The HE-350 is dead; long live the HE-35X. But will the Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-35X, debuting at a pre-order price of just $90, be crowned king of Massdrop’s entry-level audiophile headphone lineup?

Nearly three years ago, Massdrop announced the HE-350, an open-back, 50mm dynamic driver headphone created in collaboration with high-end headphone manufacturer HIFIMAN. Priced at just $99 (cheap by any audiophile’s standards), and looking quite like its high-priced brethren at the time, the HE-350 seemed like an absolute steal. Having owned and enjoyed HIFIMAN’s classic HE-500 and HE-6 planar magnetic powerhouses, I jumped on the HE-350 drop expecting an excellent entry-level headphone to put into the rotation for comparison reviews and occasional personal use. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The HE-350 was utterly disappointing to my ears. I quickly sold it at a loss and swore off chasing budget audiophile products priced too good to be true.

So, to say I was surprised when Massdrop reached out to me to be an early reviewer of its latest Massdrop x HIFIMAN collaboration would be an understatement. “We’ve overhauled our Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-350. We listened to all the comments and feedback to improve sound, durability, and comfort,” Massdrop said in reaching out to me. I guess they’re confident that the new HE-35X’s improvements will have me singing a different tune this time around. Let’s find out.

Unboxing Impressions

It wouldn’t be hard to mistake the HE-35X for the HE-350. Straight out of the box, the HE-35X looks and feels a lot like its predecessor. The same sleek metallic gray and black color combination that caught my eye the first time around is back. I would’ve opted for an all matte finish like the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home or Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE4XX for some differentiation from its predecessor, but Massdrop didn’t ask me about looks. So far, the HE-35X’s glossy plastic cups are holding up better than those of my several times more expensive HE-500 and HE-6, which both showed fine surface scratches from even the slightest mishandling.

Also returning for this edition is the suspension headband. I’m told this version has metal-reinforced yokes. I’ll take Massdrop’s word for it since the HE-35X feels slightly more robust than the toy-like HE-350. Of all the headphone headbands out there, this is one of the better designs for comfort and articulation. Between its light weight, Goldilocks clamping force (not too loose, not too tight — unless you have a really wide head), and thinly padded wide synthetic leather strap, the HE-35X is very comfortable for short listening sessions and better than tolerable over a full day’s use. Can you ask for more in this department? Not really. I will caution you of one thing: Once you set the strap on the indentation that fits your head, minimize readjustments — the tabs that secure the strap in place quickly wear the paint off the black metal headband, leaving a fine silver line between each indentation hole.

A welcomed HE-35X enhancement comes by way of its ear pads. The HE-35X comes equipped with HIFIMAN’s popular FocusPads. These are the same premium angled hybrid (pleather/velour) ear pads found on HIFIMAN’s HE-400i and other higher-priced headphones of similar design and are an especially nice feature when you consider that HIFIMAN sells them for $39. Based on past experiences with HIFIMAN ear pads, I can attest the FocusPads help immensely with positioning and comfort; however, they still get toasty — watch for ear sweat. These ear pads have also been said to be itchy for some users, particularly those with sensitive skin. If this is the case for you, I suggest removing the pads to hand-wash them with a mild detergent and then letting them air dry. I’ve had good results doing this myself, and if that still fails you, I have no doubt that the ear pad connoisseurs of our hobby will soon be testing the various options from Brainwavz and ZMF Headphones to see if any of them perform better than the FocusPads.

As far as tactile enhancements go, the last one worth mentioning is the cable. Back in the day, HIFMAN’s removable cables terminated at the cups with the most finger-frustrating mini-coax connections. Thank the audio gods that those things are gone. The HE-350 used more convenient 2.5mm TRS connectors, but now the HE-35X uses robust 3.5mm TRS connections at the ear cups for a quick, secure hook-up. The cable itself is plain and simple: Black, 53” long (I’m assuming it’s all OFC copper), terminated with a right-angle 1/8” headphone plug (3.5mm), and a 1/4” adapter is included. While the cable’s plugs are gold plated, oddly, the jacks on the cups aren’t. I guess they had to cut costs somewhere.



Listening Impressions

While the HE-35X looks and feels much like the old HE-350, it sounds entirely different — that’s a very good thing. Massdrop tells me the HE-35X has been completely re-tuned to improve frequency response and appeal to customer requests. I’ll wholeheartedly back that claim. I tolerated the HE-350 long enough to get some listening impressions on paper. I know a lot of people went through lengths to mod their HE-350s in attempt to correct its shortcomings. Well, I actually kept listening to the HE-35X long after I had a good enough impression to write this review. In other words, the HE-35X’s frequency response sounds leagues above the HE-350. In fact, it’s a pretty fun headphone. What I mean by that is that it’s tuned to get your toes tapping with boosted bass and a tipped-up top end.



The HE-35X’s treble jumps out front from the get-go. You’ll need to give your ears a few minutes to acclimate to this, but despite being crisp and forward, the HE-35X’s highs aren’t ear-piercing or overly bright or fatiguing. This is a big win for the HE-35X since many headphones around this price point struggle with sibilance and sharp highs that crumble as cymbals crash. Sure, cymbals can sound splashy sometimes, some grain comes out when things get loud, and some female voices can sound especially forward, but it’s hard to fault a budget-priced headphone for these things. Overall, the HE-35X delivers a decent level of clarity and separation between brass sections and cymbals and toppy female vocalists and their pianos — better than par for the price if you ask me. I’ll attribute this to the high-pass filtering circuit in each ear cup Massdrop says was introduced to “attenuate the treble for a better overall sound signature.”

If I had to fault the HE-35X’s top end, it would be in its lack of dimension and tonal quality; there’s little air or aura despite the large dynamic drivers and open-back design. On the positive side, being tipped-up but not toppy is a major refinement over the HE-350 and a solid accomplishment overall. The HE-35X’s highs simply sound more controlled and balanced overall.

Moving into the mids is where I feel the HE-35X labors some. This is somewhat predictable; when a headphone has emphasized bass and treble regions, finer midrange details will inevitably lack luster. This takes some of the euphoria out of tracks like John Butler’s “Ocean,” where the HE-35X struggles to fully reproduce the full-bodied extension and emotion of his 11-string guitar. A Deftones album, for another instance, will sound cutting but feel lean as the drive of the hearty distortion feels slightly recessed. As you crank the volume on your amp, your ears won’t be met with more machismo but instead with loudly splashing cymbals and booming bass lines. The piano, drums, and sax in “When the World Was One” by Matthew Halsall & the Gondwana Orchestra lack a bit of depth, presence, and separation as they struggle to flutter around the HE-35X’s tuning. While this isn’t to my taste, again it’s not uncommon for a headphone like this. It also doesn’t mean jazz, folk, or rock will necessarily sound bad out of the HE-35X, you just have to understand upfront that moody mids are not this headphone’s forte.

While the HE-35X stumbles slightly in the mids, namely towards the upper end of that range, it finds its stride again deeper in the dynamic range. The HE-35X’s bass extension is its saving grace. I expected either anemic or flabby overemphasized bass, but this is a headphone that carries a healthy rumble right into your ears, which makes electronic, hip hop, and rap most fun to listen to through the HE-35X. Heck, queue up Moderat’s “Bad Kingdom” and decide for yourself if you’re getting good bass for the buck.

The bass hits with conviction on this budget performer, but it performs best when the tracks aren’t overly busy, which seems to be a recurring theme. “Home” by John Butler Trio illustrates my point. The opening synth bass is clean and convincing, but when the floor toms come in heavy on the chorus, the HE-35X struggles to keep up with the congestion and loses impact and timbre. But hold on; spin up Oddisee’s “Ready to Rock” and, yep, you’ll be ready to roll. This is the kind of track the HE-35X lives for.

The HE-35X also does quite well with simple songs. Take John Mayer’s latest release, “I Guess I Just Feel Like,” where the even-toned and relaxed Mayer doesn’t challenge the HE-35X to do anything remarkable or complex — it’s just a laid-back listen where there’s little emphasis on any part of the dynamic range. “What am I Here For” by Jade Bird is another song where the HE-35X exhibits its ability to hint at being holographic when the tones and volume are just right.

I admit to wanting the HE-35X to be more holographic more often though. Despite being an open-back headphone, I can’t credit it with sounding especially three-dimensional, airy, or realistic. There’s no real magic about its sound stage, but it does place the music with pinpoint precision right between your ears. The HE-35X fills your head with music, which is much better than just filling your ears with noise (there was nothing musical about the HE-350).



So, what does this all mean? When unchallenged by dynamic layers of instruments and vocalists, the HE-35X easily punches above its weight. Simply put, I think the HE-35X is a fine and very listenable headphone for the price. Sure, there are better options out there for more money. There are also far worse options out there for less money, equal money, and even more money. What this all means is the Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-35X offers good value for the audiophile on a restricted budget. That said, any buyer of the HE-35X needs to accept that it will not be their endgame headphone — it will only be a gateway to the absurdity that comes with being an audiophile (Massdrop will appreciate your repeat business).

Massdrop may decide to market the HE-35X as the king of their entry-level audiophile headphone line-up. I’ll crown it as the prince for the price. The real king is still the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX.

Alternate Approaches

Here’s my prediction for potential HE-35X buyers: You’ll stick with it for a little while, maybe even mess around with some mods, and then you’ll start to wonder what the next best thing is — it’s inevitable as an audiophile. So, I have a few recommendations for you. Each of these is a reiteration of a classic hi-fi headphone, so your “upgraditis” should be stayed for quite a while longer.

AKG: If you want a more neutral /balanced headphone with better detail clarity that will play well with a wider range of music (and responds well to EQing if you’re into that), the Massdrop x AKG K7XX should be a top consideration. At $200, it offers a strong feature set and attractive price-to-performance ratio. The original Austria-made AKG K701, was my first real “audiophile” headphone courtesy of The Spirited Uncle M and remains a solid choice for those seeking a no-frills hi-fi headphone. Massdrop offers their version in black and red. The K702, and K712(enhanced low-end performance) are equally valid options.

Beyerdynamic: If you like a V-shaped sonic signature like the HE-35X exhibits, but want a more refined product — better clarity, timbre, and build — the $170 Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium Limited-Edition Black headphone offers a big bang for the buck. Beyerdynamic, in my opinion, has some of the more comfortable and eye-appealing designs; although, some people do complain of sibilance. Unless you have a very powerful amp, the 250-ohm version should be purchased.

Sennheiser: As previously mentioned, Massdrop’s greatest achievement in the audiophile community might be bringing Sennheiser’s classic HD 650 to the masses in a far more cost-effective package, the $200 Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX. The color is different, the cable is shorter, but the sound performance is the same, which makes this one of the best bargains in the head-fi space today. The HD 6XX is a lush headphone that is very easy to listen to. You will sacrifice some sub-bass slam and twinkle in the treble, but you get a very warm, full-hearted headphone that plays well with most music genres. Of the headphones mentioned in this section, this one is easily the most universally enjoyed headphone on the market. If vocal depth and emphasis is important in your music, the HD 6XX should be a top choice.

HIFIMAN: If you’re truly set on going with a HIFIMAN headphone, you need to go planar magnetic. Your best cost of entry here is the $170 Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE4XX. I haven’t personally heard this model, but I know that planar performance is going to offer you a more refined sound than the HE-35X’s dynamic driver. You’ll sacrifice some comfort and style due to the added weight and different headband, but you’ll likely gain more depth, clarity, and sound quality in return.

No matter which headphone you choose, I hope you enjoy your journey to #AudioNirvana.

Shortly after sending my iFi Audio Pro iCAN review unit back, iFi hit me up with its stealthy Micro iDSD BL (Black Label), a portable desktop DAC and pre-amp/headphone amp combo that packs a punch and goes head-to-head against the very popular Chord Electronics Mojo (If you see this Chord, I’d love a demo).

Much like the Pro iCAN, the iDSD BL is an iFi flagship product, but this time in its smaller portable/desktop Mirco line. Here again, iFi packs in strong feature sets bettered by trickle-down R&D and technology from iFi’s ultra-high-end parent company, Abbingdon Music Research, or AMR Audio.

You can read about all of the tech specs on iFi’s website, like the dual-core Burr-Brown DAC chips, custom Sanyo OP-Amps, and femto clock, so I’ll just get to the feedback you care about — user and listening impressions.

Unboxing Impressions

A relative newcomer to iFi products, I was happy to see the lesser-expensive iDSD BL comes well-packed in higher-end packaging with clean, minimalistic design and aesthetics like the Pro iCAN. It gives off the impression that you’re unboxing a much more expensive product. Inside, you’ll find a very comprehensive accessory set. Everything you need to put the iDSD BL to use is included: USB 3.0 cable, RCA cable, Optical/Toslink adapter, 3.5mm to 6.3mm headphone jack adapter, 3.5mm jumper, some other various USB adapters, a crushed velvet storage bag, a rubber mat to keep the iDSD BL from sliding around on various surfaces when in use, and two bands for securing the iDSD BL to your smartphone or DAP (you can even use the iDSD BL to charge your smartphone).

Despite its light weight, in hand, the iDSD BL has a sleek and solid feel. I’d say it’s comparatively robust next to products from JDS Labs and Schiit, and maybe a hair less robust than ALO and Chord’s offerings; however, I do have a couple of gripes. The black-on-black text on the chassis is hard to read, and the various recessed slide switches feel, well, cheap. In fact, the first time I slid the iEMatch switch into another position, the round plastic button popped off the switch post. The button easily went back on, but I’d prefer more solid switches on a unit at this price point. I can see these buttons easily popping off their posts if handled less that delicately when traveling. This nitpicking aside, the front panel toggle switches and volume pot operate nicely with good tactile feedback, and the overall look and feel of the device is quite pleasing.

As for being portable, yes, the 4800mAh lithium battery lets you use the iDSD BL on the go, but it’s long, narrow rectangular shape and overall length does make it rather awkward to carry. It’s approximately 1.5” longer than most standard smartphones when accounting for the volume knob and exposed inputs/outputs. In fact, it’s closer in size to the battery brick for my laptop, so this isn’t something I am tossing into a jacket pocket to use on the train each day. This becomes less of an issue if you carry a bag of some sort.

Sound Options

Perhaps the greatest traits of the iDSD BL are its flexibility and versatility. From sensitive IEMs to more power-hungry headphones, mixing and matching the Power Mode (Eco -
2.0V/500 mW @ 8 Ohm; Normal - 5.5V/1,900 mW @ 16 Ohm; Turbo - 10.0V/4,000 mW @ 16 Ohm) and proprietary iEMatch (Off, High-Sensitivity, Ultra-Sensitivity) settings allows you to dial in the right amount of power and gain to drive your music with balance and authority.

Because of a strong channel imbalance on the volume pot of my review unit, and my preference for lower listening levels while working, I found these variable settings incredibly useful for balancing the volume output for all of the headphones and IEMs in my collection. For example, I’m back to primarily using the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home as my home-office headphone, which was comfortably driven in just the Eco/High-Sensitivity settings, meaning the more powerful settings will get deafeningly loud.

Furthering its versatility, the iDSD BL also benefits from two proprietary circuitries — Xbass+ and 3D+ — that help correct some common headphone and loudspeaker shortcomings: sub-bass and imaging. While only “on” or “off” via two front panel toggle switches, instead of being active in varying degrees like on the Pro iCAN, these are still very usable EQ-like features.

XBass+ is iFi’s solution to bass deficiency in reference headphones and loudspeakers. Through analog signal processing circuitry, XBass+ provides a noticeable, although sometimes intrusive, bass boost. Much like my experience with the Pro iCAN, I was mostly pleased with how the bass boost integrated into the timbre of the amp, but results obviously vary by recording and headphone/loudspeaker selections. XBass+ nicely boosts the deep bass regions of the Sennheiser HD650, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, and Focal Elear on bass-light recordings. With bass-shy headphones like my old AKG K701 or the updated Q701, XBass+ adds some welcomed warmth and impact. On the other hand, the dark and mysterious AudioQuest NightHawk (review), and the Fostex TH-600 gets boomy with Xbass+. The takeaway here is that you just have to experiment; XBass+ is not a set-it-and-forget-it option.

While XBass+ helps correct bass deficiency, 3D+ helps correct sound stage deficiencies, like that closed-in feeling when the sound is stuck right between your headphones. In other words, 3D+ was designed to create an “out-of-head” headphone listening experience that emulates listening to well-placed loudspeakers in a room.

Much like the XBass+ feature, 3D+ is rather hit-or-miss. I particularly liked this feature on the Pro iCAN, which had varying degrees of impact. On the iDSD BL, 3D+ is again “on” or “off” only, which limits its usability. In particular, I found 3D+ to work well with live recordings and videos, like Ben Howard’s 2015 Glastonbury Festival performance, where it widens the sound stage and makes for a more cohesive and deeper blending of sound. Testing it with the tracks I used in my Pro iCAN review, the 3D+ function again worked well enough with jazz classics like John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” where instrument localization is very apparent and added depth and dimension enhances the experience. Admittedly though, some tracks get too busy and displaced with 3D+ engaged, especially when it has adverse effects in the treble region, injecting a strange artificial tizzy-ness to cymbals or an intrusive reverb effect to the entire track. Here again, it’s a feature that’s easily experimented with. Does it truly emulate properly positioned loudspeakers? No, but with the right tracks, it does make welcomed improvements to that “stuck in your head” feeling during long headphone sessions.



