Disclaimer : The unit was provided by TACables as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Build Quality
TACables gives a fancy breakdown of the materials in the Obsidian cable : it is basically a SPC cable but it constitutes 50% Black Litz 5N OCC and the other 50% is Litz Silver Plated 5N OCC. It is all wrapped by a Dupont PVC sheath. The connectors, splitter and plug are all solid metal which is amazing to see at this price point. To add, the plug is on the longer side so pocket use might be an issue when you sit down as it might poke your stomach. The strain reliefs are the transparent kind which kind of looks cheap in my opinion, but not in a 20 USD upgrade cable so no harm, no foul. The material is supple and flexible which is amazing to see, and TACable seems to have thought everything through. The integrated velcro strap is SUPER long which is especially useful if you are wrapping the earphones in a tighter bunch.




Sound Analysis
In a world where 500 USD upgrade cables are seen as "normal", what can a 20 USD upgrade cable do? Is it any useful? YES! On all the earphones I have tried, the change in sound it brought about was very easy to notice and more importantly, consistent.
In simple words, it tightened up the bass, midrange was clearer and opened up the top end, adding more air and open-ness to the sound. This kind of change in sound warrants caution-free pairing with earphones but this cable works exceedingly well with slightly warm earphones, complementing them very well.

View attachment IMG20210911093403.jpg


Conclusion
There is nothing much to add here given that the low price of 20 USD makes it a viable cable if you just want an aesthetic change for your earphones, the sound improvement being a bonus included in for free. It is refreshing to see such well performing aftermarket cables that actually make a difference at a very reasonable price bracket.

Disclaimer : The unit was provided as a part of a review tour by Hifiange. But all thoughts and opinions are my own. You can buy it here.

Build Quality
the Hidiszs S8 is sandwiched by glass, which gives off a premium vibe to it although at the cost of being a fingerprint magnet. At 80 USD, the build quality feels premium and pretty sweet looking. The buttons are not tiny but suitably sized and is tactile. I would have liked to see the S8 come with a type C port on the connecting side as opposed to a micro USB but it's no big deal as you get Lightning & Type C converter cables in the box.



Functionality
S8 runs cool to the touch, and if pushed hard with a difficult load, it gets mildly warm. Power draw is also minimal. I tested on Android, Windows 10 and iOS and in all cases the S8 was a plug and play affair. It is to be noted that the volume control on the S8 is independent of the source volume. According to Hidizs, this allows for a finer and subtler scale of adjustment. For best results I would recommend to keep the source volume full (provided your source is not noisy, else go up to the point where the noise floor is inaudible) and then control the volume via the S8. It auto adapts the voltage output based on the impedance of the load
and according to Hidizs, it pushes 2 Vrms or high impedance loads. It is not mentioned at which impedance though. I am guessing it pushes 2 Vrms for >150 ohm loads. Output power is rated at 30mW (per channel) at 32ohm. I have tried pairing the S8 with 300 ohm loads and while it drives it satisfactorily, I would advise against it as it is an unrealistic and unlikely pairing.
The S8 is designed primarily for earphone usage and in that use case the 30mW is enough for all but a few of the earphones out there. High impedance loads (300 ohm for example) sound a bit sleepy and wheezy, lacking dynamics and punch. (as expected from such a pairing).



Sound Quality
No part of the frequency is emphasized and none of it stands out screaming "Look at me!". The presentation is tonally balanced, letting the earphone's characteristics shine through. Hence I would classify the presentation of S8 as "seemingly neutral", a point further driven home because all the flaws of the earphones still gleamed through clearly. What stands out is the layering capability; at no point did music come out flat and lacking separation.
Soundstage is neither compressed neither falsely expansive, I would say it is just good. The overall resolution is just okay, there are other dongle DACs out there that outperform the S8 in terms of resolution.





Conclusion
The S8 is a fine performer in its price range especially for those who are looking for a single ended only DAC (as dongles with both SE+BAL outputs usually compromise on the SE outputs) with a pretty much uncolored sound and presentation. What stands out is the premium build quality and the nice layering capability of the sound presentation. While it lacks the last word in resolution and technicalities, it is still a good buy in the fiercely competitive market of dongle DACs. Moreover, Hidizs seems to have upped their game further with the S9 and S9 Pro (cannot wait to hopefully check them out some day!).

Disclaimer: The unit was provided as a part of a review tour by Hifigo. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Build & Fit
Like almost all IEMs out there, the RIE-880 is made of resin but the shells are on the bigger side so people with small ears need to be wary of the fit. It wasn't a perfectly comfortable fit for my ears, as it was big for my medium ears. The hand painted faceplates are pretty to look at; both the Black and White variants. I have the white one today. The cable is a 6N OCC SPC cable which has a PVC sheath which is quite uncommon to see. Feels a bit weird, but does the job as it is quite flexible so its not an issue at all. It is to be noted that the sheath is on the thicker side. So even when coiled up, with the big shells, the IEM is on the bigger side of things.
The 2 pin entry is ridged so you always plug the 2pin the correct way - smart!



Amp Needs
It is a (wait for it...) 60 ohm driver! Sensitivity unknown. It has a maximum input power of 15mW but portable sources in general won't have enough voltage to pump. This is definitely a weird design choice, it defeats the entire idea of portability.
Portable amp is mandatory for the RIE-880. My testing was done on a solid state desktop amp.

Sound Quality
The tuning lacks coherence and balance for me. The midrange seems to be behind a veil and distant, but what was troublesome for me was the associated grain with the sound. The timbre is not entirely correct. There is some wonkiness going on in the upper midrange-lower treble region for sure as is evident on most tracks. The bass response is solid and hard hitting but unfortunately is not clean, bleeding into the mids and has a slight hint of muddiness.
The redeeming quality here is that the bass is fairly textured and detailed. There is a clear presence of lower treble which is forward in comparison, which is a welcome change given the laid back and relaxed midrange. There is proper energy in this region which is affirmed by certain genres of music like contemporary jazz. The treble extension is not reaching the summit, but has enough extension. A little more extension would have added some air up top which could have aided the tuning. The omnipresent sneaky grain in the sound does indeed mask micro detail and prevents to portray a black background unfortunately. This in turn affects transparency and resolution as a whole. Soundstage is average and mostly inside your head, competitive to most of the IEMs in this price class.






Conclusion
I can see the RIE-880 perform well with genres that don't take advantage of midrange in general but other than that compatibility with other genres might be a hit or a miss. The tuning seems to be the cause of the shortcomings of the RIE-880, which if improved with EQ should do the trick. What still baffles me is the choice of a 60 ohm transducer.

Disclaimer : The unit has been provided by Hifinage as a part of a review tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can buy the Yuan Li from their store.
Build & Fit
Before heading to the build quality of Yuan Li, a little bit of introduction is needed as T Force is a new face in the market. This is their debut IEM and given its performance, I am really interested in the future projects!
The shell is very reminiscent of Blon 03 in terms of finish and looks, but unlike the Blon 03, the shiny and glossy aluminium picks up fingerprints quite easily. This style of finish is also prone to scratches in the long run, which ruins the looks. In the case of Yuan Li, time will tell. During
my usage of this IEM, I haven't loaded any scratches on it (touch wood). The cable is an absolutely gorgeous strand of 6N OCC that is a rare sight in this budget. It must be mentioned that the accompanying carry case is very good in terms of build and looks : it has a crocodile scaled texture on it which is quite unique.
The catch being that the case will NOT fit in your pocket. Stellar fit in my medium ears. The accessories, build and feel of the package is outstanding for any price range.



