Reviews by SenyorC
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SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: If you like the S12, you will like these, plus a ton of goodies!
Cons: $90 more than the standard version which is more about the accessories (and the limited edition) than changes from the standard S12...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Letshuoer S12 2024 Edition
The Letshuoer S12 2024 edition have been sent to me directly by Letshuoer for me to try them out and share my opinions in this review. Letshuoer have not made any requests or comments and, as always, I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible.
The Letshuoer S12 2024 official page is here: https://letshuoer.net/es/products/l...netic-driver-in-ear-monitor-earphone-hifi-iem
As with all links I post, this is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
Jumping back to April 2022, when the first real planar IEM boom started, I got to try out the Letshuoer S12, a set that immediately turned into my main daily driver. In fact, I remember that the title of the video review in Spanish was “my new EDC”. They continued to be one of my most used sets for a long time and only really lost their spot in my box of 6 quick grab IEMs quite recently. So, it goes without saying that I was (am) a fan of the original S12.
Fast forward to a few months ago and Letshuoer reached out to me to let me know that, as part of their 8 year anniversary, they would be releasing a 2024 Edition of the S12, limited to 2,024 units. I was, of course, very happy to agree to reviewing them and looked forwards to giving them a listen.
Now, these aren’t the first variation of the S12, we also got the S12 Pro and the Z12 which, funnily enough, I never got to listen to but I do know that they received a lot of praise.
So, what is special about the 2024 edition?
We’ll get to details in a moment but apart from the limited number, the Letshuoer focuses mainly on the special accessories that are included, along with the limited edition shell colour. They don’t actually say much about changes in tuning or sound, although there are (something that we will also get to in just a moment).
The 2024 edition comes in at $199 while the original S12 is available for $90 less on Letshuoers site, so what do we get that is special?
Presentation…
I have to say that before I even opened the outer box, I was already intrigued by the presentation. The outer brown shipping box features the Letshuoer branding, something that is not very common on shipping boxes (at least those that I receive) and opening it reveals a black interior with more branding and a gold coloured box inside a large bubble wrap sealed envelope. As I said, we haven’t even got to the main box yet and I already felt that these were something different.
Removing the gold inner box from the bubble wrap, this shows an “8th” design in a raised texture, with “Letshuoer 8th Anniversary” in black at the top and “S12 Limited Edition” at the bottom. On the back we just get some basic specifications etc.
Opening the gold box we find another box, this time a rigid black box with a lift off lid that reveals a gold (coloured) commemorative medallion style item sitting in a white cardboard inlay which refers to the Letshuoer 8th Anniversary. At first I thought this was the keychain that Letshuoer refer to on their web but there is another one in the box, so I am not really sure what it is. This medallion/keychain has a spinning centre and while I wouldn’t actually put it on my keys (I like to keep them small and manageable), it has become a bit of a fidget toy on my desk.
Under the top layer we find the fourth box, inside of which we get the user manual, 9 sets of tips in 3 types (vocal, balanced and memory foam) on a card, the warranty card and a commemorative card in black and gold.
Underneath this we finally come across the gold coloured IEMs sitting inside foam cutouts, the storage/transport case containing the cable, and a final (fifth) box that contains a more manageable keychain, if the first one was actually a keychain. Or maybe they go together?
Either way, there is no reason that I can fault the packaging and contents of the S12 2024 edition. It is true that we don’t need all the boxes and goodies but this is a “special edition” and the unboxing does make it feel like it is.
Build and aesthetics…
The IEMs are, as far as I can tell, identical to the original S12 except that the outer plate is gold coloured and the inner shell is black. To be honest, I thought that the black part of the shell was plastic or resin but Letshuoer mention says that the entire body utilizes a titanium alloy chamber with a high precision CNC milled shell, so I guess they are all metal, as were the originals.
I found the originals to be very comfortable and the 2024 edition is no different. They are small enough to fit comfortably in my ears and light enough to not cause any fatigue. As far as aesthetics, I am not someone who favours gold but I understand that they are a limited edition and they are also on the rose gold / copper side of the spectrum, so they are not as “blingy” as they could be.
The included cable is titanium coloured with gold hardware that matched the IEMs. I can’t say it is my favourite cable ever but it is a nice cable nonetheless. It also features interchangeable connectors, with 2.5, 3.5 and 4.4mm being included.
The storage / travel case is the usual Letshuoer round, screw top, kind. This is not something that I chose for transporting IEMs in my pocket but it is great for storing IEMs when not in use.
In general, I have no complaints with the build or aesthetics. They chose a colour theme for the anniversary edition and have maintained it throughout, making it something that does portray itself as a special edition, especially when the unboxing experience also matched the colour scheme.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
As I said in the intro, Letshuoer so not say anything about changes in sound between the original and the 2024 version, yet there are some.
Before explaining how this version sounds, here is the graph comparing the two, along with my usual preference curve for reference:
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As soon as I started listening to the s12 2024, it was like putting on an old pair of shoes. Yes, you may have newer and more extravagant shoes, but there is something about those old comfortable shoes that just feels correct. During my initial listening sessions, which are while I am focusing on work and not music, I honestly didn’t really pick up on the differences.
However, as time went on and I listened to more familiar tracks, I started to notice that things seemed a little more “powerful” than on the original. By that I don’t mean that they were louder, or that they were bassier (although I will mention a little more on that in a second), just that they seemed to have more “authority” to them, especially in things like kick drums.
This sensation was more apparent when listening to the originals again, especially when moving on to my detailed listening sessions with my test tracks.
“Chameleon” is clean yet powerful in its subbass, with midbass that adds to the sensation rather than detracting from it. Although the original S12 is also clean and controlled with this track, again, I feel that the 2024 seems to do it with more authority.
“No Sanctuary Here” gives the same sensation, not that there is more bass than on the original, but that the bass has more “thump” to it, without an increase in the midbass range. Again, clarity is good. In my review of the original S12, I mentioned that the slight additional presence of midbass (over my personal preferences) worked well for things like “Whole Lotta Love”, giving a little bit more body to the bass guitar on older rock recordings. With the 2024 I don’t get that sensation. There is no lack of midbass but it doesn’t quite give that same sensation of warmth that the original did in this case, it seems more clear. Not saying that is sounds bad, far from it, just a little different from what I came to expect from the original.
Moving through the mids, I find that the response hear deviates very little from the original, staying nicely balanced with good presence to the lower ranges of vocals and instruments that sound clean, such as the bass guitar in “Elephants On Ice Skates” that is once again nicely balanced between the slaps, plucks and lower notes.
Moving into the upper mids and lower treble is where I find the most noticeable difference between the two sets. Vocals still have a nice presence to them and that slight hint of harshness and sibilance in “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” is still present when volume is pushed (above my usual listening levels), but overall I find things to be a little smoother.
As far as the “Code Cool” sibilance test, Patricia Barber still presents some sibilance on this set, as she did on the originals, placing her around a +1 or +2 on my non-scientific scale. This is reduced quite a bit by swapping tips, making her more neutral in this range, but once again, the sibilance level is very reminiscent of the originals.
As far as detail and separation, it may just be my brain and the placebo effect, but I do feel that the newer model is an improvement. Listening to “Strange Fruit” on both sets, I feel that there is a bit more space between the vocal layers and that details are pushed slightly further forwards. This is not necessarily an increase in detail per se, more of them being more in focus.
Soundstage is something that I find very pleasurable on the S12 2024, with a nice sensation of space and location in things like “La Luna”. They may not be the most spacious sounding IEMs but there is still plenty of stage for things to be located all around you.
Conclusion…
I have tried to refer to many of the tracks that I referred to in my review of the original S12 (which you can find here), giving a reference point as to how this stacks up against the original.
There is no doubt that the S12 2024 is a very nicely presented set that does make you feel like you are getting something special when you receive it, which is good seeing that it is a special limited edition.
There is nothing to complain about as far as build and I am probably not the best one to comment on aesthetics, seeing that I am not really a fan of gold.
So that leaves the sound and the performance of the IEMs, which, at the end of the day, is the important thing when buying a set of earphones. It is no secret that I am a fan of the S12 and, in my personal opinion, the S12 2024 is slightly better. It is not a night and day thing, it is small things that stand out to me when listening to music, but I would personally say that I would choose the 2024 edition over the original based on musical enjoyment. They just seem to present things in a more impressive way while still keeping the strong points of the original.
Is this worth the $90 price difference? Based solely on the musical reproduction, I would say no. However, you are not just getting the musical reproduction, you are getting the things that go with a limited edition and that is something you need to consider.
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As with all my reviews, this can also be found in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/@achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Neutral/bright signature for those who are looking...
Cons: Too much 5k presence for me...
NF ACOUS (NF Audio) RA15
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - NF ACOUS (NF Audio) RA15
The RA15 have been sent to me directly by NF Audio in exchange for the publication of this review. They have not made any requests and I will do my usual attempt at being as unbiased as humanly possible in my review.
You can find the NF Audio official page here, although they don’t seem to feature the RA15 on their site: http://www.nfaudio.cn/en/index.html
As always, this is a non affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
First let me address the naming here. Who is NF ACOUS?
Well, the IEMs I am reviewing today were sent to me by NF Audio and they are the NF Audio RA15. However, a few days ago, I received an email saying that they have decided to change their name from NF Audio to NF ACOUS.
Personally, I prefer the name NF Audio but it is not up to me and it doesn't really matter in the course of this review anyway but, just so you are aware, NF ACOUS and NF Audio are the same company. I have also left the NF Audio page link above as I can't find one for NF ACOUS.
I reviewed the NF Audio NM2 around 2 and half years ago and, to be honest, I hadn’t really heard anything else about the brand since then. That was until they reached out to me a few months ago asking is I was interested in reviewing a couple of their newer models, one of them being the RA15.
As I mentioned above, there doesn’t seem to be an official page for these IEMs, although they are available on Amazon and via a couple of other online retailers, such as HifiGo, where they are priced at just under $90.
They feature a dual magnet single dynamic driver along with onboard electronics to tune the IEMs and come with two sets of nozzles, offering different profiles, although the differences are not huge, but we will get to that in a moment.
Presentation…
Arriving a a black and orange box, with the IEMs on the cover, we open it to find the CD shaped card that immediately reminded me of the NM2, holding the IEMs. Beneath this we find the accessories, which are 4 sets of silicone tips, the extra set of nozzles, the cable and a small drawstring storage bag.
Honestly there is nothing really exciting in the contents but they all look aesthetically pleasing and, while the cable is nothing to write home about, do their job.
Build and aesthetics…
The IEMs are a full metal build and are rather small. The nozzle is not overly long either, which, paired with the shallow style tips, make for a fit that is not very deep. I found myself opting for the L sized tips and once fitted, they give a good seal and felt very comfortable.
As they are metal, they are not the lightest IEMs but, due to their size, they are far from being heavy. They are a set that I can easily wear for many hours and not feel them in my ears at all.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
As mentioned, we get two sets of nozzles and the frequency response is different between them, although they are still fairly similar. Here is the usual graph showing them in relation to my preference curve that I post for reference:
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Starting off with the gold nozzles, I found them to be rather neutral with a hint of extra warmth in the midbass which can become just a little boom on certain tracks, such as “Breezeblocks”. However, the upper mids do rise to a peak at 5k which, as I have mentioned many times in the past, is not something that I am a fan of. In fact, I find the peak to be painful many times but in the case of the RA15, with the gold nozzles, it is not actually as bad as I would have thought.
Yes, the peak is noticeable to me as I am very sensitive to that range, yet I do not find it to be piercing like I do on so many other sets.
The treble is not exactly smooth but also doesn’t portray itself as being bad or uneven. I find the general sound to be rather neutral with a hint of bright, something that I don’t mind at all. It is only that boomyness of the midbass focus that can be tiring at times.
Swapping over to the silver nozzles, these bring a bit more presence in the upper mids and take away some of that boomyness in the midbass, although it is still there, just that the focus is shifted to the upper mids.
The thing is that the silver nozzles seem to give everything a more fragile and “thin” sound, especially in the upper ranges. It is not that the tuning is completely different from the gold nozzles, I would still say that we are in the neutral bright zone, but things just sound sharper and not in a good way.
Although there is is more presence between 2kHz and 4kHz, I actually notice the 5kHz peak more with the silver nozzles than I did with the single 5k peak on the gold nozzles. This made the listening experience less enjoyable for me personally.
As far as details, they are pretty decent and there is a nice sensation of sound stage also, with things seeming having plenty of space to breath (except for those tracks where midbass boomyness is experienced). The location of instruments in “La Luna” is pretty good and there is nice space between them, although I do find that width is superior to the depth.
Conclusion…
Honestly, it is nice to see brands that are staying loyal to their tunings and not jumping on the bandwagon of whatever is “in season”, yet, I really can’t say that there is a lot of difference between the NM2 and these, 2 and a half years later.
In fact, I think that I personally prefer the NM2 over these due to the lack of peak in the 5k region.
Saying that, with the gold nozzles, I find them to be a pleasant listen and, while they are not my first pick for IEMs, they do have a sound signature that is not commonly found lately, so they may be interesting to those looking for that neutral bright signature.
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As always, this review can also be found in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Performance of the IEMs on non-bass centric tracks, comfort, if you want bass then you won't be dissapointed...
Cons: Too much bass for me personally, aesthetics are not my favourite...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - FatFreq Scarlet Mini
The FatFrequency Scarlet Mini has been sent to me as part of a tour organised on Head-Fi. The usual tour rules apply but you can find info regarding the tour here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fatfreqs-scarlet-mini-goes-on-tour.971026/
The official page for the Scarlet Mini can be found here: https://fatfreq.com/collections/maestro-series/products/scarlet-mini
As always, this is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
I can’t pretend not to know the fame behind FatFrequency (FatFreq) , they do bass, lots of bass, and they do it well. At least that seems to be the general consensus, as I had not actually listened to a FatFreq set until now.
As I have made clear over the time I have been reviewing, I am not really someone who likes excessive bass, except on specific occasions when I am in the mood, but how could I not jump at the chance to try out a set of IEMs that so proudly boasts to be “the world’s first 30dB bass shelf”.
While FatFreq don’t state the exact driver configuration on their website, and have been known to not openly share their driver configurations in the past, it seems that the Scarlet Mini use a 10mm DD for the low ranges, a BA for the mid ranges and a custom “hyper tweeter” for the highs.
The Scarlet Mini sells for just under 600€ direct from the FatFrequency website and is part of their Maestro series, otherwise known as their flagship series.
Build and aesthetics…
I can’t go into details about packaging and presentation as I received the IEMs in a hardshell case (think Pelican case) and I also can’t say if the included contents are those that are actually shipped with the retail units.
I can say that the monitors themselves are on the smaller side, with a shape that is a little unorthodox but is very comfortable, at least for me personally. I can’t say that I would give them any prizes for aesthetics but, as always, that is a very personal thing and what I prefer may not meet the tastes of the majority of others.
The cable that I received with the Scarlet Mini I believe is the “Upgraded Silver Red Cable” that is available on their site and does raise the price by about 150€. The cable itself is ok but not my favourite as I find it a little plasticky, however, I have to say that I really like their modular connector system.
At this point we have seen interchangeable connectors on many cables from different brands but the way that FatFreq is different to other connection systems that I have seen. Basically the outer shell of the connector screws off and reveals that the connector is actually divided into 2 halves that just push together, securing themselves when the outer shell is screwed back into place. At a simple glance it doesn’t look like a modular cable at all, in fact, if it wasn’t for the other connectors included in the case, I would never have guessed that it wasn’t just a 4.4mm terminated cable.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
Now on to the interesting part, getting to hear the Scarlet Mini and the famed bass of FatFreq for the first time. But before sharing my subjective opinions, as always, let’s take a look at the graph of the Scarlet Mini in comparison to my usual preference target that I always use for reference.
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I have said many times that my preference target is nothing but a rough guide, it is not a guarantee that I will or will not like something just based on how close to the target it is. There have been times that things have been almost spot on and I haven’t liked them, and other times that I have really liked something that deviates a long way from my target.
Saying that, anyone who looks at the above graph can easily see how far away from my target the Scarlet Mini are.
I have also said many times that I am not someone who favours excessive bass, especially midbass, and that it can become fatiguing and even nauseous if there is too much bass and it is not clean and well defined.
So… in that case… I hate the Scarlet Mini don’t I???
Hell no! But it does mean that I have to look at them in a different way, not necessarily as a set of IEMs that I would choose but more as a set of IEMs that is built to do a certain thing.
Starting off with “Chameleon”, the bass is thunderous and, for me personally, is just too much. I have said in the past that excessive midbass that isn’t clear will fatigue me, here it is the excessive bass in general that fatigues me. “Chameleon” is a track that honestly overdoes it in the bass range, adding that to the Scarlet Mini which also overdoes it in the bass range, can actually make me feel nauseous.
But moving away from the excessiveness while still sticking with a track that relies on good bass presence and presentation, “No Sanctuary Here” is a different story. It is still far too present in the bass ranges for my tastes but at least now we have some clarity and definition to those lower notes. I wouldn’t say that it is a punchy bass, it is more of a think low end that somehow still manages to define notes, although I would still prefer a little more clarity.
Sticking with EDM but reducing the low end a little more, focusing a little bit more on the midbass, “Sun Is Shining” is more of an electronic track that I can find very impressive and enjoyable. I couldn’t listen to it all day (the track or the tuning) but when in the mood for some partying, the presentation certainly makes things sound impressive.
As we move away from bass centric music, it is impressive how much clarity and definition simple acoustic music can produce. For example, in “Tears in Heaven”, there is a but of excessive thump to the rhythm yet the vocals and the acoustic guitar sounds very realistic and very pleasing to my ears.
With something a bit busier and focused more on rock, I found “The Room” by Ostura to not only be very impressive throughout the intro but to sound full of life and enjoyable even when the track gets to the busier parts. Again, there is a little too much emphasis on the kick drum for me personally but it is an impressive presentation that I found I enjoyed.
As far as upper mids and the higher ranges in general, I find it depends very much on the bass section, as is to be expected with such a boosted lower range. When tracks are not overly present in the lower ranges, then I find the Scarlet Mini to have a smooth and rather pleasant upper frequency range, however, as soon as we move into music that has a large bass presence, this definitely takes the spotlight and relegates the rest to a secondary position.
Soundstage is pretty darn good but can once again feel a little congested when that booming low end kicks in. There is plenty of separation and very good location of instruments in things like “La Luna”, but in bass heavy tracks, the low end gets filled in so much that it makes it more difficult to place the sounds around you.
Conclusion…
The Scarlet Mini are a set of IEMs that are designed to do a specific thing, bass, and there is no denying that they do it and do it well. Yes, they are over the top for my personal tastes, although I knew that going into this, but I am still surprised at how pleasurable they are when listening to a lot of music that is not overly bass focused.
If you are a bass head, then there is no doubt that you should give these a whirl, you are the person that was in mind when these were tuned. However, if you are not a bass head, I still think that these can be very enjoyable IEMs that have plenty of performance that is not just bass.
I am very glad that I have had the chance to try these out and all I can do is agree with most of what I had heard about these IEMs before I tried them out.
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As always, this review can also be found in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/@achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

MakeItWain
Hey man, just an FYI - your video link goes to the Estrella. For the TLDR video

