TRN BA5--$50 5BA entrant from TRN, whose prior releases have been hit or miss. Packaging and accessories are as minimal as you’ll find—literally just headshells, one set of M tips and a generic, slightly microphonic cable. Shells themselves are nicely done in a matte titanium and look more premium in person than in pictures; fit is snug and, considering the prominent vents on the shells isolation is good.

Very loud and sensitive, to the extent that some hiss can be heard at dead level. The BA5 is bright, with a generally balanced signature, which is not to say ruler-flat or bass shy—compared to other all-BA designs like the B5+, bass is surprisingly punchy and impactful, with well-sculpted notes and very quick decay; these deftly balance having good midbass quantity without smearing into the midrange. Mids are nicely forward and well-etched, while well-extended treble very closely resembles that of the TRN V80, which is to say energetic and highly extended, though somewhat sharp/strident, with the typical 2-4k ChiFi spike. Micro-detail is present, though these avoid the overanalytical quality of similar designs. Compared to similarly-priced hybrids, the BA5 are very coherent and well-integrated; however the timbre is somewhat hopped-up and artificial sounding, especially on electric instruments; these lack the smoothness of say, the Blon BL03 or BQEYZ and treble-sensitive folks should avoid (foams do help smooth the presentation). If, however, you find more accurate but less frenetic players like the T2 or the BL03 underwhelming, you’ll enjoy these.

Like the V80, soundstage here is enveloping and has impressive width and depth (though limited height); imaging and layering are okay but not class-leading—there’s a bit of “surround-sound” effect on more complex material which makes precise instrument placement tricky.

Like a high-alcohol craft beer with a lot of flavor but a little too much hops, the BA5 lacks the refinement to recommend unqualifiedly--as expected for the price point they use generic drivers, which account for the occasional harshness. That said, they have a lot of positives--I like these more than the recent KZ hybrids and are fun to listen to. Good value.

I actually had no urge to review these until I read some rich old guys on an audiophile site gushing about how well these compared to their pricy Campfires and Shures. Welcome to Chifi, suckas.

In any event, the Pro is the updated version of the polarizing ZS10 [review HERE], albeit with a sleeker design and much better comfort. Visually almost identical to the ZSN, but with a shiny stainless metal fascia which looks more upscale, at least until time and fingerprints take their toll. Stock cable is flexible and ergonomic, and isolation is extremely good.

The Pro is L-shaped, with a pronounced bias towards a well-extended sparkly treble; like the ZS7 these are very energetic, loud and efficient. These seem optimized for more intimate, nearfield listening than their more expansive-sounding KZ stablemates like the ZS6 or ZS10—the Pro’s soundstage is fairly narrow and inside-your head, but nicely rounded (think movie theater rather than concert hall). Stereo imaging and instrument placement are impressive, although the aforesaid models present more space between the performers and, as noted below, the Pro can sound congested on certain bass-heavy fare. Tonally, these are bright but not strident and sound significantly more accurate and “expensive” than their cheaper stablemates like the ZSN, though the warmer ZS7 and original ZS10 sounds truer to the source.

The treble emphasis notwithstanding, low end (particularly subbass) is voluminous and visceral; however like the ZSR and ZS5 there’s a distinct tubbiness to the bass, and attack is a step slow, which causes a little smearing on some material; the ZS7 by comparison has less slam but better lowend speed and control. (EQ and/or tiprolling can mitigate the bloom, but KZ would have been better served by dialing down the subbass a notch).

Where some have opined that the mids on the originals ZS10 were peaky and/or undercooked, the mids on the Pro are nicely forward, full-bodied and articulate—male voices and electric guitars sound rich and clear. High end is the definite focus here—very detailed and transparent compared to the ZS5/ZS7, albeit with a little bit of added shimmer. Low level details are captured impressively and sibilance is mild; they also avoid the somewhat clinical, dry quality of treble-oriented peers like the T2. These excel with acoustic material—every string, high hat and cymbal is reproduced very accurately—although I would opt for the ZS7 or ZS5 for heavier stuff.

Within the crowded $50 price class, the BQEYZ BQ3 is more coherent overall, with tighter bass and a tubier timbre, thought the Pro is more revealing at the high end and a livelier listen. The TRN V80 likewise has a more refined low end and presents an equivalent amount of high-end detail, but is more strident/digital sounding and consequently more fatiguing. The ZS7 has less extension at both ends and is less revealing but has a larger stage, better bass control and a more balanced, smoother presentation; your preference between them may be very material-dependent. Moving up to the $100 class, something like the Simgot EM2 or ToneKing 9T are significantly bigger sounding, with a less-digital, more natural tonality, although the Pro actually shows more microdetail than either and acquits itself pretty well in comparison.

