Reviews by Kathiravan JLR
INTRODUCTION:
QDC, the brand based out of China is a well renowned brand among the Audiophiles and it's a very premium brand involving some seriously premium grade of IEM’s. The Anole VX is their latest product in their premium lineup and today in this review i have got hands on this premium product to check out its magic in this audiophile industry. Let’s check out this review.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Sensitivity : 110-113dB SPL/mW
Frequency response :10 Hz-20000 Hz
Impedance:15-19Ω
DCR：15-19Ω
Armature units: 10 micro balanced armature
Noise isolation: 26dB
Monitor plug: 3.5mm(1/8") connector
Cable: optional
Technical feature:3 sound channels, 3 crossover,natural restoring, superb music quality
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team CONCEPT KART and thanks to them for adding me in their group. The whole views are based on my pairing and sources with the product hence it might differ from person to person.
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Anole is pretty neat and elegant. The whole construction is made out of resin but it feels very premium and has good heft on the hands. The colour scheme is based on silver and has that nice glittery effect on the whole body surface.
The branding is done in a subtle manner and has a sturdy QDC connection. The whole shape is based on a custom shell shape hence the fit and the seal that you are getting out of this ITEM is really nice. The earpiece might appear bigger since it accommodates all the BA drivers inside them but when it comes to comfort they are top notch in that area.
The provided stock cable is very premium with good supple texture on the hands and has a nice malleable ear hook that adapts well on the ears.
SOUND:
The sound of the Anole is more of a neutral side oriented. The excellent aspect of this earphone is the faster dynamics and micro details. The pair always mesmerises me with these two aspects and this is the first time I have fallen in love with that BA bass presence. The vocals being very natural and that clean and airy midrange is a big positive of this earphone. The treble is very detailed enough without being harsh over the ears. Let’s check out in detail in the following sections.
The whole impression of this sound is based on turning on all the switches hence it might differ from your setup of the earphone.
BASS:
First of all, it's an all BA IEM and considering this I thought the bass is gonna be the weakest aspect of this ITEM since most of the BA bass are weaker in terms of weight compared to the Dynamic ones. This time the Anole surprised me with its impressive bass presence.
First the sub bass here makes quite a bit of noticeable rumble and the mid bass has a nice presence without being too bloated out. The whole bass response is well articulated without being too much. The amount is just adequate with great speed and dynamics. The BA is known for its impressive speed and that's been shown here where the attack and decay of the bass is faster here. Even then the bass notes leave a nice impression after its disappearance.
The note's weight is impressive where the tracks appear fuller and nicer. The separation and clarity in the low end is on point while the texture is very nice without any sort of graininess. Since the speed of the bass is quite faster the micro details from the low end are brought out really nicely without struggling out. The whole bass experience felt like it was coming out of a Dynamic Driver.
Overall the bass is rich in quantity, full bodied, textured, faster and brings out all the micro details and clarity as much as possible. First time hearing that impressive speedy bass along with those weighty notes! Those kick drums sound sweeter leaving a nice impression in your ears even after the notes disappear.
MID RANGE:
The midrange in the Anole is pretty clean and airy for the most part. The vocal placement is done pretty neat and forward thus the vocals don't appear to be recessed. The instruments placement feels precise; the space in between the instruments feels slightly congested out due to that intimate stage presence.
The overall presentation feels nice and airy but the more forward positioning of the vocals and the instruments made the sense of stage a pretty intimate. The layering and the imaging are pretty nice in this Anole making this unit a price worthy. The piano notes and the acoustic guitar strings have that nice string pluck and the note weights. The note weights are pretty fuller even though the mid bass is not that emphasized. A very clean midrange overall with a nice amount of air in the presentation.
The detail retrieval and track separation in the mid range is very good and well executed. Those micro details are brought out really well without any issues. The tonality is pretty neutral and it's one of the most neutral tones that I have ever seen. Despite the use of the BA’s the tonality is not metallic at all which is pretty unique. The timbre of the instruments appeared pretty neutral and there is not a hint of metallic taste in the overall listening sessions.
Overall the midrange is well executed in this Anole where they feel more airy with nice micro detail retrieval and dynamics. The tonality appeared pretty neutral and despite the presence of BA they have done a pretty great job by avoiding a good amount of BA tone.
TREBLE:
The treble in the Anole is well extended with a nice presence of brilliance and shimmer in the top end giving a nice energetic overall listen. The upper and the lower treble section are equally emphasized giving a nice sparkle in the top end.
The percussion instruments and the cymbal crashes appeared well executed with nice attack and decay. They sound nice and sharp without being too harsh on the ears. The trumpets sound well and with a good tone overall. The electric guitar strings have that nice tone and strum giving the listen a nice lively experience.
The sibilance is kept under control thus the harshness is devoid of this product. The detail retrieval in the treble section is brought out really well. Good amount of air is present in the treble section thus providing a nice grand presentation. The timbre of the instruments also kept in the neutral stage making this a very versatile product in the QDC lineup.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the Anole is the weakest aspect where it's intimate in terms of positioning since the instruments and the vocals are brought out to the forward most position. Both the height and the width is in the smaller spectrum hence the presentation slightly feels smaller rather than too grand.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: These two aspects are really good since the bass here is well matured and audiophile grade. The mid bass being very clean the midrange felt even more clearer hence the imaging and the layering are spot on. The instruments are precisely placed out hence even when the complex tracks are played out the positioning can be done by the listener precisely.
The channel sweep and the transient response felt very smooth and had that spatial positioning to be very nice and realistic.
The separation and the detail retrieval in the Anole is pretty great and if not it's the best that I have tried in my audiophile journey. Those micro details and the dynamics are brought out really well.
VERDICT:
Anole VX, the latest flagship offering from the house of QDC is a well executed package and a must buy one if you have that bunch of cash in your hands. Being a flagship means it must tick all the boxes and in that terms the Anole does tick all the boxes making a well executed package in the market among the competitors.
The design is stellar and following that the seal and the fit that you are getting from this masterpiece is great. The striking glittery design and the custom shell shape which gives a nice seal in the ears is a great positive of this product.
Coming to the sound, the product is made to sound the best and beat the rest! The configuration is all BA and for adding the versatility they have given tuning switches to configure to your liking. The sound is pretty neutral with nice tonality across the board. Despite being an all BA product the tonality and timbre that they deliver here is a masterpiece for sure.
The bass is faster, controlled, textured and just replicated that of the dynamic bass but with even more expertise in the speed and dynamics. The midrange is pretty clean and clear without compromising on the micro detail retrieval and the track separation. The treble is kept well extended giving the percussion instruments a life and well energetic listen overall.
The technical aspect of this earphone is stellar especially the layering and imaging while the staging can be a bit intimate but overall a well executed product for sure. The Anole VX is totally a PREMIUMNESS REDEFINED product in the marker=t and if you are searching for a flagship grade sound with a nice premium feel then this is the one to get for sure.
QDC, the brand based out of China is a well renowned brand among the Audiophiles and it's a very premium brand involving some seriously premium grade of IEM’s. The Anole VX is their latest product in their premium lineup and today in this review i have got hands on this premium product to check out its magic in this audiophile industry. Let’s check out this review.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Sensitivity : 110-113dB SPL/mW
Frequency response :10 Hz-20000 Hz
Impedance:15-19Ω
DCR：15-19Ω
Armature units: 10 micro balanced armature
Noise isolation: 26dB
Monitor plug: 3.5mm(1/8") connector
Cable: optional
Technical feature:3 sound channels, 3 crossover,natural restoring, superb music quality
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team CONCEPT KART and thanks to them for adding me in their group. The whole views are based on my pairing and sources with the product hence it might differ from person to person.
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Anole is pretty neat and elegant. The whole construction is made out of resin but it feels very premium and has good heft on the hands. The colour scheme is based on silver and has that nice glittery effect on the whole body surface.
The branding is done in a subtle manner and has a sturdy QDC connection. The whole shape is based on a custom shell shape hence the fit and the seal that you are getting out of this ITEM is really nice. The earpiece might appear bigger since it accommodates all the BA drivers inside them but when it comes to comfort they are top notch in that area.
The provided stock cable is very premium with good supple texture on the hands and has a nice malleable ear hook that adapts well on the ears.
SOUND:
The sound of the Anole is more of a neutral side oriented. The excellent aspect of this earphone is the faster dynamics and micro details. The pair always mesmerises me with these two aspects and this is the first time I have fallen in love with that BA bass presence. The vocals being very natural and that clean and airy midrange is a big positive of this earphone. The treble is very detailed enough without being harsh over the ears. Let’s check out in detail in the following sections.
The whole impression of this sound is based on turning on all the switches hence it might differ from your setup of the earphone.
BASS:
First of all, it's an all BA IEM and considering this I thought the bass is gonna be the weakest aspect of this ITEM since most of the BA bass are weaker in terms of weight compared to the Dynamic ones. This time the Anole surprised me with its impressive bass presence.
First the sub bass here makes quite a bit of noticeable rumble and the mid bass has a nice presence without being too bloated out. The whole bass response is well articulated without being too much. The amount is just adequate with great speed and dynamics. The BA is known for its impressive speed and that's been shown here where the attack and decay of the bass is faster here. Even then the bass notes leave a nice impression after its disappearance.
The note's weight is impressive where the tracks appear fuller and nicer. The separation and clarity in the low end is on point while the texture is very nice without any sort of graininess. Since the speed of the bass is quite faster the micro details from the low end are brought out really nicely without struggling out. The whole bass experience felt like it was coming out of a Dynamic Driver.
Overall the bass is rich in quantity, full bodied, textured, faster and brings out all the micro details and clarity as much as possible. First time hearing that impressive speedy bass along with those weighty notes! Those kick drums sound sweeter leaving a nice impression in your ears even after the notes disappear.
MID RANGE:
The midrange in the Anole is pretty clean and airy for the most part. The vocal placement is done pretty neat and forward thus the vocals don't appear to be recessed. The instruments placement feels precise; the space in between the instruments feels slightly congested out due to that intimate stage presence.
The overall presentation feels nice and airy but the more forward positioning of the vocals and the instruments made the sense of stage a pretty intimate. The layering and the imaging are pretty nice in this Anole making this unit a price worthy. The piano notes and the acoustic guitar strings have that nice string pluck and the note weights. The note weights are pretty fuller even though the mid bass is not that emphasized. A very clean midrange overall with a nice amount of air in the presentation.
The detail retrieval and track separation in the mid range is very good and well executed. Those micro details are brought out really well without any issues. The tonality is pretty neutral and it's one of the most neutral tones that I have ever seen. Despite the use of the BA’s the tonality is not metallic at all which is pretty unique. The timbre of the instruments appeared pretty neutral and there is not a hint of metallic taste in the overall listening sessions.
Overall the midrange is well executed in this Anole where they feel more airy with nice micro detail retrieval and dynamics. The tonality appeared pretty neutral and despite the presence of BA they have done a pretty great job by avoiding a good amount of BA tone.
TREBLE:
The treble in the Anole is well extended with a nice presence of brilliance and shimmer in the top end giving a nice energetic overall listen. The upper and the lower treble section are equally emphasized giving a nice sparkle in the top end.
The percussion instruments and the cymbal crashes appeared well executed with nice attack and decay. They sound nice and sharp without being too harsh on the ears. The trumpets sound well and with a good tone overall. The electric guitar strings have that nice tone and strum giving the listen a nice lively experience.
The sibilance is kept under control thus the harshness is devoid of this product. The detail retrieval in the treble section is brought out really well. Good amount of air is present in the treble section thus providing a nice grand presentation. The timbre of the instruments also kept in the neutral stage making this a very versatile product in the QDC lineup.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the Anole is the weakest aspect where it's intimate in terms of positioning since the instruments and the vocals are brought out to the forward most position. Both the height and the width is in the smaller spectrum hence the presentation slightly feels smaller rather than too grand.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: These two aspects are really good since the bass here is well matured and audiophile grade. The mid bass being very clean the midrange felt even more clearer hence the imaging and the layering are spot on. The instruments are precisely placed out hence even when the complex tracks are played out the positioning can be done by the listener precisely.
The channel sweep and the transient response felt very smooth and had that spatial positioning to be very nice and realistic.
The separation and the detail retrieval in the Anole is pretty great and if not it's the best that I have tried in my audiophile journey. Those micro details and the dynamics are brought out really well.
VERDICT:
Anole VX, the latest flagship offering from the house of QDC is a well executed package and a must buy one if you have that bunch of cash in your hands. Being a flagship means it must tick all the boxes and in that terms the Anole does tick all the boxes making a well executed package in the market among the competitors.
The design is stellar and following that the seal and the fit that you are getting from this masterpiece is great. The striking glittery design and the custom shell shape which gives a nice seal in the ears is a great positive of this product.
Coming to the sound, the product is made to sound the best and beat the rest! The configuration is all BA and for adding the versatility they have given tuning switches to configure to your liking. The sound is pretty neutral with nice tonality across the board. Despite being an all BA product the tonality and timbre that they deliver here is a masterpiece for sure.
The bass is faster, controlled, textured and just replicated that of the dynamic bass but with even more expertise in the speed and dynamics. The midrange is pretty clean and clear without compromising on the micro detail retrieval and the track separation. The treble is kept well extended giving the percussion instruments a life and well energetic listen overall.
The technical aspect of this earphone is stellar especially the layering and imaging while the staging can be a bit intimate but overall a well executed product for sure. The Anole VX is totally a PREMIUMNESS REDEFINED product in the marker=t and if you are searching for a flagship grade sound with a nice premium feel then this is the one to get for sure.
INTRODUCTION:
Kinera, the brand known for its impressive wide range of products in the IEM lineup has released its new product namely the URD. The brand has a unique design language and the sound signature which was seen in the Norn and the Skuld. To continue their legacy the URD has been released to the market and in this review let's check out how it sounds.
SPECIFICATIONS:
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo. The whole review is based on my source and pairings with this product hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then without any hesitation proceed via this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the URD is the same as that of the Norn and Skuld but now with some different colour patterns. The green colour has been used now with some depth effect on the faceplate creating a nice 3D look. The whole construction is made out of Resin but feels sturdy and premium in the hands. The shell is on the bigger side since it accommodates all the three different types of drivers inside them. The shell is custom shell shaped hence the fit and seal in my ears are just perfect.
The provided cable is very premium and has that nice gold and silver patterned texture with nice flexible ear hooks. The nozzle is pretty wide enough thus the eartips selection will not be a versatile option. The termination of the plus is customisable where the ends are interchangeable which is a pretty neat addition in the package. The different termination plugs are also included in the package too!
The provided case is very premium in quality and matches the colour of the IEM itself. The case has an external locking mechanism with a nice faux leather finish and great stitching.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the URD is a pretty balanced sound profile with some nice and needed bass boost. The mid range is kept pretty neat and clean without any modification while the treble has been tuned to sound smoother and less fatiguing but without compromising on the detail retrieval of the IEM itself. Let’s check out in detail in the following sections.
LOW END:
The bass in the URD is just sublime. The bass is pretty authoritative with excellent control and weight. Both the sub and the mid bass presence is just perfect where the rumble from the sub bass can be felt adequately and the mid bass punch and slam can be experienced greatly without any congestion or subdue.
Both the quality and the quantity is just on spot with no excess. The sub bass and the mid bass are elevated at the same level making the whole bass experience a pleasurable one. The sub bass reaches nice and deep with good extension and creates that nice satisfying rumble. The mid bass has excellent quantity with great punch and weight. The slam is authoritative and strong. The kick drums have a nice attack and decay.
The separation and the clarity in the low end is impressive while the texture of the low end is also kept excellent where there is no noticeable grainy texture instead they appear smooth and clean. The overall tonality is kept natural hence the whole bass experience felt three dimensional and ethereal. The decay of the bass is on an adequate side thus the bass presence can be felt even after the notes disappeared making a well rounded bass head approved experience. 10/10 for the bass !
MID RANGE:
The mid range in the URD is just sublime like that of the Bass where the presentation feels nice and grand. One can easily say the initial impression after listening to this is that it has one of the biggest stages in this price range. The staging both in terms of width and height feels bigger creating a nice sense of space. The instruments are nicely placed while the vocals are placed nicely in the forward position.
No sort of congestion or compression is seen in the midrange of the URD. The whole presentation feels wide and bigger. If not, it's slightly bigger than the OH10, the stage monster. The tonality is kept natural which is a pretty big plus point of this product. The timbre of the instruments is also natural with no sort of colouring.
The piano notes and the acoustic guitar strings felt pretty natural making each pluck of the strings clearly audible with no artificial sense. The layering of the instruments felt extremely good due to that bigger sense of space. Both the upper and the lower midrange is boosted adequately making them sound more clearer and the female vocals have the nice crisp tone while the male vocals have that nice fullness that carries along from the mid bass presence. Overall the midrange is fuller yet very clearer and well separated making this a great pair of midrange sounding one.
TREBLE:
The treble in the URD is detailed enough for the most part yet they are non fatiguing! Pretty interesting tuning from the house of Kinera. The treble has that nice shimmer and sparkle in the top end making those details easily come out of each and every tracks. The cymbal crashes sound absolutely brilliant with great attack and decay which is very precise.
The electric guitar strings and the trumpets sound great with nice tone and attack. They sound nice and sharper with sparkle in the top end yet the sound is very offensive and non fatiguing. The upper treble is kept under control to avoid that harshness while the lower treble presence has nice energy in the top end making the treble sounds nice and bright enough for the energetic listen.
The instrument separation and clarity in the top end is pretty amazing for the extension they are at. They are tuned smoother yet brings out all the essential details out of the tracks. The percussion instruments especially have that nice tone and sparkle in the top end. The track sounds full of energy and nothing is subdued out. One of the best treble presence i have felt recently since this has all the qualities for a great treble presence. Has nice detail retrieval with non fatiguing smoother listening overall.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: It's big! That's the first impression anyone would say after the initial listen with this IEM. The height and the width are just amazingly big while the depth is also pretty deeper due to that nice big bass. The bigger sense of space also led to that nice instrument placement and the vocal presentation. Everything is nicely spreaded out with a great grand presentation overall. One of the biggest stages in this price range for sure.
IMAGING: The imaging is precise with accurate placement of the instruments and the notes. The channel sweep feels smooth and the transition from one channel to the other feels organised and clean providing some nice theatrical experience. Even when complex tracks are played out the instruments are neatly laid out before you.
LAYERING: The layering feels extremely well with great presentation. Due to that bigger stage and the nice forward placement of the midrange everything feels nicely presented with precise layering effect.
Detail retrieval and the separation are top notch providing some serious level of details for the price. Overall I'm pretty impressed with the technicalities of this product making this a well worthy one to purchase.
VERDICT:
IMPERIAL URD, the latest offering from the house of Kinera became my favourite product after listening to this for the past few days. The brand never forgets to satisfy their customer by providing some serious sound out of their product. Their previous iteration Norn was my favourite product until I started listening to this gem!
URD ticks all the boxes of how a product should be. From the aspect of the sound to the design language it's just perfect. The URD has a striking design where the faceplate has that unique green coloured depth effect creating design language. The whole construction is made out of resin but feels very premium and worth long lasting in hands. The bigger shell and the ergonomically shaped shell helps in attaining that excellent fit and seal. Even the accessories that are included with the product are very premium, especially the cable and the case.
The sound is the ultimate star show here. A pretty balanced one with nice bass boost, melodious midrange and the energetic treble presence. The bass is weighty yet has that impressive control and texture taken care of by the Titanium plated Coaxial DD while that sparkly treble is taken care of by the impressive EST drivers. The melodious midrange is taken care of by the customised BA creating a nice Tribrid experience overall.
The technicalities are especially excellent in this product. You are getting the biggest staging, impressive layering and precise imaging capability in this price range which is more than what you ask from the product!
Overall the URD is a LEAGUE ABOVE product from the already awesome Norn. Both these products are extremely good for the price and if you are in the market to purchase a well rounded earphone in the price range of around 600-700 usd then go nowhere and land straight on the KINERA URD!
Kinera, the brand known for its impressive wide range of products in the IEM lineup has released its new product namely the URD. The brand has a unique design language and the sound signature which was seen in the Norn and the Skuld. To continue their legacy the URD has been released to the market and in this review let's check out how it sounds.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- 2 Sonions EST + 2 Titanium Crystal Diaphragm Coaxial DD + 1 Kinera Customize 11021 BA
- Impedance: 20 ohm
- Sensitivity: 107db±2db
- Frequency Response: 5Hz-50kHz
- Modular 6N OCC + OCC with Silver Plated + OCC with Gold Plated Cable
- Plug with 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo. The whole review is based on my source and pairings with this product hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then without any hesitation proceed via this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the URD is the same as that of the Norn and Skuld but now with some different colour patterns. The green colour has been used now with some depth effect on the faceplate creating a nice 3D look. The whole construction is made out of Resin but feels sturdy and premium in the hands. The shell is on the bigger side since it accommodates all the three different types of drivers inside them. The shell is custom shell shaped hence the fit and seal in my ears are just perfect.
The provided cable is very premium and has that nice gold and silver patterned texture with nice flexible ear hooks. The nozzle is pretty wide enough thus the eartips selection will not be a versatile option. The termination of the plus is customisable where the ends are interchangeable which is a pretty neat addition in the package. The different termination plugs are also included in the package too!
The provided case is very premium in quality and matches the colour of the IEM itself. The case has an external locking mechanism with a nice faux leather finish and great stitching.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the URD is a pretty balanced sound profile with some nice and needed bass boost. The mid range is kept pretty neat and clean without any modification while the treble has been tuned to sound smoother and less fatiguing but without compromising on the detail retrieval of the IEM itself. Let’s check out in detail in the following sections.
LOW END:
The bass in the URD is just sublime. The bass is pretty authoritative with excellent control and weight. Both the sub and the mid bass presence is just perfect where the rumble from the sub bass can be felt adequately and the mid bass punch and slam can be experienced greatly without any congestion or subdue.
Both the quality and the quantity is just on spot with no excess. The sub bass and the mid bass are elevated at the same level making the whole bass experience a pleasurable one. The sub bass reaches nice and deep with good extension and creates that nice satisfying rumble. The mid bass has excellent quantity with great punch and weight. The slam is authoritative and strong. The kick drums have a nice attack and decay.
The separation and the clarity in the low end is impressive while the texture of the low end is also kept excellent where there is no noticeable grainy texture instead they appear smooth and clean. The overall tonality is kept natural hence the whole bass experience felt three dimensional and ethereal. The decay of the bass is on an adequate side thus the bass presence can be felt even after the notes disappeared making a well rounded bass head approved experience. 10/10 for the bass !
MID RANGE:
The mid range in the URD is just sublime like that of the Bass where the presentation feels nice and grand. One can easily say the initial impression after listening to this is that it has one of the biggest stages in this price range. The staging both in terms of width and height feels bigger creating a nice sense of space. The instruments are nicely placed while the vocals are placed nicely in the forward position.
No sort of congestion or compression is seen in the midrange of the URD. The whole presentation feels wide and bigger. If not, it's slightly bigger than the OH10, the stage monster. The tonality is kept natural which is a pretty big plus point of this product. The timbre of the instruments is also natural with no sort of colouring.
The piano notes and the acoustic guitar strings felt pretty natural making each pluck of the strings clearly audible with no artificial sense. The layering of the instruments felt extremely good due to that bigger sense of space. Both the upper and the lower midrange is boosted adequately making them sound more clearer and the female vocals have the nice crisp tone while the male vocals have that nice fullness that carries along from the mid bass presence. Overall the midrange is fuller yet very clearer and well separated making this a great pair of midrange sounding one.
TREBLE:
The treble in the URD is detailed enough for the most part yet they are non fatiguing! Pretty interesting tuning from the house of Kinera. The treble has that nice shimmer and sparkle in the top end making those details easily come out of each and every tracks. The cymbal crashes sound absolutely brilliant with great attack and decay which is very precise.
The electric guitar strings and the trumpets sound great with nice tone and attack. They sound nice and sharper with sparkle in the top end yet the sound is very offensive and non fatiguing. The upper treble is kept under control to avoid that harshness while the lower treble presence has nice energy in the top end making the treble sounds nice and bright enough for the energetic listen.
The instrument separation and clarity in the top end is pretty amazing for the extension they are at. They are tuned smoother yet brings out all the essential details out of the tracks. The percussion instruments especially have that nice tone and sparkle in the top end. The track sounds full of energy and nothing is subdued out. One of the best treble presence i have felt recently since this has all the qualities for a great treble presence. Has nice detail retrieval with non fatiguing smoother listening overall.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: It's big! That's the first impression anyone would say after the initial listen with this IEM. The height and the width are just amazingly big while the depth is also pretty deeper due to that nice big bass. The bigger sense of space also led to that nice instrument placement and the vocal presentation. Everything is nicely spreaded out with a great grand presentation overall. One of the biggest stages in this price range for sure.
IMAGING: The imaging is precise with accurate placement of the instruments and the notes. The channel sweep feels smooth and the transition from one channel to the other feels organised and clean providing some nice theatrical experience. Even when complex tracks are played out the instruments are neatly laid out before you.
LAYERING: The layering feels extremely well with great presentation. Due to that bigger stage and the nice forward placement of the midrange everything feels nicely presented with precise layering effect.
Detail retrieval and the separation are top notch providing some serious level of details for the price. Overall I'm pretty impressed with the technicalities of this product making this a well worthy one to purchase.
VERDICT:
IMPERIAL URD, the latest offering from the house of Kinera became my favourite product after listening to this for the past few days. The brand never forgets to satisfy their customer by providing some serious sound out of their product. Their previous iteration Norn was my favourite product until I started listening to this gem!
URD ticks all the boxes of how a product should be. From the aspect of the sound to the design language it's just perfect. The URD has a striking design where the faceplate has that unique green coloured depth effect creating design language. The whole construction is made out of resin but feels very premium and worth long lasting in hands. The bigger shell and the ergonomically shaped shell helps in attaining that excellent fit and seal. Even the accessories that are included with the product are very premium, especially the cable and the case.
The sound is the ultimate star show here. A pretty balanced one with nice bass boost, melodious midrange and the energetic treble presence. The bass is weighty yet has that impressive control and texture taken care of by the Titanium plated Coaxial DD while that sparkly treble is taken care of by the impressive EST drivers. The melodious midrange is taken care of by the customised BA creating a nice Tribrid experience overall.
The technicalities are especially excellent in this product. You are getting the biggest staging, impressive layering and precise imaging capability in this price range which is more than what you ask from the product!
Overall the URD is a LEAGUE ABOVE product from the already awesome Norn. Both these products are extremely good for the price and if you are in the market to purchase a well rounded earphone in the price range of around 600-700 usd then go nowhere and land straight on the KINERA URD!
INTRODUCTION:
IKKO, the brand based out of China is a well known brand established among the audiophiles providing some excellent value for money products like the OH10 and the Oh1. Both the predecessors being V shaped monsters specialised in the Bass and Staging the brand decided to start a new path for their lineup and that's the OH2. In this review let's check out how this performs against their own lineup and against the competitors.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diaphragm type: Deposited carbon nano diaphragm
Material: Metallic+High-transparent polycarbonate
Sound Signature: Balanced
Impedance: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 100dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz
Cable Details: High purity OFC silver-plated cable
Connecter: MMCX
Jack Type : 3.5mm
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of the review circle hence I have not been influenced by the brand to manipulate this review. The whole review is based on my pairings and sources hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this product please go through via this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/ikko-oh02
DESIGN AND FIT:
The whole construction is made out of metal with some transparent resin for part of the faceplate. They are available in varied colours and look fancy too. The design is triangle shaped and it's pretty small in size. Even though they are pretty compact they don’t fit the ear comfortably since the seal and the stability out of this earphone is not that great.
The eartips provided are pretty poor and the inner ear design language is pretty poor too hence the seal is weaker and stability is less. The whole paint is a matte textured hence no more fingerprints.
The connector area is the MMCX and it's pretty loose in terms of rotation when compared to the competition. They swivel easily which is not a major concern but still a thing to notice.
The provided stock cable is pretty nice but definitely not great. The cable is pretty thin and the texture is nice and soft but needs some thickness to feel the premiumness.
SOUND:
The sound of the OH2 is pretty unique when compared to the sound of their previous iteration of products. Their previous products are the OH10 and the OH1 and both were pretty great in terms of sound and design language. The OH2 has a pretty neutral sound with noticeable roll off in the bass and the treble section.
The tonality has been kept as natural as possible but has a slight hint of brightness. Overall a smoother sounding and musical set of earphones which is pretty easy on the ears to listen to. Let’s check out in detail in this review.
BASS:
The bass in the OH2 is pretty light and neutral. The quality is pretty great where the bass here has nice control, texture and speed while it lacks the quantity hence the bass overall appears tamed out a lot.
Neutral sound lovers would appreciate the bass here due to its faster, lighter and detailed low end section. The speed is pretty fast hence the sub bass rumble is too subtle in this. The mid bass is good but not weighty or punchier. Rather the bass is more mature, technical and neutral oriented.
The kick drums and the bass oriented instruments have a nice tone but lack the presence thus making the sounds less authoritative. The separation and the detail retrieval in the low end is in the moderate spectrum while the clean and textured bass is on the higher spectrum giving a nice audiophile grade experience.
The bass here is in contrast with that of the previous product the OH10 where the OH10 is a pure bass monster while the OH2 is a light headed. The bass heads would definitely have a bad impression towards this product but the neutral sided bass would give a chance to you to explore the other side of the sea.
MID RANGE:
The mid range here is the ultimate star show here where the tonality is neutral to bright but for the most part they are pretty natural. The vocals are very melodious with a nice smoother sound overall. The presentation is nice where it's neither too forward nor too laidback. The instruments in the background are kept in a nice position hence no noticeable recession of the frequency is seen.
The piano notes and the kick drums sound really good with some nice attack and decay. The notes sound moderately fuller and it could have been better if the mid bass presence had more weight and punch. The layering and the instrument separation in the mid range feels very nice with some great placement of the instruments. The staging is slightly intimate on the side when compared to that of the OH10 where the predecessor is a staging king with expansive width.
Overall the midrange is pretty natural with musical tonality, nice vocal placement and instrument separation . The detail retrieval is pretty good except the staging being not that big. The mid range is the excellent aspect of this earphone and it's the most praised frequency in this IEM.
TREBLE:
The treble is tuned for a smoother listening with less fatigue over longer listening sessions. The treble is rolled off pretty noticeable thus if you are expecting some serious detail retrieval then this is not the set you are expecting. Both the upper and the lower treble section is not that exaggerated to provide that non fatiguing listen.
The cymbal crashes and the guitar strings sound really nice with nice tonality and timbre. The brighter tone of the instruments gives that nice sparkle but yet still the treble feels less extended overall. The attack and decay of the instruments like the cymbals are pretty fast hence they appear more subtle and less emphasized.
The instrument separation and the detail retrieval are average since the treble section is not the great aspect of this earphone. Overall the treble is a perfect choice for persons out there looking for a smoother and a non fatiguing treble without compromising much loss in the details.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is pretty good but definitely not the best when compared to the beast like the OH10. The staging is neither too intimate nor that big. Instead they are average at best with both sort of noticeable compression and cramped out staging. The instruments are nicely spread out with a good sense of space.
IMAGING: The imaging is pretty neat here due to that nice clear bass presence. The layering is done well too. The instruments can be easily pointed out even when the complex tracks are replayed out. The transient response feels pretty nice and smooth and the channel sweep also felt adequately smoother.
The instrument separation and the detail retrieval are average at best but not worst too. They are pretty good for the price but definitely need some improvement in those aspects. If the treble section had been emphasized then these aspects would have got some real improvements.
VERDICT:
OH2, the latest offering from the house of IKKO is a pretty good deal from them. The package is a well rounded one covering all the aspects. From the design to the sound, the opal has done it again!
The design language is pretty creative with a metal construction and a transparent resin for some part of the faceplate to give that modern and creative look making visible the golden circuit board. The fit could have been better since they are not that comfortable in terms of seal and stability. Overall a pretty good design language but with some space for the improvements on the table.