SenyorC
Thanks for the heads up @MakeItWain , the video it links to is actually the correct one, I just got the title wrong on the video!
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Aesthetics, performance, subbass...
Cons: Accessories, personally I prefer just a little more bite to vocals...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Ziigaat x Jay Estrella
The Zigaat x Jay Estrella were sent to me by Linsoul but the unit was arranged by Jay through Linsoul. I have had a couple of private messages about this set with Jay but his only request was that I try different tips to those included, more on that later in the review. Other than that, there have been no requests from Jay or Linsoul and, as always, I will do my best to be as unbiased as possible in my review.
Ziigaat official page: https://www.ziigaat.com/products/ziigaat-x-jays-audio-estrella
I have also left the direct link to the Estrella via Linsoul in the version of this review published on my blog.
As with all links that I publish, these are non-affiliate links.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
For those of you that don’t know who Jay is, he is the person behind Jays Audio, a review channel on YouTube (you can find the channel here: Jays Audio). The Estrella are his first collaboration and have been created together with Ziigaat, a company that have seen quite a bit of popularity in recent times.
Although I haven’t really spoken with Jay too much, I know him from HifiGuides, where he is quite active, and have exchanged a couple of private messages with him regarding the Estrella. Apart from actually arranging the review unit, the other messages were in relation to me trying different tips (he recommended wide bore or Sancai tips) and some clarification to what I may have read in other comments or reviews about the Estrella.
Regarding other comments and/or reviews, as usual, as soon as I knew I was going to review the set, I have not read any further reviews or in depth opinions on the Estrella. I told Jay this and let him know that I didn’t need any clarification, as I hadn’t read anything about them since they were released and received by the first reviewers.
On the tip subject, I have to agree that the included tips are not the best option for these IEMs, at least in my opinion (and Jay’s opinion also, based on the message). Usually I always use a set of tips from the included ones that come with whatever I am reviewing, unless they are terrible or I just can’t get a correct fit/seal. In this case, the included tips are not great but they are not terrible but, as I was requested to tip roll, I did so and I ended up settling on the Sancai tips as recommended by Jay.
Other than that, my review of these IEMs follows my usual procedure. In other words, I spent the office time during the week using them and then sat down and spent a few hours doing some more focused and critical listening with my usual test track.
Just as a last comment, before moving on to the review, let me mention that the Estrella are a dual dynamic driver paired with 4 balanced armatures and are currently available via Linsoul for $299 (around 270€), so they are not a budget set of IEMs but they are not in a high price bracket either.
Presentation…
The packaging is nothing really special, although it is a little more exciting than other Ziigaat sets I have received in the past. The cover shows the IEMs sitting in front of the moon over a galaxy background, which makes sense as they are called Estrella (star in Spanish).
Removing the outer cover reveals the typical Ziigaat inner box, inside of which we find the IEMs in their sponge cut outs and another box containing the accessories. The accessories consist of a storage case, the cable, a set of foam tips and three sets of silicone tips in 3 sizes.
Not really an amazing unboxing experience at the price point but if the build and sound are good, this can be forgiven.
Build and aesthetics…
Let's get the negatives out of the way first. The tips are not terrible but are not great, especially when paired with the Estrella, but the included cable is not exactly brilliant either. I mean, it does get the job done but it feels rather cheap and plasticky.
As far as the IEMs go, they are well built, comfortable and rather good looking. They have a black shell and faceplate but there is a silver glitter in the black shell and a sort of diffused glitter finish to the faceplate, fading from a coloured glitter on one side to a black center and a silver glitter at the other side, with a very subtle glitter to the whole background. To the naked eye they don’t stand out much but when they are hit with the right lighting, they seem to come alive, making them look much better than my photos can make them look.
I think the IEMs deserve plenty of praise and the storage/transport case is decent also. They may not be the most beautiful IEMs I have ever seen but I do think they are good looking and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about them. I did find it strange that there is no mention of Jay on the IEMs.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
Before getting to my opinions on the sound, here is the usual graph of the Estrella in comparison to my personal preference target as usual:
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As I mentioned previously, I did some tip rolling as recommended by Jay and after trying various options, I settled on the Sancai, which are what I have used for this evaluation.
Starting with my usual “Chameleon” test for the subbass, there is certainly a boosted presence in those lows. It is not to the point of being fatiguing but it is north of my personal comfort zone. Saying that, it doesn’t become too bloated in the low end, it still lets the other frequencies do their thing, it just has that extra rumble that will please those who like a nice thick low end.
With my other usual bass test, “No Sanctuary Here”, the extra emphasis on the low end works nicely to give it a more impressive low end, especially because it cleans up rather nicely into the midbass, avoiding things being muddy. It is like filling the lowest notes out and turning them into a think presence that doesn’t interfere with the low bassy vocals of the chorus, which manage to stay rather clear in that midbass zone.
Testing for midbass fatigue with “Crazy”, there is once again a thick low end but it is far from being too boomy in the reverb, keeping it clean enough for me to avoid fatigue and nausea. Daniela’s vocals are also nice and clean, with body to them and no real harshness in the upper ranges that can be found on so many sets. Her vocals may not be quite as up front as I would choose personally but they are still clear and have a very nice musicality to them.
I find that acoustic guitars have a nice amount of body to them which is smooth and while I wouldn’t call them a neutral representation of said instrument, at least what I consider neutral, they are a warm and lush representation which I find very enjoyable. I do find that at times, that warmth can place the vocals behind the guitar but it is not a bad experience, just a different way of hearing the tracks that can be very pleasurable.
Maybe the midrange is where things do take a step back, not in quality but in presence. Again referring to that low end that can “fill” the soundstage, vocals seem quite relaxed, missing maybe a little more sharpness to cut through. Once again, this is not necessarily a negative, depending on personal taste, but it does take vocals away from front of stage and place them further back into the mix.
The thing is, the upper mids are lovely and smooth, I have no complaints with them, they are just a little overshadowed by that low end in many cases. This does work very well for keeping harshness out of vocals in tracks that can become very harsh on many sets, such as Beth in “Don’t You Worry Child”.
Sibilance is also reduced in tracks such as “Hope Is A Dangerous Thing”, giving a smoothness to Lana Del Rey in the intro that I am quite a fan of. With the usual “Code Cool” sibilance test, I would say that Patricia Barber is at a sibilance level of -3 (on my non-scientific -12 to +12 scale).
Although the overall sound is rather smooth, the Estrella still manage to do a fairly competent job with detail. While the decay of the intro in “All Your Love” may not be amazing, it is still pretty good in comparison to many other sets. The vocal layers in “Strange Fruit” have enough separation between them to be clearly identified when focusing but at the same time, enough of a smoothness to be one very musical chorus when listening to the track as a whole.
As far as soundstage goes, with “La Luna” I find spacing and placement to be also very competent, with a nice separation between the surrounding instruments. The rear left guitar may be little more left than rear but it is still enough to give the sensation of coming from the back left. With something a little more complex, such as “Bubbles”, the placement is very good and the width of the stage is more than adequate to enjoy this track for what it is.
Conclusion…
The Estrella are a very competent set of IEMs that come from a company that may not be the most known, collaborating with a reviewer who may also not be the biggest of names, but they have done a very respectful job.
The included accessories are not great but the IEMs are well built and the aesthetics work for them, which is a plus. You don’t need to change the cable (although it is cheap feeling) but I would certainly suggest playing around with different tips. I tried 6 or 7 types and landed on the Sancai but I honestly think that maybe trying more tips would probably give them even more of a nudge in the right direction for me.
There is an overall smoothness to the sound that is not lacking detail but does make things seem a little less lively. This is going to please some and not others. Personally I like just a little more aggressiveness to my vocals, especially when listening to things that are vocal and acoustically focused, but that does not mean I don’t enjoy the different “flavour” that the Estrella gives to many of these tracks.
The additional presence in the low end does fill out the sound quite a bit, which is something that I am sure that many will enjoy (I know I am in the minority with my bass preferences) and it does it without creeping into the midbass and lower mids, managing to keep things clear. It also gives a lot more body to certain instruments, even without boosting the midbass too much, which can once again be a positive or a negative, depending on personal preference.
Again, I feel that the Estrella are a competent set of IEMs that will work for a lot of people, especially those who like a bit more body to their music.
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As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Build, aesthetics, performance...
Cons: Compact soundstage, not the most detailed, can sound a little "rounded"...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Hidizs MP143
The Hidizs MP143 have been sent to me directly by Hidizs in exchange for the publication of my review. Their only request was that I published it around the release date, however, as I was on vacation when these IEMs were officially announced, I guess I failed to meet that request.
The MP143 on Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/project...-salt-143mm-large-planar-hifi-in-ear-monitors
Hidizs official site: https://www.hidizs.net/products/hidizs-mp143-large-planar-magnetic-hifi-in-ear-monitors
As always, these links are non-affiliate.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
Before even getting to the IEMs, I want to mention the collaboration of Hidizs with the WDC (Whale and Dolphin Conservation).
When I was first asked about reviewing the MP145 (the previous planar model from Hidizs), I was told (so were other reviewers) that they were collaborating with the WDC and that there would be donations from the MP145 going to the WDC.
As time passed, there was no confirmation on what these donations were and even WDC, when contacted, said that they had not received anything from Hidizs. The subject became very confusing and there was no clear answer for quite some time. Finally there was some clarity brought to the situation and an announcement was published on the WDC site (that you can find here).
So, when Hidizs reached out regarding the MP143, saying that they were once again collaborating with the WDC, my first question was would they be clearer this time? The answer was yes, that they apologised for the confusion around the MP145 due to it being their first collaboration but that the MP143 would continue to support the WDC education program in the same way.
Anyway, with that out of the way, on to the IEMs, as this is an audio review after all!
In the words of Hidizs, the MP143 promise to deliver “the same superior sound tuning as the MP145 but at a more affordable price”. The truth is that they were launched with a super early bird price of $79, which then increased to a limited early bird price of $99, with the regular price stated as being shown as $159. When the MP145 was released, the same tiers were $109, $119 and $199, respectively. So we are in fact looking at about a 20% reduction in price over the previous model.
So, the reduced price is there but do we give anything up over the previous model?
Presentation…
The packaging is fairly similar to the MP145, only the way of presenting the included tips has changed. In the box of the MP145, these were presented on a large card with labelling to identify them, whereas, in this case, we get a little cardboard skewer. This is something that doesn’t bother me in the slightest, as the less packaging the better (even if it is stated as being ocean friendly packaging).
We do get less tips here also, with only 6 sets (in two types) being included, instead of the 9 sets in 3 types that we got previously. Once again, this is not really an issue for me as I just pick a set that works for me and stick with them for the review, maybe swapping them out after I have done my detailed listening.
The included cable is also a little simpler than the one included with the MP145, at least the balanced version that I received. However, that doesn’t mean the cable is bad. I praised the cable included with the MP145 but that doesn’t mean I am going to complain about this one. It is simple and, although it might not be my favourite cable, it gets the job done just fine.
Build and aesthetics…
There is a clear similarity between the two models, however, they are not the same. While the build quality does seem to be of the same level, the MP143 is slightly smaller, slightly lighter and opts for a different design on the face plate.
While the faceplate is still “inspired by a whales tale”, it's more a simple stepped design than the raised shape of the MP145. I actually like this aesthetic and appreciate the fact that it is smaller and lighter, although it is still not a small or light IEM by any means.
However, the smaller size doesn’t work in favour of comfort for me personally. While the shells may be smaller, the extension of the nozzle is also less, making it more difficult to get a seal at first, at least for me. For some reason, I also find that the left IEM causes a pressure point on the top part in my ear, making it a little uncomfortable at first. This seems to go away after a while, so maybe it is just “new shoes” syndrome.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
So, the important part, how does the MP143 sound?
Well, it depends on the nozzle selected. Once again Hidizs have included 3 different nozzles to enable the user to choose their preferred sound (and give the reviewer 3 times as much work

Here is the graph of the 3 options in comparison to my usual preference target for reference:
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The obvious question is… how close is that to the MP145?
Well, here is the MP143 (Rose) in comparison to the MP145 (Red):
.png)
Here is the MP143 (Silver) in comparison to the MP145 (Silver):
.png)
And here is the MP143 (Red) in comparison to the MP145 (Red):
.png)
You may have noticed that I have not compared anything to the Gold nozzles of the MP145, that is because the differences between the Silver and Gold on the MP145 were minimal (check out the MP145 review for more on that).
So, with all the squiggly lines out of the way, on to my subjective impressions.
Starting off with the Red nozzles, I am not a fan. While this tuning is becoming a regular lately and there are some sets with similar tunings that I really enjoy, I don’t find it works well with the MP143. Things come across overly blunted and focused on the low end. Rather than going into details and saying negative things, let’s move on to the other two nozzles.
There are a lot of similarities between the Silver and Rose nozzles, however, there is much more of a difference between them than there were between the Silver and Gold on the MP145.
Here the Rose nozzles give a little more focus on the lower end, with a more relaxed upper range, whereas the silver nozzles have more “bite” to them.
To be honest, I like both of the nozzle options and can listen to either of them but found that I spent more time with the Silver option, which is what my following opinions are based on using.
Using my usual “Chameleon” test, I find the lower notes to have plenty of presence and stay rather clean, although they do become a little excessive for me personally due to the boosted midbass range also. I don’t find the midbass range to be offensive, “Crazy” is not overly boomy nor fatiguing, but I do find that “Chameleon” is a little too much in this regard.
Speaking of “Crazy”, there is a nice clarity to the track, although the vocals can get just a little too spicy with the Silver nozzles, something that is tamed by opting for either of the other two options.
The midrange is well balanced in general although I do find that there is a slight lack of presence in the upper midrange. This is especially noticeable with female vocals, such as Sara K. in “All Your Love”, where there is a bit of a rounded effect to her voice in general.
This is not quite as noticeable with male vocals but is still there, such as Francesco Yates in “Sugar (Acoustic)”, where his vocals are clear but seem to be missing a little bit of brightness in those upper mids.
The same could be said with details in general, such as the intro to “All Your Love”, where the details are not quite as clear and also present that “rounded” sensation to them. However, speed is certainly not an issue, as the busy parts of “The Room” show.
Soundstage is not really something that stands out to me with the MP143, there is some space but it is not a sensation of a large soundstage, more of a reduced space where positioning is rather good for the limited space, as shown by “Bubbles”, where each of the balls is easily located. With “La Luna”, there is not much of a sensation of depth or width either, although there is plenty of separation between the instruments.
Conclusion…
There are a lot of similarities between the MP143 and the MP145, although I would say that there is a noticeable difference in performance between the two sets. The MP145 comes across as more detailed, with more space, where the MP143 comes across as rounder and a more compacted presentation.
Saying this, I don’t think the MP143 is bad, far from it, I think it is a very good set of planar IEMs, I just don’t think it is a direct competitor for the MP145. At the current sub 100€ mark, I think you are getting a decent performing set of IEMs, that also offer you 3 tuning options and are quite capable of keeping up with fast moving and busy tracks. They are not the most detailed of IEMs but, again, they do have other things that they focus on, such as the bass, if that is your kind of things.
If you have the MP145, then I really don’t see any reason to look at the MP143. Saying that, if you buy the MP143, I also don’t think that there is such a significant jump up to the MP145 that it would be worth picking those up either. If you don’t have either and are torn between the two, ignoring the size and weight (which obviously puts the MP143 ahead), I think I would personally go for the MP145.
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As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Improved over original model...
Cons: Price increase, needs a lower gain option...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - iFi Audio Diablo 2
The iFi Audio Diablo 2 has been loaned to me by DeCine, the Spanish distributor for the brand. DeCine have not made any requests and, as always, I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible.
As DeCine do not sell direct, you can find the official page for the Diablo 2 here: https://ifi-audio.com/products/idsd-diablo-2/
The above is a non-affiliate link, as always.
Intro…
Over 3 years ago (and over 200 reviews ago), I got the chance to review the iFi Audio Diablo. At the time it was quite a revolutionary device as it offered an amount of power that was not usual in a portable device, it also offered a sound signature that wasn’t the usual for iFi Audio and aesthetics that weren’t typically iFi either.
Now I have had the chance to spend time with the Diablo 2, the successor to the original, and to see if it is better than, or even as good as, the original.
It has obviously been a long time since I spent time with the Diablo as, although I really loved the device, it was overkill both in power and in price for my intended use. I do remember saying that it was (is) a device that would basically give you a high end device, both in quality and power, in a transportable package. I did crave the Diablo for quite some time but I only really use IEMs when away from home, where I have a desktop set up, and this craving actually lasted until I tried the Gryphon about a year later and bought it immediately, becoming my go to device for IEM testing, reviewing and just pleasurable listening.
This means that I won’t be able to compare the Diablo 2 to the original as far as sound but I do have the Gryphon on hand which is a bit of a tamer Diablo (at least to my ears), so it may not be an apples to apples comparison but they are at least both fruits (or mythical creatures in this case).
But enough of the rambling and lets get into my experience with the Diablo 2, a device coming in at just under 1300€, that promises enough power to run anything that you can fit on your head.
Presentation…
There is not much I can say about the packaging of iFi products that I haven’t said many times before. The packaging is simple, effective and well thought out. Therefore, let’s focus on what we receive inside the box.
Of course we get the device itself, along with which we get a quick set up guide, a very nice storage/transport case, the inferno wings (more on those in a moment), a short USB-C to USB-C cable, a long USB-C to USB-C cable, a short lightning to USB-C cable, a USB to USB-C adapter, a Toslink to mini-Toslink adapter, a USB-C to female power adapter, a 6.35mm to 3.5mm TRS adapter, an iFi iPower supply and, of course, the obligatory iFi sticker.
That is quite a list of accessories in the box but we also need to remember that this is a 1300€ (trans)portable device and we should expect plenty of goodies.
In comparison to the original Diablo, I think we actually get less of one and more of another, as the original also included the USB power purifier (although I think the included PSU was not the iPower) and a 4.4mm to dual XLR balanced cable, but we didn't get the stands (inferno wings) or as many USB cable options.
In general, I have no real complaints about the contents and accessories, I am much more interested in the device itself.
Build and Aesthetics…
When the original Diablo launched, it was a break from the aesthetics of iFi and from just about any other manufacturer of portable headphone devices. In bright red, it obviously referred to its name “Diablo” (devil) but it was also likened to a high performance sports car. To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the aesthetics of the original, I found it to be a little too red and generally pretty basic. Although there was no doubt it was well built.
The Diablo 2 does share a lot of design cues with the original but it has taken a huge leap in the aesthetics department. I had seen photos of the Diablo 2 online and thought it looked better than the original but getting it in person made me realize just how much it has changed. The new model opts for a darker red, with a small dark grey area at the back. The rounded edges have become more angled and there are grooves running down the full length of the body. Honestly, if the original was likened to a sports car, it would have been a Miata (no offense to the Miata, it’s a great car), whereas the new model is more of an Aventador.
The build quality is as good as I have come to expect from iFi, which is to say great. A full metal build, including the volume knob on the front which is now larger and knurled. It does use the same style of knob that we find on the Zen DAC v3 (and maybe other models) that has the sort of face plate on it slightly separated from the main part. I find this not quite as nice to the touch as single piece knobs but, this is just a very minor nitpick and it does look great.
I mentioned under “presentation” that it includes the “inferno wings”, which are little feet that slide into the rails on the bottom and allow the Diablo 2 to lift up from the desk. Two different heights are included and I have to say that I really appreciate them as it makes using the Diablo a lot more comfortable. The wings can be mounted in multiple location on the body, allowing different configurations for personal use cases. The inferno wings also have a nice design to them, rather than just simple feet, that also add to the aesthetics.
The included storage/transport case is the iTraveller and it is very similar (if not the same) as the one included with the original. The case is soft and has dividers on the inside to be able to separate the Diablo from other accessories and it even has a small velcro material cover for the area where you would store things like the cables (something I don’t remember the last one having but I may be mistaken). The outside of the case has two attachment points for the included strap and it can be turned into a small “over the shoulder” bag, allowing you to transport the device easily.
One thing that hasn't changed from the original is the portability. While it is classed as a portable device, that is really only because you can easily move it from one location to another, it is not something I would suggest using on the go. In fact, the Diablo 2 has grown a centimeter in length, a few mm in thickness and has increased its weight by 125g (taking it to a total of 455g or 1lb for those who don’t do metric). This means that, if I considered the original to be a “trans”portable device, the Diablo 2 is certainly not any easier to use on the go.
I could probably go on about the build and aesthetics for a while but I am guessing that this review is already going to be overly long, so let’s move on to what the Diablo does.
Functionality…
Where the original had a fair bit of connectivity and functionality going on, the Diablo 2 adds much more and turns this into… I was going to say Swiss Army Knife but it is more of a Leatherman Arc in my opinion.
Starting off with the front panel, on the left we get a 6.35mm unbalanced headphone output. The fact that it is a quarter inch socket should again point to the fact that this is definitely not a pocketable device.
Next to this we get the 4.4mm balanced headphone output, above which there is the switch to turn xMEMS on or off. I am pretty sure that anyone who is looking at a device like the Diablo will already know what xMEMS is and I didn’t have any way of testing, so I am not getting into this here.
In the center we find the gain level switch which allows us to choose between Normal, Turbo and Nitro. This gives us an idea of the power levels we are talking about here, something I will mention more on shortly.
Finally, to the right of the front panel, we have the volume knob which also turns the device off when turned completely anticlockwise. One thing that iFi have added here and I think is an excellent idea, is a small slider that locks the volume knob in place. Due to the power we have on tap, an accidental turn of the knob can turn out to be painful and possibly very expensive, depending on what we have connected. I can’t say that I am a huge fan of how the switch has been implemented, I find it a little finicky to slide (especially to remove the lock, but that is quite possible a skill issue on my part.
Moving around to the back of the device, on the left we have the Bluetooth pairing button. There was no Bluetooth on the original but here we get BT5.4 with all the codecs all the way up to aptX Lossless (something that I haven’t tried either as I don’t have a lossless transmitter). I found the BT connection to be stable but I didn’t really move around with the device much. Again, this is not really something I would wander around with, it is more for the convenience of connecting my phone to it when I sit down at my desk.
Next we have the 4.4mm balanced output, followed by the S/PDIF input that accept coaxial or optical with the mini Toslink adapter included in the box as I said earlier. This was also present on the original but according to the iFi spec, jitter has been improved on this device.
Finally we have 2x USB-C ports, the first for power and the second for data. The power port allows the device to be charged by USB 5v but also with the iPower 2 that is included with the Diablo 2 (by using the adapter I mentioned). My understanding is that when the device is receiving power via this port, it runs from this power source and not the battery, which is why iFi include the iPower 2, a very low noise PSU.
On the bottom of the device we get the IEMatch switch, another welcome addition to the device. This is something that allows you to tame the power just a bit more in order to use the Diablo with more sensitive IEMs (although the “sensitive” part is a figure of speech in this case). The IEMatch used to be (still is?) sold as a separate device and you would need to purchase it extra to the Diablo. However, since it was added onboard to the Gryphon (I think that was the first device), we have seen it be added to other portable devices from the brand, such as the Hip DAC 3 and the Diablo 2 in this case.
So, as far as functionality, you choose your source, you carefully choose your gain and then you, even more carefully start to raise the volume… then away you go.
Sound…
Let’s address the loud factor first. This device is, as was the original, very very powerful.
The specs say that it is capable of over 5 watts peak power and Goldensound measured the RMS output to be 1.6W (you can read Goldensound’s review here). Now, we are so used to seeing large watt numbers on headphone amplifiers lately that 1.6W may not seem like a lot but it is plenty. It will easily run something like the Hifiman Susvara (a set of headphones that is notoriously hard to drive).
But having a lot of power available is not an issue, the issue we face is when the minimum amount of power is too much. I am not someone who listens normally at high levels, in fact, my listening levels are lower than most peoples, although I do increase the volume now and again when I am in party mode (or trying something specific for a review), but my “high” level listening is probably not much more than many peoples normal listening levels.
In the case of the Diablo 2, I face the same issue that I faced with the original, it is just too loud for the majority of use cases I would have with IEMs. Yes, there are 3 gain levels, but the lowest is normal (which is not exactly low) and as the volume control is analogue, as soon as I am out of the lowest of the low position (where channel imbalance is an issue), within just a few mm I am already at my usual listening levels or higher (depending on the IEMs). We do have the IEMatch option but as this works by changing the impedance, it can have a negative impact on the sound of IEMs.
That does not mean that the Diablo 2 is unusable for me with IEMs, I have been happily using it with IEMs for the time I have had it here, but it does mean that I literally have a range of about 3% of the knob that is useful to me with IEMs. I will say though that, although I don’t have any ridiculously sensitive IEMs, I do have a few fairly sensitive ones and I have not experienced any background noise or hiss with them.
With headphones I am much happier. With things like Hifiman (Edition XS, Arya, Ananda etc.) I am still on the lowest gain selection but I am between 40% and 50%, depending on the music, with some ventures up to 60% when I am in a party mood.
Ok, so with power out of the way, how does it sound?
It sounds great!
Everything I have connected to it sounded good, energetic, clean and yet with that touch of warmth that iFi seem to have in their DNA.
I remember the Diablo (this is going by memory and by my notes from back then) to be more analytical and colder than most iFi products. I don’t feel the same way about the Diablo 2 at all. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is as warm as many other iFi products, it is by no means a cold and analytical reproduction.
With planars, I find that they sound very nice, full of life and not lacking in dynamics at all, something that can be the case with portable devices. It is currently very hot here (45ºC) and I avoid wearing overear headphones at all costs but I found myself suffering the heat due to me enjoying the Diablo 2 with them.
The Sennheiser HD6XX pairs very well with them but, other than planars, I have to say that the Aune AR5000 sounds great with them. The more I listen to the AR5000, the more I enjoy them but connected to the Diablo 2, they sound even better.
Honestly, I could live with the sound of the Diablo as my only source quite happily with the headphones and IEMs that I generally use for pleasure. The sound signature is just how I like it, that slight hint of warmth without anything being smoothed over.
Conclusion…
In my opinion, the Diablo 2 is an improvement over the original Diablo in every way.
The aesthetics are much more modern, it has more functions, it has a better sound presentation (from what I remember and noted back then) and is just as well built. Yes, it is 299€ more expensive than the original but what hasn’t seen an increase in price lately. At least you are getting more while paying more (which is not always the case).
The negatives, for me personally, lie in the sheer amount of power. If there was a lower gain mode, one that didn’t rely on impedance changes to match with IEMs, then I could easily see this being my only device. It is not cheap but it is no more expensive than the desktop equipment it would replace.
It is perfect for moving between my home, my office, the studio, the beach house and even on those longer trips away from home. I wouldn’t think of using it in a portable fashion, as in, I wouldn’t use it on a plane or train, but for the (trans)portability it offers, it really is a great device.
I am a big fan of the Gryphon for the reasons above but I have to admit, going back to the Gryphon after spending time with the Diablo 2 is a step down in sound presentation to my ears. It might all be my mind telling me that I prefer what I don’t have but I don’t really care, I just know that I enjoy listening to the Diablo 2!
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As always, this review is available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/@achoreviews)

