Intro

I believe Moondrop is a company that needs no introduction as they’re well known for their anime style marketing and also harman-ish tuning.They have released several well known IEM that punches way above their price point in terms of performance. Which model you ask? I will leave that for you to find out.

*Side Note
- I am not using the stock eartips, instead I am using KZ’s starline eartips as I couldn't get the stock eartip to fit snugly.
- This review is based on my own opinion and i bought this unit off my own fund and not sponsored by Moondrop or any company.

Specifications

By looking at the specifications below, you might think that this little IEM is fairly easy to drive? Unfortunately, this IEM requires a lot of power in order to sound good. We will talk more on this in the later part of this in this review.

• Impedance: 16 ohms @ 1kHz
• Sensitivity: 112dB/Vrms @ 1kHz
• Frequency Response: 20-40,000Hz
• Driver: Beryllium-coated diaphragm with PU suspension ring
• Cable: 0.78mm Silver-plated 4N-Litz OFC
• THD: ≤1%

Packaging and Accessories

Nothing much to shout out here. The usual anime style character can be found on the box of the IEM itself. “Waifu” they call it. What you will get inside the box is the IEM itself, a fairly high quality Silver-plated 4N-Litz OFC cable, a small carrying pouch which is a bit small in my opinion, and also the standard S,M,L sized silicone tips. I have omitted to using the stock eartips as they do not fit me well. Thus I have opted for the KZ starline tips as mentioned above.


Build and Comfort

The build of the IEM itself is plastic, however it doesn’t look cheap at all. It is also very well built. The size of the IEM itself made you forget that you’re actually wearing one because it is so lightweight that you barely feel anything in your ears! I’ve had it on for several hours straight and I do not feel any discomfort from it. Thumbs up to Moondrop for designing this!

The 2 pin port on the IEM itself is very snug in my opinion. The stock cable that came attached with it was very tight to remove. I actually had to exhibit a little extra force in order to remove the cable, which is good, so that the cable doesn’t come out from the plug as it ages due to wear and tear from plugging in and out.




Source

Tidal(MQA/HiFi) -> UD130 DAC/AMP -> Moondrop SSP
Cayin N3 Pro -> Moondrop SSP
Cayin N3 Pro -> Moondrop SSP with pure silver 4.4 balanced cable

Bass

I do not have SSR to compare with so I am not sure what SSR”s bass is like. What I can say about the low end of this SSP is the quality and quantity done right. The overall presentation of the frequency range is fairly balanced based on what I heard from my setup. Load up The Weeknd’s Starboy and you can definitely feel the rumble on the opening of the song. It’s fun to listen to and sounds about right. It doesn’t get boomy nor bloated. It is punchy for sure but this will definitely not be categorized as a basshead’s IEM.

Mids

Now the interesting part of SSP, this is where a cable swap will make some difference and open up the sound. On the stock cable, the mids in my opinion is slightly boxed-in. It is okay, not that bad, acceptable, smooth and quite detailed. I have a pure silver cable in 4.4 Bal termination lying around, I’ve decided to cable roll it and boy, it definitely put a smile on my face, everything sounded so open and I got so much more fun out of it. Now that it is on pure silver cable, the boxy feel on the mids totally diminished. Everything is just smooth. The Cruel Angel’s Thesis by Yoko Takahashi, the vocals sounded fairly intimate, and the instruments can be heard clearly in this track as there are a lot of electric guitar strums going from left to right channel and also percussions playing at the same time. All of those can be identified clearly.


Treble

The treble presentation is good. Not sibilant at all and there is a slight emphasis on the brilliance segment to give cymbals and chimes enough sparkle to make the music sound alive such as RATM’s Killing In The Name. This is a fairly busy track in my opinion and all the cymbals are heard clearly on top of the drum roll and also the electric guitar. Impressive separation and layering.


Soundstage

I find the width of the soundstage is good. You are enveloped in live recording as well as orchestral tracks. Toto’s Africa(Live), a good demonstration on the capability of rendering a wide soundstage from SSP. Swapping it to the pure silver cable that i had made an even bigger difference on the soundstage, the width is further enhanced but the depth of it remains more or less similar. Overall, it has a very clean channel to channel transition to exhibit a good sense of spatial imaging.

Driveability

Playing it straight out from a smartphone is not a good idea as this IEM does require a fair amount of power in order for it to sound good. You can get listenable level from your smartphone but you will lose its dynamic, the bass and treble and mids will be off as it is not getting enough power. Amplification is required.


FInal Thoughts

Moondrop has consistently been releasing top value, top performing products in a massive and competitive market. Moondrop SSP is definitely one of them. Will I recommend them? A big YES. At this price point, 39.9 USD, it’s fair to say you will definitely get the best bang of your buck. For people who are new in this audio hobby and already own an entry level USB Dongle DAC AMP, grab this without any second thoughts!, it is a very good choice.

Thanks for Reading and I hope my insights will help you make some decisions in purchasing this IEM.
*I am by no means a pro reviewer, what I wrote is solely based on what I heard and my own interpretation of it. Audio is fairly subjective, thus what I heard that sounded good to me might not be the same to you.

Intro
I’m sure most people are familiar with Tripowin, they make cables as well as IEMs.
Today I have Rhombus and Cencibel with me, Cencibel being a single dynamic driver config, while Rhombus a hybrid 1BA+1DD configuration. In terms of design, both of them are different, Cencibel having a resin based shell while Rhombus sports a metal shell with some edgy design. I won’t go much into the design/comfort and packaging and will go straight to the sound impression for both IEM.

Source
Macbook Air M2 Tidal/Apple Music -> iFi Zen Dac -> iFi Zen Air Can -> Rhombus/Cencibel
Macbook Air M2 Tidal/Apple Music -> Hidizs S9 Pro -> Rhombus/Cencibel
Tempotec V6 -> Rhombus/Cencibel
iPod Touch 2G -> Rhombus/Cencibel

Build/Packaging/Comfort

• Both shares similar packaging style, a box consisting of storage pouch, eartips and also cables (Both Cencibel and Rhombus has the same cable)
• Cencibel is 3D printed with medical grade resin, no issues with the comfort here, snug fit and beautiful faceplate, although i’d prefer if the nozzle is slightly longer
• Rhombus’s shell is aerospace grade aluminium constructed via cnc machining process, in terms of comfort, the fit is good, however the angled 2PIN port paired with certain cable does cause some discomfort due to having the earhook pressing against my ears, also the Rhombus has edges which is in contact with my concha causing discomfort after a while

Sound Impression (Cencibel)
To my ears, Cencibel is a little U shaped sounding with emphasis on both the low and highs but less recess on the mids. Quite easy to listen to in my experience. Timbre is quite natural to my ears and the note carries sufficient weight to it.