Coming to the sound, they are pretty new to the brand since this has a neutral sound signature which is a contrast to the predecessors namely the OH10 and the OH1. A different taste of music has been given to the OH2 and does please the neutral lovers out there. The bass and the treble is very light and has a noticeable roll off while the midrange takes up the stage by giving some musical tonality and well placed instruments. Above average technicalities for the price where the detail retrieval could have been better if the treble has been emphasized a bit.
Overall the OH2 is a product which complements their other two products very well in terms of sound which is a good thing from a brand to cover all the customers out there to match up their interests. Is this a good buy? If you are a neutral and a midrange loving person expecting it to be in the design language of Ikko then this is the product you need to add in your cart.!
IKKO, the brand based out of China is a well known brand established among the audiophiles providing some excellent value for money products like the OH10 and the Oh1. Both the predecessors being V shaped monsters specialised in the Bass and Staging the brand decided to start a new path for their lineup and that's the OH2. In this review let's check out how this performs against their own lineup and against the competitors.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diaphragm type: Deposited carbon nano diaphragm
Material: Metallic+High-transparent polycarbonate
Sound Signature: Balanced
Impedance: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 100dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz
Cable Details: High purity OFC silver-plated cable
Connecter: MMCX
Jack Type : 3.5mm
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of the review circle hence I have not been influenced by the brand to manipulate this review. The whole review is based on my pairings and sources hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this product please go through via this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/ikko-oh02
DESIGN AND FIT:
The whole construction is made out of metal with some transparent resin for part of the faceplate. They are available in varied colours and look fancy too. The design is triangle shaped and it's pretty small in size. Even though they are pretty compact they don’t fit the ear comfortably since the seal and the stability out of this earphone is not that great.
The eartips provided are pretty poor and the inner ear design language is pretty poor too hence the seal is weaker and stability is less. The whole paint is a matte textured hence no more fingerprints.
The connector area is the MMCX and it's pretty loose in terms of rotation when compared to the competition. They swivel easily which is not a major concern but still a thing to notice.
The provided stock cable is pretty nice but definitely not great. The cable is pretty thin and the texture is nice and soft but needs some thickness to feel the premiumness.
SOUND:
The sound of the OH2 is pretty unique when compared to the sound of their previous iteration of products. Their previous products are the OH10 and the OH1 and both were pretty great in terms of sound and design language. The OH2 has a pretty neutral sound with noticeable roll off in the bass and the treble section.
The tonality has been kept as natural as possible but has a slight hint of brightness. Overall a smoother sounding and musical set of earphones which is pretty easy on the ears to listen to. Let’s check out in detail in this review.
BASS:
The bass in the OH2 is pretty light and neutral. The quality is pretty great where the bass here has nice control, texture and speed while it lacks the quantity hence the bass overall appears tamed out a lot.
Neutral sound lovers would appreciate the bass here due to its faster, lighter and detailed low end section. The speed is pretty fast hence the sub bass rumble is too subtle in this. The mid bass is good but not weighty or punchier. Rather the bass is more mature, technical and neutral oriented.
The kick drums and the bass oriented instruments have a nice tone but lack the presence thus making the sounds less authoritative. The separation and the detail retrieval in the low end is in the moderate spectrum while the clean and textured bass is on the higher spectrum giving a nice audiophile grade experience.
The bass here is in contrast with that of the previous product the OH10 where the OH10 is a pure bass monster while the OH2 is a light headed. The bass heads would definitely have a bad impression towards this product but the neutral sided bass would give a chance to you to explore the other side of the sea.
MID RANGE:
The mid range here is the ultimate star show here where the tonality is neutral to bright but for the most part they are pretty natural. The vocals are very melodious with a nice smoother sound overall. The presentation is nice where it's neither too forward nor too laidback. The instruments in the background are kept in a nice position hence no noticeable recession of the frequency is seen.
The piano notes and the kick drums sound really good with some nice attack and decay. The notes sound moderately fuller and it could have been better if the mid bass presence had more weight and punch. The layering and the instrument separation in the mid range feels very nice with some great placement of the instruments. The staging is slightly intimate on the side when compared to that of the OH10 where the predecessor is a staging king with expansive width.
Overall the midrange is pretty natural with musical tonality, nice vocal placement and instrument separation . The detail retrieval is pretty good except the staging being not that big. The mid range is the excellent aspect of this earphone and it's the most praised frequency in this IEM.
TREBLE:
The treble is tuned for a smoother listening with less fatigue over longer listening sessions. The treble is rolled off pretty noticeable thus if you are expecting some serious detail retrieval then this is not the set you are expecting. Both the upper and the lower treble section is not that exaggerated to provide that non fatiguing listen.
The cymbal crashes and the guitar strings sound really nice with nice tonality and timbre. The brighter tone of the instruments gives that nice sparkle but yet still the treble feels less extended overall. The attack and decay of the instruments like the cymbals are pretty fast hence they appear more subtle and less emphasized.
The instrument separation and the detail retrieval are average since the treble section is not the great aspect of this earphone. Overall the treble is a perfect choice for persons out there looking for a smoother and a non fatiguing treble without compromising much loss in the details.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is pretty good but definitely not the best when compared to the beast like the OH10. The staging is neither too intimate nor that big. Instead they are average at best with both sort of noticeable compression and cramped out staging. The instruments are nicely spread out with a good sense of space.
IMAGING: The imaging is pretty neat here due to that nice clear bass presence. The layering is done well too. The instruments can be easily pointed out even when the complex tracks are replayed out. The transient response feels pretty nice and smooth and the channel sweep also felt adequately smoother.
The instrument separation and the detail retrieval are average at best but not worst too. They are pretty good for the price but definitely need some improvement in those aspects. If the treble section had been emphasized then these aspects would have got some real improvements.
VERDICT:
OH2, the latest offering from the house of IKKO is a pretty good deal from them. The package is a well rounded one covering all the aspects. From the design to the sound, the opal has done it again!
The design language is pretty creative with a metal construction and a transparent resin for some part of the faceplate to give that modern and creative look making visible the golden circuit board. The fit could have been better since they are not that comfortable in terms of seal and stability. Overall a pretty good design language but with some space for the improvements on the table.
Coming to the sound, they are pretty new to the brand since this has a neutral sound signature which is a contrast to the predecessors namely the OH10 and the OH1. A different taste of music has been given to the OH2 and does please the neutral lovers out there. The bass and the treble is very light and has a noticeable roll off while the midrange takes up the stage by giving some musical tonality and well placed instruments. Above average technicalities for the price where the detail retrieval could have been better if the treble has been emphasized a bit.
Overall the OH2 is a product which complements their other two products very well in terms of sound which is a good thing from a brand to cover all the customers out there to match up their interests. Is this a good buy? If you are a neutral and a midrange loving person expecting it to be in the design language of Ikko then this is the product you need to add in your cart.!
Kathiravan JLR
@LikeHolborn Frankly I'm not that impressed with Opal. I would recommend you to try the budget 7hz Timeless which has more pleasing sound signature or even the shouer S12!
INTRODUCTION:
IKKO, the brand based out of China is a well rounded company which has expertise in IEM, cable and Dac manufacturing. The famous model is the OH10 iem and it has got a great appreciation all around the world for its incredible performance and the stellar materials used and the looks. The brand has again put its design language and the functionality expertise in this product ITX01 too. In this review let’s check out how this fares against the competition in the current market.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Decoding Ability: PCM 192Khz
DAC: SNC 8600
Compatibility: Android，IOS，Mac OS，Win10，Win11, PS5，Switch
MATERIALS: Aluminum Alloy
Interface: TypeC to PC ;100W PD TypeC Input*1; DATA TypeC*1； USB3.2 *3 ； 1* HDMI 4K 60Hz Output; SD ports*1，TF ports*1
Audio Port: 3.5mm Audio Output & 4.4mm Audio Output
SNR: 100dB
THD: 0.01%
Maximum Output: 64mW
DIMENSIONS: 133mm*50mm*17mm
WEIGHT: 100G
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my observations and source hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit please go ahead with this unaffiliated purchase link: Click Here
DESIGN:
The design is just stellar! The ikko is known for their really good design thinking and they have shown this product. Their IEM’s have a unique striking design and the ITX01 continues to show their capability of design thinking.
The whole product is made out of aluminium and the whole product looks sleek and simple. All the ports are aligned on the side of the product and the device has a single ended termination of type C.
The device does not heat up a lot even after the extended period of usage which is a pretty good thing to observe. Overall the design is pretty great and a well rounded design.
SOUND:
The sound signature out of the ITX01 is pretty neutral with no additional bass boost or the treble boost option available in the hardware or the software level. The neutral signature is a boon for this multipurpose dac where it makes the device much versatile thus all sorts of the In Ear Monitors can be used with this.
The DAC present in the ITX01 is a SNC 8600 which decodes at a rate of PCM 192KHz and they are average at best in terms of sound output. They don’t match up the competitors standalone DAC ability but since this has other added advantages like the USB hubs the sound output via this is not that complain bible. However the power output via this device is pretty low where 64mW is the max one can go.
All the observations made with the HiFi audio setting while the other two modes really disappoint for listening to music.
The low end via the ITX01 is pretty good in terms of control and cleanliness. The bloated bass cant be experienced here since this DAC represents the low end very clean. The bass has excellent separation overall with nice control. The decay is pretty fast with less attack. Due to this lighter taste in the bass the tonal weight feels slightly on the thinner side. The bass technically looks pretty good but needs some improvement in the quantity side. The punch and the weight is slightly lacking in the ITX01 thus the overall bass sounds leaner but definitely much cleaner, faster and well separated. So overall a technical low end is being delivered but needs some enhancements in the fun and quantity side.
The mid range delivered by the ITX01 is pretty good too with some natural tonality and the timbre of the instruments. The staging is as usual and does not compress or make the stage wider in any sense. The separation felt slightly clearer since the mid bass presence has been slightly tamed out. The layering effect remains the same without any issues. The vocal presentation and the instrument placement everything seem to be as usual and nothing has been altered by the ITX01.
The treble has been tamed out slightly making the V shaped IEM’s sounds slightly less sharp and sibilant but at the same time the lesser treble presence also made it more smoother and lead to the lesser retrieval of the details out of the track. The tone and the instrument placement felt as per the IEM’s standard and has no issues with it. The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings don’t have that sparkle in the top end due to that smoother treble section. The brilliance and the shimmer in the top end is slightly lacking in my testing. Overall the treble delivered out of the ITX01 is smoother, non sibilant but lacks the energy, sparkle and detail retrieval in the top end nevertheless they deliver a pretty much clearer treble section without any sort of congestion.
ADDED FUNCTIONALITIES:
The best part of the ITX01 is that apart from the DAC function the added functionality. A portable USB hub has been provided with some technologically advanced upgrades like the USB 3.2 ports, TF port and a SD card port.
Even in the audio section they have included both the balanced and the unbalanced(4.4) ports. There is also a type C port for charging and a PD 1000W port through which you can charge your Mac without any issues. A HDMI slot has also been provided which can run at 4k 60Hz hence the gamers who are involved in streaming their gameplay benefit from this.
There is a touch panel in the device where you can configure the sound modes. The modes are as follows: Games, Movies and Music.
VERDICT:
ITX01, the latest offering from the Ikko Audio is a well rounded package with some excellent added functionalities. Rather than just focussing on the audio section they have provided some really needed extra ports which are very useful in day to day life.
The device has the balanced and unbalanced ports, 3 usb3.1 ports, two type c ports where the one is PD supported and the other is the normal one. It also has the TF and SD card reader with a touch panel to configure the sound modes of the device.
Coming to the audio part since most of the consumers of this device are Audiophiles, it's slightly disappointing in that aspect where it's definitely not bad but it could have been better. The dac that they have used is not that high end but still delivers some clean and neutral sound profile. The amp section is pretty weak too where the max output is 64mW from both the balanced and the unbalanced port.
Overall the device is a pure INNOVATION REDESIGNED product to satisfy most of one’s technical needs from just a single product. The Ikko has done a really great job with excellent practicality. In the times where the brands are removing the ports from their electronic gadgets the IKKO IRX01 is a great boon for the customers out there!
IKKO, the brand based out of China is a well rounded company which has expertise in IEM, cable and Dac manufacturing. The famous model is the OH10 iem and it has got a great appreciation all around the world for its incredible performance and the stellar materials used and the looks. The brand has again put its design language and the functionality expertise in this product ITX01 too. In this review let’s check out how this fares against the competition in the current market.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Decoding Ability: PCM 192Khz
DAC: SNC 8600
Compatibility: Android，IOS，Mac OS，Win10，Win11, PS5，Switch
MATERIALS: Aluminum Alloy
Interface: TypeC to PC ;100W PD TypeC Input*1; DATA TypeC*1； USB3.2 *3 ； 1* HDMI 4K 60Hz Output; SD ports*1，TF ports*1
Audio Port: 3.5mm Audio Output & 4.4mm Audio Output
SNR: 100dB
THD: 0.01%
Maximum Output: 64mW
DIMENSIONS: 133mm*50mm*17mm
WEIGHT: 100G
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my observations and source hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit please go ahead with this unaffiliated purchase link: Click Here
DESIGN:
The design is just stellar! The ikko is known for their really good design thinking and they have shown this product. Their IEM’s have a unique striking design and the ITX01 continues to show their capability of design thinking.
The whole product is made out of aluminium and the whole product looks sleek and simple. All the ports are aligned on the side of the product and the device has a single ended termination of type C.
The device does not heat up a lot even after the extended period of usage which is a pretty good thing to observe. Overall the design is pretty great and a well rounded design.
SOUND:
The sound signature out of the ITX01 is pretty neutral with no additional bass boost or the treble boost option available in the hardware or the software level. The neutral signature is a boon for this multipurpose dac where it makes the device much versatile thus all sorts of the In Ear Monitors can be used with this.
The DAC present in the ITX01 is a SNC 8600 which decodes at a rate of PCM 192KHz and they are average at best in terms of sound output. They don’t match up the competitors standalone DAC ability but since this has other added advantages like the USB hubs the sound output via this is not that complain bible. However the power output via this device is pretty low where 64mW is the max one can go.
All the observations made with the HiFi audio setting while the other two modes really disappoint for listening to music.
The low end via the ITX01 is pretty good in terms of control and cleanliness. The bloated bass cant be experienced here since this DAC represents the low end very clean. The bass has excellent separation overall with nice control. The decay is pretty fast with less attack. Due to this lighter taste in the bass the tonal weight feels slightly on the thinner side. The bass technically looks pretty good but needs some improvement in the quantity side. The punch and the weight is slightly lacking in the ITX01 thus the overall bass sounds leaner but definitely much cleaner, faster and well separated. So overall a technical low end is being delivered but needs some enhancements in the fun and quantity side.
The mid range delivered by the ITX01 is pretty good too with some natural tonality and the timbre of the instruments. The staging is as usual and does not compress or make the stage wider in any sense. The separation felt slightly clearer since the mid bass presence has been slightly tamed out. The layering effect remains the same without any issues. The vocal presentation and the instrument placement everything seem to be as usual and nothing has been altered by the ITX01.
The treble has been tamed out slightly making the V shaped IEM’s sounds slightly less sharp and sibilant but at the same time the lesser treble presence also made it more smoother and lead to the lesser retrieval of the details out of the track. The tone and the instrument placement felt as per the IEM’s standard and has no issues with it. The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings don’t have that sparkle in the top end due to that smoother treble section. The brilliance and the shimmer in the top end is slightly lacking in my testing. Overall the treble delivered out of the ITX01 is smoother, non sibilant but lacks the energy, sparkle and detail retrieval in the top end nevertheless they deliver a pretty much clearer treble section without any sort of congestion.
ADDED FUNCTIONALITIES:
The best part of the ITX01 is that apart from the DAC function the added functionality. A portable USB hub has been provided with some technologically advanced upgrades like the USB 3.2 ports, TF port and a SD card port.
There is a touch panel in the device where you can configure the sound modes. The modes are as follows: Games, Movies and Music.
VERDICT:
ITX01, the latest offering from the Ikko Audio is a well rounded package with some excellent added functionalities. Rather than just focussing on the audio section they have provided some really needed extra ports which are very useful in day to day life.
The device has the balanced and unbalanced ports, 3 usb3.1 ports, two type c ports where the one is PD supported and the other is the normal one. It also has the TF and SD card reader with a touch panel to configure the sound modes of the device.
Coming to the audio part since most of the consumers of this device are Audiophiles, it's slightly disappointing in that aspect where it's definitely not bad but it could have been better. The dac that they have used is not that high end but still delivers some clean and neutral sound profile. The amp section is pretty weak too where the max output is 64mW from both the balanced and the unbalanced port.
Overall the device is a pure INNOVATION REDESIGNED product to satisfy most of one’s technical needs from just a single product. The Ikko has done a really great job with excellent practicality. In the times where the brands are removing the ports from their electronic gadgets the IKKO IRX01 is a great boon for the customers out there!
Attachments
AlexCBSN
It’s a shame that ikko doesnt get much attention in the dac implementation department, the itm05 its the best implemented dac ive tested while using iOS, out of em all was the one that actually adapted its power current for the already problematic lightning power output. Good for em for trying something different
Kathiravan JLR
@AlexCBSN I see...haven't tested the itm05 but the itx01 is not that great imo..may be the next iteration can bring up the improvements
watson7f
ITM05 is currently discontinued and our product department has no follow-up news on this product at this time.
INTRODUCTION:
TACable, the brand based out of china is an evolving one with some high quality aftermarket cables for your favourite IEM’s out there. The previous version is the Obsidian and it gave a nice output and consumers were happy with that product. It gave a nice V shaped output and to compensate that the Amber has been released to deliver a nice natural output with some added sparkle in the top end. The cable is now made of a triple hybrid structure which comes with gold-plated 6N OCC+Litz silver-plated 6N OCC+6N OCC copper hybrid structure. The cable also offers a premium feel in the hands meanwhile also comes with easily swappable termination plugs. In this review let's check out how this delivers in terms of sound and its place against the competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit was sent to me as a part of a review circle by TAXABLE organised in my country. The whole views are based on my pairings and sources hence it might differ from person to person.
BUILD:
This is a Gold Plated 6N occ & Litz Silver Plated 6N occ & Litz 6N occ Copper Hybrid Earphone Cable and is made well with nice braiding. The cable does provide that nice heft and premium feel in the hands. The supple texture is present in the cable and the ear guides are so soft hence no discomfort while wearing the cable. Metal parts are used in the splitter, connector and the termination area giving a nice sturdy feel. The colour of the cable goes with the name itself Amber since they represent that nice Yellow colour which looks good in the real.
The terminations can be changed via a modular connector pin thus its a very versatile cable. Need to be balanced! Just change the termination and you are good to go and can be done within seconds.
The contents of the box are:
>2.5mm balanced connector.
>4.4mm balanced connector.
>3.5mm single-ended connector.
>Cable itself.
SOUND:
The amber cable sounds as described in the name where the sound delivered by the cable is smooth and natural. They add quite a bit of brightness to the sound thus making a dark sounding IEM very pleasant. The added brightness gives that extra added energy resulting in a nice engaging sound overall.
BASS:
The bass delivered by the amber is quite neutral in profile. No boosting or taming of the low end frequency is observed. The sub bass and the mid bass presence is presented neutral in profile overall. The bass is just delivered rightly without any addition thus it preserves the nature of the individual iem that are paired along with the Amber cable.
The texture, separation, clarity, speed and the attack is preserved as per the natural ability of the IEM which is a pretty good thing to be considered since it will definitely pair well with bass heavy IEM while the cable also helps in providing that adequate brightness for engaging experience.
MID RANGE:
The mid range in the Amber is great overall in terms of presentation and clarity. The tonality and the timbre presentation delivered by the Amber is pretty standard to the default nature of the IEM. No brightness boosting or darker sense of tonality is seen rather they just depicted out the default nature of the IEM.
The vocals and the instruments are nicely brought forward without any sort of noticeable recession or hindrance. The fine instruments are brought out well with nice note weight and fullness. No noticeable differences are seen in the midrange; this makes the cable a versatile option to be paired up with any sort of IEM
.
TREBLE:
The treble is the great aspect of this cable since this gives that extra added brightness to provide the listener a nice engaging experience. Now the cymbal crashes and the percussion instruments get enough life and sounds even more sparkly and lively.
The electric guitar strums and the trumpets now have that shimmer and the brilliance in the top end has been brought out really well. The detail retrieval is above average and shows a noticeable improvement from the default nature of the IEM.
The cable shows a much noticeable improvement when you pair up any dark signature IEM since this gives that necessary brightness for the uplifted sound.
TECHNICALITIES:
The technical aspect that this cable delivers is good enough where the detail retrieval got much better now with more technical separation and clearer imaging since the low end is not that emphasized. The micro details however are not that impressive but the macro details that this cable delivers via the IEM that you pair is outstanding.
VERDICT:
Amber, the latest aftermarket cable from the house of TAXABLE is a well sounding one where it nicely complements the fuller sound of the Obsidian from the same house. The Amber is different in terms of sound when compared to the Obsidian where the Obsidian is much more fuller sounding, had more bass presence and the treble felt untouched while the Amber is more brighter, neutral in terms of midrange and bass response hence these cable complement well each other in terms of sound like the Yin and Yang!
The build is excellent and is the same as that of the Obsidian where the cable feels very premium in the hands and has a good amount of heft in the hand. The braiding is done excellently and the supple texture of the cable feels more premium in the hands. The use of the metals in the splitters and terminations gave the cable a more premium filled look and experience. Plus the modular option is a brilliant design feature where one can easily swap the termination for practicality.
Overall the Amber is a well rounded cable and does pair well with your darker sounding earphones and those IEM’s out there waiting for a cable to give a life to their treble presence. The NATURAL AND PREMIUM character of the Amber would definitely be a great addition to your Dark Knight out there!
TACable, the brand based out of china is an evolving one with some high quality aftermarket cables for your favourite IEM’s out there. The previous version is the Obsidian and it gave a nice output and consumers were happy with that product. It gave a nice V shaped output and to compensate that the Amber has been released to deliver a nice natural output with some added sparkle in the top end. The cable is now made of a triple hybrid structure which comes with gold-plated 6N OCC+Litz silver-plated 6N OCC+6N OCC copper hybrid structure. The cable also offers a premium feel in the hands meanwhile also comes with easily swappable termination plugs. In this review let's check out how this delivers in terms of sound and its place against the competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit was sent to me as a part of a review circle by TAXABLE organised in my country. The whole views are based on my pairings and sources hence it might differ from person to person.
BUILD:
This is a Gold Plated 6N occ & Litz Silver Plated 6N occ & Litz 6N occ Copper Hybrid Earphone Cable and is made well with nice braiding. The cable does provide that nice heft and premium feel in the hands. The supple texture is present in the cable and the ear guides are so soft hence no discomfort while wearing the cable. Metal parts are used in the splitter, connector and the termination area giving a nice sturdy feel. The colour of the cable goes with the name itself Amber since they represent that nice Yellow colour which looks good in the real.
The terminations can be changed via a modular connector pin thus its a very versatile cable. Need to be balanced! Just change the termination and you are good to go and can be done within seconds.
The contents of the box are:
>2.5mm balanced connector.
>4.4mm balanced connector.
>3.5mm single-ended connector.
>Cable itself.
SOUND:
The amber cable sounds as described in the name where the sound delivered by the cable is smooth and natural. They add quite a bit of brightness to the sound thus making a dark sounding IEM very pleasant. The added brightness gives that extra added energy resulting in a nice engaging sound overall.
BASS:
The bass delivered by the amber is quite neutral in profile. No boosting or taming of the low end frequency is observed. The sub bass and the mid bass presence is presented neutral in profile overall. The bass is just delivered rightly without any addition thus it preserves the nature of the individual iem that are paired along with the Amber cable.
The texture, separation, clarity, speed and the attack is preserved as per the natural ability of the IEM which is a pretty good thing to be considered since it will definitely pair well with bass heavy IEM while the cable also helps in providing that adequate brightness for engaging experience.
MID RANGE:
The mid range in the Amber is great overall in terms of presentation and clarity. The tonality and the timbre presentation delivered by the Amber is pretty standard to the default nature of the IEM. No brightness boosting or darker sense of tonality is seen rather they just depicted out the default nature of the IEM.
The vocals and the instruments are nicely brought forward without any sort of noticeable recession or hindrance. The fine instruments are brought out well with nice note weight and fullness. No noticeable differences are seen in the midrange; this makes the cable a versatile option to be paired up with any sort of IEM
TREBLE:
The treble is the great aspect of this cable since this gives that extra added brightness to provide the listener a nice engaging experience. Now the cymbal crashes and the percussion instruments get enough life and sounds even more sparkly and lively.
The electric guitar strums and the trumpets now have that shimmer and the brilliance in the top end has been brought out really well. The detail retrieval is above average and shows a noticeable improvement from the default nature of the IEM.
The cable shows a much noticeable improvement when you pair up any dark signature IEM since this gives that necessary brightness for the uplifted sound.
TECHNICALITIES:
The technical aspect that this cable delivers is good enough where the detail retrieval got much better now with more technical separation and clearer imaging since the low end is not that emphasized. The micro details however are not that impressive but the macro details that this cable delivers via the IEM that you pair is outstanding.
VERDICT:
Amber, the latest aftermarket cable from the house of TAXABLE is a well sounding one where it nicely complements the fuller sound of the Obsidian from the same house. The Amber is different in terms of sound when compared to the Obsidian where the Obsidian is much more fuller sounding, had more bass presence and the treble felt untouched while the Amber is more brighter, neutral in terms of midrange and bass response hence these cable complement well each other in terms of sound like the Yin and Yang!
The build is excellent and is the same as that of the Obsidian where the cable feels very premium in the hands and has a good amount of heft in the hand. The braiding is done excellently and the supple texture of the cable feels more premium in the hands. The use of the metals in the splitters and terminations gave the cable a more premium filled look and experience. Plus the modular option is a brilliant design feature where one can easily swap the termination for practicality.
Overall the Amber is a well rounded cable and does pair well with your darker sounding earphones and those IEM’s out there waiting for a cable to give a life to their treble presence. The NATURAL AND PREMIUM character of the Amber would definitely be a great addition to your Dark Knight out there!
INTRODUCTION:
Hidizs, the brand based out of China is a well established brand in the ChiFi audio industry producing Dac, Amps, In Ear Monitors, Cables. Their Mermaid earphones are one of the best in the game and the S9 pro dac is also a great performing one. The S3 Pro being in a budget ground let’s check out how this performs against the crowd.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my pairings and sources hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then please feel free to go through via this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/hidizs-s3-pro
SPECIFICATIONS:
MQA Support: X8
Sampling Rate Indicator Light: Supported
D/A Chip: ESS ES9281C PRO
Sampling Frequency: Up to 32Bit/384kHz
DSD: Up to 128
Output: Single-ended 3.5mm headphone port
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: 0.0008%
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 117dB
Channel Separation: 70dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz (±0.1dB)
Output Power: LR 55mW@32Ω 3.5mm SE
Power Connector: Type-C
Supported Systems: Windows 10, Mac OS, iPad OS, Android, iOS or newer systems.
(For iOS users, the Lightning OTG cable has to be purchased separately)
DESIGN AND BUILD:
The design is pretty unique in the S3 Pro and that's what makes this price a modern looking one. The whole construction is made out of metal except the cable which is nicely braided and will last longer for sure. Nice strain reliefs are provided on both the termination and connector end.
The termination end is nicely designed having a circular shape with disc pattern on the top also accompanying a small LED indicator.
FUNCTIONALITY:
The S3 pro comes with a little LED light mounted on top of the connector area to indicate the sample rate at which the track is being played and the colour indication as follows: Red- 44.1 - 48 kHz, Blue- 88.2 - 384 kHz, Pink- MQA.
The S3 Pro has the dac from the house of ESS namely ESS9281C which supports playback of 8X MQA, DSD128, and 32bit/384KHZ PCM audio. The Dac also has the inline mic functionality hence that's an added advantage.
The firmware upgrades are the BASS, BALANCED, TREBLE which can be chosen by the user by flashing the respective firmwares.
SOUND:
The overall output if the S3 Pro is more on a clean and natural presentation overall without any bug amount of added colouration. The S3 Pro comes in three modes namely the Bass, Default and Treble mode where if you need to change the profile you must update the respective firmware to the dongle.
My whole sound observations are made using the default mode where the other two increased their respective frequencies quite noticeably.
BASS: The low end in the S3 Pro sounds a lot tighter, faster and clean. There is subtle reduction in the rumble quantity and reach in the sub bass region but still the bass quality has been consistent and beautiful. The texture and the clarity was very good with excellent separation in the low end.
Overall technicality aspects of the low end are beautifully presented in the S3 Pro while the quantity is the only aspect where the S3 Pro misses out but still it's quite fun and engaging in the low end department. If the sub bass reach and rumble was increased in the default mode then it would have been perfect and if you still wish to have more just update the bass firmware to the S3 Pro.
MID RANGE: The midrange sounds beautiful with no added colouration to the tonality and timbre. The vocals sound nice and forward with natural tonality. The instrument separation was presented out neatly without any sort of compression since the staging was kept the same. The timbre of the instruments is presented really well without any artificial, metallic or dried out sense.
The upper midrange was kept under control too hence no harshness or hotness is seen in this region where the female vocals are kept without any noticeable sibilance.
TREBLE: The treble has a slight hint of added warmth making them more pleasing hence the treble heads out there will be slightly disappointed, but here’s the trick where if you change the firmware to the Treble mode the treble will sound more pleasing and bright enough.
The treble in the default mode sounds smoother to correlate with the longer listening sessions. All those percussion instruments notes are presented well and clean without any hindrance. The cymbal crashes have that natural strike and splash. Overall the treble sounds more pleasing and smoother and if you are in need for more brightness then just flash the firmware to the treble mode which will definitely bring a big smile on your face.
TECHNICALITIES: The technical aspect delivered by the S3 Pro is very good especially the clarity , separation and the layering effect. The placement of the instruments are precisely done without any congestion. The staging being presented as actual the presentation felt clean and wide enough for the instruments to be separated out.
POWER OUTPUT:
The power output in the S3 Pro is pretty nominal rated 55mW @ 32 ohms. The output may not look big considering the competition out there which can deliver 1.5x the power for half the price but the S3 Pro just nails it when it comes to the overall presentation.
Most of the earphones can be driven via this except some power demanding headphones and planar earphones out there. The other aspect that S3 Pro nails is in the power draw where it just uses a very minimal amount of power from the source hence that's a big plus! The dongle doesn't get heat even after extended periods of usage.
VERDICT:
S3 Pro, the latest dongle offering from the house of Hidizs which has already released quite a bit of DAC, Amps is a well rounded package overall. Especially the clean transparent sound, three firmwares, sleek design, minimal power draw, MQA support makes this Dongle a solid buy for the audiophiles out there waiting to get a reliable and sleek looking dongle. The added functionality like the Mic support gives this dongle an added advantage in the competition.
Overall the S3 Pro is a MODERN TRANSPARENT piece considering its sound which is as transparent as possible and the looks which is modern, sleek making this Dongle Dac a solid purchase in the current competition.
Hidizs, the brand based out of China is a well established brand in the ChiFi audio industry producing Dac, Amps, In Ear Monitors, Cables. Their Mermaid earphones are one of the best in the game and the S9 pro dac is also a great performing one. The S3 Pro being in a budget ground let’s check out how this performs against the crowd.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my pairings and sources hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then please feel free to go through via this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/hidizs-s3-pro
SPECIFICATIONS:
MQA Support: X8
Sampling Rate Indicator Light: Supported
D/A Chip: ESS ES9281C PRO
Sampling Frequency: Up to 32Bit/384kHz
DSD: Up to 128
Output: Single-ended 3.5mm headphone port
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: 0.0008%
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 117dB
Channel Separation: 70dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz (±0.1dB)
Output Power: LR 55mW@32Ω 3.5mm SE
Power Connector: Type-C
Supported Systems: Windows 10, Mac OS, iPad OS, Android, iOS or newer systems.
