Intro
TinHifi is a company that needs no introduction in the Chi-Fi space.Whenever anybody mentioned T2 Plus,they are well aware that TinHifi is the company that produces them.When it comes to Planar,they do have several offering as well,i have not had the chance to try them out previously,namely the P1,P1 Plus,both which receive quite positive feedback from the reviewers,albeit with some cons such as hard to drive. However, I have tried and reviewed the OG P1 Max and they are very good with some minor con. Today I have the P1 Max II, with me,with a completely redesigned shell and different tuning from the P1 Max first gen

Packaging/Build
The packaging is the usual TinHifi style kind of packaging.A hard box with the IEM itself,and generous sets of eartips provided.I’m not going to show the picture of it as I believe there are several reviewers who took a lot of photos of the packaging. The stock cable is quite good in terms of build quality as well as sound.
In terms of build quality,the shell is smaller compared to the OG P1 Max,it is made out of plastic.It is comfortable and fits my ear well.No weird edges that cause discomfort throughout my listening session. It is very very light weight.



Gears used for this review

• Aune S9c Pro
• Hiby FC6
• Macbook Air M2
• TinHifi P1 Max II Stock Cable and Eartips

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
Compared to the OG P1 Max, i would say the sound signature is completely different and the P1 Max II seems to offer better technicalities, i would say the signature is slightly v shaped and the mids are not that recessed. It scales very well with power as well. Note weight lies in between thick and thin, depending on your own definition or preference, to me, the note weight is alright as i mentioned earlier.



Bass

• Bass on the P1 Max II has good texture to it and has good slam and punchy
• Sub bass rumble is good but no where near basshead kind of quantity
• Bass is fast,tight,clean and not at all muddy,very good quality bass i would say
• I like the bass presentation on P1 Max II overall,of course your experience might vary
• The bass is done just right to my ears,balanced transition from sub to mid bass

Mids

• Both male and female vocal has got good texture and not thin sounding at all
• Vocal positioning is not laidback and not too intimate sounding. Just nice for my preference.I would put it as “not so in your face” kind of positioning
• Mid range is slightly recessed but still retain plenty of details in this range
• Upper mids are not boosted and remained pleasant even at higher volume,hence it will not give you that kind of sensation “shouty”

Treble

• I complained about the treble response of OG P1 Max, P1 Max II seems to have that fixed, plenty of air and presence, good resolution as well
• Detail retrieval is good, micro details can be picked up easily compared to the OG P1 Max
• Depending on tracks, the treble on the P1 Max II can be a little hot sometimes

Soundstage/Imaging

• The soundstage is rather wide and big, good width, depth, and height perception
• Imaging is rather good as the instruments can be picked up easily due to good separation

Drivability/Dac Amp Pairing

• The P1 Max II is not hard to drive, but it does benefit and scale with better source
• Fiio KA11’s dongle can drive the P1 Max II without any issue, however, when the P1 Max II is connected to desktop setup, it sounds very alive (better dynamics as well as good control on the bass)

Comparison (OG P1 Max)

• The shell of the OG P1 Max is slightly bigger and in terms of fitting, not so comfortable for me, but the weight is more or less similar compared to P1 Max II
• The sound signature overall is warmer and thicker note weight than current the OG P1 Max
• Bass is more on mid bass for the OG P1 Max rather than sub bass hence, it doesn’t hit or rumble that hard compared to P1 Max II
• Mids are slightly forward compared to OG P1 Max and thick
• Treble is where the OG P1 Max fall short, lacking resolution and extension, P1 Max II does a lot better in the treble region
• OG P1 Max also fall short in terms of soundstage and detail retrieval, it presents just slightly out of your head kind of perception for soundstage, imaging does suffers a little when the track gets complex

Final Thoughts
All in all, P1 Max II is a definite upgrade over the OG P1 Max, in terms of detail retrieval, resolution as well as soundstage and imaging, of course, it is not always rainbows and butterfly, some compromises had to be made in terms of tuning(note weight, and mids), this is very normal and considering the price, i’d say it is fair. If you’re in the look out for your first planar IEM or even an upgrade from your current IEM, do not hesitate to grab this.

*P1 Max II was sent over by Linsoul for this review.I am in no way compensated/influenced in any way to produce this review.All thoughts and words are of my own.

If you are interested in getting one,head over to Linsoul’s store below:
P1 Max II - Non Affiliated

General Information (Build/Packaging/Comfort)
Xuan Nv is a collaboration between Tangzu and HBB if you don’t already know. It is a dual dynamic driver config where the 10mm dynamic driver and 8mm driver
Xuan Nv got a very beautiful faceplate. It's 3D printed and the unit is very light and I don't feel the weight on me when I'm wearing them. The packaging is the usual Tangzu’s styled packaging. Within the box, you have the IEM itself, two types of Tangzu’s eartips, the balanced and the wide, i personally preferred the wide tips with Xuan Nv, we will get to that later. So you are spoiled with choice in terms of eartips, the balanced and wide also affects the tuning so feel free to try out and see which is your preference

Gears used for this review

• Cayin N3 Ultra
• Hiby FC6
• Fiio K9 AKM
• Tangzu x HBB Xuan Nv with Sancai Wide Eartip

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far


Sound Impression (with Wide eartips)
To my surprise, the Xuan NV, despite bearing HBB’s collab badge, doesn't sound like the usual HBB”s tuning that I have heard of, especially on the bass region. Tonality wise, the Xuan Nv is a warmish set and sub bass focused, i would say, it is a very safe set overall

Bass

• It is not a bassy set like one of the collab, Hades, rather the bass has quite good control when it is properly powered
• Sub bass does rumble when the track calls for it, not bass head kind of rumble but sufficient in terms of quantity for it to be fun
• Mid bass does lack a little punch, which is why i’m surprised as HBB’s collab usually have punchy mid bass
• Not the best in terms of control and texture, but for the asking price, i think it is fair
• Bass is speedy enough to handle complex track, but there are also times where it fall shorts (Metallica’s Lux Aeterna)

Mids

• The mids are slightly recessed and retains a little warmth from the lower region that was carried over
• Vocal positioning are neither too intimate nor recessed
• Male vocal has good enough texture, female vocal has sufficient energy, but might be lacking for females with higher vocal range

Treble

• The treble response is smooth and non sibilant, a very safe approach and I'm sure even the treble sensitive guys/girls will be able to handle it
• While it’s good to have a safe approach, it also kills off some air which is evident on some busy tracks where everything will sound a little like “mashed” with each other. This is just me nitpicking, and of course something's got to give
• Detail retrieval is good enough for the price. Definitely not for critical listening
• A very smooth set overall

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of the head but lacking a little height and depth to my ears. Imaging is average
• instruments can be picked up easily but of course it struggles a little on busy tracks.

Driveability

• This Xuan Nv, loves power, in fact if you fed it when some source which doesn’t have sufficient power, the bass sounds very uncontrolled or muddy at times, lacking dynamics as well, once again, i have to re-iterate, volume does not mean/equivalent to driving power
• Hiby FC6 for example, works well with the Xuan Nv, depending on your preference, i prefers the Xuan Nv to have a slightly cleaner sound, hence pairing it with Fiio’s K9 AKM works for me

Comparison (Dunu Titan S)

• Bass is definitely not the strong point of Titan S, lacking in terms of quantity, but compensated with quality bass (fast and tight)
• Vocal is more prominent on the Titan S but also having a little more energy on the upper mids, this might be a little problematic for some people who are sensitive at this range
• In term of treble, Titan S has got a bit more energy and air but nowhere near offensive sounding or harsh
• Detail retrieval on Titan S is slightly better
• Soundstage and Imaging is slightly better on the Xuan Nv
• I made it sound like Titan S is a better choice, isn't it? It is not, well, i’d say Titan S is focusing more on technical performance while Xuan Nv is easy going and fun. To me, the target audience is different.

Final Thoughts
All in all, the Xuan Nv is a smooth and fun set that’s targeted at those who want to just plug in and listen to their music without going into a critical listening session. The Xuan Nv does everything alright and to be honest, if you already owned something similar in this price range or similar configuration, this is a sidegrade for you, but if you’re looking for some fun and smooth set and you don’t own anything with similar sound signature, by all means, get it, considering the asking price and also two types of eartips bundled, the price performance ratio is actually quite high.

*Xuan Nv is sent over by Linsoul for the purpose of this review. I thank them for the opportunity and support as always.

Head over to their store if you’re interested in getting a pair:

Tangzu x HBB Xuan Nv - Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Build
Kiwi Ears is known for its IEMs line up. The Allegro is the brand’s first venture into the dongle dac/amp market. The build quality is very solid, featuring a retro-ish design which should be familiar to gamers. The buttons on the dongle are purely for aesthetics and the buttons are dummy rather than an actual functioning button. There’s a LED light on the back of the dongle. The packaging is very minimal, and inside the box, you have the dongle itself, a type c to c cable.
Let’s take a look at the specifications below:

Specifications

• DAC Chip ES9028Q2M​

• THD+N 0.0015% (32 Ohms)​

• Output Power 70mW@32 Ohms (3.5mm), 155mW@32 Ohms (4.4mm)​

• SNR 123dB​

• Frequency Response 20Hz~40kHz​

• Noise Floor <1μV​

• Supported Formats PCM (up to 32bit/384kHz), DSD (DSD256, DSD128, DSD64)​

• Indicator Lights PCM (blue), DSD (red)​

Gears used for this review

• Tidal MQA/FLAC -> Macbook Air M2 -> Kiwi Ears Allegro
• foobar 2k -> Macbook Air M2 -> Kiwi Ears Allegro
• Spiriti Torino Twin Pulse IEM
• 7Hz Legato
• Sony MV1
• iPhone 15 -> Kiwi Ears Allegro

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far



Battery Drain

• The Allegro, given the power that it outputting, i find it to be alright, connected to my iPhone 15 at 90%, streaming Tidal Flac and MQA on my mobile network from 10am onwards, dongle’s volume 15 clicks from 0, at 10.52am, i’m left with 80% of battery, which i personally think it’s alright, given i’ve been streaming on mobile network, on WiFi, the drain will probably be lower

Sound Impression
The Allegro’s tonality is leaning towards slightly warm and neutral, rather clean sounding to my ears, a little similar/close to Earmen’s tuning, keyword here is close, not 100% mirror tuning of Earmen. The overall note weight is alright not overly thick or thin. Instrument’s timbre sounds quite natural to my ears. Good enough dynamics for the price, not the most resolving DAC in this price range



Listening Impression with the following gears
Sony MV1

• Bass is punchy and tight, mid bass especially
• Mids are slightly being pushed forward instead of sounding slightly recessed prior to pairing with the KA17
• Slightly better separation and imaging
• Male vocal has slightly thicker texture and sounds fuller
• Female vocal is full sounding as well
• Not so much changes in terms of detail retrieval
• Doesn’t push the MV1 to its full potential, but good enough when you’re out and about and do not want to carry any stacks

7Hz Legato

• Legato is a bassy and warm IEM, aimed at delivering analog-ish speaker sound
• The mids are slightly recessed, but when paired with the Allego, the mids doesn’t sound that recessed anymore and it sounded a little bit more forward, both male and female vocal also have better texture and body to it
• Bass on the other hand has better control and slightly tighter
• Not much changes on the detail retrieval as well as soundstage, slightly better imaging i would say
• Legato is not hard to drive, but the Allegro does have sufficient power to push it hard as Legato scales really well with more power and source
• I personally find the Legato has good synergy with the Allegro, i use this combo when i just want to chill and enjoy the music

Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM

• For those who are not aware, Spirit Torino is a brand from Italy and they make mostly high end headphones and the Twin Pulse IEM is a trickled down version of the Twin Pulse Headphone, sporting a dual beryllium plated DD in isobaric configuration, they’re not hard to drive but they certainly scale very well with better source
• The sound signature of the Twin Pulse IEM is very natural, neither overly warm or cool, just very natural in terms of timbre, vocal, as well as the overall note weight
• The Twin Pulse IEM seems pair well with the Allegro, natural sounding overall coupled with Allegro’s clean nature, the output offers a very pleasing listening experience

Comparison (Tempotec Sonata BHD)

• The Sonata BHD features a different DAC, dual CS43131 compared to Allegro’s 9028Q2M
• Sonata BHD does slightly colours the output, with a slight lift on the lows
• Treble has slightly more energy compared to Allegro
• Perceived soundstage is slightly larger in terms of width, height and depth
• Higher output power compared to Allegro and features 3 gain level
• Build quality is acceptable, compared to Allegro, Sonata BHD feels like a toy as it is very light and the build feels very “plasticky”

Final Thoughts
There are many dongles out there in the market, I have tested quite a few but not all, Kiwi Ears first dongle is certainly unable to disrupt the market in my opinion, but it is a very good start. The sound is very clean overall and I would say not much coloration, so it’ll definitely please the purist out there. If you are currently in search of a dongle that has solid build quality as well as a clean and uncolored sound signature, and you are mainly using efficient IEMs and Headphones, Allegro is the one to get.

