Chopin is Timmy Vangtan a.k.a. Gizaudio’s second collaboration with an IEM manufacturer to create a product that would suit his listening preferences as well as market trends. He is a pretty well known and liked individual by the community. Binary on the other hand, is the dark horse in this relationship. They are, by no means a new manufacturer, but Chopin is their first product in the international market as far as I know.

Priced at 199 USD MSRP, which is very crowded with highly competent iems by the way, the 1+3 hybrid iem Chopin promises a lot, but does it deliver? We will try to find out in this review.

Disclaimers​

Binary x Gizaudio Chopin was provided to me by Hifigo with a discount in exchange for a review. As I always say, everyone is biased one way or another so take everything you read with a grain of salt. Also I will try to be more concise and to the point in my reviews from now on without worrying about the word count etc. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comments and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.

Build and Accessories of Binary x Gizaudio Chopin​

As soon as you open the box, you immediately notice Chopin is a no-frills kind of iem. As Eiji (Zerstorer_GOhren) had called it, utilitarian is the best word to describe their design intention. Box opens upwards in an uncommon way and reveals the case, the accessories and some literature.



When you open the case, you notice the ear pieces are placed in small pouches each, at least they are supposed to, but mine were flying around freely. Fortunately the unimpressive plastic case has some soft foam in it, so the shells weren’t damaged and iems are working fine.

Accessories box is also unimpressive with a set of generic tips, a cleaning brush and a 4.4 mm balanced cable. At first they didn’t have a 3.5 mm single ended choice but now they do so good news.

I have to make a point of two things before I move on to the shell design. My first gripe is the cable, it really is something you would expect from an iem that is below 100 usd. I won’t comment on if or how it affects the sound but I’ve seen much better cables from cheaper iems. But at least I appreciate the offering of a balanced choice. My other and bigger gripe is the tip offerings. Most of the reviewers and pre-orderers get Divinus Velvet Tips with their iems but I didn’t. Probably they have forgotten or something. Why I’m saying this is because until I tried my JVC Spiral Dots, I couldn’t get a good fit. They were either uncomfortable or didn’t seal properly. So in my opinion a suitable aftermarket tip is a must with these. Fortunately if you order now, Chopin comes with Softears UC tips. I don’t have UCs but I have tried similar tips. Unfortunately they weren’t near as good as JVC Spiral Dots for me, so that you know.



The shells of Chopin are built pretty good. They cut some corners with packaging and accessories but shells are let off the hook it seems. They are built with the same hard resin material with Truthear Hexa and Moondrop Variations, even the color is the same. Faceplates are metal. Shape of the shells is unusual and I was kind of worried about the fit but they actually fit very well even into small ears like mine. If only nozzles were a little narrower too. Yes the nozzles are on the thick side, pretty much the same with Truthear Hexa, Moondrop Variations or LetShuoer DZ4. That said, the angle of the nozzle is very well designed and it provides a nice deep insertion. However, like I said earlier, to get a good seal and comfort I had to roll a lot of tips. Another slight nitpick of mine is that connectors on the shells are too recessed, so some flush 2-pin cables probably won’t fit these.

Sound of Binary x Gizaudio Chopin​

Tonality​

Chopin pretty much sounds like how the graph shows. So whatever I say here would look like I’m reading the graph. Still I will try to give more context but comparisons below will make you understand much better.



Some of you already know that Timmy likes his female vocals and weeb music, so he probably tuned Chopin to adhere to the Harman target to benefit from its strong points while avoiding its shortcomings. The bass and the lower mids are not excessively lean like other harman tuned iems. It still keeps mids and vocals clean and clear. Lower mids are tucked and this shows itself with a little lack of warmth. Bass guitars sometimes lack energy and can be masked by the drums. Speaking of drums, they have a very good attack. Impact and texture is also great, so much so that it is hard to believe a 8 mm dynamic driver is achieving this.

Mids are very well tuned. Chopin almost never gets shouty or wonky. Vocals pop and they are, as I said earlier, very clean and clear.

Treble is slightly bright but mostly correct. There have been very rare instances where it gets splashy so I wouldn’t call them smooth. Timbre is mostly good but shortcomings of the Balanced Armatures that have been used shows itself from time to time.

Technicalities​

Chopin has good extension in the treble and feels fairly spacious. Tuning lets details to be perceived easily and resolving capability is on par with the asking price.

Comparisons​

Binary x Gizaudio Chopin vs Moondrop Variations​

As soon as people saw the graphs they immediately asked if Chopin was aiming to be a Variations killer so it only made sense to compare them to see how close it gets.



Variations is much clearer, wider, more spacious, more natural and more resolving. It also has much better timbre and imaging. Chopin’s staging and imaging capabilities are still decent.
Chopin hits harder in the bass region but rumbles slightly less.
Chopin is warmer and bass guitars are more prominent in Chopin.
Chopin has a more intimate presentation.
Variations have much better treble, more controlled. Chopin’s treble can get messy and splashy compared to that. It’s not harsh but just loses its composure.
Variations have a more forward presentation in the upper mids. Chopin is slightly less shouty.
In short Chopin is a more exciting, but also a less refined Variations.


Normalized at 500 Hz

Binary x Gizaudio Chopin vs Audiosense AQ4​

What if you want a totally different tuning for a similar price?



Chopin’s subbass although has decent extension, it is nowhere near the thunderous subbass of AQ4. Apart from the obvious bass and warmth difference, Chopin sounds much cleaner and clearer. Also bass quality seems to be higher on Chopin.

Treble on AQ4 is slightly more polished, Chopin sounds a little more splashy.

Vocals, whether male or female, pop on Chopin. On AQ4, while they have enough presence, they are more in line with the rest of the music. Neither is sibilant or harsh.

Chopin sounds more open and spacious. Imaging and layering is also slightly better on Chopin. Their resolving capabilities are close if AQ4 is not slightly better. However, since Chopin has a more “clean” tuning, it can reveal more details. In AQ4’s case, masking occurs more often than not. AQ4 has a slightly better timbre, Chopin has a more apparent edginess or BA timbre if you will. From what I gathered, AQ4’s balanced armatures are of higher quality but Chopin's dynamic drivers perform better. Still we shouldn’t forget that AQ4’s tuning might be causing extra distortion. So if the bass is EQ’d down, AQ4 might in fact perform better.


Normalized at 1000 Hz

Conclusion​

Timmy and Binary did very good with Chopin. While there are a lot of great iems in the 200 usd price range, I can’t think of any vocal focussed tucked bass one on the top of my head. Below 100 USD you have Crinacle’s Truthear Zero and Zero Red and above 500 USD you have Xenns Top and Moondrop Variations. Could Chopin be cheaper? Considering the balanced armatures’ performance and accessories, probably. Is it an upgrade to the Zeros? Absolutely! Is it a Variations killer? No. So overall, it is a very competitively priced and well performing choice, and if you are looking for a vocal focussed tuning or, you are curious about how sets with tucked bass sounds, probably your only choice.

Kinera’s Celest branch has arguably the most successful line of products among all of the Kinera brands in my personal opinion. For those who don’t know, Celest aims at younger audio enthusiasts and releases budget conscious no frills products unlike Kinera or QoA which also pays great attention to design and packaging.

I have reviewed their cable with boom microphone; Ruyi, that converts any iem into a gaming/communicating one earlier and praised it for its performance. Now Celest did it again and for the same price of $29 MSRP for the Pro version ($25 for the regular version which doesn’t have the boom mic attachment), they released not only the cable but a gaming iem with a detachable boom mic. But did it make Ruyi irrelevant? Let’s find out!

Disclaimers

Celest Wyvern Pro was provided to me by Kinera for review. As I always say, everyone is biased one way or another so take everything you read with a grain of salt. Also I will try to be more concise and to the point in my reviews from now on without worrying about the word count etc. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.



Build and Accessories of Celest Wyvern Pro

Celest Wyvern comes in a simple package which does not impress. When you open the box, a plastic wyvern plate accessory and a boom mic greets you. The Wyvern plate looks nice but serves no purpose. You can’t even make a keychain out of it, well you could manage if you tried but it isn’t really a keychain.



When you remove that cover, you find the earpieces, two sets of nice eartips, a pair of pop filters for boom mic and the cable with an inline microphone; yes you read that right. My guess is if you buy the regular version you get the same cable and can still use it for gaming and communications. It’s just you can’t benefit from the advantages of the boom mic which I’ll dwell on later. Cable’s length is, just like Ruyi, 1.5 m which is more suited for desktop gaming but not necessarily for mobile use.



Earpieces look very pretty with their jade green tinted milky white resin shells. Faceplates are plain but don’t look too bad. They are shaped to follow an average ear concha’s contours. You can also call them pseudo custom if you will. Unfortunately they hurt my ears. But the fault lies with my weirdly shaped and small ears. To be certain, I asked some of my friends and even had my brother put them in his ears and without exception they all said they were very comfortable. So if you don’t suffer from ears like mine, you won’t have any problems with their comfort. For my testing I had to give up on deep insertion.

Sound of Celest Wyvern

Gaming Performance

When I first saw Celest Wyvern’s graph, I was immediately reminded of Epos gaming headsets. Some of you may know, they are tuned to have high upper mids to emphasize footstep noises and great at positional cues because of that diffuse field-like sound signature.

I tested Wyvern on a ranked Apex Legends session with my brother. Most of you may know that in Apex Legends, you need to be careful not to get ambushed and ambush other engaged enemies whenever you can. At one point I heard a group of enemies from the other side of the wall. I warned my brother several times until they came closer for him to hear too. And mind you he was using my Epos H6Pro which is considered one of the best gaming headsets. Other than this I had no problem pinpointing enemies’ positions.



Celest Wyvern Pro’s boom mic also surprised me in a very good way. It sounds very clear and fairly neutral. I was expecting the microphone to be identical to Celest Ruyi’s, however it sounded even clearer. Compared to Wyvern Pro, Ruyi’s mic sounds bassier and chestier so if you like that tone in your microphone, there is that. What Ruyi offers that Wyvern Pro cable doesn’t is remote controls for volume etc. I also compared Wyvern Pro boom mic to Behringer BC12 and Epos H6Pro’s mic. Behringer sounded more nasally. Only H6Pro’s mic was clearer to no one's surprise since it is one of the best headset microphones out there. It was also much louder so you might want to keep that in mind. I also tried the inline microphone briefly. It sounded clear enough but much more muffled than the boom mic and lost volume as soon as I placed it far away from my mouth. So it is perfectly fine for calls but, for gaming I suggest using the boom mic, which disables inline mic as soon as you connect it to the cable.

Music Performance

Tonality

Celest Wyvern is a gaming iem first and foremost which happens to be great at music listening too. It has a mid centric tonality which is pretty well handled. Tonal balance is fairly neutral. Slightly boosted bass is on point for gaming with enough impact and rumble. I’m not sure if it should be attributed to LCP diaphragm or the tuning but the bass is tight and pretty well textured. However the amount of the bass might not be enough for rap, RnB or modern pop music. Wyvern’s treble is very good for its price with good extension and just enough sparkle. Because of their mid forwardness, they get shouty before you are hit with any sibilance or harshness.



Technicalities

Budget single DD iems don’t really excel at technicalities, that’s for sure. However Wyvern is as good as it gets. It feels fairly airy and spacious. Details and imaging is very good as I described at the gaming performance section. Timbre is again very good for the price.

Comparisons

Gaming iems are not really common yet but they are actually more or less regular iems with microphones. So I decided to compare them to other well regarded budget iems.

Kinera Celest Wyvern Pro vs Tangzu Wan’er S.G



Wan’er has more bass quantity. It is also more thumpy but looser in the bass. Compared to that, Wyvern is tighter. Bass guitars on Wan’er are more satisfying.

Wan’er is slightly shoutier than Wyvern. Lower mids are also more pronounced on Wan’er; male vocals have more body and authority. Neither is sibilant but as you raise the volume or if the song is recorded sibilant, wan’er shows it earlier. Lower treble is again more forward on Wan’er so it can get fatiguing earlier, maybe.

Overall wan’er sounds richer but Wyvern sounds cleaner and clearer.

Wyvern extends better in the treble and feels airier, therefore it is wider and more spacious. Wan’er, on the other hand, is more intimate if you like that kind of presentation.



Both of the iems perform similarly in terms of imaging and layering. But wyvern is a little bit more detailed.

Kinera Celest Wyvern Pro vs. 7hz Salnotes Zero



Bass is slightly more powerful and better textured on Wyvern. Zero feels like it extends into the subass slightly better, but it may also be due to a slight error in volume matching

Mid frequencies are more pronounced on Wyvern so both male and female vocals are more intimate and highlighted compared to Zero.

Zero is brighter, it is not offensive or harsh for me but it might be too much for treble sensitive people. Wyvern’s treble is on point.

Zero has more sparkle and sounds slightly more detailed. Timbre is better on Wyvern. Zero sounds slightly more plasticky compared to Wyvern. Their staging capabilities are similar but Zero’s imaging might be slightly sharper.



I can confidently say that Wyvern is tonally and technically placed just in between Wan’er and Zero.

Conclusion

Budget range in iems is more competitive than ever and choice is depending more and more to the preference and who offers more for the same price. In the case of Wyvern Pro, it offers a great boom microphone, very comfortable pseudo-custom molded resin shells and an as good tuning and technicalities as its competitors, if not better just for $29. You can find them even cheaper if you follow the deals on Aliexpress and other retailers. If only they fit my ears better too.

Hidizs is one of the better established audio companies from China. Their DAPs, portable DACs and amplifiers are highly popular. They also had several IEMs earlier, which unfortunately I have never tried but, lately they have been storming the market with release after release.

Hidizs MS3 has been out for months now and this review was supposed to be released much earlier but the first unit I got had a slight problem. After I contacted Hidizs, they sent me another unit after I sent the first one back, so I’m kind of late to the party.



MS3 is Hidizs' last hybrid, but they have released two other IEMs since then. It has a 1 dynamic driver and 2 Knowles balanced armatures configuration and 3 tuning options. The MSRP for them is $169 but it can be bought for $119 from several places.

Disclaimers​

Hidizs MS3 was provided to me by Hidizs for review. As I always say, everyone is biased one way or another so take everything you read with a grain of salt. Also I will try to be more concise and to the point in my reviews from now on without worrying about the word count etc. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comments and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.

Build and Accessories of Hidizs MS3​

The MS3 has a metal shell and faceplate. It looks very similar to their own MS5 but this time the finish is matte rather than glossy which I prefer. Also it doesn’t have the same openings on the faceplate. Shells are not very big and they fit comfortably in my ears. I mostly despise multi driver IEMs with huge shells but MS3 is not one of them. They feel pretty hefty but not overly heavy.



As I mentioned earlier Hidizs MS3 has 3 different tuning options and they can be changed by replacing nozzle filters. When you remove the nozzle you can see one of the balanced armatures is situated in the nozzle. I don’t have any particular opinion about it but some people think it is a bad idea, so that you know.

