Pros:

• Warm smooth sound
• Natural timbre
• Good clean midrange
• Non fatiguing
• Good accessories
• Soundstage above average
• Good bass extension

Cons:

• Lacks treble and air
• Maybe boring for some due to not being that energic
• Resolution is average for the price
• Bass is not that impactful
• Mid bass is lean
• Plays better at higher volume, especially for low range

Letshouer DZ4, mini review and impression. Posting it on product page for more easy access.

I got the LETSHUOER DZ4 for free in exchange for some impressions online, thanks to @Letshuoer Marketing for this.

Disclaimer

The DZ4 is my second IEM from LETSHUOER, I got it for free in exchange for written impressions online.
All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after having used them for some time.

These are my thoughts at this moment, and as time moves I might change my opinion.

This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear.
Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you.
While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.







Accessories and the presentation are good, you get two sets of tips and one cable. The tips are silicone, one set for vocal focus and one that is more balanced. In small, medium and large.
The cable is good, both in comfort and sound. Look quite good also, the only downside is aggressive ear guides.

How does it sound

First of all the sound is very natural, not too dark and not too bright. While some music might lack a little magic, overall I find it very pleasing.

Bass is a little light, it extends well down into the sub range. Can also have a good impact when the bass kicks are more in the lowest range. Mid bass is what is lacking the most, so some music will not have the fullness that you may love. The drivers are also rather small, so I don't feel that so much air is moved. This also is true if I eq up more bass, bass seem to lose detail also when boosted to much.

Mids is very correct, goes for instruments and vocals. Has some sort of warmth and softness, makes it sound very pleasing while also retaining much resolution. Does for example bright female voices very well, due to no mid bass bleed at all. While on some artists I personally would have liked more fullness and presence. I found piano and brass to be very good, same for string instruments. Drums and some electric guitars can lack a little grunt.

Treble is relaxed, extension is average and I have heard better sets for treble. it is not veiled but lacks sparkle and treble energy.

Soundstage I find above average when comparing to single DDs under100usd.
Resolution is slightly above most single DDs at this price, while under the champions.

Comfort is superb with a small shell with just the right nozzle diameter and length that should please most people. I have large ears and prefer bigger IEMs or longer nozzles than most people, I still think DZ4 is great.





Comparison to Tangzu Wan'er S.G Jade, Simgot EA500 and VE SiE.



Tangzu Wan'er SG Jade

Single DD IEM that is known as the best midcentric budget IEM, very refined sound perfect for vocals. One reason that I chose this model is that the first listen with DZ4 reminded me of Wan'er on vocals. But when I tested more, I found out it doesn't have the more analog feel that DZ4 has.

Compared to the rest, this one has a cheap feel to it. Plastic is not premium and it feels too light. But ergonomics is perfect for me personally, just wish it had normal 2 Pin.



Simgot EA500

Single DD IEM, but it is similar in price and looks very good in its metal shell. Comfort is good for most people, while I personally prefer more ergonomic designs. Biggest problem for me is the aggressive angle on the nozzle, and since it is short the body of EA500 hits the concha.

Maybe the most resolving IEM under 100usd, great tonality for most people. The midrange is a problem spot for me, that can make it sound shouty or metallic. Also the bass could have been bigger to meet my preference, but the bass is of superb quality. Simgot clearly has used a very good driver in EA500. It is very easy to mod the EA500 to get more bass, or use filters to change the upper range. But to make it fair, I will use the stock config here.



Venture Electronics SiE

Single DD IEM, similar price as DZ4 and EA500. Maybe my favorite single DD, has a lush and more analog feel. it is almost like a mini Penon Serial, for those who know that one. Bass is boosted in the whole range, and it also thickens up vocals. Mids forward and full, treble detailed while maybe slightly dark since bass is so prominent.

Metal build that is slightly heavy, but very ergonomic for me. Color and design will not be for everyone, while I think this is very classy. Uses the MMCX connector, not the biggest fan of this.



Comparison

Using Kbear 07 tips, cable on EA500 and Wan’er is XINHS 16 core copper and a XINHS 2 core SPC for SiE.
Both Simgot EA500 and LETSHUOER DZ4 are free units, so my take should be neutral between those two. SiE and Wan'er I bought at full price, SiE is also the most expensive of the 4.

I have mostly used my own files or Tidal, but I will provide a YouTube link for you to test.



Electronica from Germany, Epsilon has many releases I like. Not the most advanced track, but great for just seeing how the bass performs.

DZ4 had good bass even though the amount is not that much, sounds correct to me in the quality. What I noticed is that it plays better loud, and seems like the bass at low volume can have a weird resonance to it.
The vocals and the rest are also very clear and detailed.

Wan'er has more bass and more visceral, overall warmer sound than DZ4. The rest is more fuzzy and less detailed than DZ4.

EA500 is more on the cold side here, bass is tactile but lacks in amount so you don't get impressed. Lots of detail, maybe more than DZ4.

SiE is warm sounding, bass is absolutely the most with more air that is moving so you really feel the bass. Bass is softer and less impactful, it is on the slower side here. Detail is similar to DZ4, and above Wan'er.

My preference here:
1: SiE 2: DZ4 3: Wan'er 4:EA500



Deeply Disturbed is one of my favorites from Infected Mushroom, blends rock and electronica into a brilliant mix. Lots going on so will just focus mostly on rhythm and tonality, how well it handles them all together.

DZ4 does lack bass for this, the bass is not as full and feels hollow. Tonality is also too midcentric where it is actually a little tiresome. Overall resolution goes down since it can not handle some parts so well.

Wan'er has much better tonality for this, either due to it being a bigger and better dynamic driver or just the amount of mid bass. Slightly less detail going on, but a much more enjoyable tonality for this. Don't feel like it is too slow, but at the same time it lacks a little of the wow factor.

EA500 has also very good bass here, quality is maybe better than Wan'er but should have had a few dB more. Resolution is top notch, but also due to more forwardness and energetic sound it gets the most tiresome over time. Also has the blackest background of them all, so it sounds really clean.

SiE is epic for this, low end is spectacular and slams with authority. Never feels too busy, and has high resolving capability that is above DZ4 here. The sound is the most analog, maybe the one with the most thick warm sound that is bordering slightly towards darkness compared to the rest.

My preference here:
1: SiE 2: EA500 3: Wan'er 4: DZ4



Terrace Martin has some great releases within the jazz or jazz hop genre, this is no exception and is a superb album and track. He has a nice voice and has an old school vibe, like a 90s hip hop sound blended with jazz. The track is bass heavy with a thicker mid presentation, great vocals by Phoelix here.

DZ4 has a great low end, and the bass is not too prominent and makes his vocal stand more forward. The song uses a slow type of bass that rumbles, and DZ4 has no problem doing it.
Can clearly hear all the details in his vocals and the rest of the mix.

Wan'er is much thicker here, almost so the bass takes over more of the sound. His vocals lack a little detail compared to DZ4, just the little extra lacking. At the same time his vocal is slightly thick, and might be more fun for some.

EA500 lacks a little in the amount here, slightly less than DZ4. Not the quality, as the bass quality is great. Lacks a little fullness in his voice, it's a little thin sounding. Also the cymbal and the sparkle sound are sharp and unpleasant. This sharpness can be more of a problem for me, since EA500 hits a pain zone for me. While overall resolution is great and the best.

SiE has the most bass obviously. it is also the one who shows the most detail in the rumble, be it a little soft compared to DZ4. Sounds better than Wan'er on the vocal part, even if the low end is more boosted it does not drown the vocal. The sound here gives off more of a R&B or Hip Hop sound, really fun while maybe not as correct as DZ4.

My preference here:
1: SiE 2: DZ4 3 Wan'er 4: EA500



Very cool track from Emily King’s last album Special Occasion. Lots going on here and fun to keep playing track on repeat while comparing. Both instruments and vocals are very clear and present.

DZ4 is fun here, while personally I would have preferred more mid bass here. Her voice is superb with good detail, lots of nuances in both the slow and fast parts. The instrument parts have some nice organic sound to it, like how it sounds real and not metallic like some sets.

Wan'er has a much more correct amount of bass here, with also better quality than DZ4. It does the buzzed bass sound in a more detailed and pleasing way. Her vocals are also more forward in the mix than DZ4, more front row and in your face. This also shows more details for the vocal parts, while maybe the rest of the sounds are behind DZ4.

EA500 has the most clean and lean sound, crystal clear in fact. The bass is of very good quality and I would only have more of it. Her vocal has similar forwardness in the mix like Wan'er, with a little more resolution than Wan'er for her voice. Borderline to energetic sound here, get fatigued much faster due to it.

SiE has a thick presentation here, very addicting and fun. The sound is slightly dark, still very detailed anyway. Bass hits are seriously good, impactful on every hit. And that slow distorted bass part is great and even better than Wan'er. She has a lot of expression in her vocal while being slightly thick sounding, in a way it suits the song more.

My preference here:
1: SiE 2: Wan'er 3: DZ4 4: EA500



Tell Me is J-Pop by millet, I often use it to check female vocal, sibilance and overall energy.
Intense track, very in your face with the whole presentation. The more intense parts have lots going on, some sets get more congested make it a mess.

DZ4 has good control and doesn't sound that bright here, she has some sibilance to her voice. The amount is not bad, and the overall tuning is quite pleasing.

Wan'er has more note weight, and her vocal is slightly more forward. At the more intense part Wan'er is showing the sibilance more than DZ4.

EA500 is super clear for J-pop, but it doesn't go well with female vocals. The upper midrange is very energetic, and makes it the most fatiguing of them all. Sibilance shows the most of all the sets, at the same time it also has more presence in her voice. Showing every thing that comes out.

SiE is much thicker sounding than the rest, while still keeping great detail. Personally I find this tonality the most pleasing, but she also lacks presence for her voice. Hear the least sibilance of them.

My preference here:
1: DZ4 2: SiE Er 3:Wan'er 4: EA500



Grew up with this as one of my first CDs, and loved it while maybe Enter Sandman was my favorite.

DZ4 does the intro very well, the guitar is sounding full and detailed. Drums lack a little impact and fullness, cymbals also are a little hollow. His voice could have had a little more thick presence.

Wan'er with more mid bass makes this much more correct, but Wan'er has a problem with sharpness on many of the parts. Drums are better here due to the bass, also his singing. While it is behind on the guitar. Less detailed than DZ4.

EA500 has great detail, especially on the cymbal and the guitars The drums are very behind, and don't show much. Cymbal hits are painful, rings in my ears. Same goes for his voice, it has some insane forwardness on some parts.

SiE is what I love for Metallica, perfect on everything. Detailed, full, energetic and full head bang power. Only small part is that his voice lacks a little something on the presence part, even while being full sounding.

My preference here:
1: SiE 2: Wan’er Er 3: DZ4 4: EA500



Heavy metal and quite different from the style on the track over, Ritual is really cool and I love it.

DZ4 does this one better than Enter Sandman, it has a more full sound. His voice is super clean and detailed with good fullness. Cymbals lack a little and are almost hollow, I think this is something to do with not having good enough treble extension. While the guitar parts are nice, same for the bass part. In a way the sound is almost more analog and matches better than what I would believe. Maybe since this track is not as fast, with less going on than Enter Sandman.

Wan'er has less detail than DZ4, maybe just the cymbal has more air. His vocals are more forward, but lack the detail of DZ4. While good, the Wan'er lacks some of the DZ4 magic.

EA500 does this really well, the more energetic energy don't wreck my ears. But it lacks fullness, and sounds too thin. Super resolving, can hear everything like a microscope.

SiE is good here, but since the Ritual already is on the darker side the matching isn't perfect. But this is nit-picking, I still love SiE on this. Give a very thick presentation, and his vocal has some extra soul.

My preference here:
1: DZ4 2: SiE Er 3: EA500 4: Wan'er



GoGo Penguin has some great contemporary jazz, Bardo is a lively and busy track.

DZ4 has some really good tonality for this, a good balance of warmth and natural sound while never being peaky on the brighter piano parts.
Nice resolution, can clearly hear detail in everything from how the cymbals are hit to how the strings buzz.

Wan'er is softer in the sound, for example how piano notes lack the tactile notes and sound more rounded instead. Even easier to listen to than DZ4.

EA500 is competing against DZ4 on resolution here, overall sound is colder with more bite to it. Still sound quite natural, but don't have the more analog feel of DZ4.

SiE is the darkest of them, lacks some clarity of the rest. Bass does also take over much of the music.

Ranking for me on this 1: DZ4 2: EA500 3: Wan'er 4: SiE



Train to Kyoto is a complex and simple track, there are only two instruments playing tenor sax and double bass.
Mellow and slow, it is easy to listen after details in both the sax and double bass.

DZ4 has a mellow feel to this, smooth and relaxing. The stage also is quite deep and wide, the biggest of them. I like this very much.

Wan'er is the least detailed of them, with the stage being average and slightly under SiE. Maybe the best balance of mellow and clear presentation.

EA500 moves everything more forward in your face, like the stage is quite small. The double bass has so much detail, you can hear every vibration. Sax is also nice and detailed while it lacks a little of the more mellow feel that the other sets have.

SiE is not what I like here, I much prefer less bass for this. Reason being that the double bass gets too forward. Sax is very good with loads of detail, while lacking a little clarity. Stage is quite wide and detailed but under DZ4.

My preference here:
1: DZ4 2: SiE Er 3: Wan'er 4: SiE

A spider Graph of how I position it, it is very roughly done. Exaggerations done slightly to position them better.





Conclusion

I had a good time with LETSHUOER DZ4, I was expecting it to be a total wreck after all the passive radiator talk. But the truth is that DZ4 has a good tonality that goes well with many genres, not everything is a perfect match. I found the sweet spot for more easy music with less instruments going on, for example jazz trios are super. Most pop music is nice, be it from the west or j-pop/k-pop. Even some sub bass oriented IDM has been great.

Sound has an organic feel, and doesn't feel unnatural or artificial. Bass has great sub extension and okay amount, but lacks in amount of mid bass that makes some music thin. Midrange natural and well textured, both vocals and instruments are pleasing and detailed.
Treble is where it falls behind, lacking both energy and detail.
Only good thing about this is that the sound is never fatiguing, and it depends on person to person if it's a deal breaker.

According to my friend this is a budget LETSHUOER EJ70M, lacking the technicalities but give you a taste of it.

It is not a set that will destroy the competition, it doesn't do anything particularly wrong. Do I recommend it, yes if you don’t have any sets like this. Or you just want to test a triple DD setup, and want to see what it's about. The competition is strong around this price, so I doubt it will have a lasting impression in the community.
Ranking System

1 Very bad or unlistanable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

Price can push something up or down half grade.

Going by this ranking system together with my deeper evaluation matrix.
From sonic standpoint I would give it 3 stars, and this is not bad. Since its new tech they are truing and price low it gets 3.5.

The energetic Bass Cannon from UK



IMR BC 2023

Disclaimer

The BC 2023 is my first IEM from IMR, I bought it with my own money. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after using them for many months, I have no association with IMR writing this.
This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you. While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.



About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with increased low end, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.

I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string to wind instruments and also piano.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current standard in IEMs is AüR Audio NEON Pro and Penon Serial. The NEON Pro has 10 BAs, and has a near perfect tonality for me on the brighter side. The Penon Serial that also has a near perfect tonality for me, that is more euphonic, relaxing and organic sounding with its triple DD configuration. Both of them have sound signatures that I can listen to all types of music with.
Another set that has shown me how good DD can be in the low end is the AüR Audio Aurora, while not taking over the mids and showing superb natural sound.
In general 3 good sets that set the stage high when I compare other sets.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
I have also used the Feliks Audio Echo, one of the more silent OTL amps.

Portable gear used during the review: Penon Tail, Truthear SHIO, Tempotec Sonata HD II , Hiby R6 III, Quidelix 5k.

I have a good range of cables from ISN, DUNU, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS and Gladiator Cables.

Note on photo, kind of funny since this can give you the same wake up call as a fresh cup of coffee.



So what is the IMR BC 2023

IMR Acoustics was founded in 2017 by Bob, it's a brand that is based in the UK. They have many followers all over the world, even if there have been some controversies around the brand. The models they make are for the most part ordered before they are made, this has given many people a headache. Reason of this is that IMR is a master of delayed products, promised shipping dates overdue and more.

Many of their builds have been focused on having a good tonality with enough bass, especially since Bob loves bass. But there have also been models with more of a reference sound, with very special combinations of drivers. Overall an exotic line-up of models, but once sold out its second hand marker only. It is one run per product, and just lately Bob has started to have some models partnered with Penon to have as stock models.

The BC2023 is made in metal and has a very small shell, the backside is very open so you don't get that plugged in feeling so much. Good balance in the weight, not too heavy or light. Nozzle is fairly long and big, and has some comfort problems for me. But the problem was more due to angle and that the shell is small, it makes it harder to sit secure and get a good seal. Some tip rolling and a soft cable solved it, and I can use them for quite some long time without pain.







Taken from the product page of BC 2023.

https://imracoustics.com/products/imr-bc

I know many of you are bass heads (me too) and I have wanted to create the ultimate audiophile bass head IEM for a while.

The BC (bass cannon) is that very IEM!

Utilizing the all new 2023 IMR ADLC Bass Dynamic driver combined with the an all new midrange/treble ADLC (amorphous diamond like carbon) driver provides a bass heads dream IEM.

The sub bass is the most substantial and clear I could make with smooth and seamless transitions into the mid bass. Staging has plenty of height, width and depth.

The trouble with bass rich IEM is always maintaining a balance between that rich sound and detail. The new BC sets new standards for a bashed IEM and adds that detail magic and provides all the detail you could ask for with beautiful placement, luscious vocals and a beautiful treble.

If you are an audiophile bass head, could this be your end game?

Further enhancing your tuning capabilities when combined with the IMR acoustic tuning nozzles (included).

The drivers are encased in a light weight compact all anodised aluminum CNC chassis for long term durability and finish.

Hand assembled and driver matched for unrivaled finish and sound!

IMR 2023 generation Wide band ADLC dynamic driver featuring rare earth Neodymium motors with a composite diaphragm + 6mm ADLC (amorphous diamond like carbon) driver

8 acoustic audio nozzles + 6 acoustic dampers

2 Pin detachable cable (3.5mm/2.5mm balanced)

Frequency response: 8- 40000Hz

Impedance: 32 Ohm

Sensitivity: 102 +/- 3DB

24ct Gold plated 3.5mm Jack

1.4M length OFC cable

6.35mm Adapter

Carry case for all equipment

Huge selection of ear tips for the perfect fit

Limited to 50 units per run. 100 units per year total.

REQUIRES 200/300hrs + BURN IN TIME



Package and accessories

What IMR provides is excellent. There are two copper cables, one balanced and one unbalanced. Nothing spectacular about them, they sound OK and should be more than good to get your going. There is some memory in the cable and the ear guide is not perfect, for me they do not sit very secure.

Eartips are silicon, foam and double flanged silicone. The orange and gray ones are very good quality.

There is also a normal 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter.

You also get two blocks of metal with all the filters secured in one place.

The case provided is great, but is too big to take with you. So it is better to use just as a storage container at home for all the accessories.








Timbre

First off, what is Timbre?
From the Wikipedia:
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"

First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.

First time listening to BC 2023 was horrible, no way around it. Bass was non-existent, even my neutral flathead earbuds had the same amount of low end. The sound was overall very sharp and metallic, with a horrible timbre.
Had to have my friend test it, to be sure it's not just a sealing problem. He said the same, same did my wife when testing.

As always on IMR the description said hundreds of hours of burn in is needed, 300-500 hours in and no change. Was about to complain and ask for a refund, and asked my wife to start my DAP so it could burn in another 12 hours. What I didn't know is that the small R3 III was at high gain and 100% volume, enough volume to ruin your hearing after some seconds most likely. Guess what, the sound and drivers opened up. Bass got huge, mids clear and forward. Upper mids and treble still on the more forward almost metallic side, but much better.

So the sound here is fast and visceral, with a grand stage. Bass is tight with really good slam and speed, the amount is also on the bigger side. Mids forward and detailed, more on the clear side than thick and lush. Treble is clear and slightly sharp, and the stage is bigger than your average set.

Also a note about filter combos, I have preferred to use the stock black on black config. Another combo I liked was black bass filter and Gold for the treble, this gives the least aggressive upper mids. Had to use black bass filters on all the combinations, as the BC 2023 needed balance to balance out the sharp upper range.





Going to use the ranges here in review:





Prefer not to use any measurement when evaluating, but since I had problems I asked bob for the measurement of the BC 2023. Here with the stock black filters.



Bass

Once working as it should the bass is visceral, digs deep and can both rumble and slam hard. Sub range goes deep and I can not hear the roll off that the measurement is showing.
What I mean with visceral is that the bass is very fast, and rebounds extremely fast for a dynamic driver. Usually I am not that happy with this style of bass, but here is sounds very good and pairs well with the right music.

The mid bass is boosted and help give darker vocals some extra fullness, and have some bleed because of it.

Mids

Starting with vocals, it is boosted especially on darker vocals. This will also make some female vocals get too thick to some degree, but at the same time the more clear fast sound of the driver makes it less annoying than on slower sets with boosted mid bass. Maybe one of the reasons is also since the sibilance dip in the treble region is quite large, this takes away some of the presence on the brighter females. For this reason I can find one album having great vocals, then on the next artis it sounds like trash. So it lacks coherence going from music to music.

Instruments in general are good, and the more dry and sharp nature makes especially metal instruments very correct and addicting with extra lifelike qualities. Listened to some acoustic guitar with steel strings, and the sound is remarkable. Then go to something like a clarinet with a more mellow tone and I find it lacking soul.

Because of this I find it better with pop, rock, metal, electronica and other genres where they use less orchestral instruments. Also on much of my jazz the extra upper mid sharpness makes it unbearable on especially brass instruments.


Treble and Air

First start with the sibilance dip, it's a little too big where it removes some of the sparkle on females and on cymbals and such. But at the same time how the tonality and sharp tone is, not dipping it this much would have made it unbearable to listen to on a lot of music.

Overall the treble detail is very clear and forward, and I don't find it lacking. It is very detailed with lots of elements showing in all types of music, just when entering orchestral works I notice lack of air on certain pieces.

Soundstage and Imaging

Soundstage is very large to be an IEM, closer to earbud level in width and depth. It is wider than how forward it is, the forwardness is more similar to the best I have tried in an IEM. While the width is maybe the widest I have ever tried for an IEM, impressive and addictive. Especially fun on some live rock recordings where the stage is already big, then BC 2023 can show it vaste power.

Imaging is quite good and average for an IEM.



Synergies

A small part about what gear I have been enjoying the most with the BC 2023.

Pure copper has been my favourite, my Gladiator Cables copper Starry Night is perfect. I also like the NiceHCK Blacksoul as it takes always some of the upper mids, but it's subtle.

Tips have been a nightmare since I had comfort issues, the ones that have worked the best are Tri Clarion. The second tip in silicon that worked well is JVC Spiral Dot, it is very soft and contours easily to the ear canal. Sound also reduces some treble, making it less aggressive.

I loved N7, even though Cayin N7 is a warm sounding DAP with clear treble. It gave the soundstage even more room, and in a way kept the treble more clean than my ESS based devices.




Music

I will just talk about some of the music I like, the music I use here are some of my reference tracks and also just some I like. When I am listening to music and not evaluating, I prefer to listen to whole albums. When comparing the BC 2023 to other sets I have used the tracks listed here and more.



Infected Mushroom - Deeply Disturbed

One of my favorite tracks from Infected Mushroom, I always test it on every set of IEM. Found first about Infected Mushroom at my first full time work, the customer had to show off his $50000 stereo. I was sold and loved Infected Mushroom since.