*A big thanks to Linsoul for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support as always

Head over to their store if you are interested in getting one:

Kiwi Ears Allegro - Non Affiliated

General/Packaging/Comfort/Build
Kiwi Ears is no stranger within the community, names like Orchestra Lite, Cadenza, Melody and Forteza should be very familiar to most within the community. This time around, they have decided to have a collaboration with Crinacle , known as Singolo. The driver is a 11mm dynamic driver with KARS. What is KARS? It stands for Kiwi Acoustic Resonance System. I will not explain how this works, in short, it works as a filter to manipulate airflow to the driver to control the low frequency output. You may find out more info about the KARS from the product page itself. The packaging comes in the usual Kiwi Ears styled package. Within the box it consists of eartips and cable as well as the IEM itself. Build quality is rather solid with beautiful faceplate, the shell itself is neither too big nor small, very good isolation and comfort based on my experience throughout the listening session for approximately 2-3 hours. Nozzle however is on the shorter side and tip rolling can help if you’re experiencing fit issue.



Equipment and Software used

• Fiio K9 AKM
• Kiwi Ears Allegro
• Hiby FC6
• Macbook Air M2
• Apple Music/Tidal/foobar2k

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
Upon first listening impression, the bass on the Singolo is what strikes me first, don’t get me wrong, it's not a bad thing, i’m not a basshead myself, but the bass performance is really good, it’s clean and controlled, sub bass focussed rather than mid bass, with good texture all around for the asking price . Timbre sounds quite natural to my ears. Out of the box listening experience, the bass and highs feels very uncontrolled and fortunately, i left the Singolo on my burn in rig overnight and the bass texture and highs are noticeably better, in terms of control and smoother highs

Bass

• Fairly good speed and doesn’t sound bloated or muddy when listening to busy tracks such as Slipknot’s People’s = crap!
• Sub bass has okay-ish extension considering the price. not bass head kind of rumble but sufficient and has good control, it rumbles when the track calls for it, with a good seal, it is actually very fun
• Mid bass lacks a little punch but overall it is alright
• Doesn’t bleed into the mids

Mids

• The mids are slightly recessed but still lush sounding to my ears
• Vocals are neither too forward nor recessed, and they’re not shouty
• Male and female vocal has good texture to it and doesn’t sound thin
• The bass doesn’t bleed into this range which is good
• Pinna gain is rather safe and never shouty even when the volume is being cranked up
• Overall, they’re quite clean and this is evident on some of Crin’s collab

Treble

• Treble is smooth and non offensive, but retains enough energy to not sound dark
• The con is that the resolution is just average the same goes to detail retrieval as well

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head with good width, depth and height perception is good
• Imaging is good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily even during busy track, certain complex orchestral track might not perform that well
• In terms of technicalities overall, Singolo has average technicalities

Driveability

• Singolo is not hard to drive but it does scale very more power, in terms of dynamics and bass control
• Most of the entry level/mid range dongles will do just fine but desktop setup will push the Singolo to its max capability

Comparison (Tin Hifi T2 Mk2)

• T2 Mk2 is a neutral bright sounding set
• Treble has plenty of energy and sometimes it can be a little too much depending on the tracks
• Soundstage is rather average in terms of height and width perception
• Note weight is on the slightly thinner side compared to Singolo
• Overall, the T2 MK2 is quite analytical compared to Singolo which has some warmth and a smoother treble response

Final Thoughts
All in all, the Singolo does everything alright and it doesn’t really stand out among the competitors. Don’t get me wrong, i’m not saying the Singolo is a bad set, let me put it this way, if you already have something in this price range, Singolo is more or less a side grade, however, if you’re new to the hobby and this is the kind of sound signature that you are looking for, by all means, get the Singolo. The only gripe i had with it is the bundled accessories, the stock eartips and cable are really bad (subjective) and it doesn't bring out the performance of Singolo.

*A big thanks to Linsoul for sending this over for the purpose of this review. Thanks for the support and opportunity as always

Head over to their store if you are interested in getting a pair:

Kiwi Ears Singolo- Non affiliated

Gears Used for Testing

• Aune AR5000
• Hifiman Ananda Nano
• Hifiman Sundara Open Backed

Specifications
Material

• Secondary Refined Furukawa Monocrystalline Copper

Core Count

• 21AWG 4 Strands, 560 wires

Structure

• Coaxial Braided

Cable Length

• 1.5M

Connectors/Plugs

• Dual 3.5mm with Swappable Plugs (3.5mm/4.4)

Build Quality
The cable itself is very well built, it is very soft and doesn’t retain cable memory, hence making it easy to store and bring out from storage. The dual 3.5mm jack as well as the modular plug is very solid, the plug has good ergonomics based on my experience of using it for several weeks , where the shape of the jack somehow provides a very good grip when you want to unplug it from the headphone or your amp. Very well thought out, although it might sound a little inconvenient,the screw locking mechanism on the modular plug itself is to further secure it. Overall, i like the build quality very much, aesthetically as well as the tactile of the cable



Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
*The cable has been run in for approximately 20-30 hours prior to writing this sound impression.
I have tested different headphone cables with the same material, it’s safe to say, they all sounded different to my ears, i am aware that this is a rather controversial topic, hence if you are someone who believes in cable, feel free to read further, else just skip this review/impression at once. The LL-RC 2024 does improve several aspects of the sound, in terms of slightly better note weight as well as a sweeter mid range




Listening impression
Aune AR5000 with LL-RC 2024

• Compared to stock cable of AR5000, pairing it with Fiio’s LL-RC 2024 improved the overall note weight, with a bit more texture and body on the mids and lows, treble is slightly smoother while doesn’t sacrifice much in terms of technicalities
• I also noticed slightly better soundstage reproduction as well
• Vocal positioning doesn’t change much but slightly better texture on the mids

Hifiman Ananda Nano with LL-RC 2024

• Ananda Nano’s signature is leaning towards neutral bright, at times it can be a little too analytical and fatiguing for a long listening session
• Pairing it with the LL-RC 2024 tend to thickens the note weight and induce a little warmth due to the nature of material of the cable
• Bass has better texture, slightly better extension to my ears
• Mids are not that thin anymore, improved note weight
• Trebles are smoother overall, the lower treble of Ananda Nano especially, it is prone to being a little hot on certain track, has been smoothed out a little with the LL-RC 2024’s pairing
• Soundstage and imaging does not improve much, a very good pairing and synergy overall i would say, recommended!

Hifiman Sundara Open Backed with LL-RC 2024

• Sundara Open Backed is slightly warm in terms of tonality
• Pairing the LL-RC 2024 makes the overall sound signature tilting towards the warmer end of the spectrum
• Those who find the bass of Sundara Open Backed is slightly lacking in terms of quantity and quality, LL-RC 2024 improves the quantity slightly, also the quality in terms of texture and tightness
• Mids and Treble however, doesn’t change much based on my listening impression
• Soundstage and Imaging as well
• I would say this pairing does not have really good synergy, but that is just me, but if you are looking to improve the bass aspect of Sundara Open Backed, by all means, go ahead

Final Thoughts
Cable altering/improving the sound of the transducer is a very controversial topic, there are some who don’t hear any difference and there are those who are like me, who have the ability to perceive the changes/improvement. Do keep in mind that cable will not make a bad sounding headphone sound better, That aside, Fiio LL-RC 2024 is definitely a worthy investment, coupled with a solid build quality as well as modular plug, i think the asking price is fair. If you are looking to improve or tweak a certain aspect of your headphone (soundstage,lusher mids and slightly better treble extension), this is the cable for you.



*Received the review sample from Fiio for the purpose of this review, big thanks to them for the support as always

Head over to their official Aliexpress store to purchase one if you’re interested:

Fiio LL-RC 2024 Product Page
Fiio LL-RC 2024 Store Purchase Link - Non Affiliated

General/Build/Packaging
Fiio needs no further introduction. I have tested and reviewed several products from the brand and I have good experience with their products in general. I have their desktop dac/amp with me today, the Fiio K9 AKM which houses AK’s flagship DAC, the 4191+4499EX as well as a plethora of components within the unit itself.
The build quality is very solid and premium looking, no sharp edges and the necessary functions/buttons are located on the front panel, output selector, gain switch, input selector, standby/mute switch are all on the front panel. Volume knob turns smoothly and it feels very controlled, so no sudden jump in terms of volume.
There’s also a side USB C port which in my opinion is a nifty feature whereby when you want to connect your phone or DAP as source, you do not have to reach to the back for the USB B cable instead just use a Type C to C.
The packaging itself is good and nothing to complain about, a USB B to A cable, and also power cord are included, very well protected. There is also a stand that allows you to place the K9 AKM vertically if you’re having some constraint on your desk.
Let’s take a look at the specifications below:



Specifications

• DAC: AK4191EQ + AK4499EX
• Decoding chip: XMOS XUF 208
• Amplifier: Two THX AAA 788+
• Bluetooth chip: QCC5124, Bluetooth 5.1 Bluetooth format support: LDAC/aptX Adaptive/aptX HD/aptX/aptX LL/AAC/SBC
• Outputs: 6.35mm/4.4mm/XLR-4/RCA/XLR
• Inputs: USB/OPT/COAX/RCA/4.4mm
• Output power 1: L+R≥2000mW+2000mW (32Ω balanced/THD+N＜1%)
• Output power 2: L+R≥780mW+780mW (300Ω balanced/THD+N＜1%) SNR: ≥124dB (A-weighted, UAC)
• Noise floor: PO＜8μV (A-weighted, UAC); BAL＜9.3μV (A-weighted, UAC)
• Output impedance: ＜1Ω (32Ω load)
• Weight: approx. 2660g
• Dimensions: 200×224.5x72mm (without feet)
• Comprehensive accessories K9*1, mains cable*1, headphone plug adapter*1, USB data cable*1, feet*6, fuse*1, stand*1, quick start guide*1, voltage selection card*

IEMs/Headphones/Equipments used for this review

• Sony MV1
• Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM
• Letshuoer EJ07
• Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio K9 AKM -> Tidal
• Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio K9 AKM -> foobar 2k (tracks ranging from 16-44 to 24-192)

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression (Slow Filter and no EQ/PEQ USB in Mode)
The K9 AKM has been burned in for approximately 50 hours prior to writing this impression. The sound of the K9 AKM is nothing but amazing. Dead silent background, zero noise. I’m not saying it will make a bad sounding/ badly tuned IEM turn good, it simply makes what is already good a step further and eeking out every bit of hidden potential your IEM/headphone have. The K9 AKM is quite neutral to my ears if you’re using the Fast Filter, i prefer it to be slightly coloured hence i’m using the Slow Filter as stated, there’s a slight lift on the lows, but the overall listening impression to me is that it is natural and the technicalities are very impressive.
Soundstage is largely dependent on the transducers and mastering of the songs, but K9 AKM does render the soundstage very open and let you have a good perception on the stage size in terms of depth, width and height.
Imaging is absolutely excellent with very good separation and layering, instruments can be pinpointed easily and they sound like they each have a space of their own and not mushed together.



