OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 Review everyone! While there are several ways to do an entrance, One Dot Audio chose to do a stealthy approach. You may have not heard from them, but they will surely be doing their rounds on different social media platforms. One Dot Audio is a Shenzhen-based audio company that opened recently and has three audiophile IEMs on offer, the OneDotAudio Dolphin, Hesperus, and their current flagship, the Amarantine.

The OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 Review unit, priced at $399, was sent in direct by OneDotAudio in exchange for my take on it. No monetary factors were involved in the process. You can check their official site for the OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 for more information or simply more about their brand and their audiophile lineup.

We’ll start calling the OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 solely ODA Amarantine for the review because the OG name is just too long, and calling it A500 rather than Amarantine would be a waste of chance. Amarantine means immortal or everlasting and can be associated with the Latin-named flower, Amaranthus. I’d like to believe that picking that particular name for this IEM would at least show a semblance of the flower sometimes having smooth to semi-smooth leaves or the eternal aspect of immortality. I’m expecting a smooth-sounding signature and a build quality to last off the ODA Amarantine.

ODA Amarantine Specification sheet:​

Drivers: 5 drivers on each side: 1 dual tweeter, 1 medium-range BA, and 1 dual low-medium BA
Sensitivity: 116dB SPL/mW
Impedance: 8 Ω
Frequency response: 20-20000Hz
Noise isolation: 26dB

OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 Packaging, Build Quality, and Comfort​

The ODA Amarantine comes in a subdued black matte box with only the One Dot Audio logo, branding, and slogan “Let Music Inspire Life” upfront.

The accessories packaged with the ODA Amarantine include red-bored translucent ear tips (S, M, and L) and black bi-flange ear tips (S, M, and L). A black IEM cleaning tool. Last but not least, the signature pine green One Dot Audio IEM magnetic flip storage box is lined with gray felt fabric on the inside with a small elastic net for ear tips and IEM cleaning tool storage on the upper flap. The ODA Amarantine is telling me it wasn’t built for pouches and that it deserves a nice storage unit. Let’s see how that goes with its sound profile.

The ODA Amarantine IEM comes in a resin shell and an Opal faceplate. The shell and the faceplate are well-built and no noticeable uneven surfaces are present suggesting poor quality control. The .78mm 2-pin socket can be easily identified due to its transparent case which is different from the shell itself and a red dot right orientation indicator is marked next to it. A gold ODA logo is also marked below it which might appear VCO to some on first look. A single vent is also present on the topside surface of the shell. The nozzle of the ODA Amarantine is on the shorter side making the need for an ear tip with a firm material necessary. The nozzle also features 3 distinct sound bores.

The ODA Amarantine feels great on the ears and while it leans on the larger size in terms of IEMs, the level of comfort it gives is adequate for those with medium to large ears. Do note that the shell may appear a shade of gray lighter in photos but they do appear gray on hand. The Opal faceplate also offers a touch of vibrancy to the rather subdued overall aesthetic approach of the ODA Amarantine which makes the faceplate even more of a highlight.
The included cable with my OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 review unit is a 4-strand copper plated high purity silver and copper cable terminated in 3.5mm. No modularity between 3.5mm and 4.4mm terminations are offered which would have been an awesome addition given its price point. The braiding has a nice tension to it and is consistent throughout the cable making storage easy and hassle-free.

There have been times when I’ve tried stock cables having inconsistent tension and lengths on them which made wearing them seem a little off-putting. The .78mm 2-pin housing, Y-split, chin slider, and 3.5mm housing are round shiny silver housings with great build quality them. The 2-pin housing is clearly labeled with red and blue right-left ring indicators. The Y-split stays in place and is secured with a resin-filled filling and the the chin slider has a nice amount of tension for a secure placement when needed.

Overall the ODA Amarantie and its stock cable are well-built and appear to invoke an “everlasting” build quality.

OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 Tonality and Isolation​

The ODA Amarantine features a UIEM-styled shell which inherently offers superb isolation and with the included bi-flange ear tips, it just guarantees that Isolation is not an issue with this IEM. I opted to use the M-sized bi-flange ear tips for the duration of the review as it gave the most comfortable listening experience and great isolation as well aside from the fact that it assured me that the ODA Amarantine would stay in my ears even when walking or doing some random house/office stuff.

Let me set this straight, I have a known preference for bright-sounding IEMs but as someone evaluating the ODA Amarantine. I will be sure to state when that certain preference comes into play since I still want my lows, midrange, and soundstage to be done with excellence and coherence.

The ODA Amarantine sounded bright right off the box with its lows showing a lingering effect in its decay. I listened to the ODA Amarantine before I checked what kind of driver configuration it uses and I was trying to find notable low-frequency impact a dynamic driver usually offers and I was thinking there’s a slight chance this set features a dynamic driver only to be surprised that the ODA Amarantine is an all BA IEM.

Although the lows were trying so hard to get my focus off the high-frequency performance, there is no denying that this set has its thing going in the high-frequency. No wonder they marketed this unit for pop and classical music. I’m hoping there will be no sudden high-frequency peaking when I push on to check its high-frequency performance.

I tested my OneDotAudio Amarantine A5000 review unit using the provided medium-sized black bi-flange silicone ear tips. I also used the Sony WM1A (3.02 FW) and the Sony CAS-1 off a Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4. I used various FLAC files as well which will be mentioned in the review.

Lows​

The ODA Amarantine has made its low-frequency presentation as a supporting act for its overall tonal signature. Testing the low frequency was highlighted using Rage Against The Machine’s Take The Power Back in 16/44 FLAC. The sub-bass is rendered in a punchy way despite not being fast and nimble in its delivery. The bass bursts and the midbass is solid without sounding bloated.

I personally really adored how the low-end frequency decay is handled by the ODA Amarantine, it doesn’t overstay its welcome and lingers just enough for it to be savored and then move on. Overall low-end frequency performance is robust and full. There is no powerful and impactful bass thump to be expected on the ODA Amarantine as it just hits things right. Its lows won’t be the main reason you’ll be wanting this particular set of IEMs.

Midrange​

It comes off with a low-frequency performance that rests its case on being moderately good overall. The ODA Amarantine does the middle frequency in a somewhat similar manner. Overdoing and trying to compensate for a lack of excellence on the lows is an approach that OneDotAudio has avoided in the midrange. Testing the midrange made me pull up with Savage Garden’s Tears of Pearls in 16/44 FLAC. The lower midrange benefited greatly from the ODA Amarantine’s above-average low-end decay presentation. It created a vivid sound without being distant-sounding.

The vocals are rendered in a smooth and natural outcome. It is less than lush than I have anticipated it to be yet was still able to avoid sounding flat and veiled. I enjoyed listening to both classical and soft pop tracks with this set of IEMs. It knows that its midrange isn’t its main course and slowly eases its way toward the higher frequencies.

The upper midrange rendering of the ODA Amarantine comes out neutral and open. Signs of excessiveness are already starting to come to the forefront. This approach has created a lively ambiance to its sound which is great to stay away from the dreaded lifeless sound that soft pop and classical music will highlight if an IEM underperforms.

Highs​

Anticipation. You can proceed to check my last in-depth review for an IEM and you’ll see that it's months and even almost a year ago since I’ve been critical towards listening. It was also towards the Astrotec Vesna which is in a different price category as the ODA Amarantine hence my excitement to finally address the main course and definitely where the ODA Amarantine both lives and dies by, its high frequency performance.

The OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 review unit is sharp and crisp right off the bat. I have also done my usual burn-in process for this set which ranges around 70 hours to 200 hours. I did an approximate 80-hour burn-in for this set. The onset sound of the high frequencies being sharp and crisp was retained even after the burn-in.

I graced If You’re Not In It for Love, I’m Outta Here by Shania Twain in 16/44 FLAC for the duration of the high-frequency testing, and damn son, this IEM be winning! The openness which started off the upper midrange allowed the ODA Amarantine to deliver a precise hit on the treble range creating a sweet and open feel. Sudden high-frequency peaks are also easily identifiable and have a touch sharpness to them without being piercing.

The overall high-frequency performance of the ODA Amarantine will be the main reason to consider either buying it and savoring its bright signature or pushing away those who are overly sensitive to the high frequency.

Soundstage and Imaging​

It is all about intimacy for the ODA Amarantine when it comes to its soundstage. It doesn’t present itself as an IEM renowned for it. Yet despite having leaned on the intimate side, it still offers ample separation of various instrumental placements with more focus on depth than width. A faux airy feel may be observed due to its low-end decay and upper midrange lingering in a rather lengthy fashion.

What it lacks for soundstage, it gives more imaging. The ODA Amarantine has superb detail retrieval and the timbre is great on this set. It renders different instrument sounds clear and despite its soundstage, left-to-right and right-to-left instrument sound flow is easily discernible and avoids itself from sounding congested.

The bi-flange ear tips help with this aspect as well. Listening to busier tracks also shows that the ODA Amarantine can have great coherence and timing to it and doesn’t struggle to handle when numerous distinct sound profiles are being presented for rendering. Pairing it with the Sony WM1A showed great synergy because the WM1A has an overall low-end centric sound profile with great emphasis on clarity.

OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 Conclusion​

So does the OneDotAudio Amarantine A500 offer a smooth sound signature and a build quality to last? The short answer would be a resounding yes. The ODA Amarantine offers a distinctly bright sound with a smooth midrange and an ample amount of low-end thump. The build quality being “everlasting” would be up for debate as only time will tell for such an aspect. However, with its well-built stock cable and nice storage box, the ODA Amarantine is priced appropriately and is here to stay. And right after that, join me towards their next IEM, the Hesperus. See yah!

Check out more on Audio Realviews.

A fresh start can be repeated multiple times just like how each school year opens up to a new day. One of the many companies that have been floating around the audiophile scene is taking in the repeated fresh start approach. MoonDrop as an audiophile brand has slowly gained traction with their consecutive IEM hits like the Kanas, Kanas Pro and the KXXS. While I haven’t tested out those mentioned IEMs, my first contact with MoonDrop was with their flagship earbud model, the Liebesleid which showed phenomenal build quality and design. I have since then been intrigued by the brand so when the chance came up to test out one of their products, I immediately said yes.
Shenzhen Audio sent in the MoonDrop Spaceship in exchange for an honest review and no monetary and special request factors are involved. The MoonDrop Spaceship is currently priced at $21.99 with the mic cable and $19.99 for the standard cable and can be purchased directly off the official Shenzhen Audio website.

The MoonDrop Spaceship is spec’d with a single 6mm dynamic driver, a 20 to 40 kHz Frequency Response, 16 Ohm Impedance and 104 dB Sensitivity. MoonDrop clearly made the Spaceship to hit the entry level market and hopes that it takes off. Let’s go for a ride and see where we end up.

The MoonDrop Spaceship surprisingly comes in nice packaging that I have been accustomed to seeing on the KZ, TRN, CCA and Tripowin mafia. By nice I mean a clear plastic case with well-written prints and a refreshing ocean blue gradient. The accessory set is minimal but functional which includes a gray velvet carry case and a set of translucent gray eartips (S, M and L).
The shape and finish of the Spaceships’ shell is the foremost indication as to why this IEM is named as such. This is one of my biases, a bullet-type design which personally gives me great comfort and ease of use. The shell itself features a silver mirror finish which doesn’t come when I try to aggressively remove it using my nails and the joined parts shows no evidence of glue or any bonding material. The nozzle has no lip but it surprisingly was able to hold eartips in place unlike others that also lack the nozzle.
The stock cable is not detachable but is made of 4N Litz OFC, the y-split has the same metallic finish as the shell with the “MoonDrop Co.” printed on it and the 3.5mm housing also sports the same metallic finish. There is considerable microphonic noise when moving often and in touch with your shirt/body.


Tonality and Isolation

Pumping out with DeadMau5’s Cat Thruster in 16/44 FLAC for the low-end performance test immediately reveals the Spaceships’ lack of low-end power and attack. Its sub bass was nimble and thin sounding resulting in a less than thumpy mid bass. The overall bass performance gives the Spaceship a soft and clean low-end. While it doesn’t give the impact and power that bassheads would like, it also doesn’t congest and bleed toward the succeeding frequencies which would have created issues for the Spaceship.

The MoonDrop Spaceship relies on its detailed midrange to do the brunt of the work needed to make it sound decent and not spiral downwards out of contention. Lana Del Ray’s Cherry in 16/44 FLAC sounded smooth and clear. The lower midrange is laid-back and doesn’t give out a full bodied sound but still does its work in the midrange just by the fact that it lets the female vocals push through cleanly. The upper midrange is well-controlled and open. This Spaceship will accompany you well on your workplace and the occasional sneaky spare time that you have.

Just when you think the low-end and the midrange of the Spaceship is relaxed, in comes its high frequencies and it’s like an alarm clock which, instead of ringing furiously, it hums calmly and brings you back to sleepiness. Maroon 5’s Harder to Breathe in 16/44 FLAC was used to test out the highs and while the “bring back to sleepiness” was an exaggeration, the Spaceships’ treble is indeed mellow and borderline soft. Sibilance, sparkle and extension is a no show for the Spaceship. I could easily recommend this as a daily on the go IEM with its non-fatiguing highs, like who needs more stress already?

The Spaceships' soundstage is tilted towards intimacy despite having a small footprint which doesn't give the best passive noise cancelling effect. It is easy to get lost in the track that you are playing with and imaging also hovers around being soft and lacking pinpoint accuracy. The left to right and right to left panning is observable though.

The MoonDrop Spaceship still showcases the metallic design language signature of the MoonDrop brand and it feels and looks premium overall without trying so hard. Its asking price and build quality is also well-positioned to give the Spaceship a fighting chance in its bracket. The midcentric sound that it gives off coupled with an easy going treble completes the package which results in an easy recommendation for the Spaceship for audiophiles looking to have an entry level IEM to add to their collection.

A good introduction creates a stable and sometimes a great ending, while others are caught up and are invested with making sure that their brand barges into the audiophile scene with a good introduction, there are also some that just doesn’t care or its not just a priority or maybe they don’t need it in the first place. Such is the deal with Tri, a new player in the already crowded Chi-Fi IEM game and with not much information to the brand, we could all just rely on their debut IEM to decide if we steer towards it or away from it.
Tri’s debut IEM, the i4 was sent in by Tri in exchange for an honest take on it and no monetary factors are involved. The i4 comes in at a price point of $69 which positions itself in a way that could make way for a dual approach for Tri to either push towards the $100 tier or go on the low based on how the i4 performs. You can head out to the KBEar AliExpress store to check out the Tri i4 since KBEar is a sister brand and both share the same storefront.

The Tri i4 is a single Balanced Armature and single Dynamic hybrid driver IEM and is spec’d out with a 20Hz to 40 kHz Frequency Response, 103dB/MW Sensitivity and 12 Ohm Impedance. There’s not much to draw as an introduction for the Tri i4 and for a newcomer brand in a any field of hobby and business, that’s already a tough task to break. Let’s see if this makes it or breaks it.

I was seriously expecting the Tri i4 to come in mediocre packaging so when it came in a rather decent and presentable box. Protection is present in the form of foam cutouts where the i4 sits and an assortment of accessories are also included, here’s a full list:

• Brown velvet button-type carrying case with the Tri-dent logo
• Brown Velcro cable organizer
• 1 pair black foam ear tips
• 3 pairs black wide-bore silicone ear tips (S, M and L)
• 3 pairs translucent gray with green narrow-bore ear tips (S, M and L)

This specific list of accessories is making a great first impression for the value of money that Tri aims the i4 to have.
The i4 IEM itself comes in only 2 colors; blue and brown. I was able to pick my own color and I went with the brown to match the brown velvet case that the i4 ships with. The i4 IEM has an all metal shell mainly made of aluminum alloy and it indeed feels premium with due to its mirror and smooth finish while still being able to create a brushed metal look. Two vents are present on the i4 to satisfy the dynamic driver and the Tri-dent logo is dead center on the faceplate with the nozzle protruding off the metal body with a well-defined lip making for an easy ear tip rolling experience.
The stock cable that comes with the i4 is a 4-core OFC sheathed in black and isn’t braided but instead uses traditional cable twisting. The tension on the twists are great since it allows for the twists to stay and place while still being resistant enough to retain folds. The sheathing material also feels clean to the hand and doesn’t get a bit sticky or slippery unlike other Chi-Fi black rubberized cables. The MMCX connectors are housed in the same black sheath and has L-R marking respectively. The Y-split and the chin slider is flushed and almost creates a seamless feel along the cable length. The right-angled gold-plated 3.5mm jack has great strain relief and the addition of the Velcro cable organizer made it a great stock cable overall. Microphonic noise is once again kept at a minimum even when used excessively on the go.

The Tri i4 doesn’t shy away from being a warm sounding set and embraces its signature as well as the user that it serves. It is this very aspect of the i4 that allows it to stay on most ears especially at the earlier stages of owning it but the rather easy sounding lows and highs also makes one to reach out for a more bass or treble emphasized IEM. The Tri i4 was tested using the included translucent gray with green narrow-bore ear tips (M) as well as the Sony WM1a music player and the Sony CAS-1 off an MSI GF62-8RE laptop using Foobar2000 v1.4.6 outputting various FLAC files which would be mentioned along the realview.

The Tri i4 handles the low-end with ease and with “time”. Depeche Mode’s No More (This is the Last Time) in 16/44 FLAC was used and the i4 gives the track much more emotion with how it complements the slow-paced bass hits. Sub bass is rendered thick with a slow decay. Mid bass is done tight and weighty but also less punchy than I would have preferred it to be. The overall bass performance came out full-bodied and robust but don’t expect the i4 to cater to your nimble bass cravings as this isn’t going to take being agile with the low-end seriously.

In typical warm sounding signature fashion, the Tri i4’s midrange has no choice but to blend well with the low-end. Bruno Mars came on serenading with his Versace on the Floor in 16/44 FLAC to test out the i4’s midrange abilities. The lower midrange was done full and smoothly. The vocal range of Bruno was clearly evident and gave out a slightly distant-sounding lower midrange. The upper midrange isn’t boosted nor lively, there is no extension to be observed. The i4’s midrange is all about being serene and calm, it doesn’t engage and push the instruments in your face and would be an easy recommendation to those looking for a low-key cozy session with your favorite tracks.

The higher frequency performance of the i4 keeps things in check in terms of adhering to the warm signature that the IEM wants to maintain overall. The treble has no extension and in turn also shows no signs of harshness and sibilance. Maroon 5’s Harder to Breathe in 16/44 FLAC gave clean treble hits with great snap to them, enough to make them pop out a bit. Great clarity is present and is taken into account this time around for the i4.

The i4 gives out an intimate soundstage. Left to right and right to left panning isn’t that observable and makes the imaging to appear center at most times. Layering is however more distinct and gives the i4 a much needed kick in the soundstage department to allow it to create a good separation ability despite the fact that instruments aren’t that great in the width aspect. The flushed shell helps greatly with the soundstage and once again, selecting the best sized ear tips will immensely help the i4’s soundstage performance.

