Pro’s:  Stupidly cheap.  Fantastically well spec’ed.  Beyond excellent value.

Sound:  This is where things matter and the sound quality is first rate, beyond first rate for the money.  They are triple drivered and while in comparison to other triple drivered IEM’s they may not be anything wildly special but what sets these apart is their price tag.  Seriously they are £48, how do they manage that?  That’s US$69 for US folk.  That is an unheard of price for something triple drivered and that sounds this good.  If they cost a ton more I could pick fault with things, like they can be a little strident in the upper mids and want to leap forward to shout at you.  However you can largely solve by pairing with warm, rich sources.  Then you see the price tag.  You just can’t stop coming back to that price, any time they don’t quite nail something perfectly you have got to keep in mind that the things you’re mentally comparing it to cost considerably more.  In fact acoustically only the RE-400 (which is still US$10 more) can come close to it.  However the build quality on the A-01 is very considerably nicer. 

Pro’s:  Very powerful computationally.  Pleasantly controlled audio.  Potential for modular enhancement.

Sound:  These in most aspects are really easy to be wishy-washy about.  Then you come to how they sound and you’ll be blown away by just how you aren’t blown away.  El cheapo stuff you’d naturally bass / party cannons right?  You don’t get a real life, proper grown up pair of monitor esq headphones for this sort of money, you just don’t, right?  I had never heard of Somic before and even Googling these I could find almost nothing about them.  No one it seems has noticed them and that, dear reader, is a travesty.  These are excellent, so much more flat and balanced than I expected.  So more detailed, so more nuanced in the mids especially.  God the mids are good, so clear and articulate more than once I went back to check their price and that I hadn’t been sent the wrong thing by mistake.  Seriously £32, just how?  Not to mention that’s delivered too.  I feel like I’m missing something.  Their bass is so cleanly rendered, no big mid/bass hump, so well behaved before it then tails off at the bottom.  The mids are fractionally creamy but they’re so present and comparatively up front that there is gobs of detail despite its creamy and otherwise reticent nature.  Its gentle tonality, laid back and mellow.  So sumptuously melty if you slap on a little softly mellow jazz.  John Steven’s Red album is gloriously captivating.  The treble is fairly detailed, it’s not as great as the mids and bass but it’s got plenty detail, its also a little laid back, a hint mellowed.  It gives it that monitor esq, easy on the ear gentility but retained plenty of detail. 

Sound:  Its presentation has air and space but its tonality is all about the warmth, rich darkness it possesses.  They are diametrically opposed attributes which makes for a weird sound. They want to be dark and richly encompassing, so heavy and oppressive but they have an airiness due to being so open.  It’s just not supposed to be like that, you can’t be both those things at the same time surely, but they are.  It’s a big 80’s Sony esq warmth that has a certain retro appeal, not from their head phones but from their Hi-Fi’s.  You see back in the day those headphones didn’t have much in the lows but these are solid and weighty bass beasts.  They haven’t the most deep nor most controlled bass but it’s a force to be reckoned with and I don’t doubt that those who need light, portable on ear headphones will be pleased.  It’s a like a tidal wave coming at you, relentless, massive, endless power.  Its mids are skewed to the bass end and thus are warmed and thickened.  The highs are lightly delicate and laid back 

Aesthetics:  They aren’t ugly by any means but they are pretty bland looking.  Perfectly happy to wear them out but nothing hugely visually interesting.

Pro’s:  Sound Quality.  Real buttons.  Huge capacity.  Sound versatility.

