly more expensive sibling of the Aria is slightly brighter and has a smaller low end. The Aria slams more. Again, they are complementary and fill different niches. Again you will not go wrong with either.

Conclusion

The Aria is an excellent iem that fills in the shoes of earlier stalwarts like the Kanas Pro and the iBasso IT01. The signature is in the same ballpark and offer good replacement options with good sound and nice fit.