The Tri brand is showing good direction based on the i4 alone and for a brand that is literally just starting, that’s a promising sign. The choice of adding an attractive velvet carrying case and finally some decent stock ear tips is noteworthy too, it seems that this aspects that often haunt Chi-Fi IEMs are looking like a thing of the past. The comfort level of the i4 is also one of its strengths and gives it a fighting chance especially when one is considering multiple options. The i4’s sound also shows a good foundation to work on, a warm sound with clear vocals and a relaxed but enjoyable treble makes it a thumbs up IEM. So what’s wrong with the i4? None, maybe the number of IEMs that you already own might be one.

It’s an upfront name – or really just another attempt of translating a set of ideals into a word that associates itself with taking a leap, charging head on with little regard to either the gains or the losses. A high risk attempt will also incur either high losses or gains. I haven’t heard of the Fearless Audio brand before within the circle of audiophile communities that I’ve been following so it was a surprise when they came barging in releasing a slew of IEMs, or so I thought. Fearless Audio has been doing most of their wallet damaging moves in China and only decided to move out and see what the whole world has to offer or what they can offer. You can check out their full on Fearless Audio Chinese website if you want to dig deeper.

What we have now to realview is the Fearless Audio S6 RUI, their median rendition of how they interpret a $400 IEM, more or less. Linsoul Audio sent the S6 RUI in exchange for an honest take on it, there were no monetary factors involved as well. The Fearless Audio S6 RUI currently retails at $389 for its UIEM version with the transparent series design. A multitude of customization options can be used on the S6 RUI, from making it into a CIEM along with your own choice of faceplate design and shell color choice which could run up to $505. You can check out the revamped and redesigned Linsoul Audio webpage to check out the S6 RUI as well as the whole Fearless Audio lineup.
The Fearless Audio S6 RUI features 6 Balanced Armatures (1 Sonion Dual Bass BA Driver, 1 Knowles and 1 Sonion Midrange Frequency BA Driver and 2 Knowles Treble BA Driver) with 3-way crossover and 2 sound tubes. It is spec’d out with a 20Hz to 20kHz Frequency Response, 113dB/MW Sensitivity, 26dB Passive Noise Reduction and 20 Ohm Impedance. The S6 RUI surely feels like it would be a great-sounding IEM from a relatively new brand and we would be here to see it unfold, for better or for worse. Let’s get this on!

The Fearless Audio S6 RUI came in a clean looking cardboard board box which doesn’t show anything on the front except for an outline of a UIEM along with the Fearless Audio logo and branding on the lower left corner and a QR code and product specifications at the back. Inside will reveal the black horizontal hard case and metal ownership card indicating the serial number, maker, date manufactured and factory address. The accessory set of the S6 RUI is a total overkill especially with the ear tips, along with a cable clip and cleaning tool. Here’s a list for the included ear tips:

• 1 pair gray foam ear tips
• 1 pair blue foam ear tips
• 1 pair red foam ear tips
• 1 pair black foam ear tips
• 3 pairs whirlwind ear tips (S, M and L)
• 3 pairs black silicon ear tips (S, M and L)

The Fearless Audio S6 RUI may come in any design depending on the users’ preference but what the common factor would be is that they would all come with a smooth finish and no imperfections as well as bubbles and nicks on its faceplate and shell. The nozzle highlights the 2 sound bores along with the lack of nozzle lip which made tip rolling for the S6 RUI annoying and will oftentimes leave most of the ear tips that I used with it despite the already overkill inclusion of ear tips it comes with. The 2-pin socket is a bit recessed as well and I’m not sure if it’s possible to request a flushed one, Linsoul Audio is very much responsive to queries so feel free to verify if that’s the configuration you’d want. The overall comfort for the S6 RUI’s UIEM version was great and rests well on my ears, isolation is once again top-notch thanks to the UIEM silhouette.
The stock cable that the S6 RUI comes with an 8-core SPC cable which terminates into a 3.5mm plug. The cable is covered in silver and TPU and uses metallic silver hard plastic Y-split and chin slider with the Fearless Audio logo and branding. The cable uses round braids which is loosely assembled attributing to very soft feel of the cable which is even shows flabby portions within the braids. The 2-pin .78mm plug is housed in a metallic silver housing with red and blue line markers as well as an over ear memory wire guide. The 2-pin plugs when plugged into the S6 RUI feels loose and needs only a minor tug for it to detach which isn’t great at all. I tried using the stock cable on other .78mm IEMs and it worked great as well as using different 2-pin .78mm cables on the S6 RUI which also worked great, so it’s just a case of an imperfect match between the S6 RUI and its stock cable. It won’t fall off easily though if that’s what you are worried about. There is also minimal microphonic noise to be observed when using the stock cable on the go.

Fearless Audio opted to release 2 variations for the S6 namely the Rui and the Pro. The S6 Rui is marketed to have a sound with a slight focus on the upper frequency performance. I, myself loves a well-defined upper frequency performance so the S6 Rui tickled my curiosity right when it arrived. I used the stock Medium whirlwind ear tips for the duration of the realview despite it falling victim to the S6 Rui’s lack of a lip nozzle thus resulting in numerous times that the ear tips got stuck on my ears once the S6 RUI is removed. The S6 Rui overall sounded balanced with good coherence between the low-end and the midrange tones and a soft emphasis on the highs which we would get into detail. I used the Sony A46HN music player as well as the Sony CAS-1 desktop system off the MSI GF62-8RE laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4 outputting various FLAC files which would be mentioned along the realview.

The Fearless Audio S6 Rui is able to give out a low-end performance that would keep you glued to your seat, bass drops are impactful and thumpy. I used Lady Gaga’s Brown Eyes track in 24/44 and while it isn’t fast and nimble, it is still able to deliver a punchy and thick sub bass rumble. The mid bass is weighty and tight, one that accompanies subsequent bass drops to showcase a full-bodied bass delivery. The Fearless Audio S6 Rui is far from being a basshead IEM but the way it handles the low-end cleanly is notable and it’s good that Fearless Audio can achieve this and not overdo just to gain a following.

While the low-end performance of the S6 Rui hints at a careful control of not overdoing, the midrange performance of the S6 Rui exemplifies a soft and oftentimes tested approach by making sure that it sounds clear and detailed. Norah Jones’ Nightingale track in 24/88 FLAC was rendered articulate and smooth. The lower midrange showed great coherence with the overall midrange tonality by giving a full-bodied presentation but is near being distant-sounding. The upper midrange is controlled well with a hint of being slightly-boosted. The S6 Rui is a good companion for those midrange-centric IEM lovers.

This is where the gravity is at, the center of attention. The S6 Rui is supposed to be the high frequency performer that Fearless Audio envisions for its S Series of IEMs and there is truth to it, not set in stone but it indeed exhibits an elevated high frequency performance. I used Foster the Peoples’ Doing it for the Money in 16/44 FLAC to test out the highs and it was able to deliver a raspy and crisp treble that is still able to transition into a mellow pace for an eventual open and sweet experience. There is sparkle to be observed as well. While the upper frequency on the S6 Rui is evident, the fatiguing experience is nowhere to be found and so is sibilance. This might not give that wicked treble bite that some craves but at least the S6 Rui doesn’t shy on being bright sounding at times.

The Fearless Audio S6 Rui has a depth focused soundstage presentation. It is able to give out a precise imaging experience as well. Instrumental tones and placement are easily discernible. While there is ample left to right and right to left panning to be observed on the S6 Rui, it doesn’t reach a wide sounding ambience. Layering is great and accurate thanks to great detail retrieval performance of the S6 Rui. I wouldn’t be using the S6 Rui for my gaming sessions.

The Fearless Audio S6 Rui tries to do multiple things at a time and while it does some parts exceedingly well like juggling the high frequency gamble of offering treble extension while not being harsh-sounding and hitting just the right amount of midrange body is already enough to make it an already easy to enjoy IEM. It suffers a crucial hit on some areas like the lack of a lip nozzle and the rather loose braiding used on the already fantastic looking cable which continues to its 2pin connection. The accessory set is great and would appease the lip nozzle issue a bit as well as the cable clip. I just hope they do away with the excess ear tips and cable clip and address the weaknesses, as the name says, Fearless.

iFi Audio is a company based in UK launched in 2012 with a vision of improving sound quality and eradicating distortion, noise and hiss from different audio equipment. They are well known for their plethora of DACs, AMPs and a lot more that usually fits in an audiophile’s everyday audio chain. One of their well-known offering was the Micro iDSD which gained them more respect resulting in a fan base which in turn voiced feedbacks on improvements the Micro iDSD could have. With iFi Audio’s mantra of improving sound quality, they were more than willing to take in the feedback of their product users which eventually gave birth to a beefed up version of the Micro iDSD.

This beefed up version is none other than the Micro iDSD Black Label, iFi Audio’s top-rated desktop DAC and headphone amplifier. Clad in anodized black coating with orange accents which coincidentally matched my default Foobar theme. The color contrast is one of the best combo that electronic devices usually goes for which Sony’s black industrialized theme has pioneered. It still retains much of the OG Micro iDSD features and form factor but has ironically “amped” up features which can be summarized as follows:

• Performance-tuned 3D® Plus and XBass® Plus
• ZeroJitter/Femto clock system upgraded for lower phase-noise/jitter
• Digital engine upgraded with iFi custom ultra-low noise Op-Amp OV2028
• Analogue section upgraded with iFi custom ultra-low noise Op-Amp OV2627
• Ultra-low impedance OS-CON polymer capacitors and Panasonic audio-grade ECPU film capacitors

The iFi micro iDSD Black Label currently retails for $549 and ฿21,900 over at ProPlugin’s website. iFi Audio via their exclusive Thailand distributor, ProPlugin, sent me the review unit. If you happen to be around Bangkok, Thailand, I highly recommend you to check out ProPlugin for their extensive Pro Audio solution especially iFi Audio.

3D+ and xBass+
There's currently a collection of signature and distinct technologies that iFi Audio parades and two of those are in the Micro iDSD Black Label, the 3D+ and xBass+ features in its latest iteration is in the Micro iDSD Black Label with signs that such features, even it its current brilliance, are still being worked on for further improvements. What the 3D+ feature highlights is the benefit of providing a more immersive experience by providing broader spatial accuracy which is one of the areas audiophiles are very critical off. The xBass+ feature aims to provide an added oomph to the low-end frequency performance which most gear are delicate with, it allows the user an adaptable option towards certain low-end preferences depending on their specific needs. iFi Audio knows these features would interest a lot of audiophiles and it’s great that they managed to create a detailed account as to what this supposedly do, you can check out their resource about the 3D+ and xBass+ features by clicking on the hyperlinks.

HeadAmp Turbo and iEMatch
iFi Audio’s top-rated desktop DAC and headphone amplifier wouldn’t be as top-rated without the Headamp Turbo feature which addresses all easy to drive and power-hungry headphones and earphones that its potential audiophile users may possess in their collection. Headamp Turbo allows the Micro iDSD Black Label to have 3 distinct power output levels being Eco (2.0V/250mW@16Ohm), Normal (4.0V/1,000mW@16Ohm) and Turbo (2.0V/250mW@16Ohm). The iEMatch feature in the Micro iDSD Black Label is another in-house developed tech which even has its own product line but iFi Audio decided to incorporate it to address the increasing gap of impedance values on different IEMs being released in the market, the iEMatch comes in 3 distinct levels being Off , High-sensitivity (-12dB adjustment) and Ultra-sensitivity (-24dB adjustment). The integration of these 2 features allowed me to tweak and fine-tune to my preferences the Micro iDSD Black Label according to the headphone and earphone that I happen to pick up and use and it worked well. The Turbo toggle was the setting that I used the least since the Eco and Normal power outputs were more than enough to power most of my IEMs and Headphones, a different story happened with the iEMatch as I found myself constantly toggling between the options as I do have a lot of review unit IEMs on my rotation which demanded different gain adjustment. This experience allowed me to appreciate the versatility of the Micro iDSD Black Label.

The iFi Audio Micro DSD Black Label comes in the signature iFi Audio packaging in white which would have been great if it came in black to match the Micro DSD Black Label’s updated colorway. It highlights the vast features that is packed inside their Micro iDSD BL and with vast features comes vast accessories. Here’s the complete list.
Accessory list:

• Horizontal stacking rubber feet
• USB A Female > B Female Cable
• Caps for RCA sockets
• iFi bag
• USB3.0 A MALE > A FEMALE
• Silicone bracelet
• Label of battery charging
• RCA cable
• 6.35 > 3.5 adapter
• 3.5 male > male cable
• Optical Adapter
• USB A Female > B Female Adapter
• User manual
• Warranty Card

The Micro iDSD Black Label is as industrialized and modernized as it gets build-wise, from its anodized black chassis to its chamfered edges up to its protruding panels screams discrete masculinity. Despite the extensive knobs, ports and switches on the Micro iDSD BL, there are no loose parts to be observed when shook. All the switches offered a great feedback click when toggling as well as the volume knob, it feels smooth to turn and adjust. Handling the Micro iDSD BL was also easy because of its overall familiar vertical orientation which most power banks come in. It also consumes little desk space especially if you manage its connection cables well. The choice of using switches for the 3D+ and xBass+ features was personally great as it was easy to identify if turned on or off unlike a button/indicator LED combo.

The Micro iDSD BL’s front panel features the power/volume knob which gives out a distinct click when turned on, it’s at the 7’oclock mark when off and spins up to the 5’oclock mark for full volume. A single orange tick on the power/volume knob indicates its current volume level. At the center of the front panel is the 3.5mm input port which can be used to feed audio output from various mobile devices, sandwiching this 3.5mm input port are the 3D+ and xBass+ switches, the 3D+ feature only works on headphones when the 6.3mm port is used and doesn’t work for speakers when the 6.3mm port is used. Both the 3D+ and xBass+ are analogue signal processing systems which has their own distinct pathways for audio output.

The Micro iDSD BL’s back panel houses most of its input and output ports such as the Combo SPDIF Coaxial/Optical Input and Output which is auto-switching depending on the presence of USB audio signal. Next to the Combo SPDIF Coaxial/Optical Input is the RCA Line Output port for HiFi systems which I wasn’t able to test. The final port at the back is the recessed USB digital input which also doubles as the charging port. This is the main input port that I use to pair the Micro iDSD BL with my laptop and mobile phone to dish out my favorite tunes.

The side panel of the Micro iDSD BL is ribbed and features the switch toggle for the “Power Mode (Headamp Turbo)”, “Polarity” and “Digital Filter” features, the “Power Mode” button comes in red to differentiate it and also act as an identifier for ease of use. The other side of the Micro iDSD BL is the single USB –A (5V/1.5A) port for the “SmartPower” feature which allows you to charge portable devices such as your mobile phone and music player, it does charge larger portable devices such as tablets but would drain the battery faster making it less battery efficient in the long run. Using the “SmartPower” feature is independent from music playback and you either use the Micro iDSD BL for music playback or for charging. I'm not a fan of this feature, I'd rather bring my own power bank than "waste" the Micro iDSD BL's battery life because my experience with SmartPower feature wasn't positive as it made me to actually lose actual playback time so don't ask me how fast it charges.

All sides of the Micro iDSD BL featues all the necessary inputs, outputs, switches or knob and the under panel doesn’t escape that. The under panel features all the essential Micro iDSD BL specifications and feature descriptions along with the iEMatch and RCA Line Output switches. There is no rubber feet pre-installed this time around but iFi Audio got you covered with a set included in the package. There have been sightings from actual users though of the iEMatch switch dropping so here goes iFi Audio, feedback.

The Micro iDSD Black Label packs the Burr-Brown Multibit DAC chip to accommodate its main processing tasks and it does it seamlessly, there were no hiccups whatsoever in my experience with it. I have mainly used the Micro iDSD BL’s USB-A input connected to my Windows 10 laptop via the supplied USB A male to USB A female cable, it was as simple as plug and play, there were no driver requests as well. I have used the same connection cable in connecting the Micro iDSD Black Label to my Samsung S10 5G’s USB C port using the Type C OTG cable supplied with the S10 5G, there were also no annoying cutouts experienced and connection was seamless and nuisance-free. The Micro iDSD Black Label’s connection stability continued on to its 3.5mm input port when used as a standalone amp via the supplied 3.5mm to 3.5mm interconnect, it worked great when connected to the Sony A46HN music player as well as the Zishan DSD and encountered no nagging connection issues.

The size of the Micro iDSD BL doesn’t come to naught as it packs a 4800Ah battery in order to sustain all the heavy lifting especially for the PowerMode’s Turbo and SmartPower. iFi Audio provides an estimated battery life of around 6-12 hours within the Eco to Turbo parameters. I tested out the Micro iDSD BL on Eco with all special features turned with iEMatch cycling depending on necessity and it lasted me 11 hours and 38 minutes while at Normal yielded 8 hours and 45 minutes. I wasn’t able to utilize the Turbo mode that much as most of my headphones and IEMs were sufficiently driven already with just the 2 modes. Charging the Micro iDSD BL was easy as the nature of its usage allows it be charged most of the time rather than being forgotten, the LED indicator on the upper panel was just an added bonus to indicate the battery level as I never had the Micro iDSD BL quit out on me while in use. The fact that I wasn’t able to utilize the Turbo mode made things interesting due to the potential that it has in powering future cans that might demand more power than the 2 earlier modes can provide. I only tested the SmartPower to confirm it is working and never had it take on a full cycle of charging another portable device, there were no hiccups and the Micro iDSD BL didn’t warm up too much just like a usual power bank does.

I have already heard ravings about the Micro iDSD BL way before I have ever tried one and most of the feedback were how they were able to drive power-hungry cans and not much about their distinct sound signature or a singular sonic improvement. The Micro iDSD BL started on a weird note from the get go for me as though I used it on the Eco mode most of the time, it always started to provide sound on the right earpiece of any IEM as well as headphone that I plug it into and only balances out when the volume knob was at the 9’oclock position, this continued to happen in all audio related tasks from regular music playback, movies and gaming. While this might be bothersome for some, I’m personally fine with it as it’s a matter of habit before one would be used to it though would be best not to have to do that.

I tested the Micro iDSD BL’s sound while being paired with the Samsung S10 5G via OTG as well as via USB connection with the MSI-GF62 8RE-055TH and Foobar2000 v1.4 with 16/44 FLAC (MCR’s Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits) and DSD64 files (MJ’s Thriller album). The Micro iDSD BL’s sound is drop dead analytical and sterile and couple that with a dark and silent background gives it a great sound signature that most purists would love, ironic as it might be that with all the special features that the Micro iDSD BL possess. It makes for a perfect analog equalizer with all its knobs and switches. The 3D+ features does indeed work but is more easily discerned in closed back headphones (Meze Audio 99 Neo) than when used in IEMs (LX Ear Pluto and Custom Art FIBAE Black) and open back cans (ATH-AD900x). It creates a subtle expansion emphasized more in width than with creating a better layering delivery, the already dark background compliments well with this outcome. The xBass+ feature is the one that I personally find more appealing and useful as it works on all the gears that I paired with the Micro iDSD BL. It doesn’t add more bass or anything of that sort but instead cleans out the delivery of the lows giving a fuller bodied feel and control on the attack, especially with pure BA setups such as the IEMs I used for this realview. The Micro iDSD BL’s sound signature and technical “improvements” that its features add to the mix of your DAP and HP/IEM makes for overall experience which is more analytical and details-centric on an almost pitch black background to the extent that it sucks out the fun in one’s rig.