Sound:  These are on the whole, when weighed back and forth, are all about the bass.  They are not the deepest unless well powered, they however can pump out a tremendous amount of vigour.  Big beastly roawwwwrrrrrrrrr kinda bass is going on here.  They truly love nothing more than encountering some pop, bass cannon fodder music so they can let rip.  They have much junk in their trunk and they aren’t afraid to wave it up in “yo face.”  Okay so I’m not much with that sort of colloquialism but I’m sure you get my meaning.  They are big in the bottom and they love to show it off to all and sundry.  It’s fun, a little bit over eager perhaps but it’s still just damn good fun.  It a bit of a hump, it’s a little bit disjointed and separate from the mids.  Not unlike a 2.1 system with a moderately sized sub that can’t go all the way down so has a big hump of it.  That big hump then stands out a bit from where it mixes with the midrange.  It feels a touch out of step but its goodly entertaining.  The gap however that puts some space between the bass and the vocals so vocals don’t sound unduly influenced by that bass.  Mids start rather clearly distinct and separate.  They aren’t bad mids either, somewhat behind the quantity of bass but its overall W shaped sound signature leaves them more unencumbered than the bass quantity would suggest should be.  It’s good.  The treble, it’s got a bit of distance too and it is not bad for detail but it’s really rather more subtle about it.  There is a little peak from time to time at volume and when amped but mostly it’s a light wash of shimmer.  No crisp hard edges anywhere that I noticed.

Sound:  Like the other two TITAN’s the detail levels offered are superb, they are also open, spacious, airy and staging is unusually large.  Where the TITAN 3 starts to differentiate itself is in its sound signature. These are the middy, slightly richer, slightly creamy one.  Its definitely made with the midrange in mind and they are about the best mids I’ve encountered from a dynamic driver.  They are fantastic.  The nuance, the subtlety, the detail and all with a soft creamy coating.  Soft, smooth vocals are mesmerising.  They really are just so very good but they have a definite preference.  Their flavouring wants to stay in place when you play other sorts of music.  Throw on stuff that is made with a more V shaped sound in mind and they just ignore it.  Sure the bass it good, cleanly articulate but I could never make it dominate.  The vocals always stood up and sang their heart out.  Now I rather like that presentation so I’m not really seeing it as a problem but others will.  They are a vocal centric IEM and they will consistently put the vocals at the forefront of things.  They are when amped and at volume it has a tendency to peak towards the upper vocal ranges and with the wrong voices it errs towards getting shouty.    The highs though are really rather well behaved.  The detail level is excellent but they are really rather polite.  They offer a light shimmer to all but never sparkle with a bright hard edge.  Some may find it too polite and too reserved. 

Sound:  Well the meat of thing, they sound pretty damn fantastic.  Seriously they are wow for an IEM, the air, the scale, the airiness, the detail levels are all crazy.  No question the TITAN 5 is amazingly good.  The problem is its slight V shape sound isn’t really the best suited to their abilities and thus I constantly think the 1 and 3 are what I’d go with.  It’s a shame really for the 5 as they are great.  The bass is a big full bodied affair, so clean and sculpted yet willing to rise up at a moment’s notice.  The treble is a little less well behaved.  When pushed its upper mid / lower treble range want to get a little bit excitable and “assertive.”  It will leap out and scream at you a little.  The mids, clean, open and highly detailed.  They really are a breathy wonder in their own right, they really are.  Trouble is I’d pick the 1 or the 3 over the 5 in pretty much every situation I can think of.  The range shows the driver which I’m sure they all share is freakishly good but the tuning here, these want to be proper audiophile IEM’s and the tuning I can’t see appealing to hard core audiophiles.  On the other side I can’t see it being as dramatically V shaped as might make it more popular with the masses.  It feels a little bit like its sitting in a room by itself, not quite one thing nor the other. 

Sound:  Normal consumers may not have their expectations met.  I know I expected them to be very M6 like but other than visually they aren’t.  Acoustically they have nothing in common with each other.  The M6 Pro is a vastly more grown up, monitor like balanced IEM.  It really is an In Ear Monitor too.  The bass is competent and capable if a little boring.  The mids are very nice, a little prominent and forward compared with what many will be used to.  The treble is nicely refined, no edge, no brutality so some may find it not as in your face as they wish.  It’s not attention seeking at all, very plain and easy on the ear.  There is a bit of an upper vocal stridency but pair with something moderate, warm and don’t play silly buggers with the volume control and you’ll mostly be fine.  They really aren’t an exciting thrill ride.  They are grown up proper monitor like but for barely any money.

