General Info (Packaging/Build/Comfort)
Hidizs is well known for their source namely dongles as well as mini DAP, but looks like they’re trying to up the ante by also tapping into the IEM’s market. They did have several releases previously but they aren’t that well known or widely received. Since the launch of MS5 which is the brand’s flagship, they have been gathering feedback and putting in the work, which can be seen in the subsequent release, which is the MS3. Today i have the MP145 with me, which is a planar IEM, this is the brand’s first planar IEM and the interesting thing is that they are also collaborating with WDC(Whale and Dolphin Conservation) to help raise awareness about the vital roles that whales play in the ocean.

The build quality of the IEM is solid, feels quite hefty and the design inspiration does stem from the whale as well. The IEM’s nozzle is on the large side, so when you are tip rolling, be sure to do it carefully else the tip might rip. Packaging is the usual Hidizs style which looks minimalistic and also presents a premium unboxing experience. The box consist of three types of eartips, the tuning filter/nozzle and also a storage pouch, a solid cable with the termination of your choice either 3.5 or 4.4.

Equipment and Software used

• Earmen Tradutto -> Earmen CH-AMP
• Earmen Collibri
• iFi Go Link
• Hiby R6 II
• Hidizs S9 Pro
• 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 (Balanced Nozzle)
Upon first listen on MP145, it has got a relatively smooth tuning with plenty of details yet it remains safe sounding and not harsh sounding. Timbre sounds quite natural to my ears with a slight planar timbre if you try hard to listen to it. The nozzle is swappable to either bass or treble nozzle, the default one will be balanced which is the primary sound impression that i’m sharing now

Bass

• Bass is punchy and has good extension to my ears, but not too much to the point where it over power other frequency, adequate amount for the fun factor if you ask me
• Good texture on the bass and the speed is adequate for most genre unless you’re talking about insanely high speed heavy metal, but it is adequate to handle anything you throw at it
• Slipknot’s People = crap is being rendered effortlessly on the MP145, there isn’t a hint of muddyness during the intense drumming opening

Mids

• Mids are very lush to my ears, instruments in this range carries sufficient note weight and doesn’t sound thin at all
• I’d picture the vocal positioning as a few steps away from your face, not recessed nor too intimate, just nice in my opinion
• Female vocal has got decent texture and sweet sounding, evident when playing back Adele’s When We Were Young
• Male vocal is a little lacking in terms of texture, evident in low baritone note, doesn’t sound as thick as it should be, a little more warmth will be great
• Upper mids are never offensive even when you turn up the volume, rather safe for those who are sensitive

Treble

• MP145’s treble is never offensive and yet it doesn’t sound dull and quite musical to my ears, enough energy but never harsh sounding
• Not as revealing in terms of detail retrieval but good enough for the price point, certain instruments can be picked up easily when listening to Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious
• The treble is never sibilant even when you turn up the volume, or even on some sibilant prone track
• Good amount of air and presence

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage on MP145is quite decent, slightly out of your head and doesn’t sound in your head at all, good width and depth but a little lacking in height
• Imaging is good as well, instruments can be pin-pointed easily and the left and right transition and vice versa is easily noticeable, instrument layering is good, the instruments doesn’t sound muddy and all mashed up in Kid Rock’s Bawitdaba

Driveability

• MP145 is not hard to drive, you will be able to push out decent volume from Macbook Air M2’s 3.5mm jack
• It does scale with better source and amplification as with most planars, in terms of dynamic and more controlled bass

Sound comparison with different nozzles
Bass

• On this nozzle, the low end is slightly lifted, due to the seesaw effect, the treble is tamer and less exciting, this in turn made the overall listening experience a little more laidback with slightly more warmth and body
• Soundstage is slightly smaller imaging capability remains more or less similar
• Still it is nowhere near basshead level, but overall very fun sounding

Treble

• This nozzle will turn the MP145 into a technical beast. Analytical sounding and very detailed and airy
• Bass remains tight but doesn’t punch that hard or rumble compared to balanced and bass nozzle
• Soundstage is good as it is very airy sounding, treble head will enjoy this tuning

Final Thoughts
I have tried several planar IEMs, namely TinHifi’s P1 Max and Letshuoer’s S12, they all have different characteristics and tuning style tailored to different audiences or music libraries. For the case of MP145, I find that it’s safe for me to label it as an all rounder (At least it works well with my library, Metal, Nu Metal, Jazz, Classical, Jpop, Rock, CantoPop). For those who prefer a less prominent bass response, or rather a neutral bass response, you might want to consider other options. I’m not a basshead myself but I do find myself enjoying the slight lift on the low end. Not to mention it is very versatile to change the tuning via the swappable nozzle to add more bass, or treble depending on your preference. For me personally i’ll stick to the balanced nozzle which offers a balance between bass and treble.

MP145 is an easy recommendation to anyone who is thinking to venture into planar iems or even seasoned audiophiles will like MP145 i’m sure.

*MP145 is sent over by Hidizs in exchange for this review. I am not under any influence nor do I receive any monetary compensation to produce this review.

The MP145 is currently available to pre-order from Kickstarter, the super early bird deals are priced at 109$, at the time of writing, i believe the super early bird is fully backed and the 139$ package is available as of now, still quite a good deal in my opinion

Head over to the link below if you are interested in getting one!
Hidizs MP145 Kickstarter - Non affiliated

General/Build/Packaging/Comfort
Simgot is a brand that I believe many should be very familiar with by now. The brand has been releasing quite a number of hits namely the EA500, EW100p as well as the EW200 which are favoured by many within the community. I have the EM6L today which is a hybrid from Simgot in 1DD+4BA configuration. The build quality is different from EA500 and EW200 which both are metal shell, EM6L went for 3D printed resin housing and CNC processed faceplate, the pros are, it keeps the weights light and you don’t feel it at all once it is in your ears, some will view this as a cons in a way where it looks cheap.
The unboxing experience is quite consistent across the brand, EM6L is no exception either, very premium looking, but kinda lacking in terms of bundled accessories for the asking price, 3 pairs of eartips, cable, storage case, as well as the IEM itself and that is all. I honestly expected a little more, but that’s just nitpicking. In terms of comfort, very comfortable to wear as I mentioned earlier due to its weight, however, i do find the ear hooks a little annoying as the EM6L can’t stay in my ears due to the stiffness of the ear hooks, hence I removed it and the problem was solved, fits snugly in my ears now.

Equipment and Software used

• Earmen Tradutto -> Earmen CH-AMP
• Earmen Collibri
• iFi Go Link
• iFi Gryphon
• 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
EM6L is generally very pleasing to listen to, good tonality, mild v shaped with sub bass focused instead of mid bass. Although sporting 4 BAs, the timbre actually sounds quite natural to my ears, very very minimal BA timbre unless you try very hard to spot it. Let’s take a look at the breakdown below:

Bass

• Fairly good speed and doesn’t sound bloated or muddy when listening to busy tracks such as Slipknot’s People’s = crap!
• Texture can be a little bit better
• Sub bass has good extension which is to be expected since this set is sub bass focused instead of midbass, not bass head kind of rumble but sufficient and has good control
• Mid bass lacks a little punch but overall it is alright

Mids

• The mids are slightly recessed but still lush sounding to my ears
• Vocals are forward but not shouty
• Male and female vocal has good texture to it and doesn’t sound thin

Treble

• Treble is very smooth and non offensive
• It retains enough energy and never once its sibilant nor harsh even when you push the volume up
• 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 average width, but good depth and height perception
• Imaging is good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily even during busy track

Driveability

• EM6L is very easy to drive, and doesn’t seem to benefit much from amping
• Most of the entry level/mid range dongles will do just fine
• Straight out of the 3.5mm from my Macbook Air M2, it sounded just fine

Comparison (Tempotec IM05)

• Warm sounding overall and mid bass focused, hence mid bass is very punchy and has good impact
• Treble is smooth but resolution and detail retrieval capability is more or less similar to EM6l
• Very good and precise imaging, soundstage is average in terms of depth, width and height perception
• Mids has good body and vocals are not too recessed nor forward in the mix
• Upper mids are not perceived as shouty as well
• Noticeable BA timbre but sounds quite natural overall
• Overall, IM05 is a slightly warmer set compared to EM6l, EM6L has slightly better technicalities compared to IM05

Final Thoughts
With so much competition in the price bracket of EM6l, does it hold its own? I certainly think so. Although it is not the most technically competent IEM out there, there is also a certain crowd out there who are craving for balanced and fatigue free listening experience, EM6L is certainly for them, bassheads and trebleheads on the other hand should look elsewhere. If you’re one of those who crave for a balanced listening experience, grab this without any hesitation.

*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:

Simgot EM6L - Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Comfort/Build
Moondrop is no stranger when it comes to the audio community. Most of their releases are hits rather than misses, being priced affordably, does not mean they skimp on the sound quality. Let’s take a look and see if it’s holding up against other similarly priced TWS.
The packaging is pretty straight forward, nothing to expect at this price point.
A transparent box consists of the IEM, eartips. The whole earbud is made out of plastic and there are no sharp edges or any protrusion that causes discomfort. Despite it’s fully plastic,it doesn’t look cheap and it’s light, I've worn them for several hours during my meeting and there’s no discomfort throughout the period. The charging case’s design is very appealing in my opinion, the transparent look does make it look premium. In terms of ergonomics when attempting to remove the TWS from the charging case, it does take a little bit of effort when your finger is dry.