• Bass is slightly on the slower side as it can get a little boomy on some complex track due to its slower decay, and tends to bleed into the mid in tracks like People = crap by Slipknot
• Mid bass has got sufficient body and warmth to it, sub bass on the other hand rumbles but not to the point where it’s bass head level, still sufficient to enjoy EDM i would say
• The mid range is quite lush and it is very enjoyable on tracks like Imperial March, all the instruments in this range has got natural timbre
• I’d picture the vocal positioning as “quite close to your face” but not intimate, male vocal has good texture and doesn’t sound thin, low baritone voice has good note weight to it (The Moon Represents My Heart by Zhao Peng)
• Female vocal sounds good as well, listening to Red River Valley, the vocal has got enough bite
• Upper mids are slightly emphasised to give a little energetic presentation but i would still consider it rather safe and not the point where it’s shouty
• Treble is a little emphasised but i would still consider it rather safe, not sibilant and harsh
• Detail retrieval is average which is fairly common for IEMs in this price range
• I would say the soundstage is slightly out of your head, average height,depth and width, imaging is not bad and instruments can be pinpointed easily even in busy track

Sound Impression (Rhombus)

• Rhombus sounds a little dry/sterile (less musical to my ears), tuning is very inoffensive and it will be easily accepted by most people. Timbre sounds natural and realistic to my ears, it does have a very slight BA timbre to it if
• Bass on the Rhombus has adequate speed and texture to my ears, subbass does have the rumble but does goes deep, sufficient to enjoy EDM but will not satisfy basshead
• Male’s vocal is slightly recessed and lacking texture, it sounds a little thin or rather dull to me
• Female vocal however is much better, Bjork’s Army of Me, it has sufficient texture to portray Bjork’s deep voice in that song and quite enjoyable
• The lower mids to upper mids has rather smooth transition and not shouty at all, as i mentioned earlier, the tuning is rather safe and inoffensive
• Mids are a little recessed
• Treble is rather energetic but not sibilant in any way or harsh, extension is also quite good
• Detail retrieval is good and micro details can be picked up easily (possibly due to the BA that’s handling the hi freq)
• Average air and presence, but sufficient to not cause the music to sound congested nor dull
• Soundstage is rather in your head and very 2d-ish to me, lacks width and height sounds linear to my ears
• Imaging is alright, instruments can be pinpointed but when the track gets busy, it does get a little veil

Driveability

• Both are easy to drive and doesn’t require amping
• Both Cencibel and Rhombus does scale with source but you’re good to go with a decent dongle such as Hidizs’s S9 Pro or even Moondrop’s Dawn

Final Thoughts
Tripowin has always been producing high price performance ratio IEM, the Lea which I have tried is good but it is now being shadowed by 7Hz’s Zero which is considered as top tier budget iem when it comes to the 20$ price bracket.

The same can be said for both Cencibel and Rhombus, while they do offers good price performance ratio for the price they’re asking for, but they definitely need to step up their game in terms of tuning, packaging and also the price (maybe just lower the price a little ).

Nonetheless both are good IEMs and they’re definitely worth a mention, i’d personally pick Cencibel over Rhombus due to the tonality and comfort, but if you like sleek design and a slightly energetic presentation, also the fitting is not an issue for you, by all means go with the Rhombus.

*Both Cencicel and Rhombus were sent by Linsoul F.O.C in exchange for this review. I thank them for the opportunity as always.

Non Affiliated Purchase link for Cencibel and Rhombus
Cencibel
Rhombus

General Info (Packaging/Build/Comfort)
KZ or rather Knowledge Zenith is a brand which everyone is familiar with and needs no further introduction. I got into this hobby with their budget model KZ ZST and back then, for the price they’re asking for, they sounded good and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Fast forward to today, they too wish to take a slice of cake from the planar’s market and decided to release the PR1. In terms of packaging, they remain pretty barebone, a standard box consist of the IEM, cable and several pairs of eartips and that's it, more or less the same even for their entry level IEM, i personally think that they should at least include a storage pouch or some variety of eartips to correlate to the asking price, but that’s just me.

Build quality is good, the faceplate’s design is very refreshing, it looks like an open back but it is not, you can actually see the planar driver on the IEM itself, fairly big. The shell is not too big nor small, average to my ears and I can achieve a good fit with the stock M sized eartips. I wore them for several hours straight and I didn't feel any discomfort throughout my listening session.



Equipment and Software used

• iFi Zen Dac + iFi Zen Air Can
• Topping DX1 + iFi Zen Air Can
• Tempotec V6
• iPod Touch 2G
• Dunu DTC 500
• Hidizs S9 Pro
• Macbook Air M2
• Apple Music/Tidal/foobar2k

Sound
The PR1 is a mild V shaped sounding IEM, boosted bass and high and slightly recessed mids. They are slightly warm and easy to listen to, with a tiny bit of planar timbre, it is not really that noticeable to me (subjective). PR1 is generally easy to listen to and non offensive

Bass

• Bass is emphasised with good texture and maintains good control (if properly powered)
• Bass extension is quite good, sub bass quantity is good and has a good rumble when the track calls for it, i have tried watching some video with it and it’s pretty good
• Mid bass has got good thump to it, it certainly need a little power here in order to have good control, else it will sound a little muddy during complex track
• Overall speed is fairly good considering the price

Mids

• Vocal sounded a little recessed but not too bad, i noticed that as you feed it with more power, the vocal goes a little more forward and not that recessed
• Male vocal has got good texture and also doesn’t sound thin, same goes to female’s vocal as well
• Instruments in the mid range has good note weight to it, Imperial March for example, the cello, violin, all sounded realistic and carries sufficient note weight to it

Treble

• Treble is a little boosted as this is mild v shape sounding IEM, but it is nowhere near sibilant or harsh, well done KZ, gotta give credit where it's due
• Extension is average but they made it up with good amount of air for good separation and imaging capability
• Nothing to shout out overall in the treble region, good amount of fun in an inoffensive way
• Detail retrieval is good but not decent, microdetails can be picked up but not expect totl kind of detail retrieval capability and you’re good to go

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is really good on the PR1, good width and height, a little lacking in terms of depth but quite good overall. It does gives off the sense of wide sounding, very enjoyable
• Imaging is surprisingly quite good, instruments can be pinpointed easily even in complex track

Driveability

• PR1 is not hard to drive, you can get decent volume even from Apple’s Lightning Dongle, but it does scale with more power, eg: vocal is a little bit more forward, better control on the bass and bigger soundstage

Final Thoughts
KZ PR1 is KZ’s first attempt in planar IEM, entering the planar market with aggressive pricing, and the tuning that they’re well versed with, V shaped with a little bit of tweak here and there and they then have a pretty good tuning that’s pleasant and inoffensive to listen to. We gotta give credit where it’s due.

Will I recommend PR1? Yes, why not? If you’re in the lookout for a pure planar IEM with limited budget, PR1 is the way to go, if you feed it with more power and better source, it will reward you with better sound. Peace out and enjoy music everyone! Till next time.



*KZ PR1 is sent over by @Linsoul Audio f.o.c in exchange for this review. I received no monetary compensation nor am I under any influence to produce this review.

Non Affiliated Purchase Link
KZ PR1

Intro
BQEYZ is a company that most in the ChiFi community is/should be familiar with.Their previous “seasonal” IEM,namely Spring,Summer,and Autumn,two which i have reviewed both the Summer and Autumn and had very good experience with it.What i like about BQEYZ is that they take their time to really fine tune their release and make sure that when it is ready to market,it will be a hit rather than miss.The same applies to the Topaz which i have here with me,to my ears and mind you,your experience may vary of course due to everyone’s ear perceive/hear differently,i do find them sounding a little like Summer,but without the Piezo’s zinggy sensation.You can find out about the packaging and build from other reviewers as i am going to be focusing on the sound mainly.

I do have to mention about the fit,as with the other two BQEYZ IEM that i reviewed,i do have some problems with their stock eartips being not being able to form a proper seal,so i had to use 3rd party eartips which is Audiosense’s S400 eartips which fits and seal well for me.

Source
Macbook Air M2 Apple Music -> TRI TK2 -> BQEYZ Topaz
iPhone 12 Mini -> Apple’s Lightning Dongle -> BQEYZ Topaz
Foobar2k Windows 11 -> Questyle M15 -> BQEYZ Topaz




Sound
I would start off by saying Topaz’s sound signature is warm and a slightly smoothed top end despite sporting a piezo driver,quite neutral to my ears.This is not exactly a bad thing as I had reviewed BQEYZ Summer previously and the piezo in it is kinda splashy and a little harsh.After having a conversation with Elle from BQEY,i was told that the piezo in Topaz has been tuned differently hence resulting in what is heard in Topaz.