Apart from their usual three sets of silicone tips, they come with a rather thick cable terminating with either 3.5 mm single ended or 4.4 mm balanced. I especially loved the angle of the earhook, it is neither too aggressive nor too loose. Your mileage may vary of course. Lastly the Hidizs provides a leather pouch rather than a case. Some people prefer cases but I like pouches better since they are more pocketable and believe me in Hidizs’ case, it is not some cheap drawstring pouch. It has a very strong metal spring mechanism that closes as soon as you stop applying pressure. I love it!

They are very sensitive to drive so you don’t need anything powerful for the MS3 but they can also reveal the noise floor of your source so you might want to use something decent to listen to these.

Sound of Hidizs MS3​

Tonality​

The MS3 has a V-Shaped sound signature with noticeably recessed mids. Before I received the unit, their representative said they are going for a highly technical house sound and I can attest to that. Semblance to their earlier MS5 is very apparent. I only tried the MS5 for a short period of time but from what I can remember, MS3 is much more balanced. In a vacuum, you wouldn’t easily notice anything wrong with it although it is not one of the most natural sounding IEMs.

With rose gold balanced filters, the MS3 has a prominent but somewhat loose bass and some bleed into the mids. It has good extension and decent rumble in the subbass. Because of the bass bleed, lower mids are rather warm and overall IEMs have a thick note weight.

Mids are recessed like I mentioned earlier. You probably wouldn’t have any problem with rock and metal but for vocals and songs with acoustic passages you might find yourself raising the volume only to lower later on the same song’s more lively part. To be honest I’m not a big fan of this.

The MS3 has a lively treble. There are lots of sparkles, lots of nuances and details. It is not harsh per se, but there is not much headroom for pushing the volume more or it can get sibilant and piercing easily. I’m mostly a low volume listener so I didn’t really have much problem.



With red bass filters, tonality becomes a little more tame. On the other hand, the already loose bass goes out of control and it does more harm than good. Upper mids also backs down so if you have any problem with shoutyness, not that they are shouty to begin with, you might prefer these filters. However it doesn’t do much to the treble so any sibilance and harshness that appear on the other filters remains on bass filters as well.

The silver treble filters are pretty similar to the balanced ones. It increases the technical capability of the IEMs a little but they might get harsh even if they weren’t with balanced filters.

Technicalities​

As I stated earlier, Hidizs MS3 is a highly resolving and very detailed IEM. The quality of the balanced armature drivers really shows itself. They sound fairly spacious. Also the imaging and the layering of the different sounds are both very good. Timbre is mostly fine, just not the best out there. More on that in the Comparisons part.

Comparisons

I used rose gold balanced filters on MS3 in comparisons and volume matched the IEMs I compared at 500 Hz both since sound signatures are vastly different, it yielded an interesting result which I will explain later.

Hidizs MS3 vs. Xinhs HS3​

Xinhs HS3 is also another 1+2 IEM that is similarly priced with MS3. It is tuned by another fellow reviewer Akros, who also had his own version: Erasmus at some point. I reviewed Erasmus earlier and thought it would be a fair comparison although sound signatures are significantly different.



Xinhs HS3 is more relaxed and easier to listen to. Compared to that, MS3 is more engaging and emotional. MS3 sounds clearer and more detailed. MS3 is more sparkly and airy but also more aggressive and can get sibilant. HS3 has no sibilance whatsoever.

HS3 has a tighter bass that is although less prominent, hits harder. MS3 is warmer, thicker but also feels wetter and looser. MS3 also rumbles more but it can be caused by the looseness of the bass generally.

Both male and female vocals are more distant and kind of muffled on HS3. On MS3 they are closer and also clearer. Male vocals are chestier and female vocals are livelier on MS3.

Bass guitars don't sound satisfying on Xinhs, on MS3 they sound much better. Xinhs is more suitable for loud listening, MS3 isn’t.



Mids are recessed on MS3. HS3 is much more balanced and sounds more neutral. If you raise the volume on Xinhs, like you volume matched at 2 KHz for example, it scales very well and closes the gap I mentioned above. So overall MS3 is much more lively and dynamic but HS3 is more neutral and natural.

Timbre is better on Xinhs, though in a vacuum MS3 timbre is not that bad. MS3 is much more spacious. Imaging and layering is also better on MS3.

Hidizs MS3 vs. Truthear Hexa​

Hexa feels like it is reaching deeper into the subbass and rumbles more but again MS3 feels looser and has a little more reverb I think. Hexa’s bass is tighter and more satisfying. MS3’s bass looser, so it bleeds and warms up the lower mids.



Hexa’s mids closer to what I perceive as neutral therefore feels more natural. MS3’s mids are noticeably recessed.
Vocals are mostly closer on Hexa. But they don’t sound particularly clearer because of the darker tonality.

Treble is much more prominent on MS3 and it gets sibilant very easily. Hexa doesn't have any issues when it comes to sibilance but it leaves much to be desired when it comes to lively presentation. You can say it has a more relaxed tonality.

I don’t like the treble on Hexa, I can’t really put my finger on it but it sounds wonky and kind of blunted. Although MS3’s treble is more aggressive, it sounds more satisfying. It is lively, sparkly and “edgy”.



MS3 is technically much more capable than Hexa. Timbre is mostly better on Hexa except cymbals and high-hats. MS3 is more resolving and detailed. It also feels more spacious and extends wider and deeper. Imaging and layering is also better on MS3 and it handles complex passages better.

Conclusions​

Hidizs MS3 is a “technicalities first” kind of IEM. Although I’m not particularly a fan of this kind of tuning, I’m not bothered by it either. By itself it gave me a satisfying experience and showed its shortcomings only when I compared it to other IEMs. I don't like having to give things a score but for better context, If I had to give a score to the MS3 I’d give the tuning 3 stars and technicalities 5 stars, especially for the price. If you want to have a taste of what you can get at a higher price point you can try Hidizs MS3.

EPZ Q5 is the brand's newest IEM that is aimed at the budget market. As far as I know it is only sold on Aliexpress and the price is not constant. However for convenience’s sake I will say it is a 50 usd IEM which is very competitive.


EPZ is not a new brand but it looks like they are getting noticed by more and more people recently. Earlier I reviewed their 1+4 Hybrid K5 and acknowledged what they did with it. It was well built and accessorized. In that sense Q5 is no different.

Pros​

• Great build and comfort
• Premium packaging
• Very balanced tuning
• Pretty good technicalities

Cons​

• MMCX Connectors (Subjective)
• A little dry and dull timbre
• Questionable design choice

Disclaimers​

EPZ Q5 was provided to me by EPZ for a fraction of its price. As I always say, everyone is biased one way or another so take everything you read with a grain of salt. Also I will try to be more concise and to the point in my reviews from now on without worrying about the word count etc. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comments and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.

Build and Accessories of EPZ Q5​

When Q5 first came into the daylight, it was mocked by the community for plagiarizing Meze’s design of Advar and rightfully so. Even the packaging is similar. Well, actually Q5’s box has a gimmick that Advar’s doesn’t have so it comes out on top! Instead of a lid, it splits open and you are greeted with the IEMs. To be honest I don’t think anyone would expect such a presentation from a 50 IEM!



Gimmicks aside, you are provided with 2 sets of decent eartips, a nice 3.5 mm SPC cable that is in line with IEMs’ design, an eva carrying case, a cloth for wiping IEMs and some literature. IEMs are made out of 3D printed resin. They are very small, light and comfortable for my ears and believe me most of the IEMs aren’t. On that note, brands should really make their IEMs smaller or in at least two sizes. You can’t just assume every audiophile has ears like Dumbo. It gets even more ridiculous when they use female models to promote their products.



Anyway, the look of the IEMs is like I said earlier, pretty much the same with Meze Advar. Which might be intentional, seeing EPZ got to be recognized by more people after this. The only thing I don’t like is the usage of MMCX connector but that is subjective of course.

Sound of EPZ Q5​

Tonality​

There is really not much to say about Q5 without comparing it to other IEMs. They have a very balanced tuning with a satisfying but not overpowering amount of bass. Mids are not too forward nor too laid back. Treble is mostly smooth but has just enough sparkle. They don’t get splashy at all unless they are pushed too much. You can say they almost lack character, emphasizing the word: “almost.”

Technicalities​

Technically they are very proficient to say the least. They don’t set the world on fire but for a budget single DD they aren’t behind their competitors. As you would read in the comparisons section, they are decently resolving and detailed, fairly wide. Timbre is pretty good like any well tuned single DD, although not the best out there. It might come as a little dry or cold if you are used to a warmer sound but by itself I have no complaints.

For more context I urge you to read the comparisons.

Comparisons​

EPZ Q5 vs. Simgot EA500​

For many of the enthusiasts out there, Simgot EA500 is the reigning king of the sub $100 IEMs so it is only natural that I would compare these two.



Right off the bat, EA500 sounds livelier, Q5 is slightly darker and more closed in.
Q5, as graphs indicate, is more prominent in the subbass area and rumbles more.
Still, EA500 has a satisfying thump, just not enough rumble. Q5 is slightly superior in the bass for my taste. Bass guitar however, steals the spotlight on EA500 due to its warmer tuning.

Both Male and Female vocals are closer to you in EA500. Also they reverberate more and feel more emotional, almost magical, so are the strings, guitars, piano and so on. EA500 might be slightly edgier on upper mids and lower treble but they are really very close.

EA500 is noticeably livelier, sparklier and airier in the treble but also slightly harsher if you are sensitive to treble. As I said in the beginning of the comparison, Q5 feels more closed in. On the other hand, Q5 still feels on point without showing off. Treble is satisfying without getting fatiguing. If you listen to it in a vacuum, you wouldn’t find anything wrong at all.



EA500 technically, no doubt is superior, although Q5 is no slouch. EA500 is more resolving and detailed. Timbre is also slightly more lifelike. Compared to that, Q5 sounds slightly duller and drier. Also EA500 feels airier and more spacious. EA500 doesn’t lose its composure easily but Q5 did in a few cases.

I really wanted Q5 to beat EA500. That would have been a very exciting experience. It did well enough considering the price difference but EA500 still reigns supreme.

EPZ Q5 vs. BLON x HBB Z300​

The Z300 was one of the best purchases for me this year. Although they are mostly overshadowed by other IEMs in its price range, when you consider the great build and nice cable it comes with, I'd put the Z300 higher on my recommendations list. At some point I will definitely review these as well.



Z300 has a more satisfying thump in the bass. Also it feels fuller and rumbles slightly more in the subbass. The bass on Z300 is more prone to bleed into the mids while Q5 sounds tighter, cleaner and clearer.

Mids are warmer and wetter on Z300, maybe a little too wet. Vocals are also closer to you on Z300. They don’t get particularly shouty but they can pop or hint sibilance occasionally. Q5 doesn’t really have this kind of quirk.

Although the graph shows otherwise, upper mids on the Z300 is not that far behind. Compared to that, Q5 is again duller and drier while Z300 is more emotional.

Neither is particularly too prominent in the treble. But Z300 is a little more splashy, Q5 is slightly smoother compared to that.



Technically they mostly trade blows. Q5 sounds more spacious. Also imaging, layering and instrument placement on the Q5 is better in this bigger sound field. On the other hand, Z300 might be a little bit more resolving but tuning makes it hide most of the nuances it resolves. In this sense Q5 is more detailed.

Conclusion​

EPZ Q5 is a very solid choice in its price range. Let’s be honest. Most of the IEMs in the budget category are more or less tuned to adhere to a similar target. The choice now depends on which one is technically more proficient, which one has a better build, which one is more comfortable or which one comes with a better cable. I think Q5 ticks these boxes more than almost all of the others. I actually had Truthear x Crinacle Zero and Zero: Red for a while during my evaluation of the Q5 and I’d rather get the Q5 instead of both for subjective reasons. (Issues with comfort and weird imaging) I’m not saying go get yourself a Q5 asap but I urge you to check out other reviews to see if they are to your liking and also look out for other releases from EPZ as they know what they are doing in my opinion.

Twilight is Softears’ second single dynamic driver IEM that comes at a whopping $930. It may sound steep but in this review you are going to read, you may start to think that price tag might just be justified.

Softears is one of the few IEM manufacturers from China that doesn’t come out with a new product every other month. Their cheapest release is $285 Volume and prices go as high as $2499 with Turii Ti which is also a single dynamic driver. So you can confidently say they are a premium brand.

Pros​

• Exceptional execution of warm-neutral tuning
• Expansive staging
• Laser sharp imaging
• Lovely mid presentation

Cons​

• Pricy! (I could have knocked it down another half star tbh)
• Bass is not enough for some genres
• Not the most resolving and detailed at this price

Disclaimers​

Softears Twilight is loaned to me by a friend (and I loaned him my Moondrop Variations so I couldn’t compare them head to head unfortunately.) As I always say, everyone is biased one way or another so take everything you read with a grain of salt. Also I will try to be more concise and to the point in my reviews from now on without worrying about the word count etc. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comments and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.

Build and Accessories of Softears Twilight​

The Twilight is a very unique looking IEM but apparently this design is not just for show. In their product page they say and I quote:

“With more than 100 experiments and calculations, we got the volume of the rear cavity matching the unit. This improves the dynamic response and sensitivity and can easily produce the excellent low-frequency sound.”

Marketing aside, they managed to get something really amazing, but not in the low end, we will get to that. Shells are made out of aviation grade aluminum alloy and CNC machined. Nobody says it but these are basically open-back iems, believe it or not. They don’t block outside noise and leak the music you listen to to the outside.



Drivers of the Twilight consist of DLC diaphragm with PU suspension if that matters to you.

They come with a 4.4 mm balanced cable that follows the design language of the Twilight and a 4.4 mm balanced to 3.5 mm single ended adapter cable. To be honest I prefer this to modular cables that are the rage these days.

Apart from the ear pieces and cables, box includes a cleaning tool, 9 pairs of ear tips and a split pouch to protect the earpieces from scratches and such.

Sound of Softears Twilight​

Twilight is very easy to drive which is a good and a bad thing at the same time. You wouldn’t need a powerful source but still have to use a good one not to hear the noise floor. I think people should make a point of this more often instead of arguing about power requirements.

Tonality​

Bass​

Twilight has a slightly warm neutral tonality. I was under the impression that these would have an ample amount of bass which I also mentioned in my first impressions. Maybe people’s reviews or marketing made me think so. Anyway these aren’t devoid of bass but definitely won’t satisfy you if you are after skull shaking bass. What you get on the other hand is a very tight and controlled bass that doesn’t bleed into the mids and color the rest of the spectrum. Neutral heads and mid lovers can rejoice.

Mids​

Mids are where Twilight shines in my opinion. Well, probably I’m not the only one but I digress. To be honest Twilight didn’t wow me as much as my friend’s IE900 that I tried a couple of months back but I definitely prefer Twilight’s mids to IE900’s slightly recessed mids. Everything sounds on point. The vocals, both male and female, are adequately intimate but not shouty. No instrument masks the other, perfect.

Treble​

Treble of Twilight was also tuned exceptionally. They are energetic enough without getting harsh or sibilant. Again everything is very well balanced. Depending on the song you listen to or the source you use there might be a few instances that these can get harsh but even in my long listening sessions I never got fatigued by them.

Technicalities​

If you asked if Twilight is a special IEM, I’d say yes because of their technical capability. Notes are very well defined and seperated, definitely better than your usual 100-200 dollars single dynamic driver iems.