Toned Up

Coming from the Pro iCAN, which was surprisingly neutral and precise, I was expecting more of the same from the iDSD BL, but I was met instead with a tuning tipped towards warmer tones and marginally less precision in detail retrieval and treble clarity. It seems while the iDSD BL still seeks transparency, its tone plays it a bit safe, emphasizing more body in the bass and mids, probably for more versatility with headphone/IEM selection. I suspect this is also in part due to the tuning of the dual-core Burr-Brown DAC chips. For what it’s worth, the iDSD BL sounds more like the tube modes of the Pro iCAN than the solid-state section.

In comparison to my JDS Labs Objective2 headphone amp and OL DAC (review), the iDSD BL offers more bass impact and dimension, even without the XBass+ and 3D+ features engaged. However, the JDS stack takes the edge in neutrality and clarity, which is a touch dry in comparison, but perhaps more sonically accurate. I also still use an older ALO “The Island” at work, which comes off as much warmer and textured in comparison to both.

Overall, my takeaway is that the iDSD BL is relatively crisp and clear, with good bass impact and timbre, a touch rounded in the mids, but with nice dynamics, good space and dimension, and the right amount of treble and resolution for it to be hi-fi without being analytical.

Accuracy and neutrality are what come to mind with the Pro iCAN, which simply lacks a notable “house sound.” The iDSD BL moves a step back from its big sibling, adding a hint of coloration that gives it a touch of flavor for your desktop and portable needs. Add in the simple sound tweaks possible with XBass+ and 3D+ and you have a small amp/DAC that dishes out a darn good listening experience.

Parting Thoughts

Lastly, it’s well worth noting that the iDSD BL’s flexibility doesn’t stop with power and tone controls for your headphone listening sessions. The iDSD BL can serve as a DAC and pre-amp for your powered monitors, where XBass+ and 3D+ also work. It accepts USB and digital coax inputs (and optical/Toslink with the provided adapter) for greater input versatility. It natively plays all DSD, DXD, and PCM files, including Quad-DSD256, Octa-DSD512, and bit-perfect Double-DXD and PCM768. Consider all this on top of the innumerable headphones and IEMs that can be driven efficiently with the various Power Mode and iEMatch configurations and it’s clear that the iDSD BL offers scalability, flexibility, and performance well beyond its weight class.

It’s funny how things work out sometimes. Just before my annual spring/summer hiatus from pursuing #AudioNirvana, I decided to part ways with my Eddie Current Balancing Act amplifier, HiFiMAN HE-6 headphones, and Schiit Yggdrasil DAC as part of a downsizing, capital-raising, not-quite-sure-why-I-am-doing-this selling spree. During the process, the buyers of the HE-6 and Yggy both asked me how they would perform with iFi Audio’s Pro iCAN. Of course, I hadn’t the slightest idea because I had never used an iFi product in any of my personal audio systems. Ironically, the first product I am offered to audition this fall turns out to be the Pro iCAN. So, thank you Lawrance at iFi Audio; now I’ll be able to share some real opinions about this desktop headphone amp the next time someone asks.

Prior to this audition, my experience with iFi stretched as far as a brief audition of the original Micro iCAN at a friend’s and seeing several iFi products compared against Schiit Audio’s. Much like Schiit’s USA-made wares, UK-based iFi has made a mark in the computer audio and headphone scenes for its small, silver, affordable amps, DACs, and power-purifying devices. You’ll often see these two brands going head-to-head in debates on audio forums across the web. Aside from competing in the same spaces with similar products, there’s another reason why these two brands are so well regarded among their fan bases: Quality—both brands benefit from R&D by veterans of high-end audio manufacturers. It doesn’t seem often noted, but iFi’s parent company is Abbingdon Music Research, or AMR. AMR is regarded for making ultra-high-end, reference-class stereo amps, DACs, transports, and other hi-fi wares. The Spirited Uncle Mactually cycles AMR’s DP-777 DAC through The Sound Lab on occasion, which I attest is one sweet piece of equipment. But I digress; my point is that iFi is able to later deploy tried-and-true technology from AMR at a fraction of the cost—enter the Pro series.

The Pro iCAN is iFi’s first flagship product released under the brand’s “Pro” or professional series line. Designed with some trickle-down technology from AMR, the Pro iCAN is iFi’s “studio-grade” headphone amp and preamp, chockfull of features not commonly found in desktop-sized amps, let alone ones priced at $1,699. I can see some iFi fans suffering from initial sticker shock, but this is a distinctly different product from anything iFi has put out before, and it brings far more value and flexibility than you’d first think.

You can read about all of the technically excellent details and specs—like the end-to-end, fully-balanced design, premium components, and incredible dynamic range—on iFi’s website, so I’ll just tell you about the features I liked most.

Tube Flavor

Do you like tube or solid-state sound? Don’t know? The Pro iCAN gives you a taste of both. The Pro iCAN houses individual solid-state and tube amplification sections. A switch on the front panel shifts the Pro iCAN between its Solid-State, Tube, and Tube+ modes, letting you select which circuit sounds best to your ears.

Solid-State mode is notably for you audio purists; employing a pure solid-state circuit using JFET transistors and a fully discrete, Class A power stage. Switching over to one of the two tube modes engages two top-grade General Electric 5670 tubes for an all-valve sonic presentation to give you that taste of tube flavor.

As a tube guy, I unsurprisingly preferred the Tube+ mode, which iFi says “reduces negative feedback to a minimum” and lets a “greater amount of the tubes’ natural harmonics” be produced. Still, I personally found the differences between the solid-state and tube circuits to be little more than subtle overall. My takeaway is that the Pro iCAN in Solid-State mode is crisp, clear, and precise. It has good reach and resolution without being overly dry or analytical. On the other hand, the 5670 tubes introduce a few degrees of mild but welcomed warmth and body to my ears. Bass lines and vocals seemed a touch richer and more involving, dynamics became a bit rounder and less pinpoint precise, and the sound stage opens up just ever so slightly, becoming a share wider and more holographic.

While clearly audible, I admit to wanting a greater sound variance between the different modes—more of that classic tube lushness, make-me-feel-euphoric goodness if you will—but the Pro iCAN remains a dialed and mostly analytical amp across the different modes. Don’t take this as a bad thing; iFi is clearly going for a notably resolving reference sound with the Pro iCAN—just don’t expect it to sound like three completely different amps by switching modes. I know this goes against what some other reviewers have touted, but I stand by my impressions that the solid-state and tube modes only let you subtly tweak the performance to best suit the gear and music you’re enjoying at the time.

In use, I also personally found the Pro iCAN’s wide dynamic range and sonic purity a challenge to describe in detail. Accuracy and neutrality are what come to mind most, which are pretty self-explanatory. Add in the amp’s ample power and the Pro iCAN is simply a lively performer that lacks any notable “house sound” coloration like my Eddie Current, Ray Samuels, and Woo Audio tube amps all had. Again, not a bad thing, just different. Neutrality and resolution in an amp can help a system’s synergy; by essentially getting out of the way, your sources, DACs, headphones, and speakers are given the opportunity to shine—providing they’re resolving enough.

That’s not to say the Pro iCAN is sonically boring. In fact, it’s quite engaging as it’s wide dynamic range and resolution draw out fine details and texture in the music that lesser spec’d amps gloss over. Add in the simple and surprisingly good sound tweaks for those that might need, scratch that, will need them, and you can an amp that packs a powerful punch.

Easy EQ

I generally let my system speak for itself, avoiding digital equalization tools and adjustments that alter the voicing of my gear. But the Pro iCAN packs two very usable EQ-like features into its compact chassis that are impossible to ignore. “XBass” and “3D Holographic” are two proprietary circuitries that help correct two common headphone and loudspeaker shortcomings: sub-bass and imaging.

XBass is iFi’s solution to bass deficiency in reference headphones and loudspeakers. Through analog signal processing circuitry, XBass provides a 12dB boost at the 10, 20, and 40Hz frequencies through a convenient front panel knob that lets you dial in the desired level of bass correction on the fly.

iFi says this implementation is not like traditional tone or loudness controls and is “sonically superior to Digital Signal Processing (DSP) systems.” I don’t know-how to confirm this in a meaningful way, but I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by how well the controlled bass boost integrated into the resolving timbre of the amp. Results obviously vary by recording frequencies and headphone/loudspeaker responses: XBass filled in the nether regions of my Sennheiser HD650 gloriously up to 20Hz but quickly made my AudioQuest NightHawk bloated and boomy with most recordings. XBass is likely more useful for filling out a headphone like the flatter responding AKG K701 or Q701.

Turning to the recording side of things, I found XBass most useful in combating tipped-up rock and anemic live recordings. And while it would have been nice to have varying levels of decibel boosts, the appeal of the 12dB XBass boost is that this easy-on, easy-off feature breathes visceral life into bass-light recordings and headphones/loudspeakers at the turn of a dial, which turns out to be something pretty nice to have—especially for us bassheads.

While XBass helps correct for bass deficiency, 3D Holographic for Headphones helps correct for imaging and sound stage deficiencies when listening to stereo recordings through headphones, meaning that closed-in feeling when the sound is stuck right between your ears. In other words, 3D Holographic was designed to create an “out-of-head” headphone listening experience that parallels listening to loudspeakers in a normal room.

This is something other manufacturers have tried to achieve with software plug-ins and crossfeed features, but as iFi explains, 3D Holographic for Headphones “is not based on a standard crossfeed system, as found in some high-end headphone amplifiers. Many so-called ‘3D systems’ are usually DSP based that artificially effect the sound and add unwanted reverb in order to simulate a ‘spacious’ type of sound.

“It’s true that traditional crossfeed tends to produce an ‘out-of-head’ sound, but with much diminished spatial components and a narrower soundstage,” iFi continues, adding that these implementations often produce “unnatural, echo-like sound, which may initially be impressive, but soon becomes tiring.” By contrast, iFi claims 3D Holographic for Headphones, which was developed based on research extending back to the 1980s, is the first system in commercial production to achieve the desirable out-of-head imaging rendered without added reverb.

Because the Pro iCAN is the first amp I have tried with a feature of this kind, all I’m willing to say is that I generally liked whatever was happening when turning the 3D Holographic front panel dial from off to the 30°, 60°, and 90° Loudspeaker Angle settings. Much like the XBass feature, 3D Holographic has varying degrees of impact. In particular, I found 3D Holographic to gradually widen the sound stage in each increment, especially with must-own jazz classics like John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” where instrument localization is often strongly apparent. Studio recordings by Ben Howard and John Mayer’s various live albums also gained noticeably more depth and dimension by cranking the dial, although electronic tracks from the likes of Bonobo and Moderat seemed to benefit in lesser degrees.

During my time with the Pro iCAN, I often found myself cranking the 3D Holographic dial all the way to the 90° setting for the fun of it, which created a more lively listening experience at the expense of some precision. The 90° setting generally gushed with the greatest sense of space and width, moving the sound stage from dead center in my head to the edges of my ears. Admittedly, some tracks can get too busy and displaced sounding in this mode and in some instances cymbals and strings tacked on a strange artificial sounding tizzy-ness. So, it’s safe to say results will vary—implement as needed. As a guy who also has a listening room with a loudspeaker setup, I won’t say that 3D Holographic truly emulates properly positioned loudspeakers, but it takes welcomed and major steps in incrementally making headphones far more bearable and spatially believable, especially during long listening sessions when that “stuck in your head” feeling gets fatiguing.

Heady Options

Lastly, as I own and audition a lot of different headphones and IEMs with different types of cables, I thoroughly like the flexibility and scalability packed into the Pro iCAN. Never have I had a headphone amp that had every jack I needed, let alone one that could play well with every headphone or IEM I threw at it. The Pro iCAN never failed to impress here.

Armed with a host of balanced (3.5mm TRRS, two x 6.3mm, two x 3-pin XLR, and 4-pin XLR) and unbalanced (3.5mm and 6.3mm) headphone outputs, outside of some exotic cable types, the Pro iCAN has compatibility covered.

Better even, regardless of whether I had a sensitive IEM or a power-hungry full-size headphone connected, there was absolutely zero background noise or that annoying gain hiss—even in Tube mode with the volume knob cranked to the max.

What’s more, the Pro iCAN pumps out up to 20V via its balanced outputs, which is equivalent to 100W into a 4 Ohm speaker. Pair this ample power with the variable gain stages (0dB, +9dB, +18dB) and the Pro iCAN easily drives just about every headphone on the market with accuracy and ease—including the venerable HiFiMAN HE-6 and AKG K1000.

Parting Thought

With plenty of single-ended and balanced inputs and outputs, pretty much every headphone jack you could ever need, a ton of power, a few unique tone-tweaking features, great specs, and packed-in premium components, the Pro iCAN packs a powerful punch, offering scalability, flexibility, and performance. Oh, and it sounds darn good. If you’re already an iFi fan, you’ll undoubtedly like the Pro iCAN. If you’ve never tried an iFi product, the Pro iCAN is unlikely to disappoint. Without a doubt iFi’s flagship Pro iCAN is a headphone amp and pre-amp I can live with.

Its sound is as unique as its looks. Its place in the market is as contested as its creator’s cables—OK maybe not that contested. And its performance appears to be either loved or hated. So often in audio, enthusiasts position a product in the black or white, better or worse, endgame or bust. But if there’s anything I can say about my audio experiences, it’s that every product worth writing about, discussing, photographing, and hearing has a place. For me, the NightHawk’s place is wherever I do my late-night listening.

It’s fall, which means my outdoor activities are winding down for the season, night comes early, and the tubes on my amp start glowing a bit more. It’s that time of year when longer nights get passed in pursuit of #AudioNirvana. Whether its name was aptly chosen or just coincidental I don’t know, but after 10 months with AudioQuest’s first-ever headphone (yes, I was late to the game), I find myself reaching for the NightHawk whenever I’m settling in for the evening. There’s just something about its uniquely rich tuning that compliments the albums I spin up when I want to drift off into the darkness. But this isn’t a realization that came quickly for me.

At first listen you’ll think something is amiss with the NightHawk—or at least I did. In fact, I hated it the first time I put it on my head—and quickly cursed myself for dropping a couple hundred dollars on a lightly used unit. Sure, it looks lovely and is surprisingly comfortable, but its sound made no sense to me, and it still continues to surprise me from time to time.

To my ears, at first listen, the NightHawk comes off as sounding kind of hollow and reverb-y, almost too unbalanced, like a half empty music venue during sound check. This feeling is further reinforced when quickly switching to the NightHawk from headphones like Sennheiser’s HD650 or Beyerdynamic’s Amiron Home, which both have more forward, mid-centric tunings. But when you pause, sit back, and actually listen, giving your ears and brain several minutes to acclimate, you start to hear a darkness in the NightHawk, a deep musical presentation that’s actually far more revealing, natural, and delicate than expected. And, given time to immerse your ears in its sound, AudioQuest’s NightHawk proves to be a true high-fidelity headphone—albeit a polite one.

What I mean by polite is that the NightHawk plays it safe with its warm and inviting sound signature that’s skewed to the lower end of the response curve. The powerful bass and rolled off treble will undoubtedly be deterrents to audio purists looking for flat response curves, but this is what I like about the NightHawk. It easily hides the flaws of weak recordings and low-res streaming audio; sibilance and tipped-up treble are non-existent; and the mid-range tuning is dialed in to a point where it retains nice vocal and instrumental clarity and detail retrieval without being forward or analytical. All this combined is why I say the NightHawk is excellent for late-night listening. It’s relaxed, it’s deep, it’s dark, and yet it’s still detailed enough to be hi-fi but non-fatiguing.

The trouble with comparisons is that I find the NightHawk to be pretty unique—it’s not really like anything else that I have heard or owned. I mean, it makes the HD650 sound downright thin and aggressive. The NightHawk’s visceral bass can be thick and meaty, the mids a touch relaxed and passive, and the treble tame by all accounts, but in the grand scheme of things, the presentation, while lacking punchy presence, is intimately intriguing. Because of its relaxed nature, the NightHawk actually draws you further into the listening experience, which is what finally reveals the details it achieves in all its subtlety.

If I had to place the NightHawk somewhere among some of its peers, I’d say it takes after Meze Audio’s 99 Classics and ZMF Headphones’ Ori, which favor darker, smoother, and ultimately safer sound signatures at the expense of some upper-mid and treble detail and extension. One could argue the NightHawk is similar to Shure’s SRH840 and SRH1540 as well, but I find both to have more cutting mids and treble, despite both also being considered darker in nature.

Only being semi-open, the NightHawk also doesn’t expel the expansive 3D extension or airiness of fully-open planar magnetic or dynamic driver headphones. Given the NightHawk’s tuning, a sound stage that extends about an inch beyond the cups still seems like an accomplishment to me, and I think its controlled, natural tone and timbre make up for added sound stage depth and height anyway. Don’t take that as me saying the NightHawk sounds claustrophobic, if anything it’s that the NightHawk centers the sound stage with nice accuracy but less extension. The takeaway here is that I encourage you to give the NightHawk a fair listen before deciding it is or isn’t for you.