Psy-trance with a touch of rock, it is a very long track with lots of progression and different parts.
The BC 2023 has a lovely sound here, the energetic nature of BC keeps it very entertaining. Lots of detail, in both the lowest parts and the rest. For some folks who are more treble sensitive this will perhaps be too much, I can handle more treble than many.
Both the electronic parts and the guitar are great.



Benjamin Wallfisch - Techno Syndrome 2021

Let's fight!
Grew up with Mortal Kombat on SNES, my friend had it in secret- All the boys gathered to play when no parents were there. But this is not about gaming, this track is a remake of the original..

My friend Kenneth from Singapore mentioned this one a while back, great electronica track. Very energetic and fast, with a more bright forward sound. Been using it to check for both fatigue and how it sounds.
The BC 2023 have great fast bass that goes very well here, but the amount of upper mids or treble do make it quite fatiguing. It is quite resolving and that makes it almost painful, the last part when the dubstep begins is full and impressive. It handles the speed excellent, not that weird since BC is very fast sounding.




Epsilon - Habalmas ft. Dycide

My famous bass rattle test, I often use it to check if a set can handle this. The low end is huge, try for yourself but do not cry if your set starts to rattle.

BC is very solidly built, the amount of pressure you get is immense. I do listen to this loud when testing, and it's fun to also see how much detail the other sounds have.

Bass is perfect, detail level is also quite good. Good spatial cues, and a sense of being drowned in sound all around.



Ahab - The Isle

Ahab is a German funeral doom metal band, an extreme sub genre of death metal. Doom funeral metal is a slow type of metal often very thick sounding, and it always sounds wrong on lean IEMs for me. This album is based upon the 1907 horror book The Boats of the ¨Glen Carrig¨ by William Hope Hodgson.

The soft start is magical, and if you don't know what type of album it is you would have been shocked later. The electric guitar is clear and magical and the bass is giving a great atmospheric vibe, his vocal drags you in with lyrics telling a story.

Rock or metal is superb on BC2023, the soft parts have such depth and finesse. While the more dramatic intense parts have all the grit and fullness it deserves. Growling is deep and nuanced, and clear so you can hear what he is saying. Some sets just drown the growling, not here.

The drums also are very real sounding with great impact, cymbals have nice crisp airiness. The electric guitar on the more mellow parts is dreamlike, with ethereal moments.




Eagles - hotel California (2013 Remaster)

This is already a very bright track, also a classic very many know. Perfect for checking soundstage and imaging cues, or just tonality since there is lots going on here.

The BC 2023 is too bright for this, so try a few times through then take a break.

Even if it's bright it has superb details going on, like how crisp and clear the whole picture is. Guitar is not dull and you can hear the steel strings resonating, drums have superb impact with also great cymbals tonality that just lack a little shimmer.

His voice is already lean here, so more forwardness would have helped. The BC is more neutral in the presentation of vocals, not too thick or thin.

Also the staging is rather deep with a great level of layering, very dynamic sounding and 3D.





Swallow the Sun - Songs from the North

Swallow the Sun usually makes melodic doom metal, disc 2 on this release is not really metal. It is focusing more on a relaxed listening with melodic acoustic music. This track has both instruments, male and female voice.

The BC 2023 makes the guitar and cymbal have a great crisp tonality, the drums have great impact. The bright nature does make the track slightly more energetic than my preference, at the same time it's so clear and nice sounding. She lacks some airyness when she sings, almost like the presence is lacking slightly.
The sound is almost a little metallic when both of them sing, something that happens for me if upper mids are boosted too much.

Overall I find the BC 2023 great here, I just wished for it to have a more organic sound.



Nao Yoshioka - Love is the Answer ( Tokyo Funk Sessions Ver.)

I love this version of Love is the Answer, the recording is superb. The players have made a masterpiece here, and Nao has a superb voice for this.

The BC2023 is a little too bright for my taste here, some of the instruments are a little piercing. I can be sensitive to brass when it's too forward, like it is here. Same for her voice, when she goes intense it shows that the presence region of the BC 2023 can be too forward.

The bass line can also be a little too much where it takes over some of the picture.



Sade - Smooth Operator

Sade with Smooth Operator is a classic, love the sound of her more mellow voice.
That drummin on the start is perfect for checking punch, the BC 2023 has a great sound to the drums with superb impact. The mellow tenor sax is also very very good, and the extra presence of BC 2023 helps it slightly. Also how the electric bass and guitar is great, with good detail and feel.

Her singing is great but lacks a little, could have had a more fullness as it's a little thin. Still how the track is done is on the darker side, and the brighter side of BC2023 breathes a little life to it.



millet - Tell Me

Quite a busy and complex track, millet can have a very tiresome voice. And it's clear immediately here for me that the upper mids have too much presence, she gets grainy and almost harsh.

There is never any problem that too much happens, as the rest of the sounds are good.
Just how her voice is done is not very pleasant, giving off a sort of gritty vibe. I tried some more bright Japanese female artists, and the same often happens where it's not very clean sounding. And this is at my threshold for fatigue.



Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker

Perfect for checking overall how full sounding and how forward the mids are. Leonard Cohen's husky voice has a lot of presence. The natural dark tone of his voice and the choir is represented, but has some gritty edge to it. But at the same time the BC 2023 gives him great authority and detail.

The staging has great layering, Leonard is a little away in front of you. While the choir is further spaced behind and to the side from him, and the last vocal is even further out and higher up.




Hanz Zimmer - Now We Are Free

Love this track, and I bet many others also do the same. Magical ending of the movie Gladiator, that can give me emotional feelings every time.

First I notice here is that Lisa Gerrard does not have the fullness I prefer, at the same time it has a good dynamic presence and not veiled at all. Her vocal is slightly pushed back with BC 2033, here it does help with changing to a more intense filter combo. Maybe this is also since I use the Serial or Aure when a playlist where this one is in.

There is a subtle drum in the back, more in the lowest range of bass. This is more forward than on my Penon Serial and similar to EST50. Show that BC2023 can dig quite deep.
The instruments are okay, nothing spectacular. Sounds very correct, just lacks a little detail and true to life timbre since it's a little metallic.

Soundstage is quite breathtaking and it all sounds very grand, with very good imaging capability.



Hans Zimmer - Mountains

Since I am already tested with one track from Zimmer, why not one more. Could have taken other tracks also from this soundtrack, lots of gems here.

The ticking clock at start accompanied by the instruments builds up more and more, and when it goes off it feels like I'm almost lifted from my chair. Such epic and grand it all is.

First off the dynamic range is huge, and never feels busy or congested when it takes off. The sound is overall very crisp and resolving, almost too intense on the last part. But this intense tonality also gives it a more sense of dramatic liveliness.
Epic performance and BC2023 does it very well.



Comparisons


Added a category for how fast they sound, the speed of BC 2023 is higher than fast BA sets. A very impressive thing.



Penon Serial

The Penon Serial is an IEM with 3 Dynamic Drivers, one for bass, mids and highs. The set is highly recommended by many people. Priced a little lower than BC 2023, a very musical IEM with great timbre. The Serial is warm with superb bass and mids, treble is clear but remains a little dark in comparison to the bass and mids.

Comfort is very good on Serial, but it has a spot on the shell that hurts after a while. So with the right tips, I might prefer the design of BC 2023 the most.

Bass is similar in loudness and rumble on both sets while the BC 2023 has some extra, the biggest difference here is how fast and visceral the BC 2023 is in comparison. Can be that the bass is louder on BC 2023 also, but since the upper mids is forward it balances it.
Both are superb for bass heads, I kinda see it as it depends on your mood which is best. Or maybe how BC nails speedy metal drums best and Serials low end wins on hip hop or reggae.

Mids are more thick on Serial, vocals are both thicker and more intimate sounding. For vocals I would choose the Serial every day, also retain more airyness on brighter females.
Instruments depend very much, slower music or orchestral pieces the Serial have the most pleasing and correct sound. Go to instruments like drums, the impact and more dry sound of BC 2023 gives it realism in a way. Same can be for electric guitar or many metal percussions, almost like it was made for metal instruments. With exception for some brass or wind instruments, they can get too much boost due to the upper mid energy.
Piano is also way better on the Serial, more natural and full timbre on the whole range from the lowest octave to the highest.

Treble is very similar in the forwardness, I pick up more detail on violins and percussions on the Serial. Some of the reason is due to the upper mids not being so aggressive, and also since the air is boosted more on the Serial. But even so the Serial sound darker than BC 2023, but I think this is more due to material and hoe the upper mids is done on BC.


Soundstage on the Serial has never been huge for me, maybe slightly over an average single DD IEM. But the serial is much more spherical than BC 2023, as the BC has a wider presentation. And on some recordings the BC 2023 can sound a little distant, then Serial sounds more correct. Imaging is very similar, maybe slightly better positioning on the Serial.

Overall resolution seems more nuanced and detailed on the BC2023, I pick up more micro detail. Just some instruments where the air region is used the Serial will show more sparkle.



AüR Audio Neon Pro

Not very fair since this is a 10 BA set costing around $700, it is my reference set and I love it for rock and metal. Neon Pro is one of the most resolving sets out there, energetic sound with superb imaging and soundstage. Using the Neon Pro with bass switch on as it makes them closer in the low end.

Comfort is a big step up for me with Neon Pro. I prefer this type of IEM design as it makes IEMs sit more comfortably and secure for me.

Bass is similar in amount on both, but in a way the BC is more visceral on some music with a sharper slam and even faster rebound. Maybe not weird as even if the NP can fool many to believe its DD, it's still BA bass while the BC 2023 has one of the best bass drivers I have tried.
Mid bass is forward on both, maybe more present in the BC 2023. BC has a more visceral bass compared to Neon Pro, but for some music the Neon Pro bass is more correct responding.

Mids are very different, both have forward mids. But how it sounds is the difference, Neon Pro is thick and easy on the ears. While BC 2023 is more crisp, it is more dry. At the same time the dry and metallic sound, makes metal strings and brass have superb bite on the BC 2023. But depending on recording or how you tolerate this it can be too much. More airiness and detail on females with Neon Pro, and NP can make male vocals more lush than the BC 2023.
The BC 2023 on female vocals is more sharp in the sound and can make the vocals appear more forward in a few songs.

Both have good treble detail, but as I mentioned the upper mids and low treble of the BC 2023 is too forward. The sibilance dip on the BC2023 is too big, and takes away some realism that Neon Pro has. There is also more air and sparkle going on with Neon Pro.

Soundstage is big on both, but I believe that BC 2023 is wider while both have the same forwardness. Layering is very similar, and for that matter very good.

Sade with Smooth Operator has more detail going on with Neon Pro, the resolution is on a higher level. Her voice has more feeling and nuance, like how when she goes high you hear more throbbing. Sax also has that extra realistic sound that I lack on BC 2023.

Habalmas my bass check track, has less bass on Neon Pro than the BC. But even if it is BA bass, the immense pressure is also here but maybe just a little less. The rest of the sound cues are more present and clear on Neon Pro, and you can hear the more metallic aspect of the BC 2023. But I would still choose the BC 2023 for every type of electronica if the treble is not too spicy.

The Isle is such a magical experience on Neon Pro, I immediately understood why I call Neon Pro the master of metal and rock. Neon Pro is also an energetic set, but the timbre is more rounded and never hard or metallic like on the BC 2023. The sound is more pleasing and natural sounding, be it drums, guitars or the growling. But wow the BC 2023 is also good, but in a way where it wants to destroy you with intense sound.

Hotel California has overall higher resolution on Neon Pro, be it instruments, vocals or just how the spatial cues are separated. The sound is more musical and not painful with Neon Pro.

Deeply Disturbed is great on both, both have superb tonality for it. BC 2023 is more metallic bright, while the Neon Pro is more warm. If we talk about detail it goes to Neon Pro, but not that weird since it's one of the kings for detail under $1000. But on this one I like both, and the DD of BC makes me love the BC 2023. It also plays so well with guitars that use metal strings, like made for it.



Conclussion

I started my journey with IMR on the rough side, luck and patience made it worth it. The BC 2023 truly lives up to its name, bringing the best bass Bob can make with great tonality elsewhere also. The bass can both slam and rumble with authority, while also giving you a clear and energetic sound in the mids and highs. And the soundstage width and depth is remarkable.

Not the IEM to use for every type of music out there, and clearly not when tired. The sound is both addicting and brutal, use this for a week and most of your other sets will sound dull after.

Even if the name says bass cannon this is the full deal, the mids are on a high level with maybe a little too much upper energy for some. Treble is also very good, with lots of detail and never boring. But the star of the show is the bass for me, such immense slam and speed. Every drum hit sounds so real and impactful, it reminds me of live concerts. And this is where it excels the most, both studio and live rock and metal recording is so extremely satisfying.

So in the end I love the BC 2023, and it will stay in my collection for use with rock, metal and electronica. It is where I find this type of energetic sound to be best, and with that I'm ending this listening to some good old Metallica.

Ranking System

1 Very bad or unlistanable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

Price can push something up or down half grade.

And by that for the right music and mood this is a solid 5/5 for me, but on some music more 3.5/5. In the end I belive it deserve a solid 4.5, but remember music type is a thing here.

ISN NEO 5

Disclaimer

The NEO 5 is the 4th IEM I have owned from ISN Audio, I bought it with a small discount for the review. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after having used them for a good time, and I have no association with ISN writing this.
This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you. While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.



About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with increased low end, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.

I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string to wind instruments and also piano.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current standard in IEMs is AüR Audio NEOn Pro and Penon Serial. The NEOn Pro has 10 BAs, and has a near perfect tonality for me on the brighter side. The Penon Serial that also has a near perfect tonality for me, that is more euphonic and organic sounding with its triple DD configuration. Both of them have sound signatures that I can listen to all types of music with.
Another set that has shown me how good DD can be in the low end is the AüR Audio Aurora, while not taking over the mids and showing superb natural sound.
In general 3 good sets that set the stage high when I compare other sets.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
I have also used the Feliks Audio Echo, one of the more silent OTL amps.

Portable gear used during the review: Penon Tail, Truthear SHIO, Tempotec Sonata HD II , Hiby R6 III, Quidelix 5k.

I have a good range of cables from ISN, DUNU, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS and Gladiator Cables.




Who is ISN Audio

ISN Audio is a brand under Penon Audio, Penon started in 2013. ISN has a wide range of both cables and IEMs.

When you read around on the forums about ISN, you will notice that people say that ISN is IEMs with a more bass heavy and bright sound signature. While this has some truth, the H30 has a more balanced neutral W shaped sound. And the EST50 is more of L shaped sound with great bass and no offensive upper range.

https://isnaudio.com/
https://penonaudio.com/
https://penonaudio.com/isn-audio-NEO-5.html?search=isn NEO 5

ISN D01 7mm DLC DD
ISN D02 10mm Carbon Chrystal DD
ISN D10 9mm DD
ISN H30 9.2mm Beryllium Frosted DD Bass + 2 BAs mids and highs
ISN H40 9.2mm DD + 1 BAs Mids + 2 BAs Highs
ISN H50 10mm Composite DD + 2BAs Mids + 2BAs Highs
ISN EST50 10mm DD + 1 BA Mids + 1 Highs+ 2 EST Ultra Highs
ISN NEO 5 10mm DD + 4BA


They also have cables from cheaper models to their top model the ISN Solar.



So what is the NEO 5

Taken from the product listing:


ISN Audio NEO 5 4 BA + 1 Dynamic Driver Hybrid 2Pin 0.78mm HiFi Audiophile IEMS

Description

ISN Audio NEO series, different tuning style

Handmade, durable and solid.

Semi-transparent purple shell

Medical grade resin material, light and beautiful, comfortable to wear.

5 drivers hybrid earphone, 10mm diaphragm dynamic driver with 4 Knowles BA hybrid.

HiFi 8 shares single crystal copper silver-plated cable, single share is 19 cores, a total of 8 × 19.

Specifications

Brand:ISN Audio

Model: NEO 5

Driver: 4 Balanced Armature + 1 Dynamic driver hybrid

2 x Knowles BA for high frequency

2 x Knowles BA fo middle frequency

1 x 10 mm diaphragm dynamic driver for low frequency

Material: resin

Impedance: 26 Ω @1kHz

Sensitivity: 110 ± 3dB @1kHz

Frequency response: 10-20kHz

Connector: 2pin 0.78mm

Cable length: 1.2M

Package

ISN NEO 5 earphone

Warranty

18 months warranty



Timbre

First off, what is Timbre?
From the Wikipedia:
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"

First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.

The sound of the NEO 5 is bold with a big low end, mids and treble is refined with no BA timbre. Mids are full and on the thicker side for vocals, while treble is inoffensive. The timbre is not accurate for perfect acoustic playback, but is still a high performer.


Going to use the ranges here in review:




Details and soundstage

Overall resolution is good, it is not too dark or veiled. The part that has the most detail and expression goes to the mid range, even if the bass slightly bleeds into mids. Soundstage is rather intimate, but at same time has very good imaging cues.

Bass

Bass is of the slower more mid bass heavy style, very full and euphonic. Sub bass also reaches very low with a great subwoofer like rumble and impact, not the fastest type of bass. So while it slams hard, it does not have the most snappy bounce back. At the same time this type is very fun especially within Hip Hop with sampled bass, also since the amount is also boosted.

The amount of bass is north of what is neutral in the whole bass range, very fun and should delight most bassheads.

Mids

Depending on the artist or type of singing the NEO 5 is superb, with loads of detail going to show both low and high mids. It is just that since the mid bass is also boosted it touches the midrange, it adds thickness and takes away some detail.

Female artists on the darker side are good and I like this type of vocal presentation, but when listening to more airy and bright vocals it sounds slightly off.
Affects females much more than males, personally I like a more thick sound on males.

String instruments have great detail and warmth, brass is also very nice without being shouty. Just not the crispest and clear sound, more on the smooth thick style. This goes for most instruments going on in the upper part of the midrange.

Treble

Treble is inoffensive without trouble areas making fatigue, and has good enough detail to not sound veiled. For the most part the treble is good, measurements also show great air. But for some reason I don't find the sound very airy, maybe since there is not so forward treble. So even if the air region is boosted it doesn't get the realism right. I find that some instruments lack realism, for example how a cymbal doesn't have the right sparkle and sound blunted. Or have a violin don't have that airy and crisp sound, or how the higher notes on piano seem off.



Synergies

A small part about what gear I have been enjoying the most with the Aurora.

All my dongles or amps have sounded good with NEO 5, be it based on ESS or CS chips in the DACs. The resolving Penon Tail has been the most resolving and full sounding dongle for Aurora. Going into DAPs and AMPs, the Cayin N7 in Class A does give the NEO 5 more warmth and make it sound clearer with more treble detail over the Penon Tail.

As for tips most of my open bore tips work perfectly, but what I have used the most is Penon own green tips that were in the pack.
Used the stock cable ISN S8 for a long time and works great, but had to test more.
XINHS SPC is the same as Cadmus and White Crane cables, and is an upgrade from S8 with better note weight and resolution.
Then tried to use my Penon Mix, this cable does seem to push the treble more forward and keep low end similar to XINHS.
My Gladiator Cables in copper, delivering great bass and resolution.
Since I find NEO 5 slightly thick and bassy I prefer to go for Penon Mix as it balances the sound.





Music

I will just talk about some of the music I like, the music I use here are some of my reference tracks and also just some I like. When I am listening to music and not evaluating, I prefer to listen to whole albums. When comparing the NEO 5 to other sets I have used the tracks listed here and more. I have some extra focus on music with bass this time, as it's also something the NEO 5 excels at.




Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, Kamasi Washington - From My heart and My Soul

Terrace Martin has some great releases within the jazz or jazz hop genre, this is no exception and is a superb album and track. He has a nice voice and has an old school vibe, like a 90s hip hop sound blended with jazz. The track is very bass heavy with a thicker mid presentation.

The bass with NEO 5 is so big, and really powerful. Don’t care if it slightly steals the show over the vocal, it is so big and can rumble your brain. The bass here is of the slow type in the mix, and rumbles for a long time. NEO 5 is extremely fun with it.

The vocals are also on the darker side and I love this extra fullness, but it's at the cost of getting drowned a little by the bass.



AES DANA - Jetlag Corporation

Vibrant and powerful Electronica, not sure about genre really. Is tagged as IDM, Downtempo, Deep Tech and Progressive Trance. Perfect for checking tonality, bass and treble detail.

First off NEO 5 has bass that is big and bold here, almost too big as it drowns the rest of the mix slightly. This is nitpicking and I find bass close to perfect here. When looking at overall resolution, it's not the best but I think it competes well in its price range. The good thing is that the treble is not too forward aggressive, makes it pleasant for a longer time also at louder volume.



Symbolico - Like Water

I have been into similar music for a long time, a short while ago I discovered Symbolico. Psychedelic electronica or glitch hop, but genre doesn't matter. What matters is how good this guy from Israel is at mixing together everything into something magical.

The beat is addicting, you do get into a trance-like state of mind listening to this. When we talk about heavy hitting bass that will rattle your brain this is that, I do wonder how the sets from Fatfreq or the new Penon Turbo would do. As it already rattles your brain here, so I can not imagine how those are. Bass is huge and slow decaying, same as the AES DANA track this music deserves DD in my book.

I feel that NEO 5 does okay for its resolution here, nothing spectacular but nothing wrong. It is overall a full sound, and I personally find the tonality good for this. Maybe I just could have wished for some more upper energy or less bass.




Emanuel - Need You

Need You is an emotional song, Emanuel has a nice vibe going on here. Touching and with great emotions, the piano accompanying it feels very grounded and pure. The deep heavy bass kick also enhances the emotional vibe.

Emanual has music I love with AüR Audio AURE, and NEO 5 has very similar qualities. It is close but lacks some of the AURE magic.

Piano is on the mellow side but detailed and full, every note has weight to it. And the bass kick is dramatic and big with a slow decay that is very correct in this setting.

His voice is powerful and smooth with throbbing nuances, nothing is muddied up by NEO 5 and I would say the thicker sound of NEO 5 makes this very euphonic.



Veronica Swift - This Bitter Earth

Recently heard this one, great for checking female vocals, piano and violin. Her voice is beautiful, it is touching and emotional. NEO 5 has very good resolution and gives her justice, picking up nuances in both her more slow silent part and the more forward airy part.

Piano sounds overall very real, with just some notes that seem off, lacking something that takes away realism. Violin also has great detail but lacks that little extra that I like.



YOUNHA - WINTER FLOWER (Feat. RM)

YOUNHA is a female artist from Korea with a superb voice, together with RM a rapper that is very well known. Mainly going to focus on the voice of both artists here, the instruments are not that forward in the mix.

His voice is very correct and the thicker presentation gives him great fullness, but is also slightly distant. Some of it is due to the recording, so I find it very good overall.
YOUNHA is different sounding than some other sets with a leaner vocal range. When compared to a brighter set IEMs, it will not have the same airiness.
The dynamic range of her voice is shown clearly, and when she is going intense and high it does not get sibilant or tiresome.



The Comet is Coming - Birth of Creation

Nu jazz from London, a group consisting of King Shabaka on sax, Danalogue on keyboard and Betamax on drums. This album is special and has been in my listening rotation since it came out, the track Birth of Creation is one of the best tracks on the album.

Sax is played with finesse and has a mellow and dark sound, almost like a voice singing. The drums gave a nice mix of sparkling cymbals, hits and nice kicks. While the keyboard makes this more of a mix between electronica and jazz, it's a cool track with a story being told.

The NEO 5 does not have the right tonality for me here, I find it too thick. The track is already mellow, and the NEO 5 just enhances it. Sax is a little too veiled for me, lacking ultimate detail and nuance. Cymbal hits lack the sparkle and sound unreal, while the drums are better.
It is not that it sounds bad, but it's not what I prefer for this.



Tzusing - Nature Is Not Created in the Image of Man’s Compassion

Techno or EBM album, not for everyone I admit that.. Some sets can be very tiresome here, I both like this album and use it as a test for fatigue and bass amount. BA bass fails for me here, doesn't matter if its top of the line drivers and implementation.