Bass

• Topaz’s bass is not dominant and it is rather linear from sub bass to mid bass transition
• Bass quantity is just right and it is the quality bass rather than quantity
• Good amount of punch from the mid bass
• Sub bass is present but not overshadowing the mid bass,it does its job when its called for,but the rumble is nowhere near bassheads preference,just the right dose for the fun factor
• Bass has good texture in general due to the warmness and i would categorise them as audiophile’s bass response as it has a rather neutral bass response and not emphasised

Mids

• Topaz’s mid to me sounds organic and very well textured
• I find the warmth is just nice and vocal for both male and female has got very good texture and they don’t sound thin at all,they sound sweet and lush
• Stringed instruments doesn’t sound that forward,but it does benefit from the added warmth with ample of body to it,not too bad overall
• Male vocal that has a deeper tone benefit much from the added warmth and it is very pleasant to listen to

Treble

• I expected the treble on Topaz to be a little zingy as it sports a piezo,the reason why i had this expectation is due to the past experience with BQEYZ’s Summer,dont get me wrong,Summer is good,it’s just that the high can be a little zingy at times
• I guess BQEYZ took in the feedback and tuned the piezo to be different this time,the highs are good and it doesn’t have that zingy feel from the piezo despite sporting a piezo
• The treble this time is smooth and a little laid back,while retaining the air and extension
• Detail retrieval is alright but don’t expect it to be analytical as Topaz is definitely not an analytical set,it is a little smoothed out but not too bad overall
• A good implementation on the treble overall

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is good and the overall presentation of the soundstage sounds wide and has a good depth and height which would be perceived as sounding “big and good immersion
• Imaging is good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily,however it does struggle a little during busy track such as Slipknot’s Duality,but considering it’s price point,it is actually pretty good

Comparison (BQEYZ’s Summer)

• I don’t have Summer with me anymore,so my comparison is purely based on my memory and my time spent with Summer.Do take this into consideration when reading on the comparison section
• Unlike Topaz,Summer sports an extra BA hence making it a Tribrid?In terms of tuning,i would say they’re quite different
• Summer is energetic and compared to Topaz,Topaz is laid back and easier to listen to,making it suitable for long sessions
• Treble is a little zingy on the summer due to the piezo,both topaz and summer having good extension and air and sparkle,just that Summer’s presentation might come off as a little harsh to some who are treble sensitive
• Topaz has got more note weight on the lower end of spectrum,sub bass rumble and also more thumpy on the mid bass,Summer is not too far off but the sub bass does sound a little rolled off based on my memory and not as thumpy as Topaz
• In terms of soundstage and imaging capability of Summer,they perform more or less similar as Topaz based on my memory
• Vocal on Summer does sound a little thinner

Final Thoughts
BQEYZ definitely did a good job for the Topaz as they managed to fine tune the Piezo to sound a little less zingy while still retaining the extension,air and sparkle,Topaz is not the IEM that will WOW you when you first put it on,instead it is the one that grows on you as you use them,at least i feel that way,also,if you like something that’s analytical,then this is not for you,you may look for alternatives.Topaz to my ears is more musical sounding rather than analytical.

*BQEYZ Topaz was sent to me FOC and I only have to pay for the shipping fee in exchange for this review from Ms Elle.I appreciate the opportunity given,however,all thoughts are of my own and I am not under any influence nor do I receive any compensation for this review.

If you are interested in getting a pair,head over to their store via the link below (Non affiliated)
Shopee Malaysia
AliExpress

SeeAudio x Crinacle Yume: Midnight Review


Intro

Won’t be doing much intro as i believe most of you guys out there should be aware of SeeAudio or Crinacle by now if you are reading this. Yume Midnight is a collaboration project between SeeAudio and a well known reviewer Crinacle. So what changed? Let’s find out.

I will pretty much skip the packaging and build and summarise it as follow:

• Midnight’s cable is similar to Yuan Li’s
• Packaging is more or less the same, SeeAudio’s style
• Eartips are similar to KB Ear’s
• Shell’s size is slightly bulkier than Yume(the one with green tip)

Source

Ibasso DX160 -> Yume: Midnight
Foobar 2k -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> Yume Midnight
Tidal -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> Yume Midnight

Sound

Midnight sounded quite balanced throughout the frequency range to me. It is slightly warmer compared to the Yume which is to be expected due to the boosted bass.
Bass

• The bass is tastefully boosted to give a more musical presentation and also warmer tone
• Bass’s quantity and quality is definitely better than Yume
• Bass extension is fairly good
• Mid bass is punchy
• No bass bleed

Mids

• As the mids is the strong point of Yume, so is Midnight
• Lush and full presentation
• Slightly warmer compared to Yume which is cleaner and leaner
• Vocal presentation for both male and female sounded full and weighty due to the warmer tonality
• Vocal’s positioning sounded not too laid back nor forward, however, changing the eartip will indirectly affect the positioning as well (from stock tip to Symbio W Peel for example, brings the vocal forward, which i kinda like)

Treble

• Smooth and non sibilant
• Good amount of air and well extended
• It does have a slight BA timbre to it
• Overall the treble here is very well done and A/B comparison with Yume, Midnight’s treble is noticeably better in terms of air, extension and extra “flavor”
• Detail retrieval is also improved on the Midnight compared to Yume despite sharing the same driver configuration

Soundstage/Imaging

• Yume’s soundstage is very 2d-ish and Midnight fixed that
• The soundstage on Midnight sounded very 3D and noticeably better depth and height
• Instrument placement is identified easily as well

Driveability

• Doesn’t really need amping to pump out enough volume
• However it does benefit from better source
• No noticeable improvement when fed when more power

Comparison with Yume

I’ve mentioned Yume a lot so i’m gonna summarise what changed below:

• Shell size (larger on the Midnight), fit wise its more or less the same for me except i have to downsize the eartips to S
• In terms of sound, better bass presentation on the Midnight, better slam, quantity and also rumble
• Mids that doesn’t sound dry (Personal preference, i prefer Yume’s mid over Midnight)
• Better soundstage and technicalities on the Midnight

FInal Thoughts

So, are you missing out a lot if you already have the Yume? Not really, i would put it this way, Midnight is more versatile compared to Yume which tends to be more specific in terms of library.

Is the additional cost justifiable? If your library consists of multiple genres and you are looking for one IEM that will handle anything being thrown at, yes, the cost is justifiable, however, if you only listen to a specific genre and already have Yume, then I don't see a reason to get Midnight.

This is not to say that Midnight is bad or anything, ultimately, it depends on your library and your preference. Overall, Midnight is a good IEM for its asking price. A solid 4.5/5

Get them here
HifiGo

*Midnight is sent for review by HifiGo as part of a review tour. I am not influenced by them in any way nor do I receive any compensation for this review. Thanks to @bryaudioreviews for including me in this tour.

AudioSense AQ0 Review - True Hidden Gem

Intro

Audiosense is no stranger to the IEM scene when it comes to producing high quality IEM. Their critically acclaimed T800 is no stranger to anyone i believe. I’ve not heard of that model so I can't comment much on that, but the T800 did receive a lot of positive praise among reviewers. Let us find out if AQ0 is able to keep up with the pack!


Specifications

Driver: 9.2mm Graphene Composite Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
Frequency Reponse: 20Hz - 22Khz
Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: 101 3dB
Cable Length: 1.25m OFC Cable


Packaging and Build Quality

It came with a fairly simple packaging. A plain box with a hard carrying case and two packs of eartips. I like the hard case and the quality feels pretty good and it’s able to protect the IEM stored inside. The cable’s quality is pretty solid for stock cable at this price point.