Pairings
Letshuoer EJ07

• Pairing the Soloist with the K9 AKM is nothing but fun, the bass is definitely elevated, it has more punch now and better extension, it is tight and the texture is good as well, all these without messing with the mids and highs, this is evident when listening to Gojira’s Amazonia, the double paddle especially has more punch
• The mids are slightly forward and doesn’t sound that recessed
• The treble sounds more open and the imaging and detail retrieval is just amazing, i can definitely hear the notes that i need to focus more previously in order to hear it, the K9 AKM does it with ease, Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious ( The Dark Knight )
• Soundstage has more width and depth, doesn’t sound that 2D anymore

Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM

• The Twin Pulse is neutral with slight warmth on its own, based on my listening impression pairing it with K9 AKM, the soundstage is definitely “bigger” than before, imaging that is already good has been taken a step further with excellent separation as well as layering, simply amazing
• Bass is slightly faster, but the rendered texture is also improved
• Not much changes on the mids, perhaps the vocal positioning is slightly being pushed forward
• Imaging and separation is very good as you can clearly pinpoint the instruments easily

Sony MV1

• This particular pairing is the most interesting to my ears
• The MV1 itself is leaning towards neutral and slight warm, with a slight lift on the mid bass
• Listening to MV1 with the K9 AKM, bass has better control and tighter, while retaining the punch, i also noticed a slightly better sub bass extension
• Slightly better separation and imaging, in terms of detail retrieval, not much changes
• Soundstage has very good width and depth to it and seems to image better as well

Comparison (Earmen ST-AMP)

• Uses different DAC chip (ES 9280) and has lesser power output compared to K9 AKM
• The sound signature is leaning towards clean sounding and uncolored
• Feature wise, the ST-AMP is rather minimal and straightforward in terms of input and output, a 4.4 balanced and quarter inch headphone output, 4.4 balanced input and RCA input, whereas the K9 AKM sports a plethora of inputs and outputs, which i’m not gonna be mentioning as you can refer to the specs that i have posted above
• The ST-AMP to my ears sounds very natural and sometimes a little too plain if you’re craving for some coloration, bass is not being emphasised, the mid range is very natural, treble is smooth but retains enough energy, but ST-AMP’s star of the show lies within the amplification, i have tried using K9 AKM’s DAC line out to the ST-AMP and it brought out every bit of details that the AKM DAC’s capable of
• All in all, as a DAC/AMP, the ST-AMP does a good enough job, but K9 AKM does it a whole lot better as a DAC/AMP

Final Thoughts
Having tested and used the K9 AKM for several months prior to publishing this review, the K9 AKM definitely has what it takes to make a statement in the fast moving market with various competition. The K9 AKM is a very versatile product sporting various inputs and outputs. The K9 AKM’s sound will please most listeners out there who are looking for natural with a slight coloured sound.
The power output is definitely sufficient for most IEMs and headphones out there which are not power hungry. (Tested with the headphones which I owned, Hifiman Sundara Open Back, Hifiman Edition XS, Hifiman Sundara Closed Back, Aune AR5000, as well as Sony MV1). In terms of sound, it is definitely not neutral yet the coloration is somewhere in between and quite balanced overall. Fiio App compatibility is a welcoming feature as well, it allows you to set the filters as well as EQ/PEQ, and also the indicator light surrounding the volume knob.
All in all, the K9 AKM is a very capable dac/amp coupled with a good line out capability,hence the K9 AKM gets a recommendation from me.

*A big thanks to Fiio for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support.

Head over to their official AliExpress Store and official website if you are interested in getting one:

Fiio K9 AKM Product Page
Fiio K9 AKM Purchase Link - Non Affiliated

General/Packaging/Comfort/Build
ZiiGat is a relatively new brand which is sold by Linsoul exclusively. The brand has released several IEMs, namely the Cinno and Nuo,and also the Doscinco, which I have also tested and reviewed previously and found to be really good for the asking price. I have the Cincotres with me today which has the same configuration: 2DD+3BA as Doscinco, in which the two DDs are arranged in isobaric configuration.
Build quality is very solid and features beautiful faceplate as well, metal nozzle, it is neither short nor long for my ear anatomy. Packaging is rather minimal i would say, the stock cable, eartips, faux leather storage case and the IEM itself. Doscinco and Cincotres, size for both of the IEMs are similar, the difference lies on the faceplate.
In terms of comfort, the Cincotres does not have any sharp edges and I use them for several hours a day and I did not feel any discomfort throughout my listening session. They are in fact similar to the Doscinco which i had already reviewed
Prior to writing this review, Cincotres has been run in for roughly 20 hours, and in my opinion, the DD does benefit from the burn in.

Equipment and Software used

• Aune S9C -> Earmen CH-AMP
• Fiio K9 AKM
• Aune Yuki
• Macbook Air M2
• Apple Music/Tidal/foobar2k
• Tempotec V3

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far



Sound Impression
Upon first listening impression, Cincotres sounds quite neutral to my ears with a sub bass boost, it is fairly detailed yet it is not offensive, it doesn’t sound dull and quite a refreshing tuning i would say. Slight warmish tonality with fairly natural timbre, still a slight hint of BA timbre is there if you pay real hard attention to it. Note weight is neither too thin nor thick.

Bass

• Fairly good speed and doesn’t sound bloated or muddy when listening to busy tracks such as Slipknot’s People’s = crap!, Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, it handled the speed drumming and kick flawlessly, without sounding muddy nor bleeding into the mids
• Sub bass has good extension and very rumbly when the track calls for it
• The transition from sub to mid bass is very good, the mid bass doesn’t lack punch and the sub and mid bass complement each other very well
• The bass has good texture and doesn’t sound “loose”

Mids

• The mids are neither too forward nor recessed, just right to my ears
• They mids are not too thick nor thin, overall, i would say they’re clean sounding
• Vocal positioning is slightly forward but not intimate
• Male and female vocal has good texture to it and doesn’t sound thin, female vocal has good bite and energy to it, very enjoyable
• The bass doesn’t bleed into this range which is good
• Pinna gain is rather safe and never shouty even when the volume is being cranked up

Treble

• Treble is very crisp and has good bite to it, yet they’re not offensive, but retains enough energy to not sound dark
• Extension is fairly good and i have nothing to complain about
• Good amount of air and presence, hence it does give a good stage size perception
• Detail retrieval is good as you can pick up some minute details in the background

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head with good width, and depth, slightly lacking in terms of height perception
• Separation is good for the asking price, i would say it is above average for the price point
• Imaging is good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily even during busy track

Driveability

• Cincotres is not hard to drive but it does scale well with more power, in terms of dynamics and bass control
• Most of the entry level/mid range dongles will do just fine but desktop setup will squeeze every bit out of the Cincotres

Comparison (ZiiGat’s Doscinco)

• Warmer sounding overall, thicker note weight
• Bass quantity is slightly more than Cincotres, hence packing more punch
• Soundstage is more or less similar, detail retrieval is slightly lacking compared to Cincotres
• Mids has good body and vocals are not too recessed nor forward in the mix, the vocal is not as forward compared to Cincotres
• Upper mids are not perceived as shouty as well
• Overall, the Doscinco is tuned differently and i would say when you just want to chill and have fun, grab Doscinco, if you decide that today you want to have a critical listening session, Cincotres is the one you’ll be grabbing

Final Thoughts
As ZiiGat is stepping up on their IEM game, their releases has been interesting so far, from Cinno, Nuo, to Doscinco and Cincotres which i have tested today, they’re very interesting in terms of sonic performance as well as the price point, the Cincotres reminds me of the Etymotic’s EVO, in a way, they are quite similar(based on my HRTF and Audible Spectrum) except the bass on the Cincotres has better extension packing a lot more punch and quantity.
I would even go as far as saying the Cincotres is punching above its price point, at 269$, with the sonic performance as well as the build quality that it offers, i will not hesitate in recommending the Cincotres to anyone who likes this sort of sound signature that i have described in this review, both the Doscinco and Cincotres are unique in their own way, they shouldn’t be under the radar and more people should be made aware of this brand’s release.

*A big thanks to Linsoul for sending this over for the purpose of this review. Thanks for the support and opportunity as always

Head over to their store if you are interested in getting a pair:

ZiiGat Cincotres- Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Comfort/Build
ZiiGat is a relatively new brand which is sold by Linsoul exclusively. The brand has released several IEMs, namely the Cinno and Nuo, which i have also tested and reviewed previously and found them to be really good for the asking price. I have the Doscinco with me today which has the following configuration: 2DD+3BA, in which the two DDs are arranged in isobaric configuration.
Build quality is very solid and features beautiful faceplate as well, metal nozzle, it is neither short nor long for my ear anatomy. Packaging is rather minimal i would say, the stock cable, eartips, faux leather storage case and the IEM itself.
In terms of comfort, the Doscinco does not have any sharp edges and I use them for several hours a day and I did not feel any discomfort throughout my listening session.
Prior to writing this review, Doscinco has been run in for roughly 20 hours, and in my opinion, the DD does benefit from the burn in.

Equipment and Software used

• Aune S9C -> Earmen CH-AMP
• Fiio K9 AKM
• Aune Yuki
• Macbook Air M2
• Apple Music/Tidal/foobar2k
• Tempotec V3

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
Upon first listening impression, Doscinco sounds very balanced and smooth to my ears. I would say it's quite neutral with a boost on the sub bass region, treble has sufficient details but not offensive. Slight warmish tonality with fairly natural timbre, still a slight hint of BA timbre is there if you pay real hard attention to it.



Bass

• Fairly good speed and doesn’t sound bloated or muddy when listening to busy tracks such as Slipknot’s People’s = crap!, Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, it handled the speed drumming and kick flawlessly, without sounding muddy nor bleeding into the mids
• Sub bass has good extension and very rumbly when the track calls for it
• The transition from sub to mid bass is very good, the mid bass doesn’t lack punch and the sub and mid bass complement each other very well
• The bass has good texture and doesn’t sound “loose”

Mids

• The mids are neither too forward nor recessed, just right to my ears,
• Vocal positioning is just nice, just imagine the artist is probably 5-6 steps away from you
• Male and female vocal has good texture to it and doesn’t sound thin, i would prefer the female vocal to have a little bit more bite, but given the overall smooth nature of Doscinco’s tuning, this is understandable
• The bass doesn’t bleed into this range which is good
• Pinna gain is rather safe and never shouty even when the volume is being cranked up

Treble

• Treble is smooth and non offensive, but retains enough energy to not sound dark
• Slightly lacking in terms of extension, depending on your personal preference, if you are someone who wants to hear every single detail in the track, Doscinco might not be the one for you, but its sibling will be the right choice for you
• Amount of air and presence is average but this is understandable as it is the tuning that they strive for
• Detail retrieval is good enough, but not for critical listeners

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head with good width, depth and height perception is good
• Separation is good for the asking price, i would say it is above average for the price point
• Imaging is good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily even during busy track, certain complex orchestral track might not perform that well

Driveability

• Doscinco is not hard to drive but it does scale well with more power, in terms of dynamics and bass control
• Most of the entry level/mid range dongles will do just fine but desktop setup will squeeze every bit out of the Doscinco

Comparison (Letshuoer’s Cadenza 4)

• Slightly cleaner sounding compared to Doscinco, in terms of tonality
• Treble is smooth but resolution and detail retrieval capability is slightly better than Doscinco
• Soundstage is slightly narrower compared to Doscinco, imaging is more or less on par
• Mids has good body and vocals are not too recessed nor forward in the mix, it is the star of the show for Cadenza 4
• Upper mids are not perceived as shouty as well
• Very natural timbre
• Lesser bass quantity but good quality bass, and the focus of bass is more on the mid bass rather than sub bass, whereas Doscinco has a smooth transition between the sub and mid bass, hence both the sub and mid bass is very good, also, slightly more in terms of bass quantity
• Overall, Cadenza 4 is tuned differently and targeted at different audience, both the Doscinco and Cadenza 4 are good sets, so at the end of the day, it depends on your preference

Final Thoughts
As ZiiGat is stepping up on their IEM game, their releases has been interesting so far, from Cinno, Nuo, to Doscinco which i have tested today, they’re very interesting in terms of sonic performance as well as the price point, the Doscinco reminds me of the Thieaudio’s Hype 4, in a way, they are quite similar except the treble on the Hype 4 has better extension and slightly more energy.
I would even go as far as saying the Doscinco is punching above its price point, at 269$, with the sonic performance as well as the build quality that it offers, i will not hesitate in recommending the Doscinco to anyone who likes this sort of sound signature that i have described in this review.

*A big thanks to Linsoul for sending this over for the purpose of this review. Thanks for the support and opportunity as always

Head over to their store if you are interested in getting a pair:

ZiiGat Doscinco- Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Build
Hidizs is well known for their source and recently they released a banger which is very well received within the community, namely the MP145, i personally have tested and reviewed the MP145 and i definitely agree with the community. I have with me today the latest dongle from Hidizs, which is targeted at those who are new to the hobby, or audiophiles who are looking for a dongle that will take up a very small footprint.
Packaging is the usual Hidizs style of packaging, comes with a type C to A adapter, C to lightning adapter and in my opinion, very high price performance ratio and we will get to that in a while.
Build quality is solid and the unit itself does have a bit of a “mecha” kind of look to it. I would say it is unique looking, however, the design itself does have a bit of a “bug”, in the sense where i am unable to use a phone case when i want to use the SD2, other than that, everything else is fine.