Amp Needs
At 32 ohm, 103.5dB/mW it should be easy to drive on paper but it seems to take some more voltage than what is dictated by the specs. I would suggest pairing it with a high quality source with good enough power output. Phones won't cut it.

Sound Quality
Put simply, it is Reference Grade. My personal reference for tonality and neutrality that also acts a common benchmark is HD600. The Yuan Li is very similar in terms of tonality to the HD600 and dare I say it is an improvement as its upper midrange isn't as hot as HD600.
The resemblance to HD600 goes beyond just tuning but also in some technical aspects as well which I will get into soon. I cannot find a chink in Yuan Li's armor when it comes to tuning.
The bass is...neutral. It has fair extension (more so if you shove more voltage in it) but it is not a boosted subbass, do not expect soul shaking bass off these. It is neutral and nuanced but does not feel lacking in quantity. Its strengths are more used towards ensuring a fast decay and textural. Midbass hit and quantity is just right, not skewing the tonal balance on either side of "correct". At no point does the Yuan Li sound thin or too thick. The midrange is lush and rich. Reminds me a lot of the HD600 here. It has stupid good resolution in the midrange with excellent layering, again, just like the HD600. But unlike the HD600 the midrange is not that forward and the HD600 still edges out when it comes to the richness. But there is no higher compliment than almost reaching HD600 levels of lushness in the midrange. This is a shock at only 120 USD. The hot upper midrange is the Achilles Heel of HD600, but the Yuan Li has fixed that. The upper mids here are NOT boosted, it sounds very natural and relaxing for long listening sessions. All styles of vocals sound accurate, clear with great timbre. Treble region is buttery smooth and it has the excellent decay that is present in the HD600, which is a major contributor to the realistic sound. It is smooth, so natural without any awkward resonances. All genres benefit from this kind of a reference tuning. Yuan Li plays well with all forms of genres equally well. It would be a sunny day if the Yuan Li can match the tuning with some great technicalities and I'm relieved to say that it does well more than sufficiently. The soundstage extends well beyond the ears and the instrument separation and layering are especially very good, teething on excellent given the price. Imaging is pin-point but not laser sharp. That awesome layering and instrument separation again reminds me of the HD600 and
just how much similarity the Yuan Li bears to it.


Conclusion
The Yuan Li has a reference grade tuning , with layering and instrument separation being the crown jewel on the Technicalities crown. It bears strong resemblance to the HD600. Possibly a no-brainer at any price range. Definitely a no-brainer at this price range.

Disclaimer : The unit was provided by Hifigo as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own. You can purchase the Skuld here.

Build & Fit
It's a kinera IEM. What more do you want me to say about the looks? They are all lookers. To add to the pile of goodness, these are hand painted according to Kinera. This being an all BA, its shockingly light and comfortable to wear. The 8 Core SPC cable comes with a 4.4mm termination equipped with separate 3.5mm and 2.5mm adaptors which is a must at this price point.




Amp Needs
23 ohms @ 120dB/mW, these are rated at 3mW input, so it can run off virtually anything.

Sound Quality
Skuld is all about the BA timbre, and that can be good or bad news to you. It shouldn't come as a surprise though, as all BAs always have some trace of the BA Timbre in them no matter
how hard the designer tries to eliminate it. But for people who like a smooth, relaxing and laid back sound signature, the BA presentation is all that they can ask for. It is mostly a mid-centric sound with gentle roll offs on both ends. The midrange is rich and lush (not as rich as the HD600) and natural sounding. The midrange is clean, no hint of shoutiness and what's more is that the Skuld has a relatively black background which makes the mids appear cleaner.
Vocal focused, old school music sound very relaxing through the Skuld. The tonal balance in the midrange is excellent. Upper midrange is relaxed and laid back. A positive in other situations, but I'd wish there was a bit more bite to the upper midrange here to balance out the smoothness in the sound. The bass is what you'd expect from an all BA - reasonably textured, but lacks punch & slam. Subbass extension is lacking, not a deal breaker but it's just decent.
The entire top end is absolutely and unashamedly smooth and buttery. It's like when you start juicing the fruits but forget to stop, you are left with a smoothie. Even for someone who likes toned down natural/smooth treble, it is too smooth for my taste. It is not dark per se, but it does not have the snap and zing that is needed to balance out the overall tonality of the iem. Because of this smoothening, all artefacting, rough edges, sibilance, thinness are banished, but so are a few micro-details and overall resolution to some extent. Like all things in audio, pick your poison. The technicalities of Skuld are unfortunately not the best I have heard, and that is unfortunate because of the price tag. Instrument separation and soundstaging capabilities not that great even excluding price. This is in part due to the midrange focused tuning. The soundstage is mostly confined between your ears, and the images are kind of congealed and lacks finesse when it comes to showing the different layers of music. If the Skuld were more technical, the tuning could have been taken advantage of much more to present a surreal old school experience.




Conclusion
The tuning and presentation of Skuld is heavily dependent on preference and essentially caters to a niche segment. No amount of reviews will convey the full picture and it is advised to hear before you buy. The Skuld will be a very good (although expensive) option for those who lust for the lush and natural midrange and care not for much technicalities, but want to enjoy a laid back experience.

Disclaimer: The unit was provided by See Audio as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Build & Fit
The Bravery is the culmination of two simultaneous collaborations. One with Azla for the Azla Sednafit XELASTIC tips and the other with Hakugei, for the stock cable. The brands mentioned above have substantial pedigree, so there is a lot at stake with this IEM. I personally do not like XELASTIC tips, they may be sonically very good but their sticky nature is a no go for me. It gets dirty real quick (in one insert only) and it is unhygienic, and a chore to clean and maintain. The XELASTIC uses body heat to soften up and conform to the ear canal shape. That means the tips settle down for the perfect fit only after some time. If you are in a situation which needs you to quickly insert and re-insert, it is not practical. But it is good to see the tips added in retail version (3 pairs), as their performance cannot be refuted. The 6N OCC Hakugei cable is wonderful to use; it is supple and elegant looking, it is a premium product. But weirdly, the cable does not have memory guides which is a drawback as this IEM is 2 pin. So you have to manually check the polarity every time you take the cable off. Coming to the IEMs, the shells are on the bigger side so people with smaller ears should ideally audition it once before buying. Once the tips settle in, it is comfortable for my medium sized ears. You can tip roll to
adjust to your preference.



Amp Needs
At 18 ohm, 110dB/mW you do not need a dedicated amplifier but a high quality source is recommended as the Bravery is resolving and scales noticeably with better sources.