What Twilight does the best is staging and imaging as far as I’m concerned. When I first put these in my ears, the first thing that jumped out at me was how spacious and airy these sounded. Maybe that unique design and “open” closure of the shells contributed to this strength of Twilight. Stage is expansive and spacious, by iem standards of course. And they have laser sharp imaging which is only appropriate.

Unfortunately they are decently detailed, resolving capability is probably not the best around in its price range. How important this attribute is for you to decide.

Comparisons​

Unfortunately I don’t have many iems with me that are in the same ballpark with the Twilight, so I chose AKG N5005 which was $999 when it was released and Simgot EA500 because someone pointed out its graph looked somewhat similar to the Twilight. (which I don’t agree by the way)

Softears Twilight vs. AKG N5005​

I tried to volume match both iems at 1 kHz before comparison. This proved that the N5005 was much harder to drive. I use N5005 with the bass filters because with other filters it immediately gets harsh, sibilant and balanced armature timbre becomes apparent.

• Twilight is warmer but AKG bassier and more impactful.
• N5005 is cleaner and clearer even with the bass filters.
• Vocals are more intimate on Twilight, both male and female. With bass filters N5005 has a more relaxed presentation. N5005 feels more effortless, maybe even serious in a sense, but Twilight is more emotional. Twilight has that slight whispiness in the vocals that most of the harman-like tuned chinese iems.
• Twilight is brighter than N5005 with bass filters but isn’t overly bright or fatiguing.
• Thanks to its higher driver count, N5005 has faster transient response and resolves better. But Twilight has a brighter tuning therefore makes some details more apparent.
• Timbre is one of the most natural I’ve ever heard. Probably the most natural among the iems that’s for sure. Staging and imaging are also greatest aspects of twilight. N5005 sounds more closed in and less accurate in imaging.

Softears Twilight vs. Simgot EA500​

I tried to volume match both iems at 1 kHz before comparison. They have pretty much the same sensitivity. I just reduced EA500’s volume a notch, although their product pages have the same impedance and sensitivity ratings.

• Bass quantity is similar but EA500 slams harder, compared to that the Twilight's bass is tighter.
• Vocals feel more forward and intimate on EA500.
• EA500 gets sibilant and harsh much more easily. The Twilight keeps its composure and presents songs in the most natural manner.
• EA500 is much brighter but a graph can also tell you that.
• Twilight resolves much better in a more effortless manner. EA500 pushes details and can get grating.
• Although EA500 is wide and images good in its own right, it is no match for The Twilight, it is that good.

Conclusion​

Softears Twilight is an amazing iem, no doubt about it. Is it $930 amazing? That, I’m not so sure. I usually prefer more exciting iems, and also I’m a sucker for clarity and Twilight promises neither of these. Apart from that, as the price goes higher, I expect more technically proficient iems; the manufacturers got the tuning somewhat down after all. The Twilight passes in every category with flying colors, except maybe resolving capability. Putting personal preferences aside, I’m pleasantly surprised at what they can do. For around $500 I’d say these are a blind buy, but for $930 I suggest you try them first if you can to see if they are what you are looking for. I just hope what they did with the Turii Ti and the Twilight will trickle down to more affordable iems in the future.

BQEYZ Winter Review (Fahri’s Take)​

A fitting ending to an era as the BQEYZ Winter deliver in more ways than one. With their unusual tuning, great technical capability and successful bone conduction driver implementation Winter have become one of the more compelling choices in its price range.​

The Winter are the latest entry to Chinese earphone manufacturer BQEYZ’s Seasons line-up. BQEYZ is by no means an inexperienced brand, however, they don’t usually follow current trends and hypes, and instead proceed at their own pace.
Winter was earlier reviewed by Mahir, but I wanted to take them on as well. I’ve had their Autumn IEMs for some time and they have been one of my favorites ever since, so when the Winter were announced, I was quite curious and excited. Especially after hearing that they would have a bone conduction driver and are priced below USD $300. You can also read the full review at mobileaudiophile.com.



BQEYZ Winter

Pros​

• Great build quality
• Exceptional technical capability
• A breath of fresh air in a market flooded with Harman-like tuned IEMs.
• Competitive price

Cons​

• Tip and seal dependent
• Not the safest tuning and not for all genres of music
• Can occasionally get harsh

Technical Specifications​

• Driver: 12mm dynamic, 11.6mm bone conduction
• Impedance: 38 Ω
• Sensitivity: 113 dB
• Frequency: 5-40KHz
• Cable Length: 1.2m
• Pin Type: 0.78mm-2 Pin
• Plug Type: 3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought BQEYZ Winter as well as other IEMs mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Packaging​

BQEYZ is not stingy when it comes to packaging and accessories. Apart from the earphones, a silver-plated cable, two sets of ear tips special to Winter, a small pair of foam tips, a carrying case and a cleaning tool come out of the box. Cable termination can be selected when ordering.


BQEYZ Winter Packaging and Accessories

Cable​

The cable is one of the better stock versions I’ve encountered. The purity of the cable is not specified. It behaves well but, the Autumn’s stock cable is still my favorite when it comes to feel and behavior.

Design​

The BQEYZ Winter have a high-quality CNC-machined aluminum finish. The shape is almost identical to the Autumn. The only noticeable difference at first glance is, that the Winter is a little thicker. Edges are nicely rounded, except the wings which are pointier than the Autumn’s wings.
I have small ears with small conches and narrow ear canals and the Autumn has a perfect fit in my ears, but unfortunately, the Winter stick out a bit.
They are very tip and seal-dependent. I recommend you change tips until you find the perfect fit for your ear. Otherwise, you might find them harsh or wonder if the bone conduction drivers work at all.

Internals​

The most interesting part of the BQEYZ Winter is their usage of bone conduction drivers. Not many earphones implement this technology. The examples that initially come to mind are Unique Melody’s Mext and Mest line earphones.
BQEYZ only accompanied the bone conduction driver with their 12 mm dual cavity dynamic driver. So, we have a 1DD+1BC hybrid in our hands. This driver is probably from the same family as the Autumn drivers since they share similar characteristics.
The dynamic drivers in the Winter work full range, while the bone conduction drivers focus on higher frequencies to help with the treble extension and resolution capabilities.


BQEYZ Winter

BQEYZ Winter’s Sound​

The BQEYZ Winter have a bright neutral tuning with some warmth down low. They don’t adhere to any popular target, a fresh breath of air in the current market.

Bass​

Bass on the Winter is slightly above neutral. They have a good impact thanks to their 12 mm dynamic driver. The bass doesn’t bleed into the mids nor feel detached. Subbass slightly rolls off; however, you can feel they rumbling when the song you listen to has that information. It’s just not highlighted.

Midrange​

Mids are mostly neutral. Lower mids are slightly warm and lush. Male vocals have a decent body. The upper mids are not too forward, so they don’t shout or invade your personal space. Midrange clarity is excellent.

Treble​

If there is an emphasized region in the Winter’s frequency range, it is the treble, especially the lower treble. The Winter are explosive IEMs, and they literally pop in the treble. They are not necessarily harsh unless you crank up the volume. “S” sounds, and most of the cymbals are not sibilant. However, “Sh” sounds can occasionally jump at you.


BQEYZ Winter Frequency Response Graph

Technical Capabilities​

BQEYZ Winter shine brighter than most when it comes to technicalities. They are wide, deep, and airy. Imaging and separation of instruments are especially good. They resolve better than most of the IEMs in their price range. Attack and decay are on point, and the notes don’t linger more than they need to. Bass is very controlled.
Clarity is top-notch, maybe except for the bass and the lower mids. But they still have decent clarity in the lower region. Timbral quality, although behind conventional dynamic drivers, is still very good. Only occasional pops in treble throws off the balance.

Comparisons​

To give more context about my findings, I decided to compare the Winter to their predecessor the Autumn, since they are also priced pretty close.


BQEYZ Winter vs. Autumn

BQEYZ Winter vs. BQEYZ Autumn (with Normal Filters)​

The Autumn are slightly harder to drive. (With the same power, the Winter get about 2 dBs louder when a 1k test tone played.)
The mids, especially the upper mids, and female vocals are more forward on Autumn.
The Winter are noticeably warmer, while the Autumn have a brighter presentation and can get harsh a bit easier. Since Autumn can become sibilant easier, I prefer narrow bore tips with them, and it mostly solves the problem. The Winter, although similar, are more forgiving. They don’t really get sibilant around the same area.
They both hit hard in the bass region. The Autumn hit slightly harder thanks to their driver size. Sub bass extension is similar but transience might be slightly faster on Winter. However, the Autumn can be tuned according to genre and preference, so they have the upper hand.
The Winter resolve much better. Although Autumn are no slouch, they don’t have that last bit of clarity and resolving ability that the bone conduction driver brings.
The Autumn are considered one of the wider IEMs, and the Winter come very close. The Winter also feel a little bit deeper. The imaging capability of the Winter is also more precise.


BQEYZ Winter vs. Autumn Frequency Response Graphs

Conclusion​

BQEYZ has another winner in its hands. While the Winter don’t have the safest and most popular kind of tuning, they do most things very well. Maybe they lack the bass amount that would make them a preferable choice for pop, electronic music, or hip-hop. But where they lack, they make up with exceptional technical capability, especially for their price. If you are bored of Harman-like tuned IEMs and want something different, the BQEYZ Winter might just be the thing.

Tangzu x HBB Zetian Wu Heyday Edition is the collaboration version of the now discontinued Tangzu Zetian Wu between Tangzu and the popular reviewer Hawaii Bad Boy (A.K.A. Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews). I reviewed the Original Zetian Wu and it took its place among my all-time favorites. In case of Heyday, personally I find HBB’s preference very safe and likeable. Heyday comes at 199$ and a Linsoul exclusive item. You can also read the full review as well as my other reviews at mobileaudiophile.com and check out my IEM measurements at https://fahryst.squig.link/

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Zetian Wu Heyday Edition

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Tangzu Zetian Wu Heyday Edition as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Company Info, Build and Comfort​

Sorry for my laziness but I had given every bit of info about Queen Wu Zetian and Tangzu as a company so I’m copying them here.

Company Info​

Zetian Wu or Wu Zetian as Chinese use family names before their given names, was the only female ruler of China History. The Empress belonged to Tang Dynasty, which also gave the name of the brand Tangzu. However, Tangzu was named T-Force before they changed their name. Yuan Li was their first entry to IEM market, although they were relatively experienced driver producers and sourced driver to many other brands.

Yuan Li started, what they call Dynasty Trilogy, as they name their IEMs after Tang Dynasty Emperors. Shimin Li was their second entry to the dynasty trilogy. Then they released very successful iems like Original Zetian Wu, Wan’er S.G and Zetian Wu Heyday Edition. Original Shimin Li got mixed reviews so Tangzu decided to collaborate with SeeAudio and released Shimin Li Encounter Edition. Apparently SeeAudio added their twist to the tuning without moving too far away from the original.



Zetian Wu Heyday Edition Box and Accessories

Build, Comfort and Packaging​

Zetian Wu, like every Tangzu (T-Force) product, has expectional packaging and accessories in its price range. Actually, they are pretty much the same with the Original Zetian Wu. Carrying case is same that came with the Zetian Wu, only now it is black and feels more premium. It is quite large, not very suitable for carrying IEMs. However, in my experience, none of the IEM case really is. In my review of the OG Zetian Wu, a criticized the cable and Tangzu listened. Well not me but all the fans. Cable has a pretty baby blue color and modular termination. There are 7 pair of tips in the package, which are the same as 7hz H07 and H08 tips. Also, a black pair is on the IEMs which makes it a total of 8 pair.

The most notable improvement on Heyday is the shells. Now they have a full metal build. Shape and size looks the same but strangely OG Zetian Wu stays in my ears more safely. Still they are pretty comfortable even for my weirdly shaped small ears.

Technical Specifications​

• Driver Size: 14.5 mm
• Frequency Response: 20 – 20.000 Hz
• Sensitivity: 100dB (1kHz)
• Impedance: 16 ohm
• Channel Difference: 1dB (1kHz)

Zetian Wu Heyday Edition and Original Zetian Wu

Sound​

Tuning on Heyday didn’t change much from the Original Zetian Wu. The most notable adjustments HBB made is lowering the subbass and upper mids. They still have the same non-fatiguing treble tuning. Now they are fairly neutral IEMs. Several times I forgot that I was listening a recording, it sounds very very natural. In the end they became more suitable for loud listening.

Bass​

Heyday’s bass is probably the biggest difference HBB made on its tuning. Surprisingly now they have become a fairly neutral pair of IEMs. They are not devoid of any bass but I found it was not very satisfying with genres like EDM and Hip-Hop. Midbass is lighter than most other planars on the market but still pack a decent punch. Subbass is although behind the Original Zetian Wu, Heyday still has some decent rumble.

Mids​

Thanks to the bass tuning, mids on Heyday is clean but not necessarily lean. Lots of sets are warmer than Heyday. Vocals don’t feel too much up and close, presentation is fairly natural. Heyday also doesn’t share the whispy nature of most of the mid-centric iems.

Treble​

Treble is just right. Original Zetian Wu was famous for its treble tuning and control; and Heyday is more or less the same. Again, cymbals and high hats are not splashy and sibilance is nowhere to be found on Heyday. In the end they don’t feel congested as much as the Original Zetian Wu.

Technical Performance​

Heyday has exceptional resolving capability as you would expect from a planar. It also layers and separates different instruments without breaking a sweat. Perceived soundstage is probably one of the wider IEMs I’ve heard and depth is also great. Timbre is also more natural than most of the planars.



Zetian Wu Heyday Edition and Timeless

Comparisons​

Since Heyday is a collaboration IEM that is based on an existing product, a comparison with the Original was unavoidable. I also used Timeless which is still considered one of the best planars and has not exactly been surpassed yet.

Original Zetian Wu vs. Zetian Wu Heyday Edition​

• OG Zetian Wu fits and seals better in my ears, probably due to their different vents.
• OG has more vocal presence
• OG is a touch warmer and has more impactful and satisfying bass. Heyday is cleaner therefore it emphasizes bass guitars more instead of drums and other lower bass notes.
• Heyday feels just a little bit wider and airier.
• Neither is sibilant but Heyday feels like it emphasizes “S”s a little more. If you turn up the volume it might become an issue more easily. This also might be caused by their different fit in my ears.
• Treble tuning is more or less the same in isolation but when other parts of the frequency range, Heyday sounds a little more prominent in the treble.
• In the sense of driver’s resolving capability, I don’t think they are different. That said, I won’t deny Heyday’s more neutral frequency response and cleaner presentation helps it show more details. Also, in my review of the OG Zetian Wu, I didn’t agree to the people that found Zetian Wu congested. However, Heyday is noticeably airier and maybe a little wider but much deeper. Imaging is on par. In short Heyday is technically superior to the OG Zetian Wu.