Whether its sound is for you or not, you have to respect the thought put into the NightHawk. AudioQuest spared no expense in the design and engineering of its debut headphone. From the sustainable liquefied wood cups, to the truly loudspeaker-like biocellulose drivers and 3D-printed grilles that are real functioning acoustic diffusers, the NightHawk is as over-engineered as AudioQuest’s cables—and that’s not a bad thing.

This is a headphone that makes me feel like I actually got my money’s worth—in fact, it’s a stealin today’s headphone market that keeps pushing prices higher and higher. Inside and out, the NightHawk exudes quality. In fit and finish, the NightHawk is polished, clean-lined, sturdy, and minimalistic. Every part has a thoughtful purpose without excess embellishments. In particular, I really like the leather-wrapped elastic suspension strap, which allows precise positioning on the head and ears in comparison to standard headbands or yokes that have set positions to “click” into. The suspension strap is also receptive of my go-to headband mod for those looking for extra padding or that need to lessen the extension of the strap. The ear cups also are held on the yokes by a unique suspension system that allows them to articulate and easily conform to the shape of your head, making for a very comfortable fit. I find it quite easy to wear the NightHawk for several hours at a time.

The NightHawk also maintains a cohesive look and feel, seamlessly integrating into the style and branding of all things AudioQuest if that sort of thing matters to you. Of course, the NightHawk also comes with AudioQuest’s high-end star quad direct silver-plated pure red copper cable (removable), a silver-plated pure red copper ¼" headphone plug adapter, and a nice padded leather storage case.

With its uniquely deep and inviting tuning, excellent comfort, impressive design, and quality build and accessories, I think the NightHawk warrants a serious audition. To me, the NightHawk isn’t so black and white—it falls somewhere in the gray, not quite endgame, but still an underrated instrument and excellent addition to a flock of headphones that deliver different degrees of Audio Nirvana.

 
Meant to be married to the OL DAC, the O2 headphone amp matches it in shape, size and simplicity. What’s neat about the O2 is that JDS Labs allows for some simple customizations—you can choose the headphone jack size (3.5mm or ¼”), input type (RCA or 3.5mm), gain levels, and power jack location (front or rear panel), and whether to have it with or without a built-in DAC and lithium batteries for portable use. I went with a rear-mounted power jack and RCA input, so my front panel is nice and simple with just the power button, headphone jack, volume knob, gain button and a red LED power indicator (why red instead of green to match the OL DAC? I don’t know, but it kind of bothers my OCD).

So how’s the little black box sound? Well, it follows the open source amplifier design from the aforementioned NwAvGuy. In other words, it targets benchmark performance at a budget cost ($129). So, much like the OL DAC, the O2 amp aims for transparency. Or maybe a better way to put it is simplicity. 

For those of you that are used to colored amps, there’s nothing romantic about the O2. In fact, it’s likely to come off as a bit dry, a bit sterile, a bit, well, boring, just like the OL DAC. That is, unless your DAC is colored in another way. After all, all the O2 really does is amplify the signal in front of it, which means a great recording, a nice DAC and a stellar sounding headphone or IEM is what’s needed to put you on the path to #AudioNirvana.

The best thing about the O2, sonically speaking, is its versatility. It has the power and dynamic range to drive anything from a sensitive IEM to a power hungry dynamic headphone with authority. The semi-picky Sennheiser HD650, for example, gets plenty loud and hits with modest authority in high-gain mode. The O2 can also play any genre of music well, because, well, you’re hearing the music and the rest of your equipment for what it is. The caveat here is that you need to plan for this. Meaning, the O2 is going to do absolutely nothing to hide poor recordings, and if you favor a darker, warmer sound signature, you’ll want to choose a headphone with those characteristics rather than something analytical like the reference level AKG K701. Or, you could always dabble with some EQ software to fine tune your setup. 

With the OL/O2 combo, which is what I assume a lot of you reading this review are considering purchasing, you’re getting a pair of neutral performers, nothing more, nothing less. This stack isn’t going to romanticize your music collection. Rather, it’s going to allow you to focus on the music and hone your efforts on choosing the IEM or headphone that best suits your musical taste. 

I’ve mainly been running the rounds with the Audioquest Nighthawk, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, Meze Audio 99 Classics and Sennheiser HD650. The OL/O2 drives each of these headphones with ease and enjoyment, although none come off as being quite as airy, lush or three-dimensional as when pushed with a powerful tube amp (just my personal preference), the warm characteristics of each is conveyed cleanly and with good. Although these are all darker sounding headphone, I liked the pairings because it brought some balance to the neutrality of the OL/O2 stack. The consistent instrument separation and detail retrieval of the OL/O2 pairing is solid. The sound stage is modest, extending maybe three to four inches out around the head. Stereo imaging is dead center, although I do selfishly lust for a more holographic presentation. As someone who favors really lush sounding gear, this little stack can sound a bit flat to my ears—bass notes hit with impact, but often lack resonance; mids are clear, but are light on warmth; treble is crisp and detailed, and never too brittle, but airiness and texture seem overly controlled. But all of this is inherent in neutral, transparent solid state amps and DACs. Boring can also be better; the neutrality of this combo makes it an excellent setup for audio purists and gear reviewers because it reveals more accurately what a particular recording, headphone or IEM can and cannot do. 

Overall, I generalize the OL/O2 stack as being crisp, clear, controlled and consistent. Sure, it can be boring for those that favor the ooey gooey goodness of lush and distorted tube gear, but boring isn’t always bad. In fact, these little black boxes are probably one of the best places to start for new budget-minded audiophiles looking to learn just what it is they like and lust for. 

 
I know a lot of people say a DAC is a DAC is a DAC, but I’m not one of them. A DAC’s chipset and its implementation, among other things, play a very real role in determining how it sounds. Well, the OL DAC doesn’t really sound like anything, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Quite the contrary. The OL DAC is audibly transparent, which makes it a great reviewer’s tool. But what about for the rest of you? 

Satisfactorily small and straightforward, the OL DAC was, as JDS Labs’ Jude Hopper  and John Seaber tell me, “an accidental child.”

As the company was experimenting with single-unit prototype DAC/amp combinations based on the open source amp design philosophy of acclaimed audio blogger NwAvGuy, it became apparent that the best bench tests came by way of standalone self-powered units. A standalone DAC design also allowed JDS Labs to better implement its USB and Optical inputs—a move aimed at appeasing customer demand for support for games consoles, CD/DVD players and other devices. And, so, the OL DAC was brought to market. 

But let’s be honest, it’s not an “exciting” product—it’s just an affordable DAC ($139) that does its DAC duties well. And that’s why people love it. The roughly 4”x3”x1” box provides nothing but the basics. On the backside there’s one plug-and-play USB Audio Class 1 input (16/44.1 thru 24/96), one Optical input (16/44.1 thru 24/192), one gold-plated RCA 2.0V output, and a jack for the 15VAC linear power supply. On the minimalist front there’s a power button, USB/Optical slider switch and single green LED. Inside you get the premium AKM AK4490EQ DAC chip—which also appears in high-end audio components from the likes of Astel&Kern, ESOTERIC, Marantz and others—that’s summed by an ultra-low noise and wide bandwidth Texas Instruments OPA2227 operational amplifier. Done. 

As I mentioned, one of the things I appreciate about the OL DAC is that it’s very transparent—there’s no coloration, or hints of overemphasis in any specific area of the dynamic range. Mating it to my O2, Eddie Current Balancing Act or HiFiMan EF-6 allows the traits of each to become readily apparent, not to mention what my head gear or speakers are doing. For tube audio fans, eliminating the influences of an audibly colored DAC allows for more immersive and effective tube rolling. Add in the fact that the OL DAC has an absolute noiseless, pitch-black background and nice detail retrieval, and that whole search for system synergy gets a little bit easier. 

The downside here, if you can call it that, is that transparent can be “boring”. It’s not what I would consider especially lush or organic (my preference); it’s just clean and clear and conveys a good sound stage. But the point is that you can marry this little low noise, low jitter, low distortion DAC to any amp you wish and end up with banging budget audiophile results (did I mention that the OL DAC is $139?). There are no surprises with the OL DAC, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

 
Budget audiophile brand Brainwavz Audio is back at it, closing out 2016 and kicking off 2017 with a bevy of new earphone offerings. Their timing was just right. Shortly before leaving for an eight-day cruise around the Caribbean, Brainwavz hit me up looking for my thoughts on the recently released M100 high fidelity audio earphone.

Claiming to be crafted from aircraft grade metal, and boasting hand-crafted 8mm dynamic drivers tuned to present a “wide soundstage, well defined bass and clarity,” the M100 seemed like the perfect lightweight and durable travel companion. In the carry-on it went. Thanks Brainwavz.

A four-and-a-half hour flight is never fun, but it did give me plenty of time to start putting the M100 through its paces.

Unboxing & Accessories

The M100 comes in a pretty minimalistic black and white carton containing a plastic inner tray that keeps packaging modest, although not as minimal as it could be. It's simple and functional and it’s what I’ve come to expect from Brainwavz. Inside, you’ll find everything neatly packed and organized—basically the opposite of my camera pack.

For the $89.50 you’ll part with to add the M100 to your portable audio arsenal, you get an array of accessories—something Brainwavz thankfully never skimps on. The M100 includes their branded zippered hard case, Velcro cable tie and shirt clip, a set of premium Comply foam ear tips, a set of bi-flange silicone ear tips, and two sets each of standard S, M, and L silicone ear tips (Because you know you're going to lose one, or maybe three. Don’t judge me). No complaints here.

What I can complain about is the cable. More specifically, the three-button in-line mic/remote that didn’t fully function with my Motorola Android smartphone. Brainwavz says the remote is compatible with Apple devices and “most Android phones,” so I guess I fall outside of “most.” This isn’t the first time my Droid hasn’t played nice with in-line mics or remotes, and it’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but it’s still a disappointment. Your results may vary. This caveat aside, the cable is a simple twisted braid of OFC copper terminated with a gold-plated 3.5mm plug that’s extremely lightweight, falls nicely and has minimal microphonics, which is most welcomed when, say, you’re hiking through a humid rainforest to see a dormant volcano (Deploying the shirt clip is highly recommended).

Performance

About that hike; the M100 is a simple cylindrical earphone that's intended to sit comfortably with the tip and nozzle in your ear canal while the majority of the housing protrudes out from it. As you can guess, this doesn’t bode well for the active audiophile. In fact, the M100 popped out of my ears several times regardless of whether I routed the cable up and around my ear or wore it straight down. Swapping out the silicone ear tips for the Comply foam tips did help, but I’d recommend an in-ear monitor to real active audiophiles—like the Brainwavz XF-200 (review) if you want something super affordable to bang around in or my preferred Shure SE215 (review).

While we’re on the topic of ear tips, let’s get my regular disclaimer to beginner audiophiles out of the way. With the large assortment of ear tips offered with the M100, it’s important to test each set. Tip selection is critical with earphones and IEMs, and I strongly encourage you to take the time to choose the ear tip that fits each ear best—emphasis on best and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort and isolation improve greatly with the ideal tip. For me, the Comply foam tips worked best. When you’re trying to block out the drone of a jet plane, for example, the Comply tips offer far greater noise isolation and improved comfort for long listening sessions, plus some much needed bass control.

About that bass, the M100 is simply a mid-bass monster. As in, it’s about all you really hear. Sure, the M100 has some sub-bass and mids and a hint of treble, but the clear emphasis is on a rising mid-bass hump that dominates the rest of the M100’s dynamic range. Having reviewed Brainwavz’s more affordable and balanced M1 (review) and S0 (review) earphones, I honestly found the M100’s tuning to be disappointing from a versatility standpoint. Despite the marketing claims that the M100 is “suitable for most genres of music,” I feel that the thick mid-bass bleeds too far into the somewhat muddied and polite descending mid-range and treble frequencies to be suitable for any type of critical listening of high fidelity audio. Rather, this tuning is more suited for less complex rap, dancehall, deep house and electronic/EDM where unruly and even boomy bass is often welcomed and seemingly “fun.” I like fun. I also like to hear all of what was recorded in the studio.

What’s most interesting about the M100’s tuning is how the mid-range and treble responses fall off, rather sharply, in fact. To visualize it, the M100 isn’t U- or V-shaped—it’s slanted. As soon as you get out of the mid-bass range, the upper frequencies slowly get sucked out until right near the start of the treble region and then the bottom falls out. It’s no secret that I generally favor a slightly darker, warmer and fuller sounding earphone or headphone over something analytical, but the M100 sacrifices too much mid-range and treble presence and detail for my taste. If you’re super sensitive to sibilance or high frequencies, though, the M100’s darkness may sound just right to you, just know that the utter lack of upper frequency response also inhibits the M100’s ability to inject any air or sense of space and dimensionality into the soundstage. The sound is right in your ear, right in your head—those favorable phantom images we hunt for in our quest to reach Audio Nirvana be damned. I’m still looking for that “wide soundstage, well defined bass and clarity” Brainwavz promised.

Regardless of whether I pushed the M100 with my smartphone or Hidizs AP100 DAP on the go, or my ALO Audio The Island DAC/amp or JDS Labs OL DAC and 02 amp back home, my impressions remained the same. Strong vocalists came off as a touch flat and recessed; bass notes were untamed and often flubby during complex tracks; snare drums didn’t really bite or crack; cymbals lacked shimmer; guitars struggled to separate themselves from bloated bass lines; brass instruments sounded veiled. Of course, this is in “stock” listening form. You can EQ the hell out of the M100 to make it sound quite different. But who wants to do that, especially when you would have to try to match your preferred EQing across each device you listen on providing that’s even an option. No thanks.

Now I realize these listening impressions may seem a bit harsh, but, to me, the M100 sounds like something meant to compete with Beats or Bose earphones at a lower price point. The M100’s sound is what I’ll call safe; it’s bassy and overly warm, the muted mids pull back vocalists that should be front and center, and the sharply rolled off treble effortlessly hides the grain and harshness of poor recordings and compressed streaming audio. It’s basically what most  mass consumer brands aim to achieve. But audiophiles are a different breed and have much different expectations for what sounds musical.

Bottom Line

After nine days of traveling throughout the Caribbean where the M100 got its fair share of salt, sun, sweat and more, it still looks new. The build quality and material choices are simply solid. In those regards, Brainwavz has put out another quality product. For $89.50 you basically get a stealthy, well-built, durable earphone with a plethora of accessories, a two-year warranty, and—unfortunately, in my opinion—a bassy, unbalanced sound signature that’s best suited for bumping Sia and Sean Paul remixes (If that’s your guilty pleasure, you’re in luck). Where the M100 really falls short is when it comes to true “high fidelity audio.” You want bass? More specifically mid-bass? You got it. You want balance and detail and clarity that seamlessly spans multiple genres, you’ll be better served by some of Brainwavz’s other offerings or elsewhere.

1. BRING IT HOME

   
   
   
    ​
   Having owned Beyerdynamic’s DT990 PRO and acclaimed T90 headphones early on in my journey to #AudioNirvana, I thought I knew what I was getting into when I was offered a review unit of the T90’s recently-released successor, the Amiron Home. I was dead wrong. In other words, wow. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
   
   If you’re familiar with the house sound of Beyerdynamic’s high-end headphones, you’ll feel right at home when you fire up the Amiron Home, which doesn’t stray too, too far from what has been a successful sonic signature for decades. Instead, the Amiron Home offers a much-welcomed refinement of it—a fine-tuning that easily makes this headphone an end-game contender. Yes, you read that right—it’s that good. 
   
   For the Amiron Home, Beyerdynamic engineers have been hard at work refining everything loved about the T90 (spaciousness, clarity, realism)—and fixing everything that was hated about it (namely sibilance and the peaky and sometimes strident treble). Beyerdynamic also states that it further refined its Tesla technology for the Amiron Home, modifying the transducers to further diminish unwanted vibrations and completely eliminate annoying treble resonances. I’m not one to usually buy into a brand’s marketing speak right off the bat, but the way Beyerdynamic describes the Amiron Home is almost exactly how my ears hear it—and that’s an amazing feat because you’ve got to be picky along this hi-fi highway.
   
   Home Sweet Home
   
   At first listen, the Amiron Home is not at all what I expected, and that’s a good thing. Being fondly familiar with the overly-excited bass and treble of the DT990 PRO (review), the cutting clarity and cool, edgy traits of the T90 (review), and the clinical precision of the T1, I thought the Amiron Home would fall somewhere in line with the three. The honest truth, though, is that the Amiron Home is really a headphone all its own, picking and choosing traits of each to evolve into something much more. In fact, the Amiron Home is likely the richest and most balanced Beyerdynamic headphone I’ve heard to date.
    

   “Amiron Home is our invitation to pure musical enjoyment: Just sit back in your favourite chair and let the sound carry you away.”

   Click to expand...

   Yes, please. 
   
