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)

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:



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

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Kiwi Ears Allegro

The Kiwi Ears Allegro has been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not made any requests and I will do my best, as always, to be as unbiased as possible.

You can find a link to the Allegro via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (www.achoreviews.com).

As with all links I publish, it is a non-affiliate link.



Intro…

The Kiwi Ears Allegro is the first dongle from the brand, in fact, I believe it is the first product from the brand outside of IEMs, unless there has been a product I have missed. Priced at just over 50€ (at the time of writing this review), it is quite a cheap and cheerful device that is aimed at those looking for something to power their IEMs. I say this because the specified power output of the Allegro (70mW @ 32Ohms unbalanced and 155mW @ 32 Ohms balanced) is not something that is really aimed at driving more demanding over ear headphones or even some of the hungrier IEMs out there. However, as a source for IEMs, especially those that are similar to Kiwi’s own sets, it is more than enough. In fact, it actually performs better than some other alternatives due to the amplification being totally controlled by the device itself and not the source feeding it.

I used the dongle for some time in the office and then took it with me on a business trip to the US this week, where my only devices were the Kiwi Ears Quintet and a set of Sony Linkbuds S (for when needing ANC) and I can’t say that I have found myself regretting it.

But anyway, let’s take a look at this retro-gaming inspired device and talk about how it does in the budget dongle field.



Presentation…

The packaging and presentation of the Allegro is minimalistic. A simple black box with a lift off lid, showing an outline of the device, the brand logo and the slogan “Live the music”, reveals the dongle sitting inside along with the included cable and a very simple booklet with some specs.

It’s funny that the booklet says “Please read the user manual carefully before use the product. Thanks”, yet there are no instructions in the booklet, just an overview of the specs in multiple languages. It is quite possible that there is a manual to be downloaded somewhere but, if that is the case, there is no mention of it in or on the box (and I haven’t looked online).

Not really anything else to say about the packaging, its very simple, it works and it’s all we need.



Build and aesthetics…

I have been on a bit of a retro-gaming journey lately, picking up a couple of retro handheld devices and emulating some of the “golden oldies”. When I received the Allegro, I was amused to find that it looks like a retro console controller.

Made from metal, the front features a D-Pad and a couple of buttons labelled A and B, with the Kiwi Logo in the top right. The top of the device (controller?) is rounded and has a small recess where two round buttons are located. It is a shame that the front panel buttons are not functional as it would have been a nice touch, but I still find the aesthetics to be cheerful and something different. As always, I praise companies for doing something away from what every other company is doing.

As far as the build quality, it seems to be of very good quality. It certainly got thrown around quite a bit on my transatlantic flights and in the hotel & office, showing no signs of being mistreated.

The included cable is also a nicely built USB-C to USB-C which is made to look like it has two separate cores (which I guess it does). Not sure there is any benefit to this but it does look good.




Functionality…

I already said that the front buttons are not functional, so that just leaves the top buttons, which are used to increase and decrease volume. The volume control is done completely onboard, so there is no change to the source, nor can it be changed by the source when using exclusive modes in things like UAPP. I much prefer this set up.

On one end of the device we get a USB-C connector for data and power, which has proved to not have any issue with Android or Windows, although I can’t comment on iOS.

At the other end we get a 4.4mm balanced output and a 3.5mm unbalanced output, which are pretty self explanatory.

The only other remaining thing is a very small status LED that is located on the back. It is a very strange place to place this LED as I didn’t even realize it was there until I was pulling it out of the IEM case and dropped it (still no sign of abuse ), seeing what looked like a tiny reset hole on the back, the type that you would stick a pin in to reset. As I couldn't think why a reset hole would be needed, I looked a little closer and finally realized it was an LED (plugging it in to confirm). Again, a strange place to put it but it is there.

That is it as far as functionality, there are no presets, gain levels or filters, so it really is a simple device.





Sound…

The Alegro uses a ES9028Q2M DAC chip which is something that I haven’t come across in a device before, at least as far as I am aware. I know that Audiophonics uses this in one of their DACs for the Raspberry Pi but I haven’t tried it and, as I just said, I don’t know of any other devices that use it. Maybe some telephones?

Anyway, that is what Kiwi have chosen and, as always, I feel that the implementation is always more important than the actual chip itself. In this case, Kiwi seem to have done a decent job of making a good sounding device for a very reasonable price.

If I were to label the overall sound signature, I would say it is aiming more toward the analytical side of things. More towards cool than warm. Although it is not too analytical, not enough to not be enjoyable, at least to my ears.

I can’t say it is my favourite dongle ever but I also can’t bring myself to complain about it. As I mentioned above, this, paired with the Quintet, was the only device I took with me for my trip and I used it exclusively (except when opting to use ANC to try and disconnect for a while on the flight back). During this time I did not find myself irritated or feeling like I was missing anything at all. It does a great job of bringing out the details in the Quintet without making them seem tiring, which I have found with some other “analytical” sources in the past, due to the already almost “analytical” nature of the IEMs.

I also found it to pair very nicely with the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. The Cadenza, as I have said many times in the past, are a set of ultra budget IEMs that I really enjoy and the pairing with the Allegro gives you a very enjoyable portable system for less than 80€.

If I had to choose, I would say that it pairs slightly better with sets that have a little warmth to them, such as the Cadenza or the Zero 2, but without the being overly warm This seems to give a little more focus to the details of said sets but without ever losing the focus of their signature. Although, as said with the Quintet, even more analytical sets don’t sound bad on the Allegro, I would just refrain from sets that are bright in their tuning as things may get a little thin at times.



Conclusion…

I really like the Kiwi Ears Allegro for just over 50€. It is not my favourite dongle, nor is it a ground breaking experience, but it is cheap and cheerful and will power most IEMs no problem, while doing a decent job.

I would probably recommend this to those who want a no frills budget dongle to power their IEMs and are not sure which way to turn. Yes, there are dongles that bring out more details, others that bring a warmer presentation, others that have more features, but in general, at the 50€ price point, I don’t think the Allegro is inferior to any of the competition around it.

I think I will end up using it paired with a retro handheld, not because I need it but because it looks so cool doing so

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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)

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Letshuoer Cadenza 4

The Cadenza 4 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 specific comments or requests and I will do my best, as always, to be as unbiased in this review as possible.

You can find the official page for the Cadenza 4 here: https://letshuoer.net/products/letshuoer-cadenza4-wired-iem-hifi-earphones-in-ear-monitor

As with all links I share, 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 Cadenza 12 was released as both the flagship IEM of the brand and the first in what was said to be a series of IEMs, the Cadenza. This was early in 2023, with a prototype making its rounds at Canjam quite a few month before that. While I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with the Cadenza 12, I did get to try it out and I have to say that it was my favourite IEM from the brand, although a little bright.

A year later, Letshuoer presents us with the second IEM in the Cadenza line up, this time at a much more affordable level (for most of us), priced at under $250, or $229 for those who pre-ordered, which is around 230€, that is a rather large difference from the 2000€ price tag of the flagship model. While the Cadenza 12 featured 12 drivers, the Cadenza 4 coincidentally (or not) features 4 drivers, that are a dynamic driver plus 3x balanced armature drivers.

So, let’s take a look at what we are getting from the brand for the much more pocket friendly price point of their new model.



Presentation…

The packaging and contents of the Cadenza 4 are certainly nothing to complain about in the price range, in fact, they are very similar to the presentation of the S15 that I reviewed not long ago and comes in at almost $100 more expensive.

The same grey outer sleeve, featuring just the make and model, with some basic specs on the back, slides away to reveal an even simpler flip top box in the same colour with “Letshuoer - Sound Alive” on the top in small white letter. This outer packaging is simple and elegant.

The flip top box is held closed with magnets and opens in the same “jewelry box” type way as that of the S15. There is a top layer, covered by a grey card envelop containing the user manual and other documentation, which is removed to reveal the IEMs sitting underneath.

The bottom half of the box is a slide out drawer accessed from the front that contains the rest of the accessories, which are a black screw top storage/transport case, the cable with interchangeable connectors, 2.5mm, 3.5mm & 4.4mm connectors for the cable and the disc style tip holder containing “balanced” and “vocal” tips, 3 sets of each.

The only real difference between the presentation of the Cadenza 4 and the S15 is the colour of the cable and the colour of the “vocal” ear tips, which are grey rather than blue.

I have nothing but praise for the presentation and accessories included with the Cadenza 4, making it a nice box opening experience and giving a feeling of a set that has been cared for.



Build and aesthetics…

While the Cadenza 4 do share a similar shape to the Cadenza 12, this is as far as the similarities go in build. Where the flagship is a completely metal shell, the Cadenza 4 opts for a 3D printed shell with a CNC machined faceplate in aluminium with a matte finish. The shells are white which leads to a very elegant looking set of IEMs that are not overly shouty but look, and feel, to be of good quality.

The 3D printed shell also helps to reduce weight, with the Cadenza 4 being a very lightweight and comfortable IEM, at least in my ears.

The included cable, stated as being a 392 strand silver plated copper, matches the aesthetics of the IEMs, with white and matte aluminium hardware that also matches the aesthetics. While I am someone who prefers fabric covered cable personally, there is no doubt that the included cable is of good quality and, as it includes all the termination options you may need, it is a perfect match for 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.)

I am not going to make any comparisons in sound between the two Cadenza models as, on one hand, they are in totally different leagues, and on the other, I only briefly listened to the 12 in show conditions last year, so I cannot faithfully make any comparisons.

I will say that this is the 5th set of Letshuoer IEMs that I have reviewed, having tried a fair few more, and that each of their models has a different flavour to it, none of which I have hated. In fact, I have quite liked them and the Cadenza 4 is no exception. In fact, it may actually be my favourite tuning from the brand yet. It is certainly not perfect, to me at least, but the issues that I do find are fairly small and are lost in the overall performance of the IEM.

Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself, so lets go through my usual steps and start off looking at the graph in comparison to my personal preference target:



Before getting into the specifics, let me say that I found that I preferred the “Vocal” tips (the grey ones) for the Cadenza 4 and those are what I have been using for my detailed listening in this review. There is a sensation of more bass with the “Balanced” option but I found that the bass with the “Vocal” tips was plenty for my tastes.

In the subbass range and focusing first on “Chameleon”, there is enough rumble in the lower frequencies to appreciate the madness of this track, with a nice deep extension. However, the subbass is clean and not really boosted too much (enough for my tastes but maybe not enough for others that prefer more rumble), keeping this articulate a giving a very nice presentation of these lower ranges.

With “No Sanctuary Here”, which is not as overpowering in the subbass department, I find a very nice balance between subbass and midbass, with no real emphasis on either of them, with the low end of this song sounding very clear and decisive.

Moving into the midbass zone and using my midbass fatigue track “Crazy”, there is no sensation of the low end reverb becoming overpowering. It is noticeably there but does not hijack any of the surrounding frequencies, allowing the guitar to present those low end notes without becoming overly boomy.

While the midbass may be a little lower in quantity than many will expect, I find that it is really well balanced and does not give the sensation of missing any warmth in bass guitars, such as in “Elephants on Ice Skates” or in older rock tracks that usually benefit from a bit of extra warmth, such as “Whole Lotta Love”, where the bass guitar has a tonality to it that I find both pleasing and correct, at least to my ears.

Throughout the whole of the bass zone, details are good and I find they get even better as we move into the midrange of the Cadenza 4. In very simple tracks, such as “Happens To The Heart”, the details of the track, such as the breathing and slight vibration of instruments, are easily appreciated while the vocals remain full. In busier tracks, such as “The Room” by Ostura, the Cadenza seemingly keep up without any issues, again letting the details of each instrument shine through but without them being overly upfront.

As we climb into the upper mids, there is plenty or presence for both vocals and instruments, although some tracks can come across a little harsh in this recording. For example, “Crazy” that I mentioned earlier, can have a little too much emphasis on the vocals of Daniella Andrade and even a slight hint of sibilance. This is reduced by switching to the balanced tips, which moves the emphasis away slightly and places it a bit more on the lower ranges. However, it is not terribly harsh, unless you are someone sensitive to the 2.5 to 3.5k region, and I personally prefer the response of the “Vocal” tips.

As we move into the higher regions, there is a nice sensation of air and extension which maintains sibilance in tracks like “Code Cool” at a point I would consider neutral. In other words, it does not add or subtract sibilance to/from Patricia Barber.

The treble extension may not be the most extended treble out there but Letshuoer have done a good job of balancing the treble, allowing it to sound open and airy without sounding overly emphasized, harsh or too bright.

I already said that details are good throughout the whole range and this is added to a nice sensation of space between layers of vocals and instruments, as in the recording of “Strange Fruit”, where background details are noticeable and spacing between the vocal layers are well defined.

I wouldn’t say that the soundstage of the Cadenza 4 is huge but there is definitely enough room for instruments to spread out, although I find that in “La Luna”, the rear left guitar is pushed slightly more left and less back than on other sets. This doesn’t make for a worse presentation of the track, just different.



Conclusion…

The Letshuoer Cadenza 4 are a very impressive set of IEMs. As I mentioned earlier in the review, they may even be my favourite set from the brand so far. There are certain tracks that can become a little hot in the upper mids with the “Vocal” tips but this can be remedied quite well with the “Balanced” tips. I found that I could enjoy them even more with a couple of other aftermarket tips but I usually don’t go into aftermarket accessories in my reviews and try to focus on the included.

For the 230€ price point, you are getting a nicely built set of IEMs, that sounds good, performs well and is also presented in a way that I would say is above the majority of the competition in packaging and accessories.

These probably won’t be the correct choice for those looking for a bassy set of IEMs but for those who are looking for a good, balanced and well performing set of all-rounders, the Cadenza 4 are a very good candidate.

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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

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - FX Audio DR07

The FX Audio DR07 has been sent to me by HifiGo in exchange for the publication of this review. HifiGo have not made any specific comments regarding the review and I will do my best to be as unbiased as possible in my review. One thing that HifiGo do request is that I include purchase links on all platforms that I publish my review on.

The FX Audio DR07 can be found here:

HiFiGo: https://hifigo.com/products/fx-audio-dr07

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1BZB57H/fx+audio+dr07/

Aliexpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256806644435026.html

As always, I do not use affiliate links and the above are no exception.



Intro…

Although I just left links above to the DR07 via HifiGo, the truth is that it will have been added after putting together this review. This is because I have received this device ahead of its release and I am not even sure of when it is going to release. That also means that, while testing and reviewing this device, I have very little information on specifications and I don’t even know the price.

That actually makes reviewing something much more interesting to me, meaning that I can’t use phrases like “in its price range” or “value for money”, even though it does mean that I am not sharing all of the info. But anyway, by the time you read this review, the link will be available above and you can click on it to find out the price and specifications of this device.

So, this review is even more subjective than ever, based solely on my personal use and opinions of the DR07.

As far as FX Audio, I think anyone who checks out audio devices on Amazon will have come across them at some point, they usually make budget friendly devices that are not the cheapest you can get but are reasonably priced for what they offer (again, in this case I don’t know, but I guess it will be the same).

I have used a couple of their amplifiers in the past but haven’t used any of their headphone related products. In the cas of the DR07, it is an all in one device that offers DAC and headphone amplification, with an (unbalanced) analog output that can be used to feed other amplifiers or speakers.



Presentation…

As this is a pre production unit, I can’t really say if the packaging is what you can expect when purchasing the device.

In this case it is a fairly generic white box that does show the FX Audio branding but only shows the model on a sticker that has been added to the side.

Inside the box, there is the device, the bluetooth antenna, the power supply and a remote control. In addition to this, I received a (fairly nice) USB cable packaged separately which is from a different brand.

I am not going to comment on the packaging and presentation as I neither know if it is the retail packaging, nor the price of the device, so the packaging is irrelevant.



Build and aesthetics…

The device is completely made of metal and is fairly generic, all black, except for the front panel.

The front panel feature some white decoration, along with the brand, model and some other text also in white.

The front also features a small LCD screen (blue text on black) that is only really going to be readable from very close. There is a lot of info on such a small screen (which is also pretty bright) and the bottom line is almost impossible to read from more than 50cm away (and I have decent eyesight).

Basically the top line of the screen shows the file format and sample rate in small text, with the bottom line showing the input, volume level and gain level in even smaller text. As this device comes with a remote control, I don’t think that you will be able to see what is on the screen if you are more than an arms length away. It would have been nice if, when changing something from the remote, if the screen changed for the changes to me shown momentarily on the whole screen. It would still be small but much better than how it is now.

On the front we also get the power and input selection button to the left, a small LED idicating MQA when present, 3.5mm and 6.35mm headphone outputs and nice and large (for the size of the device) volume knob that also acts as a push button.

On the back, from left to right, we get a BT antenna, USB input (type B), optical input, digital coax input, optical output, RCA’s for unbalanced analog output and a 12V DC power connection for the included PSU.

The build quality is good but I can’t say I am a fan of the aesthetics. Personally I think that the white accent makes it look cheaper than it would all black (or with a darker highlight colour) but that is just a personal thing. My only real complaint would be with the screen which tries to show too much information on such a small screen. I like having a screen but less info would have been better in my opinion.



Functionality…

As far as connectivity, the bases are covered with digital inputs, with BT, USB, Optical and Coaxial all being present, which is nice. For outputs, the unit is only single ended, which some may not like, but I would much prefer a decent unbalanced output than a mediocre balanced and unbalanced output. One thing I do like is that the DR07 has an optical output, allowing it to be daisy chained to other devices and even used as a digital to digital converter, something that I always like to have available but not many devices include.

On the front of the device we find the power button on the left, which also serves as a select button, allowing us to cycle through the various inputs. At the right of the device we get the volume knob which is also a push button. A quick press of the button will mute or unmute the unit, while a long press will bring up the gain select which is changed between low and high by turning the volume knob. A second long press (while in the gain menu) takes us to the filter selection mode, where there are 6 filters to choose from. A final long push will allow us to choose between both outputs (headphones and preamp) being always active or automatic.