Overall the tiny little thing does a really rather capable job of everything you ask of it acoustically.  It’s a little bit flavoured but oh noes, it’s got a bit boosted bass, that enhances its expansion and weighty follow through.  Its target user isn’t exactly going to see that as an issue, they are much more likely to see it as a great big plus!

Sound:  Have I been a little so so about them so far?  Yeah because these aren’t lookers and they don’t isolate for toffee but the sound?  Bugger me they sound insane for the price.  That they can post the things from the other side of the planet and sound like this for £23, just how????????  They sound fantastic, utterly fantastic, just simply incredible in the literal sense that they defy credibility.  So long as you ignore their labelling as “monitors” they aren’t, they aren’t anywhere near monitor like.  The bass in particular is great big badonkadonk bass.  Right up front, in your face, bouncing and jiggling all over the shop.  It’s awesome, a little bit silly perhaps but just nuts.  Big, jiggly, bouncing all over, so in your face and vigorous.  Just so much energy and playfulness that with its open nature means it’s much more articulated and clean than something closed would be.  The mids too, are just so open, dynamic, airy, yet a touch creamy, just excellent for the money.  The treble isn’t quite so accomplished, it’s a bit reduced in volume (which is wise) and there is a bit of a lower treble range spike that at volume gets a little ear tiring.  Still the detail and the shimmer they give is outstanding for the price.  If these cost more I could tear into to the treble a little because it’s not perfect but that price tag……. That price tag means I just can’t.  Sure they aren’t perfect but come on, £23 delivered, you’re practically stealing them at that price.

Sound:  Excellent.  Easily by a damn good margin they are the best Bluetooth earphone I’ve played with.  They may only have a little 6mm driver but the bass is glorious, the mids are great and the treble is sumptuously refined.  Their balance may not be perfect for more mainstream listeners but these are aiming for a more serious, more discerning, more audiophile listener.  With a gently sloping back slash sound signature, the bass while elevated and forceful it may not be as over blown as something’s.  Sadly too many people think more bass is the defining attribute of “better.”  These are big yes but not silly big.  The mids are a bit behind but retain ample clarity and quality.  They shine not as brightly as I might want but nevertheless they shine beautifully.  Then the treble, there is a little spike in the lower ranges but overall they are excellent.  So much refinement and a faintly gentle rounding, softening of any brutality, I’m so impressed.  Now some may want a more hard edged, brutalistic treble but I am loving them.  I honestly really cannot in any way find any aspect or attribute of the X7 PLUS that is deficient.  These are not just “good for a Bluetooth earphone” but plain and simply good  Scratch that, not just good but fantastic. 

[size=12pt]Sound:  They take the sound of the 100 and butch it up.  They may not be entirely my cup of tea but are a rhythmic thumper to get you through that last 10 minutes on the treadmill.  Big beefy bottom, not the world’s most taught but it wants to thump, big humpy thumpy oomf.  You know, subtle like a smack in the face and while my own sensibilities may want a little more sonic purity, it’s not for audiophile listening.  It’s for activity inducing vigour and there it shines.   Big raucous bass dragging you along for the ride.  The mids, well a little so so.  I love mids and these are moderately passable but again they aren’t for Nora, they are for “Now That’s What I Call Running.”  The highs are I think tuned with the likes of “Now That’s What I Call Running” content in mind.  It’s a bit of a light glazing to things, enough to let you know where things ought to be and fill in the spaces.  Though it’s never going to dominate it never has the hard, edged brutality that can so often appear in that musical style, with its mastering levels and the bit rates that it often appears at.  They are built and tuned with bouncy rhythmic, drag you round that last stretch, music.  It’s a great pairing if that’s what you want them for.[/size]

[size=12pt]Pro’s:  Diminutive.  Crowd pleasing lower end output.  Connectively versatile. “Jack of all trades.”[/size]

