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.

Disclaimer : I am reviewing the Burson Playmate 2 as part of the Burson review tour. The opinions expressed are completely mine, and there was no gift/cash in exchange for the review.

Packaging and Build
The amp arrived in a corrugated box, with the retail box inside. It was in immaculate condition, so full marks for the packing and shipping straight from Burson.
The kit consisted of amp, the power brick and a 2 pin power cable, a USB-c to USB-c cable and a Mic / speaker splitter adapter.

The amp itself is a very sturdy metal enclosure with hex screws on the front and back panels. On removing the screws, the case opens from the top, allowing for access to the opamps. Very sensible design!

Source and pairings

In order to be consistent with the review, I usedmy trusty HP EliteBook with B&O tuning as the source with the USB-C port acting as the source of data. On windows, I could set the sampling rate to 32/384 Khz from the control panel, without the need for additional drivers.

I used the following headphones and iems to test the setup.

1. AKG K240M 600 ohms (I use this as one of my torture tests for gear as it is quite hard to drive)
2. Yamaha YH1 (Again a torture test)
3. HD600 / HD599
4. HE560 v1
5. Fiio FD5

The first 2 headphones allow for testing the driving capability of the amp for gain and distortion. The HD599 is a sensitive can and checks for hisses and noises due to its low impedance

The HD600 is used to test for the mids and the HE560 for stage and details. I tried the FD5 (great pairing) as a test of FD5's ability to scale more than a test of the Burson.

The Sound/Amping

With both the k240 and the yh1,I had to increase gain to about 90, in order to sound full. Which is about 10 less than the highest value. So this is a scrape through of the amp, with the stock NE 5532/34 opamps.

With the stock opamps though, the amp sounded a bit bright, with a slightly elevated bass. Vocals sounded thick as well as thick drum notes. The mids were slightly recessed, but with a warm tinge to both male and female voices.

On the other hps, the details were nicely retrieved, while being on the V curve quite a bit. The notes were decently fast and the stage wide.

On the Danish Orchestra's rendition of Good, Bad and Ugly, it was a warm ride through and through. There was good stage reproduction, but depth was a bit shallow. The instruments were spread out evenly and sounded alright.

Next on was a favorite bass test Kerala Dust- Untitled/Late Sun. The sound was warm and engaging. The subbass was quite light with the amp.

Bubbles by Horikawa was a bit brighter than usual. Some amount of sibilance was felt on the track right through.

Since the stock opamp was used, and I didnt have replacement options (V5 or V6), I finished the tests with the stock options only.

Nitpicks

• The dac and amp sections come together. There is no option to supply in analog input to the amp, and has to be in via toslink or usb.
• Gain is alright for headphone amping, but without rolling of opamps, it is not the best sounding dac amp out there. At this pricepoint, it is fair to expect a set of opamps to be accompanying the amp.

Summary
Overall, well built amp which can help reduce the number of devices on the desktop by combining the dac and amp in one device, with built in intent and support for opamp rolling.

Disclaimer : This review is part of the Hifigo Review Tour (https://hifigo.com/)https://hifigo.com/ of the Kinera BD005 Pro. The opinions provided are mine only and have not been influenced in any way

Kinera is a fairly well known brand with good iems (Odin, Norn etc). The BD005 Pro is a budget hybrid iem with 1 DD (Berylium) and a Knowles BA driver.

Package and Build : The Review unit came in a iem case with a set of 3 sized wide bore tips. The shell is acrylic, with a medium-large nozzle. It feels well built and fairly light. So comfort is very good with it. The cable is a stock 3.5 terminated twisted cable with a 2 pin termination into the iem. It can be switched with other aftermarket cables comfortably.

I switched to sony tips for getting the fit right, as well as to tame a little bit of the mid-treble brightness. The iems have excellent sound isolation, helped by a good fit

Sound

While the standard approach to the sound review is through separation of components, I will take a different approach while describing ceratain reference tracks that I use.

Out of the box, the sound stage is wide. Excellent instrument imaging and separation at this pricepoint is a very good positive about the iem. Orchestral pieces sound full. My reference track here is the Danish Orchestra's rendition of the Good Bad and Ugly title track. The instruments felt real and could be identified and layered very well with the iem.

The vocals department has a bit of nitpicks. For the most cases, vocals are nicely forward. However, for certain male vocals, the upper mids do get a bit shouty and harsh. This is also consistent with trumpets getting ahead of others in terms of energy. This is a potential tuning point.