Sound Quality
To understand the importance of Bravery's tuning and what makes it special, one needs to understand the present scenario of the audio industry. Almost all IEMs and Headphones from the East and the West have boosted upper midrange, right in the ear gain region.
While it is true that there should be sufficient ear gain, in 9 out of 10 cases it is overdone. This is a double edged sword. On one hand it adds "energy" and a certain "shine" to the sound, forcing details out to the front. But simultaneously it destroys the timbre and overall tonality
and also making it fatiguing in the long run. Most of us have been conditioned to seek for this boost (including me). Without going into too much technical & graphical detail, the upper midrange of the Bravery is the star of the show. It is NOT boosted to the moon, it is laid back and pleasant. This results in a tuning that is very organic and lifelike, no sign of fatigue and overall all kinds of music sound more life-like. People used to boosted upper midrange will probably find the Bravery to sound a bit "muffled" on the first go but that thought changes pretty soon after getting adjusted to the sound. There is no going back after that. Every mainstream IEM will sound compressed and terribly shouty, screechy and unnatural. The same happened to me with Bravery; impressed by the realistic timbre I found it hard to listen to my other IEMs without wincing a few times. The tonal balance leads towards the "low and slow" side of things. Compared to other IEMs, the Bravery is slower partly due to the thick and punchy low end and the impactful midbass. The tuning in the low end makes the decays linger on a little longer, but the transients are hard hitting. While there is ample subbass, the clean impactful midbass is what adds to the "big & dynamic" sound. Midrange is lush, thick and natural sounding. Its "distance" may be slightly pushed back (very slightly!) but the timbre is so organic. Female vocals not only have the right amount of that "angelic" nature to them but also the body to them that is almost always lacking in other IEMs (due to the boosted upper midrange). It is important to note that the presentation of the upper midrange is NOT too laid back making the sound dull and un-engaging. It is just done the right way, which is almost never seen in the Harman dominated tunings that sell today. The top end carries on the natural tone from the midrange and is buttery smooth, which rolls off naturally. I never felt that the Bravery was too transparent, which is a good thing as it works with almost all genres and makes all of it sound pleasurable. It makes poor recordings palatable and listenable without smoothening out too much. This being an all BA, does not have the traditional dreaded "BA Timbre". When it come to soundstage and imaging, the Bravery is just good. Its performance here will not be segment shattering. The soundstage depth seems to be slightly hindered but that is probably due to the overall tuning and not due to the drivers themselves. However, the instrument separation and layering is very good, having sufficient air between the instruments. Nothing appears muddled or congested.




Conclusion
Bravery is a very unique IEM in this segment, reason enough being its tuning. I have heard a couple of IEMs in the past that aimed towards this kind of sound, namely the KBear Believe and Tin Hifi P2. But both of them have glaring drawbacks in comparison to the Bravery. Bravery seems to be an evolved and upgraded form of them. It has a mature tuning that is more concerned about aural pleasure. I know audio is heavily subjective, but dare I say this is the right way of tuning.

Disclaimer : The unit was provided by BGVP as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Build & Fit
The design on the faceplate is eerily similar to the Hifiman Arya/Ananda cup design. I am not complaining though, it is a refreshing change in a world of resin shells with swirling paint designs. The overall build of the cups are solid and oh so smooth. However the same cannot be said for the stock cable. It is good to see that the mic enclosure is made of metal (What!) but the sheathing of the wire is rubbery and kind of stiff, but this results in a cable that doesn't tangle much, so pick your poison. Also, a point to note : the mmcx sockets are way too tight. You have to use brute force to slot the male mmcx plugs in to get the required fit. I see this as a potential problem as users might break it due to too much applied force. If not attached properly, the signal will naturally cut out intermittently based on movement. The solid and smooth machining on the cups redeem the overall build quality of the DN3, and for its price its more than one can ask for. Fit is easy and the DN3 is quite comfortable to my ears. Inside the box you get the plethora of BGVP tips which are some of the best available in a retail IEM box.





Amp Needs
At 19 ohm, 109 dB/mW this needs no dedicated amplifier to run. This was designed for mobile usage and it performs just fine off a phone as intended.






Sound Quality
The DN3 has remarkable speed and snap to it. Is it due to the berry? I do not know, but the speed and snap is distinctive. Crisp and fast transients throughout without flinching. This is a great achievement at the price it sells for. I would categorize the overall tuning to be smooth apart from a slight glare in the upper midrange. To me, the upper midrange is a bit shouty and it affects the overall tonality of the sound, making it slightly shouty and higher pitched than natural. Some people might like this though. Apart from this, I only have positives to speak of. The treble is smooth and slightly rolled off even, but the presentation of the sound of DN3 is frontal and powerful, so you are always presented with a surge of energy even if the treble is smooth and natural. The bass has good amount of slam, although most of it is due to the impactful midbass. The midbass does not bleed into the midrange and it acts like a separate "entity", the impact is clean and confident. Based by ear, the subbass also slightly rolled off, it is evident when the track calls for bass so low that you need to go to the basement.
The midrange presentation takes a step back, it is slightly laid back but there is no apparent loss of resolution (of course considering its price class). In fact I would say that the overall resolution is pretty good and better than almost all of the IEMs in the <100 USD price category. I strongly believe that technicalities and specially resolution are a directly tied to the driver quality. Even during complex passages the DN3 held its own, not stumbling for once. All this points to good quality drivers inside. BGVP advertises a custom tuned BA driver and a berry covered DD. Is it because of this? Who knows. The positives continue to the technicality department as well. The soundstage is actually pretty fricking wide and the instrument separation and layering is very good and praise worthy. Imaging is sharp and pinpoint. You might even forget this costs 75 USD. Unfortunately the stage has no discernible depth reproduction but hey it's 75 USD!




Conclusion
Calling the DN3 some of the best, if not the best under 100 USD wouldn't be unreasonable. I would take the DN3 over the loving Moondrop Aria as well, which I personally considered the best under 100 USD. I do wish the tuning didn't have the upper midrange emphasis to it as erasing that out would take DN3 to another level in terms of tonality.

Disclaimer : The unit was provided by Hifigo as part of a review tour. But all thoughts and opinions are my own. You can buy the Atom 2 here.

Build Quality
Atom 2 is built like a tank. It is literally a chunk of solid metal and the heft is felt the moment you pick it up. The machining on the product is stellar and the high gloss somehow makes it look not chintzy but very high quality (also attracts a lot of fingerprints). Atom 2 is glossier than what appears from the photos. Overall build is solid for the price (quite literally).



Functionality
The main reason you are interested in the Atom 2 must be due to its minimal form factor. No more dongle dangle! and this is one of the very few dongles that can be plugged into your phone and pocketed without a mess. The entire affair is quite unobtrusive and elegant and realistically anyone can be out and about with it. There is an LED indicator that distinguishes between DSD, MQA and DoP. Atom 2 is very gentle on the battery life of your phone, so don't be looking at the battery percentage often. Atom 2 is also plug and play on Windows 10 along with Android. There is a lightning version for the iOS folks.



Sound Quality
Neutral & sweet. That's how one can sum up the sound in. The Atom 2 utilizes a high quality crystal oscillator which is always good to have. The Atom 2 is a perfect example of an ESS chip well implemented. People judging the sound quality based on dac chips really need to dig themselves a hole to die in.
On first hearing the listener is welcomed with a dark background and the pristine, gentle sound quality. There is balance and control in the entire sound spectrum, all hint of sibilance and roughness have been banished from the treble region. Everything sounds natural and organic. It has the distinctive power of getting out of the way yet improving the final result in every way. Some would find the sound to be "soft". Soundstage feels natural, not artificially wide or narrow and the same goes for instrument separation. However the imaging is a bit fuzzy, you lose the last percentage of precision when it comes to pinpointing the instruments in the stage.
When it comes to power output, it delivers at least 62mW at 32 ohms. Now that is enough for regular IEMs out in the market, but not enough to drive demanding IEMs and Headphones. Planar IEMs are also out of the question. But hey, you can only fit so much potential in such a small chassis. Most IEMs are efficient, and the Atom 2 will drive them to their full potential.