(For iOS users, the Lightning OTG cable has to be purchased separately)
DESIGN AND BUILD:
The design is pretty unique in the S3 Pro and that's what makes this price a modern looking one. The whole construction is made out of metal except the cable which is nicely braided and will last longer for sure. Nice strain reliefs are provided on both the termination and connector end.
The termination end is nicely designed having a circular shape with disc pattern on the top also accompanying a small LED indicator.
FUNCTIONALITY:
The S3 pro comes with a little LED light mounted on top of the connector area to indicate the sample rate at which the track is being played and the colour indication as follows: Red- 44.1 - 48 kHz, Blue- 88.2 - 384 kHz, Pink- MQA.
The S3 Pro has the dac from the house of ESS namely ESS9281C which supports playback of 8X MQA, DSD128, and 32bit/384KHZ PCM audio. The Dac also has the inline mic functionality hence that's an added advantage.
The firmware upgrades are the BASS, BALANCED, TREBLE which can be chosen by the user by flashing the respective firmwares.
SOUND:
The overall output if the S3 Pro is more on a clean and natural presentation overall without any bug amount of added colouration. The S3 Pro comes in three modes namely the Bass, Default and Treble mode where if you need to change the profile you must update the respective firmware to the dongle.
My whole sound observations are made using the default mode where the other two increased their respective frequencies quite noticeably.
BASS: The low end in the S3 Pro sounds a lot tighter, faster and clean. There is subtle reduction in the rumble quantity and reach in the sub bass region but still the bass quality has been consistent and beautiful. The texture and the clarity was very good with excellent separation in the low end.
Overall technicality aspects of the low end are beautifully presented in the S3 Pro while the quantity is the only aspect where the S3 Pro misses out but still it's quite fun and engaging in the low end department. If the sub bass reach and rumble was increased in the default mode then it would have been perfect and if you still wish to have more just update the bass firmware to the S3 Pro.
MID RANGE: The midrange sounds beautiful with no added colouration to the tonality and timbre. The vocals sound nice and forward with natural tonality. The instrument separation was presented out neatly without any sort of compression since the staging was kept the same. The timbre of the instruments is presented really well without any artificial, metallic or dried out sense.
The upper midrange was kept under control too hence no harshness or hotness is seen in this region where the female vocals are kept without any noticeable sibilance.
TREBLE: The treble has a slight hint of added warmth making them more pleasing hence the treble heads out there will be slightly disappointed, but here’s the trick where if you change the firmware to the Treble mode the treble will sound more pleasing and bright enough.
The treble in the default mode sounds smoother to correlate with the longer listening sessions. All those percussion instruments notes are presented well and clean without any hindrance. The cymbal crashes have that natural strike and splash. Overall the treble sounds more pleasing and smoother and if you are in need for more brightness then just flash the firmware to the treble mode which will definitely bring a big smile on your face.
TECHNICALITIES: The technical aspect delivered by the S3 Pro is very good especially the clarity , separation and the layering effect. The placement of the instruments are precisely done without any congestion. The staging being presented as actual the presentation felt clean and wide enough for the instruments to be separated out.
POWER OUTPUT:
The power output in the S3 Pro is pretty nominal rated 55mW @ 32 ohms. The output may not look big considering the competition out there which can deliver 1.5x the power for half the price but the S3 Pro just nails it when it comes to the overall presentation.
Most of the earphones can be driven via this except some power demanding headphones and planar earphones out there. The other aspect that S3 Pro nails is in the power draw where it just uses a very minimal amount of power from the source hence that's a big plus! The dongle doesn't get heat even after extended periods of usage.
VERDICT:
S3 Pro, the latest dongle offering from the house of Hidizs which has already released quite a bit of DAC, Amps is a well rounded package overall. Especially the clean transparent sound, three firmwares, sleek design, minimal power draw, MQA support makes this Dongle a solid buy for the audiophiles out there waiting to get a reliable and sleek looking dongle. The added functionality like the Mic support gives this dongle an added advantage in the competition.
Overall the S3 Pro is a MODERN TRANSPARENT piece considering its sound which is as transparent as possible and the looks which is modern, sleek making this Dongle Dac a solid purchase in the current competition.
INTRODUCTION:
See Audio, the brand based out of China is a newly established brand but created its own image pretty soon in the ChiFi market with its initial product Yume. The Yume got a lot of responses from the consumers and also received negatives regarding their Yume. The brand listened and responded via their another product MIDNIGHT and now they have collaborated with Crinacle to do the job. Let’s check out how much improvement is done over the Yume in this review.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle. The whole observations are based on my experience with the product, pairings and sources hence it might differ from person to person.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Dynamic Driver with Liquid Silicone Diaphragm.
Two Custom-Tuned BA drivers.
Impedance: 32Ω.
Sensitivity: 106dB±1dB.
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz.
THD+N: ≤2%.
Isolation: 26dB.
Connector Type: 2-pin 0.78mm.
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design is as usual like the ChiFi in ear monitors hence the fit is pretty good. To achieve the nice fit, seal the tips need to be selected wisely and it does impact the sound output.
The whole construction is made out of resin and its quite sturdy and feels premium in the hands. The faceplate has a nice carbon fiber design giving that striking midnight look. The vent for the Dynamic driver is given in the top side of the earpiece and nozzle has good lips for securing the ear tips.
The earpiece has the 2 pin connector area hence the MMCX issues are not seen here. The provided stock cable looks very premium and the colour does give that nice contrast over the earpiece. The cable looks and feels nice in the hands. A bit stiff in the hands though but overall a very premium stock cable. The ear guides are soft enough to manage and metallic parts are used in the termination, splitter and connector areas. A nice plastic sheath is given over the cable to avoid microphonics.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Midnight is more on a balanced side and now with that nice bass boost over their predecessor Yume which lacked in that aspect. The treble has been brought down a bit to give that pleasant non-fatiguing listening session. Let’s talk about the sound in detail...
LOW END:
Coming to the bass, it's very controlled, matured and the most liked fact is that the sub bass here is more emphasized than the mid bass. The sub bass is sweetly done where the reach and the rumble is satisfyingly done without any sort of compression. I like the rumble it created and gives that nice 3D bass presentation. The bass appears like coming out of a big space creating a nice ethereal environment (vibrating serene) and it's definitely a big improvement over the last product.
The mid bass is less when compared to the sub bass but that gives that nice track clarity and neat separation overall. The mid bass is rather not lean too where they are at adequate stage giving that nice fuller sound overall yet avoiding that mid bass bleed and the bloom which makes the vocals more fuller and thicker making them masked out.
The bass overall feels adequate in fastness where they are not too fast making them too subtle in bass response where they are at adequate space. The bass being a well matured one has that excellent control, texture, separation and clarity overall. A nice thumpy yet clean bass response.
The mid range is another star show here and just follows the same trait as that of the Yume! The vocal presentation and the instruments are brought out really well without any noticeable hindrance. The recession is not that heavily seen where they feel nice and forward in presentation. The vocal has nice richness to it carried along from the bass response giving a nice fuller sounding experience.
Tonality is pretty good considering the hybrid setup but the timbre is quite off. The BA timbre can be felt immediately after the initial listen but that's the biggest issue that every BA presented IEM faces. The tone appears slightly metallic and brighter which is quite manageable since this is not that greatly evident as that of many other hybrids out there but still it's there. Overall after some period of listening one will get easily used to it.
The track separation, clarity, layering are however nicely done. The staging being wide enough gives adequate space for the instrument placement hence the layering feels pretty good here. The piano notes and the kick drums have a nice attack to them and every note of the instruments are brought out really well with a nice weight presence.
The treble is tuned well here and it is less emphasized than the predecessor yume. The treble is now much more smoother, calmer yet brings out all those clarity, airiness, detail and spaciousness.
In the yume the treble was slightly sharper making the longer listening sessions a pretty uncomfortable but the Midnight solves that issue by making the treble a more calmer and smoother in presentation.
The upper midrange and the treble has been toned down to give that longer pleasant listen but also surprised by the fact that the clarity, airiness and spaciousness remains the same without any loss in that aspect!
The presentation feels nice and spacious with nice cymbal crashes and electric guitar strings that have that nice attack and splash. The shimmer and the brilliance is controlled and they are not explicitly shown out like the Yume. The brightness is adequate and I like it a lot but treble heads out there will be in need of more treble energy. The energetic response is more than adequate for me and even though the treble seems composed they don’t have that darker background which is pretty impressive.
The timbres, as I mentioned before, are artificial and have that BA characteristic. The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings, trumpets have that bright and metallic tone. No sort of sibilance is observed during my listening sessions.
Overall the treble feels pretty great and for me this is definitely a great improvement over the Yume. Now they are tuned well composed, calmer yet not compromising on the clarity, airiness, openness and well separated, detailed sound. The timbre could have been better but yeah considering its a Hybrid setup they have done their part very nicely.
STAGING: The staging is pretty good here where they are adequate in terms of width and height. They are not the widest but not the most intimate either. The whole presentation feels well separated and grand enough to provide a big sound. The depth is pretty immersive here due to that nice sub bass presence and bass overall.
IMAGING: The layering and imaging are pretty good here considering the bass it pounds out. The mid bass being very clean didn't affect the imaging and hence the imaging feels clear and not hazed out. The instruments are placed well in positions and can be easily spotted out even in complex tracks without any issues.
Detail Retrieval and Separation are above average but still not the good tier especially the detail retrieval. They could have been better but since the treble has been calmed out they cant express themselves in that area. Still the technicalities are solid in this pair.
VERDICT:
Midnight, the latest offering from the house of SEE AUDIO is a well rounded package and a great improvement over the YUME. Yume has its disadvantages like the bass response being too low and the treble and upper midrange being slightly brighter, the brand saw those comments and their solution and answer is the MIDNIGHT!
Of Course they cleared all the issues now by collaborating with the highly renowned audio reviewer Crinacle. Now the audio has been returned to give a nice appealing sound overall with nice sub bass emphasis giving that nice satisfying rumble in the low end. The mid bass is adequate thus providing that nice fuller bodied sound. The midrange retains that forward presentation of vocals and instruments but with that disappointing BA timbre. The treble is done nicely now with more soother tuning and it now sounds more composed yet not compromising on the openness, airiness and clarity.
The technicalities are pretty good but it could have been better especially the detail retrieval. The staging, imaging and layering are pretty good and nothing to complain about. The timbre could have been better but this is the case with most of the hybrid setups out there.
They are designed well and do have that colour following that naming scheme. They are comfortable to wear, one of the best stock cables and the usual nice solid storage case! Overall the Midnight sounds great and an excellent package overall with a nice set of accessories. Midnight being the darkest in the name does really shine in the sound and this should have been released instead of the Yume in the first place! Cause this is definitely a much IMPROVED YUME in simple terms!
See Audio, the brand based out of China is a newly established brand but created its own image pretty soon in the ChiFi market with its initial product Yume. The Yume got a lot of responses from the consumers and also received negatives regarding their Yume. The brand listened and responded via their another product MIDNIGHT and now they have collaborated with Crinacle to do the job. Let’s check out how much improvement is done over the Yume in this review.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle. The whole observations are based on my experience with the product, pairings and sources hence it might differ from person to person.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Dynamic Driver with Liquid Silicone Diaphragm.
Two Custom-Tuned BA drivers.
Impedance: 32Ω.
Sensitivity: 106dB±1dB.
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz.
THD+N: ≤2%.
Isolation: 26dB.
Connector Type: 2-pin 0.78mm.
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design is as usual like the ChiFi in ear monitors hence the fit is pretty good. To achieve the nice fit, seal the tips need to be selected wisely and it does impact the sound output.
The whole construction is made out of resin and its quite sturdy and feels premium in the hands. The faceplate has a nice carbon fiber design giving that striking midnight look. The vent for the Dynamic driver is given in the top side of the earpiece and nozzle has good lips for securing the ear tips.
The earpiece has the 2 pin connector area hence the MMCX issues are not seen here. The provided stock cable looks very premium and the colour does give that nice contrast over the earpiece. The cable looks and feels nice in the hands. A bit stiff in the hands though but overall a very premium stock cable. The ear guides are soft enough to manage and metallic parts are used in the termination, splitter and connector areas. A nice plastic sheath is given over the cable to avoid microphonics.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Midnight is more on a balanced side and now with that nice bass boost over their predecessor Yume which lacked in that aspect. The treble has been brought down a bit to give that pleasant non-fatiguing listening session. Let’s talk about the sound in detail...
LOW END:
Coming to the bass, it's very controlled, matured and the most liked fact is that the sub bass here is more emphasized than the mid bass. The sub bass is sweetly done where the reach and the rumble is satisfyingly done without any sort of compression. I like the rumble it created and gives that nice 3D bass presentation. The bass appears like coming out of a big space creating a nice ethereal environment (vibrating serene) and it's definitely a big improvement over the last product.
The mid bass is less when compared to the sub bass but that gives that nice track clarity and neat separation overall. The mid bass is rather not lean too where they are at adequate stage giving that nice fuller sound overall yet avoiding that mid bass bleed and the bloom which makes the vocals more fuller and thicker making them masked out.
The bass overall feels adequate in fastness where they are not too fast making them too subtle in bass response where they are at adequate space. The bass being a well matured one has that excellent control, texture, separation and clarity overall. A nice thumpy yet clean bass response.
- Pollatha Ulagathiley – SEAN Roldan
- Murphy’s Law – Recondite
The mid range is another star show here and just follows the same trait as that of the Yume! The vocal presentation and the instruments are brought out really well without any noticeable hindrance. The recession is not that heavily seen where they feel nice and forward in presentation. The vocal has nice richness to it carried along from the bass response giving a nice fuller sounding experience.
Tonality is pretty good considering the hybrid setup but the timbre is quite off. The BA timbre can be felt immediately after the initial listen but that's the biggest issue that every BA presented IEM faces. The tone appears slightly metallic and brighter which is quite manageable since this is not that greatly evident as that of many other hybrids out there but still it's there. Overall after some period of listening one will get easily used to it.
The track separation, clarity, layering are however nicely done. The staging being wide enough gives adequate space for the instrument placement hence the layering feels pretty good here. The piano notes and the kick drums have a nice attack to them and every note of the instruments are brought out really well with a nice weight presence.
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- Levitating – Dua Lipa
The treble is tuned well here and it is less emphasized than the predecessor yume. The treble is now much more smoother, calmer yet brings out all those clarity, airiness, detail and spaciousness.
In the yume the treble was slightly sharper making the longer listening sessions a pretty uncomfortable but the Midnight solves that issue by making the treble a more calmer and smoother in presentation.
The upper midrange and the treble has been toned down to give that longer pleasant listen but also surprised by the fact that the clarity, airiness and spaciousness remains the same without any loss in that aspect!
The presentation feels nice and spacious with nice cymbal crashes and electric guitar strings that have that nice attack and splash. The shimmer and the brilliance is controlled and they are not explicitly shown out like the Yume. The brightness is adequate and I like it a lot but treble heads out there will be in need of more treble energy. The energetic response is more than adequate for me and even though the treble seems composed they don’t have that darker background which is pretty impressive.
The timbres, as I mentioned before, are artificial and have that BA characteristic. The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings, trumpets have that bright and metallic tone. No sort of sibilance is observed during my listening sessions.
Overall the treble feels pretty great and for me this is definitely a great improvement over the Yume. Now they are tuned well composed, calmer yet not compromising on the clarity, airiness, openness and well separated, detailed sound. The timbre could have been better but yeah considering its a Hybrid setup they have done their part very nicely.
- Jack Of Speed – Steely Dan
- Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
STAGING: The staging is pretty good here where they are adequate in terms of width and height. They are not the widest but not the most intimate either. The whole presentation feels well separated and grand enough to provide a big sound. The depth is pretty immersive here due to that nice sub bass presence and bass overall.
IMAGING: The layering and imaging are pretty good here considering the bass it pounds out. The mid bass being very clean didn't affect the imaging and hence the imaging feels clear and not hazed out. The instruments are placed well in positions and can be easily spotted out even in complex tracks without any issues.
Detail Retrieval and Separation are above average but still not the good tier especially the detail retrieval. They could have been better but since the treble has been calmed out they cant express themselves in that area. Still the technicalities are solid in this pair.
VERDICT:
Midnight, the latest offering from the house of SEE AUDIO is a well rounded package and a great improvement over the YUME. Yume has its disadvantages like the bass response being too low and the treble and upper midrange being slightly brighter, the brand saw those comments and their solution and answer is the MIDNIGHT!
Of Course they cleared all the issues now by collaborating with the highly renowned audio reviewer Crinacle. Now the audio has been returned to give a nice appealing sound overall with nice sub bass emphasis giving that nice satisfying rumble in the low end. The mid bass is adequate thus providing that nice fuller bodied sound. The midrange retains that forward presentation of vocals and instruments but with that disappointing BA timbre. The treble is done nicely now with more soother tuning and it now sounds more composed yet not compromising on the openness, airiness and clarity.
The technicalities are pretty good but it could have been better especially the detail retrieval. The staging, imaging and layering are pretty good and nothing to complain about. The timbre could have been better but this is the case with most of the hybrid setups out there.
They are designed well and do have that colour following that naming scheme. They are comfortable to wear, one of the best stock cables and the usual nice solid storage case! Overall the Midnight sounds great and an excellent package overall with a nice set of accessories. Midnight being the darkest in the name does really shine in the sound and this should have been released instead of the Yume in the first place! Cause this is definitely a much IMPROVED YUME in simple terms!
INTRODUCTION:
Kinera, one of the highly praised audio brands based out of China is known for its great craftsmanship in its product lineup and for their unique sound quality. The Norn is the most favourite IEM that i have tried and it belongs to the house Kinera. The Idun being their hybrid IEM with 1 DD (Titanium Composite) and 2 BA has entered the market to increase the competition in the price segment of under 200 USD and let's check out does this really fare in this competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my observation with this product and based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this gen then click on this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-idun-2-0
SPECIFICATIONS:
Kinera 7mm Titanium Plated Dome PU + 1 Knowles BA + 1 Kinera Customize BA
Impedance: 32 Ohms.
Sensitivity: 112+/- 2 dB.
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
8 Cores OFC with Silver Plated Modular Cable
Plug with 3.5mm , 4.4mm and 6.35mm
DESIGN AND FIT:
The Idun has that unique looking faceplate where it has that golden branches with that colourful gem in the center with branding running along the side with that unique white, blue colour tint combining all those details gives this earpiece a sexy and attractive design ever in an earpiece.
The whole construction is made out of hard resin and is based on a semi custom shell design. The connector is a 2 pin which is good and nicely recessed. The nozzle doesn't have any lips for securing the eartips but thankfully the provided eartips are tight enough to seat in the nozzle area and does provide excellent seal and fit.
The stock cable is one of the best in terms of looks and in hand feel. They have that nice bi coloured braided cable with metal connector area and a metal splitter and chin slider. The case provided along with the package looks gorgeous too where it's a hard shell case with wood texture on the outside and soft lining on the inside.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Idun is more on a neutral to flat side. The main focus here is the upper midrange and treble section, the bass here is more on an analytical side rather than fun aspect. Technicalities are pretty great in the Idun and in this dissection of audio aspects you will see them in detail.
BASS:
The bass in the Idun is pretty flat to neutral. Here the bass is tuned to focus more on a technical aspect by compromising the fun factor. Both the sub and the mid bass are not emphasised at all hence they are portrayed out flat.
SUB BASS: The extension is poor hence the rumble can't be experienced here. The reach is poor and the weight is on the thinner side. The bass has excellent control and speed thus the separation and clarity in the bass region feels excellent in the Idun. Heavy bassheads out there should stay away from this since it lacks the rumble completely in trade off for the excellent separation and clarity.
MID BASS: The mid bass follows the same trend as that of the sub bass. Lacks the weight and attacks. The body in the bass region feels pretty lighter hence the fullness can't be seen here. Rather the bass feels more controlled and well separated. In common both the sub and the mid bass region possess excellent technicalities by compromising the fun.
Overall the bass is flat, controlled, no bloat, clean and well clarity oriented. The attack, weight, and fullness are lacking in the Idun even though a single DD is present in the Idun. Even though the Idun is pretty strong in the technical aspect of the bass the added fun could have brought some life to the Idun and hope in the next iteration they solve it.
MID RANGE:
The mid range is tuned pretty well here and since the mid bass is lean the midrange feels more open and the mid bass bloat is completely absent here. The lower mid however suffers due to that leaner mid bass hence the lower mid has that thinner notes and lacks the body. The lower mid range in the Idun doesn't feel like there is a presence of a dynamic driver. The upper midrange has that slight more emphasis hence the vocals might sound hotter occasionally and that too with some specific tracks.
The piano notes and the kick drums have that nice presentation and in whole the instruments in the track are cleanly portrayed out without any sort of compression. The staging being very good in terms of size the presentation feels grand enough. The separation, clarity and separation in the midrange feels very transparent.
Overall the mid range in the Idun is more on a transparent side with excellent resolution, clarity, detail retrieval and separation while compromising on the lower mid weight, upper mid occasional hotness.
The tonality of the Idun is more on a neutral side with no added colouration and while timbre remains to be natural too without any sort of metallic taste even though there is the presence of BA which is quite interesting.
The treble in the Idun is very nicely executed, same as that of the mid range. The extension of the top end is neatly done without any early roll off. The air it possesses is huge hence the separation and presentation feels grand enough in the treble section.
The brilliance and shimmer in the top end feels top of the line. With bright flavour on the top the Idun still manages to avoid the sibilance at all cost yet by delivering some impressive detail retrieval and resolution. The percussion instruments sound very natural and the whole frequency section feels combined and delivers a nice coherent sound even though they have that BA in them.
The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings have that natural strike and the decay is very precise. The splash of the percussion instruments do sound more realistic and natural.
The sibilance is not observed in the treble section and they are kept under control even while replaying sibilant prone tracks.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is pretty good in the Idun where the width and the height correlated with each other. They are not the biggest in terms of stage but the presentation feels grand and spacious overall. The intimate sensation is not felt here thus the staging feels wide enough to create a lively experience.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: The imaging is pretty good here where the instruments placement is more or less precise with excellent layering capability. The channel sweep felt nice and smooth. Even while replaying some of the complex tracks the Idun was capable of portraying out nice imaging and layering and this is due to that nice clean bass response and lesser mid bass bloat.
Detail retrieval, resolution and track separation are above average for the price and it's pretty impressive in fact. The Multi BA does play a nice role in bringing out some excellent technical aspects out of the Idun.
VERDICT:
Idun, the latest offering from the house of Kinera is a well rounded neutral package. The neutral heads out there! Its your item to be picked up! The Idun has that nice neutral sound profile yet with that engaging and lively sound experience and also don’t forget that this has one of the best designed faceplates!
The bass being on the neutral side thus provides some excellent clarity, separation and technical aspect. The mid range is another string aspect of this earphone where it has that unique natural tonality with precise timbre. The staging being wide enough does provide that spacious and grand presentation. The treble has a very good extension thus providing some great shimmer and brilliance in the top end.
The design is very gorgeous where that faceplate looks stunning and it's definitely an eye -catching figure for sure. The golden coloured tree branches alongside that colourful gem in the center with cool white and blue tint gives the earpiece a stunning look overall.
Overall the Idun is a neutral masterpiece with striking design language and TRANSPARENT SOUND out there in the market!
Kinera, one of the highly praised audio brands based out of China is known for its great craftsmanship in its product lineup and for their unique sound quality. The Norn is the most favourite IEM that i have tried and it belongs to the house Kinera. The Idun being their hybrid IEM with 1 DD (Titanium Composite) and 2 BA has entered the market to increase the competition in the price segment of under 200 USD and let's check out does this really fare in this competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my observation with this product and based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this gen then click on this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-idun-2-0
SPECIFICATIONS:
Kinera 7mm Titanium Plated Dome PU + 1 Knowles BA + 1 Kinera Customize BA
Impedance: 32 Ohms.
Sensitivity: 112+/- 2 dB.
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
8 Cores OFC with Silver Plated Modular Cable
Plug with 3.5mm , 4.4mm and 6.35mm
DESIGN AND FIT:
The Idun has that unique looking faceplate where it has that golden branches with that colourful gem in the center with branding running along the side with that unique white, blue colour tint combining all those details gives this earpiece a sexy and attractive design ever in an earpiece.
The whole construction is made out of hard resin and is based on a semi custom shell design. The connector is a 2 pin which is good and nicely recessed. The nozzle doesn't have any lips for securing the eartips but thankfully the provided eartips are tight enough to seat in the nozzle area and does provide excellent seal and fit.
The stock cable is one of the best in terms of looks and in hand feel. They have that nice bi coloured braided cable with metal connector area and a metal splitter and chin slider. The case provided along with the package looks gorgeous too where it's a hard shell case with wood texture on the outside and soft lining on the inside.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Idun is more on a neutral to flat side. The main focus here is the upper midrange and treble section, the bass here is more on an analytical side rather than fun aspect. Technicalities are pretty great in the Idun and in this dissection of audio aspects you will see them in detail.
BASS:
The bass in the Idun is pretty flat to neutral. Here the bass is tuned to focus more on a technical aspect by compromising the fun factor. Both the sub and the mid bass are not emphasised at all hence they are portrayed out flat.
SUB BASS: The extension is poor hence the rumble can't be experienced here. The reach is poor and the weight is on the thinner side. The bass has excellent control and speed thus the separation and clarity in the bass region feels excellent in the Idun. Heavy bassheads out there should stay away from this since it lacks the rumble completely in trade off for the excellent separation and clarity.
MID BASS: The mid bass follows the same trend as that of the sub bass. Lacks the weight and attacks. The body in the bass region feels pretty lighter hence the fullness can't be seen here. Rather the bass feels more controlled and well separated. In common both the sub and the mid bass region possess excellent technicalities by compromising the fun.
Overall the bass is flat, controlled, no bloat, clean and well clarity oriented. The attack, weight, and fullness are lacking in the Idun even though a single DD is present in the Idun. Even though the Idun is pretty strong in the technical aspect of the bass the added fun could have brought some life to the Idun and hope in the next iteration they solve it.
- Bigfoot – Malfnktion
- Mountains – Hans Zimmer
MID RANGE:
The mid range is tuned pretty well here and since the mid bass is lean the midrange feels more open and the mid bass bloat is completely absent here. The lower mid however suffers due to that leaner mid bass hence the lower mid has that thinner notes and lacks the body. The lower mid range in the Idun doesn't feel like there is a presence of a dynamic driver. The upper midrange has that slight more emphasis hence the vocals might sound hotter occasionally and that too with some specific tracks.
The piano notes and the kick drums have that nice presentation and in whole the instruments in the track are cleanly portrayed out without any sort of compression. The staging being very good in terms of size the presentation feels grand enough. The separation, clarity and separation in the midrange feels very transparent.
Overall the mid range in the Idun is more on a transparent side with excellent resolution, clarity, detail retrieval and separation while compromising on the lower mid weight, upper mid occasional hotness.
The tonality of the Idun is more on a neutral side with no added colouration and while timbre remains to be natural too without any sort of metallic taste even though there is the presence of BA which is quite interesting.
- Blowers Daughter – Damien Rice
- Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye
The treble in the Idun is very nicely executed, same as that of the mid range. The extension of the top end is neatly done without any early roll off. The air it possesses is huge hence the separation and presentation feels grand enough in the treble section.
The brilliance and shimmer in the top end feels top of the line. With bright flavour on the top the Idun still manages to avoid the sibilance at all cost yet by delivering some impressive detail retrieval and resolution. The percussion instruments sound very natural and the whole frequency section feels combined and delivers a nice coherent sound even though they have that BA in them.
The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings have that natural strike and the decay is very precise. The splash of the percussion instruments do sound more realistic and natural.
The sibilance is not observed in the treble section and they are kept under control even while replaying sibilant prone tracks.
- Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
- Something Happened On The Way To Heaven – Phil Collins
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is pretty good in the Idun where the width and the height correlated with each other. They are not the biggest in terms of stage but the presentation feels grand and spacious overall. The intimate sensation is not felt here thus the staging feels wide enough to create a lively experience.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: The imaging is pretty good here where the instruments placement is more or less precise with excellent layering capability. The channel sweep felt nice and smooth. Even while replaying some of the complex tracks the Idun was capable of portraying out nice imaging and layering and this is due to that nice clean bass response and lesser mid bass bloat.
Detail retrieval, resolution and track separation are above average for the price and it's pretty impressive in fact. The Multi BA does play a nice role in bringing out some excellent technical aspects out of the Idun.
VERDICT:
Idun, the latest offering from the house of Kinera is a well rounded neutral package. The neutral heads out there! Its your item to be picked up! The Idun has that nice neutral sound profile yet with that engaging and lively sound experience and also don’t forget that this has one of the best designed faceplates!
The bass being on the neutral side thus provides some excellent clarity, separation and technical aspect. The mid range is another string aspect of this earphone where it has that unique natural tonality with precise timbre. The staging being wide enough does provide that spacious and grand presentation. The treble has a very good extension thus providing some great shimmer and brilliance in the top end.
The design is very gorgeous where that faceplate looks stunning and it's definitely an eye -catching figure for sure. The golden coloured tree branches alongside that colourful gem in the center with cool white and blue tint gives the earpiece a stunning look overall.
Overall the Idun is a neutral masterpiece with striking design language and TRANSPARENT SOUND out there in the market!
INTRODUCTION:
Moondrop, one of the biggest giants in the ChiFi community is a big audio device manufacturer especially in the line of IEM, cables and TWS. They are well known for their unique in house sound which is smooth and it has been proclaimed in various products like the Starfield, Sparks and KXXS. To continue the legacy of the KXXS the brand decided to launch the Kato as its successor and in this review let's check out how this Kato fare against the competitors.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my observations with this product and based on my pairing with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then go ahead with this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-kato
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 10mm-ULT dynamic driver
Diaphragm: the 3rd generation DLC composite diaphragm
Socket: 0.78-2 Pin sunken design
Housing: MIM stainless steel
Nozzle: stainless steel *2, brass *2
Cable plug: 3.5mm stereo single-ended plug
Frequency response range: 10Hz-45kHz (IEC61094, Free Field)
Effective frequency response range: 20Hz-20kHz (IEC 60318-4, -3dB)
Impedance: 32Ω±15% (@1KHz)
Sensitivity: 123dB/Nrms (@1KHz)
Distortion: < 0.15% (@1khz, AES17 20khz, A-weight)
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Kato is more in a simplistic state as that of the KXXS. The whole construction is made out of metal but they have done it in a glossy finish hence a lot of fingerprints and scratches. The faceplate design is pretty simple where it retains that same angular and cut design of the KXXS which looks unique and futuristic.
The nozzle now has that removable tuning filter system which is screwable hence you can swap them and enjoy the sound as per your preference. The cable is now much improved over the predecessor where now they have included the K line cable which is now sold separately.
The cable has excellent feel in the hands where the weight it possesses is huge and has that nice thick texture thus the durability is guaranteed for sure. The cable comes in the 2 pin connector hence no MMCX which is safe to hear. The splitter and the terminations are made out metal thus they look premium overall in terms of looks and feel.
The cable also comes in different terminations and the stock 3.5mm does the job and is accepted universally to play via smartphones. The carry case that they have provided is pretty nice which is faux leather made with nice magnetic closure and velvet lining is given alongside the interiors to protect the earphones from getting scratched up.
The provided ear tips are very good, especially the Spring series tips which are very soft, comfy and fits excellent in your ears providing some nice seal and isolation.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Kato is a balanced sound profile with more emphasis on the tonal and timbre accuracy which is beautifully done in the Kato. The bass is a mid bass focussed with nice and smooth treble which is inoffensive. Lets see about the sound in detail in the dissecting review
BASS:
The bass in the Kato is more mid bass focussed with nice punch and decay. The sub bass is there but it's subtle enough and only shows the face when the track calls for it.