Just feel that bass on NEO 5, it is big and it holds the pressure under the whole length. The extra sounds are not shouty or tiresome, the metal screech dont kill my ears. The spatial cues are also quite good, and make it feel like you're surrounded by sound.



Black Sabbath - Children of the Grave

Always been a fan of the earlier works from Black Sabbath, this is maybe one of my favourites from Sabbath. Music like this I prefer on more thick sounding sets like the Penon Serial making it all sound fuller.

NEO 5 gives the whole track the fullness and note weight it deserves, similar to how Serial does this. The distorted guitar is great and full, and the bass guitar is also great with authority. The drums are also very well done, with full power and attack. But here also the cymbal is slightly off, it lacks the extra sizzle.
Ozzy has good detail and NEO 5 keeps the edginess of his voice, while being clear and forward.

The ending is really good, spooky almost. The static noise of the recording together with the whispering give a nice ambient feel. And show that the NEO 5 can be quite resolving also.



The Dark Side of the Moon - Double Trouble / Lumos! (Hedwig’s Theme)

The Dark Side of the Moon is very awesome,this is a cool album where they have covers of known songs. Here from Harry Potter with Double trouble, just in a metal version. Rusanda Panfili plays violin both beautifully and vigorously, while Melissa Bonny is great with her voice. All the players are great, superb recording in my opinion and maybe blasphemous for the Harry Potter fans out there.

Going from the Black sabbath track to this is quite different, much cleaner and detailed recording. Drums and guitars sound full with life, violin is clear but lacks some airyness. Melissa also sounds great on the NEO 5. It is a fast track and NEO 5 never feels like it struggles to keep up with the fast parts.



Anathema - A Natural Disaster (Live)

Found this group lately, recommended by a friend from Spain that is also a lover of metal and rock. This is a live recording and sounds very open and big, and the performance is superb to be live. Her voice has lots of detail, with vibrato and big control. His voice is also really nice but she is clearly the one on focus here. Guitars, cello and drums, the whole package is really good.
This track sounds good on almost everything I have, but I do like the extra fullness of NEO 5. Drum kick sounds impactful and correct, cymbals are better here than the tracks before and sound more real. The cello is great and gets a small lift from the NEO 5 warmth, guitars also sound great.

Her vocal is portrayed near perfect, with so much detail and emotion. I find the NEO 5 to be great with females if they are not too bright and airy sounding, very correct here where it just is superb.



Comparisons

Rough estimate of how I place them in a spider chart, some of the values tip up or down to show to show off a difference.



Penon Serial

The Serial is a reference set for me on how dynamic driver IEMs should sound like, very correct in musical playback with its analog warm touch.

Serial uses 3 dynamic drivers. One for bass, mids and treble. It has a natural sound that is more analog warm, speed is also slower due to longer resonating decay. It is very musical and fun, which makes me enjoy music more than just picking it apart. So for $300, it is a unique and special IEM. I believe there is a huge chance you would buy one after demoing the Serial.

Comfort is great on both, but after maybe 30 mins with the Serial, I start to notice it. It has a bump in the shell that is not perfect for me, while NEO 5 has perfect shell design. Both have the same type of nozzle in metal, and also length. The Serial is also much harder to drive than the NEO 5, it also seems to scale more with high end gear. Even using my OTL amp is great on Serial, but sounds off on NEO 5.

Resolution of the Serial has always been good for me, but it has still not been spectacular. Bass range resolution is very similar on both sets, same for the instruments part. Only when listening to more airy instruments does it sound more correct and real on the Serial. Some complain that Serial is dark sounding, don't agree. Maybe on the darker side but it still has some great treble details and air, but power is a thing here. Try and volume match when testing and it's much closer in darkness between NEO 5 and Serial.

Bass is very good on Serial, has a very good balance of sub and mid bass. Bass is slightly on the slower side, NEO 5 has bass that is snappier with a harder edge to it.
Sub bass has great rumble and impact on both, mid bass is also very similar. Mid bass is more elevated on the Serial, this means even more euphonic bass and instrument playing.

Mids seems to me to be slightly too thick in the lowest range on the Serial, similar to the NEO 5. The vocals seem closer in NEO 5 and further out on Serial, this makes it for me so the Serial has a slightly more natural presentation on vocals. Same goes for instruments, it is more organic sounding with the Serial. I am not saying NEO 5 has a bad midrange, but just that Serial is a step up for me. But at the same time NEO 5 has a clearer midrange, which can be better for some music.

Treble can have some blunted edge to it on NEO 5, while I find both to have similar treble detail. It is a tonality difference due to the BA against the Serial DD, the NEO 5 can also seem brighter without actually having more detail.

Stage is larger on Serial and smaller on NEO 5, this also goes for layering of the stage.

Some songs and how they do:

The Bitter Earth has more airiness and sounds more real on the Serial, be it piano or her voice. Resolution is almost the same, but there is something about the Serial not shown in the NEO 5 like how her vocal is doing vibrato. When talking about correct tonality, it is closer to what it sounds like in real life. The Serial has a clear win, there is something unreal about the NEO 5 in comparison.

From My Hearth and My Soul is a good example that actually shows the mid bass is more forward on Serial than NEO 5. It is more pleasant and correct on NEO 5, while also being boosted it stays more in line. The singing is better on Serial but it's shadowed more than on NEO 5, so in the end I prefer NEO 5 more. Only the drum hi hat is better on Serial.

Like Water has a big bass already, and both show a great thick low end. They are actually very similar in how they sound in the bass here. Biggest change here is that NEO 5's tonality is less dark, it's very clear that the BAs give off a cleaner sound.

Tzuing’s Nature track is big and gives some serious rumble on both sets, but is more bass heavy on Serial. How it all decays also seems slower on the Serial and snappier on NEO 5. There is actually more detail in NEO 5 when listening to the spatial cues and metal hammering.



ISN EST50

The EST50 is a tribrid that I own and love, it fits quite well in here for a comparison. It is priced higher, but is the top model from ISN. The sound of the EST50 is more L shaped in the sound signature with the sub bass taking the spotlight. Price is $449 and you get 1DD for low end, 1 BA for the mids and 1 for the high frequencies. Also for ultra high frequencies you get 2 EST drivers. Comfort for me is superb on EST50 and due nozzle being longer and in resin instead of metal on the NEO 5, even if NEO 5 is smaller I find EST the best here.

The EST50 is not the most resolving set, but it is not veiled either. And I find it more resolving than NEO 5 on its low end and high end. While the midrange is more detailed with more nuances on NEO 5.

Bass is what impressed me the most with the EST50, it is known for its great low end. Providing textured bass that is boosted and reaching very low, almost like a subwoofer backing up a stereo system. Impactful bass kicks that make you smile, at least if you are a bass lover like me.
Both have impactful sub bass, but the EST50 is the most sub bass focused. NEO 5 may have similar amounts of sub bass, but I find it less detailed. Maybe since the mid bass takes over more of the bass on the NEO 5. For example cello or bass guitar has a thicker tonality and lacks some of the finesse than EST50 have.

Mids is more forward on NEO 5 than EST50, it is also of a higher quality. I guess the BAs on the EST50 show some age compared to the new Knowles in the NEO 5. Female vocals are more smooth with less tendency to be grainy. It is also more forward and thick compared to the EST50. This also goes for male vocals, but at same time darker males can get too thick for my taste and make me prefer the EST50, even if it sounds more refined on NEO 5.
String instruments do show better layering on NEO 5, but if they use the higher strings it also lacks some airiness that EST50 have. But double bass, cello or guitars sound thick and nuanced on NEO 5 and I prefer it better here than EST50 even if it's too thick sounding.

Treble detail is better on EST50 with more sparkle and airiness, some people are calling the EST50 dark. Never thought so myself, but I guess we all hear differently. I find NEO 5 darker than EST50, the more thick low end and mids take away the focus from the treble. Listening to cymbals or percussion, the NEO 5 lack that shimmer that gives realism.

Soundstage is also much more wide and layered on the EST50, going back and forth the NEO 5 is slightly boxed in.

Double Trouble is thicker on the NEO 5 with instruments and her voice being more full and refined. The Violin doesn't sound totally correct and makes me like EST50 more, but I still would pick NEO 5 for this.

WINTER FLOWER is more airy when she goes high on the EST50, while she also can have some grittiness. NEO 5 is less airy but is nicer on her voice, and his voice is also better on NEO5 while a little thick. Prefer the NEO 5 here.

Like Water is fun on both sets, and since it's not the most technical track I can go for both sets with a slight preference for EST50. It just sounds better on the bass part and is more clean in the overall picture.

Jetlag Corporation is for me EST50 everyday, the NEO 5 is darker and lacks the finesse that the EST50 treble has. The bass is even bigger on NEO 5 but at the same time more unrefined. Technical electronica deserve good treble, even if some of the main focus is in the bass.



ISN H30

Why the H30, first of all it is also an ISN. It is a hybrid with 1 DD and 2 BAs priced at $129. I use the H30 almost daily at work and it has a very good midrange and also sub bass reaching to the lowest octaves.

Both have an ergonomic, but the nozzle on the H30 is longer and sounds better with deep insertion. So in the end NEO 5 stays the most comfortable.

Bass is very well extended on H30, it raises almost linearly all the way. The bass is still bigger on NEO 5 as it is boosted more, the decay is faster on H30 by a good amount.

Both have good midrange, the H30 vocals and instruments appear more bright. While the NEO 5 has more euphonic thick midrange, and when listening to vocals it's more detailed going on in NEO 5.

Going up into the upper midrange/ lower treble is where it goes a little down for H30.The H30 has some extra energy around 5-7k Hz, this can be fatiguing for some depending on how sensitive you are to this range. it is not sibilant, the energy is more forward. NEO 5 is more relaxed here in comparison, and if a song has sibilance it is controlled best on NEO 5.

Upper treble is well extended on both, and I find both okay in treble extension. While some shimmer on percussion is more present on H3, in general instruments using the treble have better realistic timbre.

Also a note on soundstage. The H30 is really good for its price, and is larger than NEO 5 with more depth and width.

This Bitter Earth is very clean and detailed on H30, but lacks some soul to it and sounds cold.
NEO 5 has more organic piano, violin and singing.

Need You by Emanual is not as impressive on H30 as NEO 5, it lacks the fullness of his vocal and the piano also is too thin. The clapping more out in the track has a sharp edge to it on H30 that is more pleasant on NEO 5.

Birth of Creation is much more correct and nice on H30, more clear sound. Bass is not taking over too much on the H30, so the instruments can shine more.

Children of the Grave is clear and nuanced on H30, but lacks the extra oomph that NEO 5 gives. Cymbals while having the extra sparkle on H30 are also on the more sharp side.
And I would pick NEO 5 every day over H30 for more old metal music like this.

Jetlag Corporation has more detail going on in H30, but at the same time is slightly too sharp sounding. So I would also pick NEO 5 for this, even if the bass has a faster sound to it I prefer the boosted slower NEO 5 bass here.



Summary

I like the ISN NEO 5 very much, it has a fun and euphonic sound. And is one of the best hybrids you can get around the price, especially if you like that Penon style warm low end. It is not the IEM I would use for perfect playback of acoustic music, but more the fun set you have for electronica or Hip Hop.

ISN have full bodied sound with ISN NEO 5, and also have a more full sounding midrange with a more relaxed approach to treble. So a perfect set for those who want an inoffensive sound with great low end, should please more bass heads than the neutral crowd.

It gets a thumbs up for me, even with my cons. If Penon would come with another model in the NEO series I would have loved some changes, EST50 style bass with NEO 5 mids. And get in some ESTs, or other drivers for its treble to sound more natural.

Ranking System

1 Very bad or unlistanable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

Price can push something up or down half grade.

Going by this ranking system together with my deeper evaluation matrix, the Neo 5 get a 4 in sound qualities.

A brand new day has risen with AüR Audio Aurora

Disclaimer

The Aurora is my third IEM from AüR Audio, I bought it with own money with a very small discount. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after having used them for a good time. I am a customer of AüR, I get nothing for writing this. These are my thoughts at this moment, and as time moves I might change my opinion.
This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you.
While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.



About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with good extension and some warmth, mids should be neutral or forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are metal, electronica, jazz, indie rock, and pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.

I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string to wind instruments.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current standard in IEMs is AüR Audio Neon Pro and Penon Serial. The Neon Pro has 10 BAs, and has a near perfect tonality for me on the brighter side. The Penon Serial that also has a near perfect tonality for me, that is more relaxing and organic sounding with it is triple DD configuration. Both of them have sound signatures that I can listen to almost all types of music.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
I also use the Feliks Audio Echo, one of the more silent OTL amps.

Portable gear used during the review: Cayin N7, Hiby R6 III, Quidelix 5k DAC/AMP, FIIO BTR7 and Penon Tail.

I have a good range of cables from Gladiator Cables, ISN, DUNU, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS and some others.



Who is Aür Audio

AüR Audio is a Singapore brand who makes in-ear monitors and is founded by two friends, Nicholas Teo and Abel Hsu. It is a small business where Abel handles the research and development while Nicholas manages the sales, marketing and distribution.

On the other side of AüR is Nicholas who has his customers in mind, one of the most helpful sellers I have contacted. When I have asked something about their products or recommendation for other audio related gear, he has been more than happy to help me out.

The IEMs are now 3D printed and handmade by Abel from start to end, carefully ensuring that everything is perfect with a quality control that is above the usual chi-fi market. The models from before this were not 3D printed and is a new way for AüR to have higher QC and productivity forward.

https://www.auraudio.store/

Allure 6 BA (Discontinued)
Neon 10 BA (Discontinued)
Neon Pro 10 BA
Aure 8mm DD and 6 BA (Discontinued)
Alita 12 BA
Aurora 2 DD and 6 BA
Ascension Configuration unknown
Allusion Configuration unknown



So what is the Aurora

The Aurora is a hybrid IEM with 2 DD and 6 BA, tuned to be neutral in sound with some warmth. This is the first model from AüR Audio that is 3D printed from the start of launch, the other models have also moved to 3D printing. I was sceptical at first when I heard this, but I have nothing to complain about the quality here.

They have focused on selling the Aurora in the cheapest way possible. Accessories and cable are not much, but enough to get you going. The cable is the same as on the Alita, a much nicer cable than the Neon Pro and Aure cable. Silver plated copper with soft and flexible blue fabric, you also get a hard case with some tips.

The form factor is very ergonomic and the shells are average in size, they are also very light. AüR knows how to make comfortable shells, same goes for the nozzles having good length while not too long. It also has a very perfect angle and width so I can use 1 size smaller tip and still get a perfect seal.

The design is changed a little from the hand made Neon Pro and Aure and this should be more ergonomic for more people. The Part going toward the nozzle is slimmer and the ear fin is gone.

My only nit-pick is that I liked the old ergonomic design on NP more, perfect for my ears. The design now is better for the people who tested my Aurora. This is a personal thing for me, I can still use the Aurora for many hours before discomfort.



Taken from the product listing:

Aurora offers a balanced tuning with a detailed and organic midrange. The 2DD+6 balanced armature configuration delivers a wide, spacious and holographic presentation that handles complex recordings with ease. Aurora can handle nearly all genres, the organic tonality and resolving power particularly suit is for all genres of music

50-100 hours of burn in is recommended

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz

Impedance: 19Ω

Sensitivity: 104dB (@130mV)

DRIVER CONFIGURATION

Bass (2): Dual Opposed 7.5mm PU+PEEK DD with N52 magnet
Midrange (4): E-Audio Improved RAB Dual Drivers
Treble (2): Knowles Dual Tweeter


HOUSING MATERIAL
Shell: 3D Printed Resin

CABLE SPECIFICATIONS

Wire Material: 2 Core, High-Purity, Monocrystalline, Silver-Plated Copper
Length: 1.2 ± 0.1
Connector: 2-Pin (0.78 mm)
Monitor plug: 4.4mm

https://www.auraudio.store/product-page/aurora







Timbre

First off, what is Timbre?
From the Wikipedia:
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"

First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.

The sound of the Aurora is neutral with great extension in both the lowest and highest frequencies. Mids is in focus and is very clear on both instruments and vocals, there is no bass bleeding into mids. Bass is on the warm side with great nuance and impact, very good balance of decay and speed.
The upper mids and treble has no problem peaks and is also clear and relaxing at same time.

So the Aurora is neutral sounding with a slight bass boost, making music sound very natural.

Going to use the ranges here in review:





Details and soundstage

One of the best parts of Aurora is maybe how detailed it is while not relying on boosted frequency areas. When I got the Aurora I had no need to reset my ears to the sound, immediately I noticed a detailed and clear sound. The neutral balanced timbre helps everything to be resolving, without any part taking over. Even with just two BAs for the treble it is plenty of air and detail.

Soundstage is also quite deep and wide, great layering and separation so imaging is very spot on. I have heard larger soundstage than this, but it is not a big difference and it is still above average sets. I would say the sound is circular with a little more width than depth, it has very accurate imaging cues in all directions. Depending on the recording it sounds more like some rows back on a performance.



Bass

I read some first impressions from Nicolas' visit to Vietnam, I was not expecting to be totally satisfied from the bass when reading the impressions. I got an impression of the type of music they listened to, most likely Asian vocal oriented music or classical. This helped take my expectations down a few steps, what I expected was good bass that would be too light for my taste.

Good for me, the bass performance is much better than my expectations.
The Aurora has more than a neutral amount of bass, with superb extension. Not by any mean bass head level, it is more a level that should satisfy both camps.

First thing that impressed me was how detailed the bass is, lots of resolvement on each drum hit or bass pluck. The resolution is most likely higher than all IEMs I have tried, bold statement but it is what I believe going from memory.

Another thing is how visceral each bass hit is, usually I associate great slam with more bass than this. But here Aurora has great impacting bass that has a very natural decay not making it feel slow or too fast where it gets dry.


Bass is more focused on the sub bass than mid bass, so music using the sub bass range is going to give you some great rumble. When the music is centered more on mid bass the Aurora lacks a little mid bass for me personally, but also after having used it for a while this amount is very correct. This makes some music have less of the WOW factor that some want, but in exchange give you a more detailed mid range without any bleed.



Mids

The mid range of the Aurora truly shines, and is one of the Aurora’s biggest calling cards. Everything is super clear and detailed, and can show everything that is in the recording be it soft or intense. My expectations were actually to get something similar to the Aure, but this is different.

Clean forward female vocals is perhaps the best thing here, it is very nuanced with airyness when called for. If you have ever heard people complain about vocals being veiled due to bass, this is the sound they are striving for. It is also good with males and darker females, but if you are used to a sound with more mid bass the vocals will sound thinner than what you are used to. Some time to reset your hearing will help, and then it will sound full and you will not lack anything.

How midrange is tuned make this a very good IEM for Asian focused tracks like J-Pop, never fatiguing or too thick.
Instruments are also on the resolving side, and just sound very natural. I have experienced some eye opening moments with piano arrangements or just classical music in general. Hard to explain in detail, but especially on piano it sounds so real to life. Never to hot brass instruments and this is a big one for me, I am often sensitive to the upper midrange.



Treble

The treble is detailed but also relaxing with plenty of air, extension is really good.
I have a feeling this treble is very similar to the AüR Audio Alita treble amount, but probably less resolving.

Since the treble is not as forward you can increase the volume more without getting fatigued, this also makes the bass and mids come forward more.

Violins, Cymbals and Wind instruments sound good and true to life, never having any of the piercing character some sets have that is overly boosted in the highs.

The upper air is also very good but lacks some of the little extra that EST driver's show, still this is very good considering that it is only using two balanced armatures for the treble.



Synergies

A small part about what gear I have been enjoying the most with the Aurora.

All my dongles or amps have sounded good with Aurora, be it based on ESS, AKM or CS chips in the DACs. The resolving Penon Tail has clearly been the most resolving and full sounding dongle for Aurora. Going into DAPs and AMPs, the Cayin N7 in Class A does give the Aurora more warmth and make it sound more organic and lively. Even better than my desktop dac amp being highly resolving and also musical.

As for tips most of my open bore tips work perfect, but what I have used that is the best for the Aurora is Canal Works CWU-GDECS gel tips. This is wide bore tips with gel between the bore and outer layer. Making bass more prominent and even tighter, while retaining full mid and treble presence. As for cable I first used my Gladiator Cables in copper, delivering great bass and resolution. Then tried to use my Penon Mix, this cable does seem to push the treble more forward and give more detail. Then I landed on my DUNU DUW-03, which is a hybrid cable. I loved this one also, but I still prefer my Gladiator.
All of them are great cables to use with Aurora and I can go for each of them.




Music

I will just talk about some of the music I have used for the evaluation, the music I mention here are some of my reference tracks. When I am listening to music and not evaluating, I prefer to listen to whole albums. That goes for most of the songs here, all of them have great albums. When doing the comparing I have used the tracks listed here, together with some more music.



Aurora - Runaway

First track from Aurora’s debut album, if you are from Norway, you have likely heard this hundreds of times on radio. Her voice is ethereal at parts, and the track has a wide range of expressions.

At start you get a nice slow decaying bass kick accompanied by vocalizing, the start is so nice and you get dragged in. When she starts to sing you get entranced by both her voice and the lyrics. In general this track is perfect for checking vocal capability, never any sense of sibilance on Aurora that some other sets show here. Amount of detail is at a high level, and has some warmth in both the vocal and instruments. The silent parts are very black, when it is pushed it is full sounding. As for details it is a few parts where the recording is not perfect, and the Aurora shows it when it happens. So even if the Aurora is more relaxed in pinna gain and upper treble it does not hide a bad recording, not that runaway is bad recording it is just not perfect.



Jacob Gurevitsch - Lovers in Paris

Danish artist who plays the Spanish guitar, his guitar technique is sublime. Mexican margarita was recommended by Akros, and has stuck with me as one of my best test tracks. Perfect for evaluating how capable a set is in its dynamic range and expression, I bet I can use this one track alone and know if I like a set or not.

Aurora is very technical here and you can hear every detail going on, no doubt about that. If I go straight from a more thick sounding set like EST50 I hear more nuances and a more light presentation. Not in attack but more in the thickness of the guitar and rest, and the more I have become accustomed to the sound of the Aurora I like it more on this than EST50.

I advise checking the track out, technical and perfect for evaluating or comparing. Or just enjoy it, it is with few instruments but also complex and magical. Main focus for me is here on the guitar playing, but need to say that both the bass and drum is also perfect and make the track whole.



Dominique Fils-Aimé - Birds

The perfect song to show how emotional and breath-taking the vocal presentation of how the Aure is. The song has Dominique's voice with some acapella, a cello and some clapping going on. Nothing more but sounds so perfect and full, I get moved by this song.

I also used this track in Aure review, it was spectacular on the Aure. But what I see here is that it is equally good with even more detail going on, just a change in warmth. The stage is quite different, here it is larger with more depth. For Example how the clapping appear much more to the sides and decay further out. The different vocal parts have a wide range of layering, more than the other sets I compare with in this review.

The double bass is so nuanced and in harmony with vocals, a breath-taking track. I find the amount of bass and mids to give everything a very correct timbre, very organic and true to life presentation.




Alba by Søren Bebe Trio

Jazz trio from Denmark introduced by my friend Carlos, they use piano, drums and double bass. Beautiful arrangement with great dynamic sound, nice small nuances all over. Like how the cymbals are hit or how the bass is plucked, really great emotion in everything and it is not done at random. The piano is gently played, with high resolution from the recording.

I have been a lover of jazz music for a long time, I can say that I never heard an IEM I like more for jazz. At first listening to Aurora I had moments of euphoric pleasure, the upper tuning makes it a joy.
The amount of expression going on, and how the Aurora picks up all the emotional playing is at high end level. The tonality of Aurora has just the perfect tuning for this, relaxed but detailed.