The Micro iDSD Black Label is indeed black, its ability to render the totality of the sound signature to be devoid of noise and hiss while pumping out loads of power enough to tackle most power-hungry cans which in turn allows for individuals who possess easier to drive cans to be able to finally check on those harder to drive cans they’ve been checking out. It still retains the inherent sound of the gears in its path and only enhances where most are lacking, soundstage and low-end presence. It packs a lot of features which isn’t gimmicky and actually functions to the point that some of it would be left unused once you’ve settled to your preferred setup. Its footprint also leaves one to always be on edge on bringing in out as a portable device as it isn’t that handy as some would say while being too small to be a true desktop setup solution. The Micro iDSD Black Label’s asking price of $549 is justifiable considering you get standalone product features such as the iPurifier and iEMatch, which if you haven’t tried yet is truly a feature worthy of being included in most DAC/Amps to date. I don’t need the SmartPower feature though and if that could be shelved and make the next Micro iDSD iteration more compact would be great since the direction of the Micro iDSD BL’s sound signature points to an audiophile’s purist ego, but hey, I'm just one of the many that voiced my feedback.

The distinct aroma of Oriental cooking, the finesse and elegance of Parisian cuisine and the vigorous and festive scent of Caribbean barbecue all has one thing common, each represents a cultural and unique process of translating their traditions into the way they treat their food. Such regional and localized processes brought about a sense of individuality which eventually showcased one’s affinity towards having something different from what the other has. The same goes in the audiophile industry where in a time where mass and automated production is king, customization and personalization is starting to become more and more, a premium.

This customization and personalization approach in the audiophile industry is prevalent in the In-Ear monitor segment where CIEMs are considered an end all be all solution by most in their earphone journey. An embodiment of this very approach is LX Ear, makers of CIEM units based off Bucharest, Romania. Founded by a passionate sound engineer way back 2016 ensures anyone that the LX Ear group knows the ins and outs of your in-ear monitor wants and needs. I have previously reviewed their uber comfortable semi-CIEM, the LX Ear Jupiter which is one of the most comfortable earphones I have used thanks to the flexible and bio-compatible material used on it for its overall body.
What we have now though is their take on the full hard resin CIEM approach, their flagship LX Ear Pluto. The LX Ear Pluto offers to provide a “fast, accurate lows, natural mids and a smooth, extended hi frequency response” sound according to their official product description which we would put the test. The LX Ear Pluto was sent in by LX Ear for an honest review. The LX Ear Pluto currently retails for € 999 and you can check it out from the official LX Ear website and on the LX Ear Facebook and Instagram pages.

The LX Ear Pluto is spec’d out with quad BA driver (2 x low, 1 x mid + 1 x hi dual combo) by Knowles, 100 Shore A hardness, 20Hz to 20kHz Frequency Response, 111dB SPL @ 1kHz @ 1mW Sensitivity, 28 Ohm @ 1 kHz Impedance and a Total Harmonic Distortion @ 113.5 dB max. SPL of 10%.

The LX Ear Pluto sports the usual black vertically oriented hard case which is similar to what you’d get from 64 Audio and Fearless Audio setups. Inside this very case is a black rubber cutout which conforms to the CIEM unit and the accessory set coming in the form of a gold-plated 6.3mm adapter, cleaning tool and cloth. A product manual and warranty booklet along with a desiccant is also present. The case works great for its purpose but would love to see the LX Ear branding on it and an option to add your name on it as others have done or maybe something different, for a more personalized appeal.
Having used 3D printing for crafting the Pluto’s overall shell and faceplate allowed for pinpoint accuracy in relation to the ear impression that was sent to LX Ear which they also details different important points to take into account when taking your ear impressions from an audiologist. There were no cosmetics flaws observed and it was great that LX Ear sent in the full clear shell and faceplate along with the LX Ear logo on the right faceplate and Audio Realviews logo on the left faceplate. The full clear shell and faceplate allowed for peek into how LX Ear did the internal wiring and the quad BA driver orientation and configuration which was secured in a single round of what appeared to be a translucent plastic band, the Pluto features dual sound bores to allow for separation between frequencies and phase alignment. The LX Ear Pluto can either come with a recessed or flushed 2-pin female socket. While my review unit came in the full clear shell and faceplate design, LX Ear has tons of options for its shell and faceplate. Premium faceplate materials such as noble wood, carbon and brushed aluminum. Feel free to check out the official LX Ear site and contact them 1st hand for your personal inquiries.
The stock cable that came with the Pluto is a gold-plated 2-pin connectors on a 50-inch silver plated tinsel cable that can be in a clear TPU sheath or in black to match most aesthetic configurations on the Pluto’s shell and faceplate, a Linum Premium BAX cable with a T2 connector is also available for an upgrade price of € 200. My review unit came with the clear cable which has great strain relief on all places necessary, from the Y-split to the gold-plated 3.5mm L-plug. A subtle chin slider is also present on the stock cable which is necessary for a CIEM unit, the over the ear memory guide is also contoured well and has a discreet red dot that serves as a the left to right marker as well as a signal marker. I wouldn’t have the urge to change the stock cable as it did great in terms of comfort and having almost no microphonic noise when used either stationary or mobile.

The LX Ear Pluto promised a somewhat balanced sound signature and it showcased just what LX Ear said it to be, that is when you’re in the state of just using it fresh. The Pluto eventually sounded dark with a lingering presence on the low-end and tamed highs. Isolation and seal was great as to be expected from a CIEM unit, in case of seal and fit issue, LX Ears offers a 30 day refit warranty. I used the xDuoo X10Tii connected via coaxial to the xDuoo XD-05 and the Sony CAS-1 desktop system off the MSI GF62-8RE laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4 outputting various FLAC files which would be mentioned along the realview.

The LX Ear Pluto’s low-end capability was tested using Lady Gaga’s Brown Eyes in 16/44 FLAC and it started with a thick sub bass delivery that has a touch of rumble, it dissipates slow and creates a rough textured sub bass. Mid bass performance wasn’t that thumpy and weighty but has some tightness and control to it that avoids it to cloud and mask other tones. The Pluto has a loosely packed bass overall, it doesn’t lack power yet it also doesn’t deliver the cleanest bass drops that you’d fine, I found it lovely when paired with tracks that highlights a controlled chaos on its emotions which was why I enjoyed rocking Lady Gaga for now.

I have showcased in my opening salvo for the LX Ear Pluto how regionalized and localized processes sometimes breeds unique and captivating results and for the Pluto’s midrange test I happened to be listening to Philippine’s very own Leah Salonga, heard that surreal Aladdin “A Whole New World” track? She’s the feminine half of that, PH meets RO for now. I used Leah Salonga’s A Song for You – I Can’t Make You Love Me from the 2017 Blurred Lines album in 16/44 FLAC to assess the Pluto’s midrange performance. The lower midrange resolution of the Pluto was rendered in full and allowed for an engaging and inviting transition towards succeeding frequencies. The vocals on the Pluto was rendered full, articulate and rich with a touch of an almost fluffy feel. There are no boosts to be found on the upper midrange but it sounds breathy and far from being muffled despite having that already warm signature from the prominent low-end emphasis. You could keep the Pluto for long and have it lullaby you to laziness.

The LX Ear Pluto’s highs follows the ensemble laid down by its low-end and midrange performance by showcasing a smooth and clean presentation and execution. Maroon 5’s notoriously famous Harder to Breathe in 16/44 FLAC was used to test the Pluto’s high frequency performance. The treble has a subtle snap to it but still sounds mellow and soft for a treble head like me. There is a noticeable softness and lack of extension which in turn avoided a piercing and harsh experience, perhaps a tad risk of extension won’t harm though. Instrumental tones has less aggressive attack presence. Audiophiles who are sensitive to higher frequency will find the Pluto’s respect for their preference a good quality to have.

Intimate and focus on depth is what LX Ear Pluto chose to prioritize in its soundstage department. There is a sense of being placed in a vacuum devoid of any nuisance. While it has average imaging capabilities, it is still able to provide a good sense of instrument and vocal positioning. Left to right and right to left panning is still observable as well. Detail retrieval and precision especially in width oriented tracks wouldn’t feel too appealing and that’s just in the aspect of width, if you’re taking into account the immersive feel and the overall warm signature of the Pluto, you’d be just like that, alone and undisturbed to the extent that you’re kicked out of being considered a planet.

The LX Ear Pluto was a surprise addition to my realview queue and one which I was very happy to come in such way. The experience and journey of getting your own ear impression might be a thing that is done on a regular basis and not something valuable to some is an understatement of what the Custom In-Ear monitor game has grown, you could see individuals getting in and off with their CIEMs every now and then. With LX Ear Pluto, you get not only an intimate and warm sounding set of earphones that doesn’t skimp on providing distinct tones and the right timbre but also great build quality and responsive after-sales service, one that makes you google where Romania is and checking the 10 things you could possibly do in case you embark on a trip to that country on the western shores of the Black Sea.

Origem is the new kid on the block in the ever growing wireless audiophile earphone market. Based off Hong Kong and established in 2014 by a group of passionate people immersed in different facets of the audiophile community with a mentality of “breaking the rules, leading the trend”.
Origem happened to reach out to me and offered if I can check out their current flagship wireless earphone, the Origem HS-3 with HDR Audio Algorithm. The review unit was sent in exchange for an honest review and no monetary factors are involved. Priced at $99, the Origem HS-3 offers you a wireless earphone that allows you to have a magical acoustic experience and to overcome obstacles by freeing yourselves, fancy, right? You can check out the Origem official website for more information about their history and the HS-3 and all their other products. For now, let’s dive deeper into that HS-3 rabbit hole.

NOTE: Origem offered a special price for Audio Realviews readers and you can get the HS-3 for a limited time price of $59.99 by using this code (ORIGEMFAN) valid from 2019.8.26 to 2019.9.26 upon purchase from the official Origem website. Finish reading the realview 1st as always before completing.

Origem HS-3 Spec sheet:

• Drivers : 10mm graphene dynamic driver
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• DSP: HDR (High Dynamic Range) algorithm
• IP Rating: IPX5 (Dust, water-resistant)
• Bluetooth Version: 5.0
• Supported BT profiles: A2DP, HFP, HSP, AVRCP
• Supported BT codecs: apt-X, AAC, SBC
• Operating Frequency: 2.40-2.48GHz
• Pairing : Single & Dual Pairing
• Operating Range : Up-to 10 meters (33ft)
• Weight: 24g (HS-3 alone) 32g (Carrying case with charging cable and included silicon eartips)
• Cable length: 70cm
• Mic System: Knowles IA610 SmartMic
• Voice Prompt/Control : Yes
• Battery: rechargeable lithium polymer (3.7v)
• Play Time : ~6-8 hours
• Charge Time : 40 minutes

The Origem HS-3 comes in a white flap box with the HS-3 snapshot upfront and the product features on the back. Opening the flap shows a clear plastic cover with the HS-3 wireless earphone resting on a black foam cutout with a black synthetic oval leather case containing the accessory set, here’s the complete list:

• USB charging cable
• 4 sized black silicon Origem eartips (XL, L, M and S)
• Black cord management clip

The Origem HS-3 comes in 3 color options, Silver, Red and Gunmetal. I was sent the Red one and it appears to be the signature colorway for the HS-3. The HS-3 is made mostly of hard plastic and smooth red rubber cable that connects both left and right ear pieces. The hard plastic used on the HS-3 employs nano-coating technology which is often used in car surface detailing to make it hydrophobic and water-repellant which did great when I used it during a routine jogging and workout session. The +/- 70 degree rotating ear hook on the HS-3 is made of metal with a rubberized end which gets into contact with the ear lobe the most, it was great in securing the HS-3 in place and wasn’t uncomfortable to use. The mic controls are on the right side of the cable which comes in a 3-button configuration (-, + and a multi-function button) and uses the Knowles IA610 SmartMic system inside allowing for a multitude of controls with great accuracy and precision while still being highly power-efficient despite being "always on". The buttons are easy to identify and use even when the HS-3 is worn. The cord management clip also made wearing HS-3 much easier and secure. Here’s a list of what the 3-button configuration supports:
Multi-function Button (MFB)

• 2s press - Power on
• 3s press – Reject a Call
• 4s press - Power off
• 1x press - Play/Pause track, Accept/End Call
• 2x press - Activate Voice Assistant
• 3x press – Enter BT pairing mode

Minus Button (-)

• 1x press - Increase Volume
• 2s press - Play previous track

Plus Button (+)

• 1x press – Decrease Volume
• 2s press – Play next track

As if Mic controls aren’t enough, Origem also opted to add Voice commands on the HS-3 to emanate that leading the trend mentality in the form of a very smooth sounding female voice assistant for those voice prompts, commands and notifications. The HS-3 Voice command function can be activated with a 2x press on the MFB or dictating right away the collection of commands such as:

• Play Music, Pause Music, Previous Song, Next Song, Accept Call, Reject Call and Hello VoiceQ

The voice command function worked great when used on a fairly silent office room setting and even on a busier running track or just your regular outdoor setting, each voice command when confirmed working is indicated by a single beep on the HS-3. An incoming call is indicated by an “Incoming call” prompt by the HS-3 female voice assistant. Other voice prompt and notifications are “Power On”, “Power Off”, “Paired”, “Disconnected” and “Battery Low”. A single indicator LED light is also available on the 3-button enclosure as well as a mic and the micro USB port for charging which is covered by a permanently attached rubber flap. The indicator LED light has a variety of connotations which are as follows:

• Power On: Blue light
• Pairing: LED flashes blue and red alternately for 2 minutes
• Standby (Unconnected state): LED flashes red slowly with an interval of 3 seconds
• Paired without Music playback: LED flashes blue slowly with an interval of 3 seconds
• Paired with Music playback: LED flashes blue twice with an interval of 5 seconds
• Incoming Call: LED flashes blue quickly
• Dialing: LED flashes blue quickly
• During a Call: LED flashes blue twice every 5 seconds
• Charging: Red light
• Charging complete: No light
• Low Battery: LED flashes red with a voice prompt “Battery Low” every 1 minute

The overall build quality of the Origem HS-3 is solid and has little to complain about when taking into account that it isn’t a true wireless earphone. I would have preferred a smaller footprint on the earphone itself as the somewhat large face-plate made finding a great fit hard and take some time. It’s good though that despite the rather large footprint of the HS-3’s main ear piece, it still stays in place when worn off and has never fell off my ear when in use, even when running at a quicker pace, the cable doesn’t bounce as much as I expected it to.

The HS-3 uses the premium Qualcomm CSR8670 BT Audio SoC for its wireless capabilities and it does pack and deliver a lot of connectivity option such as being able to connect to 2 distinct devices to the HS-3 and can be toggled when active. Pairing the HS-3 was easy and displays “Origem Crazy Mix” on the paired device. I had never encountered any issues with connecting and pairing the HS-3 when I used it daily to pair with my mobile phone, laptop and DAP. The HS-3 uses a 15-step volume control system independent from the source which was great when adjusting an already locked volume source.

Connection stability on the HS-3 was great. I didn’t experience any unwanted disconnections or cutouts all throughout the time I have been using it. Its BT connection latency was also great and in sync when I used in watching movies, live streams, taking in calls and especially listening to music. There was no feeling of being off beat and out of sync at all. Voice quality over the mic when in calls were also clear enough based on friends to whom I called using the HS-3. The 10-meter BT range that was stated in spec sheet was met well too, I even reached around 13-14 meters before a notification of unstable connection popped up. Concrete walls won’t care about that 10-meter range as usual.

The Origem HS-3 promises to last for 6 hours of wireless audio connectivity and music playback and it is accurate, my average continuous usage time for the HS-3 clocked in at 6 hours and 53 minutes with source swapping at around 4-6 times and at 6-7 volume steps. I wasn’t able to extend the HS-3 at more than 7 hours continuously, it’s possible but at a lower volume obviously. Charging time for the HS-3 was a joy, it’s able to charge completely in only 40 minutes which presents a 10 minute playback for each minute of charging time that fits my lifestyle, it might not be the best for some if they plan to use the HS-3 for a whole day.

The Origem HS-3 utilizes an in-house tech called HDR Audio Algorithm to deliver the perfect audio experience, or so they say. I tested the HS-3’s sound quality mainly using the Samsung S10 5G Snapdragon variant with a collection of 16/44 FLAC files as well as DSD64 files. The HS-3 gave an overall warm sound signature on a soft-sounding background.
The HS-3’s sub bass performance was thick with a rather soft impact and slow decay. It’s easy to notice a lingering feel on the sub bass drops. The mid-bass wasn’t bloated which was great, it was instead delivered a weighty feel that diffuses slowly. The bass of the HS-3 isn’t the most powerful you’d find in earphones but when taking into account that it is a wireless device, its ability to handle the lows with great control and resolution allowed the HS-3 not to sound congested but instead sound full and robust.

The midrange of the HS-3 is its strongest performer in the sound aspect. It is able to give a smooth and detailed vocal performance. The lower midrange didn’t fall on the usual wireless dilemma of being laid-back and distant-sounding, it is able to full and incorporate with the overall sweet midrange experience. There is slight upper midrange boost but still well controlled and doesn’t sound steely or nasal. Don’t mistake the slight upper midrange bursts with sibilance as the HS-3 is far from being one. It’s a great companion for getting into your exercising mood as well as binging on your different movies and series, check out Netflix’s Lucifer by the way while you’re at it.

If I’m to be critical with the HS-3’s sound, I would most likely pick the high frequency performance to be the one that I wish was handled better. While the HS-3 doesn’t sound piercing, I would have loved if it is sharper and crispier in its delivery as it sometimes sound scattered when the treble hits come to play. A mellow and clean treble performance makes the HS-3 a single thumbs up high frequency performer if not two. And lastly, would you want a pronounced treble on your workout earphones? You can answer that yourself while I finish my track routine with the HS-3.

If you jumped straight here for the Origem’s HS-3 overall performance then let me tell you to snap a photo first using the HS-3 as it does just that. Origem naughtily added a function where you can use the HS-3 as a remote for your mobile device’s camera by simply opening the camera app on your mobile phone and pressing the + button while there is no audio playback. It just broke the rule if there is ever a rule that wireless earphones can’t be a camera remote. For $99, the Origem HS-3 packs a lot of features that are both easy to use and indeed functional in real-life situations that you encounter on a daily basis. The HDR Audio Algorithm makes the HS-3 to sound great for a wireless earphone without the occasional BT connection drops that you are dreading.

A journey always begins with one step and while I have already made reviews more than I have ever imagined I would when I decided to engage in this hobby, it’s nice to come full circle once again with one of the brands that jump-started Audio Realviews.