Specifications

• DAC: ES9270.
• Frequency response: 20Hz-40kHz.
• DSD: Native DSD64/128.
• PCM: Supports up to 384 kHz/32-bit.
• Output option: SE 3.5mm.
• 32Ω output power: Up to 70 mW+70 mW SE 3.5 mm.
• Sample rate indicator:
  • Red colour: PCM 44.1-48 kHz.
  • Blue colour: PCM 88.2-384 kHz and DSD.
• External material: Aluminium alloy + resin.
• Transmission interface: C-type interface.
• Supported system: Android, Windows, Mac OS, iPad OS.
• Distortion: PO (3.5): 0.0015%.
• Signal-to-noise ratio: PO (3.5): 118dB.
• Separation: PO (3.5): 64dB.
• Dimensions: 34.5×20×10mm.
• Net weight: 6g.

Gears used for this review

• Hidizs MS5
• Letshuoer EJ07M
• Aune AR5000

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Battery Drain

• SD2 is quite power efficient based on my test, i did not specifically measure the power draw but based on my observation
• SD2 is plugged into my iPhone 15 at 100% battery, the volume is being set at +- 40% and i connected the Hidizs MS5 to it and let it loop through the playlist from 10pm until the next morning 7am
• That’s about 9 hours and the battery on my iPhone 15 is at 30% when i checked the battery%, that is quite efficient in my opinion based on my observation

Features

• In line microphone support
• Low power consumption

Sound Impression
Tonality wise, SD2 is slightly warm and overall quite musical to my ears. The lows are slightly elevated based on my listening impression, treble on the other hand is just right to my ears, without any peaks or over emphasis. For the asking price, it is definitely a good dongle in my opinion.

Listening Impression with the following gears
Hidizs MS5

• Bass is punchy and tight, mid bass especially
• Sub bass has slightly better extension
• The highs are slightly tame and it is not as energetic as it used to sound, this pairing will please those who find MS5 too hot on the treble
• Male vocal has slightly thicker texture and sounds fuller
• Female vocal is full sounding as well
• Not so much changes in terms of detail retrieval
• Overall, a very good synergy pairing the MS5 with SD2, this is also probably it is their own in house IEM

Letshuoer EJ07M

• A very balanced sounding IEM with a boost on the sub bass region, pairing it with the SD2 does have slightly better extension
• Both male and female vocal also have better texture and body to it
• Bass exhibits good control and doesn‘t sound overly boosted
• Not much changes on the detail retrieval as well
• Soundstage is slightly better in terms of better height,depth and width perception
• EJ07M is not hard to drive, but SD2 is good enough if you want something that’s good sounding and convenient to have when you’re on the go. It definitely have more than enough power for efficient IEMs

Aune AR5000

• AR5000 is a dynamic driver headphone from Aune, there’s a slight warmth in terms of tonality of AR5000, punchy bass and smooth treble, but on certain track, the note weight can be a little thin
• Although the SD2 might seem a little under power on paper, but it is actually quite sufficient to power the AR5000 as it is not a hard to drive headphone, it somehow made the note weight a little thicker due to the slight emphasis on the lows
• The low end is slightly elevated due to the added warmth, treble is smoother yet it doesn’t compromise in terms of resolution

Comparison (Fiio KA11)

• Fiio KA11’s design is also minimalist in my opinion, a single short cable with DAC embedded, but when used with your phone, there will be something dangling as i mentioned earlier it’s similar to an Apple Dongle
• The tonality of KA11 is less coloured in the sense where it’s warm but the treble does not lose its details
• A lot more power compared to SD2

Final Thoughts
The SD2 is a good device overall in terms of sound, however, the unconventional design does have a little problem for users with a phone case, or thicker phone case. I need to remove the case or switch to a thinner case whenever I want to use the SD2, but I did think of a workaround by using it with a type c female to male adapter, which kinda defeats the intended purpose which is small footprint. At 40$ including the iOS adapter, I think for the overall sonic performance and convenience, I have no issue recommending the SD2, other than the minor quirks that I mentioned earlier, it is a good little device overall.

*A big thanks to Hidizs for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support as always

Head over to their official webstore if you are interested in getting one:

Hidizs SD2 Official Webstore - Non Affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
I have reviewed the Svanar Wireless previously and I have the Wireless LE with me today. Most of the features are similar to the Svanar Wireless except for some changes, first will be the colour of the case, it is brown in colour instead of black, build quality is more or less similar except they have removed the carbon fibre from the earpiece and went with full plastic, the purpose of this is to lower down the price, also, LDAC support is removed and the only available bluetooth codec is AAC and SBC, also not present is the wireless charging capability.
The build quality of Svanar wireless LE, although it's plastic, it definitely doesn’t look cheap. I have mentioned several times, for the fit, do take the time to choose the right ear tips as this will either make or break the seal for a good sound as well as fit. The packaging is rather straightforward and minimal, with various types of eartips. Let’s take a look at the specs below:

Specifications
Frequency Response: : 10Hz-35kHz
Bluetooth Version: : Bluetooth 5.2
HIFI Mode: : up to 5 hrs
ANC Mode: : up to 6 hrs
Transparency Mode: : up to 7 hrs
ANC Spec: : up to 35dB
Waterproof: : IPX5
Single Head Weight: : 8g
Charging Case Weight: : 83.7g
Transmission Distance: : up to 15m (barrier-free transmission)
Codecs: AAC, SBC

Gears used for this review

• iPhone 15 with Tidal/Apple Music (AAC)
• Hifiman Svanar Wireless LE AAC

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

*An important note prior going into the sound impression, Svanar Wireless LE’s sound is very tip dependent, in fact it can make or break the sound, so please take your time to tip roll and get a good seal. I took quite a bit of time to look for one that’s suitable for me, because the bundled ones don't fit my ears at all.



General Features
Touch Control

• Works well, fairly sensitive and doesn’t require a lot of effort to use it

Proximity Sensor

• Auto pause when the sensor detects the earpiece is taken out and resume playback when the sensor detects the earpiece is in ear again

Connectivity/Range

• The connectivity is stable and it doesn’t break, mainly because it doesn’t have the LDAC codec support
• Range is quite good based on my personal experience, leaving my phone on the table in my living room, with the Svanar Wireless LE, i walked to my balcony which is about 6-7m away and it remained connected without breaking

ANC/Transparency Mode

• The ANC and Transparency mode, based on my observation and side by side A/B testing, both sounded the same in terms of the performance between Svanar Wireless and Svanar Wireless LE
• Both noise cancellation and transparency mode’s performance is average at best, similar to its bigger brother as well as the entry level (Svanar Wireless JR)

Battery Life

• Battery life is fair with the Hi Fidelity mode coming in around 4 hours ish for my usage with AAC and at 40% listening volume
• ANC and Transparency mode does have a lot longer playtime ranging from 6-7 hours based on my observation when leaving it to loop through the songs
• The claim on the battery life is quite inline with Hifiman’s and i honestly have no issue with the shorter battery life on Hi Fidelity mode simply because of its sonic performance

Sound Impression with Hi Fidelity Mode (Tested with AAC)
This is the default mode on every startup, also my preferred tuning/mode that I use most of the time. The Svanar Wireless LE shares the same driver tech as well as R2R DAC embedded within the earpiece, however, limited to only AAC and SBC bluetooth codec, the sonic performance has definitely taken a toll due to the limitation of the codec. Timbre sounds very natural to my ears overall. Bass has a very good punch and speed. Sub bass does rumble when the track calls for it, however it is not basshead kind of bass, sounds clean and good quality rumble. Good seal from the eartips is very important here. The mids are slightly forward yet not overly recessed, vocal positioning is quite center, but not very “in your face”, male vocal sounds a little lacking in terms of body, certain artist’s vocal can sound a little “brittle” especially for Zhao Peng, where his voice is supposed to sound deep and full, however, this can be alleviated by tip rolling, swapping it to Final Type E, the mids has more body but the trade off is slightly darker sound. Female vocals on the other hand sounds good with decent texture and body. Treble has a good amount of air and presence, this makes the whole music presentation sounds very airy. It is energetic but never offensive nor harsh. Detail retrieval is good but not excellent. Soundstage and imaging is good for a wireless earphone, slightly out of your head, good height perception but depth is lacking.
Instruments can be pinpointed easily where it’s coming from with good accuracy. The absence of LDAC code does make the treble sound less dynamic and compressed at times, especially during busy tracks, but other than that, i would say you’re getting approximately 70-80% of sonic performance from the bigger brother, Svanar Wireless, which is 200$ more expensive than the Svanar Wireless LE.

Sound Comparison with ANC and Transparency Mode
ANC Mode

• The difference between ANC mode vs Hi-Fidelity mode is very noticeable, i would even go as far as saying its day and night difference in terms of sound
• Bass is not as punchy on ANC but still with decent quality and control
• Sub bass rumble more or less similar to Hi Fidelity mode
• Mids are slightly recessed compared to Hi Fidelity mode
• Treble doesn’t sound as airy nor extended as on Hi Fidelity Mode, indirectly also affecting detail retrieval
• Soundstage also doesn’t sound that holographic compared to Hi Fidelity Mode

Transparency Mode

• Transparency mode to my ears is slightly better than ANC mode, but of course when compared to Hi Fidelity mode, obviously the latter is far superior in terms of sonic performance
• Bass and mids are more or less similar sounding with ANC mode
• Treble is slightly better offering a little bit more air compared to ANC mode
• Better width,depth and height perception on the soundstage

Final Thoughts
All in all, the Svanar Wireless LE is a more “affordable” Svanar Wireless. In terms of features, you are not losing alot with the exception of LDAC codec, but if you are an iPhone user to begin with, i think the Svanar Wireless LE will be a better choice compared to the bigger brother Svanar Wireless because you will not be able to use LDAC on the iPhone, also, wireless charging is not available, but other than that, you are saving 200$ more as the Svanar Wireless cost 499$. Sound quality is definitely much better compared to numerous TWS in the market which are generally focusing more on features rather than sound quality. Recommended if you are looking solely at the sonic performance!

*Svanar Wireless LE is sent over by Hifiman for the purpose of this review. I thank them for the opportunity as always

If you are interested in getting one, head over to their official webstore

Hifiman Svanar Wireless LE Store Link - Non affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
I don’t think anybody needs an introduction for Hifiman. They’re well known for their line up of planar magnetic headphones, and recently their in house R2R DAC. I have the opportunity to test out the Svanar Wireless JR, which is based on their flagship single DD IEM that shares the same driver configuration, namely the topology diaphragm. You may check out this link for more information about the coating.
The build quality of Svanar wireless JR, although it's plastic, it definitely doesn’t look cheap, with an ergonomic design focusing on comfort (more on this later). The charging case does have a faux leather kind of look to it, the surface is a little too smooth and sometimes it's hard to open the case. As for the fit, do take the time to choose the right ear tips as this will either make or break the seal for a good sound as well as fit. The packaging is rather straightforward and minimal, with various types of eartips.

Specifications
Frequency Response: : 10Hz-35kHz
Bluetooth Version: : Bluetooth 5.2
HIFI Mode: : up to 6 hrs
ANC Mode: : up to 7 hrs
Transparency Mode: : up to 8 hrs
ANC Spec: : up to 35dB
Waterproof: : IPX5
Single Head Weight: : 8g
Charging Case Weight: : 83.7g
Transmission Distance: : up to 15m (barrier-free transmission)
Codecs:SBC, LDAC, AAC

Gears used for this review

• iPhone 15 with Tidal/Apple Music (AAC)
• Hifiman Svanar Wireless JR
• Hiby R6 Bluetooth LDAC

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

*An important note prior going into the sound impression, Svanar Wireless’s sound is very tip dependent, in fact it can make or break the sound, so please take your time to tip roll and get a good seal. I took quite a bit of time to look for one that’s suitable for me, because the bundled ones don't fit my ears at all.