Specifications

• Bluetooth version: 5.3
• Supported protocols: A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP/SBC/AAC
• Charging port: Type-C
• Working distance: 10m (barrier-free open environment)
• Support system: Bluetooth devices and mobile phones
• Earphone charging time: About 1 Hour
• Charging time of charging case: about 1.5 Hours
• Earphone battery capacity: 3.7V/37mAh
• Battery capacity of charging case: 3.7V/380mAh
• Battery life of earphone: About 4 Hours
• Battery life of charging case: About 12 Hours

Connection Test and Latency

• Placing my phone on my dining table in my living room, i walked to my balcony with a thick wall in between and there’s no disconnection nor any distortion, connection remained rock solid stable
• As for gaming, the delay is very noticeable, but then again, this TWS is not meant/marketed for gamers in mind.
• Watching Netflix with it on my iPad, there isn’t any delay as well,the audio and video is pretty much in sync. No noticeable delay

Battery Life Test

• I would say the battery life is not bad nor exceptional, good enough to last you through the day if you are a heavy user, as the case hold an additional of 12 hours approximately
• Single usage is more or less the same as claimed by Moondrop which is 4 hours +- depending on your volume level, during the time of testing, i am playing it at about 40% of volume level which is loud enough to me

ANC Test
If i were to rate the ANC performance, In comparison with AirPod Pro, i’m giving the AirPod Pro a 8/10 and Space Travel at 5/10. This is to be expected as the ANC performance for Space Travel is definitely not on par with the high tiered TWS that offers a better ANC performance.
This is to be expected and I am not nitpicking especially at this asking price. The ANC does work, however it doesn’t cancel out most of the noise, EG, my mechanical keyboard typing sound, Keys jingling sound. It does cancel out the road noise when i am driving. When I'm out in a busy restaurant, it’s not dead silent, but it does cancel out some noise in order for me to listen to the music at average listening volume without having to crank up the volume.

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 (Reference Preset)
Space Travel’s default tuning is more on the “fun” side of the spectrum. Slightly elevated low and high without recessing the vocal. You can change the tuning of Space Travel by downloading the LINK app from Apple’s app store if you are using iOS or Google Playstore if you’re using Android. Sort of like an EQ

*This evaluation is done using the Reference preset via the Moondrop LINK App



Bass

• Sub bass rumble can be felt and heard during EDM track such as Ping Pong by Armin
• Bass quantity and quality is good enough (You can always change to a different preset if you feel like having more “Boom”)
• Bass response is neither fast nor slow to a point where it got too boomy
• Typical Harman kind of bass response when using the Reference Preset

Mids

• The mid range is not too forward nor recessed
• Vocal positioning is slightly recessed for male and a little bit forward for female
• Male vocal is slightly thin sounding where as female vocal sounds a little bit more full
• Good enough detail at this spectrum of frequency

Treble

• Treble is smooth and non sibilant nor fatiguing
• Good enough detail retrieval
• Average resolution
• Good amount of air and presence for the asking price

Soundstage and Imaging

• Soundstage is pretty much in your head, not too narrow or wide
• Imaging is alright as the instruments can be pinpointed correctly

Comparison with NekoCake

• In terms of sound, NekoCake sounds a little bit more cooler compared to Space Travel, it is slightly warmer to my ears, hence i perceived it as having slightly more body compared to NekoCake
• NekoCake is a little forward sounding and have smaller soundstage compared to Space Travel
• The rest of the features doesn’t change much in terms of ANC performance and Transparency mode, bluetooth version is currently 5.3 on the Space Travel while NekoCake is 5.0

Final Thoughts
Throughout the week that i’ve been using Space Travel, I find them to be very comfortable overall and soundwise, they offer a good price performance ratio, the stock eartips offer a good enough seal for me, Overall I find them to offer a balanced performance with a good price performance ratio considering the specifications of the earbuds. At this asking price, It is very easy to recommend it to anyone who is looking for a budget TWS right now. I see no reason why I shouldn't recommend it.

An easy 4.5/5 judging from the value and performance it offers.



*I received the unit in exchange for my honest opinion from ShenZhenAudio. The link attached is not affiliated and i don’t earn a single cent even if you decide to purchase it

Moondrop SpaceTravel - 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, 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 is as premium as it can get, with an ergonomic design focusing on comfort (more on this later) with a sheath of carbon fibre compared to the wired Svanar which is brass. 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 eartips as this will either make or break the seal for a good sound as well as fit. The packaging is rather straightforward and minimal, various types of eartips.

Specifications
Frequency Response: : 10Hz-35kHz
Bluetooth Version: : Bluetooth 5.2
HIFI Mode: : up to 4 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: LDAC, SBC, AAC

Gears used for this review

• iPhone 12 Mini with Apple Music
• Google Pixel 5 LDAC with UAPP Tidal
• Hifiman Svanar Wireless

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
• I suspect this has got something to do with the R2R dac processing indirectly affecting the LDAC connectivity
• 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
• 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 5 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. With the processing from the R2R dac embedded within the TWS, it does have the R2R tonality that sounds slightly analog-ish, timbre sounds very natural to my ears as well. Bass has very good punch and speed, tracks like Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, Slipknot’s People=crap!, are being handled by Svanar Wireless 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 not too forward nor 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 as nuances can be picked up easily. Soundstage and imaging is really impressive for a wireless earphone. It has a very holographic kind of soundstage to my ears, good width and height perception, a little lacking in depth but other than that, it is really impressive. Instruments can be pinpointed easily where it’s coming from with good accuracy.



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 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. If you’re looking for a good sounding TWS, Svanar Wireless 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 rivals the wired IEMs around 100-150$, also the tech within the TWS such as the R2R dac, i’d say its a fair price considering the design and engineering effort needed for such device

*Svanar Wireless 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 - Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Build
ddHifi is a brand that I believe needs no introduction. Most of the audiophiles should be familiar with their adapters as well as cables. The brand produces a wide range of products ranging from adapters, cables, portable dongle dac/amp, and even IEM. Packaging is taking on the minimalist approach, very straightforward yet premium looking at the same time. The box contains the dongle itself as well as a mini lanyard.

Specifications

• DAC chips: Dual Cirrus Logic CS43131
• Output power: 120mW (4.4Bal. 3252)
• SNR: >125dB
• Dynamic range: >120dB
• THD+N: <-110dB
• PCM decoding capability: Up to 32bit/384kHz
• DSD decoding capability. Native DSD64/DSD128/DSD256
• Dimensions: 30×18×12.5 (mm)
• Weight. About 9g

Gears used for this review

• Thieaudio Hype 2
• 7Hz Legato
• iKKO OH5
• TC44 Pro -> Google Pixel 5 -> UAPP (Tidal)
• Macbook Air M2

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

• TC44 Pro is quite power efficient based on my test, i did not specifically measure the power draw but based on my observation
• BHD Pro is connected to Pixel 5 at 100% battery, the volume is being set at +- 40% and 7Hz’s Legato is hooked to the 4.4 out and let it loop through the playlist from 10pm until the next morning 9am (UAPP Pro on exclusive mode)
• That’s about 11 hours and the battery on Pixel 5 is at 50% when i checked the battery%, that is quite efficient in my opinion based on my observation
• Also take into consideration that i’m streaming Tidal via UAPP as it doesn’t support offline download for UAPP

Sound Impression
Tonality wise, The TC44Pro doesn’t add much coloration to the signature, i would say it is quite neutral with a slight hint of warmth for the signature. I have tested several dongles with CS41313 but they don’t sound the same at all. That pretty much explains implementation and tuning is the key.

Listening Impression with the following gears
Thieaudio Hype 2

• 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 TC44 Pro
• 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 Hype2 with TC44Pro

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 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 sounds a little tame, the sub bass doesn’t rumble that much, 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
• Legato is not hard to drive, on paper, TC44Pro may seem like it is very lacking in terms of power output, but it is actually more than enough for most IEMs out there

Comparison (Truthear Shio)

• Shio sounds warmer to my ears
• The low end is way more elevated compared to TC44Pro
• Treble is more or less similar
• It does have a low/high gain mode which can be toggled by pressing a certain button combination
• Although sporting different DAC, they difference are actually very minimal, the 43131 on TC44Pro is a DAC chip with built in amp section, where as on the Shio’s 43198, it is a DAC only setup and the amp section is designed/implemented separately

Final Thoughts
After weeks of using the TC44Pro, i’m actually very happy with the performance and the size of it, there’s no additional cable dangling around and the dongle is directly attached to my mobile, although the headphone out port is positioned on the side, i just switch the position of my phone in the pocket to face other direction and problem solved, or just put it in the ddHifi C2023 bag and walk about with it.
While the specs on paper may not please the crowd, however, the sound and the power output is actually very sufficient for most IEMs out there, when i’m using it with the Hidizs MS5 and MS3, both which are quite sensitive and prone to hissing, there’s none, the background is dark and no audible hiss.
The tech within the dongle and the asking price, i’d say it's fair and i have no issue recommending this dongle if you’re in search of a dongle that has good performance and very portable without breaking the bank.