Conclusion
The dongle market is already overcrowded, but Atom 2 easily and confidently stands out among the others due to its unique form factor. The unobtrusive form factor is reason enough for a big chunk of people to choose the Atom 2 over the other dongles in the market.
Moving beyond form factor, the sound quality is also very commendable. Just like the form factor, it gets out of the way. A highly recommended product overall.

Disclaimer : This was sent by Hifigo as a part of a review tour. But all thoughts and opinions are my own. You can buy the Norn here.

Build & Fit
If it is one thing that Kinera always nails, its the looks and build quality. The norn is beautifully designed with splashes of red and white, resembles a blood splatter on ice. The embossed printing, color palette and aesthetics are right on the money.
The supple high quality SPC cable also comes with 4.4mm and 3.5mm adaptor cables, the stock cable being terminated in 2.5mm. I believe that all IEMS in this price range must come with a cable that has flexible terminations out of the box (via switchable cable/adaptor cables). The shell is slightly on the bigger side but not enough to worry about. The bigger size is also partly due to the driver config of 4BA and 1DD. What is even more surprising is the 7mm micro DD
inside achieves a magnetic field intensity of 1.5T.



Amp Needs
At 110dB/mW @ 32 ohms, it is rated at 3mW only. It can be powered off any portable source, no dedicated amplifier is needed.





Sound Quality
I know, I know, frequency response graphs are not the arbitrator of sound, but in this case it sounds exactly like its graph.
The bass is deep, deep enough to claw at the earth with clear rendition of texture and finesse. There is very little bloat though, which is surprising given the amount of it. The subbass has finesse, deep reach and is speedy with quick decay. This is an IEM fit for a basshead. The overall tuning of the Norn can be described as a sharp "U" shaped. The midrange isn't recessed but takes a slight step back and picks back up sharply in the upper midrange region. This does two things : add a lot of energy and glisten, make it punishing for rock/badly mastered music in general. However, the Norn performs brilliantly in electronic music and is one of the best I have heard in an IEM when it comes to this genre.
The speedy and thumping bass paired with the energetic upper midrange adds an openness to the sound that is a treat for electronic music lovers. Unfortunately for old school rock or genres that have substantial grit and rough edges baked into them, the Norn is not forgiving enough and the boost in the upper mids is clear as day. The treble region is mostly smooth and pleasant without any awkward resonances, and when it comes to presentation,
the upper midrange presence reigns over the overall treble forwardness.
Another aspect of Norn's sound quality that is befitting of its asking price is the technicalities. It has great layering and imaging capability. The soundstage is fairly wide, it is nicely cast outside of your ears with good amount of layering that enhances the feeling of depth in the stage. Overall resolution for Norn is pretty solid as well. It performs great in the technicalities section.





Conclusion
The Norn is among the finer Kinera IEMs I have heard yet as of writing this review. It's got solid technicalities and a unique aesthetic vibe to it. It's tuning is not a smooth compatibility for all genres but really excels in all forms of electronica and modern pop music.

Disclaimer: The unit was provided by Hifigo as a part of a review tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can purchase the Moondrop Sparks here.

Build and Fit
The Sparks case in made of cheap feeling plastic throughout. As a result the build quality is unfortunately lacking for the price.
Not only that, the case is translucent which lets you see partly inside. To make matters worse the lights inside the case paired with the cheap feeling case make the aesthetics of the Sparks quite toy like. It just looks chintzy and cheap in my opinion. For a few tens of dollars more you get the Tipsy TM1 TWS which features a ceramic carry case and overall much better build. The market offers better build and aesthetics for lesser than the asking price of Sparks as well.
The shells are quite big and the stem is tall. So it has a deeper insertion than your average IEM. People with small ears beware as the experience can be south of comfortable, like it was for me with my medium sized ears.



Features and Functionality
First time pairing took a long time for some reason, do not know why. Subsequent pairings were fast. Moondrop has developed the Moondrop Link app for the international version which will be used for future OTA updates, pretty neat. Advertised is 8+48h battery life but like all TWS battery ratings, they must be taken with a grain, rather an entire shaker of salt. I got a little over 6.5h with aptx and at volume around 75% volume. Double tap to pay/pause and the usual suspects are present here of course. The mic quality is pretty much on par with most of the TWS in the market, i.e not that great but serviceable when needed. Yes, the voices sound kind of garbled and as if coming from "underwater".



Sound Quality
The tuning of the Sparks is what people might call "safe" and that is a good thing depending on the situation. The tonality is definitely warm with a substantial roll off in the upper registers. There is a certain veil to the entire spectrum which does obstruct details from blossoming but provides a relaxed and fatigue free listening. Nothing really stands out when you are listening to the sparks except for the impactful midbass. That smooth flavor also means the dynamics take a back seat. Separation and staging could have been better, instruments come out a bit congealed in busy passages. This type of tuning is a blessing to poorly mastered music as it glides through the rough edges and is forgiving as a whole. Genres that require resolution and finesse wont be the ideal match with Sparks. Vocalists have their fine textures and nuances rubbed off as a result which obstructs resolution as a whole. This general smoothening out paired with the midbass emphasis renders lean and shouty tracks listenable by adding more body and gusto.



Conclusion
For it's price tag, the Sparks does good. I wish its tuning had a bit more finesse and technicalities to complement. I also hope Moondrop improves the aesthetics and build quality of the Sparks. The TWS market is already saturated with some great contenders offering
great performance for a budget price. I hope the next iteration of Moondrop's TWS improves upon the Sparks' shortcoming.

Disclaimer : The unit was sent by Hifigo as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own. You can buy the Tanchjim Tanya here.

Build & Fit
Revisiting the bullet style shell is quite nostalgic, the machining on the shell is quite nice, and the big vent on the back is a an uncommon sight.
The litz cable is simplistic but tangle free. The main drawback of this design is the lack of MMCX connectors which some brands are incorporating in the bullet style designs, Tanchjim included.
However, Tanya is quite comfortable. Stock silicone tips are on the oval side which ensures no "vacuum effect" even when inserted deep.



Amp Needs
Classic case of specs not being translated to real life. Rated at 16 ohms and 112 dB/mW, you'd expect this to be phone friendly but that is just not the case.
My phone ran out of steam trying to power it, sounding muffled and veiled. Amping it makes a considerable improvement in sound, and this is probably due to the driver nature.
This puts the Tanya in a weird spot. It costs 22 USD, but cannot be powered optimally from phone? Going out to buy a dongle DAC/AMP costing 3 times as much minimum for a 22 USD IEM doesn't really
make much sense to me. But it is what it is.



Sound Quality
The overall sound quality is quite flavored (in a good way), especially when amped. You are presented with a solid midbass that has serious impact, although fundamentally leaning on the "one-note" side and sometimes lacking control (definitely loose and uncontrolled when used in a phone direct). It has decent texture and detail in the low end for its price but do not expect miracles, it is enough for its price. I could use some more finesse in exchange for some of the impact though. Leading to the midrange which is quite smooth and not overly forward, i find the balance to be optimum. However the bass impact does shadow details in vocals.
It isn't a deal breaker but noticeable once you come from a mid-centric IEM. However it does have enough presence in the ear gain region adding sufficient bite and energy preventing it from sounding dull and dead. The top end is smoothly rolled off making the entire sound "thick and warm". Synergistically speaking, Tanya pairs best with analytical/bright sources which will help cut through the fat. Due to the rolled off treble, overall imaging and resolution/fidelity does take a hit. But that shouldn't stop you from having fun. In the technicality department, performance is above average, as is expected from the 20 USD price range.