General Features
Touch Control

• Works well, fairly sensitive and doesn’t require a lot of effort to use it

Proximity Sensor

• Auto pause when the sensor detects the earpiece is taken out and resume playback when the sensor detects the earpiece is in ear again

Connectivity/Range

• The box/manual clearly mentioned that LDAC is bandwidth consuming, hence connectivity issue is to be expected, that is true and it does occurs during my time when i’m listening to it with LDAC codec
• AAC and SBC on the other hand works fine and has no connectivity issue
• The workaround to resolve the LDAC connectivity issue if you insist on using LDAC codec is to trigger the playback quality to Connection Quality(330kbps/303kbps) or Balanced Audio and Connection Quality(660kbps/606kbps), i noticed these two mode does that cause the connectivity issue to occur that much

ANC/Transparency Mode

• The noise cancellation works alright to cancel out the noise from certain low frequencies, it doesn’t work that well when it comes to mids and high frequencies such as when people are talking or when you’re out in a noisy environment, simply put, the noise cancellation’s performance is nowhere near the AirPod Pro, hence choosing the right eartips for this is crucial
• Transparency mode is also average, it does make you aware of the surroundings but when people are talking to you, with the music still playing back, you can’t really hear the voice of the person talking to you, again, nowhere near the AirPod Pro’s transparency mode

Battery Life

• Battery life is fair with the Hi Fidelity mode coming in around 6 hours ish for my usage with LDAC and at 40% listening volume
• ANC and Transparency mode does have a lot longer playtime ranging from 6-7 hours based on my observation when leaving it to loop through the songs
• The claim on the battery life is quite inline with Hifiman’s and i honestly have no issue with the shorter battery life on Hi Fidelity mode simply because of its sonic performance

Sound Impression with Hi Fidelity Mode (Tested with AAC and LDAC)
This is the default mode on every startup, also my preferred tuning/mode that I use most of the time. The Svanar Wireless JR doesn’t have the R2R Dac as with its bigger brother, however, it is equipped with class AB amplification which has quite a fun sound signature as well. Timbre sounds very natural to my ears overall. Bass has very good punch and speed, tracks like Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, Slipknot’s People=crap!, are being handled by Svanar Wireless JR effortlessly, without sounding muddy nor bloated. Sub bass does rumble when the track calls for it, however it is not basshead kind of bass, sounds clean and good quality rumble. Good seal from the eartips is very important here. The mids are slightly forward yet not overly recessed, vocal positioning is quite center, but not very “in your face”, male vocal sounds a little lacking in terms of body, certain artist’s vocal can sound a little “brittle” especially for Zhao Peng, where his voice is supposed to sound deep and full, female vocal on the other hand sounds good with decent texture and body. Treble has a good amount of air and presence, this makes the whole music presentation sounds very airy. It is energetic but never offensive nor harsh. Detail retrieval is good but not excellent. Soundstage and imaging is good for a wireless earphone, slightly out of your head, good height perception but depth is lacking.
Instruments can be pinpointed easily where it’s coming from with good accuracy.
As for the difference between using LDAC and AAC, LDAC definitely has better resolution and soundstage, and doesn’t sound that compressed compared to AAC, AAC on the other hand is quite bassy possibly due to the compression.



Sound Comparison with ANC and Transparency Mode
ANC Mode

• The difference between ANC mode vs Hi-Fidelity mode is very noticeable, i would even go as far as saying its day and night difference in terms of sound
• Bass is not as punchy on ANC but still with decent quality and control
• Sub bass rumble more or less similar to Hi Fidelity mode
• Mids are slightly recessed compared to Hi Fidelity mode
• Treble doesn’t sound as airy nor extended as on Hi Fidelity Mode, indirectly also affecting detail retrieval
• Soundstage also doesn’t sound that holographic compared to Hi Fidelity Mode

Transparency Mode

• Transparency mode to my ears is slightly better than ANC mode, but of course when compared to Hi Fidelity mode, obviously the latter is far superior in terms of sonic performance
• Bass and mids are more or less similar sounding with ANC mode
• Treble is slightly better offering a little bit more air compared to ANC mode
• Better width,depth and height perception on the soundstage

Final Thoughts
All in all, the Svanar Wireless JR is a very good TWS if you are looking at it from the sonic performance, the general TWS features such as noise cancellation, transparency mode, and connectivity issue does hinder the overall rating of Svanar Wireless JR. If you’re looking for a good sounding TWS, Svanar Wireless JR no doubt is the one for you if you’re willing to overlook a certain shortcoming of it, but of course I did mention the workaround above and it pretty much resolves the issue for me. The price is indeed premium for a TWS, but looking solely at the sonic performance, i’d say it's a fair price considering the design and engineering effort needed for such device

*Svanar Wireless JR is sent over by Hifiman for the purpose of this review. I thank them for the opportunity as always

If you are interested in getting one, head over to their official webstore
Hifiman Svanar Wireless JR Product Page
Hifiman Svanar Wireless JR Store Link - Non affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Aune is well known for their dac/amp products, they produce desktop dac/amp as well as portable source which are quite well received. I have owned their older DAP with Class A Amp, the M2, a very musical sounding device but fall short on battery life, i have also tested the X1s GT and remember myself quite liking the sound signature.
Today I have the AR5000 headphone with me, Aune’s entry into the headphone space. I must say, the outlook, build quality, as well as packaging are very impressive.
Let’s talk about the build quality, the whole unit is mostly made out of metal, hence it is very solid, not to mention it is also very lightweight. Packaging is also very good, very premium-ish packaging style, purely nitpicking here, it would be good to have a storage case included.
In terms of comfort, the clamping force is just right, not too tight nor loose, the earpads are also very soft and have the properties of memory foam. I have no issue listening to it for several hours.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Tradutto DAC + Earmen CH-Amp
• Earmen Angel
• Fiio Q15
• iFi HipDac 3
• Aune AR5000 with AR3 4.4 Balanced Cable

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
AR 5000 to my ears has a neutral and a slight warm sound profile. The sub bass is quite linear, you can’t really hear it, but rather feel it when the track calls for it, mid bass has good enough punch without bleeding into the mids. The timbre sounds natural to my ears and it doesn’t have any metallic sheen to it.



Bass

• Starting with the bass, it’s safe to say the bass has very good speed, linear sub bass extension
• It has a good punch, Slipknot’s People = crap!, especially during the intense drumming during the opening, AR5000 has no sweat in keeping up
• The sub bass has very good extension, although it doesn’t extend that deep, but considering it being an open backed, it is really impressive
• The bass response is not basshead kind of presentation, but to my ears, they are sufficient and will present themselves well when the track calls for it
• Bass has good texture overall and doesn’t sound thin
• The bass doesn’t bleed into the mids at all

Mids

• The mids are quite detailed and lush
• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures
• Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male, but on certain tracks, the female vocal sounds a little unrefined (A Mei’s Vocal on 记得), not as smooth as i’d remember it to be, but this is purely me nitpicking
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty even on higher volume
• The mid range is good overall, but i do find it to lack a little body at times, but again, this is me nitpicking

Treble

• Treble response has plenty of energetic yet it is not harsh nor sibilant, but do bear in mind that everyone has got different level of tolerance for treble, to my ears, they are not harsh nor anywhere near sibilant
• Fast and snappy transient response
• Very good resolution
• Good detail retrieval, micro details can be picked up easily

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is very wide and has good height perception, but slightly lacking in terms of depth perception,
• Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from,
• Good separation and layering
• Very good soundstage and imaging overall

Driveability

• The AR5000 is not hard to drive, but it does scale very well with amplification
• Pairing it with the HipDac3 seems to give more body overall, but this pairing of course is quite colored and some might not like it, especially with the xBass on, it turns the AR5000 into a very fun sounding headphone, yet it doesn't compromise the mids and highs that much
• Pairing it with a more powerful portable dac/amp the Q15, with AKM’s flagship dac, the imaging, especially separation and layering is excellent, same goes to soundstage
• Using the full desktop stack, Tradutto+CH-Amp, the experience is taken a step higher, better control in terms of the bass, slightly better texture, the highs are somewhat a little smoother and refined
• Just some interesting things that i have done to test, using Apple Dongle Type C to iPhone 15, the AR5000 can be driven to about 80% of its potential, that’s just how efficient and scalable it is, and i am not even maxing out the volume, roughly at 5/10 volume step

Comparison (Sennheiser HD660s)

• First, the build quality, AR6000 definitely runs circle around the 660s in terms of build quality and comfort
• Both are open back dynamic driver headphones, in terms of tuning, the 660s has a somewhat more safer approach to the tuning
• Bass is light in terms of quantity, sub bass extension is not as good, it does roll off quite early, but mid bass is quite punchy and has good speed and texture
• Perhaps the strong point for the HD660s is the mids, they’re lush and full bodied, vocals for both male and female has good texture
• Treble for the 660s is also safe in general, good detail retrievals
• Soundstage is rather 2D-ish, just slightly out of your head, but separation and imaging is rather good
• At 150Ω, they definitely needs some amping, although not really hard to drive, but amping is still required to get the best out of it

Sound Impression on stock cable vs AR3 for AR5000 (This is highly subjective and if you’re not a cable believer, skip this section)

• Bass doesn’t extend that much vs AR3 that gives a slightly better bass extension, perceivable especially on the sub bass
• Soundstage is slightly smaller on stock cable vs bigger soundstage on AR3 cable
• Mids seems to have better note weight on the stock cable vs slightly thinner note weight on the AR3
• Treble is smoother on the stock cable, and sounds warmer vs AR3 which has a little more energy, and also more air which contributes to a slightly bigger soundstage
• Overall, i would say pairing it with the AR3 gives the AR5000 a slightly different sound signature, a more energetic AR5000 whereas the stock cable would render the AR5000 a tamer and smoother signature overall

Final Thoughts
The AR5000 is definitely one of my favourite dynamic driver headphones that I have tested other than the Grados which I have owned. For a company’s first headphone, they are really good and definitely up to the expectation in terms of sonic performance as well as build quality. and I'm really surprised by its capability in terms of the sonic performance as well as its technicalities. Not to mention that the price is highly competitive as well given what it has to offer. It doesn't require a beefy amp to sound good yet it does scale with better source and amplification. Priced at 299$, the AR5000 offers a very good value in terms of price performance ratio, this is a highly recommended headphone from me!

*The Aune AR5000 was sent over by Aune for the purpose of this review, I received no monetary compensation nor was I influenced in any way to produce this review.

If you are interested in getting a pair, head over to their official store to grab one now!

Aune AR5000 Product Page
Aune AR5000 Introduction Video
Aune AR5000 Store Link - Non affiliated
Aune AR3 Upgrade cable Store Link - Non affiliated

General/Build/Packaging
Fiio needs no further introduction. I have tested and reviewed several products from the brand and I have good experience with their products in general. I have their latest portable dac/amp with me today, the Fiio Q15 which houses AK’s flagship DAC, the 4191+4499EX as well as a plethora of components within the Q15.
The build quality is very solid and premium looking, front and back glasses, good thing it came with a protector pre-applied, the rear glass is in matte finishing and it looks very good. The buttons and the volume knob has very good tactile feedback to it and the buttons are not wobbly. The volume button also acts as a button to enter the menu and input selection (click and long hold).
The packaging itself is good and nothing to complain about, long and short type C cable included, a storage pouch and some silicon strap for you to stack and keep your device secure while stacking, sadly, there isn’t any case included and it has to be bought separately. Let’s take a look at the specifications below:

Specifications (Full Specs here)

• DAC: AKM AK4191 + 4499EX
• Sample rate : PCM : 8Hz – 768Hz (8/16/24/32bits) native – DSD64/128/256/512 MQA full decoding
• System clock: Full synchronisation technology with TI Cortex M4 Processor
• Outputs: 4.4mm Pentaconn // 6.35mm TRS
• Input: USB-C // Coaxial // Bluetooth
• Screen: 1.3″ IPS Screen from LG
• Bluetooth support: SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX adaptive, LDAC
• Battery: 3.8V 55000mAh Li-Polymer
• Quick Charge: yes, PD2.0
• Battery life: 9h with wired headphones (3.5mm), 8h with a Balanced headphone
• Charging time: around 3.5h
• Size : 143,5mm x 71,75mm x 21,75mm
• Weight: 305 g

IEMs/Headphones/Equipments used for this review

• Letshuoer Soloist
• Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM
• 7Hz Legato
• Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio Q15 -> Tidal
• Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio Q16 -> foobar 2k (tracks ranging from 16-44 to 24-192)

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Features
Desktop Mode

• The Q15 comes with a desktop mode toggle, and also a type c port specifically for power/charging
• The desktop mode is enabled when the toggle is on and a powered via PD charger, this will enable the Q15 to deliver up to a whopping 1.6w on 4.4 balanced out
• With the desktop mode on, the dynamics are a step higher when paired with transducers that scale well with power

Fiio App Compatibility

• PEQ is supported via Fiio’s control app
• The app allows you to customise the LED on the volume knob (breathing or steady)
• Firmware update

Battery Life

• Normally i take the battery life claim from the manufacturer with a pinch of salt, but the Q15 does surprised me and the battery life is actually very good
• On high gain and volume level 40 /120, looping through DSDs and Flac files, it lasted approximately 8 hours +-, which in my opinion is good

Sound Impression (Fast Filter and no EQ/PEQ USB in Mode)
The Q15 has been aged for approximately 50 hours prior to writing this impression. The sound of Q15 is nothing but amazing. Dead silent background, zero noise. I’m not saying it will make a bad sounding/ badly tuned IEM turn good, it simply makes what is already good a step further and eeking out every bit of hidden potential your IEM/headphone have. I wouldn’t say the Q15 is neutral, there’s a slight lift on the lows, but the overall listening impression to me is that it is natural and the technicalities are very impressive.
Soundstage is largely dependent on the transducers and mastering of the songs, but Q15 does render the soundstage very open and let you have a good perception on the stage size in terms of depth, width and height.
Imaging is absolutely excellent with very good separation and layering, instruments can be pinpointed easily and they sound like they each have a space of their own and not mushed together.