Stringed instruments felt real, very fast decay and impact. The sound does feel cohesive and real, and are not just a bunch of instruments.

Comfortably Numb, Live in Pompei, felt like listening from the stadium. Very nice presence of space. Gilmour's rasping can be heard slightly left of centre, while the instruments and the chorus is in the background. When the electric main guitar rolls in, it is present and slight harsh. Rest of the track is enjoyable, nonetheless.

Closer - Kerala Dust is a track I use to review bass, bass extension and low end speed. The maracas in the start of the track feel real. The background flare is nice. Once the bass section starts off, the beats come on very nicely, without bleeding. The subbass is light, surprising for a 9mm Be driver. The decay feels more like BA. The vocals are clear and well present. There is a slight treble brighness coming through.
However, when I run it through the Corda Quickstep, this is something else altogether. The subbass is more present. The harshness is mostly gone, as I suspected. Amp it folks!

For speed test, I use the Janine Jansen's Vivaldi : Four Seasons as the test album, with 1. Primavera Allegro and L'estate Presto as the test tracks. The instrument attack and decay is very coherent and feels real. The speed is excellent with even the busy sections of both tracks well separated. They are able to present through the details without muddying the instruments. These do justice to well recorded orchestral peices. Some of the high sections do have a little bit of a harshness, especially at the ending of the Presto. Overall, well done indeed.

Conclusion : These are very nice for the pricepoint. I would like to tune the mids and treble a bit to take out some of the harshness. Otherwise, this is an easy buy recommendation. If the harshness is tuned out by the way of amping, this can be 4 or 4.25 rating.

Thanks to Amin Karimpour for organising the VE8 tour.

Disclaimer : The VE7 is part of the Vision Ears review tour. The opinions expressed are solely mine. There are no exchange of gifts or cash in lieu of the reviews.

As a part of the Vision Ears review tour, I received the VE7. And it was instant love with the sound. More on that in a short while.

I thought I will start with the easiest and shortest of the review sections, mostly nitpicks and then get to the good parts very soon.

Source I used them with the Hiby R5 mk2, LG V30+, iPhone 5s, Korg dac/amp and xduoo xd05 with LM4562
These drive easily with all gear and dont require amping. Sensitivity is very good

Fit: I do have relatively small ears. The VE7 follows the same shell design of the VE6XC, VE8 et al. And I did have issues with respect to pain in the ears on longer term listen. As the nozzles are quite short, in order to get a good fit, I need to push the IEMs into the concha, and that causes pain over a little while. This is the only nitpick i have with the iem, and while it is serious enough, I was looking for all opportunities to use it to listen to music, as it was that good! - 3.5/5

Build & Looks: All acrylic shell (filled) made the iems very lightweight, but strong in build. The colors dazzled in the sun and any other kind of light that was around in the environment. Even when not listening to the iems, I was tempted to just keep looking at its beautiful build. The blue shell was iridescent and had beautiful hues in different angles. One of them is highlighted in one of the pics. 4.5/5

The cables are standard across the range, and built well. They are very reminiscent of the Westone 3 cables and look sturdy enough for the job.

Sound: Now coming to the best part of the iem. Among all the VE iems that I have auditioned (EVE20, VE6XC, VE8, VE7), this has been the most complete package, well worthy of its drool worthy pricetag. And deservedly so.

Bass is fast, with good detail and control. While the quantity of bass is slightly short of a basshead demand, it is very pleasing in quality and is very well controlled. I could not sense bleed into the mids, while incorporating the rumble from the subbass.

The mids are very well represented, both male and female vocals. Clapton sounds lifelike and in front of you in the Layla (Mtv Unplugged) track, with all details and background audience sounds.

The Wall has some outstanding test tracks. One of my favourite test track here is "In the flesh" - there is a heartbeat through most of the track. On the VE7, this can be felt. There is a secondary/tertiary rumble and dissipation after the second heartbeat, and this can be felt. Similarly, the bomber aircraft noises towards the end has you looking for cover. Simply outstanding.

The treble is excellent. Cymbals sound realistic with good decay. Feels real. I havent heard sibilance with this iem, even on poor tracks. Guitars sound very real, string plucks are very well represented.