SUB BASS: The sub bass could have been better where the reach and rumble is quite subtle but the control is nicely done. The bass never appears bleeding or bloomy instead they are tuned with precision and control. Even though the sub bass feels pretty lighter the separation it provides is truly unbelievable! The low end instruments are neatly layered out without any sort of clustering.
MID BASS: The mid bass is the focus here where the bass has more punch and gives a good amount of body to the midrange section. The attack however doesn't feel that dynamic instead they appear smoother. The fullness appears good without any sort of extra added bloom thus making the whole bass section sound more cleaner.
MID RANGE:
The mid range is the star show in the Kato. The tonality especially is just sublime and beautiful in the Kato. The tonality and timbre of the instruments appears pretty realistic and natural with no sorts of any artificial flavour added to it. It’s so pleasing, addictive and non fatiguing in the long run.
The vocals are presented nice and forward with nice placement of the instruments in the background. The vocals have that nice body carried along from the mid bass while not being too bloomy and fuzzy. The clarity in the mid range is above average thus they are not affected that much by the presence of the mid bass. The notes sound nice and fuller where the piano notes and guitar strings sound realistic with an adequate amount of fullness.
The staging being not that wide, the layering is average at best and the separation is good too without being mind blowing. The Kato was able to handle faster tracks too without any sort of issues. The upper midrange has less energy hence it might suit the listeners who are sensitive to energetic sound but for my taste they sounded kind of dull and I expect a bit more energy in the upper mid range.
Overall the mid range is melodious, natural and realistic tonality, thicker notes and less energetic sound.
The treble in the Kato is more on a polite side where the extension is good but when it comes to the detail retrieval they are not the king tier. The electric guitar strings and the cymbals are smoothened out in order to provide that non fatiguing longer listening sessions. The clarity and open sound however is still appreciated in the Kato.
The cymbal crashes are very good in terms of speed and decay with nice realistic timbre with no sort of harshness where the decay is sweetly timed out. The electric guitar strings pluck has that nice and natural strike with good attack.
The air is nicely presented in the top end while it's not that expressive or not too restricted out. The brilliance and shimmer in the top end feels pretty good but definitely not the best. Treble heads out there and seeking for some treble energy the Kato is definitely not yours since this has more smoothed out treble with relaxing profile. The brightness is on an adequate side but still a bit more could have given that energy in the treble section which the Kato lacks.
Overall the treble is polite, relaxing, non- fatiguing but still has that nice clarity, openness and airy sound. The overall energy feels pretty restricted and that's the con out there in the treble section.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the Kato is well rounded with adequate width and height. They are not the widest stage or have the deepest presence but it has that nice well rounded effect where nothing feels constricted or compressed out. The presentation feels nice and wide with a grand enough presentation overall.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: The imaging is nice and precise with good spatial positioning and the instruments can be pinpointed out without any sort of difficulties. Even while replaying the busy tracks they were able to cope up with the fast pace of the music hence they don’t cause any fuzziness in the imaging. The layering is also done nicely but still they are not the best in terms of it.
Detail retrieval and tracks separation are good for the price but nothing mind blowing. They do the part well without any issues but do not create anything extraordinary for the price it quotes. The detail retrieval being modest while the track separation being good.
VERDICT:
Kato, the latest and the successor to the infamous KXXS from the house of Moondrop is a well rounded package with one of the breezy sound profile. The Moondrop has its unique sound profile where it's more on a mature side with polite energy and thus the Kato depicts the same. The Kato doesn't have that bright, energetic and bassier profile rather its more matured, polite, calmer and breezy profile yet also delivering some engaging experience.
The design is as per the Moondrop standards and follows the same design language of the KXXS. It has that same robotic precise cut faceplate with shiny mirror finish which attracts hell lot of fingerprints and scratches. Now the nozzle has the removable filters to switch the tuning based on the moods and now the stock cable is much more improved and it's well worth the money called the K Line cable.
The sound is more mature with mid bass emphasis over sub bass, natural tonality with lively, engaging vocals, smoother and calmer treble and providing a breezy sound overall. The technicalities are average at best and nothing in the range of extraordinary where the staging, imaging and layering are good at best. The detail retrieval could have been better for this price.
The cons that i can point out here are the less sub bass presence and the less treble, upper mid energy thus making the whole experience a non exciting one. If your taste is made of a calmer, breezy and matured sound with less energetic experience then the Kato might be your choice of earphone since no earphones that i have tried had this BREEZY SOUND giving a nice soothing experience overall!
Moondrop, one of the biggest giants in the ChiFi community is a big audio device manufacturer especially in the line of IEM, cables and TWS. They are well known for their unique in house sound which is smooth and it has been proclaimed in various products like the Starfield, Sparks and KXXS. To continue the legacy of the KXXS the brand decided to launch the Kato as its successor and in this review let's check out how this Kato fare against the competitors.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my observations with this product and based on my pairing with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then go ahead with this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-kato
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 10mm-ULT dynamic driver
Diaphragm: the 3rd generation DLC composite diaphragm
Socket: 0.78-2 Pin sunken design
Housing: MIM stainless steel
Nozzle: stainless steel *2, brass *2
Cable plug: 3.5mm stereo single-ended plug
Frequency response range: 10Hz-45kHz (IEC61094, Free Field)
Effective frequency response range: 20Hz-20kHz (IEC 60318-4, -3dB)
Impedance: 32Ω±15% (@1KHz)
Sensitivity: 123dB/Nrms (@1KHz)
Distortion: < 0.15% (@1khz, AES17 20khz, A-weight)
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Kato is more in a simplistic state as that of the KXXS. The whole construction is made out of metal but they have done it in a glossy finish hence a lot of fingerprints and scratches. The faceplate design is pretty simple where it retains that same angular and cut design of the KXXS which looks unique and futuristic.
The nozzle now has that removable tuning filter system which is screwable hence you can swap them and enjoy the sound as per your preference. The cable is now much improved over the predecessor where now they have included the K line cable which is now sold separately.
The cable has excellent feel in the hands where the weight it possesses is huge and has that nice thick texture thus the durability is guaranteed for sure. The cable comes in the 2 pin connector hence no MMCX which is safe to hear. The splitter and the terminations are made out metal thus they look premium overall in terms of looks and feel.
The cable also comes in different terminations and the stock 3.5mm does the job and is accepted universally to play via smartphones. The carry case that they have provided is pretty nice which is faux leather made with nice magnetic closure and velvet lining is given alongside the interiors to protect the earphones from getting scratched up.
The provided ear tips are very good, especially the Spring series tips which are very soft, comfy and fits excellent in your ears providing some nice seal and isolation.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Kato is a balanced sound profile with more emphasis on the tonal and timbre accuracy which is beautifully done in the Kato. The bass is a mid bass focussed with nice and smooth treble which is inoffensive. Lets see about the sound in detail in the dissecting review
BASS:
The bass in the Kato is more mid bass focussed with nice punch and decay. The sub bass is there but it's subtle enough and only shows the face when the track calls for it.
SUB BASS: The sub bass could have been better where the reach and rumble is quite subtle but the control is nicely done. The bass never appears bleeding or bloomy instead they are tuned with precision and control. Even though the sub bass feels pretty lighter the separation it provides is truly unbelievable! The low end instruments are neatly layered out without any sort of clustering.
MID BASS: The mid bass is the focus here where the bass has more punch and gives a good amount of body to the midrange section. The attack however doesn't feel that dynamic instead they appear smoother. The fullness appears good without any sort of extra added bloom thus making the whole bass section sound more cleaner.
- FLIGHT – HANS ZIMMER
MID RANGE:
The mid range is the star show in the Kato. The tonality especially is just sublime and beautiful in the Kato. The tonality and timbre of the instruments appears pretty realistic and natural with no sorts of any artificial flavour added to it. It’s so pleasing, addictive and non fatiguing in the long run.
The vocals are presented nice and forward with nice placement of the instruments in the background. The vocals have that nice body carried along from the mid bass while not being too bloomy and fuzzy. The clarity in the mid range is above average thus they are not affected that much by the presence of the mid bass. The notes sound nice and fuller where the piano notes and guitar strings sound realistic with an adequate amount of fullness.
The staging being not that wide, the layering is average at best and the separation is good too without being mind blowing. The Kato was able to handle faster tracks too without any sort of issues. The upper midrange has less energy hence it might suit the listeners who are sensitive to energetic sound but for my taste they sounded kind of dull and I expect a bit more energy in the upper mid range.
Overall the mid range is melodious, natural and realistic tonality, thicker notes and less energetic sound.
- Just Another Girl – The Killers
- When You Say Nothing At All – Susan Wong
The treble in the Kato is more on a polite side where the extension is good but when it comes to the detail retrieval they are not the king tier. The electric guitar strings and the cymbals are smoothened out in order to provide that non fatiguing longer listening sessions. The clarity and open sound however is still appreciated in the Kato.
The cymbal crashes are very good in terms of speed and decay with nice realistic timbre with no sort of harshness where the decay is sweetly timed out. The electric guitar strings pluck has that nice and natural strike with good attack.
The air is nicely presented in the top end while it's not that expressive or not too restricted out. The brilliance and shimmer in the top end feels pretty good but definitely not the best. Treble heads out there and seeking for some treble energy the Kato is definitely not yours since this has more smoothed out treble with relaxing profile. The brightness is on an adequate side but still a bit more could have given that energy in the treble section which the Kato lacks.
Overall the treble is polite, relaxing, non- fatiguing but still has that nice clarity, openness and airy sound. The overall energy feels pretty restricted and that's the con out there in the treble section.
- Every Little Thing – Eric Clapton
- Out For Blood – Sum 41
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the Kato is well rounded with adequate width and height. They are not the widest stage or have the deepest presence but it has that nice well rounded effect where nothing feels constricted or compressed out. The presentation feels nice and wide with a grand enough presentation overall.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: The imaging is nice and precise with good spatial positioning and the instruments can be pinpointed out without any sort of difficulties. Even while replaying the busy tracks they were able to cope up with the fast pace of the music hence they don’t cause any fuzziness in the imaging. The layering is also done nicely but still they are not the best in terms of it.
Detail retrieval and tracks separation are good for the price but nothing mind blowing. They do the part well without any issues but do not create anything extraordinary for the price it quotes. The detail retrieval being modest while the track separation being good.
VERDICT:
Kato, the latest and the successor to the infamous KXXS from the house of Moondrop is a well rounded package with one of the breezy sound profile. The Moondrop has its unique sound profile where it's more on a mature side with polite energy and thus the Kato depicts the same. The Kato doesn't have that bright, energetic and bassier profile rather its more matured, polite, calmer and breezy profile yet also delivering some engaging experience.
The design is as per the Moondrop standards and follows the same design language of the KXXS. It has that same robotic precise cut faceplate with shiny mirror finish which attracts hell lot of fingerprints and scratches. Now the nozzle has the removable filters to switch the tuning based on the moods and now the stock cable is much more improved and it's well worth the money called the K Line cable.
The sound is more mature with mid bass emphasis over sub bass, natural tonality with lively, engaging vocals, smoother and calmer treble and providing a breezy sound overall. The technicalities are average at best and nothing in the range of extraordinary where the staging, imaging and layering are good at best. The detail retrieval could have been better for this price.
The cons that i can point out here are the less sub bass presence and the less treble, upper mid energy thus making the whole experience a non exciting one. If your taste is made of a calmer, breezy and matured sound with less energetic experience then the Kato might be your choice of earphone since no earphones that i have tried had this BREEZY SOUND giving a nice soothing experience overall!
INTRODUCTION:
Kinera, one of the highly praised audio brands based out of China is known for its great craftsmanship in its product lineup and for their unique sound quality. The Norn is the most favourite IEM that i have tried and it belongs to the house Kinera. The Idun being their hybrid IEM with 1 DD (Titanium Composite) and 2 BA has entered the market to increase the competition in the price segment of under 200 USD and let's check out does this really fare in this competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my observation with this product and based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Kinera 7mm Titanium Plated Dome PU + 1 Knowles BA + 1 Kinera Customize BA
Impedance: 32 Ohms.
Sensitivity: 112+/- 2 dB.
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
8 Cores OFC with Silver Plated Modular Cable
Plug with 3.5mm , 4.4mm and 6.35mm
DESIGN AND FIT:
The Idun has that unique looking faceplate where it has that golden branches with that colourful gem in the center with branding running along the side with that unique white, blue colour tint combining all those details gives this earpiece a sexy and attractive design ever in an earpiece.
The whole construction is made out of hard resin and is based on a semi custom shell design. The connector is a 2 pin which is good and nicely recessed. The nozzle doesn't have any lips for securing the eartips but thankfully the provided eartips are tight enough to seat in the nozzle area and does provide excellent seal and fit.
The stock cable is one of the best in terms of looks and in hand feel. They have that nice bi coloured braided cable with metal connector area and a metal splitter and chin slider. The case provided along with the package looks gorgeous too where it's a hard shell case with wood texture on the outside and soft lining on the inside.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Idun is more on a neutral to flat side. The main focus here is the upper midrange and treble section, the bass here is more on an analytical side rather than fun aspect. Technicalities are pretty great in the Idun and in this dissection of audio aspects you will see them in detail.
BASS:
The bass in the Idun is pretty flat to neutral. Here the bass is tuned to focus more on a technical aspect by compromising the fun factor. Both the sub and the mid bass are not emphasised at all hence they are portrayed out flat.
SUB BASS: The extension is poor hence the rumble can't be experienced here. The reach is poor and the weight is on the thinner side. The bass has excellent control and speed thus the separation and clarity in the bass region feels excellent in the Idun. Heavy bassheads out there should stay away from this since it lacks the rumble completely in trade off for the excellent separation and clarity.
MID BASS: The mid bass follows the same trend as that of the sub bass. Lacks the weight and attacks. The body in the bass region feels pretty lighter hence the fullness can't be seen here. Rather the bass feels more controlled and well separated. In common both the sub and the mid bass region possess excellent technicalities by compromising the fun.
Overall the bass is flat, controlled, no bloat, clean and well clarity oriented. The attack, weight, and fullness are lacking in the Idun even though a single DD is present in the Idun. Even though the Idun is pretty strong in the technical aspect of the bass the added fun could have brought some life to the Idun and hope in the next iteration they solve it.
MID RANGE:
The mid range is tuned pretty well here and since the mid bass is lean the midrange feels more open and the mid bass bloat is completely absent here. The lower mid however suffers due to that leaner mid bass hence the lower mid has that thinner notes and lacks the body. The lower mid range in the Idun doesn't feel like there is a presence of a dynamic driver. The upper midrange has that slight more emphasis hence the vocals might sound hotter occasionally and that too with some specific tracks.
The piano notes and the kick drums have that nice presentation and in whole the instruments in the track are cleanly portrayed out without any sort of compression. The staging being very good in terms of size the presentation feels grand enough. The separation, clarity and separation in the midrange feels very transparent.
Overall the mid range in the Idun is more on a transparent side with excellent resolution, clarity, detail retrieval and separation while compromising on the lower mid weight, upper mid occasional hotness.
The tonality of the Idun is more on a neutral side with no added colouration and while timbre remains to be natural too without any sort of metallic taste even though there is the presence of BA which is quite interesting.
The treble in the Idun is very nicely executed, same as that of the mid range. The extension of the top end is neatly done without any early roll off. The air it possesses is huge hence the separation and presentation feels grand enough in the treble section.
The brilliance and shimmer in the top end feels top of the line. With bright flavour on the top the Idun still manages to avoid the sibilance at all cost yet by delivering some impressive detail retrieval and resolution. The percussion instruments sound very natural and the whole frequency section feels combined and delivers a nice coherent sound even though they have that BA in them.
The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings have that natural strike and the decay is very precise. The splash of the percussion instruments do sound more realistic and natural.
The sibilance is not observed in the treble section and they are kept under control even while replaying sibilant prone tracks.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is pretty good in the Idun where the width and the height correlated with each other. They are not the biggest in terms of stage but the presentation feels grand and spacious overall. The intimate sensation is not felt here thus the staging feels wide enough to create a lively experience.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: The imaging is pretty good here where the instruments placement is more or less precise with excellent layering capability. The channel sweep felt nice and smooth. Even while replaying some of the complex tracks the Idun was capable of portraying out nice imaging and layering and this is due to that nice clean bass response and lesser mid bass bloat.
Detail retrieval, resolution and track separation are above average for the price and it's pretty impressive in fact. The Multi BA does play a nice role in bringing out some excellent technical aspects out of the Idun.
VERDICT:
Idun, the latest offering from the house of Kinera is a well rounded neutral package. The neutral heads out there! Its your item to be picked up! The Idun has that nice neutral sound profile yet with that engaging and lively sound experience and also don’t forget that this has one of the best designed faceplates!
The bass being on the neutral side thus provides some excellent clarity, separation and technical aspect. The mid range is another string aspect of this earphone where it has that unique natural tonality with precise timbre. The staging being wide enough does provide that spacious and grand presentation. The treble has a very good extension thus providing some great shimmer and brilliance in the top end.
The design is very gorgeous where that faceplate looks stunning and it's definitely an eye -catching figure for sure. The golden coloured tree branches alongside that colourful gem in the center with cool white and blue tint gives the earpiece a stunning look overall.
Overall the Idun is a neutral masterpiece with striking design language and TRANSPARENT SOUND out there in the market!
Kinera, one of the highly praised audio brands based out of China is known for its great craftsmanship in its product lineup and for their unique sound quality. The Norn is the most favourite IEM that i have tried and it belongs to the house Kinera. The Idun being their hybrid IEM with 1 DD (Titanium Composite) and 2 BA has entered the market to increase the competition in the price segment of under 200 USD and let's check out does this really fare in this competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my observation with this product and based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Kinera 7mm Titanium Plated Dome PU + 1 Knowles BA + 1 Kinera Customize BA
Impedance: 32 Ohms.
Sensitivity: 112+/- 2 dB.
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
8 Cores OFC with Silver Plated Modular Cable
Plug with 3.5mm , 4.4mm and 6.35mm
DESIGN AND FIT:
The Idun has that unique looking faceplate where it has that golden branches with that colourful gem in the center with branding running along the side with that unique white, blue colour tint combining all those details gives this earpiece a sexy and attractive design ever in an earpiece.
The whole construction is made out of hard resin and is based on a semi custom shell design. The connector is a 2 pin which is good and nicely recessed. The nozzle doesn't have any lips for securing the eartips but thankfully the provided eartips are tight enough to seat in the nozzle area and does provide excellent seal and fit.
The stock cable is one of the best in terms of looks and in hand feel. They have that nice bi coloured braided cable with metal connector area and a metal splitter and chin slider. The case provided along with the package looks gorgeous too where it's a hard shell case with wood texture on the outside and soft lining on the inside.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Idun is more on a neutral to flat side. The main focus here is the upper midrange and treble section, the bass here is more on an analytical side rather than fun aspect. Technicalities are pretty great in the Idun and in this dissection of audio aspects you will see them in detail.
BASS:
The bass in the Idun is pretty flat to neutral. Here the bass is tuned to focus more on a technical aspect by compromising the fun factor. Both the sub and the mid bass are not emphasised at all hence they are portrayed out flat.
SUB BASS: The extension is poor hence the rumble can't be experienced here. The reach is poor and the weight is on the thinner side. The bass has excellent control and speed thus the separation and clarity in the bass region feels excellent in the Idun. Heavy bassheads out there should stay away from this since it lacks the rumble completely in trade off for the excellent separation and clarity.
MID BASS: The mid bass follows the same trend as that of the sub bass. Lacks the weight and attacks. The body in the bass region feels pretty lighter hence the fullness can't be seen here. Rather the bass feels more controlled and well separated. In common both the sub and the mid bass region possess excellent technicalities by compromising the fun.
Overall the bass is flat, controlled, no bloat, clean and well clarity oriented. The attack, weight, and fullness are lacking in the Idun even though a single DD is present in the Idun. Even though the Idun is pretty strong in the technical aspect of the bass the added fun could have brought some life to the Idun and hope in the next iteration they solve it.
- Bigfoot – Malfnktion
- Mountains – Hans Zimmer
MID RANGE:
The mid range is tuned pretty well here and since the mid bass is lean the midrange feels more open and the mid bass bloat is completely absent here. The lower mid however suffers due to that leaner mid bass hence the lower mid has that thinner notes and lacks the body. The lower mid range in the Idun doesn't feel like there is a presence of a dynamic driver. The upper midrange has that slight more emphasis hence the vocals might sound hotter occasionally and that too with some specific tracks.
The piano notes and the kick drums have that nice presentation and in whole the instruments in the track are cleanly portrayed out without any sort of compression. The staging being very good in terms of size the presentation feels grand enough. The separation, clarity and separation in the midrange feels very transparent.
Overall the mid range in the Idun is more on a transparent side with excellent resolution, clarity, detail retrieval and separation while compromising on the lower mid weight, upper mid occasional hotness.
The tonality of the Idun is more on a neutral side with no added colouration and while timbre remains to be natural too without any sort of metallic taste even though there is the presence of BA which is quite interesting.
- Blowers Daughter – Damien Rice
- Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye
The treble in the Idun is very nicely executed, same as that of the mid range. The extension of the top end is neatly done without any early roll off. The air it possesses is huge hence the separation and presentation feels grand enough in the treble section.
The brilliance and shimmer in the top end feels top of the line. With bright flavour on the top the Idun still manages to avoid the sibilance at all cost yet by delivering some impressive detail retrieval and resolution. The percussion instruments sound very natural and the whole frequency section feels combined and delivers a nice coherent sound even though they have that BA in them.
The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings have that natural strike and the decay is very precise. The splash of the percussion instruments do sound more realistic and natural.
The sibilance is not observed in the treble section and they are kept under control even while replaying sibilant prone tracks.
- Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
- Something Happened On The Way To Heaven – Phil Collins
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is pretty good in the Idun where the width and the height correlated with each other. They are not the biggest in terms of stage but the presentation feels grand and spacious overall. The intimate sensation is not felt here thus the staging feels wide enough to create a lively experience.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: The imaging is pretty good here where the instruments placement is more or less precise with excellent layering capability. The channel sweep felt nice and smooth. Even while replaying some of the complex tracks the Idun was capable of portraying out nice imaging and layering and this is due to that nice clean bass response and lesser mid bass bloat.
Detail retrieval, resolution and track separation are above average for the price and it's pretty impressive in fact. The Multi BA does play a nice role in bringing out some excellent technical aspects out of the Idun.
VERDICT:
Idun, the latest offering from the house of Kinera is a well rounded neutral package. The neutral heads out there! Its your item to be picked up! The Idun has that nice neutral sound profile yet with that engaging and lively sound experience and also don’t forget that this has one of the best designed faceplates!
The bass being on the neutral side thus provides some excellent clarity, separation and technical aspect. The mid range is another string aspect of this earphone where it has that unique natural tonality with precise timbre. The staging being wide enough does provide that spacious and grand presentation. The treble has a very good extension thus providing some great shimmer and brilliance in the top end.
The design is very gorgeous where that faceplate looks stunning and it's definitely an eye -catching figure for sure. The golden coloured tree branches alongside that colourful gem in the center with cool white and blue tint gives the earpiece a stunning look overall.
Overall the Idun is a neutral masterpiece with striking design language and TRANSPARENT SOUND out there in the market!
INTRODUCTION:
Astrotec, the brand based out of China is specialised in manufacturing the TWS, Cables, Earbuds etc. To get their name registered in the budget category they have launched this Vesna as their introductory model with the new Japanese LCP diaphragm which is now highly praised among the audiophiles out there. In this review let’s check out how the Vesna performs and is it really worth the price.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by KeepHiFi in exchange for my honest opinion. The whole views are based on my observations with this product and based on my pairing with It hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then please feel free to go along with this unaffiliated purchase link:
Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TT8N8TR?ref=myi_title_dp&th=1
Shopify store: https://keephifi.com/products/astrotec-vesna-evo
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 6mm Dynamic Driver, LCP diaphragm
Input: 1 mW
Impedance: 30 OHM
Cable: High purity OFC Cable 1.2±0.3m
Max Input: 3mW
Sensitivity: 102dB/1mw (S.P.L at 1KHz)
Connector: 3.5mm stereo plug
Frequency Response: 5Hz - 22KHz
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Vesna is neatly done without any decorations. It’s quite subtle with some highlights like the teal coloured faceplate that catches everyone’s eye. The whole construction is made out of metal casing with non detachable cables.
The given cable is very good in terms of durability and does provide that nice feel in the hands even though they are not braided. The cable does have that sticky nature hence tangling might be an issue with this. The model also has another variant with a non detachable cable version in which you can swap a better cable for more premiumness.
The earphone is pretty comfortable in terms of fit where the bullet shape goes well in terms of longer listening comfort.
SOUND:
The sound of the Vesna is on a balanced to neutral profile with more concentration over the mid range region and the treble section. The bass is more on a mellow side and focussed more on an analytical sound rather than a usual budget fun sound. In this dissection of audio lets check that out in the detail.
The Vesna does require a good amount of power to unleash its full potential hence a dedicated AMP would be of great use.
BASS:
The bass leans towards the neutral side and has more clarity and separation over the fun and boomy impact. Both the mid bass and the sub bass has been tamed out and not in the line of fun. The track separation however seems stellar for the price though. The control and the speed of the bass is pretty fast hence the sub bass rumble is only noticeable in specific tracks and it's too subtle.
Since the bass is pretty neutral here the fuller sound cant be seen here rather it's a lean sound and if you are using it for some EDM’s then you would be disappointed but for some classical and instrumentals then this would really make a grin in your face because of that separation.
But frankly I would have expected a bit more sub bass and midbass because without that the Vesna sounds pretty flat and has no bodied sound. The attack, bite and punchy bass is not seen here. The bass is more focussed towards to deliver a clean, tighter, faster low end. People out there who love a neutral profile with neutral bass to EQ it then this might be best for you to get in the budget.
MID RANGE:
Now you are talking! Because the mid range is where the whole magic of the Vesna lies! The presentation is done very nicely with a nice layering effect.
The vocals are positioned at a sweet spot where it's not too intimate or laidback rather at a sweet spot. The tonality of the vocals are realistic with near to natural tone. The timbre of the instruments are fine too without any bright, dry or metallic hint. The background instruments are nicely brought forward without any hindrance. The track separation is the star show here where the instruments are nicely spaced out giving a sense of grand presentation in general.
The headroom is also above average for the price thus everything sounds wide and clean without any sense of intimate sensation. The piano notes and the kick drums are neatly portrayed out without any artificial taste. The notes sounded good enough neither too light or fuller. They do have a nice presence of air giving a lively feel to the overall listening. The energetic factor is not present but the lively factor does compensate for that and makes the track sound livelier.
Overall the mid range is more on an analytical side rather than a musical or fun side. The clean and natural tonality combined with that above average separation and headroom gives the listener a nice concert-like experience.
The treble is modest here where the roll off can be seen evidently giving a gentle and smooth listening experience. The treble heads out there should stay away from this. The non fatiguing sound does lack that brightness in the top end thus also lacking that shimmer and brilliance. The lively factor that comes out of the treble is missing hence they might sound duller.
The track separation is pretty good and the air in the treble section is restricted. The guitar strings and the cymbal crashes don’t sound that realistic where they are mellowed out noticeably. The splash and sparkle of the percussion instruments are smoothed out hence they appear lacklustre.
When it comes to replaying the faster tracks the Vesna is capable of replaying it nicely without any sort of distortion since the track separation is nicely done here. In the track Mr.Brightside the guitars and the kick drums are neatly separated out without any congestion.
Overall the treble is tuned to please the relaxed listeners by providing a nice non fatiguing sound by compromising the percussion instrument notes and the treble extension but its worth for the treble sensitive heads out there.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the Vesna is pretty good in terms of width and height. Both of them are in correlation with each other and nothing is too intimate or widest. The instruments have a good amount of space for their placement and no congested feeling is observed.
IMAGING: The imaging is also pretty good with neat and precise instrument placements. They can be pinpointed even when replaying any busier tracks. The channel sweep from left to right is done pretty smoothly. The transient response of the Vesna is pretty good too.
VERDICT:
Vesna, the latest offering from the house of Astrotec is a well rounded budget package that one can get. The Vesna being an in -ear type has that nice bullet styled comfortable shells for longer listening sessions with durable, long lasting cable comes with 3.5MM termination for universal usage with the smartphones. The model also comes with a detachable cable design and is priced slightly higher.
Apart from the design aspect the sound is also nice with great analytical sound for the price. This model is equipped with the Japanese LCP diaphragm which is now highly praised among the audiophiles and used in the popular models like the Aria, T3 Plus etc. The sound is focussed towards some pure audiophiles out there searching for a budget beater pair to add in their collection. The sound is more on a neutral side with more emphasis on the mid range with best tonality and timbre. The bass is pretty neutral but the technical aspect of the low end is nicely portrayed out. The bass has that nice control and speed while the treble rolls off early to provide that nice smooth longer listening sessions. The vocals are the star show here with natural and rich tonality while the instruments in the background are neatly portrayed out without any hindrance or compression in the staging. The major con for me is that they have thinner notes weight and leaner bass.
Overall the Vensa does provide nice value for money with one of the best ANALYTICAL SOUND IN THE BUDGET without any need of dumping a lot of cash!
Astrotec, the brand based out of China is specialised in manufacturing the TWS, Cables, Earbuds etc. To get their name registered in the budget category they have launched this Vesna as their introductory model with the new Japanese LCP diaphragm which is now highly praised among the audiophiles out there. In this review let’s check out how the Vesna performs and is it really worth the price.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by KeepHiFi in exchange for my honest opinion. The whole views are based on my observations with this product and based on my pairing with It hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then please feel free to go along with this unaffiliated purchase link:
Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TT8N8TR?ref=myi_title_dp&th=1
Shopify store: https://keephifi.com/products/astrotec-vesna-evo
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 6mm Dynamic Driver, LCP diaphragm
Input: 1 mW
Impedance: 30 OHM
Cable: High purity OFC Cable 1.2±0.3m
Max Input: 3mW
Sensitivity: 102dB/1mw (S.P.L at 1KHz)
Connector: 3.5mm stereo plug
Frequency Response: 5Hz - 22KHz
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Vesna is neatly done without any decorations. It’s quite subtle with some highlights like the teal coloured faceplate that catches everyone’s eye. The whole construction is made out of metal casing with non detachable cables.
The given cable is very good in terms of durability and does provide that nice feel in the hands even though they are not braided. The cable does have that sticky nature hence tangling might be an issue with this. The model also has another variant with a non detachable cable version in which you can swap a better cable for more premiumness.
The earphone is pretty comfortable in terms of fit where the bullet shape goes well in terms of longer listening comfort.
SOUND:
The sound of the Vesna is on a balanced to neutral profile with more concentration over the mid range region and the treble section. The bass is more on a mellow side and focussed more on an analytical sound rather than a usual budget fun sound. In this dissection of audio lets check that out in the detail.
The Vesna does require a good amount of power to unleash its full potential hence a dedicated AMP would be of great use.
BASS:
The bass leans towards the neutral side and has more clarity and separation over the fun and boomy impact. Both the mid bass and the sub bass has been tamed out and not in the line of fun. The track separation however seems stellar for the price though. The control and the speed of the bass is pretty fast hence the sub bass rumble is only noticeable in specific tracks and it's too subtle.
Since the bass is pretty neutral here the fuller sound cant be seen here rather it's a lean sound and if you are using it for some EDM’s then you would be disappointed but for some classical and instrumentals then this would really make a grin in your face because of that separation.
But frankly I would have expected a bit more sub bass and midbass because without that the Vesna sounds pretty flat and has no bodied sound. The attack, bite and punchy bass is not seen here. The bass is more focussed towards to deliver a clean, tighter, faster low end. People out there who love a neutral profile with neutral bass to EQ it then this might be best for you to get in the budget.