   From top to bottom the Amiron Home is crisp, clean and controlled. It exhibits excellent detail retrieval. It’s tonally rich and engaging. It has presence and space. It’s intimate and cohesive. It’s everything you could want in a headphone, and maybe more, because it exhibits all of this without ever overdoing any of it. 
   
   So let’s start at the beginning. 
   
   Early on The Spirited Uncle M taught me that reaching the elusive state of Audio Nirvana isn’t just about how good your gear is, it’s also about how good your recordings are. Enter Dave Grusin’s Homage to Duke, a digital master by GPR Records, and one of the best sounding Redbook CDs I have heard. While this album won’t tickle everyone’s fancy, it really reveals exactly what your gear is capable of, which makes it an excellent test album for discerning listeners—exactly who Beyerdynamic is targeting with the Amiron Home.
    

   “More precise than ever, the sound tuning will amaze even the most discerning music enthusiasts.”

   Click to expand...

   Again, I won’t argue with Beyerdynamic’s claims. Right from the start of Homage to Duke, I was thrust into the studio alongside the ensemble. Cymbals shimmer and cut cleanly through the clutter, ringing incredibly true to life with really nice timbre and decay. Bass notes, whether from strings or kick drums, reach deep and hit with speed, punch and precision. Horns and pianos are full of gusto. Vocals are both natural and engaging.
   
   Overall, the Amiron Home has a sweetness and balance throughout its dynamic range that its predecessors lacked—you can forget bass bloat or bloom that drowns out the mid-range and that dreaded harsh sibilance and tizzy, tipped-up treble that you’ve likely seen cursed on audio forums around the WWW. The Amiron Home truly delivers on its promise to bring you concert-quality sound that’s defined by precise bass, transparent mids and clear highs.
   
   The Amiron Home’s rich tonality and resolution were particular standouts for me. The new tuning brings much-needed warmth to the Beyerdynamic line. I dare say that the Amiron Home makes the Sennheiser HD650—a headphone commonly regarded for its lush mids and analog sound signature—sound quite hollow while also besting it at just about everything with the exception of, perhaps, overall soundstage width. For me, the Amiron Home’s overall sound is what I’ll call believable; it’s realistic and natural. Add in the crispness achieved throughout the dynamic range and you gain a great deal of detail being pushed into your ears without ever coming off as aggressive or fatiguing.
   
   From the most sensitive snare strikes, to the gutsiest trumpet blasts, it’s easy to take in all the Amiron Home can render. On “Caravan” for instance, I could practically make out the sound of the drum tips’ impacts separate from the actual notes of the drum heads and cymbals. This sort of theme continues in Matthew Halsall’s “Finding my Way” off of Fletcher Moss Park. The elaborate drum work throughout this track is really enjoyable to sit back and absorb through the Amiron Home as it excels at instrument separation and layering, giving each musician depth and a clear and cohesive phantom position that reveals the micro-details of their performance. 
   
   What’s most refreshing about the Amiron Home is that it accomplishes all of these feats with damn near every genre of music. Ben Howard, Bjork, Daughter, Dave Grusin, Ghostpoet, Matthew Halsall, Miles Davis, Lucy Rose, Moderat, Odesza, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Sublime, The Counting Crows, and on and on.... While most headphones I’ve owned or reviewed excel in some areas but suffer in others (Yes, even my several times more expensive Audeze LCD-X, Hifiman HE-6, and Sennheiser HD800 have their faults), the Amiron Home, in my opinion, is a strong performer through-and-through.
   
   Where the Magic Happens
   
   In the words of The Spirited Uncle M, however, I must caution to the up-and-coming audiophile, “crap in, crap out.” As stellar as the Amiron Home can be, feed it bad recordings or through questionable gear and you’ll be left wondering what the hell happened to your “high-end” headphones. The Amiron Home, like any true audiophile-grade high-fidelity headphone, is pitiless—it’s not going to hide the pitfalls of your song selections or system like the lush and euphoric Meze Headphones 99 Classics might be able to. The “downside” of such clarity is that the Amiron Home will only sound as good as what’s in front of it. But if you’re dropping $599 on the Amiron Home, chances are you’ve already invested a good amount of time and money into building your music collection and front end. 
   
   Don’t mistake my warning as me saying that the Amiron Home will only sound good out of top-tier gear. In fact, with its highly-efficient dynamic transducers, the Amiron Home can sing loud and proud out of something as simple as a tablet streaming hi-res audio if you really want or need it to. Better though is a small desktop amp/DAC combo, like the JDS Labs Objective2 and OL DAC, which the Amiron Home starts to flex its muscle with. But the Amiron Home is truly intended to be plugged into a highly resolving home audio system—that’s when the magic really happens. 
   
   My main listening room rig is made up of the Eddie Current Balancing Act amplifier, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DAC and Sony DVP-S9000ES SACD player. I’m not trying to boast here, but the organic transparency of the Yggy blended with the tubey goodness of the ECBA turn the Amiron Home into something enchanted. 
   
   Daughter’s haunting music becomes ever more holographic. Miles Davis and John Coltrane become phantom figures in the listening room. Jenni Potts turns into something angelic among Odesza’s electronic vibes. The Amiron Home scales. It’s spacious, but intimate. It’s cutting, but comforting. It’s layered, but cohesive. It tricks you into thinking you’re in the concert hall or studio, and then it hits you right between the eyes. It’s the definition of high-fidelity audio. 
   
   Fits & Finishes 
   
   Oh yeah, the Amiron Home is pretty darn comfortable too. It’s almost an afterthought that it’s on my head. Beyerdynamic headphones have always been some of the easiest for me to wear, but the Amiron Home takes fit and finish up a notch. The circular ear pads are roomy and use high-quality Alcantara coverings that let your ears breathe, and the supple headband padding is wrapped in Microvelour, both of which are very soft and high-end in look and feel. These changes, combined with the light clamping force and even weight distribution, allow the Amiron Home to sit very lightly on the head. Even after extended, hours-long listening sessions, I never experienced any hot spots from headband pressure despite the fact that the Amiron Home weighs in at a middle-of-the-road 340 grams. However Beyerdynamic pulls this off makes no difference to me, because all I care about is that it makes for an excellent listening experience.
   
   Bring It Home
   
   From fit and finish, to sound quality and price-to-performance, Beyerdynamic nails it with the Amiron Home—there’s no denying that this is a high-end, hi-fi headphone (it’s even handmade in Germany to boot). It’s exciting and engaging, uniquely fresh and refined, and easily an endgame headphone. The Amiron Home has found a home in my listening room, so I think I’ll head back there now. Audio Nirvana awaits.
   
   
   

 
As I sit here in the cubicle of my nine-to-five anxiously awaiting payday, I’m happily rockin’ a review unit of Noble Audio’s Trident—the $399 “entry-level” in-ear monitor (IEM) in the Santa Barbara, Calif.-based company’s new Classic universal line—and wondering how much of that paycheck I’ll actually end up holding onto.

For a few weeks now, I’ve been enjoying what Noble Audio describes as one of its “Generic fit in-ear monitors for immediate gratification with little commitment.” You see, the Trident and its siblings in the new Classic universal line forgo costly all-out custom designs and molds in order to lower the price point. But at $399, I’ll argue that the Trident still requires buying “commitment.” Heck, it should even be safe from what The Spirited Uncle M would call “Cheap, cheap, cheap.”

But is its poppy performance worth the premium?

Drop a Bundle, Get a Box

But not just any box. A $399 IEM should arrive in style, right? Noble Audio doesn’t disappoint—appearances are a big part of the brand. The Trident arrives in a fitted cardboard outer carton embellished with Noble Audio’s crown; flipping the top open reveals an elegantly stylized matte display black box with “Noble” and “Wizard” branding in contrasting gloss black fonts. Slide the top off and you come face to face with a genuine, made in the USA, Pelican 1010 water-resistant, dustproof and crushproof micro case that holds the goods you’ve been waiting for. 

All That You Need, or Almost

There’s no skimping on accessories. Packed in the Pelican 1010 micro case is a branded black velvet storage pouch, two branded rubber gear bands, two large stickers, an earwax removal tool and cleaning brush, one carabiner, 11 sets of ear tips (including foam and hybrid and bi-flange silicone options) secured on an aluminum card that rests perfectly inside the Pelican case, and a matching aluminum owner’s card. In other words, everything that you need to enjoy the Trident is included—with the exception of a shirt clip. 

No shirt clip, no deal? Nah, but shirt clips do help with cable security and minimizing cable thumping when on the go (just something to consider Noble Audio).

Speaking of the cable, the Trident’s is a detachable no-nonsense four-wire braid in gloss black that terminates into standard two-pin connectors at the IEM and a slim 3.5mm plug at the business end. It’s super light and super pliable, has absolute minimal microphonics, memory tubing guides the cable over the ear and a clear sliding tube acts as a chin lock, and its only embellishment is a small metallic Y splitter. It gets the job done and that’s about all that has to be said about it. And before you ask, no, there’s no inline mic or remote.

A Fitting Finish

Noble Audio makes good looking IEMs (check out this #audioporn). End of story. Seriously though, there’s a lot to like about the two-tone Trident. Its two-piece housing has a machined aluminum faceplate that’s dimpled like a golf ball, or maybe a honey comb, and is emblazoned with a recessed Noble Audio crown logo. Despite being unseen when in use, the deep gray composite shell is infused with silver flecks. The new housing isn’t just supposed to look good though, it’s also supposed have a better fit and feel compared to past generic-fit models. 

As a Noble Audio newbie I can’t confirm that, but I can confirm that the Trident is incredibly light, allowing for long listening sessions without the slightest hint of ear fatigue. The Trident really disappears in the ear—only figuratively, of course, because the Trident’s egg-shaped profile and bulbous housing positions it prominently in the ear.

In other words, don’t expect a fully flush or discrete fit. How the Trident’s housing and funnel-shaped nozzle mate with your ear determines how far in it will sit and how secure the fit will be.

Ear tip selection is important here. Take the time to test the different sizes and styles to determine which tip fits and performs best. I personally only liked the large foam tips. They gave me the most secure fit and isolation, but I still didn’t feel confident enough to don the $399 Trident in the gym or on my bike. For what it’s worth, my ears tend to be picky with IEMs; there are plenty of Noble Audio aficionados that find the fit to be very, very good indeed. 

The Sound of U

Looks and fits don’t matter much if the sound isn’t stellar. Thankfully, the Trident’s “pop” rendition can be downright riveting—with the right music. Fire up The Sound Apprentice Electric Vibes Spotify playlist and see how long you can resist the urge to dance right out of your listening chair. Head bobbing and toe tapping, at the very least, become mandatory when the Trident’s three independently-tuned balanced armature drivers start firing. 

The Trident nails audiophile-grade snap, crackle and pop. With a U-shaped sonic signature defined by quick, punchy bass, crisp, cool mids, and slightly elevated highs, the Trident effortlessly energizes the music it’s injecting into your ears. Poppy electronic beats? Yes, please. Queue up some Odesza and Purity Ring, Bonobo and Tycho, Phantogram and Glass Animals and hear what the Trident can do. 

Bass is a particular strong suit of the Trident, or maybe I should say clean bass. The Trident doesn’t rumble your eardrums with boomy beats, it delivers a refined low-end with effortless extension. It’s markedly clean and controlled; it hits just hard enough and then gets out of the way. Sure, a touch more sub-bass would sound more club-like, but the Trident’s balanced tone and timbre and fast pace are more along the lines of what reaching Audio Nirvana is all about.

Shifting into the mid-range, clean and controlled remains the name of the game. Crisp and clear, and maybe a touch cool, the Trident tames chesty vocalists and leans out acoustic guitars and brass instruments—standard fare for a “pop” sound signature that demands that bass and treble reign supreme. Don’t mistake this as meaning that the mids are so recessed that they’re blown out by the bass and trampled over by the treble; I’m just saying that the Trident wouldn’t be my first choice for playing back Damien Rice’s delicate tracks or something visceral from Deftones. Dirty Heads and Mac Miller I can get down with, though, because the Trident still knows how to move this kind of music with liveliness and a good amount of detail and texture—from finger snaps and hand claps, to tom-toms and synths, all are rendered cleanly with excellent clarity and crispness that’s further emphasized by the Trident’s treble.

Tinged with a touch of extra sparkle, the Trident’s treble effortlessly springs into action. It’s articulate and alive, but not quite aggressive. It toes the line of being sizzly, then surprises by retreating to deliver solid snare snaps and cutting cymbal taps. It’s not grainy, but it’s got zing. It zips through thick bass lines, but refrains from getting too glassy or harsh despite being quite revealing. Hot, treble-heavy recordings certainly come off as brittle, but you can’t really blame the Trident for that. The Trident wasn’t made to tame toppy recordings, it was made to energize your music, and it does just that. 

All said and done, the Trident pretty much nails the “pop” sound. Plus, it sounds big. The Trident exhibits an expansive headstage, at times sounding closer to what you’d get out of a full-size, closed-back headphone—the music hits right between your eyes and stretches well beyond your ears. It has ambiance. It stirs up phantom images. Play Yosi Horikawa’s “Bubbles” and you’ll really hear what I mean. 

The Trident is also hypersensitive. Even without an amp the Trident gets loud quick, but I won’t steer you away from using one—$399 IEMs deserve to be fed the best signal you can give them. Just beware that too much gain can cause some current hiss, but that’s typical of sensitive IEMs.

With its articulate and airy three-dimensional sound stage, there’s little to dislike about the Trident. I’ll just point out a few of things to think about. The Trident’s pop sound signature limits its versatility. If you primarily listen to electronic, pop, reggae and hip-hop music, the Trident may send you straight to Audio Nirvana. If you generally listen to a wider variety of music that favors a warmer and more full-bodied sound, you might find Audio Nirvana to be a bit more elusive considering that the Trident can be a bit lean, particularly with acoustic, jazz, rock and folk. If you’re a basshead, the Dulce Bass is Noble Audio’s offering for you. While the Trident has excellent bass quality, it can lack quantity in the sub-bass department that EDM and rap often taps into.

Final Word

Tapping the Trident for your next IEM takes commitment. At $399 it’s not a small purchase to make, but performance always comes at a premium. If pop is your prerogative, part with your money now. The premium paid for Noble Audio’s wares grants access to the Wizard, Dr. John Moulton, a trained audiologist, an audio enthusiast like you and me, and the main man behind Noble Audio’s signature sounds. In this case, the Wizard’s take on pop is spot-on, refined and rewarding. Defined by punchy bass, crisp mids and engaging highs, the Trident has audiophile-grade snap, crackle and pop. No pun intended. 

WOOD IS GOOD

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“Are those new? They look stylish.” “New headphones? They’re spiffy.” “Ooo, I love those.” I can’t make this stuff up folks. There’s been no shortage of compliments since donning the Meze 99 Classics headphone at my office. Yes, you read that right. Sometimes part of my reviewing process includes testing products from the cubicle of my nine-to-five. Music plays a big part in getting me through the workday—drowning out the chatter of my office mates is also an excellent test. But let’s get back to those compliments. When the look of your headphones catches the eyes of non-audiophiles, as in nearly 60-year-old finance guys and Gen X women, you know you’ve done something unique. That uniqueness is what’s helping put Romania’s Meze Headphones on the audiophile map.

Successfully spurred ahead by an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign in late 2015, Meze Headphones has been running at full speed since launching the Meze 99 Classics, a gorgeous closed-back wooden headphone that, simply put, sounds as unique as it looks.

 

First Look

“Silver and gold, silver and gold. Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold. How do you measure its worth? Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth.” Burl Ives certainly didn’t have headphones in mind when he wrote these lyrics for the 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special (guilty pleasure; it’s a childhood favorite), but that song popped in my head the moment I saw the 99 in its gold and silver variants. Pleasurable indeed. The 99 is a prime example of #audioporn.

Silver and gold. Black and silver. Walnut and maple. With rich, luxurious finishes—and a $309 price tag—there’s nothing subtle about the 99. It’s eye-catching, it’s elegant, and it’s one of the most aesthetically intriguing headphones I’ve used. From the box, to the cast hardware, to the sustainably sourced wood, Meze Headphones founder and designer Antonio Meze clearly aimed to make the 99 a statement piece. The result is a headphone that’s robust and relentlessly refined—and also surprisingly lightweight (260g). Of the wood headphones I’ve owned, including premium Grado and ZMF models, the precision CNC-cut and hand-finished cups of the 99 stand out. Their satin finish and flawless grain is simply lovely. As a former percussionist that once had an affinity for raw maple snare drums, the silver and maple 99 makes my heart skip a beat.

Meze’s attention to detail doesn’t stop at the headphone itself. The 99 comes with a custom hard zippered travel case, gold-plated 6.3mm (1/4”) and airplane jack adapters, and two cables with a zippered felt storage pouch—a 1.2m portable cable with inline mic and remote and a 3m cable for your home listening room. Manufacturers often cut corners on cables, but Meze delivers a color-matched Kevlar-reinforced OFC cable that’s as refined from end to end as the rest of the 99.

All this attention to detail is all well and good, but does the 99 sound good too?

 

First Listen

While the 99’s look is sharp and elegant, its sound is warm and inviting. And did I mention unique?