Conclusion
The overall tuning for Tanya is aimed primarily at musical engagement and it is hard to complain about what it offers at its price range. People craving for a thick and warm sound signature at a strict budget will be pleased. It's just surprisingly inefficient which is a bummer.

Disclaimer : The unit was provided by Hifigo as a part of a tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can purchase the Aria here.
Build & Fit
These were love at first sight for me when I saw the renders. The gold streaks on stealth black looks sleek, discreet and elegant.
On holding them you are greeted with their heft, which is an indication of their build material, solid metal. These are among the prettier IEMs out there
in my opinion. The SPC cable is wonderfully covered with nylon braid. Two gripes regarding the cable : the cable is prone to tangling still, and no mic?! The exclusion of a mic
feels like a big oversight given the aim was portability. In fact the exclusion of mic is going to be my biggest complaint.
The fit is very comfortable in my ears and should be the same for most. Found no oddities that would cause fit issues in the Aria 2021.





Amp Needs
At 32 ohms and 122 dB/Vrms, these are easy to drive off phone directly. No external amp is needed. The sound quality didn't seem to change all that much when paired to different sources
which is a good thing, as the user isn't chained to their source. These sounds great from pretty much everything, even the weak and run of the mill sources. I cannot emphasize more how big of
an advantage this is when you are using an IEM that is aimed more towards the budget category.





Sound Quality
These have a mild (mild!) U shape tuning which is very enjoyable for pretty much all kinds of music. The first observation that hits you is just how clean the background is (hint : good quality driver!), no grain, no muddiness. Just clean, fast and dynamic sound with a fresh tuning. The tuning is smooth and very well balanced, there are no timbre related issues and everything sounds natural and pleasant. The best way to describe this tuning is that it's a Sony MH755 on steroids with better technicalities. The low end is solid, clean and hits surprisingly hard. There might be a few times where I found the bass to be slightly loose, but it doesn't draw too much attention. Thankfully, the Aria is not all face and no pants, the texture in the low end is brought forward nicely and I didn't find myself missing any surface level detail. The bass decay is very good for an IEM in this price range, this contributes in part to the clean background. Coming on to the midrange, you can hear it take a step back, but just a step back. And remarkably (and most importantly) the texture and detail retrieval in this range is not lost. Vocals DON'T sound as if they are coming from the moon, with only but a tiny whisper reaching you. Moondrop seems to have nailed the tuning overall, as even though the midrange presentation is slightly laid back, it always keeps you engaged and linked to vocal centric music. If I had to criticize some aspects of the midrange, it would be the slight lack of depth and heft in vocals, but that is partially due to the way it is presented, i.e, the micro details in the midrange are there, but not obvious in front of you. Coming to the highs, king of the hill in this story. Natural with natural extension and smooth as butter. It has just the right amount of bite, extension, sparkle and sheen.
The top end is open and seems to have the picture perfect tuning which falls exactly along my preference.
Soundstage is adequate with a slight hint of depth handed over by the slightly laid back midrange. Imaging while not laser sharp falls in line with what the competition provides. The same goes for detail retrieval and overall resolution.




Conclusion
In my limited (but not sparse) experience with budget IEMs (around 100 USD), I had concluded that there are many great players offering a robust sound foundation with no obvious flaws. In no particular order, some of them are the Blon 03, MH755, Tipsy Dunmer,
Tin T2. I would pick the Moondrop Aria 2021 over them all. I hate classifying a product as the "best" but I think I am going to make an exception this time. Based on the IEMs I have heard in this price range as of now, Aria undoubtedly leads the pack.

Disclaimer : The unit has been provided by Hifigo as a part of a review tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can purchase the product here.



Build Quality
Bluetooth receivers/DACs of this class are usually very compact and H2 is no exception. It is tiny and weighs as much as a bag of air.
It is tiny enough to be misplaced so be sure to keep it in the included clip on case. Build for the price is premium as it features glass front and back.
Overall build is good for its asking price of 50 USD.





Functionality
H2 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 and Qualcomm CSR8675 receiver chip which is highly regarded. It supports aptX HD and even for 24 bit audio and even LDAC as well. You can monitor the sampling rate with a status LED.
Green for 44.1-48 kHz and Blue for 88.2-192 kHz. For the amp section it is equipped with the uncommon MAX97220.
Battery life is rated at 7H but based on my usage that figure is a bit too generous and is probably rated when AAC is used. With LDAC, I was getting around 2h of usage. The battery life will be more for aptX and even more
for AAC. USB-DAC functionality is seamless as tested on my Windows 10 laptop and desktop, no drivers needed. A really cool handy feature is that the H2 features 2 device connects simultaneously. I found it particularly useful
when I had it plugged in laptop using USB and had it connect to my phone via bluetooth as well.
The volume key is a single long unit and it isn't raised enough for ease of use. Neither is it ribbed which would have made pressing the keys easier inside the pocket. If you don't fancy keeping it in your pocket,
you can have it clipped to your shirt which is the intended way as it has a mic which is completely serviceable, though nothing great. It does a decent job cutting out background noise but makes the voice appear slightly processed. But totally serviceable.



Performance
The MAX97220 implemented here pushes 8mW per channel at 32 ohm, so it is imperative to stick to the most efficient IEMs or Headphones while using the H2.
When it came to delivering, I found H2 to deliver adequately for the price. It is certainly not the best in class. Amp performance takes a back seat as you are mostly paying for the bluetooth link and extensive support of Codecs.
In a similar price range, the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro provided considerably superior sound but that was a wired only dongle. Speaking upon the sound in more detail : the bass region is a bit limp, the overall sound is a bit boxy and closed in
with raw detail being brushed over. The tonality however is agreeable as a whole without sounding bright or steely as many such products in this price range tend to sound like. It is not much dynamic (it pushes 8mW at 32 ohm) and overall stage
production is on the flat side. I would stick to 32 ohm or lesser impedances and high sensitivity IEMs/Headphones for optimum performance.



Conclusion
It is a nifty little product that comes at an affordable price. A compact lossless bluetooth receiver has many use cases and the H2 performs satisfactorily for the price. My only gripe is the subpar battery life, but hey, there's only that much
battery you can fit in such a small factor.

Disclaimer : The unit was a part of a review tour conducted by Hifigo. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can purchase the product here.



Build Quality & Comfort
To start with, a flagship product should have some serious build quality and the EBX21 surely delivers. The chassis is solid with an amazing polished finish. It's smooth enough to slide off your fingers so be wary.
The premium build quality extends on to the SPC cable as well, it is easily among the most premium stock cables to be bundled with an earbud in my experience. And in true flagship earbud experience, this has MMCX connectors as well.
And any earbud enthusiast will know that they react much more to a cable change than their IEM/Headphone counterparts. The MMCX gives the user a world of opportunities when it comes to changing the sound of the final product.
What puzzles me are the included accessories : no foamies?! You get rubber rings which sit on the boundary only. Foamies help with the overall sound signature substantially so in my books not including foamies is a letdown. Bummer.
Comfort in earbuds are a hit or miss for most people. For me, it was good. With the rubber rings, the fit was snug and the EBX21 was not gonna go anywhere soon. It enables the earbuds to be worn looped back like traditional IEMs as well.