How piano is played is magical, be it the low notes or higher it sounds natural and true to life. The drums are great, cymbals sound real and have nice shimmer to it. Double bass have great detail, and you hear subtle changes. I can not ask for more, unless I want to have more warmth for jazz.



Symbolico - Gaian Portal

Thanks Alberto for introducing Symbolic, been into similar music for a long time but this group has gone past me. Psychedelic electronica or glitch hop, but genre doesn't matter. What matters is how good this guy from Israel is at mixing together into something magical.

The beat is addicting, you do get into a trance-like state of mind listening to this. This was one of the first tracks I tested with Aurora, at first when I read about Aurora I never thought it would have a satisfying sound for electronica. I was so wrong and it's maybe my favourite set now for most electronica.

Bass is tactile and the DD truly shines on every bass kick, perfection is the word I want to use.
I can be a true basshead, and here I am satisfied without it being bloated or taking over the rest of tonality. All the sounds in the mid and treble range are resolving and not peaky, and again make the bass shine even if it is not super elevated.

Just how all the sound cues go together is effortless, resolution is top notch. I am guilty in that I maybe turn the volume up more here than what is safe for long listening sessions.




The Comet is Coming - Birth of Creation

Nu jazz from London, a group consisting of King Shabaka on sax, Danalogue on keyboard and Betamax on drums. This album is special and has been in my listening rotation since it came out, the track Birth of Creation is one of the best tracks on the album.

Sax is played with finesse and has a mellow and dark sound, almost like a voice singing. The drums gave a nice mix of sparkling cymbals, hits and nice kicks. While the keyboard makes this more of a mix between electronica and jazz, it's a cool track with a story being told.

First off this music is spectacular on Aurora, neutral sound that is not so bright is excellent here. Amount of sub and mid bass is perfect, every drum hit is nice. Sax is played more mellow but it is not veiled.
I have another set I like very much I am reviewing later this year, that can not do this song justice and is a veiled and muddy experience.




SHAUN - Shooting Star

I have had some interest in Korean music the last months, lots of good tracks to choose from. But this track is one that has the power to make me happy and I feel good listening to it.

The tonality of the Aurora makes vocals shine, his voice is mesmerizing and you don't want it to stop. Drums are nice with great tactile bass feedback, and the bass guitar sounds good. Same for the acoustic guitar and keyboard while they stay more in the background behind the drums and voice. Great layering of all the instruments and no thick veil, and it sounds almost like a live recording where he stands singing in front of me.





Dead Can Dance - Anabasis

The vocals and spatial cues are epic and also perfect for checking soundstage and microdetail. With the AuroraI the space is very large. The drum here is supposed to sound big and heavy, it is an epic experience on the Aurora. Reminds me almost of a ritual about to happen, with many drums being hit in unison.

Her vocal when it starts is powerful and clear, emotional in a way that for example Neon Pro can not do.

Soundstage is on the larger side with perfect imaging capability, I would almost say the soundstage is wider than deep. It's not the biggest I have heard but above your average set, but again I know that soundstage is affected by our perception and ear canal. So keep this in mind.

It is a super nice track, and can quite easily show differences in your sets.





Ihsahn - South Winds

This is a Prog Metal track I like very much and also the whole album for that matter, I use South Winds for something weird. I check how much I need to increase the volume to get a satisfying bass kick at the start of the track, then to see how intense the rest is.

When it gets intense later I need to turn down the volume on some sets, the Aurora can be turned up here without any need to turn it down later. This is maybe a given due to the upper mids and treble not being too hot, so the Aurora passed my little check with a full score.

As for the music, I find the vocals here stellar and the tuning of Aurora do the track justice. I do not always understand why some types of metal are better than others with the Aurora, but this album works great.



Black Sabbath - N.I.B

Always been a fan of the earlier works from Black Sabbath, this is a classic that many have heard before. Music like this I prefer on more thick sounding sets like the Penon Serial making it all sound fuller.

What the Aurora does well is having a superb instrument performance and giving Ozzy a clear and detailed sound. But I still would have liked more fullness here.

The guitar has a good grunt, and bass guitar is also nicely done. The drums are also very well done, but a little thin for my taste.

It is not bad, while this is not a set I would pick for Black Sabbath, or more heavy black or death metal.




Hikaru Utada - First Love

A popular love song, or heartbreak song is more correct. From the year 2000 when Hikaru was 15 years old, has been well received back then and over time. She wrote the song herself not very normal for one her age, both touching and sad lyrics.

Emotional with high production quality, she sings more deeply than what was usual in Japan. Recorded close to the microphone with superb breathiness and detail, very pleasant and not as high pitched as many female J-Pop artists.

Drum kick here I am quite sure is from a keyboard or synth, gives off a great thump that does not overpower her voice. Strings in the background are also most likely digital, but sound nice. Same for guitar and synth, nice smooth detail not being thick or veiled.

And the best part is how Aurora does her voice, just the amount of emotion going on. The throbbing sound in her voice is super nice and same for her intense parts.
As an example the EST50 can not touch this and feel almost lifeless in comparison.



Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Lacrimosa

Most likely my favorite classical piece, this recording is superb and Sir Neville Marriner has let it be on the more faithful side to the original. I am not a person who listens much to classical music, but from time to time I do. I often tend to like classical music that has choir in it, or smaller quartets or piano pieces.

Why I include it here is because of how the Aurora is tuned, it is like made for classical. Just how the vocals and instruments are so powerful and emotional, while still not blowing your eardrum to pieces. But I promise you it gets intense with the Aurora also when asked for, the dynamic range is huge. The whole piece starts so gentle and dramatic, building up more to an intense piece. Perfect for showing dynamic range and more complex passages.

The wind instrument portrays such an airy and soft sound that is beautiful. The strings sound so dynamic and real, soft parts are clear and soft while the intensity is intense. The whole orchestral part is a work of art, and the choir and opera part top it to perfect performance.

The resolution is superb and everything is shown clearly, but if I listen with the Neon Pro it is a step above. But at the trade off at more intense sound, and slightly less organic timbre. Soundstage is very similar on both Neon Pro and Aurora, perhaps a very small edge to Neon Pro. But imaging positioning is spot on, and perhaps a step above NP for me, how you clearly hear exactly where they are performing from.




Comparisons

When evaluating the sets I use experience from the past and fresh comparing, it takes a long time and not done in one sitting. The most critical comparison is done on my desktop setup that is highly resolving, with volume matching through a microphone to take away loudness variance.
I am using the same silicone ear tip Kbear 07, and a XINHS SPC wire on all sets.





AüR Audio Neon Pro

Neon Pro is a IEM from AüR Audio that has 10 balanced armatures per side, it is maybe my favorite set and my standard in coherent tonality.

Overall resolution is good with both, I do put the Neon Pro a step ahead on everything except the low frequencies and low mid range.

None of them have pronounced sibilance. But if you listen to music that is already on the bright side where sibilance is naturally present, the Aurora is the most pleasing with less upper energy.

The dynamic driver of the Aurora beats the Neon Pro in bass with switch on and off, when looking at quality and resolvement of the lower part of frequencies.

Aurora seems to have more sub bass in comparison to the Neon Pro, the slam is stronger on the Aurora with more natural decay. Mid bass is similar in amount, but the increased sub bass on the Aurora makes it less noticeable than the Neon Pro.
The tuning switch ON with NP does turn it around making it more sub and mid bass on the Neon Pro. Great versatility and give extra fullness for some music, at the cost of also thickening the mids.

Mid range on the Aurora is better than Neon Pro, both on vocals and on instruments. It just seems to have the upper hand in the low mids detail and how it is pushed more forward in the mix.
Both have detailed and clear midrange, just something extra on the Aurora that also makes it sound more natural.

Aurora has very clear and forward female and male vocals, it has good balance so it's not shouty or tiresome. Neon Pro lacks some of the emotion that Aurora has with voices, the Neon Pro is similar in forwardness but the extra mid bass and treble shadow it to a small degree.

With switch on the vocals on the Neon Pro get thicker than Aurora, but not more detailed.
The switch also boosts instruments in the lowest frequencies, they can be too overpowering on a few tracks.

Treble is more relaxing on Aurora, but it's not veiled or dark. Just the overall energy is less than the Neon Pro, so naturally Neon Pro is the one with the best clarity and detail.
The Neon Pro has more resolution on most brighter instruments, and has also slightly more airiness.
The soundstage is on the Neon Pro further out with similar layering, but both have over average soundstage depth. The depth is bigger on Neon Pro but not the width, slightly more oval on the Aurora with wider sides.

Great song to use as an example is N.I.B, the sound on the Aurora is thinner and lacks some energy that the Neon Pro has. But then you try and listen to Ozzy or the distorted guitar and you notice more micro detail going on the Aurora, so both have strengths but I would pick up Neon Pro every day for this. And Switch ON for me here totally changes it, so it is very one sided which I prefer.

Then testing Perceiving all the bass on the Neon Pro is less noticeable than Aurora, and the energy in the treble makes it become tiresome after longer listening. On the Aurora there is never any fatigue and the bass seems bigger as the tonality is different, this can also make me turn the volume up more so the bass hit is even harder.

On First Love Utada voice is more airy on the Neon Pro but also more energetic and tiresome. And there is more detail going on her voice with more emotion on the Aurora, so my pick is the Aurora for J-Pop or K-Pop music in general.



AüR Audio Aure

The Aure is now discontinued by AüR, due to not having more dynamic drivers in good enough quality. They made the Aurora as a new model to replace the gap in their line-up, this is not supposed to be the Aure 2.0.

The Aure is also a hybrid , using 1 DD and 6 BA drivers. The config is quite different, first off the 1 dynamic driver on the Aure and 2 on the Aurora. Aure used 2 BA for midrange and 4 in the treble range, the DD is also used more as full range driver backing up the rest.

Resolution is similar with a slight edge to the Aurora, depending on the song it can be more similar.
Soundstage is great on both sets but they have different types of soundstage, on the Aure you are inside the recording and music is closer. So while the soundstage is not the deepest and widest you get an extremely good sense of imaging all around you. So in theory this is like standing on the scene where they are playing, while the Aurora you sit in the audience listening.

The sub bass rumbles and hits harder on Aurora, the decay is also faster than the Aure. Going into the mid bass the Aure has a more full mid bass tonality, so certain music will sound more bassy and full with the Aure.

If you listen to strings that use the lowest octaves, the bass on the Aure is very full and fun. But at the same time it is too much and more than real life, then go to the Aurora and the amount is more correct.

Both are sets that have a really good midrange, Aure is known for its superb vocal capability.
Vocals on the Aure are thick and full, with great detail showing every emotion. The Aurora is very similar but it is thinner and shows more nuances, both are great in my book. I would say that the Aure is better on male vocals and the Aurora is better on female, but this can depend on music and your taste. If you try a sibilant song, the Aurora does it better not pushing too much. I consider both great without sibilance, but the extra fullness on the Aure can affect it on a few songs.

Strings have some extra fullness, this is very fun and makes recordings very enjoyable. Strings are still more real to life on the Aurora with more resolving capability. When listening to jazz that uses intense sounding brass parts, the Aure do not tame it as well as the Aurora. But this goes back to how sensitive you are to instruments like sax, trumpet or other instruments.

The treble is more forward and hot on the Aure, so certain songs can be more tiresome. Weird thing is that I find them both to have great treble detail and similar airyness, even with two less drivers on the Aurora.

The track Alba has some great piano playing, and truly shows the extra thickness I'm talking about with the Aure. The Piano is both closer and more in your face than the Aurora, same is for the double bass. But in the end I like it more on the Aurora than Aure.

The track from AURORA Runaway is magical on both sets, I could go both ways to which I prefer. Both have fullness here that is not on the Neon Pro, while it is slightly having more note weight on the Aure. It is more resolving on the Aurora making the separation of the sounds more clear.

Then if I listen to N.I.B I would pick up Aure over the Aurora, as the guitar and Ozzy sound more full. But the other way with South Winds, as the Aure can get to forward sounding.

Then over to Birth of Creation the Aure is slightly too thick for me and lacks some resolving capability in comparison to the Aurora. Both are great but i am nit picking here, to show the difference.



ISN EST50

The EST50 is a tribrid that I own and love, it fits quite well in here for a comparison. It is priced similarly, and I recently finished my review for it. The sound of the EST50 is more L shaped in the sound signature with the bass taking the spotlight. Price is $449 and you get 1DD for low end, 1 BA for the mids and 1 for the high frequencies. Also for ultra high frequencies you get 2 EST drivers.

The EST50 is not the most resolving set, but it is not doing a bad job at it. Aurora is just more resolving in all aspects, this can be from the bass kicks to all the instruments playing. Soundstage on EST50 is very wide and has an average depth, maybe not the best layering. Aurora is not as wide, but is deeper with better imaging capability to pick up where things are positioned.

Bass is what impressed me the most with the EST50, it is known for its great low end. Providing textured bass that is boosted and reaching very low, almost like a subwoofer backing up a stereo system. Impactful bass kicks that make you smile, at least if you are a bass lover like me.
Both have impactful sub bass, but the EST50 is the most bass heavy. This can make certain songs be overbearing if they are already boosted in the sub bass, while the Aurora never does. The special thing is that even if the bass is louder on the EST50, the Aurora slams harder on the sub range. It is more layered and is just a higher resolving low end, and the EST50 is no slouch. Mid bass is the other way and is both thicker and with a more strong kick on the EST50.

Mids on the EST50 has been the weakest link for me, it is not bad but not good enough compared to competition. It is a little affected by bass bleed, making vocals and some string instruments more thick. While some other instruments sound thinner, and also slightly grainy at times. Male vocals are clear and full sounding, while females can at times be sibilant and too thick or even grainy. This depends on music and artist, most music is fine and is mostly noticeable when going from better sets for vocals like the Aurora.

Upper mids and treble are darker on EST50 than the Aurora, and at times can seem shouty when playing some music. Not because of the forwardness but just maybe a part of the driver quality that is starting to show it is age, development of IEMs has moved fast the last few years and the EST50 is now 2 years old. Extension is very good on EST50 and has similar airyness as the Aurora, maybe slightly better due to the ESTs character.

The track Mexican Margarita goes really well with the tonality here, the bass helps the whole thing sound more full and lively. Guitar is highly resolving and the same for the rest of the instruments. But even so the Aurora does make it sound better with more resolving capability, and even if it is leaner in the bass it sounds more forward.

The Runaway track is where I notice the bass being overbearing, slightly affecting both vocal and the bass beat and shadowing some of the rest in the mix. Her vocal can also almost be sibilant at times or grainy.

First Love is perfect to show what I mean about the graininess or sibilant side of EST50, it just lacks the finesse.

Gaian Portal is a song I can go both ways, the extra rumble is fun on the EST50. While the impact of the bass is better and the rest of the sounds is more clear and detailed on the Aurora.



Conclusion

Aurora is a good name for their new IEM, the Aurora light is a natural light occurring in the northern sky and looks magical. The Aurora is a very natural sounding IEM, same as the northern light it brings magic to our music.

I have been impressed by the Aurora, it has lived up to all my expectations and more. You get a sound that is both fun and detailed while never being tiresome. Perfect combination where I can listen for hours. Depending on your taste in sound or music, this might be the perfect set for you.

It is not the sound that blows you off your chair, but more a sound that lures you in and gets you addicted. Except maybe for the bass, perhaps the best low end I have tried when looking at detail and quality. Mids that are detailed and neutral with some warmth, perhaps one of the best sets if you're afraid of veiled or too thick vocals. Treble that have great detail, but remain relaxed and never fatiguing.

AüR Audio has proven that they can make another product that can be unique in their line-up, and I trust that whatever Abel and Nicholas is coming with next will also succeed.

Ranking System

1 Very bad or unlistenable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

Going by this ranking system together with my deeper evaluation matrix, the Aurora get a 4 in sound qualities. Personal bias and enjoyment pushes it up, together with one of the best vocals out there. So in end deserve for me might deserve 4.5 star, but it's not perfect.

Simgot EW100P




A smaller review from me, more can see it here outside the forum thread.

Simgot approached me and asked if I wanted to get two models from them, the only thing they wanted me to do is give feedback. It was up to me to write online about them, they are both capable sets and I am thankful for the opportunity. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after having used them for some time.

This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you. While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I also do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.

https://www.linsoul.com/products/simgot-ew100p

About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with sub and mid bass boost, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.

I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string to wind instruments.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current standard in IEMs is AüR Audio Neon Pro and Penon Serial. The Neon Pro has 10 BAs, and has a near perfect tonality for me on the brighter side. The Penon Serial that also has a near perfect tonality for me, that is more relaxing and organic sounding with its triple DD configuration. Both of them have sound signatures that I can listen to all types of music with.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
I have also used the Feliks Audio Echo, one of the more silent OTL amps.

Portable gear used during the review: Cayin N7, Hiby R6 III, Quidelix 5k DAC/AMP, FIIO BTR7 and Penon Tail.

I have a good range of cables from Gladiator Cables, ISN, DUNU, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS and some others.




The EW100P is a single dynamic driver 10mm LCP, and has a cost of $20. It has 32 ohm impedance and quite high sensitivity of 122dB, there should be no problem with most players to get good sound and enough volume.

The shell is in resin with a Aluminium Alloy faceplate, the plate is here for increased stability and durability according to Simgot. But that sounds like marketing to me, it looks great with the plate and makes it stand out a little to the normal resin IEMs.

The EW100P is also super light and is very small, nozzle is also average size so tips fit easily with no discomfort. The length of the nozzle is not too short and not too long, just perfect for me.
Cable is a little thin, but it works okay and is pretty comfortable. The stock tips are normal silicon type, I haven't tried them and used my own favorites.

This should be a very safe IEM to buy blind based on comfort.



The sound is energetic and fun, the tuning is also reminiscent of other IEMs in the budget realm.

Bass is neutral in amount, with more sub bass than mid bass. Personally I would have liked more sub bass, it's not enough deep rumble for my own taste. Mid bass is also for me a little thin, making drums and bass instruments lack a more full sound.

Mids are overall good and both vocals and instruments are clear with good detail, only when going up into the upper part of the midrange it is too energetic for me. This boost does affect already intense music like some metal genres, or even technical electronica. Depending on your music this boost can be either good and give great details, or become too much where you want to turn the music down or not use it.

Treble is quite detailed and has enough forwardness to not make the sound boring. I do lack some sparkle and airyness, but that is true for almost all cheap single DD IEMs out there.

Soundstage is average in both depth and width, nothing spectacular and also doing nothing wrong. Can pick up where sounds are coming with okay enough accuracy, but it's by no means a master. Resolution is one of the better $20 sets I have tried.



I have 2 IEMs that are very similar, following similar tuning in the same price range.

Tin Hifi C2
It uses 10mm LCP DD and is in full metal shell.
This is also quite small and comfortable, but has some sharper edges. The nozzle is a little short for me, but I still have a good secure seal.
This sound is very similar to the EW100P, an energetic sound. Lacking also a little bass and having to forward upper mids and treble for me.


https://www.tinhifi.com/products/tinhifi-c2

Truthear HOLA
It uses 11mm LCP DD and is in resin shell.
The largest of the three, still very comfortable.This also has a little short nozzle, but the same as C2 is still secure and gives a good seal.
This does sound quite different from EW100P, bigger bass with slower decay. Mids are fuller while not being as aggressive. Treble is a little relaxed but still gives good details.

https://truthear.com/products/hola

Rating based on quality 1 - 2 - 3

Bass amount: HOLA - EW100P = C2
Bass quality: C2 - EW100P = HOLA
Bass Impact: HOLA - C2 - EW100P
Female Vocal: HOLA - EW100P - C2
Male Vocal: HOLA - C2 = EW100P
Mids instruments: HOLA - EW100P = C2
Treble: EW100P - C2 - HOLA
Soundstage: C2 - EW100P - HOLA
Resolution: EW100P = C2 - HOLA
Light to Dark: EW100P = C2 - HOLA
Fun factor: HOLA - EW100P - C2



I have used my Topping E70 + A90 Discrete and also the Hiby R6 III when evaluating the EW100P and comparing. Music has been from my own files or Tidal. Just going to write about some of the songs used by me. I will also try and rank the IEM per song, it's hard to choose C2 over EW100P and vice versa as they share a very similar sound.



Maybe not the most technical metal track, but for me one of my test tracks. Get a little mix of vocals that are normal and growling, bass,distorted guitar and drums.

The start builds up with a bass beat I want to feel, I need to crank up the volume a little extra on EW100P. Then the problem arrives when the rest enters, making me turn the volume down due to sharpness and intensity.

There are good details going on, and his vocals sound full and clear with EW100P. It can handle the more busy parts also. Except for the energy in the upper mids and treble it fairs well here, could have wished for more bass or less upper energy.

1 Hola 2 EW100P 3 C2



Introduced recently by my friend, I absolutely love this track. Perfect to test rhythm, bass, resolution and more. Here the upper mid energy gives the track life, the tuning goes really well with everything. Only personally I would have preferred more bass.

The bass drum has very natural decay and the spatial cues are quite 3D and fun, also detail retrieval is very good to be a $20 set.

1 EW100P 2 C2 3 HOLA



Take Five is a masterpiece, one of my favorite Jazz performances. The Alto Sax has the right amount of bite where it's not dull or to forward. Same for Piano is detailed with good clarity, just lacking a little soul and fullness.

The drumming is also very good and I can't really complain.

Both the C2 and EW100P do Take Five better than the more relaxing HOLA.

1 C2 2 EW100P 3 HOLA




Just a beautiful Jazz piece with Tenor Sax and Double Bass. The amount of bass is actually very perfect here, and goes well with the Double Bass. There are good details in every note with very correct decay.

The Tenor is also nice with good resolution and can pick the breathiness and nuances. I just feel that it's a little lifeless and hollow when I'm comparing it to higher end IEMs.

1 EW100P 2 C2 3 HOLA




Lately I have been trying more and more K-Pop, catchy music and nice vocals.

EW100P is only lacking some bass for my taste here, their voices sound clear and good with no sibilance. Some of the sounds are a little sharp for my taste, and are not sharp on the HOLA.

The clarity is excellent with a good black background.

1 HOLA 2 C2 3 EW100P



Conclusion

This is a set costing $20, it's super cheap. It has an energetic sound that has good enough detail retrieval. Bass that makes music lively, even though I prefer more this is perfect for many. Vocals are detailed and sound good, same goes for instruments. The only downside as I can see is the upper mid range, it's energetic and forward. Give lots of energy in music, this is very personal and is a perfect amount for others. For me personally it's too much, and I have to choose my music after it.

Do I recommend it, yes I do. It's so cheap, most can afford to buy it. It's small and comfortable. The other set I also got from Simgot is EA500, it has similar energy to the EW100P. So EW100P can be a good set to check if you like upper mid energy, and if you do move up to EA500 as it's a much better IEM.

FIIO FW3 Mini impression review

A smaller review from me, more can see it here outside the forum thread.

I bought this myself as I wanted to test a new TWS, and the price was also very good. Now it is around $90, but I got it for $70 as an early buyer promotion.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100....order_list.order_list_main.77.4bb91802mtvtdl
This is a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you. While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.

About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with sub and mid bass boost, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.

I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string to wind instruments.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current standard in IEMs is AüR Audio Neon Pro and Penon Serial. The Neon Pro has 10 BAs, and has a near perfect tonality for me on the brighter side. The Penon Serial that also has a near perfect tonality for me, that is more relaxing and organic sounding with its triple DD configuration. Both of them have sound signatures that I can listen to all types of music with.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
I have also used the Feliks Audio Echo, one of the more silent OTL amps.

Portable gear used during the review: Cayin N7, Hiby R6 III, Quidelix 5k DAC/AMP, FIIO BTR7 and Penon Tail.