The 99 positions you as a backstage VIP, center stage, behind the curtain. Behind the curtain? Don’t let that statement be a turn off. What I mean is that the 99 is intimate in its presentation. The closed-back cups make for an up close and personal listening experience that leaves the music floating just a few inches around your head while the 99’s sonic subtleties draw you in, its warmth envelopes your ears, and its dark balance allows for listening well into the night.

The 99 has what I will call “well-rounded sound.” From its deep sub-bass, to its darker than expected treble, the 99 offers a smooth sliding scale of sound that seduces your ears. There’s not a hint of sharpness, sibilance or roughness, well, anywhere. The bass is boastful, perhaps a bit overzealous at times, but not what I would consider boomy. The mid-range is balanced, warm and robust. The healthy highs roll off in a nicely relaxed manner that, somehow, still sounds acoustically realistic. Revealing? Reference? Maybe not so much—the 99 seems too polite for those terms. But when you settle in and start listening to the music instead of listening to the headphone itself, the 99 becomes incredibly immersing.

When I say that the 99 places you behind the curtain, I realize that implies that it sounds veiled. I hesitate to use that term as it’s so often used in a negative or derogatory way in audio reviews. What I mean is that the 99 has a natural softness to it; it has all the instrument details, all the tonality, and all the accuracy that you could ask for, yet it’s all done so… soothingly—the 99 forces nothing on you; it’s never harsh or in your face; it’s well-controlled, almost as if it’s mimicking the recording session in the dampened studio.

For example, I expected the maple cups to give the 99 some bite—maple is usually a brighter sounding and resonant wood—but there’s no aggressiveness in the sonic signature of the 99. Time and time again it’s just smooth, smooth, smooth. The major perk here is that the 99 is a savior of ****ty sound. It easily tames the sizzle of hot recordings and poor playback devices. In fact, it plays well with every music genre I threw at it—Bjork, Lucy Rose, The Cinematic Orchestra, John Butler, Glass Animals, Ambient Jazz Ensemble, etc., etc.—and it plays well with damn near every device, too.

With a rated sensitivity of 103 dB at 1 kHz/1 mW and 32-ohm impedance, the 99’s 40mm dynamic neodymium/Mylar transducers are so easy to drive that even the most basic smartphones, iPods and DAPs will push them to deafening levels. With that said, I found that amping the 99 made minimal differences performance-wise. I’m used to headphones performing vastly different from amp to amp, but that just wasn’t the case this time around, and I think that’ll be a welcomed trait by anyone looking for hi-fi sound without the desire to acquire other hi-fi devices. While there’s simply no denying that better quality amps and DACs produce better sound, the 99 lets you hear the gear for what it is while its own sonic signature stays pretty damn consistent. My only recommendation on gear is to skip pairing it with a high current amp because you will hear some current noise and background hiss.

The most challenging part of reviewing the 99 is comparing it to other headphones. The 99 is so unique to my ears that quick comparisons to other staple headphones simply don’t do it justice. For instance, I commonly switch between headphones multiple times during a single track and replay certain parts with each one to do more critical comparisons. While I tried that with the 99, I found that it really ruined the experience. To really hear what the 99 does you need to spend time with it. But I know that most in this hobby are quick to judge and demand X versus Y comparisons. So here are a few things that I noticed when comparing the 99 to some other popular headphones.

 

The Comparisons

Meze 99 Classics vs. Shure SRH840 and SRH1540: Closed-back. Darkish. Descending highs. I fully expected the 99 to sound very similar to the Shure headphones that I’ve recommended so frequently. I was wrong. The 99 bested my daily drivers in many ways. The 99’s bass extends deeper and hits a bit harder—more oomph if you will. Both the Shure SRH840 (review) and SRH1540 (review), in comparison, seem to be a bit more controlled and punchy, but only at higher frequency ranges. The 99 is clearly fuller sounding when you get into bass-heavy tracks—take Bjork’s “Hyberballad” for instance. The 99’s mids are also smoother and more linear, albeit more relaxed. Mid-range is Shure’s sweet spot, but compared to the 99, both Shure offerings push the mids more aggressively into your ears. This makes vocalists sound more forward and in your face, and while I like this with some tracks, on others I prefer the 99’s subtler approach. While the pushed mids also help with instrument separation and atmospheric space compared to the more intimate and closed-in sounding 99, it introduces some roughness and grain. As for the highs, the 99’s are even more rolled off and relaxed than either of the Shure headphones mentioned. Simply put, the Shures have far more zing in the treble region. I found the SRH840 and SRH1540 to both be more revealing of micro details than the 99, but this comes at the expense of slightly sharper highs, occasional sibilance and increased graininess (mostly with poor recordings). The easiest way to put it is that the 99 sounds far more organic and natural than either Shure. Surprising indeed.

Meze 99 Classics vs. Sennheiser HD650: The HD650 is a staple in the headphone community, so it only makes sense to offer a brief comparison. Much of what I said above about the Shures actually also rings true for the HD650 comparison. Further, the HD650 is simply a very different headphone from the 99; it’s mid-centric, open-back and much more picky with amps. But if you have an amp that’ll drive the HD650 and 99 equally, you’ll find that the HD650 again lacks the smoothness of the 99. The HD650 also can’t touch the 99’s deep bass lines. In fact, the 99 manages to make the “lush” HD650 sound surprisingly thin. What the HD650 offers, however, is more attack, a far wider and more three-dimensional sound stage, and better instrument separation than what the 99’s closed-back design can muster. Overall, the 99 is more versatile; it’s a headphone that anyone can listen to regardless of musical preference whereas the HD650 excels with only certain genres and certain amplifiers. I won’t say that one is better than the other because they’re just too different in all intents and purposes.

Meze 99 Classics vs. ZMF Headphones The Omni: I don’t have The Omni (review) currently on-hand to do a direct comparison anymore, but from recent memory, the 99 sounds more like the ZMF Headphones offering than any of the others mentioned. Both the 99 and The Omni excel at being smooth operators. The Omni most definitely moves more air and has harder hitting and more emphasized bass; it also has slightly more upper-mid presence, sounds a touch more spacious due to the semi-open design, and has a bit more treble pop. But tonally, they both favor what I consider to be a thicker and darker sound, a more intimate sound stage, and both stray far, far away from being harsh or sibilant. If you like the ZMF Headphones house sound, the 99 might be a nice choice for your portable headphone needs.

 

The Caveat

If I could change one thing about the 99, it would be the ear pads—they’re simply too damn shallow. Give my ears some room to breathe, Meze! Seriously though, I have an issue with ear pads that touch the lobe and helix of my ears—especially during long listening sessions. I appreciate the sleek styling of the headphone itself, but the slim medium-density foam ear pads compress to the point that my ears press against the liners covering the driver housings. Their circumference also feels a bit cramped, as if they were stuck somewhere between being a large on-ear and narrow around-the-ear design. Are my ears too big? Do they stick out too far? I don’t think so, but your results may vary. The supple synthetic leather can also get a touch toasty, but perhaps that’s nitpicking.

Nevertheless, I have a theory that the 99 could benefit from a roomier, deeper and angled genuine leather ear pad. First, I think comfort would drastically increase. Second, a deep angled pad (think ZMF or Brainwavz ear pads) would move the driver away from the ear, which should help to open up the sound stage and treble clarity just a touch. If that proves true, the 99 would be supremely comfortable and incredibly balanced sounding. In other words, it would be very hard to best, in my opinion.

Ear pads aside, the 99 is incredibly comfortable. I find the elastic suspension strap to be better fitting than similarly designed AKGs or the Audioquest Nighthawk, and the clamping force and weight is comparable to the Sennheiser HD650, which I have no problem wearing for hours at a time.

 

Final Word

Do a quick Google search for audiophile headphones and the top results will include the likes of Audeze and Sennheiser, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Meze Headphones soon sits among the top ranks. The 99 Classics’ organic and natural sound is truly special. It’s admittedly relaxed at first listen, but as soon as you stop thinking about what you might be missing, you’ll start hearing just how immersive it is. The 99 Classics is without a doubt a hi-fi headphone worth experiencing. Meze’s aim is for perfection, and while I won’t claim that the 99 Classics is the be-all and end-all headphone for everyone, its performance most certainly sets you on the path towards Audio Nirvana.

Here’s to hoping Meze Headphones forgets to ask for my review unit back.

 
Omni. From Latin origin it means something like “all, every, of all things, the whole.” To date, The Omni is the whole of ZMF Headphones. It’s the flagship offering; it’s the pinnacle of what Founder Zach Mehrbach’s constant tweaking and dissecting of a headphone in every way can yield.

At ZMF Headphones, every headphone is assembled by hand, tweaked, tuned and sent out by Mehrbach, a painstaking process I’ve been privy to see firsthand on several occasions. In full disclosure, I first met fellow Chicago local Mehrbach some years back as a disappoint ZMF x Vibro owner. I had mentioned some complaints on a popular headphone forum, and, in standard ZMF customer service fashion, Mehrbach was quick to personally message me about my issues and offer a solution. He takes his products seriously, he stands behind them, and he is simply a stand up guy. This has led to a true audio acquaintanceship between us. I’ve seen the inner workings of ZMF Headphones. I’ve been invited to demo and critique countless prototypes. And, I’ve been able to see the culmination of Mehrbach’s work result in some truly fine products that headphone enthusiasts around the world enjoy. So when Mehrbach offered me the opportunity to do a long-term review of The Omni, I was happy to welcome them into my home listening room.

The Omni is the result of years of fiddling, research and design between ZMF Headphones and Vibro Labs. Like the ZMF x Vibro (see my coverage), The Omni is built around the latest generation of Fostex’s T50RP driver and cannibalizes some of its suspension parts. The Omni, however, uses an all-new, semi-open, 100-percent wood cup that’s hand finished in-house. And, true to its name, The Omni aims squarely at doing everything well. ZMF Headphones has always been about customization, so there are eight different woods to choose from—all of which have their own subtle personalities—a couple of headband, slider and emblem options, and various cables to choose from that make each order unique to its prospective owner.

My review unit uses ZMF Headphones’ own angled leather pads (these fit on many headphones, and I highly recommend them), African Blackwood cups, pilot pad headband, and DHC copper litz balanced cable. The African Blackwood did wonders for the ZMF x Vibro. It’s a beautiful and very dense wood that leans to the dark side while still being fast and resolving, so does it do the same for The Omni?

First Listen

Smooth. Powerful. These were the first two words I could think of to describe The Omni when I queued up Moderat’s track “Bad Kingdom” for my first listening test. The sub-bass and overall bass extension is literally some of the best in the business. I’ve owned premium headphones from Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Hifiman, Fostex and Sennheiser, and no other has come close to producing the feeling of the SPLs hitting my ear drums like The Omni. The bass is thick and rich; it oozes like honey, but it’s not slow like molasses. It simply hits hard and fast and leaves its impact on you. If you’re a basshead, The Omni is to die for. The textured bass in “Bad Kingdom” is heavy and complex, it can make or break a headphone for me, and it makes The Omni. 

Despite the bass being the clear dominator in The Omni’s sound signature, there’s no muddiness, it’s not boomy, and somehow it refrains from sounding closed in. You’d think that The Omni’s mostly closed-back (semi-open) design and emphasis would crush its soundstage, but its atmosphere extends surprisingly well to what seems like a few inches beyond the headphone. I’d say The Omni’s dimensional soundstage is somewhat comparable to that of the Fostex TH-600, which I think extends very well for a closed-back headphone, and the Sennheiser HD650, which has a more intimate soundstage despite its fully open-back design. 

Intimate is also what you get as The Omni’s oomphy basslines blend into its smooth midrange. The Omni won’t let you Flea the prominent basslines (get it, get it?) in the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album title track “The Getaway” or hit “Dark Necessities,” but Anthony Kiedis remains front and center with his smooth vocal tones. Tom Toms and guitars are projected well with full-bodied resonance and twang. For jazz tracks, like Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra’s "Ode to the Big Sea," The Omni sings out with a full, sweet sound that’s smooth on the senses. 

The one sense you may feel from time to time is that you’ve lost some sizzle in your sound. The Omni is notably dark compared to many hi-fi headphones. While the treble it has extends well and captures enough resolve, it’s the treble that it doesn’t have that you may miss from time to time. As the treble smoothly drops off, The Omni loses some sense of space and instrument separation as well, but at the same time it works wonders for taming the unruly treble that’s become all too common in modern music. The Omni truly offers a reprieve from the loudness war; it’s a savior of ****ty rock recordings that are too sizzle and sibilant happy. 

Sibilance is something you’ll never have to worry about with The Omni. Its relaxed tonal balancing favors those looking for enveloping bass and mids. What The Omni does, it does well. But how does it stack up to some of the competition?

Quick Comparisons

The Omni’s place in the market falls somewhere between the likes of Audeze’s LCD line and the ever-popular Sennheiser HD650. In comparison to the Audeze LCD-X, which has been my reference headphone for quite a while now, The Omni makes the LCD-X sound bright. This was a startling surprise for me. In general, Audeze LCD headphones are lush and dark, even the more balanced X. While The Omni and LCD-X share similar traits in being bass and midrange masters, I feel that The Omni has far greater bass emphasis. It hits harder and deeper, but feels less controlled. Throughout the mids, the X seems to pull out more details and textures, especially on jazz tracks where it easily bests The Omni in instrument separation, placement and clarity. The highs are where these two headphones diverge even further. Both have notably rolled off treble, but The Omni sounds even more rolled back because of its strong bass emphasis, as if it completely glances over the treble. Here the X pulls ahead again, offering better detail retrieval and more edginess on cymbals, strings and horns. It’s important to note that these are observations while switching back and forth on single tracks. While listening to one or the other for an extended time, your ears become accustomed to the sonic signature, so the differences become less apparent and you can simply enjoy the music. And I assure you that both of these recreate music very well. While both are heavy headphones, I’d say they’re about equal in comfort. I think the ZMF pads are actually plusher than Audeze’s, but I don’t get the same hotspot on the top of my head while wearing the X. Your results may vary. Both share the same cable terminations, so if you have an LCD model, you can use your cable on The Omni, which is nice if you have custom cables. 

I feel like Sennheiser HD650 or Fostex TH-600 owners may look to The Omni as their next step in the pursuit of Audio Nirvana. The biggest consideration among these three is the sonic signature that you favor. The HD650 is a classic—it has a very analog and intimate sound with an enhanced upper bass and midrange that is often described as being “romantic.” The HD650 and The Omni flat out sound very different. The Omni across the board is far smoother, exhibiting none of the grain or edge that the HD650 has. The Omni’s bass is deeper, smoother and more impactful. Like the HD650, The Omni offers rich mids, but they are tonally different. Here again, The Omni is smooth and effortless whereas the HD650 pushes vocalists right into your face. As for the treble, the HD650 has some grit to it, it can be sibilant at times, and it doesn’t tame poor recordings. Well, The Omni, as you know, is the opposite of all of that. With either headphone you will experience an intimate and enjoyable performance. The Omni does everything better to my ears, but the presentation is also very different. The HD650 is supremely comfortable and is easier to amp in my experience. But if you have an amp that will drive The Omni well, it’s definitely worth giving your Sennheisers a run for their money.

I mention the Fostex TH-600 because it’s a staple for bassheads and Massdrop’s collaboration models have expanded its popularity. Without question, The Omni hits harder, deeper, cleaner and more controlled. The TH-600 is very U-shaped in its sonic signature, meaning there’s bass and treble and the mids get left behind. The Omni excels at transitioning from bass to mids and delivering all of their lushness to your ears. You’ll gain a lot of musical body by upgrading to The Omni without sacrificing the bass you love. You’ll simply get better bass, better mids and, oh yeah, better treble. The TH-600 has sibilant and grainy treble. The Omni knows better. I listen to a lot of electronic, downtempo and EDM music; the TH-600 was a fav of mine here, but The Omni takes the cake now. Again the TH-600 is a very comfortable and lightweight headphone compared to The Omni, but the sonic improvements are worth experiencing. The Omni and TH-600 have similar reach and dimensionality in the soundstage to my ears, but still The Omni edges out the TH-600 in the end. 

The Caveats

Power and pleasure. What I mean by that is that The Omni craves power and, depending on your penchant for heavy headphones, may or may not be a pleasure to wear. 

The Omni isn’t quite as current-craving as the notable Hifiman HE-6, but it most definitely needs power to perform best. On my Eddie Current Balancing Act, I typically listen to my Audeze LCD-X and Sennheiser HD650 around the 10 o’clock mark on the volume dial; The Omni had me cranking it up to about Noon-thirty or one o’clock to make them sing. I also have the powerful Hifiman EF-6 class-A solid state headphone amp, and The Omni required the dial to reach about 11 o’clock for comfortable listening. In my experience, both The Omni and ZMF x Vibro mate best with tube amps. There’s just something about the synergy there that takes the performance to a more holographic level. 