Zetian Wu Heyday vs Original Zetian Wu

7Hz Timeless vs. Zetian Wu Heyday Edition​

• Timeless again have a more comfortable fit in my ears.
• They are more similar than different.
• Timeless is more prominent in the subbass and midbass therefore leaves a more powerful impression. Also listening to EDM and Hip-Hop is more fun with Timeless.
• To be honest I’ve never found Timeless harsh like some other people. But still, they are slightly edgier and also warmer, borderline boomy. Heyday in comparison sounds cleaner with just enough bass and lower mid energy.
• Vocals are a little more in your face on Timeless while Heyday present them in a more natural way.
• Neither is sibilant but, Timeless is a little more relaxed in the sibilance region.
• Timeless felt wider and deeper. Imaging is similarly decent on both.
• Because of its cleaner presentation Heyday may come as cleaner but their resolving capabilities are on par. Timeless might even be a hair superior but it is hard to tell. Heyday’s timbre is a tad more natural.

Zetian Wu Heyday vs Timeless

Conclusion​

This review comes after the initial hype of the Zetian Wu Heyday Edition so I didn’t rush it either. I took my time with it. Now I can confidently say there wasn’t too much of an exaggeration. They are not suitable for all genres that’s for sure and that would be my only nitpick about them. For genres like EDM and Hip-Hop or simply for more excitement I’d suggest the Original Zetian Wu, which is now discontinued by the time I wrote this review unfortunately, or other planars on the market. That said, for pure, clean and neutral planar goodness, that is also non-fatuguing and suitable for loud listening Zetian Wu Heyday Edition is probably the best choice right now.

Peacock is the current flagship of Sendy Audio which is a sub brand of Sivga that specializes in high-end luxury planar-magnetic headphones. The MSRP for them is 1499 US. They have several dealers around the world and also sites like Thomann, Musictek etc. are selling them. You can also read the full review at mobileaudiophile.com

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Sendy Peacock Pad

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Sendy Peacocks as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

Trivia​

After reviewing so many Sivgas, (check out Phoenix, 021 Robin and Oriole reviews from the links) I thought it would make sense that I review Sendy Peacocks that I own for a year now. I was bored of always reviewing budget stuff anyway.
Sendy, like I said at the beginning, a sub brand of Sivga that focuses on luxury. They no longer pretend to be cost efficient. Their first headphone Aiva was well received by many, criticized by others. However, after came some other headphones that used the same driver but were much cheaper, namely; Blon B20, Takstar HF580, Monoprice M570 and Sivga’s own P-II. This alone should show that Sendy is not our usual Chinese cheap headphone manufacturer.
Sendy released Peacocks in 2021 and has been flagship of Sendy Audio ever since. There has been slight adjustments which I will mention later but there haven’t been any major changes as far as I know. Last year they introduced a black version which changes the inner ring in the wooden cups with a black one instead of gold. By the way, every gold coloring on the headphones is actually real gold plating. Or I remember them being real gold plated but couldn’t confirm while writing this review unfortunately.
Sendy Peacock and Accessories

Build and Comfort​

Like other Sivga and Sendy headphones, Peacocks are made out wood, leather and metal of highest quality. Build is exceptional but fit and comfort has its quirks. First of all, pads have a unique shape that gets thicker below. This probably was made to follow general face/head contours but in practice sometimes they leave airgaps. Also, they don’t quite seal properly when I first put them on. But after pads are warmed up a little, they loosen up and seal better, which is weird because pads are not made of slow rebound memory foam. My guess is the leather used on the pads is a little too thick. This is not a big problem as it takes only a few seconds but I’m sure it made them difficult to measure for the folk. Also if you have issues with the fit, you can bend the spring steel at somewhere close to the cups.
Last thing I want to mention about the build is, wooden cups tend to crack around the hinges. One of the cups on my pair was cracked while sitting on my desk. After sending a mail to Colin from Sivga, they sent a pair of replacement cups and I had a professional install them. I saw this happened to one other person who also had their cups replaced through the retailer he bought from. New cups are thicker around the hinges which probably makes them more durable but I just want to mention my experience about the build quality and aftersale services.

Sound​

Sendy Peacocks have mostly lush, romantic, slightly warm and relaxed sound with a few exceptions and these exceptions are making it harder to wrap my head around it. Without further ado, let’s get to it.
Sendy Peacock

Bass​

Bass on Sendy Peacocks, although rolls off below 50-60 Hz, have good impact and texture. They are not light on their foot like other planars like Hifimans or as impactful as Audezes. They follow a balance between these two approaches and I believe most Peacock owners like this aspect of their headphones. I wonder if the seal problem I mentioned weren’t an issue, would they extend better but as they are, roll off is easily noticeable.

Mids​

Peacocks have mostly very loveable mids with a few caveats. Their warm and lush tonality makes them have a nice romantic presentation. However, they also have a nasally tint which also hampers the timbre a little. Around 1k region there is a resonance which may be the cause of some wonkiness and therefore slight unnatural sound. When I put my hands behind the cups I noticed this character increases so maybe the grill in the back not as acoustically transparent as it should be. I would love to see people modding their Peacocks but as expensive as they are, it is very unlikely.
There is also a dip around 2k which is quite common among planars. Some people quite like it as it makes soundstage perceived bigger than other headphones but EQ’ing that region up a little also cleared up tonality for me a bit.
Vocals and fundemantal tones of instruments are very romantic so I don’t feel very comfortable with EQ’ing Peacocks fearing they would lose their magic.

Treble​

Peacocks are by no means are bright headphones. They are mostly relaxed until upper treble. Upper treble is lifted which makes them airy and wide. However, there are a few peaks around 6k and 8k which makes them sibilant with both male and female vocals. I find it pretty annoying and if I had the chance to change one thing in these headphones, it would be reducing those peaks. On the other hand, it makes them declare their presence or make them not too relaxed and lush.
I also briefly used Peacocks on my hybrid tube amp Xduoo TA-10R. Tubes highlighted good qualities of the mids but didn’t help with the peakiness of the highs.

Technical Performance​

Sendy Peacocks carry most of the characteristics of a planar magnetic pair of headphones, but they are also more than that. They are fairly resolving and detailed, not class leading but definitely not crappy. Soundstage has nice width and depth. They also image very well thanks to their superior soundstaging. Attack is as fast as any planar but decay is not hurried which prevents them being overly dry.

Comparisons​

Sendy Peacock vs. Audeze LCD-2

Sendy Peacock vs. Audeze LCD-2​

Among all the headphones I have, this comparison made the most sense for me. I have an old pair of LCD-2s which I like quite a lot with revised headband, drivers and pads so basically they are a new version.
This might be only me but I find LCD-2s more comfortable on my head although they are similarly heavy, probably because they clamp a little more.
Peacocks are a tad bit brighter. Vocals are more emphasized on Sendy Peacock. In LCD-2 Vocals take a step back.
LCD-2s are more prominent and more impactful in the bass but they are very close. They both roll off in the subbass similarly. But LCD-2 feels a tad bit fuller.
LCD-2s are clearer and sounds like more detailed but Sendy Peacocks are somewhat airier. They just don’t spoon-feed you with details but they are there.
Vocals are more engaging with Sendy Peacocks, compared to that LCD-2s sound somewhat dull.
I don’t want to throw the word natural because they both sound colored but Peacocks sound more lifelike. Compared to them, LCD-2s sound flat and dry. Acoustic Music is much more enjoyable on Sendy Peacocks.
Decay is faster on LCD-2s. Notes linger more like a dynamic driver. Although this adds to the atmosphere and make Peacocks sound more musical, technicalities suffer a little.
Perceived soundstage is wider and deeper on Sendy Peacocks. They both image very good but separation of instruments is better on Sendy Peacocks due to the superiority of their staging capability.

Sendy Peacock vs Focal Clear MGs​

I didn’t extensively AB’d them but wanted to throw a quick comparison here. Clear MGs are warmer. Bass is more impactful also rumbles more in the subbass region. Mids are more even and more forward on Clear MGs. Treble is darker and less peaky. Peacocks have larger perceived soundstage. Clears are clearer.
Sendy Peacock and Xduoo TA-10R

Conclusion​

From the value standpoint, Sendy Peacocks don’t really deliver. However they don’t try to in the first place. These headphones are Sendy’s flagship and they designed and made them this way and sale them for this price to make a statement. They come with a great cable and nice accessories. The cable by itself is sold for around 200 USD and hirose connectors although not cheap, are better than mini xlrs in my opinion. It should be one of the cheaper options as cables with hirose connectors go.

Sivga Orioles are Sivga’s newest closed-back headphones. They are priced at 238$ on their Aliexpress store and 199$ on Amazon. I don’t understand why they list them differently but it is what it is. You can also read the full review along with our other reviews at mobileaudiophile.com.

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Sivga Orioles as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

Sivga Orioles are my third pair of Sivga headphones I owned and reviewed (you can also check out my Sivga Phoenix and 021 Robin Reviews). I might as well become a Sivga reviewer altogether. Orioles build is almost exactly the same with 021 Robins with just a few differences. They are like 021 Robins, built with wood, leather and metal. Again, they are extremely comfortable, though 021s were just a bit more comfortable, at least for me. This time yolks can swivel and lay flat on your desk. In the box, they only included 1.6m long single ended cable with fabric coating, 6.35mm jack adapter and a hemp carrying pouch as accessories, just like 021 Robins.

Sound​

Sivga Orioles have a relatively mature sound with good technicalities. There are a few things that can still be improved but after 021 Robins, I’m very impressed but them.

Bass​

Orioles have a tight and controlled bass. Surprisingly they are not too bassy and there is a clear cut between mid-bass and lower mids to prevent bleeding. It is not the most natural implementation and you definitely feel something lacking, especially when bass guitars are played. On the other hand, when drums or electronic music is played, they hit hard enough. Bass extend deep into the subbass and have good rumble. Transience is good, not too fast not too slow, though I wouldn’t complain if it was faster.

Mids​

Mids are the strongest suit of the Orioles. Upper mids, around 2.5 k is a little emphasized but I didn’t find vocals particularly shouty or harsh. In fact, I quite like it but I’m sure not everyone is a fan. Orioles are not particularly sibilant headphones but occasionally they can get sibilant and splashy depending on the song and the recording.

Treble​

Treble on Orioles is kind of a mixed bag, although lower treble is close to neutral and not overly harsh, above 10k is emphasized a lot. It brings planar-like air and sizzle. This airy presentation is mostly something to look forward to but can also get tiring after a few hours of listening, especially if you are sensitive to treble. Other than that, it helps with the detail, clarity and makes them feel airy. They didn’t feel too splashy most of the time.

Technical Performance​

Orioles surprised me with their technical performance to be honest. After being kind of let down by 021 Robins, I wasn’t expecting much but these are really great performers, especially for their price range. Detail level is very good, this time more mature tuning doesn’t hold them back. I’m not sure if the driver is the same with 021 Robins but they surely perform better here. Timbre is although pretty good, not entirely natural. Perceived sound stage is decent and Imaging is very good. For more context, check out the comparisons.

Quick Comparisons​

Sivga Oriole vs. Sivga Robin​

They have pretty much the same build and the same accessories. Headbands are exactly the same except Orioles’ yolks can swivel 180 degrees and lay flat. Both are very comfortable but Robins are more comfortable with their plush memory foam pads and they can accommodate larger heads and ears. Cables are also the same. They both come with fabric sheathed microphonic cable, 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm jack adapter and a hemp pouch.
Orioles are an improvement over Robins almost in every way. Robins sound thicker, muddier and splashier. Robins don’t have the bass tuck that Orioles have but they have somewhat recessed mids. Compared to Robins, Orioles have forward mids especially in the upper mids region. They both extend very good into the subbass but Orioles have more satisfying impact. Robins feel mushier compared to that.
Female vocals sound much better on Orioles. But they can get sibilant a tad more easily. Male vocals on the other hand, seem to get sibilant earlier on Robins. Male vocals have more body on Robins but bassier passages tend to mask vocals so I again liked the Orioles presentation better.
Lower treble is more emphasized on Robins and this causes them to sound splashier. But upper trebles are more or less the same. Both are very airy but also can get fatiguing with harsh recordings.
Imaging is a little blurry on Robins, Orioles’s imaging is slightly better. Perceived soundstage feels a little wider on Robins thanks to recessed mids but difference is not very big. Orioles are noticeably more detailed and resolving. Timbre is significantly better on Orioles. I’m not sure if they both have the same drivers but even if they do, inferior tonality on Robins affect the technical performance too.

Sivga Oriole vs. Fostex TH610​

TH610s have a warm neutral tonality with a bit of spice in the treble region. Orioles have noticeably warmer tonality. Buildwise I’d say Orioles give more confidence. I’ve heard horror stories about the yolks of the Fostex headbands breaking. TH610s are slightly harder to drive but still quite easily driven.
Bass is much more emphasized and impactful on Orioles. Although TH610s have decent extension in the subbass, Orioles are much more pronounced in this region.
Recession between midbass and lower mids kind of messes up bass guitars also also male vocals on Orioles. They take a step back compared to TH610s. Upper mids are more forward on Orioles, compared to that TH610s again sound more natural and it also helps them to sound wider with female vocals.
Lower treble is similar on both headphones. They both can get sibilant with female vocals. But upper treble is more relaxed on TH610s without sacrificing air. They still feel airy and not as fatiguing as Orioles.
TH610s feels fresher and more open. They have a more natural presentation. Also, imaging is more precise on TH610s. Unsurprisingly in all technical aspects TH610s are superior. They are more resolving, more detailed, sound clearer and have better timbre.

Conclusion​

Like I said earlier, I was pleasantly surprised by Sivga Orioles. They are a significant improvement over their own 021 Robins. While warm signature lovers might still prefer Robins over Orioles, personally I can’t find any reason to, except maybe slightly better comfort on Robins. 50$ price increase is justified in this case. Also I compared them to my TH610s just to see how far they have come and the lack of a big difference kind of frightened me. Probably with better drivers and more attention to tuning they might catch up to other wooden headphone manufacturers like Fostexes and Denons sooner than we all thought. I can’t wait to see the day when headphone companies, like IEM market, are forced to compete with budget alternatives.

Wan'er S.G


Tangzu Wan’er S.Gs are the entry level IEMs of Tangzu, the Wonderkid of Chifi last year. Well as I mentioned earlier in my Tangzu Zetian Wu Review, which you can read here, they are not really inexperienced but after changing their name they became more active and aggressive. Anyway Wan’ers are priced at 19$, although they are all over the place since last two months there were a lot of sales and promotions.

Pros​

• Tuning Masterclass
• No Real Sibilance unless the Recording is Sibilant
• Forward mids like other Tangzu earphones
• Lovely Packaging at this price

Cons​

• Technically Average
• KZ-like cable

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. I bought Tangzu Wan’er S.Gs with my own money. Other iems mentioned here are my own which I also bought with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.