*A big thanks to ddHifi for sending this over for this review. I thank them for the support as always.
Head over to their official AliExpress Store and official website if you are interested in getting one:

ddHifi TC44Pro - Non affiliated

General Info/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Soundpeats is a reputable company which produces high performance as well as cost effective TWS earbuds. I have reviewed several Soundpeats products over the past few months and I have positive experience towards the products in general. I have the Air4 today which is a successor of Air3 Deluxe HS i believe.

Build quality is very solid, the TWS itself is very light and I don't feel any weight on my ears when I'm using the Air4. Air4 is not an in ear TWS, it is half in ear design which is similar to the widely popular Apple’s Airpod, hence do not expect good isolation, but but but, what’s different from the Air3 and Air4 is the addition of adaptive ANC.
Packaging itself is rather straightforward, a charging cable, the charging case and the TWS itself. Minimal and straightforward.
As for comfort, Air4 fits well on my ears, I have no issues with the fitting and the weight itself is very light, they literally disappear on your ear when you are wearing them.



Specifications

Battery Life

• The battery life of Air4 while playing music with aptx codec is approximately 6 hours+- with the volume level at 50%, via my Google Pixel 5
• The battery life is quite fair and recharging is fast via the charging case, hence not really an issue in terms of the battery life

Connectivity/Codecs

• aptX Lossless/aptx adaptive/aptx/AAC/SBC are supported and i’m mainly using aptx with Pixel 5 due to it only supports aptx and not the aptx adaptive and AAC with my iPhone 12 Mini
• Pixel 5 uses Bluetooth version 5.0 while Air4 supports up to 5.3 , despite connected to a Bluetooth 5.0 device, the connection remained solid without any dropouts
• However, i do notice a slight interference or stuttering when i’m out in the public, not sure if this is something to do with my device itself or it is due to the RF interference, but after disconnecting and reconnecting it, the issue seems to go away

App Functionality

• Air4 is compatible with Soundpeats app
• The app offers the functionality to change the EQ, either preset EQs or your own customisation
• It also supports adaptive EQ, which the app will play some tones at various frequencies and you will determine if you’re able to hear them or not, then the app will generate a curve which will serve as the compensation to your hearing via the EQ
• You are also able to cycle through ANC on or Off (Normal mode)
• Firmware upgrade of the Air4 is also possible via the app itself
• The app also offers the overview of battery life on both the L and R earbuds as well as to toggle game mode on or off

Sound Impression (Based on default EQ preset Soundpeats Classic)
Air4 sound tuning is tilting towards V-Shaped to my ears. Bass and the treble is boosted whereas the mids are a little recessed. In terms of timbre, they are not too bad being a dynamic driver, but it's not the most accurate timbre either, nonetheless, this TWS is not meant for critical listening anyway, so the expectation has to be right

Bass

• Bass is certainly being emphasised here, sub bass rumbles whenever the track calls for it
• Mid bass has good punch to it, it is very pleasant and fun to listen to overall
• Bass has good texture and in terms of speed, it is doing quite well as it handled Slipknot’s People = crap! effortlessly without sounding muddy

Mids

• Mids are not as forward as the bass, it does sound a little recessed but not to the point where it is bad
• Male vocal sounded slightly recessed whereas female vocal sounds a little forward
• Male vocal has good texture whereas female vocal does sound a little thin sometimes

Treble

• Treble on the Air4 is smooth with a little energy, but not overly bright or offensive
• It has good amount of air so it doesn’t really sound very congested

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is not overly wide nor tall, average in my opinion
• Imaging is average in my opinion, it does well on normal track but during complex track where many instruments are playing at the same time
• with all that aside, considering the price point, it is actually pretty good

Noise Cancellation Performance

• ANC performance is hit or miss as it largely depending on the seal, being a half in ear, getting a good seal is crucial in order for the ANC to work properly
• With a good seal, some low frequency noise is being cancelled, however, when i’m typing with my mechanical keyboard, the sound is still very much noticeable
• It does cancel out some minor noise such as engine noise when i’m out and about
• Consider the ANC a bonus and one should not have high expectation for it

Final Thoughts
Air4 is a very solid TWS overall. If I were to score it from an audiophile’s perspective, it would be a 3.5 out of 5. If I were to rate it based on the general consumer’s perspective, it will be an easy 4.5 out of 5. The reason why is because the sound of Air4 is tilting towards the preference of general consumer, an as a general consumer, the sound coming from Air4 is very easily likeable, whereas for audiophile, the demand and preference is slightly different in terms of sound preference, critical listening capability and technical performance (in terms of audio’s technical performance). Nonetheless, I find myself enjoying Air4 when I'm out and about. Even when I'm riding my mountain bike on the trail, the semi open design allows me to hear my surroundings and not be completely sealed off. Let's be real, who listens critically when they’re out and about?

*Big thanks to Ellen from Soundpeats for sending the Air4 over for the purpose of this review, All thoughts are of my own.

Air4 will be launching in Amazon on the 22nd Aug.

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Those who are in the community for a while should know who and what Hifiman does. They’re famous for their planar magnetic headphones, not just that, they do make source and amp as well. They cover pretty much what I would say as an ecosystem for their own brand. I have the Deva Pro with me today that’s bundled with the Bluemini R2R bluetooth module. We will take a look at how it’s performance with the bluetooth module, as well as on wired mode.
The packaging is the usual Hifiman packaging which they changed recently with an all cardboard look, bundled with an average dual 3.5mm cable, a foam headphone stand and that’s about it.
Build quality is very similar to HE400SE that I have tested as well and nothing much to shout out about, it keeps the weight light and it works, so that’s fine by me.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Earmen CH-Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Hifiman Deva Pro with stock cable and earpads, Bluemini R2R module

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 Bluemini R2R Bluetooth Module (LDAC Codec)
The timbre sounds quite natural and the tonality does have a slight emphasis on the treble (slightly bright). A very minor V shaped tuning to my ears, both the lows and highs are slightly elevated and slightly recessed mids, hence i call them as minor V shaped.

Bass

• Bass is fast and precise and never bleed into the mids despite sounding slightly elevated
• The sub bass does rumble when the track calls for it (Machine Gun Kelly’s Taurus)
• Mid bass is quite punchy as well and has good texture to it
• Not basshead kind of bass response, but overall very fun sounding kind of bass with sufficient quantity and good quality
• The seal of the ear pad is also important in order to achieve a good bass response

Mids

• The mids are not overly forward nor recessed,
• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures to them
• Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty
• On certain track, male vocal does sound a little distant, but most of the time they are neither too forward nor recessed

Treble

• Treble response has plenty of energetic yet it is not harsh nor sibilant
• Fast and snappy transient response
• Very good resolution for the price, in fact i think it is actually punching above its price point
• Good detail retrieval, micro details can be picked up easily
• Technicalities are quite good for a bluetooth headphone

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is average to my ears, not too wide nor boxy, just slightly out of your head, lacking depth and height to my ears
• Imaging is good when they tracks are not busy, but when the track starts to get busy, it does sounds quite mushy

Driveability with the R2R Module

• Since the Bluemini module is sort of like a companion accessory for the Deva Pro, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the module will be able to push it to its optimum performance
• At just 40% of volume, playing via LDAC codec from my Xperia 5 II transport, it gets pretty loud and sounds like it has been driven to its optimum performance

Sound Impression on wired with CH-AMP and Angel as DAC
Listening via wired mode, the Deva Pro is entirely a different beast based on my experience. No difference in terms of tonality and timbre, but the tuning doesn’t sound that V shaped anymore.

Bass

• Bass has more control compared to the bluetooth module
• Tighter bass and slightly faster
• Sub bass sounds like it has better extension
• Bass doesn’t bleed into the mids

Mids

• Mids definitely doesn’t sound recessed and slightly forward compared to the bluetooth module
• Mids sounds quite lush when with this pairing

Treble

• Treble is energetic yet non offensive
• However, it does sounds like it lacks a little air and presence on the top end on both bluetooth and wired mode

Soundstage/Imaging

• The soundstage is definitely a step up compared to when it is running on bluetooth module
• Better depth, width, and height perception overall
• Not to mention, imaging is also better with slightly better separation and layering

Driveability

• On wired mode, it definitely requires quite a bit of juice to drive it properly
• ST-Amp with 1.8w is sufficient to drive it properly, but when i switched to the bigger brother, the CH-AMP with 3.8w of power, it sounds even more dynamic and so much fun to listen to iit

Final Thoughts
The Deva Pro as a bluetooth headphone, it is good, but when it is being used as a wired headphone, the performance is even better as it is scaling with your amp and dac setup.
Overall, i am recommending the Deva Pro for those who are looking to use their headphone wirelessly as well as wired setup, a dual purpose headphone. With the price being lowered to 269$ inclusive of the bluetooth module, this is definitely a steal

*The Hifiman Deva Pro was sent over by Hifiman 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! It is currently available for 265$ instead of the usual 329$
Hifiman Deva Pro with Bluemini R2R Module - Non affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
The Hifiman Edition XS that I have with me today, shares some resemblance with its bigger brother, the Arya, the earcups in particular. The packaging of the Edition XS is similar to the HE-R9, HE400SE that i have tested, they came bundled with the same foam type headphone stand, even the cable is the same as well, considering the price is higher for the Edition XS, i do have a certain expectation in terms of better packaging as well as bundled accessories. The build quality is pretty good overall, it's just that the earcup itself is quite huge and it might be an issue for people with smaller heads. For me personally, it fits just fine without the need to adjust the headband, but the clamping force is a little weak to my preference and it feels as if the whole headphone is sitting on top of your head, although the headband’s cushion does a great job relieving the strain.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Earmen CH-Amp
• iFi Gryphon
• Hifiman Edition XS stock cable and earpads

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
Edition XS’s tonality is quite neutral to my ears, there’s a hint of planar timbre but other than that, the bass has good slams and surprisingly, the sub bass extension is pretty good considering its an open backed headphone. Technicalities are very impressive as well.