The build quality of the earphone doesn’t look cheap at all despite being a 3D printed resin housing. I’d say it looks as good as SeeAudio’s Yume which is priced much higher.




Source

Cayin N3 Pro(Tube Mode - Triode) -> AudioSense AQ0
Tidal (MQA/HiFI) -> VE’s Oddysey HD Type C Dongle -> AudioSense AQ0




Sound

Prior to writing this review, AQ0 has gone through at least 40 hours of burn in hours and also i’ve been using them extensively for at least a week averaging at 2-3 hours a day. I am using stock cable but for ear tips I am using JVC’s spiral dots. Upon first listen to AQ0, I am already very much in love with its tuning compared to Moondrop’s Aria. It gives a more engaging sound and much more dynamic presentation compared to Aria.


Bass

The sub bass and mid bass is definitely being emphasized here, but, in a very controlled manner and also high in quality, it will make its presence when it’s called for. In tracks like Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious, at minute 03:27 onwards, there are no instruments playing but only the bass, you can clearly hear the sub bass’s rumble and it doesn’t even distort nor sound bloated. Whereas on Moondrop’s Aria, it doesn’t feel like the sub bass extends that much compared to AQ0. The bass in AQ0 is done right and if you even feel like you need more bass, just use the stock tips and it will give you even more oomph, but having said that, this is definitely not a basshead’s IEM. It gives the right amount at the right time when it’s called for.


Mids

The mids are smooth and clean and it feels pretty intimate. Female vocal however, sounded very full and thick compared to male’s. Take Diana Krall’s Like Someone In Love for example, Diana’s voice sounded very full and thick whereas Andrea Bocelli’s Hallelujah, his vocal isn’t that full and thick but the overall experience is still very good.


Treble

The treble is smooth and treble sensitive people will not have an issue here. It is not sibilant and very controlled. I can comfortably listen to it for a long period. Overall, very good extension to my ears.


Soundstage/Imaging

The moment i hit play on my DAP and Hans Zimmer’s Molossus started to play, i am greeted with a very detailed presentation and also soundstage that is above average. It doesn’t feel as constricted as Aria’s. Bloodborne’s OST by Suzuki Nobuyoshi namely Ludwig,the Holy Blade,gives me the feeling that I am within the hall where the artist is performing. Imaging is above average as well, instruments can be pinpointed clearly at where they are coming from and they doesn’t overlap with others. This capability is very well demonstrated in tracks like Kitaro’s Silk Road Fantasy. Very immersive


Final Thoughts



I am not sure why AQ0 is not popular here in Malaysia or somewhere else as I can hardly find any reviews about it. AQ0 is a true hidden gem. At it’s price point, the closest competitor to it is Moondrop’s Starfield, I have not heard of it so I can't really compare them, but for it’s sibling which is Aria, I would definitely pick AQ0 over Aria anytime. AQ0 is a versatile IEM which is suitable for a wide range of music, it handled most of the tracks i threw at it pretty well, of course not without flaws for sure. Soundstage is a little lacking in terms of depth and height but not so much that it compromises the overall experience. If anybody asks me about this AQ0, I will recommend it to them without any hesitation. Just give it a try. I am sure it will give you much more fun compared to Aria.


*This unit is provided to me at subsidised price by Audiosense in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

If you are interested in purchasing the unit, you may head to their shopee store to grab it at the link below:

https://shopee.com.my/AUDIOSENSE-AQ...D-Printing-Resin-Shell-i.406961882.9471720674

7Hz Salnotes Zero's Review



Intro
For those who are not aware, Salnotes is a sub brand of 7Hz which is well known for the Timeless Planar IEM. Salnotes’s first IEM is Dioko which is also a Planar in collaboration with Crinacle targeted at a more accessible price point. I have tried that model as well and i can understand why it’s such a hit, review to come soon. Let’s focus on Zero for now

Packaging
Nothing much to say about the packaging, barebone style, you get a pack of eartips with wide,narrow bore with several sizes. A high quality cable in 3.5mm termination and the IEM itself. Nothing much to complain about considering the price.

Build/Comfort
The size of the iem is not big, so it should fit most ears properly. I can wear them for several hours straight without feeling discomfort. The nozzle is short, so you might have to spend some time to tip roll to get a proper fit, the stock tip works well for me, the red colored one or the light blue tip (if you want a little bit more oomph on the lower end)

Source
Macbook Air M2 Tidal/Apple Music -> iFi nano iDSD Black Lable -> Zero
Tempotec V6 -> Zero
Macbook Air M2 Tidal/Apple Music -> Zero

Sound
Zero is clean sounding and has good dynamics and timbre for the asking price. While it will certainly not please the bassheads but other than that, i think it will do a good job of keeping their ears happy. With a good tuning that will certainly please most even seasoned audiophiles. They’re slightly warm to give a sense of musicality to the overall presentation.

Bass

• Bass quality is good on the Zero and has adequate quantity for me
• The sub bass does rumble when it’s called for but nowhere near basshead territory
• Mid bass has good slam and punch to it and it is really commendable for its price point
• Good texture and speed as it is evident on tracks like Slipknot’s People = crap, it’s keeping up and doesn’t sound muddy at all, it doesn’t even bleed into the mids

Mids

• The mids has good note weight to me when listening to Imperial March by Wiener Philharmoniker, John Williams
• Vocal positioning is slightly in your face rather than sounding recessed
• Female vocal sounds a little more pleasant to me compared to male vocal, female vocal is a little bit more forward compared to male’s and it has got a little more bite to it
• While the upper mid range is generally smooth and not harsh to my ears, but some who are sensitive might be bothered a little, as for me personally i prefer it to have a little more energy in this range where Zero has no problem delivering that

Treble

• Treble has got enough energy and never harsh nor sibilant
• Good amount of air and extension which is quite rare for the price point
• Nothing much to comment here as the implementation is generally good
• Something’s got to give right? Well, detail retrieval is average i would say, not really a con but rather nitpicking

Soundstage/Imaging
Soundstage and imaging is pretty much in your head, it is alright for most of the track but if you are listening to an orchestral track, then it will definitely sound a little boxed in. Generally they are alright.

Driveability
Zero is easy to drive but of course when you feed it with a better source, it does perform better. Majority of the dongle will be sufficient to provide a decent experience on the Zero.

Comparison (Moondrop Chu)

• Similar price bracket to the Zero
• Less bass quantity and a little bit lacking in terms of punch and impact, Zero does this better in terms of quality and quantity
• In terms of sound, It’s safe to say Zero is running circle around Chu, it has got better bass control, a little bit more treble extension
• The most important thing is that Zero features a detachable cable setup, for those who want to cable roll, this is a better option
• It may seem like i am bashing Chu and shilling Zero, that’s not the case at all, Chu will be a safer option for someone who’s sensitive towards slightly energetic nature of Zero

Final Thoughts
Not gonna say much but if someone asks me if they should get Zero as their first starter IEM? I’m more than happy to tell them yes, even seasoned audiophiles will like this I'm sure. I for one like them, I take em out and just put them on with my DAP and listen to music without caring much for technicalities or seeking to hear every single detail in that particular track. It is just something that I wear and I listen to music and completely indulge myself into it. Easily a 5 star for Zero in terms of sound and high price performance ratio.

*Salnotes Zero is sent to me F.O.C from Linsoul in exchange for this review. I am in no way under any influence nor do I receive any monetary compensation for this review. All thoughts are of my own.

Head over to @Linsoul Audio store to purchase one if you are interested
Salnotes Zero - Non affiliated

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Athena is not HarmonicDyne’s first headphone, in fact, HarmonicDyne has released several headphones previously namely the Zeus, G200, Helios and the flagship Poseidon. Today i have the Athena with me, i have no prior experience with any of HarmonicDyne’s product.