I have a good range of cables from Gladiator Cables, ISN, DUNU, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS and some others.











You get two nice sets of tips, I prefer the black one as they seal better for me. The case is bulky and in light plastic that feels a little cheap. I installed the app and paired them, a great app where you can update firmware, EQ and choose streaming codec(and some more settings).
As for LDAC it is not really workable together with my Pixel 7 Pro, it stutters and sounds horrible. It is marked as experimental, so some more updates needed to make it work.

As for the case it's easy to insert or take out the FW3, not always easy on some other models I have used before.












Ergonomics

Before talking about the sound, I'll talk about the biggest negative about the FW3. The comfort due size and form factor, they are bulky and weirdly shaped. It took me quite some time and tip roll to get used to inserting them securely, not a good thing as TWS is usually something you put in fast while moving about. I have to resort to the method of using one hand to insert and the other to open the ear more, and I have large ears with never any problems on IEMs people call big.

This also leads to discomfort after a short while.



Sound

As for the sound, it's great, it is a fun TWS. Bass is big with quite good texture, just a little loose and overpowering on some music. Mids are also slightly forward with some added thickness to vocals and instruments. Treble is detailed enough, but not as in focus as the low end. Not the most resolving set, but I don't see this as a negative thing as this used for on the go music. Soundstage for me is just average, it is actually quite deep but I don't find it as layered or 3D.

In a way the sound is reminiscent of the tonality of VE SiE and Penon Serial.



Comparisons

I currently have two other TWS, Sony Link Buds S ( 5mm DD) and Huawei Freebuds Pro 2 (11mm DD and Planar). Both of them cost almost double as the FW3 and are a big one if tight on money, you do get more TWS features like awareness mode and Noise Canceling.

Comfort

1 For me, going to Huawei. Even with the oval tips it's more secure and comfortable.
2 Sony on second as they are super small and light, but they don't sit as secure for me and the nozzle is slightly short.
3 FIIO is humongous in comparison and flat out loses.

Timbre
1 Huawei has the overall best sound in bass, mids and treble.
2 FIIO second and has a thicker sound than Huawei, with less natural timbre.
3 Sony is the worst with a bad timbre that sounds muddy and hollow.

Soundstage
1 Huawei has much better layering of the soundstage and is tied with Fiio in depth.
2 FIIO as mentioned has good depth but lacks refinement in imaging and soundstage.
3 Sony feels closed in and lacks detail.

Microphone
1 Huawei is almost class leading, super clear for others even in noisy work environments. Removes unwanted noise to go through in most cases.
2 Sony is also very good but when there's more noise in the area your voice gets slightly fuzzy and static. But it removes much background noise for the other person.
3 FIIO clear all the time also on nosy awareness, but it doesn't filter away noise and can be tiresome for the other person listening.

Stability
1 Huawei never any problem, had maybe 1-2 drop outs in 1 year use.
2 Had one drop out where they didn't reconnect. Sometimes that they think your taking them off when moving about or yawning.
3 Often drop outs every session longer than a hour, same problem where they think you take them out if your ear etc.


Bass
1 Huawei has the best bass and slam harder than FW3 in the sub bass range, more nuances and sound most real.
2 FIIO is close but has some more mid bass thickness than Huawei, it seems slower than Huawei in the decay. Both of them are great in my book.
3 Sony disappoints with muddy and slow bass, doesn't matter if EQed. Lack resolvement and just sounds bad.

Mids Vocals
1 FIIO has more euphonic vocals on the thicker side, not as resolving as Huawei but quite addicting.
2 Huawei has superb vocals but are more clean and natural, not as forward as FIIO.
3 Sony sounds slightly boomy and veiled on vocals

Mids Instruments
1 Huawei do have more natural sounding instruments be it string or brass. Some extra bite in the upper midrange apparent on a few albums.
2 FIIO sounds great on instruments but lacks refinement, and some brass instruments can be slightly shouty.
3 SONY lacks detail and is veiled, same as with vocals. Never too hot for me in the upper midrange.

Treble
1 Huawei has more treble detail and airyness, sounds more real and extended.
2 FIIO lacks some treble detail and I don't find it that airy.
3 Sony is similar to FIIO but with less detail.

Conclusion

It might seem like I trash talk FIIO FW3, but no. Except for the ergonomic design, I like them very much as they have a good and fun sound. Think about price here, I compare them to twice as expensive sets so they should lose out. But it rolls over the Sony Link Buds S, no contest really.

If you don't need the TWS extras, and just want a set for listening to music and to talk over the phone with, I recommend them. Just beware if you often have problems with bad fit on bigger IEMs.




Ranking System

1 Very bad or unlistanable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

Price can push something up or down half grade.

Going by this ranking system together with my deeper evaluation matrix, the set get a 2.5.

Aure my green emerald

The Aure is my second IEM from AüR Audio, I bought it with my own money. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after having used them for a good time, and I have no association with AüR writing this. This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you. While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.


About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with sub and mid bass boost, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.

I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string to wind instruments and also piano.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current standard in IEMs is AüR Audio Neon Pro and Penon Serial. The Neon Pro has 10 BAs, and has a near perfect tonality for me. The Penon Serial that also has a near perfect tonality for me, that is more relaxing and organic sounding with its triple DD configuration.
Both of them have sound signatures that I can listen to all types of music with.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
I have also used the Feliks Audio Echo, one of the more silent OTL amps.

Portable gear used during the review: Truthear SHIO, Tempotec Sonata HD II , Hiby R6 III, Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022, Quidelix 5k DAC/AMP.

I have a good range of cables from ISN, DUNU, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS and some others.

My absolute favorite cable pairing with the Aure has been the Penon Mix cable, very close second is a good silver plated copper from XINHS.



Aür Audio

AüR Audio is a Singapore brand who makes in-ear monitors and is founded by two friends, Nicholas Teo and Abel Hsu. It is a small business where Abel handles the research and development while Nicholas manages the sales, marketing and distribution.

The IEMs are handmade by Abel from start to end of production, carefully ensuring that everything is perfect with a quality control that is above the usual chi-fi market.

On the other side of AüR is Nicholas who has his customers in mind, one of the most helpful sellers I have contacted. When I have asked something about their products or recommendation for other audio related gear, he has been more than happy to help me out.

https://www.auraudio.store/

Allure 6 BA (Discontinued)
Neon 10 BA (Discontinued)
Neon Pro 10 BA
Aure 8mm DD and 6 BA (Discontinued)
Alita 12 BA
Aurora 2 DD and 6 BA
Ascension Configuration still secret coming soon
Allusion Configuration still secret coming soon





So what is the Aure

The Aure is a hybrid IEM with 1 DD and 6 BA, tuned to be W shaped in its sound with spectacular mids. When I ordered the Aure I was not sure about the green shell, but it looked spectacular. I love how you can see everything inside, also how tidy Abel’s work is. This is made by hand and not 3D printed.

The Aure has been made in a small quantity around 25 units, and had to be discontinued since the driver they choose is not up to their standard anymore.

They have focused on selling the IEM in the cheapest way possible. Accessories and cable are not much, but enough to get you going. That is what you get for paying less. The cable provided is an average 2 core silver plated copper, and you also get a hard case with some tips.

The form factor is very ergonomic and the shells are average in size, they are also very light. AüR knows how to make comfortable shells, same goes for the nozzles having good length while not too long. It also has a very perfect angle and width so I can use 1 size smaller tip and still get a perfect seal.
If I could nit-pick a lip on the nozzle it would be good to secure the tips more.

8mm Dynamic Drivers for all ranges
2 Balanced Armatures for mids
4 Balanced Armatures for treble

Frequency Response: 20 hz - 20kHz
Impedance: 15Ω at 1 kHz
Sensitivity: 108 +- 1dB at 1 kHz




Some photos from the maker Abel:





Timbre

First off, what is Timbre?
From the Wikipedia:
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"

First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.

At first listen I was welcomed by musicality more than being overwhelmed by detail, first time testing Neon Pro I got the other reaction. I liked the Aure right from the get go, I did let it burn in for many days after and probably have over 300 hours burnin/usage now. And if anything has changed its how coherent the dynamic driver has melted together with the rest.

The overall timbre is slightly coloured with some extra emphasis on bass and mids, the treble is actually the most neutral part here. I would category the sound signature as a W shaped sound similar to what others have said before me.

There is no BA timbre at all going on here, the DD used is covering all the ranges without an advanced crossover board. I have a good feeling this is the reason why the mids and treble sound so organic, smooth and full sounding.

There is just sometimes when listening to very fast music that I would have wished for the sound to be faster.This is where I prefer to use planars or all BA sets instead like the Neon Pro.


Going to use the ranges here in review:



Details and soundstage

When first testing Aure after having used the Neon Pro for many months almost exclusively, the Aure appeared less detailed. And after having adjusted my ears to the change the Aure shows lots of details from the lowest notes up into the highest ranges. What impresses me the most is maybe how smooth and easy going the sound is while retaining good details.

Soundstage is not the largest or closed in, it has an intimate approach. It sounds like you are sitting in the front row to a performance, this is a very good combo when listening to most music. This is not the sound If you are a person who prefers the grandest stage and listens mostly to orchestral pieces.

Bass

The bass in Aure is controlled and reaches deep into the sub bass range with good visceral impact. When listening to a low drum kick the speed is not slow and not fast like BA bass can be. I would say it is very natural sounding to how real life drums are portrayed.

The Aure has some extra mid bass, so the sound gets that fuller thickness. This is what I always prefer, it is why I am not a fan of very many sets that get released after the Harman target.

There is also some good detail going, listening to cello playing you notice very much but not as much as you can hear with some good all BA sets.

The amount of bass is north of neutral, but it's not a bass head level. I still believe this can satisfy most people unless you need your brains to rattle, nothing wrong with that I also enjoy a full on bass experience from time to time.

Mids

This is perhaps the most magical part of the Aure, the mid range is slightly forward and has a fullness thanks to both the balanced armatures and the dynamic driver. For me this means musicality and detail, so much detail and emotion you hear in both vocals and instruments. Often I get fatigued by forward mids, never here. There is some voodoo magic going on and I am addicted to it.

Both male and female vocals are equally good, and it nevers gets shouty or too much.

The mid range does not increase too much up into the upper mids, for me this means I can listen to more types of music with the Aure without getting fatigued.

Treble

I mentioned earlier that the treble is slightly stepped back compared to the bass and mids, this is so small that I only notice it if I go from a high energy IEM like the Neon Pro. What is very present is that there is lots of treble detail going on, while at the same time the sound is not overly forward. This is not at the level of the most resolving IEMs, but it is higher than other hybrids/tribrids around this price point and some that even cost more.

There is also a good amount of shimmering in the upper air harmonics and should please most people.

The treble feels effortless, it's not like there is any struggle.



Music

I will just talk about some of the music I like, the music I use here are some of my reference tracks. When I am listening to music and not evaluating, I prefer to listen to whole albums. That goes for the albums here, all of them I like. When comparing the Aure to other sets I have used the tracks listed here.


Jacob Guerevitsch - Lovers in Paris

Danish artist who plays the spanish guitar, his guitar technique is sublime. Mexican margarita was recommended by my friend Tony, and has stuck with me as one of my best test tracks. Perfect for evaluating how capable a set is, I bet I can use this one track alone and know if I like a set or not.

The best part is how natural and full sounding the guitar is on the Aure, here you hear so much detail from the strings or the buzzing when it is drummed on the guitar. The speed of the Aure is perfect and it never feels like there's too much going on. Amount of bass is just right making it sound full sounding.

I would have preferred a little extra bite in the treble here similar to the Neon Pro. But at the same time the Aure is maybe more natural sounding.




Haevn - Trade it for the Night

One of my favorite tracks to check male vocals, the amount of expression and emotion is breathtaking. Even at the start I knew the Aure was special with how the clapping sounded, then when he started to sing I was sold. I can talk about how textured the chorus is or how his voice vibrates, but the thing is it is perfect.

The drum hits are also impactful and you can feel it, more bass would have been too much on this track.

The nuances in his voice is breathtaking, and it feels like I am next to him recording this.




Swallow The Sun - Woven into Sorrow

One of my favorite bands is Swallow The Sun, this is music I prefer with faster sets. Still this is on the slower side and the Aure can keep up.

Nothing to complain about his voice, it shows the emotions he tries to portray and sounds full. Going to the drum, each cymbal strike or drum hit has lots of detail and sounds very clear and natural. The distorted guitar has some good thickness and feels brutal and fun. Same for drums having just the right type of decay.

The violins give some epic backing up to his voice in the end, even the last part of death growling is portrayed very good and maybe better than my Neon Pro.




Intronaut - Cubensis

Not the fastest metal track, but a good track overall to check how busy an IEM sounds like. Also very good to just listen to drum hits and distorted guitar. Here I would say I would have liked a little clearer sound with faster impact, a few parts can appear slightly congested compared to my reference.
I am also very harsh when saying it, I always listen to music like this with the Neon Pro or ZMF Verite both being on the faster side.

What the Aure does perfectly is not becoming fatiguing, it has a good line of having nice energy in the sound while not being overdone. The drums are visceral and fun, same goes for his voice being full sounding and not screechy.



Francis Harris - Pensum

Leland is the debut album from Francis Harris, I love the whole album. Maybe not the most unique house album out there but it has what I call soul, it is masterfully made with almost a minimalistic approach without too much going on.

The bass beat is hypnotizing and drags me into a mindstate where I close my eyes and only listen. The Aure has a wonderful low end for Pensum track. The same for how it handles the trumpet, it's breathy and soft while showing more than enough detail. There are some background sounds appearing now and then,some stuff you only hear on more resolving sets.

What I did not believe was that the Aure would pick up so much of the background.
Very good separation of the music with good layering even if it's not the widest or deepest.




Agnes Obel - Familiar

Here we are getting both vocal and instruments, one of my favorite tracks to test midrange on. It is very emotional on Aure, you get that sound I talked about before where you are right in front of the performance. Her voice is nuanced and you can almost hear how close she has been to the microphone while recording. There are nuances you hear like how she turns away from the microphone to dampen the voice or singing more into it to get more breathiness.

The male vocals also have lots of detail and emotion, at one point I got chills when evaluating the last part.

The cellos are used both for bowing and plucking with lots of detail in each note, with enough fullness that cellos deserve.


Dominique Fils-Aimé - Birds

The perfect song to show how emotional and breathtaking the vocal presentation of how the Aure is. The song has Dominique's voice with some acapella, a cello and some clapping going on. Nothing more but sounds so perfect and full, I get moved by this song. And I have never heard a better presentation than with Aure. The nuances are almost overwhelming and it leaves me wanting more when going over to other sets.

Here also you can hear the subtle changes of the string plucking of the strings, the resonating tone continuing to it is stopped.



Herbie Hancock - Chameleon

Can start with saying that the Aure is now my favorite set to be used with different jazz or funk music. At first I would believe that the forward mids would be too much for me as I can be sensitive to brighter brass or piano, but no this balances everything perfect for me in jazz.

Legendary track, so much going here. The drums sound really good, maybe I would have preferred a slight more bite to the cymbal strikes. The synth bassline sounds really good, with enough decay to not become stale.

The tenor sax playing at the end sounds really good and has just the right amount of bite to it.

Here you also get a real good sense of the soundstage of the Aure, you are brought into the center of the music with sounds coming from all directions. The soundstage is perfect for smaller jazz groups, while I still prefer a more grand stage when listening to big band jazz.




Yello - Kiss In Blue

Maybe my favorite track from Yello, rhythmic instruments and intimate vocals. Perhaps the perfect track for showing what the Aure is capable of doing. The bass beat hits hard and drags you into the music, then Heidi pulls you more in with a sensual voice.

First off how good the low end is here was not something I was expecting when I got the Aure, I knew that vocal presentations were going to be excellent. But the bass did probably impress me the most, it feels effortless with good impact and good texture. Keep in mind this track has lots of bass and can sometimes feel overdone on some sets.

Both Dieter and Heidi are perfect, I could not have wished for anything else from the Aure.
Same goes for the instruments and detail, just perfect musicality.





Comparisons





Penon Serial

The Serial is a reference set for me on how dynamic driver IEMs should sound like, very correct in musical playback with its analog touch.

Serial uses 3 dynamic drivers. One for bass, mids and treble. It has a natural sound that is more dark and analogue, speed is also slower due to longer resonating decay. It is very musical and fun, which makes me enjoy music more than just picking it apart. So for $300, it is a unique and special IEM. I believe there is a huge chance you would buy one after demoing the Serial.

The sound is darker in the Serial compared to the Aure, both have a very pleasant timbre. They both make music enjoyable and fun, while never being tiresome. They have enough difference in their timbre. making both great to have in your collection.

The bass in the Aure has similar resolution to the Serial, the sub bass amount and impact is stronger in the Aure. While moving into the mid bass the slam and amount is more in the Serial. But both have similar engaging bass, some songs are better on the Aure while another will be better on the Serial.

Moving into the mids both are great performers, both do both instruments and vocals perfectly.
The one having the best vocals goes to the Aure with a more intimate and higher resolving capability. Same goes for instruments being more pleasing on the Aure, while I adore the Serial there is some of the upper mid range that can get too much for me.

Treble is also more detailed and more forward the Aure, this is also why I call the Serial slightly dark sounding. Both have good treble extension, but there is more airyness in the Aure.

Soundstage on both are circular sounding around you, while the Serial positions everything further out.




Penon FAN 2

The FAN 2 I have back on loan for this, it is also a hybrid IEM with a W shaped sound signature.
It uses 2 DDs for the bass and 1 BA for mids and 1 BA for the high frequencies, modest specs but still achieves very good tonality. Only reason I do not own one anymore is due to fit issues, making them uncomfortable over time. Price is $279 when there is no sales going, so slightly cheaper than the Aure.

The first thing you notice is how fuller sounding the Aure is over the FAN 2. The bass goes deeper with better sub bass impact, the FAN 2 always seemed to lack something for me here. The mid bass is closer in quality and amount, but also here there is something that sounds better in the Aure over the FAN 2. When looking at the definition of drum hits or strings in the bass there is a similar definition.

When listening to both male and female vocals there is more intimacy and fullness on the Aure, it sounds more real and there is more resolution. Maybe not weird as there are more BA drivers together with the DD doing the mids on the Aure. The Fan 2 can be too unnatural on certain female voices, some harshness that is controlled better on the Aure. Instruments on both appear similar but also here certain brass instruments get fatiguing on the FAN 2 while this never happens on the Aure.

Treble amount is similar on both, the biggest difference is that the Aure has better airiness and higher resolution. The energy of the treble in the FAN 2 is slightly more.

Soundstage is wider and deeper on the FAN 2, where the Aure is more intimate. The Aure is more circular around you,while the FAN 2 feels a little distant with not as good imaging capabilities.



ISN EST50

The EST50 is a tribrid that I own and like, it fits quite well in here for a comparison. It is priced similarly but slightly more, and I recently finished my review for it. The sound of the EST50 is more L shaped in the sound signature with the bass taking the spotlight. Price is $449 and you get 1DD for low end, 1 BA for the mids and 1 for the high frequencies. Also for ultra high frequencies you get 2 EST drivers.


Bass is what surprised me the most with the EST50, it is known for its great low end. Providing textured bass that is boosted and reaching very low, almost like a subwoofer backing up a stereo system. Impactful bass kicks that make you smile, at least if you are a bass lover like me.
Both have impactful sub bass, but the EST50 is the most bass heavy. This can make certain songs be overbearing if they are already boosted in the sub bass, while the Aure never makes it get too much.

Both have similar mid bass energy, while it can sound more forward on the Aure due to the sub bass not being as boosted. I would rate both almost equally as good in the bass, and they were closer than what I would believe.

The bass in the Aure melts together better with the rest of the tonality, in the EST50 you can hear there is a difference going from the bass into the mids. The bass can also seem more distant like it is portrayed in a bigger room compared to the Aure.

Both female and male vocals are behind the energy of the bass, but this also makes them to never be shouty or sibilant. The Aure has more forward instrument and vocal playback compared to the EST50. Also the upper midrange is relaxing in the EST50 and more forward in the Aure. Even with being more forward the Aure is also the smoothest of the two in the mid range. The EST50 has very detailed mid range, but it falls behind the very detailed mids of the Aure.

Treble resolution of both is detailed and tuned without being shouty, the Aure is the most resolving set even with EST drivers in the EST50. Both are excellent in extension in the upper treble, detailed while not being increased too much.

Soundstage is very different, for me the EST50 is wider than deep. The Aure puts you more inside the music, while in the EST50 it's more like sitting right in front of a performance.





Summary

Why I called the Aure an emerald is because there is a saying that the emerald is a gem that relieves stress and brings joy. The Aure does a similar thing for me, when I am tired and want to enjoy some beautiful music this is the IEM I will put on.
I am happy I had a good time deciding on getting the Aure, as just some time after I ordered it was announced there were only a few more left. So this is now a very rare gem of an IEM, and I bet all that own cherish it.

The Aure has become one of my favorite sets, I could have taken my Aure and a few other IEMs and been set for life. It goes well with all my music, only for a few genres I prefer something else. Taking in the price it gets a solid 5 star rating.

So again congrats Abel and Nicholas this is the second time I rate something 5 star both from AüR, looking forward to your next release Aurora.

Ranking System

1 Very bad or unlistanable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

Price can push something up or down half grade.

Going by this ranking system together with my deeper evaluation matrix, the Aure get a solid 4 star. Bus it delivers something unique and special with a low cost it deserve the 4.5.

ISN EST50



The EST50 is my second IEM from ISN, I bought it with my own money. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after using them for over many months, and I have no association with ISN writing this. This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you. I can describe something as natural sounding, while at the same time I believe we can never get 100% close to a live performance.

About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with sub and mid bass boost, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some extra treble if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.

I have tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string and wind instruments and also piano.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current standard in IEMs is AüR Audio Neon Pro and Penon Serial. The Neon Pro has 10 BAs, and has a near perfect tonality for me. The Penon Serial also has a near perfect tonality for me, that is more relaxing and organic sounding with its triple DD configuration.
Both of them have sound signatures that I can listen to all types of music with.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
I have also used the Feliks Audio Echo, one of the more silent OTL amps.

Portable gear used during the review: Truthear SHIO, Tempotec Sonata HD II , Hiby R6 III, Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022, Quidelix 5k DAC/AMP.

I have a good range of cables from ISN, DUNU, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS and some others.



ISN Audio

ISN Audio is a brand under Penon, they have a wide range of both cables and IEMs.
When you read around on the forums about ISN, you will notice that people say that ISN is IEMs with a bold and solid low end. While this has some truth, both the latest H30 and H50 have a more balanced sound.

https://isnaudio.com/
https://penonaudio.com/isn-audio-est50.html

ISN D01 6mm DLC DD
ISN D02 10mm Carbon Chrystal DD
ISN D10 9mm DD
ISN H30 9.2mm Beryllium Frosted DD Bass + 2 BAs mids and highs
ISN H40 9.2mm DD + 1 BAs Mids + 2 BAs Highs
ISN H50 10mm Composite DD + 2BAs Mids + 2BAs Highs
ISN EST50 10mm DD + 1 BA Mids + 1 BA Highs+ 2 EST Ultra Highs


They also have cables from cheaper models to their top model the ISN Solar.



So what is the ISN EST50

The EST50 is a tribrid, meaning it has 3 different types of driver technologies inside.
The low end is handled by the 10mm Dynamic Driver. Mids are handled by a Sonion BA. Highs is handled by a Knowles BA.

This alone could have been an IEM, but here there are also 2 EST(Electrostatic) Drivers to create some extra upper treble or air as it is called.

They are built with the same resin and form factor as most Penon and ISN models, and you can choose from the normal color or the stabilized Wood Orange as I have.

The shell is quite big and has a nice ergonomic form factor, I can use them for hours without any ear pain. The length of the nozzle is above average, so for me it gives a perfect seal with most tips.