Kinera was one of these brands. They started way back 2010 and have since released a collection of audiophile offerings topped by their flagship Odin IEM. What we have to realview now though is the Kinera Sif, the Kinera Seeds’ sibling and was designed to follow the Yin-Yang mantra, the Sif strictly comes in white while the Seed exclusively came in black. Shenzhen Audio and Kinera provided the Kinera Sif sample unit in exchange for an honest take on it and no monetary factors were involved. The Kinera Sif is currently priced at $37 and you can grab and check them off the official Shenzhen Audio website.
The Kinera Sif sports a single 10mm dynamic driver spec’d out with 20Hz to 20kHz Frequency Response, 32Ohm Impedance and 110 dB Sensitivity. The SIF’s sibling, the Kinera Seed was adored as it was despised when it came out and with a much more subdued white colorway, will the Kinera SIF diverge from this mentality altogether? Let’s get on with the realview to find out.

First impressions last, and the Kinera Sif’s packaging and box will delight any consumer that it will get a chance to unpack it off their mails or unbox it when they get home. The choice of going for a unique hexagon box in an almost delectable rocky road ice cream color with the Sif name and Kinera logo upfront was a welcome sight.
Removing the top cover will immediately show the separate hexagon box for the IEMs themselves which is secured in a black synthetic leather carrying case with the Sif manual on top. Inside this carrying case are a collection (S, M and L) of white translucent silicone ear tips with white wide bores.
The Kinera Sif is made of plastic all over except for the metal nozzle and grill that is now in silver as compared to the Seed which came in gold and while the Sif and Seed has the same design, the Sif now comes with gold-plated MMCX connections rather the .78mm 2pin connection that came with the Seed. It retains the Kinera logo on the faceplate as well as the single vent and the L and R markings which was the same with the Seed except this time, the logo and markers are in silver. The paint on the logo and the L and R markers on the Seed chipped away after sometime and I hope the Sif’s paint job lasts longer this time around and so far it has. The build doesn’t feel cheap although it is lightweight.
The Sif’s stock cable has no official specifications but at the looks of it, it’s possibly an SPC cable insulated in clear TPU. It uses round braids that has great tension to each braid but overall renders the cable as not the best for storage as it tangles easily, good thing though is that Kinera has added a velcro strap for cable management and eliminate the tangling issue when storing.
A cable cinch is also present which works great to tighten the cable for a more secure fit, the cinch comes in clear transparent plastic which the Y-split also employs the same material. The Sif’s stock cable also comes with an over-ear memory guide that ends with a metallic silver-finished housing for the male MMCX connection which is labeled with L and R, the other terminal ends with the same silver-finished housing that has great strain relief that also comes with the same clear transparent plastic and terminates with a gold-plated 3.5mm plug.

The Kinera Sif has been marketed to have been “tuned to a warm, smooth and bassy kind of sound” which was a supposed direct opposite over its Seed sibling. I have done the recommended 30-hour burn-in period(for those that believe it) and have honestly even exceeded it. The Kinera Sif overall gave out an overall warm tonality with emphasis on the sub bass and lower midrange frequencies and a soft approach towards the midrange and the higher frequencies. I was tempted to use full foams for the Sif as it gave the best isolation for my ears however I opted to go with the provided medium-sized white translucent silicone ear tips for the duration of the reaview as well as the Sony A46HN music player crunching out various 16/44 FLAC files which would be mentioned along the realview.

The lows of the Kinera Sif is where the magic happens. I called on Foo Fighter’s to belt out their My Hero track in 16/44 FLAC and right off the bat the Sif showed that it can give the low-end goodies that most bass heads love, the bass sounded deep but with not much power and a soft thump that lingers long. The sub bass performance isn’t weak in its delivery but not too powerful as well, just the right grip with a slow decay. Bass lovers that prefer a lingering feel on the low-end will enjoy the Sif.

Fleetwood Mac’s Sara in 16/44 FLAC graced the midrange test of the Kinera Sif and it rendered the vocals to sound full and clear, coming out at an easily distinguishable aspect. The lower midrange performance complimented the lingering bass feel to exude a more relaxing sound. Upper midrange performance sounded soft and with moderate attack on the various instrumental tones. The Sif can lull you to just chill and let go with its midrange sound.

Things starts to slow down for the Sif when it reached the higher frequency test. Ed Sheeran came to the after party and rocked his Galway Girl track in 16/44 FLAC. Guitar strums came out with great clarity and definition. Treble doesn’t peak at best and as a treble head myself, it made me long for more and maybe even just a tinge of sparkle would be lovely. All was cool though as harsh peaks didn’t rear its head on the Sif. The Sif would be getting more ear time with how the highs are tuned and its less fatiguing sound.

The vent on the faceplate of the Sif works and it made the soundstage less intimate than I have expected it to be. Instrumental tones has more focus on width than depth, there is average detail retrieval and imaging were average as well as the left to right and right to left panning. Layering was mediocre at best too but taking into account how the instruments and spacing were still observable gave the Sif a single thumbs up if not two.

At its price point of $37 and based on how the overall relaxing warm sound of the Sif was delivered, it’s hard not to recommend it. It has a refreshing and clearly out of its price point packaging with a complete set of accessories (for an entry-level IEM). Its silhouette and design language might not be a new thing since we have seen this in the Seed, it still makes the Sif an aesthetically better looking IEM than most of its under $40 peers.

BGVP stands for Brilliant, Grand and Vivacious Products. And yes that wasn’t BGVP actually stands for yet it would seem appropriate given that their roots stemmed from their desire to create great sounding low-cost options to compete with the bigger audiophile IEM names. What started out as SIDY in China now became BGVP and has now started to break the low-cost tier mold with the launch of their $200 IEM.

This $200 IEM came in the form of the BGVP DM6, a 5 Balanced Armature IEM with drivers from Knowles, the trusted single BA 22955 and the dual BA 30017. The other dual BA drivers are custom-tuned by BGVP themselves and with the DM6 being made of acrylic, it allows for a pseudo-CIEM feel with numerous faceplate and shell design options as well as a fully customizable setup. The sample unit to be realviewed that was sent to me came in the Ocean/Marine Blue clear shell, you can get the different design options from Linsoul Direct off Amazon, Linsoul Audio’s official site and from DD Audio off AliExpress. The DM6 is spec’d out with a 10Hz to 40kHz Frequency Response, 122 dB Sensitivity and a 20 Ohm Impedance.

BGVP started with a vision to provide low-cost economical audiophile options to counter the extravagant prices charged by other household IEM brands and when they themselves release a $200 DM6 IEM, we start to ask ourselves, is it time to go back and put your faith on brands with greater market presence or the DM6 just another great price: performance IEM ready to slug it out with other notable 5 BA IEMs. Audio Realviews is here to take that question on.

No one ever said that low-cost means your brand would look like crap right off the bat and in BGVP’s case, while it doesn’t really show low-cost packaging, it also doesn’t look premium. The white cardboard sleeve shows the necessary BGVP brand and DM6 information, it would have been great to see a DM6 photo upfront to easily identify it but yeah, low-cost. Underneath the sleeve is a brown cardboard box with black foam cutouts where the DM6 sits and a black box with all the included ear tips stored inside. The eartips that were included featured a set of black wide bore silicon eartips (S, M, L), a set of black narrow bore silicon eartips (S, M, L) and 1 black narrow bore foam tips with its own plastic case, not low-cost. The DM6 has 2 cable options although either one would be shipped randomly unless you specifically request for a specific type.
The DM6 shell is made of acrylic resin and 3D printed using Germany’s Envision TEC apparatus, a fully customized option can be done to suit your own personalized shell, faceplate and faceplate design choice and would take 10-30 days lead time. The build quality from my unit is great and doesn’t show any imperfections or dents, it is well casted and molded. It utilizes a gold-plated MMCX connection with an angled nozzle and a minor nozzle lip which didn’t give the best tip-rolling experience. Comfort was great for me and isolation was also above average, the pseudo-CIEM feel is working like it’s supposed to.
BGVP offers the DM6 with 2 different stock cables and if not specifically requested, will be shipped with either the 6N 8core SPC cable or a Copper/SPC round braided cable. My realview unit came with the Copper/SPC round braided one and it exhibits some force of tension unlike the cable from the Tin HIFI T3 which has almost the same feel to it yet more fold friendly. Both cables comes with a metal housing gold-plated 3.5mm L-plug with a plastic-injected metal Y-split and a clear plastic chin slider. A clear plastic memory wire is also present to aid over-ear usage and finishing it up with a metal barrel MMCX connection with white L-R markings. The cable isn’t microphonic at all and storage was great despite the aforementioned tension.

I’ve actually noticed that the BGVP DM6 got a lot of attention and was rather hyped up at some extent resulting to issues of completing successfully placed orders and meeting delivery dates. BGVP even addressed this issue which was unexpected, I’m used to seeing logistics issues and the mother company just sits idle waiting for the whines to die down. My realview unit was supposed to arrive sometime around end of 2018 but instead arrived early February which by that time, hype for the DM6 was dying down.

The BGVP sounded balanced overall from my almost 2-month use of it. The stock eartips that was included in the packaged wasn’t the best experience yet I was glad that the JVC Spiral Dots got the job done. Remember that 122 dB Sensitivity earlier? Damn, it reared its head here and there on my sources which opted me to use the xDuoo x3ii with the Zorloo ZuperDAC-S via USB-C out to totally eliminate hissing although hissing wasn’t observed on my OnePlus 3T device yet was completely annoying off my Sony CAS-1 desktop system, Zishan DSD Pro and direct from the xDuoo x3ii, shout out to Zorloo for the solution.

Bulk of the BGVP products that I have tried showed that they cater towards the warmer sound spectrum and the DM6 retains a part of that signature. DeadMau5’s “Glish” in 16/44 FLAC shows that the sub-bass hits and depth provides ample power and has great weight to it resulting in an enjoyable sub-bass drop that resonates well. Bass hits are full-bodied and pans out in a subtle lingering manner. The DM6 performs well on the lower end frequency with no sacrificial loss of clarity.

With BGVP’s vision of providing low-cost options, a well implemented sound signature that can be consistently recreated across their lineup is paramount and in this aspect, their midrange performance is starting to take form. The DM6 showcases a smooth sounding midrange performance. Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” in 16/44 FLAC highlights a clear lower midrange delivery with his vocals being rendered lean and defined and the accompanying lower midrange tones creates a solid approach. There is no upper midrange boost present on the DM6 yet still gives out an impressive female vocal range especially Susan Wong’s “Killing Me Softly” in 16/44 FLAC rendition, a great de-stressing and calming interpretation.

The DM6 boasts Knowles BA drivers to tackle the high frequencies and I’m expecting another solid performance in this aspect. With my inherent preference for the bright sound signature and always on the lookout for that craved treble bite, kick and sparkle. The DM6 did just enough to satisfy my craving at this end although it didn’t stop there, the DM6 at times exhibited sudden high frequency bleed which is unwelcome. Savage Garden’s “Truly, Madly, Deeply” in 16/44 FLAC with its fundamental upper frequency rendering showed that the DM6 can give out some snap but still devoid of shrill and peaky highs although at times sibilance is observed.


Intimate and depth centric, the DM6 shows that it performs great on imaging with instrumental tones easily distinguishable with no noticeable overlapping. Left to right and right to left panning is great in IEM parameters. The DM6’s sudden high frequency bleeds and the occasional sibilant tones brings its great imaging clarity a step back.

The BGVP DM6 is BGVP’s attempt to breach the low-tier market and at $200, it is no longer to be considered a low-cost option yet an alternative for audiophiles looking to also breach towards the mid-tier IEM game. Aesthetically and comfort-wise, the DM6 is a no-brainer recommendation although the lack of a case at a supposed mid-tiered IEM is weird.

The hype surrounding the DM6 was in a way warranted giving how it performed overall with an easy to love relaxing midrange and a stellar lower frequency performance. The downsides and flaws of the DM6 were highlighted when the upper frequencies comes into play. The sudden high frequency bleeds and the presence of sibilance surely turns off some, not to mention that the DM6 is very sensitive and picky with its sources with its inherent hiss-prone nature. I personally still enjoy the BGVP DM6 especially with the JVC Spiral Dots on it, only trebleheads like me who aren’t sensitive enough to the aggressive upper frequency the DM6 exhibits would best suit BGVP’s 5BA baby.

Communication is an essential component of a community and while we have our own way of communicating via different sorts of languages, other species also have their own particular form of communication. Birds for example communicate with each other by constructing either a sequence of drawn-out melodic or short bursting noises to convey whatever message they want to relay.

If you haven’t known it yet, the birds’ reference was in relation to the IEM that we will be realviewing now from Brainwavz Audio, a company that started way back 2008 and has already appeared multiple times on Audio Realviews thanks to their collection of ear pads options for various headphones. That particular IEM is the Brainwavz Audio KOEL, marketed as an “affordable audio excellence” set and priced at $69.50 (On sale for $39.50 as of 17/07/19). You can check the KOEL out in the official Brainwavz Audio website.

The KOEL is spec’d out with a single balanced armature driver with a 16Hz to 22kHz Frequency Response, 30 Ohm Impedance and a 105 dB Sensitivity. Will the Brainwavz KOEL sing and chirp as it’s marketed to be or will it just squeal and shriek like it isn’t supposed to be, let’s chime in to find out.

The KOEL came in a much nicer packaging than I’ve been accustomed to seeing from a Brainwavz package, it now comes in a rectangular semi-glossy white sleeve with the KOEL name upfront as well as the highlight Comply ear tips and 24-month warranty that it comes with. Removing this sleeve reveals the gray matte flap box and the vibrant mix of colors that covers the foam cutouts that protect the textured hard case with a red zipper lining for that trademark Brainwavz appeal. Here’s a list of the included accessories that the KOEL comes with:

• 6x Sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
• Set of Comply Foam Tips T-100
• Shirt Clip
• Velcro Cable Tie
• Instruction Manual
• Warranty Card (12 month warranty)

The KOEL is made entirely of 3D-printed resin that either comes in the “Stay Frosty” or “Cosmic Black” colorways. The “Stay Frosty” colorway was provided for the realview and the main difference that it has against the “Cosmic Black” is that it has the Brainwavz branding in the faceplate whereas the other does not. Its shape resembles that of the famous Jelly Belly candies with a slight lip on the lower portion to provide added seal and isolation. It feels a bit uncomfortable upon initial use which made me tinker with the IEMs position on my ears longer than usual to get a decent seal and comfortable fit. The underside of the KOEL IEMs features a discreet L and R markings along with a single vent and a gold-plated MMCX connection. The nozzle is short with a narrow bore and a pronounce lip that worked great with tip rolling and securing the Comply T-100 foam tips as well as the included silicone ear tips.
The KOEL’s stock cable has no official specifications but is built solid, the black rubber insulation clearly hides a braided cable inside that has moderate tension making the cable a bit tangle resistant but retains folds easier as well and good thing there is a Velcro cable tie for that cable storage solution. The gold-plated 3.5mm plug comes in a 45° angle with great strain relief, same goes for the Y-split which now has a Brainwavz logo ending in a gold-plated male MMCX connector with an over-ear memory guide. There was minimal microphonic noise to be observed as well.
The KOEL sound signature diverges from the Stay Frosty colorway that was sent over for realview. The KOEL exhibited an overall warm sound with an emphasis on the midrange, an aspect that was somewhat showcased even in their BLU-300 Bluetooth IEM. I tried hard to use the silicone ear tips that was included and although I usually prefer silicone ear tips over full foams, the packaged Comply T-100 was just too hard to resist on being paired with the KOEL, it also gave the best seal and isolation among the ear tips that the KOEL came with. I used the Sony A46HN music player and the Sony CAS-1 via Foobar v1.4/MSI GF62-8RE for the duration of the realview outputting various FLAC files which would be mentioned along the realview.

Coming in with a slow burn, Jamiroquai’s Night Out in the Jungle in 16/44 FLAC was used for the low-end test of the KOEL. The sub bass lingers long with a soft thump and a slight touch of power and control. Bass drops that starts dropping on the earlier part of the track are borderline thin sounding, just a heave and those that seek a powerful and impactful low-end will feel displeased. The KOEL won’t go chasing bassheads for their approval with its presentation.

The KOEL’s midrange is its sweet spot. Michael Learns to Rock’s Sleeping Child in 16/44 FLAC glides through with ease and clarity. The lower midrange delivery has great body and has notable coherence with the midrange male vocals, coming off as articulate and engaging. The upper midrange performance was rendered in a breathy manner with a smooth extension and lively ambience outcome. The balance of complimenting the midrange frequencies allows the KOEL to handle acoustic tracks with ease and the genre that this particular set will gladly handle all day.

Jamiroquai came high and about with the KOEL’s higher frequency test with their Carla single in 16/44 FLAC and the KOEL/Jamiroquai collaboration created a less than crisp outcome. There is not much to grasp with the treble hits and was rendered soft and easy to the ears, this allowed for a loose and non-fatiguing experience. While there is great clarity and definition on the different instrumental notes and hits, a gamble on a tasty treble bite would have been welcome. Let me sneak in an inherent KOEL build discomfort as the rather elongated shell body created minor discomfort which balances out the would be longer listening session the KOEL’s highs would have permitted.

Less than intimate, less than spacious, more on here and now. The KOEL’s soundstage is a good blend of intimacy and expansive, left to right and right to left panning is observable although not exceptional. Easy to deduce that the soundstage won’t be the reason you’d be picking up the KOEL. Imaging though was another story, there is great detail retrieval and instrumental presence is on a high, they can be easily placed here and there. Layering is a much more notable aspect on the KOEL than width and expansion.