iFi audio
Thanks for your thoughts and impressions here, as always we appreciate your taking the time to review!
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Cheers!!
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Build, accessories, price...
Cons: The sound is hazy to my ears...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Dunu Titan S2
The Dunu Titan S2 have been sent to me by HifiGo in exchange for the publication of this review. HifiGo have not made any specific comments or requests and I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible.
The Dunu Titan S2 can be found via HifiGo here: https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-titan-s2
As always, this is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
Back in February 2022, I reviewed the Dunu Titan S, an IEM that I was quite fond of and has probably been one of the IEMs that I have most used since then. The reason for this is that it lives permanently hooked up to my Mac (via a Modi + Atom) where I do my video editing. I do listen to music also sometimes, while videos are rendering, and use them for quick multimedia consumption on that computer in general. It is not that the Titan S is my favourite IEM but it is clean, performs well and I sincerely enjoy using it.
Back then (almost 2 and a half years ago, which seems like decades in the IEM world), the Titan S was something that made a name for itself. The aesthetics were something different, the presentation and included accessories were very respectable, the performance was good (still is) and the price was more than fair. It basically turned itself into a reference point under 100€ at the time.
The Titan S2 comes in at a very reasonable price also, at just under 75€ (at the time of putting this review together) and promises to improve on the original, let’s see if it actually does or not.
Presentation…
After the Dunu sets I have reviewed since the Titan S, it is no longer a surprise that they come well packaged and with accessories that are very impressive for the price point. The Titan S2 is no exception.
The outer sleeve is pretty basic, just showing the brand and model on a red background, with basic specs on the back. However, opening the box reveals contents that will put a lot of other brands to shame.
We get the IEMs, the cable, the Dunu QMini cable with 2 interchangeable connectors (balanced and unbalanced), a cable clip, a semi-rigid storage/transport case and 14 sets of tips, in 4 different types and 3 different sizes.
There is absolutely nothing to complain about in this regard, the contents are just great.
Build and aesthetics…
The original Titan S presented an aesthetic that was different to anything before it and, as far as I am aware, anything since it. In the case of the S2, there is a slight resemblance to the original but not enough to immediately spot that they are the same model.
The shells are still completely made of metal, although, this time, the finish is mirrored rather than the brushed finish of the previous model. In the center of the IEMs, there is a round protruding part in bright red that looks like it should unscrew (it doesn’t, at least as far as I am aware). The overall shape stays the same but the S2 are slightly larger, at least in thickness.
The connections remain 2 pin and still sport a shape that is proprietary to the Titan. Not that other cables won’t work, they work fine, just that the stock cable covers the surrounding part to the connector also.
Speaking of stock cable, this is much improved over the original, in my opinion at least. As I said a moment ago, it includes the QMini cable that has interchangeable connectors that push in and then a ring screws down to hold them in place. The cable itself is a braided sleeve that runs as far as the splitter, where it then divides into to separate cables. I have to say that I didn’t expect to like this cable but I have found that I actually do, especially at my desk, as it never gets tangled and stays out of the way.
The storage case is the typical storage case included by Dunu in most of their models. While simple, it is very nice and is large enough to hold the IEMs and a dongle without issue.
In general, while I prefer the aesthetics of the original, especially as far as fingerprints are concerned, I really have no complaints about the Titan S2 in this regard either.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
In the sound section we also find that the Titan S2 differs quite a bit from the original. I find that the Titan S is a rather neutral set of IEMs that doesn’t excel at anything in particular but also doesn’t do anything wrong. Nothing is overly pushed or bloated, it is just a good, neutral, all rounder. Some may find it a little overly present in the upper mids but I personally like it.
The Titan S2 moves away from this signature and emphasizes the bass more while dropping those upper mids. Here is a graph of the Titan S2 Vs the original (with my usual preference curve for reference):
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Starting off with the usual subbass test, “Chameleon” comes across as more focused in the midbass than actual subbass. There isn’t a lack of subbass, just the focus is shifted slightly higher than those low rumbling notes. There is enough subbass but the extra midbass can make this track seem not quite as clean and controlled as it should be.
When moving over to “No Sanctuary Here”, here we can once again notice that there is a warm touch to the midbass area. It is not excessive but it is north of my preferences and, together with the delayed rise in the upper mids, does make the percussive hits take a little more spotlight than I would like.
With the low end reverb on the guitar of “Crazy”, there is a bit of boomyness to it that can become a little too much for me. Not to the point of becoming fatiguing like on many other midbass focused sets, yet still enough for things to not seem as clear as I feel they could be.
I find the same with a lot of acoustic music, such as “Sugar (Acoustic)”, where things seem a little blurred in general. It is not that they are excessively warm, this set has much less of a warm focus than many other sets we have seen lately, it is just that they are a little “hazy” with that slightly boosted midbass and upper mids that arrive a little late to contract.
Speaking of upper mids, these are much less pronounced than on the original Titan S and have a bit of a delay in their climb, meaning that things are not quite as present and clear as I would like them to be. This is particularly noticeable in vocal tracks that have warm bodied acoustic guitars in the lower ranges. Other than those mentioned above, “Something Just Just Like This” would be another example of things being just a little “hazy” in their presentation.
The upper mid does extend more than on the originals, stretching over into the 5k mark, however, this doesn’t really fix the presence and also gives me hints of that 5k presence that I am personally very sensitive to. It is not a painful 5k, not like if it was an actual peak there, but it still brings a bit of that spicy flavour.
Details are ok, they are not the best in price range but they are not terrible either, they just get a little diluted by that general “haziness” that I have mentioned already. If focusing on detail, such as the intro to “All Your Love (Turned to Passion)”, then the details are there, they are just sort of glazed over.
Conclusion…
I can’t say that the Dunu Titan S2 are a bad set of IEMs but I also can’t say that, based on sound presentation, that they would be my pick over many other sets at the same price point. For me personally, I would rather listen to the Titan S than the Titan S2. Admittedly they are not going for the same sound signature, so it is not really a fair comparison, but where the originals became a sort of reference point for me at the time, I don’t see anything in the S2 that would put them in the same place.
There is no doubt that they have a great build quality, aesthetics that make them stand out and come with accessories that are second to none in their price range (and much higher), but the sound just doesn’t quite do it for me.
To my ears, it is as though they couldn’t decide if they wanted the neutrality of the original or the warm, laid back, signature that is so common at the moment. In the end, they are neither one nor the other.
As always, this doesn’t mean that you, and many others, will not like them. It just means that I am not a fan.
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As always, this review can be found in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/@achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

ybbobserrot
I always wondered what reviewers meant when they mentioned "price range" in their reviews. It seems to be arbitrary depending on the reviewer's perspective. For example, is it ultra budget - $25 or less, budget - $50 or less, budget++ - $100 or less, midfi - up to $200, etc...
So, is there an industry standard when determining which price range is used, or does it differ from reviewer to reviewer? Because if it's not standard across the board, then there's a great deal of subjectivity, and it throws off the reviewer's assessment of value-feature-price of the subject gadget in mind.
Thoughts?
So, is there an industry standard when determining which price range is used, or does it differ from reviewer to reviewer? Because if it's not standard across the board, then there's a great deal of subjectivity, and it throws off the reviewer's assessment of value-feature-price of the subject gadget in mind.
Thoughts?

mars chan
@ybbobserrot you'll know what it really means when you get to experience many IEMs, the industry standard in the budget IEM market below 200 dollars keep changing, because the sound keep improving while the prices are coming down at the same time.
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Build, refreshed aesthetics, usual iFi house sound...
Cons: Price increase from previous model, not my favourite volume knob...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - iFi Audio Zen DAC 3
The Zen DAC v3 has been loaned to me by iFi Audio for me to try it out and to share my opinions in this review. As usual with iFi, they have not made any requests and I will do my very best to be unbiased in my review.
You can find the official page for the Zen DAC v3 here: https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-dac-3/
As always, this is a non-affiliate link
Intro…
Over the past few years I have reviewed quite a few iFi Audio products, a lot of them from the Zen line, however, although I reviewed the Zen CAN, the Zen Air DAC, the Zen ONE signature, the Zen CAN & DAC Signature, I never did get to try out the Zen DAC. That goes for both the v1 and the v2. Yet, here I am with the Zen DAC v3, the latest version of the Zen DAC series.
The Zen DAC 3 was released a few months ago and I guess the main question is, what does it do that the v2 didn’t?
As I said, I haven’t actually tried the v2, so I can only look at the specs on paper, something that anyone can do and doesn’t need a reviewer to read for them, but the main points that jump out at me are:
- New looks
- Support PCM up to 768kHz (rather than 384kHz on the v2)
- Supports DSD512 (rather than DSD256 on the v2)
- Supports DXD 768 (instead of DXD 384 on the v2)
- Has USB-C input (instead of USB 3.0 B on the v2)
- Has XBass+ (instead of True bass found on the v2)
It also seems to be around 30 to 40 euros more expensive than the v2 (although you can find the v2 for less at the moment, due to it obviously being phased out).
Now, I am not going to be able to go into comparisons in use and sound but I can tell you what I think of the device after spending a couple of weeks with it.
Presentation…
As with all iFi products, the packaging is simple and functional. In the case of the Zen DAC 3, things may be a little more on the simple side than on some of their higher end products but it is still well packaged, well protected and includes all the necessary parts to plug in and enjoy the device.
Inside the box we get the unit, a USB-A to USB-C cable, an RCA to RCA cable, a 6.35mm to 3.5mm TRS adapter, a quick start guide and, of course, the iFi sticker