About that pleasure factor. The Omni and its plush leather pads wrap your ears and smother them like a warm blanket—in other words, very comfy. They do a great job at supporting these beauties that weigh in at 568 grams. In comparison, the HD650 weighs a mere 263 grams and the clunky LCD-X weighs 618 grams. My one issue is really with the headband; even with the pilot pad I get a large hotspot on the top of my head. It’s worth mentioning that my small head may not be best for weight distribution, and the headband can be bent into different positions (carefully), but I simply made due. Of course, the leather suspension strapped headband is also an option to consider. 

These two caveats aside, The Omni has little else to detract from it.

Final Word

It goes without saying that The Omni in African Blackwood is a dark headphone, and dark is beautiful to my ears. The Omni delivers on its promise to be dense and resolving. The bass is tight and powerful. The mids are smooth, lush and intimate. The treble, while relaxed remains resolving to a hi-fi degree. The Omni will not be all things to all people as its namesake implies. But, in all, The Omni makes you privy to a sweet, full-bodied powerful performance time and time again. Figure that one out.

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I have to give Massdrop a lot of credit for trying to bring high-end audio to the masses through their audiophile community. Those behind their initiatives have managed to bring together companies like AKG, Fostex, Grace Design, ZMF Headphones and now HIFIMAN, among others, to offer some great hi-fi products at affordable prices. So when I saw the drop for the $99 Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-350 headphones, I thought it would be a great opportunity for new audiophiles and veteran headphone enthusiasts alike to pick up a pair of quality headphones to knock around with on the cheap.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, cheap is mostly what you get this time around. Massdrop made a noble effort with this headphone. It looks great in a sleek metallic gray and black finish; it’s super lightweight and comfortable to wear with the improved headband; it has a custom easy-to-drive dynamic driver and new cable connections so you don’t have to fumble with HIFIMAN’s old screw-on coax connectors of the past. On paper, the HE-350, modeled as a successor to HIFIMAN’s entry-level HE-300 headphone, screams value. On the ears, however, it sort of just screams. Let me explain.

Once the music gets flowing, the HE-350 may singlehandedly be the oddest sounding and most difficult headphone for me to describe fairly. At times, its easily one of the brightest headphones I have experienced in my audio journey to date. I have owned and demoed far more headphones than I have reviewed on this blog, and not one gave me the listening fatigue in such a small amount of time as the HE-350. What’s more, its unbalanced sound leaves you guessing at what you might get. Tracks leaning exclusively to the high side can sound decent. Mid-range-centric tracks are rendered OK. Bass heavy beats hit with some hints of sub-bass SPLs. But ultimately, when everything comes together, as is common when listening to most albums, the HE-350 doesn’t particularly shine in any one area. In fact, to my spoiled ears, it seems as if it can’t keep up, getting overly bright on the top end and muddied up in the bass regions, and the mids often get lost altogether.

I wanted to like these headphones—I’m a sucker for a hi-fi bargain. I was hopeful that they’d be my secondary desktop cans that I toss on while editing photos or freelancing late into the night. But the moment I put these babies on, my ears were hit with overly-emphasized treble that simply left them begging for some balance. I’ve generally enjoyed my HIFIMAN products, but the HE-350 is unlike any others I have heard, and it left me seeking the meaty mids and brutish bass I desire in my listening experience. As a “cheap” headphone, I didn’t expect it to rival my high-end headphones in these departments, but even at this price point I expected more—mostly because it’s a HIFIMAN product, and Massdrop has successfully brought quality without the cost many times before.

I may sound overly harsh here, but the HE-350’s treble is harsh. At low volumes it comes off as crisp and fairly detailed, but as the volume increases, so does the graininess, and with it comes a loss of clarity and enhanced edginess. “Pork Soda” off of Glass Animals’ How to Be a Human Being is a complex track with many layers. It starts out sounding fine with a moderately clean, punchy bass line that the HE-350 manages to move, as the vocals kick in though, the pitchy characteristics of the HE-350 become a bit overwhelming and only intensify as the track gets more complex as it progresses. For those familiar with some of the affordable Grado and Beyerdynamic offering's, I'd say the HE-350 has some of the grainy treble traits of the Grados with the sharp sizzle of the Beyers.

Moving into the mids, I simply find them to be overpowered by the treble. My test for midrange includes John Butler’s “Ocean,” a nearly 12-minute epic studio guitar performance with plenty of complex tones and heart. The HE-350 never quite dug as deep to reproduce the full-bodied sound this track has like I would expect out of a headphone aimed at hi-fi enthusiasts. The same goes for tracks like “Eyes Wide Open” off of Ambient Jazz Ensemble’s Suite Shop (definitely worth checking out)—the horns have no gusto and the layers of instruments simply sound thin across the board without much separation.

As for the bass, sometimes it surprises with a powerful delivery and other times it sounds rough and tumble. There’s something there, no doubt, but when pushed it falls apart pretty quickly. The textured deep bass lines in Moderat’s “Bad Kingdom,” for example, leaves the HE-350’s bass region in a rumbling, sloppy state. But then on Glass Animals’ “Season 2 Episode 3” the bass lines seem to hit fairly cleanly and gets my head bopping just fine.

The more I listen to the HE-350, the more it confuses me. Sometimes it sounds pretty darn decent for the price, and then a track later I can’t get them off my head fast enough. Sure, I could try to tweak EQ settings on my PC setup, but that’s not my style. I want to hear the music as recorded and as my headphones can portray it—this is often where the term, “you get what you pay for” resonates well in audio (just beware of diminishing returns). I tested the HE-350 on various setups (FLAC files via a modified Squeezebox Touch into a Schiit Yggdrasil DAC feeding my Eddie Current Balancing Act and HIFIMAN EF-6 amplifiers; FLAC files on my Hidizs AP-100 DAP; streaming Spotify on my smartphone; CDs through a vintage transport and more) and ultimately concluded that it’s just not for me or my musical tastes. Your results may vary.

As for that initial comment about being cheap—the HE-350 borders on feeling brittle (to me). The lovely box it arrived in actually feels more robust. The nearly all plastic construction has me concerned about long-term durability. Yes it makes it lightweight (congrats HIFIMAN, these are actually pretty darn comfortable to wear), but it feels fragile and, looks aside, doesn’t have the tactile touch of most products aimed at entry-level audiophiles. I suspect some accidentally broken yokes and cracked cups will be inevitable for some HE-350 owners.

I’ve owned HIFIMAN's HE-500; I own the HE-6; I have had HIFIMAN earbuds in the past; I own their EF-6 amplifier; I’ve demoed many of their other headphones. In my opinion, the HE-350 is a missed opportunity. I won’t claim to know the economics behind this project, but I feel that HIFIMAN could’ve in some way delivered something closer to their house sound, which would've made the HE-350 the perfect gateway drug to their line of higher-end products. Maybe it still will be, but to my ears, the HE-350 comes up short.

Listen, the HE-350 is a beautiful looking headphone, it’s comfortable, its detachable cable system is welcomed, and the ergonomics are on point, but the sound quality and overall material feel fall well short of being an “audiophile” product. To those with untrained or unspoiled ears, these may be amazing. But if you’ve already been introduced to high-end headphones, I think you’ll be disappointed. My regular readers know that I tell it how my ears hear it. I applaud the effort behind the $99 HE-350, but I can’t fully recommend this headphone for anyone seeking true hi-fi sound. If you want to try it out, I'd suggest trying to snag a used pair as they inevitably pop up on Head-Fi, Reddit or other audio forums. I look forward to the next collaboration between these two companies, but hopefully the next collaboration of Massdrop x HIFIMAN yields greater results.

Specs
 

1. Driver: 50 mm dynamic
2. Impedance: 19 ohm
3. Sensitivity: 93 dB at 1 mW
4. Frequency response: 15 Hz – 22 kHz
5. Velour ear pads
6. Detachable cable
7. Cable length: 53 in (135 cm)
8. Cup connectors: 0.1 in (2.5 mm)
9. Plug:1/8" (3.5 mm) (1/4” adapter included)
10. Weight, with cable: 12.1 oz (343 g)
11. Weight, without cable: 10.6 oz (301 g)

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If you frequent my blog or The Sound Apprentice Instagram, you know that I’m a fan of Shure headphones. So it should come as no surprise that I intervened with a set of Shure in-ear monitors (IEMs) when I found out that my dear friend who loves everything music has been “blowing” cheap earbuds like crazy (and probably going deaf at the same time). Enter the Shure SE215 Sound Isolating Earphones.

To me, with its inviting Shure house sound and moderate price of entry ($99 MSRP), the SE215 is a no-brainer. Performance-wise, you get a lot of bang for the buck, which is why I have no qualms recommending this IEM to friends that really want to enjoy their music, the veteran audiophile that’s only a passing IEM user, or the beginner audiophile that’s looking to step up to hi-fi sound without the high-end price tag (while still getting near pro-level build quality). After all, the SE215 evolved out Shure’s line of professional monitoring products that are used by some of the most acclaimed musicians around the world.

Unboxing

Like most IEMs and earphones in this price range, the SE215 arrives in a minimalist no frills box and inner plastic tray that displays the IEMs while keeping the accessories securely in place. It's nothing fancy, but at this price point, I wouldn’t expect anything more. Despite the cheap packaging, when you first handle the SE215 I am certain you will be impressed. The styling, fit and finish of the SE215 is very pleasing, particularly the clear models that let you see the inner workings. It’s a solid IEM with a detachable high-quality cable with gold-plated connectors, a feature not often found among the majority of Shure’s consumer-level competitors.

Accessories

The SE215 comes with a reasonable assortment of accessories. I say reasonable, because even with bargain-price Brainwavz offerings (see my XF-200 review) and entry-level Westone earphones (see my ADV Beta review) you get a few more accessories and a wider assortment of tips. But let’s focus on what you do get. The SE215 comes with a soft zippered case, a small cleaning tool, and 6 sets of Sensaphonicssound-isolating ear tips (S, M, L in flexible silicone and foam). I personally would prefer a hard case to be included, as well as a shirt clip, a 1/4” jack adapter and some spare tips, but maybe that’s nitpicking.

Fit and Finish

Accessories may not be the SE215’s strongest suit, but performance is. Shure packs a lot of bang for the buck in the fit, finish and sound of the dynamic SE215.

The SE215 is considered a universal-fit IEM, meaning that it’s intended to sit comfortably in the ears of most users to ensure good stability and sound isolation. I find the shape to fit well in my ear, and the low-profile nozzle and light weight helps with comfort quite a bit. My ears are very sensitive to earphones and IEMs, but I was able to wear these throughout most of my workday without ever feeling a real need to take a break from them. 

I particularly like their over-the-ear cable routing, which moves the cable away from my face and chin so I don’t get snagged up as easily. What’s more, the portion of the cable that wraps over the ear has a flexible wire inside that allows you to bend and twist it to your liking, offering increased stability and a custom fit. The fact that the cable connector at the IEM swivels 360 degrees also helps with insertion and removal from the ear. Just a further note on the cable—I think it’s one of the nicer IEM/earphone cables I have experienced to date. Being detachable/replaceable is a huge plus, and the heavier gauge, braided internal shielding, and gold-plated connectors and termination exude quality and lead me to believe that it'll hold up to some abuse without fail. Some may complain that it’s not as flexible as others, but it seems to loosen up a bit with use.

Moving on, the ear tips come in two options: Foam or silicone. Then you decide which of the three sizes fit best. As with most earphones/IEMs, tip selection is critical. I strongly recommend taking the time to test the different sizes to determine which tip fits best—emphasis on “best” and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort, and noise isolation improve greatly when the ideal tip is used. (For me, the medium foam tips worked best and offered better sound quality, bass impact, and isolation over the silicone version.) The foam Sensaphonics tip is similar in look and feel to a traditional foam earplug. These particular tips claim that they block out 37 dB of ambient noise. I think they perform better than the Comply foam tips that I've previously tested with Brainwavz earphones. This makes the foam option on the SE215 great for commuting, noisy offices or use in professional music environments. For me, the silicone tips didn’t offer the same level of comfort or sound quality (I think the highs were more emphasized and the bass a little less controlled), but your results may vary.

Performance

Speaking of results, that’s probably what you're really here to find out about. As I opened with, the SE215 has a very inviting sound. If you’re familiar with Shure’s SH840 (see my review) or SH1540 headphones (see my review), I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that the SE215 isn’t too far off in its overall sonic signature. It’s got that traditional Shure house sound—warm, a bit dark, a bit forward in presentation at times, with highs that roll off well before ever getting sibilant or harsh. In other words, it’s just really easy to listen to. 

The SE215’s sonic signature falls somewhere right between the SRH840 and SRH1540, and it also reminds me a bit of Sennheiser’s famed HD650. With the SE215 you get a clean, rich midrange that emphasizes the twang of tom toms and acoustic guitar strings and puts your favorite vocalist front and center. Mids are where I’ve always thought that Shure shines. For an IEM, I find the mids to be fairly smooth and full-bodied with enough texture and air to get my ears really immersed in the music. No, you’re not going to get the same 3-D soundstage of a full-sized headphone, but the SE215 doesn’t disappoint with its ability to position instruments in space. I also think it does a good job of handling music with lots of layers, like much of Moderat’s album III. 

If you’re like me and use the SRH1540 at work all day and then switch over to the SE215 for the commute home, the transition will be relatively seamless. The treble of the SE215 is certainly rolled back a bit and the soundstage compresses in comparison, but the mids and bass are very similar. 

About that bass, the SE215 delivers fairly weighty bass with ease, depending on your source. When spinning tracks off of my Spotify Electric Vibes playlist I find that my Droid Turbo delivers a pretty full bodied performance, maybe a bit sloppy in the sub-bass at times, but certainly well via a smartphone. With a Hidizs AP-100 DAP my buddy at CTC Audio hooked me up with, I found I needed to tinker with the EQing quite a bit. I don’t know what it is about the AP-100, but I’ve never been happy with it with any earphones/IEMs, so I am just chalking this up as the Hidizs’ fault. The SE215 really comes to life when hooked up to my ALO Audio The Island headphone amp/DAC. This sweet little desktop unit has the SE215s absolutely singing. So despite the SE215’s 20-ohm rating that should help it sound good out of most devices, using a dedicated DAC/amp definitely takes it to a higher level.

While it’s undeniable that the SE215 has a bass hump that bleeds into the midrange, it manages to do so smoothly enough that the overall sound of the IEM isn’t too dark or bloated. In fact, it’s not the bass at fault as much as the treble (to some). 

One thing I can’t live with is peaky, edgy treble—especially in an IEM. The SE215 doesn’t have that, not even close (unless you listen to terribly recorded music or don’t put them in your ears right). The SE215’s treble is admittedly dark and relaxed compared to many earphones/IEMs, and that’s part of why I like it so much. Sure, the soundstage closes in when there isn’t enough sparkle in the highs, but much like the SRH1540, I think the SE215 manages to strike a nice balance between the dark and the bright. The SE215 has pleasing, grain-free treble that’s not the least bit fatiguing during long listening sessions, even with the volume cranked up. Detail retrieval is compromised, but still good. All in all, it’s just a very easy IEM to listen to and enjoy.

Bottom Line

Overall, I really like the SE215. It’s easily the best of the earphones/IEMs I have owned to date. No, it won’t replace my preference for obnoxiously big headphones, but it takes what I liked about a lot of my headphones and packages it into a totally portable unit that I can toss into my work and travel bags without worry. 

While the Shure SE215 isn’t a glitzy newcomer to the portable audio world, it’s a no-nonsense IEM that simply sounds damn good. Shure consistently puts out quality products that I think go underrated in the audiophile world. Yeah, the SE215 could be more neutral, and maybe a bit more refined, but to Hell with that. The SE215 has sound you can be Shure of. Get it? Shure’s signature house sound is safe, it’s easy on the ears, and it performs well with a wide range of music. So do yourself a favor and spend a few extra Andrew Jacksons and get yourself a pair of the high quality SE215 Sound Isolating Earphones. As my buddy Phil says, “For everyday bangers, the 215s are perfect. The best hundo you can spend on earphones.”

Insider tip: Check eBay and audio forums like Head-Fi.org for deals. While the SE215 retails new for $99, new open-box, refurbished and used sets can be had for around $60-80.

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A few days after testing out the adventure-inspired Westone ADV Beta earphone, Brainwavz hit me up with the timely opportunity to give their latest earphone a test ride. Meet the newBrainwavz XFit XF-200 earphone that, as they say, is specially designed for users who engage in sports and athletic activities. What makes it special for the active audiophile? How about a compact, lightweight design; pre-molded, over-the-ear cable routing; a short cable that won't trip you up; and an assortment of accessories to keep you moving. Oh, and at $25 it probably costs less than your monthly gym dues.

Unboxing
The XF-200 comes in a minimalist no frills economy plastic box and inner tray that keeps packaging to a minimum. It's nothing fancy, but since you're more than likely to toss it out, who cares, right? Inside, you’ll find everything neatly packed and organized; which is probably completely opposite of how your sports bag is, but that's OK.

Accessories

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For $25 MSRP, you generally don't get much, but Brainwavz never fails to take care of customers by including more than they bargained for. In this instance, the XF-200 includes their familiar branded zippered hard case, Velcro cable tie, and shirt clip, a set of Comply foam ear tips, a set of bi-flange silicone ear tips, and two sets each of standard S, M, and L silicone ear tips (because you know you're going to loose one at some point).