Bass

• Bass is fast and precise with sufficient quantity and good quality
• 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

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
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty

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
• The overall technicalities are impressive and definitely a few steps above the models that i have tested previously (HE400SE)

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head, not exceptionally wide considering this is an open backed headphone
• Good height and width perception for the soundstage
• Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from
• Excellent separation and layering
• A little disappointed by the soundstage as i expect it to be “bigger” sounding since it is as open backed, but then this is just nitpicking as the overall performance is quite good

Driveability

• The Edition XS is not that hard to drive, i am using it with the Earmen’s ST-AMP with 1.8w from 4.4 headphone out, the Edition XS sounds like it is being pushed to its optimum performance
• When i switch over to ST-Amp’s bigger brother, the CH-AMP, i am greeted with a more spacious sounding Edition XS, better control on the bass, and much more dynamics
• Overall, i find it to scale very well with amp as with several Hifiman headphones that i have tested

Final Thoughts
The Hifiman Edition XS is my 2nd planar magnetic headphone that i have tested, 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, it is quite smooth to my ears, the only downside is that the earcup might be a little too big for some. Other than that, Edition XS is a fine headphone that has some serious sonic capabilities within it.

*The Hifiman Edition XS was sent over by Hifiman 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! It is currently available for 449$ instead of the usual 499$
Hifman Edition XS- Non affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
I’m sure everyone in the community is aware or knows what Hifiman does. Hifiman was founded in 2007 by Dr Fang Bian. The company is well known for its lineup of planar magnetic headphones ranging from entry level all the way to high end models. I have tested and reviewed several products from Hifiman, namely the RE400 and also the RE600 IEM, both offer fantastic value and performance for the asking price after the price slash.
I have the HE400SE Stealth Magnet headphone with me today, the build quality is alright for the asking price, nothing much to complain about, though, i’d prefer if the ear cups are swivelable for easier storage.
The stock ear pads are comfortable for long listening sessions, as with most pads, it does get a little warm after some time. The packaging is rather minimal but functional. The box came with a foam headphone stand, which I personally find very useful, a better cable compared to previous models prior to revision of packaging, the stock cable is thicker and less prone to tangling.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Earmen CH-Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Sony WM1A
• Hifiman HE400SE stock cable and earpads

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
HE400SE’s tonality is quite neutral to my ears, there’s a hint of planar timbre but other than that, in terms of price performance ratio, it is really good. Pairing it with iFi’s Zen Can does induce a little warmth for those who prefer this signature. Pairing it with the more powerful CH-Amp gives the 400SE a very dynamic experience, fast bass and snappy transient response, very engaging listening experience.

Bass

• Bass is fast and precise
• The sub bass does sounded a little rolled off, but mid bass is punchy and has good slams
• It is definitely not the bass response that bassheads will crave, but personally the bass response to me is just nice, unless if i listen to EDM, then i will crave for more bass quantity
• Bass has good texture overall and doesn’t sound too thin

Mids

• The mids are not overly forward nor recessed,
• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures to them
• Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty

Treble

• Treble response has plenty of energetic yet it is not harsh nor sibilant
• Fast and snappy transient response
• Very good resolution for the price, in fact i think it is actually punching above its price point
• Good detail retrieval, micro details can be picked up easily
• Very good technicalities for the price point

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head, not exceptionally wide considering this is an open backed headphone
• Good height and width perception for the soundstage
• Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from
• Good layering and separation

Driveability

• To properly power the 400SE, you need quite a beefy amp to drive it well, if you’re on a budget, iFi’s Zen Air Can will do the job
• Dongle will be able to power it to audible loudness but not driving the 400SE to its optimal performance, it will get loud enough, because dongle generally don’t have enough current to power planar to its optimum performance
• In short, you need an amp to power the 400SE properly

Comparison (Grado SR60X)

• In comparison with Grado’s 60x, which is a dynamic driver headphone and also open backed, the bass has slightly better extension compared to 400SE
• Bass is slightly punchier and sub bass has a little bit more rumble compared to 400SE
• In terms of build quality, both more or less has similar build quality in my opinion
• The 60x’s cable is not removable and gets tangled very easily, whereas 400SE is bundled with a rather high quality stock cable and it’s removable and makes cable rolling possible
• The treble can be a little too much on certain track when you crank the volume up, those who are treble sensitive will be affected
• In terms of timbre and tonality, the 60x has rather natural timbre and the tonality is leaning on brighter side of spectrum

Final Thoughts
The Hifiman HE400SE is my first planar magnetic headphone, 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. If you are in the look out for your first planar magnetic headphone, by all means, grab the 400SE, it has a lot to offer, given you have a solid amp to go with it. Highly recommended!

*The Hifiman HE400SE was sent over by Hifiman 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! It is currently available for 109$ instead of the usual 149$

Hifiman HE-400SE - Non affiliated
Hifiman HE-400-SE Product Page

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Hifiman is well known for doing headphones and some of their sources (DAC/AMP). I have tested their entry offering, namely the HE400SE, and even though it is a budget offering, i have to say, i’m really impressed by the performance, considering the price, and for those who are seeking to enter the planar headphone’s realm without breaking their bank, that is the one to look out for. Anyway, HE400SE is not that topic that we’re going to talk about today. I have the HE-R9 closed back dynamic headphone with me today. There really isn’t much to talk about with regards to the packaging, they share the same packaging style across the models and also similar cable, identical to the one found in HE400SE, and the inclusion of a headphone stand made out of foam, which in my opinion is very nice and i don’t have to spend extra for a headphone stand.
Build quality is quite similar to HE400SE, with the exception of, the earcups are not open backed as this is a closed back headphone, headband’s cushion is more or less similar as well. It is also very comfortable to listen to for a long period of time. I do hope that the earcup can be swivel though. The earcups finishing made the headphone looks very elegant, but at the same time, it is also prone to being a fingerprint magnet.


Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Earmen CH-Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Hifiman HE-R9 stock cable and earpads

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
HE-R9 tonality is tilting towards the warmer end of the spectrum. Personally, I find it to pair very well with an amp that’s neutral and cool sounding for a more dynamic listening experience if you prefer. Timbre sounds very natural as with most dynamic drivers.

Bass

• The mid bass is punchy and tight, quality kind of bass i would say
• Sub bass however, does sounds a little bit rolled off to my ears, but it is still sufficient to enjoy EDM tracks
• Mid bass doesn’t bleed into the mids
• Bass has good texture overall and doesn’t sound thin
• The speed is good enough to handle tracks like Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, and Slipknot’s People = crap!, the speed drum doesn’t sound bloated/muddy and every hit can be heard clearly

Mids

• The mids are not overly forward nor recessed,
• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures to them
• Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty

Treble

• The treble here is very smooth and nowhere near energetic to my ears, perhaps a little too safe to my taste
• Detail retrieval is alright but not the best in class
• Not sibilant at all and never will be

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head, not exceptionally wide
• Good height and width perception for the soundstage
• Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from, but when the track gets a little busy, it does suffers a little
• Good layering and separation for the asking price

Driveability

• HE-R9 is not that hard to drive, but when fed with more power, it does perform at its best, in terms of slightly better dynamics, better bass in terms of control, a little bit more energy on the treble (depending on the amp that you are pairing it with)
• A mid range/budget amp will do just fine
• I have tested the R2R Module from Deva Pro (Bluemini), they sounded quite energetic and a little bit more air on the top end, a very good synergy i would say

Final Thoughts
The Hifiman HE-R9 is an interesting pair of closed back headphones from Hifiman. It scales with source as well as amp, I find it to be quite versatile overall and works well with my library. Of course it is not all rainbows and butterflies, the earcups are a little big and the clamping force is not as strong, hence it does move around quite a bit when I move my head. Other than that, The R9 is quite a good headphone to chill with, at the current asking price, i have no issues recommending it.

*The Hifiman HE-R9 was sent over by Hifiman 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! It is currently available for 199$ instead of the usual 369$, which is a steal in my opinion, the one with the wireless module will set you back at 439$

Hifiman HE-R9- Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Build
Tempotec is known for producing products with a high price performance ratio. I have reviewed several of their products and most of the time i’m left with a positive experience. I got the new dongle from them today which is the Sonata BHD Pro which features dual CS41313 DAC. Packaging is rather minimal yet it doesn't look cheap. It came bundled with a Type C to A adapter, a short Type C to C cable. Build quality is also very solid all around as the dongle’s front features a small see through glass to view the FPGA chip, also the LED indicator, the whole dongle has aluminium case and it looks quite premium. The only thing that I noticed is that the volume toggle doesn’t sit that firm, it does exhibit a slight rattle when you are pressing the volume button.