I have said many times what I think of the iFi packaging, so let's move on to the interesting stuff.
Build and aesthetics…
The Zen DAC 3 brings a refreshing change to the aesthetics of the line, while still maintaining the overall looks that easily identify it as a ZEN product. The build quality is still great and the shape still matches all the other devices from the ZEN line, yet there the colour scheme has been revamped.
The outer case is a dark gunmetal grey, very similar to the Zen DAC 2 (although I don’t have one to compare side by side), but it is the front panel that has received the major change. There is a titanium coloured line that runs across the centre of the panel, surrounding the buttons and ports, with the centre volume knob in a matching colour. The bottom part of the panel, below the line, is of the same dark grey as the shell, whereas the part above the line is a different shade of grey and has sort of a leather style finish to it (although it is plastic).
Of course this is going to please a lot of people and displease others, as with anything related to aesthetics. In my case, I like the look of it and think it makes it look a little more “high end” than the older colour scheme, although it could just be bias as the previous looks had been around for a while and this is something refreshing.
As I said above, the build quality is still very good, with a complete metal body (except for that small part above the line on the front panel) and the buttons feel and respond very well. If I had any complaint, it would be that the volume knob has a sort of “plate” on it rather than being one piece and that makes it not feel quite as comfortable as other single piece knobs, but I am really focusing on a very minor detail here.
Functionality…
As far as functionality, nothing has really changed in comparison to the previous generation. Across the back, we still get the same connection layout. That is to say that, from left to right, we get balanced output (4.4mm), variable/fixed output switch, unbalanced output (RCA), USB connection (USB-C) and external power port (5v).
As with previous models, and most of the iFi DACs, the external power supply is optional, with the unit being powered via the USB port when an external power supply is not connected. As far as I am aware, there is no change in power availability with the external PSU, supplying the same max power of 390mW (balanced at 64 Ohms) according to their specs. Where iFi recommends the PSU is to add cleaner power than with USB power, allowing only data to be transmitted via USB. I don’t have a power supply on hand to see if I notice any difference, so I can’t comment on that, but I use an externally powered USB hub anyway, with a clean power supply, so I don’t usually suffer from any noticeable noise via USB power in my system.
Of course the biggest change here is the swap to USB-C, which is something that is very nice to finally see. It may not bring any performance upgrades but it is certainly a preferable connection method in my opinion and I am sure others will agree.
Moving around to the front, we again have the same layout as on the previous generation, except for the True Bass of v2 being replaced with XBass on V3. This means that, from left to right, we get the Power Match button (basically iFi’s name for gain), the XBass button, the volume knob, a 6.35mm unbalanced output and a 4.4mm balanced output.
Depending on what we set the fixed/variable switch to on the back of the device, the volume knob with either control both the headphone outputs and the line outputs, or just the headphone outputs (with the line outputs being at a fixed level). Plugging in or removing the headphones will mute the line outputs.
The only other thing left to mention is that the top half of the volume knob, or rather the ring surrounding it, has an LED behind it that changes colour depending on the format of the files being played. I already mentioned most of the supported formats in the intro but it also decodes MQA up to 384kHz, if that is something that interests you.
As far as functionality, that is really it. As usual, it is a simple to operate device that you just connect and let it do its job.
Sound…
Let me start off by being transparent about my listening sessions. Usually I would use quite a selection of overear headphones but it is currently 45ºC here (almost 115ºF) and it is just too hot to spend any long listening sessions with them. Therefore, I have used the Hifiman Edition XS and the Koss KPH40, as they are the two sets that live on my desk at work (directly under the air con). The rest of my listening has been done with IEMs, both those that I have been testing out and those that also live in my desk drawer in the office, along with the Dunu Alpha 3 (which have been getting a surprising amount of ear time lately).
As far as power, I am not a loud listener but with the Edition XS, I found that between 40% and 50% on low gain was enough for my usual listening sessions. I can max them out without going deaf on low gain (although way above my preferred levels), with 60% on high gain starting to become uncomfortable. With the Koss, I found I needed slightly less and with the Alpha 3 even less, under 30% is plenty for my usual levels.
As far as channel imbalance, something normal on iFi products due to the analogue volume controls, I have to say that the level was too low to hear the music over the A/C before I could notice any imbalance.
So how does it sound?
It sounds like iFi, which is a good thing, in my opinion of course.
I don’t have the previous models here to compare but listening to the Zen DAC 3, I feel the same that I do with most iFi products, that there is that slight rounded warmth to the sound but without it detracting from the details or sounding dull.
I am actually surprised at how well the Zen DAC 3 drives the Edition XS even when powered by USB. I know that the Edition XS are not exactly hard to drive headphones but some devices do struggle to power planar headphones well, especially when powered by USB. In this case, I didn’t feel that it was the case at all, I found them to perform just how I expect them to and just have that slight hint of warmth which I enjoy with sets like the XS, due to them being very clean and “straight to the point”.
I also found that the pairing with the Koss and the Alpha 3 was very enjoyable. I would have expected them to maybe not pair quite as well (after hearing the XS) as they are already a little warmer in their presentation. However, they did not seem to overdo it at all, they match well with the Zen DAC 3.
With IEMs, I tried a selection, a lot of which I have here pending for review. My usual set up on the desk for IEMs is the Gryphon and I didn’t feel that I was losing anything by using the Zen DAC 3. In fact, I would say that they are very similar in their presentation, maybe just slightly more rounded on the DAC 3.
One thing that I am not overly impressed with on the Zen DAC 3 is the XBass. Actually, that is probably the wrong way to put it, as it is actually very impressive when you turn it on but gets tiring pretty quickly. I don’t usually use the XBass much on the Gryphon or the GoBlu (the 2 iFi devices that I use the most) but I do turn it on now and again when I am in the mood or when a specific track/album asks for it. On the Zen DAC 3, I find the XBass to be much more powerful than on the other two devices and it can be a little too much, at least for me personally.
I haven’t measured the output of the Zen DAC 3 as I haven’t taken it home with me and it is far too hot in the studio at the moment to start measuring things, but just by ear it seems to be overly boomy in comparison to the XBass on other iFi devices. I find it is something that works well for when you are in the “party mood”, much like a DJ boosting the bass when people are in their “prime”, but it does get tiring when just listening to music.
Most of my listening has been done from the unbalanced output as almost all the stuff I had around me was unbalanced. With the unbalanced output I can’t say that I have noticed any noise or background hiss. With the balanced output, I only really used the Edition XS (mainly to test it, as I ran them most of the time unbalanced also), but they showed no sign of noise either.
Conclusion…
I may not have dived quite as deep into the Zen DAC 3 as I have done with other iFi products in the past but the time that I have spent using it has been a very positive experience. I tried it briefly as a DAC only feeding the Asgard 3 that I also have on my desk and the outcome was just as good. In fact, they pair quite nicely.
There are a lot of options around the 200€ mark, many of which are very good and I feel that the Zen DAC v3 (which is around 229€ here in Spain) is one to be considered. If you enjoy the iFi house sound, this has it. If you want something that is well built, this is. If you want something that looks good, well, that is of course subjective but it certainly looks different to all the other options.
For someone who is looking for a nice all-in-one package that can drive “normal” stuff without issue, then the Zen CAN 3 is a very valid option. I would happily live with one on my desk.
__
As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

Urusai_Inu
would you recommend this over gryphon for iem mainly and on desktop uses or gryphon ?
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Build, aesthetics, tuning, decent all-rounder...
Cons: Lack detail, doesn't excel at anything in particular...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Meze Audio Alba
The Meze Alba have been loaned to me by DeCine, the official distributor for Meze Audio in Spain. DeCine have not made any requests and have in fact been quite patient as I have been inundated with work lately, so the review has taken longer than I expected. I will, of course, do my very best to be as unbiased as humanly possible in my review.
As DeCine does not sell direct, here is the link to the official page of the Meze Alba: https://mezeaudio.com/products/alba
As always, this is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
Meze Audio are a brand that I have a lot of respect for. I can’t say that I have loved the tuning of all their products but I also cannot say that I have been able to complain about them. They make elegant, well built, high quality headphones and IEMs. However, except on rare occasions, they also come with a price tag that is a reflection of that quality and elegance.
In the case of the Alba, I believe that this is their most budget friendly set of IEMs to date, coming in at around 159€ here in Spain. Now that is obviously not an “ultra-budget” price, something that I consider under 50€ IEMs to be, but it is a very interesting price for those who are interested in picking up their first set from the Romanian brand.
So, for what can be considered the entry price to Meze, what are we actually getting in the Alba and is it worth the price of admission?
Presentation…
I would have been surprised if the packaging and presentation of the Alba was not well thought out and elegant… I wasn’t surprised.
While the actual contents are pretty basic, the packaging is elegant and gives the feeling of having purchased a high-end product. The box is white, with a silver design on the top and the logo of Meze underneath, with nothing much else other than Alba written on one side.
Opening the box reveals an interior that follows the same white and silver colour scheme, with the IEMs sitting at the top and a small, oval storage case sitting underneath. Opening the case we find the included cable and tips, once again matching the white and silver theme. As far as tips, we only get 4 sizes of white silicone tips but I found them more than enough to use them for this review.
Apart from the main box, we also receive a Meze Audio dongle, at least I did. As far as I can tell from all the listings online, this dongle DAC is included with all the purchases but please forgive me if I am wrong on this.
In general, I find the presentation of the Alba to be simple and elegant. It may not seem to be the most extensive as far as contents but we do get everything that is needed, plus the dongle DAC, so I can’t find anything to complain about, especially when we move into the build and aesthetics of the contents.
Build and aesthetics…
As soon as I see the name Meze, I automatically think it is going to be well built and look good. Obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder but in my eye, they once again look great. The design of the IEMs is basically the same as that of the Advar although this time the colour combination is white and silver, rather than the black and copper of the Advar.
My first impression (apart from “these look great”) was that they seem smaller than I remember the Advar being. However, looking at photos online (as I no longer have the Advar), they seem to be the same size, so I guess I am just remembering wrong.
The quality of construction and finish of the IEMs is identical to that of the Advar, which is to say a 10 out of 10. They are no doubt a well built product and there is the same attention to detail as with all Meze products.
As far as comfort, another very personal thing, these are a shape that I find extremely comfortable. They are such a small size and the shape just fits my ear perfectly, making them disappear when I wear them.
The included cable is a little on the thin side but it is not a bad cable at all. It uses metal hardware except for the connectors to the IEMs, which are transparent, but in this case, the Alba opts for 2 pin connectors instead of the MMCX found on the Advar. This is going to be a positive for some and a negative for others but I personally prefer 2 pin over MMCX.
The transport/storage case is small but is large enough to hold the IEMs and the supplied dongle and has a nice soft interior. The colour of the storage case matches the IEMs, white with silver logo, which has the benefit of looking great but the drawback of not staying white for long if you use it to transport the IEMs.
I have to say that, as usual, it's Meze. I have nothing but praise for the build, comfort and aesthetics.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
I think that the vast majority will agree on what I have said about Meze products so far but where there is division is in the sound department, as is to be expected. In the case of the Alba, I am sure that there will also be those who like the sound signature and those that don’t. I personally fall into the first category.
Before getting on with my subjective impressions, here is the graph of the Alba in comparison to my usual preference target for reference:
.png)
Ok, so starting off in the subbass zone and using the usual “Chameleon” torture test, the Alba holds up pretty well. There is a slight emphasis on the subbass over the midbass which is nice and it helps keep the low end from becoming overloaded with this track. Now, I can’t say that the subbass is overly detailed (I’ll comment more on detail shortly) but it manages to hold it’s own. It is neither overpowering nor under delivering in the low end, at least for my personal tastes.
With something a little less dramatic, such as “No Sanctuary Here”, the low end does seem cleaner, with a nice thump to the midbass along with a smooth rumble in the subbass. Again, not overpowering but plenty for my tastes, although I do still get the sensation that the bass ranges are not the most detailed, they are more of a smooth and enjoyable sensation than an impressive boosted low end. I don’t think that bass heads would choose this model, yet those who look for a nicely balanced low end should find the Alba enjoyable in this regard.
With my fatigue test for midbass, “Crazy”, I find that there is a lovely sensation of reverb without it ever becoming the dominant factor in these ranges. It is not boomy, nor is it excessive, it performs at a level that I find nicely balanced, filling in that low end without taking anything away from the rest of the track.
With “Elephants On Ice Skates”, I find that the bass plucks lack a little excitement yet they are once again very well balanced with the rest of the track, making for a very musical presentation rather than a “wow” presentation.
Focusing on vocals, “These Bones” has a very smooth balance to it, without the deep vocals becoming the centre of attention of the acapella track in general and allowing the harmonizing vocals to fill out the soundstage and sound very natural. Once again I find that the focus is more on the overall presentation than showing off any detail.
With female vocals, I found that some vocals could seem to be a little too smooth, such as Sara K. in “All Your Love (Turned To Passion)”, yet this same smoothness works very well for other female vocals such as the voice of Raelee Nikole in “Dreamin’”.
When listening to The Civil Wars in “Billie Jean”, where there are both male and female vocals, I find that the male voice seems better presented when on his own in comparison to the female vocal, however, when they are both singing together, the balance is very good between them.
Moving to Dominique Fils-Aimé in “Strange Fruit”, I like the way the vocals harmonize but I do feel that there is a lack of detail in her vocals. Not enough to be detrimental to the track but, after listening to this song thousands of times, I feel that there is a bit of excitement missing.
Moving into the upper mids, I find that the slight delay in presence does make for a smoother presentation but also adds that slight “lack of excitement” in vocals that I have mentioned. This is a positive in the fact that nothing becomes harsh in these ranges yet it does make vocals sound a little strange on occasions, especially female vocals.
There is no sensation of sibilance in the usual culprits, such as Patricia Barber in “Code Cool”, where I would actually place her sibilance around a -2 on my non-scientific -12 to +12 scale. The same can be said with Paul Simon in “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes”, where he voice has the sibilance reduced slightly in comparison to many other sets, with the brass section also being a lot tamer than on many other presentations.
Soundstage is decent enough. It is not groundbreaking but enough to give a nice sensation of surrounding you in “La Luna”, although the slight lack of detail can make things seem to be slightly more blended together than on other more detailed sets.
And on the subject of detail, it is not that these IEMs are totally lacking detail, it is just not one of the strong points of the Alba. When listening to things like the small details in the background of “Strange Fruit” (that bird through the open window at the beginning) or the decay of the body strikes on the guitar in “All Your Love (Turned To Passion)”, then the details are there, you just need to focus more to hear them and they also roll off quite a bit faster than on other sets that are more detail focused.
Conclusion…
The Meze Alba are a set of very well built, very good looking and very comfortable set of IEMs by a brand that is known for high end products. As far as sound, I would say that they are basically an “all rounder” that focuses much more on a comprehensive overall presentation of music than excelling in any particular way.
If you are someone who is in the world of audiophilia and knows what they want specifically, then I really don’t think that these IEMs are for you. I don't think that they excel at anything in particular (except build of course) and actually come across to me as missing some excitement in the vocal and detail department.
However, they are also a set of IEMs that will do well with whatever you want to listen to, meaning that those who aren’t sure exactly what they want, or just want a general all round set, will get a set that they will be very happy with.
In fact, if someone wants a set of good IEMs from a very respectable company at a price that won’t break the bank and don’t know where to start, I think that the Alba would be a very good choice.
I wouldn’t choose to add them to my own personal collection, as I have already covered the specifics and am crazy enough to use a different set for different genres and moods, but I would not hesitate to recommend them to all the “normal” people around me that just want a good set of IEMs to listen to music.
__
As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: A well built, good option, for those looking for a vocal forward, brighter presentation...
Cons: The tuning dial is unnecessary...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tanchjim 4U
The Tanchjim 4U have been sent to me by HifiGo in exchange for the publication of this review. HifiGo have not made any specific requests and I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible in my review.
The Tanchjim 4U are available from HifiGo here: https://hifigo.com/products/tanchjim-4u
As always, this is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
It has been quite some time since I listened to a Tanchjim set of IEMs, since 2022 to be exact. The models I tried back then we probably more to my preference than to that of many others, due to a quite tame low end (except for the Tanya, which was quite elevated in the mid bass), and I found the performance at their respective price points to be a positive.
The 4U is a set that comes 2 years later but still aims at the reasonably priced category, available for just under 65€, featuring what they call a DMT-4 Ultra LCP Diaphragm dynamic driver.
What is a little different on this set is that they feature a 4-way dial that lets you choose between 4 different tunings, or rather 4 different bass levels, something that I will mention under the sound section.
Presentation…
Not much has changed since the last set I reviewed as far as packaging and contents. The outer white sleeve shows an image of the IEM on the front, with FR graphs and specifications on the back. This slides away to reveal a grey interior box with the Tanchjim logo on the top, almost identical to that of the Ola that I reviewed over 2 years ago. That is not a negative, the packaging is simple and elegant, so I am not complaining.
Opening the box reveals a sheet of anime stickers of a character named Asano, although I have no idea who it is, nor have I investigated

Again, almost identical to the contents of the Ola (except for the screwdriver and the stickers).
Build and construction…
The IEM construction also stands out to me as Tanchjim, even though it is a different shape to other models from the brand. It is a metal construction, using matte aluminium shells along with a shiny faceplate that sports the Tanchjim logo.
The shape I find is comfortable, they are fairly lightweight and they seem to be well built, something that I feel is the case with all Tanchjim products, at least those that I have seen.
The included cable is a simple lightweight 2 core braid that splits into individuals at the metal splitter. All the hardware is metal and matches the matte aluminium finish of the IEMs.
The rest of the contents are basically those that were included with the Ola, which is not to say that they are bad. They are not great but acceptable.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
When I first started listening to the 4U and playing with the tuning selector, the question that sprung to mind was “Why?”.
I understand that they want to give the users options, the same as other companies that include multiple nozzles or filters, and in this case, the fact that it is a dial that turns makes it a lot easier to change between tunings. However, the question of “Why?” Is more related to the tuning options they offer on this set.
As a picture is worth a thousand words (although I will probably still rack up a thousand words in this review), here is the graph of the 4 tuning options in relation to my usual reference:
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As we move from FWD to UP to BCK to DWN, the tunings make less sense to me. I am actually quite fond of the FWD tuning, which I will comment on in just a moment, but the other tunings just give me the same sensation as losing a seal, with the bass just dropping off more and more as we go.
Now, you probably all know that I am not a fan of overly emphasized bass, as you can see from my preference target, although there are many sets with more bass than my preference and I still find to be great. In this case, I am quite happy with the presentation of these IEMs in the FWD position but I can’t say that I would choose to use them in any of the other modes. That doesn’t mean other people won’t, just that, for me personally, the FWD tuning would have been plenty.
So, starting off with the subbass, you can probably already guess that there isn’t a huge amount of rumble going on with this set. If you are someone who likes a deep rumbling bass, then these are not the choice for you, even in FWD mode.
However, where they do perform well is in the clarity and presentation of the midbass. I find them to lend themselves more to acoustical performances than electronic based music, with things like the bass on “No Sanctuary Here” being a little tame for those that seek a hard hitting low range. Again, that doesn’t mean it does it badly, the bass is there in quality, just not in quantity.
“Crazy” is pretty well balanced in the low ranges, with the reverb not being an issue as far being bloated or overly boomy. There is plenty of clarity and it fills in the low end of the rack nicely but without being the focus at any point. There is a little emphasis on Daniela’s voice in this track but it is clear and not harsh or too spicy, something that I am pleased to hear.
Listening to “Hotel California (acoustic)”, I would say that the guitar could do with just a little more body and warmth, but it is once again clear and nicely defined. With “Elephants On Ice Skates”, there is more focus on the plucks of the bass than on the low notes, yet the low notes are still there, the track doesn’t come across as “empty”, just a different presentation to that of so many other sets lately.
“Seven Nation Army” by Zella Day does seem to have a little more warmth in the body of the guitar but once again, the focus is shifted more towards the vocals. I actually find female vocals to be very enjoyable on the 4U, with them taking the centre of the stage but without becoming overly present or thin. They also deal fairly well with sibilance. There is still sibilance in the intro of “Hope Is A Dangerous Thing” but I find “Code Cool” to be slightly tamed in this regard, at least in comparison to what I would expect from this kind of tuning.
I find the upper mids to be smooth and enjoyable which moves into upper ranges that are not the smoothest but are certainly not a negative on this set, again, taking into consideration the tuning that the 4U are going for. There do seem to be some peaks that try to increase the sensation of detail, which is a shame because they can give a slight hint of being artificial at times.
The stage width is not huge but there is enough space for things to spread out a little, like the vocal layers of “Strange Fruit”, which are easily identifiable, although the main voice is slightly overpowering to the background vocals on occasions. With “La Luna”, the location of the instrument has space between them but they are not placed far away and the rear left guitar does seem to be more left than rear, but once more, not bad.
Conclusion…
It has actually been refreshing to listen to something that is a break from the majority of tunings lately, that seem to be aiming more for a warm and laid back signature. In the case of the Tanchjim 4U, it goes for a brighter more up front signature. There is more emphasis on vocals, especially female vocals, but they don’t become overly harsh or thin sounding.
I still have the same question though… why? I really don’t feel that the 4U needed that those extra positions that we get from the tuning selector. I could maybe understand positions 1 and 2, but I feel that 3 and 4 are unnecessary. In fact, I don’t think that even position 2 is necessary as those that are looking for this kind of signature will already enjoy the basic “FWD” position.
I think that if that tuning selector had been omitted, then maybe these IEMs would have dropped under the 50€ mark that I consider ultra budget and they would have been an easy budget recommendation for those looking for a tuning of this kind.
I am not saying that these are expensive, they are only 65€, and they are certainly a step forwards from the Ola, I just think that we are getting something that wasn’t really necessary. They aimed for a specific tuning and performance and got it, why add more bits that become redundant?
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As usual, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
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SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Performance in general, very enjoyable presentation...
Cons: Contents are a little scarce at the price point (in comparison to other brands)...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Simgot Supermix 4
The Supermix 4 have been sent to me by Simgot in exchange for the publication of this review. Simgot have not requested anything or made any comments and, as always, I will do my very best to be unbiased in my review of these IEMs.
There doesn't seem to be an official page for the Simgot Supermix 4, at least I haven't found one, but they are available from the usual online stores. A quick search online will bring back plenty of results to choose from.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
I have to start off by saying that I am very happy to review these IEMs. As I mentioned in my last Simgot review, and probably in other reviews of Simgot IEMs previous to that one, I have really wanted to like a set of Simgot IEMs.
By that I don’t mean that I don’t think that Simgot make good IEMs, all of the IEMs I have received from them have been good, but I have struggled with all of them to some extent or another. The EA500LM, my last Simgot review, was the set that I have enjoyed the most to date but, even then, I would still not say that they are for me.
I have to give credit to Simgot for reading each of my reviews, saying thank you and moving on without a single complaint. It is not that my reviews of Simgot have been negative but there are a lot of brands who take offense with comments that are not along the lines of “these are the best ever” and no longer contact me to review their IEMs. That is something that Simgot have never done, in fact, they have continued to send models until we are where we are today.
Now, looking at the tuning of the Supermix 4 on paper, I would have said that these IEMs are probably the tuning from Simgot that I would most dislike out of all of them. I know I am jumping the gun here, I will get to audio impressions in a moment, but this is another one of those cases that proves that my preference target is nothing but a squiggly line that has no impact on whether I will like or dislike the sound of an IEM. But anyway, more on that in a moment, let’s first mention briefly what the Supermix 4 are.
Featuring four drivers in a hybrid set up, consisting of a dynamic driver, a balanced armature, a planar magnetic driver and a piezoelectric driver, there is a lot to go wrong when trying to make all of these play together in a coherent way.
According to the publicity, they are using the 10mm DD for the low frequencies, the BA is being used for the mids and the Planar+PTZ are being used for the higher frequencies. They are priced at around 140€, a price that I feel is more than reasonable for what you get, so let’s see what it is that you actually get.
Presentation…
While the outer box is not the usual style we get from Simgot, the packaging and contents certainly are. The outer sleeve is green and shows an x-ray style image of the IEM on the front, with the frequency response graph and the specs shown on the back.
Removing the sleeve reveals an inner box with a flip open card style lid, something very common on Simgot packaging, which opens to show the IEMs in foam cutouts and the usual accessories box below. Underneath the IEM section, we get the second box which contains the included tips.
The tips are the usual ones that Simgot includes, nothing extraordinary but I have, as always, used them for this review. The included cable is rather nice, with an outer texture that is a little rubbery to the touch but nowhere near like cables from other brands. It is stated to be an oxygen-free copper silver-plated cable, if you are interested in that kind of thing. All I know is that it works and is quite nice.
The storage transport case is also the typical oval shaped non-branded case we have seen in other Simgot packages, again nothing special but more than enough to protect the IEMs when storing or transporting.
In general, the contents could be considered a little sparse at the price point in comparison to other brands but it is the usual content from Simgot (except for no additional nozzles with this set, something I am actually happy about