The Brainwavz KOEL takes on an approach that is supposed to showcase a birds overall qualities and it indeed sang with its midrange performance and chirped its way with its complete accessory set. It isn't all bells and whistles though with the KOEL, a birds squeal was represented with its rather mediocre stock cable while the shrieks was represented by the minor build discomfort which when taking into account that ear shapes and sizes varies, is a matter of argument. The KOEL's midrange emphasized sound signature was done cleanly and while it once again suffers the usual BA-driven dilemma of a rather lack-luster low-end, it still creates an engaging and calming musical encounter. (At the $39.50 price as of 17/07/19, the KOEL is more than worthy of being checked out)

There were times when stacking your choice of DAP, DAC and Amp was the “IN” thing in the audiophile community where if you had a stack, you’re cool. While the practice is still common, it has seen a steep decline thanks to the recent surge of DAPs that are either packed with great DACs and Amps or have the luxury of attaching a variety of modules. For the audiophiles that live in the fast-paced world, the appeal of a dedicated transport that doesn’t outright play music has indeed died down.

xDuoo believes otherwise with the release of their X10Tii, the 2nd iteration of their X10T which carved a niche of its own that the X10Tii hopes to strengthen. The xDuoo X10Tii review unit that we’ll be using was sent by Linsoul Audio in exchange for an honest review. Priced at $230, you can check it off Linsoul Audio’s official website and DD Audio's AliExpress storefront.
Marketed as a “High Performance Digital Turntable”, xDuoo has high hopes that the X10Tii can at least rekindle the romance from previous stack-loving audiophiles or even stoke new flame within a budding audiophile, time will tell but for now, let’s check on this realview as to what the X10Tii has to offer that makes it even worth considering.


xDuoo X10Tii Spec sheet:

• Screen: 2.4 Inch IPS HD full vision, 240*320 pixels
• Body Material: CNC aluminum alloy shell with matte surface
• Battery: 3.7V/2400 mAh
• CPU: Ingenic X1000
• Built-in Memory: None
• Size: 103.3*54.3*15.2 mm
• Playing Time: >15H
• Charging Time: <3H(fast charging)
• Expansion Memory Support: TF/Micro SD Cards, maximum 256GB
• Weight: 130g
• Supported HD Lossless Audio Formats: DSF, DFF, DXD, DSD256 and ISO format, FLAC, APE, WAV, ALAC, AIFF and PCM 384kHz/32Bit

The xDuoo X10Tii came in traditional xDuoo packaging which is the white cardboard box with the product snapshot upfront and minor product details on all sides. Inside this box is a black lift up box with a lone silver xDuoo label. Lining the X10Tii unit and its black synthetic leather case are foam cut outs for added transit and on-shelf protection. Underneath this foam cutout is another white box which stored a multitude of accessories, here’s a complete list:

• Type-C to Type-C USB cable
• Type-C to Micro-B USB cable
• Type-C to Micro-B USB charging cable
• Optical cable
• Coaxial cable
• AES cable terminated with mini-XLR3 and full-sized XLR3 connections
• 2x screen protector
• User Manual and Warranty Card

Made from CNC aluminum alloy, the X10Tii does fell premium to the hand and has the heft an all metal build offers but also the tendency to retain the room temperature it’s used on, from being considerably warmer to the hand on a poorly ventilated room to being almost chilly when used in a fully air-conditioned room. While there is some major caveats to the all-metal build, the matte black paint job done on the X10Tii however equalizes some of this with its great almost scratch-resistant finish that both works for form and function. I would however strongly recommend that whoever buys this thing to right away install the supplied screen protector as its 2.4 IPS display isn’t sporting the best glass out there and easily scratches.
It’s pretty boring how xDuoo was unable to update the X10Tii’s overall design language which is completely similar to the other models bearing the X naming scheme by xDuoo. The usual vertical orientation was also used for the X10Tii with exactly the same navigation buttons configuration up front with their X3ii music player. The obvious change was made on the side contours of the X10Tii which is now chamfered as opposed the flat sides of the X3ii which made the included leather case to only fit the X10Tii, the usual placement of the SD card port (supports 256 GB cards but have personally tried using 400 GB cards that worked flawlessly) and the red power button are on the left side and nothing on the right side, the top portion houses a supposed to be plastic cover for that Bluetooth function. The OTG function works great when using the right cables and with the provided Type-C to Type-C cable, I was able to easily connect it to my laptop and have files transferred by drag and drop as well as uploading software update files. You can check the latest firmware for the X10Tii at this SITE which is currently at V1.2.

Turning on the X10Tii is a breeze however updating your music library isn’t a walk in the park, a 128GB SD card loaded with around 2,800 tracks took around 4 minutes to update. The X10Tii still uses the dark theme employed on the X3ii and navigation is straightforward and easy to use with zero learning curves as all options are labelled correctly and no weird layouts. I didn’t find it hard to be back with button controls since this doesn’t have a touch screen which other music players are. Cycling through the numerous music files using the forward/backward/next/previous buttons is smooth and no lags. It seems that the Ingenic X1000 processor which was also used on the FiiO M3K (X1000E version) is indeed working great so I won’t be surprised to see this on other devices as well.
There 6 main UI categories being Music Browser, My Music, Now Playing, Music Settings, System Settings and Bluetooth Settings. It houses all the expected sub-categories with notable options such as, Play Mode, DSD Output Mode, Breakpoint Play, Gapless Playback, USB DAC mode, Folder Skip and Car Mode. The presence of an EQ is also making its appearance on the X10Tii which I personally didn’t tinker on but here’s a list of the 10-band EQ presets that are preloaded on the X10Tii:

• Rock, Classical, Jazz, Pop, Dance, Vocal, Sentimental, Metal and of course, Custom

There is also a separate Bluetooth section since the X10Tii uses BT4.2 and supports up to Apt-X connectivity. The X10Tii when used without its included leather case is much better than the xDuoo X3ii ever have due to the fact that the X10Tii has its chamfered edges rather than being completely flat, one-handed use is 100% doable on as well with controls easy to use except for that weird backward and forward button designed as a upward and downward controls. Using it with the included leather case just makes the X10Tii a no-brainer easy to use and comfortable device overall.

This is where the X10Tii makes or breaks its case, touted as “High Performance” with the sole purpose of being able to output Hi-Res quality audio to the user’s choice of DAC and Amp. A multitude of connectivity options are present on the X10Tii and they are all located on the bottom side of the device. The X10Tii possesses a USB/Coaxial1 port, AES output and an Optical/Coaxial2 port. The Bluetooth connectivity is signified by the discreetly designed black “plastic” component at the top-back portion of the X10Tii.
I have paired the X10Tii via USB-C to the Zorloo ZuperDAC-S, via Coaxial2 to the xDuoo XD-05 and via Coaxial2 to the iFi Audio iDSD Micro Black Label, all 3 connections did great and encountered no issues. I have also paired it with via Bluetooth to my OnePlus 3T device and used the Hiby Link function to stream the music on my phone and it did pair excellently and encountered no interruptions.
I haven’t experienced a single signal cut-off or a device lag/hiccup during the whole duration of the realview and all the ports were secure enough as well, I would have preferred a reinforced USB/Coaxial1 and Optical/Coaxial2 port since this device will be heavily used on such ports and an issue on these very parts will spell doom. They could have also provided a much longer AES cable or even a longer Coaxial cable to be used on desktop setups.

The X10Tii packs a 2400 mAh battery pack and is marketed to last 15 hours of continuous usage. My personal experience with the X10Tii fully charged battery lasted me around 11-12 hours of continuous use when connected to the Zorloo ZuperDAC-S with various MP3, FLAC and DSD files on cycled playback. Charging time is dependent on the charging adapter used but I tried it with various phone adapters and average charging time took around 3-4 hours for a full charge from zero. Intermittent usage was great on the X10Tii as it can last me a full week when using it at either 30 minutes to 1 hour a day at twice or 3 times a day.

The X10Tii stays true to its form with its sound quality performance. It outputs a clean and full-bodied sound which allows different combinations and pairings to be maximized to its full potential. Pairing the X10Tii with the Zorloo ZuperDAC-S delivers a lush sounding midrange with mediocre bass impact and a soft sounding treble presence. The iFi Audio iDSD Micro Black label and X10Tii combo provided a much more engaging and livelier midrange performance with extended upper midrange, the bass impact is considerably better and thumps as expected when the X-Bass feature was enable, highs were distinct and had great clarity and detail retrieval. The xDuoo XD-05 and X10Tii pairing had an overall softer approach as compared to the iDSD Micro Black Label, the bass impact is still great being full-bodied and the midrange engaging with a much more pronounced lower midrange delivery, highs were still distinct and much easier to the ears. I personally enjoyed using the X10Tii with this various pairings except when navigating solely on the X10Tii as the supplied connection cables were indeed too short for the fact that the X10Tii was supposed to be a dedicated audio transport, you better organize your playlists on the X10Tii or let it go full shuffle for that radio feel.

The audiophile community has a lot of things going for it lately and that results to a highly competitive market ranging from DAPs, DACs, Amps, IEMs, Headphones and even the accessories department doesn’t shy away from the competitive nature that the hobby entails. What the xDuoo X10Tii as a dedicated digital turntable transport offers is an exclusive feel which has been abandoned by most audiophiles, pure actual stacking. The X10Tii has a solid build and a slew of connectivity options that fits the current trend that enables it to pair with notable stand-alone DAC/Amps while still being able to harness and exhibit a clean and detailed sound in a stable and lag-free experience. There sure is room for improvement on the X10Tii but with no real competition popping up, the X10Tii is indeed a must-try device, if not a must-buy.

Show off a new design - the world glimpses; include fancy accessories - the world still glimpses. But create new technology and the world will watch, such is what Custom Art did. To audiophiles spanning the globe, the introduction of new of a design and the inclusion of fancy accessories in audio gear is a common sight, but the development and introduction of exclusive and singular technology always stirs not only the mind but also the curiosity of hobbyists who are eager to either verify or vilify something new.

Custom Art is one of the many members in the high-end CIEM/UIEM pool of sharks which if you happen to lack the chomps will surely shatter your dreams of making it big or if lucky, relegate you to the calmer seas where as it implies, calm, but dull. Custom Art was founded in May 2012 by Piotr Granicki in Warsaw, Poland and oddly enough, also a reviewer of portable audio equipment while also being a DIYer which eventually took hold of him to create his own series of earphones.

I was sent a choice of either a CIEM or UIEM review unit for the FIBAE Black and as my area has minimal Custom Art presence, I opted to go for the UIEM version in exchange for an honest review with no monetary involvement which the Custom Art Overseer is quite familiar with.

The FIBAE Black is one of the new models from Custom Art which was released on the Black Friday of 2018. The FIBAE Black as the name implies highlights Custom Art’s FIBAE technology which stands for Flat Impedance Balanced Armature Earphone, a design which provides the Black model with a flat impedance and phase that provides an assurance of being driven easily by various sources. The FIBAE Black currently retails for 450 EUR and you can check their official Custom Art and FIBAE Black website for more product offerings and details.

Custom Art FIBAE Black spec sheet:
I’m not certain if the FIBAE Black’s packaging is the standard Custom Art packaging for all its products but if it is, it is one of the brands biggest areas of improvement. The FIBAE Blacks’ came in a plain rectangular matte black box with no tags or identification that it hailed from Custom Art and at both a consumer and reviewer standpoint, it’s a lost marketing opportunity. The minimalist approach also has its appeal and would please some though.
Inside the box is where things starts to take off, starting with a nice black elliptical leather case. Right next to this leather case is the FIBAE Black’s Iron curtain, Maginot line and Great Wall; call it whatever you like but this one is the Pelican 1010 Micro case. I’d trade the fancy packaging all day every day for this specific case to accompany and secure a CIEM/UIEM designed to provide the best possible sound. Since the Pelican 1010 Micro case is transparent up top, Custom Art chose to add their trademark brick-colored manual disguised as a greeting card with a sole “Hi” statement upfront and since I have the UIEM version, it came with a set of black silicon ear tips (S, M and L) with one double-flange black silicon ear tips in the medium size. A drying pellet and wax pick cleaning tool is also included in the FIBAE Black package.
The FIBAE Black’s overall shell and faceplate is made of 3D printed acrylic which is standard on the UIEM/CIEM market now. There were no cosmetic issues on my review unit and the entire surface came out smooth and polished, do note that the FIBAE Black only comes in a solid black color for the shell and only the faceplate design, internal wiring color combo and serial number colors can be customized. Feel free to contact Custom Art directly for any specific requests that you have to get that ultimate customized experience.
All the default configurations for the FIBAE Black was used on my review unit except for the added Audio Realviews logo and the clear faceplate for the left ear piece along with the Custom Art logo which looked great for showing off the internal wiring. The 2-pin sockets are flushed and secures the connection excellently. The FIBAE Blacks’ nozzle has a single bore which is linked directly to the lone BA driver’s tubing, there is also a nozzle lip available for the UIEM version which worked flawlessly when I tried several 3rd party ear tips.
The FIBAE Black’s stock cable features an SPC cable with clear plastic insulation that allows for a more detailed look on the cables internals. There is also great strain relief on all joints and utilizes a right-angled, gold-plated 3.5mm plug along with a .78mm 2-pin at the other end which has an over-ear memory ear guide reinforced with a thin strip of metal.

Convenience has always been one of the aspect of a gadget that is often swept under the rug and only comes up when actual day to day usage are factored in after that honeymoon phase where a consumer gets over the excitement of owning what they used to covet. The Custom Art FIBAE Black is currently one of the best products with regards to convenience that I’ve ever tried in this audiophile hobby. This is my 1st experience with Custom Art’s FIBAE tech and so far it has delivered its actual promise being an acutely versatile, it has yet to encounter any impedance issues resulting to any annoying hiss that makes usage of the FIBAE Black to be relegated for storage.

Black is often associated with being filthy but with the FIBAE Black, this outlook takes a complete 360 turn. The FIBAE Black is indeed black with its ability to create a black background from the get go with the subsequent occurrence of sound frequencies to still be controlled well. Isolation is great as well and does an excellent blocking out noise while still being comfortable, pairing it with your desired ear tips would only improve the result. The FIBAE Black is carelessly a warm sounding set with strong emphasis on clarity. The Sony CAS-1 desktop setup off an MSI GF 62 8RE laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4 and the Sony A46HN DAP along with stock medium ear tips was used for the whole duration of the realview.

The FIBAE Black’s low frequency performance was tested with a collection of Marshall Mather’s greatest hits along with Foster the People’s Lotus Eater all in 16/44 FLAC. The Black’s bass is rendered in a lean yet robust presentation with great body and soft approach. It delivers not the fastest attack resulting in an enjoyable lingering feel. The Lotus Eater track showcased the FIBAE Black’s strength in the low end. There is sufficient rumble in the sub bass as well and just the right amount of thump, not the most powerful but not weak in the long run too. Not being a bass lover myself, this sits well with my preferred bass performance.

Jason Mraz finally debuts in Audio Realviews for the FIBAE Black’s midrange performance test. The Black’s midrange is close to reference sounding with a slightly forward take on the lower midrange which made the overall midrange sound fuller especially the male vocals which in turn renders accurate vocal tones that are far from being off timbre. The distinctly clear instrumental tones coordinates well with the lower midrange. The upper midrange is easy to the ears while still being able to handle with controlled attack on various instrumental tones. A totally engaging and lively approach on the midrange is the FIBAE Black’s mantra.

Conservative and always stays close to home is the game for the FIBAE Black’s high frequency performance. Although there’s load of clarity and articulation to be observed, the evident lack of added oomph and kick for that sweet treble bite that tickles an audiophile would have been great, for me personally that is. If you are after that distinct high frequency delivery without the risk of fatigue then the FIBAE Black is a nice companion for your listening sessions.

The FIBAE Black’s soundstage is all about intimacy. It provides a great deal of separation performance in a black background that results in another great performance for the imaging. Although depth gets more of the favored son treatment with how Custom Art tuned the Black, the width still performs well, just not at the level that you’d die for. There is great panning and detail retrieval to be observed as well. This gets a thumbs a double thumbs up for me.

The FIBAE Black does all the things a great set of IEM should, from sounding accurate to being right on point with tonal timbre. It’s a sound that I would enjoy for the most part of the day and the week except when that treble head of mine comes up. It does lack the treble extension and bite that I personally prefer but that doesn’t mean it’s a weakness, it’s just a matter of handling the higher frequencies properly at a signature that borderlines to being massively mainstream. The one thing that I will definitely take sides with for the FIBAE Black is its inherent versatility and comfort, I’ve had a great time carrying it around and pairing it with various sources and still be free of impedance issues, that’s FIBAE for y’all. This will definitely stay on my desk for actual use rather than being on that Pelican case.

Dynasties are synonymous to age-old Chinese folklore that doesn’t fall short of granting us with notable Imperial figures spearheaded by Genghis Khan, often referred to as the greatest conqueror of the world alongside Alexander the Great. I’ve had my fair share of being immersed into the Chinese culture after studying in a Chinese school for most of my formative elementary years and have heard the word “Emperor” more times than “King” and after watching Imperial movies, the word Emperor has then evoked a sense of authority dominated by dread rather than luxury which the word King conjures.

I purposely brought the sentiments I had since what we have now to realview is an IEM from an audio company named ToneKing, based off Guangdong, China. The very land known for Emperors than Kings has at least gave me an idea as to how this specific company approaches their ideals. ToneKing already has numerous audiophile product offerings from their MusicMaker series which were a hit for earbud lovers way back late 2017 and early 2018. ToneKing has then diverged from releasing earbuds and has now released a collection of IEMs such as the BL1, T66S and the T88K.

What we have now to realview though is ToneKing’s mid-tier offering, the T4 which is currently priced at $171-190 depending on website sales. This review sample was sent and provided by Linsoul Audio and DD Audio store in exchange for an honest review and no monetary factors were involved. You can check the ToneKing T4 from the official Linsoul Audio website and from DD Audio store’s AliExpress store front.

Spec’d out with 4 balanced armatures (Knowles 30017 + 30265) per side with a 15Hz-25 kHz Frequency Response, 108dB Sensitivity and 18Ohms Impedance. The ToneKing T4 in paper already looks promising, is that promise worthy of $171? Let’s find out.

Coming in on a rectangular black cardboard box with a small cutout on that upper front portion for a transparent plastic cover to show the ToneKing T4. The back portion featured nothing apart from the usual minimal product details. Opening up the box reveals a foam cutout protecting the IEM itself with an M sized red-bored gray translucent ear tips with the stock cable also attached to it. On the lower portion of this foam cutout is the included round metal case which is lined with black rubber which contains the rest of the accessories specifically a shirt clip and a collection of ear tips (2 pairs of blue and red foam tips, 6 pairs of red-bored white silicone and gray translucent ear tips).
The ToneKing T4 has a UIEM design which has been used on other ToneKing IEM offerings as well making it somewhat of a ToneKing staple. By virtue of having a UIEM design, the T4 is made of acrylic resin which when paired with an all BA configuration equates to a must not drop IEM. There are 2 color options available for now, one being black with a smoked black shell and the other being blue with smoked blue shells, I have the blue version. The T4’s overall IEM build is great with evenly polished and smooth surfaces all over, devoid of cosmetic blemishes. The faceplate is highlighted by an embedded silver ToneKing logo and branding laid on an almost abalone looking surface which reflects light differently depending on lighting, the smoked shells also allows for a subtle peek into the internal workings of the T4 and its BA configuration. The T4 also features a gold-plated MMCX connection.
The T4’s stock cable is a 6N 99.99% purity single crystal OCC silver-plated copper which sheathed in clear PVC. It utilizes the usual round-braid and has moderate tension to aid which is great for both storage and tangle-free usage. The MMCX male housing and the Y-split is made from hard plastic with a matte silver finish to compliment the cable, an over-ear memory guide is also present as well as a cable cinch for a more secure fit, at the tail-end of the stock cable is the gold-plated 3.5mm plug with a glossy silver housing adorned by a black carbon fiber strip for additional aesthetic appeal. There is minimal microphonic use on this specific cable and all the joints has ample strain relief. A no-nonsense cable that does its job well.
A smooth and soft midrange is the ToneKing T4’s cup of tea. It emanates a slight lean on the bright signature with its midrange being a pitch higher than I’m accustomed to which I found enjoyable. The inherent UIEM design of the T4 allowed for a great isolation performance and with the right ear tips, this can block a lot of low frequency noise on a daily basis. I opted for the Medium sized wide-bored Sony hybrid ear tips along with the Sony CAS-1 off my MSI GF62-8RE laptop and the Sony A46HN music player using various FLAC files which I will indicate throughout the realview.