Speed is excellent. I use the Janine Jenson's Vivaldi - Adagio Presto as the test track where there are super fast sections. The VE7 did not get muddy (all the other VE iems did lose out the detail), and each draw of the violin bow was clear and detailed. Lady Labryinth by Einaudi had all the strings equally identified.

The stage depth is shallow. There is 3d space, but is not a stadium like feel. It is more like a slightly large room, however with excellent imaging and separation.
4.5/5

Fun factor While most iems are measured on the basis of reference audio tracks, there is definite merit in considering how well the iems are usable in real-world usage including games, movies etc. Aside from the fit considerations, these are fantastic for both gaming as well as movies, making them a true allrounder.

Conclusion I am keeping the review short, as there isnt much to write about and compare. These are absolutely fantastic iems, that I will recommend over many other TOTLs, considering how much of an allrounder these are. Vision Ears, take a bow! If money is not a concern, and the fit works, I will whole-heartedly recommend these over a lot of other iems (I dont recommend many iems, btw!). VE.. Well Done!

Thanks to Amin Karimpour for organising the VE8 tour.

Disclaimer : The VE8 is part of the Vision Ears review tour. The opinions expressed are solely mine. There are no exchange of gifts or cash in lieu of the reviews.

Since Vision Ears is well known, I will cut right to the chase.

When I approached the iem, I was expecting a detail monster, with a very analytical sound. I expected a top of the line iem to be near reference tuning.

And then I put the VE8 in the ear.

And it hurt a bit (A little about it later).

I started off listening to my standard list of reference tracks, bubbles, lady labyrith, vivaldi etc, I found that the tuning was not reference at all. I was ready to give up on the iem. And then I switched to pop. Specifically, the King of Pop. And behold, VE8 came out in all its glory. This is an iem that will have purists say "All I wanna say is that they dont really care about us!". The VE8 is a definite Thriller. With Pop, this is Dangerous.

And then I recalibrated my brains to look at what Vision Ears have done with the VE8. They have taken the route of going full on Pop. R&B and Hip Hop sound so much fun on these. Oh and then I used it to watch a re-run of Thor:Ragnarok! An the VE8 delivered in spades.

Having been through this roller coaster of experience, I think it will be pointless to go through the standard reference approach. I understand why other reviews have been short about the iem.

Sound
These are mildy V shaped. There is definite bass presence, and you can make out the BA timbre on these. However, they are present in excellent quantity. There is a resonance of the bassy sound in the background, makling them very fun when listening to pop, hip hop and R&B genre very much. This exact quality provides the rumble of Thor or the rage of Hulk come through to the fore. Thanos sounds so much more menacing now.

I listened to vocal tracks and they dont dissapoint either. The male and female vocals are well presented, and are very nicely enjoyable. MJ grooves and grooves on, on these.

On the treble front is where there is a little bit of a nitpick. Considering the overall SQ tuning of the iem, the treble is quite nice. However, on some tracks there is a hint of sibilance. On fast tracks especially with a lot of instruments, the VE8 is defeated on the faster sections. The instruments become a little blurry, separation takes a backseat.

The soundstage is wide, with excellent imaging. However, the trademark issue that I encountered in other VE iems (EVE20 and VE6XC) is continued here, with respect to stage depth. While the depth is better than either EVE20 or VE6XC, it is still shallow. I have some theories about this, based on the full acrylic shell based construction, but will ignore it for now.

On movies, explosions, background scores, vehicles, gunfire etc are excellently represented. I will recommend users to try this with movies. This adds so much to the fun factor.

Fit
This is one area that VE8 does fall short for me. The stock tips shipped were the Spin Fits. Those tips cause a vaccum to build up on insert and gets painful. I quickly switched over to Final audio tips and things were significantly helped.
The iem is clearly not ideal for small ears. They caused physical pain when used for more than 30 mins for me. (I have small ears). It might fit larger ears better. Please try the fit before splurging on the iem.

Cable and build
The cable initially looked frail. However,it proved to be quite strong. It reminded me very much of the old Westone 3 cables. No microphonics or tangling with the stock cable. The 2 pin arrangement allows for plenty of experimentation with aftermarket cables (as expected).

The iem itself is very light, with a full acrylic build. It looks beautiful with multiple color options available.

Verdict
Fun iem, that lets you indulge in your guilty pleasures and have you dancing along! If only it was not as expensive!