All the Box Contents

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

I dwelled upon Tangzu’s past in my Zetian Wu Review earlier. They like to name their IEMs after Tang Dynasty members. Wan’er S.Gs are, being the budget members they are, named after the secretary and advisor of Empress Wu Zetian; Shangguan Wan’er, hence Wan’er S.G. Clever I say, Shangguan is hard to spell and even harder to pronounce I assume.
Buildwise, there is nothing to write home about Wan’ers. They are made of plastic and build a lot like cheap KZ and similar stuff. Cable is removable with 0.78 mm 2 pin QDC connection. Usual 2 pin cables work but they stick out a lot and ear hooks can get uncomfortable. I could also use my TFZ cable so wanted to make note of it.
They come with two colors: black and white. Both colors have different patterns and to be honest and I love them both. In the end I ordered both colors and sent the black ones to Mahir after taking some photos. Accessories are decent too in this price range. Stock tips include one of my favorite tips, 07s and another set of black generic tips with narrower bores. There is also a handkerchief with a picture of Lady Wan’er S.G herself. And that’s all for the packaging and accessories. While it is better than most of the IEMs in their price range, there is nothing really much to say.



Tangzu Wan’er S.G

Sound​

Tangzu Wan’er S.Gs are exceptionally tuned IEMs with satisfying bass, lovely mids and vocals, both male and female and decent treble. I’d say they are a product of Tuning Masterclass. However, like everything in the world, they are not perfect. Let’s take a look.

Bass​

I really don’t want to start on a low note so I’d say Bass on Wan’ers tuned great, for a more expensive IEM than they are. Man, bass makes this IEM but also almost broke it. While 7hz Salnotes Zero praised highly by many, they were also critised for their lean tonality. Wan’ers took a leap of faith and loved by even more people. Bass, in the sense of quantity, is just right. They extend deep and have good rumble. Wan’ers are impactful and engaging in the lows. However, driver is cheap, there is no denying that and it can only do so much. Bass is loose and uncontrolled. While in isolation, it is a great experience listening to Wan’ers. But when you start to dig a bit, you feel the drivers drag their feet and hamper the overall technical capability of the set. I think guys at the 7hz didn’t want to go there but Tangzu apparently though otherwise. Long story short, the attack is good, the decay is lacking.

Mids​

Mids on Wan’ers are the classic Tangzu sound. At least that’s what I think. They might not have a house sound yet, but they always put the utmost care at mids. Yes, again Wan’ers mids are forward, which I like. I don’t think anyone would be bothered by them since they are not as pushed as Shimin li mids. Unfortunately, bass bleeds into the mids a bit, not because of their quantity, but their lack of quality. However being forward and all, harm is minimal. Both male and female vocals have good energy.

Treble​

Treble amount is just right on Wan’ers. They didn’t come as fatiguing in the period I used them. If you find 7hz Salnotes Zeros’ treble a bit too much, Wan’ers might suit you better. They aren’t too splashy and sound very neutral. If I didn’t know better, I’d say there should be more treble to balance out the bass but that is not really the case here. They also extend pretty good for a single dynamic driver pair.

Technical Performance​

I’d say everything about technical performance of Wan’er S.Gs is average at best. They are not bad per se, but we all are spoiled by 7hz Salnotes Zeros. But if you are after technicalities, there is nothing you can do about it but spend more.
Wan’ers have average headstage and decent imaging but not great. Layering is also lacking a little. They don’t particularly sound blunted but not very resolving and detailed either. Again, like I said, a cheap driver with this kind of bass only can do so much so it is really up to the listener to choose their path.



Tangzu Wan’er S.G vs. 7Hz Salnotes Zero

Comparison with 7hz Salnotes Zero​

Zeros are harder to drive.
Zeros are leaner and dryer, Wan’ers are warmer and wetter.
Bass is more powerful and rumbly on Wan’er but also looser.
Mids, especially vocals are more forward on Wan’er.
Neither is sibilant, S, T and Sh sounds are emphasized similarly. Maybe Zeros are a bit more prone to sibilance but there is not really a big difference.
7hz Zeros sound more even and neutral. In the Hours of Wealth by Opeth (one of my favorite songs) Ambient Sound masked guitar plucks a little bit more on Wan’ers.
Treble is similar but Zeros might be a bit more treble also sound splashier. Then again it might also be contributed to the higher amount of bass on Wan’er is balancing out the treble more evenly.
Technically Zeros are superior IEMs almost in every aspect. Imaging and separation are better on 7hz Salnotes Zeros. Perceived sounstage or headstage is also a little bit wider and deeper. Detail and Resolution is noticeably better on Zeros. Timbre is more natural on Zeros, at least to my ears. Wan’ers sound fuller and a bit hazier compared to that.



Lady Wan’er S.G

Conclusion​

I like Tangzu Wan’er S.Gs a lot. But they are not perfect, nothing is. People criticized Zeros for not having enough bass, but those guys knew what they did by not wanting to risk overall sound quality. Tangzu took that risk, sacrificed some of the qualities that made Zeros great, but loved by more people. I can totally understand that. While I think Zeros sound cleaner and technically are superior, in isolation Wan’ers give a more enjoyable listening experience. The audience of this price segment don’t have the luxury of having multiple iems and compare them, so they would probably be more happy if they got Wan’er S.Gs.

Tri iOne is Tri’s new flagship single DD iem that came out not long ago. They somehow flew under the radar as you can’t even find many reviews or measurements of them. In this review I will try to convey my feelings about them. You can also read this review at mobileaudiophile.com

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, Tri i Ones are loaned to me by Mahir. You can also read his review about them here. Other iems mentioned here are my own which I bought with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here as well.
Don’t Mind the Finger Prints

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

TRI Audio is a premium-leg of KBEAR. Back in 2018, when KBEAR was focused primarily on the budget segment of in-ear monitors, they designed a high-end pair with the support of a famous Japanese designer, they marketed it with their new brand TRI Audio. TRI released the brand’s tribrid flagship the I3 in 2019, which became an instant success for them. Ever since then TRI Audio is always focused on designing, producing, and marketing high-end audio gears that deliver impeccable performance at attractive prices. (Text taken from Hifigo)
Although this paragraph reeks of marketing, it is true that Tri is the premium leg of KBEAR and as i Ones are their flagship single DD, packaging and accessories are simply exquisite. First of all, they come with pure silver Wolfram Cable which is sold for 200 $ by itself. Well not quite, you can actually find them for 100 $ or even as low as 85 $ from different sellers. And the cable’s cloth sheathing is very thick and stiff which makes them hard to carry and manage. They don’t even fit the case easily. And I wish they had modular connectors or at least balanced choice at this price. Coming with only 3.5 mm is a shame really.
Speaking of the case, i One comes with a beautiful orange case which is different from the usual Tri cases. It is bigger and harder. Maybe harder to carry around too but also protects your iems better. 2 sets of tips come out of the package which includes Tri’s newest Clarion tips. Clarion tips feels nice and very comfortable but the stem is too wide so they come off very easily from other iems unfortunately. Lastly there is a black pouch with two slots to put ear pieces separately to keep them from hitting each other and scratching.
IEMs themselves have a solid metal build and are somewhat heavy. They are not the smallest pieces either. To be honest, most of the other single DD IEMs are more comfortable than i Ones, but they are still better than multi driver IEMs.

Inside the Box

Technical Specifications​

Impedance： 24Ω
Sensitivity： 108dB@1KHz
Frequency response range： 20~40KHz
Driver unit: external magnetic circuit DD
Diaphragm material: Carbon PET
Unit diameter: 10MM
Earphone type: In-ear
Cavity material: Aluminum alloy
Interface: 2Pin 0.78mm (drop-in)
Plug: 3.5mm gold-plated
Cable material: OFC shielded pure silver wire
Cable length: 120CM±3CM

Sound​

A few words about Clarion tips before I get into the sound. I liked the feel and comfort of them a lot and wanted to use them but eventually had to change them because they sounded too peaky. In the end I settled on Spinfit CP100s.
With that out of the way, let’s take i One’s sound in a whole package. They sound fun and engaging. Bass is punchy, no suprises there but also rumbles quite nicely. High level of bass bleeds into lower mids and make them quite warm. Maybe too warm, not my favorite to be honest. Mids are lower than the bass, so get overshadowed easily. Vocals are mostly unaffected but some some instruments, like pianos and electric guitars sound off from time to time.
Upper mids are forward and female vocals sound lovely most of the time. Then again there are some peaks which can make them harsh or sibilant occasionally. These moments are not very often but strangely they occur in the songs or parts I haven’t noticed harshness or sibilance with other IEMs. For example, one song I use to test sibilance is Otherside from Red Hot Chili Peppers. i One doesn’t sound sibilant in this song at all but sibilance occur well mixed songs.
When I shared my first impressions about i Ones, I told whoever tuned these probably didn’t use measurements, instead tuned them by ear. I stand by that statement. Because most of the time they sound OK or enjoyable even. But in the most unexpected times they offended me. Since it is impossible to try an earphone with all the songs on earth, it fails to become an all-rounder. Most of the modern genres are safe to listen to, but if the song you listen to consists of a wide frequency range you may feel they sound off.

Earpieces and the Wolfram Cable

Technical Performance​

Technically, they are subpar in their price range. Maybe the driver is highly capable but it is really too hard to tell with this amount of bass. In the end I couldn’t pick up fine details I could hear with other IEMs. Maybe my high end headphones spoiled me too much, I don’t know. Anyway, perceived sound stage or head stage is pretty closed too. I’m not bothered by the stage characteristics of IEMs and headphones but I know some of you are. Imaging is alright. Timbre is also concerning because of this peculiar tuning unfortunately.

Tri i One vs BQEYZ Autumn with Bass Filter​

I decided to compare them against my beloved Autumns as they are my most expensive single DD iems.

• Autumns are Harder to Drive, they have bigger drivers (13 mm vs 10 mm) in a smaller shell so they are more comfortable in my ears.
• Autumns have a V shaped sound signature with bass filters but i Ones are even more V.
• When volume matched Autumns have a more satisfying bass with better texture. However, i Ones rumble much more. Autumn doesn’t extend very well into the lowest of lows.
• Autumns sound noticeably warm with bass filter but i One is even warmer. Bass is more prominent on i Ones.
• Most of the mids on i One feels sucked out. Autumns sound more even although it has its own quirks in treble which makes them sound sibilant harsh occasionally. Tri i One also has its own peaky areas. One song sounds harsh on one and relaxed on the other. It really is a coin toss here.
• Upper mids are more forward on i One which benefits female vocals and save them from the being masked by the bass. Autumns don’t have such a problem and you can always change the filters if you want.
• Autumn is mostly pleasant in the treble but upper mids and lower treble becomes harsh more often than Tri i One. Bass level on Tri i One balances out the high treble level.
• Technically Autumns are clearer, airier, deeper and wider even with the bass filter. I think Autumns’ drivers are more capable but it is really hard to assess with i One’s tuning and I wouldn’t open up and mess with an almost 300 USD iems anyway. Imaging is decent on i Ones but, noticably better on Autumns.

Earpieces

Conclusion​

TRI iOne misses the mark for a few reasons in my opinion. First of all, with their 279 $ price, they are too expensive. While budget iems are getting better and better with their tuning, it is really hard to justify a single DD with that kind of price even if they sound good. They are similarly priced with very well received Tanchjim Oxygens and more expensive than crowd favorites like Moondrop Kato and Tanchjim Hana 2021. I don’t even want to count the sub 100 $ competitors. While everything in the package feels premium, it fails to deliver where it matters the most; cable. I didn’t use the cable that much; first and foremost it should have been a modular termination one. Much cheaper IEMs come with modular cables these days
About the tuning of TRI iOne, it must have gone like this: they probably raised upper frequencies so it sounded bright. They wanted to balance it out by raising the bass but it became too bassy so they raised the upper range more. With a few back and forth they settled on the tuning but in the end, they forgot the mids deep in the chasm. That’s what I hear anyway. They are not offensive as much as I feared, but not very good sounding to be honest. Sometimes I wished bass to be lower, but that would make them too harsh. Sometimes I wanted peaks were not there but they sounded very musical from time to time. If they weren’t expensive, I would at least recommend these to the people looking for an exciting set but, oh well.

SV021 Robin is Sivga’s Closed Back headphone that is targeted toward more budget concious consumers. Their MSRP is 179$ but usually sold at 149$. Sivga recently released Oriole which is sold for 199$. I’m not sure if they are supposed to replace SV021 but for now that doesn’t seem to be the case. Unfortunately, I don’t have Oriole so this review does not consist of the two models’ comparison but if we get a pair in the future, we will try to update this one too.

You can also read the full review at mobileaudiophile.

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Sivga SV021 Robin as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

SV021 Robin is my second pair of Sivga headphones I owned and reviewed (you can also check out my Sivga Phoenix Review here) and the third I owned if you take Sendy Peacocks into the account. All the Sendy headphones, as far as I know, are planar magnetic. Sivgas on the other hand, mostly dynamic drivers except P-II which is also a planar magnetic Like all the Sivgas, SV021s very well built with wood, leather and metal. Of course, in this case leather is probably synthetic but still earpads and headband is so soft that you don’t want to put them off even if you don’t listen to music. Pads are made from soft memory foam. In the box, they only included 1.6m long single ended cable with fabric coating, 6.35mm jack adapter and a carrying pouch as accessories.

Technical Specifications​

Driver Type: Dynamic
Driver Diameter: 50 mm
Frequency Response: 20 – 20,000 Hz
Sensitivity: 105 +/- 3 dB
Impedance: 32 Ohm +/- 15%
Weight: 275g

Sound​

SV021 Robins have a V-Shaped sound signature that is not very generic. They are not correct sounding but not very offensive either.

Bass​

Bass is the most prominent part of SV021 Robins’ sound signature. They have decent subbass extension. However, you would expect such quantity would rock your socks off which is not the case. Robins are quite gentle. I had Meze 99 Noirs for a while and I expected these to be similar. I was wrong. SV021 Robins sound warm, even thick but they don’t hit hard. More like they push or try to shove you but there is not much force behind it. Maybe I’m spoiled with better headphones and IEMs but this is how I felt with SV021s’ bass.

Mids​

Bass bleeds into the mids, well it is more than bleed, it invades the mids so you end up with thick sounding headphones. Then it gets sucked out somewhere which causes unevenness in some songs. Modern genres are relatively safe but complex songs suffer from this quite often.

Treble​

Like most of the V-Shaped headphones, SV021 Robins are bright up top. They can get sibilant and grating quite easily in higher volumes. Also, you can come across sudden peaks even when you think you are listening in a relatively safe volume. To be honest I had one the worst Gangsta’s Paradise experiences with their mushy bass and tiring treble.

Technical Performance​

I’m not sure what to say here. I don’t think the drivers are particularly capable, then again, they can also be held back with this kind of tuning. Alhough SV021 Robins sound wider than the usual closed backs, they are not particularly wide. Notes sound like they linger more than necessary, which can be also a good thing if you like it. They are not very resolving but, you may hear some details you haven’t before and you may not hear some details you are familiar with. This aspect can be attributed to bright treble and recessed mids of SV021 Robins’. Their warm nature also hampers the clarity quite noticeably. All in all, they are weird more than they are bad.

Quick Comparisons​

I couldn’t find a fair closed-back rival to compare for SV021 Robins to be honest. My Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros and Dekoni Blues are both modified. So just for comparisons sake I pulled out my Fostex TH610s. They have a warm neutral sound signature which is quite different from SV021 Robins’. But this may also serve as to decide SV021s’ alignment.