The build quality of Athena is average, not bad but not excellent either. It is made out of plastic, the headband has very good padding and a wide contact area. The good thing is that it uses fabric instead of those faux leather which will be prone to peeling off after some time. The earpad is also very soft and comfortable, i don’t feel excessively hot even when I'm not in an air conditioned room. However, I personally find that it is a little too soft and doesn’t give a good seal at times, so I have to fiddle around with it to get a proper seal. The ear cup is swivelable hence it allows for more adjustment in terms of fitting.

Athena doesn’t feel heavy despite it looking rather bulky, I have no issues wearing it for several hours and don’t feel fatigue at all. The packaging of Athena is rather straightforward, housed in a big box with serial number on it, and it consists of the coaxial cable, storage pouch, and the headphone itself. I’d prefer a case instead of a pouch, but that’s just personal preference and it’s nothing good or bad against the brand.



Gears used for this review

• iFi Gryphon in BitPerfect Mode
• Earmen Angel
• iPod Touch 5th Gen
• Macbook Air M2’s 3.5mm port

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
Tonality wise, Athena is leaning towards neutral with a slight emphasis on the highs, timbre sounds natural to my ears, good note weight overall. Very good soundstage and imaging capability which I believe is contributed by the M shaped side venting system. Let’s take a look at the frequency breakdown below:

Bass

• Starting with the sub bass, with a 3db boost on the sub bass, Athena does rumble whenever the track calls for it, however, it is nowhere near basshead level kind of rumble, possibly being a semi closed which will affect the bass
• Mid bass is punchy and tight, good slam as well, turning on iFi’s Xbass, Athena’s bass response behaves on a different level, more rumble and more punch, not to mention its tighter and also sounds “meatier”, very very enjoyable experience, however for the sake of this review, i will be leaving it off to prevent any “coloration” being added to the sound
• Bass has got decent speed and good control, listening to Slipknot’s People = crap!, the drum beat, and the double bass, Athena managed to keep up with every beat and it doesn’t show signs of muddyness, very good performance here
• The bass also doesn’t bleed into the mids

Mids

• Mid range is not overly forward nor recessed
• Both male and female vocal has good texture to it, it carries a little “warmth” to it so they don’t sound thin
• Low baritone voice such as Zhao Peng has the intended “thickness” to it and overall very pleasant sounding
• Florence and the Machine’s lead singer Florence Welch’s vocal sounded thick very pleasant
• Transition from lower to upper mids is generally smooth and doesn’t sound “shouty” at all

Treble

• Treble does have some energy here but it's never offensive and sibilant
• Detail retrieval is good for the price, but not super analytical
• Good amount of air in the treble region, doesn’t sound congested even on busy tracks
• Good resolution

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is excellent here, with a good sense of width, height and depth, this shows that the side venting system is actually working its magic here
• Imaging capability is also excellent, instruments can be pinpointed easily and everything is well layered, instruments has its own layer while the vocal has its own and well separated even during busy track, very good performance

Driveability

• Athena is not hard to drive, with Apple’s Lightning dongle, it is able to push out decent volume within my normal listening volume
• With that being said, it does scale with better source and fare better with more power
• Feeding Athena with more power by using Earmen’s Angel with Gain+ mode, much better dynamics and tighter bass, slightly spacious sounding
• Pairing it with iFi’s Gryphon, turned the Xbass and Xspace on, the Athena becomes a lot more musical sounding, very airy and spacious sound, slight boost on the bass quantity, all without affecting the mids. Totally different sound from Earmen’s Angel, Angel reproduce the sound without adding any “coloration” to it, both are great pairing in my opinion, it depends on my mood when i feel like listening to which pairing

Final Thoughts
Athena is a good headphone overall with some minor caveats, it is not for those who prefer a warm signature as Athena is not warm to begin with. It offers good technicalities and good tonality at a competitive price, it is also not hard to drive and scales very well with power, making it suitable for anyone with powerful amp or without and it will still sound good.

*Athena is sent over by @Linsoul Audio for the purpose of this review. I received no compensation nor was I influenced in any way to produce this review. A big thanks to Linsoul for the opportunity as always.

Head over to the store if you’re interested in getting a pair:
HarmonicDyne Athena - Non affiliated

Intro
Rose Technics is no stranger in the audiophile community.They are well known for their high end earbuds and also some other flagship grade IEM.I have reviewed their hybrid IEM recently namely the QT9 MK2S and i like it a lot.
Briefly listened to the Aura Evo and I can say the same thing,I like how it sounds.I guess it doesn’t receive much attention due to it having a fixed cable.


Packaging/Build/Comfort
If you owned or read some reviews of Rose Technics’s product,you would have known how it is packaged like.It came in a fairly minimal box but it does have a black colored hard case which is similar to QT9’s and three pairs of eartips and the IEM itself.Straight forward and minimal.

The outer shell is made out of aerial aluminium and there the nozzle is plastic i believe,very sturdy overall and doesn’t feel cheap,cable does feel high quality as well,in fact it is similar to the one that’s bundled from QT9 based on how it looks.

In terms of comfort,i can easily sleep with this IEM and during long listening sessions,there isn’t any discomfort as well.

Source
Foobar2k -> TRI TK2 -> Aura Evo
Hidizs AP80Pro-X -> Aura Evo
Foobar2k -> Questyle M15 -> Aura Evo

Sound Impression
Aura Evo has got a V shaped sound profile to my ears,It is a little warm and very easy to listen to,before i delve further,take note that i am not using the stock eartips as the fit is a little shallow and i couldn’t really get a good seal from the usual M size,going to L size makes everything sound “tinny”.Prior to writing this,Aura Evo has already gone through the burn in process for about 30 hours if that matters.They have a very natural and realistic timbre to my ears.

Bass

• Bass on Aura Evo does have some emphasis but not overly done,i wish that the speed can be better,not that fast as evident on This Ain’t a Scene,It’s an Arms Race by Fall Out Boys,hence leading it to sound a little too much
• Mid bass stood out in particular,however the speed isn’t that great and leads to a little muddyness on busy track
• You can feel the rumble of the sub bass,but it is nowhere near to be labelled as basshead iem
• Bass texture is alright,not sounding too loose nor tight
• Bass performs alright on most of the tracks unless you are listening to some high speed tracks like metal then you might want to avoid this as the bass might not be able to keep up,and causes the bass to bleed into the mids

Mids

• The timbre sounds correct to my ears and pleasant to listen to
• Vocal positioning is a little recessed
• Male vocal has good enough texture and also female’s,doesn’t sound thin at all,i personally find that the female vocal sounds more pleasant to my ears compared to male’s,a little more organic sounding perhaps?
• Low to upper mids transition is pretty smooth and there isn’t any harshness on the upper mids

Treble

• Treble implementation is smooth and never fatiguing
• Doesn’t sound harsh,in fact nowhere near harsh and sibilant at all,just smooth in general
• However i do hope that it does have a little bit more air and sparkle to kinda give a more dynamic presentation to the music
• Detail retrieval is average and nothing to shout out about

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage to my ears is slightly out of the head,but sounds very 2D,lacking in height hence leading it to be perceived as not that big sounding,but for Aura Evo’s asking price,it is completely acceptable,i am just nitpicking here
• Imaging is average,instruments can be pinpointed easily on normal non complex track,it does suffer when it is playing back busy track like Slipknot’s Duality

Driveability

• Aura Evo can be driven off smartphone’s 3.5mm jack and you will get decent volume out of it
• It does scale with better source,the improvement is evident as i switched from the 3.5mm out from phone to Questyle’s M15 and Hidizs AP80Pro-X DAP,more controlled bass and slightly better dynamics
• Tried feeding it more power with TRI’s TK2 DAC/AMP but it doesn’t seem like it benefit much from more power

Comparison (Moondrop’s Chu)

• Tuning on Chu is different as it is more on moondrop’s VSDF whereas Aura Evo has got a slight V profile,nothing good or bad here,it’s more of preference
• In terms of build quality,both Aura and Chu has got a very solid build as well,but the cable on Aura is better looking and more tangle prone compared to Chu’s
• Chu is a little hot on the upper midrange and leaner in bass
• Chu will be a less fun sounding IEM while Aura Evo is on the fun side
• In terms of pricing,Aura Evo is slightly pricier but offers a more fun sounding IEM with better cable

Final Thoughts
Rose Technics has gotten it right again as it did previously with QT9 MK2S.I find the Aura Evo very enjoyable and in fact you can slightly tweak it's sound signature by tip rolling and i had a lot of fun with it.Sure,it will not beat those IEM which cost several times more than it and that is fair given its asking price.For the price it is asking for,you get a solid tuned IEM with solid build quality as well as gorgeous packaging.