Performance
The XF-200 is an ergonomically designed dime-sized universal IEM that's intended to sit comfortably in the ear to ensure stability during your workout. The over-the-ear cable routing takes the secure fit a step further by eliminating the chances of getting caught  up in the cable and pulling it out of your ear. With the large assortment of tips, you have several options to test in your ear for the best fit.

As with most earphones/IEMs, tip selection is critical, and I strongly encourage you to take the time to choose the ear tip that fits best—emphasis on best and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort, and isolation improve greatly when the ideal tip is used. (For me, the bi-flange and Comply foam tips worked best and offered better sound quality, bass impact, and isolation.)

Speaking of bass, the XF-200 hits pretty hard. Marketing speak generally over-promises and under-delivers, but I'd say Brainwavz was spot-on with their claim boasting "booming beats." Dig that live music hall sound? The XF-200 has it: Booming, emphasized bass; a touch of reverb; dark mids, and highs that can come off as recessed on some tracks. The XF-200 certainly does not have a refined, balanced "audiophile" sound (try the S0 or M1 for that at a similar price); depending on your preferences, it's either unruly or fun. I'd say it's best suited for pumping EDM and synth beats into your eardrums while you hustle up the StairMaster. And you know what? I'm fine with that, because the XF-200 does that damn well and sounds a helluva lot better than most earphones you'll find at this price. (Of note, the variety of ear tips included do impact the sonic signature, so again, try them all to see what fits and sounds best to you.)

Last, let's talk about the 3-button control built into the cable for volume, skipping tracks, pause/play, and the mic for taking phone calls. The packaging states compatibility with Apple devices and most Android devices and other doodads; your results may vary. Apparently my Droid Turbo hates all earphones with built-in remotes because just like I experienced with the Westone ADV Beta, the volume/phone call controls do not work with my Droid Turbo, but I am able to mute the mic and pause songs using the center button, so it’s not completely useless. The mic seemed to work well, as my test calls were heard loud and clear, and calls come over the XF-200 sounding quite clear as well.

Bottom Line
Brainwavz has put out another quality product with a budget price. Yeah, the sound could be more refined, but to Hell with that. We want bass, and we want it now. At least that's what I want at the gym to help drown out my racing heart beat and huffing and puffing. For $25 you're getting a nicely designed earphone with a plethora of accessories, a 2-year warranty, and an overall energetic sound. If you want more, spend more. If you want affordable, these will put your silly OEM earbuds and Skull Candy's to shame. For a no-nonsense earbud that you don't have to worry about when you're working out, grab the XF-200 and get on with your next set.

The XF-200 retails for US$25.00 and will be available on Brainwavzaudio.com, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and other authorized Brainwavz resellers around the globe.
 

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The Spirited Uncle M surprised me recently by skipping over his usual snarky audio comments with an email that was straight to the point: “Did I ever give you a pair of Westone ear buds to try and review? UM.” My answer was a simple, “Nope.” Two days later the Westone ADV Beta was waiting in my mailbox.

Unboxing
Into camping, hiking, biking, or climbing? Westone is likely to catch your attention if you are with the picturesque images of adventuring that adorn its “Adventure Series” earphones box. The packaging is of nice design and solid construction, on par with the likes of Brainwavz, Beyerdynamic, Shure, and others that put out premium products. Inside, you’ll find everything neatly packed, and when I say everything, I mean there’s a surprising amount of accessories crammed in.

Accessories

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The ADV Beta comes with just about everything you could ever need. Water-resistant rugged travel case: Check. Shirt clip: Check. Ear tips: Check times 10. Yes 10 pairs of tips of various sizes—5 foam varieties and 5 silicone jobbies. Over-the-ear adapters: Check. Zipper pull? Check. Ear wax cleaner? Yep, one of those too. That’s right, a little tool used to dig out any ear wax, or maybe dirt from your adventures, that builds up in the tips or near the driver is included. How thoughtful. Too bad they forgot a little cloth to clean that off with. Anyway, point being, you get a nice assortment of accessories that ensure good fit and performance.

Performance

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As for the performance, I was pleasantly surprised. I typically struggle with earphone fit, BUT a long, narrow tip in both foam and silicone matched up with my ear canal well and I was ready to rock without too much fussing about. I suggest everyone take the time to choose the ear tip that fits best—emphasis on best and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort, and isolation improve greatly when the ideal tip is used. (I prefer foam as it offers more comfort and better isolation than silicone.)

So far, the Westone ADV Beta actually offers my ears the best fit, comfort, and isolation from the earphones I’ve recently tested or reviewed (Brainwavz S0, M1, Blu-100). In fact, they’ll likely replace the M1 that I currently use for travel since the ADV Beta trumps it in fit and feel.

When it comes to sound quality, the ADV Beta can sound a bit lean and glassy straight out of the box depending on the playback device, but this is quickly remedied by adjusting the EQ settings on your device. A bump in the bass and mids, and mellowing out the highs, reveals a really nice listening experience that quickly becomes full-bodied with easy-on-the-ears treble. As for the soundstage, these are earphones, not custom IEMs or full-sized headphones, so the music is very much “in your head” but the better-than-expected balance and instrument separation throughout the dynamic range helps make up for that.

Westone Claims
Westone has been in the audio game for a long time, so it’s to be expected that they will put out a respectable product. The ADV Beta doesn’t necessarily disappoint, but does it live up to “audiophile” sound? Westone claims “Audiophile fidelity” from the ADV Beta’s “Proprietary Extended Range 6.5mm Micro Driver with PST™ (Precision Surface Tuning)” that “delivers sonic accuracy with extended bass.” As I mentioned before, your results will vary. Straight out of the box I think the ADV Beta falls short of such claims, but when you EQ to your taste, you can get a much better performance and push the bass without any annoying buzzing distortion. Are there better options with better fidelity for similar MSRP prices? Probably, but the people interested in these are going to be more concerned with durability and affordable replacement costs over stunning sound in a package that can’t handle the elements an active lifestyle promises.

Some neat and unique features of the ADV Beta include a detachable AWACS reflective cable for visibility in low light; weather-resistant construction to defeat puddles, rain, and sweat; adapters that route the cable up and over your ear for better stability when you’re on the move; and, a swiveling body made from zinc and aluminum for both strength and enhanced fit depending on how you like your cable to fall and the earphone to angle into your ear canal. 

Of note, the cable does have a remote/mic built in, but your functionality may vary. The packaging states compatibility with Apple devices, but not Android. I found that the volume/phone call controls do not work with my Droid Turbo, but I am able to mute the mic and skip/pause songs using the center button, so it’s not completely useless to Android users. My only other gripe with the cable is that it is prone to those annoying sounds that happen when it bumps and rubs against your face and clothes. I recommend using the shirt clip to help remedy this, but completely eliminating it is unlikely.

Bottom Line
Westone has created an interesting product here for the outdoorsy/athletic person that wants good sound and durability at an affordable price. For the $50 you can pick these up for, I think the value is good considering the build quality, fit, and accessories included. Obviously, the build and sound quality is far superior to OEM and cheap consumer earbuds, but a proper EQ is needed to really shine with your device. Out of 5 stars, I’d probably give these a 3. I’d like the cable remote to be Android compatible and a better SQ experience without EQ tweaks, but I still like these enough to put them into use.
 

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After two years of listening to Shure’s SRH840 headphone nearly every workday, I decided it was finally time for an upgrade. Not so much because the SRH840 isn’t a good headphone (you can read my review here), but more because I wanted something different.

My workspace, where I use an ALO Audio Island DAC/amp to drive my music daily, calls for closed-back headphones. I had the Fostex TH600 in my collection, but its sonic signature never quite satisfied me. The TH600’s sub-bass is beyond fun, the sense of space is great, it’s quite comfortable, but the deeply recessed mids left a lot to be desired for my musical tastes and the resultant emphasis on the bass and treble regions could get overpowering after hours of listening. So it was out. Actually, it’s gone (sold).

So the search for a SRH840 and TH600 replacement began with a few points in mind: Something light, respectable looking, a shade more detailed, rich mids and maybe just a hint more sub-bass extension and definition if possible. I actually thoroughly enjoyed the sound of the SRH840 over the years, so I didn’t want to abandon it entirely. Logically, I looked to Shure’s offerings to see what the next step in the line might be, and that’s where the SRH1540 falls in.

Shure describes the SRH1540 as its “premium closed-back headphone,” featuring “an expansive soundstage with clear, extended highs and warm bass.” The description fit the bill, Tyll’s review on Inner Fidelity helped solidify my confidence in its performance and having the sound signature I was looking for, so I decided to pick up the SRH1540 without ever demoing it beforehand.

It was a risky decision. It’s not a headphone I see suggested frequently or talked about often on forums, and I’ve actually only seen it in person once before at AXPONA in Chicago. With a typical retail price of $499, it’s not exactly a headphone one should gamble on. Thankfully, my bet paid off (mostly). 

The Sound
I’ll dare say it—if you could take hints of the Shure SRH840, Fostex TH600 and Sennheiser HD650 and meld them together, you might just come up with the SRH1540. It’s an interesting and enjoyable soundscape if you like headphones with an intimately warm tonality.
 

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Much like the SRH840 and HD650, the SR1540 maintains a clean, rich midrange that projects vocalists of all varieties well. These are the mids the TH600 severely lacks, and if it had them, I would have likely kept that headphone, but I digress. Mids are where I think Shure shines. I find the midrange smooth and full-bodied with enough texture to really get my ears engaged in the music. If you’re coming straight from the SRH840, you may find the SRH1540 to be a touch cooler as it has less of a hump towards the bass and in the upper ranges. Compared to the HD650, I personally always sensed some grain and edginess in its clarity, I think the SRH1540 just delivers better here, albeit with a slightly different tone.

Moving deeper into the bass region, the SRH1540 delivers weighty bass with ease. Sub-bass is an area the SRH840 lacked and left me wanting for more as it placed a greater emphasis on a mid-bass hump that bled into the mids. While it’s undeniable that there’s a bass hump on the SRH1540, it transitions smoothly from sub- to mid-bass and then into the midrange in a way that sounds more natural and doesn’t overemphasize its presence. I’d say the bass extension and impact of the TH600 is superior, but the SRH1540 is more pleasing and fuller sounding than the SRH840 and it handles the transitions much better than the TH600 where the mids simply fall out of the bottom resulting in bass bloat. Basically, it’s a solid middle ground between the two, and I can live with that.

One thing I can’t live with is peaky, edgy treble—especially in a headphone that I rely on to get me through the workday. The SRH840 didn’t have that; it’s dark and relaxed, and that’s part of why I liked it so much. But at the same time, the soundstage closes in when there isn’t enough sparkle. So here again, the SRH1540 strikes a nice balance between the darker SRH840 and the brighter TH600. The SRH1540 has pleasing, grain-free treble that isn’t fatiguing like an AKG or Beyerdynamic, but offers enough details so that you aren’t missing any zip. With slightly more presence and extension than the SRH840, the SRH1540 sounds more open and spacious, albeit, the TH600 easily outpaces both in presenting a 3D soundstage. Again, it’s a compromise, but one that won’t stop me from fully enjoying this headphone.

Overall, I really like the SRH1540. It takes what I liked about the sound of its SRH840 sibling and does it better in just about every way. Better bass. More balanced mids. Smooth, detailed highs. Greater sense of space and instrument separation. If you like the SRH840, you’ll likely love the SRH1540, except for its price, but we’ll get to that later.

The Fit
Fit and comfort were my biggest motivators for abandoning the SRH840 as my daily driver headphone. If you follow my blog or Instagram, you’ll know that I took great strides to modify the obscenely heavy SRH840 headband (possibly an over exaggeration) and find ear pads that provided better heat dissipation, comfort and overall performance (Brainwavz HM5 angled pads, please). While my tweaks certainly kept me happy for quite a while, I wasn’t contented enough.

I can confidently say that the SRH1540 takes the comfort level up several notches. The SRH1540 has a sleek modern design that maintains a similar overall shape as the SRH840 but trades in the heavy molded plastics and oversize headband for slimmed down aluminum and flashy carbon fiber bits. While you lose the ability to fold the headphones for transportation, you gain looks and weight savings (a claimed 286g versus my SRH840 that weighed in at 376g pre-mods and 324g post-mods). This puts the SRH1540 in the same weight class as the HD650 and TH600.

The headband in stock form is a step up from the SRH840. It features a similar shape, but is reduced in size and features a center cutout to keep the weight and contact points down. The padding is minimal, but so far it seems sufficient enough. In time I may add an additional pad or wool wrap as I did with my HiFiMan HE-500 and Audeze LCD-X, but I don’t see an immediate need for it. Also, the headband is quite flexible allowing it to be flexed a bit to relieve clamping force. I haven’t had an issue here, but others with larger heads may as all Shure headphones maintain a firm grasp on one’s noggin. 
 

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Finally, we get down to the ear pads. The SRH1540 features a thick perforated Alcantara ear pad that is satisfyingly comfortable. It’s a substantial step up from the thinner pleather and velour ear pads that come with the SRH840 and SRH940. Noise isolation doesn’t seem as good as the SRH840, but I don’t have an accurate way of measuring that. Heat doesn’t seem to build up as much with this ear pad either. Pads are also easily replaceable.

Overall, the SRH1540 is a light, comfortable and stylish headphone that fits well and seals out noise fairly well. 

The Gripes
As much as I like the SRH1540, I do have some issues with it. For starters, the price is excessive in my opinion. I don’t really have any qualms about the performance, looks or comfort, but at $499 new, I guess I expected it to feel more robust or something. At its full retail price, I am hard-pressed to recommend this headphone to everyone, but at $300-375 for used and open-box models, I find it to be a much better value. 

Accessories wise, the SRH1540 comes with an extra set of pads, a ¼” adapter, a hard travel case and two detachable cables. Here’s the silly part; the cables are both identical 6-foot straight cables. Why? Come on Shure. Give us a short cable for mobile use and give us a 10-footer to use in our listening rooms, duh. The cables also feel cheap. In comparison to the 10-foot coiled cable on the SRH840, the SRH1540’s feels thinner, seems more microphonic and kinks easily. It's also dual-sided versus the SRH840’s single-sided design.

My final minor gripe is that the yokes don’t rotate horizontally like they do on the SRH840. This isn’t much of an issue if you plan to use the stock pads, but I really liked the performance of the Brainwavz HM5 angled ear pads on the SRH840. I tried them on the SRH1540, but it’s not possible to get a good seal with them because the ear cup cannot twist to align with your head.

That’s It, That’s All
To sum it up, the SRH1540 is a headphone that you can wear all day. It looks good. It feels good. And most importantly, it sounds good. This is a fun headphone to listen to. It offers great bass, warm mids, and detailed highs that are nicely balanced. If you get the SRH1540 at the right price, you really can’t go wrong.

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Tucked away in a corner room, in a non-descript Chicago apartment, the barefooted and bearded Zach Mehrbach works away with scissors and soldering irons, spools of hook up wires and stacks of t50rp drivers, and a host of other tools of his trade. He is the main man behind ZMF Headphones, an easy-going guy that simply loves good sound.

Hand assembled and made to order, Zach prides himself on being a “small shop” headphone builder that caters to his clients’ auditory demands (within reason of course). With the world of high-end headphones seemingly growing every day, Zach is setting himself apart by focusing his attention solely on creating custom orthodynamic headphones based around the ever-popular Fostex t50rp driver and enclosure. While that sounds simple enough, he has spent years extensively researching, testing, tweaking and retuning his modifications to nail down what he considers to be a truly naturalistic audiophile-grade sound that’s “musical, engaging, and above all addictive.”

Originally just a hi-fi enthusiast and headphone modder like many of us, Zach officially took things to the next level when he formed ZMF Headphones in early 2013. Although a relative newcomer to the market, Zach has worked through some early growing pains to rapidly establish a solid following in the audiophile/head-fi world, trusted reviewers sing praise for his creations, and he himself is increasingly making the tradeshow rounds, further building his brand and reinforcing the reputation his personality and customer service have already earned him. 

ZMF Headphones now has four models: The Classic, Master Model, and tunable wood-cupped x Vibro and flagship Blackwood. They span a variety of price points and offer a staggering variety of custom looks, fits and tuning options that allows for a truly unique headphone to be created. 

Regardless of the headphone model chosen, ZMF Headphones’ house sound is resolute on being smooth, articulate, punchy and never sibilant.

In this sense, ZMF Headphones aims at offering a closed-back alternative—or companion—to the many open-back orthodynamic headphones on the market, but with a unique touch of course. Zach’s design is intended to blend the benefits of both dynamic drivers and orthos. As he says, “I have set out to tune ZMF headphones with the engaging qualities of dynamic drivers, yet with the encompassing precision, accuracy and timbre that is often associated with planar magnetic headphones. [By] providing an above average soundstage, a perfect engaging mid-range, life-like bass and smooth highs, users get a headphone that can be listened to for hours on end.”

Some may find that too good to be true, but part of the ZMF Headphones value proposition is that if you don’t like the sound, you can send your headphones back for a free retune based on your wants or needs. This is actually how I ended up spending part of my weekend hanging out in Zach’s apartment and ZMF Headphones headquarters.