I decided to stick with Deftones for the low frequency test of the ToneKing T4 using their Lucky You track in 16/44 FLAC. The subsequent sub bass drops on the track is being rendered in a fast manner with distinct emphasis on body, it doesn’t sound boxy and decay is fast as well. Bass delivery progresses smoothly with a soft but full-bodied impact that once again dissipates fast and doesn’t push through the succeeding frequency. The T4 gives just the right amount of bass, one that doesn’t thump your chest but still make one interested enough to consider it.

Indulging the ToneKing T4’s midrange performance is Bruno Mars’ Versace on the Floor in 16/44 FLAC. Lower midrange instrumental tones were registered in a definite and distinct manner with great clarity. The T4 is able to highlight Bruno’s vocal prowess which was quite intelligible and has accurate timbre coupled with an airy feel that doesn’t feel thin. The upper midrange was easy to the ears and made the overall frequency enjoyable with a kick of energy that sways one’s head softly.

The ToneKing T4’s high frequency is its chink in the armor despite being not really performing badly. Angela Bofill’s Angel of the Night in 16/44 FLAC churns out a good deal of treble which the T4 renders with ease in a delicate manner. Sudden treble bursts are devoid of shrills and no annoying sibilant tones are observed. Instrumental tones have modest snap to them which coincides nicely with the upper midrange aspect of the T4. I personally would have loved a more daring approach for the T4’s treble but for now, they are playing this frequency safe.

The hand in hand cooperation of the upper midrange and high frequency performance of the T4 allowed for a detailed and distinct imaging that has instrumental sounds sounding crisp and easy to spot. There is great left to right and right to left panning as well. The T4’s soundstage is rather wide for a CIEM-like design but not the one to sing praises with. It has more focus on depth capability than width.

The ToneKing T4 is indeed a king and not an emperor by virtue of approach towards its sound. It tackles all frequency to an enjoyable level that doesn’t overstep its reach. There is great reason to adore the soft and clear midrange while the overall high frequency output is a thing to look forward to towards the succeeding ToneKing releases. I personally love how ToneKing interprets the color Blue with how the T4’s blue version looks as it doesn’t overdo the shimmer and luster but still enough to be eye-catching. For $171, the T4 is easy to recommend for those looking for a great midrange frequency performer, unless of course you already have a similarly sounding IEM.

It’s easy to say that most of us remember our 1st time moments, they only not help us have an emotional attachment to the moment but to the things involved in the moment as well. I could still remember when I was younger and joined some local audio meet and have a taste of what audiophile’s love and are passionate about. One of the 1st audiophile brands that I was able to encounter on the said meet was FiiO. A company based off CN that started in 2007 with an aspiration of raising the reputation of the often misunderstood “Made in China” statement.

It has been quite a while since I have used a FiiO music player, the last being the X1 1st gen and with the audiophile scene being too competitive as of date forced companies to follow the traditional smartphone trend of releasing different lines of products annually. One of these recent releases of FiiO is the M3K music player, sent in as a loaner review unit from Holysai Thailand (FiiO’s official distributor) in exchange for an honest review, there were no monetary factors involved. The FiiO M3K is priced at $70 worldwide and 2,490baht in Thailand. You can check it out off Holysai’s official website.

The FiiO M3K’s tagline of “Affordable Musical Bliss” will be put to the test and will indeed answer some of our questions of how affordable is defined by FiiO standards and how far have they’ve come with regards to their aspiration of raising the reputation of “Made in China”.


FiiO M3k Spec sheet:

• SoC (Main processor): Ingenic X1000E
• DAC: AK4376A
• Screen: 2.0 inch IPS display
• Operation: touchpad + capacitive touch buttons
• Dimensions: 90.8mm x 44.2mm x 12mm
• Weight: 77.5g
• Charging time: <2.5hours (DC5V/2A charger)
• Battery life: >24hours
• Standby time: >38days
• Battery: 1100mAh lithium-ion polymer battery
• Storage: micro-SD card (supports up to 2TB)
• Power output: >25Mw (32
• Frequency Response: 5Hz-90kHz (-3Db)
• SNR: >117Db (A-weighted)
• Output Impedance: <1 (32 load)
• Recommended drive loads: 16-100
• THD + N: 0.004%(1kHz/32)
• Noise floor: <2uV

The FiiO M3K came in a white cardboard box which features the M3K snapshot upfront and the Hi-Res certification, the minor product details and specifications. Inside this white cardboard box is a black cardboard box which when opened immediately shows the FiiO M3K which is protected by a clear plastic wrap while being housed in a black rubber silicon case. The accessory set is minimal here which is completed with a M3K manual, warranty card and charging/data transfer cable. The addition of a silicon case is commendable for a $70 music player, even the xDuoo x3ii for $120 didn’t come with one.

With an all-aluminum body and tempered glass combo, the FiiO M3K right off the bat makes its owner engage a premium feel for just $70. The curved sides also aids for easier handling along with a the silicon case which I preferred to use rather than a bare M3K as it still retains some sharp edges along the top and bottom sides. The front of the M3K is where the tempered glass takes its abode which supports the 5 touch pad controls which has white backlights (next/previous track, confirmation, back, and menu keys). Underneath the tempered glass front too is the 2 inch IPS display which gets bright (10 levels) enough when I used it outdoors, there were some struggle with it however it was when the sun is fully out which is where the alternate capacitive touch buttons (lock/unlock, volume up/down and pause/play) plays it role. The decision to place all the capacitive touch buttons on the left side of the M3K worked great for a right handed guy like me and I hope it would work well with a left-handed individual as well.
The M3K’s UI is straightforward and simple with absolutely zero learning curve unless you haven’t used any sort of music player, dedicated or even an app on your mobile device. There are 5 main categories (Browse Files, Categories, Recording, Play Settings and System Settings) to navigate. One thing I immediately noticed when using the M3K was it didn’t automatically update its music library when I plugged in SD card even after checking that the “auto-update library” was turned on so I had to do it manually (FW1.3.0). The ability to do audio recording was a nice feature as well with the microphone on the M3K strategically placed on the top portion of the sides with discreet grill cutouts which the black silicon case also emphasized, the recording is decent at best even when using the High option, but the functionality is there. The presence of custom EQ’s are also present and can be user modified based on preference and since yours truly isn’t a fan of EQ (for now) then we’ll leave it at that.
Day to day usage of the M3K has been great personally as it fits easily on any portable space that I usually have and I was a fan of the black silicon case that was included with its exceptional job of keeping the M3K well protected and avoid the usual slippery effect on most all metal devices except when showing off which renders the case, disposable. The capacitive touch buttons had great tactile feedback when pressed and easy to be added on your daily muscle memory routine. The touchpad was where it got tricky for me as I often find myself using the IPS display itself completely forgetting it isn’t a touch display, the touch display controls were reliable though and had on point response, users with bigger hands might struggle, and that’s given though with the M3K’s small footprint.

There were zero instances of UI freezes, sudden shutdown, track stoppage encountered with the M3K when I had it with me which is praiseworthy enough and hits that “raising the reputation of Made in China” aspirations that FiiO has, it’s still possible though that minor UI stability issues will occur which all electronic device eventually encounter every now and then. The stability aspect of the M3K gets an excellent thumbs up for me.
The FiiO M3K sports the already outdated Micro USB-B for its charging, data transfer and external DAC (192 kHz/24bit) functions which for $70 is really not a downside, what more if they made this Type-C. Beside this charging port is the dedicated Micro SD-card slot which supports up to 2TB of storage expansion as well as OTG support for Android devices. Completing the trio of ports on the bottom of the M3K is the 3.5mm audio jack and has a gold-plated metal reinforcement which once again a nod to that “raising the reputation of Made in China” aspirations. The connectivity options that the FiiO M3K offers almost made me check the Bluetooth function which seemed natural to be featured in a device this well-built until I realized this thing is just $70.

The FiiO M3K supports almost all the lossless formats such as APE, AIFF, FLAC, WAV, MP3, OGG, M4A, ALAC, ISO, DFF and DSF. It also made the move to get Hi-Res certification for the user’s peace of mind and for what’s worth, that’s cool. With all the formalities out of the way, the FiiO M3K sounded clean and almost clinical for the duration that I had it me, the clarity of delivery for each frequency is rendered exceptionally with no noticeable changes in tonality. If your mobile phone (assuming the $70 target market) is heavily leaning towards either the warm or bright signature, the FiiO M3K indeed offers a fresh musical experience than you are used to. I wouldn’t recommend the M3K for those looking for specific sonic changes in either the low end, midrange or high frequencies. A different story altogether if you are looking for an affordable clarity-based music player.

With an advertised battery life of 24 hours, FiiO indeed meant business with the M3K. For the full month that I had the M3K, I was only able to charge it 3 times! 1 tried pushing the M3K to its limits by charging it at 100% and by playing a 16/44 track until either reaching a battery drain or getting it to warm, getting too warm came 1st at almost 8 hour non-stop audio playback and still managed to clock in at 34% battery status. That’s already an impressive showing although I still believe battery life is still relative to the user’s musical preference and usage behavior. How the M3K performed without issues from its UI flow and battery life performance further reinforces the fact the FiiO is indeed going the right way.


FiiO has had a lot of audiophile products released and discontinued from the time that I 1st encountered their philosophy and while I was busy with my own audio journey, it’s nice to see FiiO still going strong all the while as well. The FiiO M3K didn’t only deliver to their “Affordable Musical Bliss” promise for the M3K but it also gave nod to their “raising the reputation of Made in China” aspirations. It delivers a clean and straightforward sound approach on a sturdy build with a reliable and stable UI and impressive battery life for a price that is well, affordable.

The universe has a fun way of placing things were they ought to be and sometimes it places things differently than what we have planned for. I was never a PC guy but with PC master race peers, I eventually ended up with building my own rig. One of the tricky things that I found while building my rig was finding a decent if not great audiophile solution for my audio needs which eventually faded and disregarded as I moved on to another hobby.

Did I say how the universe places things where they ought and not ought to be? Just when I wasn’t looking for an audiophile solution for my PC rig, the solution found me. This audiophile solution came all the way from Melbourne, Australia via Burson Audio. Burson Audio designs benchmark setting audio equipments and premium quality audio design building blocks for fellow audio enthusiasts and manufacturing partners. The Playmate unit that was used for this realview was sent over by Burson Audio in exchange for an honest take on their enhanced approached for the original Burson Audio Play and there were no monetary factors involved for the collaboration. You can check out these official Burson Audio website and the Playmate link itself for more details.

The Burson Audio Playmate offers “the best of the best with the perfect union of the highest spec’d DAC chip and the best sounding OpAmps in the world” along with “5 Max current power supplies to ensure no coil, no bottleneck with maximum dynamics” as well as “Top-quality components”. That’s quite a lot to take in for just a short read so if you’ve got some time to spare, let’s check out our newest and freshest Playmate via Audio Realviews.


Burson Audio Playmate:

• Input impedance: 38 KOhms
• Frequency response: ± 1 dB 0 – 35Khz
• THD: <0.002%
• Output impedance (Head Amp): <2 Ohm
• Output impedance (Pre Out): 15 Ohm
• Inputs: USB, Toslink
• Outputs: RCA Pre-Amp / Headphone Jack
• Impedance - Power (Headphone Jack)
  16 Ohm - 1.8W
  32 Ohm - 2W
  100 Ohm- 0.5W
  150 Ohm - 3W
  300 Ohm - 0.1W

• DAC Specs: Channel Separation (132dB@1KHz, 121dB@20KHz)
• XMOS USB Specs:
  Channel Separation: 132dB@1KHz, 121dB@20KHz
  Mobile OS: iOS & Android (OTG support)
  PCM & DXD Support: PCM 32Bits/768kHz
  Native DSD: Native DSD 64 / 128 / 256 / 512
  DSD over PCM: DoP64 / DoP128 / DoP256

With the ESS9038Q2M 32-Bit Stereo Mobile Audio DAC being used on the Playmate, Burson Audio has kept up with the recent trend of using up-to-date components within their systems, it isn’t from SABRE’S PRO series though. It also makes use of the XMOS XU208 module for its digital interface which assures low jitter clock system and a much improved processing capacity of up to 1000 MIPS. The Burson Max Current Power Supply (MCPS) feature is still here which was also used on the earlier Play model, this assures that the Playmate to “shine from pitch-black background”. Burson Audio also made sure to source top-quality ELNA audio-grade capacitors, Dale military-grade resistors and Toshiba transistors to ensure the circuitry isn’t compromised.

One of the notable features of the Burson Audio Playmate is its ability to be customized according to a user’s sound preference or if you are just the tinkerer type. The Playmate by default comes with the quad Texas Instruments NE5532D op amps and can be configured with Burson Audio’s very own op amps (V6 Vivid Dualx4-$649, V6 Classic Dualx4-$649, V6 Vivid Dualx2 and V6 Classicx2-$749 and the TOTL configuration of V6 Vivid or Classic dualx5 with the Burson Audio Bang-$1,248).
The Burson Audio Playmate came in a glossy black box with red accents, typical trademark Burson Audio colors with the Playmate’s build outline and minor product descriptions and the reassuring 5-year warranty coverage. Inside this very box is a black hard foam cutout where the actual Burson Audio Playmate unit rests. There are 2 black rectangular boxes beside this setup which contains all the other accessories which are as follows:

• 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter
• Allen/Hex screwdriver
• Power Supply
• Inside computer plugs,
• RCA-RCA stereo cable
• Product Manual
• Warranty Card

The Playmate comes in either Noir (Black) or Everest (Silver) colors with anodized all-metal build. It is as edgy as can it be since Burson Audio has considered making the Playmate to be integrated in a computer case’s front drive bay panel with dimensions of 210mm x 145mm x 45mm and an approximate weight of 2kg. Despite being designed to fit in a desktop rig’s front drive bay panel, the Playmate still takes into account of it being a separate device from your rig by being an independent device that consumes precious horizontal desk space which is aided by 4 rubber feet on its bottom corners.

Front Panel
The Playmate’s front panel has a much standardized anodized finish that appears glossy and almost plastic-like, once again taking into account being integrated into a computer case’s front drive bay panel which are mostly acrylic glass to show off that “RGB is life”. Speaking of RGB, the Playmate’s lone display panel is a deep purple acrylic display (unconfirmed) which appears black on regular light with blue indicator backlights that displays all the Playmate’s settings (Volume, Input, Output and track playback format/bit rate). I would personally prefer white indicator backlights to match most desktop I/O backlights, small quirks but the Obsessive-compulsive in me kicked in.

Featuring 3 jacks upfront, the 1st being the 6.5mm output jack at the left most side next to a dedicated Mic jack because gaming, remember? Burson Audio opted to include a type-C input jack which supports both Desktop and Mobile OS (Windows, Mac, Android and iOS) systems. 4 Allen/Hex screws are also present with great ease of access in case you would are open to customizing the Playmate’s stock Texas Instruments Operational Amplifier (OP AMP).

Side Panels
Gracing the Playmate’s side panel is a lone feature which is the 2 drive bay screw sockets on each side for the sole purpose of being mounted on that front drive bay panel.

Back Panel
The Playmate’s back panel still features 4 Allen/Hex screws for the body and 3 star screws for keeping both the RCA output jacks and the Optical output jack. The main power ON/OFF switch in the usual red plastic with white marking configuration is also present on the Playmate’s back along with the dual power jacks being either the usual barrel power jack with a dedicated power supply (100-240V AC) or the 12V DC 5A Molex connector for connecting it once mounted into a desktop’s drive bay panel. The combination of an Optical and USB 2.0 Type-B (768 kHz/32bit, Native DSD 64/128/256/512 and DoP64/128/256) for input makes the Playmate ideal for indeed both desktop or drive bay panel use.

The inclusion of the Mic input on the Burson Audio Playmate automatically places it into a unique category of being an audiophile-grade DAC/AMP/Pre-AMP device that doesn’t alienate gamers and the gaming/streaming community as a whole. It’s ironic though that I wasn’t able to personally try the Mic function as I wasn’t able to secure a dedicate Mic for the Playmate realview, another area of improvement for the page which I’d certainly address and update on this aspect of the Playmate once the Mic comes in.
The USB 2.0 Type-B worked great and immaculate when connected to my MSI GF62 8RE laptop, no issues and connectivity hiccups. It also synced easily when using my type-C OTG cable to either my OnePlus 3T smartphone or with the xDuoo X10tii. The Optical input also worked great when paired to my trusty old PS3 Slim with no issues encountered. The USB-C input port is a whole different story though since it wasn't able to register any type of input from my use of various type-C OTG dedicated cables which worked on other type-C based devices that I have, Burson Audio needs to address this fast.

Burson Audio's main line of business as far as I've seen and heard from peers are their audiophile components which gets integrated into another audio company's desired implementation making them a capable team-player oriented company right off the bat which suits the "Playmate" namesake for this specific Burson Audio model.

With all that in mind, the Playmate with its ESS SABRE DAC and Texas Instruments OpAmp configuration allowed for a variety of digital filters which are as follows:

• Brickwall - Maximum flat response (used for the realview)
• CMFR - Corrected minimum phase fast roll off
• Reserved - Reserved for future updates
• AP Fast - default
• MP Slow - Minimum phase slow roll off
• MP Fast - Minimum phase fast roll off
• LP Slow - Linear slow roll off
• Lp Fast - Linear fast roll off

The Playmate also featured a HI-LOW headphone output gain which worked great in driving IEMs (Tin HIFI T3, CustomArt FIBAE BLACK, Fearless Audio S6Rui, BGVP DM6), earbuds (Shozy BK Stardust and BGVP DX3s) and Headphones (Meze Audio 99 NEO, Sony CD900st and ATH-AD900x) alike which all came out hiss-free. The Playmate also worked seamlessly when paired with my MSI GF62-8RE laptop (Windows10 Home) with the Foobar2000 v1.4 churning out a mixed bag of 16/44, 24/48 FLAC files. I decided to roll with the Meze Audio 99 NEO for the whole realview as it was the one that I found to have complemented well with the Playmate. You can check my Meze Audio NEO realview here for a deeper insight into my own take for it but for an overall take, the 99 NEO's is a smooth sounding warm signature set of headphones.

The Burson Audio Playmate sound is all about being full and engaging with its delivery. I made sure to get the hang of it by using it as my daily driver from binge watching my favorite TV shows to my gaming marathon sessions and in return, the Playmate gave me a clear sounding midrange that is both easy to discern and enjoy, male vocals had lower midrange extension for a full sounding experience while the upper midrange performance was detailed enough. The treble delivery was soft but with great clarity which is absent of sharp peaks and not the type to trigger your choice of IEM, earbud or headphone to be sibilant. I decided to take on the lows at the last part as it was the least notable from the Playmate's most distinct qualities but the one that makes both the midrange and highs to work great. The low frequency performance of the Playmate is done with care, it isn't overpowering but has ample and tight impact delivery and a non-congesting thump, a great foundation implementation for the succeeding frequencies.