That is about it as far as functionality from the device itself, quite simple.

As far as the remote is concerned, it is a generic remote with the FX Audio logo on it. It offers the same functions as on the device but with dedicated buttons. It is handy to have the remote but I wouldn’t plan on seeing the screen any further away that arms reach.



Sound…

The DR07 implements the AK4493 DAC chip, which is a chip that we have seen around for quite some time. This chip has been common in a lot of decent priced alternatives from quite a few brands over the years and allows the device to decode hi-res PCM and DSD. In this case, FX Audio has also added MQA decoding, something that I am personally not interested in but it is there if you want it.

I am not sure what is being used as far as the amplification stage of the device but it does sound rather clean and offers a sound signature that is going to be considered fairly neutral by most people. I have had it on my desk for a few weeks at the side of the iFi Gryphon and the Fosi SK02 and I have to say it seems noticeably cleaner than the latter and has less warmth than the former. Again, placing it in a fairly neutral spot.

My first plug in were the Koss KPH40, which they usually are, as they live on my desk at work and that is where I usually plug in any device for the first time. My first impressions were that they sounded fairly clean and defined, with more than enough power in low gain for me to listen at levels above my usual listening levels.

I used multiple sets of headphones and IEMs throughout the week and I have to say that the feeling was about the same with all of them. Nothing really seemed to be an issue with the DR07 but nothing really stood out either.

I had no sensation of any of my headphones being exciting on the device, yet I did not feel that anything was wrong either. It provides a neutral sound that just works and doesn’t really add any sort of flavouring of its own.



Conclusion…

I think that the DR07 is a nice simple option for those that just want something that works and covers all the bases. If you are someone who is interested in getting a certain synergy with a certain headphone, then I really haven’t found it to be the case with the headphones and IEMs I have on hand.

However, if you are someone who just wants something that works and not have to worry about it influencing your headphones with anything negative, then the DR07 is a simple device with good connectivity and a very reasonable price.

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - iFi Audio NEO iDSD 2

The NEO iDSD 2 has been sent to me on loan directly by iFi Audio for me to try it out and to share my opinions in this review. As always, iFi have not made any requests and I will do be very best to be as unbiased as I can.

The official page for the NEO iDSD can be found here: https://ifi-audio.com/products/neo-idsd-2/

The above is a non-affiliate link as usual.



Intro…

I reviewed the original NEO iDSD back in January of 2021 and thought it was a great all in one device. In late 2022, I then reviewed the NEO Stream, a very similar device from the same line up, that also added streaming functionality into the already complete package of the NEO.

This newest model, which I am going to refer to as the NEO 2 throughout the review for brevity, is based upon the original all-in-one, not the streamer, but with some new tricks up its sleeve. There is also a NEO iDSD Performance Edition, which already featured some upgrades over the original, but I have not had a chance to try that one out and, as far as I am aware, the NEO 2 is the model with the most updates and upgrades of the 3.

A few of the new tricks that we can find on the NEO 2 are things like lossless Bluetooth (the worlds first DAC/Amp with this capability according to iFi), 5x times more power than the previous model (up to 5.5W @32 Ohms according to specs), XSpace, XBass II and the possibility of adding an external clock, amongst other things.

I will try to cover everything without rambling on forever, so let’s get started with the packaging and presentation.



Presentation…

I can keep this section short and sweet, as there is no difference between the packaging of the NEO 2 and the original, or basically 90% of iFi Audio’s other devices. They are always simple in their packaging but well thought out and well protected.

As far as contents in the NEO 2 box, at least in the demo unit I have received, we get the device, the iPower power supply with changeable connector types, a USB 3.0 cable, an RCA to RCA cable, a remote control, the stand and the usual user manual etc. One thing missing that I know was in there at some point is the iFi sticker, as it is always in there

No complaints as far as contents from me. Yes, there are always things that we could “wish to see”, but there is nothing I would consider missing (except the sticker of course).



Build and Aesthetics…

The NEO 2 is very similar in both build and aesthetics to the earlier models, in fact, as far as build quality, it is identical, which is to say very good. The whole device is machined aluminium, except in this case, there is an opaque plastic corner at the top back corner (if the device is vertical) which is what I believe to be for the Bluetooth connectivity. This saves the need for a BT antenna on the back but, to be honest, I did expect that corner to glow but that is not the case and is also irrelevant.

As with the previous models also, the screen automatically rotates depending the orientation of it, as you can either lay it horizontal or stand it up vertically (with the included stand).

On the front panel, in horizontal mode, from left to right, we get the screen, the large rotating and push button volume knob, the LED that illuminates the strip at the side of the knob, 5 buttons in a cross style layout with the centre button being round, the 4.4mm balanced headphone output and the 6.35mm unbalanced headphone output.

Spinning around to the back, again in horizontal mode and from left to right, we get the 2x XLR balanced outputs, with the unbalanced RCA outputs between them, a 3.5mm analogue input, an input for an external clock, a digital coax input, an optical input, the USB input and the DC power input, which will accept between 9V (1.5A) and 15V (0.9A) supplies.

While the aesthetics of this device are nothing new, they are the same as the previous models, I am still a fan of them and feel that it is a device that looks both modern and elegant at the same time. It doesn’t look out of place in my office or in my house.



Functionality…

While I didn’t mention it under build, the screen on the NEO 2 has also received a bit of an upgrade in comparison to the previous NEO iDSD OG and PE models. I may be remembering incorrectly but this seems to make better use of the space on the screen and it also adds some colour to the settings that are reflected on the screen.

The 5 buttons that I mentioned a moment ago have the following functionality:

Center - Power on / off

Top - Input selection and BT Pairing

Bottom - Gain selection

Left - XSpace

Right - XBass II



In addition to those 5 buttons, we also get the centre knob that works as a mute button if pressed or also brings up the menu when held for 3 seconds.

Before talking about the menu, let me mention the functionality from the buttons.

The power button is pretty self-explanatory, whereas the input and gain buttons cycle through them with each press. The input changes are brought up on screen, showing an image and text briefly with each change, with the gain level always being shown on screen in the form of a small icon.

Now, we would expect the gain levels to be shown as low/medium/high, or something along these lines, but as is many times the case with iFi, the give their own names to the gain levels and in this case, they even have their own little icons.

“iEMatch” is the lowest level, which is represented on the screen with a small set of IEMs in green. This setting is aimed at working well with the more sensitive IEMs. The level is noticeably lower than the next level but it does work well to reduce the hiss that is present when using sensitive IEMs.

“Normal” is the next level, which is represented on screen with a drop of water. Now, I have absolutely no idea where the reference of a water drop with normal gain comes from, but I did find it to be the icon that was shown on the screen the most with my use

“Turbo” is the next level, which is represented with a flame on screen. We have seen “Turbo” mode on other iFi devices in the past, again referring to high gain, but in those cases it has usually been the highest gain level. In this case we have another additional gain mode above “Turbo”

“Nitro” is a case of iFi going to eleven, as any Nigel Tufnel fan will appreciate. I really can’t say that I have found any need for this gain level with any of the headphones I have here, and certainly not IEMs, but it is there for those who need it. I will say that, when cycling through “Nitro” with IEMs in (not playing of course), the hiss made me nervous, feeling that any accidental noise of my PC would cause pain

The XSpace button turns on or off the XSpace feature. Now XSpace is nothing new on an iFi device either, it is featured on many of their devices, and is aimed at adding a spacial feeling to the sound when using headphones. I found that it works especially well with certain IEMs. In the case of XSpace on the NEO 2, I have found it to be the iFi device that it makes the most noticeable difference on. While I found it to be subtle on many of their other devices, here it is quite a notable function.

The XBass II button does the same but for the XBass function, although here we have three different modes: XBass > Presence > XBass + Presence. This is again something that I have discussed in the past (the Gryphon that I use almost daily has these same three modes) and it is basically to enable a bit of a boost in the upper mids (Presence) which can be used independently or together with the XBass function. As with the XSpace function, I find the XBass modes to be more noticeable on the NEO 2 than on other previous devices.

Ok, so now let’s get on to the menu which is accessed by a 3 second press of the knob. Inside the menu we find:

Filter Selection - This allows us to choose between 4 different digital filter: Bit Perfect, Standard, Minimum Phase and GTO.

Gain Selection - This gives us the same gain options as the gain button but in this case we use the wheel to turn up or down and the select, which saves us having to cycle through all of them (good for my fear of “Nitro” mode!).

Volume Sync - This is so it can sync with the volume of the device it is connected to and can be turned on or off.

BT Voice Prompt - Decide whether you want the nice lady to tell you the BT status.

External Clock Sync - If you connect an external clock to the NEO 2 (which I haven’t done because I don’t have one), you can activate it here.

Line Out Volume Control - Choose if the line outs should be fixed volume or controlled by the volume knob of the device.

Factory Reset - Make coffee. Just kidding, it does what it says on the tin.

About - Shows us the name and firmware version of the device.



That is it as far as functionality. As far as connectivity, well, put the connectors in the corresponding holes and away you go.

For a device that does have so many options, it is all easy to control but there is one last thing that I haven’t mentioned and gives us that extra little bit of functionality, the remote control.

The remote control features the same functionality as the drive itself, but it has the addition of three extra buttons, which are play/pause, next track and previous track.

When the device is connected via USB or Bluetooth, this allows control of the source from the iFi remote. This is a great feature and while it isn’t anything new, I find that it is usually limited to BT connected devices. As the iFi works with USB connected devices also, that is great for my desktop set ups.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.c...J5tZFqaRtpvYU49jK1cl1M/w640-h426/DSC_9221.JPG

**Sound…**

Starting off with power, I don’t have anything in my collection that comes close to needing all of the power that the NEO 2 offers. As I mentioned in the intro, the specs say that it will deliver up to 5.5W @32 Ohms and I cannot confirm or deny as I haven’t measured it but I can say that it has way more than I need for anything that I have on hand. I found myself mostly in Normal gain mode, with some adventure into the Turbo gain mode to try it out, but I didn’t find myself touching Nitro mode at all.

I can’t say how it will do with some of the more demanding headphones out there, such as the Susvara, but for anything within normal parameters, I think that the headphone output section of the NEO 2 will be more than enough for anyone who has decent hearing (and wants to maintain it )

As far as the general sound of the device, without any of the XBass or XSpace modes activated, then there is no doubt that this is an iFi Audio device. There is that hint of warmth to the sound that those who know and love the iFi house sound will appreciate. I am a fan of this sound, as I have mentioned many times in the past, and my enjoyment of the NEO 2 has obviously reflected this.

This “house sound” does seem to come more from the DAC in this case than the amplifier section, as using the DAC outputs to feed various speaker set ups and also other headphone amplifiers did give me that same hint of iFi warmth. When feeding from other DACs into the NEO 2 amplifier stage, which is limited to unbalance by the way, I felt that the amplifier was more neutral than when fed with the onboard DAC. That is not to say that the onboard DAC is not neutral, just that it has that touch of rounded warmth to it.

I enjoyed going through most of the headphones I have available, making the most of it not being summer yet, and did not find that I disliked any of them paired with the NEO 2 DSD. That doesn’t mean that it fixed inherent issues to the headphones themselves but I did find it to be a pleasurable pairing with my preferred sets.

I also had both the AR5000 and the Liric 2 here for testing while using the NEO and it worked very well for them both. The pairing with the Liric 2 is great and I think that they really compliment each other. I also found a lot of enjoyment from various Hifiman planar models.

As far as IEMs, again I found it to work well. Yes, there is some hiss with more sensative pairs (and that scary Nitro mode hiss with all IEMs!), but IEMatch fixes the issue with the sensitive ones and Normal mode works fine for those that are not too sensitive.

As I mentioned under functionality, I get the sensation that both XBass and XSpace are more noticeable on the NEO 2 than on other devices from the brand. They both work well and I think that the XBass 2 on the NEO 2 is probably my favourite implementation of XBass yet. I don’t use it all the time but when certain headphones or tracks call for it, it is there and makes a world of difference.

I could probably ramble on a lot more about smoothness, warmth and a smooth chocolate taste beside an open fire but I will save you, and me, all of that and just say that the sound of the NEO 2 does not disappoint.

One thing I have not mentioned is Bluetooth. As I said earlier in the review, this is the first DAC/Amp to feature the new lossless Bluetooth connectivity, unfortunately I do not have a device that transmits via lossless Bluetooth, so I cannot say how it works. The LDAC functionality works fine though, with plenty of range inside my office and a very stable connection, providing a sound quality that will be more than enough for the majority of listeners out there that use Bluetooth. I guess lossless can only improve on that.



Conclusion…

The iFi Audio NEO iDSD 2 has received a bit of a price increase since the original version but at the same time it has received some upgrades that really make this an even better all in one device. Priced at just under 900€, it is certainly not a cheap device, yet the features and performance are by no means cheap either.

It has ample power for everything I currently have on hand, I am a big fan of the sound and it is packed in an enclosure that may not be anything new, we have seen the design before, but sill looks elegant and inspires confidence in the quality of the product.

So, with positive results from everything I have thrown at the NEO 2, I guess the deciding factor for many would be the price, is it worth the price tag? Well, I am sure you could put together a system that has much of the same functionality (except for the lossless Bluetooth) and a comparable sound performance, but you would be missing the iFi build and that iFi house sound. We also need to consider that this is from the brand that brought us the 500€ dongle, so putting it into perspective, while I would obviously love a lower price point, I don’t think it is as expensive as it may seem at first.

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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)

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Aune Yuki

The Aune Yuki has been sent to me directly by Aune for me to try it out and share my opinions in this review. Aune have not made any requests and I will do my usual best to be as unbiased as possible in my review.

You can find the official page for the Yuki here: https://www.aune-store.com/en/aune-yuki-dongle-dac_110207_1236/

Also available on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Headphone-Smartphone-Earphones-Headphones/dp/B0CJXYNNTH

As always, the above are non-affiliate links.



Intro…

The Yuki is, I believe, the first dongle from the Aune and I have to say that they certainly went all in on this. It is not the cheapest of dongles but it is far from being the most expensive, coming in at 169€ on the official Aune store here in Europe (at the time of puting together this review).

The device features dual CS43198 DAC chips which have been used in decent performing desktop solutions before and Aune seem to have done a good job implementing them in this device.

In fact, Aune seem to have done a good job in general with this device, seemingly spending time and effort on everything involved, but before I get ahead of myself, let’s go through the usual process and start off with the presentation.



Presentation…

Starting off with the packaging, we already see that Aune has aimed to be different. Rather than a box we get a circular tub which is white with the Aune logo in gold on the top, together with “for music we design”, along with Yuki in gold on the side. This has a dark blue card ring around it that shows some artwork and “Yuki” in white letters.

Removing the top reveals a small circular card with two QR codes, one to download the user manual PDF in Chinese and the other in English. Obviously I didn’t do this as a first step (why break tradition?) but looking at it I have to say that, for such a simple device, the user manual is complete and well written.

Under this top card we find the dongle sitting vertically in one section, with the USB-C to USB-C cable, along with a USB-A to USB-C adapter, sitting in another vertical section. There is plenty of foam surrounding them, of the high density type in white, meaning that the device is more than protected for shipping. On top of this, it was packaged in a brown cardboard box surrounding the tub, protecting it even more.

Although there is really not a lot to get excited about with the packaging, I have to say that I really like it when companies go that extra step and do something original. Here Aune have made something different without the need for additional materials other than simple card and foam.



Build and aesthetics…

The first impression of the device is that it looks beautiful. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder but, again, Aune have done something different that sets the device apart from the masses of dongles out there.

The clear top is obviously the first thing to catch the eye, which allows you to see the internals of the device. This is not something new, as one of my favourite dongles (the M15) already has this, however, other than the shape and the clear top, that is where the similarities end.

Aune have opted for a bright white finish to the Yuki, with gold lettering without it being overdone. I find there is a fine line between gold on white being elegant or blingy, with Aune seeming to manage to keep it in the first category. I have always said that I am not a fan of gold but the lettering is discrete and looks good on the white base.

The PCB inside the device, which is visible through the top window, is also a break from the usual green PCB. In this case, the board is red and creme, which, in my opinion, adds even more to the modern yet elegant look of the device.

On the back we get the Yuki logo in gold, with the two buttons above it featuring a single gold dot on one of them to differentiate it. This dot is also recessed so it can be identified, to some extent, by touch.

The included USB cable matches the device in colour, as does the adapter, and the cable is a very nice white braid. Once again, this just gives the sensation of them putting thought and effort into each little component.

In general, I have to praise the Yuki as I think that it is built well, with an aluminium body, and looks different to all the other dongles out there, without being too “off the wall”.



Functionality…

There is not a lot going on with the Yuki, so there is not much to discuss in the functionality side of things, however it does feature volume control and gain levels.

On the bottom of the device there is a 3.5mm unbalanced headphone output, together with a 4.4mm balanced output. At the top we get a single USB-C connector for power and data. That is it as far as connectivity is concerned.

As far as controls, we get the two buttons located on the back of the device. I have to say that I find the location of the buttons to be a strange choice. Once again they have done something different, which I applaud, but in this case I can’t help feeling that it is form over function. I find the buttons to be more difficult to access than if they were on the front or side but it is not the end of the world and I did get used to them pretty quickly.

The buttons are used to control the volume and gain level of the device. Pressing either of the buttons independently will raise or lower the volume, while pressing both of them simultaneously for 2 seconds will change the gain level.

The volume of the Yuki is independent to the device, meaning that the amplification in controlled on the Yuki and that there is no control of the device volume from the dongle. It has a nice small increment with each press and I really find it to work well (once you get used to the buttons on the back).