Pairings
Letshuoer Soloist

• Pairing the Soloist with the Q15 is nothing but fun, the bass is definitely elevated, it has more punch now and better extension, it is tight and the texture is good as well, all these without messing with the mids and highs, this is evident when listening to Gojira’s Amazonia, the double paddle especially has more punch
• The mids are slightly forward and doesn’t sound that recessed
• The treble sounds more open and the imaging and detail retrieval is just amazing, i can definitely hear the notes that i need to focus more previously in order to hear it, the Q15 does it with ease, Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious ( The Dark Knight )
• Soundstage has more width and depth, doesn’t sound that 2D anymore

Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM

• The Twin Pulse is neutral with slight warmth on its own, based on my listening impression pairing it with Q15, the soundstage is definitely “bigger” than before, imaging that is already good has been taken a step further with excellent separation as well as layering, simply amazing
• Bass is slightly faster, but the rendered texture is also improved
• Not much changes on the mids
• Improved detail retrieval, listening to Why So Serious, the notes that used to sound faint can be heard easily now

7Hz Legato

• This particular pairing is the most interesting to my ears
• Legato itself is quite warm and bassy to my ears, pairing it with Q15, the dynamics are improved as well as the treble
• Bass has better control and tighter, while retaining the punch
• Not much improvement on the detail retrieval, but slightly better, afterall Legato isn’t tuned to be analytical in the first place
• Soundstage has very good width and depth to it and seems to image better as well

Comparison (iFi Gryphon)

• Uses different DAC chip (Burr Brown) and has lesser power output compared to Q15
• Different sound signature compared to Q15, more coloured sounding compared to Q15, slight neutral and warmish signature
• In terms of size, Gryphon is smaller and slimmer in profile
• Analog stage EQ, xBass and xSpace, and also the ability to taylor the level of both xBass and xSpace to your preference
• Feature wise, iFi does have the IEMatch which allows you to use sensitive IEM without any hissing noise when enabled, also the ability to use the Gryphon as amp only
• Q15 definitely has more power compared to Gryphon, 1.6w vs 1w on balanced output
• Having used both and swapping around for A/B test, i definitely prefers the Q15 than Gryphon for the sound signatures, it has better dynamics and also very good technicalities yet it doesn’t sound analytical

Final Thoughts
Having tested and used the Q15 for quite some time prior to publishing this review, Q15 definitely has what it takes to make the statement in the fast moving market with various competition. Q15 is a very versatile product and I find the use case is very suitable for portable users and also headphone users that don't use overly power hungry headphones.
The power output is definitely sufficient for most IEMs out there and also headphones that aren’t overly power hungry (Tested with the headphones which I owned, Hifiman Sundara Open Back, Hifiman Edition XS, Hifiman Sundara Closed Back, as well as Aune AR5000). In terms of sound, it is definitely not neutral yet the coloration is somewhere in between and quite balanced overall, which I personally enjoyed and find it rather easy to pair with most transducers. The only gripe that i have with it is the size, if only it has a slimmer and shorter profile, then it is definitely an undisputed portable power house, however, it is also understandable that packing so much tech and features into the Q15, there are definitely some limit in terms of the size. All in all, if you enjoy a dynamic sound yet you don’t like an overly colored signature, Q15 is definitely highly recommended!



*A big thanks to Fiio for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support.

Head over to their official AliExpress Store and official website if you are interested in getting one:

Fiio Q15 Product Page
Fiio Q15 Purchase Link - Non Affiliated

General/Packaging/Build
Fiio is currently refreshing its line up of products, the KA7 which was announced early last year has come to fruition now, and it has been renamed to the KA17, and it sports quite a powerful specification which I have also listed out below. The build quality is very solid, front sporting an OLED screen which shows the sampling rate, and various other information on it. The side of the dongle itself also sports a type c port for power supply when desktop mode is enabled. The packaging is good and quite premium, and inside the box, you have the dongle itself, a type c to c cable, usb c to A adapter, also the KA17 comes with a leather case, which is nice because you don’t have to purchase it separately. Let’s take a look at the specifications below:

Specifications

• Dual ES9069 high-end DAC
• XMOS XU316, supporting full MQA decoding and PEQ sound effects with a 192k sampling rate
• Supports PCM 768K sampling rate and DSD512
• Multistage balanced THX AAA 78+ headphone amp
• Push-button: Desktop Mode (desktop amplifier mode, high-power output)
• BAL maximum output power of 650mW (Desktop mode on)
• 0.91-inch dot matrix display screen, showing more status information
• Main TYPE-C port (power, data) + side TYPE-C port (power supply, used for desktop amplifier mode)
• 4.4mm as well as 3.5mm output
• Volume button + play button + desktop amplifier switch + display screen
• 3.5mm interface compatible with SPIDF output

Gears used for this review

• Tidal MQA/FLAC -> Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio KA17
• foobar 2k -> Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio KA17
• Spiriti Torino Twin Pulse IEM
• 7Hz Legato
• Hifiman Sundara (Open Backed)
• iPhone 15 -> Fiio KA17

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Battery Drain

• The KA17, given the power that it outputting, i would not expect it to be very efficient, personally, i find it to be alright, connected to my iPhone 15 at 90%, streaming Tidal Flac and MQA on my mobile network from 10am onwards, dongle’s volume at 43/120 on low gain, at 10.52am, i’m left with 82% of battery, which i personally think it’s alright, given i’ve been streaming on mobile network, on wifi, the drain will probably be lower

Features

• Upgradeable firmware whenever there’s new firmware release which will add/fix certain bugs or additional features (Unfortunately, the flash tool doesn’t support Mac and my windows VM can’t detect the KA17,i do hope they will release a Mac version in the near future)
• Independent volume control that doesn’t control the OS’s volume but actually controlling the volume of the DAC
• Choice of volume steps 60 or 120, i personally go for 120 because i get more control for it
• PEQ support, set the EQ directly on the dongle itself, low and high gains, UAC 1 and 2

Sound Impression ( Low Gain and Desktop Mode off unless stated)
The KA17’s tonality is leaning towards slightly warm and neutral, but when desktop mode is turned on, the KA17 becomes very dynamic and depending on the pairing, it can be very exciting to listen to. The overall note weight is alright, not overly thick or thin. Instrument’s timbre sounds quite natural to my ears.

Listening Impression with the following gears
Hifiman Sundara

• Bass is punchy and tight, mid bass especially
• Sub bass has slightly better extension
• Mids are slightly being pushed forward instead of sounding slightly recessed prior to pairing with the KA17
• Slightly better separation and imaging
• Male vocal has slightly thicker texture and sounds fuller
• Female vocal is full sounding as well
• Not so much changes in terms of detail retrieval
• Desktop mode on, with high gain and volume step at 65, driving the Sundara to its potential is definitely not an issue for the KA17

7Hz Legato (Desktop Mode On)

• Legato is a bassy and warm IEM, aimed at delivering analog-ish speaker sound
• The mids are slightly recessed, but when paired with KA17, the mids doesn’t sound that recessed anymore and it sounded a little bit more forward, both male and female vocal also have better texture and body to it
• Bass on the other hand has better control and slightly tighter, this is when the Desktop mode is switched on, Legato loves power
• Not much changes on the detail retrieval as well as soundstage, slightly better imaging i would say
• Legato is not hard to drive, but the KA17 does have more than enough power to push it hard as Legato scales really well with more power and source

Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM (Desktop Mode On)

• For those who are not aware, Spirit Torino is a brand from Italy and they make mostly high end headphones and the Twin Pulse IEM is a trickled down version of the Twin Pulse Headphone, sporting a dual beryllium plated DD in isobaric configuration, they’re not hard to drive but they certainly scale very well with power
• The sound signature of the Twin Pulse IEM is very natural, neither overly warm or cool, just very natural in terms of timbre, vocal, as well as the overall note weight
• With the KA17, it seems to have good synergy, slightly better dynamics and it gives the Twin Pulse IEM a bit more energy on the top end, yet it doesn’t make the mid sounds thin and also weakens the bass

Comparison (Earmen Colibri)

• The Colibri is smoother sounding overall to my ears, not as dynamic as the KA17
• The overall note weight is slightly thicker compared to KA17
• Treble is smoother sounding compared to KA17, also less extension in my opinion
• In terms of features, there are no EQ/PEQ available or app control from Earmen, It is just a plain dongle itself, with a bass boost button
• In terms of power output, KA17 definitely is running circles around the Colibri, but Colibri will be able to drive most efficient IEMs and headphones without any issue

Final Thoughts
There are many dongles out there in the market, i have tested quite a few but not all, Fiio is out to disrupt the market in my opinion, packing a lot of punch in this little dongle. The sound is very good overall, not to mention it is also able to output a whopping 650w with the desktop mode on, and connected to external power supply. If you are currently in search of a dongle that has good power output, and also a dynamic sound signature, the KA17 is definitely for you, also coming in at only 149$, with features such as PEQ, Desktop Mode, and also compatible with Fiio Control Apps, it is definitely a steal at such pricing. Highly recommended by me!

*A big thanks to Fiio for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support.



Head over to their official AliExpress Store and official website if you are interested in getting one:

Fiio KA17 Product Page
Fiio KA17 - Non affiliated

General Info (Packaging/Build/Comfort)
TinHifi has been in the dark for quite some time, their recent release which is a budget model, the C0, which i have tested and the sonic performance actually kind of took me by surprise as well. Let’s see how the T2 MKII performs in terms of sonic performance.
The packaging is similar across the T2 series, nothing has changed, this time around they omitted the storage pouch, foam tips, narrow, and wide bore eartips are included, as well as the stock cable and the IEM itself. This time, the T2 MKII sports a dual dynamic driver, 6mm handling the mid and highs, whereas the 10mm handling the lows.

Build quality is very commendable, the whole unit is built like a tank, the shell design is not bullet shaped anymore, it is in circular form and the fit is very very good compared to the previous T2 series that i have tested. The only thing that I dislike is the mmcx port, not that i hate mmcx, but the mmcx port is notoriously tight and cable rolling with it is a pain, and also due to the design of the shell itself, the mmcx assist tool basically doesn’t help at all.



Gears used for this review

• SMSL DL200
• iFi Hip Dac 3
• Macbook Air M2
• TinHifi T2 MKII Stock Cable and Foam Tips

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression (Stock cable and Foam Tips and iFi HipDac3 xBass on )
Prior to writing this review, the T2 MKII has gone through >30 hours of ageing process (burn in). Upon listening to the T2 MKII, it reminds me a little of T2 Pro Evo, which is bright and and lean, except the T2 MKII has slightly punchier bass and also a little bit more quantity
To my ears, T2 MKII’s tonality is leaning towards the neutral bright and the note weight is a little lacking to my preference.

Bass

• Bass has got good control and sounds relatively tight
• Sub bass rumble is there when the track calls for it, but mid bass is being emphasised more than sub bass
• Bass quantity is a little lacking but has fairly good quality in terms of control
• Pretty fast bass because it handled Slipknot’s People = crap like a champ, doesn’t sound muddy and bleed into the mids
• Sub bass is a little rolled off to my ears, evident in EDM track such as Tiesto’s Traffic, still sufficient to enjoy EDM

Mids

• The mids are slightly thin due lacking some warmth from the lows
• The timbre of instruments in the midrange is quite natural, also it carries sufficient note weight to it , Violin and Piano has got a good note weight and warmth to it, i like how they sound in Imperial March by Wiener Philharmoniker and John Williams, this is if i turn on the iFI’s xBass on the Hip Dac 3, switching it to off, the noteweight will become slightly thin
• The mids are not overly recessed nor forward
• Female vocal is good and has sufficient texture and body to it, but when you crank the volume up, it can be a little shouty
• Male vocal has got good texture and weight to it, Zhao Peng’s low baritone voice sounds thick and very pleasant to listen to
• Instruments and vocal are well layered

Treble

• Treble on the T2 MKII is energetic and on low volume it is fine, but when you crank the volume up, things will get hot
• The extension is good
• The amount of air is just enough to prevent instruments from overlapping each other
• Treblehead might like this kind of presentation but personally, it is not my cup of tea
• Detail retrieval is good

Soundstage and Imaging

• The soundstage is just slightly out of your head, not overly wide, but lacking depth and height
• Imaging on the other hand is good, separation is nicely done

Driveability

• Very easy to drive and amplification is not needed
• Pairs well with warm source such as the HipDac 3 that i’m using, my personal experience is that it doesn’t really synergise well with brighter source such as the SMSL DL200

Final Thoughts
In the market where there are several dual dynamic drivers IEM, where does the T2 MKII position itself at? I personally think that they do well in terms of technicalities and also the pricing, no, it doesn’t go head to head with other IEM thats 2-3x more than T2 MKII’s price, the bright tuning might not be for everyone, but those who likes treble and bright signature will favour the T2 MKII, but sadly, the T2 MKII is not for me, don’t get me wrong, they’re good but it’s just not for me.