Who dares forget about soundstage, imaging and separation for an audio device which supposedly caters to the gaming community where this aspect is of paramount consideration? Burson Audio's Playmate surely does not, while the soundstage performance of the Playmate is aggressively dependent on the output medium of choice, be it a closed setup or open, the Playmate's imaging and separation was on point and distinct. Detailed and clarity is one of the Playmate's strengths.

I'm yet to try OpAmp rolling and hopefully would delve into it sooner than later especially now that I have the xDuoo XD-05 and the Burson Audio Playmate to play with which are great OpAmp rolling companions.

A non-functioning front USB-C output port (for now) plus not including the remote control by default for that lazy ass of mine, pardon me for I've been pampered by my Sony CAS-1 remote setup, are my biggest Playmate discomforts. Everything else about the Playmate is great, from its stellar imaging and separation performance to its full-bodied sound devoid of both hiss when switching gears and off timbre frequencies makes the Burson Audio Playmate a must have for the jack-of-all-master-of-none type of gamers and a solid must-consider DAC/AMP/PreAMP for audiophiles.

Some things just take you by the name, either effectively or ineffectively depends on the individual’s personality towards a particular name. I was lucky enough to grow when the digital age started developing and advancing at a frantic pace. I can clearly remember the 1st time I was asked by Yahoo Mail to create an email username and password and one of the numerous things that popped on my mind was using QWERTY, it’s easy to spot on a keyboard and I thought, yeah, that could work. Until I found out most of my peers used the same password as well. It then made the QWERTY tagline in my mind of being associated with average, ordinary and common. Imagine what I was thinking when I heard about BQEYZ as a company name for an audio brand, no need to guess, you’d know by now what I was thinking.

BQEYZ, as of the moment has no official website but instead uses AliExpress for their official store which also supports all the other BQEYZ products such their other IEM offerings, the K1, KB1, K2 and KC2. What we have now to realview is their current flagship, the BQ3, along with BQEYZ C2 8-core(4-core single crystal copper and 4-core silver plated copper) upgrade cable which BQEYZ both sent as a sample unit in exchange for an honest review, no monetary factors were involved in the agreement. Priced at $68.99 for the BQEYZ BQ3 and the BQEYZ C3 upgrade cable for $35 can be checked and grabbed off their official BQEYZ AliExpress store front and BQEYZ Amazon store front.

The BQEYZ BQ3 is a hybrid type IEM featuring dual dynamic drivers and 3 balanced armatures per side. It is spec’d out with a 7-40 kHz Frequency Response, 22 Ohm Impedance and a 95dB Sensitivity. An option for either black or blue faceplate designs are offered by BQEYZ for the BQ3 and we have the black one for realview. The BQ3 stays departs BQEYZ’s known product naming scheme of using the “K” character which was according to BQEYZ, was their old factory’s 1st name. Does this mean that the BQ3 is the start of a new line of BQEYZ products coming off a newer factory production line? If that’s the case, it better deliver the goods or else it might hinder BQEYZ’s plant for a 3rd production factory.


BQ3
The BQ3 comes in a black sleeved box with just the BQ3 IEM snapshot on the front and minor product description details. Removing the sleeve showcases the BQ3 in a black foam cutout with 2 pairs of translucent gray eartips (S and L, with M being pre-installed on the BQ3), a small box with the BQEYZ brand is placed just below the foam cutout which contains the dark gray velvet storage pouch and the stock cable inside. It’s nice to find a storage pouch being included by BQEYZ since the BQ3 is for now, their flagship offering.

The BQ3’s housing makes use of an all-aluminum alloy build with an overall ovoid shape. The faceplate where the color option sets in can either be black or blue which both features metallic silver chamfered edges and the inscription “Hybrid technology”. The underside of the IEM housing features 3 vents with both placed flatly and is sized a tad wider than the single vent placed on the base of the BQ3’s nozzle. The BQ3’s nozzle is a separate piece and I’d guess it is some kind of hard plastic although it terminates to a metallic silver showerhead type cap. As with all metal build IEMs, the BQ3 is prone to scratches and feels cold to the ears when used on a fully air-conditioned room. It doesn’t feel totally uncomfortable for my ears although I can’t use it for more than 3 hours as the upper portion of the BQ3 tends to touch my ears way too much causing eventual discomfort (that’s at 3 hours usage).
The BQ3’s stock cable is a 4-core copper wire with black shielding and either comes with mic controls (1 button control for play/pause and answer/drop functions) or not. There is sufficient strain relief on both the gold-plated right angle 3.5mm jack and the black metal Y-split with the BQEYZ brand printed on it.
The BQ3 also utilizes removable cables with a recessed .78mm 2pin female connection on the IEM and a gold-plated .78mm 2pin male connector housed in black hard plastic with L-R markings and a clear plastic memory guide for over ear use.

C3 upgrade cable
BQEYZ decided to include one of their upgrade cables for the BQ3 and I was already expecting it to be packaged in either a small plastic or cardboard box so I was surprised when it came with a matte silver zip case which is lined with black velvet on the inside, it immediately became my go to storage case for the BQ3 since not only does it have enough space to store the upgrade cable and the BQ3 but also because it has quite a sturdiness to it which doesn’t easily compress when stored in a very tight bag.
The BQEYZ C3 upgrade cable is made of 8-core (4-core single crystal copper and 4-core silver plated copper) utilizing the usual round braid and is finished/sheathed with silver as well as copper making it an easy eye-candy. There is sufficient tension on the braid making it easy enough for storage and stiff enough to resist tangles. The gold-plated 3.5mm straight plug housing, y-split and chin slider are all made of aluminum as well with a matte silver finish, only the 3.5mm housing has ample strain relief though. The 2pin .78mm female housing uses clear plastic which has a memory wire guide as well for over ear use. Only a slight hint of microphonic noise was present when using the C3 upgrade cable, not enough to be annoying or disrupt your listening session.
The BQ3 comes off as a overall balanced sounding set of IEMs with a touch of emphasis on both the low-end and the treble yet not enough to say it’s boosted on the said frequencies. I decided to use the stock M ear tips along with the Sony CAS-1 off my MSI GF62-8RE laptop and the Sony A46HN music player outputting various FLAC files which would be mentioned along in the realview. The BQ3 also underwent the recommended “100 hour burn-in” period for those that advocate it.

Lady Gaga came in strutting for the low end performance test of the BQ3, singing her Starstruck track in 24/44 FLAC. Sub-bass hits has great depth to them which creates a rather powerful atmosphere. The occasional bass drops are full-bodied and resonates in a subtly lingering passion which doesn’t struggle when tracks get bass heavy, speedy bass came to play. The BQ3 handles the low end well and doesn’t disregard the fact that it needs a nice foundation towards the succeeding frequencies.

The BQ3’s midrange is where all the improvements should be made for their next iteration. I called on Lea Salonga to serenade me with her I Can’t Make You Love Me in 16/44 FLAC. The BQ3 renders the midrange in a smooth and soft manner. The lower midrange delivery is clear enough but comes short of providing a fuller sounding experience creating a somewhat lackluster lower midrange performance. The midrange rendition also follows suit, acceptable but far from engaging. The upper midrange is where it starts to grasp that it lacks on the prior frequencies by adding a much needed clarity and attack on the notes which although non-fatiguing, is already too late to save the midrange.

Tackling the highs of the BQ3 was a relief from the rather mediocre midrange performance it gave out. Lady Gaga’s The Fame in 24/44 FLAC gave out stellar clarity and definition of the treble hits, enough to put a smirk on a treblehead’s face. There is a noticeable emphasis on this frequency which I personally prefer, it gives instrumental hits a quick and clean snap. The BQ3 also reports to the higher frequencies without any sibilance and disorienting sudden peaks.

The BQEYZ BQ3 is comparable to the collection of friends you’d probably have upon reaching an older age, small but intimate. It renders the instrumental presence to emanate a narrow sounding soundstage with the imaging somewhat on point, not with great accuracy though. There is also mediocre layering observed but is equalized with great left to right and right to left panning.

While the BQ3’s stock cables worked great, it’s always a welcome option to have an upgrade cable within one’s reach and I personally am a believer that cables do create and offer sonic changes and sometimes improvements, at a tiny fraction of the IEMs overall tonality that is. What the C3 offers for the BQ3 is an overall tighter presentation for the low frequency, with the bass drops benefiting the most, would have loved it if the C3 improved the BQ3’s midrange though.

The BQEYZ BQ3 makes me think that the BQEYZ brand name was indeed what I initially believed it to be, odd but unique and so far not underperforming. The BQ naming scheme could be meaning Best Quality which although doesn’t exactly fit BQ3, it also doesn’t stray way too far from it. The BQ3 glides across the various sound frequencies, leaving nothing exceptional and nothing unsatisfying along the way. The low-end performance is rendered with sufficient thump and power and the high frequency devoid of sharp peaky highs with just a tinge of kick. The midrange would certainly love some more care and revision which gives BQEYZ both a challenge and opportunity to outdo themselves with the BQ4 (Just guessing). And if you have some spare funds, the C3 upgrade cable while lacking the much needed midrange bump the BQ3 needs, does indeed worked better for both aesthetic function and portability for the BQ3.

Using a dedicated amplifier for my daily dose of music was one of the things that paved the way for me to even consider diving into the audiophile world, I can still clearly remember the moment I unboxed my 1st ever DAC/AMP in the form of the iBasso dzero mk2 which I still have to this very day and still functions when needed. I’ve then been in bed with different DAC/AMPs and this realview makes no difference for another came my way to satiate my never-ending thirst something new.
In comes the XQ-20, a dedicated amplifier from xDuoo, a CN-based company from Shenzen. The xDuoo XQ-20 utilizes ALPS potentiometers from Japan along with Nikon and ELNA capacitors with an OP (OPA1652) + BUF (LMH6643) circuit architecture from Texas Instruments. With a $58 price tag, the XQ-20 is as entry-level as it can get price wise. Linsoul Audio and DD Audiophile sponsored the sample unit to be used for this review and you can check out their respective websites if you are already interested in getting the XQ-20, but before you do, let’s check out what yours truly has to say for the XQ-20.

Traditional xDuoo packaging accompanies the XQ-20. Highlighting the front is the XQ-20’s product description and design, over at the back is the complete list of all its features, specifications and package list. Inside shows a box which contains the xDuoo XQ-20 with a compartment for the USB cable, 3.5-3.5 audio cable, warranty card and product manual.
xDuoo XQ-20 Specifications:

• Power Source: DC 4.2V built-in li-polymer rechargeable battery
• Frequency response: 10Hz-22Khz
• THD+N: 0.001% (1KHz)
• Recommended Headphone Impedance: 16Ω~300Ω
• Charging time: <4H
• Output power: 125mW(32Ω load)
• Gain: +3/+6dB
• S/N: 114dB
• Playback time: ≥9H
• Size: 94*52*12mm
• Weight: 85g

The XQ-20 features a CNC-machined aluminum alloy for its body which has a sandblasted matte black finish with rounded edges and is totally portable with its 85g heft. It has a power bank-like look which when connected to my smartphone and DAPs was always mistaken as such when I’m using it together. The exclusion of rubber feet stickers and stacking cables makes the XQ-20 hard to stack with other DAPs that is if you are fan of stacking. All the interfaces are in the form of toggle switches which is great since this your average entry level portable headphone and earphone amplifier. I’d also be careful when lugging and storing this around especially when you store it with your other gadgets as they may scratch and break those with glass components given the right bump and shake.

Top Panel
The XQ-20’s front panel features the volume rotating volume knob and the dual 3.5mm ports for headphone out and audio input. What’s great about the XQ-20’s audio input and output ports are they are reinforced with a gold-plated metal enclosure which I personally believe should be an industry standard at this point of an audiophile market emergence. A power LED indicator which gives a static green light when turned on and blinks when power is about to drain.

Bottom and Left Side Panel
The left side panel of the XQ-20 features the trio of toggle switches for the bass boost, gain controls and the on/off switch. They have great tactile feedback when switched to your preferred setup and doesn’t rattle at all. The bottom panel is where the dedicated micro-USB B charging port. A discreet red charging LED indicator accompanies the lone feature on the bottom panel which switches off when full charge is reached.

With a 500mAh battery powering the XQ-20 and a give or take 9 hour estimated playback time with a more or less 4 hour charging time gives the XQ-20 an already somewhat thumbs down for me, since that 4 hour charging time is already 50% of its actual usage time and sure enough when I used it, it indeed took 3 hours and 48 minutes for the XQ-20 to show a full charge. I’m not expecting quick charge capabilities for a dedicated AMP yet at 2019, it’s almost a standard feature. I used the XQ-20 exclusively with my MSI GF62-8RE laptop, OnePlus 3T and Zishan DSD Pro devices with 16/44 FLAC files along with the TIN HIFI T3, Shozy BK Stardust and Meze Audio 99 Neo and at the 4th volume knob configuration as well. The XQ-20 lasted around 8 hours and 20 minutes on average during my time with it, it doesn’t warm up at an uncomfortable level even when using High Gain and with Bass boost turned on.

The XQ-20 as an amplifier does its job in a great way in line with its claimed “soft and natural sound with perfect bass extension”, only the usage of “perfect” was off the mark. I have this expectation set when testing out dedicated amplifiers which is that it should in actual experience not color the signature from its source. The XQ-20’s biggest selling point is it indeed retains the source’s inherent sound signature with a mild touch of being on the warmer side, my MSI laptop and OnePlus 3T device has an inherent lack of low end bass impact and body which the XQ-20 with bass boost solves right away. Midrange and high frequency output doesn’t benefit from the XQ-20 so if you are after an improvement on this area, now’s the time to look away. The XQ-20 however gives an emphasis to where its function lies and that’s in carrying out a more engaging sound by providing the additional power which non-audio dedicated devices needs. The bass extension is far from perfect as xDuoo claims yet there is indeed bass extension to be discerned when using the XQ-20, sub-bass has more power in it with slower decay than natural giving out a lingering feeling to tracks heavy on the low-end to be either excessive or not, surely bassheads will adore this effect which in my case wasn’t as I like my sub-bass to dissipate quick.

The XQ-20 reminds me of my earlier days where I thought I was the king of the world with that additional power that I had when I first used a dedicated amplifier. The XQ-20 for $58, with its usage of reinforced gold-plated 3.5mm audio ports for both input and output and easy on the hand usage gives its ability not to color the sources sound signature but provide a much needed low-end impact most non-audio dedicated devices lacks much more meaningful. I would highly recommend the XQ-20 to those who are starting their journey into the audiophile world and would say opposite to those who already own a dedicated music player, it’s just another weight to lug around.

Shozy, a company based in Shenzhen and Hong Kong has already appeared on this blog with their Hibiki MK2 IEM offering which was also a collaboration with Advanced AcousticsWerkes. They are making their 2nd appearance in the form of their already known earbud offering, the Shozy BK Stardust. It has already gained its own ground and has even spawned a limited edition sibling.

The Shozy BK Stardust is spec’d out with a Japan sourced 14.2mm dynamic driver, 10Hz to 20 kHz Frequency Response, 2mW Rated power, 115±3dB Sensitivity and a 16 Ohm Impedance. Shozy has also stated that all materials used in the BK Stardust are of premium quality be it the solder for the internal wirings, earbud shell, and its cable. It comes with a 1.2m 8-core single crystal copper cable and Japan’s very own Oyaide 3.5mm gold-plated TRS plug.
The Shozy BK Stardust is currently priced at $165. The sample unit was sent by Linsoul Audio in exchange for an honest review with no monetary compensation involved. You can grab the Shozy BK Stardust off the official Linsoul Audio website or off DD Audio in AliExpress which comes with a 1 year limited warranty coverage. It has been quite a while since the launch of Shozy’s BK Stardust so is getting it in 2019 still a go or a no. Let’s find out with the realview.

The Shozy BK Stardust came in a neat little matte silver cardboard box with minute green accents, on top shows a green oval shaped logo with the BK model name and the “High Fidelity Earphones” description and Shozy’s official website link, the backside of the side shows the BK Stardust’s specifications and package inclusions. Opening up the box reveals a neat and large (earbud proportions) matte leather zipper case which contains the Shozy BK Stardust earbud itself with a 3.5mm plug cap which was great and 2 pairs of black earbud foams, 1 full foams and 1 donut foams. I was expecting a tad more foams to have been included for a $165 earbud. Want to find more? No, that’s all there is for the included accessories.
I guess all the supposed cost to including more accessories was diverted into the build quality of the BK Stardust. Right off the box, the BK Stardust’s “PK” shells has a matte finish to it giving it a somewhat sturdier feeling rather than the usual glossy finished used on other PK shells. The drivers also came in a gray outer shell which contrasted well with the matte black finish of the BK Stardust’s shell finish although I eventually ended up using full foams on them which made the contrasting aesthetics to be hidden in plain sight, not that you’d be looking at earbuds too, right? The standard dual horizontal vents on PK shells was dampened by black foams as well which in turn accounted for blending well with the black full foams that Shozy has included. There’s a subtle Shozy branding on the shells neck with grayish L and R markings.
The stock cable that came with the BK Stardust was indeed premium to the feel, it should be as premium materials was used. It came out with a gun metal copper finish you’d often see on hand guns, I’m not a gun expert though. The Y-split used on the BK Stardust astounded me, was that really just a clear shrink tube? C’mon Shozy, even the gray rubber chin slider looked premium, was that the idea? The cable was not annoying when worn and doesn't have any form of excessive tension to it, it tangles a lot when stored though. Moving on the plug itself shows where some of that $165 price resides and that’s with its genuine 3.5mm gold-plated Oyaide plug, I’ve had my fair share of plugs that loses its plating and even gain significant loss of luster over a short period of time, the BK Stardust drastically slows down that process by choosing a premium plug.

The Shozy BK Stardust has an inherent balanced sound with a minor tilt towards an emphasis on the low-end frequency, it underwent the usual recommended 250 burn-in and if you may not have known, my burn-in process is plainly plugging it to any of my DAPs and just play the usual tracks that I have on it, no actual listening done. The Zishan DSD Pro and Sony A46HN as well as the Sony CAS-1 churning out 16/44 FLAC files was used for the duration of the realview which would be mentioned along as well.

I called out EM to crank up his Mockingbird and Superman track in 16/44 FLAC and the sub bass produced a well-rounded rumble with subtle extension, bass decay isn’t the fastest yet still doesn’t struggle when successive hits occurs. Mid bass performance is great and has noticeable impact and is delivered cleanly with no annoying linger. The overall low end was rendered smoothly and is in fact not boring and lacking, for me that is.

Upon hearing EM, Elton John came knocking so I gave him the chance to be featured. Pulling out Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word track in 16/44 FLAC and the lower midrange came out smooth and natural, a little less engaging though. The midrange was however on point in its timbre and doesn’t sound artificial and has great clarity to it. The upper midrange was noteworthy giving that needed air and flair that the lower midrange was depriving the overall midrange sound.

The BK Stardust has so far got it going right and while that is good, what we need is more than just satisfying but overwhelming if the BK Stardust was to stay on top over its competition. Susan Wong offered to help and she sang Close to You in 16/44 FLAC and it showed that the BK Stardust once again handled the highs well. There were no harsh peaks and sibilance wasn't to be observed. There was great extension with clarity to be noticed. I was looking for that added kick and bite on the ride and crash cymbals and it lacked, the leap to greatness was somewhat stunted.