Disclaimer: The VE6 XC was received as a part of the Vision Ears review tour. There is no compensation in cash or kind for the review. The views expressed are solely mine. YMMV

The Vision Ears 6 XC was one half of the Vision Ears tour (EVE20 was the other IEM). It came in a simple oversized zipper case with a pair of stock tips. This review shall focus on the sound (no fluff, yay).

Technicals
. 6 BA drivers on each side doing duties
. 2 pin SE ended cables. Stock cable is very thin and light, and remids me of the old Westone 3 cables. Very robust and not prone to tangles, with memory wires/sleeve for around the ear wear.
- Tone switch on the faceplate is an interesting addition to switch the tonality from a warm sounding iem to a neutral sounding iem.
Markings on the shell includes a possible manufacturing date (16-09/20) in this case.

Beauty shots - These look gorgeous. There is a nice marbled reflective faceplate with gold, pink, purpleand blue highlights that is mesmerising in good light. This along can keep people entertained for a while.
The shells are similar to the EVE20, filled in near completely The shells are translucent and the drivers and the connections are clearly visible from the outside.



Another view of the colors


Overview
The VE 6XC is a 6 BA IEM from Vision Ears. The shells are filled acrylic, and this makes the IEM to be lightweight, both during carry as well as listening.

The tone control switch is placed on the faceplate, as opposed to the side in case of other iems. This allows for changing the tone while the IEM is in use. Very utilitarian, imho. The tone switch can switch the iem into 2 different sounding modes. The warm mode (which I prefer with this iem) and the neutral mode.

Fit
The fit is a little of an issue without the right tips. The stock tips creates a vaccuum pressure that can get painful very quickly. I rolled tips and found the Tennmak Whirlwind work well for me.

I have a relatively small concha and the IEM is on the slightly larger size for long term comfort.

The Sound

The Warm mode - This mode makes the IEM very fun sounding and forgiving. It is very enjoyable on almost all genres of music, except ones requiring very fast response. They are perfect for vocals, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, classic rock, EDM etc. The sound is very smooth, decent stage, with excellent imaging. The stage is 2D and that of a medium sized room. There is a lack of depth though. The texture is very good across the board, be it bass, mids or treble. Both male and female vocals sound great.

The bass is very reminiscent of the focal clear, in terms of quality (not quantity). It is very full sounding, inspite of being all BA.

Micro detail retrieval is excellent, often hearing brushing of the hand against the guitar strings or the bow of a violin touching the strings before play

However, at the end of the day, when you settle in after a tiring day, these are perfect to put on and listen in. Very soothing.

The Neutral mode - This mode makes the sound a little less bassy, and keeps the rest of the spectrum as is. All details are present and the same stage, detail and imaging persists. This could be a useful mode for analytical listening for all but the busiest of tracks.

Song impressions
Source - Hiby R5, Laptop -> Dragonfly Red, FxAudio Dac X6, Saphire amp, Xduoo XD05 with Burson V5, LG V30+ on Tidal master, Hifi and Spotify premium, Youtube premium

Being a sensitive IEM, these could run out of any device without much trouble. Infact I had to drop the volume to single digits on the DFR on tidal. These dont need amping and using an amp does not change things much.


Iron Maiden - Wicker Man - This is a fairy fast metal track that I use to test for sibilance or tonal imbalance. Bruce's vocal range tests any headphone or iem very well. Good microdetail pickup, strange metallic clanking in the background can be made out clearly (Tidal 2015- Remaster) - this is probably an issue with the remaster. Well spotted by the iem

Janine Jansen - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - La Primavera - 1. Allegro - Excellent sounding with the the bass mode. Cello/double bass has authority. Great microdetail pickup (violin bow noise starting 0:33 - 1:05). Cellos are beautifully rendered. Fast violin sections from 1:44 overlap, and the note separation is lost in the fast sections.

Janine Jansen - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - Léstate : Presto - Outdone by the speed of instruments. The soundscape is mostly mushy in this fast track. Cellos/double bass again sound great. Very Focal Clear like bass in terms of quality.

Lady Labyrinth - Eniaudi Live - 2D imaging. There is no depth to the space. Detail retrieval is good, with width and height is above average. Some strings sound excessively loud

November Rain - GNR - Vocals sound distant. Good stage width and height.

The Lonely Shepherd - Zamfir - Pan pipes sound realistic. Wide stage.

James Blunt - You're Beautiful - Good stage. A guitar plays only on the right side, for most of the song.