Sivga SV021 Robin vs. Fostex TH610​

• Although both are easily driven, TH610s are harder to drive.
• Neither isolate sound very well due to their vented structure.
• Sound quality difference is easily noticeable. TH610 sounds more correct.
• SV021 much more bassier, warmer and thicker, TH610 more neutral. But TH-610s bass is somehow more satisfying. There is more definition and texture to it. SV021 is kind of mushy.
• SV021 also has more subbass which is not surprising.
• Mids are more forward on TH-610. Female vocals sound lovely but borderline shouty at the same time.
• TH610 is also bright in the upper frequencies and can get sibilant like other Fostex headphones but not as much as SV021.
• In all technical aspects TH610 is superior, they are clearer, wider, more resolving and separation of instruments is much better. Then again, Sv021 and TH610 are in different price ranges and have different sound signatures.

Conclusion​

Sivga SV021 Robins are decent headphones, or good headphones considering their price. No other closed back headphones come to my mind those are as well built as these. If, at least one of the negatives I mentioned was absent they would be an easy recommendation from me at their price. However, I cannot recommend these to everyone as they are. If you are on a budget, looking for a pair of decent closed back headphones, comfort is very important for you or you are not listening to your music critically I’d recommend these. Otherwise, you need to expend a little more.

Tangzu Zetian Wu is a planar magnetic IEM, that comes at a price of 149$ MSRP (154$ if you prefer a 4.4 mm balanced cable.) Maybe this review is a little bit later than the first wave but, I wanted to explore them too, as their tuning seemed to my liking but also there were some negative reviews too. I hope it would help your purchasing decisions just before 11.11 sale. You can check out the full review also at mobileaudiophile.

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Tangzu Zetian Wu as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money from Keephifi.com for a price that would be more or less what I would pay in 11.11 sales in exchange for this review. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

Zetian Wu or Wu Zetian as Chinese use family names before their given names, was the only female ruler of China History. The Empress belonged to Tang Dynasty, which also gave the name of the brand Tangzu. However, Tangzu was named T-Force before they changed their name. Yuan Li was their first entry to IEM market, although they were relatively experienced driver producers and sourced driver to many other brands.
Yuan Li started, what they call Dynasty Trilogy, as they name their IEMs after Tang Dynasty Emperors. A few months ago they released Shimin Li, which was budget oriented and the second episode of the Trilogy. Shimin Li got mixed reviews. But Tangzu didn’t give up, addressed those criticism without straying from their house sound when they released Zetian Wu. Zetian Wu is not necessarily a part of the Trilogy, but more of a spinoff. Trilogy is to be continued in 2023.
Zetian Wu, like every Tangzu (T-Force) product, has expectional packaging and accessories in its price range. Carrying case is similar to the one 7hz Salnotes Dioko. It is quite large, not very suitable for carrying IEMs. However, in my experience, none of the IEM case really is. Cable is a decent 2 pin 0.78 mm connection one, but I would expect something a little better from Tangzu. There are 7 pair of tips in the package, which are the same as 7hz H07 and H08 tips. Also, a black pair is on the IEMs which makes it a total of 8 pair.
IEMs have plastic shells with slight wings and purple metal faceplates. Shells of Zetian Wu are larger than S12 or Timeless, although Timeless have unnecessarily big faceplates. They are light and fairly comfortable. Plastic construction is somewhat of a concern but I haven’t heard of any reports of failure yet.
Spotlight

Technical Specifications​

Driver Size: 14.5 mm
Frequency Response: 20 – 20.000 Hz
Sensitivity: 100dB (1kHz)
Impedance: 16 ohm
Channel Difference: 1dB (1kHz)

Sound​

Tangzu Zetian Wu, distinguishes itself from the other planars those flooding the market recently. They have a subbass focused Mid-centric balanced sound which is not fatiguing at all. I even heard some reviewers say these don’t sound like usual planars at all.

Bass​

Bass is, as I said earlier subbass focused. Midbass is just right too in my honest opinion. They don’t sound lean but bass don’t bleed to midrange either. Subbass is rattling, full, aggressive. Although not really at the same level, it kind of remind me Audiosense AQ4’s bass.

Mids​

Mids are very clean and forward. At this point, I started to think this is the house sound that Tangzu is going for. I heard from their head that they love the Sennheiser HD600 sound. To be fair, I haven’t heard Yuan Li, hopefully I will. Even if I do, now that they are discontinued, I doubt I will review them. We will see. Anyway, Shimin Li was tuned similarly but they were excessive in this aspect and very aggressive and shouty for the most of the listeners. So, they pushed the gain further to the 3k range in the Zetian Wu, which helped a lot. They still have more energy than most of the other, but it doesn’t get annoying like it did with Shimin Li. Vocals are still pretty much in your face and “S”s, “Sh”s and “T”s can get sibilant when pushed a little. But those occasions were very rare.

Treble​

Treble in the Zetian Wu is also kind of a mixed bag. In my personal opinion, I love the treble of them. It is snappy but not splashy. It didn’t fatigue me at all, even after hours of listening. But I also understand they lack a bit of air for some. If you check the graph of Zetian Wu, the upper mids and treble of them follows Harman In-Ear Target, pretty much the same as Truthear x Crinacle Zero and rolls of earlier than some of the recent IEMs. It can be either a good or a bad thing depending your preference.

Technical Performance​

Due to their pushed mid-range, Zetian Wu doesn’t have particularly a wide perceived soundstage. As I said earlier, presentation is more of a in your face style. I don’t mind it but, I’m aware a lot of people are after wide sounding IEMs. Also, while I don’t particularly agree, I kind of understand why some people call these congested. In that sense Imaging and separation was pretty good but could have been better with a wider presentation.
Detail and Resolution performance of Zetian Wu was exceptional in my experience. Details are not pushed forward like some airier IEMs, sure, but I got more than why asked for from the tracks. In that sense they sounded more natural more often than not. Timbre was also very natural, which is the most important strength of Zetian Wu compared to other planars on the Market.

Comparison with 7hz Timeless​

Shells of Zetian Wu is bigger so Timeless, although weirdly shaped, is more comfortable for my ears. Zetian Wu is slightly harder to drive.
Timeless has more midbass and lower mids, therefore is slightly warmer. Zetian Wu has more upper mids and more forward vocals. Though if pushed, it can be in your face and shouty.
Timeless is brighter and airier in the upper treble. Zetian Wu is less fatiguing in the treble but some may call them congested. Instruments like cymbals and high-hats in Timeless gets is a little splashier.
Neither is particularly sibilant, but due to its emphasis in 3-6k region, Zetian We becomes sibilant earlier with the volume.
Zetian Wu has noticeably more subbass. Timeless may be punching slightly harder in the midbass but less subbass doesn’t back it up.
Perceived sound stage is slightly wider on Timeless. Imaging is decent on both. Timbre is better on Zetian Wu. It really doesn’t feel like you are listening with a planar IEMs at all. Timeless has that tinge of zing you can’t just shake off.
Resolution, in my opinion on par and what you perceive as detail is really comes down to the tuning. Because of the treble, Timeless might come as more detailed or the mids in Zetian Wu can mask other frequencies more. These ears of mine pulled a little more nuances with the Zetian Wu, but Timeless felt like it was faster more often than not.

To sum all these up:​

Bass: Zetian Wu > Timeless
Mids: Timeless > Zetian Wu (it depends to your preference, to be honest I’m more inclined to Zetian Wu)
Treble: Zetian Wu > Timeless
Soundstage, Imaging, Seperation of Instruments: Timeless ≥ Zetian Wu
Resolution and Detail: Timeless ≥ Zetian Wu

Conclusion​

Zetian Wu is, in my opinion, one of the best sounding planars on the market. Of course, that depends on your preference. I like how they don’t push the treble for details’ sake and go for their own unique sound. They don’t have the usual planar timbre that is preventing some people from trying them and don’t get fatiguing at all. Bass is addicting. Maybe they could use a bit more air, though if it would make them fatiguing like others, I could do without some. They sound very intimate and natural which I like. If all these sound appealing to you, do check them out. I hope this review helps your purchasing decisions.

R70x is Audio-Technica’s first open back headphones those are marketed towards professionals. They have an MSRP of 350$. There are a lot of properties that make R70x an appealing choice, but also competition is very stiff in its price range. Lately I’ve been seeing them resurface and decided to take them on myself.

You can also read the full review at mobileaudiophile
Open Heart Cable

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I’m not very sensitive to treble so I can enjoy the most notoriously bright headphones, however I’m somewhat sensitive to the upper mids area. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Audio-Technica ATH-70x as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

Audio-Technica has a lot of popular closed back headphones among professionals as well as music enthusiasts alike. R70x was released in 2015 if memory serves right and still going strong.

R70x has a very good built with metal and plastic materials. Headband is steel and feels very durable. They also use Audio-Technica’s proprietary 3D wing system so there is no adjustment mechanism. To be honest they are a hit or miss in the sense of comfort but in my case, they are very comfortable. In fact, R70x is one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever put on my head. It can also be contributed their extremely light weight, which is 210 g. The only gripe I have is that the inner diameters of the pads are kind of small. It is not that big of an issue since I have kind of small ears but I can see it becoming a problem for others.

R70x has 2.5 mm connection on both cups. Connectors are proprietary and so the cabling. Not every dual 2.5 mm after market cables work with these. Cable is symmetric, channels are separated in the cups. Stock cable is decent, still not the best. They are fairly hard to drive, pretty much the same as HD600. A nice velvet carrying pouch is also included in the box.

The Box, The Cable and The Headphones

Technical Specifications​

Driver Diameter: 45 mm

Frequency Response: 5 – 40,000 Hz

Maximum Input Power: 1,000 mW at 1 kHz

Sensitivity: 99 dB

Impedance: 470 ohms

Weight: 210g

Sound​

I’m not going to separate this part into different part of the frequency response because they are pretty much the same as Sennheiser’s HD6** series headphones with their warm-neutral tonality. Bass is rolled off, Mids are forward, treble is relaxed. Instead, a thorough comparison with my HD600 makes more sense. You can check out our HD600 review here.

Japan

Comparison with HD600​

I would call R70x an inferior HD600 because, although they have similar frequency response, HD600 is better in their highlighted feature, which is midrange.

R70x is fuller and warmer than HD600. HD600 is clearer in the mids. On the other hand, R70x is less shouty. Although neither is particularly sibilant, at high volumes HD600 is more prone to sibilance. Male vocals are more enjoyable on R70x, females sound livelier on HD600. Neither is bright but treble has a little more bite on HD600. R70x is smoother and more relaxed. Bass quantity is higher on R70x but HD600 punches slightly harder. Subbass extension is slightly better on R70x. Soundstage noticeably wider and deeper and imaging is significantly better on R70x. Transience sounded faster on R70x, so although HD600 sounded clearer and more detailed I think R70x can overcome complex passages better. They are very close though. Timbre is more natural on HD600. R70x sounded thicker and maybe less refined.

I also tried both with Truebass on my iFi Zen Dac V2 and it emphasized their respective qualities in the bass. HD600 punched harder, R70x went deeper. In the end I found dropping bass sensation on R70x more satisfying.

ATH-R70x vs. HD600

Conclusion​

I like R70x a lot. I know they are not the perfect headphones. They are mid-centric and don’t even do that as good as HD600. In that sense they are inferior. However, they have much better soundstage and imaging. I used them for gaming a lot for the last couple of weeks. Even once I had them on my head backwards and all of the sounds are coming from the opposite side. Then I understood better how well these did the imaging. Other differences with the HD600 are so miniscule that I might be wrong in some of them. So, for me they are as good as HD600 but for the comfort alone, I prefer to use R70x more. If the HD6** series are not doing it for you for some reason, or you are looking for a less in-your-face type of sound, you might want to these.

Hifiman Sundara is one of the most popular planar magnetic headphones on the market. Although they have been around for like 5 years, a silent revision in 2020 made tuning of them even better and gave the edge against their competitors. When Sundaras first came out, their MSRP was 499$ then it came down to 349$ for the longest time. Lately, Hifiman have reduced the price to 299$ to stay relevant against competition, especially their own Edition XS which is sold for 499$. This review is also can be read at mobileaudiophile.com. I'd appreciate if you checked out the site and other reviews.

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I’m not very sensitive to treble so I can enjoy the most notoriously bright headphones, however I’m somewhat sensitive to the upper mids area. Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Hifiman Sundara as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

Hifiman, as a brand needs no introduction, at least for the Audiophiles and Sundara is undoubtedly one of their most successful headphones.

Sundaras have round cups and pads are hybrid made out of fabric and protein leather. Insides of the pads are perforated. Almost all of the headband and cups made out of metal except the part that hides the sliding mechanism. They are definitely better made than Edition XS. However, Hifiman being Hifiman, there are still a few issues with the build. First, cups don’t swivel horizontally making them uncomfortable if your head doesn’t complement the headphones’ shape. Also, circular cups are not that big. My ears are on the small side and they still touch the edges on the top and the bottom. Lastly adjustment mechanism scratches the surface and paint comes off. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, it is how it is.

Sundaras are mostly comfortable. They have a decent clamp force is going on which make them stay on the head safely unlike Edition XS. If you ask me clamp is a little too much but I’d rather have this clamp instead of having them fall when I tilt my head.

Weighing 372g, Sundaras are not particularly heavy either, being metal and all that. Suspension strap helps the weight distribute evenly on your head so there won’t be any hotspots, though I’m sure some of you prefer padded headbands.

Like every other Hifimans, Sundaras also come with a crap cable. They are the most rubbery thing ever. Mine still keeps its coiled shape. I went with different balanced cable so don’t even remember how they sounded with the stock cable, so keep in mind my review is done by listening to them through balanced outputs of my amps with Tripowin GranVia Cable. However I remember reading somewhere that Sundaras’ cable although feeling worse, had better resistance values than the newer cables those come with Edition XS etc.

Unfortunately, they need a little bit power. From the headphones I own, the only ones harder to drive than Sundaras are Beyerdynamic DT880 600 Ohm, Sennheiser HD600 and Dekoni Blues (T50RP MKIII Mod). They are not a hungry monster but you won’t get away with your laptop, phone or a dongle. A good DAP or a portable DAC/Amp can do them justice though, especially through their balanced output.

Technical Specifications:​

Impedance: 37Ω

Sensitivity: 94dB

Frequency Response: 6Hz-75kHz

Weight: 372 grams

Sound​

I’m not sure if I want to keep this part short or describe every part one by one. After all, Sundaras are one of the best tuned headphones out there. Every aspect of the frequency response is how it should be, except…

Bass​

Sundara has a noticeable subbass roll-off and this is the weakest point of its tuning. After looking into it I learned that their cups and pads can easily produce an airgap. I tried to address it by pressing them down to my ears more but couldn’t notice a big difference. Still, what I noticed was there were more subbass than HD600 so even this amount might be sufficient or they fit on my head so well that there isn’t much of a roll off in my on particular unit on my head. Edition XS had noticeably more subbass though. I will experiment on this if I ever have my own measurement rig.

Midbass has a nice texture and impact for a planar. Transience is fast but not the fastest. There is the slightest hump in the midbass making them suitable for most of the genres from classical to EDM.

