Review on the SoundMAGIC HP100

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Due to this review section, some of my images and text have been cut in half and what not, so I have posted this review in the forum section. The full version can be found here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/714125/review-soundmagic-hp100-the-natural-all-rounder-headphone) Apologies for the inconvenience.

Introduction

It's been a while since my last review, but I'm back with another one on the closed-back, SoundMAGIC's HP100. I bought these headphones as an alternative to my HP200's and as an upgrade to my formerly owned, MrSpeakers' Mad Dog 3.2, as an open-back was not convenient for me as I had originally thought, and that the Mad Dog's were too veiled and dark sounding for my taste. Anyways, not long after selling the Mad Dog's, I decided to pick up these from my local, friendly audio store, Noisy Motel, and I haven't looked back ever since. 
 
(Usually I have a "Pictorial Unboxing" section, but I decided to cut that out since they're almost identical to that of the HP200's, which can be found in my review, here. Aside from that, I'll incorporate some of the main accessories that were exclusive to the HP100 and not the HP200. 
 
***NOTE: Pictures in this review are of the HP100's with Fischer Audio FA-003 pads on top of the original pads. It should be noted that the sound analysis was done with stock pads.***

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Review

 

 
 

Specifications

(Source: http://noisymotel.com/product.asp?ProductID=486)
 

Build Quality & Design/Function Analysis

 


 
 
The HP100's overall build and presentation is rather elegant in the sense that it has the basic looks of your standard headphones - not too flashy. The build in general is of a sturdy construction, made of high quality plastics with rubberized and high-gloss surfaces, along with a thick, rubber-coated cable. It does not feel flimsy, nor does it feel of bad quality, so one would assume it would last a long time, if taken care of properly. Now, time to break it down into smaller chunks.
 

(Bird's-eye view of the HP100)
 
Headband: It has a thick, solid core, presumably, consisting of mostly plastic and a thin piece of metal that runs through the headband from/to the height adjusters. It feels bulky in width, which to me, is a good thing, as now I know it won't snap due to flimsiness. Under the headband is a nice, plush strip of cushion that makes the comfort all the better. All of this is wrapped in a very soft and pliable pleather, which is very smooth, and feels superbly comfortable on the head. 
 
Height Adjuster & Swivel Mechanics: The adjustment per side of the headphone can prove to be stiff at times in terms of its sliding ability, but it does make solid clicks per increase/decrease in height, and does not move up and down from strong movements, so it can be said that it's firm and will stand its ground. The swivel also makes strong clicks, and maintains its position with each click. The slide and swivel is in no way loose. 
 
Ear Cups & Ear Pads: The ear cups are of a nice, high-gloss plastic, with a grid design on it. Not much to say on it besides that. Although, as it is high-gloss, it does attract fingerprints very easily, so SoundMAGIC provides a cleaning cloth specifically for this issue, as shown below.
 

(Included VIP card from SoundMAGIC for purchasing their higher-end products & cleaning cloth)
 
The ear pads found on the HP100 are very plush, and soft and are made of a pleather material. They are an over-the-ear design, and fit right around the ear. What I despised about these ear pads, is that although they are incredibly comfortable, the depth of the pad is not so deep. You'll often find the drivers touching your ears, which in no way affects the sound quality, but it does become bothersome. What I did was overlap a set of Fischer Audio FA-0003 pads on top of the stock pads to improve comfort, seal, and pad depth. Did this alter the sound? Not much at all, to be honest. 
 
Cable Entry: The cable entry into the headphones is single-sided, and it utilizes a proprietary cable. The cable entry is an "insert and twist" (locking) mechanism, which to some, is okay, but for me (and many others, I'm sure), this means it'd be harder to replace the cable if it ever becomes damaged. 
 
This brings me onto the cables...
 
Cable: The cable is a 1.2 meter coiled cable. It comprises of a thick, rubber outer-coat, and terminates in a 3.5mm proprietary jack, and a 3.5mm jack that has a screwing mechanism for a 6.3mm adapter. The cable as a whole, is rather stiff, and the coil section is a bit too sprung together which it requires more than usual effort to stretch out. I found this cable to be annoying at times, as when sitting at a table and having the cable hang down, the top of the coil tends to get caught under the table top's edge, and hence, pulls your head down. 
 

(The coiled cable)
 
Case: A hard case with a reptile pattern, that uses a zip, and has a carabiner loop at the top for attachment of the carabiner. Not much else to it.
 
 
 

Sound Quality Analysis

 

 
The following analysis of the HP100's sound quality is done from this setup: iBasso DX50 > Pure Silver Interconnect > Neco Soundlabs Portable V4
 
 

Summary/Conclusion

The SoundMAGIC HP100 was a headphone I thoroughly enjoyed for what it was - a neutral sounding closed-back with amazing musicality.  If you're looking for a headphone to use in noisy environments, or just to enjoy in your own time, this headphone should be on your list of considerations, with it's great noise isolation, and superb sound in general. An amp will be needed to drive them to their full potential, but it is totally worth it. It has my recommendation (if that matters), and to me, it's a gift that keeps on giving. (I say this because I've noticed slight improvements over the period of time I've owned them, and I have yet to be bored of it)
 
 
The small company of SoundMAGIC, when in the big headphone world, has often been overlooked. I personally think this shouldn't be the case as they're headphones are one of a kind! I'm in no way affiliated with them, but I think they deserve more attention. Much more. 
 
 
 
Over & Out,
SkyBleu-

Review on the MEElectronics Atlas
 

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Introduction

Fellow Head-Fi'ers, this is my review on the MEElectronics Atlas (Carbon), which was a headphone that I wanted to try out as I was in need for a set of headphones for on-the-go purposes. 
 
I had bought these cans from my local audio store, Noisy Motel, in which I shall give a shoutout to them for  their great service to me over these past few months on a few of my purchases. I am in no way affiliated with them, but I do wish to express to my fellow Australians, that these guys provide amazing customer service, and have my recommendation.
 
For this review, I am thinking on using a new layout that goes straight to the point, as opposed to my usual waffling. Hopefully, it should work out for the better, and much easier on the eyes of the reader. 
 
Anyways... That aside; onto my little Pictorial Unboxing. 
 

 
 

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Unboxing

 
Here are a few quick snaps of the unit and its accessories when I unboxed it. Overall, an elegant, yet premium feeling box that housed the regular accessories, such as a carry pouch, removable cable, and the headphones themselves. 
 
 

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Review
 

Specifications

(Sourced from MEElectronics)
 
For this review, the majority, if not all of my literature will be in the forms of dot points for the ease of reading. 
 
 

Build Quality & Design/Function Factor

1. Construction (Consists of a strong plastic build which feels like it will last; slightly flexible and is durable for the time being)
2. Lightweight and highly portable
3. Designs (I found it to be very sleek and creative in what they did, and is very appealing/eye-catching)
   (From left to right respectively: Carbon, Sky, Fantasy, Orion, Diamond)
4. IML printed graphics (I did not find it very special and dramatic as the manufacturer's had made it out to be; just a standard design in my eyes)
   
    
5. Folding for portability (Has nice clicks as to when they are folded; very portable in this form)
   
6. Headband size adjuster (Strong clicks can be heard when adjusting the size/height, and notches are visible for OCD people such as myself
   
   (Retracted)
   (Extended)
7. Vented earpads  (Very soft and plush, and allows less sweating occurring than usual)
   
8. Headband (Not sure if it's just pleather or real leather, but it is sure super soft and comfortable! Made from the same pleather/leather material used for the ear pads)

 

1. Flat cable (Not a fan of flat cables, as they are less durable than rounded cables, but they're holding up fine so far)
2. Mic functionality (Works as should, and is pretty clear in terms of sound)
3. Analogue volume control (I like this design as it offers me the ability to quickly reduce the volume if someone is talking to me, or if my music is too loud - Also works with all applications)
4. Carry pouch (Nice materials used; feels durable and has the ability to protect the headphones inside from water in small amounts, eg. rain)

 

Sound Quality

1. Decent levels of detail for a $100 headphone - it's there, but not as obvious as it would be in higher-leveled headphones. More detail would be good, but for the price, it is pretty impressive.
2. Musicality is there - Has good PRaT and flow to the music to make it enjoyable for on-the-go purposes, when paying the closest attention to detail isn't the number one priority.
3. Tonality and signature is slightly warm, by the slightest, in which it has a super-thin veil cloaking the mids and treble. In no way did this make the vocals sound utterly blanketed; just by a minute amount. Also would be considered so, due to the narrowness of the soundstage. 
4. Has a weighty low-end, with a vibrant sub-bass and strong, bodied bass punch. Can be perceived as overly bassy, otherwise known as "potential basshead material".
5. Vocals have a minute veil and are forward sounding, so it can give the appearance of a minimal "muffled" sound, but it still has good body, and fullness. It's not rich, but it is far from thin sounding.
6. Instrumental separation is not so bad on these cans - enough to distinguish each instrument (almost), but not enough to detect the "layers" in between each instrument. 
7. Sounds clustered by the tiniest amount from the narrowness of the soundstage. This congestion is not emphasized, but it should be noted that the soundstage is not as wide as it could be.
8. Treble is there in its crispy, clean ways, but could do with more detail and extension. It is not as bright as it could be to define the headphones as a neutral sounding headphone as the bass to treble ratio is rather one-sided - leaning to the bassy side more. This takes away the sparkle in the highs. A bit more emphasis in the upper-mid range could easily fix this (even things out). 
9. Clarity is not the clearest out there, as this may be due to the treble not extending as high up and having that detail and crispiness.
10. The sound is relatively clean for a portable, budget headphone, but could certainly do with a cleaner sound. This may have been the result of the sub-bass being predominant. 
11. Soundstage isn't very wide, and is rather narrow. The overpowering bass may contribute to this as it makes the sound much closer to your head due to the strong bass punch.
12. Has good depth from the deep bass produced.
13. Lacks definition and refinement, as it still has plethora of unsmoothed edges, which is due to the absence of micro-detailing, which differentiates it from higher-leveled headphones. Could do with much more information, and positioning/imaging. Sounds rather linear as of this. 

 
(I know some of you people out there prefer the lengthy, audio descriptions on what the headphones sound like, but I think the shortened version of it with the main key points is more easily noted. If this format is too confusing and you guys prefer the old format, do let me know
 

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Conclusion

Ultimately, I believe the MEElectronics Atlas is a great sounding, portable set of headphones, as it works beautifully when in a rush, or just on-the-go, since it has the melodic flow that makes the music enjoyable. Only when paying close attention, such as being at home, would these headphones show its flaws in sections of which it lacks. But really, when you're on the train, bus, or going to the gym (and what not), all these minor details are of the past, as you just want to hear the song at hand, and focus on whatever it is that you are doing. These headphones are my workout/gym headphones, and for that purpose, they perform exceptionally well - enough to get the blood pumping, and are sturdy enough to live through drops and heavy usage.
 
Now the important question...Would I recommend them? Of course I would - only with the exception that you'd be using it for the purposes I had mentioned above.
 
PS: Any errors and/or flaws that you may spot in my write-up that I might have missed, or if there is/are something you don't quite agree on - please do inform me about it via PM, or in the comments below.
 
 

 
Over & Out,
SkyBleu-


 
 

Review on the SoundMAGIC HP200

Hello all; I'm here to give you guys a review on this mighty fine pair of cans, the HP200's, that I found to be one that punches way above its price range.
 

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Introduction

Firstly, I'd like to say that I wasn't really in the market to get any headphones as of yet, but seeing that I recently got a part-time job to do this Christmas holidays, I decided to go read around some reviews on headphones that not many people own, but have good value for the price you pay - So yeah, an impulsive buy, if you'd like to call it. Nonetheless, after reading reviews here and there, I decided to purchase the SoundMAGIC HP200, because of their highly praised reviews, but minimal amount of owners across the globe; these were the ones I had to have. 
 
It was not until I received the headphones from Noisy Motel (Great service as per usual - Friendly and very fast when it came to posting the item via Express), that I realised that they were worth every penny I spent on it. My impulsive buy, had just became my best buy. 
 
Anyhoo...it's time for me to kick-start my review with my usual; pictorial unboxing pictures. 
 

 
 

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Unboxing

Not much needs to be said here, besides that the pictures were taken with my Nikon L310 with a UV filter attached 
(Excuse the little black blur spots in the corners of some pictures..it was due to my lens hood that gave that effect. Some images are relatively dark due to the weather, as it was about to rain)
 
 

 


From the pictures shown above, you can see there's nothing really special about the box, or what's inside.. until you hear these babies..That's where it all changes. 
 

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Review

 

Specifications

Transducers：Dynamics,53mm,Neodymium
Frequency range：15Hz~35KHz
DC resistance：20Ω+-10%Ohms
Sensitivity：98±3DB at 1KHz/mw
Maximum input power：100mw
Cable length：1.2m
Connector：3.5mm,L style plug gold-plated
Weight：320g
 
(Source of Information: http://www.soundmagic.com.cn/en/news/Details_1_74.html)
 
I'll be using just the DX50 and C5 combo through this review for my sound quality judgement, as they are what I find to be neutral, and will fit the role for the review as my reference. 
 

Build Quality & Design/Comfort Factor

Build Quality

To me, I found the build quality of these cans to be well built. Although being of a majority plastic build, you can tell from the feel that strong, high quality plastic (with a rubberized, thin coating) had been used, as the headphones has some weight to the whole construction. Just because these headphones were made by a small company in China, most would simply assume that these cans are of bad build quality with cheap plastic being used for the structure..except...that's not the case here. 
 

Metal grills
 
The metal grills of the headphones not only feel great, and look great, but they are also built great! Feels solid, and won't cave in, even if you tried your hardest (unless you're some superhuman Hulk). Apart from that, the other metal part of these cans, are the metal height-adjustable band that runs through the headband. That too, is high class, and one should not worry about it breaking anytime soon. 
 

Cable metal jack
 
Now onto the cable..The cable, although proprietary (hate that concept), feels highly durable. With a thick layer of rubber around the interior wiring, they were built to last, and cannot be easily torn, like some flimsy, thin cables. The end with the jack that was meant to go into the source is metal, and has a relatively long stress-relief, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but actually really good. 
 

Headphones swiveled to maximum point with ear pads facing up
 
The ear pads were made of pleather or faux leather (not sure which one, but I'm sure it wasn't real leather) and did not feel tacky when I first felt them. They were really soft and plush, as they were on the ears, and provided great comfort. The elastic edges around the pad were also soft and somewhat very stretchy, and felt durable enough not too tear when stretched too much. The material in the centre of the pad was not too thin, nor was it too thick, so poking a finger at it won't dislocate or result in a hole in the fine membrane. 
 

The hard-shell case
 
Now onto the case...When I first saw the case, I immediately thought of the V-Moda M80/V80's. The case is pretty much of the same build quality and materials as what V-Moda had used for their M80/V80's case. For those who don't know of these types of cases, they're very strong and I could probably kick them around like a football and they'll probably last, without having any parts of the case caving in. Overall, if you ever see this type of case, you should have a smile on your face, because boy, are they super durable and sleek!
 

Design/Comfort Factor

 

 
For the comfort section of the headphones; I personally loved what SoundMAGIC did here. They made a great looking open can with amazing comfort! I can listen to these headphones for days on end without getting sick of the signature, nor be fatigued from the super comfortable ear pads. 
 

The plush pleather/faux leather ear pads
 
You'll hear this from me a lot, but these amazing ear pads were so comfortable! They were just deep enough, and covered my ear completely without touching any part of the ear, and to top it off, they were incredibly soft. I'll stop talking about the ear pads now...I think you guys get the point of what they're like.
 
As of the design itself, SoundMAGIC did these headphones justice. Unique enough to be of it's own kind, and sexy enough to appeal to the eyes of audiophiles. I really liked what they did to this headphone all around, except for the proprietary cable locking mechanism, which I'll speak briefly about later on. 
 
For the design of the case, I believe I covered that in the Build Quality already, but I'll mention it again. They were designed exceptionally well, much like the V-Moda M80/V80 case, and seem very sleek, whilst maintaining its durability. 
 
What I found to be slightly unnecessary for the headphones was by adding the L/R indicators in bright blue and red on each side respectively for left and right. Small letters of L and R in a faint grey paint would have been enough for this indication purpose. When one inserts the proprietary cable, they would figure that the left side would be the one with the cable entry, and from there, they'd figure that the right side is the one without a cable entry. Nonetheless, I understand this may slightly be bias seeing that I personally prefer an all black design with silver accents to go with my black and white coloured rig, whilst others are not as picky, hahaha. 
 
     
Left side
 
Right side
 
Apart from my picky-ness, I don't think it really bothers anyone, not even me at times. What does really bother me, is why SoundMAGIC kept the proprietary cable locking mechanism design! It is absolutely unnecessary, because it restricts us from replacing the cable with any other 3.5mm headphone cable, such as those from V-Moda or any aftermarket cable maker. This may become problematic over time, but the included cable holds up pretty well, so I doubt it'd break anytime soon, unless a lot of pressure and stress is applied to the cable. 
 
Below, you'll find a picture of the despised proprietary plug...
 

 
And here is what it looks like when locked into position on the headphone's cable entry...
 

 
Anyways...Enough of my negativity and nit-picky-ness towards their minor design faults, and let's see what else these headphones can do in terms of their design. 
 
Here's something. They fold like a pair of V-Moda M100's, although not as compacted, but still...they fold. Folding = Portability!
 

Relaxed headphones...

...Contracted headphones!
 
Well...I feel that's enough for it's Design/Comfort Factor, so I shall move onto the most important part..How they sound.
 
 

Sound Quality

 
Alrighty, so this is where I shall do my best to describe what these headphones sound like to you guys. I won't do my usual, where I'll briefly speak about the sound in general, before stepping a little deeper into explaining how the Lows/Mids/Highs sound, but this time, I'll just do it all in the forms of dot points, with bolded key words/phrases. That way, I feel it is easier to comprehend without any misunderstandings, and much easier on the eyes. You'll find the main features that I noticed during my listening periods, listed below:
 

Soundstage, Imaging, Instrumental Separation & Quality

1. The headphones have a big, wide soundstage with a lot of air and space all around, as well as good depth.
2. These headphones are great at 3D imaging - With a high quality song, it'll almost accurately places each instrument around your soundstage, along with the way in which the artist may be facing when singing/producing sound. It just does this really well, where it'll put in the music. 
3. The instrumental separation is easily distinguishable with the precise layering that these headphones seem to be able to portray with ease. 
4. The quality of the sound doesn't lean towards the warmer end, nor does it lean towards the brighter side of things - just in the middle, hence why I'll put it as neutral, because it can somewhat be track dependent. In saying so, it does not ever become bloated-sounding, where it'll produce a congested, bassy sound, nor does it ever become bass-lacking, and overridden with sharp treble. 
5. The audio is always clean, clear, and crisp sounding with a lot of detailing. From the vocals to the beats of an EDM track, it always has a lot of detail and clarity to it. Never does it sound of low quality. As a fellow Head-Fi'er had said, they stated that these headphones will be harsh on low bit-rate songs, but that was not my case. I found these headphones to uplift the terrible quality of low bit-rate songs and makes them more enjoyable.
6. The overall sound of this headphone, is exciting and fun - It is very musical and flows beautifully, which is what I enjoy best when it comes to listening to music. Because the lows extend nice and deep; and the treble extends high enough to give it that sparkle, whilst the mids are not falling behind at all when it comes to its quality. Still neutral sounding, but all of each category had been lifted up to another level. It does not sound flat, but it's what I'd call, an "energetic neutrality" - where the bass is not lacking, and nor is the brightness in the treble, and the fullness in the mids. (This is what I mean, when I say "Equality" in my review title. Each category just does so well, that you can't just say that one category outdoes another)

 

Lows

1. The lows extend really low, and is well-textured with body, and still has a powerful kick to it.
2. The sub-bass has a good vibe to it, but isn't overpowering.

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Mids

1. The mids are smooth and rich-sounding (has body to it), although being slightly forward..and when I say slightly, it does not mean that it is right up against your face, or anywhere near it, but just a hair difference between spot on, and a tiny bit forward. It certainly did not feel recessed though. 
2. It sounds very textured (especially female vocals), crisp and natural, not coloured.

​

Highs

1. The highs are sparkly with a touch of brightness, but not to the point where it becomes ear-piercing harsh and sharp.
2. Cymbal clashes sound as they should, and are not thin-sounding. Brings out the qualities of the highs. 

 
 

Brief Comparison

I usually like to add this section into my reviews, where I compare these headphones, the SoundMAGIC HP200's, to the other headphones that I own, BUT, in this instance, I will not, because my other headphones are just not on the same level as that of the HP200's, and I feel it would just be a waste of space here. The only part about my other headphones that actually beat the HP200's, is the bass that comes from the V-Moda M100's. The powerful monstrosity of the M100's bass is far more textured, and hits way lower than that of the HP200. 
 

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Summary/Conclusion

This brings us to the end of my SoundMAGIC HP200 review, and so I will sum up everything in a few short sentences.
 
My what seemed like an impulsive purchase, turned out to be a great eye opener for me. I have learnt through these headphones, that for an easily reached, affordable price, one can achieve the entry level to high-end audio; and to some audiophiles, that means a lot. Excitement was something I always enjoyed in a headphone. I was never really that much of a fan of flat sound, so when I read a few reviews on this headphone, I had noticed that many had stated that these sounded like a pair of HD650's, but more fun, so right there was what triggered me to buy them. Knowing that the HD650's were already a highly ranked headphone here on Head-Fi, when someone says that another headphone is similar; it's really all it takes for me to be convinced to grab a pair. Right now, and throughout this review, I've been listening to my HP200's, and all I can say is...it's pretty addictive.
 
So with the said, if you're after a pair of headphones that not many people own, but has so much potential; look no further. 
 
 
PS: Any errors and/or flaws that you may spot in my write-up that I might have missed - please do inform me about it via PM, or in the comments below.
 
 
Over & Out,
SkyBleu-

Review on the FiiO RC-MH1 PCOCC-A Upgrade Headphone Cable

Greetings, I am here to present to you guys with a review on the FiiO PCOCC-A 3.5mm to 3.5mm headphone cable that FiiO had sent out to a selected few to review - free of charge. (Thanks heaps to FiiO for doing this
I had initially planned to have this review out sooner than this date, but things had popped up, and I hadn't really found the time to do so, until now, so apologies for that!
 

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Introduction

It was very nice of FiiO to do this review giveaway, because it just happened to occur that I was in the hunt for a new upgrade cable for my V-Moda M100's, seeing that cables made for these headphones are rather hard to find. Lucky for me, I didn't have to look any longer.
 
Anyways, there's actually not much for me to talk about here under this little intro, so I'll just carry on with the mini pictorial unboxing below..
 

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Unboxing 

So, this was what I had woken up to after a few days of being notified that FiiO had shipped my cables

The Parcel ^

The two cables found inside ^
 

Oyaide labelling ^

Un-packaged! ^
 
Simple packaging, and very elegant. Not much to it, and not much was really necessary for the cables after all.
 
Review time!

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Review

(DISCLAIMER: My FiiO RC-MH1 cables have been burnt-in for around 15-20 hours.)
 

Specifications

I couldn't find a specification sheet, so this image will do for the time being.

 
(Source: http://www.fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?ID=100000047199928&MenuID=105026014)
 

Build Quality & Design/Function Factor

Build Quality

 
In one simple sentence, I can say this cable, the RC-MH1, is very well built. Although being a bit solid, you'd expect it not to be all that flexible, but in fact, it's somewhat flexible to some extent. Being a dual-stranded cable that are bonded together in between, pretty much makes it a flat cable, and that is what would prevent this cable from being at it's optimal flexibility point. 
 
Aside from flexibility, this cable is also very well constructed, and hence shows durability. I may have not put it under any stress tests, nor have I used it under any hardcore conditions, I can say it will probably last through any forms of crazy activity. I guess in a way, you could say the cable is sturdy as the M100's itself, but maybe not to a military-grade standard. 
 
Overall, the build is made to high quality levels, and it certainly would not disappoint for the price that would be paid. 
 

Design/Function Factor

The metal jack^
Well...this cable sure functions as should, and its design is very nice. Even its design shows durability. It just looks relatively thick and the metal jack on one end of the cable looks of top quality. 
 
The design flaws I'd state that I don't like so much about this cable is the fact that it's a dual-stranded cable, and the fact that it has a super long (3.3cm) 3.5mm jack that protrudes out of my M100's, which limits my movement when turning my head, due to it clashing with my shoulder. With the cables being dual-stranded, this gives it the flat-effect, which restricts the cable from being more bendable and may appear as though a lot of stress is applied to some areas when bending as opposed to if it were just a single-stranded cable. 
 

The Cable^
 
Besides that opinionated flaw, the feel of the cable is very nice, as the rubberized effect makes the cable feel of better quality than cheap, plastic coated cables. At least with that feel, it allows the cable to bend better. 
 
I don't feel there's much else to say about the design factors here, so I shall commence onto Sound Quality!
 

Sound Quality

 

How does this cable sound? Well..I asked myself that question, and to be honest, I couldn't notice much besides the fact that @miceblue had already stated in his review - the FiiO RC-MH1 cable sounds louder than the stock V-Moda cable. 
Along with that, I had also noticed a slight increase in bass where it hits a touch harder (due to the copper) and it giving the overall sound a warmer presentation. I, myself, am not really a fan of warm sound, so this cable wasn't really made for my taste, as I am one who prefers the brighter side of things. In saying so, this should not stop anyone who doesn't like warm sound to stay away from this cable, because the audible differences are so minute, one might not even take notice. Aside from that, I honestly could not spot anything else that could be majorly noticeable, or worth listening for.
 

Comparison to the V-Moda M100 Stock Cables

 

V-Moda (Grey) 1-Button SpeakEasy Cable (Total: 132cm) Vs. FiiO RC-MH1 (Total: 120cm)

V-Moda (Black) Audio Cable Only (Total: 175cm) Vs. FiiO RC-MH1 + FiiO RC-UX1 (Total: 220cm)
 

Build Quality

I preferred the build quality of the M100 stock cables, because they are much more flexible and feel much nicer in the hands, compared to the FiiO RC-MH1. Although the one thing I'd give to the FiiO cable for build quality would be the jack. As I had mentioned earlier, the jack is made wonderfully and looks stunning. It's nothing really that special, but it sure does look better than any regular rubber coated jack, such as that of the stock V-Moda cables.

3.5mm Male Jacks (Goes into the M100 headphones) ^

3.5mm Male Jacks (Goes into the source) ^
 

Sound Quality

As stated in my Sound Quality section of this review, all that was said was pretty much in comparison to the stock V-Moda M100 cables. The FiiO cables being the warmer, bassier type, whilst the stock cables sounded more neutral, and not so warm. 
 

---

Summary/Conclusion

All in all, it was a pleasure of mine to have the opportunity to review FiiO's newly released, RC-MH1 PCOCC-A Headphone Cable, and it was very nice of FiiO. 
 
To sum things up, the cables that FiiO now have for sale, are of high quality, that perform as should, if not better, and are very affordable. Would I recommend these? Sure I would! For a relatively cheap price, you'll get a nice durable cable that will replace your stock cables; no sweat. And if you're a basshead/lover of warmth, by all means, this would then be considered an "upgrade" to your stock V-Moda cables for your M100's. One Basshead can never have too much bass, right? Haha..
 
Either way, this leads to the conclusion of my review, and as per usual - to those who read from top to bottom, thank you for reading!
 
It's getting rather late now in Australia, so I am going to go catch some Z's. 
 
 
Over & Out,
SkyBleu-

 

Review on the AKG K240 MK. II

It's been a while since I wrote up a review, and well...I'm back again with another write up! 
 
 

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Introduction

Lately, I've been on the prowl for a pair of headphones that offer the open/semi-open back design, as I was curious about these types of headphones. Coming from a pair of V-Moda M100's, I was really after a quality alternative to the closed-back, bassy headphones. A wide soundstage and a clean sound has been something I like to look for when it comes to buying an audio product, whether it be an amp or a pair of IEMs/Headphones. I was talking to a friend a while back, and I've been recommended to check out the AKG range, in which I did, and I was pretty happy with what I had found! If I had the cash, I'd happily fork it out for a pair of AKG Q/K 701/702, but sadly, I only wanted to play around with only approx. $200 this time round, so the AKG K240 MK. II were my pick of choice. But thankfully I didn't follow the crowd and grab a pair of Q/K 701/702, because these K240's are a stunner of a deal! They were a pair of cans that had relatively good reviews here, on Head-Fi, as well appealing to my eyes with their detachable mini-XLR to 3.5mm cable, so from there, I quickly searched around for a local seller in Australia.
 
Maybe after a week or so of hunting, I came across this store that goes by the name of, Store DJ. I visited their website to have a browse around for what else they might have, and to my surprise, they had quite a wide range of headphones! It was an easy site to look around, and seeing that they were local to me (Melbourne), I decided to just pick up the phone and give them a call to get a hold of these cans to save me from the hassle of dealing with the wait of the emailing process. I surely did not make a wrong decision when I decided to call these guys up, because their service was pretty awesome, I'll give you that. They were very friendly to deal with, and had my stuff shipped out momentarily after receiving my bank transfer as a form of payment. The only hiccup we had here, was the fact that my payment was sent just before the weekend, so I kind of had to wait off the weekend as they weren't working to be able to send my product off, but that doesn't really matter, haha. 
 
I know in Melbourne, Australia, us Head-Fi'ers have a few local audio stores, so if you guys don't already know about Store DJ, check them out, because I haven't heard of them before, but after my encounter, I'll recommend them to any one of you Melbournians who are in need of headphones. They have quite a lot, as I had mentioned earlier. 

 
Oh, and I forgot to mention. Free shipping, guys! The process was pretty swift, and we all love free shipping, haha.
 
Here are the links to the products:
The AKG K240 Mk. II Headphones - https://www.storedj.com.au/products/AKG-K240MKII
The UDG Hard-Shell Case - https://www.storedj.com.au/products/UDG-U8200BL
 
 
Something else that I aimed to achieve from buying these headphones, is that I wanted to make a neutral & natural sounding rig, consisting of my C5, which I find is neutral, and this AKG headphone, which many state to have a "natural" sound.
 
Anyways, enough of my background on these headphones, and now, it's time to get to my pictorial unboxing!
 

 
 

---

Unboxing

Here's a few pictures I took whilst I did my quick unboxing of the product, and apologies for not having proper lighting, as it was a rainy day, and so  I had to do the photographing inside the house. 
(All photos from this unboxing/review were taken with a Nikon L310)
 

The beast in it's plastic wrapping!

The back of the box

Opened box!

What is found inside the box

Plastic wrapped velour pads! (Yay!)

Unwrapped, naked, velour/velvet pads

Some literature for you to read, and a huge sticker to stamp on your forehead

Coiled cable with 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter

Stripped of it's plastic exterior packaging (With 6.3mm adapter ON)

Now, with it's 6.3mm adapter OFF

 

The beast, itself! (With it's super long straight cable)

Here's a headphone case I also picked up from Store DJ to conceal my K240's

Pretty quality case, I'd say. Very good hard case.

Here's more angles of it

What's found inside the case - More literature, and a remoavable zip compartment

The AKG's in the case! (Just need to tuck in the mini-XLR connector socket of the headphones, and you'll be set!
 
So, as you can see, the headphones come in your typical cardboard box, but it does come with a fair amount of accessories, so I was satisfied with that.
 
Now..time to review this pair of headphones!
 
 

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Review

 

Specifications

I'll start off with the specs for those who are interested.
 
(I couldn't find much specifications on the internet in regards to these headphones, but this was the best I could find)
 
I should mention, that through this review, I used a rig, which includes: The iBasso DX50 as the source and the JDS Labs C5 as the amp (being a 55 ohm headphone, I felt an amp was necessary to get the best out of them).
 

Build Quality & Design/Comfort Factor

Build Quality

To start things off, these headphones are of alright build quality. Coming from a pair of V-Moda M100's, I'll say now that my opinion on the build might be rather bias in a way, but I will try my best not to
 
Putting the plastic complaints aside, I found these headphones to be of decent build. Although being made of plastic, they also feature some metal accents to their structure, as well as a nice leather/pleather/faux leather headband. They do feel somewhat sturdy in the hand, and would probably last a few light drops, before cracks and tears will appear; but obviously, I'll do my best not to let any of that happen
 

Coiled cable being photogenic. 

Coiled cable attached to the headphones
 

The included cables appear to be very durable, as they are thick, and have a strong, rubber-coating to protect them from the external environment. From the mini-XLR male plug, to the 3.5mm jack; both are very standard in terms of appearance, but are very solid when it comes to build. Not to mention, the strain relief on the jacks are a very nice touch, as the design of these are made to endure a lot of bending! Although these cables feel slightly hard, they are still, nevertheless, flexible. I am currently using the coil cable, and I do like how it's tightly wound, although many will argue otherwise. 
 

There, you can slightly see the recessed, 3-pin mini-XLR port

Mini-XLR connected the port on the headphones

 
The pleather/leather/faux leather earpads that came with the headphones, along with the velour pads, have a very quality form and feel factor. Very soft in the hands, and on the ears, and I found the velour pads to be of exceptionally high quality materials. 
 


 
There's not much for me to say about the build, other than that, so I'll continue on with the Design Factor.
 

Design/Comfort Factor

 


 

Design...These cans definitely have your usual "AKG" look, which is not a bad thing, because I do support this type of unique design. The headband, and the cabling from one cup to the other, is done very discretely, so to speak, which makes this headphone look somewhat modern, as well as having a touch of vintage. The way in which AKG made the little holes, encircling the centre of the ear cup, was a nice touch to the "semi-open" style. Much better than a massive, gaping hole with grills, although I too, like that design also. With the addition of the metal accented circle around these little holes, it adds a bit of coloration to the overall appearance of the K240's - otherwise, these headphones would be very monotonal in terms of colour, and that wouldn't make for a very interesting design. 
 
The headband, although does not contain any padding or made of real leather (not too sure on this one), still gives this headphone a nice sleek look and feel. Aside from not being padded, the headband offers great auto-adjusted comfort when the headphones are worn, so all is good when it comes to this. 
 

Bird's Eye View of the headband

Side-View of the headband (Sorry for the dust particles that can be seen! Was hoping my camera wouldn't pick that up, haha)
 
Being an over-ear headphone, these are bound to offer extreme comfort - in which they do. The earpads, being my favourite part about the headphones (more so, the velour pads), were easily found to be comfortable for hour-long listening periods. 
 
As said in my Build Quality talk, it is very well made, in terms of design AND comfort. Looks great, and feels great. I especially appreciate the added velour pads. Soft and extremely comfortable, and also contributes to the improvement in sound quality, is indeed, a very good bonus. The faux leather/leather/pleather earpads were also soft and comfortable, were no match to the velour pads.
 
Now, the cable. Very simple, yet effective design. Looks elegant as can be, yet functions just as well as any other high quality cable. Solid as well as being flexible, was something I really liked about the stock cables. They feel nice in the hand, and do not feel like they will break after a short period of usage. 
 
Overall, under this sub-topic, I was very happy with the build (for most parts), the quirky design structure, and the amazing comfort. Really is a headphone to consider when you're after a fancy looking pair, or just want something that sounds classy. Speaking of which, time to tell you guys what I thought about its sound quality!
 
 

Sound Quality

Here's the part where I struggle to use "audiophile" terminology to make my best attempt at telling you guys what you should expect from these headphones
 

 
In short, I'll say these headphones sound very natural and spacious, as well as being very clean and clear, due to its semi-open back design, in which it allows a lot of air flow into the holes on the side of the ear cups. They have a very good melodic rhythm and tonality, as well as having distinguishable layering within the space between each instrument. Somewhat, these K240's will pass for being analytical sounding, as they are very transparent, and the bass is not all up in your face, and not only that, but the resolution of the sound is pretty astounding. 
 
Before I bought these, I always feared that any open/semi-open back headphones would offer a thin mid range, but I was dead wrong in that respect.
 
Instead of explaining it all here, I will do it under each range (Lows/Mids/Highs) below...
 

Lows

To me, right off the bat, I found the low range to be rather lacking than usual. It just isn't there, but this does not necessarily mean it's a bad thing. I am aware there are people out there who are not a fan of bassy headphones, so these might be for them. Although, the sub-bass is almost completely depleted, the soft bass-punch is, and it is pretty mellow. Probably not the headphones for bassheads, but it will do for any listener who want to not be fatigued after hours on end. Its entire low frequency is just very subtle, so it'll assure you will not be having any headaches from the pounding bass, of let's say, the M100's. There's not much to speak about this range, as like I said just then, it's kind of "missing". 
 
Since I'm coming off from a pair of bass monstrosity, aka, the M100's, I was easily not impressed by what the AKG attempted to pump out, as "bass". In saying so, this did not mean I was just going to let myself down with these bass-lacking cans. I was kind of happy that I chose a pair of headphones that sound different from the M100's, because that was my intention in looking for a pair like these. Obviously, being well adjusted to the M100's, it was expected of me to find some way to bass boost these AKG's to give them a better kick than what they offered. This was where my JDS Labs C5 comes in, because that neutral sounding amp houses a Bass Boost switch, which I used with these K240's, and guess what? My K240's now sound even sweeter with that "oomph" from the bass boost. It wasn't too boomy, but it just gave the AKG's the life it had required to fully satisfy me. 
 
Some might be wondering by now, why I named this review, "The Definition of Tranquility", and it is really kind of because of the lows which make me say the sound gives the appearance of tranquility. Just so free of harshness, and smooth (without the boost of an amplifier)..especially the mids which I will now go on to. 
 

Mids

This is where these K240's really shine. Their thick, full-sounding, rich and creamy mids is where it is at! AKG totally did it right when they came to this frequency range. (Kudos to AKG)
 
Well, it should be known that the mid range of these cans perform flawlessly! It is just so smooth, and natural, it really puts you in the mood, like you were listening to your artists singing in an theatrical scenery. Very lively sounding, and it was a good thing, I was wrong about the mid range, when I said it might be lacking. For me, especially with R&B singers, and more so, female vocalists, sound superb with these headphones. The details within the vocal are brought out, and well textured, such as to when you hear the rasp in the singer's voice, or when they just finish the ending of a word, you'll pretty much hear these minor feats. But vocals is not just the only thing it brings out. The acoustics within a track is much more natural sounding. It doesn't sound too thin and metallic, but it does give the "strumming" experience. I'm not too sure if I'm making sense there, but what I mean in simple form, is that the layering is done right, so you'll hear the separation between each instrument/string being plucked, and hence, it doesn't sound all clustered together. Those were the few things that really stood out to me. 
 
To be full-sounding is one thing, but to flow is another. And well, these AKG's do just that. They allow the mids to flow freely, and that's what really gives the headphones an edge in smoothness. 
 

Highs

Sparkle, sparkle! Because that's exactly what the high frequency range of the K240's do. They do make these headphones sound bright, and that is a good thing for me, because that's the type of sound I prefer. A touch of glimmer, and it sounds fresh as a pine. The cymbal clashes with these headphones sound so crisp, it would be hard for one to not resist. Besides that, I'm not too sure what else could be discussed here, as what I planned to say, was mentioned above, and really, all that should be noted about the highs, is that these headphones are relatively treble-happy, so bright in that case, and that's all there is to it for me. 
 
 

Brief Comparison to the V-Moda M100

 
Alrighty...Here's something I wasn't originally going to do, but because the C5 gave the K240's such a good boost in bass, that I felt it was alright to compare these to the basshead's, and my beloved, V-Moda M100's. 
 

 

Sound Quality

Now that the bass is comparable, let's begin with the lows.
 

Lows

Well, this is easy. This round goes straight to the M-100's, because there isn't anything to compare it to. The bass of the M100's just hits so hard, with such texture and clarity, and no muffle; it really isn't worth comparing to the AKG's attempt at having a touch of bass.
 
Round Winner: V-Moda M100
 

Mids

This is can be a close battle, although the K240's mids are just much more detailed, and rich in thickness, that it in a way, can make the M100's sound a bit thin and of less cleanliness. 
 
Round Winner: AKG K240 MK. II
 

Highs

Hmm...both cans are great performers when it comes to refreshing highs, and to be honest, I can't exactly put my finger on choosing between these two. I'm sure most will say the AKG's will take the winning in this category, but I'm still on the fence, so I'll throw this down as a tie. 
 
Round Winner: AKG K240 MK. II & V-Moda M100
 

Brief Overview

So in the end, I'd say it really comes down to whether you'd want a "house party"/basshead sound (M100), where the experience is fun and engaging, but may get tiring, OR, an "orchestral/theatrical" sound, where it is forever mellow and soothing (K240 Mk. II), but it lacks the "fun" factor, which I know, is important to some. 

 
 

Build Quality

Well...I don't even think this part was necessary, haha. The M100's will be taking this one home, because it may as well be the king of the hill when it comes to military-grade durability. 
 
Round Winner: V-Moda M100
 

Brief Overview

It's true. This round wasn't even needed. There was no competition.
 
 

Design Factor

For this part, I think it strongly comes down on preference, because although some will prefer the vintage-style look, some others will disagree and say that the sleeker, sharper look is preferred. It really isn't something for me to determine, but for the sake of my comparison, I'll say they both appeal to me equally, in very different ways.
 
Round Winner: AKG K240 MK. II & V-Moda M100
 

Brief Overview

Like I said - Preference is what will get people through this stage. 
 

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Summary/Conclusion

It's time to sum up my review, because I'm sure most of you's probably didn't bother reading down to here (and for those who did, thanks, and I'm kinda tired myself after sitting her for nearly five hours..coming to the end of my second review. I'm rather happy with myself now! 

 
The K240 Mk. II...a stellar pair of headphones that has a lot to offer, especially if you are one who appreciates your vocals, and do not want to pay an excessive amount just for a pair of K/Q701/702, these headphones will do just fine. With its well refined treble, juicy, thick mids, and a gently bass hit, these are quite the headphones for anyone who is not a basshead. 
 
 
That's another review to my collection!
 
PS: Any errors and/or flaws that you may spot in my write-up that I might have missed - please do inform me about it.
 
 
Over & Out,
SkyBleu-

 
 

Review on the JDS Labs C5

Fellow Head-Fi'ers, I am here to present you all with my first review on an audio product, the JDS Labs C5; so if I do anything that does not appear right, feel free to correct me, and let me know!

I'll also mention here, as I have done in the past with any of my "first impressions", that I am still fairly new to the audio scene, and I cannot ensure you that my "review" will be as detailed and in-depth as one might suggest, but all in all, I'll give it my best, and hope you all enjoy it

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Introduction

So, recently I have been in the threads, seeking a new portable amp that would be my first amp to kick off my start in mid-tier audio, as I felt that I was done with low-end, and had the sudden urge to move on slowly. After a week or so of reading reviews here and there, I had ended my hunt with the JDS Labs C5, since the reviews and opinions on it were very positive, and I had yet to encounter any statements saying anything majorly negative about it. This amp was well within my price range, was highly reputable and had the sound signature that I was after - so I guess you could say, it suited my situation nicely. 
 
Anyways, I had bought the C5 a few days ago from Noisy Motel, and to my surprise, the amp had arrived within 48-hours after payment! I'd like to give a shoutout to them, as they provided me with first class customer service during the process of my purchase, and and answered all my questions swiftly without hesitation. I was very satisfied
 
Now onto the unboxing...

 

Unboxing 

Upon receiving the C5, I took a few photos of the amp in most of its perspectives to show you guys (who have yet to see what the amp looks like in detail). 
 
(All pictures were taken on the HDR settings on an 8MP LG Nexus 4 with no effects)
 
As seen in my quick unboxing, a sufficient amount of accessories have been included, just the main ones, nothing more. Overall, it was fairly basic, and the box housing the amp and accessories was just a regular cardboard box. 
 
Now, onto the review...
 

Review

Specifications

1. Frequency Response : +/- 0.02 dB
2. THD+N (20-20kHz, 150 Ω): 0.0009%
3. THD+N (20-20kHz, 32 Ω): 0.0045%
4. Noise: -105 dBu
5. Crosstalk @ 150 Ω: -67 dB
6. Inter-channel Phase @ 1kHz: +/- 0.01°
7. Channel Balance: +/- 0.55 dB, all volume positions
8. Max Output @ 600Ω: 4.146 VRMS
9. Max Output @ 150Ω: 3.337 VRMS
10. Max Output @ 32Ω: 1.010 VRMS
11. Power Supply: 14.0 Vpp
12. Output Impedance: 2.2 Ω
13. Battery Run Time: 11-14 Hours*
14. Charge Time: 2 Hrs to 80%, < 4 Hrs to 100%
15. Operating Temp: –40°C to 85°C
16. Operating Humidity: 0 to 85% Rel. Humidity
17. Dimensions (excluding switches): 99.5 x 61.5 x 14.0 mm (LxWxH)
18. Weight: 4.2 ounces 
    
    Test Equipment: PrismSound dScope Series III audio analyzer, Tektronix TDS1012.
    *Run time may vary based on equipment and listening style.

(Copied from the JDS Labs' official website: http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=70)
 

Build Quality & Design/Function Factor

Build Quality

The build quality of the C5 has a very nice construction as it obtains the appearance of elegance, and shows that it was built to last. The body of the C5, has a matte black metal finish (if you got the black version) that is very solid, and is overall, sturdy. It feels very nice in the hands, and does not have any sharp edges or anything that would give discomfort to the user. 

The 3.5mm sockets of the input and output of the amp, are slightly recessed into the amp, to allow the fitting of large male 3.5mm jacks. When inserting a jack into the sockets, the sockets are very tight, so it might take a bit of a push to get it in there, but at least you know it'll hold the jack in place, firmly. The sockets will take a slight bit of effort to pull the 3.5mm jack back out, so that will ensure that the jack won't be going anywhere once plugged in! None of that sliding-out action. 
 
I did, however, notice that the charging Micro USB port on the amp is a little tight, were it took a pinch of force to get the Micro USB cable into the amp to charge it. Not a bad thing, but it just felt a bit too rigid and tight.

As of the switches of the amp, the On/off switch, and the bass boost switch, have a high-quality feel, which is obviously not like any of those cheap switches that feels like they're going to snap or break. They have a strong click upon switching it, so I guess you could say it's reassurance that you bought a well-built amp with quality materials. 
 
What's new to me, is the new digital volume control (potentiometer). Although it's new to me, it is without a doubt, a very cool feature of the C5. Has a nice feel when increasing/decreasing the volume, and the click to switch to high/low gain is also a nice addition, on top of the already cool, potentiometer. 

The faceplates at each end of the amp has a brushed aluminium finish, with a heavy-duty feel that is around 0.2mm thick. The plates are removable via two screws, one at each end of the plate, to remove/change the position of the internals of the C5. I unscrewed the screws, minutes after receiving the amp to flip internals so I could have the JDS Labs logo facing down, as I was going to apply Dual Lock to the amp so I could adhere it to my audio players.
 
Here are a Front and Back view of the faceplates of the C5.
 

Front View^

Back View^
 

Design/Function Factor

(I realised this part was basically me blabbing on about the digital potentiometer the most, so I wish to apologize in advance, haha)
I found the design of the JDS Labs C5 to be quite elegant, yet still maintaining its classiness for its role. The amp, although very simple looking, is quite amazing when it comes to a sleek and compact design. Sleek, by all means of the recessed 3.5mm sockets and screw holes to the low profile switches and digital potentiometer, as opposed to the usual, large and protruding volume control pot. In no way, am I saying that the volume control pots are a bad design or anything, I'm just simply saying that JDS Labs did a good thing by applying the use of a digital potentiometer, that does not protrude out, or is easily adjusted by accident. Another thing about the digital potentiometer that I absolutely adore, is that it has eliminated the common channel imbalance problem, which is the usual case with the volume pots. Not only that, it also remembers your last high/low gain settings and volume setting, so you do not have to readjust to those desired positions when you use your amp next. The potentiometer has 63 steps of volume, inclusive of the silent step, which gives the user, a good amount of volume options to choose from. I might be a bit nit-picky here, but I think the volume increment of the potentiometer is a bit big for its own good. It would have been great if JDS Labs could have made the increments a bit small, so the majority of us users, could utilise the balanced volume at lower listening volumes. Other than that, I was well satisfied with the digital potentiometer. I know, that the potentiometer can be programmed to run at your desired volume increments, but I am not one to venture into the territories of the "DIY/playing with the internals of a unit" area. As of that, I will have to live with the C5's volume increments as is
 
Apart from the digital potentiometer, another fancy feature about the C5 is that when it is nearly out of batteries, the power light will begin to blink continuously, so you will always know when it needs to be charge, before its 14 hour usage time ends. I thought this was a cool feature, as there are many amps out there without an "I-Need-To-Be-Charged" indicator, hence  it will then result in a randomly dead amp during usage. When on and at full battery, the amp will display a GREEN light; when in need of a charge, it will be a BLINKING GREEN light; and whilst it is charging, a BLUE light will be displayed.
 
Anyways, here is a picture of the C5 in the palm of my hand. It's pretty small, compared to what you see in images of it.

 
In short, the JDS Labs C5 has the regular appearance of a portable amp, but unlike some of the other, retangular prism amps, this amp has a well thought out design, which gives it the sleek and elegant look. I can say that the design and build of this amp, is surely up there competing with the other well-built amps of the higher prices!
 

Sound Quality

 

 
 
Okay, so this is the part I'm not too good at, so please bear with me
(I used my V-Moda M-100's and Colorfly C3 for this part - High gain ON, NO bass boost)
 
I understand that many people have compared this amp to the O2, but unfortunately, I do not own that amp. Instead, I will be comparing it to my C&C BH, which I am aware, a few owners of that amp are interested in the C5.
 
In general, to me, I found that the C5 had an overall feel of a clean sounding amp with almost crystal-clear clarity, well-refined detailing, and its amazingly presented, neutrality.

This amp, does not have a warm touch to it, nor does it sound too bright, hence the neutrality I had mentioned. The clarity is one of a kind with this amp; you can hear its full sound without a sign of hissing, which applies to low volume as well as medium-level volume, and I have yet to try maxed volume. I must admit, the detail and micro detail of this amp is really expressed well, as you can make out most of the micro details, such as the ending of the snare in some songs with drumming in it, or something like the "ting" of a triangle used in the far background - something you usually wouldn't notice when listening regularly.
 
As of its clean sound, I can easily say I have yet to hear anything like it. The sound it produces is just so clean and crisp, it makes my low quality songs (yes, I still have a few) sound as if they were of high quality with none of that warm vibe in the background. The crisp sound it produces makes the tune sound somewhat fresh, and it really just feels like starting off a beautiful morning with the breeze gently blowing across your face. Kinda like a splash of water to the face, where you get that cooling sensation. Haha, yeah, I apologize for my weird wording ways, as I am still new to this, as I had mentioned many times before
 
I shall go onto attempt at the Lows/Mids/Highs. Once again, bare with me!
 

Lows

I found the mid bass and sub bass on the C5 to sound rather satisfying - not too aggressive, nor too soft; just right to me. It has a good punch, which adds to its crispiness, and it has a fulfilling texture to it, similar to the melting of butter, as my friend once put it as for those moments. The bass boost switch for this amp was really a bit of a hardcore basshead thing; the bass it produces is thunderously earth-shaking, as I found it was way too impactful and was somewhat, headache-worthy. However, it is good for the occasional "I'm feeling like a head-banger moment"! Wasn't a fan of it still, but with the bass boost switch off, I enjoyed it as is. 
 

Mids

I found the mids of the C5 to be quite forward, as opposed to recess. It does come out at you and makes the vocals sound very full and makes it as if the singers were there before you, performing on stage, singing towards you in third row, although I feel that the soundstage of the C5 is a bit congested, could do with a bit more air and a wider soundstage. I believe "engaging" is the term, that should be coined for this? I think so. The level of detail here is fine, as I had stated above, but I found that the instrumental separation could have been better. It just didn't have the layered effect when I come to think about it. It can have the smothered-feel on that part. 
 

Highs

The treble of this amp to me was quite satisfying. This was the part where it gave me the feel of crisp sound, as the highs to me, were excelled pretty well. Not the best, but it could do with a bit more tightness.
 

Comparison to the C&C BH

(This one's for my fellow Head-Fi'ers in the BH thread) 

 
 
Haha, where do I start...
 

Sound Comparison

In short, I found that the C5 was superior to the BH in terms of clarity, cleanliness, fun & engaging sound, detailing, and balance of warmth and brightness, aka. neutrality.
 
The BH has it over the C5 when it comes to the wide soundstage that the BH has, along with the BH's top quality instrumental separation, the good ol' cheat switch of the BH, the infamous, LF switch (The bass/treble booster), and the glorious 100 hour battery life of the BH still remains king of the hill. 
 
So to sum things up for this comparison, I think the C5 has it in some ways, and the BH has it in another. Does indeed, come down to preferences, but the BH to me, does take it when the price-to-performance ratio is taken into consideration. 
 
Now down to the question that most of the BH owners would be wondering, is that, "Which do you prefer?"

Well, as of now, the C5 as my "New Toy Syndrome" has yet to wear off!  
I will touch up on this later down the track. As of now, I cannot confirm yet.
 

Size Comparison

Side-by-side (Birds eye view)^

Front-on view^

BH on top of the C5^
 

A side view of the BH on top of the C5^
 
 
UPDATE (2 Nov. 2013): I have recently bought a iBasso DX50 to go with me C5, and the pairing is fantastic! I shall provide some of my opinions and thoughts on this pairing below.
 

Pairing with The iBasso DX50

 
 

(Here is my current rig, consisting of the V-Moda M100, JDS Labs C5 and the iBasso DX50)
 
I'm back again, to add this small segment, to let you guys know about this pairing, as I am sure there are a few of you's out there who are still deciding which amplification device to buy to pair it up with your DX50. 
 

Sound Quality

Well, in short, upon pairing the two devices, the DX50 and the C5, I felt like it had improved the sound quality over the Headphone Out of the DX50. All of which, I will mention the main highlights of this combo in which had stood out to me the most. I found that the soundstage of the DX50 had widened a little bit more in comparison to the not-so-large soundstage of the HO (Headphone-Out) of the DX50. I also found that after adding the C5, the mids and vocals are fuller-sounding - thick and much smoother. Treble turned out to be a touch more sparkly and glimmering over the HO, and I also found that the detailing when amped, was much more clearer define, and required less effort to pick out the micro-detailing of tracks. What stood out to me as one of the biggest improvements, was the lows. Upon switching the Bass Boost switch ON; this rig really shined for a basshead (although, I wouldn't consider myself one, but you get the jist). When the switch is on, the bass' punchiness and the sub-bass vibe is very strong. You can pretty much feel it penetrating straight through your ears, and right into your brain (Sorry for the exaggeration!). It is much more textured than it was before, and the kick that it gives is pretty phenomenal. Before I used the Bass Boost switch on the C5, I always thought it would be too overpowering, and hence, distort/muffle the bass, but I was wrong. Really wrong. The bass had never hit harder, whilst still holding its cleanliness for quality.
 
That should do for my impression on the DX50/C5 combo, but then again, I have yet to play around with other amps, such as the D42 from iBasso, or the C&C BH1/2, so I can't confirm that the C5 would provide the best pairing, etc. I'm sure there are better amps out there that could drive the DX50 to a better altitude, but for around the $200 mark, the C5 certainly does well. 
 
Aside from sound quality, I'm sure most of you guys (or just some of you guys...) will be interested in the pairing's size comparison and fit. I am proud to say that the pair exceptionally well, considering the C5 is pretty much, a footprint of the DX50. If I remember correctly, the DX50 may have been 2mm wider than the C5, or it may have been the other way around - but do correct me if I'm wrong. 
 
For those who are wondering how the DX50/BH sounds, compared to the DX50/C5, I am unable to provide that impression as I had sold my BH before I had acquired the DX50. My apologies! 

 
Also, I should also mention that the C5 has amazing synergy with the V-Moda M100's. The synergy of the two is pretty crazy, I'll say, now that I've used the two more often. 
 

Size Comparison of Pairing and Fitment, Along with some Photogenic DX50/C5 Combo Shots

 

 

The DX50/C5 bathing under the sun

 

 

 

Side view of the DX50/C5 combo^

Bottom view of the DX50/C5 combo^

Top view of the DX50/C5 combo^

Birds-eye view of the DX50/C5 combo^
 
Hopefully, this addition of photos and a few words should be enough to show some DX50 owners what the C5 when paired with the DX50 is like. 
 
Sorry for the dust that can be seen on the rig and amp bands, haha. I've been taking pictures of the rig on carpet, so that's the results of that! 
 
 

Summary/Conclusion

So here I am...ending my first review Never thought I could pull it off, honestly, but I managed in the end, haha.
 
Ultimately, I found the JDS Labs C5 to be a brilliant little amp that had a lot of positive attributes to it, along with an elegantly sleek design, that was very appealing to my ears and eyes. This amp has surely made my music listening experience much more enjoyable, and ever since I started listening to it, I have started to appreciated some of my songs that I had never been too fond of before, so that really says something about this. Call it placebo or whatever you want, but I found this to have great synergy with my C3 and M-100's, and the audio that it generates, really puts me in the soothing mood as well as giving me very enjoyable listening sessions late at night. This amp, to me, is what defines neutrality when I listen to it.
 
Briefing Before I Leave
 
Now that this review is done, I'm going to need a break from four and a half hours of typing and thinking. 
 
If you've read it from top to bottom, I'd like to thank you for putting in the effort to reading a novice's first review
Greatly appreciated.
 
I am so done here. 
Going to enjoy my rig now!
 
 
Over & Out,
SkyBleu-