I have no problem recommending this to anyone who's starting out their audio journey,heck,even seasoned audiophile will enjoy this i believe.








*Aura Evo is sent over by Kareena from @Linsoul Audio F.O.C in exchange for this review.I am not under any influenced nor do i receive any compensation for this review.

Head over to Linsouls's store via the link below to grab this pair if you are interested (Non Affiliated)






Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?me=A267P2DT104U3C&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER

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



Specifications

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

IEMs/Headphones/Equipments used for this review

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

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

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



Pairings
Letshuoer EJ07

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

Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM

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

Sony MV1

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

Comparison (Earmen ST-AMP)

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

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

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

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

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

Moondrop Quarks Review - Good performer under $15

Into

Moondrop is a brand that needs no further introduction among audiophiles.
Most of their recent releases are hot topics among audiophiles. Quarks is their latest model in the budget space. Let’s take a look at how it fares. The closest competitor of Quarks that i can think of is Tanchjim’s Tanya, although it is priced slightly higher



Packaging

The packaging of Quarks is very minimal. No “waifu” on the cover this time. Which is refreshing, as I'm not really a fan of it, though there are a lot of people who like them tho.

Opening up the box, you will see Quarks within the box, a pack of stock silicon tips, and a cloth carrying/storage case, also the manuals. That’s about it, pretty minimal nothing to be expected here given the price.


Build/Comfort

The build is average and it is to be expected at this price point. If you are expecting a better build, look elsewhere, don’t get me wrong, the build is not bad, you get what you paid for. I am not sure what the material of the cable is, it is quite tangle prone to me, and yeah it does look cheap, but functionality over form right?

Comfort wise, they are above average, and feel pretty weightless when they’re in my ears. No discomfort even after several hours. Comfort is A+ here! You can even fall asleep with them without any issue.



Source

Cayin N3 Pro (Solid State) -> Moondrop Quarks (stock eartips)
Foobar2k -> Jcally’s JA21 Dongle -> Moondrop Quarks (stock eartips)
Iphone11 -> Atom 2 Lightning Version -> Moondrop Quarks (stock eartips)


Sound

I’m not a fan of Tanya, don’t get me wrong, they’re not bad, it’s just not my preferred signature. They are dark and veiled, a little too warm to my taste. Putting on and listening to Quarks out of the box, I told myself this is it, this is my preferred signature, and I definitely like this more than Tanya. They’re energetic and fun to listen to. I am really surprised given the price. It definitely punches above its weight. I would describe the tonality here as neutral, paired well with a slight warm source, but definitely not something lean and bright such as CX-PRO 31993.

Bass

The bass of Quarks is punchy and the amount of punch is also decent. The bass’s texture is pretty good for the price. Sub bass extension is pretty good,it can be heard rather than felt, very evident in Why So Serious by Hans Zimmer at minute 3.55 onwards. Bass is well tuned and not being emphasized, bass head please look elsewhere, Quarks is not for you. If you like tight and controlled bass with just enough quantity to enjoy most of the songs, this is it.

Mids

The vocal presentation here is not too intimate nor forward, gives the feeling of slightly in front of your face. If you are a graph person, you will notice the peak at 3k, that will immediately signal you into thinking that, oh damn, it must be shouty as hell. Well, put it on, try it out, not shouty at all. NONE. Aggressive? Not at all, but your mileage might vary, as this is very subjective. It is not aggressive in terms of my own preference. Decent details for its price point.

Treble

The tuning of the treble is smooth and not aggressive. Just right to give enough sparkles and air at the top end. Nothing sibilant nor harsh can be heard here. I like to listen to jpop especially anime opening/ending songs to test the treble. Some tracks have very high pitched vocals and it can be quite harsh and sibilant if the treble is not well tuned. Fortunately, none of that can be heard from Quarks.


Soundstage/Imaging

Another track that I like to use to test out the soundstage/imaging is Toto’s Africa(Live) and Eagles’s Hotel California Live on MTV. First thing that i want to mention is, the source does affect the soundstage’s rendition, take Jcally’s JA21’s dongle for example, the soundstage feels pretty big to my ears. Moving on to Atom 2, the soundstage got smaller which gives the feeling of “in your head”. Soundstage of Quarks with N3 Pro is more or less similar as JA21.

Instruments separation and layering is not class leading, but you can definitely tell its limitation in Toto’s Africa Live on the ending part, where it sounded kinda mushy when many instruments started to play at the same thing. Quarks held up pretty well when the track is not so busy.


Comparison

Tanchjim’s Tanya
-Quark’s bass is leaner and sub bass extension is better compared to Tanya
-Tanya is dark and warm compared to Quarks. (Not really a bad thing, more of a personal preference)
-Warm mids and bass on Tanya,Quarks’s mids feels very crisp and engaging
-Quarks is more aggressive compared to Tanya
-I would say both are different in terms of sound signature, so in the end it all boils down to personal preference


Final Thoughts

My thoughts? If you don’t like Tanya, get this. If you like Tanya, don’t get this. If you got extra to spend, get it, the price is no brainer anyway. The performance of Quarks punches above its weight. This is not to say that it's out to kill your 1000$ IEM or Cans, no, nothing like that. It is a good sounding unit for the price it’s asking for. If you are a seasoned audiophile and you’re looking for a daily beater, this might be it. Or, if you are new to this audiophile thingy, grab a pair of this, and start looking from here onwards. Very good starter kit in my opinion.

If you’re looking to purchase Quarks, you may head to ShenZhen Audio’s website to purchase them. *Not affiliated.

*Once again, a big thanks to Cloris from ShenZhen Audio for sending me this unit in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. I am not affiliated nor do i gain any monetary benefit in writing this review.

Moondrop KATO Review



Intro

KATO has been teased several times in Moondrop’s facebook page. Featuring swappable nozzle and also new eartip designed specifically for it. Namely the Spring tip. I am very lucky to have received Kato for the purpose of review. Let’s find out if it is worthy to add into your collection.


Packaging

The packaging as usual has the Moondrop’s anime style boxing. I had to tore the box a little just to get the inner packaging out as it was so tight and I couldn't get it out. LOL.
Once you unbox the inner packaging, you are greeted with a very well presented packaging. An ear tip carrying case consists of the new Spring tip as well as foam tip. A carrying case, extra nozzle

The stock cable that comes bundled is a high purity copper silver plated cable in a 4 core stranded structure. The cable itself is very soft and doesn’t tangle easily despite it looking a little thicker than the usual cable

10/10 for the packaging




Build and Comfort

The unit that I received is a Mirror Finished unit. Fingerprint magnet for sure if you ask me, at the same time it is also a beauty to be looked at. There is also another unit with Matte finish if you prefer that.