Mids​

I like Sundaras’ midrange tuning a lot. It is not shouty nor recessed. Nothing comes forward or takes a step back more than necessary. I don’t know what else to say. All the instruments are vocals are clear. Yes, if you put your bassy headphones on and then Sundaras, they may come as lean and boring but when you turn the volume a little they respond and joy comes with it.

Treble​

Sundaras’ treble is neutral for me. Yes, I said it. I know most people consider them bright but when I remember our studio sessions and live performances I’ve been to, I think cymbals and high-hats should be snappy like Sundaras present them. Still, when I consider the masses, I have to agree they are brighter than most and can get fatiguing in the longer listening sessions.

Technical Performance​

Sundaras are fast as you would expect from a planar. Not the fastest, then again, they are only 299$. If you read my Sennheiser HD600 review, I said I wouldn’t listen to Metal with them. Well, I definitely would with Sundaras and enjoy my time very much. On Opeth’s Deliverance at 9:48, Drummer Martin Lopez makes starts serial high-hat hits without stopping it for the songs infamous elongated 4 minutes ending. With Sundaras you can tell exactly when he hits while the high-hat still rings. HD600 present this like a one long note. Likewise individual drum kicks perceived nicely. As you would understand, Sundaras are nicely resolving and detailed headphones. Some of this perceived detail can be attributed to brighter nature of the headphones but still they are adequately resolving.

Timbre is nice though not at HD600 level. Everything aside HD600 manages to convey more emotions and sound more natural altogether.

Soundstage on Sundaras is again wide. Imaging in this soundstage is nicely spread so it doesn’t have the 3-blob effect the HD6** series have. Though I have to admit, I have heard headphones to better imaging, imaging on Sundaras is not pinpoint. Notes just don’t have the enough weight.

Quick Comparisons​

Hifiman Sundara vs. Sennheiser HD600​

Throughout the review, I have referred to HD600 several times to make more sense, so I want to keep this part short. Hifiman Sundaras are, at least for me, a better extending HD600 on both ways. Altough rolls-off, subbass presence is more on Sundaras. Midbass impact is harder on HD600. Dynamic Drivers FTW. Still, Sundara has pretty decent impact. Bass texture is slightly better on Sundaras.

Mids are different. Sundaras’ mids are more forward than most of the other planars but they won’t shadow the rest of the frequency response. HD600’s mids does. But HD600’s mids, with their exceptional timbre is to die for.

Sundaras overall brighter headphones. Although I like their energy, they can get fatiguing. Relative to Sundaras, HD600 sound veiled but can be easily listened for longer sessions.

Sundaras are wider, more resolving and detailed. Imaging is a coin toss. While HD600 has 3-blob effect but placement is more precise. On the other hand Sundaras placement of instruments are spread nicely but placement is not really pinpoint.

Hifiman Sundara vs. Hifiman Edition XS​

Since I compared them earlier on my Edition XS review, I’m copying that part here. If you are interested, you can check out that review too.

Bass rolls off on Sundara earlier than Edition XS, therefore weaker. Well, most of the Sundara users only complain about its bass. Timbre is more natural on Sundara too. Male vocals take a step back on Edition XS and sound nasally somehow compared to Sundara. On the contrary, female vocals come closer on Edition XS and they become more similar than different. They are clearer and more emotional on Edition XS, more neutral on Sundara. Sundara is a little warmer, also hazier. Sundara is not necessarily a warm headphone. In comparison Edition XS is leaner but clearer. They are also, as you would guess, brighter, airier but more fatiguing.

Staging is noticably better on Edition XS. Sundara is no slouch but these are that good. Sundara is a little harder to drive. Edition XS clearer and more detailed across the frequency range. Sundara’s imaging was a little better in my opinion but they are both decent. Layering and instrument seperation are better on Edition XS with the help of its resolution capability and the size of its soundstage.

Conclusion​

I like Sundara’s tonality a lot. There was a time I considered selling these after acquiring much more expensive cans. But after returning to them for reviews and comparisons I remembered how these do a lot of things very well. About the sound, my only gripe would be subbass extension, but if I haven’t heard better extending headphones, I wouldn’t even know what I missed to be honest. You might find them inoffensive or even boring. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Sundaras are a great benchmark in their price range.

Apart from their tonality, Sundaras are are also decently technical, though Edition XS overshadowed them in this aspect and redefined how a sub-500$ should and could sound. Still Edition XS have its own problems which Sundaras don’t. I could easily justify having them both. But for you, my suggestion would be, if you use EQ, go for Edition XS. If not, well, still a hard decision but Sundara is tonally a little more universal in my opinion.

Hifiman Edition XS is highly regarded since it first came out in 2021 and one of the most recommended headphones under 500$. With the MSRP of 499$, it is mostly compared to Hifiman’s own Sundara and Ananda. You can also read the full review here at mobileaudiophile.com

​

Pad and Mesh of Edition XS

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I’m not very sensitive to treble so I can enjoy the most notoriously bright headphones, however I’m somewhat sensitive to upper mids area. Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Hifiman Edition XS as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

Hifiman is a brand I think every Audiophile is familiar with. They have their bright leaning neutral sound signature which almost all of their planar magnetic headphones have. Edition line of Hifimans was discountinued until Edition XS came out which is revised with Hifiman’s latest Stealth Magnet technology.


Edition XS is not built well. Actually, build quality is ridiculous in this price range. Even cheaper Sundara is build better, feels more rugged and I rate Sundara’s build quality as only decent or fine for the price. Seemingly only yolks and mesh on the drivers are made out of metal on these. Plastic is not necessarily a bad material but the plastic used here is one of the worst I’ve seen and paint on mine began to chip already. They are not dents or scratches mind you because these chipped areas don’t touch anywhere when I put them on the desk.


Headband is although comfortable, it is not my favorite design. It looks cheap like rest of the headphones and I can imagine the faux leather on the headband flaking soon. Also, they don’t clamp enough on my normal sized head and if I tilt my head they move and barely stay on my head. I don’t necessarily have a problem with the seal but I can see it breaking easily.


Packaging and accessories are modest to say the least. Only a 3.5 mm terminated cable and a 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm adapters comes with the headphones. Cable is better than what came with the Sundara’s but still not very good. Box looks like environment friendly, which I think reduces costs even more. If there were more accessories like another cable or replacement pads, I would believe Hifiman was trying to be more environment conscious but no, I don’t but that.

Paint is Already Chipping on Plastic Parts
Technical Specifications:


Frequency Response: 8 Hz – 50 kHz


Impedance: 18 Ohms


Sensitivity: 92 dB (not specified, I assume per mW)


Weight: 405 g

Sound​

Sound Signature of Edition XS is bright leaning neutral like most of the planar magnetic headphones in Hifiman’s line up.

Bass​

Edition XS has a neutral and well extended bass. Being planar, this neutral signature come as lean for some and definitely not enough for genres like EDM and hip hop. Bass quality is exceptional devoid of muddiness of boominess. Transience is fast as expected from a planar.

Midrange​

Mids are kind of a mixed bad in Edition XS. While mostly neutral, there is a dip around 2k which helps the perception of soundstage. However, this dip comes with some consequences. Some vocals take step back and lose their intimacy when other instruments are come into play. Also, Sudden rise around 3k can cause unevenness in some instruments like pianos, violins or xylophones. I came across this phenomenon just a handful of times but still wanted to mention. If the points I made left a bad impression, I want to assure you again these are very rare and small gripes.

Treble​

Treble in Edition XS is both it’s strongest suit and downfall. As I mentioned earlier, these are bright leaning. Therefore, sounding very clear and perceived detail is very high. However above at the air region (above 10k) there is some excessive energy which causes some unwanted zing. If I were to EQ these, I would reduce this region a few dBs before I touch the bass. If you mostly listen to Jazz or Classical music, you might not mind it but with genres like J-Pop, Edition XS can be fatiguing after a while. Although these are not particularly sibilant, it is at the edge of being sibilant. Depending on the source, recording or maybe cable as some people report, you may come across some sibilance.

Left: Stock Cable, Right: Tripowin GranVia Cable

Technical Performance​

I may as well name this part: “Why should you buy Edition XS?” Because these are highly technical headphones. When I tried these first, they wowed me with their expansive soundstage. Edition XS might be the widest headphones below 500$. Imaging is also decent, not the best, but good enough. It definitely benefits from the soundstage size.


Thanks to being a planar magnetic, these are highly resolving headphones. Resolve from headphones.com says their resolving capability is more or less the same with 2021 Ananda (that review is here), which I cannot comment on since I haven’t heard them. And as I mentioned above, being bright leaning perceived detail is also very high.


I didn’t notice Edition XS losing its composure during complex parts. Big stage size and high resolving capability really helps instrument separation too. Timbre is not the most natural, but decent for a planar, it didn’t offend me until now. In short, I’d say only imaging is average on these. Everything else is above average or superb.

Quick Comparisons​

Edition XS vs. Sundara​

Bass rolls off on Sundara earlier than Edition XS, therefore weaker. Well, most of the Sundara users only complain about its bass. Timbre is more natural on Sundara too. Male vocals take a step back on Edition XS and sound nasally somehow compared to Sundara. On the contrary, female vocals come closer on Edition XS and they become more similar than different. They are clearer and more emotional on Edition XS, more neutral on Sundara. Sundara is a little warmer, also hazier. Sundara is not necessarily a warm headphone. In comparison Edition XS is leaner but clearer. They are also, as you would guess, brighter, airier but more fatiguing. Staging is noticably better on Edition XS. Sundara is no slouch but these are that good. Sundara is a little harder to drive. Edition XS clearer and more detailed across the frequency range. Sundara’s imaging was a little better in my opinion but they are both decent. Layering and instrument seperation are better on Edition XS with the help of its resolution capability and the size of its soundstage.

Edition XS and Sundara

Edition XS vs. HD600​

These two although both can be counted as neutral, are more different than similar. You can check out my HD600 review here. HD600 sounds more veiled. Edition XS clearer and much more detailed across the frequency range.


Timbre is more natural on HD600. Bass is a little more tactile on HD600 because of the Dynamic Driver. Transience is faster on Edition XS but not very slow on HD600 either. Bass on HD600 just lingers enough. Edition XS extends much better into subbbass and is rumblier. The unevenness I mentioned is more noticable against HD600. Presentation is usually closer and more intimate in HD600 but the unevenness mentioned can cause sudden shouts on Edition XS. Treble is brighter, zingier and can be fatiguing on Edition XS during longer listening sessions. Soundstage is much wider on Edition XS. As you would imagine, these are is clearer, more resolving, more detailed etc. etc.

Conclusion​

If you skipped to the conclusion, I want to reiterate that Hifiman Edition XS is a highly technical headphone, which also happens to be decently balanced in its frequency range. Especially soundstage in these is one of the widest I’ve heard so far. They might really be best headphones under 500$. Some people say you don’t have to pay for the tuning, which I agree to some extent. Minor problems can be forgiven or remedied with EQ after all. For the sound signature of these, some people say they are close to V-shape. Although I understand the sentiment, I don’t necessarily agree. Dip in midrange may cause a V-ish perception but, lack of bass shelf keeps me from calling them close to V-shape. In any case, I try to be critical in my reviews. For the Edition XS, I highly recommend them with a few caveats.

Sivga Phoenix, priced as 255$ MSRP, have been talked about a lot when it first came out. Directly aiming at the reigning kings, HD6** series below 500$ at the time, it was relatively successful. In this review I will mostly compare Sivga Phoenix to HD600 (my review here) with a few others.

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I’m not very sensitive to treble so I can enjoy the most notoriously bright headphones, however I’m somewhat sensitive to upper mids area. Please keep these in mind. Also I bought Sivga Phoenix as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Sivga Phoenix and Accesories

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

Sivga Audio is a relatively new brand, founded in 2016. However their roots go deeper than that as they have been producing OEM parts and headphones for other brands and still do as far as I know. They also own Sendy Audio, which is their higher end brand and all of their headphones and earphones have Planar Magnetic Transducers so far. All of the full size headphones in their line up, including Phoenix are made out of wood but their earphones have more diverse materials.
Sivga Phoenix is well made, no doubt about that. If I didn’t know the price, I would say they were easily 700$-800$ headphones. Believe me I also have Sendy Peacocks and they are more similar than different. Either you like it or hate it but everyone admits Sendy Peacocks are one of the most luxurious headphones.
All of Sivga and Sendy headphones come with nice carrying case and accesories, and Phoenixes are no exception. The package includes a nice faux leather carrying case and a soft fabric coated 3.5 mm to dual 2.5 mm cable with linen cable pouch. Weirdly enough, 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm jack adapter is not included in the box, at least there weren’t any in mine. I think I came across such a thing only with Meze X Massdrop Noir 99s. Designers of these headphones must think that you wouldn’t be stuck on a desktop device with these. Yes, they are also very sensitive so you should have no problem driving them from any device.
Comfortwise Sivga Phoenixes are one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. They are light. The surface of earpads that touches the face is fabric so heat build-up is less than average. Headband is suspension strap style and with spring steel and leather. However I have to make a disclaimer: size of the headband of Phoenix is pretty small, so if your head is on the large side, it won’t fit. There was no issue for me but I was very suprised to see such a small headroom in headband adjustment.

Sound​

Bass​

Sivga Phoenix is a warm neutral headphone. If you are coming from a neutral, or in this case dead neutral headphone, first thing you will notice is the warmness and lushness. Subbass rolls off but not too much. You can even say it has an impressive subbass rumble for an open back dynamic headphone. My test track for easily measuring subbass is Violent Dreams from Crystal Castles. There are some others but this song easily has the most 20-30 hz information among the others I know. And here Phoenix has decent amount of wub wub.
Midbass of Sivga Phoenix isn’t accentuated. Physicallity is decent but not very impactful. For comparison, HD600 feels tighter. Bass in the Phoenix is mushier in this sense. Either wooden housing smoothes things over or driver is slower, or maybe both. Still warm tones presents an emotional and relaxed listen.

Mids​

Again mids in Sivga Phoenix is warm. This warmness doesn’t leave you until treble but we will get to that. Lower mids are great. Upper mids are a little recessed. I’m a bit sensitive in Upper Mids so this tuning is quite welcome. But presentation isn’t as intimate as HD6** series. It’s more of a give and take. You lose some intimacy and get some warmness. This also means when you get into mood and increase the volume it won’t get shouty. Strings and piano sounded decent but nothing too impressive.

Treble​

Sivga Phoenix is close to neutral in the most of the treble range. Cymbals are clear and has a decent bite to them. Metal songs were enjoyable, even more than my HD600. It extends better than HD600 too. Treble in Phoenix is well done but not perfect. I caught sibilance here and there but not very often. It usually depended on the track I was listening or the dac I was using. If your dac or amp pushes details in your face, these can get sibilant sometimes.
With these experiences I was going to call Sivga Phoenix a warm and smooth listen and call it a day. But decided to begin torture test. By that I mean torture test for me. It was time to try some JPOP Anime songs, namely Sayuri’s About a Voyage. I love Sayuri’s songs but there is something wrong with them in the upper registers. I don’t know if it is intentional or not but if the headphones are accentuated in the upper treble or air zone, listening to these songs quickly becomes fatiguing. Phoenix in this song became on bearable. It means two things. One: these extend well and feel airy. Two: don’t listen JPOP or similar songs on these. Metal is okay though.