ISN Audio EST50 Flagship 2 EST + 2 BA+ 1 Dynamic Driver Hybrid 2Pin 0.78mm HiFi Audiophile IEMS

Specification

Brand:ISN Audio
Model: EST50
2 Sonion Electrostatic driver for ultra-high frequency
1BA Knowles for high frequency
1BA Sonion for middle frequency
10mm dynamic for bass
Rated input power: 2mW
Max input power: 3mW
Impedance: 18ohm±10%(@1kHz)
Sensitivity: 100±3dB(@1kHz)
Frequency response: 15Hz-70kHz
Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm audio , 2.5mm balanced , 4.4mm balanced
Cable length: 1.2M
Warranty

18 months warranty





Package and accessories

The packaging has this blue chrome finish that looks quite nice, the inside has foam keeping the IEMs in place and the overall presentation looks good.

There are not that many accessories, you get 1 set of S, M and L silicon tips together with S and M foam(not sure about the size but the foams are small and not usable for me). The included silicone tips are actually one of my favorite tips, a good balance between openness and giving some tightness in the low end.

The included cable is the ISN S8, this is a cheap but good cable to get you going. It is an OCC cable with silver plating. The included cable does nothing wrong, but I have changed it out for a more premium cable. Soundwise the S8 is ok, but it feels a little cheap compared to the S4 they also sell.

The blue ISN Case is a good one, with a magnetic clip to hold it together. It is not very big and you can maybe fit a small dongle together with ES50 inside it.

There is nothing wrong with what is included, while some extra tips or a better cable would have been appreciated.



How does the EST50 sound like?

First impressions were different from what I hear now, this is one of the sets that has changed the most with burn in for me. At first it was more V shaped than L in its sound signature, the EST drivers did have a certain edge to them.

I would call the EST50 a bold, smooth and fun IEM. The bass is elevated and especially sub bass, mids are more neutral in approach, treble detailed and fairly neutral.
This is a sound signature that is called L-shaped, the star of the show is the bass that is elevated while the mids and treble are in harmony with each other. The mids are neutral in amount, and it increases slowly up into the upper mids so it is never fatiguing for me.

This reminds me of when you have some good non fatiguing speakers paired with a big subwoofer. And the subwoofer is cranked up a little to give some extra low end, it is very addictive and fun.

That is basically what the EST50 is, it is not correct if you ask many. But one thing is for sure, it is very fun.

Music genres are also a thing here, not everything will sound perfect with a sound signature like this. At the same time the EST50 is good at not pushing out bass when it is not supposed to, since the most boosted area is the sub frequencies. It works with most of my music library, while the genre I prefer the most with the EST50 is electronica.


Going to use the ranges here in review:






Timbre
First off, what is Timbre?
From the Wikipedia:
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"

First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.

The timbre of the EST50 is a little weird. The mids and treble has a timbre that is clean,modern ,fast and also a little relaxed. While the low end has a more organic forward sound. This does melt together well enough so I don't think about it when listening to music. I do believe this is due to the bass being handled by a dynamic driver and the mids and trebles being handled by BAs. Two different technologies. BAs from my testing, are always more modern and clean sounding compared to Dynamic Drivers. But I know there are exceptions out there where it melt better together than with EST50.








Gear and cable synergies

The sense of scaling is clearly here and they deserve a higher end AMP or DAP. While even a small dongle will give you good sound, the amount of finesse with higher end gear does push it higher.

I do prefer a neutral to slightly warm sounding source, the Topping E70 and A90D is one of those combos. Often people just think about numbers when getting Topping gear, this DAC and AMP combo is one of those combos that has a sound that's a very neutral with small hint analogue touch. It is a great combination and pushes the EST50 capabilities over a standard dongle.

As for dongle pairing the Tempotec Sonata HD MKII is more musical sounding compared to the Truthear SHIO. While the SHIO gives out the most detailed and fullest sound with the EST50.

Hiby R6 III does also sound great, I have no need for using the MSEB equalizer.

Also a little mention of pairing with the Feliks Audio Echo OTL amp. The lows goes from being sub bass oriented to having more mid bass, while the mids and treble gets thicker and darker sounding. Quite a fun combo to use for slower metal genres, or to get a more rave-like sound in electronica.

Got recommended the Penon Mix Cable, and I agree on the very good synergies. While I still prefer going for a good Silver Plated Cable, I don't feel the need for the extra treble with the Mix. Even the stock cable ISN S8 does nothing wrong, while a thicker and better cable is well appreciated and deserving of the EST50.

Also I just recently got the Penon Vocal cable, this cable does push forward the mids and perhaps the lower treble. Here we talk about a perfect combination of IEM and cable, this is clearly my favorite combo. Even though I am not a fan of the design.




Details, Soundstage and Imaging

Details on the EST50 are on par with Hybrids or Tribrids around the price, nothing spectacular but nothing wrong either. Imaging is quite spot on and very 3D, where I can pick apart where sounds are appearing with ease. I have also tested playing some First Person Shooter games, very easy to pick up where shots or footsteps are coming from. While the more relaxing treble and increased bass takes away some accuracy for gaming. I would say this is a perfect set for story games, as the sub bass does give you the cinema feel of a subwoofer.

Soundstage is like sitting a few rows back from a performance. Depth is slightly forward out from the head while sounds coming from the sides are above the average width.




Strive by Amber Rubarth

This whole album is a recording that has a wide and large soundstage. Strive is a very nice track to test deltail, imaging and soundstage.

EST50 is larger than most IEMs I have listened to here, the soundstage is more wide sounding than having large depth. Even with my ZMF Verite that has an above average soundstage the stage here is more wide than deep.

Very good layering with good 3D capability of where the sound cues come from. Here I do notice much of the small details, I would have believed it was lost in the EST50 due to relaxed treble nature. The drumming and clapping is quite spectacular with some very nice impact that you truly feel, very fun to turn up the volume on this one.




Thriller by Michael Jackson

Brilliant track to test everything from bass, mids, treble, soundstage, dynamic range and detail.

First thing that happened here is I have my whole body moving, the whole track is a masterpiece on EST50. If the ZMF Verite is the standard here for me, I do lack a little amount of energy in the treble. Looking at the imaging ability, EST50 does it well. The sound cues are all over, you get a good sense of being inside the recording. Michael Jackson's voice appears slightly in front of you instead of directly in the head. While the sound cues to the sides are rather far out.



City Nights by Allan Holdsworth

Jazz Fusion, the electric guitar and drums here is fast and technical. Some sets with too much energy in the Upper Mids can be quite tiresome on this track, while darker sets will sound dull. Again the EST50 hits this just perfect, never fatiguing or boring. It just sounds right. The amount of detail is very impressive, if the mid bass had been elevated to much some of the detail would have been lost here. It just sounds very balanced to my ears, with great detail.




Bass, the star of the show?

I appreciate a punchy low end with good extension, and at times I do want it elevated over what is neutral. I can also enjoy the true bass head experience, but then it comes back to what type of music I listen to and my mood.

The amount of bass here is bold, more in the sub bass range than mid bass. The bass shelf starts in the lowest part of the mids, then rises slowly almost linearly.

I was very curious when getting the EST50 how the bass shelf would look, Tony(Akros) got his set after me. We had a chat and he sent me the measurements, it shows what I heard. The bass just grows upwards until the lowest Sub Bass, while not boosting the mid bass too much. Some well known bass IEMs increase the bass early, then flat out around 100Hz. Making you want more Sub Bass as the “Mid Bass” takes the show. I prefer the EST50 approach as it goes better with more music genres, this also gives less bleed into the mids.



Angel by Massive Attack

Very good track to see how good it handles sub bass slam and how deep the low end goes. This is goosebump material if you like bass, the control and amount is perfect. The whole track is rendered excellent, from the vocal to the distorted guitar. The intensity that builds up at the end feels effortless and never feels congested, and the last bass kicks at the end can rattle your brain.




Something About Us (Love Theme from Interstella) by Daft Punk

Who doesn't like some Daft Punk, could have picked lots of tracks from them. But I am very fond of this in particular, there's a nice drum kick around 50HZ and one at 150Hz making the beat. You are supposed to hear the difference and again the EST50 renders this perfect, the balance between the Sub kick and Bass Kick is in harmony here. Not one sticks out. Nothing to complain about.



So What by Miles Davis

Blasphemy, how can I listen to such a classic jazz piece with a basshead IEM? That's the thing, the overall tuning does not push the low end too much forward when it is not asked for. The double bass is the one thing to listen for here, a lot of nuance is his plucking of the strings. The double bass should never be the main thing as plucking of a double bass will always be less loud than the cymbals, sax and trumpet. Here is what I said before, the bass is there not trying to steal the show. EST50 shows the bass notes, while I could have preferred some more detail in the plucking.



Mids


Very often with elevated bass the mids get overshadowed by the low end. Or get a bass bleed for that matter. Since many said on Head-Fi that ISN is more V shaped brand than its brother Penon, I was happy to get the EST50 and hear clear natural mids. Perhaps a little gentle compared to a more forward mid centric sound of Penon Serial.

This approach being more neutral in mid energy makes vocals and instruments never become harsh or too intense. Male voice has some extra fullness due to the bass, something I prefer for male voices.

Going up into the Mid frequency I can hear some slight uneven energy If I listen to a rising tone, still we do not listen to music like that and it is never hearable through music. The upper mid range or lower treble area has some slightly boosted energy compared to the mids before.



Show You The Way by Thundercat

The whole album is a gem, this track is picked due to having a wide range of vocal presentations. As I mentioned before the male voice has some extra fullness, this is a track I personally do not like if you listen to a reference neutral set. I probably had this song on repeat for 10 times while trying to write here, I find the whole presentation close to perfect.

I can find the bass beat to be a little over the top when I increase the volume, but at the same time it's fun and addicting. What impressed me the most is how well the EST50 does the vocals here, if you own the EST50 take a listen and be impressed.



Songs from the North by Swallow The Sun

Swallow the Sun usually makes melodic doom metal, disc 2 on this release is not really Metal. It is focusing more on a relaxed listening with melodic acoustic music. This track has both instruments, male and female voice.

The EST50 makes the drums and guitar sound crisp. Not forward in the mix, well balanced together with both the vocalists. Both the low Mids and Mids are well balanced here, while still having enough energy in the upper mids not making it lifeless. I personally prefer some extra presence in the upper mid range so the EST50 is very close to my preference here.

If I would be very critical, I could have liked the vocals a small amount more forward here.



Mexican Margarita by Jacob Guerevitsch

Introduced to me by my friend Akros.
Jacob is a Danish artist who plays Spanish guitar. Lots of detail, dynamic range and complexity. I prefer to put Mexican Margarita in this part of the review, since most of the sounds here are in the midrange.

Wow, just wow. This is so dynamic and impressive, I prefer this piece on sets with a dynamic driver for its low end. It just makes the drumming sound more real, and the guitar is very crisp with lots of detail.

What impresses most here is how natural and good it all sounds, there is some extra fullness than what I would call a reference sound. But I Like it this way more, it is intoxicating.




Treble and Air

Treble is a little relaxed to me while still keeping itself detailed, there is a nice anti sibilance dip from 5-8KHz. Treble sensitive people should be safe. Unless I can handle brighter signatures better than others, I do love Beyerdynamic headphones after all.

The amount of treble extension is quite good, the presence of the upper harmonics is there. While some may be wanting more when listening to classical music, I am not the perfect judge for classical.

The treble is not meant to be the star of the show with EST50, I bet this is something of the tuning philosophy of the maker for the IEM. It is detailed enough so it does not sound veiled or dark, while also not stealing the show. If the treble were more forward the overall sound would have changed to amore typical V shaped sound. But this does not mean it lacks detail in the treble.




Take Five by The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Perhaps one of the most recognised Jazz pieces out there, even with being recorded back in 1959 it sounds so clear and crisp. Perfect for checking how clean the cymbals and brass is portrayed. There is also some good airyness going on here through the cymbals.

The EST50 portrays more than enough detail while also being relaxing, there some good detail in each cymbal strike. Amount of Air is also clearly present and above what for example the DUNU SA6 can show here.

It is remarkable that the EST50 can be this relaxing while retaining so much detail, I also never feel the bass is overdone ruining the rest.



Humming by Portishead

Another on Head-fi recommended my try this some years ago when I was testing a headphone for how fatiguing the treble is. It has lots of weird elements, and sounds almost trippy. There are lots of unpleasant sounds that are shown if the treble is too forward or harsh.

From testing it on a loop for a long time there is no fatigue, nothing in particular sticks out as a problem area. Also nice hearing how well all the sounds melt together on EST50 without feeling congested.



Towards the Bending of the Light by Yamantaka

Percussion elements here are nice to check how clear and how extended the amount of air is. Again a little above average, well extended but not the sparkle that some are looking for. For me there is no problem as I am not the biggest fan of exaggerated air, at least as long as there is some detail going on.






Comparisons

I do not own any other tribrid for comparison, I will only compare to my reference sets Serial, Neon Pro and the H30.







Penon Serial

The Penon Serial is an IEM with 3 Dynamic Drivers, one for bass, mids and highs. The set is highly recommended by many people. Priced a little lower than EST50, a very musical IEM with great timbre. The Serial is natural, bold and sensual sounding.

If the EST50 are some good speakers with a 12 inch subwoofer that's cranked up, the Serial is more like the big vintage speakers with 12 inch woofers. One clean and modern
sounding with elevated low end, while the other having a more analogue bold sound.

The overall sound and timbre is more modern in EST50, very similar to how it is when comparing a modern Yamaha upright piano to a Kawai. Both are great while one will sound better with some arrangements than the other.

The amount of sub bass is more in quantity with the EST50, the rest of the bass is similar in amount with some extra mid bass in the Serial. As for how the low end resolution is, the EST50 can slightly pick up more nuances in double bass playing. Both have a bass approach that has slower decay compared to for example the Penon FAN 2 or the Dunu SA6.

Mids are more forward in Serial and thicker sounding, vocals are more easy on the ears and relaxing with EST50. Female vocals especially have a more forward and romantic sound with Serial.

Treble detail and resolution is going to the EST50, having also the most treble extension.

Soundstage does seem wider in the EST50, while the Serial wins in how forward it appears. I Do wonder if it is because of the wideness of EST50, making it stand out more than the forward depth.

Both have great timbre, but here I will give it to the Serial as it does sound more true to life.

Can read my whole review over at:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-serial.25604/reviews#review-30129



AüR Audio Neon Pro

Neon Pro is a IEM from AüR Audio that has 10 balanced armatures per side, it is my favorite set and my standard in tonality.

When checking a true sub bass track like the Mezzanine you notice some differences here. The amount is more and also looser on the EST50, and it seems to be in more control on Neon Pro. Neon Pro also sounds to me more natural in the decay since EST50 is on the slower side. The upper bass kick hits harder on Neon Pro while the amount is very similar.
The detail in the bass notes is perhaps slightly more detailed on EST50.

The EST50 is more like a stereo speaker setup with a 12 inch open vented subwoofer backing it up that is also turned up some, Neon Pro is more like a high end modern speaker setup with big drivers giving fast and punchy but with elevated low end.

Vocals are very similar, it can appear slightly warmer on EST50 but it is small. When listening to a track with only instruments it is not as easy to differentiate the mids. It is first when entering the upper part of the mids that you notice they are less forward on EST50, this you can also see at FQ measurement of EST50 since it has a gentle Pina Gain. This also makes the EST50 very safe if you're sensitive to upper midrange energy. Neon Pro has a more natural amount of upper mid range and does acoustic music more justice.

Treble is similar in amount, but what's weird is that even with EST50s EST drivers the amount of upper treble is more detailed and forward on Neon Pro. It is also smoother on Neon pro especially in the lower treble. For air I can not really differentiate them, it can be that ISN have not implemented the EST drivers well enough. Or that Neon Pro is just that good.

Overall resolution is good with both, I do put the Neon Pro a good step ahead. I do notice more detail especially in the mids and treble.

Soundstage with the Neon Pro has the same amount of depth to the sides but can also portray more depth in front. Especially on the Amber Rubarth album the sense of space is more vast on Neon Pro, there is more blackness to the background making it seem endless.
There is also very good layering that is above most cheaper sets with both.

Can read my whole review over at:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/aür-audio-neon-pro.26395/reviews?fbclid=IwAR0d5j87HTND_YR89EdqLIzHIjxXGUvFxHME9jjNo3MsDDx-Uoqfyd_z4to#review-30495




ISN H30

Why the H30, it is also an ISN and the first IEM I got from ISN. It is a hybrid with 1 DD and 2 BAs priced at $129. I use the H30 almost daily at work and it has some similarities to the EST50.

Both have an ergonomic fit with a long nozzle for great isolation and secure fit. The overall shell is much smaller on H30, but I don't think about the size as both are made very ergonomically.

Bass is very well extended on H30, it even rises almost the same. Both increase gradually all the way to the lowest rumble. The big difference here is in the low end, the EST50 has around 12dB increased sub bass while the H30 ends at 5dB. A few at Head-Fi had problems with not hearing the bass with the H30, with a good seal it is very well defined with really good extension. it is just the amount that is on the lean side.

Both have very similar midrange, the H30 vocals and instruments can at times appear slightly more forward and detailed. The mids on EST50 appear smoother and more refined, especially on a few sax or trumpet parts.

Going up into the upper midrange/ lower treble is where it changes. H30 has some extra energy around 5-7k Hz, this can be fatiguing for some depending on how sensitive you are to this range. it is not sibilant, but the energy is clearly forward. EST50 is much more relaxed here in comparison.

Upper treble is well extended on both, the electrostatic drivers do give the EST50 more refinement in the upper range.

Also a note on soundstage. The H30 is really good for its price, but compared to the EST50 it is a step back in size and resolution.



Summary


EST50 is a coloured set that is not correct when looking at perfect instrument playback, but a smooth and clean sounding set with a deep subwoofer like experience. It is addictive and makes me smile from ear to ear.

This is not the one IEM to rule them all, but rather the fun set to have in your collection. Not the set for the ones who prefer a neutral amount of bass, if so look somewhere else.

I do recommend it, is it worth its asking price? For me, yes. For others maybe not. If I lost it would I buy it again, without a doubt yes.

Ranking System

1 Very bad or unlistanable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

Price can push something up or down half grade.

If I think about electronica music I will give this 4.5 of 5 stars, but for some other genres maybe only 3.5 stars. So in the end 4 star is very adequate.

If you're looking for your audiophile basshead experience, this will maybe be the one for you.

My love letter to Aür Audio Neon Pro


Neon Pro is my first IEM from AüR Audio, I bought it with my own money. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after using them for over a month, and I have no association with AüR writing this. This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you. While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I also do think we can never get 100% close to a live performance. I have been very passionate here, so the review got longer than what I had in mind.



About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with sub and mid bass boost, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.

I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not a talent in playing. My wife has also played many instruments from string instruments to wind while has the talent part I lack.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current standard in IEMs is SA6 and Penon Serial. One all BA with near perfect tonality for me, just some minor flaws. Penon Serial also has a near perfect tonality for me that is more organic and fun sounding than SA6.

Both of them have sound signatures that I can listen to almost all types of music.
Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
I have also used the Feliks Audio Echo, one of the more silent OTL amps.

Portable gear used during the review: Truthear SHIO, Tempotec Sonata HD II , Hiby R6 III, Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022, Quidelix 5k DAC/AMP and Cayin RU6..

I have a good range of cables from ISN, DUNU, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS, Forza and some others.





Who is Aür Audio

AüR Audio is a Singapore brand who makes in-ear monitors and is founded by two friends, Nicholas Teo and Abel Hsu. It is a small business where Abel handles the research and development while Nicholas manages the sales, marketing and distribution.

The IEMs are handmade by Abel from start to end of production, carefully ensuring that everything is perfect with a quality control that is above the usual chi-fi market.

On the other side of AüR is Nicholas who has his customers in mind, one of the most helpful sellers I have contacted. When I have asked something about their products or recommendation for other audio related gear, he has been more than happy to help me out.

https://www.auraudio.store/

Allure 6 BA (Discontinued)
Neon 10 BA (Discontinued)
Neon Pro 10 BA
Aure 8mm DD and 6 BA (Discontinued)
Alita 12 BA
Aurora Configuration still secret coming soon

They also have some other releases in the pipeline forward, a tribrid and a TOTL IEM.




So what is the Neon Pro

The first that struck me was how beautiful and well made the shell is. Craftsmanship is at a high level here, I tip my hat off to Abel. The face plate is a piece of art, at first all I wanted to do was to admire them. You can also see the internal drivers and wire through the tinted translucent shell, it looks tidy and well done.

Neon Pro is a multi driver earphone with 10 drivers for each side, all of them are balanced armatures. It also has a tuning switch to reduce/enhance the bass by 3dB, people I have talked with go both ways preferring either tuning modes. The shell can be bought only in the black with dark see through acrylic resin, they also had the blue with clear resin before.

They have focused on selling the IEM in the cheapest way possible. Accessories and cable are not much, but enough to get you going. That is what you get for paying less. The cable provided is an average 2 core silver plated copper, and you also get a hard case with some tips.



Sub Bass (2): Sonion Dual Woofer
Mid Bass (2): Sonion Dual Woofer
Midrange (2): Sonion Midrange Driver
Treble (4): Knowles Dual Tweeter
Impedance: 5Ω at 1 kHz
Sensitivity: 111 ± 1 dB at 1 kHz

They make the IEMs by demand so there is some wait time around 1-2 months to get them.

Neon Pro | My Site









Some photos from the manufacturing process of Neon Pro.










What does the Neon Pro sound like?

What made me start the IEM journey 1 year ago was that I tried to find something I would like as much as my ZMF Verite in a more portable solution. I never found anything that nails timbre, speed and detail the same way. This is the closest I have been to the Verite in an IEM, and I would even say the Neon Pro makes a few aspects better.

The tuning with switch off reminds me of the DUNU SA6, but better in all aspects. Never having heard the QDC Anole VX, I heard from a few others that it is tuned very similarly and has capability that can rival it. The overall sound is detailed, clear and natural with a slight U shape signature. No big peaks that make you wanna turn down the music or not use it for some genres. The bass switch on gives a good 3dB boost to the low end and is my preferred tuning.

My favourite pairing with the Neon Pro has been my desktop rig Topping E70 + A90D, I also like the Hiby R6 III. Another very great pairing is the Neon Pro together with the Cayin RU6. RU6 dongle was magical and is a dongle that is on my purchase list soon. As for cable, my best pairing has been the XINHS 4 core single crystal copper silver plated wire and the same in pure copper another good pairing is the DUW-03 from DUNU. Favourite tips are TRN T tips and JVC Spiral Dot. TRN T are usually too small, but here they fit perfectly because of an already very perfect ergonomic nozzle.

I also had some good times with the Feliks Audio Echo with stock tubes. This gives both the bass and mids some extra energy and smoothen some of the treble, making the sound more L shaped. Also expanding the soundstage to some degree.

I am going to use these ranges in the review:





Timbre

First off, what is Timbre?

From Wikipedia:
“The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"
First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.”

The timbre is very spot on with the Neon Pro with the switch off, it is very similar to ZMF Verite. It has that ability of making a good recording sounding very true to life, or how I imagine it to be in real life. This is also very subjective as everything is in this passionate hobby. When timbre is nailed right for me I can put my whole library on random, and this works wonders here.

If I nit-pick I could have liked a tiny amount of darker treble, the good part is the tuning switch. With the switch on the bass is increased, making the tonality change better to my preference. Since the upper mids and treble is less boosted in comparison, the treble gets less noticeable. The switch does not reduce the amount, just so that is said, just how it is in comparison to the lower end of the frequency response.

The sound is neutral and warm with a slightly U shaped signature, more so with the switch on than without. Without it is actually very neutral sounding in all frequency ranges. I do not not notice any BA timbre, while for example SA6 has it to a small degree.