Specifications

• DAC: 2*CS43131
• SNR: 131dB
• THD+N: 0.00012%(@32ohm 1kHz 0dB signal )
• OUTPUT LEVEL: 4VRMS@4.4mm/32Ω,2VRMS@3.5mm/32Ω
• OUTPUT POWER: 280mW@4.4mm/32ohm
• Frequency: 0-40KHZ /+- 0.5dB
• RGB light: indicates working status
• PCM: up to 32Bit/384kHz DSD256(NATIVE)
• DSD: up to DSD256
• MQA: MQA renderer 8X
• Volume Control: hardware buttons
• Platform support: Windows PC,MACOS and Android

Gears used for this review

• Tempotec Sonata BHD Pro
• Truthear Shio
• Tempotec IM05
• 7Hz Legato
• HifiMan Deva Pro

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

• BHD Pro is quite power efficient based on my test, i did not specifically measure the power draw but based on my observation
• BHD Pro is connected to Xperia 5 II at 100% battery, the volume is being set at +- 40% and i connected the Kbear Believe to it via 4.4 and let it loop through the playlist from 10pm until the next morning 9am (UAPP Pro on exclusive mode)
• That’s about 11 hours and the battery on Xperia 5 II is at 53% when i checked the battery%, that is quite efficient in my opinion based on my observation

Features

• Upgradeable firmware (i have yet to try that because i’m a Mac user and unfortunately, the flash tool doesn’t support Mac and my windows VM can’t detect the BHD Pro)
• Independent volume control that doesn’t control the OS’s volume but actually controlling the volume of the DAC
• Low power consumption

Sound Impression
Tonality wise, BHD Pro doesn’t add much coloration to the signature, i would say it is quite neutral with a slight hint of warmth for the signature. I have tested several dongle with CS41313, including BHD Pro, it does seems like they have this signature where it sounds quite airy and a little bit of meat at the low end.

Listening Impression with the following gears
Tempotec IM05

• 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 BHD Pro
• Slightly bigger soundstage
• 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 IM05 with BHD Pro, this is also probably it is their own in house IEM

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 BHD Pro, 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 sounds a little tame when paired with BHD Pro, the sub bass doesn’t rumble that much, 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
• Legato is not hard to drive, but BHD Pro does have more than enough power to push it hard as Legato scales really well with power and source

Hifiman Deva Pro 4.4

• Deva Pro is a Planar headphone from Hifiman, that’s not that easy nor hard to drive
• BHD Pro does have the capability to drive it to optimum performance with a 4VRMS voltage swing on balanced output
• Deva Pro on its own is quite neutral sounding with a slight hint of brightness in terms of tonality, pairing it with the BHD Pro seems to be a good choice where the overall presentation has a bit more body to it
• The low end is slightly elevated due to the added warmth, treble is smoother yet it doesn’t compromise in terms of resolution

Comparison (Truthear Shio)

• Shio sounds warmer to my ears
• The low end is way more elevated compared to BHD Pro
• Treble doesn’t sound as airy as BHD Pro
• It does have a low/high gain mode which can be toggled by pressing a certain button combination (Would prefer if BHD Pro have this feature as well)
• Although sporting different DAC, they difference are actually very minimal, the 43131 on BHD Pro is a DAC chip with build in amp section, where as on the Shio’s 43198, it is a DAC only setup and the amp section is designed/implemented separately

Final Thoughts
With the implementation of FPGA within the BHD Pro, having different kind of sound tuning by only flashing the firmware makes it quite a versatile unit in my opinion, although I personally wouldn’t want to flash it all the time, but having this feature is certainly handy.
On top of that, the sound is rather uncolored and air, not to mention with a slight hint of warmth, it makes pairing IEMs/Headphones very easy.
The tech within the dongle and the asking price, i’d say its fair and i have no issue recommending this dongle if you’re in search for a dongle that has good performance without breaking the bank.

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

*At the time of writing, there is currently a sale going on for the BHD Pro with discount coupon, which makes it even more attractive and competitive

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

Tempotec Sonata BHD Pro Official Webstore- Non Affiliated
Tempotec Sonata BHD Pro Official Aliexpress Store - Non Affiliated

General/Packaging/Build/Comfort
Letshuoer is a company that most in the community would be familiar with. Particularly with their hit release such as the S12 Planar IEM which is widely received even up till today. I have reviewed their S12 as well as D13 in which both I favored and have positive experience with. Today I have their latest release which is the DZ4, which features 3DD+1PR(passive radiator) configuration. Passive radiator is more commonly used on speakers to create a deeper sounding bass. Letshuoer is fitting their DZ4 with this tech and let’s find out how does it perform. As with most of Letshuoer’s packaging, the unboxing experience is always positive, greeted with premium packaging which consist of a black premium looking storage case, IEM cable (too bad they are not available in 4.4 termination as an option), otherwise the cable itself is very good and solid, two types of eartips, namely the vocal and balanced. The shell is 3D printed with a semi open metallic faceplate, which in a way contributes to the soundstage as well. The nozzle, however, is slightly big which might be an issue for some. Overall i’m comfortable wearing the DZ4 for a long period of time.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Earmen CH-Amp
• IFi Gryphon
• DZ4 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
The first thing that I noticed when I put on the DZ4 is the soundstage, it sounds open and in fact, it is quite capable technically. The bass is also satisfying as well, I noticed the PR is mostly affecting the mid bass as the mid bass has more body and packs a little more punch to it. Timbre is very natural which is expected from a dynamic driver, no odd/metallic sounding instruments here. It also sounds quite neutral to my ears.

Bass

• Bass has good texture and control, has very good speed
• Speed is good and handled Metallica’s Lux Aeterna without sounding bloated
• Bass doesn’t bleed into the mids
• Sub bass does have some rumble when the track calls for it, it doesn’t go really deep but it is good enough for EDM enjoyment, tested this listening to Ping Pong by Armin

Mids

• Mids are not recessed nor overly forward, quite detailed to my ears
• Male’s vocal sounded a little lacking in terms of body, overall it's not too bad, i tested this with Zhao Peng’s song, it doesn’t sound that full, but its not bad either
• Female vocal such as Faye Wong does sound fuller compared to male’s, very enjoyable
• Lower to upper mid range are very lush and enjoyable, even at high volume, it doesn’t get harsh

Treble

• Treble is smooth and not fatiguing, energetic enough but not excessive to the point where its harsh
• Extension is good and it has good amount of air, i believe the design of the faceplate also contributed to this
• Detail retrieval is good, higher expectation is just nitpicking in my opinion

Soundstage/Imaging

• Good sense of width and height, depth as well, it doesn’t sound boxy and very open sounding to my ears
• Imaging is quite good, instruments can be pinpointed easily

Driveability

• DZ4 is not hard to drive, but it does scales with power as with most dynamic drivers
• Amping it does exhibit slightly better bass control in terms of tightness and a little bit of refinement on the top end
• However it does scale with source, in terms of how the dac/amp affect it in terms of colorization of the sound

Final Thoughts
Letshuoer has once again hit the right spot balancing between good sonic performance and pricing it right. At 89$ a pair, this is an absolute steal in my opinion. You get a high quality IEM with solid build quality, good technical performance and it is versatile enough for various genres. Bass has sufficient quantity and good quality, treble that’s energetic yet not fatiguing. Highly recommended!

If you are interested in grabbing a pair, head over to the following link in getting one:
Letshuoer DZ4 - Non affiliated



*Received the review sample from Letshuoer, however, i am in no way influenced by them in producing this review, all thoughts are of my own, big thanks to them for the support as always

General/Packaging/Build/Comfort
Moondrop is a company that needs no introduction within the audiophile community. Their latest budget offering, Chu 2, which is the revised Chu, sporting detachable cable, removable nozzle lip for the purpose of replacing filters, and also new driver. For an IEM that’s priced at 19$, the build quality is definitely not shabby. The build quality in my opinion is similar to Aria’s. Metal build but it doesn’t feel heavy when it’s in your ear.
I wore it for several hours during my listening session and I don't feel any discomfort, do take into consideration that your experience might differ as everyone’s ear is not the same, but generally it should be fine as there’s no weird or protruding edges. The packaging is the usual Moondrop "waifu" style, it came with cable, the IEM itself, and silicon eartips, this time around, they omitted the Spring Tips, but that's understandable given the "makeover" that they did for Chu 2.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Earmen CH-Amp
• Hiby RS2
• Moondrop Chu II Stock cable and Stock 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
Chu is tuned based on Moondrop’s VSDF target, which has a little mid bass hump and a rather conservative pinna gain. Chu2 is inoffensive and to my ears, several aspects has been improved compared to the OG, bass performance has been improved in terms of quantity and slightly better control, treble is smoother and not as energetic as the OG (this is not exactly a good or bad thing, but more of a preference where some prefer energetic treble while some prefers a smoother treble response). Tonality is leaning towards slight warm and timbre sounds rather natural to my ears.