Not groundbreaking, or perfect, but the Pro represents a positive step towards a more refined signature and (perhaps needless to say for a KZ) is a lot of earphone for the money.

Disclaimer of sorts: I received these unsolicited and free from ****'s Amazon store and will be sending these on to other reviewers.

The EM2 is a new (single Knowles BA/DD) hybrid from Simgot, whose single dynamic EN700 Bass is still one of the best-tuned $100 phones I’ve heard. Packaging and accessories are lavish (silver cable, great leather case); the unboxing experience is orgasmic. Build is solid, although I prefer the metal aesthetic of the EN700 to the less elegant-looking acrylics of the EM2. Sleek, tear-shaped shells provide for excellent fit and comfort; for some reason these isolated well outdoors and less well in the gym. Very efficient and easily driven with a mobile; however these also scale well with more powerful sources, which deepens subbass impact.

I hear these as mildly U-shaped, with a neutral to slightly bright tonality and moderately crisp note texture. Soundstage is very holographic, with more width than height, and layering and imaging is pinpoint. With the “bass” eartips (and esp. with foams), subbass extends quite low and, in contrast to the EN700, the EM2 has impeccable bass control and speed, although midbass is fairly flat and modest in quantity; these lack the seismic slam and physicality of, say, the Ibasso IT01 and are not optimal for EDM or technoid genres. (Note that the included “treble” tips do, as advertised, markedly attenuate high end, but render these overdamped/ bass shy and somewhat unbalanced; in general the Simgot EM2 are extremely tip-sensitive). Mids are slightly recessed but very revealing; voices have very good clarity and audibility despite sounding slightly far back from the center stage. High end is well extended, with a nice sibilant-free sheen and sparkle and are also very detailed; I heard new subtleties on familiar recordings and these sort out complex orchestral passages very, very capably. Driver coherence is flawless; the EM2 lack the sizzly, overbusy character of many of the new breed of cheap multidriver Chifis. They are, however, ruthlessly revealing of bad recordings.

Compared to the EN700, the EM2 are more analytical and “audiophile tuned”–more revealing, with a rounder stage and tighter (if less voluminous) bass; next to players like the Tehnz P4 or even the Moondrop Kanas the EM2 sounds less smoothed-over and more accurate. That said, I won’t say the EM2 are clearly better than the EN700 or the Moondrop Kanas, which sound “tubier” and beefier than the EM2, although the EM2 are the better choice for critical listening, esp. with less bass-heavy fare. Very fairly priced at $115.

SPECIFICATIONS

Transducer: 10 mm high magnetic compound dynamic driver & Knowles balanced armature RAF-32873
Polymer compound titanium-plated diaphragm N50 strong magnetic circuit, Acoustic hanging system, Brass stabilizing rings
Frequency Response: 15 Hz – 40 kHz
Sensitivity:　 ≥101dB（at 1000Hz）
Impedance: 15Ω
Distortion: <1% 101dB（20μpa）
Channel Imbalance: <1.5dB（at 1000Hz）
Rated Power: 10 mW
Cable: 4 cores of SPC braided cable

DISCLAIMER

I got the EM2 unsolicited and free from Simgot; I bought the other IEMs mentioned above.

Among the morass of interesting new releases in the same ($60) bracket I chose these because the (unusual) listed 55ohm impedance would trigger the high impedance mode of my LG V30 (the touted “piezzoelectric ceramic driver” sounded like mere adspeak to me). Very nicely metal build; I absolutely love the compact sleek shape which provides for great fit and good isolation. These sounded veiled and almost bassless OOTB; after burn-in and switching to foams, things started to normalize—the signature becomes sort of reverse-L shaped, with sculpted, modestly deep (though not impactful) subbass and recessed thin midbass. Mids become prominent and rich-textured with good clarity while extremely bright, aggressive high end is the auditory focus. Attack transients—drum heads and reeds—are very detailed and very fast, and there’s a lot of sparkle, but the treble has an unnatural sheen and these make horns and electric guitars sound blaring and strident at times. Soundstage seems fairly narrow and low, but has good depth (it sounds like you’re listening in a long hall), and instrument placement is very accurate. Surfacially, these remind me of the Vivo XE800/Vsonic GR07, which also tune down midbass and emphasize a bright, highly detailed highend, but the Vivo is more coherent—you’re conscious of listening to component parts rather than an integrated whole with the N3. In part my less-than-glowing impressions may be due to the fact that the N3’s signature is so antithetical to the typical V-shape (or even the more balanced approach of the Tin T2)—it’s a very unique tuning. However, these are just a bit off and haven’t grabbed me viscerally, although there’s enough buried potential to suggest that future iterations might produce a better outcome.

In an age where (multi-driver) hybrids are all the rage, the G3 is a single dynamic from a maker known for well-regarded, modestly-price earbuds.  I bought these after reading the frenetic praise of Head-Fier//Englishman Vidal, whose recommendations have previously been spot-on.
 