 

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The ZMF x Vibro

Having read many good things about the ZMF x Vibro, I decided to give it a try for myself, picking up a used pair off of Head-Fi.org. They arrived with walnut wood cups, Alpha Pads, buffalo leather headband and Zach’s OCC copper/silver hybrid balanced cable. I popped them on and ran them through some laps on my Woo Audio WA6-SE, ALO Audio Island and Pan Am, Sudgen Headmaster and Yulong DA8. While the x Vibro had plenty of nice characteristics, I ultimately felt that I was left wanting for more; they just seemed a bit too dark, laid back, and even a touch thin at times to my ears, especially when coming from the Sennheiser HD650 that synergizes so well with the WA6-SE, the main amp in my setup. When I posted this statement on a Head-Fi thread, Zach spotted it, messaged me directly, and set out to deliver some top notch customer service.

As Zach explained in his message, the pair that I had purchased was actually one of his early builds. Since then, he has further refined his design, materials and tuning, meaning the pair I had wasn’t quite up to snuff with his current offerings. The cure: Zach had me over (we live within a short drive of each other) to “update” my used x Vibro, something he’s been trying to do to the few older production models still floating around whenever he spots them.

So while I hung out, Zach worked away and then kindly presented me with my “new” x Vibro. Using his measurement software and testing devices, he showed me how his changes improved the frequency response and left the drivers matched to within roughly 1 db of each other. “The better the left and right channels are matched in a headphone, the better it will sound,” he explained. “All ZMF headphones go through rigorous burn in and testing before being sent to the end user.”

So how does a current spec x Vibro sound? Much better and pretty darn good. When Zach writes his product descriptions, he pretty much tells it like it is. I suppose this is part of his craft; he can’t really afford to sensationalize or be misleading when he’s so actively involved and accessible in the headphone community. 

But to get on with it, the x Vibro is a smooth operator. Coming from a Beyerdynamic, Grado or Sennheiser headphone to these, you’ll likely be thrown off by the very different tone and response, but as your ears settle into the ZMF sound, you’ll start to notice just how resolving it can be. 

Throughout the entire frequency range I detect no harshness, no grit, just free-flowing music. The tonal balance is what I personally consider to still be on the darkish side, with a boost in the mid-bass, descending treble response and a mellow mannerism overall that saves your ears from fatigue while still delivering a sufficient amount of clarity. 

Of the headphones I’ve had in my collection, I liken the x Vibro most to the HiFiMan HE-500 when it comes to tone, although, from memory (I sold my HE-500), I think the x Vibro may actually have more engaging mids (more present vocals) and a touch smoother presentation overall. Separation is quite nice with these. The damping and tuning seems to allow you to really pick out each instrument and focus on it, and there’s a nice layering to the sound, especially with high-resolution recordings. For being a closed-back headphone, the soundstaging of the x Vibro is surprisingly good. While the x Vibro has three bass ports on each cup that can be plugged or left open, Zach recommended leaving them open and that is how I also ended up enjoying the x Vibro the most. Plugged, I found the bass could come off a touch cool, but unplugged, the sub- and mid-bass bleeds into the prominent midrange to give these a lusher, more fulfilling sound. 

What I personally find most challenging about the x Vibro is how dependent it is on having strong synergy with the amp it is paired to. An amp that pumps out a strong current into a 50 ohm load is definitely desirable. For example, the x Vibro paired with the Woo Audio WA6-SE is underwhelming for me. With my ALO Pan Am switched to high gain it sounds pretty good. On the ALO Island it’s decent… certainly good enough for at the office. With the Sugden Headmaster, the x Vibro begins to show some real meat. But when matched with the Decware Zen Taboo, purposely designed for planar headphones, the x Vibro absolutely sings; it’s like a completely different headphone. My point here is that amp matching is critical if you want to get the most out of the x Vibro, otherwise you likely stand to be disappointed. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is a valid point to consider before making a purchase.

All in all, Zach is a standup guy crafting some pretty nice custom headphones under the ZMF Headphones label. He truly stands behind his products, so if you haven’t already, check out ZMF Headphones.

Now here’s a look behind the scenes….

 

ZMF Headphones headquarters

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Zach making upgrades to my x Vibro

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Drivers being matched for a large order

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Carbon enclosures in different stages of assembly

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Custom colors for the ZMF Classic

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Zach in his listening chair

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ZMF x Vibro in Cherry

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ZMF Classic

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ZMF x Vibro in Walnut

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Brainwavz was seeking new coverage of their M1 in-ear monitor. I was seeking an IEM in a pinch before leaving for an 8-day trip. I didn’t like the Brainwavz S0 too much, my HiFiMan Re-Zero IEMs hurt my ears, I’m now a spoiled audio snob that won’t use generic OEM earbuds, and full-size cans just weren’t an option for traveling with camera gear. The timing was perfect; Audrey at Brainwavz hooked me up with a pair of M1s for my journeys, and off I went.

But before you think that I am just going to praise these because Brainwavz provided them, think again. I tell it how my ears hear it, and as some of you may know, I’m not generally a fan of earphones, earbuds, IEMs, whatever you want to call them. So let’s dive into what these affordable hi-fi IEMs are all about.

Unboxing
When I opened the shipping parcel, I was happy to find the M1 in high-grade packaging with excellent branding despite these being a roughly $40 earphone. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been handling a lot of products from other leading Asian manufacturers like Cayin, Dunu, Fidue, Hidizs and T-PEOS for my work with Canada’s CTC Audio, so it was good to see the Brainwavz packaging is on par, if not better than, its competitors. In your hands, you’d think you’re getting a product that retails for more than $40—everything is neatly and securely packed and placed in its inner holders with care.

Accessories

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Another thing I have come to expect with IEMs competing in this price range is a variety of accessories to customize use and fit. The M1 follows suit by providing a Brainwavz-branded hard zippered carry case and shirt clip, and a variety of ear tips that include one set of premium Comply S-400 foam tips, one set of black silicone bi-flange tips, and six, yes six, pairs of standard black silicone tips (S, M, L). 

The hard case is the same one that comes with the S0 I previously reviewed and has two pockets that will secure all of these things in place while you’re on the go. As usual, finding the tip that is right for your ear is key, so please experiment. I ended up using the Comply foam tip with the M1, which, to my ears, offered the best comfort, noise isolation and sound quality.

Build
You’ll hardly notice the M1 housings in your hand, not because they’re small, but because they’re so light. The M1 has an ultra-light composite housing and slim tangle-free 1.3m cable. The design itself is modern and attractive, while maintaining a minimalist appearance. Despite the light weight and general lack of what I would consider “robustness”, the M1 feels solid enough and has held up well to being thrown in my luggage, pushed and pulled out of my camera bags, wrapped around my Hidizs AP100 DAP, and probably rolled over more than a few times when I fell asleep with them in during my recent travels.

As for cable microphonics, they’re minimal—practically nonexistent. The difference between the S0 and M1, for instance, is night and day with the M1 putting the S0’s bulky flat cable to shame. My only complaints I have with the M1 cable is the lack of strain relief may prove detrimental over time and the length of the Y split. The length of the left and right wires seems quite long and there is no slider on the cable to narrow the split. The reason this bothered me is that it could be easy to snag the cables on coats and bag straps, but this is really a minor annoyance more than anything else. I suppose the shirt clip could be used to alleviate this, but that’s not my preferred solution.

Internally, the M1 sports a large 10.7mm dynamic driver wired to a silver-plated OFC cable that terminates into a 3.5mm gold-plated L-plug. The cable can be worn down or over the ear. Of note, there are no plug adapters included with the M1 as it’s intended for use with portable devices.

Sound
The important part. Brainwavz claims that the M1 presents a “balanced sound” and “will leave your ears (and wallet) smiling.” Well, I actually can’t disagree too much this time.

The M1 performed very well for me across several genres and surprisingly never left me wanting for too much more across the dynamic range. Granted, I would never sit down for truly critical listening with these. But as a portable solution, I was pleased with the M1’s spacious sound stage, ability to center the musicians between your ears and a relatively balanced response. Instruments and vocals sound respectably authentic with smooth, clean detail retrieval. The M1 is truly easy on the ears without ever sounding too dark or recessed. Brainwavz claims the M1 will sound good with any genre of music, and the M1 handled all of my electronic, indie, punk, rock, jazz and acoustic folk tastefully with nice dynamics, sonic clarity and just enough vibrancy to avoid coming off as being dry or sterile. 

The M1’s 10.7mm dynamic drivers are rated at 32-ohm, with a frequency response range of 20Hz-20kHz and a sensitivity of 110dB at 1mW. These stats will tell you right off the bat that they are relatively easy to drive, but will likely lack real deep bass extension.

Before departing on my trip, I ran the M1s through several hours of tracks from The Sound Apprentice Picks Spotify playlist. A mix of songs from the likes of Sleeping at Last, Fink, Bonobo, Odesza, Sublime, Minus the Bear, John Butler Trio, Mammal Hands, Miles Davis, Glass Animals and many more played through my desktop PC and ALO Audio Pan Am tube DAC/amp. Once I left town, I mated the M1s to my new Hidizs AP100 High Fidelity Music Player (thanks CTC Audio) loaded with my lossless audio library.

When the music first hit my ears, I was immediately surprised by the balanced sound and nice resolution. I felt that I was actually hearing the integrity of the recordings and these different amps at work instead of an artificial sound from poor driver tuning. The M1 delivered a refined sound that didn’t call any attention to any specific frequency range. Some people will find this sound boring, but I personally prefer to hear recordings and gear as they were intended to be heard.

So, about that bass. It’s tighter, less boomy and more natural than the S0. It has smooth extension, but it does fall short of rumbling your eardrums. You can hear kick drums and deep synths, but you can’t feel them until pushing the volume into deafening levels. What’s nice, though, is that the bass never overpowers or smears the performance.

From bass to mids, the transition is simply smooth. I’d prefer a little more “meat” in this region, but tuned as they are the M1 handled instrument separation and soul quite well. I found vocals to sound quite natural, a little thin at times, but generally enjoyable.

As for the treble, I haven’t seen a frequency response chart, but my ears want me to say that the highs roll off relatively early. The highs that meet your ears, however, are clean and easy to listen too, but things I hear with my reference-grade headphones I simply don’t pick up with the M1. But, that’s to be expected. So while the highest detail retrieval may be underwhelming for the critical listener, the M1 still manages to not come off as being too dark or veiled. To those that are treble-sensitive, the M1 offers your ears some liberation.

For long listening sessions, I found the balanced and mellow sound of the M1 welcoming. I never experienced any ear fatigue whether I was listening for hours poolside, getting some late night listening in before bed, or soaring through the sky on the flight home (only complaint here is that the drone of jet engines decimates the bass). That said, much like I stated for the S0, for those looking for cutting highs with a vast soundstage, you’ll be left wanting for more. And for the real bass heads, I’d advise you to keep moving along. But for the head-fi guy or gal that wants an earphone that can do it all well enough and cheap enough, the M1 might be the right choice.

Bottom Line 
To my surprise, I can honestly say that I enjoyed my time with the Brainwavz M1. I tend to stay away from IEMs, and after my disappointment with the S0 I had my doubts about this more affordable option from Brainwavz, but the M1 has earned a place in my travel bag—at least for now. The looks, build and accessories are all winning features, but the weight, comfort and sound quality are what seals the deal.

I’ll close this review by simply saying that the Brainwavz M1 in-ear monitor is for the hi-fi enthusiast that wants a no-frills, enjoyable and easy listening experience while on the go (without breaking the bank). Without any EQ adjustments, the bass goes low enough, the mids can warm your soul, and the highs are supple and smooth with just the right amount of shimmer to keep your toes tapping and you saying, “Just one more song.” 

Many thanks once again to Brainwavz and Audrey for reaching out to me and allowing me to take the M1 in-ear monitor on my journeys abroad.

 

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You guys are going to think I’ve become a Brainwavz fanboy or something if I keep these reviews rolling, but that's not entirely the case. It just so happens that I received their all-new HM5 Thick Ear Pads (fan), Zirconia Headphone Stand (fan) and S0 In-Ear Monitors (not a fan) as a bundle to review. So here we go...

Brainwavz recently redesigned their HM5 Ear Pads. This ear pad is quite popular among modders becase it fits a wide variety of headphones in both stock form and with some simple modifications.

Design-wise, Brainwavz set out to make these ear pads more comfortable than ever before. Not only did they increase the thickness (depth) of the pad, they are now using memory foam that comfortably conforms to your head. For those that would like to add some personal flair to their cans, Brainwavz is also offering the HM5 ear pads in all new colors. The pleather version now comes in black, red, brown and white, and the velour version is available in black or red.

If you’re a regular reader of mine here, on Instagram or Head-Fi, you already know that I am a happy owner of the Shure SRH840 headphone, that I use it daily at work, and that I’ve madesome mods to it to increase the comfort for all-day listening. So naturally, I wanted to try these pads to see what comfort or sonic gains could be made.

A simple swap of ear pads on the Shures makes noticeable differences. When I went from the stock pleather SRH840 ear pad to the velour SRH940 ear pad, I noticed less heat build-up, more “air” in the soundstage, slightly less noise isolation, but ultimately greater comfort and a nice listening experience. So, the velour SRH940 ear pad has been my daily driver with the SRH840s for several months now. Surprisingly enough, swapping those out for the new HM5 brown pleather ear pads has been an exciting experience so far.

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Immediately, I have to say that the HM5 ear pad is more comfortable for several reasons. First off, the padding is supple—not too squishy where it turns to mush on your head, and not too stiff where you get discomfort from pressure points.

Second, the added thickness compared to the stock Shure pads gives both your ears and your music some room to breathe. I’m not experiencing “hot ears” in these like I did with the stock Shure pads. The increased depth of the pad also moves the driver and the internal cover away from the ear. With the Shure pads, my ears touched the internal driver screen; I wouldn’t say that it caused problems per se, but the less contact the better in my opinion. To me, the increased air between the drivers and my ears has also helped to open up the soundstage substantially. There’s greater instrument separation and the overall performance sounds less congested; treble is cleaner, bass is tighter and more impactful, and there’s simply a greater sense of space. The music just sounds better. Again, I think this is a combination of the increased space between driver and ear, but also because Brainwavz uses a thinner driver screen than Shure, so the dampening factor is a bit less—it’s like a veil has been lifted off of the dynamic range.

Lastly, noise isolation is very good, a definite improvement over the Shure velour pad and probably on par or maybe slightly better than the Shure pleather pad.

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In my bundle from Brainwavz, I also received a pair of the HM5 ear pads in black velour. The original velour pads on my HiFiMan HE-500s were a bit worn, I didn’t like the quality or comfort (both poor) of their new FocusPads that I tried, and so I took the opportunity to test the HM5 velour ear pad on the HE-500.

NOTE: Making the Brainwavz HM5 ear pad work on HiFiMan headphones, like the HE-500, does require a bit of modification (and destroying the stock pad), but I assure you it is worthwhile, especially if you are unhappy with the quality and comfort of the stock pads.
First thing, remove the stock pad from the speaker and observe the plastic mounting ring stitched or molded to the pad covering. You will need to remove this ring to reuse for mounting the HM5 pad back onto the speaker. Peel the driver screen off the pad and use scissors or other cutting tool to remove the covering along the outside and inside edges. Once you have the plastic ring removed, trim its outer edge by a few millimeters to make the overall circumference a bit smaller. You will need to do this to be able to stretch the HM5 pad onto it. When stretching the HM5 pad onto the ring, be careful not to crack the ring; like most things on HiFiMan headphones, it is fragile. If the ring cracks in half, mission failed. Once you get the HM5 pad secured to the ring, simply remount the pad on the speaker. This sounds like a bit of work, and I guess it is, but it shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes, really.

As for the listening experience, I once again was impressed. Just like with the Shure pads, the HM5’s added thickness compared to the stock HiFiMan pads both gives your ears and the music more room to breathe. I never really had a “hot ears” problem with the HiFiMans, but I absolutely couldn't stand that my ears touched the inner driver screen. I would get pain on my ear tips during long listening sessions from the driver pressing against them. Again, the depth of the HM5 pad immediately alleviates that, which successfully moves the driver much further from the ear. 

To me, again, the increased air between the drivers and my ears seems to have opened up the soundstage of my HE-500s. I wouldn’t say it was as noticeable as with the Shure SRH840s, but there is a sonic improvement to my ears. Instrument separation again becomes a bit clearer and less congested. I didn’t notice any real changes in the bass/mid/treble response, but the soundstage seems to have opened up again. Subtle changes in sound, it does sound better, but the greatest gains with this mod are in the comfort region. The Brainwavz HM5 ear pad is just superior to HiFiMan’s: Better stitching, better padding, more comfortable.

The bottom line here is that the Brainwavz HM5 ear pad should be considered by everyone looking for an ear pad upgrade. It’s affordable, well-made, comfortable, and fits on a pretty wide variety of headphones. I strongly recommend them for Shure headphone owners, and I recommend them to HiFiMan owners that are willing to wreck their stock pads.