As far as devices, I have used it with a selection of Android and Windows devices (Win10) and have experienced absolutely no issues with any of them. It has always connected very fast and just worked without hiccup. I’m afraid I don’t have any iOS devices.



Sound…

Now, if I have praised Aune so far in the review for doing something different, in the sound section they have done something different by not doing anything different. Let me explain...

The majority of the Aune devices that I have tested in the past, those that I have reviewed and those that I haven’t, all managed to offer a clean and neutral sound without becoming sterile or cold. In the case of the Yuki they have done the same.

While there are portable devices that I enjoy because they have a little warmth to them, I have to say that I really enjoy the Yuki because of its neutrality. It manages to give you a very transparent sound that does not lose its musicality, something that is not always the case with many portable devices (or even desktop devices).

It may not be the most powerful dongle out there, I wouldn’t really suggest it for difficult to drive headphones, yet it does a very good job with over ears that are easy to drive. For example, although I didn’t really mention it in my review, it works very well with the AR5000 headphones from Aune.

However, my main use case has been with IEMs, both those that I have currently awaiting review and those that I usually grab when I get a chance, and it has been a very pleasurable experience.

From things that are more detail focused, such as the Quintet, through to more warmer options, such as the IE600, I feel that it pairs remarkably well. With the Hifiman Svanar, which is a set that I enjoy a lot but find that it does perform very differently on different sources, it is one of my preferred portable pairings so far. The Svanar maintains that warmth that it is natural to it while presenting the details that it is capable of, without seemingly any additional flavouring from the dongle.

The sound signature of the Yuki does remind me a lot of the S9c Pro that I reviewed from Aune not too long ago, which is a large desktop device. Of course it is not as powerful but the presentation is very similar, which is in turn very similar to my desktop set up of choice for general listening.

Honestly, I can’t find anything to complain about with the sound signature of the Yuki, it is another Aune device that I just enjoy listening to, or rather, not listening to, as it lets the music and the transducers do the work.



Conclusion…

The Aune Yuki has easily become one of my favourite dongle style devices. I have kept it with me almost all the time and have enjoyed using it with IEMs each time I have had a chance. Yes, there are times when I feel like a smoother more relaxed sound, which is the same sort of mood that I am in when I choose a tube amp for home listening, but for 90% of my listening time, I just can’t fault the device.

As I said at the beginning, it is certainly not the cheapest dongle out there but it is far from being the most expensive and I really came away with the feeling that the money spent on this device gives you something that has had a lot of thought and work put into it.

Honestly, I feel that the AR5000 and the Aune Yuki may be the 2 products from Aune that I have enjoyed the most to date. I do not mean that they are the best devices that Aune makes, they make some seriously good stuff, but they are products that make you feel like you are getting something special.

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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)

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - QKZ x HBB Hades

The QKZ x HBB Hades have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not made any requests and I will, as always, try to be as unbiased as possible in my review.

I will leave a link to the Hades via Linsoul in the version of this review published on my blog.

As usual, 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 need to start off by being totally transparent as to the why of this review. I am not going into this review without knowing anything about the Hades, I had seen measurements of these IEMs before they were released and I have also read multiple comments, some good and some bad, about these IEMs. As usual, I ignore comments by others until I get to listen to something myself as, although there are people I know and trust that have similar tastes to my own, my opinions on something may be nothing like those of others.

The reason I mention this is because I knew long before hearing these IEMs that they are absolutely nothing like my personal preferences in tuning. In fact, I totally expected to hate the Hades and although I do try to avoid expectation biases, consciously or not, they are always there unless I know nothing about the IEM in question.

Let’s actually take a look at the graph of these IEMs now rather than waiting for the sound section to see what I am talking about:



As you can see above, these IEMs are far away from my personal preferences. However, these are a set of IEMs that have been aimed at exactly that, being something that is completely different, and I knew that before even saying I would review them.

Therefore, I can’t base this review on personal preferences (which you could already guess what I would say) and I need to put my tastes to one side and try to review these for what they are, a set of bass monster IEMs aimed at the bass heads out there, so please bear with me as I try and put the experience into words



Presentation…

The box is is comic inspired, with black and white artwork and images of the IEMs in large. The text, such as the logo, the model, etc. is purple to match the colour of the IEMs on the cover, although the IEMs themselves are actually lighter and more of a blue than the purple shown on the box. I have to say that the box is refreshing as it is a break from the usual packaging we find on IEMs.

The outer sleeve also shows the measurement and some specs on the back, although the measurement doesn’t really give you a grasp on the actual FR you will hear once you plug these in. I am not saying the graph is wrong but as it doesn't have a reference, it doesn’t give you a real idea of what to expect. One thing I found strange was that the text on the back of the box seems to be upside down, but I guess that depends on how you flip the box.

The contents are almost identical to those that were included with the QKZ x HBB Khan. I say almost because it’s only really the 2 pin connectors on the cable that are metal rather than the recessed versions on the Khan.

That is to say that it includes the IEMs, 3 sets of silicone tips, a generic cable and a gold coin with the HBB logo on one side and the QKZ logo on the other. They also include the same rigid storage/transport case that was included with the Khan.

Honestly I am not sure of the reason behind the coin, I’m sure there is a reason but I would have personally preferred a slightly nicer cable and no coin.



Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are very lightweight and feature a plastic shell that is a tinted translucent plastic on the inner shell and a blueish purple tinted faceplate with a sort of ribbed window effect under the flat faceplate. I honestly don’t know how to explain the faceplate in words, or at least I can’t find the words to describe it, so the photo above is the best option to understand what I mean.

The cable, which is fairly thin and generic, features an inline microphone in my case. This can come in handy for the odd call here and there but I don’t think that the tuning of these IEMs really lends itself to voice intelligibility for calls.

I haven’t mentioned the price of these IEMs yet, which is just under 50€, placing them inside what I consider the ultra budget range. However, although I do consider them a budget option, I don’t feel that the actual content is really anything special for the price. Yes, you get everything you need along with a storage case (and a coin) but the contents do seem to be bare minimum as far as build quality is concerned. In other words, they all work and do their job, they just don’t give any sensation of being quality items (even at 50€), but I guess that leaves more budget for the actual IEMs themselves.



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, moving into the sound section and here is where things get… let’s say, special.

I already posted the graph earlier in the review and said that the sound of these IEMs is not something that I can look at from my typical personal tastes point of view. These IEMs are aimed at giving bass and there is no doubt that bass is what they give!

This also renders my usual test track list almost useless, except for a few tracks, as these IEMs certainly do not work well for the majority of the list, which is to be expected. In fact, I find that these IEMs work for very specific kinds of music and even then, not all music that would fall under that genre.

For example, I find that they work well if you are someone who wants a lot of bass presence in EDM, however, EDM (at least how I think of it) can cover a lot of different subgenres and lots of different styles inside those subgenres. I find that for things like 90’s techno and rave, at least most of it, they work rather well, giving a lot of authority to those bass beats while maintaining a cleanliness in the lower frequencies that is pretty remarkable considering the quantity they are delivering. However, things like Dubstep, or more modern electronic dance that has a lot of bass drops can really suffer with the Hades, due to the sheer quantity of bass presence.

The same can happen with Hip Hop. I am a fan of Hip Hop and have been since being a kid in the late 80’s. During the late 90’s and early 00’s I was heavily involved in the scene (doing lots of live shows and even some brief touring) and, although it is by no means the music that I most listen to nowadays, it still gets a lot of play time. I still dig out underground stuff on occasions from groups who would have probably had a completely different outcome if YouTube was a thing back then.

The reason I am saying this, apart from the fact that I am rambling as usual, is because there are many subgenres of Hip Hop also. There is the electro inspired stuff from the 80’s, the simple early 808 based stuff, the 90’s gangsta stuff, the millenial commercial stuff, the jazz fusion stuff, there really are a lot of genres out there (that a non Hip Hop lover would never even believe).

As with EDM, I find that the Hades works better for certain genres of Hip Hop than for others. With styles that feature large quantities of bass in the recordings, then I find the Hades to overdo it, making the bass the center of attention and overshadowing the rest of the track and even the vocals. Some will obviously like the huge emphasis on bass and who am I to disagree but, while I do like bassy Hip Hop, I still like the vocals to be the center of attention as, to me, lyrics are 90% of Hip Hop.

With other Hip Hop that is not so prominent in the bass department, in the recording I mean, then the Hades can make it a lot of fun.

Now, there is of course one thing that I cannot not include in a sound review of mine when talking about bass… “Chameleon”. I am sure you will have heard this track by now if you are someone who reads my reviews but if you haven’t, then I must point out that this track is brutal in the bass range. When a set is too bassy, it makes this track become even nauseous, which is the case with the Hades. I knew this before I even listened to “Chameleon” but I had to give it a try anyway and I was not disappointed, the Hades + “Chameleon” will check for any loose fillings you may have



Conclusion…

Would I buy the Hades? No.

But I am not you.

Should you buy the Hades? It depends.

The Hades are a different animal and I think the term “animal” is quite fitting. If you are looking for a good all rounder IEM, then I think that you would be way off track with the Hades.

If you are someone who enjoys copious amounts of bass that actual performs fairly well given the quantity on offer, then the Hades is a budget offering that will meet those requirements.

I really don’t think the Hades is designed to be a “one and only” IEM (although I may be wrong as I didn’t design it), it is more of a “gimme more bass” set that will work for specific genres and tracks far better than others. If your library only consists of these kinds of tracks, then maybe it could be your “one and only” but I see it more as a complimentary set to other sets that you just grab when you want that experience.

Let’s face it, the majority of people who are reading this review are probably not “one and done” kind of people anyway

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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

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Aune AR5000

The AR5000 have been sent to me by Aune for me to try them out and share my opinions in this review. Aune have not made any requests and I will, as always, do my best to be as unbiased as I can.

You can find the official page for the AR5000 here: https://www.aune-store.com/en/aune-ar5000-open-ear-headphone_110208_1240/

As with all links I publish, this is a non-affiliate link.



Intro…

I have reviewed a few Aune devices in the past and I have always found that they offer a lot of quality for the price they sit at. The brand has been making DAC and amps of good quality for quite some time and they also have a set of IEMs, the Aune Jasper, that I reviewed quite some time ago and also enjoyed. The AR5000 is their first set of headphones and, as with all first ventures, it is always a risk to release something that you are not really known for.

In this case, they have opted for a 50mm dynamic driver with an MLD diaphragm, in a very nicely designed and built open back set up, that is priced at under 300€. To be honest, I did not know much about the headphones, other than having seen photos, but I was certainly interested in trying them out based on my previous experiences with Aune products.

The AR5000 are aimed at being easy to drive, with a published impedance of 28 Ohms and 108dB/Vrms (@1kHz). I think further proof of their aim to make them easy to drive is that, along with the headphones, they also sent me their dongle DAC, the Aune Yuki. The Yuki is a device that has a decent amount of power for a dongle device but is by no means the most powerful on the market and it is a long way behind a desktop setup.

I am not going to discuss the Yuki today, as that deserves a review of its own, and I am going to focus on the AR5000, which I have used with the Yuki but have also used with a combination of other source devices.

Before finally moving on to the review, I just want to mention that Aune also kindly sent along an additional balanced cable and an Aune branded headphone stand. So, with that said, let’s get on with my opinions on the AR5000.



Presentation…

The outer sleeve of the packaging shows a large image of the headphones (which I have to say do look great in photos) on a white background. Along with the make and model, we also get the basic specs listed on the back of the box.

Removing the sleeve reveals a black box, with AR5000 on the lid, which opens to reveal the user guide and the headphones sitting below in a silk covered foam cut out. There is also an accessories box that contains the 3.5mm unbalanced cable with a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter.

In general there is not a lot in the box but there isn’t usually much in a headphone box, in comparison to IEMs that is, with sets that contain many accessories being the exception rather than the norm. The only thing I do with was included is some kind of storage/transport case as these are easy to drive and, although they are not really designed to be carried around (they don’t fold or anything similar), I could see people throwing these in a backpack or something to take with them to the office, school etc. However, I do understand that at 300€, there is a limited budget to be spent on these and, as always, I like to see as much of that as possible spent on the headphones themselves and not packaging or accessories.



Build and aesthetics…

My first impression when taking them out of the box was that they are much smaller than I expected. I mean, they are not exactly tiny, they are definitely a full sized set of over ear headphones, but for some reason I had expected them to be even bigger after seeing the photos.

My second impression was that they look great. These headphones do look very good in photos but they look just as good in person. Of course aesthetics are a totally personal thing but I think they look very good. They are built from a combination of metal and plastic yet the plastic is of good quality and matches the metal to the point of only knowing it is plastic when tapping on it. This makes them quite lightweight but not too light as to feel cheap.

The headband, which is metal, features a system that Aune call “Concentric Circle”. This uses a leather style suspension strap which is attached to a sliding system that clicks into place on the sides, which is in turn, attached to the metal headband. I find the system to work well and to be comfortable even for longer periods.

The earpads are hybrid and perforated, which helps keep the ears cooler, although, as with all overear headphones, if you live where I do, the daily >40ºC (>105ºF) temperatures will still take their toll, at least they do on me

The earpads are also angled, along with the drivers inside the cups being angles, this places the sound source towards the front. I believe that this is in an attempt to mimic the sound presentation of speakers and we will see how this works out in the sound section.

The outer side of the cups have a grille with oblong openings, that has a pinkish grille with circular opening behind it. This works well for the aesthetics of the headphones and, in general, they give of a more premium look that their price point would indicate.

As far as build quality, yes there is quite a bit of plastic but everything seems to be well assembled, as with all Aune products, a seems like it should have good durability, although only time will tell.

The included 3.5mm cable is a double twist that is covered in black fabric with metal hardware to match the headphones. I have to say that I like the included cable, in fact, as far as my tastes go, I prefer the included cable to the extra 4.4mm cable that they added in extra.

The extra balanced cable is by no means bad, it is actually quite a nice cable, with a quadruple braid and nice silver hardware. The only reason I prefer the stock cable over the additional cable is because I am more of a fan of fabric covered cables than I am of those covered in a clear finish which are slightly more rubbery. Of course, this is a personal thing and either of the cables is a good option.



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, I had no idea what to expect from these headphones, I didn’t even know the price, which is actually my preferred way of trying things out. If I don’t know what to expect, then I can’t have any preconceived opinions. When I reviewed the Aune Jasper (the IEMs), I went into that review in basically the same circumstances, with no idea what to expect, and they turned out to have a tuning that really suited my preferences.

In the case of the AR5000, luck would have it that they are again something that matches my personal preferences as far as tuning. I will also say that, while I didn’t know what to expect from these headphones, I have still been pleasantly surprised.

The angle of the pads and the drivers does in fact place the source of the music towards the front, which does lose some of the depth towards the rear but also widens the sensation of horizontal and forward depth. This means that in binaural tracks such as “La Luna”, we lose a bit of that rear placement of the back left guitar, however, for live presentations, such as “Free Fallin’”, there is more of a sensation of being in front of a stage rather than in the center of the stage.

While I would still not say that these are as wide as something like the Arya v2, it is still a nice sensation of width and I have found a lot of liver performances, especially those that have been accompanied with video (live concerts etc.) to be very enjoyable. For example, I found watching Tiny Desk Concerts to be very enjoyable. Of course, the sound quality on YouTube is not the best but I usually enjoy the Tiny Desk stuff anyway and the AR5000 added to the enjoyment with that presentation angled from the front.

As far as the actual sound itself, as in tuning and performance in the usual ranges, let’s start off with the usual FR graph with the HD6XX as a comparison:



I use the HD6XX as a reference due to me not really having an overear reference like I do with my in ears, so I have always just leaned towards showing the HD6XX due to it being one of the mostly widely known headphones out of the ones I have.

Ok, so enough with all of that and let's get into the specifics, starting off with the subbass.

“Chameleon" comes across as clean and controlled in the subbass, with a decent amount of presence but not to the skull rumbling levels that other sets will provide. As the subbass levels are not overly boosted, it makes it easier for the drivers to balance the extreme low end with the other frequencies. This results in a calm and collected subbass that won’t satisfy the needs of those looking for the extreme low end rumble but will make those looking for a more balanced sound quite happy.

Listening to “No Sanctuary Here”, by Marian Herzog featuring Chris Jones, here we get a much better idea of the balance in the low end. Subbass and midbass is present enough to balance the track without putting the focus on that low end. The AR5000 does a good job of keeping up with faster paced electric bass guitar also, such as that in “The Room”, although it may miss a little bit of midbass warmth for those who are more interested in classic rock such as “Whole Lotta Love”, where the bass guitar is appreciated but a little “cooler” than some other presentation with a bit more midbass focus.

This keeps the midbass from getting fatiguing for me, such as in “Crazy”, although I did find that on very busy tracks, such as “The Room” I just mentioned, it can make things a little less clear in the midrange.

Acoustic instruments, guitars and basses for example, sound decent in the midrange yet I do find that there is a bit of emphasis placed on the upper mids of these instruments, with the higher notes being noticeably cleaner than the lower notes on the same instrument, such as in “Billie Jean” by The Civil wars or “Seven Nation Army” by Zella Day.

The upper midrange does a nice job of bringing vocals forwards, examples would be the two tracks I just mentioned, although it works better for some vocals more than others. Certain female vocals can be just a little too harsh in this range, such as Beth, whereas certain male vocals can just be a little too lost in the music, especially when it is a busier track, such Zack De La Rocha.

Vocals in simpler tracks, where they are the main focus, sound nice and clear, although some do feel like they could do with just a touch more warmth in the lower frequencies.

Upper ranges are not the most extended but are pleasant, without any nasty peaks or other artifacts that spoil the presentation of the music with unexpected harshness or sibilance. Some may find that they would like a little more air but I feel that Aune have played it safe in this regard and ended up with a treble that is not the most lively but is not going to be a negative for the majority of people.