Comfort wise, I have no issue with it as the size is just nice and fits my ears well. No hard edges protruding that causes discomfort. I wore them straight for 4-5 hours straight during my test and comfort and soundwise makes me don’t want to take them off!


Overall a 9/10 for build and comfort



Source

Foobar2k -> Audioquest DragonFly Red -> Moondrop KATO (Spring Tips+Stock Cable)
Cayin N3 Pro (Solid State) -> Moondrop KATO (Spring Tips+Stock Cable)


Specifications

Driver: 10mm-ULT dynamic driver
Diaphragm: the 3rd generation DLC composite diaphragm
Socket: 0.78-2Pin sunken design
Housing: MIM stainless steel
Nozzle: stainless steel *2, brass *2
Cable plug: 3.5mm stereo single-ended plug
Frequency response range: 10Hz-45kHz (IEC61094, Free Field)
Effective frequency response range: 20Hz-20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB)
Impedance: 32Ω±15% (@1KHz)
Sensitivity: 123dB/Nrms (@1KHz)
Distortion: < 0.15% (@1khz, AES17 20khz, A-weight)

Sound
*I listen to a wide range of songs thus I don't fixate on a single sound signature. I like whatever sounds good to my ears. F.Y.I, not a graph guy here. So if you are looking for objective measurements you may skip my review..

The tonality to my ears sounds neutral and warm. Overall presentation is very organic and smooth to listen to, they are very immersive, that is probably due to KATO’s deep soundstage. The timbre here sounds very natural and organic. Doesn’t sound harsh even at high volume for some JPop tracks. Out of the box, the bass is a little lean, after burning them in for a while and they are a lot punchier and tighter, everything started to smoothen up.

Bass

• The bass here is realistic, you will not be getting those boomy bass where it’s bloated and muddy
• Tight and punchy
• The quantity is just right, not too much that make it sound boomy nor muddy, basshead need to look elsewhere
• Sub bass presence can be felt on EDM tracks like Armin Van Buuren’s Ping Pong, but don’t expect it to be basshead level, it is adequate for you to enjoy the track. At least for me
• 9/10 for the bass presentation

Mids

• The vocal is very natural, not shouty at all
• Good amount of body and sufficient warmth to give that kind of smoothness to the overall presentation
• To my ears the mids are very well done in the sense it doesn’t give off any kind of harshness or any peak that i can heard/detect
• 9/10 for the mids as well

Treble

• Very smooth sounding
• Not harsh and no sibilance
• Good amount of details and micro details
• Very good treble extension as well
• Less energetic due to it being smooth in nature, not a concern for me as i preferred the overall smooth presentation
• Overall very smooth sounding and there’s nothing to complain about it
• 9/10 for the treble presentation

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is good, feels very wide and depth is not lacking, i have that kind of immersive feeling when listening to KATO
• Imaging is good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily
• HRTF experience is also very good. Doesn’t feel in your head kind, does have some 3D to it
• Instruments separation is also above average and you will not find them overlapping the instruments nor vocals
• 8/10 for soundstage and imaging

Driveability

• Very easy to drive, even off Apple’s lightning Dongle
• Benefit from good source
• Good synergy with AudioQuest’s DragonFly Red
• Doesn’t benefit much from more power as swapping over to a balanced SPC cable doesn’t seem to give a very audible difference in terms of dynamics. Stock single ended cable is good enough in my opinion

Comparison with Steel Nozzle vs Brass (We’ve Just Begun by Sinne Eeg)

• Bass response sounded more or less the same to my ears
• I do notice that the reverb effect is a little more pronounced on the Brass nozzle compared to the Steel nozzle, feels a little more 3D
• Brass sounded more open compared to Steel to my ears
• The difference is very minor but audible

Comparison with Tanchjim’s Hana 2021

• The reason for this comparison is because both of them are at similar price points.
• Hana 2021 sound a lot more energetic
• Hana 2021 can be a little too aggressive on high volume
• Slightly brighter than KATO
• Less body in the bass
• Treble is crisp and sparkly on the Hana
• Detail retrieval and imaging,both KATO and Hana is more or less the same to my ears
• Both are in the similar category, ultimately you need to look at which signature or tuning you are leaning to.

Final Thoughts

There are several contenders in the price bracket of KATO. I don’t have them all and I only managed to listen to Hana 2021 and compare it against KATO. My preference is leaning towards KATO due to it being so much smoother than Hana 2021. Hana 2021 has too much energy to my taste, at some tracks where it is supposed to be laid back but when i listened to it using Hana, the excessive energy was put off to me, where by KATO presented the song the way it is intended, laid back and smooth.

KATO managed to nail every genre that I threw at it, at least in my library which consist of metal, rock, jazz, classical music, ost, jpop etc etc. It definitely is an all rounder to me.

Many people kept asking if this is an upgrade over Aria or a sidegrade. I don’t have Aria with me anymore but based on my memory, KATO is way better than Aria in terms of detail retrieval, bass reproduction and soundstage and imaging.

A solid 4.5/5 from me. Highly recommended!




*A big thanks to ShenZhen Audio and Cloris for including me in this tour, if you are interested in getting the KATO. Do make sure to check out the store linked below:

SHENZHEN AUDIO
*Non affiliated

Soundmagic is quite well known for their bullet type IEM. There isn’t much promotion going on about their true wireless series. I was approached by Caliye from Soundmagic to give a review for T60BT.

I will be going straight to the point and say what’s good and bad about this product.

Design/Fit
Very minimalist and sleek design in my opinion. No issue with fit as they’re very lightweight.



Packaging
Fairly standard packaging with a set of eartips and charging cable.

Specifications
You may get it from Soundmagic’s official site HERE

Connection and Mic Quality
Having the bluetooth 5.2 chipset does help with the connection stability, i did not encounter any disconnection within reasonable range and clear line of sight, Your mileage might vary depending on the obstacles and interference.
Once pairing has been established, it gets connected very fast.

Battery life
Battery life is pretty standard,nothing exceptional or bad here. Single continuous usage at 4-5 hours. I managed to get 4 hours +- with 40% volume connected via AAC to my iPhone 12 Mini. It is able to recharge the earbud 4 times before needing to charge the case.

Sound
Impression based on AAC codec as i do not have an Android device to test, also i swapped out the stock eartips as i find them to sound a little too bright and bassy. This impression is done with JVC Spiral Dots eartips

• V shaped tuning with slight emphasis on both the low and highs
• Vocal is a little laid back
• Bass’s texture is a little lacking, feels a little thin
• Sub bass rumble is rather strong which is expected given the nature of the tuning, but it doesn’t really over power the mid bass
• Mid bass sounds tight and exhibited good control for the asking price
• Mids are slightly recessed in my opinion, not T60BT’s strong point
• No bass bleed which is pretty impressive (Tested on Slipknot’s Duality)
• Good amount of air to doesn’t sound dark
• Treble does feel a lacking in terms of note weight
• Detail retrieval is average its price range, which is fair

Soundstage/Imaging

• Imaging is average, it failed to perform at busy tracks
• Soundstage is also average, doesn’t sound too open or wide, but definitely doesn’t sound congested

Additional Features (Gaming Mode)

• Gaming mode, the delay is slightly lesser however it is still quite perceivable if you are playing shooting games and some action games
• I guess that is fair since on iphone it is only running on AAC, which i think is already doing a good job to significantly reduce the delay
• IP Ratings - Didn’t really get to test it out due to now being a warm season here in Malaysia
• Microphone works alright, voice can be heard clearly by the receiver, nothing much to shout out here
• Button control works fine over here, i'm not really a fan of buttons as when you click it, you will actually feel like the whole IEM is shoved into your ears when you are clicking the button for some command. Again, a matter of preference.