In the next part I will put certain tracks under bass, mids or treble. I could have put them in other categories als, but I have decided to use that track in a particular range. Also all the tracks I mention here will be used in the comparison part with other sets.





Soundstage and resolution

This is one of the first things I checked after being in shock over the good timbre. The soundstage and resolution stood out, especially the amount of detail in the music. Some sets achieve this by boosting the treble. This is not the case here, and the Neon Pro is clearly using very good drivers tuned really well.

Soundstage is more circular sounding than most IEMs, I often find IEMs to be much wider than having forwardness. This is also the case here to some degree, but the sounds from the front do appear further out than what I'm used to in IEMs.

How big the space is portrayed is very good, on a few tracks you notice how black the background is making the sound cues have a very good holographic 3D effect.




Fear Inoculum and Pneuma by Tool

The whole band is presented here, but what I often use it for is checking the resolution. Especially in the nuances of the drumming from Danney Carey. His drums are perhaps the star on the Pneuma track, so much expression. This was the first track I tested and I knew immediately that the Neon Pro was for me. It rivaled my ZMF Verite in the drumming, micro detail and all the nuances. Fear Inoculum is also a fast track with loads going on, sets with less resolution and speed makes it sound wrong.

I have nothing to complain about the resolution or soundstage, It has this amount of detail while not being overly bright as some other higher end sets out there.





Thriller by Michael Jackson

Brilliant track to test everything from bass, mids, treble, soundstage, dynamic range and detail. Looking at the imaging ability, Neon Pro does it perfectly. Lots of cues all over in the track, you get a close to perfect sense of where things appear with different depths. Michael Jackson's voice appears slightly in front of you instead of directly in the head. While the sound cues are positioned in an oval space around you. More to the sides than forward. The amount of detail you get out here is above what an average IEM pushes, it is perhaps showing more resolution than Focal Utopia 2022 and ZMF Verite both being TOTL headphones. This is the best dynamic range I have tested in an IEM so far.




Mørkedstidssanger by Ingvild Koksvik

This is an artist from Norway, she sings in Norwegian about waiting for things to get better. The amount of detail in her voice, instruments and the background voice is excellent for evaluating detail. Neon pro shows everything that is going on here, with all the dynamic expressions available in the recording. This is also a track I recently had the opportunity to hear on the expensive KEF Blade Meta speakers. And also were able to meet her in person on a HiFI show. I can wholeheartedly say that the amount of detail pushed out here rivals high end speakers in resolution. Remember I only talk about resolution here, speakers produce a whole different type of experience than IEMs.




Anabasis by Children of the Sun

Another reviewer here often uses the first track from this great album, I like to use the second track Anabasis, but both are great for this. The vocals and spatial cues are epic and also perfect for checking soundstage and microdetail. With the Neon Pro I am getting pulled into the music, the space is very large all around me. The drum here is supposed to sound big and heavy, it is an epic experience on the Neon Pro. This was also a track together with my tube amp that gave me chills, it is so big and bold.




Bass

The low end is similar in decay with the switch both on and off. The amount changes, this also gives the sound more mid-bass presence. Even with the switch off it has enough amount to make music lively.

As for how well it is done, this does sound like a dynamic driver on the faster side in decay. Lots of nuances and it never feels overdone or loose. The bass is one of the things reminding me of how Verite does it, beryllium driver hits hard and fast similar to the Neon Pro. Neon Pro does have more sub bass compared to the Verite, especially with the switch on.

Very many sets coming out have too little energy in the mid bass(bass closest to the mids), this makes instruments and vocals sound dull like there is not enough body in the music. Neon Pro does this perfectly with both the switch off or on, while switch turned on might be too much for some. Some prefer a more neutral mid bass approach, and if that is the case just to flip the switch off. Unless you need to have Harman style in the bass, then you need to look at another IEM out there.




Mezzanine by Massive Attack

This is the goto track for me to test kick drum sub bass and overall bass performance, it should be bold and impactful. When a set does this perfectly you can feel the kick, good dynamic range of the bass getting stronger and stronger further out.

I did not expect this quality of sub bass, this is where I would have believed it were a dynamic driver doing the low end. Since SA6 and RSV are not like this. There are two bass notes to listen after, the kick around 60Hz and one at 150 Hz. If the IEM is to lean on the lowest frequencies the whole track is broken, the lowest kick drum actually needs it elevated to come forward. When the tuning switch is on, it reaches the right amount of energy here, while with the switch off I find it a bit too soft.



Uh Uh by Thundercat

The bass guitar playing here is ultra fast and detailed with loads of dynamics. I have owned a bass guitar but never got around to playing it much, but I have listened to a lot of bass playing from the big masters. Uh Uh has a high level of bass guitar that is incredibly fast. I can notice all the subtle changes going up and down the different ranges. It easily keeps up with the speed and never feels congested. There is a good amount of resolution and detail here, which is perfect for a set like Neon Pro.




Mids

The mids on Neon Pro is very much to my liking having a natural timbre and it is not pushed too much forward. The upper midrange bordering into the treble has a little energy and goes very well along with my preference for most music. This also means that music that has shouty vocals or brass will not get more gentle or intense, it will be portrait as the artist intended.

Sometimes I could have liked more forward vocals, but the tuning switch does move vocals that are more dark forward to some degree.



Maggie Said by Natalie Merchant

Very emotional and intimate vocal by Natalie with good dynamic range. Her voice comes off as magical on the Neon Pro, never boring or tiresome. The guitar has a very natural tonality, and sounds very natural. I get goosebumps here, it is like I'm there listening to it live. The amount of nuance in her voice is perfect, some of this is due to the recording of course.



You Want it Darker by Leonard Cohen

Perfect for checking overall how full sounding and how forward the mids are. Leonard Cohen's husky voice has a lot of presence here and again the natural tone of his voice and the choir is represented extremely close to my standard Verite. I have nothing to complain about here and the tonality is just spot on. While the imaging of the different vocals is also strong here, Leonard is a little away in front of you. While the choir is further spaced behind and to the side from him, and the last vocal is even further out and higher up.



Now We Are Free by Hans Zimmer

This is from the last part of the movie Gladiator, it is one of my favourite soundtracks. I get goosebumps almost every time I hear it, partly due to having an association to the film. Lisa Gerrard's voice has a huge dynamic range, going from subtle to intense moments touching your soul. Perfect rendition of the track on Neon Pro, it is maybe the most beautiful way I have heard it.



Treble and Air

There is a natural amount of treble on the Neon Pro has a neutral amount with a slight forward emphasis. if this is the right amount or not you have to ask yourself, this depends very much on how sensitive you are to treble. Some need treble to be stepped back some, while others need it forward due to anatomy or just age. I would call this a nice middle ground where it is not dull or overly forward.

It has anti sibilance dip from 4-8k Hz and never gets sibilant, there is just the right amount of presence in the 4k and 8k Hz, giving off good energy that music never gets dull or dark.




The Canticle of the Sun by Sofia Gubaidulina

The whole performance is almost like a spiritual ritual happening, this is more modern music than classical and not for everyone. This is a whole performance I like to use to grasp the amount of treble cleanliness and amount of air. The high frequency is rather clean and smooth, with no intense problem areas. The amount of treble extension is very good with a good amount of air up top. I could have also evaluated the mids since there is choir going through the whole performance. But it is harder to evaluate here since it is a very special kind of performance. What I can say is that the instrument parts sound very correct.



Humming by Portishead

Several years ago I was recommended by another Head-Fi user to try this for how fatiguing the treble is. It has lots of weird elements, and it sounds almost trippy. There are lots of unpleasant sounds that are shown if the mids and treble is too forward or harsh.

The nuances in the mids with the theremin at the start is top notch. The crackle in the background is very noticeable, and I hear lots of nuance in it. I never get fatigued here, while also keeping up with all the microdetails appearing all over. Thumbs up here also.



Towards the Bending of the Light by Hart, Wolff and Hennings

This song is also a very odd one, and it has one purpose for me, checking the amount of air in a set.
Percussions are used here making harmonics up in the air region, this shows if a set got more air up top. Unless you have reduced hearing in the upper ranges,you might not notice the air detail. For me Neon Pro is above average than what I have tried in other IEMs. Thumbs up if you are a detail head, that also needs it to not be fatiguing.





Comparisons

I do wish I had more higher end models to put into this review, I am still fairly new to IEMs since I have been using headphones for all my years in audio.
Still what I have tested and also my own collection has given me a good taste for brands who have soul.
Sets that are different from the copy style so many cheap sets go under, then charge you loads for buying them.






DUNU SA6

This was my first multi balanced armature IEM, only having owned hybrids before with BA drivers. It uses 6 drivers for each side and is priced a little lower than Neon Pro. It has been my reference IEM since I got it, and also my favorite IEM for gaming. This also has a bass switch, the bass switch does appear to be more subtle compared to the Neon Pro. I prefer it with the switch on, but for this comparison I will keep it off on both sets.

First thing that stands out is resolution, the biggest improvement you get here is how resolving the whole frequency range is. You will pick up more nuances in your music, like picking up strokes on strings or how the double bass is plucked. Some said that SA6 had bad resolution, I never thought so myself. I find the SA6 above average in how resolving and capable of reproducing a correct tone. Neon Pro just takes it up to a new level and is a very good upgrade for current SA6 owners.

The timbre of SA6 is colder compared to Neon Pro, Neon Pro comes off as more natural sounding and more musical. If you have ever heard live music, you might know what I mean. It does sound more boosted specially in the bass over a neutral or Harman tuned set.

SA6 made me understand that BA can sound closer to dynamic drivers for its low end. It still had something that is off, but it is more subtle. If I had never known the Neon Pro was only balanced armatures, I would have been certain this was a dynamic driver. Just one of the faster material dynamic drivers like how beryllium decay faster, perfect impactful low end that gives drums in metal or rock justice. There is also a different amount of bass, more warmth and impact to the overall bass on Neon Pro. While sub bass frequencies are very close in amount and how deep it goes.

Mids on both sets are very smooth and neutral, but the resolving capability of Neon Pro takes the upper hand. Upper mids have a little more energy in Neon Pro over SA6, I prefer this and often find sets missing some energy here boring. Both male and female vocals are smoother sounding while also having more definition over SA6. This also goes for brass, more in control, more energy and never shouty on Neon Pro. Both handle brass well, but I give the edge to Neon Pro sounding more correct and energetic.

The treble is more resolving on Neon Pro, same for upper harmonics. They have different peaking, and for me SA6 can be bothersome on a few test tracks, while the Neon Pro does it better. I do believe it is because the treble peaks at 7k on SA6, while it is at 8k Hz on Neon Pro.

Soundstage is always hard to evaluate, SA6 has a little over average amount of wideness and depth. Not far out of your head, but not totally closed in your head either.

I read once someone said that Neon Pro has no soundstage. This guy needs to check his ears, while not exaggerating it is more out of your head than in your head feeling. it is also quite a circle of sound, not how some sets have a wide stage but no depth. Both do imaging very well, the extra detail in Neon Pro gives it the upper hand.

There are two things the SA6 does better, first is being the most comfortable IEM out there. The shell is very small and ergonomic with just the perfect length of the nozzle. The Neon Pro is rather large in comparison but still very comfortable and ergonomic. The other point is in accessories and how the package is, DUNU is almost class leading out there in this. It comes with an extremely good cable, the DUW-03 that is also modular, 3 sets of tips and a nice storage case. But you do pay for that premium.

I am not saying the SA6 is a bad IEM, as I like it very much. This just takes it a step further. And if I would have used the bass switch on, there would be no doubt I prefer the Neon Pro much more.



ISN EST50

EST50 is a guilty pleasure IEM for me, as I know it is not correct having this much boosted sub bass. But it is a lot of fun and addictive. What makes the EST50 much better than most so called basshead IEMs, is that it has better control not bleeding much into the mids. The mid bass is in much more control than other basshead sets, while not being increased too much.

This IEM is a Tribrid, meaning it has 3 types of driver technologies. Dynamic driver for the bass, BA for mids/treble and EST drivers for ultra high frequencies. It has an energetic and smooth sound with a sub bass that is more on the extreme side. I am going to use the bass switch on with Neon Pro for this comparison.

If I try and listen to Thriller comparing them against each other the low end and bass actually appear very similar. I tried to analyze where the frequency range of the bass is, it is never in the lowest range. So both sets are similar in amount and not boosted too much with either. What differs here is the decay of the bass, it is slower and looser in EST50. While at the same time the detail in the bass notes is perhaps slightly more detailed on EST50.

When checking a true sub bass track like the Mezzanine you notice some differences here. The amount is more and looser on the EST50, and it seems to be in more control on Neon Pro. Neon Pro also sounds to me more natural in the decay since EST50 is on the slower side, and also the upper bass kick hits harder on Neon Pro.

The EST50 is more like a stereo speaker setup with a 12 inch open vented subwoofer backing it up that is also turned up some, Neon Pro is more like a high end modern speaker setup with big drivers giving fast and punchy but with elevated low end.

Vocals are very similar, it can appear slightly warmer on EST50 but it is small. When listening to a track with only instruments it is not as easy to differentiate the mids. It is first when entering the upper part of the mids that you notice they are less forward on EST50, this you can also see at FQ measurement of EST50 since it has a gentle Pina Gain. This also makes the EST50 very safe if you're sensitive to upper midrange energy. Neon Pro has a more natural amount of upper mid range and does acoustic music more justice.

Treble is similar in amount, but what's weird is that even with EST50s EST drivers the amount of upper treble is more detailed and forward on Neon Pro. It is also smoother on Neon pro especially in the lower treble. For air I can not really differentiate them, it can be that ISN have not implemented the EST drivers well enough. Or that Neon Pro is just that good.
Overall resolution is good with both, I do put the Neon Pro a step ahead. I do notice more detail especially in the mids and treble.

Soundstage is more oval on EST50. When sounds are in front of you, it is shown very close. Very similar to other IEMs, the sides on the other hand are very deep. There is also very good layering that is above most sets. Neon Pro has the same amount of depth to the sides but can also portray more depth in front. Especially on Anastasis album the sense of space is more vast on Neon Pro, there is more blackness to the background making it seem endless.

I love both sets and I am not getting rid of the EST50. It is not as versatile, but it is very good with most of the music I like. While a few tracks like Mørketidssanger that already have boosted bass will get too much on EST50 while Neon Pro handles it better. What EST50 excels at is electronica music or watching movies where you get a really good sub bass rumble.



Penon Serial

Before I tested the Neon Pro, Serial was my favorite. It could even have had a higher cost and I would have called it a steal. So for the $300, it is a unique and special IEM that people should try and listen to at some point. I believe there is a huge chance you would buy one after that.

Serial uses 3 dynamic drivers. One for bass, mids and treble. It has a natural sound that is more dark and analogue, speed is also slower due to longer resonating decay. It is very musical and fun, which makes me enjoy music more than just picking it apart.

I will use the tuning switch on here because they get a similar amount of low end.

If the Neon Pro is similar to the timbre of ZMF Verite the Serial is more similar to the ZMF Aeolus. Both are well tuned but give different flavor, mids are warmer, and the treble is darker with Penon Serial. The weight of the notes are thicker on Serial, Neon Pro is lighter. But still Neon Pro is closer to Serial than the DUNU SA6.

As I mentioned in the EST50 comparison, the Neon Pro is similar to big modern speakers with fast decay in the low end. Bass is well extended in both sets, while perhaps having a small amount more mid bass in the Penon Serial. It is very similar, especially with the tuning switch on. This is also where I applaud Neon Pro with how natural the BA bass is. I like both sets for how they produce bass, with its slower decay and more mid bass the Serial does come off a more bold old school style.

Mids are more forward on the Serial all the way from lower part til the upper part of the mids. Both styles work and both sound good with instruments and vocals. On a few brass focused jazz tracks the Serial has more fatiguing energy while the Neon Pro handled it smoother.

Treble is more relaxed and less detailed on the Serial, while the Neon Pro has crystal clear treble. The Neon Pro does also have more detailed air.

Soundstage on the Serial is also very good and has more forwardness than most IEMs, while at the same time being wide. Both do it well, this also goes for imaging. Neon Pro on the track Anabasis has a more vast room, it is more endless in depth. What I have noticed is that sets that are darker can often feel more closed in here.

Overall the timbre of Serial is slightly dark with great bass and mids, while the Neon Pro is more balanced with a slight U shaped sound. Both sets compliment each other and it is great to own both, but the Neon Pro does take the first place.



A while ago when I attended a HiFi show, I got to experience many great speakers. The photos above show speakers from Revival Audio and Focal. One much more old school, mimicking the 70-80s bold sound. The other from Focal is a faster speaker while also being huge sounding, but it comes off crisper and more modern. Both were more than great, but portrayed the sound differently. I could have owned both and be happy. The Serial and Neon Pro can both play my whole library in excellence with different approaches.



ZMF Verite

As I have mentioned the ZMF Verite throughout the review, I feel like it deserves a little comparison in the end. This is very hard due to them being an IEM and a Headphone, but I will give it a go. A IEM will never be able to portray sound the same way as an headphone, the same way a headphone will not do it the same as a speaker setup. But they can still have a timbre that is comparable.

ZMF Verite is one of the top models from ZMF, it is a headphone costing around 4 times more than the Neon Pro. When I got my Verite all my lust for other headphones disappeared and I have tried to find the same in IEMs without luck, that is until now.

ZMF has its house sound, and the Verite with Universal Suede pads is very close to that house sound. For me this is a natural sounding timbre making instruments and vocals appear natural with a hint of warmth and extra body. Neon Pro has that same definition to me, with maybe a little more body to the low end and is slightly more relaxed in the treble.

Bass on the Neon Pro is thicker and more impactful with the switch on, while with the switch off they are about the same. The amount of detail in bass notes is better on the Neon Pro, while the impact is different. I believe this is due to one being inside the ear and the other hitting a bigger area moving more air. The Sub bass extension is a clear win to Neon Pro with both switch on and off.

Mids shows perfect instrument playback on the Verite with a slight forward emphasis, the Neon pro is more neutral in the amount in comparison. Both have mids that are natural, and sound real with instruments and vocals. Brass instruments in the middle of the mids have more energy in the Verite which can make some tracks tiresome, while the same track can be enjoyed without fatigue on the Neon Pro.

Female vocals are near perfect on both while male vocals with the tuning switch on are actually a small amount more forward on the Neon Pro. This is probably because more mid bass is coming into the mids, without switch they are about the same. One thing I forgot when going through these comparisons, the Verite gets more forward in the mids due to my tube amp. It is slight, but it does affect it to some degree. My Verite is married to the Feliks Audio Echo so it is appropriate.

The treble has almost the same amount of energy and forwardness but a small amount more forward on the Verite. While the air and extension is the best on Verite, I am a person who is not very concerned about air, so it is not a problem for me. Going back to Hummingbird by Portishead, the Verite is somewhat unpleasant, but the Neon Pro is okay. This might actually be due to the amount of upper harmonics and the slightly more forward treble.
Soundstage is where the Verite wins, it is clearly more expansive. As for detail in the soundstage it is closer, with imaging capability being about the same



Conclusion on Neon Pro

I started the review calling it a “Love letter" in the title. I almost felt bad writing it all since everything comes off as positive. The sound coming from the Neon Pro is perfect for my taste, it has all the technicalities while still having a musical soul. It also has high-end capabilities in its resolution and soundstage.

I bought this blind after having talked with one of the owners. I was hoping for a better set than SA6, but I got more than that. What I didn't expect was that I would find my ZMF in an IEM.

Am I happy? I am more than happy, the honeymoon period never ended with this set.

After talking with some fellow owners of the Neon Pro and other AüR IEMs, they all say the same thing: The tuning Abel can do is on a master level, while Nicholas' support for its customers is also legendary.

Congrats AüR, I do hope you will move forward so that even more people notice your excellence. It is never easy starting up a new brand, especially when you want to stand on your own feet. What you are achieving here is well worth all the hard work.

I will end this with a modified quote from one of my favourite movies Ratatouille:

In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and themselves to our judgment.

It is difficult to imagine more humble folks than those creating Neon Pro, who are, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest makers out there.

I will be returning to AüR soon, hungry for more.

Ranking System

1 Very bad or unlistanable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

Price can push something up or down half grade.

Going by this ranking system together with my deeper evaluation matrix, the Neon Pro get a 5.

Penon Serial the triple dynamic allrounder



This is my first Penon product if you do not count ISN, I bought it with my own money. All impressions below are my own subjective thoughts after a few months of use.

Description from the Penon website

Medical grade resin cavity, light and beautiful, comfortable to wear, no strange feeling in contact with the skin.

Semi-transparent black shell, the panel is made of stabilized wood red, blue, and green 3 colors mixed

Made by hand, the earphone shell is solid and more durable.

6mm pu diaphragm for high frequency

8mm titanium-plated for middle frequency

10mm biological diaphragm for low frequency

Resin shell, stabilized wood panels

3-way crossover, 3 tubes

Stainless steel nozzle

Specification

Brand: Penon

Model: Serial

Driver: 3 Dynamic Driver

Impedance: 18 ohm

Sensitivity: 103dB

Frequency response: 20-20kHz

Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm

Plug: 3.5mm audio, 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced

Cable: 8 shares OCC & silver-plated Mixed Braided

Cable length: 1.2M

Warranty

18 months warranty



Penon has quite a big lineup of IEMs and cables, and continues to make new IEMs and cables every year. The last IEM launch of them being the Impact priced 2500$ and from first impressions competing even higher in price. This is something that is often the case with their releases, they almost always compete with sets more expensive.

Penon FAN $139 - 10mm Single Dynamic Driver
Penon FAN 2 $279 - 2x 6mm DD bass driver + 2 BA Drivers for mids and treble
Penon Globe $339 - 10mm DD doing low end + 2 BA Drivers mids and Highs
Penon Impact $2499 - 10 BA Sonion BAs and ESTs
Penon Legend $1299 - 13 BA Sonion and Knowles with tuning switches
Penon Orb $249 - 10mm DD + 1 BA
Penon Serial $299 - 3 DD drivers
Penon Sphere $159 - 1 BA
Penon Volt $799 - 10mm DD + 2 BA + 4 EST
Penon Vortex $219 - 10mm DD

About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with sub and mid bass boost, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it's not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid to early 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony DiscMan and MiniDisc.

I have tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not a talent in playing. My wife has also played many instruments from string instruments to wind while has the talent part I lack.

My current standard in IEMs is SA6 and Penon Serial. One all BA with near perfect tonality for me, and the Serial with also a near perfect tonality for me. That is also the IEM getting reviewed here, so a little spoiler.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap to if I want to do a little EQ.

I have also used the Feliks Audio Echo, one of the more silent OTL amps.

Portable gear has been Tempotec Sonata HD II Dongle, Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP, Quidelix 5k DAC/AMP and Xduoo XD05 Plus DAC/AMP.



What the Penon Serial is:

The standard in IEMs around this bracket is Hybrids or in rare cases a single dynamic driver IEM. The Serial uses 3 dynamic drivers of different types and size, with crossover so each DD has different parts of the frequency response to do.

The low end is handled by a 10 biological diaphragm, the mids with a 9mm titanium-plated diaphragm and last the 6mm pu diaphragm doing the highs. The magic part here is that all the drivers are dynamic drivers and masterfully put together so If you asked me I would have believed it is a high end single DD IEM. A part of this working so well is the tubes from each DD deliver the sound straight to the nozzle.

The face plate is stabilized wood and not one Penon Serial looks the same since they are handmade and painted. The resin is semi translucent and with some lighting you can see some of the magic inside.

It has a safe form factor with medium size shell and medium length nozzles, this should sit well in most ears.

https://penonaudio.com/penon-serial.html?search=serial



Package and accessories

You get the yellow product box, cable, cable pouch, 3 sets of tips(S.M.L), leather strap, Blue storage box with zipper, little brush, shirt clip and the IEMs itself. Not too shabby if you ask me.