[size=12pt]Value:  Well there is no mistaking that you get a ton of device for the money.  Normally £190 but £170 just now or US$200 in the US.  You just can’t really argue with that sort of value.  It may fall short of super high priced flagship devices in probably every category but…… its one third of their price, if that.  Yet it manages to stay in the realm of competitive in it abilities to them.  So like we’ve see with previous Honor devices, you get a big old heap of phone for a pretty itty bitty price.[/size]

[size=12pt]Sound:   They are big, weighty powerful beasts and they a have a slant towards the low end.  It does make me wonder then how bass must the “Euphoric” ones be?  Anyway think big thumping bass.  It’s pretty rounded, its depth drops off and it declines on nearing the mid-range but it itself is a bit of a beast.  It loves to come out, rip roaring, thundering out a party bassline.  The audio snob in me frowns a bit as it’s kinda over blown but there’s no denying it’s a party animal.  The mids comparatively are rather behind the bass but the mid/bass blending region is nicely dipped so the vocals are largely unimpeded.  They are however still on the darker, warmer, more weighty side of things.  Delicate, light breathy vocals just isn’t its forte.  Soft and creamy vocals though do very nicely, a little over viscous perhaps but they just sound so pleased with themselves.  There is a joy to what they do, they feel like are wildly enjoying themselves.  So much joy and happiness.  The treble, it’s a little bit muted.  They don’t want to do cutting, crisp edges which is perfect for my ears.  It’s also perfect for the majority of mainstream music in that they are badly recorded, horribly mastered then often played back at crappy bitrates.  Oh and not forgetting being dynamically compressed to hell so they clip like a fleet of clipper ships.  The Aero does its best to gently cover up those acoustic atrocities so they won’t be loved by everyone.  They won’t be replacing a pair of RE-0’s or ER4’s as their treble in comparison is very tame and it doesn’t offer up massive detail.  It’s about ensuring the listener has a good and enjoyable time, they are not acoustic magnifying glasses there to help you examine music in detail.  [/size]

[size=12pt]Sound:  They are bassy but it’s a dark bass, not warmed, not really what I’d call cold but just no added warmth.  A bit dark, soulless, detached something that I cannot quite find the words for.  There is something dark there but no usual accompaniment of the rich warmth that is almost always the case with elevated bass.  I like it, it helps keep the bass clean and detached.  It is a bit elevated and its elevation continues towards the lower mid ranges.  Male vocals tend to a touch boosted but again there isn’t the typical richness to the elevation.  It’s curious.  Girly vocals don’t stand out so much and can be a little dead inside.  There isn’t the creamy richness that its darkened presentation normally offers.  Gah, there is a darkened something, something a little detached going on here but I just can’t nail what.  In the highs they are mostly subdued.  They are not particularly apparent but hey are cleanly rendered.  Just faintly delicate, clean, but in the back and they never come close to dominant.  Even when pushed, they are really quite treble subdued.  My ears are bang on pleased with that.  It does have a beautiful metallic edged twang when cymbals are struck. [/size]

[size=12pt]Sound:  Bass.  Like the song says these are “All About The Bass.”  They are simply at their most happy when they are thundering out a gargantuan bass line.  My own musical tastes may be rather somewhat more sedate so for me , oh my it’s a bit a show stopper.  Its beastly, potently violent when push that volume dial.  Lol, it’s mental.  If you need yousinuse need blown out these’ll do it.  Owl City’s “Tidal Wave” while a fast paced, rhythmically lively pop extravaganza, the bass, oh my the bass.  Its skull punching, thankfull these aren’t the firmest in the base, they are a touch soft which is a factor of their cheapness but its highly welcome for me.  This level of quantity and its desire to leap all over the place with the slightest provocation would otherwise kill me.  They are marketed as gym earphones (IP5X sweat resistance rated) and if you need a bass line to haul yourself through a session, this is the sort of bass that’ll do it.  It’ll simply grab you by the collar and throw you through the nearest plate glass window.  It’s not trying to be same great acoustic masterpiece, it’s a beast, a beast with a clear purpose in life. [/size]