Amp Needs
At 32 ohm @ 121dB/mW this is THE most sensitive product I have seen. This even beats the notorious Campfire Andromeda. With high sensitivity comes some baggage. Do not plug the EBX21 into noisy sources else you will be plagued by hissing. Although I got no noise issues when plugged into my phone direct. These literally no power. Even a falling leaf can power it.



Sound Quality
The first thing you are hit with is the general absence of bass. And this is even considering earbud standards which are always lacking in the low end due to their open structure and fit mechanism. The EBX21 has no subbass to speak of unfortunately.
Other earbuds are tuned to provide weighty midbass to make up for the punch and weight, but EBX21 lacks that as well. When you put on the rubber rings, the midbass depth and weight increases slightly. When using full foamies, the midbass is present, but
even when compared to other earbuds, it falls short. But what it misses in the lower registers, it picks up otherwise. The midrange is mostly uncolored and natural save some shoutiness and thin-ness in the upper midrange. Vocals are nicely separated and detailed and
there is a general airiness and ethereal feeling to the midrange. The overall tone in the midrange is just a bit sweeter. If you are a midrange fanatic, you will love these. Pair the wonderful midrange with non fatiguing highs, and the conjunction is very well executed.
Coherence is the name of the game here. Detailed yet smooth and non fatiguing top end with no splashiness or rough edges, leads to a natural tonality with a slight hint of warmth and sweetness.
But Soundstage is what takes the crown; whew. It is WIDE, even considering other earbuds. With my not so abundant experience with earbuds, it is second only to the VE Zen Omega Edition (but that needs a desktop amplifier). EBX21 provides soundstage for days, depth included.
The vast stage renders an improved separation and air to everything, which is refreshing and feels like a breath of fresh air. It might even be the solution to your claustrophobia. Overall resolution is pretty good due to the apt portrayal of the stage depth and width, but when it comes to raw detail retrieval, it is not the best in class.



Conclusion
If you find IEMs too claustrophobic in their sound presentation, you will make love with the EBX21. Quite a number of people cannot stand the general sound reproduction of the common IEM, and earbuds like this are the solution to that.
The smooth non fatiguing wide and airy presentation will make you feel as if you're in the same room as the music. The only sizable complaint from my end is the absence of bass response and the overall slightly lean tone that it brings.
If you are buying this, consider full foamies in your shopping cart, that will be mandatory.

Disclaimer : The IE300 has been kindly provided by Sennheiser India in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can buy it from Sennheiser India here.

Build & Fit :
To start it off, these are THE MOST comfortable IEMs I've used till date. It sits below the ear level when fully inserted and the main faceplate is TINY! I don't particularly enjoy sticking IEMs in my ears, but with IE300 it truly felt vanishingly light and comfortable in the ear.
The design of the shell is quite modern and minimalistic and I dig it. The powdered design gives it a mature look to it. Even though the chassis is basically weightless, the build feels absolutely rigid. This is one of the more comfortable IEMs out there and I could wear this all day without
a complaint.
Unfortunately, the cable is just not up to the mark, the issue being the atrocious ear guides. They are small and stiff. Pair it with lighter IEM shells, and its a fuss every time you put them in. You always to re-route the guide properly after inserting the IEMs. The tip design is quite intriguing though,
I have never seen a design like that before and it incorporates a tiny layer of scruffy foam inside. Interesting design.



Amp Needs : At 16 ohms, 124 dB/V it is very sensitive, no external amp needed. A phone is sufficient to get these going.





Sound Quality :
IE300 has an adamant "V shaped" tuning, which is quite uncommon of Sennheiser products which aren't aimed for the bog standard commercial crowd.
There is a tasteful subbass shelf here that does not bleed into the upper bass or lower midrange. The subbass is dynamic and detailed and the bass impact almost
classifies as a slam here which is also surprisingly controlled leaning a tad bit on the "overdone" side for my personal taste. But that's about it, everything up to the
upper midrange feels scooped out. The entire midrange is considerably distant and lacking emotion, detail and body. This left me perplexed as this is Sennheiser we are talking about, who are known
to prioritize a natural sound. Male and female vocals are distant and recessed, and there is a general lack in the midrange quality. If you value vocals or listen to music that focus on midrange, look elsewhere.
The response seems to pick up in the lower treble which unfortunately seems to introduce sibilance. It isn't too bothersome but instruments centered around that region will be prone to, if not outright show sibilance.
The upper treble is boosted but smooth and not overdone and it doesn't sound too off to my ears; it isn't "treble murder", in fact it adds to the airiness to the sound.
The headstage is quite spacious, not that wide but an all encapsulating one. I think it is also due in part of the scooped out midrange but don't quote me on that. The headstage is nicely spread out in front and not intimate or closed in.
Think of it like a pill shaped stage and you're on the periphery of it
A spacious stage tokens the instrument separation and layering and the IE300 is no exception. Good amount of air in between the instruments, none of which appears mushy or congealed.
Unfortunately, the imaging does take a hit and is pretty much fuzzy throughout, bummer.





Conclusion :
If you live for the V, go for it. It's tremendously comfortable and has a small form factor. It might even be the most comfortable IEM you will ever wear. I would however suggest you to buy an aftermarket cable to rid yourself of the janky memory wire.
This harkens to a commercial grade tuning which will go well with most modern music specially those that take advantage of accentuated bass and treble.

Build & Fit :
NS9 has its shells made of aviation grade aluminium alloy and the shell is CNC machined. The chassis is smooth and chunky, although that is partially due to the whopping 9 drivers per side; 7 Knowles & Sonion BA and 2 DDs. Integrating the 9 drivers is a 4-way electronic crossover.
It comes with 3 tuning filters which have a robust screw on system. The red emphasises the bass region, the stock one provides a balanced sound and the grey filter emphasizes the high frequencies.
The cable is a 5N single crystal Silver Plated Copper with MMCX interface. The cable looks and feels gorgeous and for the first time I have encountered a stock cable which is sonically very good as well. On trying with other IEMs, I have found the cable to consistently improve soundstage and imaging capabilities.
When it came to fit, I just couldn't get the IEM to seal in my right ear for some reason; left was fine. I guess the shape of the shell didn't play well with the shape of my right ear canal. Unfortunate as it might be, I am holding my weird right canal at fault in this case.





Amp Needs :
At 20 ohm, 107 dB/mW sensitivity, you do not need an external amplifier. Plug the NS9 in your phone and enjoy.