- Hall Of Fame – The Script
- Somebody to Love – Kyrill & Redford
MID RANGE:
Now you are talking! Because the mid range is where the whole magic of the Vesna lies! The presentation is done very nicely with a nice layering effect.
The vocals are positioned at a sweet spot where it's not too intimate or laidback rather at a sweet spot. The tonality of the vocals are realistic with near to natural tone. The timbre of the instruments are fine too without any bright, dry or metallic hint. The background instruments are nicely brought forward without any hindrance. The track separation is the star show here where the instruments are nicely spaced out giving a sense of grand presentation in general.
The headroom is also above average for the price thus everything sounds wide and clean without any sense of intimate sensation. The piano notes and the kick drums are neatly portrayed out without any artificial taste. The notes sounded good enough neither too light or fuller. They do have a nice presence of air giving a lively feel to the overall listening. The energetic factor is not present but the lively factor does compensate for that and makes the track sound livelier.
Overall the mid range is more on an analytical side rather than a musical or fun side. The clean and natural tonality combined with that above average separation and headroom gives the listener a nice concert-like experience.
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- Love Story – Taylor Swift
The treble is modest here where the roll off can be seen evidently giving a gentle and smooth listening experience. The treble heads out there should stay away from this. The non fatiguing sound does lack that brightness in the top end thus also lacking that shimmer and brilliance. The lively factor that comes out of the treble is missing hence they might sound duller.
The track separation is pretty good and the air in the treble section is restricted. The guitar strings and the cymbal crashes don’t sound that realistic where they are mellowed out noticeably. The splash and sparkle of the percussion instruments are smoothed out hence they appear lacklustre.
When it comes to replaying the faster tracks the Vesna is capable of replaying it nicely without any sort of distortion since the track separation is nicely done here. In the track Mr.Brightside the guitars and the kick drums are neatly separated out without any congestion.
Overall the treble is tuned to please the relaxed listeners by providing a nice non fatiguing sound by compromising the percussion instrument notes and the treble extension but its worth for the treble sensitive heads out there.
- Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
- Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the Vesna is pretty good in terms of width and height. Both of them are in correlation with each other and nothing is too intimate or widest. The instruments have a good amount of space for their placement and no congested feeling is observed.
IMAGING: The imaging is also pretty good with neat and precise instrument placements. They can be pinpointed even when replaying any busier tracks. The channel sweep from left to right is done pretty smoothly. The transient response of the Vesna is pretty good too.
VERDICT:
Vesna, the latest offering from the house of Astrotec is a well rounded budget package that one can get. The Vesna being an in -ear type has that nice bullet styled comfortable shells for longer listening sessions with durable, long lasting cable comes with 3.5MM termination for universal usage with the smartphones. The model also comes with a detachable cable design and is priced slightly higher.
Apart from the design aspect the sound is also nice with great analytical sound for the price. This model is equipped with the Japanese LCP diaphragm which is now highly praised among the audiophiles and used in the popular models like the Aria, T3 Plus etc. The sound is focussed towards some pure audiophiles out there searching for a budget beater pair to add in their collection. The sound is more on a neutral side with more emphasis on the mid range with best tonality and timbre. The bass is pretty neutral but the technical aspect of the low end is nicely portrayed out. The bass has that nice control and speed while the treble rolls off early to provide that nice smooth longer listening sessions. The vocals are the star show here with natural and rich tonality while the instruments in the background are neatly portrayed out without any hindrance or compression in the staging. The major con for me is that they have thinner notes weight and leaner bass.
Overall the Vensa does provide nice value for money with one of the best ANALYTICAL SOUND IN THE BUDGET without any need of dumping a lot of cash!
INTRODUCTION:
CCA (Concept Clear Audio) brand based out of China is a sister brand of KZ but acts like a brother where CCA always rectifies the mistakes of KZ by implementing some mature sound and releasing it to the market. Their previous models like the CST, NRA are the ultra budget ones and gave a biggest hit in the market and to add to that list the CRA has been released and in this review let’s check out how it fares against this competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by HiFiGo as a part of a review circle. The whole views are based on my observations with this product and based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this product then please feel free to go ahead with this unaffiliated link: Hit me!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: Upgraded 3.8μ Ultra-thin Diaphragm Composite
Impedance: 34 ohm
Sensitivity: 105dB
Frequency range: 20hz-40kHz
Plug: 3.5mm
Pin: 0.75mm 2 Pin
Cable: OFC cable
DESIGN AND FIT:
The CRA is pretty usual in terms of design with some changes in the faceplate. Now the faceplate got a new look where they possess that nice robotic and modern look with half transparent design. The CAA does come with its usual QDC type connector area which is kind of proprietary but it's better than MMCX though ☺. The nozzle is angled to attain a good fit and the included eartips does provide that nice snug fit.
The given cable is now pretty much improved over the last generation where now it got more premium in hand and doesn’t tangle that much due to that outer sheath. The cable has good heft in the hands also the stock cable included here is OFC instead of SPC and that does make some changes sonically. No case is included and not even like a sackcloth but hey! See the price please!
SOUND:
The sound profile of the CRA leans over the slight V shaped sound with excellent sub bass focus and treble clarity one can find in this price range. The sound being a v shaped doesn’t mean that mid range is recessed rather they are nicely presented well forward with excellent airiness and separation in the tracks. Will dissect the audio in detail and let's see why this earphone got the term Kingslayer!
BASS:
The bass in the CRA is very good in terms of sub bass response more than the mid bass. The sub bass focus is done sweetly here. Most of the IEM’s in this price range would have that bloated mid bass region whereas this is the only exception i have seen in this price range. The mid bass is cleanly portrayed out with enough fullness and body while the sub bass takes the center stage thus giving that rumbling experience.
SUB BASS: The star show here! The reach is very good with more than enough rumble in the low end and enough to give you goosebumps every time you listen to your favourite tracks. The control is very nice where the sub bass never interferes with the mid bass region giving a clear separation over the two regions.
MID BASS: The mid bass is neatly done with minimal distortion and bloat. The mid bass quality is pretty nice. The quantity is more than adequate and that's the sweet aspect of this earphone by not providing that bloomy centered out mid bass. The fullness is very good and the body it provides is carried along by that nice mid range which we will discuss in the next section.
Overall the bass is excellent with nice sub bass focus, clean mid bass region without any sort of bloat, controlled, well textured, faster and tighter bass. Literally i can't find any major con in the bass region.
Mid range is pretty neatly done considering its a V shaped tuning but instead of not going in the traditional route the midrange recession is not that drastically done. Even in the graph they are not that recessed and mostly for me they appear balanced. This might appear v shaped only because of that nice and essential sub bass and treble boost.
Both the male and the female vocals are presented well with nice richness and fullness. The male vocals might sound a little bit distant due to that less lower mid range emphasis but that's not a big deal at all. The notes don't sound thinner and not very fuller too whereas they are at a very sweet spot of attaining that musical tonality.
Talking about the tonality they are beautifully portrayed out with natural richness along with that added warmth and brightness. The timbre of the instruments are very good too where the piano notes and the kick drums do have that natural strike and tone. It also possesses some good amount of air moving around the stage thus the separation in the tracks are pretty much appreciable.
The layering is good but not that impressive in terms of precise instrument placements. The upper mid range is slightly emphasised hence the female vocals do sound slightly sharper in some specific tracks but never reaches the stage of too much hotness and unbearable. Overall the midrange is pretty impressive with that natural tonality and timbre accompanied with that added brightness gives added bit of clarity and openness to the sound.
TREBLE:
The treble in the CRA is pretty good with that above average extension and detail retrieval. In the initial listen itself one can easily spot that treble extension in the top end and that minute detail retrieval that no earphone in this price range has.
First the air presence, it's humongous for the price and with that added brightness the whole presentation feels very clean, open and vivid. The extension does help in giving that energetic splash and brilliance in the top end. The shimmer it possesses is very good and has that lively and energetic sound.
The electric guitar strings and the cymbals strikes have that splash to it giving a nice presence on the stage. The cymbal crashes however has that overly bright nature hence they might sound more sharper and they don’t appear that clean. The guitar strings have that nice pluck and the strings sound very lively. The attack and decay of the percussion instruments are more likely precise.
The sibilance is kept under control and occasional harshness can be felt in some specific tracks and that's not a huge deal breaker considering the qualities it possesses. Overall I'm pretty impressed with the treble section of the CRA providing some nice energetic, lively sound with above average extension and clarity in the upper end. The brilliance and shimmer in the top end is just unique for this earphone considering the price its quoted.
STAGING: The staging is fine and it's not the greatest aspect of the CRA. It's well rounded with adequate width and height. It's not too intimate, rather they are adequate on stage. The depth can be felt very nicely due to that nice sub bass presence. Overall the presentation feels grand and wide even though this doesn’t have the widest stage is due to that presence of brightness and air in the top end.
IMAGING, LAYERING: They are good in the CRA but definitely not the best. The staging being not that great, the imaging and layering are average too but for the price nothing to complain about. The instrument's placements are still quite precise and they can be spotted out easily but they are true until any complex tracks come to play. In those tracks they struggle a bit to cope up with those instruments which is pretty much an expected result.
The detail retrieval and track separation are above average and even one of the best in this price segment. The extension, brightness and the air it possess helped in achieving this nice technical aspect.
VERDICT:
CRA, the latest and the ultra budget offering from the house of CCA (Concept Clear Audio) just destroyed the competitors in this price range or if not even above its price range. CCA being a well matured company always provides some nice value for money earphones and it has been proved by their recent launches like the CST, NRA etc.. Personally I like the CCA tuning over the KZ since the CCA always has that mature sound.
The CRA is no exception here where the sound of this little gem is outstanding. An earphone which has that full sub bass focus with that clean shimmer, brilliance in the treble section with natural tonality delivering lively vocals and clean instrumentals under 20USD is a long term objective which was not delivered in the past times until the CRA came into existence! The technical aspects like the detail retrieval and track separation it possesses are very rare to find in this price and even above it.
They sound beautiful, look beautiful and most importantly they are priced insane! Nice alloy build, QDC connector ( 2 pin could have been even better ), great fit, much improved cable and what not! They just possess some serious value for money!
Overall the CRA is a blind buy and it's a must buy for every audiophile out there. This IEM should be in everyone's collection since this is the pair to be beaten by the competitors. A true KINGSLAYER in this ChiFi budget world!
CCA (Concept Clear Audio) brand based out of China is a sister brand of KZ but acts like a brother where CCA always rectifies the mistakes of KZ by implementing some mature sound and releasing it to the market. Their previous models like the CST, NRA are the ultra budget ones and gave a biggest hit in the market and to add to that list the CRA has been released and in this review let’s check out how it fares against this competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by HiFiGo as a part of a review circle. The whole views are based on my observations with this product and based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this product then please feel free to go ahead with this unaffiliated link: Hit me!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: Upgraded 3.8μ Ultra-thin Diaphragm Composite
Impedance: 34 ohm
Sensitivity: 105dB
Frequency range: 20hz-40kHz
Plug: 3.5mm
Pin: 0.75mm 2 Pin
Cable: OFC cable
DESIGN AND FIT:
The CRA is pretty usual in terms of design with some changes in the faceplate. Now the faceplate got a new look where they possess that nice robotic and modern look with half transparent design. The CAA does come with its usual QDC type connector area which is kind of proprietary but it's better than MMCX though ☺. The nozzle is angled to attain a good fit and the included eartips does provide that nice snug fit.
The given cable is now pretty much improved over the last generation where now it got more premium in hand and doesn’t tangle that much due to that outer sheath. The cable has good heft in the hands also the stock cable included here is OFC instead of SPC and that does make some changes sonically. No case is included and not even like a sackcloth but hey! See the price please!
SOUND:
The sound profile of the CRA leans over the slight V shaped sound with excellent sub bass focus and treble clarity one can find in this price range. The sound being a v shaped doesn’t mean that mid range is recessed rather they are nicely presented well forward with excellent airiness and separation in the tracks. Will dissect the audio in detail and let's see why this earphone got the term Kingslayer!
BASS:
The bass in the CRA is very good in terms of sub bass response more than the mid bass. The sub bass focus is done sweetly here. Most of the IEM’s in this price range would have that bloated mid bass region whereas this is the only exception i have seen in this price range. The mid bass is cleanly portrayed out with enough fullness and body while the sub bass takes the center stage thus giving that rumbling experience.
SUB BASS: The star show here! The reach is very good with more than enough rumble in the low end and enough to give you goosebumps every time you listen to your favourite tracks. The control is very nice where the sub bass never interferes with the mid bass region giving a clear separation over the two regions.
MID BASS: The mid bass is neatly done with minimal distortion and bloat. The mid bass quality is pretty nice. The quantity is more than adequate and that's the sweet aspect of this earphone by not providing that bloomy centered out mid bass. The fullness is very good and the body it provides is carried along by that nice mid range which we will discuss in the next section.
Overall the bass is excellent with nice sub bass focus, clean mid bass region without any sort of bloat, controlled, well textured, faster and tighter bass. Literally i can't find any major con in the bass region.
- Boom – Tiesto& Sevenn
- The Batman – Michael Giacchino
Mid range is pretty neatly done considering its a V shaped tuning but instead of not going in the traditional route the midrange recession is not that drastically done. Even in the graph they are not that recessed and mostly for me they appear balanced. This might appear v shaped only because of that nice and essential sub bass and treble boost.
Both the male and the female vocals are presented well with nice richness and fullness. The male vocals might sound a little bit distant due to that less lower mid range emphasis but that's not a big deal at all. The notes don't sound thinner and not very fuller too whereas they are at a very sweet spot of attaining that musical tonality.
Talking about the tonality they are beautifully portrayed out with natural richness along with that added warmth and brightness. The timbre of the instruments are very good too where the piano notes and the kick drums do have that natural strike and tone. It also possesses some good amount of air moving around the stage thus the separation in the tracks are pretty much appreciable.
The layering is good but not that impressive in terms of precise instrument placements. The upper mid range is slightly emphasised hence the female vocals do sound slightly sharper in some specific tracks but never reaches the stage of too much hotness and unbearable. Overall the midrange is pretty impressive with that natural tonality and timbre accompanied with that added brightness gives added bit of clarity and openness to the sound.
- Easy On Me – Adele
- Jungle – Tash Sultana
TREBLE:
The treble in the CRA is pretty good with that above average extension and detail retrieval. In the initial listen itself one can easily spot that treble extension in the top end and that minute detail retrieval that no earphone in this price range has.
First the air presence, it's humongous for the price and with that added brightness the whole presentation feels very clean, open and vivid. The extension does help in giving that energetic splash and brilliance in the top end. The shimmer it possesses is very good and has that lively and energetic sound.
The electric guitar strings and the cymbals strikes have that splash to it giving a nice presence on the stage. The cymbal crashes however has that overly bright nature hence they might sound more sharper and they don’t appear that clean. The guitar strings have that nice pluck and the strings sound very lively. The attack and decay of the percussion instruments are more likely precise.
The sibilance is kept under control and occasional harshness can be felt in some specific tracks and that's not a huge deal breaker considering the qualities it possesses. Overall I'm pretty impressed with the treble section of the CRA providing some nice energetic, lively sound with above average extension and clarity in the upper end. The brilliance and shimmer in the top end is just unique for this earphone considering the price its quoted.
- Jack Of Speed – Steely Dan
- Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
STAGING: The staging is fine and it's not the greatest aspect of the CRA. It's well rounded with adequate width and height. It's not too intimate, rather they are adequate on stage. The depth can be felt very nicely due to that nice sub bass presence. Overall the presentation feels grand and wide even though this doesn’t have the widest stage is due to that presence of brightness and air in the top end.
IMAGING, LAYERING: They are good in the CRA but definitely not the best. The staging being not that great, the imaging and layering are average too but for the price nothing to complain about. The instrument's placements are still quite precise and they can be spotted out easily but they are true until any complex tracks come to play. In those tracks they struggle a bit to cope up with those instruments which is pretty much an expected result.
The detail retrieval and track separation are above average and even one of the best in this price segment. The extension, brightness and the air it possess helped in achieving this nice technical aspect.
VERDICT:
CRA, the latest and the ultra budget offering from the house of CCA (Concept Clear Audio) just destroyed the competitors in this price range or if not even above its price range. CCA being a well matured company always provides some nice value for money earphones and it has been proved by their recent launches like the CST, NRA etc.. Personally I like the CCA tuning over the KZ since the CCA always has that mature sound.
The CRA is no exception here where the sound of this little gem is outstanding. An earphone which has that full sub bass focus with that clean shimmer, brilliance in the treble section with natural tonality delivering lively vocals and clean instrumentals under 20USD is a long term objective which was not delivered in the past times until the CRA came into existence! The technical aspects like the detail retrieval and track separation it possesses are very rare to find in this price and even above it.
They sound beautiful, look beautiful and most importantly they are priced insane! Nice alloy build, QDC connector ( 2 pin could have been even better ), great fit, much improved cable and what not! They just possess some serious value for money!
Overall the CRA is a blind buy and it's a must buy for every audiophile out there. This IEM should be in everyone's collection since this is the pair to be beaten by the competitors. A true KINGSLAYER in this ChiFi budget world!
andy20
Fantastic review!
Kathiravan JLR
@andy20 thanks a lot bro
INTRODUCTION:
Whizzer, the brand based out of China is a well known brand among the audiophiles. They have a wide range of IEM’s and Truly Wireless Earbuds in their lineup and have a good response from the consumers. The HE01, HE03 are their budget IEMs which got an applauding response and the BS1 is their latest open back offering in this budget segment. It's designed by the J.IDEA + and in this review let's see how this performs and is the sound as striking as its design.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Design by J.IDEA + Studio
Open back design
Multi-damping balance system
13.6mm composite diaphragm driver
Impedance: 18Ohm
Sensitivity: 109dB
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by HiFiGo in exchange for my honest opinion. This review is completely based on my observations with this product after using it for quite a period of time and it's based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then please feel free to go along with HiFiGo: https://hifigo.com/
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the BS1 is nicely done with full construction crafted out of metal. The faceplate is of course the open backed design with copper coloured open back plate giving nice touch to the overall appearance. The nozzle is angled and sits good in the ears. In the inner aspect of the earpiece there are bigger vents and underneath them are some dampeners.
The cable is fixed and they are cloth braided hence in terms of longevity it is assured. The issue is that they cause a lot of microphonic noises thus it's not the apt earphone to use while walking or working around. The cable has a microphone and volume keys for easy accessing and comes with a 3.5mm termination end. The cable does get twisted out frequently but tangling is not an issue with this. The stock ear tips are average at best and do provide a good fit.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the BS1 is more balanced to a L shaped tuning tuning with more concentration on the midrange and mid bass. This earphone does possess a large 13.6mm composite diaphragm dynamic driver to deliver a nice and fuller sound. The most expected benefitted outcome of a L shaped tuning is that it has a fatigue free relaxing listening session and that's what the BS1 brings to the table. Let’s check out how calm and composed this BS1 is in this breakup section of the sound.
BASS:
The bass in the BS1 is more focussed towards the mid bass region where it gives you that satisfying fuller and full bodied sound. Being an open back headphone i thought that it would have a leaner bass but on the contrary the low has been tuned pretty well here.
The sub bass presence can be felt but it's not the dominant factor here. The rumble is quite subtle and only it's presented when the track calls for it. The sub bass extension is quite average but not the worst considering its an open back headphone.
The mid bass richness gives that nice lush and musical sound experience. The nice full bodied bass gives that laidback sound which never fatigues you even in the longer listening sessions. The rich mid bass also doesn’t affect the mid range thus the bloatedness is not seen that much which is quite a surprise.
The control and the texture is good enough in the BS1 giving nice clarity but since the stage is being small which is quite interesting for an open backed headphone the separation struggles when the complex tracks are replayed. The bass speed is nominal.
Overall pretty impressed with the bass response and if this had a wider staging the separation in the low end could have been better.
The midrange is the star show here where the presentation is nicely done giving calm and composed sound. The natural tonality and timbre of this BS1 is another strings aspect to be noted. The vocals are placed slightly laidback giving a nice relaxed sound. Both the male and female vocals sounds clean and smoother without any harshness. The upper midrange is nicely smoothed out thus the harshness or sibilance is noted.
The piano notes and the kick drums do sound really nice having a natural tone with a slight bit of warmth. However they don’t have that sharpness or bite in every note they replay hence the energetic factor is missing. This will of course be a god sent gift for the people looking for a perfect relaxed sounding earphone. The notes however don’t sound thinner rather they sound nice and full.
The separation is another veiled out factor here since the staging is not that great. Being an open backed earphone i thought of a wider staging but its not the case here where the staging is average at best. In complex tracks the instruments do sound cluttered out without any space and feel suffocated.
Overall the mid range is more on a relaxed side giving smooth and composed sound with musical tonality thus pleasing the listeners. A great set for a relaxed listening or bedtime session.
The treble is gently rolled off. The detail retrieval, shimmer or the brilliance can't be experienced here. They have tuned it in a way for relaxed listening hence you can't find the contrary energy here. The sparkle is quite subtle and those cymbal crashes decay quicker.
The cymbal crashes sound quite calmer and subtle where the decay is pretty short hence the splashy nature of the cymbals can't be noticed here. The electric guitar strings do sound the same as that of the cymbals. The percussion instruments in general don’t have that bite or attack thus lacks the energy in the top end making this a perfect IEM for bedtime and relaxing sessions.
They don’t contain much air thus the separation and grand staging can't be experienced here. Overall the treble is very modest and calm but at the same time they also provide that smooth and even treble.
Whatever the tracks you throw in they don’t represent any sort of sibilance which is a pretty good thing and most importantly even when the tracks that are poorly mastered and old records are replayed via this they are represented in a smoother way hence its forgiving to poorly mastered tracks.
I would expect an extra bit of brightness in the top end which would have made this IEM a better one. That added brightness would have brought some life and energy to this IEM. There is a hint of darker background to this BS1.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is the disappointing factor in this BS1 being an open backed one. The width is sub par average giving a decent separation in the tracks. The height is average too. The track separation in the complex one’s struggles to be portrayed out precisely.
IMAGING: The imaging also takes a step back in the presentation where the clustered out instruments feel difficult to be pointed out. Everything appears to be coming out of a single centered channel rather than a nice sweep from the left to the right. The headroom and the staging feels insufficient.
Detail retrieval and the track separation are not the best part here and not the worst too. For the price there is nothing to complain but still considering the competition out there this feels lost in this segment. Of Course the tuning is done differently here to concentrate more on the calmer side rather than the technical side.
VERDICT:
BS1, the latest budget offering from the house of WHIZZER also appears to be an open backed earphone with a fixed cable and also comes with a mic! The brand is known for its well tuned IEM’s especially in the budget range like the HE01,HE03. The BS1 being a completely different animal possessing different architecture does this really stack up against the competition? YES!
The BS1 is made for the people who are looking for a relaxed and non fatiguing sound. The profile is balanced, emphasis on the mid bass and the mid range, treble is rolled off with minimum focus towards the detail retrieval. The staging being a disappointing factor in this open back architecture they do compensate for the natural tonality, timbre and the calmer sound with fatigue free listening.
The earphone itself is built well with a nice matt metal finish. The design looks attractive and very comfortable to wear. The added mic functionality does make this an everyday pair to be used but the isolation is average though.
Overall the BS1 does tick all the boxes of how a relaxed tuning should be. With a striking design, cheaper price tag and CALM AND COMPOSED sound this should be picked up by the people out there for listening to their podcasts and bedtime soothing tracks!
Whizzer, the brand based out of China is a well known brand among the audiophiles. They have a wide range of IEM’s and Truly Wireless Earbuds in their lineup and have a good response from the consumers. The HE01, HE03 are their budget IEMs which got an applauding response and the BS1 is their latest open back offering in this budget segment. It's designed by the J.IDEA + and in this review let's see how this performs and is the sound as striking as its design.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Design by J.IDEA + Studio
Open back design
Multi-damping balance system
13.6mm composite diaphragm driver
Impedance: 18Ohm
Sensitivity: 109dB
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by HiFiGo in exchange for my honest opinion. This review is completely based on my observations with this product after using it for quite a period of time and it's based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If you are interested in purchasing this unit then please feel free to go along with HiFiGo: https://hifigo.com/
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the BS1 is nicely done with full construction crafted out of metal. The faceplate is of course the open backed design with copper coloured open back plate giving nice touch to the overall appearance. The nozzle is angled and sits good in the ears. In the inner aspect of the earpiece there are bigger vents and underneath them are some dampeners.
The cable is fixed and they are cloth braided hence in terms of longevity it is assured. The issue is that they cause a lot of microphonic noises thus it's not the apt earphone to use while walking or working around. The cable has a microphone and volume keys for easy accessing and comes with a 3.5mm termination end. The cable does get twisted out frequently but tangling is not an issue with this. The stock ear tips are average at best and do provide a good fit.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the BS1 is more balanced to a L shaped tuning tuning with more concentration on the midrange and mid bass. This earphone does possess a large 13.6mm composite diaphragm dynamic driver to deliver a nice and fuller sound. The most expected benefitted outcome of a L shaped tuning is that it has a fatigue free relaxing listening session and that's what the BS1 brings to the table. Let’s check out how calm and composed this BS1 is in this breakup section of the sound.
BASS:
The bass in the BS1 is more focussed towards the mid bass region where it gives you that satisfying fuller and full bodied sound. Being an open back headphone i thought that it would have a leaner bass but on the contrary the low has been tuned pretty well here.
The sub bass presence can be felt but it's not the dominant factor here. The rumble is quite subtle and only it's presented when the track calls for it. The sub bass extension is quite average but not the worst considering its an open back headphone.
The mid bass richness gives that nice lush and musical sound experience. The nice full bodied bass gives that laidback sound which never fatigues you even in the longer listening sessions. The rich mid bass also doesn’t affect the mid range thus the bloatedness is not seen that much which is quite a surprise.
The control and the texture is good enough in the BS1 giving nice clarity but since the stage is being small which is quite interesting for an open backed headphone the separation struggles when the complex tracks are replayed. The bass speed is nominal.
Overall pretty impressed with the bass response and if this had a wider staging the separation in the low end could have been better.
- Somebody to Love - Kyrill & Redford
- Desire - Mollono.Bass
The midrange is the star show here where the presentation is nicely done giving calm and composed sound. The natural tonality and timbre of this BS1 is another strings aspect to be noted. The vocals are placed slightly laidback giving a nice relaxed sound. Both the male and female vocals sounds clean and smoother without any harshness. The upper midrange is nicely smoothed out thus the harshness or sibilance is noted.
The piano notes and the kick drums do sound really nice having a natural tone with a slight bit of warmth. However they don’t have that sharpness or bite in every note they replay hence the energetic factor is missing. This will of course be a god sent gift for the people looking for a perfect relaxed sounding earphone. The notes however don’t sound thinner rather they sound nice and full.
The separation is another veiled out factor here since the staging is not that great. Being an open backed earphone i thought of a wider staging but its not the case here where the staging is average at best. In complex tracks the instruments do sound cluttered out without any space and feel suffocated.
Overall the mid range is more on a relaxed side giving smooth and composed sound with musical tonality thus pleasing the listeners. A great set for a relaxed listening or bedtime session.
- Human - The Killers
- The Blowers Daughter - Damien Rice
The treble is gently rolled off. The detail retrieval, shimmer or the brilliance can't be experienced here. They have tuned it in a way for relaxed listening hence you can't find the contrary energy here. The sparkle is quite subtle and those cymbal crashes decay quicker.
The cymbal crashes sound quite calmer and subtle where the decay is pretty short hence the splashy nature of the cymbals can't be noticed here. The electric guitar strings do sound the same as that of the cymbals. The percussion instruments in general don’t have that bite or attack thus lacks the energy in the top end making this a perfect IEM for bedtime and relaxing sessions.
They don’t contain much air thus the separation and grand staging can't be experienced here. Overall the treble is very modest and calm but at the same time they also provide that smooth and even treble.
Whatever the tracks you throw in they don’t represent any sort of sibilance which is a pretty good thing and most importantly even when the tracks that are poorly mastered and old records are replayed via this they are represented in a smoother way hence its forgiving to poorly mastered tracks.
I would expect an extra bit of brightness in the top end which would have made this IEM a better one. That added brightness would have brought some life and energy to this IEM. There is a hint of darker background to this BS1.
- Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
- Sultans Of Swings - Dire Straits
- Michael Fitzhenry - Andwella
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is the disappointing factor in this BS1 being an open backed one. The width is sub par average giving a decent separation in the tracks. The height is average too. The track separation in the complex one’s struggles to be portrayed out precisely.
IMAGING: The imaging also takes a step back in the presentation where the clustered out instruments feel difficult to be pointed out. Everything appears to be coming out of a single centered channel rather than a nice sweep from the left to the right. The headroom and the staging feels insufficient.
Detail retrieval and the track separation are not the best part here and not the worst too. For the price there is nothing to complain but still considering the competition out there this feels lost in this segment. Of Course the tuning is done differently here to concentrate more on the calmer side rather than the technical side.
VERDICT:
BS1, the latest budget offering from the house of WHIZZER also appears to be an open backed earphone with a fixed cable and also comes with a mic! The brand is known for its well tuned IEM’s especially in the budget range like the HE01,HE03. The BS1 being a completely different animal possessing different architecture does this really stack up against the competition? YES!
The BS1 is made for the people who are looking for a relaxed and non fatiguing sound. The profile is balanced, emphasis on the mid bass and the mid range, treble is rolled off with minimum focus towards the detail retrieval. The staging being a disappointing factor in this open back architecture they do compensate for the natural tonality, timbre and the calmer sound with fatigue free listening.
The earphone itself is built well with a nice matt metal finish. The design looks attractive and very comfortable to wear. The added mic functionality does make this an everyday pair to be used but the isolation is average though.
Overall the BS1 does tick all the boxes of how a relaxed tuning should be. With a striking design, cheaper price tag and CALM AND COMPOSED sound this should be picked up by the people out there for listening to their podcasts and bedtime soothing tracks!
INTRODUCTION:
CCA, the brand which is based out of China is also the sister brand of the infamous KZ always does excel in terms of sound and price when compared to its parent brand. The C10 and the CST being my favourite product the CA10 also might add in this list. Everytime the KZ releases a partially cooked product to the market while the CCA waits and completes the cooking what the KZ left and delivers to the market since sister’s know how to cook better than brother’s right!? xD.. In this review lets check out how does this CA10 perform against the competitors in this price range of 50 usd.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 10 Balanced Armature
Plug type: 3.5mm gold-plated plug
Cable length: 1.25m
Connector: 0.75mm 2 Pin
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by HiFiGo in exchange for my honest opinion about the product. This whole review is based upon my observations of this product while using them for a good period of time and it's based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If interested in purchasing this, use this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/cca-ca10
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the CA10 looks really nice and that added cyan colour touch to the faceplate looks absolutely gorgeous. The faceplate has that transparent look partially while the other half has that metallic look giving a nice robotic presence. The whole construction is made out of resin which is quite sturdy and has good heft in the hands.
The connectors are again the C type 2 pin connector which is pretty common with KZ and CCA. The good thing is that the stock cable looks quite great where they have nice texture and premium feel in the hand. Thanks for getting rid of that crappy copper coloured cable ☺. The stock tips though makes the whole fitting terrible!. It would have been good if they have given the starline tips instead the stock tips are while coloured flimsy, small eartips which will never fit most of the ears!
The fit of the earphone is subjective since the shell being already at a larger size, the given stock tips doesn’t provide a good enough seal in the ears. For sure, additional aftermarket tips are necessary to get an adequate fit.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the CA10 is more of a slight V shaped presentation. The bass is boosted quite a bit with slight midrange recession especially the instruments. The treble has very good extension with above average detail retrieval in this price range. The staging is the star show here actually where the presentation is very enough giving an immense sense of space. It has its own cons like the brighter, unnatural and metallic tonality and timbre which does really affect the overall listening experience. Let's talk about the details in the following review.