Build and aesthetics…
The shells are simple black 3D printed shells with a dark grey metal (I think it is metal) faceplate. The faceplate has a simple circle on it in a goldish colour, depending on light, making them very simple overall. These are not the typical fingerprint magnets from the brand, no mirror finish which can look great but also be a curse if you are someone who hates fingerprints. Here we have something that does not show signs of use at all, at least in the time I have been using them.
The size is around average, not overly large but certainly not small and the fit is comfortable for me personally, being light weight also. Due to the length of the nozzles, I have found that I can use both medium and large size tips with these IEMs, getting a seal with both. After some listening, I found that I preferred the larger option with the IEMs getting just a couple of mm less insertion but both work.
The cable, as I said above, is quite nice and has metal hardware that matches the faceplate of the IEMs, so, while nothing extraordinary, I am quite happy with the overall aesthetics of the Supermix 4.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
If you read the intro, then you already know that this section is going to be positive. However, before getting to the subjective bit, here is the graph of the Supermix 4 in relation to my personal preference target:
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Ok, so I enjoyed using these for general listening for the week I used them but let me share my opinions on these IEMs while sitting down with my usual test track list and focusing on specific tracks and performance.
As always, let's start with the “Chameleon” subbass torture test. There is a lot of subbass here and, to be honest, it can become a little much unless you are someone who likes a lot of rumble. The driver does a good job of presenting the track, although I do feel that it is a little overwhelmed by the brutality of the bass when it is in full swing. By this, I don’t mean that it sounds bad, far from it, it proves to be a very capable driver in the lows, it just suffers slightly when driven to the limits.
Moving on to something that is still bass but in a much more sensible way, “No Sanctuary Here” sounds very good on the Supermix 4. There is plenty of subbass and midbass without ever getting the sensation that the driver is suffering at all. There is a very nice cleanliness to the bass hits, while not really over shadowing the rest. Yes, there is an emphasis on those lower notes but they are not stealing the show from the rest of the track, they just sound very full and capable.
The low end reverb in “Crazy”, something that easily fatigues me if overdone or not 100% clean, on the Supermix 4 sounds very clean and pleasant. There is again a sensation of the low end having a great “body” to it but without seeming overdone and keeping it clean and articulate. There is also no harshness or sibilance to Daniella Andrade’s voice in this track, something that does appear on a lot of sets. While there is definitely a bit of a focus on the lows and the upper mids, I find the track to sound very pleasurable on this set of IEMs.
Even though there is that V shaped response to these IEMs, it does not overpower the mids completely and I find it does an excellent job of reproducing “Sun Is Shining”, where the electronic bass is definitely the strong point but the rest of the track is still clean and by no means eclipsed at all.
Another track that shows the capability of these IEMs to reproduce a good low end without taking away from the clarity of the rest of the song is “Elephants on Ice Skates”. The bass plucks are clean and articulate, the brass sections are not overpowering and the the actual low bass notes are full and smooth.
There is a nice sensation of treble extension and air without it sounding artificial. While the Supermix 4 may not be the most detailed of IEMs, it doesn’t try to artificially create a sensation of being more detailed than it actually is, meaning that there is no overly pushy upper treble that tries to make the details stand out. That doesn’t mean that they are lacking in detail, they do a more than respectable job, they are just not something that is focused on making detail the forefront of the experience.
The soundstage is not huge but there is a nice separation between the instruments and vocals inside that stage. That also goes for the layers of vocals in things like “Strange Fruit”, where they different voices are identifiable but are not really separated, more of a chorus effect than individual vocals.
Conclusion…
This is the review that I have been hoping to do of a Simgot product. I have been wanting to really like a product of theirs and the Supermix 4 is finally it. For once my conclusion isn’t “they are good... but…”
The fact that I have been wanting to like something from Simgot may mean that there is some subconscious bias on my behalf, which I have tried to avoid but can’t guarantee that it isn’t there. Saying that, I also wanted to like previous models and it has taken until the 6th model I have tried to actually get there, so a “thank you for your patience” goes to both Simgot and you, the reader!
I find the Supermix 4 to be a very pleasurable IEM that I wouldn’t say is the best at anything in particular, but it does a good job at everything. It is a set that I have really enjoyed using, no matter what music I have decided to listen to, and feel that it is certainly something that those looking for a general all round set to enjoy music should take a look at.
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As always, this review is available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Build, presentation, performance...
Cons: Tuning can be strange with certain tracks and genres...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Letshuoer S08
The S08 have been sent to me directly by Letshuoer in exchange for the publication of my opinions in this review. Letshuoer have not made any requests or comments and I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible in my review, as always.
The official page for the Letshuoer S08 can be found here: https://letshuoer.net/es/products/l...tor-earphone-for-audiophiles-musicians-studio
As with all links that I share, the above is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
Letshuoer have announced that, to celebrate their 8th anniversary, they will be releasing various new models and the S08 is the first of them.
This model is certainly not the first planar by Letshuoer, with the S12, S12 Pro, Z12 and S15 all being models that are well known in the IEM world. I personally have a soft spot for the S12, as it was the first planar magnetic IEM that I liked enough for it to become my daily driver for quite some time (between review and review that is) and the S15, while a completely different flavour of IEM, was also a set that I enjoyed.
In their pre-launch publicity of the S08, Letshuoer say that they are sure that the S08 will remind people of the other models in the S series of planar IEMs, although they have opted for a completely different shape and also a smaller driver in the form of a 13mm instead of the 14.8mm found on their other models.
While I know that there are already some reviews out there of this IEM, I have managed to not read them or pay much attention to comments, which is how I prefer to review things when possible. I will also say that I am putting together this review before the actual launch of the S08, although it may already be available when I actually publish it, so I can’t confirm the exact price at this moment but Letshuoer did mention it would be under $100, which is always a nice price point for planar IEMs (as long as they are good of course).
Presentation…
The last few products I have received from Letshuoer have all been excellent in the packaging and accessories department. While the S08 is a little more basic than things like the S15, it is still a nice experience and includes a decent amount of content.
The black outer box has a design on it in the form of an 8, with basic text on the front. On the back we get the basic specifications of the IEMs in 3 languages, along with a scratch sticker to prove the authenticity of the IEMs.
Sliding out an opening the inner box reveals the instruction manual and warranty card, underneath which we find the round screw top storage case, something we are used to receiving from Letshuoer lately, along with the IEMs sitting in sponge cutouts above it.
Inside the storage case, we find the cable, a replacement connector for the cable (more on that in a moment) and a disc storing 3 sets of “balanced” ear tips and 2x sets of “vocal” ear tips, plus another set of vocal tips that come installed on the IEMs.
In all it is nothing out of the ordinary but it is a nice set of accessories, all of decent quality, and I have no complaints at all under the 100€ mark.
Build and aesthetics…
As I mentioned in the intro, the S08 opts for a different shape to the previous S line up, with an oval shell that I find to be very comfortable and easy to obtain a seal, with the correct size tips of course. The faceplate has a 3D raised shape that resembles an 8, with Letshuoer engraved into one IEM and a logo into the other.
The shells are made from aluminium and are available in black or silver, with the black being the one I received. The aesthetics are discreet but elegant and, while I haven’t seen the silver model in person, I really like how the black version sits inside the ear without drawing attention to itself.
The included cable is also very nice at the price point that this IEMs sits at (if the sub $100 price is correct). It has interchangeable connections, which is not new for Letshuoer, but in this case there is a ring that screws on to the connector holding it in place. I like the design of the connector and, although I haven’t experienced any issues with the push on connectors in the past, it does add a bit more robustness to the connection. The cables itself is nothing really special, and it does have plastic connectors at the IEM end, but it is not overly thick or thin, and uses a four way braid that looks good in the dark brown colour it uses (at least for the black model).
Overall I am a fan of the aesthetics and the comfort of the S08, finding them to fit easily in my ears with a fit that is deep enough to use my usual size of tips but not be overly intrusive.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
Letshuoer teased in their publicity that this would remind people of other S series IEMs and it does, in some ways, but is its own thing in others.
As with many sets that we are seeing lately, at least the sets that seem to be coming across my desk, there is a tendency towards a more relaxed and laid back signature, without as much brightness in the upper end, which makes IEMs need more performance in the detail department to not fall behind the competition, due to the fact that they are not relying on those upper ranges to push forward that (sometimes false) sensation of detail.
This seems to be the aim with the S08, with a frequency response that does remind us of the S15 in some ways but not in others. Here is the graph of the S08 in comparison to my usual preference response:
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And here it is in comparison to the S12 and the S15:
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Now, moving on to my subjective opinions, which don’t always align with the graphs, I immediately see the resemblance in the lower notes to the S15 and the S12. We have that planar speed that keeps the lowest notes of “Chameleon” clean and clear, yet there isn’t a lot of rumble really. Not that there isn’t presence in the subbass, there is, it is just that, as it is fast and clean, it doesn’t seem to be as present as on other sets.
It is impressive how the S08 can keep up with “Chameleon” without feeling strained or about to lose control, yet it is also a little “polite” in the way it presents this track. The presentation of “No Sanctuary Here” fits the S08 better in my opinion, as it benefits from that slight “politeness” in the lower ranges, making for a track that is present yet not boomy at all.
With my midbass fatigue test, “Crazy” is a little too present in the midbass range but it is clean enough for that reverb to not become fatiguing. One thing I did notice with this song is that the upper mids, which we will talk about in just a moment, do affect her vocals in a negative way. There is a dip in the 3k range that sort of hollows out her voice in that range, putting emphasis on the frequencies just below and just above that range, making her come across a little fragile and also harsh in her upper vocal ranges.
Listening to “Tears In Heaven” I was very impressed by the separation and width to this track, with details being very apparent in the multiple instruments, yet I also got the sensation that the timbre and tonality of the same instruments were not quite correct, lacking a bit of body to them and having an overly emphasized upper range. Much the same as with the vocals in “Crazy”, this lends to a slightly fragile sound.
I do find that the slight dip in the upper minds can affect some tracks much more than others. For example, “Long After You’re Gone” is another guitar plus vocals track and the fragility That I noticed with “Tears In Heaven” is not present, with the track seeming to have plenty of body and a nice fullness to both guitar and vocals.
Listening to “Billie Jean” by The Civil Wars, I once again get that sensation that something is not quite correct with the guitar and male vocal, even seeming a little nasal on occasions, yet the female vocals sound full and present, whereas with other female vocals, I can get that thinness again and slight harshness.
It is not really an issue with sibilance, at least not with the usual culprits such as “Code Cool”, it is more something that appears just when certain vocals or instruments that have a certain presence in that area coincide with the dip and it leaves things a little harsh and thin.
I will say that I am impressed with the detail and the space that these IEMs offer, with good separation both left to right and front to back. There is a wonderful sensation of space between the separate layers of “Strange Fruit” and the location of instruments in “La Luna” is very good.
Treble extension is not the best and can lead to a little sensation of dullness on certain tracks, depending on what the style of recording is. For example, it is much more noticeable with certain instruments such as acoustic guitars and pianos but is not really noticeable with more electronically focused music.
Conclusion…
The Letshuoer S08 is a set of IEMs that leaves me a little confused. With certain tracks they can come across as a little dull, with others, there is no sign of that dullness at all. Certain acoustic tracks seem to have good tonality and timbre to the guitars, whereas others seem to come across as a little fragile and harsh. The same happens to vocals, where a certain female vocal can be fragile and a little spicy, yet another, even in a similar range, has more body and presence.
One thing that I can’t deny is that these IEMs perform well. The planar drivers do what they are good at, they provide speed and detail. They are not the most detailed of IEMs out there but they are still good and will still present the details in a way that is enjoyable. The bass is very well controlled and defined, seemingly coping with even difficult tracks easily.
So it is just the tuning that leaves me a little confused. Now, I don’t speak about EQ in my reviews, at least not usually, because I like to judge things in their stock form, but personally, I think that the S08 are a very good candidate for some EQ tweaking. They perform well and just some slight reshaping of the upper mids makes them come alive and sound much more natural to my ears.
I think that is an important note here, you have a sub $100 set of IEMs that is well built, comfortable (to my ears), looks good (to my eyes) and performs well, so even if you find you are not fond of the stock tuning, a touch of EQ will soon turn it into a very enjoyable IEM.
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As always, this review is available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
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SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Build, aesthetics, performance...
Cons: Accessories aren't great, 2 of the 3 nozzles aren't for me...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Simgot EA500LM
The EA500LM have been sent to me by Simgot for me to try them out and to share my thoughts and opinions in this review. Simgot has not made any requests or comments and I will do my best to be as unbiased as possible in this review.
The official Simgot page can be found here: http://www.simgot.com/en
The EA500LM doesn't seem to be available on their web but a quick search will return it on the usual online stores.
As always, the link is non-affiliate.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
I don’t think Simgot needs any introduction to those who read or watch my reviews. I have reviewed multiple IEMs from the brand and my conclusion with all of them has been almost the same: they are great IEMs but I just can’t really get on with the tuning. My last review, which was quite recent, was of the EA1000 “Fermat” and I think it is the best I have tried from them so far, although I, once again, reached a similar conclusion. However, Simgot haven’t given up on me and have sent me along the EA500LM for me to see if it meets my preferences more.
I also reviewed the Simgot EA500 back in May of last year and one would think that the EA500LM would be a similar IEM, and in the looks department they are, however they are very different and I don’t think that a comparison a of the two would really be very relevant. I actually think that the EA500LM is more on a level of the EA1000 in terms of performance, although the tuning is also different, providing quite a different presentation to my ears.
This set uses a single dynamic driver, as did the original EA500, but based around the technology found in the EA1000, although without the passive radiator. They come in at around 80€ and I honestly feel that these are a set of IEMs worth looking at in the price range.
Presentation…
The IEMs arrive in a black box with artwork that changes colour depending on how the light hits the box. While there is nothing really to get excited about as far as packaging, they do keep it original and it is not just a plain box.
Inside the box we get the IEMs, the cable, 3 sets of silicone tips in 3 sizes, two additional nozzles, an oval storage/transport case and a bag of red and black o-rings as replacements if needed.
To be honest, there is nothing really extraordinary about the contents and, apart from the multiple nozzles to change the tuning, something that we have seen a lot with Simgot, the quantity of contents is rather basic (although I have seen much worse).
Build and aesthetics…
One thing I definitely can’t fault Simgot for is their build quality. Once again the EA500LM are a complete metal shell, with a shiny silver finish, that keeps up with their usual quality construction. The aesthetics are simple but shiny, something that will of course attract fingerprints but looks good when clean, with the Simgot logo on one side and the LM logo on the other.
The IEMs are rather compact and fit nicely inside the ear, at least they do in my ear, making for a comfortable fit, however, as with other Simgot models, I do find that I need to use a larger size of tips. On the subject of tips, the included tips are the usual tips from Simgot and do their job, being what I have used for this review. They are not my favourite tips but they are not horrible either.
The included cable has a rather rubbery feel to the clear finish over the brown and black internal cores, terminating in transparent plastic 2 pin connectors at one end and a black metal 3.5mm connector at the other. As with the tips, the cable is not my favourite but it certainly does its job and I can’t bring myself to complain about it.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
As I mentioned, the EA500LM include 3 sets of screw in nozzles that allow different tunings of the IEM. This is nothing new from Simgot and is something that has been included with the previous models I have reviewed.
The main noticeable difference between the nozzles is in the upper mid range, with one set being a lot more noticeable in its changes than the other.
Here is the frequency response graph of the 3 nozzles in comparison to my usual preference curve as a reference:
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Now, the last time I reviewed a multiple nozzle set, the EA1000, I tried to do it in a way to make things clearer on what the differences were between each nozzle. However, I think I ended up making it far more confusing by doing that, so I am going to approach this in a different way and see if I can keep it less confusing this time.
Starting off with the silver nozzles with the black O-rings, there is a lot of clarity but there is also that overly focused upper mid range double peak that is what led me to not get on well with the previous tunings of other Simgot models.
The subbass is clean and clear, with good definition, and it stands up to the torture test of “Chameleon” well, although it is not a set that will provide an excessive amount of rumble if that is what you are searching for. There is enough subbass for my personal preferences but it is not a wow factor of these IEMs. That doesn’t mean it is bad, I like it, it is not overpowering.
The midbass is just as clean and defined as the subbass, with nice detail and no boomyness at all in those lower reverberations of the guitar in “Crazy”. In the same way, “No Sanctuary Here” has a level of bass that I find nice, especially as the bass is quick and clear. It has that slight dynamic driver taste to it (if that even exists) but none of the slow response that we sometimes find from a DD.
The upper mids are where I can’t say I like these IEMs. I find it to be overly present, harsh and fragile sounding with these nozzles. This gives a lot of presence to vocals and also makes things seem very clear but I just find it to be a little harsh overall for me personally.
There is plenty of air and extension in the upper ranges, at least as far as my hearing extends (around 15.5kHz at my last test earlier this year). It is not a smooth treble, especially when added to that additional presence in the upper mids, although it does accentuate the detail without making it sound artificial, especially due to the EA500LM having good detail throughout the whole range.
Now, moving over to the silver nozzles with the red rings… I did this change half way through the track “No Sanctuary Here” and immediately felt things improved a lot in that harshness that I was hearing between 2.5kHz and 5kHz.
While the bass is still the same as far as quality and quantity, the reduced presence takes away a bit of the harshness and allows a little more focus on that low range. To be honest, they are still a little spicy for me in those ranges, however, I find them much more pleasurable than with the previous nozzles.
Going back to “Crazy”, the clarity is still there, there is still no boomy midbass and the detail is still good, but the vocals are slightly tamer in the upper ranges. I say slightly as there is still some sibilance and spice in the vocals of Daniella but I think this is something that I could adjust with some tip rolling and be fairly happy with the results.
The rest, for the most part, remains unchanged.
So, the last set of nozzles, the gold ones (which also have red O-rings but as there is only one set of gold nozzles, that doesn’t really matter).
These are my preferred set of nozzles by far. In fact, this is my favourite sound from a Simgot IEM to date. Ok, there is still a slight over-presence in those upper mids but now I am not feeling uncomfortable with it. Where I have been able to listen to other Simgot sets (and this set with other nozzles), with the Gold nozzles I am no longer feeling uncomfortable.
I would still prefer a tamer 2.5kHz to 5kHz range, we are now at a place where different tips and styles of music are enough for me to actually sit back and enjoy these IEMs. I find the subbass to stay clean and detailed, as with all the nozzles, the midbass to be very detailed and listenable, with a better presence as we climb up to those ranges that I just can’t love with Simgot tunings.
Detail and separation is good, soundstage is decent and, although a little peaky, the treble is not as overpowering due to the reduced upper mids. There is still a bit of sibilance in the vocals of “Crazy” but it is a lot more manageable, even at slightly higher volumes than my usual listening levels (although at high volumes it does become a little uncomfortable still).
Conclusion…
After reaching the same conclusion many times with Simgot IEMs: “They are great but the tuning isn’t for me”, well, I have the same conclusion here except… with the gold nozzles and some tip changes, I finally can enjoy a set of their IEMs without feeling uncomfortable.
Yes, they are still slightly on the harsh side (even with the gold nozzles) for my personal tastes but this is something that is probably only relevant to me and maybe 0.5% of those considering these IEMs. Even so, they are still very listenable.
But personal tuning tastes and sensitivities aside, the EA500LM are a very good set of IEMs that tick all the boxes for those looking for a set of good performing all round IEMs that are focused more towards a slightly forward signature than many of the “laid back” signatures we are seeing lately.
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As always, this review can also be found in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on Youtube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Tuning, performance, build...
Cons: Lack of included tip selection, faceplates scratch very easily...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Elysian Acoustic Labs Pilgrim
The Elysian Acoustic Labs Pilgrim have been sent to me by HifiGo for me to try them out and to share my opinions in this review. HifiGo have not made any requests and, as always, I will do my very best to be as unbiased as humanly possible in y review.
You can find the Pilgrim via HifiGo here: https://hifigo.com/products/elysian-acoustic-labs-pilgrim
As always, this link is non-affiliate.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
I recently reviewed the Pilgrim Noir, which is a joint venture between Elysian Acoustic Labs and Effect Audio. I actually received both of the models on the same day, from different places, and the only reason that I chose to review the Noir first was because I had to pick one and there seemed to be less info on the Noir out there.
Today I am reviewing what could be considered the “regular” version of the Pilgrim, the one that is simply the Elysian Acoustic Labs Pilgrim, without any additional collaborations. While I did not do any comparisons between the two models in my review of the Noir, because I hadn’t spent time with the Pilgrim yet, I will make some comparisons in this review. To make things easier, I am just going to refer to this model as the Pilgrim and refer to the model I previously reviewed as the Noir, which makes sense and saves me having to type more than necessary!
Straight of the bat, the first comparison is going to be in the price. I did mention in my review of the Noir that the Pilgrim is around half the price. Well, as of today, you can get the Pilgrim from HifiGo for 366€, while the Noir is available on the Effect Audio site for $799, which is approximately 738€. So yes, the Pilgrim is actually less than half the price of the Noir.
However, there are more differences than just the colour, as the drivers used are also different. Where the Noir used 1x LSR DD for the lows, 2x Sonion BA’s for the mids and 1x Knowles BA for the highs, the Pilgrim opts for 3x Sonion BA’s along with the LSR DD, also opting for a 3-way crossover instead of the 4-way on the Noir. Of course, these are just parts and do not make up the whole, which is something we will talk about in the sound section, yet it is worth noting.
As far as other specs that are different, we find that the Noir has a stated impedance of 8.3 Ohms, with a sensitivity of 103dB, whereas the Pilgrim states a 9 Ohm impedance and a sensitivity of 101dB. Honestly, these differences are so minimal that they are not even worth considering. However, we do notice that both have a low impedance, something that is worth considering when choosing a source for these IEMs.
But anyway, enough with the letters and the numbers, let’s take a proper look at the Pilgrim and find out what we are sacrificing by paying less than half of the cost of the Noir.
Presentation…
As the Noir arrived in a plastic bag, the Pilgrim obviously wins in the packaging department