Purchased on Ali, these arrived fairly quickly. The maker certainly did not over-extend itself in the packaging--they came in two cardboard boxes containing the phones and three silicon tips.
The phones themselves seem solidly built, with well-machined metal casings and a well reinforced plug, though the woven cable (no mic) seems extremely frail and is maddeningly tangly. It' would be a truly terrible cable but for the complete lack of microphonics. Despite their open-vented design, isolation is excellent. Comfort is about average, as  the casings are sleek but fairly heavy.
 
OTOB, I found these suprisingly anemic, as if all the low end had been eq'd out--there was literally no bass. I noted that blocking the vents increased the bottom, so i deigned to plug them with some blutak. This markedly increased the bass response, though it wasn't clear how much the overall sonic qualities were compromised thereby. (Generally, I have an irrational aversion to modding gear, which always reminds me of some dolt putting a Mercedes grill on his Volkswagen).
 
After some further wanking with tips and sources, several curious things emerged. First, these sound significantly bassier and better from my HTC 10 (or directly from a low-gain CD player) than from much fancier/more powerful amps. Secondly, these are as tip-sensitive as almost any IEM I've heard--without very deep insertion and good seal they're forgettable; I ultimately settled on wide-bore large Spinfit types-- foams, for whatever reason dulled the presentation and didn't work. Finally, these changed with burn-in  as radically as I've heard (burn-in deniers should try these).
 
Ultimately, one can describe their signature as bright, balanced and energetic, with a notably wide, 3D soundstage. Stereo  separation is particularly sharp, and instrument placement is accurate--these have the scale of a good over-ear headphone. Treble is well-extended, crisp and detailed, if somewhat "digital" sounding--it is less eerily lifelike as , say the Vivo XE-800 or neutral as the Urbanfun, though more exciting than either. Again, this is a bright phone which might sound slightly splashy to the treble-sensitve. Mids are likewise full and detailed. Lowend, after finding optimal fit and tips, does emerge--it emphasizes midbass and is not very  impactful, but has speed and musicality. Note that unblocking the vents does decrease bass quantity, but makes the entire presentation sound more open. Likewise, as noted above, bass presence seems (anamolously)  to increase in inverse proportion to the output of the source. In general, this DD gives up nothing to comparably-situated hybrids in terms of clarity, though it is by no means an uncolored stage monitor--it has drive and a toe-tapping quality. Coupled with the excellent isolation, it's easy to get immersed in these for all but the most bass-heavy genres.
 
So, mainly very positive. Thanks for reading this far.

This will be a (hopefully) short review of the GranVela Rbanfun Hifi hybrid IEM, which is marketed under various names sch as Urbanfun Color, Foxpic Urbanfun, Gemtune Urbanfun, etc.; to my actual knowledge these are all the same product. I bought mine from HCK for $19.99, although they seem to have been available for as low as $14 and Amazon sells 'em for $39.99. I tested them with my HTC 10 mobile and an Integra amp, which has a nice headphone section utilizing mostly 320kb Spotify, with a few FLAC files.
 
One of the significant developments in this obsession has been the warp-speed evolution of  Chinese hybrid designs, as manufacturers like **** and HLSX spit out <$50 models which outgun substantially pricier IEMs from just a few years ago. Many of these new hybrids have a similar tuning--energetic, V-shaped with a brightish, extended treble. The Urbanfun (whether by design or by fiat) goes in a different direction, towards a balanced, near-neutral signature which favors precision and accuracy over the more fun-oriented consumer sound. In this regard, it's quite extraordinary.
 
To dispense with the externalities: build is functional but unexceptional; unlike, say, the comparably-price DZAT or **** units nothing viscerally suggests that they're a more expensive piece. Unless you're a skatepunk, you'll probably find the logo and unnatural colors (mine are lime green)  a tad embarrassing. Comfort and fit are excellent--the metal casings are very light. Isolation is about average; both because of their vented design and their somewhat less than full-throated timbre they're not optimal for the gym or the subway. Microphonics are noticeable.
 
Soundwise, these are unexpectedly refined and neutral in the sense that no part of the spectrum is emphasized or colored; as such they more closely resemble the signature of megabuck BAs or even CIEMs than the customary bass-heavy or mid-centric consumer fare. Low end is very, very well articulated, tight and fast, if not especially deep or throbbing (just north of neutral)--it's extremely musical, though bassheads will stay away.. Midbasss is likewise articulate but not thick. Mids are very clear, not over-booosted and "natural," while the high end is well extended and detailed without the excessive brightness or sibilance that afflicts current raves like the Vivo XE800--treble-sensitive folks should not fear. Soundstage is wider than it is deep (there's an open, expansive feeling overall); there is very precise instrument placement. Drums, in particular, sound very lifelike and natural.
 