BASS:
The low end of the CA10 is pretty nicely tuned here even though they are fully composed of all Balanced Armatures. The low end has a nice extension in the sub bass region giving a nice rumble like that of the Dynamic Driver. The mid bass is also presented well where the full bodied bass is seen along with that nice separation and decay.
The decay of the bass is on point giving both the sensation of rumble while also delivering enough clarity in the low end. The control of the bass is pretty good and the mid bass bleed is not seen that much hence providing a nice amount of track separation and mid range liveliness.
Overall I'm pretty impressed with the bass presence. Even though they lack the dynamic driver it never made me feel the absence of it since the bass is pretty good both in terms of sub bass and mid bass. They are not the bass head level but still the full range balanced armatures does the job pretty well.
The fullness factor like that you experience in the dynamic driver earphones can’t be experienced here but the clarity in the low end is one wonder of balanced armature drivers which you will of course experience in this.
MID RANGE:
The mid range in the CA10 is pretty good except the timbre and the tonality which is mainly because of the presence of the BA driver. The vocal is presented well and forward, having a nice body carried along from the presence of the mid bass. The tonality is another issue here where they have that bright, dry and metallic taste to it which is kind of annoying in the long run.
The background instruments in the mid range are not that recessed even though they are V shaped and that's a good thing. The imaging is the star show here where the placement is done excellent and staging being super wide enough the whole presentation feels pretty spacious. A lot of headroom is available in the CA10 for sure.
The timbre of the instruments is slightly off due to that presence of the BA which is inevitable but the people who are used to this BA sound they will not notice this. The layering is done well too since the staging is pretty good here.
The detail retrieval and the track separation are above average for the price. The piano notes, guitar strings, kick drums everything are brought out really well without any hindrance. The timbre and tone is however dry and metallic as we discussed above. The upper midrange sibilance is not observed here even though they are quite bright in the upper end and in that regard the CA10 is pretty good.
TREBLE:
The treble here is well tuned and detailed enough while also managing not to sound harsh. They are well extended giving nice shimmer and brilliance in the top end leading to nice detail and air presence. The all BA presence does make some wonders here by providing a good amount of air and separation in the treble section.
The cymbal crashes are splashy enough to entertain you while the attack and the decay are also close to realistic. The problem again is that the tone and the timbre is not realistic where the same metallic, dry and bright hint is noted again.
When it comes to the sibilant control they are done again well without any noticeable sharpness in the top end. The occasional sharpness can be felt but never to the limit of fatiguing the listener.
The electric guitar strings and the trumpets do sound very well with adequate brightness giving life to the instruments. The breaths of the singers are felt evidently creating a nice lively experience.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the CA10 is pretty good where the width takes the center stage by showing its immense separation and the placement of the instruments. The depth is pretty good too since the bass is also pretty neatly tuned here. The height is average but not the worst. Overall the wide staging does provide that nice spacious and grand presentation.
IMAGING: The imaging is another star aspect here where the precise placement of the instruments is done while they can be easily pointed out even in the busier tracks. The sound neatly sweeps from the extreme right to the left without any stutters. The transient response felt very smooth which makes the imaging to be the best part of this earphone.
Detail retrieval and the track separation are above average and the BA does excellent job in this area. The treble being nicely accentuated the details are nicely brought out with lively feeling due to that presence of good amount of air. Overall pretty impressed with the technicalities of the CA10 Pro.
VERDICT:
The CA10, one of the latest offerings from the house of CCA, the sister brand of the KZ has done it again by providing another value for money product in the budget segment. The C10 – a 10 driver hybrid unit and CST – a single dynamic driver being my most liked product of mine, the CA10 does a pretty good job here by complementing the sound of the previous two.
The full hybrid setup sound does provide that nice detail and clarity in the top end while also some impressive low end where those BA’ s are tuned to deliver the full range of spectrum. The low end is quite dominating here with excellent texture and control while the midrange is not affected too! The highs have excellent clarity and detail retrieval with a huge amount of air and headroom in between the instruments. The imaging and the stage width are the star aspects here where they are phenomenal for the price they quote. The major con for me is that it has that noticeable BA timbre and tonality which is kind of metallic, dry and bright.
The overall sound signature does provide that combined fun along with that detailed and crisp sound without causing fatigue during the long listening sessions. This CA10 just purely delivers a HYBRID FUN at a fraction of cost even though they do possess a full BA setup!
CCA, the brand which is based out of China is also the sister brand of the infamous KZ always does excel in terms of sound and price when compared to its parent brand. The C10 and the CST being my favourite product the CA10 also might add in this list. Everytime the KZ releases a partially cooked product to the market while the CCA waits and completes the cooking what the KZ left and delivers to the market since sister’s know how to cook better than brother’s right!? xD.. In this review lets check out how does this CA10 perform against the competitors in this price range of 50 usd.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 10 Balanced Armature
Plug type: 3.5mm gold-plated plug
Cable length: 1.25m
Connector: 0.75mm 2 Pin
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by HiFiGo in exchange for my honest opinion about the product. This whole review is based upon my observations of this product while using them for a good period of time and it's based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.
If interested in purchasing this, use this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/cca-ca10
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the CA10 looks really nice and that added cyan colour touch to the faceplate looks absolutely gorgeous. The faceplate has that transparent look partially while the other half has that metallic look giving a nice robotic presence. The whole construction is made out of resin which is quite sturdy and has good heft in the hands.
The connectors are again the C type 2 pin connector which is pretty common with KZ and CCA. The good thing is that the stock cable looks quite great where they have nice texture and premium feel in the hand. Thanks for getting rid of that crappy copper coloured cable ☺. The stock tips though makes the whole fitting terrible!. It would have been good if they have given the starline tips instead the stock tips are while coloured flimsy, small eartips which will never fit most of the ears!
The fit of the earphone is subjective since the shell being already at a larger size, the given stock tips doesn’t provide a good enough seal in the ears. For sure, additional aftermarket tips are necessary to get an adequate fit.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the CA10 is more of a slight V shaped presentation. The bass is boosted quite a bit with slight midrange recession especially the instruments. The treble has very good extension with above average detail retrieval in this price range. The staging is the star show here actually where the presentation is very enough giving an immense sense of space. It has its own cons like the brighter, unnatural and metallic tonality and timbre which does really affect the overall listening experience. Let's talk about the details in the following review.
BASS:
The low end of the CA10 is pretty nicely tuned here even though they are fully composed of all Balanced Armatures. The low end has a nice extension in the sub bass region giving a nice rumble like that of the Dynamic Driver. The mid bass is also presented well where the full bodied bass is seen along with that nice separation and decay.
The decay of the bass is on point giving both the sensation of rumble while also delivering enough clarity in the low end. The control of the bass is pretty good and the mid bass bleed is not seen that much hence providing a nice amount of track separation and mid range liveliness.
Overall I'm pretty impressed with the bass presence. Even though they lack the dynamic driver it never made me feel the absence of it since the bass is pretty good both in terms of sub bass and mid bass. They are not the bass head level but still the full range balanced armatures does the job pretty well.
The fullness factor like that you experience in the dynamic driver earphones can’t be experienced here but the clarity in the low end is one wonder of balanced armature drivers which you will of course experience in this.
MID RANGE:
The mid range in the CA10 is pretty good except the timbre and the tonality which is mainly because of the presence of the BA driver. The vocal is presented well and forward, having a nice body carried along from the presence of the mid bass. The tonality is another issue here where they have that bright, dry and metallic taste to it which is kind of annoying in the long run.
The background instruments in the mid range are not that recessed even though they are V shaped and that's a good thing. The imaging is the star show here where the placement is done excellent and staging being super wide enough the whole presentation feels pretty spacious. A lot of headroom is available in the CA10 for sure.
The timbre of the instruments is slightly off due to that presence of the BA which is inevitable but the people who are used to this BA sound they will not notice this. The layering is done well too since the staging is pretty good here.
The detail retrieval and the track separation are above average for the price. The piano notes, guitar strings, kick drums everything are brought out really well without any hindrance. The timbre and tone is however dry and metallic as we discussed above. The upper midrange sibilance is not observed here even though they are quite bright in the upper end and in that regard the CA10 is pretty good.
TREBLE:
The treble here is well tuned and detailed enough while also managing not to sound harsh. They are well extended giving nice shimmer and brilliance in the top end leading to nice detail and air presence. The all BA presence does make some wonders here by providing a good amount of air and separation in the treble section.
The cymbal crashes are splashy enough to entertain you while the attack and the decay are also close to realistic. The problem again is that the tone and the timbre is not realistic where the same metallic, dry and bright hint is noted again.
When it comes to the sibilant control they are done again well without any noticeable sharpness in the top end. The occasional sharpness can be felt but never to the limit of fatiguing the listener.
The electric guitar strings and the trumpets do sound very well with adequate brightness giving life to the instruments. The breaths of the singers are felt evidently creating a nice lively experience.
- Michael Fitzhenry – Andwella
- Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the CA10 is pretty good where the width takes the center stage by showing its immense separation and the placement of the instruments. The depth is pretty good too since the bass is also pretty neatly tuned here. The height is average but not the worst. Overall the wide staging does provide that nice spacious and grand presentation.
IMAGING: The imaging is another star aspect here where the precise placement of the instruments is done while they can be easily pointed out even in the busier tracks. The sound neatly sweeps from the extreme right to the left without any stutters. The transient response felt very smooth which makes the imaging to be the best part of this earphone.
Detail retrieval and the track separation are above average and the BA does excellent job in this area. The treble being nicely accentuated the details are nicely brought out with lively feeling due to that presence of good amount of air. Overall pretty impressed with the technicalities of the CA10 Pro.
VERDICT:
The CA10, one of the latest offerings from the house of CCA, the sister brand of the KZ has done it again by providing another value for money product in the budget segment. The C10 – a 10 driver hybrid unit and CST – a single dynamic driver being my most liked product of mine, the CA10 does a pretty good job here by complementing the sound of the previous two.
The full hybrid setup sound does provide that nice detail and clarity in the top end while also some impressive low end where those BA’ s are tuned to deliver the full range of spectrum. The low end is quite dominating here with excellent texture and control while the midrange is not affected too! The highs have excellent clarity and detail retrieval with a huge amount of air and headroom in between the instruments. The imaging and the stage width are the star aspects here where they are phenomenal for the price they quote. The major con for me is that it has that noticeable BA timbre and tonality which is kind of metallic, dry and bright.
The overall sound signature does provide that combined fun along with that detailed and crisp sound without causing fatigue during the long listening sessions. This CA10 just purely delivers a HYBRID FUN at a fraction of cost even though they do possess a full BA setup!
INTRODUCTION:
TRN, the brand based out of China is a well known brand among the Chi-Fi seekers. The brand has a lot of expertise in IEM manufacturing especially in the budget segment. The BA5 being their full BA setup, IEM got an exploding response from the consumers and got a nice reputation among the fellow audiophiles. The VX Pro is their latest offering accommodating 1 DD and 8 BA drivers on either side of the earpiece totalling a 9 driver setup. In this review let’s see how this performs, Pros and Cons of this IEM.
SPECIFICATIONS:
10mm dual-magnet dynamic driver
Custom 30095 balanced armatures
Custom 50060 balanced armatures
Frequency response: 7Hz-40000 Hz
Connector: recessed 2 pin
Impedance: 22ohm
Sensitivity: 106dB
Aluminum Magnesium Alloy Housing
Detachable 4 Core Silver-plated Copper Cable
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo and thanks to the team for adding me in their tour. This review is completely based on my observations and experience with this product hence i have not been influenced by the brand to manipulate these below mentioned views. This view is also based on my pairing with the source hence it might vary from person to person.
Interested in purchasing this ? Order via this unaffiliated link! : https://hifigo.com/products/trn-vx-pro
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the VX Pro is quite subtle but yet looks modern. The full construction is made out of CNC machined aluminium and it is matted out on the exterior surface giving that nice smooth touch. The connector is not retained with the QDC type instead of the MMCX since the later one is a problematic one.
The nozzle is a gold plated metal giving a nice sturdy feeling. The fit is quite nice with average isolation. The cable provided is crappy where the SPC cable looks and feels below average and doesn’t match the aesthetics of the earphone. The eartips provided are quite good.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the VX PRO is more on a fun side with W shaped tuning. Being a hybrid IEM the bass presence is satisfyingly dominating. The BA inside the IEM gives an immense amount of clarity and separation while the Dynamic driver handles the dynamic part of the sound. The bass is elevated to quite a bit and the treble is nicely extended. The midrange is not recessed but the elevated bass does make the midrange to be quite subdued. The upper midrange is elevated quite a bit and there is a peak in the graph too hence treble sensitives should be staying away from it.
LOW END:
The low end is quite dominating here where both the sub bass and the mid bass is nicely presented. The sub bass rumble is more than adequate. The sub bass extension is done very well and reaches quite deeper.
But one complaint that I can say here is that if they have reduced the mid bass presence a bit and let the sub bass focus be done then the low end here could have been even better. The bass presence is fuller but they don’t create that ethereal environment or that vibrating sense. Despite all those complaints i have mentioned the bass has been tuned on the fun side and it really kicks you when you listen to Pop and EDM tracks for sure! ☺.
MID RANGE:
The worst thing about the hybrids is that they usually don’t have that coherent sound where the midrange takes a different route but that's not the case with the VX Pro! Despite the usage of the BA drivers the tonality and the timbre is maintained very good to natural. There is a slight hint of metallic taste but still compared to the other hybrids this does the job well.
The midrange takes a step back in the presentation but not drastically like what the V shaped would sound like. The male and female vocals are placed in the adequate position in the staging while the instruments are more pushed back thus some of the finer instruments like the strings gets lost in the complex tracks.
There is a slight upper midrange peakness thus the Shh sounds slightly harsher but they are not that frequent and happens only in certain tracks.
The detail retrieval and the track separation are above average since there is no doubt where the multi drivers takes the role and delivers an exceptional separation. Another quite astonishing fact is that the imaging and layering is done very well here where the instruments are nicely spaced out giving a nice sense of wide staging too.
TREBLE:
The treble here is nicely extended out, managing to bring out the maximum details out of the tracks. The multi BA’s take the role here to take this IEM up a notch. The shimmer and the brilliance in the top end is quite nice giving that adequate brightness to the overall listening experience.
The guitar strings sound quite natural despite that BA presence. The kick drums are not affected while the cymbal crashes sound slightly brighter and metallic too.
The cymbal crashes have realistic attack and decay where the splash is on an adequate side. The problem though is that since the highs have more brightness, in the complex tracks the instrument separation feels slightly hazier. The presentation has a lot of air moving in thus creating that wide serene.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is a well rounded one. The width is more than adequate, providing a nice and wide presence. In fact I have to say that the width is really wide enough. The depth is great too since that bass presence is quite dominating here. The height just correlated with that of the width and the depth.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: These two qualities are brought out really nicely in this hybrid setup. The imaging is quite precise with nice placement of the instruments despite that low end massiveness. The transient response felt nice and smooth while the channel sweep also felt smooth with no stutters.
Detail retrieval and the track separation are above average while the tonality and the timbre are the only constraints with that metallic, brighter, BA taste.
VERDICT:
VX Pro, the latest offering from the house of TRN is a great package for those fun audiophiles out there. TRN is a brand which released a lot of hybrid IEMs in their previous lineup and the VX Pro is their latest addition to it having a 10mm DD and 8 BA on either side of the earpiece.
The VX Pro has a solid build quality with full CNC machined aluminium while also retaining that QDC connector rather than the problematic MMCX! The ergonomics of the IEM is pretty good but not the best. They do isolate well but not in a great fashion. The design looks subtle yet reminds me of a futuristic look.
The sound is as solid as that of the build. The exciting hybrid setup not only provides that nice detailed sound but also that fun, engaging and dynamic sound too. The bass here is the star show here giving nice thumpy and full bodied bass, quite rumbling too! The midrange even though slightly overshadowed by the low end still managed to sound beautiful despite that metallic tonality and timbre. The highs have that natural extension and a good amount of shimmer and brilliance in the top end. Staging being nice and wide with best imaging and layering experience.
The VX Pro may not tick all the boxes but does tick the boxes of pure fun driven sound. The hybrid setup being a detailed set also brings the exciting fun to the table giving a NICE HYBRID FUN to the audiophiles out there!
TRN, the brand based out of China is a well known brand among the Chi-Fi seekers. The brand has a lot of expertise in IEM manufacturing especially in the budget segment. The BA5 being their full BA setup, IEM got an exploding response from the consumers and got a nice reputation among the fellow audiophiles. The VX Pro is their latest offering accommodating 1 DD and 8 BA drivers on either side of the earpiece totalling a 9 driver setup. In this review let’s see how this performs, Pros and Cons of this IEM.
SPECIFICATIONS:
10mm dual-magnet dynamic driver
Custom 30095 balanced armatures
Custom 50060 balanced armatures
Frequency response: 7Hz-40000 Hz
Connector: recessed 2 pin
Impedance: 22ohm
Sensitivity: 106dB
Aluminum Magnesium Alloy Housing
Detachable 4 Core Silver-plated Copper Cable
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as part of a review circle organised by the team HiFiGo and thanks to the team for adding me in their tour. This review is completely based on my observations and experience with this product hence i have not been influenced by the brand to manipulate these below mentioned views. This view is also based on my pairing with the source hence it might vary from person to person.
Interested in purchasing this ? Order via this unaffiliated link! : https://hifigo.com/products/trn-vx-pro
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the VX Pro is quite subtle but yet looks modern. The full construction is made out of CNC machined aluminium and it is matted out on the exterior surface giving that nice smooth touch. The connector is not retained with the QDC type instead of the MMCX since the later one is a problematic one.
The nozzle is a gold plated metal giving a nice sturdy feeling. The fit is quite nice with average isolation. The cable provided is crappy where the SPC cable looks and feels below average and doesn’t match the aesthetics of the earphone. The eartips provided are quite good.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the VX PRO is more on a fun side with W shaped tuning. Being a hybrid IEM the bass presence is satisfyingly dominating. The BA inside the IEM gives an immense amount of clarity and separation while the Dynamic driver handles the dynamic part of the sound. The bass is elevated to quite a bit and the treble is nicely extended. The midrange is not recessed but the elevated bass does make the midrange to be quite subdued. The upper midrange is elevated quite a bit and there is a peak in the graph too hence treble sensitives should be staying away from it.
LOW END:
The low end is quite dominating here where both the sub bass and the mid bass is nicely presented. The sub bass rumble is more than adequate. The sub bass extension is done very well and reaches quite deeper.
- Somebody To Love – Kyrill & Redford
- Middle Finger – Bohnes
But one complaint that I can say here is that if they have reduced the mid bass presence a bit and let the sub bass focus be done then the low end here could have been even better. The bass presence is fuller but they don’t create that ethereal environment or that vibrating sense. Despite all those complaints i have mentioned the bass has been tuned on the fun side and it really kicks you when you listen to Pop and EDM tracks for sure! ☺.
MID RANGE:
The worst thing about the hybrids is that they usually don’t have that coherent sound where the midrange takes a different route but that's not the case with the VX Pro! Despite the usage of the BA drivers the tonality and the timbre is maintained very good to natural. There is a slight hint of metallic taste but still compared to the other hybrids this does the job well.
The midrange takes a step back in the presentation but not drastically like what the V shaped would sound like. The male and female vocals are placed in the adequate position in the staging while the instruments are more pushed back thus some of the finer instruments like the strings gets lost in the complex tracks.
- Just Another Girl – The Killers
There is a slight upper midrange peakness thus the Shh sounds slightly harsher but they are not that frequent and happens only in certain tracks.
The detail retrieval and the track separation are above average since there is no doubt where the multi drivers takes the role and delivers an exceptional separation. Another quite astonishing fact is that the imaging and layering is done very well here where the instruments are nicely spaced out giving a nice sense of wide staging too.
TREBLE:
The treble here is nicely extended out, managing to bring out the maximum details out of the tracks. The multi BA’s take the role here to take this IEM up a notch. The shimmer and the brilliance in the top end is quite nice giving that adequate brightness to the overall listening experience.
The guitar strings sound quite natural despite that BA presence. The kick drums are not affected while the cymbal crashes sound slightly brighter and metallic too.
The cymbal crashes have realistic attack and decay where the splash is on an adequate side. The problem though is that since the highs have more brightness, in the complex tracks the instrument separation feels slightly hazier. The presentation has a lot of air moving in thus creating that wide serene.
- Miss Atomic Bomb – Killers
- Every Teardrop is a Waterfall – Coldplay
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging is a well rounded one. The width is more than adequate, providing a nice and wide presence. In fact I have to say that the width is really wide enough. The depth is great too since that bass presence is quite dominating here. The height just correlated with that of the width and the depth.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: These two qualities are brought out really nicely in this hybrid setup. The imaging is quite precise with nice placement of the instruments despite that low end massiveness. The transient response felt nice and smooth while the channel sweep also felt smooth with no stutters.
Detail retrieval and the track separation are above average while the tonality and the timbre are the only constraints with that metallic, brighter, BA taste.
VERDICT:
VX Pro, the latest offering from the house of TRN is a great package for those fun audiophiles out there. TRN is a brand which released a lot of hybrid IEMs in their previous lineup and the VX Pro is their latest addition to it having a 10mm DD and 8 BA on either side of the earpiece.
The VX Pro has a solid build quality with full CNC machined aluminium while also retaining that QDC connector rather than the problematic MMCX! The ergonomics of the IEM is pretty good but not the best. They do isolate well but not in a great fashion. The design looks subtle yet reminds me of a futuristic look.
The sound is as solid as that of the build. The exciting hybrid setup not only provides that nice detailed sound but also that fun, engaging and dynamic sound too. The bass here is the star show here giving nice thumpy and full bodied bass, quite rumbling too! The midrange even though slightly overshadowed by the low end still managed to sound beautiful despite that metallic tonality and timbre. The highs have that natural extension and a good amount of shimmer and brilliance in the top end. Staging being nice and wide with best imaging and layering experience.
The VX Pro may not tick all the boxes but does tick the boxes of pure fun driven sound. The hybrid setup being a detailed set also brings the exciting fun to the table giving a NICE HYBRID FUN to the audiophiles out there!
INTRODUCTION:
Tin HiFi the brand which is based out of China is a well established brand in the ChiFi Audio industry. The brand is specialised in making high quality in ear monitors both in the budget and high end category. Their T3 Plus, P1 and the P2 are the products that boosted the brands image due to their exceptional sound quality and to continue that legacy sound the P1 got a new upgrade the P1 Plus. In this review let's see how this performs against the competitors and its own competitor P1!
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the HiFiGo Team and a big thanks to the team for adding me in their circle. This review is completely based on my observations and based on my sources and pairings hence it might differ from person to person. I have not been influenced by the brand nor the person to manipulate this review.
The product can be purchased via this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/tinhifi-p1-plus
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 10mm planar diaphragm
Impedance: 22 Ω ± 15%
Sensitivity: 108±3dB @1K Hz V0.179V
Frequency range: 10 Hz–20kHz
Cable: 1.25m {(18/0.06) oxygen-free copper + 200d Kevlar) *3 strands }Φ1.3 * 4 strands woven translucent orange PVC cable
Interface: Gold-plated MMCX connector
Rated power: 5mW
Max power: 10mW
Max distortion: 1% @1k Hz 0.179V
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design is the same as that of the P1 but with some minor changes which are minute. Apart from the design the thing that i don’t like in this is the fit! It's total garbage! The nozzle being very short in length they don’t get inserted into the ear canal perfectly. Even with the L sized tips they don’t provide the adequate sealing. With foam tips the isolation was able to be achieved.
The full construction is made out of metal. As Usual the Tin team went with the controversial MMCX connection this time. The cable is of good quality where its a copper coloured cable. The termination area, splitter and the connector area are made completely out of metal. A slider is given in the cable and the cable don’t get tangled up easily.
The given case is however one of the best i have to say. The case is completely made out of leather and its handstitched. The branding is done on the top of the case. The inner surface are completely lined with nice brown coloured soft lining.
SOUND:
The sound of the P1 plus is more of a neutral sounding pair with upper midrange emphasis. The bass being too modest and lean while the treble issues with the cymbal crashes we will discuss about the sound in detail in this review.
BASS:
The bass being a planar earphone it's kind of disappointing for me. The P1, not the plus version, had an even better bass when amped up. The Tin Team revamped the P1 variant by giving this Plus version to sound better even without amping but the truth is the plus needs some amping to unleash the full potential.
Even when amped up via the Zen Can the bass in the Plus seems to be too shy hence they sound very lean. The sub bass feels pretty light and the rumble is subtle to null. The extension is average in the low end. The mid bass is faster in decay providing a nice amount of clarity and separation but for some EDM and POP music this bass is too light.
The fullness and bodied sound is missing in the P1 Plus due that light low end. The faster decay of course contributed to the clarity and separation in the low end. The thump and fullness just lacks which is kind of better in the P1 non plus variant.
Tracks Used:
MID RANGE:
The mid range is nicely tuned here with one of the best natural tonality and timbre one can find. The presentation feels very much forward and this is kind of fatiguing for me in the long listening sessions. A slight bit of laidback presentation could have been better. The vocals of both the male and the female sound clean and detailed. The fullness is not found in the vocals due to that reduced mid bass presence.
The staging being a slight smaller in terms of width the serene appeared sight a bit of closed one. The layering however felt nice where the placement of the instruments found to be very realistic.
The upper midrange is the slight disturbance here where they are slightly peaked up thus the female vocals sound harsh sometimes and when the high hat instruments appear the sounds become thinner and harsher.
The separation and the detail retrieval is brought out really well and the technicalities aspect in the mid range are neatly done and overall the midrange is a very pleasing segment with natural and neutral tonality, timbre.
Tracks Used:
The treble is clean and crispy in the P1 Plus. The treble being extended well the airy and open sound is present in the IEM. The point where I started to dislike it is that the cymbal crashes sound a bit harsh. Their attack being very splashy they sound harsh most of the time.
The guitar strings and the trumpets do sound brighter and clean. The airy sensation that it provides gives a nice sense of open sound. The minute details are brought up good and clean. The track separation is nice without any noticeable congestion seen.
The brilliance factor is seen here and the shimmer is present in the top end giving nice clarity and open sound overall.
Tracks Used:
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the P1 Plus is more on an average side since the width is not that expensive. The height is average too hence don’t expect any wide serene surroundings. They don’t sound that intimate too hence its more on a normal side but not wide when compared to the other competitors in this price range.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: These are another best aspect of this earphone. The layering is done very nicely where the placement of the instruments are more or less precisely done and the transient response of the channel from left to right is neatly done and appears smooth overall.
Detail retrieval and the instrument separation are above average and overall this definitely triumphs in the department of technicalities.
VERDICT:
The P1 Plus, the latest offering from the Tin HiFi is the successor of the P1. The P1 already being a very nice IEM in the price range with one of the best planar bass that one can get but the issue is they need to be amped up compulsory to unleash its full potential. To avoid this issue the Brand launched the Plus variant but the reality is their power demand is high hence an amp is needed to seek its potential.
The sound is now more on a neutral side with faster and technical bass thus the fun low end rumble cant be expected here. The mid range has natural tonality and timbre thus giving nice pleasing sound. The upper mid range has that weird peak where the female vocals sound harsh sometimes. The detail retrieval and the separation are above average. The highs are brought out really well but the cymbal crashes ofcourse sounds too splashy. The staging is kind of narrow for my taste and to compensate that the layering was done actually very good in the P1 plus.
Overall the sound is very nice for a neutral sound lover but as a general user I would still get the P1 non plus variant since it sounded better to my ears overall. The technicalities are slightly superior to that of their older variant but misses out on the fun factor and based on my observations this is NOT THE PLUS THIS TIME.
Tin HiFi the brand which is based out of China is a well established brand in the ChiFi Audio industry. The brand is specialised in making high quality in ear monitors both in the budget and high end category. Their T3 Plus, P1 and the P2 are the products that boosted the brands image due to their exceptional sound quality and to continue that legacy sound the P1 got a new upgrade the P1 Plus. In this review let's see how this performs against the competitors and its own competitor P1!
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the HiFiGo Team and a big thanks to the team for adding me in their circle. This review is completely based on my observations and based on my sources and pairings hence it might differ from person to person. I have not been influenced by the brand nor the person to manipulate this review.
The product can be purchased via this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/tinhifi-p1-plus
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 10mm planar diaphragm
Impedance: 22 Ω ± 15%
Sensitivity: 108±3dB @1K Hz V0.179V
Frequency range: 10 Hz–20kHz
Cable: 1.25m {(18/0.06) oxygen-free copper + 200d Kevlar) *3 strands }Φ1.3 * 4 strands woven translucent orange PVC cable
Interface: Gold-plated MMCX connector
Rated power: 5mW
Max power: 10mW
Max distortion: 1% @1k Hz 0.179V
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design is the same as that of the P1 but with some minor changes which are minute. Apart from the design the thing that i don’t like in this is the fit! It's total garbage! The nozzle being very short in length they don’t get inserted into the ear canal perfectly. Even with the L sized tips they don’t provide the adequate sealing. With foam tips the isolation was able to be achieved.
The full construction is made out of metal. As Usual the Tin team went with the controversial MMCX connection this time. The cable is of good quality where its a copper coloured cable. The termination area, splitter and the connector area are made completely out of metal. A slider is given in the cable and the cable don’t get tangled up easily.
The given case is however one of the best i have to say. The case is completely made out of leather and its handstitched. The branding is done on the top of the case. The inner surface are completely lined with nice brown coloured soft lining.
SOUND:
The sound of the P1 plus is more of a neutral sounding pair with upper midrange emphasis. The bass being too modest and lean while the treble issues with the cymbal crashes we will discuss about the sound in detail in this review.
BASS:
The bass being a planar earphone it's kind of disappointing for me. The P1, not the plus version, had an even better bass when amped up. The Tin Team revamped the P1 variant by giving this Plus version to sound better even without amping but the truth is the plus needs some amping to unleash the full potential.
Even when amped up via the Zen Can the bass in the Plus seems to be too shy hence they sound very lean. The sub bass feels pretty light and the rumble is subtle to null. The extension is average in the low end. The mid bass is faster in decay providing a nice amount of clarity and separation but for some EDM and POP music this bass is too light.
The fullness and bodied sound is missing in the P1 Plus due that light low end. The faster decay of course contributed to the clarity and separation in the low end. The thump and fullness just lacks which is kind of better in the P1 non plus variant.
Tracks Used:
- Jungles (Instrumental ) – Tash Sultana
- Mountains – Hans Zimmer
- BigFoot – MALFNKTION
MID RANGE:
The mid range is nicely tuned here with one of the best natural tonality and timbre one can find. The presentation feels very much forward and this is kind of fatiguing for me in the long listening sessions. A slight bit of laidback presentation could have been better. The vocals of both the male and the female sound clean and detailed. The fullness is not found in the vocals due to that reduced mid bass presence.
The staging being a slight smaller in terms of width the serene appeared sight a bit of closed one. The layering however felt nice where the placement of the instruments found to be very realistic.
The upper midrange is the slight disturbance here where they are slightly peaked up thus the female vocals sound harsh sometimes and when the high hat instruments appear the sounds become thinner and harsher.
The separation and the detail retrieval is brought out really well and the technicalities aspect in the mid range are neatly done and overall the midrange is a very pleasing segment with natural and neutral tonality, timbre.
Tracks Used:
- Fi Ba7ri – Alaa Wardi
- Why Can't She – Adam Craig
- Easy On Me - Adele
The treble is clean and crispy in the P1 Plus. The treble being extended well the airy and open sound is present in the IEM. The point where I started to dislike it is that the cymbal crashes sound a bit harsh. Their attack being very splashy they sound harsh most of the time.
The guitar strings and the trumpets do sound brighter and clean. The airy sensation that it provides gives a nice sense of open sound. The minute details are brought up good and clean. The track separation is nice without any noticeable congestion seen.
The brilliance factor is seen here and the shimmer is present in the top end giving nice clarity and open sound overall.