Yosi Horikawa - Bubbles - excellent stage and positioning. Faster background into the track gets a little fuzziness.

Comparisons
vs EVE20 - EVE20 is at a lower price range than the VE6XC. The detail retrieval is very similar between the two. The EVE20 has very quick transitions and is able to stay focussed on fast tracks. The VE6XC does get a little fuzzy on the fast pieces, but without distortion. The stage of the EVE20 is massively wide, while it is an adequately large room with the VE6XC. The bass is a lot more fun with the VE6XC.

vs UM Martian - The Martian is a hybrid iem from Unique Melody (2DD and 2 BA), but in the same tonal ball park. Hence I selected it for comparison. Inspite of the DD on the Martian, the bass on the VE6XC was more engaging and fun. I had a lot of fun with 80s pop and classic rock track alike. The Martian does not however suffer with fast music and is able to reproduce the tracks accurately. The soundstage is 3D with good depth too. Hence I would place them on equal levels with each having their strength areas.

Conclusion
The VE6XC is a fun sounding IEM that is well built and is capable of reproducing micro details in a stellar fashion. While there is a proliferation of multi-driver iems, the VE6XC is an easy recommend for the sound signature alone.

P.S: I would like to thank Amin Karimpour and VE for the tour, and shoutout to Suman for arranging the tour

Disclaimer: I auditioned the Austrian Audion Hi-X55 as a part of the review tour. There was no compensation in cash or kind as part of the tour. The opinions are solely mine.

As a part of a review tour, I auditioned the Austrian Audio Hi-X55. Austrian Audio, as most will know, were a bunch of engineers that quit AKG when Harman took over the company.

Box and Accessories

The unit arrived in a slightly lesser than new condition during the review. However,a new box looks very good. Interesting use of Velcro bands to hold the box together.This is a nice idea, as the velcro strips could be repurposed as cable ties and other uses (lower wastage).

On opening the box, there is the standard instruction booklet along with the headphones in a foam cutout. The foam helped keep the headphones in pristine condition during storage and transport.

The headphones themselves look premium, with good weight and quality plastic. There are no creaks or loose hinges and feels solid in the hand and when worn.

Sound and Isolation
In terms of isolation, the hps do a great job. Very little noise escapes outside and vice versa. The pads are soft leather (leatherette?) and feels premium.

Bass : There is a good amount of bass, which sometimes does bleed into the mids. The notes are thick and satisfying. Not basshead level, but holds its ground well

Mids: The mids and vocals are a highlight of this hp and reminds me of the ATH MSR7 in terms of presentation

Treble: The treble is sparkly on some tracks, but can get a bit sibilant on some tracks. (some tracks impressions below)

Soundstage: Very spacious sounding for a closed back. The instruments are spread out wide and the positioning is excellent. This sometimes also works against the hp with the left and right drivers sounding like 2 different speakers playing different tracks (lack of coherence). It is a very unusual presentation, that sometimes prevents you from enjoying the music.

Song impressions:

Lady labryinth (Einaudi) - congested. backing strings are missing separation. Overlap in the bass sections.

November Rain (GNR) - strings are in the background. Slightly unatural presentation; bass/ drums in front; guitars are grating/fatiguing

Dark Night of the Soul (Van morrison )- warm presentation, vocal is good

Flower of Carnage - (Kill Bill OST) - Sounds good. Wide stage. Vocals are good, instrument detail is good. Sometimes the stage is incoherent. The left and right sides dont sound like it is playing the same song.

Zamfir - (The Lonely Shepherd) - background strings are more forward than the pan pipe/whistle. Slow music plays well.

Source : Tidal via Xaudio XD05 with Buson v5, Hiby R5

Disclaimer : I auditioned the EVE 20 as part of the VE review tour. The opinions are solely mine and is not in exchage for compensation in monetary value or kind.

A soothing balm over the madness that is the pandemic!

I was fortunate to be part of Vision Ears' review tour featuring the EVE20 and the VX6C (in another post later). I will talk about my impressions of the EVE20. There is much that has already been said about the iem, and I will add another to the list.

TLDR : VE EVE 20 is a multi-BA IEM that is still relevant in the realm of 10+ driver iems and holds out on its own well.

Packaging and accessories : The iem came as part of the review tour and was not in the retail packaging, in order to not attract too much custom duties and to keep the shipping package small.