The Pilgrim arrives in a large and simple matte white box with the Elysian logo on the top in silver, a simple silver design also on the top and Pilgrim in silver letters on one side. That is it, simple and elegant.
Removing the lid reveals the IEMs sitting in two cutouts on a raised platform on a recessed tray. Lifting this tray out, a black box is revealed that simply states “Make no compromises”. Inside this box we find the warranty card, a small booklet about the IEMs, a microfiber cloth with the Elysian logo and, I believe, the cable. I say “I believe” because I honestly can’t remember if the cable came in the box or in the storage case which we find below it.
The storage case, which is found at the very bottom of the box is possibly one of the best looking I have received to date. It is in a faux white leather, oval in shape with the Elysian logo in silver on the top, with a hinged lid that reveals a grey lined interior. The case looks great, however, I think the only way it will stay looking great is if we leave it in the box, as the white case will soon not be white anymore if we use it for transporting the IEMs. Inside the storage case we get 3x sized of Spinfit tips and maybe (if it wasn’t in the box) the cable.
I think that the packaging and presentation of the Pilgrim is great. Simple, elegant and well done, my only complaint is about the lack of tip options included. I have to say that the included tips are not my favourite tips with the Pilgrim but, as always, I try to use what is included in the box unless there is a specific reason not to. Therefore, I have used the included Spinfit tips for this review and I also used the same tips for my review of the Noir. I must say that it is very important to make sure a correct seal is obtained.
Build and aesthetics…
I mentioned in the Noir review, one of the only things that I compared, that the only difference between the two models as far as build is the colour. The Noir is black (obviously) and the Pilgrim is a combination of shiny silver and matte silver (aluminium) which works very well to set off the design of the face plate. The centre of the faceplate features the Elysian logo in a raised format, following the 3D effect of the general design, and there are 4 vents on the faceplate, strategically placed in the darker (matte) areas.
Something that I did forget to mention in my review of the Noir is that they both use Pentaconn connectors for the IEMs in place of the more common 2pin or MMCX connectors found on the majority of IEMs. While this will make it more difficult to find replacement cables if you are wanting to, I have to say that I much prefer these connectors. They are much easier to connect and disconnect than MMCX, while still maintaining the swivel possibility, adding to the comfort.
Now, as I have said, both IEMs are identical. This means that I have had the same issues getting a good seal with the Pilgrim as I did with the Noir. This is something that I found easier to solve by using different tips to the ones included, yet, as I said a moment ago, I have used the included Spinfit tips for both reviews. It is possible for me to get a seal with the Spinfits, it just takes a bit of work. When they are seated correctly and I get the seal correct, then I find them comfortable, even if they are not the lightest or smallest of IEMs, but I still prefer to opt for other tips in this case.
The included cable is obviously different from the Effect Audio cable included with the Noir. No, this cable isn’t as nice as the Eros cable, but it is far from terrible. It is quite basic cable, silver in colour with matching matte silver hardware. I am not the biggest fan of the rubberised transparent outer coating but there is no way I could bring myself to say this is a bad or ugly cable. It matches the IEMs very well, it does its job and there is absolutely no sound difference (to my ears or to my measurement rig) if I swap the cable from the Noir to the Pilgrim. Have I seen better cables? Yes of course, but I have also seen much much worse at higher price points.
In general I am a fan of the aesthetics and feel that the build is very good. Personally I prefer the looks of the Pilgrim to the Noir, even though I usually prefer black to silver. But that is obviously a very personal thing and is irrelevant to my review, or the review of anyone else for that matter.
The one issue with the aesthetics is that the shiny silver finish scratched ver easily. I haven't "babied" these IEMs but I haven't mistreated them either, I have just used them as I would any other IEM. While the Noir, which has actually had more use (due to me reviewing it first and using it for comparisons during this review), still looks like new, whereas the the Pilgrim does show quite a bit of use in the form of scratches on the shiny part of the faceplate. It's a shame because I am a fan of the looks of the Pilgrim.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
Ok, the million dollar question, or rather the 372€ question… which sounds best????
Neither.
Both.
Which ice-cream tastes best?
Seriously though, these two IEMs, while they do share a lot of similarities, they are also completely different flavours. There is no best between them. It is a case of which flavour do you prefer.
The Noir is more of a laid back tuning, without becoming overly dark, that doesn’t seem to focus on anything in particular but nothing is really missing.
The Pilgrim is more of a forward tuning, without becoming overly bright, that makes details and separation more apparent than on the Noir, yet doesn’t become overpowering with it.
I could probably just stop there but let’s take a look at the Pilgrim with my test tracks, that is, after the usual look at the graph in comparison to my usual preference curve and the Noir:
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We can see from the graph that the Pilgrim is a little closer to my usual preference than the Noir but, as I said in the Noir review and in many other reviews, this preference is by no means a rule as to me liking something more or less, it is just a general reference guide to my usual preferences.
So, starting off with… yes, “Chameleon”, as always! The quality of the Pilgrim matches that of the Noir, that is to say, clean, clear and very well defined. What does change is the quantity and, for my personal tastes, I much prefer the Pilgrim. Both the slightly reduced subbass presence and the slightly more present upper ranges, take the focus away from the lowest ranges and leave me with a flavour that is much more to my personal liking.
Sticking with tracks that I mentioned in my review of the Noir, “No Sanctuary Here” is also a lot less bass focused yet it is not lacking bass at all for my tastes. The bass is full and not anemic in any way, yet it does not stand out above the rest of the spectrum, allowing for a reproduction that I find more balanced. With this track, the vocals took a bit of a step back on the Noir, while that is not the case here. The vocals are more forward but this does not detract from the great performance of the backing vocals and bass in general.
“Crazy” is just about perfect on the Pilgrim. There is no sign of excessive reverb in the lower notes of the guitar, with what I would consider a very natural tone to it. There is also no sign of sibilance or harshness in the upper ranges, letting the voice of Daniela Andrade be very clear and present but without any real drawbacks. I can’t say it is the best I have ever heard this track sound but it is definitely up there with some of the best.
With the Noir I mentioned that certain parts of tracks in isolation could come across a little dull and lacking bite, that is not the case here. With “Elephants On Ice Skates”, there is plenty of bite to those bass guitar plucks throughout the intro, with the lower notes of the bass coming in with authority yet not overly done. The same can be said about vocals, such as Dominique Fils’Aime in “Strange Fruit”, where her solo voice is not missing spice yet it is not spicy either, if that makes any sense. While on the subject of “Strange Fruit”, I will also say that the space between the vocal layers is just enough for them to be easily separated yet not too much for them to sound disconnected from one another. They harmonize very nicely.
The same can be said about “Billie Jean” by The Civil Wars, where both the male and female vocals sound clear when solo’d but also sound natural when working together, without either of them really stealing the light from the other.
As far as sibilance, where I noted that the Noir reduced sibilance, I would say that the Pilgrim is pretty neutral in this regard, with “Code Cool” being just on the verge of what I would expect from the track, the same being said for the intro to “Hope Is A Dangerous Thing”. If anything, I would say it is maybe even tamed a little but not to the extent that it is on the Noir.
Conclusion…
While I haven’t done an exact comparison section between the Pilgrim and the Noir, I think I have referred to the Noir enough during this review to be able to grasp the differences between the two. As I said at the beginning of the sound section, I don’t feel that there is a better or a worse between them, they are just different flavours and it comes down to personal preference.
If there is one thing I think is possibly better in performance on the Noir, it is detail retrieval. Now that might sound strange, as the Pilgrim is actually more upfront about showing the detail, yet I think that is exactly what leads me to believe that the detail performance of the Noir is slightly better. The Noir does not push detail, in fact, it is just a smooth laid back sound signature that sort of hides detail. Yet, it doesn’t hide detail. When listening to them side by side, there isn’t anything missing from the Noir at all, it is just that the Pilgrim focuses on in more. If I were to EQ the Pilgrim to the tuning of the Noir (something that I haven’t played around with yet), then I think that the detail may suffer a little and not be a good as on the Noir. But, to be honest, this is just speculation and is irrelevant at this moment.
While I enjoy the laid back nature of the Noir, my personal preference is towards the Pilgrim, where I feel it matches my tastes more, especially for an all round set. There are times when my mood would lead me to pick up the Noir over the Pilgrim, yet, if I could only have one, then that would be the Pilgrim. Which I guess is a good thing, as the Pilgrim is half the price of the Noir, as I said at the beginning.
So why is the Noir double the price of the Pilgrim? Well, apart from the possible difference in detail performance (which may not even exist), there is the tuning, the aesthetics and, of course, the Effect Audio cable. The cable is almost 300€, which, if we take that out of the equation, only leaves a 70€ (approx) difference between the 2. Which, I honestly feel is a reasonable price difference. If the cable is worth the 300€ to you, well only you can decide that.
I guess that my conclusion is that both the Pilgrim and the Noir are very good IEMs that cater to different people with different tastes. There really isn’t a better or worse (in my opinion), just a different flavour that depends on the final user and if they are willing to pay that extra or not.
What is for sure is that, in my opinion, for 366€, the Pilgrim is a very impressive IEM.
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As always, this review can be found in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

Argha
Have to tried to eq Pilgrim ?
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Good build, lightweight, decent aesthetics, overall tuning is not bad...
Cons: Not very detailed, subbass performance is not great, can be a little harsh in the upper mids with tracks that don't have a lot of bass...
The Tangzu X HBB Xuan NV have been sent to me by Linsoul for me to try them out and to publish my opinions in this review. Linsoul have not made any requests, they never do, and I will do my usual best to be as unbiased as possible in my review.
The Tangzu X HBB Xuan NV can be found via Linsoul here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-xuannv
As always, this is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
Can anyone say for sure how many collaborations HBB has? Can HBB even name them all without looking them up? I know that I lost track many moons ago

Seriously though, I don’t think HBB or his collaborations need any introduction at this point in time and the Xuan NV is his latest (or maybe not?) with the brand Tangzu, who he already collaborated with in the past. While I didn’t get to listen to the Heyday, his previous Tangzu collab, I do know that there were plenty of people who enjoyed it. This time, we have moved from the planar in the Heyday to a dual dynamic driver in the Xuan NV and the price has also dropped from 190€ to around 70€ for this model.
We are used to collaborations from HBB being very different from previous models, so, what do we get with the Xuan NV?
Presentation…
Tangzu have a habit of using classic looking artwork on their packaging and the Xuan NV is no different, with a box cover that is still anime inspired but more traditional in its intent. The reference to HBB is also quite subtle, with just his logo appearing on the bottom right corner, without further reference to him on the packaging. The back of the packaging shares some basic specs of the IEMs and plenty of QR codes to scan.
Opening the box we get the IEMs, a pouch style storage case, 6 sets if Tang Sancai tips (3x balanced and 3x wide), plus a set of simple white silicone tips installed and the cable. Nothing extraordinary but plenty to allow us to enjoy the IEMs.
Build and aesthetics…
The shells are 3D printed in medical grade resin, with a transparent red colour to them and gold design on the faceplate to represent a butterfly wing on each IEM. If you look very closely, you will see HBB in lettering on one wing and Tangzu on the other, although you will have to look very very closely, as it is very hard to make out.
The internals contain 2x dynamic drivers, one 10mm ceramic and the other an 8mm PU+LCP. The overall impedance of these drivers is quite low, 8.5 Ohms, but so is the sensitivity at 98dB. I have found that these IEMs do need quite a bit of power to get them to my usual listening levels, so those of you who listen loud (the majority listen louder than me), will need to make sure you have a decent dongle or amplifier, I don’t suggest trying to run these from a phone.
Overall, the IEMs look decent enough, they are very lightweight and I find them to be comfortable even for long listening sessions.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
As I said a moment ago, HBB has a lot of collaborations and also has the habit of each one being different. I am not sure if he is trying to collect tunings like Pokemon but here is a quick recap of the tunings he has had so far (and I am probably missing quite a few):

Well, the Xuan NV manages to find yet another variation in tuning, so call HBB whatever you want but he certainly isn’t boring when it comes to choosing a tuning:

So, to put this into perspective against my usual preference curve that I use as a reference, this is what it looks like:

So let’s start off with “Chameleon” as usual and talk about subbass. There is plenty of rumble for my tastes although it is not the cleanest of low notes that I have heard. By that I don’t mean it does a bad job, far from it, it is controlled but it does seem to blend the subbass notes together slightly when this track is at its fullest. To be honest, it is a brutal test for IEMs anyway, as there is a lot of low end there and the Xuan NV don’t fall apart. I have heard better but I have heard many sets that are much worse.
With something a little less overloaded, like “No Sanctuary Here”, there is more clarity, things don’t suffer quite as much. I still wouldn’t say it is amazing in the lowest notes but it is certainly decent enough. There can be just a little too much going on in “Royals” but if we move to something more midbass focused, such as “Sun Is Shining”, then things get a lot better.
Mids are pretty decent and if we don’t overload the lowest registers, the tonality and performance of the mids is more than acceptable. There is a rather large boost around the 3kHz mark which serves well to counteract the subbass but can leave things a little harsh when we take tracks that are not really bass focused, such as acoustic songs like “Tears in Heaven”.
I find that it works much better for some of the older hip hop tracks that are not overly heavy in the subbass but still have enough in the bass department for the vocals to not be overly harsh due to that 3k boost.
One thing I will say is that there is absolutely no harshness to my ears from that 5kHz region, something that I really appreciate. To me a boosted 3kHz is much more tolerable than a 5kHz peak, although each person is sensitive to different frequencies, so your mileage may vary.
Sibilance is also kept in check, or reduced rather, with no sign of sibilance in the usual suspects like Patricia Barber in “Code Cool”.
The treble extension is not great, with a noticeable roll off that does give a sensation of lacking air. This interacts with the overall signature to present a rather laid back presentation that is not the most detailed.
Conclusion…
I seem to have tried out quite a few IEMs lately that have a “relaxed and laid back” presentation, some more than others. In the case of the Xuan NV, it is an enjoyable set of IEMs for the most part, although I do find it to be lacking detail retrieval in general and it can also become a little overwhelming if we pump overly (sub)bassy music into it.
While I don’t have any specific issues with the Xuan NV, I really don’t find it to stand out above other similar alternatives at similar price points. This is not to say that you won’t enjoy it, if you are looking for a presentation that is of this style, then I think that you will enjoy it, I just feel that there are other alternatives with a similar laid back style that can compete.
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As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Good build, good aesthetics, decent accessories...
Cons: Driver suffers with subbass, upper ranges can be spicy when tracks are low on bass, not really great performers...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Jialai Carat
The Jialai Carat have been sent to me by the brand, which is part of NiceHCK, in exchange for my impressions. I have received no requests or comments and, as always, I will do my very best to be as unbiased as possible.
You can find a non-affiliate link to the Jialai Carat here by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (www.achoreviews.com).
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
Jialai is a new brand in the world of IEMs and is a sister brand of NiceHCK, a brand that has been around for quite some time. The Carat is the first model and opts for a single 10mmm titanium coated DLC driver, coming in at around 65€, depending on where you purchase from.
They are stated as being tuned to the IE2019 frequency curve, something that they say will ensure enhanced clarity for vocals and a smooth overall presentation.
So, how does the Carat perform amongst the masses of budget focused IEMs that are available on the market?
Presentation…
I have to say that the presentation is pretty impressive for a set that is slightly over what I would consider ultra-budget.
Arriving in a silver coloured flip top box, the front simply shows the brand and model, while the back shares some basic specs about the model.
Flipping open the top reveals the very shiny IEMs sitting in their foam cutouts, underneath which we find a storage/transport case along with the cable, a basic user manual and 9 sets of silicone tips in 3 different styles.
It is not that we are receiving out of the ordinary but it is nice to see the inclusion of a selection of tips along with a case that is of decent quality.
There really is nothing to complain about in regards to packaging or amount of accessories.
Build and aesthetics…
The shells are made from CNC machined aluminium and have a mirror like finish to them. While this makes them look shiny and impressive when opening the box, the finish will collect more fingerprints than CSI Miami. The positive side is that they clean very easily with a microfiber cloth but, unless you are going to wear gloves, it is almost impossible to keep them looking as shiny as they do out of the box.
The build is good and they are nice and light for a full metal build, however, due to the short nozzles, the fit is not very deep, meaning I needed to opt for a larger size of tips that I would usually. I ended up opting for the yellow core tips from the included sets, which is a large size, and once I placed them in my ears with these tips, the result is very comfortable.
While the IEMs are well built and have nice aesthetics, I can’t say the same for the included cable. The cable has a very plastic feel to it and is rather rigid, keeping the folds and kinks that it came with (from being wrapped in the box) even after using it for almost a week. The cable does function and does it’s job but, knowing that NiceHCK make some decent cables, it would have been nice to include something a little better than what we get with the Carat.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
Before starting with my subjective impressions, here is the graph of the Carat in relation to my usual preference curve:
.png)
As always, the preference curve is just as a guide, it is not a rule that means I will like or dislike a product.
Starting off with the subbass and my obligatory “Chameleon” test, there is presence but the quality is not the best nor is it the cleanest. This is mainly due to a large presence of midbass that seems to fusion with the subbass and create a low end that is not very defined.
While there is too much midbass for my personal preference, using “Crazy” as my usual fatigue test, the quality of the midbass is actually not too bad. I don’t find the midbass overly fatiguing but I think that the driver seems to struggle a little with subbass, which, when added to the midbass boost, creates a rather unfocused low end.
This is again noticeable with “No Sanctuary Here”, where the low end just seems to struggle for clarity, something that seems to clean up as soon as we remove subbass from the equation.
As we move into the midrange, there is quite a noticeable dip in the mids which makes certain vocals and instruments get a little lost in their midrange when the track has a decent amount of low end (especially subbass). With simpler tracks, this doesn’t become an issue but with bassy and busy tracks, this does not help.
Moving into the upper ranges, the tuning is decent but can come across a little hot on occasions. I wouldn’t have thought this based on the graph but to my ears, certain songs do suddenly become a little spicy.
This is less apparent when the low end is busy but then that accentuates the V shaped tuning, making the dip in the midrange more apparent. So it solves one but creates another.
Conclusion…
It is great to see new contenders in the budget focused IEM world, yet the Jialai Carat doesn’t quite do it for me. While the build is great, except for the cable, and the tuning is something that I can see a lot of people liking, I just find that the performance doesn’t really stand out as being brilliant.
That low end can suffer quite a bit when there is a presence of both subbass and midbass, making things come across as poorly defined, but even when there isn’t a lot of low end in the mix, they still don’t come across as overly detailed.
I am not really saying these are a bad set of IEMs, it wasn’t long ago that they would have been pretty impressive, I just don’t think that they are great at anything in particular and really don’t have much going on that would make me pick them over quite a few other options in this price bracket.
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As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Good performance and good aesthetics...
Cons: Less powerful and very similar performance to the cheaper alternative from the same brand...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Hidizs S8 Pro Robin
The S8 Pro Robin is the latest dongle released by Hidizs and has been sent to me by the company for me to try it out and to share my opinions in this review. Hidizs have not made and requests and I will be as unbiased as humanly possible, as I always try to be.
You can find the official page for the S8 Pro here: https://www.hidizs.net/products/hidizs-s8-pro-robin-hifi-balanced-dongle-dac
As with all links that I share, this is a non-affiliate link.
Intro…
As I just mentioned, the S8 Pro Robin is the latest dongle DAC to be released by the company that has already made a name for itself in the dongle market. Around 6 months ago, I reviewed the S9 Pro Plus Martha, an updated version of the previous S9 Pro, which has a current price of just over 80€. The S8 Pro Robin is an update to the previous S8 and comes in at a price of around 90€, although the first 100 orders do get it at the reduced price of 60€.
So before we actually focus on the S8 Pro, let’s see what the differences are in specs between the S8 Pro and the S9 Pro Plus that is around 10€ cheaper.
The first thing that stands out is obviously the DAC chip that is used. While the S9 Pro Plus opted for an ESS chip, the S8 Pro features two CS43131 from Cirrus Logic. Of course, the DAC chip is really just a part number and it is the implementation that counts, but it is still the first thing you will notice on paper when comparing the two.
As far as power, the S9 Pro Plus claimed 138mW @32 Ohms unbalanced and 180mW @32 Ohms balanced, where the S8 Pro maintains the same claimed power output in balanced mode but the unbalanced mode is 80mW instead of the 138mW that the S9 Pro Plus offers.
While both devices can decode PCM up to 32bit/384kHz, the S8 Pro will only do up to native DSD256, where the S9 Pro Plus increases this to DSD512.
Both devices offer 6 filter modes, identified by the colour changing led logo, however, the actual filters are different implementations.
Finally, as far as specs, the S8 Pro claims distortion as low as 0.0005% (unbalanced) and 0.0006% (balanced) with an SNR of 125dB/128dB and a separation of 74dB/110dB. The S9 Pro Plus on the other hand, claims 0.0019% in unbalanced, 0.0008% in balanced, an SNR of 123dB/120dB and a separation of 75dB/115dB.
So, all of these numbers would make you wonder why you would chose the S8 Pro over the S9 Pro Plus, when the only real benefit on paper is a slightly better distortion which is well below the human hearing threshold anyway. Well, lets take a look at the S8 Pro in depth and then, if you haven’t already seen my S9 Pro Plus review, you can find that here and make a decision for yourself.
As always, specs are specs, implementation and use are the important parts.
Presentation…
There really isn’t much difference between the presentation of the S8 Pro and the S9 Pro Plus. The device is well packed inside a hard plastic box, which is covered by a cardboard sleeve showing an image of the device and the specs on the back.
Inside the box we get the dongle, a USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-A to USB-C adapter, a Lightning to USB-C adapter (this is something that didn’t come with the S9 Pro Plus) a Hi-Res sticker and a warranty card.
Nothing really special about the packaging or the contents but it is nice to see that the adapter was included for the iOS users out there and there is really nothing we can say is missing from the contents.
Build and aesthetics…
The device is easily recognizable as a Hidizs dongle, yet they have made some changes to the aesthetics in comparison to previous models, which I think look pretty good.
The black aluminium frame sports two glass panels (plexiglass) which are also black and feature the Hidizs logo on the front, which illuminates and changes colour depending on filter and playback format.
One on side of the device there are 3 copper coloured buttons, the top and bottom ones being shaped like diamonds, while the centre one is shaped like a wheel that stands out from the body.
While these buttons look very elegant in their design, I feel that the middle button is at risk of being damaged. I say this because it looks like it is a volume wheel, yet it is only a push button, and if you try to turn it, as anyone picking up this device for the first time probably will, then there is a little flex to it and I think that someone trying to turn it with a little too much strength may either snap the shaft or cause damage to the inside. It is not that I have damaged it, nor can I guarantee it will get damaged, maybe I am over thinking it, but it does give me that impression.
In general I think that the device looks very elegant is is well built, although I would have liked that center button to be a knob/wheel rather than just a button. That way they could have skipped the other two buttons. This is not a complaint, just an observation from my point of view.
Functionality…
Although there is no user manual included with the S8 Pro, the functionality is rather straight forwards.
You connect your headphones to either the balanced or unbalanced ports on the top of the device, you connect the USB cable from your source to the device on the bottom, and then you control the few functions it has from the side buttons.
The center button functions as a play/pause button on windows, with a double click functioning as next track on Android. I don’t know if the next track function is supposed to be present on windows but I couldn’t get it to work so I am guessing it is an Android only thing (well, maybe iOS also but I don’t have an Apple device to test with).
The other two buttons serve as volume up and down. This changes the volume output of the device itself, there is no local controlled amplification on the S8 Pro itself, just the overall software control on Android/Windows.
When pressing and holding the two volume buttons simultaneously, this changes the filter of the device and is reflected by the flashing of the logo in a different colour to inform which filter has been selected.
The filter options are:
RED - High Pass FIlter
GREEN - NOS Filter
BLUE - Deem Phasis filter
YELLOW - Fast and slow filter
PURPLE - Low latency and phase compensated filter
WHITE - Wide band flatness mode
Now, the names of some of these filters don’t really make much sense to me. I have no idea what “Deem Phasis Filter” is, I am unsure of how a filter could be both fast and slow at the same time, and I was also intrigued by the High Pass Filter, wondering at what frequency the high pass filter cuts off.
So, to satisfy my intrigue, I measured the frequency response of the S8 Pro (after already recording the video review) and found no difference in the lower frequencies between the High Pass Filter and the other filters, at least down to 20Hz. My test set up is not really adequate for measuring below 20Hz, so I can't say at what frequency the HPF cuts off, if at all, but I don't really see the need for this filter.
Anyway, to my ears, I seemed to prefer the NOS filter (green), so that is what I ended up sticking with after the initial playing around.
Sound…
I always say that it is difficult to judge differences between sources and that we, as reviewers, tend to have a tendency to exaggerate the minor differences to get our point across. In the case of the S8 Pro, testing side by side with the S9 Pro Plus, I think that the differences are even smaller than usual.
When switching between sources and IEMs, I would sometimes get the feeling that the S8 Pro is a little more detailed than the S9 Pro Plus, and on other occasions, I would fell that it is just a little bit warmer. Yet, these are not impressions that I found with all IEMs or even at all times, even when listening to the same track later in the day.
I would make a note in the morning that track X sounds a little warmer on the S8 Pro, then in the afternoon I would strike a line through that comment, basically because I no longer really identified that difference. Then, in the evening, I would make a note that it sounded a little brighter, only to scratch that the next morning and start again.
In general, I would say that the S8 Pro is a neutral sound signature with good detail retrieval, yet so is the S9 Pro Plus. There is much more of a noticeable difference between the original S9 Pro and the S9 Pro Plus than there is between the S8 Plus.
Basically I find the S8 Pro to be a device that performs very well and doesn’t really do anything to alter the expected presentation of the IEMs that are in use.
Conclusion…
The S8 Pro is another great little dongle from Hidizs. It may not have a huge amount of power but it is ample for the vast majority of IEMs that will be plugged into it. The performance is good and the build is good. Yes, I had a few little comments along the way but they were just comments, not complaints.
I would say that the biggest competition to the S8 Pro is the S9 Pro Plus from the same manufacturer.
As mentioned earlier in the review, I suggest you check out my review of the S9 Pro Plus and come to your own conclusion but in my book, I don’t think you can really go wrong with either of them. Both perform well and the differences in sound are far more dependent on my state of mind than huge differences in performance.
I do prefer the look of the S8 Pro personally but I would be happy to use either device.
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As always, this review is available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Very pleasant and musical IEMs...
Cons: Only one peak that can clash with percussion in the high ranges...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Kefine Delci
The Kefine Delci have been sent to me by Kefine for me to try them out and to share my opinions in this review. Kefine have not made any requests and, as usual, I will attempt to be as unbiased as humanly possible.
I was going to post the official page of the Delci, as usual, but looking around it seems that it is available from many retailers. I mention the price of 55€ in my review but it is available are various prices from various places, so I suggest you look around and pick the deal that interests you the most.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
This is not the first set of IEMs that I have reviewed from Kefine, although they are still a new brand, with the Delci being only their second set of IEMs (as far as I am aware). Their first set, the Klanar, is a planar set that I reviewed in November last year. I said that, while the Klanar wasn’t my favourite tuning, there was no doubt that they had done a good job with their first entry into the market.
The Delci moves away from the planar driver and opts for a 10mm dynamic driver that combines DLC and PU. Priced at just over 50€, 55€ to be exact, it falls only just outside my ultra budget limit buy only by 5€, so I would still consider it to be a very well priced IEM.
So, how have Kefine done with their second set? Let’s find out.
Presentation…
As far as packaging, there is very little difference between this model and the Klanar, which comes in at almost twice the price. The outer sleeve is black instead of white but still features an image of the IEM, with some basic specs on the back.
Opening the simple black box that slides out from the sleeve reveals content that us also very similar to the previous model. The IEMs sitting in a simple piece of foam and a storage case underneath that contains the cable and 6 extra sets of tips (so 7 in total) in 2 core sizes.
As with the Klanar, the presentation of the Delci is nothing special but it is half the price of the previous model so I have no complaints.
Build and aesthetics…
As far as build and aesthetics, we again find they are very similar to the planar model. In this case we get gunmetal grey shells rather than black, and there is a slightly more pronounced elevation to where the simple Kefine lettering sits in the center.
The cable also opts for gunmetal grey hardware and connectors, this time in metal rather than plastic in the case of the Klanar.
In general, I find the IEMs to be simple but very well built and extremely comfortable. I literally put them in my ears with the tips that were already on them and they instantly felt great.
I actually feel that these are a step up from the Klanar, which is great news at the price!
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
I first placed the Delci in my ears one afternoon in the office while listening to some blues, acoustic jazz and other simple relaxed music. I was immediately surprised by how much I liked what I was hearing. Things were relaxed yet detailed, smooth and warm but not dark, just a very nice listen.
I could honestly stop there and say that I really like these IEMs but I did my usual stint of using them for 5 days or so before moving on to my test track list and looking for specific points of good or bad, so I guess I will be a little more in depth than that