Tracks Used:
- Jack Of Speed – Steely Dan
- Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
- Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the P1 Plus is more on an average side since the width is not that expensive. The height is average too hence don’t expect any wide serene surroundings. They don’t sound that intimate too hence its more on a normal side but not wide when compared to the other competitors in this price range.
IMAGING AND LAYERING: These are another best aspect of this earphone. The layering is done very nicely where the placement of the instruments are more or less precisely done and the transient response of the channel from left to right is neatly done and appears smooth overall.
Detail retrieval and the instrument separation are above average and overall this definitely triumphs in the department of technicalities.
VERDICT:
The P1 Plus, the latest offering from the Tin HiFi is the successor of the P1. The P1 already being a very nice IEM in the price range with one of the best planar bass that one can get but the issue is they need to be amped up compulsory to unleash its full potential. To avoid this issue the Brand launched the Plus variant but the reality is their power demand is high hence an amp is needed to seek its potential.
The sound is now more on a neutral side with faster and technical bass thus the fun low end rumble cant be expected here. The mid range has natural tonality and timbre thus giving nice pleasing sound. The upper mid range has that weird peak where the female vocals sound harsh sometimes. The detail retrieval and the separation are above average. The highs are brought out really well but the cymbal crashes ofcourse sounds too splashy. The staging is kind of narrow for my taste and to compensate that the layering was done actually very good in the P1 plus.
Overall the sound is very nice for a neutral sound lover but as a general user I would still get the P1 non plus variant since it sounded better to my ears overall. The technicalities are slightly superior to that of their older variant but misses out on the fun factor and based on my observations this is NOT THE PLUS THIS TIME.
INTRODUCTION:
Dunu is a brand based out of China and specialised in IEM and Cable manufacturing. This is my first encounter with the brand since I haven't tried any of their products before. The TITAN series were known for their superior sound quality and the build. The Falcon Pro is their latest offering in the mid range segment and in this review let's check out if the falcon pro really stacks up against the competitors in this price range.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by Team HiFiGo. I have not been influenced by them to manipulate my views in this product hence the whole review is completely based on my experience with it and also based on my pairings and sources. This view might differ from person to person.
You can purchase the Falcon pro via this link (non-affiliated): https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-falcon-pro
SPECIFICATIONS:
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
SENSITIVITY: 112 ± 1 dB at 1 kHz
IMPEDANCE: 26 Ω at 1 kHz
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: < 0.3% at 1 kHz
DIAPHRAGM: 10 mm diaphragm with amorphous diamond-like carbon dome and fully independent suspension surround
HOUSING MATERIAL: < 0.3% at 1 kHz
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: Stainless Steel
INTEGRATION(S): Dual chambered, anti-resonance shell design
Interchangeable tuning nozzles (Atmospheric Immersion, Reference, Transparency)
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2 ± 0.1 m
CABLE MATERIAL: 6N silver-plated OCC copper
CABLE CONNECTOR: Patented Catch-Hold® MMCX Connector
PLUG CONNECTOR: DUNU Quick-Switch Modular Plug System (NEW)
INCLUDED PLUG TERMINATION(S)
4.4 mm TRRRS Balanced
3.5 mm TRS Single-Ended
2.5 mm TRRS Balanced
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Falcon Pro is quite unique where it appears as an oval shaped design. The faceplate has that unique brushed finish in the borders while the center is polished and has the branding. On the brushed area the dunu branding is done in an animated way which looks really nice in real. In the inner aspect of the earpiece they have given three vents for the pressure equalisation.
The nozzle is of good length and has screwable tuning filters for versatility in sound. The MMCX connector area is nice and angled. The given cable is of good quality and the unique thing about it is the terminations can be interchanged. The additional terminations are also provided in the package thus you are covered to pair it with various sources. The interchangeable process is pretty easy and the connection is tight and secure. The cable in terms of in hand feel they are not that impressive but considering the practicality it possesses it seems they are one of the bang for buck cables.
The tuning nozzles are housed in a metallic plate and the nozzles can be attached to the earpiece via screwing.
The given eartips are good in terms of quality and one can achieve a good fit and seal via the provided ear tips.
The given case is a hard shell cloth braided green coloured case which is very nice in hand and does have a lot of space inside them to accommodate the earphones without any issues. The thing is the lid and the base portion is attached by an elastic string which makes the case limited in terms of opening hence it feels difficult to place the earphones inside the case.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Falcon Pro is very energetic and slightly a U shaped profile. The midrange takes a hit a little bit but with the different filters applied the sound does change noticeably making them a versatile IEM. The sound profile in each filters and the response in each frequency will be seen in detail in the following sections:
Source: iPhone + Zen Can + Avani
LOW END:
The low end is quite a dominating aspect of the Falcon Pro since they are that pronounced in every filter they provided. Even though they are pronounced they are not overwhelmingly done instead they are a sweet spot.
Especially i like the low end in the Atmospheric Immersion filter. Here the low end is more controlled, tighter and even the decay is at a sweet spot where they are fast enough at the same time they do provide some rumble in the sub bass region. The mid bas bleed is reduced a lot when compared to the low end in the other two filters.
Nonetheless the low end in the Falcon Pro is more of a mid bass focused which is kind of a con for me since i like the sub bass presence more. The sub bass is present but not that emphasized as that of the mid bass done here. The quality of the bass is better in the falcon pro where the texture and the detail retrieval in the low end is very impressive considering a single DD earphone.
The low end has that mature texture while also trying to bring out the low end details as much as possible. The mid bass is overly emphasized in the reference filter compared to the atmospheric immersion which made the whole listening experience boxed out but this changes instantly after switching the filters.
The sub bass could have been improved a bit but that's a small con otherwise the rest of the low end quality and the quantity is just well tuned in the Falcon Pro.
Tracks Used:
The mid range of the Falcon Pro is good in terms of placement and layering. Even though they are slightly pushed back especially the instruments the placement is done very well. The instruments are layered out very well thus they feel very wide and spacious.
The lower mids has that nice thick bodied sound carrying on from the Mid bass presence is evidently noticed here. The male vocals sound thick and forward hence the engaging and energetic experience is felt nicely. The male vocals don’t sound shrill or lean, instead they sound fuller and neat.
The upper mid range is also nicely done where the presentation is nice and forward with fuller female vocals. The sibilance or the lean vocals are not experienced here. The upper midrange emphasis is not overly done.
The clarity and the separation is above average and most importantly the imaging and the layering are the strong aspects of the Falcon Pro. The detail retrieval area above average being a single DD. The spacious and the airier sound is neatly presented here.
With the reference filter the mid range is not great at all where everything sounded muffled and boxed out but after swapping to the Atmospheric Immersion filter everything changed where the mid range is livelier and open sounding.
Tracks Used:
The treble in the Falcon Pro is well and safely tuned. The extension is good but don't expect a god tier detail retrieval since this is not a hybrid or an all BA iem. The clarity and the presentation is above average for a single DD iem.
The presentation is engaging and fun signature yet still delivers some analytical sound too. The treble is not overly emphasized hence they don’t sound sharp or artificial. The cymbal crash sounds precise where the attack and the decay feels natural and snappier. The crispier sound of the cymbal is more engaging.
The treble has that adequate brightness delivering above average clarity. The separation of the instruments are neatly done thus they don’t sound clustered out. The shimmer and the brilliance in the top end is elegantly brought out. The stringed instruments and the trumpets sounds natural and has that nice tonality overall. They are not the brightest and crispiest sounding earphone and being in a fun profile the treble is nothing to complain about.
Tracks Used:
STAGING: The staging is nice and wide. They feel very wide enough where everything feels nicely separated out with more than enough space in between the instruments and the vocals. The depth and the height is above average and they are not that big enough when compared to the width it possesses.
IMAGING: The imaging feels precise and easy to point out all the details without any issues. Even in the busy and complex tracks one can easily point out the things precisely. The channel sweep feels pretty smooth and the transient response also feels the same.
The layering and the separation are excellent for a single DD iem. The macro details are better than the micro details. The resolutions are above average for the price too.
TONALITY AND TIMBRE: The tonality feels thick and warm. They don’t have any metallic taste or have that artificial tone. Everything feels natural and warm. The overall tonality is non offensive and has that safe tonality. Even during longer listening sessions they are pretty good to listen to.
The instruments have that natural timbre and nothing feels artificial. Nice and thick sounding overall.
VERDICT:
Falcon Pro, the latest offering from the Dunu is a pretty great one in a Single DD lineup. The falcon Pro possesses a 10mm DLC Coated eclipse dynamic driver delivering some thumpy dynamic sound. The additional replaceable tuning nozzle design also adds an advantage to the versatility of the Falcon Pro.
The Falcon Pro profile is a U shaped with some engaging and fun taste to it. The stock sound out of the reference sound appeared too bloated out and had that noticeable mid bass bleed but after changing to the atmospheric immersion filter the sound appeared very nice and beautiful.
The whole sound appeared perfect with the atmospheric immersion filter and its kind of midrange focused thus the vocals and the instruments sounded absolutely wonderful. The low end is quite great and even had adequate quantity and quality in all the filters. It's more of a mid bass focussed but it would have been great if the sub bass emphasis is done better.
The treble is safely tuned and has a clear and neat presentation. They are not the best in terms of micro details but the macro details are neatly laid out. The resolution is above average too.
So the Falcon Pro is priced at 219 USD and is it worth the price? Well it depends.. At a cheaper price the Timeless 7hz is available! The falcon pro does have some advantages like the forwardly presented vocals but other than that the Timeless does sound better. The stage width seems to be slightly wider in the Falcon Pro and even the layering is slightly ahead than Timeless. The timeless however excels in the low end, detail retrieval, treble and most importantly value for money. It all comes down to the preference of the user since after all the Falcon Pro is a SPACIOUS LIMOUSINE!
Dunu is a brand based out of China and specialised in IEM and Cable manufacturing. This is my first encounter with the brand since I haven't tried any of their products before. The TITAN series were known for their superior sound quality and the build. The Falcon Pro is their latest offering in the mid range segment and in this review let's check out if the falcon pro really stacks up against the competitors in this price range.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by Team HiFiGo. I have not been influenced by them to manipulate my views in this product hence the whole review is completely based on my experience with it and also based on my pairings and sources. This view might differ from person to person.
You can purchase the Falcon pro via this link (non-affiliated): https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-falcon-pro
SPECIFICATIONS:
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
SENSITIVITY: 112 ± 1 dB at 1 kHz
IMPEDANCE: 26 Ω at 1 kHz
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: < 0.3% at 1 kHz
DIAPHRAGM: 10 mm diaphragm with amorphous diamond-like carbon dome and fully independent suspension surround
HOUSING MATERIAL: < 0.3% at 1 kHz
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: Stainless Steel
INTEGRATION(S): Dual chambered, anti-resonance shell design
Interchangeable tuning nozzles (Atmospheric Immersion, Reference, Transparency)
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2 ± 0.1 m
CABLE MATERIAL: 6N silver-plated OCC copper
CABLE CONNECTOR: Patented Catch-Hold® MMCX Connector
PLUG CONNECTOR: DUNU Quick-Switch Modular Plug System (NEW)
INCLUDED PLUG TERMINATION(S)
4.4 mm TRRRS Balanced
3.5 mm TRS Single-Ended
2.5 mm TRRS Balanced
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Falcon Pro is quite unique where it appears as an oval shaped design. The faceplate has that unique brushed finish in the borders while the center is polished and has the branding. On the brushed area the dunu branding is done in an animated way which looks really nice in real. In the inner aspect of the earpiece they have given three vents for the pressure equalisation.
The nozzle is of good length and has screwable tuning filters for versatility in sound. The MMCX connector area is nice and angled. The given cable is of good quality and the unique thing about it is the terminations can be interchanged. The additional terminations are also provided in the package thus you are covered to pair it with various sources. The interchangeable process is pretty easy and the connection is tight and secure. The cable in terms of in hand feel they are not that impressive but considering the practicality it possesses it seems they are one of the bang for buck cables.
The tuning nozzles are housed in a metallic plate and the nozzles can be attached to the earpiece via screwing.
The given eartips are good in terms of quality and one can achieve a good fit and seal via the provided ear tips.
The given case is a hard shell cloth braided green coloured case which is very nice in hand and does have a lot of space inside them to accommodate the earphones without any issues. The thing is the lid and the base portion is attached by an elastic string which makes the case limited in terms of opening hence it feels difficult to place the earphones inside the case.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Falcon Pro is very energetic and slightly a U shaped profile. The midrange takes a hit a little bit but with the different filters applied the sound does change noticeably making them a versatile IEM. The sound profile in each filters and the response in each frequency will be seen in detail in the following sections:
Source: iPhone + Zen Can + Avani
LOW END:
The low end is quite a dominating aspect of the Falcon Pro since they are that pronounced in every filter they provided. Even though they are pronounced they are not overwhelmingly done instead they are a sweet spot.
Especially i like the low end in the Atmospheric Immersion filter. Here the low end is more controlled, tighter and even the decay is at a sweet spot where they are fast enough at the same time they do provide some rumble in the sub bass region. The mid bas bleed is reduced a lot when compared to the low end in the other two filters.
Nonetheless the low end in the Falcon Pro is more of a mid bass focused which is kind of a con for me since i like the sub bass presence more. The sub bass is present but not that emphasized as that of the mid bass done here. The quality of the bass is better in the falcon pro where the texture and the detail retrieval in the low end is very impressive considering a single DD earphone.
The low end has that mature texture while also trying to bring out the low end details as much as possible. The mid bass is overly emphasized in the reference filter compared to the atmospheric immersion which made the whole listening experience boxed out but this changes instantly after switching the filters.
The sub bass could have been improved a bit but that's a small con otherwise the rest of the low end quality and the quantity is just well tuned in the Falcon Pro.
Tracks Used:
- Bigfoot – Malfnktion
- Instant Crush – Daft Punk
- Contact – Daft Punk
- Why So Serious – Hans Zimmer
The mid range of the Falcon Pro is good in terms of placement and layering. Even though they are slightly pushed back especially the instruments the placement is done very well. The instruments are layered out very well thus they feel very wide and spacious.
The lower mids has that nice thick bodied sound carrying on from the Mid bass presence is evidently noticed here. The male vocals sound thick and forward hence the engaging and energetic experience is felt nicely. The male vocals don’t sound shrill or lean, instead they sound fuller and neat.
The upper mid range is also nicely done where the presentation is nice and forward with fuller female vocals. The sibilance or the lean vocals are not experienced here. The upper midrange emphasis is not overly done.
The clarity and the separation is above average and most importantly the imaging and the layering are the strong aspects of the Falcon Pro. The detail retrieval area above average being a single DD. The spacious and the airier sound is neatly presented here.
With the reference filter the mid range is not great at all where everything sounded muffled and boxed out but after swapping to the Atmospheric Immersion filter everything changed where the mid range is livelier and open sounding.
Tracks Used:
- Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- The Blowers Daughter – Damien Rice
- Easy On Me – Adele
The treble in the Falcon Pro is well and safely tuned. The extension is good but don't expect a god tier detail retrieval since this is not a hybrid or an all BA iem. The clarity and the presentation is above average for a single DD iem.
The presentation is engaging and fun signature yet still delivers some analytical sound too. The treble is not overly emphasized hence they don’t sound sharp or artificial. The cymbal crash sounds precise where the attack and the decay feels natural and snappier. The crispier sound of the cymbal is more engaging.
The treble has that adequate brightness delivering above average clarity. The separation of the instruments are neatly done thus they don’t sound clustered out. The shimmer and the brilliance in the top end is elegantly brought out. The stringed instruments and the trumpets sounds natural and has that nice tonality overall. They are not the brightest and crispiest sounding earphone and being in a fun profile the treble is nothing to complain about.
Tracks Used:
- Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
- Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits
- Jack Of Speed – Steely Dan
STAGING: The staging is nice and wide. They feel very wide enough where everything feels nicely separated out with more than enough space in between the instruments and the vocals. The depth and the height is above average and they are not that big enough when compared to the width it possesses.
IMAGING: The imaging feels precise and easy to point out all the details without any issues. Even in the busy and complex tracks one can easily point out the things precisely. The channel sweep feels pretty smooth and the transient response also feels the same.
The layering and the separation are excellent for a single DD iem. The macro details are better than the micro details. The resolutions are above average for the price too.
TONALITY AND TIMBRE: The tonality feels thick and warm. They don’t have any metallic taste or have that artificial tone. Everything feels natural and warm. The overall tonality is non offensive and has that safe tonality. Even during longer listening sessions they are pretty good to listen to.
The instruments have that natural timbre and nothing feels artificial. Nice and thick sounding overall.
VERDICT:
Falcon Pro, the latest offering from the Dunu is a pretty great one in a Single DD lineup. The falcon Pro possesses a 10mm DLC Coated eclipse dynamic driver delivering some thumpy dynamic sound. The additional replaceable tuning nozzle design also adds an advantage to the versatility of the Falcon Pro.
The Falcon Pro profile is a U shaped with some engaging and fun taste to it. The stock sound out of the reference sound appeared too bloated out and had that noticeable mid bass bleed but after changing to the atmospheric immersion filter the sound appeared very nice and beautiful.
The whole sound appeared perfect with the atmospheric immersion filter and its kind of midrange focused thus the vocals and the instruments sounded absolutely wonderful. The low end is quite great and even had adequate quantity and quality in all the filters. It's more of a mid bass focussed but it would have been great if the sub bass emphasis is done better.
The treble is safely tuned and has a clear and neat presentation. They are not the best in terms of micro details but the macro details are neatly laid out. The resolution is above average too.
So the Falcon Pro is priced at 219 USD and is it worth the price? Well it depends.. At a cheaper price the Timeless 7hz is available! The falcon pro does have some advantages like the forwardly presented vocals but other than that the Timeless does sound better. The stage width seems to be slightly wider in the Falcon Pro and even the layering is slightly ahead than Timeless. The timeless however excels in the low end, detail retrieval, treble and most importantly value for money. It all comes down to the preference of the user since after all the Falcon Pro is a SPACIOUS LIMOUSINE!
05.vishal
Nice one... What do you feel about Kato's standing against Falcon Pro.
INTRODUCTION:
BQEYZ, the underdog brand based out of Guangdong, China is known for its excellent high quality in ear monitors. Their motto is simple “BEST QUALITY EARPHONES FOR YOU '' and in reality they fulfill that and the Spring series, Summer are proof of that. And to get added in that lineup of proof the Autumn is now included and in this review lets see why this is the best earphone that you can get under 200 USD.
Interestingly the BQEYZ went in a single DD route where their flagship usually will be a Tribrid where the Piezo is always included and surprisingly the Single DD is much capable.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by Elle Zhou, the proprietor of the BQEYZ Audio for a fair price in exchange for my honest opinion on the product. I have not been influenced by the brand and the views are completely based on my pairings and source hence it might differ from person to person.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Model: 13mm dynamic driver
Impedance: 46Ω
Sensitivity: 110dB
Frequency response: 7-40kHz
Cable length: 1.2m
Cable connector: 2pin 0.78mm
Plug: 2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Autumn is the same as that of the Summer but now the overall size has been reduced to fit most of the ear shapes. Also the build has been changed to metal instead of the plastic used in the Summer.
The ear fins now are rounded and smooth hence the ear fatigue after longer wearing sessions are now not present. The outer is now matt finished hence the fingerprints and the scratches are devoid of happening. The interchangeable filters are given on the inner side of the IEM which can be easily swapped out using the given magic wand ( magnetic stick ☺ ).
The 2 pin connector is nicely recessed inside the body and when the cable is connected they are nicely snug fitted, no loose connections are observed. The big air vent is provided on the inner aspect of the IEM.
Package:
BQEYZ Autumn
Single crystal copper silver-plated mixed braid cable
3 pairs of tuner
Magnetic tuner pole
Tuner holder
6 pairs of eartips(S/M/L)
Carrying case
Clean brush
The given cable is very good in terms of touch, feel and look. The cable looks like it is made of graphene and it's a SPC cable which is 4 core braided cable with nice supple in feel and the ear guides are easily adaptable. The termination area, splitter and the connector area are made of metal hence the durability is of no question.
The given case is a faux leather zipper pouch that got included in the Summer but now the touch and feel has improved.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Autumn is fairly balanced and nothing feels cut out or recessed in the overall listening. The sound that this delivers is very surprising since most of the BQEYZ products are either a hybrid or a tribrid but this being a single 13mm DD the sound is much more matured, well tuned than their predecessors. The swappable magnetic filters added a big bonus point to this Autumn making this a very versatile IEM in the market.
LOW END:
The low end of the Autumn is well tuned with delivering some great technicalities in the low end which most of the balanced and neutral guys love it but if you are basshead the normal filter will not satisfy you since that lacks the slam and weight rather it has more faster decay thus giving that nice separated and balanced profile. But here's the magic, you need slamming bass then swap to the Bass filter just in a second using the magic wand that they have provided! In this section we will discuss the low end performance based on all the filters.
NORMAL FILTER:
Quality – Well textured, controlled, separated and has good technicalities. The low end feels faster in decay and attack thus they feel more open sounding and feels completely natural and just represents how a balanced to neutral bass would feel.
Quantity: Here’s the thing the quantity lacks in the normal filter. The slam and the weight feels very light thus the rumble is not that satisfying. Both the mid and the sub bass feels lighter and of course it's a matter of taste since bassheads would prefer more rumble and the slower decay while the neutral lovers opposite.
BASS FILTER:
Quality: Surprisingly in the bass filter even though the bass has been increased by +3dB the quality remains the same. Of Course the decay is slightly slower but other than that the texture, separation and the technicalities are not compromised. I'm just loving it in the bass filter.
Quantity: Now you are talking! With the bass filter you get that satisfying rumble yet maintaining that clarity and the separation. Now the decay got slower thus the rumble is very sweet to hear at the same time the mid bass is also slightly boosted but not overly done thus no darker background or congested feeling. Now the bassheads would be more pleased towards this set.
Overall the bass is just magnificent in this and this is what im talking about in the intro section, this is such a versatile IEM! The bass can be made from neutral to a monster within seconds! How versatile it is!
NEUTRAL + QUALITY = NORMAL FILTER
MONSTER + QUALITY = BASS FILTER
Tracks Used:
The midrange of the Autumn is another marvellous aspect where both the upper and the lower mids are equal in terms of emphasis. The midrange never feels recessed or hazed out instead they are revealed up neatly. The balanced profile of the midrange is very beautifully executed here since the low end here is very good, where most of the earphones tend to have a hazy midrange with authoritative bass.
VOCALS: The vocals are beautifully rendered here where both the male and the female vocals have that fuller body sound. The positioning is done very well where they are not in the face type neither too laid back, they are positioned at a very good position in the staging providing nice engaging and the energetic stance. The tonality of the vocals is just balanced to neutral and almost looks like no colouration. No shrillness of the female vocal is observed thus the upper mid emphasis sounds beautiful here.
Bass Filter: The mid range almost feels the same as the normal filter but in the bass filter there is slight decrease in the staging and just a hint less of open sound other than that it retains most of the technical aspects.
INSTRUMENTALS: The instrumental is positioned well here where all the strings, kick drums and the piano notes are rendered well without any recession. The timbre of the instruments sounds near to realistic without any colouration. The separation and the air is massive in the autumn thus nothing feel constricted out. The detail retrieval is above average and even though they are not upto the mark of ALL BA but still for a DD the coherency and the quality it posses is just marvellous.
The kick drums have nice weight and impact, piano notes retaining that natural tone and positioning while the strings sound very natural too. The layering of the instruments are neatly done and one can easily point out the placement of the instruments.
Overall the midrange feels very airier and open sounding without any congestion along with that nice and pleasing tonality. The staging seems very wide and the technicalities are rock solid being a single DD. Especially that layering and macro details were found to be very promising. The micro details were also nice considering the configuration. A well tuned coherent midrange overall
Tracks Used:
The treble of the Autumn is excellent where it covers most of the aspects correctly. It's crispier at the same time they never cause any ear fatigue. Has that energy in them thus they sound very livelier with open sound. The separation and the detail retrieval are very good for the price and it quite impressed me since it sounds very good that some of the BA earphones out there.
The treble brightness is nice and adequate giving this earphone a nice and open sound. Since the staging is also pretty wider and deeper the instruments and the vocals have a massive amount of room to breathe thus they never feel congested.
The sibilance is not observed in my listening and no weird hotness or peaks are observed during my listening.
BASS FILTER: In the bass filter the treble feels very good which is the same as that of the normal filter. They got that crispy and energetic sound yet keeping all the cons factors under control. It has a great amount of air and possesses some serious separation which is very pleasant to hear.
TREBLE FILTER: The treble tends to be boosted to +3dB which is good for some classical but for me they are not that great where the normal and the bass filter has better treble control over this. The treble is sparkled up too much and of course the treble heads out there will like it but for a balanced listening the bass and the normal filters would do the job.
The kind of treble that the Autumn delivers is equal to that of the Planar drivers. The achievement that the BQEYZ done with a single DD is impeccable. The treble is detailed yet smooth with some great resolution capabilities. Hats off team!
Tracks Used:
STAGING: The staging of the Autumn is big in all stances. In terms of width, height and the depth they feel bigger when compared to their predecessors. They feel nice and wide with the height being very nice. It's difficult to find earphones with a nice height and Autumn is a rare case. The depth is nice and deeper, especially with the bass filter. In the normal filter the width is slightly more in quantity but the depth lacks while the wise versa in the Bass filter.
Overall the staging is excellent and it's an expansive one with a grand presentation.
IMAGING: The imaging is the other solid aspect of the Autumn. They feel very precise and easy to pinpoint even when the track is busy. The channel sweep feels very smoother and since the staging is wide and deep the layering of the instruments also felt very nice. No haziness or cloudiness is seen.
Detail Retrieval and the resolution are excellent in the Autumn. Even some of the all BA iem would get lost competing this and this Autumn is that good!
The macro details especially are very vibrant and beautiful. The balanced sound along with the colourful presentation that Autumn delivers is just mesmerising.
Tracks Used:
VERDICT:
Autumn being their latest and the flagship product from the house of BQEYZ Audio does tick all the boxes for being a worthy contender in this 200usd price bracket. From the beginning the BQEYZ products never let me down in terms of sound and this continues with the Autumn too.
The Summer, their last product being very aggressive and energetic like a summer season, the Autumn from the brand marks the nice and smooth upgrade of the Summer. As the Autumn season transitions from the summer season with a nice and chill climate the Autumn shows the nice transition of the sound signature from being too energetic and aggressive to smooth, balanced and cooler sound yet with some energy. Overall I'm just loving this climate and its related Autumn sound!
The sound profile of the Autumn is fairly balanced with a slight U shaped profile. The bass being excellent in quality while the quantity can be changed in a matter of seconds by swapping the filters is just another level of innovation. The midrange feels airy and well separated with pleasing and natural tonality. The treble being detailed yet smooth edgeness gives the Autumn a solid support for claiming it to be the best sounding IEM under 200USD.
Those magnetic swappable filters are just mind blowing innovation and I would appreciate other brands to use this tech in their products too. I'm also in love with that magic wand ☺.
The package is always to the level of BQEYZ Standards. That mini plate containing the filters is elegantly crafted. The earpieces are just bliss to touch having a nice metal construction with nice matt finish. The accessories given are premium in quality and no doubt in that.
Overall, do I recommend the Autumn? Hell yeah! It's a perfect upgrade over all the BQEYZ Products and especially the Summer. Being a versatile and multifaceted iem i would pick this Autumn over any other earphone eyes closed.
BQEYZ, the underdog brand based out of Guangdong, China is known for its excellent high quality in ear monitors. Their motto is simple “BEST QUALITY EARPHONES FOR YOU '' and in reality they fulfill that and the Spring series, Summer are proof of that. And to get added in that lineup of proof the Autumn is now included and in this review lets see why this is the best earphone that you can get under 200 USD.
Interestingly the BQEYZ went in a single DD route where their flagship usually will be a Tribrid where the Piezo is always included and surprisingly the Single DD is much capable.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by Elle Zhou, the proprietor of the BQEYZ Audio for a fair price in exchange for my honest opinion on the product. I have not been influenced by the brand and the views are completely based on my pairings and source hence it might differ from person to person.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Model: 13mm dynamic driver
Impedance: 46Ω
Sensitivity: 110dB
Frequency response: 7-40kHz
Cable length: 1.2m
Cable connector: 2pin 0.78mm
Plug: 2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Autumn is the same as that of the Summer but now the overall size has been reduced to fit most of the ear shapes. Also the build has been changed to metal instead of the plastic used in the Summer.
The ear fins now are rounded and smooth hence the ear fatigue after longer wearing sessions are now not present. The outer is now matt finished hence the fingerprints and the scratches are devoid of happening. The interchangeable filters are given on the inner side of the IEM which can be easily swapped out using the given magic wand ( magnetic stick ☺ ).
The 2 pin connector is nicely recessed inside the body and when the cable is connected they are nicely snug fitted, no loose connections are observed. The big air vent is provided on the inner aspect of the IEM.
Package:
BQEYZ Autumn
Single crystal copper silver-plated mixed braid cable
3 pairs of tuner
Magnetic tuner pole
Tuner holder
6 pairs of eartips(S/M/L)
Carrying case
Clean brush
The given cable is very good in terms of touch, feel and look. The cable looks like it is made of graphene and it's a SPC cable which is 4 core braided cable with nice supple in feel and the ear guides are easily adaptable. The termination area, splitter and the connector area are made of metal hence the durability is of no question.
The given case is a faux leather zipper pouch that got included in the Summer but now the touch and feel has improved.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Autumn is fairly balanced and nothing feels cut out or recessed in the overall listening. The sound that this delivers is very surprising since most of the BQEYZ products are either a hybrid or a tribrid but this being a single 13mm DD the sound is much more matured, well tuned than their predecessors. The swappable magnetic filters added a big bonus point to this Autumn making this a very versatile IEM in the market.
LOW END:
The low end of the Autumn is well tuned with delivering some great technicalities in the low end which most of the balanced and neutral guys love it but if you are basshead the normal filter will not satisfy you since that lacks the slam and weight rather it has more faster decay thus giving that nice separated and balanced profile. But here's the magic, you need slamming bass then swap to the Bass filter just in a second using the magic wand that they have provided! In this section we will discuss the low end performance based on all the filters.
NORMAL FILTER:
Quality – Well textured, controlled, separated and has good technicalities. The low end feels faster in decay and attack thus they feel more open sounding and feels completely natural and just represents how a balanced to neutral bass would feel.
Quantity: Here’s the thing the quantity lacks in the normal filter. The slam and the weight feels very light thus the rumble is not that satisfying. Both the mid and the sub bass feels lighter and of course it's a matter of taste since bassheads would prefer more rumble and the slower decay while the neutral lovers opposite.
BASS FILTER:
Quality: Surprisingly in the bass filter even though the bass has been increased by +3dB the quality remains the same. Of Course the decay is slightly slower but other than that the texture, separation and the technicalities are not compromised. I'm just loving it in the bass filter.
Quantity: Now you are talking! With the bass filter you get that satisfying rumble yet maintaining that clarity and the separation. Now the decay got slower thus the rumble is very sweet to hear at the same time the mid bass is also slightly boosted but not overly done thus no darker background or congested feeling. Now the bassheads would be more pleased towards this set.
Overall the bass is just magnificent in this and this is what im talking about in the intro section, this is such a versatile IEM! The bass can be made from neutral to a monster within seconds! How versatile it is!
NEUTRAL + QUALITY = NORMAL FILTER
MONSTER + QUALITY = BASS FILTER
Tracks Used:
- Bigfoot – Malfnktion
- Take It – Seige
- Without Armour – Hans Zimmer
The midrange of the Autumn is another marvellous aspect where both the upper and the lower mids are equal in terms of emphasis. The midrange never feels recessed or hazed out instead they are revealed up neatly. The balanced profile of the midrange is very beautifully executed here since the low end here is very good, where most of the earphones tend to have a hazy midrange with authoritative bass.