Details are pretty good throughout the whole ranges although I do find that when a track gets busy, especially in the lower half of the frequency spectrum, then the AR5000 can seemingly struggle to keep up with all the details of a fast moving lower end. This is not really a complaint but it is something that I feel could be improved but the question is at what price?



Conclusion…

I feel that this first venture into the world of headphones by Aune has been a very sensible one. They have presented something that is not groundbreaking and is not going to be claimed as a “giant killer” (I hate that term!) but is a rather respectable set of headphones that come in at a very reasonable price.

Yes, there are a few things here and there that could be improved but I think what we are getting at this price point is something well worth considering for those who are looking for a decent all rounder set of headphones.

It is going to be a little expensive for those who want the lowest price they can find, it is not really going to appeal to those who are immersed in the TOTL headphone world and I think that it may be a little too tame for those who are proclaimed bass heads. However, for those that are looking for a balanced set of easy to drive headphones at a reasonable price, then the AR500 should be on the radar.

Personally, I have been left with a good sensation but that is usually the case with Aune.

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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)

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - NiceHCK DB2

I recently reviewed the NiceHCK F1 Pro, a set of planar IEMs that I found very impressive. Along with the F1 Pro, NiceHCK also sent me the IEMs I will be reviewing today, the DB2.

As with the other model, there have been no requests from NiceHCK and I will do my best to be as unbiased as possible.

You can find a link to the DB2 via the official NiceHCK Store in the [version of this review published on my blog.

As usual, 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…

While the F1 Pro is a set of planar IEMs that sits around the 100€ mark, the DB2 are a very budget oriented set that opts for a single DD paired with a single BA driver. Coming in at just over 20€, there is no doubt that they are well inside what I consider ultra-budget (sub 50€). But being cheap does not necessarily make them a good option, as we know, there are many alternatives at a similar price point and some of them are very impressive.

So, can the DB2 make a space for itself in the bang for buck range? That is what I set about finding out.



Presentation…

It’s been a while since I received a box with an anime girl on it, something that is the main focus of the outer packaging of the DB2. Personally I don’t have any interest in anime nor does it offend me, so I am not really bothered one way or the other. I do prefer more traditional aesthetics on the box but for 20€, that is definitely the last thing I am going to worry about.

The back of the box lists the specs of the IEMs, both in Chinese and English, even to the point of the diaphragm materials used.

Sliding the internal box out of the outer sleeve, we are greeted with exactly the same image as on the outer cover, so, if you like anime, you will be twice as happy. Opening the box reveals a decorative card that also shows the same image, both on the front and the back, so now you can be four times as happy

As far as contents, we get the IEMs, the cable, a velcro cable tie, a small storage pouch and 8 sets of silicone tips, which is nice in such a budget offering.



Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs feature plastic shells which are transparent on the inside. On the faceplate we find a kind of marble design which is surrounded by a gold coloured aluminium strip. Although I am not a huge fan of the aesthetics, they are at least not simple dull plastic shells, which is again appreciated at this price point.

The IEMs are lightweight and the shape is fairly generic. I found them to be very comfortable even for long sessions, with not fatigue building up due to design or weight.

The included cable is also fairly generic, with plastic hardware and a simple twist. It is pink however, so it’s not just a generic black or white cable. I can’t say the cable is amazing but it does its job and it is lightweight, so no complaints 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.)

This is always the important part but when we have a set of IEMs costing 20€, that is pretty well presented with a decent amount of accessories, it is even more interesting to see how much was left over for the sound quality. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and take the usual steps.

First, let’s take a look at the graph in comparison to my usual preference target for reference:



Starting off with subbass and the usual “Chameleon”, I honestly expected it to perform worse. There is a nice rumble that is not too overpowering and, although it is not the best subbass I have heard, it stays under control and does not seem to lose focus.

With “No Sanctuary Here” we get a similar experience, enough in the sub ranges for it to be considered fun but not fatiguing. I didn’t get the feeling that the subbass was taking over the sound yet it certainly makes itself noticed.

Moving into the midbass and using my midbass fatigue test track which is “Crazy”, here I did feel that the midbass could be a little overpowering for my personal tastes. It isn’t overpowering to the point of being fatiguing but I did find myself wishing it had a little less reverb on the low end of the guitar. The vocals did balance out well though and I can say I enjoyed the track, I just preferred the vocal parts to the instrumental sections.

With “Elephants on Ice Skates” I did get the feeling that the bass wasn’t quite as controlled as it could be, although it was far from being terrible. When the track got busier, I found that the midbass lost some of the clarity but, again, far from terrible.

Into the mids we do find a bit of a recess throughout the middle section that can have an effect that is more or less noticeable depending on the music selected. With “Elephants on Ice Skates” it was far more noticeable throughout the busy sections whereas with something like “Don’t Start Now” it didn’t really stand out as much.

As we get to the upper mids, this is where things can come across as unnatural. There is a lot of presence in the form of peaks at 2kHz and 3.5kHz which make vocals cut through easily, balancing out that bass that I spoke about a moment, yet they can be a little thin and harsh on occasions. For example, “Don’t Start Now” sounds a little harsh and fragile in these regions.

With “Still D.R.E”, the snare and melodic notes sound harsh and strained, even more than they usually do, with things seemingly a little distorted in this region and even making the the vocals take a step back behind the upper mids of the instruments.

Sibilance is tamed fairly well, at least with my usual “Hope Is A Dangerous Thing” and “Code Cool” tests. I would say that Patricia Barber is around a -2 on my non-scientific -12 to +12 sibilance scale.

This is due to a rather large drop in presence once we get over that 3.5kHz mark which really doesn’t come back, at least not properly, all the way up into the treble ranges. In fact, the treble does have a few peaks that give it a bit of presence in those upper ranges but in general it is pretty rolled off in the treble. This can give a sensation of lacking air on many tracks and leaves the focus on those upper mid peaks.

As far as soundstage, they do a pretty decent job. They are not huge but I do think that they are a little above average for a set of IEMs. Using “La Luna”, there is a decent sense of space between instruments and a few Dr.Chesky tests were pretty positive in giving a sensation of space.



Conclusion…

Picking faults with the DB2 would be the overly present 2kHz and 3.5kHz peaks, followed by the rolled off upper treble. But to be fair, for a set of 20€ IEMs, these are by no means bad. I have enjoyed listening to them.

I wouldn’t say they are the best set available in their price range but I don’t think people would regret buying them either, unless they are sensitive to those peaks (like I would be if they were at 5kHz).

The bass is surprisingly fun and well controlled. There are times, in busy tracks, where the midbass can feel a little congested and the dip in the mids makes itself present but that does depend a lot on the music being played. Not all busy tracks show this.

In general, I think the DB2 are a fun set of IEMs that are easily worth their asking price.

__
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

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Rose Technics Ceramics

The Rose Technics Ceramics have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of my thoughts in this review. Linsoul have not made any requests and I will do my usual best to be as unbiased as possible.

I will leave a link (non-affiliate link, as always) to the Ceramics via Linsoul on my blog.



Intro…

While I have always maintained that I don’t review or spend a lot of time with TWS, lately that seems to not be quite true. You may have seen my recent ramblings (I can’t really call it a review) about the Sony Linkbuds S, where I said that I picked commodity over sound quality, something that is not usual for me personally.

It is true that the sound quality of TWS IEMs is getting better but I am still of the opinion that they have a long way to go before matching the sound quality of many of the cheaper wired alternatives. This is something that I find true at all TWS price points that I have tried, even sets costing around 600€ that sound decent but are no match for other wired alternatives that come in at a third of the cost.

While there are some sets that are using very high quality drivers and some in depth processing to make things a lot better, the truth is that they are still fighting against a very difficult thing to overcome. Size. You need to fit the drivers, the DAC, the amplification, the DSP, the battery, the charging system for the battery, all into a very small space while still managing to leave enough of a cavity for the air that the drivers need to work well.

But really, at least for now, TWS is not about sound quality, it is about the commodities of having something so small and easy to use, without being tied to a device by means of a cable. I am sure that these will continue to advance and at some point we may start to get options that do rival cabled alternatives, but for now, I feel that we are still looking at the best functionality we can get while also getting a “decent enough” sound.

Why am I saying all of this? Well, I want to make it clear that I don’t think it is fair to compare TWS IEMs with wired IEMs, at least not in similar price brackets, therefore it would not be fair if I do a direct comparison of the Ceramics to a set of wired IEMs in the sub 40€ price bracket, which is what the Ceramics sell for at the time of putting together this review (EDIT: They are actually less than 30€ at the time of publishing this review).

My current bench mark for TWS are the Linkbuds S, not because of sound quality but because of functionality and I think that, even though the Ceramics are less than a third of the price of the Sony, the comparison is fairer than putting them up against something like the 7Hz Zero (1 or 2), paired with an Apple dongle, which come in at around the same price (including the Dongle) is not really fair.

So, basically what I am saying is that my reviews of TWS IEMs should be treated as an independent thing. Much like the difference between me reviewing a set of IEMs and a set of over ear headphones.

Anyway, enough with the rambling and on with the review…



Presentation…

The Rose Technics Ceramics arrive in a fairly basic white package that features an image of them on the cover, along with the model, brand and “Hi-Fi True Wireless Stereo Earbuds” underneath. On the back of the box we get some basic specs, line the operation range (15m), Bluetooth version (5.3), charging time (approx. 40 mins) and the impedance (32 Ohms).

It is a little strange to see the impedance mentioned on a set of TWS as it isn’t really relevant due to the fact that they already have all the amplification built in etc, yet there is no mention of the codecs that the Ceramics offer.

Inside the main package we find two smaller white boxes with the Rose Technics logo on them, one labelled as “Earphone Box” and the other as “Accessories”.

Opening the Earphone box reveals a largish black plastic case with the Rose logo on it, which I thought was the actual case of the IEMs and my first thoughts were “this is rather large”. However, opening the black flip top case reveals a much smaller case on the inside which is actually the IEMs storage/charging case. The larger black case is quite nice with a padded interior although I couldn’t help wondering why they decided to pack a case inside a case, inside a box inside a box.

Inside the accessories box we find a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and three sets of silicone tips. In addition to this we get a user manual explaining the functionality (and contents) of the package.

You may be thinking that this is not exactly a lot of content but it is exactly the same content as received with the Linkbuds S at more than three times the price. Well, it’s actually more as we get the extra case to store the case



Build and Aesthetics…

The Ceramics are available in 3 different colours, all black, grey with black internals and white with pink internals. I received the grey set and I think they look pretty good, although they do have sort of a beige tint to the grey, depending on the light.

The storage/charging case is very compact, around the same size as the Linkbuds S case and even a little thinner overall, meaning that they fit easily even in a fifth pocket and will not be something irritating to carry around with you (which is very important to me, as I think one of the positives of TWS is having them always available). This does mean, however, that the internal space of the case is not really very big. I can fit them in the case with Symbio medium sized tips installed but anything larger will mean that they don’t fit in the case properly (they wont fit with Symbio large).

The charging port is located on the bottom of the case, which is something I would usually complain about as you cant charge them standing up, yet in this case (pun intended), it won’t stand up anyway due to the rounded shape of the bottom.

The IEMs (or should I call them buds like everyone else?) are also very compact. They are almost round in shape and sit fairly well inside the ears, although they do stick out a little more than something like the Linkbuds S.

In general I like the size, they seem to be well built and the aesthetics don’t really displease me either.



Functionality…

Pairing for the first time is pretty straight forwards as it is with most TWS. Open the case and take them out, then look for them in your device and pair them. They can also connect to two devices simultaneously, which is a little more complicated (although the manual explains it well) but does work correctly. I could listen to music from one phone and then take calls from the other phone with seamless switching over between devices and back again once ending the call. I know that not everyone uses two phones but it is handy to be able to connect to a tablet or computer while still having a connection to a phone.

As far as I am aware, there is no App for the Ceramics (EDIT: I found out after putting together this review that there is actually an App. However, after trying for more than 30 minutes to connect it to the Ceramics and failing, it's like not having an App). Personally I prefer no App over a buggy and bad performing App but, in this case, I wouldn’t have minded an App to remove some of the functions from the IEMs themselves as there is a lot going on and it can get confusing when you are using different sets of TWS (i.e: different control set ups).

Each side is a touch surface which is not really over sensitive but still suffers from touches when adjusting the IEMs in your ear etc. As you will see now, depending on how many accidental touches you make, you can make quite a few changes.

Volume up - Single tap on right

Volume down - Single tap on left

Previous track - Hold left for two seconds

Next track - Hold right for two seconds

Play / Pause - Double tap on right or left

Answer / End call - Double tap on right or left

Reject call - Hold for 2 seconds either left or right

Voice assistant - Triple tap on right

EQ mode - Triple tap on left

Game mode - Quadruple tap on left or right

As you can see, there is a lot going on and even after reading the manual (which we all know is not my first step ), I still found myself confused by the control layout.

I appreciate the fact that you can adjust volume from the IEMs, something that I have complained about with other models, but in this case the volume of the Ceramics is independent to the actual phone volume.

The fact that it is a single tap and there are many other functions with multiple taps can make it a little more complicated, yet the steps are pretty large. As I listen to all kinds of music, a lot of the time on random playback, there are many volume differences between tracks and turning up for a quieter track may lead to overly powerful levels on the next track, in the end, I found I grabbed my phone to change the volume rather than using the onboard controls and volume, which sort of defeats the object.

Also, both the EQ mode and the Game mode are things that I really don’t need to change on the fly, in fact, I don’t really need to change them at all, so these are things that I end up changing by accident and finding myself unsure of what I have done.

There is a voice that informs you of changes made but for some reason, there are two different voices depending on what you have done. It leads me to believe (just making assumptions here) that the control system was taken from a different model and extra things were added to the Ceramics.

There is no real mention of what the gaming mode does, although the Rose Technics web (and Linsoul) does mention that the Ceramics can offer latency as low as 60ms which ensures a “quick response in FPS games”. I honestly don’t know what it changes as far as the internal set up when activated but it doesn’t change frequency response and I don’t game, other that the odd retro session etc., so I can’t say I have improved much in the FPS gaming world

One thing it does mention about it in the manual is under troubleshooting:

"Q: Noise in game mode?

A: Game mode is for gaming only. For other scenarios, please witch back to music mode"

So it obviously does something.

EQ I will mention in a moment under sound, so that just leaves the charging case. This is stated as having fast charge, with 10 minutes offering six hours of uninterrupted playback, but it doesn’t really say anything about the charging of the actual case. As I haven’t actually run it down to zero, I can’t say how long charging of the case takes.

There is a status LED on the front of the case which tells you the level of the battery, the charging state etc. All of this is explained in the included manual.

Finally, as far as Codecs, the options are SBC or AAC yet I found that setting it to SBC in Gaming mode would break the connection and stop them from working. In music mode, both AAC and SBC work fine. There is also something to note and it is the fact that the Ceramics only have 44.1kHz sample rate, meaning that everything will be resampled by them to 44.1kHz.



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.)

Let’s start off by addressing the EQ modes on the Ceramics. There is no “flat” or “off” setting, so you have to choose between either “Hifi Music Mode”, “Pop Music Mode” or “Rock Music Mode”. Just to repeat that there is no difference between Gaming and Music modes as far as frequency response. The same three EQ settings are available in both modes and the response is the same.

Ok, so here is a graph of the 3 EQ modes (just in Music mode to not show an extra 3 irrelevant lines), with my usual preference curve for reference:



Ok, so where do I start?

Usually I would just tell you which of the EQs I prefer and then go on to explain my opinions with that setting, maybe with a few notes about the other settings along the way. However, I really can’t say that I “prefer” any of them.

So, rather than follow my usual frequency categories, I am going to mention a few of the tracks from my test list, those that I usually refer to the most, and then say how I find that track with each of the 3 EQ settings.

Of course we have to start with “Chameleon” by Trentemoller...

Hifi Mode: There is a noticeable lack of rumble on the Ceramics compared to many other sets. Let’s face it, this track is pretty crazy in the low end, so I can’t really say there is a lack of bass but it doesn’t rumble like it should. There is also a lack of lower mids and mid range in general, with things clearing up a little due to the excessive presence between 2.5 and 5kHz. This makes certain sounds stand out while others seem to be darker and merge together.

Pop Mode: Ok, here we cant say there is a lack of rumble, what we can say is that there is a lack of clarity in the lower ranges of the track. While the drivers don’t seem to be struggling, they also don’t seem to be defining the subbass either. There is, again, a lack of mids in general, with the (even more excessive) upper mids/lower treble giving clarity to some sounds but struggling to do so due to that immense rumble happening at the other extreme.

Rock Mode: Now we are just getting silly I know that there are people who will find this quantity of bass great but I am not one of them. The low end rumble just takes over the whole track and even that excessive 2.5 to 5k can’t really break through that wall of rumble. Personally I find this to be nauseous and is literally just rumble with not much else to be appreciated. I am literally grateful to get to the end of my detailed listening with this track and this EQ.

Another track I mention almost as much as “Chameleon” is “Crazy” by Daniella Andrade...

Hifi Mode: In this mode the overpowering reverb in the lower ranges is avoided yet it does give the overall track a focus in those upper mids, making her vocals sound a little thin and harsh. To this we add a treble that is not really smooth and details stand out but do sound a little artificial at times. There is also a slight hint of sibilance on occasions, with the sounds of her mouth (lips etc.) seeming over emphasized at times.

Pop Mode: Here there is even more emphasis placed on those upper mids with sibilance being more noticeable than with HiFi mode. Although there is more present in the lowest ranges, it is mostly below where the guitar reverb resides, so it doesn’t really affect the low end of this track much in comparison.

Rock Mode: This is my preffered option out of the three for this track. There is still a hint of sibilance but the upper mids/lower treble doesn’t come across quite as exaggerated with this EQ. Again the low boost is mostly below the reverb, so there is a slight touch more but not enough for it to become overly present in the midbass, although it doesn’t seem quite as clean.

Something with a bit of electronic subbass but without the excess of “Chameleon” is “No Sanctuary Here”...

Hifi Mode: Here I find that the low ranges of the track are rather dull in comparison to what I would usually expect from this track. There is also a lack of body to the vocals of Chris Jones, leaving the upper mids exposed. This is not as bad as with female vocals, not as harsh, but does lose a lot of the excitement that this song brings.

Pop Mode: Now the excitement of the subbass is back, although I think it is a little overly present for the rest of the track, or at least overly present for the mids, which again lack the body to the vocals, making them take a back seat behind the subbass. The thing I found here is that the vocals are ok while there is a break in the bass but when the bass comes back, it does overshadow them, even with that 3k presence.

Rock Mode: Again I find that the subbass is overpowering when in this mode with this track. It eliminates all sense of clarity and while I still maintain that the driver doesn’t do a bad job, all you are really experiencing is subbass with some other sounds in the background. Not something I would pick personally.

Seeing that we have a “Pop” mode, lets try something I would consider modern pop, “Don’t Start Now”...

Hifi Mode: Here the bass is actually pretty impressive, with nice clean hits, keeping the rythm entertaining yet not overpowering. The issue here is that once more, we are missing some body to the lyrics of Dua Lipa, with the upper mids sounding a little fragile. There is the slightest hint of sibilance at times but nothing that I would complain about. I would actually complain more about certain sounds that suddenly sound harsh when they coincide with one of the upper peaks, such as the pluck of a bass string etc.

Pop Mode: This is what should be selected for this track, no? Well, I have to say that the bass is possibly even more impressive than in HiFi mode, especially if you like a nice amount of it. The bass isn’t bloated and its clean and decisive in it’s rithym. The issue here is that things sound even more fragile in the upper ranges. Sibilance is slightly more present but not terrible, just peaky overall in the upper ranges.

Rock Mode: Ok, if I wanted to impress someone with bass on a set of TWS, then this track with this mode is pretty amazing. It stays clean and defined, with plenty of bass and I find it sounds better than Pop mode to my ears. Here the upper mids are still a little fragile but not as bad as with the other modes, mainly because they hide behind a a lot of bass. I still wouldn’t say it sounds good, the upper ranges are by no means something I would choose but I still admit that the bass on this track is impressive in this mode.

Seeing that we did Pop, I guess we should do something for Rock also, so let’s use a classic, “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin ...

Hifi Mode: The thing that stands out to me the most here is the upper ranges of the electric guitar as it hits those higher chords. In general the track is sort of dark and distant but then suddenly those chords cut through like a knife in the left ear. The track is listenable although lacking presence in the mids, until those chords appear and are, let’s say, uncomfortable.

Pop Mode: When the track starts, the bass guitar sounds rather impressive but I wouldn’t say it sounds like it should. As soon as it mixes in with the other instruments and vocals, it then becomes a sort of wall that makes it difficult to actually separate what is going on.

Rock Mode: We saw that Pop mode didn’t really work for Pop, at least the track I selected, so does Rock mode work for this Rock track? Well, not really. Again the bass could be considered impressive at the beginning but it again turns into a confused mix when multiple things are happening. To be honest, this is not exactly a complex track but things just don’t sound right on it, with certain parts seemingly like a wall, while other suddenly cut through and sound like they are from a different recording.



Conclusion…

These are a budget set of IEMs, coming in at 40€ (EDIT: Now less than 30), and I have to say that they try to pack in a lot of things for the price, maybe too many things, and unfortunately sound quality is not one of them, at least in my opinion.

There are 3 EQ modes and the only real difference between them is how much subbass we get and how harsh it is around the 3k to 5kHz mark. I appreciate that not everyone has the same tastes and the fact that they have aimed to cater for 3 different profiles, yet none of them match my personal tastes (which is ok, I understand I am difficult) but they also don’t sound great.

The details are pretty decent, yet the peaky treble makes them sound artificial at times. The upper mids and lower treble are just too present and give things a harsh and fragile sound. The mids are the opposite, lacking in presence and leaving many vocals without any real body to them.

That just leaves the bass. I have to say that the bass is pretty impressive. That doesn’t mean I like it, there is too much of it for my tastes, but I still have to admit that it can be impressively clean and present on certain well mixed tracks. Of course, it didn’t work well with “Chameleon”, due to the track being overpowering and adding the additional overpowering bass of the Ceramics. But still, I can’t deny that these TWS have enough bass for most of the bass lovers out there.

I really can’t say I am a fan of these TWS IEMs and, although I do think that some people will enjoy them just for that excessive bass, I feel that there are other options in this price range that make much more sense.

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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)

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

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Fosi Audio SK02

The Fosi Audio SK02 is the latest device released by the brand and has been sent to me directly by Fosi Audio for me to try it out and to share my opinions in this review. Fosi have not made any requests except for asking if I could publish my review around the 26th of February, which is when the product will be officially released. It is currently available (at the time of putting this review together) on Kickstarter as a preorder (for around 65€).

Therefore, as always, I will do my best to be as unbiased as possible in my review.

The SK02 is available from various sources that I will leave links to on my blog.

As usual, links that I share are non-affiliate.



Intro…

Fosi Audio are not a new brand, they have been around for a while and produce audio amplifiers and related products at a fairly budget level. They are not the cheapest you can find on places like Amazon or Aliexpress but they are a brand that is serious about what they do and do it at a very reasonable price point.

I previously reviewed the K5 Pro here on the channel and today we have the SK02, which is another DAC/Amp combo but in a different form factor (and with different specs).

This small desktop all in one features and ES9038Q2M DAC chip (I am actually told it uses 2 of them), which has been used in quite a few devices before by many brands. In this case, Fosi have paired it with an SGM8262 OP Amp, which is also something we have seen before in other devices.

The specified power output (according to the Fosi Audio published spec) is 280mW @32Ohm (unbalanced) and 1100mW @32Ohm (balanced). These are quite powerful numbers and are almost double, in the case of the balanced output, to what I have seen specified from other models in the past using the same OP Amps.

But we will talk about power in just a moment, let’s first take a usual look at packaging and presentation.



Presentation…

There is absolutely no doubt that Fosi Audio spend as little as possible on the packaging in order to keep the price down. Well, I guess they could go with just a generic brown box or even just a padded envelope (it wouldn’t be the first time I have received devices packed just in an envelope), so lets say that the go for the cheapest branded packaging they can.

The box is the same a the one used on other Fosi products and shows the Fosi Logo on the front with the model name added by means of a sticker in the top right corner. There are no specs about the product on the box (which is understandable as it is a generic box for multiple products) although it does mention that you have a 30 day return period, 18 month warranty and lifetime technical support. Of course, if you are buying from Amazon here in Europe (or any other European seller), the warranty will be the legal minimum of 2 years or longer, depending on which country you reside/buy it in (Spain is 3 years).

Opening the box reveals a simple foam cutout that contains the DAC/Amp, the user manual and a USB-C to USB-C cable with an attached USB-A adapter.



Build and aesthetics…

The form factor is different to the majority of small all in one DAC/Amp combos as it is focused around having the volume control and information leds on the top of the device. This is a layout that will work better or worse for you depending on how you intend to set up and place the device.

The shell of the device is aluminium in a black finish and while it is not extremely heavy, there is a bit of weight to it to stop it being easily dragged around the desk when in use.

I am a fan of this style of device for places like my work desk as it provides a small form factor that can sit at the side of my keyboard and USB microphone, with easy to access volume control and easy to read status LEDs.

The overall build quality is pretty good, with rubber strips on the bottom to also stop it from sliding easily. The volume knob does have a slight wiggle when rocked side to side but it is not bad and is not really noticeable when using the device, just when actually focusing on rocking the wheel.

The majority of the status LEDs are orange and are bright enough to see but not bright enough to be distracting, something that I am grateful for when having it within eyesight on my desk.

While I wouldn’t say that the SK02 stands out as an incredible build or has eye catchng looks, I do think that it is well built and really can’t fault it for the price range that it sits in.



Functionality…

On the top of the device we have a large volume knob that also serves as a play/pause button and a power switch, at least on Windows 10. The knob is an infinite rotary style, so you can turn it endlessly and the only real feedback in regards to level is the amount of sound coming from your headphones (or speakers). Well, I guess that is not really true, as there is a volume level LED but that is a single LED that works sort of like a clip LED on a console or other device. By this I mean that the LED only really starts to flash as the volume level starts to increase, flashing brighter and longer as the volume increases. It is a nice touch and I appreciate it being included but it really isn’t something that will give you a real idea of the level.

The volume from the SK02 is independent to that of Windows. By this I mean that the setting of the SK02 in the Windows mixer does nothing. No matter the level set, it will allow the full range of the SK02 to be used and turning the volume knob does not adjust volume in the Windows mixer, it is separate amplification on the device itself. This is something very positive in my opinion as you can use exclusive modes in apps like Tidal or Foobar and not have to worry about it blasting sound through your headphones but it also means that you have to reduce volume with the knob and keyboard shortcuts will do nothing (including mute).

The rotary knob is also a push down switch which plays or pauses the music (or Youtube video etc.) when pressed once. A long press of the knob switches the SK02 off, which means you can disconnect the device without having to unplug it. A long press to switch it back on and the device reappears in Windows almost instantly.

Above the knob, the centre of the top panel features 14 mini LEDs. As I said a moment ago, the majority of these are orange, with only the volume status LED being a purple colour and the power LED being green. To be honest, I don’t really see the need for the power LED as there are always other LEDs active when the device is on anyway, but at least it makes the layout symmetrical.

The LEDs are in two columns of 7, with the left column showing (from top to bottom):

High Gain

Low Gain

384 PCM

192 PCM

96 PCM

48 PCM

44.1 PCM



The right hand column, again from top to bottom, shows:

Optical Input

USB Input

256 DSD

128 DSD

64 DSD

Volume level status

Power



These are all identified by small white text which is simple but easily read and nicely laid out.

Above the LEDs, at the top of the panel, there are two push buttons that sit flush with the device. The left button switches the Gain level, while the right button switches between the two input modes.

On the front of the SK02 we find the headphone connectors. These are a 3.5mm unbalanced connection, with a 4.4mm balanced connection below. The 3.5mm connector is slightly off center in comparison to the 4.4mm directly below, I am guessing due to internal space restrictions. This is only really a minor thing to point out and not a complaint as you only really notice it when looking straight at it.

The sides of the device are empty of connections and moving around to the back panel we find a USB-C input, an Optical input and a 3.5mm preamp output. The output is controlled by the volume knob (hence being a “preamp” output) and is muted by inserting headphones into the headphone output.

Something that I discovered while recording the Spanish video review is that the 3,5mm output is also an optical output, allowing the SK02 to feed other systems digitally. This is something that I always find handy and is nice to see on a budget device.

That is about it as far as functionality, plug in your cables, choose your mode and volume level and that’s it, away we go.

The only real comment I have here is that I think a microphone input would have been a good idea for this kind of device, similar to the one on the K5 Pro or maybe even just a TRRS for the 3.5mm to allow the multiconnector to be used. I am not talking about a high end microphone input, just something simple to allow gamers to use their headsets with this device, even if the mic volume would only be controlled in Windows. This is by no means a complaint, just a comment, exactly the same comment I have made with other similar devices in the past.



Sound…

I have not measured the output power of this device and I am still sceptical about the 1100mW claimed for the balanced output but I have to say that it is a very powerful little device. There is no exact volume meter for me to be able to tell you at what volume level I have been using this amplifier but I have certainly not been anywhere near max level with anything I have plugged into it. In fact, as a quick example, if I set the SK02 to full and then raise the volume in Foobar (as the Windows mixer does nothing), with the KPH40 on low gain, my usual listening levels are around -25dB and -15dB starts to be far too loud for me.

As far as sound, I will make my usual disclaimer that differences in sound between sources are usually very minimal, often exaggerated by reviewers to get our point across and most probably more based on our brain's interpretation than actual differences in sound. Saying that, I find the SK02 to be neutral edging very slightly towards the warm side of neutral. Not warm as in iFi style but certainly not cold and clinical like a THX. I would say it is similar in this style to something like Earmen or maybe Aune, although not quite at that level.

There is no real sensation of it adding anything to the sound, I think it is more that details are ever so slightly rounded, giving it a bit more of a smoother response which means that it is not going to be quite as detailed as some of the other brands and models out there but it is far from being a bad music reproduction.

Testing it with sensitive IEMs I found that, especially as the volume level raises, there is a presence of some background noise. However, I found it difficult to judge if it was the actual noise floor of the amplifier itself or if it was just making the noise of the track more than I am used to. In order to test this further, I used a silent track (basically a recording of silence) and found that I could max the volume with the same IEMs without hearing any of the background hiss, so my conclusion is that, for some reason, it is making the background noise present in recordings a little more noticeable than I am used to.

NOTE: As a safety disclaimer, I strongly recommend that you do not do this test! I was using Foobar with the output via Wasapi to the SK02, which means that “in theory” no other sounds could access the device. However, if something had gone wrong and something that was not silence had managed to play (i.e: another track or a windows notification), then I would probably have damaged both the IEMs and my hearing. Again, please don’t try this at home!

Anyway, back to the sound. As I said, it is neutral edging towards warm and I found that it works pretty well with both IEMs and headphones that are easy to drive, having more power than I would ever need. However, with the KPH40 (60 Ohms & 101dB) and the HD6XX (300 Ohms and 103dB) that, when pushing the volume a little higher, things didn’t seem to be quite as clean, especially when the track had a decent amount of bass. It is not that it sounded terrible, just that they seemed to have a little bit of congestion going on in the upper mids and treble when there is a good amount of bass.

This is something that I did not notice with lower Ohm headphones, even those that have lower sensitivity, nor did I notice it with higher Ohm IEMs, so I am not sure what is going on there. I just get the feeling that things are not quite as clean as they could be in these cases.

I also put some planars to the test with the SK02 and while it did a decent enough job, I did find it struggled to keep up with fast moving bass content on some of them such as the Arya v2. With the Ananda and the Edition X it didn’t suffer as much but I would still say that it lacks enough current to be able to move planar headphones properly, at least those that I have. This is also understandable as it is powered by USB and is a fairly small device.

With IEMs and easier to drive headphones, I found performance to be more than adequate for the vast majority of people who would contemplate having this on their desk.



Conclusion…

Again I find that Fosi Audio offers a device that is going to appeal to a lot of people. I don’t think it is really aimed at the audiophile crowd but more at the general music listener/lover that wants something small and compact for their desktop.

I also think that it is a good option for the gamers out there who use independent headphones and a USB mic. It is plenty powerful and is very easy to adjust on the fly, while taking up about the same amount of real estate as a mouse.

It can also be hooked up to a secondary source via its Optical input, and serve as a preamp to speakers via the aux output, so again, it is something that could serve a lot of people at a very reasonable price.

____
As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - NiceHCK F1 Pro

The F1 Pro have been sent to me directly from NiceHCK for me to try them out and share my opinions in this review. NiceHCK have not made any requests regarding the review and I will do my best, as usual, to be as unbiased as possible.

You can find the F1 Pro on the official NiceHCK store on AliExpress, to which I will leave a non-affiliate link on my blog.

You can also find them on Amazon and other online retailers.

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…

NiceHCK are by no means a new brand in the IEM world and although I have never actually reviewed any of their items on Acho Reviews, I have been using their cables for a long time. In fact, my first aftermarket cable purchase was from NiceHCK.

In the realm of their IEMs, I seem to remember trying out at least one of their models but I really can’t remember what model it was and I can find no reference to it in my notes or on Acho Reviews, so I guess I never spoke about it.

The F1 Pro is a set of planar IEMs that, I believe, was released either at the beginning of this year or the end of last, so it is quite a new model. They did have a model called the F1 (without the pro) previously, that was also a planar IEM but that one seems to be discontinued.

Anyhow, the F1 Pro uses a 14.2mm planar driver, stated as a new generation, with a 16 Ohm impedance and a sensitivity of 104dB. With a price of around 110€ on the official NiceHCK Aliexpress store, I have also seen it available on other sites for slightly less, just under 100€. This, in my opinion, places it just inside the sub 100€ category.

One thing I want to mention is that NiceHCK sent me two sets of IEMs, the F1 Pro and the DB2, along with an additional aftermarket cable, the Cyan Cable, which is also available to be purchased as a set together with the F1 Pro, adding around 50€ to the total price (in the case of 4.4 balanced, which is what I have received).

I will mention more on the cable in a second but just to note that I have focused this review on using the stock included cable, not the Cyan. I am someone who believes that the major factor for purchasing an aftermarket cable is aesthetics and comfort, as sound differences are only really a factor in certain extreme cases. As both aesthetics and comfort are personal preferences, that is something that is obviously going to be more dependent on what you prefer than what I prefer.



Presentation…

The F1 Pro arrive in a rather large blue box with orange text that states the brand, the model and not much more. On one side it does show that it is the 4.4 balanced version but that is the extent of the outer packaging. It is very simple and, in my opinion, the simplicity makes it fairly elegant, as far as a cardboard sleeve goes.

Removing the outer purple sleeve, it reveals a white box with the NiceHCK logo in blue and nothing else, keeping up with the simplicity here also.

Inside the main box, we find the IEMs sitting in white cutouts at the top, with a smaller white box below containing the accessories.

The included accessories are a branded semi rigid storage/transport case, of a decent size, the stock cable, a velcro cable tie and 12 sets of silicone tips, in 3 different styles and sizes. I have to say that I find the accessories to be more than adequate for a set of planar IEMs at his price and it is nice to see such a selection of tips included. I found that I opted for the transparent tips with the white core.



Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs have a teardrop shape to them, very similar in size and shape to the Tanchjim Ola, which makes them one of the smallest alternatives as far as planar IEMs go. The shells are completely made of metal, in a light blue aluminium to be exact, with just a small gold accent to them where the faceplate rises slightly to accommodate the connector.

There are no markings or logos on the faceplate, although the make and model are marked on the side with the same gold coloured letters, and I find them to be very pleasing aesthetically.

The shape is comfortable and, although they are not the lightest of IEMs due to the full metal construction, they are by no means heavy. I have worn them for many hours and not had any discomfort other than the usual sensation of having IEMs in my ears for long periods of time.

The included cable a white rubber coated double twist with metal hardware that works fine and is comfortable enough. The rubber coating is not my favourite texture but I really don’t have any complaints with the included cable.

The additional Cyan Cable that was included is a quadruple twist in a light blue colour, almost turquoise, which is much nicer to the touch than the included cable, due to it being fabric covered rather than rubber. It is thicker than the stock cable but not to the point of being overly bulky like some other cables that are more towards being a rope rather than an IEM cable. Personally I do like the Cyan Cable more than the stock cable but as far as functionality, there is nothing wrong with the included cable. Therefore, personal preferences will of course be the deciding factor 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.)

I usually don’t include comparisons in my reviews, or very rarely at least, as I structure my reviews in a way that makes them easy to cross reference with other IEMs that I have reviewed, or at least that is my aim.

In this case, it is impossible for me to not mention what has been one of my favourite planar IEMs and most certainly the most used of my planar IEMs, the Letshuoer S12. I really enjoy the sound signature of the S12 and, while it isn’t perfect, it is something that I used daily for a very long time and I still grab it now.

Why am I mentioning the S12?

Well, it’s priced very similarly and is also on the smaller side of planar IEMs (although the F1 Pro is a little more compact). It is also made of metal but, most importantly, the sound signature of the F1 Pro is very similar to the S12, almost identical in fact, except for just a few minor tweaks.

Here is the graph of the NiceHCK F1 Pro in comparison to my usual preference target for reference:



And here is the F1 Pro in comparison to the Letshuoer S12:



Even to those who do not read measurements, or don’t care about them, can easily see that there is a lot of similarity between the two. I am not going to go into depth comparing them, I will just review the F1 Pro on its own merits but… Spoiler alert… I prefer the F1 Pro to my beloved S12.

So, on with the review and my usual starting point which is the subbass and “Chameleon”. Here we are greeted with what I find to be a very clean and well performing subbass. There is plenty of rumble to appreciate what this track is all about but it does not feel bloated or out of control. Many times the excessive subbass will mix with excessive midbass and start to feel overly loose, yet here the F1 Pro do a very respectable job of keeping things in their place.

Moving over to “Royals” by Lorde, the clarity of the subbass is even more noticeable, where the rumble is there but it allows that “grit” of the subbass in this track to show. The same can be said with “No Sanctuary Here”, where the subbass is impressive yet not overpowering, even when paired with a good amount of midbass.

Moving to the midbass and my “Crazy” fatigue test, things are nicely presented, giving me no sensation of fatigue nor bloat in the midbass or lower mids. Things are again very well controlled in the midbass and lower mids, avoiding any muddyness while still having plenty of body for the low end of guitars and male vocals etc.

The whole midrange is nicely balanced, without the low end masking any of the details an performance throughout this range, allowing vocals to have very natural presentation, along my my usual preferences in acoustic instruments.

As we climb into the upper mids, here is where my preference for the F1 Pro over the S12 is most apparent, with these ranges being slightly less forward than on the S12. There is still enough presence for vocals and upper ranged chords to have plenty of clarity and not get lost, yet they are just slightly less sharp then on the S12.

Beth’s voice in my usual harshness test, “Don’t You Worry Child”, still has it’s natural harshness to it but is never uncomfortable like it can be on so many other sets. On the S12 it wasn’t overly uncomfortable but it is much more pleasant (or less unpleasant) on the F1 Pro.

The brass instruments on “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” are not overpowering in the upper mids either, although there is a little bit of harshness as we enter the upper ranges. We can find some sibilance in Paul Simon’s voice on ocasions (although nowhere near as bad as on some other sets) and things like cymbals and high hats can have a bit too much brilliance to them.

This is due to the fact that there is a peak in the upper ranges that can can interact with certain sounds, such as the hi-hats in “Still D.R.E” and make them just a little too harsh.

For my usual sibilance tests, “Code Cool” does place the S’s and T’s of Patricia Barber a little over what I would consider neutral (maybe a +2 or +3 on my unscientific scale of -12 to +12). The same can be said about Lana Del Rey in the opening lines of “Hope is a Dangerous thing”.

Details on the F1 Pro are impressive throughout the whole range, with just that peak in the upper ranges sometimes coinciding with certain details and making them a little more “artificial” sounding. This is a shame because there are plenty of details already there, so this peak is not really adding anything, just detracting a little when it coincides.

As far as sound stage, they are fairly decent. I would place them slightly above average for IEMs, although I wouldn’t go as far as to say they are very wide. There is a nice sensation of rear left depth on that guitar in “La Luna” but there is not really a huge space from left to right in general.



Conclusion…

I have no doubt that these are my preferred planar IEMs under the 100€ mark. In fact, they are good planar IEMs regardless of price. They have managed to unseat the S12, stealing their place in the “quick grab” case, where they have been for almost 2 years. That says something about what I think of these IEMs.

In general, there is only really one thing that I can fault to not give them a perfect score for their price bracket and that is the peak in the upper ranges. It’s not always noticeable, depending on the track and music, but when it does appear, it is very noticeable.

This adds some sibilance and also give that slight harshness to the upper ranges of a sound presentation that is otherwise very very good.

In other words, are they perfect? No. But I can’t think of any planar IEMs (or IEMs in general) that are and certainly not in the 100€ range. These are a very good set of IEMs and are certainly worthy of the price they sit at.

____
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)

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

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tipsy x EPZ Star & One

Not long ago, I reviewed a couple of sets of IEMs by a brand called EPZ (the Q5 and G10). While I thought they were trying hard, I said that I just wasn’t a fan of the tuning, mainly due to the 5kHz peak.

Rather than getting upset and telling me my opinions are wrong (like some other brands have done in the past), their reply was “Thanks for your honest review. We have a new set, I think you will like these” and proceeded to ship them to me.

That is the only comment that EPZ have made about these IEMs, therefore, as always, I will attempt to be as unbiased as humanly possible in this review.

The IEMs, called the Star & One are actually a collaboration between EPZ and Tipsy, another brand that I have reviewed in the past, and can be found on the EPZ Aliexpress store here (to which I will leave a link in the version of this review published on my blog)

As with all links I publish, it 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 am not really sure who has done what with these IEMs. In other words, I don’t know who has been responsible for which part such as tuning, design etc. On the box is says manufactured by Shenzen Jiuzhou Electronics and issuing by both the same company and Tipsy. I actually gave up trying to decipher who mad what quite some time ago.

What I can say is that it sells (at the time of putting together this review) for just under 80€ on the official EPZ Aliexpress store, although the MSRP is shown as being 109.92€ on the same store. They feature a 10mm dynamic driver and are shown as having 64 Ohm impedance (at 1kHz) and a sensitivity of 112dBVrms. So they are a little higher in impedance than we usually find but as also pretty sensitive, meaning they don’t need too much power.

Other than that, I can’t really tell you much more about them as I really don’t know.



Presentation…

The packaging is a simple black box that shows most of the details in Chinese, although there are translations to English below. While it does say Tipsy x EPZ on the front (in very small text), the only mention of the model is amongst the specs on the back. I am guessing that the larger chinese text on the front is the model but I am just guessing here.

Removing the lid of the box reveals a card with more text in Chinese, with an english translation that reads “Star & One - Providing escort for live streaming”. Once again I think we are faced with a sentence that is probably much more relevant in its original language.

Underneath this card we find the IEMs, with the cable attached (although detachable) in a foam cutout. Under the foam, we get a small drawstring bag and a couple of extra sets of tips (3 sets in total).

That is not really a lot of content for a set of 80€ but, as always, I am more interested in what is put into the IEMs themselves.



Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are a generically shaped set of resin IEMs, with a multicoloured pattern on the face plates. One side shows the EPZ logo in silver, with the other showing the Tipsy logo, also in silver. This generic shape and build means that they should work well for the majority of people as far as size, weight and comfort is concerned.

However, I did find that I had to opt for the small size of included and push them deep, tips due to the medium (my usual choice on this style of IEM) and large losing a seal too easily. Even with the smallest size, I found that if I moved my head too much I would lose bass quickly. This is obviously solved with other tips but I prefer to use included tips for reviews where possible.

The aesthetics are pleasant with the pattern being in rather subdued colours rather than bright and shouty ones. This leads to a set of IEMs that have a nice design up close, not too boring, but do not really stand out from a distance. Obviously this is going to be a personal thing but I don’t have any complains with the looks.

The cable is a thin whitish silver single core that is rather basic but does its job and doesn’t feel terrible. There is a bit of a rubbery finish to the outside coating but nothing that leads me to complain about it. The TRS connector is metal, as is the divider, while the 2 pin connectors are transparent. Note that these connectors are the type that are recessed into the connector, in other words, the connector sticks out from the IEM. This is not really an issue but is something to consider if you plan on changing the 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.)

As I mentioned in the intro, my issue with the previous 2x EPZ models I tried were the peaks at around 5kHz. Now, with the Star & One, it is true that the peak is no longer at 5kHz, it has moved down slightly, but only slightly.

In fact, the measurements of the 3 models are very similar in the upper midrange and lower treble, except for some slight variations in exactly where the rises and dips happen and to what extent.

As a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a graph of the Star & One in comparison to both of the previous models I reviewed and with my usual preference target also for reference:



As I just said, the overall shape of the measurements is very similar between all three, with some slight changes to where, and by how much, the presence curves change. However, a small change can make a big difference.

Starting off with the low ranges, we can see above that these are the set that has most presence in the bass areas. For me personally there was already enough present on the G10 but I know that I am a minority in this regard.

The important thing is more about quality than quantity. If we take my usual “Chameleon” test track and skip to the part where bass is layered upon bass upon bass, it stays remarkably decent. With an emphasis that is focused more towards the subbass than the midbass, this helps the sound from becoming overly bloated and while it is not the best subbass I have ever heard, it does a very good job of maintaining composure even with “Chameleon”.

The midbass, due to the roll off as it enters the mids, stays clean and clear, however, due to the 2.5kHz presence (which I will get to soon), it does make the Star & One feel like it is missing bass on tracks that do not have much presence in the sub 150Hz realm. This is the case with my usual fatigue test track, “Crazy”, where the midbass is actually a little to absent for my preferences, with the focus on the upper mids of Daniella’s voice.

This is a recuring theme with a lot of instrumental music that doesn’t have a lot of subbass and lower midbass, as it becomes a little thin in the low end and emphasizes the upper mids, making things a little harsh. As soon as we head back to something with more presence in the lower note, such as “Bury a Friend”, the balance is restored much better.

The midrange doesn’t actually dip any more than it did on the previous models I reviewed, however, as there is more presence in the lows and upper mids, it does make the V shaped recess in the mids a little more present. This can work well for certain electronic music but I find simpler tracks, or pop in general, comes across as overly focused on the upper mids.

The fact is that the upper mids, around the 2.5kHz mark, are overly boosted. Where we have a lot of subbass to counteract, then this is not quite as noticeable, however, as soon as we move into more vocal centric tracks, like a lot of the music I like to listen to, then things become rather harsh and thin. Even with “Crazy”, which I normally mention in relation to midbass (as I did in this review), can become rather overpowering in these ranges.

The excess at 2.5kHz is followed by another small peak around 4.5kHz and, while this does avoid the suffering I have with a specific 5kHz peak, it doesn’t help with that harshness that I just mentioned. This is mostly noticeable with female vocals, although brass instruments can also become overpowering, such as in “Diamonds On The Soles of her Shoes”.

The upper treble does extend but at the same time it is in the shadow of that upper midrange / lower treble, and while it is also a little peaky, it is not terrible when isolated, it just suffers from that build up in the regions below.



Conclusion…

I asked EPZ for a set of IEMs that avoided the 5kHz peak and to be fair, these do not have that specific 5kHz peak. However, what they do have is a very prominent V shape between the subbass and the upper mids, meaning that they are not something that fits with my personal musical preferences.

When listening to music with a decent amount of sub and lower midbass in the recording, then these come across as fairly decent IEMs, however, when swapping over to something more acoustical or vocal centric, then they sound like a completely different set.

If I had to pick one of the three models I have reviewed from the brand, based solely on sound, then I think I would opt for the Q5. Yes, it has that peak at 5kHz that I find irritating but I know that most people don’t suffer from this same exact issue. I feel that more people will suffer with the tuning of the Star & One than they would with the Q5, as I think the Q5 is more balanced overall.

If you are a fan of V shaped tuning and listen mostly to EDM or anything with a large subbass content, then these might be worth a try. If you are more into the instruments and vocals side of things, then I think that these may come across as too harsh from most people.

___
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

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Dunu Alpha 3

The Dunu Alpha 3 have been sent to me as part of a tour organized by Dunu here on HeadFi. Dunu have not requested anything specific and I will do my best to be unbiased in my opinions.

The official page for the Alpha 3 can be found here: https://www.dunu-topsound.com/product-page/alpha-3

As always, this is a non affiliate link.



Intro…

I really haven’t reviewed many buds, or flathead earbuds to be precise, no do I have a very vast experience with them. I do appreciate some of the qualities they bring to the table in comparison to IEMs but I also dislike some of the negatives (to me) that they bring.

There is no doubt that there are some earbuds out there that can provide some excellent sound quality but they usually come at the expense of isolation, lack of bass and discomfort, again, to me personally. This means that, although I am trying to be as unbiased in my evaluation of the Alpha 3 as possible, I do find myself having to make an effort to actually spend time with earbuds. There are many people who are big fans of earbuds and can give much better comparisons than I can, all I can do is give my opinion on what I feel when listening to the Alpha 3.



Presentation…

I recently reviewed the Falcon Ultra, a set of IEMs that were also included in the Dunu tour (great IEMs by the way!), and the packaging of the Alpha 3 is very similar.

A rather simple outer sleeve (although this one does have an image of the buds on it) slides away to reveal a simple black box inside of which we find the same transport/storage case that is included with the Falcon Ultra. As I said in my review of the IEMs, I think this is my favourite Dunu case so far, as it is spacious and rather elegant.

Inside the case we find the buds with their fixed cable ending in a 3.5mm TRS connector, although I understand that there is also a 4.4mm balanced option if you prefer. Personally I would have liked it to have the interchangeable connector like on the Q-Lite cable, with bonus points for detaching from the buds, but the price (around 80€) is obviously lower and I understand them not including it.

Underneath the case we get an accessories box which includes a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, a bag full of foam pads and another full of donut pads (basically foam pads with the center missing. We get a cleaning brush and the usual documentation.

As I said, very similar to the Falcon Ultra which I praised at over 200€, so no complaints here at 80€, even if we do get less contents.



Build and aesthetics…

I don’t know enough about buds to say if the design of the Alpha 3 is unique or not but it is completely made of metal with a rather modern design to it. There is a small silver filter on the top of the stems, which are completely black.

The cable is also similar to that of the Falcon Ultra (although not interchangeable) and the titanium colour scheme works well with the black buds. The splitter and connector, both metal, are more of a silver colour which looks good but I think black would have matched the buds a little better. You can tell I don’t have much to say when I start talking about the colour of the connectors

I really can’t comment too much on comfort as it has been quite some time since I used buds, so they do feel weird in my ears, but they stay where they are supposed to and they are not as uncomfortable as some other designs I have tried in the past.

In general, I can’t really complain about anything in the build category as they are well built. I can’t really complain about anything in the comfort category as I am not really used to them. And I can’t complain about anything in the aesthetics category because they do look good.



Sound…

I am not going to share a graph of them because the way of measring them is quite different to IEMs (or headphones) and because I don’t have any other sets on hand to compare against and make sure I am measuring correctly, I don’t trust my measurements enough to share them. Therefore, you are going to have to put up with just my subjective opinions.

First the subbass and, as is to be expected, there isn’t a whole lot of it. This isn’t really a fault of the Alpha 3. Subbass is dependent upon either a good seal, which is not something that earbuds offer, or a large displacement of air, which is not possible with such a small driver. Therefore, do not expect these earbuds to rumble your eardrums. I don’t know if there are models of earbuds out there that can manage to do this, if there are, I haven’t heard them. Therefore, the lack of subbass is something I expect and not something I am complaining about.

The midbass is a different story. There is more presence of midbass than there is of subbass, again to be expected, but it is the quality of the midbass that is the positive thing here. Midbass is clean and articulate, while also being very realistic. I found myself preferring the full foam pads rather than the donut style, which do make it a little more rounded in the low end but I found that this worked very well for my enjoyment of these earbuds.

The lower mids are also very clean and articulate, which a good sensation of detail and a very realistic timbre. Instruments such as acoustic guitars sound very life like and there is no additional boomyness to them, staying clean and detailed in their low end.

As we move higher up in the ranges, the upper mids are where these buds place their focus, although I did find that the full foams took some of that focus away. Vocals are again nicely detailed and realistic, although I found once more that the full foams were preferable to my ears, giving a bit more lushness to some of my favourite female vocals. With the donuts, things were still good but a little more brittle in this area.

The extension into the upper ranges does lack a little, especially with the foams, but not enough to feel like you are missing something. It is more a sensation of things not being quite as airy as they should be, although they do maintain detail well, which stops them from becoming dull.

Soundstage is good due to the natural performance of buds in this regard. 99% of the time you will get better soundstage from a set of earbuds than from a set of IEMs, just due to the way they sit in your ears. This is one of the main things I find with earbuds, you trade some of that low end power in exchange for a more open and spacious sound.



Conclusion…

I am going to repeat the fact that I am not an expert on earbuds in any way, shape or form. Therefore, please take my opinions with and even bigger grain of salt than my usual reviews. Saying that, I feel that the Alpha 3 are a very pleasurable set of earbuds.

I find them to sound natural and realistic with a lot of my preffered music (a lot of female vocals and acoustic instruments) and I find them to give a very good sensation of detail and spaciousness. They are lacking a little in the upper treble and they are obviously not a good choice if you are going to listen to EDM with plenty of subbass content, but for more instrumental things and general pop etc. I think they do a pretty good job.

While I would love to say if I recommend them or not, the only thing I can really recommend is that, if you are interested in a set of buds, check some reviews of the Alpha 3 by people who know what they are talking about. In fact, I think I may just do the same and see how different my opinion is to theirs!

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As usual, if you want to brush up on your Spanish, this review is also available in Español both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Kiwi Ears Forteza

The Kiwi Ears Forteza have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not made any comments or requests and I will do my usual best to be as unbiased as possible in this review.

You can find a link to the Forteza via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog.

As always, it 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’s no secret that I am a big fan of some of the Kiwi Ears models. The 2023 Acho Awards resulted in both the Cadenza and the Quintet being my top pick for the Sub 50€ and the Sub 500€ respectively. I also reviewed the Quartet and the Orchestra Lite last year and, while they may not have been amongst my top picks, they are still decent IEMs.

The Forteza is a new release from the brand, coming in just outside the ultra budget category at a little over 50€, that feature a dual dynamic drive paired with a single balanced armature driver. These are distributed, according to the spec, as using a DD for the bass, the other DD for the mids and the BA for the “high-mid”, which I am guessing refers to upper mids and treble.

The tuning of the Forteza is quite a bit different from previous models I have reviewed but I’ll get to that in just a moment, let’s first take a look at the overall package.



Presentation…

One look at the box identifies this as a Kiwi Ears product without a doubt. All of their boxes are very similar and in the case of the Forteza, it is even more similar than others. I say this because, to my amusement, one side of the Forteza outer sleeve claims it is a Kiwi Ears Quintet Obviously when redesigning the packaging, someone forgot to update the model name on that side.

Removing the outer sleeve reveals the usual black box with the silver Kiwi logo, inside of which we find the IEMs on the top layer and a storage case below containing the accessories.

The accessories are the case (of course), the cable, 9x sets of tips in three different types and the usual user manual. These are exactly the same contents as we got with the Orchestra Lite (although that included a little tool for changing the dip switches) and the Quartet (although the cable was different in the Quartet), so I really don’t think we can complain about the same contents at a quarter of the price point.



Build and Aesthetics…

I have to say that Kiwi make some very nice resin shells. The Quintet had a simpler aluminum faceplate but the other models have all feature a kind of swirled finish that I really am a fan of. Here, instead of the swirled design, they have opted for a two tone sparkle design that I am also very fond of. The version I have received is what the refer to as “purple”, yet I think it was designed for FC Barcelona fans as I would call it “blau-grana” (the colours of the team). While I am not one for sparkly attention seeking finished, I have to say that I do like it, it seems to be tastefully done and, while sparkly, doesn’t really demand attention.

The build and shape of the IEMs matches those of other models yet maybe the lightest of them all (I should really put them on a scale before saying that, but that’s the impression I get from memory). This means I have no issue with the fit or comfort.

The included cable is the same as the one included with the Cadenza, which is not exactly a high end cable but it does its job and I cant really complain here either. The hardware is metal and the cable itself is a simple black, so there really isn’t much to say 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 said a moment ago, the tuning of the Forteza is different to that of other Kiwi models I have tried previously. Before getting into it, let’s take a look at the graph, with my preference target as a reference and with the Cadenza as a comparison:



Starting off with the subbass, there isn’t really much more than on the Cadenza, or the Quintet for that matter, however, there is a lot more focus on the lower notes. The subbass is quite prominent to say the least. With my usual test of “Chameleon”, the track starts out quite calmly, with just a few bass hits here and there, which makes you think, this is quite calm and collected. Then the first rumbling bars come in and you start thinking, hmmm, this is quite a lot of bass. Then more bass kicks in, then some more, and suddenly you have this wall of rumble that, if it was a subwoofer, would quickly empty any shelves in the room.

While the subbass doesn’t do a bad job of keeping the pace, it is noticeable that things aren’t quite as clean as they would be with less. There were actually parts of the track where the subbass became very fatiguing for me, which is not usually the case, I am usually fatigued by midbass and not subbass.

If we switch to “Crazy" which is actually my test for mdbass fatigue, the fatigue actually goes away. This is because the upper part of the midbass actually falls away and, as the reverb of this track is located in those ranges, things seem a lot cleaner.

Heading back to something a little more electronic, such as “Shot Me Down”, the bass comes across as much cleaner with more controlled bass hits, being quite impressive in this matter. Again, this is due to the focus of the lower ranges being moved towards the lowest of notes and with tracks that don’t have a lot of rumbling subbass, this can be quite beneficial.

Moving into the midrange, there is quite a noticeable dip in the center of the mids, following that slope down that starts halfway through the midbass region and doesn’t really come back until around 1kHz. This moves the focus both towards the subbass and also the higher ranges.

The upper mids a just a little too hot for my tastes, with a slight hint of harshness on female vocals, such as Daniella Andrade, but it is above this range where things get even spicier to my ears. There is a double peak, just below 3kHz and just above 4kHz which is not quite as painful as a peak in the 5kHz range for me but is still a little harsh to my ears.

Vocals, especially female vocals, can come across as rather thin and brittle, with a bit of nasal touch to them. Depending on the specific singer and, more importantly the actual word and tone, things can be a little brutal in these ranges.

As we move into the treble, things don’t get much better I’m afraid. While I have heard other Kiwi Ears sets that use BA for the treble, or even all BA for the full range, the Forteza seems to bring some of that metallic texture that reminds me of other BA implementations from other brands in the past. The treble can again be a little thin and harsh, with a sensation of air and detail that is overshadowed by that metallic texture and overall brittleness to the higher ranges.



Conclusion…

I’m afraid that the Forteza are not joining my list of great products from Kiwi. I do think that they are great looking but unfortunately the tuning is not something that I find enjoyable. As always, everyone has their own tastes and I am just one opinion but the overall presentation of sound from these headphones reminds me of things that were coming across my desk some years ago.

They are a very nice looking set of IEMs, with a very good price point, but I feel that they are not up to the usual standard of Kiwi IEMs as far as sound and performance goes, which is a shame, as it's no secret that I am a fan of the brand.

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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 http://achoreviews.squig.link/

small>All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on http://achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Dunu Falcon Ultra

The Dunu Falcon Ultra have been sent to me as part of a tour organized by Dunu on Head-Fi. There have been no requests or comments made by Dunu and I will do my usual best to be as unbiased as possible.

The official page for the Falcon Ultra can be found here: https://www.dunu-topsound.com/copy-of-falcon-pro

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…

This is the fifth set of Dunu IEMs that I have reviewed and each of them has their own twist to the way they present sound. The Falcon Ultra is the one that has the most focus on bass, specifically midbass, out of the models I have tried and, while I am not someone who likes an overly emphasized midbass, these IEMs have a lot going for them.

Priced at just under $240, at the time of putting this review together, these are part of the Eclipse range, together with the Luna, Zen Pro and Falcon Pro (none of which I have tried). They feature a single 10.7mm dynamic driver, with what they claim to be an new lithium magnesium dome structure and fully independent soft suspension surround, together with an external ring-type magnetic assembly which is said to be close to the Zen Pro as far as magnetic flux.

There are plenty of other fancy things going on with the technical design of these IEMs but, as usual, I will look at them in the simplest of fashions, giving my opinion on how they are to a run of the mill music listener.



Presentation…

These IEMs retail for over 200€, so we should expect some decent packaging and accessories, although that isn’t always the case as we have seen with many models in the past. In this case, however, I think that they have done a more than satisfactory job.

I must remind you that this is a tour unit, so I am not the first one to open it. Therefore, it is possible that things are not in their correct spot as they would be when packaged, or things may even be missing, although I don’t think it is the case here.

The outer packaging is simple. A silver outer sleeve with just plain text is what we get. There are specs listed on the back but there really isn’t anything that draws our attention. Removing the outer sleeve reveals a simple black box that is even less “special” than the outer sleeve.

Inside the box things start to get a little more interesting. The first thing we find is a rather large and elegant storage/transport case. Dunu usually include cases that are a little different to the rest of brands but I have to say that I think this is my favourite out of all of them so far.

Inside the case are the IEMs, with individual plastic zip lock bags covering them (thanks to the previous tour members for doing their best to look after this delicate finish), the cable which is the Q-Lock Lite Modular version, the additional connector for the cable (both 3.5 and 4.4 are included) and an extra set of nozzles (more on that in a moment).

Then, underneath the case, we find the accessories box, which contains even more stuff. There is a dual pocket small bag to protect the IEMs, a cleaning cloth, a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, a cleaning tool, replacement o-rings and 3 sizes of 3 different types of tips (so 9 pairs in total). I actually think that there may be another 3 sets in the retail package, as the Dunu S&S tips are installed on the IEMs but there were no extra sets included in the accessories box.

So, as I said, I think it is fair to say that Dunu have done a very respectable job with the contents of this set.



Build and aesthetics…

The great thing about the aesthetics of these IEMs is also the terrible thing about the aesthetics of these IEMs! They are a beautiful shiny blue, with tiny engravings (D and Dunu) on the surround, yet they are both finger magnets and very very easily scratched. They are also pretty difficult to photograph as you need to try and get the light reflecting just right and each time you move them, you need to clean them.

If you want these to stay looking great, then I think that the dual pocket bag and the cleaning cloth are going to need to become part of your main EDC. However, I really do think that the aesthetics are worth it (even if I can’t see them when they are in my ears). The most beautiful set of IEMs ever to come across my desk is from Dunu (Vulkan) and although these are not quite as unique, they still rank very highly in my opinion.

They are a little on the heavy side, weighing in at 10 grams each ear (plus the weight of the hanging cable), yet the ergonomics go a long way to counteracting that weight. I find the very comfortable and do not notice the additional weight when they are in the ears at all.

As mentioned, the included cable is the Q-Lock Lite with swappable terminations, including both the 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm unbalanced connectors. This is the same cable that I received with another model of Dunu (I can’t remember which at this moment) and I am a fan. It is not overly thick and while it isn’t the softest of cables to the touch, it doesn’t have a mind of its own. It is said to be a 4 strand high purity silver plated single crystal copper Litz cable but, as you probably know by me, if a cable is well made, comfortable and does its job well, then I like it. And this one does all 3.



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 into the sound, I think I am going to go a little against the grain here. As mentioned a moment ago, there are two nozzles included with the Falcon Ultra, one gold and one blue, that makes quite a noticeable change from the upper mids upwards.

Here are the differences between the two, with my usual preference target for reference:



I say I am going to go against the grain here as I think that the majority of users will probably prefer the gold nozzle, at least those that I have spoken to do. The gold nozzle reduces the heat a little in those upper mids and make things a little less harsh, although they are not exactly harsh anyway but just to try and describe it in a way that is easy to understand (that's how I try to do things in my reviews, although it doesn’t always work out )

Now, I would probably opt for the gold nozzles also, if it wasn’t for one thing, the midbass. I have said many times that I am not someone who favours excessive midbass. If the quality of the midbass is good (which it is here, but I’ll get there in a moment), then I can enjoy it but as soon as the midbass lacks definition and clarity, then I find it very fatiguing, even causing me a headache. In this case, as I just said, the midbass is good, great even, but I still prefer a little less focus on that frequency range and the blue nozzles, with their slight elevation in the upper mids, does take the focus away from the midbass slightly. There are times when certain vocals can become a little thin or harsh but that is much more dependent on the recording than the actual voice itself. In those cases, then yes, I found myself preferring the gold nozzles, but for the majority of the music I enjoy, I found myself drawn to the blue nozzles more.

Anyway, enough chit chat and on with how these perform, using the blue nozzles and the included clear tips.

Starting off with the subbass, you can guess which track I am going to refer to… yes, “Chameleon”. Subbass is clean and defined, without being overpowering. While the additional midbass presence does put the focus slightly more on that range than the subbass per se, it is still a subbass that I find to be impressive, dealing well with the excessiveness that is “Chameleon”.

“Royals” by Lorde also demonstrates that subbass is of a good quality with good detail (as much detail we can expect from the subbass range that is). The touch of “dirt” that is present in the recording of this track is easily identified and I cannot find any reason to complain about the subbass on the Falcon Ultra.

As we move into the midbass, here is where I am more delicate, as I mentioned before. Yet there is no reason for me to be negative here either. Although the midbass is more present than I would prefer, there is absolutely no sensation of bloat or loss of control. My midbass fatigue test that is “Crazy” gives me no fatigue at all, showing that the midbass is clear, well defined and basically just great quality.

In the midbass is where I most appreciate the blue nozzles, not because the midbass becomes fatiguing with the gold ones, just because there isn’t as much of an emphasis on this range with them. Even with the gold nozzles, “Crazy” still doesn’t become fatiguing, there is just too much midbass focus for me, so it is about a personal tuning taste rather than any specific issue with the range.

One thing to note with the change of nozzles is that vocals will seem to be a little warmer and have some more body to them when opting for the gold option. With the blue, it can seem that the center of vocals can be a little less “lush”, yet this is only really an issue with very specific vocals on very specific tracks.

In the upper mids is where the biggest difference resides, although I keep saying that it is the effect on the midbass that I suffer with. Even with the blue nozzles, which are slightly harsher in the upper mids, vocals are still not harsh or overly shouty. In fact, they are much better than many many other sets that have less presence in these areas. Even with “Hello” by Adele, a track that easily shows compression on revealing sets, the vocals don’t become uncomfortable, they just sound, well, compressed.

“Don’t You Worry Child” is a track that I like to use for testing harshness, due to the fact that Beth’s voice can become very uncomfortable with excessive upper mids and lower treble (she has a very harsh voice in this recording). Here you can notice the harshness to her voice but, once again, it doesn’t become uncomfortable. At least no more than usual.

Sibilance is not really reduced but it is not boosted nor uncomfortable either. “Hope Is A Dangerous Thing” is a track that can be quite painful in the opening lines and the Falcon Ultra keeps it in check without dimming it. My usual non-scientific scale of -12 to +12 (0 being neutral) with the vocals of Patricia Barber in “Code Cool” would place her between -1 and -2, a nice balance.

Treble extension is decent, with a nice sensation of air yet not peaky nor overly boosted to give a false sensation of detail. It maybe doesn’t extend as far as other hybrid sets but it doesn’t give me a sensation of being rolled off at all (at least within my personal hearing capabilities).

Speaking of detail, the Falcon Ultra is impressive here also. It might not be the most detailed set I have ever heard yet it does a great job of making all the details available without pushing them at you with brute force. Again, it is a very respectable set of IEMs that performs very well without overdoing it.

Soundstage is probably just north of average. It’s not huge but at no point does it feel congested or claustrophobic. It is very rare that I find IEMs to have huge soundstages anyway and I have to say that the Falcon Ultra gives me enough in this regard.



Conclusion…

I cannot do anything but praise the Falcon Ultra. It is an IEM that performs very well at a very reasonable price. Obviously reasonable depends on the budget of each person but at a similar price point we have the Kiwi Ears Quintet, actually a little more expensive, which I said was the best thing under 500€ that I reviewed last year. Well, I would say that the Quintet is maybe more impressive upon first listen but I really think that the Falcon Ultra, with a lot less drivers, can easily compete against the Quintet. For those who will ask Quintet vs Falcon Ultra (I guarantee that the YouTube video comments will see this question asked), I have to say, I really don’t know. I am a big fan of the Quintet yet the Falcon Ultra is right up there with it and with a simple single dynamic driver, something that I am also a fan of.

Speaking of single dynamic drivers, I also really enjoy the Sennheiser IE600. I honestly think that the Falcon Ultra would maybe steal the recommendation here as it performs on a similar level, maybe not quite at the same level but close, at just over a third of the price.

All I can say is that the Dunu Falcon Ultra is a very good set of IEMs that I have no doubt is worth its asking price.

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As with all my reviews, this one is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - iFi Audio Hip DAC

The iFi Audio Hip DAC 3 has been loaned to me by iFi Audio for me to test it out and share my thoughts in this review. As always, they have not made any requests or comments and my review aims to be as unbiased as humanly possible.

You can find the official page for the Hip DAC 3 here: https://ifi-audio.com/products/hip-dac-3/

The above is a non-affiliate link.



Intro…

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a fan of iFi in general, having tried out a lot of their stuff and liking the majority of it. That is not to say that I have liked all of their items, nor is it to say that they have all been without issues. In general, I like their house sound and a lot of their designs, but sometimes they come with other “issues” that make them not a great fit for me.

One of the items that would probably fit into the category of “nice sound but not for me” would be the Hip DAC, at least the 1 and 2. I have never reviewed them, nor have I spent a huge amount of time with them, in fact, the Hip DAC 1 I tried for like 2 minutes and the Hip DAC 2 for probably 5 or 6 songs at most. During those brief tests, I liked the form factor and I liked the typical iFi sound, what I didn’t like was the choice of a full sized USB connector (although I do understand the reason behind it) and the main issue, the background hiss with IEMs.

While I am sure that the Hip DAC 2 was (is) great for over ear headphones, I have never tried it, I don’t have much use for a small portable amp/DAC for over ears as I don’t usually wear them away from a desk set up. Therefore, left with only IEMs to use, I really didn’t want to put up with the hiss when there are other alternatives out there. This may be a little hypocritical as I use the Go Blu regularly which also has the background hiss, although I feel it is less present than on the Hip DAC 2 (and not really noticeable on the 3.5mm output which is what I usually use).

But anyway, why am I going on about a device that I never owned or reviewed?

Well, it may be that iFi have actually resolved these issues with the new Hip DAC 3, something that I was eager to find out.



Presentation…

Honestly, I have reviewed so many iFi products and said the same thing about their presentation that I just feel that, at this point, I am copy and pasting myself.

They are well packed in a no frills but elegant way, containing the necessary items to get listening, which in this case are the device, two cables (USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to Lightning) and the quick start guide. Oh, and we must not forget the iFi sticker

There really isn’t much more that needs saying but if you want more, just check out one of my previous iFi reviews



Build and aesthetics…

The Hip DAC 3 is identical in design and dimensions to the previous generation, measuring 102 x 70 x 14mm and weighing just 135 grams. Ok, that is 10 grams heavier than the Hip DAC 2 but it is still very compact and lightweight. To put it into perspective, I have a Google Pixel 7a phone, as it is one of the smaller options, and the Hip DAC 3 is around two thirds of the size and no thicker than the phone with the case on it.

With Hip in the name and a quick glance at the design, there is no need to say that it is meant to resemble a hip flask, although with its size, you wouldn’t be storing a lot of alcohol in it.

Where the original Hip DAC was blue, the 2 was orange, the 3 opts for a titanium coloured finish and I have to say that it looks very elegant. I have been carrying it around over the holiday period and people were guessing higher prices than it actually sells for just based on looks (admittedly those people are already used to me telling the crazy prices for headphone related gear, so they are going to guess high already). Still, it looks cool and certainly doesn't look cheap.

As far as build, it really hasn’t changed from the previous models, still maintaining the metal enclosure and buttons/knob, there have just been a couple of changes to the actual functions, which I am going to mention now.



Functionality…

The main functions of the Hip DAC 3 remain the same, that is to say, those that are on the front of the unit. On the left we have the power match button (which is iFi for gain), followed by the XBass button. In the center we get the nice volume knob which is grippy and easy to turn. Then on the right we get the 4.4mm balanced headphone output along with the 3.5mm unbalanced headphone output (well, it’s actually S-Balanced but that’s another conversation). The two slotted LEDs, one at each side of the volume know, are still present here also.

Moving around to the back of the device, here we have major change number 1. The full sized, recessed, USB male connector has been replaced with a USB-C socket. This is probably the happiest I have been to see a USB-C connector on a device! To be honest, I am not as bothered by micro-USB as many others (although I do prefer USB-C much more) but the full sized USB-A connector on a device this small was just something that I could not get behind. So here, I am extremely happy for the update.

Also on the back, we get the second USB-C port, which was already present on the Hip DAC 2, that is to charge the internal battery. I know that some people would prefer to be able to charge the device with the same cable that is being used for dat but personally I prefer them to be separate on portable battery devices, that way it is not always charging when left connected to my laptop etc.

Underneath the device we get change number 2. The addition of IEMatch, something that can go a long way to resolving the hiss issue that was present on the previous model. For those that don’t know what IEMatch is, in simple terms it attenuates the output of the amplifier, helping reduce background noise but also allowing the amplifier to be used in higher ranges of the volume knob. Why would you want to use the higher ranges of the knob, well, as iFi use analog volume controls, there is always some kind of imbalance at the lowest ranges, which can be an issue if you use extremely sensitive IEMs and don’t listen very loud. iFi have sold IEMatch separately for quite some time now but it is nice to see them including it on more and more devices.

So, as far as functionality, plug in the cable to the iFi Hip DAC 3 and your device, turn the knob to turn it on, adjust volume to taste and start listening.

As far as formats, the device accepts PCM and DXD up to 384kHz, and DSD64/128/256, along with full decoding of MQA if that is something you need.



Sound…

It would be very unfair for me to try and compare the Hip DAC 3 to the Hip DAC 2 in terms of sound because it has been a while since I heard the 2, I only listened to it for a short amount of time and I don’t have the same IEMs available. However, I do seem to think that the Hip DAC 3 is slightly less warm than I remember the other model being. This could be totally wrong, as I said, I can’t really compare, but that was the first impression I got.

Let’s be clear, I think this is noticeably an iFi sounding product, with that hint of warmth that I find to be present in almost all of their devices, but I feel that it is slightly more neutral than something like the Go Blu. In fact, I would say that it is very very similar in sound to the Gryphon, a device that I love and use regularly. I know that there have been modifications to the new model (although I don’t know what they are and haven’t really researched them) but I feel that the sound is still nice and relaxed but not quite as smoothed over as I sometimes feel the Go Blu is.

I have been using the Hip DAC 3 a lot over the holidays, with many kinds of IEMs and I have not had a complaint with any of them. Is is capable of 280mW (@32 Ohms) from the unbalanced output and 400mW (@32 Ohms) from the balanced output, so it will power most easy to drive over ears as well, but I really didn’t find myself reaching for them, I would just grab a set of IEMs and go and lounge around somewhere (being sick over the holidays also meant that I favoured lounging on a sofa more than sitting at a desk!).

Yet the biggest plus for me is the fact that the background noise has been reduced dramatically from what I remember on the previous generation. Again, I don’t have the same IEMs that I tested the 2 with, so it’s not really apples to apples, but with the ones I have been using, the only time I could hear hiss was when I had the volume level set way higher than I would ever listen to music to anyway. I am very happy that the IEMatch is there but, as with the Gryphon, I really didn’t find myself using it.

So to wrap up the sound section, I guess I could say that the Hip DAC 3 has the typical touch of iFi sound but without being overly warm, more towards the neutral side of things, making details and nuances very easily appreciated (with the right IEMs of course!).



Conclusion…

I usually have positive opinions about the iFi products that I get to try out but I do find some more exciting than others. The Go Blu was something I was very impressed with when it was released (I bought one), the Gryphon was another (I also bought one) and the Go Pod were one of the most impressive things I tried out last year (I haven’t bought one… yet!).

To say that the Hip DAC 3 is the third generation of a device that didn’t really draw my attention, I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed using it.

If you want a touch of the iFi sound, in a portable package, then I think that the Hip DAC 3 is a very good option. In fact, I would say that if you want the sound of the Gryphon but without all the bells and whistles, then this is also a very good candidate.

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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)

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Simgot EM6L

The EM6L have been sent to me directly by Simgot in exchange for the publication of my thoughts and opinions in this review. Simgot have not made any specific requests and, as always, I will try my best to be as unbiased as possible.

You can find the official page for the Simgot EM6L here: http://www.simgot.com/en/products/detail/30.html

As always, this is a non-affiliate link.

To avoid being repetetive 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 EM6L are a hybrid set of IEMs that feature an 8mm dynamic driver paired with 4x balanced armature drivers and a 3 way crossover. They come in at just over the 100€ mark and are said to be tuned towards the H-2019 target.

Those of you that are in the IEM world will automatically know what the H-2019 target is and probably also know if it is something you favour or not.

For those of you that have no idea what it is, it is basically the preference curve that Harman released in 2019 based on their research, which, according to them, should be favourable for the majority of the population. I am not going to go into details about the target, nor my opinion of it, so let’s get on with the important part, the EM6L.



Presentation…

The EM6L comes nicely packaged in a rather elegant box with a picture of a phoenix in flames on the front, with a logo of a phoenix on the interior box that slides out sideways. The back of the box shows the frequency response graph of the IEMs, along with a dissection of them and specifications beneath.

Inside the main box, at the top sit the IEMs in a rigid foam cut out, with an accessory box below and a box for the eartips underneath the IEMs.

As far as accessories, we get the cable, 3 sets of sillicone tips in 3 sizes, a semi rigid storage/transport case and the user manual.

There is nothing really extraordinary about the contents, they are a little sparse to be honest, but they do come well packaged and presented.



Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are simple yet elegant, in a shiny black finish that uses a resin shell together with what seems to be an aluminium face plate, featuring the Simgot logo in a sort of titanium colour in the center, with a small ventilation hole beneath. They don’t scream “look at me” and they don’t look cheap either, as I said, they are elegant in their simplicity.

They are also compact and quite lightweight. I found that they fit me comfortably (which is obviously only relevant to me) and did not cause any kind of fatigue even when wearing them for long listening sessions.

I am also a fan of the aesthetics of the included cable. Again it is simple, just a plain twist that divides into single cores after the split but the cables are soft a malleable, with a nice choice of black and an “almost” gold colour. One thing to note is that the use the recessed 2 pin connectors on the cable, which means that if you want to change the cable, you will need to take this into consideration but I really don’t see any need to not stick with the cable that is included as it is rather nice (unless you need balanced).



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 already mentioned in the intro that these IEMs are tuned to follow the Harman 2019 curve but let’s take our usual look at the graph and see how this tuning looks in comparison to my usual personal preference curve for reference.



I haven’t said it yet this year, maybe because this is only the second review, but my preference curve is just a basic reference, it is not a rule that determines whether I will like something or not. There are many times when I enjoy things that deviate from it and other times that I don’t enjoy models that are actually close to it in tuning.

Now let me share my usual comments when using my test track list that I always refer to when doing a final detailed listening test of whatever I am trying out (the full list can be found here).

To not break tradition, starting off with the subbass ranges and my obligatory test of “Chameleon”, there is plenty of rumble for my tastes and while the subbass is fairly clean, I find that the additional presence of midbass, which I will get to next, does subtract a little from the clarity and impressiveness of the lows in this set.

If we move to “No Sanctuary Here”, there is quite a punchy response to the midbass, again fairly clean and detailed, yet, with this track having a little more focus on the midbass, it does overshadow the lowest of notes slightly. The result is satisfying and I think it will please those who like a little more emphasis on these ranges but personally I would have preffered slightly less midbass, leaving the subbass to shine a little more.

Things are well controlled and pretty clean moving into the lower mids, with no muddyness or sensation of things being out of control. My usual midbass fatigue test with “Crazy” does show them to be a little too present in the reverb of the lower notes but not enough to actually cause fatigue, which is a very positive thing.

There is a slight lack of presence in the midrange on occasions, such as with the vocals in the track “No Sanctuary Here” that I just mentioned but it is not enough to make things sound distant, it more of a slight focus on the lows and highs rather than any absence of mids. The upper mids do climb slightly later than I am usually fond of but again, it does not affect presence of vocals, mainly due to the rather energetic higher upper mids and treble in general.

Now, I just said “energetic” upper mids and treble, yet it is not in your face. In fact, the treble, while noticeably present, still manages to be smooth and non fatiguing. I had measured these IEMs before spending time with them and based on the graph, I would have expected a much more fatiguing and harsh upper ranges than they actually deliver.

The extension is fairly decent, although not really amazing, but it is how they manage to stay focused and smooth that is the surprising part for me. My test of sibilance with “Code Cool” would place sibilance around neutral for what I have come to expect from the track. The same could be said for Lana Del Rey in “Hope Is A Dangerous Thing”, where sibilance is not reduced but is not exaggerated (which is good, because it is already quite hot in the recording).

Soundstage is not huge yet the EM6L provides a slightly holographic sensation to the sound. Not holographic as in it is being affected by distortions or giving a false sensation, more of just a slight extension of presence around vocals that makes them seem lusher and fuller.

As far as detail, they are not something that is going to blow your mind by allowing you to hear the creaking of a chair in the back of the room but they do a decent job and do not seem to try and over emphasize things to the point of pretending they are what they really aren’t.



Conclusion…

The tuning of the EM6L is not my personal preference, however, I have to say that they do a very coherent job of it and, as I just said, don’t pretend to be something that they aren’t. I think the thing that surprised me the most is how the treble manages to be present but smooth and relaxed at the same time. There are many sets of IEMs, especially with BA’s, that can come across in these upper ranges as trying to be impressive but only end up being fatiguing. That is not the case here, in fact, they don’t try to be impressive and are pretty impressive in doing so.

If you are someone who favours the Harman tuning, then I think that these IEMs can give you many hours of non fatiguing joy. The included accessories may not be up to the level of some of the competitors in this price range but, in the end (to me at least), it is the performance in the ears that matters.

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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

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - 7Hz x Crinacle Zero: 2

The 7Hz Zero 2 have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not made any requests, they never do, and I will do my usual best to be as unbiased as possible.

You can find a link to the Zero 2 via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog.

As always, it is a non-affiliate link.

To avoid being repetetive 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…

There is a saying that sequels are never as good as the original but there are also exceptions that confirm the rule, so which one is the Zero 2?

As someone who is a huge fan of the original 7Hz Zero, being one of my (if not the) favourite IEMs under 50€, I have to say that the Zero 2 had its work cut out if it wanted to improve on the original while still staying in the price bracket. Well, as far as pricing is concerned, the Zero 2 is $1 cheaper on Linsoul (at the time of putting this review together) than the original, so they are both around 20€, a price point that is certainly well inside the ultra budget category.

Now, my only complaints, which were not even really complaints, about the original Zero was that they looked a bit like a kids toy and that there was a peak in the upper treble that could be a little brutal on occasions, depending on the music.

Therefore, at the same price, all that could be done to make them “better” in my opinion is to improve aesthetics and/or reduce that peak, so let’s see if that has been the case here.



Presentation…

As far as packaging, nothing has changed, at least as far as I can remember. We still get a simple cardboard sleeve with an image of the IEMs on the front, with some very basic specs on the back (mostly in Chinese).

Removing the outer sleeve reveals the IEMs in a simple tray covered by plastic, underneath which we get the cable and 6 sets of multi coloured silicone tips.

The only real difference is that the Zero 2 show Crinacles name on the packaging whereas the original Zero were more of a (not so secret) collaboration.



Build and aesthetics…

Ok, so the first thing I was interested in them changing has not really changed much but at least they are now available in colours that are not so “kids toy” looking. All of this is obviously personal preference but the new colour schemes look better to me personally, maybe except for the blue variant, although, being honest, I think the new blue variant does look better than the old blue variant.

As far as build, everything is the same. They use the same plastic shaped shells, with a metal faceplate, that are very lightweight and cause me no discomfort. In general I don’t have any issues with the build at all and I find the aesthetics are still not my favourite but they are an improvement over the originals.



Sound…

Moving into the sound category, have they improved that upper treble peak? Yes. Which is of course a good thing.

Is everything else still the same? No. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on personal preferences.

To be honest, the changes in the rest of the frequency range are very minimal, with only really one thing that makes me reach the conclusion I have reached but before getting to that, let’s take a look at the graph which compares the Zero 2 with the original Zero and with my usual preference target for reference:



As you can see in the graph, there is some variation between the models, although they really aren’t quite as noticeable as they may look on the graph. Yes you can hear them, but it is not as though they are totally different tunings, which puts us off to a good start!

The low end is probably the area where most will find the clear difference between the two. While the original Zero ramped up moving from the midbass down into the subbass, the Zero 2 has noticeably more presence in the midbass area. This provides more of a punch in this range and, together with another thing I will mention in a moment, moves the focus more towards the bass range of these IEMs.

For those who found the originals to sound a little lean in the bass, which I know was quite a few people, the 2 will be much more to your tastes with the way it presents the lower ranges. This doesn’t mean that the bass is any less clear or articulate, it still does a very respectable job of controlling the low end, not becoming fatiguing to me at all, even with my preference for a slightly tamer midbass in comparison to the majority.

Moving into the mid ranges, here things have not changed and the Zero 2 still presents a midrange that is very respectable, especially if we consider the price that these IEMs come in at. Instruments do have a little more body due to that extra presence of midbass but they are still very well balanced and natural, as are vocals, throughout the mids.

As we pass through the upper mids, which are again very much in alignment with my personal tastes, we reach the top of these ranges and start moving into the upper ranges and here is where I find the second noticeable change that makes the differences between the two models stand out.

Around the 4kHz mark, the response starts to dip and has much less presence in the 5kHz and 6kHz ranges than the previous iteration. I know I have said that I am someone who is intolerant to 5kHz peaks but I feel that the dip in the 5 to 6k range of the Zero 2 is a little too pronounced. This makes the upper ranges take a bit of a step back compared to the lower regions, and puts more emphasis on that additional midbass that we find on the Zero 2.

It is not as though the IEMs are completely lacking presence, far from it, but they do change what I felt to be a very balanced signature on the originals to something a little more focused on the additional midbass.

Moving past these marks, in the upper treble, that peak that could sometimes appear on the originals is not appearing to me on the Zero 2. Running through some of the same tracks that could be harsh on the originals is much tamer on the new set. The treble in general is more laid back and doesn’t quite seem as airy, with things seeming to roll off.

To be honest, although the treble, or rather upper treble, is not as present as on the previous set, I like that the peak is gone and it can make for a more pleasurable listen when choosing music that is already a little too bright in the upper ranges.



Conclusion…

Is the Zero 2 better than the original Zero? In my opinion no.

So the original is better that the Zero 2? I would again say that, in my opinion, no.

They are a different flavour of an excellent set of IEMs for the price they sit at. If I had never heard the originals, then I think that the Zero 2 would probably just to one of the top spots in my personal under 50€ rankings but I was spoiled by the Zero.

As I mentioned before, the 2 things that I had issues with on the original Zero (well, more than issues, I just thought it could be different) were aesthetics, that have been improved on the Zero 2, and the harsh upper treble peak, which has also been improved on the Zero 2.

But now I have a couple of things that I would prefer to be different on the Zero 2. There is a little more midbass which I can live with, so it’s not really a complaint, but that lack around the 6kHz range is something that I find to stand out and it is not something I favour.

There is absolutely no doubt that the Zero 2 are an amazing set of IEMs for the price that they sell for, probably a better option than the originals for the majority of those out there, but I still find myself attracted more to the originals.

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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