Technical Performance​

Sivga Phoenix is not very clear and detailed. Especially in the mids it sounds stuffy and veiled. I compared them to HD600s a lot but they are very different in this area. Details you can get from them are in the upper registers and I imagine they would make good gaming headphones too.
Their soundstage is a little wider than HD600s and imaging is noticably better too. Well HD6** headphones are worse examples of the market in terms of imaging. But instrument seperation is better on HD600s.
Timbre in Phoenix is not perfect but that doesn’t mean it is necessarily bad, you can say it is fine. In the great scheme of headphone arena, coming by a natural sounding headphone is pretty rare. You can feel some instruments feel off here and there and in the midrange you can’t shake the nasally feeling if you come from more technically capable headphone. But once your brain adjust you don’t get that feeling anymore.

Quick Comparisons​

Sivga Phoenix vs. Sennheiser HD600​

I compared them a lot throughout the review but let me reiterate. Phoenix is warmer and HD600 is leaner. Bass in HD600 is tighter, impact is more impressive but Phoenix extends deeper into the subbass. HD600 is more intimate, clear and detailed in the mids and vocals. Phoenix is rather recessed and almost sounds stuffed in the mids. Treble extension is better in Phoenix. Although mostly enjoyable, can rarely become sibilant and fatiguing. Phoenix also clearer in the treble but no doubt HD600 is more technically capable. Soundstage is a little wider and imaging is better on Phoenix.
I imagine Phoenix aimed at Sennheiser’s share of the market but didn’t quite deliver. Sound profile and presentation is different than similar. Although Sivga Phoenix has better accesories and is cheaper, there is the truth named HD6XX. It is hard to recommend when HD6XX is mostly a better headphone and even cheaper.

Sivga Phoenix vs. Beyerdynamic HD880 600 Ohm​

This may come as a suprise but I didn’t want to stuck onto HD600s for all the comparisons. Bass also extends very well on DT880s, they are more similar than different here. Midbass bump on DT880 makes them feel more dynamic, but it is tight so doesn’t effect the rest of the frequency range. Mids are just right on DT880, doesn’t feel recessed like on Phoenix, clear and crisp. Treble becomes a problem on DT880 more quickly than Phoenix. If your DAC and amp isn’t warm, sibilance and fatigue is waiting for you. DT880 images exceptionally, soundstage is wider and more detailed.
All things aside it is almost a crime that a seemingly neutral headphone like DT880 is this fun. It is almost a V-Shaped headphone in which every part of the frequency range minds their own business. I might just review these too and I hope this comparisons acts like a teaser more than a spoiler.

Conclusion​

Sivga Phoenix is a well built and premium looking headphone that comes with nice accesories. They are one of the easiest to drive headphones on the market so if you don’t want to invest in an amp and alike, they might suit you. I mostly enjoyed listening my music with them, even more than HD600s. I but I can’t say they are a better pair of headphones let alone technically more capable. Sivga Phoenix is an enjoyable headphone. Almost everything sounds good on them. But their capability is limited. I imagine you will be left wanting and expecting more. Also competition in this price range is so stiff I have a hard time recommending it. If you liked what you read and find a good deal or always wanted to try some wooden headphones without breaking the bank Sivga Phoenix might be just the thing for you.

KSC75s are the second of the Koss’ most popular headphones. Well they have several and now there is Utility series, sure but KSC75s are still special. You can also read this review at our website https://www.mobileaudiophile.com/koss-ksc75-review/

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well what they intend to do. I’m not very sensitive to treble so can enjoy most notoriously bright headphones, however I’m somewhat sensitive to upper mids area. Please keep these in mind.

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Built, Comfort, Trivia of KSC75​

KSC75s are kind of a legend in the “audiophile” community. Although they use almost the same driver with the Porta Pros, probably titanium coating on the driver changes the sound, arguably for the better. They come with ear clips instead of a headband. They are also much cheaper; while MSRP of Porta Pros is 50$, KSC75s are sold for 20$, what a bargain! However ear clips are annoying, at least they are for me. They pull down your ear, hurt after a while and seal even less than Porta Pro. Fret not though, ear clips are easily removable and interchangable with Porta Pro headband and several other 3rd party headbands. Also you can use change the ear cushions to suit your taste in color, style and tuning, just like Porta Pros.

Sound of KSC75​

If you are a FR graph guy, imagine tilting the Porta Pro’s FR graph counter clockwise and you get KSC75’s FR. But I’m here to explain what ears hear. KSC75s are as neutral as it gets.


For the bass, these don’t have much of a sub-bass extension either, maybe even less than Porta Pro. In the mid-bass there is a slight hint of a mid-bass hump which adds a little fun factor but nothing excess. It just makes the sound not very lean which is very welcome if you ask me.


Mids are quite good and neutral, not forward, not recessed either. In this sense presentation is very similar to Sennheiser HD600s. In my HD600 review I said they are epitome of neutrality, the dictionary definition of neutral for audiophiles, if you will. Anyway, KSC75s are not as intimate but they don't become shouty either. Porta Pros have more of an intimate presentation in this sense.


If you are sensitive to treble, they may come as too bright or harsh sometimes but they don’t offend me unless I turn the volume too much or the song itself is excessively harsh in that region. They are definitely brighter than HD600s here. If your treble limit is HD600s', then KSC75s might be too harsh for you. Still I enjoy the extra zing. They are pretty detailed and have wider soundstage than average. Again KSC75s are very balanced. Timbre is also very natural, doesn’t sound off in any way.

Conclusion​

KSC75s are the most "audiophile" headphones in Koss' on ear headphones line-up. They produce the most correct sound in the sense of fidelity to the original recording. However music enjoyment is not just about fidelity and if you go higher in price you will come across more technically capable headphones. But for 20$ what can go wrong? You can even play with them a little to satiate your curiosity without breaking the bank. Tonality-wise they can compete with 100$-150$ range. Just don't expect miracles and you will be fine.

This full review is also posted at mobileaudiophile.com



Koss brand is kind of a legend among audiophiles. They were very popular during the golden age of Walkmans. Although much has changed in the music listening habits of people, Koss Headphones stayed on the scene due to their good sound and affordable prices. Porta Pro is the most famous and one of the oldest entries in their product line; a legend among the legends.

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well what they intend to do. I’m not very sensitive to treble so I can enjoy the most notoriously bright headphones, however I’m somewhat sensitive to upper mids area. Please keep these in mind.

Built, Comfort, Trivia​

Porta Pro, like the name implies, very light and portable, comes with a pouch and has a pretty complex headband for a portable on ear headphone. Headband has a comfort setting which changes clamp force and possibly sound a little. Also it has no memory of your choice of length or comfort setting. The headband may pull your hair when you try to adjust the headband length, but that’s not a big problem for me as I hear for the others. They don’t seal and isolate well. You can even call them open back or semi-open back headphones in this sense. Sound profile also confirms this claim.

Sound​

These have a significant sub-bass roll off like most open back dynamic headphones. But the presence of the mid-bass hump makes you forget this absence, unless you are a “wub wub” addict. I am not. They are very dynamic in this sense and can punch pretty hard. Not very fast, but I never felt ends of tones lingered more than they need to.

Mids are warm, lush, somewhat muddy, if you compare to more neutral or technically correct headphones. Frequency Response Graph may suggest otherwise, but vocals are really a strong point of Porta Pros. Somehow they come as intimate and very appealing, at least in lower frequencies, until 2k hz or so.


As you go higher frequencies, Porta Pro insists on staying warm and maybe dark, of course again if you compare it to more neutral headphones. They are relaxed, smooth and easy to listen to. Treble does not extends too high, which is again contributes to the relaxed tone.

About the timbre, this is I think where the Koss headphones shine. Porta Pro has a warm tonality but nothing sounds weird or off. Every voice come as natural. They have a very fun sound which is not fatiguing in any way. They don’t extend too well in the highs. Soundstage and imaging are average. These are not very technical headphones per se. But tonally very well balanced which is not expected in this price range.

Conclusion​

I like Koss Porta Pro headphones a lot. If I don’t like something, I immediately sell them but these are mine and here to stay. Maybe I don’t give them much time. After all, I have lots of headphones and IEMs, most of them are more expensive and capable than these. But I still sometimes take them with me when I go out to grab some groceries. They are very comfortable and portable. And their presentation is like a window to the vast audiophile world. Intimate vocals and impactful bass is a delight. If you need an affordable and decent pair of headphones or don’t want to take your expensive pairs out, give Koss Porta Pro a listen.

Welcome to Sennheiser HD600 review of mobileaudiophile.com. This is by no means my first review but I see it as beginning of greater things in the future so I will rant a little if you don’t mind. Still, if you are not interested you can skip this part.

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Many of you have a pair Sennheiser HD6** series headphones or at least heard one at some point. So probably there is no need for another review of one of the most popular headphones of all time. After all you can read review of another, more accomplished reviewer that you feel more familiar with. However what I am trying to accomplish here is setting a stone; defining a benchmark. So in the future when I review a pair, I will probably compare them to HD600 regardless of the price along with other competitors, so that you will have a better idea of the reviewed headphones and understand where they stand in the grand scheme of things.

Another reason to review such a well known headphones is so that you get to know me better. If you like something I don’t like or vice versa, it is more likely you know it this way. I hope when you get confused about a remark you will come back here and say “Oh, so that’s what he means by that.” These are Fahrettin’s take after all.
Lastly I would love to help you in anyway I can and I hope you would help me to improve myself too. That’s what I have been doing in audiophile groups and forums, helping others and asking for help myself. I see reviewing products as a means to grow up as an audiophile more than anything and definitely saw the positive results of listening with the purpose of reviewing a product. Rant is over, now back to the review.

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well what they intend to do. I’m not very sensitive to treble so I can enjoy the most notoriously bright headphones, however I’m somewhat sensitive to upper mids area. Please keep these in mind.

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

Most of you know that Sennheiser HD6** series are very old and still going strong. Strange thing is, from the series, only HD580 is discontinued. HD600, HD650 and newest addition HD660s are still made. Apart from the newest brother HD660s, HD600 and HD650 are revised visually but the sound didn’t get changed, or if there was a change, it was not so meaningful to make note of. Also with the addition of Massdrop (Drop) collaboration HD6XX, which is an alternative skin to HD650 essentially, HD6** series headphones reached to a wider audiance.

I don’t need to go in detail about the build but have to mention anyway. The Sennheiser HD600 headphones are mostly made out of plastic and metal. One can wish to see more metal but believe me, as someone who has more premium headphones made out of mostly metal, light headphones are something you miss a lot. They may look flimsy but I assure you they are not. This build is around for more than 30 years and some people are still using their 20+ years old pairs.

They may come as clampy at first, especially if you have a big head but you can stretch the headband a little or bend the spring metal outwards to make it more comfortable. Power requirement is not too high. They don’t sound good from a headphone or laptop jack but don’t require a power plant either.

Sound​

Bass​

These are not bassy headphones, we all know that. But before we pass this section I would like to elaborate a little.

Before HD600, I had a pair of Massdrop x Sennheiser HD58X. I liked those headphones but at some point I wanted to try a more refined sound and applied some modes and to some degree I achieved to make them more clear and refined. Then when I found a deal on a pair HD600s, I jumped on it. In my initial comparison I didn’t hear much difference tonally, however difference in refinement was definitely there. Earlier I chose HD58X over HD6XX because I thought my less educated ears would appreciate more bass and extention, also HD58X required less power. But bass of HD600 was tighter, more impactful and had more texture if that makes sense. You could hear the same amount of bass from HD58X but could not “feel” it. Long story short I sold HD58X immediately.

Still HD600 don’t extend into sub-bass very well. I did my test on several songs and can’t say Sub-bass is non existent, it is there but barely. I don’t like too emphasized subbass, but here the sub-bass is simply not enough.

Midrange​

This part needs no explanation. Intimacy is the name of the game and HD600 headphones are one of the best in this area. Vocals are exceptional. I didn’t find them shouty ever but I know some people do. To get irritated I need to increase the volume more than comfortable listening levels. Well, since these are kind of mid-forward headphones, if you increase the volume, mids irritate you before bass and treble so that’s fair. It’s just that the rest of the frequency range is lacking a little compared to mids.

Most of the detail is here in the midrange. You can hear tiny changes in vocalists’ voices. If the song you listen to consist of mostly midrange instruments, you will have a really good time. If not, well…

Treble​

If last part might made you think treble is lacking. That’s not entirely true. Upper mids and lower treble is just right. It is a pleasure to listen to. I want to say I feel the slightest veil that some people make note of when I come from another headphone. But shortly it disappears as my ears adjust to the sound. What doesn’t dissappear is, just like the bass, treble also don’t extend very well. With metal songs I can’t feel the energy and excitement up top. The cymbals sound like they are too far or in another room. It makes to want to turn the knob but then mids become unbearable.

Technical Performance​

I want to say these headphones are detailed but I won’t. Like I said earlier, detailed information only exists in the midrange. I know drivers are capable to produce details for a fact. But tonaly this performance don’t spread out evenly throughout the entire frequency range. Most headphones known as detailed are bright because forward treble makes information up top more audible. Even mediocre drivers may come as detailed with this gimmick. Sennheiser makes the opposite so even if driver produces the sound, that sound masked by other notes and you can’t shake the feeling of missing something. Strangely I don’t get this feeling in my Clear MG and that headphone is even darker. Difference in quality I guess.

Soundstage is also somewhat narrow as you may already know. I feel like I am parroting other reviewers here but I have wider closed-back headphones, like Fostex TH610s. Still being open-back, they don’t fell claustrophobic. However I need to mention, there is a fact named Sundara. They are similarly priced, have better clarity and detail, decent intimacy unlike other mid-dipped Hifimans, wide soundstage and better extention on both sides. I haven’t tried HD600s on tubes unfortunately because the tubes I tried until now were sloppy and I don’t want to dive into that rabbit hole yet.,

Timbre is as natural as it gets, I sense nothing wrong with it and nothing to elaborate, which is a good thing.

Conclusion​

That didn’t end on a high note, did it? Let me address to that. What I made out of HD600s is, they are neutral for the most part but not an all rounder. For vocals, classical or acoustic music, they are a delight. I also enjoyed some low-fi lists people advertise these days a lot. It was a great match. However I couldn’t enjoy Opeth or bass heavy EDM songs, no suprises there.

Let’s take a step back and think. How many headphones do you know that is made in 90s (1998 if I’m not wrong) and still crowd favorite? Maybe other brands learned how to make headphones and competiton got fiercer but people still suggest HD6** series headphones and HD600 arguably best of the iterations. In my opinion HD6XXs are bargain for 200~$ (240$ MSRP on Drop if there is no discount). And if you can find others during sale seasons less than their MSRP, I say grab them. However in 2022 400$ for HD600 (550$ for HD650 and 500$ for HD660s) is a bit stretch. If full size headphone market improved as fast as IEM market, Sennheiser would be in great danger (and they were until they released IE600). But for now, they are still going strong.