Bass

• Bass has good texture and control
• Speed is good and handled Metallica’s Lux Aeterna without sounding bloated
• Bass doesn’t bleed into the mids
• Sub bass does have some rumble when the track calls for it, it doesn’t go really deep but it is good enough for EDM enjoyment

Mids

• Mids are slightly recessed
• Male’s vocal sounded a little lacking in terms of texture, overall it's not too bad
• Female vocal such as Faye Wong does sound fuller compared to male’s, very enjoyable
• Lower to upper mid range are very lush and enjoyable, even at high volume, it doesn’t get hot

Treble

• Treble is smooth and not fatiguing, some brilliance and sparkles are missing but generally, the detail retrieval capability is quite good
• Extension is slightly lacking, but this is purely nit picking considering its price
• A little lacking in terms of air and presence, but they’re not dark sounding at all
• Purely nitpicking, the treble at times can sound a little unrefined, but given the asking price, as i mentioned, this is purely nitpicking

Soundstage/Imaging

• Height and Width is average, doesn’t sound boxy nor too artificially wide
• Chu gives good enough sense of space considering its price point
• Imaging is average and nothing to shout out about, instruments can be identified properly, again, good for the price point

Driveability

• Chu2 is very easy to drive, unlike Quarks or Spaceship, you can get it to sound good even via Apple’s 3.5mm Dongle
• Amping it does exhibit slightly better bass control in terms of tightness and a little bit of refinement on the top end
• However it does scale with source, in terms of how the dac/amp affect it in terms of colorization of the sound

Comparison (7Hz Zero)

• In terms of fit and build quality, Zero has plastic build whereas Chu 2 has a metal build, Zero has shorter nozzle which might affect the fit for some people, Chu 2 on the other hand has longer nozzle compared to Zero
• Zero sounds more energetic compared to Chu 2, in terms of tonality, it is slightly bright and lean sounding, whereas Chu 2 has a bit more body and sounds warmer compared to Zero
• Technicalities is where Zero pulls itself apart from Chu 2, good technicalities and imaging, Chu 2 on the other hand does suffers a little in terms of technicalities
• Soundstage is a little 2D sounding while Chu 2 sounds wider and has a little better depth perception
• Zero has fast and tight bass, it can be perceived as “lack” of bass, energetic treble but its not harsh at all

Final Thoughts
Having reviewed the 1st gen Chu back then, comparing it with the Chu 2 today, there are certainly some upgrades in terms of sonic performance and overall usability. It has better bass response and smoother treble response, not to mention slightly better tonality. As for usability, now the cable is detachable, which makes it easy for people to cable roll, also, the nozzle’s lip is removable, that makes replacing filter a breeze, that will ensure longevity of the IEM and easily serviceable should the filter is damaged or those who like to mod will try different filters to achieve different sound tuning.
For 19$ and the features that you’re getting, I honestly think it’s a no-brainer purchase, heck you won’t even regret it if you were to blind buy it. Recommended!

If you are interested in grabbing a pair, head over to the following link in getting one:
Moondrop Chu 2 - Non affiliated

*Received the review sample from @shenzhenaudio , however, i am in no way influenced by them in producing this review, all thoughts are of my own, big thanks to them for the support as always

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Everyone should know Kiwi Ears by now, adding Quintet into the count, that makes a total of five Kiwi Ears IEM that I have reviewed to date. Having good experience with the previous models, naturally, the expectation on Quintet is high, and it does not disappoint in fact. Build quality is good, with a good track record, Quintet’s build quality is consistent with the previous releases as well. Packaging is the usual Kiwi Ears style, a black storage case, two types of eartips and a high quality OFSPC cable in 3.5 termination, if only they were to offer a balanced 4.4 termination. Good unboxing experience and packaging overall. It is also comfortable to be worn for long listening session, i have it in my ears for approximately 2-3 hours when i’m testing it, i did not encounter any discomfort or pressure build up as it has two venting hole.

Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Earmen CH-Amp
• Hiby RS2
• Kiwi Ears Quintet Stock cable and Stock 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
The Quintet is impressive sounding in many ways, amazing technicalities and good treble extension, not to mention fast and deep punchy bass. Despite sporting several different driver configurations (1DD+2BA+1 Planar+1 PZT), they sounded very coherent and I'm really impressed. Timbre sounds natural to my ears, with very minor BA timbre. Tonality is slightly warm to my ears and very balanced sounding across the frequency range. Let’s take a look at the breakdown below:



Bass

• Bass is very fast and punchy with good textures all around
• When i’m listening to Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, all the fast drumming has very good punch and impact to it, very satisfying and it doesn’t sound bloated at all
• Sub bass has good rumble to it but it doesn’t go very deep, suitable for EDM based on my preference, but definitely not basshead kind of bass quantity
• Bass doesn’t bleed into the mids
• Very good speed and good control especially when amped

Mids

• The mids are not recessed by all means yet not too forward to the point where it’s in your face
• Male and female has good textures, but Quintet seems to favour female vocal as it has a bit more energy compared to male vocal, but rest assure, the pinna gain is rather safe and certainly not shouty at all (but do take into consideration that we might have different tolerance)

Treble

• This is the exciting part about Quintet, the treble response is just amazing
• Despite sporting a piezo, it doesn’t have the usual piezo “zing” that i heard from other brands, possibly due to the implementation and tuning as well
• Treble extension is excellent and the piezo does add quite a bit of sparkles on the top end, transient response are very dynamic to my ears
• It has plenty of air as well, contributing to a good soundstage, due to the implementation and tuning of the treble, switching over to Final Audio’s Type E eartips gives the soundstage a lift, as well as more body overall
• Very good detail retrieval as micro details can be picked up easily

Imaging/Soundstage

• Imaging is good with precise positioning of instruments coming from various directions and also good layering
• Soundstage on stock eartips is slightly out of your head, but when i swapped to Final Audio’s Type E eartips, the overall experience is different, it sounds more 3D-ish with better width, depth and height perception

Driveability

• Quintet is fairly easy to drive, however it does scale with a better source
• Pairing it with Hiby’s RS2 DAP gives a very dynamic listening experience with R2R tonality
• Doesn’t really need amping, but when amped, bass does exhibit better control and also slightly larger soundstage

Comparison with Orchestra Lite

• Decided to make this comparison because the price point is quite similar with Orchestra Lite costing a little bit more
• Orchestra Lite is all about smoothness and well bodied sound, very smooth overall and has good body and detail retrieval
• The tuning is different compared to Quintet, in terms of tonality, Orchestra Lite is leaning towards the warmer side while Quintet is neutral with slight warmth based on my listening experience
• The technicalities on the Quintet is way ahead of Orchestra Lite, this is not to say the Orchestra lite has bad technicalities, it’s just tuned differently for different audiences
• Orchestra Lite has no vent, hence some people might experience pressure build up and discomfort after a while, also, the shell size is slightly bigger for Orchestra Lite

Final Thoughts
Having tested several Kiwi Ears IEM, it is safe to say that Quintet exceeded my expectations as well. Unique driver configuration coupled with the right tuning, this is definitely the recipe for success. The tonality sounds natural, good technicalities and treble extension, snappy and punchy bass, and right pricing, at the time of writing, Quintet is priced at 219$, which in my opinion is definitely a steal considering the unique driver configuration coupled with good tuning, not to mention despite sporting several different drivers configuration, the coherency is just amazing. This will definitely be an easy recommendation from me. They definitely deserve more attention.

*Quintet 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
Kiwi Ears Quintet - Non affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Simgot used to fly under the radar and not known to many, but ever since the release of EA500, the brand has been on fire and churning out several products targeted at various price points. I have tested the EA500 and EW100P, both which I have had good experiences with given the asking price. EW200 is with me today and I'm here to test it out to see if it will follow the footsteps of its “brothers” which are favoured by most.
Packaging is the usual Simgot’s style, fancy and premium ish looking, build quality is solid, the whole iem is metal in mirror finish, which has its pros and cons in which i’m sure most readers will be aware by now, premium looking vs fingerprint magnet.
The shell does not have any hard edges which causes discomfort, it does have some weight to it due to all metal, but once they’re in your ears, the weight kind of just disappears. I don’t feel any discomfort throughout my listening session with it, the cable is also soft and doesn’t tangle up easily.

Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Hiby FC6
• Sony WM1A
• Simgot EW200 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
EW200’s tonality lies between slightly bright and neutral to my ears. Timbre sounds natural to my ears. They’re very engaging and lively, Note weight however is slightly lacking body, so it doesn’t sound full in my opinion, also, it is certainly not a set where you want to put it into your ears when you want to chill. Let’s take a look at the breakdown below:

Bass

• Sub bass does rumble when the track calls for it, not bass head kind of rumble since it lacks a little extension, it is still good enough for me to say its fun
• Mid bass is slightly lacking in terms of punchiness
• Speed however is good, Metallica’s Lux Aeterna speed drumming part was handled flawlessly without sounding smeared or bloated
• It doesn’t bleed into the mids

Mids

• Mids are slightly forward but not to the point where it’s in your face
• No bass bleed as mentioned earlier
• Male and female vocal has good texture to it, somehow female’s vocal sounds a little sweeter probably due to the slight upper mids emphasis
• The upper mids’s gain are still within safe range to my ears, YMMV depending on your tolerance/sensitivity

Treble

• Treble is very lively and engaging
• Detail retrieval is good for the asking price
• Plenty of energy but never harsh nor sibilant
• Good amount of air and sparkles
• It’s really rare to see such good tuning at this price point

Soundstage/Imaging

• Very spacious sounding and sounds out of your head
• Good width, height and depth perception
• Imaging is very good for the asking price, instruments can be pinpointed easily, good separation and layering capability

Driveability

• EW200 is very easy to drive and it does scale with better source
• It doesn’t really benefit much from amping based on my listening experience
• Pairing it with a warmer source will give the overall sound a bit more “body” as the EW200 is quite a technical set

Comparison (Moondrop LAN)

• In terms of fit and comfort, both are more or less on bar except for build quality, which the EW200 edges out the LAN (more premium looking build on the EW200)
• Tonality wise, LAN is leaning towards the warmer side of spectrum whereas EW200 is slightly on the cool side (more body vs lesser), not exactly a bad thing but more on preference as some might prefer a warm and thicker sound whereas some goes after cool and clinical sound
• Technicalities wise, EW200 pulls itself ahead of LAN in terms of better detail retrieval, imaging, and soundstage capability
• Timbre on both sounds natural to my ears
• LAN has smooth and non offensive treble response, EW200 on the other hand has treble that has quite a bit of energy but not harsh

Final Thoughts
Simgot really surprised us with each of their releases, those that I have tested, the EA500, EW100p and the one I have with me today, EW200, all surpassed the expectation punches above the price point in my opinion. They definitely deserve the hype. EW200 is a very strong technical performer with good tonality, albeit the treble might be too energetic for some who are sensitive to it, for those who aren’t, they’re definitely a keeper. Highly recommended!