The case is just the right size and can fit the IEMs with cable and a small dongle, zipper is in metal and to me makes me afraid of the cable coming in between. The color is also quite striking, but blue is the color that Penon goes for with their storage cases.

The included tips are of good quality, from wider bore to smaller. If you don't have a tip set you love you should be happy here without the need to buy anything. Personal favourite is the green one.

Penon CS819 is the cable itself and is a very good value and performing cable. OCC and Silver Plated Mix. This is one of the cables I recommended when in need of a cable under 50$, it's soft and flexible. Great weight not being too heavy or too light, the connections and splitter are good quality. It sounds great, so when in need of a cable that's natural sounding not changing the signal.

https://penonaudio.com/penon-cs819.html

This picture is taken from Penon listing, since I never took a picture of it all.

So how does it sound

Natural, bold and sensual is the first that comes to mind. The sound is coherent with no gaps that makes you want more, when you put on any type of genre it will usually sound great .

I have different types of headphones or IEMs for different purposes. The Penon Serial breaks that for me. Yes maybe I would have wanted a little more of that or that for something, but the thing is nothing is wrong or lacking so I tend to not have that thought. While my favourite genres on the Serial are Darker Metal, Prog Metal/Rock, Melodic Metal and so on.

I had a talk with another reviewer(Tony), he had a good analogy for the Serial: it is like the good big vintage speakers. And I 100% agree with this, the big speakers with 12-15 inch woofers. Not the most technical sounding speakers compared to today's standards but perhaps more musical and thick sounding. Do not take this out of context and think it lacks details, it shows everything with good detail, soundstage and imaging. Still some other sets will give you better microdetails if that's your thing.


Timbre

First off what is Timbre?
From the Wikipedia:
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"

First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.

Penon Serial has a very natural sounding timbre, instruments sound very close to what they do live. It gives a little extra warmth making it lusher and more romantic. So not 100% right, and I like this approach.

It reminds me of some wood headphones that also have the same type of timbre.

The timbre is often more correct to me in DD drivers, so here we get 3 drivers all DD. This does its magic making them sound coherent from the low end to the high end. BA can also do a good job here and sound natural, but here again is more easily done in all BA IEMs rather than hybrids.

Details, Soundstage and Imaging

As mentioned before this is not the most detailed monster out there, it has drawn a line where you get good details but not too much where the experience of the song is ruined by a bad recording.

This means it also pairs well with music that is old and not up to today's standards. With good recordings I can adore technical gear showing every nook and cranny. Love the headphone ZMF Verite for this, while at the same time it's not headphone where I put my library on shuffle and enjoy. This is where Serial is a good companion.

The soundstage is presented more forward than most single DDs IEMs, having some nice depth and a little outside your head. What is the most impressive is how wide it goes , especially far out to be an IEM. While someone is always going to disagree, the soundstage is a subjective impression that differs from person to person . This is still an IEM and not an open headphone with a vast soundstage.

As for imaging there are no gaps I can notice, I do think that this is a place where IEMs often do it better than headphones. Many headphones will have some dead zones where the image is disappearing. While I mostly do my tests with music, I also play FPS shooters. The soundstage and imaging does a fine job pinpointing where sounds are incoming from.

Michael Jackson with Thriller is a good and fun sounding track to test soundstage on. Good separation of the sound and different depths being shown. Feels almost like a binaural recording.



Yosi Horikawa with Bubbles is also a masterpiece for testing soundstage and imaging.
It's also very technical as much is happening at the same time here, Serial in my opinion does it as a champ.



Bass

The bass is elevated but not a basshead amount of bass, I would say it has struck a good balance between fun and not overpowering the mids. This comes back to the 12 inch vintage speakers, the bass has a large sound. Not the fastest and not the slowest, it's in a good middle ground with some good sustain and decay. It can easily hold up with the speed in Psy Trance and other fast electronica genres.

If I would say a little negative it's that I would have preferred a little more sub bass, while the mid bass are probably what I find to be perfect amount and balance. Most IEMs coming out sound to lean in mid bass, specially the Harman tuned ones. Harman target while having a good sub bass rumble, lacks emotion and attack. I would say the soul of music is in the midrange and the mid bass, it's what makes you wanna dance.

In case you are a basshead this is not the amount you are looking for, but it has the definition and bass technicalities that might set your other bass head IEMs to shame. Especially if you EQ the sub bass up a few dB.

Its very detailed bass and sounds very natural, check out some killer bass lines from Victor Wooten and you can see what I mean.

Angel by Massive Attack
Good sub bass slam and it digs deep into the lowest frequencies, could have wished for a few more dB at the lowest notes. Still I have other IEMs for this if the perfect sub bass is needed. I do think it handles it very right overall.



Moth - Dyacide remix by Epsilon, Dyacide
Immersive ambient electronica, with a fast rhythmic bass going also having a heart pumping sub bass in the back. This is a track I personally hate on slower IEMs or the ones who don't have enough mid bass slam. Serial can easily follow the rhythm give me pure satisfaction here. Great track overall, just be sure to not push your volume too much as you will get tempted on the Serial.



So What by Miles Davis
Well renowned track, the Double Bass is played through the whole track. Here it's not too forward in the mix, with a basshead IEM this arrangement sounds wrong to me. With the Serial it hits just right showing good bass separation with just the right amount.



Mids

First off, if we say that the mid Frequency is from 300 Hz to 4,000 Hz it's easier to understand what I'm expressing in this part. Mids are where vocals and almost all instruments are, around 80% of the music is within the midrange. Many say that the soul of music is in the midrange making the success of a set of gear. I do agree to some part with this, it's also where too much makes the sound fatiguing or shouty. While too little can make the sound boring.

The midrange is very much to my preferred liking with a small forwardness that makes both instruments and voices come alive.

The lower part of the midrange is fairly neutral, maybe some small warmth.
The upper midrange has some extra energy, giving some good energy to music. This combo works very well for me making vocals not shouty or tiresome, while giving some warmth to the sound signature. Just borderline increased so it's not fatiguing with brighter jazz or rock.

Stretch your Eyes by Agnes Obel
The fullness of Agnes' voice together with the Cello is very intimate and magical. I do feel the tonality in Serial shows the song very spot on.


Trade it for the Night by HAEVN
Very good track and Marijn van der Meer has a beautiful and hypnotizing voice. This is a goosebump song on Serial and lets the midrange qualities flourish.



About Today by The National
One of my favorite tracks, I have played this on repeat over and over for years. It's both a sad and intimate song, the cello playing in the background giving many emotional feelings. This is one of the tracks I can notice that male voice is perhaps a small amount forward with the Serial, still as mentioned its minimal. I can listen to this track forever with the Serial.



Treble

Can first start with saying that the Serial is sibilance free, it has frequency dip from 4k to 8k making it quite relaxed. While still keeping some good air for the upper harmonics. Would call it a relaxed treble with good extension.

Humming by Portishead
Another on Head-fi recommended my try this some years ago when I was testing a headphone for how fatiguing the treble is. It has lots of weird elements, and sounds almost trippy. There are lots of unpleasant sounds that are shown if the treble is too forward or harsh. The Penon Serial does this as a champ. Personally I can take much treble but this track with the IEM Tipsy Ttromso is almost painful in comparison.



Claire de Lune by Kamasi Washington
This is a complex track with loads going on, this also tests brass instruments from the midrange. While everything sounds very right this is borderline too much and a faster IEM does this track better. Still it shows good separation of the instruments, and is not that slow that it smears the sounds together. This is also a track where forward midrange can push the Tenor Sax over what's pleasant. Not my favorite track on the Serial because of what is mentioned above, this impression is also due to my favorite cable that pushes the mids a little forward.
.

Air performed by Anne Akiko Meyers on violin.
Air is breathtaking here, the violin feels alive. And the airy treble is clearly present, I'm not a person who listens much to classical music. Still from what I see as a perfect representation with the ZMF Verite, the serial does lack some detail and airiness. But this approach is not wrong and is still tastefully good, where you just don't pick apart every nuance.


Gear and cable synergy

I have tested the Penon Serial with portable dongles, portable amps and desktop gear. It scales very well with higher end amps like the Topping A90 Discrete. I have a preference with cleaner sounding amps on the neutral side over warm or dark gear together with Serial. It is harder to drive than many other IEMs but all the dongles I tried have done it loud without getting anywhere close to halfway in volume.

One unusual pairing that has been quite fun is the Feliks Audio Echo tube amp, this amp is very silent and had sound on the more neutral side to be a OTL.
This combo gives even bigger lushness to the sound and makes the bass hit even harder and bolder, very fun with electronica and dark metal music.




As for cables I have tried the DUW-03, Penon Mix, ISN C2/S2 and NiceHCK Silver Cable. Favourite being the ISN C2, while the DUW-03 is a perfect companion and a clear upgrade cable when going from the stock cable. While the Mix also is similar it has some extra treble energy compared to the DUW-03.

My favourite ISN C2 gives some extra fullness to the sound similar to what my tube amp does. You also get modular connections making it more versatile with DUW-03, Mix and C2.

The changes are small and if it's because it's placebo or not doesn't matter for me.



Comparisons

DUNU SA6
And yes this is not a dynamic driver and not the same price group. What makes me put them into the review is that it's also a multi single type driver, 6 BA drivers with a nice tonality that many know about. It's also one of the few IEMs I own.

The SA6 has a more neutral sound, with a more clean clinical timbre that is mainly due to the BA drivers. Since its BA it's also a very fast IEM, and never really gets confused with fast technical songs.

Serial is more musical with more body to both the low end and mid range. Treble is more refined and forward on SA6, airiness is similar.

Soundstage is wider on Serial with around the same depth on both. Micro detail in the imaging goes to SA6.

They are very different but at the same time share a a clean unobtrusive sound, one being more on the cold side and the other on the warm side.


Penon FAN 2
Hybrid consisting of 2 DDs for the bass and 2 BAs for mids and treble.
This is a more neutral IEM with less warmth to the bass and mids compared to the Serial, as for treble detail and energy they are not far off each other. While the BA does make the timbre be closer to the sound of the SA6 in the mids and treble.

The low end is faster and less boosted in the FAN 2, while the Serial has harder sub impact and perhaps better note separation in the sub bass notes. The Mid bass is the other way around with more slam in the FAN 2. Both do the low frequencies great.

Mids are similar in how forward voices and instruments sound, while the timbre is different. I like both and would say that the Serial is more romantic while at times with brass it can get too much that will not happen on the FAN 2. Also a note on the deepest voices of male, there is some forwardness on the FAN 2. It's not unpleasant, but on some tracks can seem unnatural in comparison to the Serial approach.

The upper mid range is actually a little relaxed on FAN 2, they have the same amount of treble extension. Maybe tipping my hat off to the FAN 2s treble, this might also be due to the fact that the FAN 2 is more technical with its BAs.

For details the FAN 2 is the winner, but not by much. It shows more micro details, still less than SA6 does. As for soundstage I would say the Serial is wider while the FAN 2 has perhaps a deeper presentation. Both are great in my book in the soundstage.



Penon FAN
This is a fairly new IEM for me and much cheaper than the Serial. It's a single 10mm DD driver. This has a more v shaped sound, it still has a good mid presentation that is just not as present as the lows and highs. I personally like to have a V shape sounding IEM to dampen the mids on some genres.

FAN has more sub bass and mid bass than Serial while the bass notes are more refined on the Serial. As for speed they are close to the same.

Mids are more recessed on FAN, both voice and instruments gets shadowed some by the bass and treble. Some small bleed in the lower mid bass, but it is minor.

Going into the upper mids and lower treble the FAN has more energy and is increased over the Serial. The presence region is a make it or break it part of the sound, I prefer some extra bite while some others do not. The Serial is much more safe here.

FAN has an excellent upper treble also well extended. While the treble in the Serial is more pleasant and smoother.

Both imaging and soundstage is a win for the Serial, they are quite differently made and priced so it's not a shock.



Truthear HOLA
A small comparison with the newest entry level hype IEM. Different league. HOLA is less detailed, leaner sounding in both the mids and bass. When looking at measurement of both the difference shouldn't be as different in the bass notes. Still the HOLA is softer and less defined in the low end, and lacks some mid bass thump. Treble extension while good on the HOLA is still less detailed than Serial. For people who prefer a leaner and softer presentation the HOLA is great, especially for the price.




Conclusion

If you read the whole review you might have noticed I do have a love for the Penon Serial. While I can nit-pick and say that I would have liked more microdetail, that would have changed the approach of the sound. It has a pleasant line where it's detailed and relaxed enough to not make music a task to listen to.
It has a safe tuning with enough low end to please most, even some bassheads. The mids are romantic and give a full sound. The highs are slightly relaxed and for most people pleasant and engaging.

I would call it a genre master, I can put my music library on shuffle and enjoy whatever that comes on.

If I were asked to take one IEM with me on a 1 year trip this would have been my choice. I also bet that it is one of the safest sets when someone is asking for a recommendation.

It's not an IEM for the ones who need ultimate resolution and capabilities, but for the music lover.

Going back to the start, this is a bold vintage speaker packed into a small IEM and I truly recommend it.

Hakugei Sea-Elf



https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100....order_list.order_list_main.29.21ef1802Dy6Tsk

Hakugei is most known for their cables, and I was intrigued by this offering due to the IEM having a LCP driver while also getting a modular Hakugei cable.

Hakugei has cables ranging from the Skyrim 600$ to the cheap Kuro 15$

They are very good in the aesthetic part, some of the cables are works of art to me.

They also have some other IEM releases:

• Hakugei Mist 312$ 4BA 1DD
• Hakugei Midnight 270$ 4BA 1DD
• Hakugei Night Sky 164$ 1DD
• Hakugei Tac Bone TWS Bone Conduction
• Hakugei Redpoll MX500 40$ 1DD Earphone

Then it is the new release Sea-elf, the AliExpress sales page is typical google translated. With bold words explaining the different aspects, so take my descriptions from the site as something that can be wrong. It uses LCP Diaphragm together with N52 magnet, another member here told me it actually uses this in dual config. This did completely fly by when looking at the AliExpress listing.
This is still a single DD design, but it uses two of the magnets and diaphragm in each ear. If I understand this right. It is 16ohm and has a sensitivity of 108dB. I have a feeling this is wrong as it's harder to drive than some other sets I have with lover sensitivity.



Opening experience

First when opening the pack, I noticed the cramped tin box almost popping open since too much is put inside here. Also the tin box was almost too small for the case that's tucked in the bottom. Had to rough some feathers to get it out to say it like that.


You get a set of tips, the modular cable, case and the IEMs itself. There's nothing wrong with what's included, just maybe a little lackluster in the experience and what's in accessories and tips.



Build Quality

The cable I will write about under, build quality is great on mine.

As for the IEM the resin is black, and there is some type of printed inlay under clear resin on top. There is no seam I can notice and no hard edges, the shell itself is quite big. I have big ears and have no problem using them for hours with good comfort. The nozzle has average length and average width and should fit most IEM tips out there. It's also ventilated with no sign of driver flex.

It still looks kinds cheap, you can get cheaper stuff that looks more premium than this

Biggest design downside is that the inlay looks cheap.



About me and my gear used

I have not had any Hakugei product prior to the Sea-elf, and I bought it with my own money. My audio preference is neutral with sub and mid bass boost, mids can be forward but not excessive. Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid to early 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony DiscMan and MiniDisc.

I have tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone. My wife also has played many instruments from string instruments to wind.

My current standard in iems is SA6 and Penon Serial. One all BA with near perfect tonality for me, and the Serial with also a near perfect tonality for me.

Gear used on the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp.
Portable gear has been Tempotec Sonata HD II Dongle, Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP, Quidelix 5k DAC/AMP and Xduoo XD05 Plus DAC/AMP.



Impressions on the cable first

The cable is probably the Lucky Voice cable from Hakugei with a modular connection. I bought only the 2.5mm, 3.5mm, 4.4mm connections. You can also get it with USB C or Lightning connection with a DAC inside.
Reasoning for believing its the Lucky Voice is going by the pictures showing the sleeving on the cable and the type of connections. If so then it is a LITZ 7N OCC 25AWG 60cores*0.05mm with 4 strands so a total of 240cores. Sleeve is in cotton or nylon and is very soft and flexible, it has some microphonics. Microphonics can often be a problem with cloth material cables, it's not the worst but I can notice it when playing more silent music or when i'm not playing anything. It's not the cable I would pick when moving around to say it like that. But for sitting still and relaxing to music it's good, with its softness and no ear guide it's very comfortable around the ear. It's also very light, this has one downside due to no ear guide making the cable fall off the ear when moving around.

The quality is top notch, the craftsmanship is excellent. The connectors on the modular part are tight and sit firmly, also the same can be said for the part going into the headphone jack. The connectors look also quite premium above the price point.

As for the sound there is nothing wrong with it, it's a copper cable not changing anything to the signal. When comparing it to something more expensive like ISN C2 you will notice it lacks some note weight and detail. And compared to the NiceHCK PurpleSE, a similarly priced china cable. They sound the same when going back and forth, as for the testing I used the Sea-elf itself. Also tried the cable on ISN EST50, Dunu SA6 and Penon Serial.




Sound Impression of Sea-elf

First impression when just plugging it into my dongle was OK, nothing that screamed wrong and nothing that made me overflow with joy. I used it for some days first without clinically listening or comparing it to other gear. This is also what it's best for, but back to that later. I have used them for around 20 hours while at home or work, also burned them in through the nights. They are having close to 100h hours burn in and usage.

Bass

The low end in this goes very deep, and when listening to something that uses sub bass like DOOM Eternal Soundtrack or The Dark Knight Soundtrack with Why So Serious. You will get that full rumble engaging you to have fun in games or movies.
And when listening to Mezzanine by Massive Attack the bass goes deep and has a surprising attack. The bass
The mid bass is also elevated compared to the Harman 2019 target, personally I find Harman tuning boring and wrong. The mid bass gives energy to most Electronica music or music in general, the only downside is some small bleed into the Mids.

The bass is also on the looser side with not the best definition, that's why I'm surprised by the amount of kick in Mezzanine. It's not bad by any means, and a type of bass that is fun and engaging to tap your foot to.



Mids

Mids I always go back to Rolling in the Deep by Adele, if the mids are too forward it will sound tiresome. This is borderline with the Sea-elf, Adele’s voice sounds like you sit too close to her performing making it sound too loud and raspy compared to the background piano.
While Adele is something I always check, it's not my favourite artist by a long shot, a true favourite female vocalist is Agnes Obel. Let's take Stretch Your Eyes, this track has her voice shown wonderfully while the cello also plays. On the Sea-elf her voice sounds also here to forward and to close in my head, it's not tiresome in the same way as Rolling In the Deep. It just sounds off, same with the cello it sounds a little wrong.

For male voice Opeth with the album Damnation is something I often use, his voice is a little veiled here while at the same time being a little hot. It's still better than the female voice, my standards are higher.

This also reflects itself when listening to jazz with Sax, the sound is too hot and not an enjoyable experience. While it doesn't sound very wrong it's too forward and the saxophone shows that as its already an instrument that tends to be too forward on many recordings.

Treble

Treble region is pleasing and gentle, it has a dip from 4K to 8K removing any treble sibilance. Also have some air and treble extension that's not too bad to be a lower end single DD model.
Don't have much to say here, it's not bad and not perfect. I do think the sibilance dip is too much, taking away a little too much of the details. I use different classical recordings when testing treble and air, and also listen to acoustic music overall.


Speed, Details, Imaging and Soundstage

Maybe if you read the parts before you know where I'm going with this, this is just average in technicalities and detail. I do think you can get sets that are cheaper with better details.
Imaging and where sounds come from is actually not bad, I can pick apart where instruments are in the horizontal plane. While the vertical plane or depth is again not the best. The soundstage is average in its depth making the sounds to be either in front of your face or in your head.

When trying busy music for example heavy metal it sounds too congested and not enjoyable. The only thing helping the Sea-elf is that it softens the sound if you like metal but find it too much. Good track to test this is Intronaut by Cubensis.




Comparisons

I don't have that many IEMs so I will compare to 2 other single DD IEM’s with a price point under and one hybrid that are closer in price. The Tipsy TTROMSO would have been a good contender but the drivers are now loose inside due to bad construction, and it's the better IEM of the 2 going by sound and technicalities.



Reecho SG-01 OVA3
It has an all metal build that feels very premium for the price, and has a cool effect of changing from blue to purple colouring. Biggest downside in the build is the short Nozzle. The cable and tips here are quite good.

For sound the first thing I notice is that the sound is clearer on the Reecho, bass is faster but with a lighter note weight. Mids sound more natural in both male and female voices. The lower/mid treble is a tad too hot for me on Reecho, this is better on Sea-elf. Upper treble has a more clear sound with more presence that makes them not as veiled compared to Sea-elf. Soundstage is a little deeper on SG-01 OVA. Going back and forth I do prefer SG-01 OVA, sounds more right, less veiled, less fatiguing.


Blon 03
Same can be said here: it looks and feels premium compared to the price with the all metal build. Biggest downside in the build is the short Nozzle. Also the supplied cable is nothing to brag about.

For sound this is very much the same as SG-01 OVA, the biggest difference between them is that Blon 03 is slower. Bass is better on Sea-elf with about the same attack and speed but has more note weight. Mids are also better on 03. Lower treble is very much the same as Sea-elf, maybe lacking some presence. Mid treble has less 4k energy than the SG-01 OVA and more 8k presence. But it's the same in that it's less veiled and has more detail than Sea-elf.

What I find the Blon lacks the most here is note weight.

Here I actually would have picked up the Sea-elf, it's more enjoyable. But this depends on the music also. For music with brass instruments Blon is a little better compared to Sea-elf. While with metal I'm not a fan of the Blon since it lacks some note weight in the lower treble. For voice it's very equal for me, I slightly prefer Blon.


Shozy Form 1.1
This looks and feels premium, the form factor is very good and an all resin build. This is not a DD, it is a hybrid with 1DD and 1 BA and sits at the same price as Sea-elf. Supplied with an excellent fabric cable that has no microphonics.

Form 1.1 is a IEM with a dark approach, bold mid bass, recessed lower treble but while still keeping some good upper treble and air. The bass on Sea-elf has around the same mid bass impact. The sub bass is better extended on Sea-elf, Sea-elf also has less mid bass bleed. I'm not a huge fan of male voices on Shozy since it's too pronounced, while female voices are pleasing and better on Shozy. The lower treble is under what's neutral on Form 1.1, while this is not right it sounds pleasing on music that was recorded to hot with brass. The mid treble is very close to Sea-elf with the same amount of veil. It has perhaps some better treble extension on the Shozy.

Which I prefer is the Sea-elf, the better extended low end. With better lower mids make it a better allrounder. Still since both of them are out of what I prefer in sound I will keep the Shozy. And this is because they fill a niche for me when I listen to some electronica or jazz that are too aggressive in the lower treble presence.


Conclusion
When I first opened the Sea-elf nothing really popped out. I still enjoyed them, especially when throwing on some bass heavy Techno while doing my work. They have good note weight and a fun sound. When critically sitting down to pick it apart it falls short, my IEMs standard is higher price bracket than this. Still I feel you can be better off with buying a well regarded IEM under 40$ and then buying an entry level modular cable by itself.

This is probably a sound that would please many beginners that are moving from the cheaper sets that are included with their phones or the TWS sets(some of these are starting to become really good).
The best part of the Sea-elf is actually its cable, only downside being some microphonics.

Would I recommend it, maybe. If you need a modular cable and want something with a hefty low end. I do think it sits a little too high in price, with the connectors 2.5m 3.5 and 4.4mm it should have been closer to 50$ than 80$.

Going to rate it 3 of 5 and that is generous.