The iem came with a set of spin fits tips and cable ties, in a nice purple metal case, similar to the UM, JH Audio. Very sturdy that protects the iem from any impact whatsoever.

Form and Fit : (4.5/5)

The IEM is all acrylic shell that is very lightweight and does an excellent job in terms of fit. The nozzle is medium sized with decent length. It allows for a decent insert depth, which allows for very good filtering of outside noise. The spin-fits do a great job at providing a comfortable fit. This will easily stay in place for even the most rigorous of activities, indoors or outdoors.

With clear acrylic being filled near completely in the shell, a drop or 2 will not crack the shell. So this will be a sturdy companion for a long time. While it may be outlasted by all metal housing, the acrylic decision allows for very high amount of comfort when worn. +1 for acrylic!

The cable feels a little slim, but is of excellent quality. There is very little microphonics and does not pull the iems from the ears when worn! Job well done.

Sound: (4.3/5)

As with all iems, the fit defines the sound profile of the iem. There can be a significant difference in how it sounds, based on the fit. Some prefer to wear the iems loose, which allows for bigger stage, lesser bass impact and richer treble. A close fit brings in the bass that is tight and detailed, with the stage getting a little more intimate.

Bass : (4/5) - I tip rolled an used a inverse starline. This provided for an excellent fit and brought body into the bass. The bass was tight and detailed. Not much of subbass, but you could feel the impact on a lot of tracks. Laterelus (Tool) had its subbass rumble felt beginning around the 0:30 mark, going into the 1:00. Lovely, tight bass.

Mids : (4/5) - Vocals and cello sounded wonderful with the EVE. With a presentation that is intimate, you could share the stage with the singer. Wonderful evening with Van Morrison sharing stage here.

Treble (4.3/5) - The string instruments were very detailed and present, with a lot of micro details coming forth, including guitar string slides feeling real.

Stage : The sound stage is wide. The instrument placing was excellent. What the EVE missed was the depth and layering. The stage was flat and intimate wth the positioing very accurate. I did miss the depth of the instruments, with a few of them playing in the face (guitars, violins). This does not take away the detail and presentation of the sound. Very accurate and enjoyable. I would have preferred a little more depth in the stage though.

Comparisons
AK & JH Roxanne 2 - The closest that the EVE20 compares to is the JH Roxanne 2. TheEVE20 was able to match the tonality of the 12BA very well. The stringed instruments sounded excellent and was a joy to listen to. Where the Roxanne beat the EVE was in the soundstage depth and layering. The Roxanne was able to place the instruments at a depth in Einaudi's Live version of Lady Labyrinth, with slightly better micro detail retrieval. The compromise with the roxanne is the size and weight of the iem, so it is a fair draw in this case.

Summary : An excellent iem with a very fair asking price for an excellent level of performance! While it is a limited production iem, the engineers have produced an iem that matches well with competition having higher number of drivers!

Disclaimer:
a. I am in no way affiliated with Fiio
b. The X1 audition was a part of a world tour audition.
c. There is no monetary or in kind gain due to the audition.
 
With the disclaimer out of the way, I will focus on the device performance with 2 considerations:
1. Look and feel, functionality
2. Device performance with various earphones/headphones
 
1. Look and feel, functionality
I have not owned a Fiio DAP in the past. I do own a couple of Fiio headphone amps and can easily summarize that all of Fiio products are build very well. They feel solid and provide trouble free performance for a long time.
 
Build
The X1 is lightweight but is very sturdy. It can sit very comfortably in your pocket without troubling you or itself!
The silicone case provided along with the player provides a skeptic of additional protection to the device in the event of a fall. I didnt want to test a fall as the device is in the process of multiple auditions by others.
 
Functionality
A DAP merits evaluation of its usability along with the quality of playback equally. One will spend a long time with the user interface and functionality, building muscle memory of the various functions, in order to reduce interaction with the device as much as possible (I know this sounds contradictory, but one wants to mainly listen to music from a DAP rather than play with the UI).
 
The center wheel reminds you of the old iPod Classic that a lot of us have loved in the past. This one has a very tactile feedback with tiny and reassuring click when rotated. There is a little bit of a gap between the wheel and backing, which can be a comfortable nesting place for lint/dust etc.
In the iPod classic, the wheel played the role of the main selector when not playing music, and doubled as the volume control when playing music. The wheel on the Fiio X1 acts as a selector when playing music as well. For someone who is familiar with the navigation of the iPod Classic, this will take a bit of getting used to. Personally, I prefer the wheel to be more useful with additional functionality, as it feels very well built.
 