Because these favor accuracy over energy I found these less impressive at lower volumes--you need to crank 'em up to understand their singular qualities. Some comparos might be helpful:
 
vs. the HLSX 808--the 808 are more forward, with deeper (tho less quick) bass and a thicker note presentation; high end detail is comparable, but the Urbanfun sound less colored and more transparent overall. Soundstage is comparably-sized, but I found the imaging on the Urbanfun to be more precise.
 
vs. the Magaosi BK-50--the BK-50 is likewise bassier, richer and bigger sounding; also considerably warmer though without sacrificing detail to the Urbanfun. Again, the Urbanfun sounds more "audiophile" in the sense of being of a more accurate, less-smoothed over presentation. The Urbanfun is also somewhat airier, with a wider stage. Both the 808 and the BK50 are more V-shaped, with more emphasis on the ends of the spectrum.
 
vs. the LZA2s--, bass is actually very similar--extremely well-articulated and tight, while midbass on the A2S has more  texture. The A2S is much warmer overall and has less high end detail extension and detail; again the Urbanfun sounds more transparent and less colored and had better instrument separation.
 
Finally, compared to the fantastic **** DT2 hybrid, the Urbanfun has tighter (though less voluminous and deep) low end and less midrange texture; high end on the DT2 is significantly brighter but comparably detailed and extended, and the DT2 has more oomph and sizzle overall. Whether you prefer one to the other would largely depend on whether you crave a more lively presentation.
 
Inevitably, you can't evaluate these without reference to the giveaway price--to my ears, and aesthetics aside these really are competitive with much pricier Ostry, Sony, Yamaha, etc ; for most folks listening to less-than-lossless files on less-than-great sources, these are as much IEM as you'll need.

 
Cheers and happy Sunday.

I admit it seems gratuitous to write this missive, since this IEM has already been comprehensively reviewed by B9Scrambler (who I've always found to be particularly credible). However, largely motivated by my desire to procrastinate at work, I thought I'd offer some brief impressions:
 
I don't generally prefer over-the-ear designs, and I found the included (detachable) memory cable to be overly stiff and difficult to contort and fit. The proprietary 2-pin connector is also somewhat frustrating to insert, and seems like an odd design choice, since it precludes cable upgrades. Once inserted, however, the connection seems secure. Build quality overall seems solid and isolation is excellent, although microphonics are  significant.These are very easy to drive with a mobile phone and didn't seem to change much with amping.
 
Soundwise, I'd characterize these as "basshead," in the sense that their defining characteristic is their voluminous, deep and impactful low end. Subbass and midbass are well-controlled and quite fast, if not as well-articulated as the best sets, and there's little bleed-over into other frequencies. However, the sheer quantity of the low end gives the ZS3 a slightly less-than-seamless quality, as if you're listening to a separate subwoofer rather than  perfectly integrated drivers. In this regard they remind me of the Velodyne V-Pulse, another good IEM titled a bit too much to the bottom end. I should probably try eq-ing or trying different tips with the view to better balancing the bass.
 
Mids are very rich and clean-sounding; voices and guitars are presented with a lot of body but still sound quite natural. Treble is a little warmed over but likewise has a lot of body and good clarity; it's not especially extended or detailed, but neither is it sharp or strident. Resolution is not close to the level of say, the XE800, tho drums, piano and other quick transients are quite well-rendered. In general, the ZS3 seems to be going for a big, expansive sound which eschews microdetail and intimacy for more excitement.
 
Where these really excel is in soundstage and imaging/instrument placement, which (like the ED9) is incredible--you can place the location of each musician precisely on a very wide stage. In this regard they remind me of the Tennmak Pro and Piano, two similarly-configured  IEMs which also present a very big, accurate stage. However, the ZS3 has better-controlled bass than the Pro or the Piano, and as a result perhaps better overall clarity (the Pro and especially the Piano do have more highend resolution/detail, however).
 
Compared to my favorite KZ, the ED9, the ZS3 are warmer and has more and tighter bass; the ED9 sounds considerably smaller but more transparent/natural. The ED10 is probably clearer than both, and has almost as much tight bass as the ZS3, but sounds more congested and less expansive to my ears. IMO, the ZS3 are clearly better than the ATE which have less lowend and oomph.
 
It's impossible to write critically about a KZ without reference to their insane, giveaway pricing; as one struggles to find their flaws, or to compare them to much pricier units, you're reminded the damn things cost less than a couple of lattes. Like other KZs, the ZS3 won't compete with $100 IEMs in terms of refinement or resolution, but for sheer rocking out, I might prefer these--they're big and bad.
 
These KZs are like crack--very hard habit to kick...