The BK Stardust gave out the usual wide soundstage for earbuds with a touch more hold over the level of control over its imaging. There is great balance between in terms of width and depth performance for individual instruments. Vocal and instrument accuracy hits it home for the BK Stardust.

The Shozy BK Stardust has been out for almost 2 years now and while I wouldn’t automatically recommend to get the BK Stardust, it is important to know that I’ve seen its journey from being loved when it was released and overlooked once the DIY earbud scene grew. You may guess that some of these DIY guys have tested the BK Stardust and the ability it has which led to the growth of the scene. For $165, the Shozy BK Stardust sounds great with no drastic shortcomings and although better options are out there now, the premium materials used on the BK Stardust guarantees everyone in terms of the quality and value for money that it offers.

Better to be excessive than lacking is a mantra that has been influencing most of my decisions in almost all aspects occurring in my day to day life. A great opportunity came my way to have this mantra be exhibited in this site and if you have been following my realviews, it’s clear that most of my realviews are either IEMs or Headphones that are easy to drive, a case could be made for most of which scales well depending on the source or the power pumped into them.

That said opportunity about excessive amounts came in the form of Xtenik Audio reaching out to Audio Realviews to check out the Xduoo XD-05 DAC/AMP along with its dedicated Bluetooth Module, the Xduoo 05-BL, in exchange for an honest take on the 2 items. You can check out all other Xduoo products off the official Xtenik Audio website. The Xduoo XD-05 DAC/AMP is priced at $209 which you can grab off HERE while the Xduoo 05-BL is priced at $55 which you can grab off HERE.
I've had my previous encounter with Xduoo products in the form of the Xduoo X3ii and I am yet to be disappointed from a price point perspective in relation to its performance and sound quality. With a new addition to their audiophile line of products whose combination of a wired and wireless solution bordering in a portability and desktop usage option will make one wonder if Xduoo are gearing towards an entry towards the high end market. Will these recent additions to their offerings bridge the gap from Xduoo’s niche entry level market towards their supposed leap into the higher ranks either make or break their hopes? I’m more than willing to at least give an insight on this supposed attempt with the XD-05 and 05-BL Realviews.


XD-05

• Battery: Built in 3.7V/4000mAh rechargeable lithium polymer battery
• DAC CHIP: AK4490
• Screen: 0.91 inch OLED screen
• Body: Aluminum alloy
• Output Power: 500mW (32Ω load)
• Supported Sampling Rates: USB IN
• PCM: 16-32 Bit/44.1-384KHz
• DSD: DSD64-256(1Bit/2.8M-11.2M)
• DXD: 24-32 Bit/352.8-384khZ
• OPTICAL/COAXIAL IN
• PCM: 16-24 Bit/44.1-192KHz
• Gain: +6/+9/+15dB
• Bass boost: 0/+6dB
• THD+N: 0.0025% (1 KHz)
• S/N: 112dB
• Recommended Earphone Impedance: 8Ω-300Ω
• Battery life: 11H (USB IN), 16H (SPDIF IN), 23H (AUX IN)
• Charging time: Quick charge 5H (with charger), Slow charge 11H (Via PC)
• Size: 139.5*75*23mm
• Weight: 270g

The Xduoo XD-05 packaging was plain signature Xduoo, coming in a white cardboard box with the product photo upfront and the product specifications at the back, inside this cardboard box is a black matte box with gold Xduoo branding on the cover and underneath reveals the XD-05 unit itself resting on a foam cutout to protect it especially during its shipping journey. Just below the XD-05 unit is a white box with all the accessories stored in. The accessory set are as follow:

• USB Cable(for Charger)
• USB Cable(for PC)
• Rubber Feet x 4
• Silicone Band x 2
• CD(With USB driver)
• User Manual
• Warranty card
• 4 Allen screws

05-BL

• Bluetooth Specifications and Version: 5.0
• Bluetooth Chip: CSR8670
• Bluetooth-Supported Music Formats: SBC, AAC, aptX
• Maximum Communication Range: Within 10 meters
• Distortion Factor: 0.00087%
• Output Amplitude: 0.5Vp-p
• Battery Life: ≥15hours
• Charging Time: Less than 2 hours in case of 5V/0.5V
• Size: 75*22.8*14.8 (29.3) mm
• Weight: 31g

The Xduoo 05-BL packaging was similar with the XD-05’s except that the inner box has a grooved glossy finish with a silver Xduoo branding. The 05-BL rested on a foam cutout as well with all the other accessories included getting its own foam cutout treatment. The 05-BL accessory set are as follow:

• USB cable
• XD-05 switch protective jacket
• 4 Allen screws and 1 Allen screw driver
• User Manual
• Warranty card

XD-05
With a body made of Aluminum Alloy, the XD-05 is in fact more lightweight than it appears, coming in at a mere 270g weight makes the XD-05 a great portable desktop solution and with a lengthwise form factor makes it even more constant handling-friendly. I'm not a fan of stacking but with a carefully designed silhouette attributing to the rounded corners and a sandblasted finish makes the XD-05 acceptable. I can carry it around since it fits most horizontal pockets on my backpack and I'd greatly appreciate if they added a velvet pouch for it so I can store other gears on that horizontal pocket.

TThe XD-05's front panel features a 0.91 inch OLED screen that shows a collection of battery, audio format, input signal and digital filter indicators. On the left side of this OLED screen is a 6.5mm output jack with a 500mW (32Ω load) Output power and to its right is the Volume knob doubling as an ON/OFF switch and finally, towards the bottom of the OLED screen are three toggle switches for the INPUT (OPTICAL/COAXIAL, USB IN and AUX IN), BASS BOOST (ON/OFF) and GAIN (LOW, MID, HIGH). 4 Allen screws are also present with great ease of access in case you would are open to modding the XD-05’s stock Operational Amplifier (OP AMP).

Side Panel
Decking out the XD-05’s side panel are horizontal vents on the upper portion on both panels except that the left side panel features 3 buttons for controlling the OLED screen (ON/OFF), SAMPLE RATE CONVERSION or SRC (48/96/192/44.1kHz) and the FILTERS option (PCM1, PCM2, PCM3, PCM4).
Back Panel
The XD-05’s back panel also features 4 discreet allen screws for that modding option along with 2 LED light indicators, 1 for the LINK connection which blinks blue when source is confirmed as well as another LED light indicator for the CHARGE status, red when charging and turns off when battery is full. The XD-05’s micro USB port is strictly for charging. The variety of input options for the XD-05’s is its main drawing feature. The 1st of these inputs is the LINE OUT/IN jack, the 2nd input port is the USB Audio input jack compatible with all recent Windows systems, Linux and Apple systems and also supports Apple’s Camera adapter and Android’s USB-OTG function. Lastly, the XD-05 features a DIGITAL IN port for OPTICAL/COAXIAL signals supporting up to 24 bit 192 kHz digital signals.

05-BL
With an all plastic build for the 05-BL, it then and there shows you that it is indeed dedicated for that BT function although the main front panel is still metal with 4 allen screws as well. The 05-BL comes in only black which greatly compliments either the 2-tone silver/black or the all black XD-05. Attaching the 05-BL to the XD-05 makes the already versatile XD-05 to be even more of a sweet deal not to mention that each component features an independent battery system allowing for more control over your usage behaviors, not to mention that it sits snugs and makes the XD-05 even sleeker when the 05-BL is attached.

Front and Top Panel
Featuring a dual gold-plated 3.5mm jack to implement the BT function with the necessary 05-BL product details and the top panel outlining the different button controls. The 1st being the BT ON/OFF button doubling as a PLAY/PAUSE button when connection is established. A dedicated micro USB port for charging beside a charge LED light indicator (Low Power – Red light blinks, Charging – Red light ON, Charging complete – Red light off) and a BT connection LED light ( Pairing – Blue light blinking, Connected – Blue light stays on, Audio signal playing – Blue and Green light alternately blinking). The last 2 buttons on the 05-BL’s top panel controls the NEXT/PREVIOUS track options and just in case your BT signal is acting up, a discreet rest button is also present on the top panel. All buttons has great feedback when pressed and doesn’t rattle at all when shaking the 05-BL.


XD-05
With a weight of 270g for a portable DAC/AMP and you’d automatically expect a plethora of connectivity options to match any need you’d be having when the need arises and the XD-05 doesn’t disappoint. I am yet to experience an instance where the XD-05 wasn’t able to address my occasional need for that audiophile sound. The AUX IN/OUT function works well when I’m needing that amplified power while the USB audio input allowed me to connect it to my laptop as well as via USB-OTG with my mobile phone and DAPs. The Digital IN port allowed me to even have that SPDIF and Optical connection towards my consoles. That’s a complete solution in my opinion, unless when you are needing a connection for your desktop and standing speakers.

05-BL
With the 05-BL utilizing the CSR8670 BT chip, it enables the 05-BL to support up to Bluetooth 5.0 as well as aptX with a maximum stable range of up to 10 M which upon actual usage is accurate except when walls are present which I tried and BT signal tends to cut off occasionally but still stays connected nonetheless. Using the 05-BL with XD-05 is as stable as it gets with no connection issues whatsoever for all the usage time that I had with it. Pairing time was stellar and appears appropriately as Xduoo 05-BL and not some weird random name which I have encountered on different CN-based BT products. One thing however that knocks off a big chunk of style and portability points off the 05-BL BT module is the fact that it uses dual 3.5mm plugs for connectivity which isn’t storage friendly at all.


XD-05
Finally, the part where all these audio stuff either breaks it or makes it, Sound Quality. But before we dive into that, let’s check out the XD-05’s battery performance, with a claimed battery life of around 11-23 hours depending on output and format used, the XD-05 is a stellar performer. It indeed gets past the 11 hour minimum threshold when using it solely connected via USB IN with 16/44 FLAC playback and the usual NetFlix and Steam game marathon. SPDIF IN was a little suspect with an average battery life of 13-14 hours while the AUX IN gets way past that 23 hour threshold and even touches 30 hours. The form factor is indeed justified by packing a reliable battery on it without any heat issues.
The XD-05 uses the AK4490 DAC Chip which is used widely from entry level audiophile products such as the Zishan Z2 to mid tier audio players, Shanling M5 and Cayin i5 to high end DAPs such as the AK KANN and Questyle's CMA400i makes the XD-05 very versatile on paper. It however translated well with an overall balanced sound signature with emphasis on the low-end frequency performance. Sub bass drops has greater impact feel and bass body being fuller especially evident on the Sony CD900st which arguably lacks that low end kick despite possessing a midrange that is well-defined and has great clarity. The variety of filters accounted for a much more intimate feeling imaging performance especially with the PCM1 and PCM3's sharp roll-off capability. I found the PCM4's Short delay roll-off filter to be the most accurate but lacks energy and life towards tracks rendered. The XD-05 handled the ATH-AD900x and Meze Audio 99 Neo with ease and made them more than sufficiently powered even at the 9'oclock volume knob level. Sensitive IEMs such as the BGVP DM6's which was notoriusly hissing on almost all my other DAPs sounded clean and hiss-free. It however synergized best with balanced sounding IEMs like the Tin Audio T3 and the Magaosi K5 v2, the low end rumbled cleanly while still rendering a lush midrange and fatigue-prone treble.

05-BL
With a BT 5.0 and aptX combo, the Xduoo 05-BL BT module for the XD-05 was a godsend, it enabled the XD-05 to match up with recent releases of wired/wireless DAC/AMP offerings from Fiio to iFi Audio. Battery life was standard though with an average of 10-12 hour performance, it clearly gets behind the XD-05's stellar battery life which made me use the BT connection 1st and make sure that I still have that wired solution ready and locked when the 05-BL decides to rest.

Sound Quality was great and commendable especially for a wireless connection, there's a noticeable dip on the low end performance for the 05-BL which is the XD-05's greatest strength and a recessed treble, good thing though was that the midrange was left intact and still retained great clarity and extension.

The Xduoo XD-05 looks exactly what a portable desktop DAC/AMP solution should be. Its great battery life cancels out its weight drawbacks. It's inherent ability to not color a respective IEM's and Headphone's sound signature with the option to mod its op-amps adds up to its noteworthy features yet still being able to provide that needed power bump and respective frequency kick and extension makes for an even greater value for money. Did I forget to mention that it has a dedicated Bluetooth Module? Oh yeah, the 05-BL! Now that's how you keep XD-05 users happy, a thing other manufacturers of portable DAC/AMP manufacturer's should learn except for those that made portable DAC/AMP with built-in BT support, that's a topic for another review. And one last thing, Xduoo, if you're reading this, please do include any sort of carrying pouch or case for your portable DAC/AMPs because you know, portable?

Everything and everyone have got to blend in with the times and its nuances if they are wanting to stay relevant and even capture the spark that keeps that certain time beaming. There is indeed a reason why a company would pick a name such as “Urbanfun” to headline its line of products and in this particular case, audiophile-grade headphones. A chic and youthful name would right then and there resonate with the younger generation and it’s easy to see the target market it was intended for, I’m not that young and not that aged as well so it was great that I’ve got a chance to get my hands on such a product.

The audiophile-grade headphones I was referring to was none other than the Urbanfun Transound ONE, provided by Linsoul Audio and DD Audiophile in exchange for an honest review, no monetary compensation is involved on this and I greatly appreciate Linsoul Audio’s and DD Audiophile’s continued support for Audio Realviews. You can notice this with the majority of sample units reviewed on this page with them not interfering with anything that I’ve stated on all their products, be it negative or positive. Hats off to them. You can check out the official Linsoul Audio site as well as the DD Audiophile Aliexpress store to grab the Urbanfun Transound ONE.
The Urbanfun Transound ONE features a 45mm Beryllium Diaphragm driver and is spec’d out with a 5-40 kHz Frequency Response, 97±3dB/1kHz Sensitivity and a 32 Ohm Impedance. I’ve been pampered and lulled by Periodic Audio’s Beryllium's excellent and smooth sound which makes expectations for the Transound ONE at a high. Granting the price difference as well as the IEM vs HP experience, I’m still keeping my hopes up as to how the Transound ONE should sound and what better way to do it than get intimate with it.

The Urbanfun Transound ONE packaging was nowhere to be found as it only came in a bubblewrap although it came with its own matte black synthetic leather case lined with thin velour on the inside with no product manual or a warranty card. It’s most likely that this is another case of a sample unit packaging and the official product packaging would at least come with a warranty card.
Coming in with the Urbanfun Transound ONE was 2 generic 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable, generic as it can be, all black and flimsy and 2 just in case you break one fast. Thank goodness an SPC cable with silver-plated 3.5mm to 3.5mm plugs were included and that’s it for its overall packaging and accessory set.

The $199 price tag for the Urbanfun Transound ONE which features a beryllium driver is showing where it cuts corners short with an all plastic build which although doesn’t feel like it is about to break, it also doesn’t feel premium at 1st touch and even feels a tad cheaper after repeated use. The all plastic build is occasionally interrupted with the synthetic matte leather headband with minimal memory foam on the underside to supply comfort and it does the job great. The stock ear pads also uses synthetic matte leather ear pads with a much thicker memory foam that hugs my ears comfortably and thick enough to keep a nice distance for my ears and the cloth lining the plastic driver covers.
Clamping force is substantial and doesn’t induce discomfort over 2 hours of usage except the usual sweat and heat buildup. The ear cups can be swiveled at a full 90-degree angle allowing it to be laid flat on your desk as well as be safely stored in the included storage case. The inner headband is reinforced with a thin sheet of metal for structural integrity and shaking the Urbanfun Transound ONE reveals no annoying loose joints and parts. The 3.5mm interface for the removable cable is present on lower outer potion of the left earcup. The overall build quality of the Urbanfun Transound ONE doesn’t showcase top-notch craftsmanship yet it also doesn’t exemplify the usual cheap build most CN-based manufacturers are notorious for. The aesthetics as well don’t inspire much desire to take it outdoors as well as have it photographed as other cans do yet with an all-black color and hints of dark gun metal tones, it’s as discreet and masculine as I like it to be.

The Beryllium in the Urbanfun Transound ONE reared its mettle with how it sounded overall. The steady flow of an upper tonal character and a feel of being a notched up timbre is evident. It is a hands down bright sounding set of headphones which focuses more on the clarity of each frequency it tackles rather than emphasizing a certain set of frequency. It also helps that it is easy to drive and scales well with differently powered sources. The Sony CAS-1 desktop setup off an MSI GF 62 8RE laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4 was also used for the whole realview.

With an inherent bright sound dominating the overall spectrum. It allowed the Urbanfun Transound ONE’s low end frequency performance to touch and linger into a more subdued state with its sub bass drops sounding extended with a good amount of rumble to it, take note, “good” amount. Deadmau5’s 4ware in 16/44 FLAC is rendered with a smooth impacting sub bass and a mid-bass that once again resides in the mediocre side with respect to its slam delivery and mid bass body. It soothes the regular bass lovers but not the users that crave for a full on bass experience.

Ever got that feeling that things are going your way and a smirk is inevitable? Or that feeling of knowing that your loved one is about to walk through the door you’ve been waiting on for a good deal of time? The 1st time I tried the Urbanfun Transound ONE resonated a midrange that gives great justice as to why smacking a beryllium driver on a headphone is a great move. Bill Wither’s Ain’t No Sunshine in 16/44 FLAC was delivered fluidly with a full bodied lower midrange with a gentle extension of air towards the well pronounced midrange and peaking with clarity towards the upper midrange. You could smack the replay button on vocal oriented tracks with the Urbanfun Transound ONE.

Being a treblehead myself, testing out the highs of any gear that comes my way is always a love-hate endeavor and I decided to call out my buddies from Scorpion to bring all the sting that they can, cranking up No One Like You in 16/44 FLAC gave out a well extended high frequency performance devoid of harsh peaks and sibilance. The Urbanfun Transound ONE’s high frequency approach is clean and detailed. There is also subtle extension and belts out a faint air that smooths out any sudden bursts of treble sparks, sparkle is present. This gets a thumbs up from a treblehead.

The Urbanfun Transound ONE is a closed headphone setup with only 3 tiny vents on each ear cup situated on the lower portion of the faceplate as opposed to the usual location on the top of the ear cup near where the headband starts off. The Urbanfun Transound ONE renders an intimate soundstage ambience with more focus on the depth presence than its width. Layering isn’t the best and at most sounded with a mere upper and lower stage layering. Imaging is precise and accurate though with great clarity to instrumental positioning and vocal presence pans out well.

Having “Fun” on a product’s name especially on a headphone would bring forth early assumptions and the Urbanfun Transound ONE’s choice of beryllium drivers was a nice choice as it not only gave a bright and fun sounding signature but also makes it possess a material regarded to be premium. A $199 price tag helps it case of being worth checking for treble heads and midrange lovers alike. The build quality and looks would not draw over users and couple that with a mediocre packaging and accessory set and you’d be hard pressed to weigh your choices. Thanks goodness it sounds great which is what we are here for after all.