Introduction
It has been a while since I published a review on Head-fi. For the last few years, I’ve been occupied writing reviews for higher end IEMs for another website. Nevertheless, I was recently approached by a representative from Mixcder, asking me to join a group of reviewers reviewing their new low-end IEM, the X5. While I’ve moved on to higher end IEMs, I nevertheless take joy in owning a handful of lower-end IEMs as they are easily replaceable. For instance, I would never carry my CIEMs on me on a rainy day or when I’m working out, and this is where lower end, aka “beater”, IEMs come in. However, even for “beater” IEMs, I believe that audio quality should be held to a certain standard. After all, we are all audiophiles.
Before I start the review, I will openly and clearly state that the X5 was provided to me free of charge for review purposes and that I do not have any personal/business relations to Mixcder. On the other hand, I also warn the readers to take my review with a grain of salt as I merely spent a week with the X5. I generally prefer to have at least two weeks of use before I publish a review, but Mixcder requested that I write a review within a week or so.
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Review
The X5 arrives in a simple white/blue box, somewhat reminiscent of Amazon’s frustration free packaging. The box opens easily, and the contents of the box, while not displayed pompously, are organized and packed well. The X5 ships with a sturdy hard shell case, a cable clip, four pairs of ear tips (including a pair of double flange), and two pairs of ear guides.
The case, which comes with a nifty small carabineer, can easily be attached to your backpack if you wish to do so. Frankly, I tend to shove my IEMs in my blazer pocket, so the case isn’t much use to me on a daily basis, but X5’s cases are, without a doubt, one of the more sturdy and roomy cases I’ve seen. The cable clip can be used to reduce touch noise or pulling, as the cables are on the stiffer side. However, since the IEMs themselves tend to fit rather well, I found the touch noise to be manageable even without the cable clip.
The silicon tips included are fairly standard, although the blue termination at the bore end is a chic color choice. The included tips should fit most users, and if you find the medium sized tips to fit well, you should also give the double flanged tips a shot. Generally speaking, I find double flanged tips to isolate a tad bit more than single flanged tips. The ear guides, on the other hand, are one of the major selling points of the X5, in my opinion. Simply put, these ear guides work. They anchor the IEMs into your concha, as do CIEMs. In fact, I find the X5 with the ear guides to stay in my ears almost as well as my CIEMs do. Sure, a strong tug on the cables will dislodge the IEMs from your ears, but the X5 should stay in your ears even through your hardest workouts. This sturdy insertion also allows for a solid seal, providing decent isolation for a dynamic IEM. I estimate around 16dB of isolation (as a reference, Etys isolate up to 32dB and most BA IEMs isolate around 20-26dB).
The IEMs also come attached with mic/remote combo found in many other IEMs. The remote functions perfectly on the Galaxy S7, and the buttons are clicky (whether this is a pro or a con would depend on the user preference). The mic was used multiple times in phone/skype calls, and no major issues were found. The X5 provides satisfying calling quality (although the mics were not as exceptional as that of Focal Sphears).
On the other hand, the X5, while seemingly made for a smartphone, has an extremely low SPL of 83dB. Thankfully, the low(16ohm) resistance counteracts this, making the X5 driveable from a regular smartphone. The X5 also doesn’t seem to be impacted by high output impedance, given that OI is within a reasonable range(0-20ohm).
In terms of sound, the X5 presents a forward, bass heavy sound.
The lower end of the spectrum is boosted heavily; I suspect about 15dB with diffuse field compensation. That being said, the X5 has enough bass to satisfy most bass heads, except the most hardcore ones. Sub bass seems to extend as deep as my test tracks called for, and mid bass punches were powerful and satisfying. Decay is on the longer side, and the speed wasn’t as impressive as that of BA IEMs, yet, the X5 provides a satisfying, echoing bass.
I was initially a little worried about the transition from bass to mids, as strong bass tends to bleed into the mids, making the vocals/guitars sound muffled. Generally speaking, I found no significant bass bleeds, although the bleeding was noticeable on certain bass heavy tracks(Daft Punk’s Doin’ it Right, for instance). However, with a forward signature, the X5 also presents rich mids. Vocals are never recessed and are generally fun to listen to. However, if you speak from an audio absolutist point of view (disregarding the price), the X5’s mids are noticeably colored and grainy. Such coloration and grains are to be expected, and I found other IEMs in the similar price range (Soundmagics and Xiaomis, for instance), to have similar issues as well.
While transitioning from mids to treble, I picked up a peak. Peaks are very common amongst IEMs(or any audio receiver really), so it wasn’t a surprise I picked one up. From the short time I’ve spent listening to the X5, I concluded that the peak was on the narrower side, although fairly tall. This, in other words, means that there is a small range of lower-treble frequency that will be significantly boosted, and hence will be shrill or sharp. I found this to be of no particular concern in most tracks, although the X5 really suffered on few tracks (Rolling Stone’s Rocks Off and Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now, for instance). Upper treble seems to be decently extended, which is just enough for a $17 IEM.
Overall clarity is decent, and details are ample. Keep in mind that this comparison is only valid for IEMs in similar price range. Overall sound is colored, although tastefully so. When I first heard the X5, I was reminded of (once mine) Sony XBA-Z5. The X5 has a similar forwardness to the sound as the Z5. If you enjoy a forward and engaging signature, you’ll find the X5 to suit you quite well. However, if you’re looking for a neutral or wide sounding IEM, the X5 might not be your cup of tea. Besides the peak, the only other issue I had with the X5 was the sound stage. Sound stage is small, especially for a dynamic IEM. Stereo separation is present, but the forwardness of the IEMs don’t allow for much breathing room, something I believe is necessary for a wide sound stage.
Conclusion
While I forced myself to listen to the technical aspect of the IEM for review/analysis purposes, I plan on ditched the objective side of the analysis to close this review.
Whenever manufacturers ask me to review a product (especially lower end products), I always beg them to not bother sending the IEMs to me if they can't stand behind the sound quality, as it is really awkward to publish a bad review. Thankfully, I really do enjoy the X5. The X5, priced at $16.99, is cheap, sturdy, and fun. What more could you ask for in a lower end IEM? The X5 is, technically speaking, pretty good. But who cares about the technical capability of a $17 sports IEM? All of my IEMs in my current collection (except my “beater” collection) easily triumphs the X5 in terms of technicality, and most of the readers, I suspect, will own a higher end IEM. What matters is that the X5 is packed with forwardness that makes music exciting and joyful.
References
The following gears were used alongside with and as references for the review:Samsung Galaxy S7
Astell & Kern Jr.
Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors
Focal Sphears
Sennheiser HD800
Xiaomi Pistons 3
SoundMagic PL30
LG Quadbeats 2
It's probably because there aren't many sansa fuze left. Ebay ones are kind of expensive to. They cost more than the Fuze v2(for me at least).