*T2 MKII is sent over by Linsoul F.OC for the purpose of this review. I received no monetary compensation nor was I influenced to produce this review. All thoughts are of my own.

If you are interested to purchase T2 DLC, head over to Linsoul’s store to get one
TinHifi T2 MKII - Non Affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
This is my 5th Kiwi Ears and so far i liked most of them. Let’s see how Melody stack up against others. Most should be quite familiar with Kiwi Ears now. Melody sports a 12mm planar driver within it. Overall build quality is alright in my opinion, my unit doesn’t seem to have a very good finish, the shell is matte and looks classy and premium (personal opinion and its subjective). The packaging is in fact rather similar across most Kiwi Ears products, the IEM itself, a storage case, cable and 6 pairs of silicone eartips. In terms of comfort, i have been listening to it for a long session of approximately 3-4 hours and I did not feel any discomfort at all.

Gears used for this review

• Fiio Q15
• Earmen Angel
• iFi Hip Dac 3
• Macbook Air M2
• Kiwi Ears Melody Stock Cable and Final Type E Eartips

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
Melody’s tonality is leaning towards slight V shaped and a little energetic for some, there’s a hint of planar timbre but other than that, in terms of price performance ratio, it is really good. If you’re sensitive to the highs, tip rolling will help, Final Type E can help to tame the treble.

Bass

• Sub bass does rumble but it doesn’t go that deep to bass head territory, sufficient to add “fun” to overall listening experience
• Mid bass is punchy and has good body to it overall, speed is rather good
• Thankfully, the bass doesn’t bleed into the mids
• On certain tracks, the bass can be really fun, such as some low fi music or EDM, but on certain tracks, it can be slightly overwhelming, depending on your personal preferences, occasionally, i do find it quite fun and i enjoy it

Mids

• Mids are not recessed but not too forward either
• Vocal has good enough texture and body for both male and female
• Female vocal somehow sounded a little bit more energetic due to slight lift from the upper mids, but never shouty
• Male vocal sounded full and never thin
• The mids are not thin sounding nor has a very good body overall, somewhere in between

Treble

• The treble based on my listening impression, does have quite an energetic profile, with sufficient air and sparkles
• They do have quite an energetic profile, but they’re never harsh nor sibilant, but personally, i am a little sensitive hence i’m using it with Final Type E eartips to bring down the treble a little and it is perfect for me

Imaging/Soundstage

• Imaging is good as instruments can be pinpointed easily
• Soundstage is good for the price, it is wide and have good depth to it, lacking height to contribute to overall in terms of sounding big, nonetheless, considered very good given the asking price

Driveability

• Melody does requires a bit of power to sound good, pairing it with a weaker source will make it sound quite harsh and bass aren’t that controlled
• Tried using it with Apple’s dongle and sure, it does sound loud but it is lacking in terms of dynamics, bass control and treble response as well
• At the very least, a budget/mid tiered dongle such as Fiio’s KA13 will be able to drive Melody without any hiccups

Final Thoughts
I have to admit, the out of the box listening impression is rather bad for me in terms of the highs, but I have decided to burn in the Melody for about 20 hours +- and it does tone down a little, the bass is also tighter and slightly better in terms of control. If you like a bit of fun or looking to get your first planar IEM without breaking the bank, get the Melody!
Kiwi Ears certainly hit the right spot in terms of their releases, with this planar offering from the brand, they’re set to capture more audiophiles to the brand.

Kiwi Ears Melody was sent over by Linsoul for this review. I thank them for the opportunity as always.

Head over to the store if you are interested in getting one:
Kiwi Ears Melody - Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Build
There are several portable bluetooth dongle/dac amps in the market from several manufacturers. I have the Fiio’s BTR7 with me today and this is the 2nd product from Fiio that I will be testing and reviewing. BTR7 is packed with features, not to mention a solid build quality as well. The front and back sports a glass panel and the body of the unit itself is made out of aluminium alloy which makes the whole unit look and feel premium.
The packaging itself is quite good, within the box it contains a leather case, the BTR7 itself as well as a long and short type c data cable. Let’s take a look at the specifications below:

Specifications

• Bluetooth Chip : Qualcomm QCC5124
• Bluetooth Version : Bluetooth V5.1
• Supported Codec’s : AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX Low Latency, aptX HD, LDAC and LHDC
• DAC : 2x Sabre ESS9219C
• Frequency Response : 20～20kHz（aptX connection), 20～50kHz（LDAC connection)
• THD+N : PO＜0.00055% / Balanced ＜0.00048%
• SNR : PO≥118dB (32Ω A-weighted), BAL≥115dB (32Ω A-weighted)
• Sampling Rate : 384kHz/32bit (USB DAC)
• USB in DSD Support : 384KHz 32bit/ DSD256
• Output Interface : 3.5mm Single Ended & 4.4mm Balanced
• Output Power PO : 165mW@16 Ohm / 160mW@32 Ohm / 18mW@300 Ohm
• Output Power BAL : 235mW@16 Ohm / 320mW@32 Ohm / 40mW@300 Ohm
• Output Impedance : PO≤1.8Ω（32Ω loaded） /BAL≤2.8Ω（32Ω loaded）
• Amplitude : PO：2.3Vrms / BAL: 3.2Vrms
• Crosstalk PO : ≥ 75dB
• Crosstalk BAL : ≥ 107dB
• Recommended Imp. : 16~100Ω（PO）/ 16~150Ω（BAL）
• Battery : 880mAH
• Battery Life : approx 9hours
• Wired charging : ≤1.5 hours
• Wireless charging : ≤3 hours
• USB Port : USB Type C
• USB Input : Xmos XU208
• Dimensions : about 39.6x83.6x14.6mm
• Weight : about 68 grams

Gears used for this review

• Fiio BTR7 wired and wireless mode
• iFi Go Blu
• Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM
• Aune AR5000
• Dunu Falcon Ultra

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Battery Life

• I have tested the BTR7 in BT mode with AAC (iPhone 15) as well as LDAC (on my android DAP)
• On bluetooth mode, AAC and on low gain, volume step at 28/60, i am getting approximately 8 hours + -
• On LDAC however, it dropped to approximately 6 hours +- with the same volume step and gain
• Recharging the unit is fairly fast, not to mention it supports both wired and wireless charging, the latter is a slower option but a good to have feature

Features

• OTA firmware update via Fiio’s Control App for both iOS and Android, updated my firmware when i gotten the unit via the app and it’s hassle free
• Support being used as a USB Dac/Amp
• There are plenty of features available and customizable for BTR7 within the app itself
• EQ feature, volume limiting, call volume, distortion compensation, second and third harmonic compensation
• Attached the screenshot from the app for a clearer view

Sound Impression (LDAC and Wired)
The overall presentation/tuning of the BTR7 is quite natural and clean, with a slight hint of warmth rather than completely neutral. With the warmth, note weight is good overall and it doesn’t sound dry nor thin making it quite easy to pair with my IEMs and headphones. The bass does have a slight authority but not overpowering the rest of the frequency range, mids are presented with clarity and they’re quite balanced in the sense where it’s not too recessed nor forward. Treble also has good extension and never sounded harsh or sibilant. In wireless mode, LDAC sounds closest to wired setup, while not exactly 100%, probably around 80+ % which is fairly good in my opinion, AAC however does sound a little compressed especially on the highs, hence making it sound a little bit more bassy based on my listening impression



Listening Impression with the following gears (Wired and LDAC)
Dunu Falcon Ultra

• Bass is punchy and tight, mid bass especially, sub bass does have a slight boost in terms of rumble
• Mids have plenty of details from lower mids and upper mids doesn’t sound shouty at all
• Both male and female vocal has good texture to it
• Slightly bigger soundstage
• Not so much changes in terms of detail retrieval
• Overall, a very good synergy pairing the Falcon Ultra with BTR7
• Falcon Ultra is very easy to drive, needing only 15/60 and low gain for my usual listening level, 20 is considered very loud and no, i am not associating loud = easy to drive, don’t get me wrong

Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM

• Twin Pulse IEM is a very natural sounding IEM, so any sorts of coloration from the dac/amp is very easy to spot
• Upon listening, the bass from Twin Pulse does seem to have a slightly better punch and extension from the sub bass
• Soundstage is slightly wider with better depth
• Treble on the other hand is slightly too smooth to my taste due to Twin Pulse’s tuning for treble is not overly boosted, but this pairing is very easy to listen to for a long time without any fatigue
• More than enough power to drive the twin pulse to its best performance, high gain on the other hand gives it a bit more dynamics as well as opening up the treble slightly

Aune AR5000

• AR500’s tuning is leaning toward musical with a tinge of warmth, my experience with this pairing is fairly positive
• Note weight is slightly improved with a thicker note overall
• Mid bass has a bit more punch and sub bass does have better extension
• Treble has good control and never harsh at all times
• Not much changes in terms of soundstage and imaging
• AR5000 doesn’t need a lot of power as it’s quite efficient coming in at 26Ω, but the amp section for BTR7 does a good job in driving the AR5000 to its best performance

Comparison (iFi Go Blu)

• Go Blue sounds warmer to my ears and it is way more coloured compared to BTR7
• The low end is also more elevated compared to BTR7
• Treble is rather smooth with enough energy but not as good in terms of extension
• No high/low gain available, but the xBass (bass boost) and xSpace (enhance the soundstage) does add a bit of fun overall on analog level
• Output power is lower compared to BTR7
• No apps supports and lacking in terms of features
• Priced higher than BTR7
• USB Dac mode only supports up to 96/24

Final Thoughts
Having tested the BTR7 for several weeks, it’s safe to say the BTR7 is staying in my EDC bag, in fact, I prefer to carry the BTR7 over my DAP for the sake of convenience, not to mention that it does output some great high quality sound as well, coupled with a microphone, i’m also able to take some calls when it's necessary. Overall, the BTR7 is a great little device with good battery life and also a good sounding one. Recommended!

*A big thanks to Fiio for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support.

Head over to their official AliExpress Store and official website if you are interested in getting one:

Fiio BTR7 Aliexpress Store - Non affiliated
Fiio BTR7 Product Page

General/Packaging/Build
Fiio is a brand that needs no introduction to fellow audiophiles, they are well established and they have positioned themselves among the top few famous chi-fi brands. My first encounter with Fiio’s product was a classic portable amp E6, probably 10+ years back when I first got into the hobby. Fast forward today, I have the Fiio K11 desktop dac/amp with me which boosts some serious power output figures for the asking price. The packaging is quite good for the asking price, it contains a power supply unit, USB cable and the K11 itself, well protected from any mishandling during transportation/logistics. The build quality is good for the asking price, with several inputs and output as well.