Before moving on, here is the frequency response in comparison to my usual preference graph:
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I really am glad that I listen to things before measuring them as, looking at the graph above, I would have immediately thought that they were dark and bassy, yet that is not the case.
Don’t get me wrong, they are certainly not bright and bass thin, but the warm smoothness that they offer doesn’t make me feel like it is missing detail and treble.
In the subbass region, I of course put them through my “Chameleon” test, which brought back quite a bit of rumble, making the track sound pretty impressive, but what was more impressive was that it managed to do so without becoming out of control or overshadowing the remaining frequencies too much. It is not the most subbass I have heard, nor is it the most balanced outcome that can be achieved with this track, but it is certainly not a bad rendition of the craziness that “Chameleon” can be.
With “Sun Is Shining”, there is a little too much in the lower ranges in comparison to the upper ranges, yet it is not something that I immediately dislike. In fact, I found it quite a pleasant and relaxed listen, with maybe a bit too much in the bass department but doing a good job of controlling it.
“No Sanctuary Here” gives me a similar impression to “Sun Is Shining”, where I would not say that the Delci presents the track in the way I would consider my favourite, but even with that emphasis on the bass, it makes for a bassy electronic listen that I don’t find as tiring as I usually do with this kind of reproduction.
In my midbass fatigue test, I do find “Crazy” to have a little too much boom in that low end of the guitar but not enough to make me feel fatigued, meaning that it does a good job of both controlling the midbass, with good detail, and not bleeding into the lower mids too much.
In fact, I find that the midbass throughout the mids is the highlight of these IEMs. I spent a lot of time enjoying the Delci with a lot of blues and other electric guitar focused music and found the overall tonality to be very nicely presented. It is maybe missing some of the crunch that you would get on sets with a more present upper minds/lower treble range, but it does not lack detail and gives a great smoothness to the guitars that I find very enjoyable.
Vocals may be a little further back that usual but they are by no means absent and they have a great body and smoothness to them. For example, “Dreamin'” puts quite a bit of emphasis on the low end with the vocals not being the centre of attention but it does work well and presents a very relaxed sound that does not come across as anything being lost, just presented in a smoother way.
This presentation also works well for tracks that were a little too bright in their original recording and maybe missing a little warmth to the bass. “Walking On The Moon” by The Police makes the bass, and track in general, a lot more pleasurable than usual, although Sting is pushed back slightly more than I would prefer. This may not be the best for balancing the vocals against the music but it certainly helps get rid of the harshness that is present in this recording.
While the signature is not something that focuses on details, it also doesn’t give the impression of details missing, the driver does a great job of presenting them in a more subdued way.
In fact, my only complaint would be a peak that appears in the treble ranges that can sometimes coincide with cymbals and other metallic high pitched sounds, making them a little harsh on occasions. This is not a regular occurrence, at least I haven’t found it to be, but sometimes the percussion on a track will just find this peak and suddenly stand out against a very smooth track otherwise.
Don’t think that this is something that puts me off the Delci, it is not like they are sibilant or harsh at all, just that peak that sometimes pops up and says high, sort of bringing me out of the trance into which these IEMs seem to place me.
Conclusion…
The Delci are a set of IEMs that have a musicality that I never thought I wanted, until placing them in my ears and just finding great pleasure from listening to them. They are not a set that makes details stand out, yet they are detailed. They are not shy on bass, yet they are not overpowering. They don’t make vocals the center of attention, yet vocals don’t get lost. They are just a very musical set of IEMs.
As I mentioned in the sound section, I found these to be an absolute pleasure for a lot of blues recording, especially those that are a little older and can be harsh and lacking a bit of warmth in the bass. The add body and warmth yet sound very natural doing it. They don’t sound like they are boosting the bass, they sound like they are smoothing it but without losing definition.
These are not a sound signature that I see people specifically asking for, yet I do see them as a sound signature that people will enjoy if they just sit back and listen to them. Yes, there is that peak that can make an appearance at times, but I really can’t find myself complaining about anything else.
While I found the Klanar to be a good first try by Kefine, I think that the Delci are a win, especially at the price point they come in at. They will obviously not be everybody’s taste as far as sound signature, they aren’t even my taste as sound signature, but I think they are a great set to have on hand when you just want to relax.
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As always, this review can be found in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
<small>All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Spaciousness, comfort, build, relaxed listen, great for acoustic based music...
Cons: Not my choice for electronic produced music, don't work well for binaural recordings...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Crosszone CZ-10
The Crosszone CZ-10 have been sent to me by Pickupsound, the Spanish distributor for the the brand, for me to try them out and to share my opinions in this review.
There have been no requests or comments made by Pickupsound and I will, as always, be as unbiased in my review as possible.
You can find a link to the Crosszone CZ-10 via Pickupsound by visiting the vesion of this review published on my blog (www.achoreviews.com).
As always, this is a non-affiliate link, meaning I receive nothing in exchange for any click or purchases made via the link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
I first came across Crosszone a couple of years ago at High End Munich (if they were there last year, I missed them). They had a small little stand hidden away in one of the speaker sections, quite a distance from other brands (except for Hifiman, who was also in the same section for some reason).
I remember they had 3 models on show, at least I think it was three, and the stand was deserted. I briefly tried the models and thought they sounded rather good (for show conditions in a speaker section). They had some basic information about them being a Japanese brand and how they used a special technology and chambers to achieve a more spacial presentation.
Again, I thought they were both interesting and sounded rather good, so I picked up a business card and proceeded to forget about them completely.
Then, a month or so ago, I received an email from Pickupsound asking if I would be interested in trying out and reviewing the CZ-10. I was pleasantly surprised, first, because I suddenly remembered Crosszone and my curiosity for them, and second, because I had no idea who Pickupsound were.
I was of course interested in trying out the headphones, so I said yes, and then proceeded to check out the website pickupsound.es. From surfing around their site, I found that they seem to be a small team of people with a passion for music and quite a nice selection of things that you don’t usually find in a lot of places. Their selection of speakers and headphones may not be huge but they are definitely interesting. I was also surprised to find out they are located in Jerez, somewhere that I am close to on many occasions, due to a lot of projects (for my real job) happening in Cadiz. If I had known this in the past, I would probably have made a couple of trips there.
Anyway, I digress, back to the reason of this review, Crosszone, a brand of headphones that you may not have come across but is certainly worth checking out, so let me tell you why I think they are interesting…
Presentation…
I really can’t go too deep into the presentation and packaging of these headphones as I have received a demo set and am not the first person to open them.
The headphones are in a silk lined black box that simply states Crosszone in gold across the top. This box comes inside a black cardboard sleeve that shows an image of the headphones on the front, along with make and model, with some very basic, and I mean very, on the back. One of the things that struck me is that Crosszone is located in Hong Kong yet the headphones are made in Japan, I am much more used to seeing that the other way around.
As far as accessories, all I received was the cable and a small owners manual. I have no idea if that is what is included with the purchase or not but it is certainly enough to make the headphones play music.
One thing to note is that the cable is a 3.5mm TRS to dual 3.5mm TRRS connectors and it also uses a specific pinout, which means that it doesn’t matter which side the cables are plugged in but due to the way the sound is fed to both cups (more on that in a moment), it does mean that it will be more difficult to find aftermarket cables, if that is something you are interested in.
Build and aesthetics…
The aesthetics of the CZ-10 shout 80’s and 90’s Japan at me. I don’t know why but I am sure that if they were on a table with a bunch of other headphones, these would be the ones I guessed as being Japanese.
By this I mean that they are a very simple “function over form” design, that are in plain black except for a gold bar that runs across the outside of the cup and a few other gold highlights such as the letters.
The build also shouts “Japan”, in a way that they seem to be the sort of headphone that you could use daily for many many years and never have to worry about anything other than swapping the pads at some point.
They adjust in just about any direction you can think of, yet not really in an expected way. The metal band slides out of the headband sort of horizontally, rather than from the bottom, making you think it would make them wider, but it doesn’t, it adjusts them in a way that just feels totally natural on your head (or on mine at least). The cups swivel, fold in slightly and also extend out on a spring loaded mechanism that has just the right amount of clamp force to guarantee a solid seal but never feel cramped.
The pads are a slight triangular shape, in perforated fabric, that surround my ears well and result in, together with the general build, one of the most comfortable over ear headphones to wear for me personally.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
As I mentioned in the intro, Crosszone use a specific design and placement of the drivers to create what they refer to as “External Sound Localisation” effect. They state that “the CZ-10 uses Acoustic Resonance Technology (ART) and “Acoustic Delay Chambers (ADC) to achieve this natural and spatial sound field. It simulates the experience and sound pathway listening with stereo speakers”.
And I have to say that it works. And it works well. I think that the CZ-10 offers the most spacious soundstage that I have heard from any closed back headphone. They use a 3 driver set up, where 1 driver is used for low frequencies, a second driver is used for high frequencies and the third driver is used to bring in sound from the other channel (so right channel in the left ear cup and vice versa), using cross feed to imitate that of speakers. They also use a secondary route to feed in the sound from the back of the high frequency driver.
All of this sounds confusing, and I am sure it is much more than that from a design point of view, but the outcome is a very open and spacious soundstage and presentation that has no right to be coming from a closed back set of headphones.
As far as the general sound of the CZ-10, they are more focused on being an enjoyable and musical listen than something that focuses on minute details. By that I don’t mean that they are not detailed, nor that they are overly warm (which is often tied to “fun”), but they are not something that make you sit up and take notes, they are something that make you sit back and enjoy.
Now, getting into the actual sound signature and starting with my obligatory “Chameleon” test in the subbass, there is not a huge amount of rumble in these lower ranges. By this I don’t mean that subbass is totally absent, but there is no boost in these ranges. There is a nice extension down into the lower ranges but these are balanced in a way that makes them existent but not prominent. For those who are looking for a boosted low range, then the CZ-10 does not provide that kind of response.
If we focus on the midbass range, we do find a similar story, although I would say that there is more of a clean bump in the lower midbass that make things sound a little tighter, more punchy than rumbly in the low end. An example of this would be “No Sanctuary Here”, where the midbass is more of a focus than those lower subbass rumbles. “Sun Is Shining”, to pick another electronic track that places more focus on the midbass, shows a nice and punchy beat but it is not the center of attention. Adding a little boost (for example with the XBass on iFi) does make this take a step forwards and benefits the CZ-10 for things like EDM.
My midbass fatigue test with the low end reverb of the guitar in “Crazy” shows that these headphones do a much better job with acoustic and instrument based tracks than electronic productions. Here I found the low end to be nicely balanced, with that low end reverb being pretty noticeable but not overpowering.
“Whole Lotta Love” is another example of how the low end works well for things that don’t need a lot of rumble and presence while not being anemic. As the bass guitar kicks in during the intro, there is plenty of weight and body to it, yet it is neither overpowering nor lost in the mix as other instruments kick in.
If we turn towards vocals and my preferred genres of simple acoustic and vocal presentations, this is where I find the CZ-10 to excel. “Dreamin’” has a wonderfully smooth presence to the vocals of Raelee Nicole while the instruments surround her. “Gimme Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman has the same smooth and balanced presence, with a very nice sense of space around her voice.
Swapping over to male vocals, the smoothness is still a major factor in things like “These Bones”, where the vocals may not reach quite as deep as on other sets, or rather don’t give the impression of reaching as deep, yet they balance nicely between the different voices. Leonard Cohen in “Happens to the Heart” brings me to the same conclusion, where his voice does not seem to be as deep yet has a smoothness and spaciousness to it that works pretty well. What I did find was that the breathing that is heard on this track seems to be focused more on the right channel than on other sets, maybe due to the cross feed that is implemented.
I have to say that I found that, while I find male vocals pleasant, female vocals are what really draw me in to these headphones. I found myself listening to a lot of my favourite acoustic tracks and always feeling that female vocals excelled over male vocals in similar compositions. Obviously it is going to depend on the actual singer but in general, that is the feeling that I get from the CZ-10.
As we move into the upper mids, there is a bit of extra presence that moves vocals forwards, along with things like pianos etc. This can become a bit harsh with certain tracks that are already on the harsh side in their recording, such as “Don’t YouWorry Child” by Beth. In this case the vocals are on the harsh side, as is the piano on occasions, but that is the nature of this recording and I wouldn’t say that the CZ-10 make it overly aggressive in comparison to so many other sets.
Sibilance is kept in check rather well in “Code Cool”, maybe around a -2 in my non scientific scale of -12 to +12, but this is aided by the fact that the treble of the CZ-10 does roll of rather early, making for quite a smooth top end. It is actually quite an experience as there really isnt’t any airyness to the treble, yet the spacial presentation of the headphones in general avoid things sounding dull and closed in.
Another strange thing I found with the CZ-10 is that they are not really suited to binaural recordings. It is not that they sound bad, it is just that things seem to lose the clear space that is there on tracks like “La Luna” on traditional designs. I again think that it is the cross feed and other technology in the CZ-10 that make normal stereo tracks sound open and with plenty of space, that detracts from the placement of specific sources in binaural recordings, which I guess is to be expected.
Measurements…
Ok, so you may (or may not) have noticed that I didn’t do my usual procedure of dropping in the graph of the headphones before talking about sound. I normally post the graph first and then move on to my subjective opinions, which may or may not align with the graph but they are usually in the same ball park.
In this case, I didn’t do that because, when I measured the CZ-10, I thought I was doing something wrong and spent quite a bit of time playing around with measurements because they really don’t reflect what I am hearing, or at least not to the extent that the measurements show.
Here are some graphs to show you what I mean and then I will explain.
First, here is the CZ-10 feeding just the right channel while measuring the right channel:

Ok, now here is the CZ-10 feeding the left channel while measuring the right channel (in comparison to the right channel being fed):

And here is the CZ-10 with both left and right channels being fed while measuring the right channel:

To put all of it into perspective, I have included the HD6XX as a known reference.
Ok, so, if we just look at the graphs of the CZ-10, I would say that there is a disconnect between the subbass and midbass, with a bump in the lower midbass, then a bit of an uneven midrange, leading to quite a boosted 2.5kHz peak and a large lack of treble.
To some extent, all of that is true but not to the extent that I would guess seeing it on paper. My guess at a response, just by looking at graphs, would be a a rather harsh sound which is lacking in treble. Yet, when listening to these headphones, I find things to be much smoother and balanced than I would expect.
I am not going to repeat myself, as I already gave my subjective opinions above, but to my ears, there is quite a gap between what I see on paper and what I experience during listening. I do not find them to be harsh overall (with some tracks yes, but those tracks are harsh in the recordings), I do not find them to be disconnected between subbass and midbass, yes there is more of a presence in midbass than subbass but not really a disconnect. I do find the treble to roll off but I don’t find them overly dark.
Basically what I am saying is that, although I am not arguing with the graph, a measurement I a measurement (which can be more or less accurate based on the rig of course), but I think that that the crossover and ways of routing sound that Crosszone are using in these headphones make the ear, or rather the brain, interpret the sound in a different way than just a normal stereo set of headphones.
Conclusion…
The Crosszone CZ-10 have some things going on that make them an amazing set of headphones, depending on what you are looking for. I can’t say they are my pick for electronically produced music, or things that have a focus on the subbass and I also don’t find that they do binaural recordings justice.
However, for smooth acoustic recordings, especially those with female vocals, I find them to be a very very pleasurable experience. There is a spaciousness and smoothness to the vocals and acoustic stringed instruments that make them a set of headphones that I can sit back and listen to for hours, without feeling tired at all.
The presentation really does remind me of sitting in front of a set of nicely placed HiFi speakers and just relaxing. In fact, I think that would be a good way of explaining the CZ-10, they are not a set of studio monitors, they are not a 2.1 with a thumping sub, they are not a live line array, they are nice set of HiFi speakers that are set up just right to give you that enjoyable imaging and space, with a slight emphasis on the vocals. Something that I truly enjoy.
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As with all my reviews, this is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
SenyorC
100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Build, aesthetics, presentation, accessories, performance...
Cons: Not for those who are sensitive to upper ranges, not really my preference...
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Simgot EA1000 "Fermat"
The EA1000 “Fermat” have been sent to me by Simgot in exchange for the publication of my opinions in this review. Simgot have not made any specific requests and I will attempt to be as unbiased as humanly possible in my review.
You can find the official page for the Simgot EA1000 here: http://www.simgot.com/en/products/detail/31.html#!/specs
As always, this is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
The Simgot EA1000 are by no means a recent release, at least in the terms of IEM releases, which move faster than operating system updates! There are a lot of reviews out there, stretching back to October 2023 and I had already heard some very good things about the EA1000.
As I have said many times in the past, I try to not take much notice of reviews and comments by others when I plan on reviewing something, trying to avoid any expectation biases, but it has been impossible to avoid all mention of these IEMs in the past 6 months or so.
So, while my review may not be as completely free of preconceived expectations, I was still more than interested in trying out the EA1000 when Simgot reached out to offer the chance.
Now this is not the first set of Simgot IEMs that have been across my desk and my opinions of the previous models I have reviewed have been similar across the board, great performers but not my personal taste.
In the case of the EA1000, we again have a similar tuning to some of the previous models I tried from the brand, although with some minor tweaks. Here the choice has been a a single 10mm dynamic driver paired with a 6mm passive radiator, which is located on the inside of the shell facing the ear.
I really don’t need to go into much more as far as specs and background, as there are already many reviews out there that have covered them, so let’s get on with my usual format.
Presentation…
The packaging of the EA1000 consists of a purple outer cover that refers to Fermat’s Last Theorem on the cover. On the back, in the usual Simgot style, we get three frequency graphs that show the tuning of the IEMs with each of the included nozzles. As the side of the graphs it shows what these tunings are targeted as, along with mentioning which nozzles to pick for each of them.
From the side of the cover, an internal black box pulls out that is presented in a way that is nicely different from so many othe presentations. Instead of a lift off lid, there is a top card (that also references Fermat) that lifts forwards in a sort of origami folded fashion and reveals a copper coloured business card showing Fermat's Last Theorem and a QR code on the back that can be scanned to extend the warranty period of the IEMs. There is a lot of other text on this top card layer, such as an explanation of the Theorem, which makes it look elegant and much more to the eye than a simple cover.
Folding this top cover to one side, we are greeted by the IEMs sitting in their respective cutouts at the top. Towards the bottom of the box there are two smaller boxes, one for the storage case and another for accessories. Then, finally, underneath the IEM layer, we find another accessory box inside which there are 6 sets of silicone tips (in 3 sizes, 2 of each) and the user manual.
In total, as far as contents, we get the IEMs, the cable, 6 sets of tips, a storage/transport case, 3 sets of nozzles and plenty of replacement o-rings for the nozzles.
I find the packaging and presentation of the EA1000 to be nice and elegant, making the unboxing experience something a little different to so many other sets. As always, I applaud companies that come up with their own twists on something as simple as packaging, without going overboard and using tons of plastics. In this case, except for the plastic bag containing the o-rings, all the packaging is cardboard and has a nice premium feel to it (as far as cardboard goes of course).
Build and aesthetics…
The shells of the IEMs are completely metal, except for the white faceplate that features a subtle design to the background and the Simgot logo in a coppery rose gold colour. I have to say that I think the IEMs look very elegant and discrete, with just enough going on to stand out.
On the inside of the shell, there is a passive radiator which is covered with a grille that is also a coppery gold colour. There is a metal and and center over the grille where Simgot have opted to put the L and R to identify the size and, once again, I think it is very tastefully done.
The cable is in a matching silver colour, with silver hardware, and just a gold coloured chin slider that is less coppery in colour than the other rose gold accents but still looks good. The cable seems to be of decent quality and I have had no complaints about using it paired with the IEMs. There is no balanced option included but that is not unusual.
The included storage/transport case is also of good quality, in a grey colour with a flip up lid and magnetic closure. Inside the case there is also some elastic on the lid and a pocket on the bottom to serve as organization. The case is plenty big enough to store the IEMs along with any accessories you may need.
As far as comfort, I do find them to be comfortable although I did have issues getting a good seal, even when opting for the largest size of included tips. I did get a seal, just that it took a little more work to get them seated correctly.
As a whole, I find everything to be of good build quality and have elegant aesthetics, so absolutely no complaints from me here.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
As said a moment ago, there are three sets of nozzles included with the IEMs, each providing a slightly different tuning. The differences between the tunings are not huge but they are very noticeable, enough to prefer one over the other depending on preferences.
While the 2 sets of silver nozzles do have different coloured o-rings, red and black, the set with black o-rings has a foam filter located inside the nozzle, which is why I have referred to “Silver” (the ones with the red o-rings) and “Silver with filter” (the ones with red o-rings). For brevity, I am going to refer to them as G (Gold), SwF (Silver with filter) and S (Silver), throughout the review.
Here is the frequency graph of the 3 tunings in relation to my usual preference target:
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As you can see, the differences are not a lot but they are certainly enough to differentiate between them when listening.
While the bass ranges (and mids) are almost identical between the three nozzles, the change in the upper minds and treble is enough to reduce focus on the lower ranges depending on which nozzles are chosen.
So, starting off with the subbass range, and with a focus on “Chameleon”, the G nozzles do rumble but not excessively. There is more of a focus on the midbass here than on the subbass. Moving to the SwF nozzles, there is a more noticeable rumble, even if the graph may not indicate a very noticeable difference in these ranges. This is due to the reduced upper peaks that allow the focus to be placed more on the lower end. With the S nozzles, the rumble is slightly less than the SwF but it is not a huge difference.
Moving over to “No Sanctuary Here”, the midbass with the G nozzles is clean and controlled, with clean hits that are fairly impressive. Swapping over to the SwF nozzles, the midbass is maybe not quite as clean sounding as the G but it is much more enjoyable in general. With the S nozzles, the midbass is slightly tamer sounding than with the SwF but still sounds a little less clean than with the G nozzles. The presentation with the S nozzles is nice but I do find the SwF presentation preferable to my ears.
Testing out the midbass for fatigue, using “Crazy” as always to judge any excessive reverb in the guitars lower notes, I found that with the G nozzles the midbass in not overly boosted and takes a bit of a back seat to the upper mids. It is not fatiguing in the midbass but the upper mids are too present and a little harsh, although not terrible, it is mostly noticeable in the moving of fingers on strings. Here the SwF nozzles give us a midbass that is still not fatiguing, although there is noticeably more presence of the reverb than with the G. Vocals are less harsh but there are still touches of sibilance. With the S nozzles, we are sort of mid way between G and SwF as far as midbass is concerned, although the upper ranges are slightly harsher and with touches of sibilance similar to the G.
“Smooth Operator” is a fairly well produced track and has a decent balance in general but with the G nozzles, I do find it to be lacking a bit of bass presence and warmth to the vocals. With the SwF nozzles there is more presence in the bass and a warmer tonality in general, although vocals do take a slight step backwards. With the S nozzles, we have a similar story as with the G, the track loses some bass presence and warmth in general.
Looking at something a little busier, such as “The Room” by Ostura, the G nozzles do a good job of providing detail and separation of instruments, even with the busier parts of the track. With the SwF, the separation of instruments is not as impressive but the overall sound is much more pleasurable, less thin and more authoritative. With the S nozzles, the detail is more upfront but the track is thinner overall and harsher in its presentation.
Staying with something in a similar genre, “Killing in the Name” does sound a little thin with the G nozzles. Moving to the SwF nozzles, Rage Against The Machine starts to sound like I expect Rage to sound, with more authority to bass and guitars, less harshness and fuller sounding overall. The S nozzles bring a similar experience to the G nozzles, seeming a little thin and, in this case, a bit harsher in the higher guitar notes.
Something a little more acoustical, in this case “Free Fallin’”, I find the G nozzles to be a little thin sounding due to the upper mid forwardness. With the SwF nozzles, the guitar sounds more realistic, with vocals that are not quite as present but smoother and more enjoyable. The S nozzles sound a little more detailed than the SwF, with vocals a little more upfront but not quite as smooth.
Focusing on vocals, male in this case, “These Bones” has nice balance of vocals with the G nozzles although those upper mids remove some warmth from the bass focused vocals. With the SwF nozzles, there is more body to those low vocals, with a more smoothed out presentation. With the S nozzles, things are a little more detail focused but again lose a bit of warmth in those lower vocals.
With female vocals, in this case “Strange Fruit”, the G nozzles provide a good separation of layers but are missing some body to the vocals. The SwF nozzles are not quite as detailed in the nuances but provide more body to the voices and are a preferable, to me, presentation. The layers are not quite as separated but, again to me, it is worth it. The S nozzles bring back more focus to the details but again present us with a harsher experience.
Finally, as a last track I am going to mention as this review seems to be much longer than I anticipated, “La Luna”, a binaural recording. With the G nozzles, the space is decent but there is not a huge amount of depth to the rear. The SwF nozzles presenta a similar story, maybe even slightly more compact, whereas the S nozzles do present themselves as the most spacious of the three, with more depth and better separation of instruments and positioning.
Conclusion…
The Simgot EA1000 “Fermat” is a set of IEMs that aims to give you a lot for a price that, while not the cheapest, is still very fair. We get a nice presentation, an excellent build, decent accessories and good looks.
We also get three different tunings to choose from. While the tunings may not look that different on paper, they are certainly different enough to the ear to clearly pick one as a preference above the others. In my case, my preference lies with the “Silver with filter” nozzles, which, while not focusing on presenting detail as much as the other two, have a slightly rounder and more relaxed sound to them. Now, this is actually surprising to me as, looking at the graph, I would have expected the SwF nozzles to have the harsher presentation of the 3, due to the more elevated peaks around 2.5k and 5k, knowing that I am extremely sensitive to 5k. However, that is what my ears, or my brain, tell me, so who am I to argue?
However, I have to say once more that, although I cannot say that the EA1000 are not a great set of IEMs, they certainly are, I just don't find myself in love with any of the three tunings.
I don’t think that the EA1000 are a set of IEMs that will please those who want a bassier, more laid back, signature. Nor will they be a good option for those who are sensitive to boosts in the upper ranges but, for those who do like a little spice up top, they are certainly worth checking out.
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As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation