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Introduction

If you haven’t heard of the audio company BGVP and you are an audiophile, you must have been living under a rock. Although BGVP is relatively new to the audiophile market, the Chinese company gained immense popularity with its critically acclaimed DM6 which was a pair of 5 BA per side (Balanced Armature) Knowles-based IEMs which sold for an impressive price of just $200. They had also released a cheaper pair of IEMs which they called DMG. Now, finally in 2019, they have released a successor to the DMG and that is the BGVP DMS which I will be reviewing today.

I’ve had the BGVP DMS for about 2 weeks now and have listened to them for a total time of at least 60 hours and have burned them continuously for 40 hours. I’ve used them mostly daily during this time period to listen to all genres of songs (rock, EDM, pop, movie soundtracks, Western classics, etc.).

Don’t want to read the full review? Here’s your TL;DR :


But wait! Before you dive into the review, I have a quick disclaimer for you: I have received the BGVP DMS from Linsoul Audio for reviewing purposes. I have received the IEMs for free as a review unit and I won’t have to return it but this doesn’t mean that I have been incentivised or pressurized by BGVP or Linsoul to write this review for them. All the words used in this review are my own and this review is written in the most unbiased way that I could have done.

Now, on to the unboxing of this IEMs.

Unboxing the BGVP DMS

Priced at $159, these IEMs just at the extremities of the budget category. The unboxing experience is very minimalistic. The IEMs comes inside a simple cardboard box unlike some other IEMs out there at the same price but it helps to keep the overall cost of the IEMs down. Upon lifting open the top of the cardboard box, you will be greeted by the IEMs themselves, a plethora of eartips and a small black coloured paper box.


There are a total of 7 pairs of eartips displayed on the box (6 silicon eartips and 1 foam eartips), a pair of silicon eartips attached to the IEMs and 2 more silicon eartips inside the paper box for a total of 10 pairs of eartips included inside the box of these IEMs (which is a lot of tips if you ask me). Upon removing the paper box, you will find a quick instruction guide as well as a QC Pass card underneath it.

Inside the small paper box, you will find the MMCX cable included with the DMS, 2 more pairs of eartips as mentioned before and a shirt clip. Unfortunately, BGVP has refrained from including any kind of carrying case with the IEMs to cut down on the cost which is a shame considering at this price, Symphonium Audio managed to include 3 carrying cases for the Mirage IEMs which cost the same as the DMS.

Anyways, to summarize, when you receive the BGVP DMS you’ll get:

• The IEMs themselves.
• 10 pairs of ear tips (3 pairs of double density silicon eartips, 6 pairs of single density silicon eartips and a pair of foam eartips)
• A Single crystal SPC MMCX cable
• A Shirt clip
• Manual and Warranty booklet

So as far as accessories goes, except for a case and probably a better cable (more on that later), I doubt that you would need to buy anything extra for the DMS as these IEMs comes with a lot of them.

What’s Inside the IEMs

The BGVP DMS is a hybrid pair of IEMs consisting of 6 Balanced Armature (BA) Drivers (1 Knowles SWFK 31736 Dual BA for the highs and ultra-highs and two custom-tuned DEK-60318 for the mid, low mids and mid-bass frequencies) and 1 Dynamic Driver for the sub-bass. Also, to keep the IEMs from getting incoherent, BGVP has implemented a 4-way passive crossover between the drivers. Now let’s move on to the design and build quality of the IEMs.

Design and Build Quality

The overall build quality of these IEMs for the price is simply excellent. The whole shell of the IEM is made of CNC’d Aluminium with the nozzle having a metallic cover so as to prevent ear wax from getting inside the IEMs. They have also introduced a perforated metal grill bearing the BGVP logo on the back of the IEMs which is a nice touch. Although the IEMs are made of metal, they feel very light on the ears. The design of the IEMs has a bit of a CIEM feel in them although the back of the IEMs does not give out the same feeling as the inside part of the IEMs which will sit on the ears are contoured so as to provide a better fit on the ears.

Now coming to the cable, BGVP has used a single crystal SPC (silver plated copper) MMCX cable with the DMS. But unlike some other expensive IEMs, the cables are sheathed and not braided and also is a flat-style cable (and to be honest, gives out a slightly cheaper feeling). Due to this, the cable is much easier to manage and keep inside the pocket without getting tangled (as I always like to keep my IEMs in my pocket for easier access). Plus, the ear guides on this cable is really good. It is neither too stiff, nor too flexible. So, it does a great job in keeping the cable behind your ears (as it is an over-the-ear worn pair of IEMs).

So, overall the cable is perfectly fine and for the price, the overall build quality of both the IEMs and the cables is simply excellent as I had previously said.

Comfort and Fit

Now this a place where your mileage may vary a lot. The BGVP DMS like most other IEMs at this price uses an over-the-ear fit. My ear canals are small so I used the small tips included in the box. Now, the comfort that the DMS provides to my ears is simply phenomenal. They are very light at only 6g per IEM and they sit flush to my ears and sit so perfectly that after a few minutes, I literally forget that these are in my ears. Also, I have the tendency to listen to my IEMs when I go to sleep and with normal cables without ear guides, whenever I lie down, the cable often moves out of my ear and dangles beside it. But with the implementation of the ear guides with the cable, the cable stays behind my ears no matter what.


As far as fit goes, since the insertion is not quite as deep as, say the Symphonium Audio Aurora, it doesn’t create a seal as good as the latter pair of IEMs. It sits just flush with the ear and the nozzle provides an overall good fit that is neither too loose nor too tight. So, the fit is also great in these IEMs and there is honestly nothing to complain about in here.

Noise Isolation

Now coming to noise isolation, since the fit and insertion was quite good on these IEMs (at least for me), basically most of the ambient noise was cut out by at least 15dB. Only the horns of the vehicles and the rumbling of my bus was audible (I usually test noise isolation inside public transportation as it gives a very nice idea of what to expect). So, although it won’t be able to cancel out high frequency and/or loud noises like the metro or an airplane completely, at moderate volumes, you should be able to block out most kinds of environmental noises. To be honest, these IEM’s isolation is only surpassed by the Symphonium Audio IEMs. But enough about this, let’s start with the main factor which is the make-or-break property of any audio gear, i.e., its sound.

Sound Quality

Now, on to the most subjective part of the review: sound quality. Also, I won’t be posting any graphs in this review (or any review for that matter), as I don’t believe in graphs as much as I believe in my ears!

This time, I’ll be listening to the earbuds via 3 sources:

1. PC -> Fiio Q1 (Mark-1) -> DMS
2. Asus Zenfone 5Z -> Fiio Q1 (Mk.1) -> DMS
3. Hiby R3 -> DMS

I will also list the soundtracks that I’ve used for each section of my sound test. (Note: All my tracks are either 44 kHz / 24-bits – 192 kHz / 24-bit FLAC or DSD64/DSD128).

Bass

The IEMs have a slightly V-shaped sound signature, although it is relatively on the neutral side compared to its predecessor, i.e. the BGVP DMG. Anyway, the bass in these IEMs are handled by its 10mm DD driver (for the sub bass) and one of the DEK 60317 BA drivers (for the mid bass) as well. Plus, it is the successor of BGVP DMG which was known to have a lot of bass. So needless to say, its bass has a huge amount of impact, depth and texture while retaining its fast pace and energy although it’s much more controlled and tighter in here than the DMG. The sub bass is full bodied and textured but it’s not overly pronounced and the IEMs are able to keep quite a bit of detail in it for its price, even though it tends to be slightly boomy.


As expected, there is no frequency mixing between the lows and mids and it sounds really clean and detailed. Bass guitars are well textured and sound quite natural in these IEMs as well. The mid bass is also much tighter and faster in the DMS than in the DMG but it is still able to retain most of the body and impact from its predecessor.

So overall, for a pair of IEMs targeted towards mainstream consumers and audiophiles on a budget at this price, I would say that the bass response is simply astounding for this price and to be honest, even bass heads will like to own a pair of these.

Tracks used:

• Axel Thesleff – “Reincarnation”
• Axel Thesleff – “Red Sun”
• Martin Garrix – “Animals”
• Martin Garrix, Tiesto – “The Only Way is Up”
• Alessia Cara – “Here”
• Diplo – “Revolution”
• Zara Larsson – So Good
• Jordan Comolli – “Alone”
• Marshmello – “Alone”
• Axel Thesleff – “Done”
• J Balvin, Willy William – “Mi Gente”
• Logic – Indica Badu (ft. Wiz Khalifa)

Mids

The mids here is relatively forward in nature in these IEMs which is, to be honest, a surprise to me as it had such a visceral bass in them. The vocals sound quite natural and textured in here. Male vocals have a nice warmth in them and is quite thick and sounds really natural and female vocals sound much more energetic, detailed and forward here without sounding in the least bit tinny and sibilant. Although these are not the most resolving IEMs that you can get for this price (Symphonium Audio Aurora provides a bit more detail and clarity in the mids), for the price you are getting these IEMs, I can hardly complain about that. I did not notice even a hint of sibilance even in the most sibilant which is a great thing as well and the separation between the vocals and the other instruments is also really great in here.

Drums also sounded clear and detailed in these IEMs. In tracks like “Back in Black” or “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, the drums sounded thick, full bodied and also had a good amount of impact without losing too much detail. Also, the separation between them and the vocals was also better than the DMG without any mixture of the different frequencies even in not so well-recorded tracks like “Paradise City” by Guns n’ Roses. In the song “The Reason” by Hoobastank, Doug Robb’s voice (the lead singer of Hoobastank) sounded wide and the drums had a nice impact, detail and energy to them.

So, for its price, BGVP DMS did a great job in the mids department as well. Now, onto the treble.

Tracks used:

• Adele – 25
• Charlie Puth – Nine Track Mind
• Ed Sheeran – X / Divide
• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward
• AC/DC – Razor’s Edge
• John Newman – “Love Me Again”
• Elvis Presley – “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”
• Sigrid – “Everybody Knows”
• Hoobastank – The Reason

Treble

Now, coming to the treble, I felt that the DMS has a slightly boosted treble due to its v-shaped sound signature although it is not by a lot. Let’s start with those cymbals and hi-hats. They sound much more crisp, energetic and the instruments extend quite nicely without any roll-off. The DMS also had quite a bit of detail in them. Especially its rendition of guitar is really good. They sound clear, well textured, detailed and natural although I did feel that it made them sound slightly thicker than what it naturally sounds like. In tracks like “Numb” by Linkin Park, even though they are not the best recorded amongst tracks, the DMS did an overall great job separating the electric guitar from the piano that is played at the part “I’ve become so numb…”.

Now coming to pianos, their rendition sounds natural, clear, precise and detailed, although like the guitar, I did feel it being a bit thicker. In the track “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, the piano is handled quite well and has a lot of detail in it. Now, bells sounded controlled and energetic in the DMS with a slight boominess in them. Trumpets also sounded clear and natural in here.

So overall, I am really impressed with the treble that the DMS has offered me considering it is only $159.

Tracks used:

• Led Zeppelin – IV
• Ed Sheeran – X / Divide
• Linkin Park – Meteora
• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward
• Pink Floyd – Dark of The Moon
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco
• Ludovico Einaudi – Islands: Essential Einaudi
• Axel Thesleff – “Reincarnation”
• George Gershwin – “Rhapsody in Blue”

Soundstage, Positioning and Separation

(a) Soundstage and Positioning

Now, there are 2 ways to accurately measure a IEMs’ soundstage and positioning. First, is to use well-recorded binaural tracks (see track list below for more info). The second method (which I personally prefer more) is gaming. I have used two games specifically for this purpose. One is the well-known CS:GO and the other is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (the latter is a much more immersive experience).

Now, soundstage. For a pair of IEMs, I would say that they have an above average soundstage for its price. I would say that the soundstage of the DMS is much wider than the Symphonium Audio Mirage, although it is not as wide as the Moonbuds Crescents which are a pair of earbuds which tend to remain slightly open. I felt that the soundstage here was moderately expansive and was spread out in a circular fashion.

Now coming to its positioning, I felt that it is very similar to that of the Mirage. To test it out, I fired up CS:GO and I could easily pinpoint the source of the gunshot. Furthermore, in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, I could feel the voices whispering in my ears. Even in orchestral soundtracks like in Symphony No.5 by Beethoven, the overall layering and positioning of the instruments is quite good for its price. So overall, I was pretty impressed with the soundstage and positioning that the DMS provides with respect to its price.

(b) Separation

The separation of the instruments is also quite good in these IEMs. Again, coming back to orchestral music, the separation between the different instruments in, say “Symphony No. 5 in C minor” by Beethoven, is honestly remarkable for its price. You can distinguish between all of the instruments that are being played in the track. Also, the instrument layering was also much better in the DMS than in some other IEMs at a similar price range. So overall, I was really happy with the separation of instruments it provides.

Tracks used:

• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward
• Yosi Horikawa – Vapor
• Led Zeppelin – IV
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco
• Beethoven – Symphony No.5

Drivability

You should be able to easily drive them out of a smartphone although I did find that it opens up a bit more with a DAP or DAC/Amp. They have an impedance rating of only 12Ω and a sensitivity of 110 dB +/- 3dB. Also, I got a good volume from them in my Hiby R3 in Low Gain at about 65% volume so you shouldn’t be facing any difficulty while listening to them out of your smartphones directly.

Technical Specifications

• Brand: BGVP
• Model: DMS
• Type: Hybrid In-Ear Monitors
• Driver: 6BA + 1DD Drivers (2 Knowles BA, 4 Custom BA, Single 10mm Dynamic Driver)
• Impedance:12 Ω
• Headphone sensitivity: 110 dB +/- 3dB (1 kHz/1 Vrms)
• Frequency range:10–40000Hz
• Plug: 3.5mm
• Interface: MMCX
• Cable: 1m Single Crystal SPC Cable (non-braided)
• Weight: 6g (for a single IEM) / 27g (for the IEMs and the cable)

Conclusion

To be honest, for the price of just $159, you are getting exactly BGVP wanted you to receive: a solid pair of IEMs which looks, feels and sounds really good for its price. It comes with a lot of accessories to get you started (although a case would be a welcome addition) it is very comfortable (at least for my ears) and the sound you are getting for this price is honestly second to only a very few IEMs. It has made a lot of improvements over the DMG, especially in the bass department, which although is still very powerful, is not as dominating as the DMG. So overall, I really liked the DMS and I would say that these IEMs provide really good value for money and I can heartily recommend it to people who are looking for an overall all-rounder pair of IEMs which can do a bit of everything for a low price.

Introduction

If you haven’t heard of Symphonium Audio, you can be forgiven. Symphonium Audio is relatively new to the audiophile market. The company was conceptualized in early 2015, when their founding members were unhappy with the current offerings and state of the personal audio market.

That was because many earphones on the market were made to be low-cost, easy to replace and were not designed to last long. Earphones that did sound good came with an even higher price point that made it inaccessible to most consumers.

Thus in 2017, they set out to create an earphone capable of providing great sound quality at an affordable price. So, after many months of R&D, they created two IEMs, Aurora and Mirage. These IEMs have 2 BA (Balanced armature) and 1 BA drivers respectively. I have bought both Aurora and Mirage IEMs for review.

In this review, I will be focusing only on the Symphonium Audio Mirage.

I’ve had the Mirage for about 3 weeks now and have listened to them for a total time of at least 60 hours and have burned them continuously for 50 hours. I’ve used them mostly daily during this time period to listen to all genres of songs (rock, EDM, pop, movie soundtracks, Western classics, etc.).

Don’t want to read the full review? Here’s your TL;DR :

The Symphonium Audio Mirage is an excellent pair of IEMs for its price and I would recommend it to anyone who is on a budget and likes an overall laid-back presentation of their tracks.

But wait! Before you dive into the review, I have a quick disclaimer for you: I have received the Mirage IEMs from Symphonium Audio directly for reviewing purposes. I have paid for the IEMs (although I did get a discount) but this doesn’t mean that I have been incentivised or pressurized by Symphonium Audio to write this review for them. All the words used in this review are my own and this review is written in the most unbiased way that I could have done.

Now, on to the unboxing of this IEMs.

Unboxing the Symphonium Audio Mirage

Priced at $169, these IEMs have just above the budget category of IEMs but the packaging of these IEMs far surpasses even more expensive IEMs than themselves. The Mirage comes in a large book-like case which flips out from the side, exposing 2 cases inside it (which is a first at its price range).

One of the cases is cylindrical hard-shell case and the other one is a rectangular hard-shell case. Upon opening the cylindrical case, we will be greeted by the IEMs themselves with the wire attached to it and wrapped around the cable is a leather cable manager which is a nice touch, although the manager is a bit small to be honest.

The other case contains a satin pouch inside which resides 3 pairs of silicon tips, 2 pairs of ComplyTM T-500 Isolation foam eartips and a cleaning tool for the IEMs. Also, something which I generally don’t talk about in a review, the rectangular case is really good with its compartment covered with velvet so that your IEMs stay scratch-proof and well protected.

So, to summarize, when you receive the Symphonium Audio Mirage you’ll get:

• The IEMs themselves.
• 5 pairs of ear tips (3 pairs of large-bore silicon tips and 2 pairs of ComplyTM T-500 Isolation foam tips)
• 1 0.78mm single-ended cable
• 2 Hard carrying case
• Satin pouch
• Cleaning tool

So as far as accessories goes, I doubt that you would need to buy anything extra for the Mirage as these IEMs comes with a ton of them.

Design and Build Quality

The overall build quality of these IEMs is great if not excellent. The shell of the IEM is made of acrylic with only one sound port. There is a damper just outside the front of the nozzle so be careful when you are cleaning the nozzle of the IEMs as you might damage it. The IEMs are very light and feels nice in the ears. But there is something which I want to shed light onto here. There is a visible rough line where the two parts of the shells are joined. Although this does not affect the overall functionality of the IEMs, it takes away from the overall look from the IEMs. But other than these small quibbles, these IEMs scores very well in my books as far as build quality is concerned.

Now coming to the cable, Symphonium Audio has used a 4-core 2-pin connector OFC cable. This cable looks and feels good in the hand and generally doesn’t get tangled in itself. Plus, the ear guides on this cable is perfect. It is neither too stiff, nor too flexible. So, it does a great job in keeping the cable behind your ears (as it is an over-the-ear worn pair of IEMs).

So, overall the cable is perfectly fine and for the price, the overall build quality of both the IEMs and the cables is really good.

Ergonomics and Fit

Now this a place where your mileage may vary a lot. The Mirage like most other IEMs at this price uses an over-the-ear fit. My ear canals are small so I used the small tips included in the box. Now, the fit of the Mirage on my ears is simply phenomenal. They have a really deep insertion in my ear canal. The cable also really helps with the overall fit of the IEMs. I have the tendency to listen to my IEMs when I go to sleep and with normal cables, whenever I lie down, the cable often moves out of my ear and dangles beside it. But with the implementation of the ear guides with the cable, the cable stays behind my ears no matter what.

The fit and isolation on these IEMs is simply phenomenal in these IEMs.

As far as ergonomics go, since they insert quite a bit deep inside the ear canal, it might feel a bit uncomfortable for a minute, but after that it feels really comfortable and light on the ears. I have worn them continuously for 4 hours without feeling the need to remove them from my ears. Sometimes I have literally forgotten that they were in my ears. So, ergonomics is also great in these IEMs and there is honestly nothing to complain about in here.

Noise Isolation

Now coming to noise isolation, since the fit and insertion was extremely good on these IEMs (at least for me), basically most of the ambient noise was cut out by at least 20dB. Only the horns of the vehicles and the rumbling of my bus was slightly audible (I usually test noise isolation inside public transportation as it gives a very nice idea of what to expect). So, although it won’t be able to cancel out high frequency and/or loud noises like the metro or an airplane completely, even at low volumes, you can completely block out all kinds of noises. To be honest, these IEM’s isolation far surpasses any other IEMs that I have tried. But enough about this, let’s start with the main factor which is the make-or-break property of any audio gear, i.e., its sound.

Sound Quality

Now, on to the most subjective part of the review: sound quality. Also, I won’t be posting any graphs in this review (or any review for that matter), as I don’t believe in graphs as much as I believe in my ears!

This time, I’ll be listening to the earbuds via 3 sources:

1. PC -> Fiio Q1 (Mark-1) -> Mirage
2. Asus Zenfone 5Z -> Fiio Q1 (Mk.1) -> Mirage
3. Hiby R3 -> Mirage

I will also list the soundtracks that I’ve used for each section of my sound test. (Note: All my tracks are either 44 kHz / 24-bits – 192 kHz / 24-bit FLAC or DSD64/DSD128).

Bass

These IEMs sport only a single full-frequency range BA (balanced armature) driver but if you don’t listen to these IEMs, you will not believe what you will hear. Its bass has a surprising amount of impact, depth and texture for a single BA pair of IEMs while retaining its fast pace and energy. I was especially impressed upon testing its sub bass. The sub bass has a nice amount of texture, body and rumble. It is not overly pronounced and it still keeps quite a bit of detail in it.

The bass in these IEMs is really strong for a single BA pair of IEMs and it can easily satisfy everybody’s need for bass.

The separation between the lows and the mids is really good even though its bass is strong for single BA IEMs. They are really nicely separated from each other. The mid-bass of these IEMs is the best part for these IEMs (especially at the region around 100Hz). It has a nice body and has quite an amount of impact in the track ‘Indica Badu’ by Logic. Bass guitars have a nice texture and sound a bit thick on these IEMs.

So overall, for a pair of IEMs targeted for mainstream consumers and audiophiles on a budget at this price, I would say that the bass response is simply phenomenal for a single BA pair of IEMs.

Tracks used:

• Axel Thesleff – “Reincarnation”
• Martin Garrix – “Animals”
• Martin Garrix, Tiesto – “The Only Way is Up”
• Alessia Cara – “Here”
• Diplo – “Revolution”
• Zara Larsson – So Good (album)
• Jordan Comolli – “Alone”
• Marshmello – “Alone”
• Axel Thesleff – “Done”
• J Balvin, Willy William – “Mi Gente”
• Logic – Indica Badu (ft. Wiz Khalifa)

Mids

The mids here are forward in nature. The vocals are more forward than the other frequencies and is quite a bit intimate. Vocals sound thick, lush and a bit narrow. Male vocals feel really warm and thick in them and female vocals sound energetic and a bit laid back without sounding overly tinny. There is a lot of detail in these IEMs for its price (although don’t expect too much micro details from them). There isn’t a hint of sibilance even in the most sibilant which is a great thing as well and the separation between the vocals and the other instruments is also very good considering it only has a single BA in them.

These IEMs produces the vocals in a relaxed and laid-back manner which I quite like in these IEMs.

Drums also sound really detailed and clear in these IEMs. In tracks like “Back in Black” or “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, the drums sounded nicely layered, full bodied and also had a good amount of impact. Also, the separation between them and the vocals were also quite good without any mixture of the different frequencies even in not so well-recorded tracks like “Paradise City” by Guns n’ Roses. In the song “The Reason” by Hoobastank, Doug Robb’s voice (the lead singer of Hoobastank) sounded intimate and the drums had a nice impact, detail and energy to them.

So, for its price, Mirage is really ticking a lot of boxes and I have to say, the mids here are quite good in here. It is lush, thick but it still manages to retain its energy and provides us with a forward presentation which might impress a lot of people looking for a similar sound signature.

Tracks used:

• Adele – 25 (album)
• Charlie Puth – Nine Track Mind (album)
• Ed Sheeran – X / Divide (album)
• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• AC/DC – Razor’s Edge
• John Newman – “Love Me Again”
• Elvis Presley – “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”
• Sigrid – “Everybody Knows”
• Hoobastank – The Reason

Treble

Now onto treble. I have to say this but the treble is not the strongest suit in its armour. Let’s start with those cymbals and hi-hats. They sound a bit thick, slightly splashy and I felt that it usually tends to roll off at this frequency. But its rendition of guitar is better. Its sounds thick, lush and still maintains its energy. It doesn’t exude with detail and clarity, but for its price, it does an adequate job of retrieving some of the detail in the tracks.

Now coming to pianos, their rendition kind of similar to that of the guitar. I felt that the notes in the piano was lush, thick and, to be honest, somewhat lacking in terms of detail. In the track “Petricor” by Ludovico Einaudi, the piano was not handled really well and I found that it lost a some of detail at the busy parts of the track. Now, bells sound controlled and energetic in the Mirage, although it did have a hint of boominess in them.

So overall, although it is not the best thing about the Mirage, but considering its price, I would say that it does a good job as far as treble is concerned.

Tracks used:

• Led Zeppelin – IV (album)
• Ed Sheeran – X / Divide (album)
• Linkin Park – Meteora
• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• Pink Floyd – Dark of The Moon (album)
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco (album)
• Ludovico Einaudi – Islands: Essential Einaudi (album)
• Axel Thesleff – “Reincarnation”
• George Gershwin – “Rhapsody in Blue”

Soundstage, Positioning and Separation

(a) Soundstage and Positioning

Now, there are 2 ways to accurately measure a IEMs’ soundstage and positioning. First, is to use well-recorded binaural tracks (see track list below for more info). The second method (which I personally prefer more) is gaming. I have used two games specifically for this purpose. One is the well-known CS:GO and the other is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (the latter is a much more immersive experience).

Now, soundstage. The Mirage has a very intimate soundstage. The soundstage in the Mirage is really small and narrow here and it feels as if the vocalists are singing just beside you. An intimate soundstage gives you a punchier and “in your face” presentation to the overall soundtrack that you are listening. Personally, I like a wide soundstage so the soundstage provided by the Mirage is, to be honest, not my cup of tea. But people who like an intimate presentation of their music will really enjoy the Mirage.

Now coming to its positioning, I felt that it is quite accurate in here. To test it out, I fired up CS:GO and I could easily pinpoint the source of the gunshot. Furthermore, in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, I could feel the voices whispering in my ears. Even in orchestral soundtracks like in Symphony No.5 by Beethoven, the overall layering and positioning of the instruments is also quite good. So overall, I am pretty impressed with the positioning that the Mirage provides, even with respect to its price.

(b) Separation

The separation of the instruments is, to be honest, good if not great on these IEMs. Again, coming back to orchestral music, the separation between the different instruments in, say “Symphony No. 5 in C minor” by Beethoven, is really striking for a single BA IEM. You can distinguish most of the instruments that are being played in the track. Also, the layering of the different instrument in different spaces is also something that I have noticed it doing remarkably well. So overall, I was really impressed with the separation of instruments it provides for its price.

Tracks used:

• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• Yosi Horikawa – Vapor (album)
• Led Zeppelin – IV (album)
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco (album)
• Beethoven – Symphony No.5 (album)

Drivability

You should be able to easily drive them out of a smartphone but to really get the full out of this beast, you should definitely get a nice set of DAP or DAC/Amp. They have an impedance rating of 75Ω and a sensitivity of 110 dB +/- 3dB so you shouldn’t face any difficulty while driving them out of your smartphones even though I wouldn’t recommend doing so as a DAC/Amp can really open up these puppies.

Technical Specifications

• Brand: Symphonium Audio
• Model: Mirage
• Type: In-Ear Monitors
• Driver: Single Full-range Balanced Armature Driver (Tuned Sonion Driver)
• Impedance: 75 Ω
• Headphone sensitivity: 110 dB +/- 3dB (1 kHz/1 Vrms)
• Frequency range: 20–18000Hz
• Plug: 3.5 mm/2.5mm
• Interface: 2-pin (0.78mm)
• Cable: 1m 4 core OFC Cable

Conclusion

In conclusion, for the price of $169, you are getting a solid pair of IEMs which looks, feels and sounds really good for its price to say the least. It comes with quite a few accessories to get you started and its superb fit in the ears is a cherry on top. Yes, it does have some issues like its intimate soundstage (which might appeal to some people) or its slightly rolled-off treble, but it more than makes up for it with its excellent bass response and truly awesome fit. So overall, I liked the Mirage and I would likely recommend this to people who likes a lush, relaxed and intimate presentation to their soundtracks.

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

Introduction

If you haven’t heard of IMR Acoustics, you can still be forgiven. IMR Acoustics is relatively new to the audiophile market. The company’s owner Bob James or the “Filter Master” as I like to call him was previously employed at Trinity Audio which was quite a well-known brand. After the company went bankrupt, Bob started IMR Acoustics in 2018 and released his first pair of IEMs, i.e., the R1. Those IEMs were highly regarded in the audiophile industry as one of the best IEMs using filters at that time. Then later by the end of 2018, they have released the R1 v1.1 which is the R1 Zenith. It uses a newer version of the driver used in the original R1 and the vent port system (which is used to make its soundstage wider or intimate depending if the port is open or closed respectively) and this is the pair of IEMs that I will be reviewing today.

I’ve had the IMR Acoustics R1 Zenith for just over 2 weeks now and have listened to them for a total time of at least 60 hours and have burned them continuously for 50 hours. I’ve used them mostly daily during this time period to listen to all genres of songs (rock, EDM, pop, movie soundtracks, Western classics, etc.).

Don’t want to read the full review? Here’s your TL;DR :

The IMR Acoustics R1 Zenith is an excellent pair of IEMs that can be used by both bass heads and audio purists alike due to its excellent implementation of the tuning filters and I highly recommend buying these IEMs if you have the dosh to spare for them.

But wait! Before you dive into the review, I have a quick disclaimer for you: I have received the R1 Zenith from IMR Acoustics directly for reviewing purposes. The IEMs are not meant to be returned to them but this doesn’t mean that I have been incentivised or pressurized by IMR Acoustics to write this review for them. All the words used in this review are my own and this review is written in the most unbiased way that I could have done.

Now, on to the unboxing of this IEMs.

Unboxing the IMR R1 Zenith

For a $650 pair of IEMs, they are not cheap and that shows during the unboxing of this product. The unboxing experience rivals that of even much more expensive IEMs than themselves. The R1 Zenith comes in a large book-like case which flips out from the top, exposing the IEMs themselves and a small card which show what the IEMs sound like when different filters are installed.

Upon removing the protective foam partition that the R1 Zenith is placed in, we will find a case and 3 stacks of foam partitions and an IMR branded hard carrying case. Underneath the case is a small product quick start guide.

Two of the partitions contain 6 pair of eartips including 1 dual-flange eartip, 3 single flange eartips (xl, l, s) and 2 foam eartips. There is already a single flange eartip (m) installed in the IEMs for a total of 7 pair of eartips included inside the box. The third partition contains the filter holder with a total of five filters (4 of them in the holder and the fifth is already preinstalled on the IEMs) and 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter for amp uses.

Now, upon opening the case we find there is not one but two cables included inside the box. One is a standard 3.5mm TRS cable for smartphone or DAPs (Digital Audio Players) with single-ended connections. The other one included is a 2.5mm TRRS balanced cable which can be used in DAPs or DAC/Amps with balanced connections.

So, to summarize, when you receive the IMR R1 Zenith you’ll get:

• The IEMs themselves.
• 7 pairs of ear tips (3 pairs of large-bore single flange tips, 1 pairs of double flange tips and 2 pairs of foam tips)
• 2 0.78mm cables (3.5mm and 2.5mm terminations)
• Hard carrying case
• 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter
• 5 Filters
• Filter holder

So as far as accessories goes, the R1 Zenith comes with a ton of it and I really doubt that you need anything more for these pair of IEMs (except for probably a set of custom-built cable as the cables included in the box are a bit generic).

Design and Build Quality

Now I will be honest with you. When I initially saw the R1 Zenith, I thought that it was actually a new variant of the Acoustune HS1551Cu because of its venting screw (more on that later) jutting out from the body just like the latter IEM. Anyways, the overall build quality of the IEMs is top-notch. Since it is made of metal (probably aluminium), it feels substantial on the hands but is still lighter than quite a few IEMs I have tried (RHA I am looking at you). The body is made using two separate pieces and then the pieces are screwed together. Also, the R1 Zenith has a 2-pin detachable cable system with gold plated connectors. In the previous model, i.e. the R1, there was an issue where the polarity of the 2-pin connection was reversed which rendered it unusable with other third-party aftermarket cables. But it was finally fixed with this iteration of the R1 Zenith. I have personally tested them and they seemed to work just fine with other 2-pin cables.

Now coming to the cable, IMR Acoustics has used a basic 2-pin connector rubber-coated OFC cable. This cable looks very generic for a $650 pair of IEMs but that doesn’t mean it is bad. The cable is quite thick and feels soft and solid in the hands. Also, the cable is resistant to tangle so that is a plus if you keep your expensive IEMs in your pockets (like me).

But overall the cable is perfectly fine and for the price, the overall build quality of both the IEMs and the cables is simply excellent.

Ergonomics and Fit

Now this a place where your mileage may vary a lot. The R1 Zenith like most other IEMs at this price uses an over-the-ear fit. Now my ear canals are small so I used the small tips included in the box. Now, there is something to note here. The cable also doesn’t help with the fit. I have the tendency to listen to my IEMs when I go to sleep, but whenever I lie down, the cable often moves out of my ear and dangles beside it. This is really annoying for me at least and I hope that IMR Acoustics implement some kind of an ear guide in the next iteration of its IEMs. I have also noticed that when using two of the included filters, i.e., the black and the gold filter, they introduce driver flex into these IEMs. This is because there is no venting on the side of those filters to remove the air which is present in the other filters. So that is something to keep in mind. But overall, the fit was fine although it a tad bit on the looser side.

Driver flex is an issue where you will hear a sound like crushing paper whenever you put the IEMs inside your ears.

As far as ergonomics go, even though they are made of metal, they weigh only 6g and thus, it feels really comfortable and light on the ears. I have worn them continuously for 3 hours without feeling the need to remove them from my ears. Sometimes I have literally forgotten that they were in my ears. So, ergonomics is also great in these IEMs and there is honestly nothing to complain about in here.

Noise Isolation

Now coming to noise isolation, since the seal was quite good on these IEMs (at least for me), basically most of the ambient noise was cut out. Only the horns of the vehicles and the rumbling of my bus (I usually test noise isolation inside public transportation as it gives a very nice idea of what to expect). So, although it won’t be able to cancel out high frequency and/or loud noises like the metro or an airplane (at low volumes at least), you can expect a decent amount of noise isolation with the R1 Zenith. But enough about this, let’s start with the main factor which is the make-or-break property of any audio gear, i.e., its sound.

Sound Quality

Now, on to the most subjective part of the review: sound quality. Also, I won’t be posting any graphs in this review (or any review for that matter), as I don’t believe in graphs as much as I believe in my ears!

This time, I’ll be listening to the earbuds via 3 sources:

1. PC -> Fiio Q1 (Mark-1) -> R1 Zenith
2. Asus Zenfone 5Z -> Fiio Q1 (Mk.1) -> R1 Zenith
3. Hiby R3 -> R1 Zenith

If you plan on purchasing these headphones or any other high-end headphones for that matter, I suggest you get a good DAC/Amp to go with it. It will go a long way to make your listening experience much better and enjoyable.

I will also list the soundtracks that I’ve used for each section of my sound test. (Note:All my tracks are either 44 kHz / 24-bits – 192 kHz / 24-bit FLAC or DSD64/DSD128.) Also, the filter I have used for this test is the Blue Filter as it is the most balanced out of them all and the port was also set to open. I will also elaborate on each of the other filters provided inside the box below.


Bass

Now if you are opting for the blue filter as your daily driver like me, do not expect heart-thumping bass here. If you want that, then I would suggest you to switch to the black or gold filters. Anyways, although the bass is somewhat light in here, it is well textured and very detailed and surprisingly airy. But the sub bass rumble is a bit on the thinner side here. But as I said, the blue filter was not meant for bass and more for a balanced and airy sound signature.

The bass in these IEMs with the blue filter is enough to satisfy most, if not all, audiophiles but those who want more bass just needs to change the filter to a black or gold one.

The separation between the lows and the mids is simply extraordinary. They are really nicely separated from each other. The mid-bass of these IEMs with the blue filter is surprisingly good. It has a nice body and has a bit of impact unlike the sub bass in the track Indica Badu by Logic. And there is a surprising amount of micro detail even in the bass region. Bass guitars have a nice texture and airiness to them and you can literally feel every plucking of the strings on the guitar.

So overall, for a pair of IEMs targeted for audio purist at this price, I would say that the bass response is simply excellent and as I said, changing the filters from blue to black or gold increases the bass dramatically (will elaborate more on this in the Filter section).

Tracks used:

• Axel Thesleff – “Reincarnation”
• Martin Garrix – “Animals”
• Martin Garrix, Tiesto – “The Only Way is Up”
• Alessia Cara – “Here”
• Zara Larsson – So Good (album)
• Jordan Comolli – “Alone”
• Marshmello – “Alone”
• Axel Thesleff – “Done”
• J Balvin, Willy William – “Mi Gente”
• Logic – Indica Badu (ft. Wiz Khalifa)

Mids

The mids is the strongest suit in its versatile armoury. The vocals are more forward than the other frequencies but as the soundstage is wide on these IEMs (more on that later), the vocals tend to sound a bit laid back and relaxed in here. Vocals sound airy, wide and extremely detailed. Male vocals have a really nice warmth in them and female vocals sound energetic and feels really airy without sounding overly tinny. There isn’t a hint of sibilance even in the most sibilant which is a great thing as well. And the separation between the vocals and the other instruments is simply phenomenal. Even in low volumes, it reveals so much detail and clarity in each and every song that I listen to that it really doesn’t surprise me anymore that these IEMs cost $650.

These IEMs bring out an extraordinary amount of micro details in vocal tracks which is simply not present in other cheaper IEMs.

Drums also sound really detailed and clear in these IEMs. In tracks like “Back in Black” or “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, the drums sounded nicely layered and the separation between them and the vocals were simply astounding with excellent amount of soundstage. It felt as if AC/DC was literally giving you a personal live performance to you for free! In the song “The Reason” by Hoobastank, Doug Robb’s voice (the lead singer of Hoobastank) sounded really airy and the drums had a nice impact, detail and energy to them.

So, IMR R1 Zenith really killed it in the mids department and believe me when I say this, the mids of the R1 Zenith make them worth the asking price of these IEMs.

Tracks used:

• Adele – 25 (album)
• Charlie Puth – Nine Track Mind (album)
• Ed Sheeran – X / Divide (album)
• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• AC/DC – Razor’s Edge
• John Newman – “Love Me Again”
• Elvis Presley – “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”
• Sigrid – “Everybody Knows”
• Hoobastank – The Reason

Treble

Now onto treble. Let’s start with those cymbals and hi-hats. They sound really crisp and energetic with a huge dollop of detail in them. Especially its rendition of guitar is extremely good. They sound clear, well textured and detailed, the guitar takes its time to decay and it decays with a certain smoothness which I really like here and has excellent separation as well from the other instruments in any given soundtrack. In tracks like “Numb” by Linkin Park, even though they are not the best recorded amongst tracks, the R1 Zenith does a splendid job separating the electric guitar from the piano that is played at the part “I’ve become so numb…” which simply cannot be heard properly in other cheap IEMs.

Now coming to pianos, their rendition is simply superb and is quite detailed and have really nice extension in them. In the track “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, the piano is handled really delicately and has a lot of detail in it. Church organs in this track never sounded harsh in the R1 Zenith which is really good as I had found it harsh in some other IEMs at exactly the same volume. Now, bells sound controlled and energetic in the R1 Zenith without a hint of boominess in them. Trumpets also sounded clear and natural and is full of detail in here.

So overall, I am really impressed with the treble that the R1 Zenith has offered me.

Tracks used:

• Led Zeppelin – IV (album)
• Ed Sheeran – X / Divide (album)
• Linkin Park – Meteora
• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• Pink Floyd – Dark of The Moon (album)
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco(album)
• Ludovico Einaudi – Islands: Essential Einaudi (album)
• Axel Thesleff – “Reincarnation”
• George Gershwin – “Rhapsody in Blue”

Soundstage, Positioning and Separation

(a) Soundstage and Positioning

Now, there are 2 ways to accurately measure a IEMs’ soundstage and positioning. First, is to use well-recorded binaural tracks (see track list below for more info). The second method (which I personally prefer more) is gaming. I have used two games specifically for this purpose. One is the well-known CS:GO and the other is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (the latter is a much more immersive experience).

Now, soundstage. For a pair of IEMs, they have a soundstage that rivals even that of my own Sennheiser HD58X which is an open-back pair of headphones. The soundstage in the R1 Zenith is really wide and expansive here and this is all due to the venting system implemented by IMR Acoustics on these IEMs. This venting system is basically a small plate over the driver which can be opened or closed by turning the screw on the back of the IEMs. When the back-plate is open, the soundstage is really wide (just like my HD58X like I said previously and I am not making this up) and when the back-plate is closed, the overall soundstage gets just a bit more intimate, but it is still very wide and I would say that it is about as wide as my Moonbuds Crescent in its closed state which is simply spectacular for a pair of IEMs. But at this price, I simply did not expect anything less than this to be honest.

Now coming to its positioning, I felt that it is really accurate in here. To test it out, I fired up CS:GO and I could easily pinpoint the source of the gunshot. Furthermore, in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, I could feel the voices whispering in my ears. Even in orchestral soundtracks like in Symphony No.5 by Beethoven, the overall layering and positioning of the instruments is really striking to say the least. So overall, I am pretty impressed with the soundstage and positioning that the R1 Zenith provides, even with respect to its price.

(b) Separation

The separation of the instruments should be, to be honest, one of the highlights of these IEMs. Again, coming back to orchestral music, the separation between the different instruments in, say “Symphony No. 5 in C minor” by Beethoven, is honestly remarkable. You can literally distinguish all the instruments that are being played in the track. Also, the layering of the different instrument in different spaces is also something that I have noticed it doing remarkably well in. So overall, I was really impressed with the separation of instruments it provides.

Tracks used:

• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• Yosi Horikawa – Vapor (album)
• Led Zeppelin – IV (album)
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco(album)
• Beethoven – Symphony No.5 (album)

Filters

Since this is a very essential part of the functioning of the R1 Zenith, I thought that I would make a separate segment where I would describe each of the Filter’s functions. I will be comparing all the other filters with the blue filter as it was the main filter which I have used here. So, let’s get started!


(a) Black Filter

First, let’s start with the black filter. Before starting with the song aspect, I would like to say that this filter introduces driver flex in the R1 Zenith as the filter is not vented to produce more bass. Anyways, upon putting on the IEMs with the black filter and playing an EDM, the first thought that came to my mind was that the bass is humongous with these filters! It felt as if there was an 8-9dB increase in the low-end frequency. But the major downfall of this filter is that it makes the bass a bit loose and boomy which will put off most audio purists away from this filter (and the gold filter as well). But even though the bass is increased in such an exponential rate, it really didn’t affect the mids much although it did push it back a little. Male vocal sounds a bit deeper and female vocal gain a bit of warmth as well. Even the soundstage of the IEMs surprisingly was not compromised with the black filter. Treble is also controlled and sounded a bit laid back with the black filter. But I would say that the separation between the instruments suffer a bit. Overall, it sounds really good with EDMs and pop songs in general but I wouldn’t listen to anything else with these filters on.

(b) Pink Filter

Now with the pink filters on these IEMs, there is no issue of driver flex as the filter is properly vented. Anyways, the bass on these filters is quite a bit less than that in the black filter but comparatively more than the blue filter. Its bass is much more controlled than that of the black filter and is as airy as the blue filter. The amount of sub bass is also increased in the pink filter without sounding boomy like the black filter. The vocals sound a bit thicker in the pink filters which I really like about this filter. The instruments sounded a bit relaxed and laid back with this filter. But the sound stage is as wide as the blue filter as well as the separation between the instruments. Audiophiles who are not satisfied with the bass of the blue filter and wants a relaxed presentation will really like this filter. So overall, this filter sounds really good with any kind of music thrown at it.

(c) Gold Filter

Now coming to the gold filter, the driver flex is back again with this filter. The only thing going for this filter is its bass and nothing else to be honest. The bass here is even bigger than the already huge bass of the black filter. Due to this, the mids suffer as the bass often mixes with the low-mid frequencies and thereby reducing detail and clarity, making it sound somewhat congested. Soundstage also takes a hit with this filter as it becomes more intimate. The vocals sound really lush, thick and intimate with this filter and the treble is somewhat rolled off and pushed back than the other frequencies. This filter is for hardcore bass heads who listen to nothing except for EDMs. So overall, this filter is meant only for listening to EDMs and nothing else will sound very good on it.

(c) Orange Filter

Now finally coming to the last filter in this stack, that is the orange filter, there is no driver flex with this filter as well. This filter provides an overall laid-back presentation of the sound. The bass is light with this filter just like the blue filter but the vocals and instruments sound really relaxed and bit distant here. But there is no reduction in detail at all and the soundstage is just as wide as the blue filter. Also, I felt that the instruments tend to roll off with this filter just like the gold filter to really take out the harshness of edgy instruments. This filter goes really well with jazz music. So overall, this filter will be appreciated by people who wants a laid-back presentation of his music without the bass of pink filter.

Drivability

You should be able to easily drive them out of a smartphone but to really get the full out of this beast, you should definitely get a nice set of DAP or DAC/Amp. They have an impedance rating of 32Ω and a sensitivity of 108 dB +/- 3dB so you shouldn’t face any difficulty while driving them out of your smartphones even though I wouldn’t recommend doing such injustice to a high end TOTL pair of IEMs like this one.

Technical Specifications

• Brand: IMR Acoustics
• Model: R1 Zenith
• Type: In-Ear Monitors
• Driver: Hybrid Driver (Piezoelectric Ceramic Driver with a Beryllium diaphragm)
• Impedance: 32 Ω
• Headphone sensitivity: 108 dB +/- 3dB (1 kHz/1 Vrms)
• Frequency range: 14–40000 Hz
• Plug: 3.5 mm/2.5mm
• Interface: 2-pin (0.78mm)
• Cable: Two 1m OFC Cable (One balanced and other unbalanced)
• Weight: 26 g (including cable) / 6g (for each earpiece)

Conclusion

In conclusion, you are getting a well-built pair of IEMs which looks, feels and sounds simply astounding to say the least. It comes with a ton of accessories to get you started and to top it all off, the filter implementation is the best I have seen in all the filter style IEMs that I have tested in my reviewing period. Like such a drastic change in the overall sound signature of a pair of IEMs is rarely seen, even at this price. But the biggest caveat of these IEMs is its price. At $650, you have far left the budget IEMs and have reached the hi-fi category of IEMs where there is a lot of competition and you simply cannot make an impulse buy as it IS quite an amount to pay and invest for a pair of IEMs. But even at that high price, I can say that the IMR R1 Zenith is worth paying for. The sound quality, soundstage and the separation that it delivers is simply remarkable for a pair of IEMs. Plus, not everybody’s sound signature preference is the same. One person might like a balanced sound signature, another person might like a laid-back presentation and another person might like a lot of bass and that is R1 Zenith’s biggest strength. It is suitable for every kind of listener due to its well implemented filter system and I will easily recommend these IEMs to anyone who have the budget of over $500.

Full Review here: https://auralwerkz.com/2019/05/t3

If you haven’t heard of Tin Audio, then you must be new to the audio game. Although Tin Audio is relatively new to the audiophile scene when it was launched in 2010, it is already loved and appraised by many audiophiles due to one of their hit IEMs which is their T2 and T2 Pro. But that has been succeeded by the Tin Audio T3 which we will reviewing today.

I’ve had the Tin Audio T3 for about 2 weeks now and have listened to them for a total time of at least 60 hours and have burned them continuously for 50 hours. I’ve used them mostly daily during this time period to listen to all genres of songs (rock, EDM, pop, movie soundtracks, Western classics, etc.).

Don’t want to read the full review? Here’s your TLR :

The Tin Audio T3 is a great neutral sounding pair of IEMs for a reasonable amount of money but it has its flaws which might be a deal breaker for quite a few people.

But wait! Before you dive into the review, I have a quick disclaimer for you: I have bought the Tin Audio T3 from Massdrop with my own money and I have not been incentivised or pressurized by Massdrop or any other person to write this review for them. All the words used in this review are my own and this review is written in the most unbiased way that I could have done.

Now, on to the main review.

Unboxing the Tin Audio T3

For a $69 pair of earbuds, the unboxing experience rivals that of even much more expensive IEMs than themselves. The T3 comes in a large book-like case which is similar to the ones provided with the T1 and the T2 except that T3 comes in a much larger case than the latter two IEMs.


Upon opening the case, you will be greeted by the manual and beneath them will be the IEMs themselves placed in a white foam padding with a velour-like material on top of it.

Upon removing the partition, you will get to see the MMCX cable and the extra ear tips that Tin Audio has provided with the T3. The tips include 3 pairs of large-bore tips, 3 pairs of small-bore tips and 2 pairs of foam tips (which are of decent quality). But the only thing which the T3 lacks is a carrying case. Sure, you can use the book-like case to carry it around but it is quite big and bulky and to be honest, it is not practical to use that case for daily use.

So, to summarize, when you receive the T3 you’ll get:

• The IEMs themselves.
• 8 pairs of ear tips (3 pairs of large-bore tips, 3 pairs of small-bore tips and 2 pairs of foam tips)
• 8-core MMCX cable

So as far as accessories goes, the T3 includes all the necessary accessories to get you going.

Build Quality

For a $69 pair of IEMs, they are built really nicely which far supersedes their price. But the cable that Tin Audio has used is a different story (we will discuss about it soon). They used CNC-machined aluminium for the shell of the IEMs which feels nice in the hand but is still light. The IEMs use MMCX connectors for the detachable cables which is nice, although the lock is so tight that it becomes very difficult to remove the cables without fingernails. Also, I have noticed that with the small wide-bore tip, there is a noticeable amount of driver flex in the IEM. So that is also something to keep in mind.

Now coming to the cable, Tin Audio has used an 8-core 5N OCC cable. Actually, the cable is not bad but the issue lies at the MMCX barrel that Tin Audio has used here. The edge of the barrel is really sharp and not polished so when the cable is hooked over the ears, the pressure of the edge falls on the cable and that may lead to the wires inside the cable to get damaged. In fact, the right channel of my cable has already started to fail (it happened within one day of use). So, in case you get the T3, I would suggest you to take care of your IEMs or keep an extra cable handy.

But except for that issue, the cable is perfectly fine and for the price, the overall build quality of both the IEMs and the cables is simply excellent.

Ergonomics and Fit

Now this a place where your mileage may vary a lot. The T3 uses an over-the-ear fit like most other IEMs out there. Now my ear canals are small so I used the small tips included in the box. But the wide-bore tip introduced driver flex in the IEMs, so I switched to the narrow-bore small tips which created a nice seal with the Tin Audio T3. So fit-wise it was just fine.

Driver flex is an issue where you will hear a sound like crushing paper whenever you put the IEMs inside your ears.

As far as ergonomics go, it is quite comfortable and light. I have worn them continuously for 3 hours without feeling the need to remove them from my ears. So, ergonomics is also great in these IEMs and there is honestly nothing to complain about in here.

Noise Isolation

Now coming to noise isolation, since the seal was quite good on these IEMs, basically most of the ambient noise was cut out. Only the horns of the vehicles and the rumbling of my bus (I usually test noise isolation inside public transportation as it gives a very nice idea of what to expect. So, although it won’t be able to cancel out high frequency and/or loud noises like the metro or an airplane (at low volumes at least), you can except a decent amount of noise isolation with the Tin Audio T3. But enough about this, let’s start with the main factor which is the make-or-break property of any audio gear, i.e., its sound.

Sound Quality

Now, on to the most subjective part of the review: sound quality. Also, I won’t be posting any graphs in this review (or any review for that matter), as I don’t believe in graphs as much as I believe in my ears!

This time, I’ll be listening to the earbuds via 3 sources:

• PC -> Fiio Q1 (Mark-1) -> T3
• Asus Zenfone 5Z -> Fiio Q1 (Mk.1) -> T3
• Hiby R3 -> T3

I will also list the soundtracks that I’ve used for each section of my sound test. (Note:All my tracks are either 44 kHz / 24-bits – 192 kHz / 24-bit FLAC or DSD64/DSD128.)

Bass

Tin Audio IEMs have made their name due to their neutral sound signature and this one is no different. These babies have a moderate amount of bass which is actually plenty to satisfy most audiophiles (Although bass-heads might want to look at something else). Their sub-bass is tight and punchy while not being overly boosted like most other earphones at this price. The bass rumble is also not very heavily textured and the sub-bass is present where it is needed.

The bass in these IEMs is enough to satisfy most audiophiles but these IEMs are suited towards people who have a preference towards vocals.

The mid-bass of these IEMs is also good. It has a certain thickness and impact to it and is well textured without bleeding into the low-mids.

So overall, for a pair of IEMs targeted for audio purist at this price, I would say that the bass response is just great.

• Axel Thesleff – “Reincarnation”
• Martin Garrix – “Animals”
• Alessia Cara – “Here”
• Zara Larsson – So Good (album)
• Jordan Comolli – “Alone”
• Marshmello – “Alone”
• Axel Thesleff – “Done”
• J Balvin, Willy William – “Mi Gente”

Mids

The mids should have been their strongest suit in its armoury. The mids are slightly boosted and the vocals sound a tad bit forward than the other frequencies. But unfortunately, it has an issue which is all too familiar with us audiophiles and it is something which we despise – sibilance. This issue is much more prevalent with female vocals and it really takes the fun away from the song.

Sibilance is the issue where there is a harsh hissing noise whenever a vocalist pronounces a word which ends with an ‘s’ which generally tends to loss of detail.

But to be fair, the sibilance is not present in all tracks. They are mostly present in pop songs. In other tracks, they are plenty detailed and vocals sound natural on them. But on high volumes, the female vocals tend to sound overly harsh and sometimes even tinny which I do not like. But male vocals have a nice texture in these tin cans (pun intended) and sound really nice here. But even after looking at the price, I can’t say that I liked the mids in these IEMs, knowing that there is such an issue in these IEMs which even cheaper IEMs like its own T1 doesn’t have. So overall, I was not very impressed with the mids here.

Tracks used:

• Adele – 25 (album)
• Charlie Puth – Nine Track Mind (album)
• Ed Sheeran – X / Divide (album)
• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• John Newman – “Love Me Again”
• Elvis Presley – “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”
• Sigrid – “Everybody Knows”

Treble

Now onto treble. Let’s start with those cymbals and hi-hats. They actually have a nice energy to them and sound detailed but they sometimes sound overly harsh and sibilant in quite a few tracks. But its rendition of guitar is really very good for its price. They sound clear and detailed, the guitar decays with a certain smoothness which I really like here and has very nice separation as well from the other instruments in any given soundtrack.

Now coming to pianos, their rendition is also good and is quite detailed and have really nice extension in them. Now, bells sound controlled and energetic in these IEMs without a hint of boominess in them. So, apart from the cymbals, its treble is great and I don’t think that you will find much problem with it.

Tracks used:

• Led Zeppelin – IV (album)
• Ed Sheeran – X / Divide (album)
• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• Pink Floyd – Dark of The Moon (album)
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco(album)
• Ludovico Einaudi – Islands: Essential Einaudi (album)
• Axel Thesleff – Reincarnation
• George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue

Soundstage, Positioning and Separation

(a) Soundstage and Positioning

Now, there are 2 ways to accurately measure a earbuds’ soundstage and positioning. First, is to use well-recorded binaural tracks (see track list below for more info). The second method (which I personally prefer more) is gaming. I have used two games specifically for this purpose. One is the well-known CS:GO and the other is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (the latter is a much more immersive experience).

Now, soundstage. Now this is somewhat due to the choice of tips that I have used but the soundstage is somewhat narrow and lacks a slight bit of airiness (as the tip bore is narrow, due to which it increases the bass as well). Vocals sound intimate and orchestras sound as if they are playing in front of you. But this can be somewhat fixed by changing to a wide-bore tip like the SpinFit CP100.

Now coming to its positioning, I felt that it is on point. To test it out, I opened up CS: GO and I could easily pinpoint the source of the gunshot. In Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, I could feel the voices whispering in my ears. So overall, I am pretty much satisfied with its soundstage and positioning.

(b) Separation

The separation on these earbuds is, to be honest, excellent for its price. In quite a few busy tracks, I felt that it held itself quite well against some more pricey IEMs. Its rendition of orchestral music is very good and it is able to hold its detail in those tracks. So, I was really impressed with the separation of instruments it provides at this price point.

Tracks used:

• Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• Yosi Horikawa – Vapor (album)
• Led Zeppelin – IV (album)
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco(album)
• Beethoven – Symphony No.5 (album)

Drivability

You should be able to easily drive them out of a smartphone and it will be able to deliver its full potential even with a smartphone. They have an impedance rating of 16Ω and a sensitivity of 95 dB +/- 3dB so you shouldn’t face any difficulty while driving them out of your smartphones.

Technical Specifications

• Brand: Tin Audio
• Model: T3
• Type: In-Ear Monitors
• Driver: Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature (Hybrid)
• Impedance: 16 Ω
• Headphone sensitivity: 95 dB +/- 3dB (1 kHz/1 Vrms)
• Frequency range: 10–40000 Hz
• Plug: 3.5 mm
• Interface: MMCX
• Cable: 1m 5N 8-core OFC plated silver
• Weight: 33 g (including cable)/4g (for each earpiece)

Conclusion

In conclusion, you are getting a well-built pair of IEMs which looks great and sounds great. It comes with quite a few accessories (but I would have liked a case to be included with it) to get you started and to top it all off, you are getting all of that at a good price of $69. But its cable build issues and the sibilance are something which is to be kept in mind as it really detracts from the overall excellent sound produced by the Tin Audio T3 for its price. So, although it has a few quirks with itself, if you can overlook those, you will still have a pair of IEMs which has a solid sound signature at a solid price.

Introduction

If you haven’t heard of Moonbuds, its okay. Let me tell you about the company’s origin before moving on to the main review. Moonbuds is named after Moon Harvester’s bud (Moon Harvester is the founder). Before he founded Moonbuds, it was his hobby and passion to create earbuds and testing them with the audiophile community. Then he changed his passion of earbuds making into a profession and started Moonbuds on April 2018. Moonbuds initially started selling their earbuds in the Philippines and then expanded its trade to India, USA, UK, Singapore, China, etc. Now, their earbuds are one of the most sought-after earbuds in the audiophile market.

The Moonbuds Crescent is the entry level earbuds from the brand at $100.

I’ve had the Moonbuds Crescent for about 3 weeks now and have listened to them for a total time of at least 50 hours and have burned them continuously for 30 hours. I’ve used them mostly daily during this time period to listen to all genres of songs (rock, EDM, pop, movie soundtracks, Western classics, etc.).

Don’t want to read the full review? Here’s the TL: DR :

If you want a great musical earbud for a reasonable money, then the Moonbuds Crescent is for you.

But wait! Before you dive into the review, I have a quick disclaimer for you: I have bought these earbuds with my own money and I have not been incentivised or pressurized by Moonbuds or any other person to write this review for them. All the words used in this review are my own and this review is written in the most unbiased way that I could have done.

Now, on to the main review.

Unboxing the Moonbuds Crescent

For a $100 pair of earbuds, they include quite a few accessories inside the case that it comes in. Also, you can personalise the case to your liking as Moonbuds offer free laser engraving on the case which is a nice personal touch in my opinion.



Upon opening the case, you will be greeted by the earbuds themselves and a plethora of ear tips to choose from for the best fit.


So, to summarize, when you receive the Crescent you’ll get:

• The earbuds themselves.
• Hard Carrying case
• 12 pairs of ear tips
• Faux leather cable wrapper

So as far as accessories goes, the Moonbuds Crescent comes with a ton of it.

Build Quality

For a $100 pair of earbuds, they have a good build quality to them. Although they are completely made of plastic with the exception of the y-splitter which is made of wood (which I feel is actually a really nice touch in my opinion), they have used really nice plastic for the shells of the earbuds and it feels really sturdy in the hand.



Also, the cable used in the Crescent is a 4-core OCC copper cable which feels really nice in the hand and is also tangle-free. So, you won’t have any problems with having to untangle your earbuds once you take them out of your pocket, although I would recommend you guys to take care of this earbuds as they are by no means cheap.



So, I feel that at this price, this is as premium a build quality that you will get on a pair of earbuds.

Ergonomics and Fit

Now this a place where your mileage may vary a lot. You see, the Crescents use the MX500 shells which are quite large for smaller ears. In my ears, it just fits. Its neither too tight, nor too loose. So, I would recommend you guys to try earbuds which use this shell before buying these earbuds as MX500 is the preferred shell style for most earbuds. Even the VE Monk+ use a MX500 shell. So, try before you buy.

In case the MX500 shell is too large for your ears, then I would recommend Yuin shell earbuds as they are smaller than MX500 and should fit any kind of ear.

As far as ergonomics go, it is quite comfortable and light. I have worn them continuously for 4 hours without feeling the need to remove them from my ears. So, if you have large ears like mine, you should not have any problems with comfort.

Noise Isolation

Now coming to noise isolation, these earbuds are not that good because frankly, they are not meant for that. Earbuds generally let noise in to give it a feel of open-back headphones. Although if you turn the volume high enough (at a level which is neither very loud for you or too quiet), you should be able to block out most of the noise (but only the noises at lower frequencies. High frequency noise will still be heard). But its sound is best perceived at a quiet environment as with all other earbuds. There is not much else to say in this department, so let’s move on to the part which you guys have actually come here to read – its sound quality.

Sound Quality

Now, on to the most subjective part of the review: sound quality. Also, I won't be posting any graphs in this review (or any review for that matter), as I don't believe in graphs as much as I believe in my ears!



This time, I’ll be listening to the earbuds via 2 modes:

1. PC -> Fiio Q1 (Mark-1) -> Crescent

2. Asus Zenfone 5Z -> Fiio Q1 (Mk.1) -> Crescent

I will also list the soundtracks that I’ve used for each section of my sound test. (Note: All my tracks are either 44 kHz / 24-bits – 192 kHz / 24-bit FLAC or DSD64/DSD128.)

Now, let me give you a small tip.

If you plan on purchasing these earbuds or any other high-end earbuds for that matter, I suggest you get a good DAC/AMP to go with it. It will go a long way to make your listening experience much more enjoyable.

Bass

Generally, the bass in earbuds are not that great because they tend to sit outside the ear canal unlike IEMs (In-ear monitors) which pushes into the ear canal and is thus able to deliver much better noise isolation and bass response without attenuation of the low frequency. However, that is not the case with the Moonbuds Crescent. The sub-bass rolls off at a much lower frequency than most other earbuds (at 35-40 Hz, whereas most of the other earbuds’ bass rolls off at 60-70 Hz) giving a much better bass response than most earbuds.

The bass in these earbuds is better than most other earbuds at this price!

The sub-bass is not that great due to the roll-off but it is still tight and punchy. The mid-bass is the frequency where it really shines. Its hits you hard and fast and in your face and the best part is that doesn’t bleed into the low-mid frequencies. But I sometimes felt that the bass lacked a bit of resolution. But otherwise, its perfectly fine for its price.

So overall, for a pair of earbuds at this price, I would say that the bass response is just great.

Tracks Used:

• Axel Thesleff - “Reincarnation”
• Martin Garrix - “Animals”
• Alessia Cara - “Here”
• Zara Larsson - So Good (album)
• Jordan Comolli - “Alone”
• Marshmello – “Alone”

Mids

These earbuds have V-shaped sound signature. This means that the earbuds have been tuned to have a boosted bass and treble frequency to make it sound more musical and appealing to the public and due to this, the mids sound slightly recessed on these earbuds.

The mids sound a bit recessed on these earbuds but not too much as to ruin the whole experience.

But that doesn’t mean that the mids are not detailed. They are plenty detailed and vocals sound natural on them. People might think that the earbuds being V-shaped is suitable for only EDM and pop soundtracks. That is not true at all in this case. Male and female vocals although sounding slightly distant than the instruments have a nice energy in them and due to the earbuds having a V-shaped sound signature, the vocals don’t sound fatiguing to listen to at high volumes.

So, for a pair of V-shaped earbuds the mids sound just fine and it actually exceeded my expectations.

Tracks used:

• Adele - 25 (album)
• Charlie Puth - Nine Track Mind (album)
• Ed Sheeran - X / Divide (album)
• Amber Rubarth - Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• John Newman - “Love Me Again”
• Elvis Presley - “Can't Help Falling in Love with You”
• Sigrid – “Everybody Knows”

Treble

Now onto treble. Let’s start with those cymbals and hi-hats. They actually have a nice energy to them and sound detailed but they sometimes sound a bit splashy (although it is only on a few tracks that I have noticed it). But its rendition of guitar is really very good. You can even hear minute details like the guitarist sliding down on the strings in the album “Friday Night In San Francisco”.

The guitar rendition is detailed and sounds natural and its extension is also good. Piano rendition is also good and is quite detailed but sometimes might sound a bit congested in parts where there are too many notes in the same part. But in tracks where there are bells (like in Axel Thesleff’s “Reincarnation”), they tend sound boomy and there is an inherent loss of coherency and detail at that part. But otherwise, its treble is great and I don’t think that you will find much problem with it.

Tracks used:

• Led Zeppelin - IV (album)
• Ed Sheeran - X / Divide (album)
• Amber Rubarth - Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• Pink Floyd - Dark of The Moon (album)
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía - Friday Night In San Francisco (album)
• Ludovico Einaudi - Islands: Essential Einaudi (album)
• Axel Thesleff – Reincarnation
• George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue

Soundstage, Positioning and Separation

(a) Soundstage and Positioning

Now, there are 2 ways to accurately measure a earbuds’ soundstage and positioning. First, is to use well-recorded binaural tracks (see track list below for more info). The second method (which I personally prefer more) is gaming. I have used two games specifically for this purpose. One is the well-known CS:GO and the other is Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (the latter is a much more immersive experience).


Now, soundstage. Since they are earbuds, they sound much more open than say an IEM. But its not as open as a pair of proper open-back headphones. Its soundstage a spherical shape and I would say that wide enough to give a feel that you are sitting inside a small auditorium.


Basically, what an open-back headset does is let the sound get outside of the headphones through the grilles or slits of the headphones. Since the sound now goes outside of the headphones, the experience feels as if the sound is coming from the entire room.


Now coming to its positioning, I felt that it is on point. To test it out, I opened up CS: GO and I could easily pinpoint the source of the gunshot. In Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, I could feel the voices whispering in my ears. So overall, I am pretty much satisfied with its soundstage and positioning.

(b) Separation

The separation on these earbuds are not its strong suit. In quite a few busy tracks, I felt that it lost its coherency and got the instruments all muddled up in the background. Its rendition of orchestral music is, to be honest, not very good and it often loses its detail in those tracks. But in other less busy tracks, this issue is basically non-existent and I feel that you will really enjoy the detail that it can provide in those tracks.

Tracks used:

• Amber Rubarth - Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
• Yosi Horikawa - Vapor (album)
• Led Zeppelin - IV (album)
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía - Friday Night In San Francisco (album)
• Beethoven - Symphony No.5 (album)

Drivability

You should be able to easily drive them out of a smartphone but I would recommend you to get a proper Digital Audio Player (DAP) or a DAC/AMP to get the most out of these earbuds. They have an impedance rating of 32Ω and a sensitivity of ~102dB so you shouldn’t face any difficulty while driving them out of your smartphones. Since these already packs a bit of a punch in the bass department, I would suggest you to pair it with a neutral DAC/AMP like the Fiio Q1.

Tracks used: Random

Technical Specifications

• Brand: Moonbuds
• Model: Crescent
• Type: Earbuds
• Driver: Dynamic Driver
• Impedance: 32 Ω
• Headphone sensitivity: ~102dB (1 kHz/1 Vrms)
• Frequency range: 40–20000 Hz
• Interface: 3.5 mm
• Cable Length: 1m
• Weight: 35 g
• Special Note: Handmade in Vietnam

Conclusion

In conclusion, you are getting a hand-made premium pair of earbuds which looks great and sounds great. It comes with a slew of accessories to get you started and to top it all off, you are getting all of that at a reasonable price of $100. Although its not in the budget territory in the world of earbuds, but it is a $100 well spent on a pair of earbuds which does its work really well and then some. Hence, it gets a solid recommendation from me and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a pair of music-oriented earbuds under $100 and doesn’t want something analytical.

Introduction
A company like Sennheiser needs no introduction. So, instead of telling you guys about the company, I will tell you why these headphones were created and why am I so excited to get these. In the year of 1991, a guy named Axel Grell had joined Sennheiser and he had created the headphones that had basically the first generation of the legendary 6xx series of Sennheiser, i.e., the HD 580 Precision.


Then after a few years he launched the HD 580 Jubilee which was basically a HD 600 and then later on released the HD 650, which even to this date, is used as a benchmarking tool for all other headphones.


But where does the HD 58X Jubilee fit in all this? This headphone is actually a collaboration between Massdrop and Sennheiser to actually bring back the old HD 580 which had started it all and this headphone has been tuned by Axel Grell himself!


I’ve had the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee for about a month now and have listened to them for a total time of at least 40 hours and have burned them continuously for 30 hours. I’ve used them mostly daily during this time period to listen to all genres of songs (rock, EDM, pop, movie soundtracks, Western classics, etc.).


Don’t want to read the full review? Here’s the takeaway:


At the price of $150, there is nothing that comes close to it in terms of sound quality.


But wait! Before you dive into the review, I have a quick disclaimer for you: I have bought these headphones from Massdrop with my own money and I have not been incentivised or pressurized by Massdrop OR Sennheiser to write this review for them. All the words used in this review are my own and this review is written in the most unbiased way that I could have done.


Now, on to the main review.

Unboxing the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee

Even though they are a $150 pair of headphones, I honestly expected a bit more accessories. The packaging is basic in every standard, although a tad bit more premium feeling than their own HD 598SE. I anticipate it to have at least a carrying case along with these headphones. Even though I won’t be taking them outside of my apartment, still I will rather have it inside a case than it rolling around on the floor!





Upon opening the box, you will see the headphones themselves and the 3.5mm cable.




Stowed beneath the plastic box is the 3.5mm to ¼ inch adapter.






So, to summarize, in the box, you’ll get:

• The headphones themselves.
  
  
• 1 6’ long 3.5mm detachable cable
  
  
• 1 3.5mm to ¼ inch adapter

So, basically, the packaging is again basic just like the HD 598SE.

Build Quality

The build quality of the headphones is excellent for its price, even though it is made fully out of plastic except for the headband size adjuster and the large grilles which are made of steel. To be honest, there is nothing much to say about its build quality. It feels rigid in the hand and it can flex to a degree which is great!


Again, like the HD 598SE, the ear pads are made of velour but this time, the pads are a bit harder, unlike the HD 598SE, which were much softer. But overall, these feel sturdy and I think it can take a few numbers of drops and remain as it was before it was dropped!


The headphones themselves


Ergonomics and Fit

Well, compared to the HD 598SE, these are a bit less comfortable. I mean, as a reference, the HD 598SE feels like a soft woolly muffler wrapped around your ears and these feel like 2 cups strapped to your head. Also, when you are using these headphones for the first time, you might experience pain on your temple like I did. This is because, the headphones have a tight fit around your ears. But after a few weeks, as you continue to use the headphones, the headband will loosen up a bit and it will feel more comfortable on your ears.

Also, due to this tight fit, the headphones won’t come of your heads like the HD 598SE does! So, you won’t have any type of fit issues like you had with the HD 598SE (where if you even sneezed, the headphones would’ve come flying off of your head!).

Noise Isolation

Now, even though these are open-back headphones, they don’t leak as much as the HD 598SE does, but still at full volume, people on a crowded bus will easily tell which song is being played.


Also, if you are looking for sound isolation, then look elsewhere because they let in outside noise due to those open grilles on both sides of the headphones to make you feel the sound is coming from the whole environment and not just from the headphones themselves. These are strictly for indoor usage.




Sound Quality

Now, on to the most subjective part of the review: sound. Also, I won't be posting any graphs in this review, as I don't believe in graphs as much as I believe in my ears!


This time, I’ll be listening to the headphones via 2 modes:

1. PC -> Fiio Q1 (Mark-1) -> HD 58X
   
   
2. Asus Zenfone 5Z -> Fiio Q1 (Mk.1) -> HD 58X

I will also list the soundtracks that I’ve used for each section of my sound test. (Note: All my tracks are either 44 kHz / 24 bits – 192 kHz / 24 bit FLAC or DSD64/DSD128.)


Now, let me give you a small tip.


If you plan on purchasing these headphones or any other high-end headphones for that matter, I suggest you get a good DAC/AMP to go with it. It will go a long way to make your listening experience much more enjoyable.

Bass

Remember when I told you in the HD 598SE’s review that those had one of the most boring and flat sounding bass? Well, these headphones are just the reverse…. They have bass that can bring a smile to anyone’s face from a hardcore bass head to a proper audiophile.

These headphones have one of the best sounding bass that I have heard from a pair of open-back headphones at this price point! I have checked with Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro, DT990 Pro, HD 650/6XX (this one has a deep bass, but it decays a bit slower than the HD 58X), Audio Technica ATH-M50X (not a fair comparison to be honest) and none of them had bass like this one had.

The bass in these headphones is one of the best, if not THE best I have heard from any pair of headphones at this price!


It is tight, fast paced, energetic and the best part is it does all that without bleeding into the mids. Plus, the rumble of the bass on these headphones are just incredible! Sennheiser has done an extraordinary job on tuning these headphones.

• Axel Thesleff - “Reincarnation”
  
  
• Martin Garrix - “Animals”
  
  
• Alessia Cara - “Here”
  
  
• Zara Larsson - So Good (album)
  
  
• Jordan Comolli - “Alone”
  
  
• Marshmello – “Alone”

Inside look at the driver of the HD 58X
Mids

Sennheiser has done a splendid job in the mids' department! After listening to these headphones did I realize my old HD 598SE actually had the classic veil that Sennheiser was known and sometimes despised for. These headphones have much more full-bodied mids than the HD 598SE and even though these have more forward mids than the HD 598SE, they never felt shouty and too much “in your face”.

The mids are just perfect on these headphones. I literally couldn’t ask more at this price point.

People might seem to think after reading the bass part that there might be some issue with the mids of these headphones. Believe me when I say this: the sound signature is balanced (W-shaped in my opinion) with a slight priority towards the bass. The male voices sound best on these headphones as they tend to be a bit warmer than the female voices.

Both male and female voices in “Marvin Gaye” by Charlie Puth were easily distinguishable with both the female and male voice getting equal priority. Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” literally sounds perfect on these headphones with the guitars positioned in the left and Ed seemingly singing and pouring his heart out beside me! Again, in Sigrid’s “Everybody Knows”, Sigrid’s voice sounds so mellow and soft with the piano in the background playing a dark note with the occasional drum beats, the song was taken to a whole new level! So again, full marks received by Sennheiser in the mids' department.


Tracks used:

• Adele - 25 (album)
  
  
• Charlie Puth - Nine Track Mind (album)
  
  
• Ed Sheeran - X / Divide (album)
  
  
• Amber Rubarth - Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
  
  
• John Newman - “Love Me Again”
  
  
• Elvis Presley - “Can't Help Falling in Love with You”
  
  
• Sigrid – “Everybody Knows”

Treble

I don't know what magic Sennheiser has done on the HD 58X but even the treble sounds simply awesome! Let's start with those cymbals and hi-hats. They have great energy and decays very quickly and they never sound splashy (meaning the sound does not spread and stays in its place). Then comes guitar. Man, I simply love musics which only have a single acoustic guitar playing. Those are the best type of soundtracks to test a headphones’ capabilities.

With these headphones, you can hear the squeak of the guitar string in the greatest fidelity as the guitarist changes the chord. It's already getting difficult describing the quality of sound these pair of headphones produce. The guitar strings sounds natural to say the least and extension of the sound of the strings is just great.

Also, as you might have already guessed, there isn't the slightest hint of sibilance in most of the songs. Only in the most sibilant tracks did I get to hear that familiar hiss when the vocalist is pronouncing the “s”. Again, Sennheiser has killed it in the treble department. I am honestly not making this up, but these literally are an all-rounder pair of headphones!

Tracks used:

• Led Zeppelin - IV (album)
  
  
• Ed Sheeran - X / Divide (album)
  
  
• Amber Rubarth - Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
  
  
• Pink Floyd - Dark of The Moon (album)
  
  
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía - Friday Night In San Francisco (album)
  
  
• Ludovico Einaudi - Islands: Essential Einaudi (album)

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation

(a) Soundstage

Now, there are 2 ways to accurately measure a headphones’ soundstage. First, is to use well-recorded binaural tracks (see track list below for more info). The second method (which I personally prefer more) is gaming. I have used two games specifically for this purpose. One is the well known CS:GO and the other is Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (the latter is a much more immersive experience).


Now, soundstage. Even though these are open-back headsets, they didn't give me that same “wow” factor I had got when I had first tried the HD 598SE. This is simply because, these do not have as wide a soundstage as the HD 598SE. But on closer inspection, I noticed these were much accurate in their representation. In Senua's Sacrifice, there are voices whispering in your ears. Sometimes, in the HD 598SE, I felt the voices were all over the place. But in these, I could pinpoint the source of the voice. The same goes for CS:GO. When someone shoots at say my left, I could guess where they are accurately with these headphones.


Basically, what an open-back headset does is let the sound get outside of the headphones through the grilles or slits of the headphones. Since the sound now goes outside of the headphones, the experience feels as if the sound is coming from the entire room.


I have compared these headphones’ soundstage (in fact the total sound) with 4 other headphones namely, Sennheiser's own HD 650, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm and the HD 598SE. You can check it out in the comparison section of this review. For now, to sum it up in brief, I will say that even though they are not as wide as the HD 598SE they are as accurate as the HD 650.


(b) Imaging and Separation


The imaging and separation on these headphones are exceptional for its price. As a reference, its as detailed as the HD 650 except for a few micro details which I found somewhat hard to detect on these headphones but they were literally non-existent on the HD 598SE. As far as separation goes, I tried my level best to get it confused in busy tracks like the Fifth Symphony by Ludwig Von Beethoven, Richard Wagner's “Rise Of The Valkyrie” but it handled those songs like a champ. Literally, I am yet to find a flaw which annoys me on these headphones.


Tracks used:

• Amber Rubarth - Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
  
  
• Yosi Horikawa - Vapor (album)
  
  
• Led Zeppelin - IV (album)
  
  
• John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía - Friday Night In San Francisco (album)
  
  
• Beethoven - Symphony No.5 (album)

Drivability

You may drive them out of a smartphone but only barely. A proper Digital Audio Player (DAP) or a DAC/AMP is definitely required to get the most out of these headphones. They have an impedance rating of 150Ω and a sensitivity of 104dB so, you might face a bit of difficulty while driving them out of your smartphones. Since these already packs a bit of punch in the bass department, I would suggest you to pair it with a neutral DAC/AMP like the Fiio Q5, Chord Mojo, etc.


Tracks used: Random

Comparison

Now, I am going to compare the HD 58X to 3 other headphones which are HD 650, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm and my old HD 598SE. I’ll be making the comparison a bit easier to read by indicating the superior earphone/earbuds with “<” or “>” or “=” (when they’re equal). So here we go!

• Neutrality: HD598 > DT990 > HD58X > HD650 (I felt the HD 650 tends to gravitate towards darkness, whereas the HD598 were the most neutral and flat sounding in the bunch with the HD 58X somewhere in the middle with its liveliness in its sound signature)
  
  
• Timber/Naturalness: HD 58X > DT990 > HD650 > HD598SE
  
  
• Detail/Resolution: HD58X = HD650 = DT990 > HD598
  
  
• Imaging & Positioning: HD58X = HD650 > DT990 > HD598 (I felt the imaging was slightly better than the DT990 Pro)
  
  
• Soundstage: HD598 > HD650 = HD58X > DT990 (again I felt the DT990 were slightly less wide than the HD 58X)
  
  
• Bass Quantity: HD650 = HD58X > DT990 >> HD598 (some people, after seeing HD 58X’s graph were thinking that these were going to be darker sounding than the HD650, but that's not the case. They have similar bass with the HD 58X having a bit more sub bass rumble in it)
  
  
• Bass Quality: HD58X = HD650 = DT990 > HD598
  
  
• Mids Quantity: HD58X > DT990 > HD650 > HD598
  
  
• Mids Quality: HD58X = HD650 > DT990 > HD598
  
  
• Treble Quantity: HD58X = HD650 = DT990 > HD598
  
  
• Treble Quality: DT990 > HD58X > HD650 > HD598
  
  
• Amount of Sibilance:HD650 = HD58X = DT990 = HD598
  
  
• Comfort: HD598 >> DT990 > HD58X = HD650
  
  
• Apparent Build / Durability: DT990 > HD58X = HD650 > HD598
  
  
• Immersion/Engagement: HD58X = DT990 = HD650 = HD598
  
  
• Overall Sound Quality: HD58X = HD650 > DT990 > HD598

Technical Specifications

• Brand: Sennheiser
  
  
• Model: HD 58X
  
  
• Driver: 40mm Dynamic driver
  
  
• Impedance: 150 Ω
  
  
• Headphone sensitivity: 104dB (1 kHz/1 Vrms)
  
  
• Frequency range: 12–38500 Hz
  
  
• Interface: 3.5 mm / 6.25mm (via adapter)
  
  
• Cable Length: 6ft
  
  
• Weight: 260 g
  
  
• Interface Type: 2-pin connector
  
  
• Special Note: Made in Ireland

Conclusion

At $150, I had a high expectation from the HD 58X. But after I tried them personally, only these 3 words came to my mind, “Oh my god”! I mean for $150, you are getting solid bass, forward and energetic mids and top-notch treble performance. It easily goes toe to toe with its older sibling, the HD 650 and there literally is no other pair of headphones that can come close to the sound fidelity it provides. So, I am bestowing upon the HD 58X, The Best Headphones under $200!

Link to original article is here.

About Myself:

I am just an beginner, budding audiophile who tries to listen to music just the way they are meant to be heard. I currently have a Sennheiser HD598SE, HD 58X (review coming in August), Fiio Q1 as an amp, and lz a4, rha ma390u, soundmagic e50c and some other cheap in ears. I have the Cayin N3 and Hiby R3 (yet to arrive) as my DAPs.

Preamble:

Now those of you who don't know about LZ, weIl here is some insight about them. LZ (Lao Zhong) was originally a technician repairing home appliances. But he's always had a love for, and a fascination with, audio – stretching back for more than 20 years. This led to him actually making his own speakers, and then eventually to playing around with IEMs. He bought an expensive pair of IEMs but was not impressed with them. So he borrowed some money, started making his own IEMs and listing them on Taobao. Little did he know how popular the LZ-02 would become, and he wasn't expecting the interest outside China that it garnered. (source: Brooko. You won't find this anywhere on the net).

Specs:
Brand: LZ
Model: A4
Driver: 1 Dynamic driver + 2 Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers (30017 TWFK Driver)
Impedance: 16Ω
Headphone sensitivity:120dB
Frequency range: 10-35000Hz
Interface: 3.5mm
Cable Length: 1.2m±5cm
Weight: 30g
Interface Type: MMCX

I have had the LZ A4 for about 4 months (again) and I have burned it with my mixed tracks of pink and white noise for about 72 hrs. Then I have listened to them everyday (atleast 5 days a week) during these 4 months with all genres of songs (eg. Rock, EDM, Pop, Movie Soundtracks, Western Classics, etc.). If you want the list of songs that I used, you can PM me. Now, for those who doesn't want to read the full review, here is the verdict - This is the best hybrid iem under $200 bar none. The filter implementation here is just too good to be true (much much much better than RHA's implementation). So, if you want an IEM under $200, these should be high up in your books. Now, onto the main review.

A Small Disclaimer:
I was in no way paid for this review. I had bought this LZ A4 from Massdrop and I am not affiliated to LZ in any way and this is my honest and totally unbiased review about the LZ A4. Now that we have got this out of the way, lets get on with the review shall we?

Unboxing:

The unboxing experience with the iems was quite nice. LZ know how to pack their iem properly.The LZ A4 came in a nice, black reinforced cardboard box.

On opening the box, you will be greeted with the iems themselves and a plethora of eartips.

After removing this top foam cover, you will see two boxes: One black metal box and another orange colored hard carrying case (I would have personally liked a black case but it works just fine) for the iems and a small plastic pouch containing a few more silicon tips and a single pair of foam tip (which is of very poor quality, no retention capability) and a shirt clip.

Inside the black metal box, we will find all the filters that are included with the LZ A4 (yes, these too have tunable filter system.) along with a pair of large double flange tip.

The orange box contains the 3.5mm mmcx cable which I will talk about a bit more later in the review.

So, in the box we get:
(1) The IEMs themselves
(2) 6 pairs of double-density single flange tips (s/m/l)
(3) 3 pairs of single-density single flange tips (s/m/l)
(4) 1 pair of foam tips (m)
(5) 1 pair of double flange tips (l)
(6) Hard Shell Carrying Case
(7) 3 Back filters and 6 front filters (1 back and 1 front filter preattached)
(8) Detachable 3.5mm nylon-sheathed 4-core OFC cable
(9) Shirt Clip.

Build Quality:

The build quality of this iem is very good, if not exceptional. The nozzle and the back of the iem is made of an alloy and the housing which contains the mmcx connector is made of ABS plastic. It looks and feels durable but not premium. Also the MMCX connectors are gold plated which is a nice touch. But I am disappointed with the quality of the cable. The left MMCX connector on the cable became loose after a few detachments and the nylon sheathing on the cable started peeling off. Both of them are minor issues but still noticeable nonetheless. But this doesn't affect the sound quality so yeah, I am fine with that. The 3.5mm jack on the cable is gold plated and it is angled at a 45 degree angle which I think is a great thing as most of the time, with straight jacks, they get stuck inside and only give way after a lot of force. So I think LZ has done a good job with this. The Y-split on the cable is made of plastic and it has a cable shortener.




Ergonomics and Isolation:

Now, this is one of the parts where YMMV. For me, the fit was not that great with the iems. The supplied stock eartips always tend to slip out of my ear. Only the smallest eartips in the set would fit me. But still it was not the isolation that I desired. So I ordered a pair of Spinfits (11mm) from AliExpress and those were the ones who gave me the best fit with these iems (about 10dB of isolation would be my guess). Although this would not be enough to hide the sound of an airplane or inside the subway, but its still great for outdoor isolation. With the Spinfits, the LZ A4 fit me like a marshmallow. The insertion was neither too deep, nor too shallow and it was the perfect fit. But, I noticed that the outer housing has a sharp edge to it which I had filed down a bit so that I do not hurt my ears when I am fitting it. Also the iem can be worn over the ear or cable down. Its just a choice of preference. I prefer over the ear as it makes the fit better and also reduces microphonics.

Filters:

Now, since filters are a key part of the LZ A4, I felt I should mention them as well separately. The filter system on the LZ A4 is muuuuuch more robust than that of, say the Trinity Atlas, RHA T20i, etc. but not as robust as the FLC8s. But still, these filters change the sound signature much more noticeably. If you put on the say, the pink nozzle filter, you will notice that the treble becomes very smooth and loses a lot of its clarity. If you put the blue back filter, you will notice that the sub-bass rolls off much earlier than expected. If you choose the red....well you get my point. You can have a look at the frequency graph for the different tuning filters. For this entire review, I will be using the Red Back filter and the Black front filter as it provides the most balanced sound for this iem and I listen to a lot of Rock, EDM and Pop music so this is the best filter combo for me.


Sound:

Now onto the most subjective part of the review: sound. I am again repeating that for this entire review, For this entire review I will be using the Red Back filter and the Black front filter as it provides the most balanced sound for this iem and I listen to a lot of Rock, EDM and Pop music so this is the best filter combo for me. Also, I won't be posting any graphs in this review as I honestly don't believe that much in graph as much as I believe my ears.

This time, I will be listening to the iems via 2 modes:
(1) PC--->Fiio Q1--->LZ A4
(2) Cayin N3--->LZ A4.
I will also list the soundtracks that I have used for each section of my sound test. Also, all of my tracks are either 44kHz/24bit - 192kHz/24bit FLAC or DSD64/DSD128. So, here we go.

(a) Bass [Tracks used - Axel Thesleff - Reincarnation, Martin Garrix Animals, Alessia Cara - Here, Zara Larsson - So Good (Album), Jordan Comolli - Alone, etc.] :
The IEM has a kind of balanced sound signature with a slight sub-bass boost. This means that except for the bass, no other part of the frequency is overemphasized. Well the bass in this iem is really one of the best that I have heard. Its tight, punchy, and is really fast. But it is in no way boomy or bloated nor does it sound harsh at high volumes like the RHA T20i. There is more priority in the sub-bass region than in the mid-bass so EDM and Pop songs sound fantastic with these iems. But if you don't like too much bass, you could always swap the red filter with the blue one which reduces the bass significantly giving you a presentation much more smoother. So I would give the bass full marks here.

(b) Mids [Tracks used - Adele - 25 (Album), Charlie Puth - Nine Track Mind (Album), Ed Sheeran - X / Divide (Album), Sessions from the 17th Ward - Amber Rubarth (Album), John Newman - Love Me Again, Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling In Love With You, etc.] :
The mids in these iems feels a bit intimate. It means that you will feel as if you are part of the band and the lead vocalist is singing beside you. The male vocals and female vocals are given more or less equal priority. So you won't feel as if the female vocals are a bit farther off than the male vocals and vice versa. They don't get drowned out by the instruments even in busy tracks and they sound full-bodied and natural without being too overwhelming. The female vocals have a bit of airiness in them and Ed Sheeran's vocals in Photograph has a really nice feel to it which just can't be described (its just inexplicable). They are quite detail-revealing iems for their price. In Ed Sheeran's song, Photograph, you can hear Ed breathing, the guitar squeaking when the chords are being changed, etc. It's just a mesmerising experience. So another thumbs up for the LZ A4 in this department.

(c) Treble [Tracks used - Led Zeppelin - IV (Album), Ed Sheeran - X / Divide (Album), Sessions from the 17th Ward - Amber Rubarth (Album), Pink Floyd - Dark Of The Moon (Album), John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco (Album){I have to mention this that this is one of the greatest guitar albums ever created. If you haven't heard (of) this album yet, stop viewing this review and go download this in FLAC format immediately!}, Ludovico Einaudi - Islands (Essential Einaudi), etc.] :
This iem is really made perfectly for their price. I mean there is really not a major issue with this iem that makes me really want to pull them out of my conchas. The treble on these are bright, energetic but in no way sibilant. They never sound harsh even in high volumes and cymbal crashes and hi-hats sound very nice in them (bright, sharp without sounding splashy and with a nice decay that makes you wanting more of that action ). The upper treble extends quite well on this iem with the black nozzle filter without any roll-off. Violin rendition is also very clear and detailed on this track. Even in busy tracks, the high notes of guitar in a few busy tracks comes out properly. So another full marks for this iem.

(d) Soundstage, Imaging and Separation [Tracks used - Sessions from the 17th Ward - Amber Rubarth (Album), Yosi Horikawa - Vapor (Album), Led Zeppelin - IV (Album), John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco (Album), Beethoven - Symphony #5 (Album)] :
The tracks which are used for testing the soundstage and separation of this iem are binaural tracks. This means that the tracks basically have the music coming from all directions and are generally recorded using a binaural mic. The Sessions from the 17th Ward is an excellent binaural album and I will be mainly using that track for this test. Well, the soundstage on this iem is very nice. I mean not like open-back headset nice, but better than most iems at this price point. It is really very expansive but the soundstage is oval-shaped. This means that you will feel the left and right side to be more expansive than the front and the back. Separation is nice on this iem. In Beethoven's Symphony #5 (which is quite a busy track with all the flutes, violins and trumpets going on in the orchestra), you can definitely pick up all the instruments being played in the track. Also, there is no distortion whatsoever in these tracks so imaging is also nice in this iem. So, I don't really know what sorcery LZ has done with this iem but they really sound splendid!

(e) Sensitivity [No particular track used (obviously)] :
You won't have any trouble driving them out of your smartphones. It has a low impedance of 16Ω and a high sensitivity of 120dB (very high sensitivity indeed!). So yeah, its basically very efficient and most smartphones can drive it without any issues whatsoever.

Now, for a short comparison between the only iem I had, i.e the RHA T20i which is in the same price category of $200 (yes had cuz I sold it. But don't worry, I have a good muscle memory so I can recall most of the things about my T20i). The RHA T20i is a dark sounding iem with a intimate soundstage. Also, I will be making the comparison a bit easier to read by making it like LZ A4 > RHA in this respect and vice versa (you can see what I mean). So here we go.

Neutrality = LZ A4 > RHA T20i
Timber/Naturalness = LZ A4 > RHA T20i
Detail/Resolution = LZ A4 > RHA T20i
Imaging & Positioning = LZ A4 > RHA T20i
Soundstage = LZ A4 >> RHA T20i (The RHA T20i is an intimate sort of iem where you can enjoy vocals more, but in the LZ A4, although it is a bit intimate, but not as much as the RHA T20i)
Dynamics = LZ A4 > RHA T20i
Transience = IT03 > AF56 > T20 = GR07
Bass Quantity = LZ A4 < RHA T20i
Bass Quality = LZ A4 > RHA T20i
Mids Quantity = LZ A4 = RHA T20i
Mids Quality = LZ A4 > RHA T20i
Treble Quantity = LZ A4 = RHA T20i
Treble Quality = LZ A4 = RHA T20i
Amount of Sibilance = LZ A4 = RHA T20i
Comfort = LZ A4 >> RHA T20i (I had quite a bit of fit issue with the RHA T20i I had to face none of it with the LZ A4)
Apparent Build / Durability = T20i >> LZ A4
Immersion / Engagement = LZ A4 > RHA T20i (The RHA's made me tap my foot in Sia - Cheap Thrills but the LZ? They made me dance. So LZ is definitely better in immersion. Also, since I got a better fit in the LZ, I had better isolation which in turn, led to better immersion). [BTW, I got this idea of comparison when I was reading a review on head-fi and I thought it was a great way to compare multiple iems at the same time without much words wasted.]
Overall Sound Quality = LZ A4 > RHA T20i (That was obvious wasn't it?)

Conclusion:
I hope it's obvious by now that the sound is more or less perfect on this iem for this price point. They are a much more value for money offering than the RHA T20i in most aspects except for the build quality perhaps? But still that build quality comes with an iem that can be worn only for a maximum time of 1 hour by me whereas with the LZ A4, I used it for 4 hours without even feeling that it's there. So I think that LZ has a winner in their hands with the LZ A4 and I now bestow upon it the best IEM out there for under $200, period.

About Myself:
I am just an average consumer who tries to listen to music just the way they are meant to be heard. I currently have a Sennheiser HD598SE, Fiio Q1 as an amp, and lz a4, rha t20i, rha ma390u and some other cheap in ears. My current favorite is the lz a4 and I will be writing a review for it shortly. Now onto the review.

Preamble:

I have the RHA T20i for about 4 months and I have burned it with my mixed tracks of pink and white noise for about 100hrs. In short they are quite good for their price and their filter system is just an icing on top of their cake.

Box Contents:

Now, this I must say at first. The unboxing experience of these were just one of a kind for me. I never thought someone could showcase their iems like this! This makes for a very good first impression. These iems contain everything that a man needs to fit them in their ears (but the sad thing is, even with that, it was kind of itchy inside my ears). The box contains 6 pairs of single flange eartips (s,m,l), 2 pairs of double-flange eartips (s,l) and 2 pairs of Comply foam eartips. They also include a carrying case, a shirt clip, a manual and of course the three tuning filters for the bass, mids and treble.
Build Quality:

These pair of iems have an outstanding build quality. They are built like a tank and are built to last. I think that there are hardly any iem manufacturer who uses injection moulded steel for their iems as it is a long and tedious process and also not much cost-effective. But these iems do not come with detachable cables which is quite a letdown considering the price of the iem. Should anything happen to the cable, you have to send it to RHA for RMA! But still, all jokes aside, this really is a major omission from such an expensive pair of iems. The cable is made of OFC and the outer covering is made of silicon.Also the cable feels rubbery and sticky to the touch which I don’t like much. But the cable is quite sturdy and should survive quite a while if handled properly. Also, I have never seen such a highly protected y-split and headphone jack. RHA has really taken it to the next level in the headphone jack department; the strain relief on the jack is the best i have seen and it feels really durable and premium.

Comfort:
Now this is one of those areas where YMMV. For me even after trying out all the tips including the foam tips, i could not find something that is both comfortable and isolating. The only one that at least was the least irritating to my ears were the small double-flange tips. They maintained a good seal but it still was uncomfortable for me. Also the shell of the iem often made contact with my inner ear and it was painful. But eventually, I adjusted with it and now, they don't bug me no more.

Filters:
Now, I am making a separate section for the filters as it is one of the main features of the iem. Now, I have read in some forums that people are telling that the filters are a gimmick so let me clear this once and for all - they are not a gimmick, they really do change the sound signature a bit which can be felt by any listener. Now, about the filters, there are 3 types of them included. The black one is for bass, the white one is for reference and the gold one is for treble. Now all of them changes the sound signature subtly without changing the actual sound signature of the iems.

Sound:

I am going to be using the bass filter for this sound review as I mostly listen to edm, rap, and also some acoustic songs. The sound signature on these iems is slightly v-shaped which means that there is more emphasis on the bass and the treble than the mids. The audio is going to be flac and they will be output from my pc via fiio q1.

(i) Bass:
Now obviously with the bass filter, the bass really pops out in most of the songs. At moderate volumes, the bass is quite punchy and enjoyable and most people will enjoy it. The bass is really tight and dynamic and it never bleeds into the lower mids. The sub-bass digs really deep and the the mid-bass is quite present in them. There is a bit of a peak near the 100Hz which gives it that "thump". All the edm and pop songs sound really nice with the bass filter on. But at times, it becomes a little harsh at higher volumes, But that's about the only con I could find at the bass department.

(ii) Mids:
The mids are clear and forward on these iem. Both male vocalists and female vocalists sound good on these earphones. Idina Menzel's 'Let It Go' sounds really good on them. Also vocals sound natural and intimate (That means that it seems as if they are singing just to you due to a narrow sound stage). You should give it a try!

(iii) Treble:
The treble is quite strong on this iem and you can literally feel the strings if the guitar in Stairway to Heaven. There is a slight peak at the 1 kHz range which provides a nice bite to guitars and other string instruments. Also the treble is not harsh at high volumes which is nice.

(iv) Sound stage:
Now, the sound stage is not that wide on this iem. It has depth but not width. Also, the instrument separation and detail is extremely good. The amount of detail this iem can replicate is simply amazing. You can listen to some of the tracks you hear almost on a daily basis and you can find something that you have never heard of in your songs!

Now, on to the pros and cons:

Pros:
(i) Well built
(ii) Great Sound
(iii) Good Instrument Separation

Cons:
(i) No removable cable
(ii) Bass can be a bit harsh at high volumes
(iii) May take some time getting the fit right
(iv) Average soundstage

Conclusion: These are a great pair of iem but they do come at a cost of $200 which is not inexpensive for an iem, but still if anyone who has a budget of $200 for an iem, I would highly recommend them to at least give these iem a try, they won't disappoint you.