Big thanks to Simgot and Linsoul for sending this over for the purpose of this review. If you are interested in getting a pair, head over to the store link below to get one(Non affiliated)

Simgot EW200 - Non affiliated
Simgot EW200 Linsoul - Non affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Hidizs is a brand that most audiophiles are familiar with, they are mostly well known for their source rather than IEMs, but they’re looking to change the perspective and they’re coming up hot with their recent releases. The MS5 which features a 1DD+4 Sonion BAs and the little brother which I have with me today, the MS3 which features 1DD+2 Knowles BA.



Build quality is solid, which retains most of the bigger brother’s design with the exception of a different faceplate. The packaging is very premium looking as well, along with the bundled accessories, this time around, instead of a hard storage case, a faux leather like storage pouch is provided instead, which is totally understandable in order to bring down the cost. This time around, there’s an option for either single ended termination or 4.4 balanced, a great move by Hidizs. Kudos! The cable is 4 strands OFC mixed braided, it is not stiff nor thick, just nice in terms of weight and practical.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Sony WM1A
• Hidizs MS3 stock cable and eartips (Bass Tip)

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 (Balanced Filter)
MS3 has a slight cool tonality and energetic treble, bass is quite punchy and sub bass rumbles when the track calls for it. Timbre sounds natural most of the time, but certain instruments do have slight BA timbre to it, not really a cons to me. One thing to note is that MS3 is fairly sensitive, depending on source, it may or may not hiss, paired with WM1A, it doesn’t hiss, whereas with higher powered source such as Angel, Colibri, and ST-Amp, it hisses, unless if you are using iFi’s IEMatch, then there won’t be any hisses at all, also, due to the MS3 being fairly sensitive, things can get loud pretty fast



Let’s take a look at the breakdown below:

Bass

• Bass has very good texture and punches hard when the track calls for it (Metallica's Lux Aeterna)
• Sub bass does rumble but slightly lacking in terms of extension, sufficient quantity and quality to enjoy EDM to my ears
• Good speed and control for the bass
• It doesn’t bleed into the mids

Mids

• The mids are not recessed nor overly forward, it’s just right and musical
• Lush sounding with good details across this range
• Male vocal in general sounds alright, doesn’t sound thin but slightly lacking in terms of texture, female vocal however sounds very rich and pleasant, possibly due to the slight emphasis on the upper midrange, but never came across as shouty to my ears
• As i mentioned earlier, due to the slight emphasis on the upper midrange/pinna gain, those who are sensitive to this region might find it shouty, so YMMV

Treble

• The trebles are slightly boosted even on the balanced filter, but it doesn’t sound harsh or sibilant in anyway, i find it to be nicely done and blend in very well across the frequency range
• There are a good amount of air that are present in this range which also contributes to a good soundstage
• Detail retrieval is very good for the asking price, micro details are nicely presented without causing any fatigue
• In comparison to its bigger brother the MS5, the treble region is slightly tamer compared to the MS5, which can be a little “spicy” at times depending on tracks

Soundstage/Imaging

• The soundstage is nicely done in my opinion especially for this price point, it is wide, a little out of your head and good enough height, a little lacking in terms of depth, but that’s acceptable given the asking price and the overall technicalities that MS3 offers
• Instruments can be pinpointed easily on where it’s coming from, HRTF is relatively good based on my listening experience

Sound Impression on other nozzle
Bass Nozzle

• Bass nozzle, as the name suggested, boost the bass by quite a bit, also add some warmth to the overall presentation
• The upper mid is slightly tamer compared to the balanced nozzle, a safer approach
• Mids are slightly recessed as well
• Treble is slightly darker on this nozzle

Treble Nozzle

• The trebles are elevated even more compared to the balanced nozzle, very energetic and crisp treble, treble head will like this presentation
• Mids are also a little bit more forward, a slight gain on the upper mids, female vocals are very energetic, and depending on the vocal range, some artist might come off as shouty
• Slight sibilant on certain track

Driveability

• MS3 is very easy to drive, Apple’s Lightning Dongle is sufficient to maximise its potential to my ears (using ddHifi’s 4.4F to 3.5M adapter)
• It doesn’t benefit much from amping, i do find the MS3 sounds a little harsh when fed with too much power
• It pairs fairly well with Hidizs’s in house source such as the XO and AP80 Pro-X
• Personally, i find the MS3 to have good synergy with warmer source such as Sony’s WM1A, it does add a little bit of body/texture to the overall presentation

Comparison (SeeAudio Yume II)

• Yume II has slightly thinner note weight
• Bass is fast on the Yume II, but slightly lacking texture compared to MS3
• Bass quantity is lesser on the Yume II
• Treble is slightly smoother on the Yume II
• MS3 has more air compared to Yume II, hence contributing to a slightly wider soundstage
• Yume II has better imaging compared to MS3
• Build quality wise, packaging, comfort wise, both are good and nothing much to nitpick

Final Thoughts
All in all, having tested several IEMs from Hidizs, it's clear to me that they definitely take the feedback seriously, it can be seen from MS3, which I believe the engineers did take some of the feedback from MS5 and work their magic on MS3. The tuning filter works and the differences are perceivable, not a gimmick at all. Out of the box, it is a technical beast and it does sound better against the competition which shares similar driver configuration and is priced higher. I think this time they got it right and i definitely look forward to see more new offerings from Hidizs in the near future



*A big thanks to Hidizs for sending this over for the purpose of this review, I received no compensation for writing this review.

Head over to their official store if you are interested in getting a pair, at the time of writing, it is currently on sale at 113$ which is a STEAL in my opinion, the price will be back to 169$ after 17th July, that is quite a lot of savings if you ask me

Hidizs MS3 - Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Build/Comfort
KBEAR is a brand that most audiophiles/hobbyists in ChiFi should be aware of. The V2 is a successor to the OG Ink according to KBEAR in which I personally also agree based on the listening experience and comparison between the OG and V2. KBEAR Diamond,Believe and Ink they share similar shell design/shape. I have not heard of the other two which is very unfortunate and I hope that I am able to get my hands on them sometime soon.
Packaging and unboxing experience is very good,it came with several sets of eartips,a good looking carrying case,and also a 8 core SPC cable.
INK V2 feels very solid and you can definitely feel the weight when you are holding it in your hand,yet it is very comfortable to wear on your ear. I have no problem wearing them for long listening sessions,I don't feel any discomfort throughout my listening session. The build and shape is essentially the same as the OG with the exception of different faceplate.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Hiby FC6
• Sony WM1A
• KBEAR INK V2 stock cable and eartips

Sound
I would describe V2 as having a slight V shaped tuning. The mid range is slightly recessed compared to the OG being a V shaped IEM. This is not to say that being v shaped means that it does not sound good. This is more of a preference rather than good/bad. Tonality is on a slightly brighter side. Bass is thunderous and it does rumble.Timbre sounds natural to my ears most of the time with the exception of several instruments which have a slight metallic hint to it

Bass:

• Sub bass has got good rumble and extension,but to my ears,it is nowhere near basshead level
• Mid bass has got good thump and punch,it does occasionally bleeds into the mids as it is not fast enough during complex track
• The bass’s texture is average to my ears,not too thin or thick

Mids:

• The mid is slightly recessed
• Vocal positioning is slightly laid back and definitely not intimate
• Male vocal has got good texture and doesn’t sound thin at all
• Female vocal sounds thicker than male,Adele and Kate Bush sounds fantastic on this due to the slight upper mids boost

Highs:

• As expected from a V shaped tuning, this is the spectrum where the treble is also emphasised
• The treble is energetic but never sibilant or harsh, compared to the OG, it is actually slightly smoother and will definitely please those who complained that the OG has too much treble previously
• It has got good extension and detail retrieval is average,some details are hard to pick up but this is purely nitpicking especially at this price point
• V2 has got good amount of air and sparkle to give the sense of “open” sounding

Soundstage/Imaging

• Choices of eartip will affects the perceived soundstage fyi, using the KB07 eartip, the V2 has good width and depth but slightly lacking in terms of height
• Imaging is good enough for the price,instruments can be picked up easily,but it does struggle a little when playing back complex track such as Slipknot’s Duality

Driveability

• Very easy to drive,decent volume out of smartphone’s 3.5mm jack
• Doesn’t benefit much from amping
• Does scale with better source,best to pair with slightly warmer dac to smoothen the top end

*If you want to tame the treble slightly, you may consider swapping the eartips to Final Type E, it will sound fuller with tamer treble, Tangzu's TangSanCai is a good choice as well if you have it

Final Thoughts
Is the V2 considered an upgrade to the OG? In my opinion, it definitely is. Bass does sound a little bit fuller and sub bass does rumble a little bit more compared to the OG.
A slightly smoother top end will definitely please a lot of people out there, of course there will also be some who like their set to remain energetic, after all, one can’t aim to please everyone. If you’re in the lookout for a good set of V shaped IEM, do consider this and i’m sure it’ll put a smile on your face. Cheers, till next time!