Specifications

• Main control chip (single-chip microcomputer): GD32F303RET6
• DAC: C543198 Supported audio formats: 384kHz/32bit PCM, DSD256 USB connector: Type-C
• Display type: Custom VA
• Dimensions: 147x133x32.3mm (including feet)
• Weight: About 407g
• Power supply: DC12V 2A external adapter
• SE power output 1: L+R≥520mW +520mW (32Ω, THD+N < 1%) (320/single-ended/high gain)
• SE power output 2: L+R≥60mW+60mW (300Ω, THD+N < 1%) (3000/single-ended/high gain)
• BAL power output 1: L+R≥1400mW+1400mW (32Ω, THD+N < 1%) (320/balanced/high gain)
• BAL power output 2: L+R≥250mW+250mW (300Ω, THD+N < 1%) (3002/ balanced/high gain)
• Frequency response: 20Hz~50kHz (Attenuation < 0.2dB)
• SNR: 123dB (A-weighted) Noise floor: PO < 2.8uV (A-weighted); BAL < 4.9uV (A-weighted)
• Output impedance: PO < 1.20 (32Ω load); BAL < 2.49 (32Ω load)
• THD+N: LO < 0.00035% (1kHz/10kΩ)

Gears used for this review

• Macbook Air M2 -> Foobar/Tidal
• SMSL M300SE
• Fiio K11 -> Earmen CH-AMP and PSU-3 (Fiio K11 is hooked up to my Earmen’s Linear PSU instead of the supplied power supply
• 7Hz Legato
• Aune AR5000
• Hifiman Sundara

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far



Driving Power

• This has got to be one of the selling point for the K11, a whopping 1400mW on balanced out with high gain from 32Ω’s load, it is certainly not lacking in terms of raw power, which is sufficient to drive most headphones that aren’t hard to drive with the exception of several headphones of course,one of them being the Susvara, as well as IEMs

Features

• 3 Gain levels, low, mid and high
• RGB logo with adjustable lighting effect on the device itself
• Upgradeable firmware

Sound Impression
The tuning of the K11 is very neutral and transparent based on my listening experience, it doesn’t boost any frequency but just render it as it is. However, I do find the note weight is slightly lacking, but not too bad overall. Very good soundstage and imaging rendering

Listening Impression with the following gears
Aune AR5000

• AR5000 is very efficient and easy to drive, Low gain on K11 is sufficient to power the AR5000 to its best performance,on mid gain the dynamics are slightly better and also the bass control is slightly tighter
• Bass is punchy and tight, mid bass especially
• Sub bass has slightly better extension, although still lacking due to it being an open back
• Mids a little lacking due to the note weight is slightly lacking
• Slightly bigger soundstage than it already is
• Male vocal has slightly thicker texture and sounds fuller
• Female vocal is full sounding as well
• Not so much changes in terms of detail retrieval
• Overall, a very good synergy i would say other than the slightly thin note weight

7Hz Legato

• Legato is a bassy and warm IEM, aimed at delivering analog-ish speaker sound
• The mids are slightly recessed, but when paired with K11, the mids doesn’t sound that recessed anymore and it sounded a little bit more forward, both male and female vocal sounds a little bit more “crisp”
• Bass on the other hand sounds a little tame when paired with K11, the sub bass rumble is still quite strong but somehow i feel like it has a slightly faster decay, but mid bass is still punchy, a very refreshing experience if you ask me, still very fun sounding
• Not much changes on the detail retrieval as well
• Soundstage is slightly better in terms of better height,depth and width perception due to the tuning of K11
• Legato is not hard to drive, but K11 definitely have more than enough power to push it hard as Legato scales really well with power and source

Hifiman Sundara on 4.4

• Sundara is a Planar headphone from Hifiman that requires quite a bit of power in order to perform at its best, K11 does have the capability to drive it to optimum performance
• Sundara on its own is quite neutral sounding with a slight hint of brightness in terms of tonality, my opinion is that, pairing the K11 with Sundara does make it a little bright and the slightly thin note weight doesn’t help that much
• The low end is fast and tight, the treble isn’t being elevated as well, but the slightly thin mid does affects the overall listening impression

Line Out Sound Impression ( RCA Out to Earmen CH-AMP )

• The DAC on K11 has a neutral and transparent sound profile
• Pairing it with the CH-AMP, the overall sound profile is quite transparent and mids does have slightly better body overall
• Dynamics does improve as well, a good pairing i would say

Comparison (SMSL M300SE)

• In terms of sound, M300SE’s sound signature is leaning towards the “musical” sounding kind of tonality, slightly warm and the mids has more body compared to K11
• Soundstage is slightly smaller and less air compared to M300SE
• Power output figure is way lesser compared to K11, 148mw on M300SE vs 1.4w on the K11
• Although sporting different DAC, the differences are actually very minimal, the 43131 on M300SE is a DAC chip with built in amp section, where as on the Fiio’s 43198, it is a DAC only setup and the amp section is designed/implemented separately
• Depending on your preference in terms of sound signature, M300SE a more musical tuning, whereas K11 a neutral and transparent tuning

Final Thoughts
Having tested the K11 for several weeks now, it’s safe to say K11 has a very high price performance ratio, in terms of sound, they sound transparent and neutral and not to mention the power output is very high for the asking price, most dac/amps at this price range offers lower power output figure and doesn’t offer much features, K11 ticks many of the boxes in terms of features as well as sonic performance. K11 is definitely one of the good products that is easily recommendable and won’t break the bank. Definitely a 4.5/5 product!

*A big thanks to Fiio for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support and opportunity

Head over to their official store if you are interested in getting one:

Fiio K11 Aliexpress store - Non affiliated
Fiio K11 Product Page

Gears Used for Testing

• Simgot EA1000
• Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM
• Letshuoer S15
• 7Hz Legato

Specifications
Material

• High purity oxygen free copper & silver plated wire hybrid

Core Count

• Single 18AWG, 732 cores in 2 strands

Structure

• Coaxial Litz structure weave

Cable Length

• Approximately 120cm (excluding plugs)

Jacket

• Customised transparent PVC

Connectors

• Standard 0.78mm 2 Pin

Audio Plugs

• Standard 3.5mm single-ended / 4.4mm balanced gold plated interchangeable plugs

Build Quality
The cable itself is very well built, it is very soft and doesn’t retain cable memory, hence making it easy to store and bring out from storage. The 0.78 2 pin jack as well as the modular plug is very solid, the plug has good ergonomics based on my experience of using it for several weeks , where the shape of the jack somehow provides a very good grip when you want to unplug it from the headphone or your amp. Very well thought out, although it might sound a little inconvenient, but i do hope there will be some locking mechanism on the modular plug itself to further secure it, similar to Moondrop Aria II’s stock cable’s mechanism. Overall, i like the build quality very much, aesthetically as well as the tactile of the cable



Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
*The cable has been run in for approximately 20-30 hours prior to writing this sound impression.
I have tested several SPC based cables and despite having the same material, they all sound different, i am aware that this is a rather controversial topic, hence if you are someone who believes in cable, feel free to read further, else just skip this review/impression at once. The LC7 does improve several aspects of the sound, in terms of slightly better note weight as well as a more spacious sound



Listening impression
Simgot EA1000 with LC-7

• Compared to stock cable of EA1000 as well as default nozzle, pairing it with the LC7 improved the overall note weight, with a bit more texture and body on the mids and lows, treble is slightly smoother while doesn’t sacrifice much in terms of technicalities
• I also noticed slightly better soundstage reproduction as well
• Vocal positioning doesn’t change much but slightly better texture on the mids

Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM

• Twin Pulse IEM’s sound profile is very natural overall and LC-7 do well in terms of synergy
• The soundstage on the Twin Pulse is slightly more spacious sounding, in terms of width, slightly more out of your head, as well as better depth
• The vocal positioning however, is being pushed back by a little

Letshuoer S15

• S15 sports a slightly warmer tuning, hence pairing this with the LC7 does open up the treble a little, making the S15 slightly more energetic on the top end
• With a slightly more open treble, this also contributes to a slightly wider soundstage, coupled with the R-sonic passive filter within the S15, it makes the overall listening experience very engaging, in the sense where the bass feels enveloping

7Hz Legato

• Legato is a very fun and bassy IEM, some will prefer the monstrous bass, whereas some might find it a tinge too much and want to tame it down a little
• The bass is slightly tighter hence the perceived response is slightly faster bass and slight reduction in quantity
• Treble also slightly opened up bringing a little bit more details and resolution
• This pairing is good for those who find the Legato is lacking in terms of treble and resolution

Final Thoughts
Cable altering/improving the sound of the transducer is a very controversial topic, there are some who don’t hear any difference and there are those who are like me, who have the ability to perceive the changes/improvement. Do keep in mind that cable will not make a bad sounding headphone sound better, That aside, Simgot LC-7 is definitely a worthy investment if you are looking to improve or tweak a certain aspect of your headphone (soundstage,lusher mids and slightly better treble extension), this is the cable for you.



*Received the review sample from Simgot for the purpose of this review, big thanks to them for the support as always

Head over to their dealer Linsoul to purchase one if you’re interested:

Simgot LC7 - Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Build/Comfort
The Aria was released in the year 2021,can’t recall which month it was exactly, they were good,technicalities and everything else,but the tuning was just too “safe” to many other people including me. Fast forward to 2023 ,Aria has a successor now with some changes to it. The driver has been replaced with ceramic coated spherical dome composite diaphragm ,cosmetic changes,and also some changes in terms of tuning. Safe to say I personally prefer this tuning over the og Aria.
The packaging is the usual Moondrop styled packing.”Waifu” printed box cover. Unboxing it will reveal IEM itself,two types of eartips,the grey coloured eartips,a faux leather carrying case and also the cable. The cable is a modular cable with interchangeable plug, 4.4 and 2.5 plugs are included.
In terms of build,the size is similar to the og Aria and the changes from what i can see is only the colour and perhaps the design is laser etched instead of painted (I am not 100% sure,do take it with a grain of salt).In terms of comfort,i don’t have any fitting problem with the og Aria,so i don’t have any issue with snow edition as well as they have the same shell size/design.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Colibri
• Earmen Tradutto -> Earmen CH-Amp
• Hiby R6 II
• Moondrop Aria 2 stock cable and stock eartips

Sound
First and foremost,I do not have the og Aria with me anymore for the A/B test,the comparison is solely based on my memory and time spent with og Aria. The first thing that I noticed when I put on the Aria II is that they are distinctively different in terms of tuning. Personally I prefer Aria II’s tuning over og Aria. Aria II is also more dynamic compared to og Aria and it doesn’t sound that “safe”,however in terms of bass. Let’s break it down below:

Bass:

• Bass transition is linear and smooth from sub to mid bass and has good texture to it
• Mid bass has got good thump to it,slams good enough on Alice Cooper’s Go to Hell
• Sub bass does sound a little roll off,you can’t really hear it but rather “feel” it when the track calls for it. You can still listen to EDM with it,but of course it is nowhere near basshead level but good enough for adequate “fun”

Mids:

• Mids are slightly lacking
• Vocal positioning is not too forward nor recessed
• Both male and female vocal has got good texture and doesn’t sound thin at all
• The instrument’s timbre sounds natural and correct to my ears

Highs:

• The treble to my ears has got a bit more energy compared to og Aria
• Treble is smooth and not fatiguing to listen to despite being slightly more energetic,no sibilance or harshness at all
• Detail retrieval is good enough at this price point,it is not overly done to the point where it is too analytical
• Good amount of air hence the music doesn’t sound too “congested” and contributed to a soundstage presentation

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is not exceptionally wide,slightly out of head and a little lacking in terms of height
• Imaging is average,instruments can be pinpointed easily but on some busy track,it does suffer a little

Driveability

• Very easy to drive,decent volume out of smartphone’s 3.5mm jack
• Does scale with better source, in terms of soundstage and slightly better bass control

Comparison (Letshuoer DZ4)

• Sub bass on the DZ4 is slightly rolled off but when the track calls for it, the rumble will still be there, more on feel rather than hear, Aria II on the other hand doesn’t roll off that much hence the perceived rumble is slightly more “rumbly”
• Tonality on the DZ4 is more on neutral bright while Aria II has a bit of warmth from the slight emphasis on the lows
• Mid bass on both is pretty similar
• Treble regions are where both of them are different. DZ4 has slightly better treble extension compared to Aria II
• In terms of soundstage and imaging,DZ4 has a more in your head kind of soundstage whereas Aria II is slightly out of your head,in terms of imaging capability,both are more or less on par
• I would say both DZ4 and Aria II are tuned differently,catering to different audience,technicality wise,DZ4 is better

Final Thoughts
Is the Aria II the successor for og Aria? In my opinion, it certainly is, a redesigned shell and paintwork, a different tuning which offers a little bit more fun if you find the og Aria too safe sounding. The paintwork on the Aria II and shell has been reworked for sure and seems like it will fix the paint chip issue that plagued the og Aria. Do I recommend the Aria II? If you have the og Aria and you find that the tuning is too safe, you will like the Aria II, if you are seeking for a very technical set, Aria II might not be the one for you. 4/5 overall!



*Moondrop Aria 2 has been sent over by ShenzhenAudio,as always,I thank them for their opportunity and generosity.However I am in no way influenced nor paid to produce this review,all thoughts are of my own.

If you are interested in grabbing a pair,head over to ShenzhenAudio’s webstore at the link below: *Not affiliated
Moondrop Aria 2 - Non affiliated