I do have a bit of a nitpick in this section and then we can get to the parts where the X1 shines. When playing music, if I want to skip a track, or pause/hold, I need to use the power button to switch on the display (power save) and then perform the necessary action. I think this will need to be managed better, as I would like to make those choices without having to start up the display. 
 
Which then takes me to the display review. User interface can be switched to 2 different skins - Vertical strips or semi circular sections. The wheel controls navigation across the various menu items. The Forward and Reverse buttons can also be used for the same. Volume control is on the side of the device, like in a mobile phone, below the power button. The power button does the usual display sleep when pressed once, and power down with a long press.
 
Battery performance 
The battery performed decently during playback, with a drain dependent on the headphone/earphone being driven. Standby seemed to drain the battery, a little more than my standby expectation. I am not sure if it because of a beta firmware; I believe this could be a software problem, rather than a weak battery.
 
Now onto the best part.
 
2. Device performance with various earphones/headphones
I tried the DAP with various headphones - ATH A900, Fostex T50rp, AKG k240 Sextett, Panasonic HTF-600s and ATH M50. The device comfortably drove almost all the headphones well.
 
The AKG is a little power hungry due to the higher impedence - the DAP was able to drive it with a high volume setting. A headphone amp was required to power it sufficiently, but the DAP was able to do a much better job compared to my other sources.
 
The X1 has an intimate sound and is not as airy and has an intimate sound stage, but with good separation. The sound from most devices was a little bright on bass, but with very good fidelity.
 
Then I tried the device with multiple earphones- Shure SE530, Sony XBA 3, JVC FXD80, MEElectronics A151, A161p, Astrotec AX35, Apple Earpod earphones to name a few. And I had a revelation. 
While the player was very good with the dynamics and nanotube coated micro drivers, it had a special effect on the BA earphones - specifically XBA 3 and the A151; the player complemented the characteristics of the BA earphones so well that I was in heaven. Below is some of my observations and analysis (I could be wrong and YMMV).
 
 
 
Paired with Sony XBA 3
The Sony XBA 3 has a bit of a love hate relationship. As well understood at Head-fi, the XBA 3 is a phenomenal performer with a jarring defect - Metallic treble grating. On certain tracks which are hot on treble, there is a resonant grating feel to the treble which is a very uncomfortable experience. Especially at high volumes. I tried the XBA 3 on the device after trying some of the larger headphones. As a result, the volume level was a little high. 
 
When I hit play on the Metallica - Black album, I was in for a great surprise! Instead of the grating treble, I heard a very velvety, involved sound that straight put a smile on my face.
The X1 + XBA 3 felt like a match made in heaven. The harsh treble was subdued and the bass felt right. Very right. I then played a mixed playlist of hip hop, prog rock, game music. Everything sounded so wonderful. The sound was very slightly outside the head, intimate and velvetty. Very clear, like the way music ought to be listened to. I have very rarely felt this with the XBA 3. I have felt this before on a Beosound 3 + SE530 before. Never on the XBA 3. The X1 made want to listen to the XBA 3 all the time. So those who are stuck with the XBA 3, do get the X1 in order to fall in love with the XBA 3!
 
Paired with A151
The A151 has been a favorite of mine ever since I got them. While I dont listen to them regularly, I often return to them for a clean sound (although slightly dark). With the X1, the A151 felt like home, and I had a fabulous time with this combination. The X1 seemed to provide the much missed bass emphasis while not muddling the overall sound signature of the A151. Another combination made in heaven!
 
Analysis
I then sat down and tried to understand what could be the reason the X1 matched so well with the XBA 3 and the A151. Here is my theory.
 
With the XBA 3, the harsh upper treble was slightly subdued, providing for a very rich listening experience, sans the harshness. 
With the A151, the slight bass emphasis gave the A151 a refreshing punch to the bass frequencies, adding to its rich treble and mids.
 
Recommendation
If you have a tight budget, need to start loving your XBA 3 again, or get more out of your BAs, and quality of sound is a definite must, then go ahead and buy the X1 when it becomes available. For all others, go ahead and buy the X1. The quality and sound really gives you a very compelling price point.
 
Highly Recommended!