INK V2 is sent over by KBEAR for the purpose of this review. I thank them for the opportunity as always.

Head over to their store if you’re interested in getting a pair:
KBEAR Ink V2 - Non affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
CVJ has put out several good releases back then and went silent for a little while, it was about a month ago or so when I reviewed the CVJ Mei, a hybrid configuration with tuning switches as well. I have the TXS with me today, a super budget single DD iem with tuning switches as well. Build quality is good and the iem doesn’t feel hefty, fit wise it is good as well, and doesn't feel any discomfort throughout the listening session.
Packaging is very similar to KZ’s, the box which contains the IEM, eartips,cable and a sim eject pin for the switches. Nothing to complain considering it cost only 10$



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Sony WM1A
• CVJ TXS 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 (UU Switch)
TXS is leaning towards a V shaped profile to my ears. Mids are slightly recessed which is to be expected for such a sound profile. Timbre sounds natural to my ears, there’s a very faint metallic timbre on certain instruments, that is if you pay really a lot of attention to listen to it, other than that, it is generally alright. The rest of the switch configuration doesn’t sound much different to me, the differences are too minute hence i’m just leaving both the switch on up position

Bass

• The quantity of bass that its putting out may be basshead worthy, however, it is lacking quality in terms of control and texture
• Mid bass does bleed into the mids and it made certain track sounds muddy
• Sub bass does a great job of providing the rumble when its called for

Mids

• Plague by the bass bleed, it is not the cleanest sounding mids but then again, one have to remember that this cost only 10$ and some corners had to be cut in order to get there
• Vocal sounds good surprisingly, both male and female vocal doesn’t sound nasally nor overly recessed
• Upper mids are not shouty to my ears, but a certain JPOP track is borderline shouty to me

Treble

• The treble can be a little hot sometimes depending on the track, ear tip rolling may alleviate the issue, Final audio Type E’s eartip is one of them
• Energetic treble here, but when you pump the volume up, hint of sibilance is there

Soundstage/imaging

• Soundstage is not the strong point of TXS, it doesn’t sound that wide, lacking depth and height
• Imaging is just average, it takes a huge hit when you are playing complex track, other than that, it is really okay for the price

Driveability

• TXS is easy to drive and doesn't need much power to sound good
• It does scale with source in terms of dynamics and bass control and soundstage, pairing it with the FC6 seems to make the TXS sound a bit more wide that gives the perception of big soundstage

Final Thoughts
It may seem like I don't have many good things to say about the TXS, in fact, one has to keep in mind that the TXS costs only 10$ and if we factor in the price and the performance, it is actually very good for the price. If you are on a tight budget and looking to try out an IEM with switches, the TXS will do the job, if you keep your expectations in check. Till next time!

CVJ TXS is sent over by CVJ for this review. I thank them for the opportunity as always.

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

CVJ TXS - Non affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t know KZ (Knowledge Zenith), so I'm not going to go in depth about the intro of the company. There have been several releases which i have tested recently and i am recommending them in fact, namely the KZ ZVX and the D-Fi with switches. Today I have another new product which is a collaboration between KZ and HBB(Hawaiian Bad Boy). Those who have been following HBB are well aware of his preference in terms of tuning, which may or may not translate into the PR2.
In terms of packaging, there isn’t much to say, pretty much every KZ product shares the same packaging style. What’s inside the box is a cable, foam tips and the IEM itself.
The stock cable’s earhook is a little stiff and I struggled to properly secure the IEM in my ears, hence I trimmed the earhook away and the fit is good now, no issue with comfort even wearing them for a long listening session.

Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Hiby FC6
• Sony WM1A
• KZ x HBB PR2 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
PR2’s tonality is leaning towards bright and energetic, there’s a hint of planar timbre but other than that, in terms of price performance ratio, it is really good. There is a reason why it came with foam tips instead of the usual KZ starline tips. I tried swapping to other eartips and the highs can really get fatiguing after a period of time

Bass

• Bass is speedy but texture is not the best
• 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
• It does need power for the bass to come alive, when paired with a weak source, it is actually under performing

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

Treble

• Now this is the interesting part of PR2, they are borderline sibilant, depending on the eartips you are using. If you are using it with the stock foam eartips, then the treble won't sound sibilant nor harsh
• If you are tip rolling and using other ear tips such as the starlines or other wide bore eartips, the treble can be hot depending on the music
• Good amount of air and presence

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

• Well, this is the part where the PR2 takes a hit, it is hard to drive and it requires a moderate amount of amping to sound good (Well controlled bass and good dynamics)
• 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
• In short, you need a good source in order to push PR2 to its maximum performance

Final Thoughts
KZ has been known to release products with high price performance ratio, both the ZVX and D-Fi that i have reviewed previously sounds good and doesn’t break the bank. The same can be said for PR2 as well, if you have a good source and amp, it doesn’t have to be a top of the line amp or source, a dongle with reasonable power output of 2-300mw is sufficient to squeeze the juice out from the PR2, of course, it does scale with better source and amp, so just experiment and try it yourself and see which works for you. Overall, a recommended purchase because of its high price performance ratio.



PR2 was sent over by KZ for this review. I thank them for the opportunity as always.

Head over to the following store if you are interested in getting one

KZ PR2 Malaysia Shopee Store - Non affiliated
KZ PR2 Official Web Store - Non affiliated

General Information (Build/Packaging/Comfort)
Project Red is a collaboration between Truthear and Crinacle, an improvement/tweak over the OG. It is a dual dynamic driver config where the 10mm dynamic driver is acting as a dedicated woofer handling mainly the sub bass while the main 7.8mm driver handles the rest of the frequency range.

Zero:Red has 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. One thing that bothers me is that the nozzle size is rather big and it might cause some discomfort if you are not using the right ear tips. The stock eartips work fine for me, S size, but i personally prefer using Spinfit’s CP145 for more comfort.

Packaging is quite good for the price, it has got two types of eartips with various sizes, a storage pouch for the IEM, and basic cables, overall justifiable by the asking price. However i’m using the Final Audio’s Type E eartips for this review because the stock eartip is not grippy enough and not that comfortable (hence, there might be a slight differences in terms of sonic perception due to different ear tips)

Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Hiby FC6
• Sony WM1A
• Truthear Zero: Red with 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
I’m sure most of you guys are aware that Zero is closely following the Harman curve in terms of tuning, but with a twist, that is including a dedicated woofer crossed over with the main driver. Well, in a layman’s term, the dedicated woofer will be handling the sub-bass while the main will cover the mid bass all the way to treble.

How does it sound then? The OG Zero is quite bassy, the moment when i listened to Zero: Red, the difference is very noticeable, in a good way of course, bass quantity is slightly lesser but cleaner and has better control, it is more balanced sounding overall, if you find the bass is lacking, the included 10ohm adapter will do the job, the sub bass will be boosted for several db, the mids will go slightly more forward based on my listening experience.

Timbre sounds alright/natural to my ears while the note weight is average across the freq range except for the lower end where it bears a lot more impact.

The vocal positioning is slightly recessed on the male but female’s vocal is a little bit more forward but not harsh, both male and female vocal has got similar texture to it and they’re not bad or exceptionally good. When the 10ohm adapter is being used, the vocals will be slightly pushed forward. The midrange is generally clean and good, but i’d prefer if it has got a little bit more texture to it, the piano to me lacks a little weight to it in my opinion, but that’s just me, i let my spouse tried it (non-audiophile) and she likes it and doesn’t have anything to complain about, but me as a reviewer of course i have to highlight the pros and cons

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.

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

• Zero: Red is not hard to drive, but it does scale with better source and amping
• Using it with the included impedance adapter at 10ohm boosts the sub bass and remains relatively easy to drive

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 Titan S as well
• 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 Zero:Red is more on fun. To me, the target audience is different.

Final Thoughts
I don’t have any problem recommending Zero:Red if you’re looking for some fun and to experience having a “dedicated” woofer handling the sub bass which does produce a very very fun rumble when the track calls for it. However, if you are mainly looking for technical performance, you may skip this set, Zero is not for you. As for me, i am not someone who is fixated on a certain target curve, as long as it sounds good to my ears, i like them, as simple as that. I listen to music and I'm not trying to analyse every piece of information from the track.


*Zero: Red is sent over by Shenzhenaudio for the purpose of this review. I thank them for the opportunity and support as always.

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

Zero: Red - Non affiliated