Sound Quality :
The review has been conducted with a combination of the silver filter and the stock black tips which come pre-applied. I have found this combo to work best with the NS9.
What hits you in the face unashamed is the bass quantity; it's deep and pounding and it's even got rumble to it. Switching to my other IEMs and headphones made them sound almost bass-less.
There is big boost in the sub-bass and midbass region which is clearly heard. Sadly, the bass does bleed into the mids and masks it, making the midrange sound veiled. The bass isn't the
fastest or texture rich either. It isn't the tightest bass either, it's more of a "hit you in the face" impactful kind of bass. But boy does it hit hard. The rumble is heavily seal dependent, I have found varying results just by pulling of different expressions on my face (which in turn affect the seal and positioning).
This slow decaying bass leaves male vocals sounding veiled even though the timbre is more or less good. To visualize it, imagine if the vocalist is behind a translucent curtain. Upper mids and female vocals in general are toned down in presence, presumably to token the intended dark thick sound signature. Female vocals come out better and truer to life
as compared to the male vocals, although lacking the bite and glisten needed. The treble is just plain rolled off and laid back. Nothing is harsh, nothing even comes close to being bright. It has the usual boost in the mid-treble to restore balance in its overall bassy tone and I think it is done nicely, without bordering on sibilance. NS9 isn't that resolving in the top end; it's smooth and buttery.
The good news is that the instrument separation is quite decent, seems to be unaffected by the boosted bass and so is the soundstage. It's not that spacious but reaches noticeably wide although not deft when it comes to showing the depth in the stage. Image positioning is more accurate at the edges of the headstage than in between where it is a bit fuzzy.
I wish it had more image resolving capabilities which would have made it a considerably better performer.





Conclusion :
This screams to be used for electronic/downtempo/IDM/Techno music. So if you turn on Plastikman/Richie Hawtin instead of Diana Krall, you will not be disappointed with the NS9. While its sound signature doesn't represent speed, accuracy and control, it will be a joy to use in the previously mentioned genres or any genre similar to it.

Build Quality :
The color scheme of Zerda is refreshing! The sandblasted, oxidized aluminium alloy shell is of solid build quality. The tail cable is very flexible and does not hold its shape. You get a long strain relief on the type c end and another one from the DAC/AMP body.



Usage :
I wish the Zerda came with a type C to type A adaptor to use with laptops/computers as the third party adaptors are tricky business when it comes to passing audio and having a seamless compatibility.
To the good news, these are driverless and is plug-n-play on my Windows 10 laptop.
Coming to the optical output of the Zerda which caught me by surprise, this enables the user to connect an external dac via a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable (provided your dac/amp has a 3.5mm/SPDIF combo optical input) and the Zerda acts like a digital pass through. This is an uncommon feature in the dongle DAC world, can be useful for the right person.



Sound Impressions & Pairings :
The overall sound is warm and smooth with good balance from top to bottom of the spectrum. There is no emphasis on any part, although the top end is rolled off and smoothened out to be forgiving of harsh recordings and bright/edgy sounding IEMs. Ikko doesn't state the power output of the dongle but I have tried pairing efficient IEMs, a 120 ohm impedance Sennheiser HD560s and 300 ohm impedance Sennheiser HD600. While the Zerda had no problems driving my IEMs, it did not manage to drive the Sennheiser HD560s optimally and downright struggled to drive the HD600 which sounded sleepy and veiled. So I would recommend IEM usage exclusively with this dongle as the amp section of the dongle seems to be overwhelmed by high impedance loads. The pairing of the Zerda with upper midrange forward IEMs & Headphones to be the best. In my case the pairing with 560s was ideal as the 560s does indeed have boosted upper midrange, which the Zerda took care of. My only gripe with the sound is that there is a definitive lack in soundstage depth; the stage is flat in front of you.



Ikko Zerda vs Zorloo Ztella MQA :
Zorloo MQA has a more forward upper midrange. The Ztella has substantially deeper soundstage and also trumps the Zerda when it comes to instrument separation and layering. Ztella also dishes out more dynamics and bass impact with a more open top end. It is to be noted that the Ztella is not as forgiving in the upper midrange like the Zerda. Ztella MQA pumps out 2V when >=150 ohms and 1V otherwise. Ztella MQA has a big voltage swing and it drives high impedance loads better. It drove the HD560s and HD600 considerably better than the Zerda : more dynamics, more depth, better layering.



Conclusion:
The Zerda at 99 USD packs the cool feature of Optical Output and serves a smooth and relaxed sound which is fatigue free. With the right pairing, the combination will be commendable. But the competition in the Dongle DAC world is fierce, and the Zerda isn't leading the pack when it comes to sound quality.

Build Quality & Accessories :
I have with me the MMCX, 3.5mm SE variant of the Tuxedo. Firstly, the cable comes in a suave package with strong cat themes (as should be expected). You get a buttoned leather carry pouch and a buttoned clip to keep the cable organized. The overall build quality is very good and confidence inspiring. The MMCX plugs are nice and create a tight fit. You get a loud and reassuring click whenever you slot it in the female port, and by the gods, you get red and blue labelled rings for right and left respectively. CatEar knows just how convenient it is for the select few like me. You get a big fat chunky metal cable splitter and a big knurled termination plug, both branded. Termination is Rhodium Plated for better long term endurance and frankly it just looks more elegant and less chintzy than your measly gold plated ends. The material of the cable is not plain white, but has a snowy sheen to it, and the insulation adds to the overall elegance of the cable. The length is perfect for portable use, and it does not tangle or hold its shape after bending. The stylized and branded carry pouch shows clearly that CatEar does take aesthetics seriously.





Notes On Sound Changes :-

With BGVP DM8 : There is a clear increase in body in the midbass which has more control than with the stock cable of DM8. The second change is treble body which adds a better sense of tone in this region. Note : this does NOT add brightness to the sound; just adds depth and body in the treble region and gives a better sense of tone. There is an improved sense of open-ness in the sound. These three changes are pretty noticeable when coming from the stock cable.



With BGVP NS9 : This pairing actually improves the IEM considerably. The NS9 is not revealing and transparent; blurred in the top end. The Tuxedo helps open up the top end considerably and also improves the control of midbass which is already on the loose side on the NS9. It is a clear upgrade in terms of image clarity compared to the stock cable and makes the IEM much more palatable for me.



With the CA Andromeda 2019 w/ Effect Audio Thor Silver Cable :
In this case the sound change was the biggest, thanks to the high sensitivity of Andromeda. The stock cable of Andromeda is of very poor quality for the asking price not only from a build perspective but also from a sonic one. It is shouty and thin, negatively impacts the potential of the IEM. Moving over to the Tuxedo, the entire sound signature changed. Smoother, refined, no shoutiness, more bass body and depth and a better sense of timbre in the top end. It was the change the Andromeda needed, and pivoted by view of the IEM totally.
I then switched over to the Effect Thor Silver Cable which costs much more than the Tuxedo. The Thor cable added even more bass dynamics and punch and widened the soundstage further. But the change is little in reality, and honestly not worth paying the price difference in my opinion. This shows that Tuxedo really does perform well in the sound department and can compete with the top shelf stuff.



Closing Thoughts :
Coming in a complete package, the biggest selling point is the price to performance factor. In the world of snake-oil cables with a soul sucking price tag, the Tuxedo is not only affordable but also provides a consistent improvement in sound signature across a variety of IEMs. If you fancy an upgrade cable for your IEM, you should take a look at this.

A Look Back : AKG had shut down their office in Vienna back in 2016. Some of the greatest, if not the greatest engineers in all of high-end audio had been housed in Vienna HQ. These are the same guys
that constantly thought out of the box, making the legendary AKG K240 family of headphones. The sextett was the result of marvelous engineering and still remains so 40 years later. I have owned the K240 Sextett and K240 Studio Mk2 and they're legends in their own rights. They also came out with the wild K280 Parabolic dual driver headphone which turned everyone's heads (Parabolic because the drivers are arranged in a parabola?) and these are just to name a few among the plethora of innovative products they came up with. These guys surely know what they are doing, they are revered and I look up to them with utmost respect. After the office shutdown, a 22-member subset of the same brilliant minds formed Austrian Audio in 2017.
You know the hype is real.....