VOCALS: The vocals are beautifully rendered here where both the male and the female vocals have that fuller body sound. The positioning is done very well where they are not in the face type neither too laid back, they are positioned at a very good position in the staging providing nice engaging and the energetic stance. The tonality of the vocals is just balanced to neutral and almost looks like no colouration. No shrillness of the female vocal is observed thus the upper mid emphasis sounds beautiful here.
Bass Filter: The mid range almost feels the same as the normal filter but in the bass filter there is slight decrease in the staging and just a hint less of open sound other than that it retains most of the technical aspects.
INSTRUMENTALS: The instrumental is positioned well here where all the strings, kick drums and the piano notes are rendered well without any recession. The timbre of the instruments sounds near to realistic without any colouration. The separation and the air is massive in the autumn thus nothing feel constricted out. The detail retrieval is above average and even though they are not upto the mark of ALL BA but still for a DD the coherency and the quality it posses is just marvellous.
The kick drums have nice weight and impact, piano notes retaining that natural tone and positioning while the strings sound very natural too. The layering of the instruments are neatly done and one can easily point out the placement of the instruments.
Overall the midrange feels very airier and open sounding without any congestion along with that nice and pleasing tonality. The staging seems very wide and the technicalities are rock solid being a single DD. Especially that layering and macro details were found to be very promising. The micro details were also nice considering the configuration. A well tuned coherent midrange overall
Tracks Used:
- Hotel California – Eagles
- When Christmas Comes To Town – Polar Express
- When You Say Nothing At All – Susan Wong
The treble of the Autumn is excellent where it covers most of the aspects correctly. It's crispier at the same time they never cause any ear fatigue. Has that energy in them thus they sound very livelier with open sound. The separation and the detail retrieval are very good for the price and it quite impressed me since it sounds very good that some of the BA earphones out there.
The treble brightness is nice and adequate giving this earphone a nice and open sound. Since the staging is also pretty wider and deeper the instruments and the vocals have a massive amount of room to breathe thus they never feel congested.
The sibilance is not observed in my listening and no weird hotness or peaks are observed during my listening.
BASS FILTER: In the bass filter the treble feels very good which is the same as that of the normal filter. They got that crispy and energetic sound yet keeping all the cons factors under control. It has a great amount of air and possesses some serious separation which is very pleasant to hear.
TREBLE FILTER: The treble tends to be boosted to +3dB which is good for some classical but for me they are not that great where the normal and the bass filter has better treble control over this. The treble is sparkled up too much and of course the treble heads out there will like it but for a balanced listening the bass and the normal filters would do the job.
The kind of treble that the Autumn delivers is equal to that of the Planar drivers. The achievement that the BQEYZ done with a single DD is impeccable. The treble is detailed yet smooth with some great resolution capabilities. Hats off team!
Tracks Used:
- Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
- Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
- Jack Of Speed – Steely Dan
STAGING: The staging of the Autumn is big in all stances. In terms of width, height and the depth they feel bigger when compared to their predecessors. They feel nice and wide with the height being very nice. It's difficult to find earphones with a nice height and Autumn is a rare case. The depth is nice and deeper, especially with the bass filter. In the normal filter the width is slightly more in quantity but the depth lacks while the wise versa in the Bass filter.
Overall the staging is excellent and it's an expansive one with a grand presentation.
IMAGING: The imaging is the other solid aspect of the Autumn. They feel very precise and easy to pinpoint even when the track is busy. The channel sweep feels very smoother and since the staging is wide and deep the layering of the instruments also felt very nice. No haziness or cloudiness is seen.
Detail Retrieval and the resolution are excellent in the Autumn. Even some of the all BA iem would get lost competing this and this Autumn is that good!
The macro details especially are very vibrant and beautiful. The balanced sound along with the colourful presentation that Autumn delivers is just mesmerising.
Tracks Used:
- Hideaway – Jacob Collier
- Sirens Of The Sea – Ocean Labs
- Without Armour – Hans Zimmer
VERDICT:
Autumn being their latest and the flagship product from the house of BQEYZ Audio does tick all the boxes for being a worthy contender in this 200usd price bracket. From the beginning the BQEYZ products never let me down in terms of sound and this continues with the Autumn too.
The Summer, their last product being very aggressive and energetic like a summer season, the Autumn from the brand marks the nice and smooth upgrade of the Summer. As the Autumn season transitions from the summer season with a nice and chill climate the Autumn shows the nice transition of the sound signature from being too energetic and aggressive to smooth, balanced and cooler sound yet with some energy. Overall I'm just loving this climate and its related Autumn sound!
The sound profile of the Autumn is fairly balanced with a slight U shaped profile. The bass being excellent in quality while the quantity can be changed in a matter of seconds by swapping the filters is just another level of innovation. The midrange feels airy and well separated with pleasing and natural tonality. The treble being detailed yet smooth edgeness gives the Autumn a solid support for claiming it to be the best sounding IEM under 200USD.
Those magnetic swappable filters are just mind blowing innovation and I would appreciate other brands to use this tech in their products too. I'm also in love with that magic wand ☺.
The package is always to the level of BQEYZ Standards. That mini plate containing the filters is elegantly crafted. The earpieces are just bliss to touch having a nice metal construction with nice matt finish. The accessories given are premium in quality and no doubt in that.
Overall, do I recommend the Autumn? Hell yeah! It's a perfect upgrade over all the BQEYZ Products and especially the Summer. Being a versatile and multifaceted iem i would pick this Autumn over any other earphone eyes closed.
INTRODUCTION:
The BGVP, a big player in the chifi audio industry needs no introduction. The DM6 is their first legendary success product which delivered an amazing sound without using any DD’s which is quite impressive by the team. Now they have released the DH5 with a five driver configuration with a Be DD. Previously they were not able to make a noise with the Be Dynamic Driver with their DN3 and now to relive the project they have launched the DH5. In this review let's check out if they really stack up in the competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review by the BGVP and I have not been influenced by the brand to manipulate this review. The views are subjective since it varies from person to person based on the gears and sources used to test out.
SPECIFICATIONS:
>10mm beryllium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver unit.
>Four high-performance Balanced Armature drivers(2 from Knowles+2 custom BA units).
>Impedance: 19 ohm.
>Sensitivity: 119dB/mW.
>Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.
>Frequency response range: 10Hz-40kHz.
>THD+N: ≤0.5%.
>Rated power: 8mW
DESIGN AND FIT:
The earpieces are completely made out of resin which is lightweight. The faceplate has a dark signature with some dark glitters. The side of the earpiece has a vent and the unusual thing is the qdc! Why not the simple 2 pin connection?!
The fit is average and even though they are quite small the noise isolation they provide is just mediocre. The cable they have provided is nice which has that premium look. They are 2 core braided and have that nice supple feel in the hands. The splitter and the termination area are metal plated.
The given eartips are good and do help in attaining the good fit and isolation.
SOUND:
The sound signature of the DH5 is very difficult to interpret since they are completely weird to me. They sound very open and have a very forward presentation. The low end and the treble are mostly pushed back hence the engagement and the energy just simply lacking in this set. In this review let’s dive into the complete sectioning of the audio.
LOW END:
BGVP says that they have used the Be driver in this but frankly this just doesn’t sound like a Be! The last model DN3 sounded the same Non-Be nature even though they had it. The same sound is followed in the DH5 too! The bass just doesn’t sound like what Be usually sounds.
SUB BASS: The sub bass feels completely lacking and bassheads beware of this earphone! The sub bass presence feels null and even in some bass heavy tracks with strong sub bass presence the DH5 fails to represent them. Both in terms of quantity and the quality they feel completely lacking.
MID BASS: Same as the sub bass but the presence can be felt slightly. The quality however is definitely underwhelming. The mid bass lacks the attack and the weight. The kick drums don't have that strong impact in the DH5 thus they sound very loose and broken.
The low end lacks the tightness, slam and weight. The attack is pretty fast and the clarity is fine since they don’t sound heavier. Since it lacks that rumble, stage presence and the slam they just feel lacklustre and null low end. The mid bass being very lean they don’t mingle with the mid range much hence in that regard they are not an issue.
Being a faster driver the low end feels lean and the presence feels negligible. Even though they can handle some faster tracks the impact that it creates is not worthy. Overall the low end is pretty disappointing and doesn’t prove that they have used a Be driver.
Tracks Used:
MID RANGE:
The most weird part in the DH5 is the midrange. They felt very open and the forward presentation made it one of the most hazy and cloudy midranges I have ever heard. The openness is not in a controlled manner and in that regards a laidback presentation would have been better instead they have gone with the most forward positioning which made the whole presentation hazy and cloudy.
The tonality appears neutral but the positioning of the instruments and the vocals just doesn’t feel correct. The technicalities aspect in the midrange feels not the best and does the job. The detail retrieval is just mediocre. The guitar strings and the piano notes appear natural but as i said before, they lack the impact and the presence. The notes are very monotonous to hear and sometimes the too forward positioning of the vocals just pushes the instrumentals way backward.
Overall the midrange is just a weird tuning. The upper mids and the lower mids have that equal emphasis but still then the presentation and the tuning feels out of balance. The BA’s that they have implemented definitely don’t do the job here as per the plan it seems.
Tracks Used:
The treble lacks the extension thus they sound not that exciting. Even though they have that brightness in the whole presentation still they lack that engaging and energetic experience. The separation and the airiness feel fine. The sibilance is kept under control. The lower treble emphasis is good but again the brilliance is not that nicely tuned out.
The shimmer and sparkle in the top end is just missing which makes this a dull sounding pair. When it comes to the technicalities they are not that great in terms of detail retrieval and clarity. The only good thing in the DH5 is that the very open sound which again is also a con where it pushed back the instrumentals very much backward.
Tracks Used:
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: Weird.... The width and the depth are just mediocre while the height being the greatest. I don’t know why they are not symmetrical! Since the height being the largest they sound different. Everything appears coming up from the top and sometimes even feels claustrophobic. Overall not impressed a bit
IMAGING: Nothing fancy here. The pointing out of instruments is not that nice and easy. The thing is since the presentation is hazy the positioning of the instruments itself got messy. The transient response is lacking and the channel sweep is not good at all. Everything looks boxed out and in my frank opinion this is just disappointment in terms of technicalities.
Detail retrieval, resolution are just mediocre, nothing to brag about.
Tracks Used:
DH5, the latest offering from the BGVP, is mediocre in my opinion. The sound curve follows the same as that of the DN3 if not it's worse than that. I don’t know why BGVP is still sticking with the Be driver since the last product with that driver lost in the competition. Apart from the DM6,DMS and DMG most of the products tend to be a let down for me. Had a big hope for this product but again this is just a let down again. Even with the hybrid setup the DH5 just fails to deliver what they are meant to.
Talking about the sound, this definitely doesn’t have the character of a Be! The bass is just weightless, impactless, dull and loose. Literally they done have any soul or expression in them, just a dull and loose mid bass which has no liveliness in them (no slam). The mid range is completely weird where the positioning of the instruments is completely off and the whole presentation feels hazy and cloudy. The highs don't have that clarity and the brilliance instead they feel boring and lacklustre.
The only advantage I can see here is the Soundstage height which is definitely not symmetrical in relation to the depth and the width. Again if you are a fan of this kind of sound then this might be the pick for you and it's better to audition this unit before the purchase. Based on my experience this is a let down and I would pick the TIN T3 PLUS over this anyday and it's far better in all the aspects. The DH5 again shows that it's another STALE project from the house of BGVP.
The BGVP, a big player in the chifi audio industry needs no introduction. The DM6 is their first legendary success product which delivered an amazing sound without using any DD’s which is quite impressive by the team. Now they have released the DH5 with a five driver configuration with a Be DD. Previously they were not able to make a noise with the Be Dynamic Driver with their DN3 and now to relive the project they have launched the DH5. In this review let's check out if they really stack up in the competition.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review by the BGVP and I have not been influenced by the brand to manipulate this review. The views are subjective since it varies from person to person based on the gears and sources used to test out.
SPECIFICATIONS:
>10mm beryllium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver unit.
>Four high-performance Balanced Armature drivers(2 from Knowles+2 custom BA units).
>Impedance: 19 ohm.
>Sensitivity: 119dB/mW.
>Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.
>Frequency response range: 10Hz-40kHz.
>THD+N: ≤0.5%.
>Rated power: 8mW
DESIGN AND FIT:
The earpieces are completely made out of resin which is lightweight. The faceplate has a dark signature with some dark glitters. The side of the earpiece has a vent and the unusual thing is the qdc! Why not the simple 2 pin connection?!
The fit is average and even though they are quite small the noise isolation they provide is just mediocre. The cable they have provided is nice which has that premium look. They are 2 core braided and have that nice supple feel in the hands. The splitter and the termination area are metal plated.
The given eartips are good and do help in attaining the good fit and isolation.
SOUND:
The sound signature of the DH5 is very difficult to interpret since they are completely weird to me. They sound very open and have a very forward presentation. The low end and the treble are mostly pushed back hence the engagement and the energy just simply lacking in this set. In this review let’s dive into the complete sectioning of the audio.
LOW END:
BGVP says that they have used the Be driver in this but frankly this just doesn’t sound like a Be! The last model DN3 sounded the same Non-Be nature even though they had it. The same sound is followed in the DH5 too! The bass just doesn’t sound like what Be usually sounds.
SUB BASS: The sub bass feels completely lacking and bassheads beware of this earphone! The sub bass presence feels null and even in some bass heavy tracks with strong sub bass presence the DH5 fails to represent them. Both in terms of quantity and the quality they feel completely lacking.
MID BASS: Same as the sub bass but the presence can be felt slightly. The quality however is definitely underwhelming. The mid bass lacks the attack and the weight. The kick drums don't have that strong impact in the DH5 thus they sound very loose and broken.
The low end lacks the tightness, slam and weight. The attack is pretty fast and the clarity is fine since they don’t sound heavier. Since it lacks that rumble, stage presence and the slam they just feel lacklustre and null low end. The mid bass being very lean they don’t mingle with the mid range much hence in that regard they are not an issue.
Being a faster driver the low end feels lean and the presence feels negligible. Even though they can handle some faster tracks the impact that it creates is not worthy. Overall the low end is pretty disappointing and doesn’t prove that they have used a Be driver.
Tracks Used:
- Bigfoot – MALFNKTION
- Take It – Seige
- Instant Crush – Daft Punk
MID RANGE:
The most weird part in the DH5 is the midrange. They felt very open and the forward presentation made it one of the most hazy and cloudy midranges I have ever heard. The openness is not in a controlled manner and in that regards a laidback presentation would have been better instead they have gone with the most forward positioning which made the whole presentation hazy and cloudy.
The tonality appears neutral but the positioning of the instruments and the vocals just doesn’t feel correct. The technicalities aspect in the midrange feels not the best and does the job. The detail retrieval is just mediocre. The guitar strings and the piano notes appear natural but as i said before, they lack the impact and the presence. The notes are very monotonous to hear and sometimes the too forward positioning of the vocals just pushes the instrumentals way backward.
Overall the midrange is just a weird tuning. The upper mids and the lower mids have that equal emphasis but still then the presentation and the tuning feels out of balance. The BA’s that they have implemented definitely don’t do the job here as per the plan it seems.
Tracks Used:
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- Every Little Thing – Eric Clapton
- When you say nothing at all – Susan Wong
The treble lacks the extension thus they sound not that exciting. Even though they have that brightness in the whole presentation still they lack that engaging and energetic experience. The separation and the airiness feel fine. The sibilance is kept under control. The lower treble emphasis is good but again the brilliance is not that nicely tuned out.
The shimmer and sparkle in the top end is just missing which makes this a dull sounding pair. When it comes to the technicalities they are not that great in terms of detail retrieval and clarity. The only good thing in the DH5 is that the very open sound which again is also a con where it pushed back the instrumentals very much backward.
Tracks Used:
- Something Happened On The Way To Heaven – Phill Collins
- Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
- Jack Of Speed – Steely Dan
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: Weird.... The width and the depth are just mediocre while the height being the greatest. I don’t know why they are not symmetrical! Since the height being the largest they sound different. Everything appears coming up from the top and sometimes even feels claustrophobic. Overall not impressed a bit
IMAGING: Nothing fancy here. The pointing out of instruments is not that nice and easy. The thing is since the presentation is hazy the positioning of the instruments itself got messy. The transient response is lacking and the channel sweep is not good at all. Everything looks boxed out and in my frank opinion this is just disappointment in terms of technicalities.
Detail retrieval, resolution are just mediocre, nothing to brag about.
Tracks Used:
- Hideaway – Jacob Collier
- Hotel California – Eagles
DH5, the latest offering from the BGVP, is mediocre in my opinion. The sound curve follows the same as that of the DN3 if not it's worse than that. I don’t know why BGVP is still sticking with the Be driver since the last product with that driver lost in the competition. Apart from the DM6,DMS and DMG most of the products tend to be a let down for me. Had a big hope for this product but again this is just a let down again. Even with the hybrid setup the DH5 just fails to deliver what they are meant to.
Talking about the sound, this definitely doesn’t have the character of a Be! The bass is just weightless, impactless, dull and loose. Literally they done have any soul or expression in them, just a dull and loose mid bass which has no liveliness in them (no slam). The mid range is completely weird where the positioning of the instruments is completely off and the whole presentation feels hazy and cloudy. The highs don't have that clarity and the brilliance instead they feel boring and lacklustre.
The only advantage I can see here is the Soundstage height which is definitely not symmetrical in relation to the depth and the width. Again if you are a fan of this kind of sound then this might be the pick for you and it's better to audition this unit before the purchase. Based on my experience this is a let down and I would pick the TIN T3 PLUS over this anyday and it's far better in all the aspects. The DH5 again shows that it's another STALE project from the house of BGVP.
INTRODUCTION:
Tin HiFi, a brand which is widely known among audiophiles and a big name in the ChiFi industry. Their first hot success is the T2 and it gave a life and birth to the T series lineup. But after the T2 the rest of the products didn't create any big impact in the market and after a very long time the T2 Plus created a nice impact in the market.
To continue that PLUS lineup the T3 Plus is launched with some improvements over the T2 Plus. In this review let's check out how good the T3 Plus sounds and why it is considered as the MULTIFACETED iem for the price.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by HiFiGo in exchange for my honest review. This review is completely based on my observations with this product and it may vary from person to person based on the source you pair with it. You can purchase the product from the following non affiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/tinhifi-t3-plus
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M2QWLMZ/tin+hifi+t3+plus/
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: φ10mm Liquid crystal polymer vibrator membrane speaker
Sensitivity: 105±3dB @1kHz 0.179V
Frequency Range: 10-20kH
Interface: Gold-plated 2 Pin connector
Plug type: 3.5mm black glue gold plated plug
Conductor/Cable: Φ 2.8mm (40 / 0.05 oxygen free copper 200D Kevlar) * 4-core Black PU cable L=1.25m
Impedance: 32Ω±15%
Rated Power: 3mW
Max Power: 5mW
Max Distortion: 1% @1k Hz 0.179V
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design aspect of the T3 Plus is very usual but the execution that they do is very nice. The design follows the custom shell shaped design while having that minimal subtle look overall. The faceplate has that striking dark colour with some glittering effect when the light strikes in the faceplate. The branding is done on the faceplate which is gold lettered.
When it comes to the fit they are very good in terms of isolation. Even after longer listening sessions they never cause any fatigue. The shell is very lightweight since it is fully resin made. The connector area is nicely tucked along with the body thus the ear guides that the cable has a nice comfortable feel in the ears. The provided ear tips are of good quality too where you can achieve a good fit and isolation via the provided ear tips.
The provided cable is of good quality and it's the same as that of the T5. The cable is black coloured and the braiding is done above average. The connector area is made of metal and the termination area is also metal covered. They also possess a nice metal splitter along with a chin slider for comfortable wear experience.
The given cloth bag is average in terms of quality but for the price there is nothing to complain about. The branding is done on the front of the bag and a drawstring is provided for the closure.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the T3 Plus is a U shaped profile. The graph of the T3 Plus seems very nice and even in the real world this sounds one of the best under 100 USD. The T3 Plus is simply the muscled up version of the T2 Plus which is already known for its clean, smoother and natural sound with exceptional tonality. The T3 Plus just delivers the improved t2 plus sound by giving that nice extra bite in the low end. In this review we will dive into the in depth sectioning of the audio.
Source: iPhone + Zen Can + Ztella + Avani
LOW END:
The low end in the T3 Plus is exceptional and actually i didn’t have any big expectations with the Tin product especially in the low end but surprisingly the low end is just BAM!
T2 plus being very faster in terms of speed lacked that extra sense of rumble and the sub bass roll off was evident since it is a very balanced set with just a hint of mid bass emphasis. This T3 Plus is just awesome where the speed is precisely tuned with enough fastness thus the sub bass presence here is more evident and that mid bass presence is also done well with less or none mid bass bleed.
SUB BASS: The sub bass has very good extension providing that nice rumble sensation which is not overly done thus that tightness and the control is impeccable in the T3 Plus. The sub bass is very much controlled, tighter and has very good speed hence the clarity and the separation in the sub bass region is nicely done. This makes the faster tracks a piece of cake to be handled by the T3 Plus.
MID RANGE:
The midrange of the T3 Plus is another welcoming aspect where the presentation is done well which is nice and forward. I like earphones with that nice forward presentation since that gives that nice engaging experience. The T3Plus vocal rendering is done beautifully. This is an example for the thick and fuller sounding vocals. Neatly done with no harshness in the upper mid section.
Both the male and the female vocals have that nice full bodied sound and nothing sounds shrill or lean. The instruments however slightly take the back seat but not a complete laidback setup instead the positioning is done appropriately.
The strings and kick drums take the nice stage presence while the piano notes are pushed back but overall they sound very good too.
The tonality and the timbre is another excellent aspect here; they sound very natural and organic and don't appear dry or metallic. The pleasant and slightly warmer tonality gives this earphone a nice non fatiguing listening experience.
The clarity and the separation in the T3 plus is above average since the staging is nice and wide with enough presence of air in the midrange. The vocals and the instruments got a lot of room to breathe hence no congestion was observed. The resolution is the disappointing aspect but other than that all the technicality aspects are just a bliss in the T3 Plus. Overall the midrange is the combination of all the T series models where it posses that clarity of the t2 while retaining that thick nature of the T4 and T5
The treble in the T3 Plus is very good in terms of clarity and separation. The extension is good and the roll off point is very desirable. The treble never fatigues you in a longer listening period while also maintaining that energy and the engaging factor.
The treble has that nice shimmer and the brilliance hence they sound nice and open. The clarity and the separation is impeccable considering the low end emphasis this has. The treble overall sounds open and smoother and no noticeable sibilance or hotness is seen in the upper treble region.
The timbre of the instruments felt very nice where they are pretty much realistic and have that natural tone. The bite, crisp and attack are present in the instruments and don't have that darker background which is quite nice. They are neither too bright or too dark, instead they are at a very pleasing staging.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The soundstage of the T3 Plus is very good in terms of depth and above average in terms of width and height. The depth is nicely done here due to that nice bass presence. The width is above average too hence the separation and the clarity felt very good and it also led to that open sounding nature. Overall they don’t have that claustrophobic sound thus they sound well wide and open.
IMAGING: The imaging is pretty precise too since there is no fuzzy nature of the sound. Since the low end in the T3 Plus is nicely tuned with precise emphasis the imaging felt very clear and easy pinpoint of the instruments is possible even in the faster and busy tracks.
The detail retrieval may not be upto the mark of an ALL BA iem but considering that this has only a single dynamic driver the T3 Plus is very much nice for the price.
The Resolution is the weak aspect here but i won't mind that much since for the price they just do more than good enough if not they are the best for the price.
T3 Plus, the latest offering from the Tin HiFi Audio is an excellent multifaceted IEM for sure. The T series is the famous lineup in the Tin family where they are budget oriented at the same time they deliver excellent sound too. The T2 was their legendary model which had that excellent neutral sound profile while the T4 and T5 had that nice thick and full bodied sound. The T3 Plus is tuned in such a way that it combines the qualities of all the Tin Series IEM’s thus creating a versatile sound that just apts any genre you play.
From the aspect of the build to the sound I can just praise this earphone all day long but in short they are just phenomenal. They have the best low end in the Tin lineup and if not best in this price range where the low end is thick, mature at the same time has that technical range too. The midrange is presented well nice and forward, while the treble has that airy and open sound with excellent technicalities. The layering especially is very impressive and staging is above average.
Overall the T3 Plus is my primary recommendation in this price range and if not under 100USD! I can take this IEM any day under 100usd and especially over Aria! In my opinion the T3 Plus is just a well rounded MULTIFACETED iem in this market.
Tin HiFi, a brand which is widely known among audiophiles and a big name in the ChiFi industry. Their first hot success is the T2 and it gave a life and birth to the T series lineup. But after the T2 the rest of the products didn't create any big impact in the market and after a very long time the T2 Plus created a nice impact in the market.
To continue that PLUS lineup the T3 Plus is launched with some improvements over the T2 Plus. In this review let's check out how good the T3 Plus sounds and why it is considered as the MULTIFACETED iem for the price.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me by HiFiGo in exchange for my honest review. This review is completely based on my observations with this product and it may vary from person to person based on the source you pair with it. You can purchase the product from the following non affiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/tinhifi-t3-plus
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M2QWLMZ/tin+hifi+t3+plus/
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: φ10mm Liquid crystal polymer vibrator membrane speaker
Sensitivity: 105±3dB @1kHz 0.179V
Frequency Range: 10-20kH
Interface: Gold-plated 2 Pin connector
Plug type: 3.5mm black glue gold plated plug
Conductor/Cable: Φ 2.8mm (40 / 0.05 oxygen free copper 200D Kevlar) * 4-core Black PU cable L=1.25m
Impedance: 32Ω±15%
Rated Power: 3mW
Max Power: 5mW
Max Distortion: 1% @1k Hz 0.179V
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design aspect of the T3 Plus is very usual but the execution that they do is very nice. The design follows the custom shell shaped design while having that minimal subtle look overall. The faceplate has that striking dark colour with some glittering effect when the light strikes in the faceplate. The branding is done on the faceplate which is gold lettered.
When it comes to the fit they are very good in terms of isolation. Even after longer listening sessions they never cause any fatigue. The shell is very lightweight since it is fully resin made. The connector area is nicely tucked along with the body thus the ear guides that the cable has a nice comfortable feel in the ears. The provided ear tips are of good quality too where you can achieve a good fit and isolation via the provided ear tips.
The provided cable is of good quality and it's the same as that of the T5. The cable is black coloured and the braiding is done above average. The connector area is made of metal and the termination area is also metal covered. They also possess a nice metal splitter along with a chin slider for comfortable wear experience.
The given cloth bag is average in terms of quality but for the price there is nothing to complain about. The branding is done on the front of the bag and a drawstring is provided for the closure.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the T3 Plus is a U shaped profile. The graph of the T3 Plus seems very nice and even in the real world this sounds one of the best under 100 USD. The T3 Plus is simply the muscled up version of the T2 Plus which is already known for its clean, smoother and natural sound with exceptional tonality. The T3 Plus just delivers the improved t2 plus sound by giving that nice extra bite in the low end. In this review we will dive into the in depth sectioning of the audio.
Source: iPhone + Zen Can + Ztella + Avani
LOW END:
The low end in the T3 Plus is exceptional and actually i didn’t have any big expectations with the Tin product especially in the low end but surprisingly the low end is just BAM!
T2 plus being very faster in terms of speed lacked that extra sense of rumble and the sub bass roll off was evident since it is a very balanced set with just a hint of mid bass emphasis. This T3 Plus is just awesome where the speed is precisely tuned with enough fastness thus the sub bass presence here is more evident and that mid bass presence is also done well with less or none mid bass bleed.
SUB BASS: The sub bass has very good extension providing that nice rumble sensation which is not overly done thus that tightness and the control is impeccable in the T3 Plus. The sub bass is very much controlled, tighter and has very good speed hence the clarity and the separation in the sub bass region is nicely done. This makes the faster tracks a piece of cake to be handled by the T3 Plus.
- Bigfoot – Malfnktion
- Boom – Tiesto & Sevenn
- Nagada Sang Dhol – Ram Leela
MID RANGE:
The midrange of the T3 Plus is another welcoming aspect where the presentation is done well which is nice and forward. I like earphones with that nice forward presentation since that gives that nice engaging experience. The T3Plus vocal rendering is done beautifully. This is an example for the thick and fuller sounding vocals. Neatly done with no harshness in the upper mid section.
Both the male and the female vocals have that nice full bodied sound and nothing sounds shrill or lean. The instruments however slightly take the back seat but not a complete laidback setup instead the positioning is done appropriately.
The strings and kick drums take the nice stage presence while the piano notes are pushed back but overall they sound very good too.
The tonality and the timbre is another excellent aspect here; they sound very natural and organic and don't appear dry or metallic. The pleasant and slightly warmer tonality gives this earphone a nice non fatiguing listening experience.
The clarity and the separation in the T3 plus is above average since the staging is nice and wide with enough presence of air in the midrange. The vocals and the instruments got a lot of room to breathe hence no congestion was observed. The resolution is the disappointing aspect but other than that all the technicality aspects are just a bliss in the T3 Plus. Overall the midrange is the combination of all the T series models where it posses that clarity of the t2 while retaining that thick nature of the T4 and T5
- In The Heights – Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Get Lucky – Daft Punk
- No Time To Die – Billie Eilish
The treble in the T3 Plus is very good in terms of clarity and separation. The extension is good and the roll off point is very desirable. The treble never fatigues you in a longer listening period while also maintaining that energy and the engaging factor.
The treble has that nice shimmer and the brilliance hence they sound nice and open. The clarity and the separation is impeccable considering the low end emphasis this has. The treble overall sounds open and smoother and no noticeable sibilance or hotness is seen in the upper treble region.
The timbre of the instruments felt very nice where they are pretty much realistic and have that natural tone. The bite, crisp and attack are present in the instruments and don't have that darker background which is quite nice. They are neither too bright or too dark, instead they are at a very pleasing staging.
- Jack Of Speed – Steely Dan
- Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
- Out For Blood – SUM 41
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The soundstage of the T3 Plus is very good in terms of depth and above average in terms of width and height. The depth is nicely done here due to that nice bass presence. The width is above average too hence the separation and the clarity felt very good and it also led to that open sounding nature. Overall they don’t have that claustrophobic sound thus they sound well wide and open.
IMAGING: The imaging is pretty precise too since there is no fuzzy nature of the sound. Since the low end in the T3 Plus is nicely tuned with precise emphasis the imaging felt very clear and easy pinpoint of the instruments is possible even in the faster and busy tracks.
The detail retrieval may not be upto the mark of an ALL BA iem but considering that this has only a single dynamic driver the T3 Plus is very much nice for the price.
The Resolution is the weak aspect here but i won't mind that much since for the price they just do more than good enough if not they are the best for the price.
- Global Gear (INSTRUMENTAL) – Punya Srinivas
- Hideaway – Jacob Collier
- The Blowers Daughter – Damien Rice
T3 Plus, the latest offering from the Tin HiFi Audio is an excellent multifaceted IEM for sure. The T series is the famous lineup in the Tin family where they are budget oriented at the same time they deliver excellent sound too. The T2 was their legendary model which had that excellent neutral sound profile while the T4 and T5 had that nice thick and full bodied sound. The T3 Plus is tuned in such a way that it combines the qualities of all the Tin Series IEM’s thus creating a versatile sound that just apts any genre you play.
From the aspect of the build to the sound I can just praise this earphone all day long but in short they are just phenomenal. They have the best low end in the Tin lineup and if not best in this price range where the low end is thick, mature at the same time has that technical range too. The midrange is presented well nice and forward, while the treble has that airy and open sound with excellent technicalities. The layering especially is very impressive and staging is above average.
Overall the T3 Plus is my primary recommendation in this price range and if not under 100USD! I can take this IEM any day under 100usd and especially over Aria! In my opinion the T3 Plus is just a well rounded MULTIFACETED iem in this market.