Build & Fit :
The build quality is as you'd expect from something that is made to endure : superb, metal throughout. It's HEAVY: until you put it on. The pads are tall, plush and deep. It can fit in giant ears without breaking a sweat.
The headband padding is akin to the Shure 1840 i.e very comfortable. It distributes the weight perfectly and the heft of the build is gone once you put it on. The pads are not perforated, and they do get a bit hot after extended listening sessions.
Do note that every piece of padding including the earpads are completely replaceable and serviceable by Austrian Audio themselves.



Amp Needs :
Although it is rated at 25 ohms and 118 dB/V, these need some juice to be driven properly else they sound wimpy. I do not know the reason why; maybe because of the current requirement (low impedance)? Or maybe it is due to the properties of the proprietary driver.
I would recommend using a basic amplifier at the minumum to get the most out of these.



Sound :
These are made for professional use in the studio, not for the armchair audiophile who wants to be bathed in "musicality". So I will pen down my thoughts keeping that in mind.
The first thing that hits you is the passive noise isolation, which is sublime. The next thing is the active treble response, which is quite revealing. It does sound a bit "thin" due to it's boosted mid-treble but this type of tuning helps to bring out the micro details in the mix, and boy does it do a good job.
It paints a sonic picture of the "room" of the recording and the micro details are rendered out clearly without jamming them down your throat. Noteworthy to mention that the headphone is quite critical of the sibilance region;
in the sense that if the recording has sharpness in the consonants, you will surely hear it.
These are must have traits for a headphone made for professional use. And it does this without having the "treble murder" that certain headphones from this gang portray.
"The bass on this is pretty lacking" is what the usual "audiophile" would say. But in my opinion, the bass is nuanced and dynamic. The last thing you'd want for studio work is something with bombastic boosted subbass. It has less quantity and the extension isn't its strong suit,
but it is fast and clean and remarkably coherent with the midrange.
There is a distinctive lack of boosted midbass which is a good thing as it doesn't mask details; I feel it could have used a bit more oomph in this region as the overall sound tends to be on the "lean" side.
The midrange is clean and clear with adequate ear gain but the tonality is on the thin and clinical side when it comes to vocals, whether that is a good thing for its intended purpose is beyond my scope of answering.
The soundstage as described earlier is pretty accurate but on the narrower side. But it isn't claustrophobic even though it is a closed back. Imaging is very accurate and is on par the DT880 600 ohms which is quite a feat.




Hi-X55 vs Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohms :
Both are stellar in build quality but the DT880 comes with a dedicated carry case, while you only get a pouch for the Hi-X55.
Do bear in mind that this comparison is strictly off the mind as I don't have the DT880 600 ohms to A/B. Off my mind, the Hi-X55 has more presence in the upper midrange making it sound more "energetic" and "lively" while the DT880 600 ohms sounds more "sterile".
Although the imaging on both is pretty comparable, the image clarity and "etching" out of the image in the mix is better on the DT880 600 ohms. Hi-X55 is much much easier to drive off a regular amplifier; you basically need a nuclear reactor or even the Sun to power the DT880 600 ohms.



Hi-X55 vs Sennheiser HD560s :
The build quality is undoubtedly better on the Hi-X55 with its thorough metal use; the 560s is predominantly plastic. When it comes to comfort, the 560s is better for me. It is physically lighter and the pads are more comfortable for me.
On A/B'ing the two, there is a clear boost in the 4kHz region of the HD560s in comparison. While neither of the two set the bar for accurate tonality, the 560s has a more linear response overall where every part of the spectrum gets their own space. The midrange (up until the upper midrange) is more engaging and
true to life on the 560s. The 560s beats the Hi-X55 when it comes to stage width and overall speed and transient attack. The 560s is a tighter and faster sounding headphone. The resolving power of the two are similar, although I hear more room detail and ambient/spatial cues easier on the Hi-X55 on impeccably well recorded tracks.



Closing Thoughts :
Austrian Audio has managed to give the industry a formidable player of its kind, and to think this is their first headphone (along with the Hi-X50). It's good to see the real MVPs back in their game, and that brings me joy. I cannot wait to get my hands on their next addition to the headphone line and give it a good listen.

Disclaimer : The unit was provided by Hifinage in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase the OH10 here.

Build and Fit
To answer the elephant in the room, yes, the shells are heavy! But that's because they're made of dense chunky metal throughout. These shells can break bones!
Unfortunately, the cable is very janky and thin. Pair it with the awkward novelty focused cable tie and such heavy shells, you will have to spend a minute or two whenever you take them
out of your pocket to untangle the devilish mess that is guaranteed to be made. If you are weight sensitive, the shells might cause fatigue for long term listening.



Amp Needs
At 18 ohms and 108 dB/mW, there is no need for a dedicated amp. Plug it in your phone and enjoy! Right angled jack is provided keeping this in mind.



Sound

Lows
The subbass is considerably accentuated here, to the point of satisfying even the bassheads out there. There is enough extension and quantity to produce the sought after "rumble" down in the depths.
There is a good amount of information in the bass region and when the subbass hits, it hits HARD. The midbass isn't bloated so there isn't any bleed issues. Because of this, the subbass feels like a different
and disjointed "entity" compared to the overall signature, appears only when called, hits hard and exits the stage, although not that fast. Suffice it to say , the bass here is very satisfying and a sizable gem on its
crown.



Mids
The mids are recessed. While the timbre in this region (save the upper midrange) is fine, it feels veiled and hazy. I can hear it beckoning, but it fails to grab my attention and thus my emotional attachment
with the midrange gets severed. The upper midrange is boosted, but nowhere near the levels of its smaller brother, the OH1. I would suggest you look elsewhere if midrange performance is of importance to you.



Highs
The entire treble region is safely tuned, with the occasional sharpness cutting through, none of which at any point is worth cutting marks for. It is fairly active and forward. Paired with the thick and punchy bass, I can't think of a better IEM
for electronica/techno at this price range : its got all the right ingredients. To my ears, I found no sharpness or harshness. It's actually pretty coherent. It's just always there at the right time, never drawing unwanted attention. So much so that
the dominating element in the sound is still the bass. This results in an overall bassy and warm IEM.



Soundstage, Imaging, Dynamics & Resolution
Soundstage is the king of the hill, it is always spacious and wide for every recording. If you want soundstage, buy this. Period. In fact this is consistently wider than the See Audio Yume (169 USD) as well (although the Yume has a more natural stage) by a
substantial margin. News has it that the OH10 is THE iem to get in this price bracket if you crave for stage width, and I agree. So spacious.
Imaging is okay-ish and run of the mill. Same goes for the resolution and raw detail retrieval although the detail in the bass is nicely brought out. I hear more texture in the bass region.



Conclusion
The OH10 has a few aces up it's sleeves : the bass and soundstage width. I haven't come across an IEM that can compete against the OH10 in these regards. Although the See Audio Yume (169 USD) has a far more neutral and balanced tuning with considerably better tonality,
the OH10 is just what a lot of people look for. Another great contender in this already supremely VFM price bracket.