FInal Thoughts
Would I recommend this TWS? Why Not? Value wise, it is priced at 50.04$ at the time of writing with winter sale going on.

Well, based on the perspective in terms of sound, i would say this Soundmagic T60BT is better than a lot of generic branded TWS, they know what they’re doing as they’re an IEM maker whose sole purpose is to make IEMS that sound good and doesn’t break the bank.

T60BT definitely sound good without breaking the bank, however there are of course some shortcomings as well:

• On stock tips the bass might be too much for some
• Average accessories and eartips selection

If you guys are interested in getting the T60BT, head over to their Aliexpress store to grab one! Good sound does not mean you have to break the bank.
Soundmagic Aliexpress Store

*a big thanks to Caliay from Soundmagic for sending this over in order for me to test them out. I am not in any way compensated to produce a 100% positive review, I am free to express my thoughts and words. The link provided is not affiliated as well.

Audiosense DT200's Review

Intro

Audiosense is no stranger in the Chi-Fi scene. The T800 which is praised by many reviewers garnered a lot of positive feedback. This model that i’m going to review today is not a new model, it was released last year. I’ve had the AQ0, although the driver config is different compared to DT200, i kinda like the tuning of Audiosense, so let’s see.

DT200 is using two Knowles BA, one for handling the high, another one for the mid and low.




Specifications




Packaging

The unboxing experience is not not mind blowing or anything spectacular, but it came with a pelican like storage case, which is a plus point, two different types of silicon tips, and the cable and IEM itself. The storage case is what I like the most as it’s fairly big and you get plenty of space for other items as well.


Build/Comfort

Build quality wise, they are average i would say. They’ve got a nice faceplate and they do pay attention to details. Comfort wise, they are really top notch. Even after a few hours of listening session, no discomfort can be felt at all. With the right eartips, the noise isolation is very good, even at low volume, I can barely hear my surroundings, providing a noise cancellation kind of experience.




Source

Cayin N3 Pro (Tube - Ultra Linear) -> DT200 with Kotori Silicon Cable (With Audiosense S400 Tips)
Foobar2k -> E1DA 9038G3 -> DT200 with Kotori Silicon Cable (With Audiosense S400 Tips)

Sound

The overall presentation is smooth and organic. Very pleasant to listen to. I find it very smooth and there is nothing harsh coming from DT200. It is just smooth and very hard not to like it. (Personally speaking, your mileage might vary).

As you can see above where i pointed out i am doing this review in non stock form,i’m sure you’re curious in how it sounds in stock? Well, in stock form, it is quite good, i will be brief

• Bass is fast and tight, punchy and have good note weight
• Vocal is slightly pushed back, just slightly compared to when it’s paired with Kotori’s cable
• Treble and detail retrieval is average (better with Kotori’s cable but still nowhere near critical listening’s level)

Bass

As expected from a pure BA setup, bass extension is not DT200’s strong point. However, it does provide enough quantity for you to enjoy the music. The bass produced is fast, clean, controlled and tight. You can hear the sub bass, but definitely not the rumble that you’re used to produced by DD driver. Basshead will want to stay away. The bass reproduction is good enough for me.


Mids

Very smooth. Very very very smooth. I have to say it several times because it is by far the smoothest mid-range I've ever heard. There are some other pure BA setup where the mids are shouty at times. Billie Eilish’s vocal presentation literally gave me goosebumps when i'm listening to her new album via DT200. It is smooth and sounds very organic and not harsh at all. Switching to another track to try listening to male vocals, Born This Way cover by Orville Peck, the rendition is as stunning as female’s vocal. Very enjoyable. To me, this kind of vocal rendition is to die for.


Treble

Natural and nothing harsh. Buttery smooth. I do hope that the treble can be extended for a little bit, then it will give some air and sparkles on the top end, which I think will be very good if this can be achieved. As of now, it lacked some air and sparkles, hence this is what we perceive as being smooth, and there is nothing wrong or bad with that, its personal preference after all. For me, I like it with a little more air and sparkles.


Soundstage/Imaging

Soundstage is average in terms of width, however the depth and height are above average.
Imaging wise, instruments can be heard clearly where they’re coming from, on certain busy tracks, it can sound a little congested due to its soundstage’s width.


Driveability

DT200 is very easy to power, they can be driven straight off a smartphone and achieve listenable volume, however it does scale with better source of course. Amping is not required to get the best out of it.


Final Thoughts

Personally, I really liked DT200’s sound signature, i don’t get the wow factor when i first listen to them, but they kinda grow on me. The more I listen to them, the more I grow to like them. They’re just smooth and i find that they’re fairly neutral with a little, just a little bass boost. Not to mention the timbre is also very natural and I can't hear the metallic kind of timbre which can be heard on some pure BA setup.

It is not analytical, it is not fun, but to me, it does have that audiophile kind of tuning and it is very suitable for when you just want to pick it up and listen to music for as long as you want.
I listen to a wide range of genres except for EDM and Kpop, and DT200 is holding up pretty well.

Highly recommended for anyone who’s looking for a smooth listening session. Definitely not for bassheads.

*Bought this at subsidized price from Audiosense’s Shopee Store in Malaysia. Do check out their official store and follow them for any upcoming new release or promotion. Once again, a big thanks to Elaine for the opportunity.

Intro

Tronsmart’s Onyx Prime is a TWS that’s marketed as “Made for Audiophiles”. How? Well, it has got a dynamic driver and also a balanced armature in the earbuds. Let’s find out today if the sound is really as what Tronsmart claimed, for audiophiles.


Packaging

The packaging is pretty straight forward, nothing to expect at this price point.
A box consists of the IEM, eartips. Pretty straight forward and no BS. It came with several ear-fins. I will go into that in the next section.

Build and Comfort

The whole earbud is made out of plastic and there are no sharp edges or any protrusion that causes discomfort. The charging case is rather big, but given the size of the earbuds itself is not small, it is understandable as it also holds quite a number of additional hours.

Now, on to the ear-fin. Basically the ear-fin serves no purpose to me. I am on the largest size of the ear-fin but I still don't feel that it is hooking onto my ears. So i’m not entirely sure about the purpose of it here, also the stock tips don't seal quite well. I am using it with spinfit’s CP360.



Specifications





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 on music mode, but when you switch it over to gaming mode, the delay is still noticeable, but much better than when it’s on music mode, the slight delay is only noticeable when playing fast paced action game, on normal and simple game, the delay is close to none.
• VIdeo and movie’s audio is pretty much in sync with no noticeable delay/latency.

Tronsmart App Functionality

• You can switch mode between music and gaming in the app, also updating the firmware of the TWS
• However applying EQ seems like a painful process to me, i noticed that only one side of the earbud is applied with the EQ that i’ve chosen, and when you reconnect the TWS, the saved EQ seemed to revert back to the default EQ, that means you have to re-apply it every time when you reconnect the TWS, updated the firmware doesn’t seem to solve the issue as well

Audio Quality

Onyx Prime’s 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 it via Tronsmart’s app.
To my ears, the tuning is definitely nowhere near audiophile’s tuning. I would say it’s more of generic tuning rather than audiophile.

*This evaluation is done using the default preset

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
• Fairly good extension

Mids

• Vocal is lacking in terms of texture, slightly recessed
• Occasional bass bleed
• Definitely not the star of the show
• Timbre sounds a little on the cooler side

Treble

• Good treble extension thanks to the BA
• Average resolution

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

Battery Life Test

• Battery life is above average in this case
• Single usage is more or less the same as claimed by Tronsmart which is 7 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

Final Thoughts

Throughout the week that I've been using Onyx Prime, I find them to be very comfortable overall and soundwise, they offer a good enough sound for generic users. However, for the audiophiles, you may want to fiddle with the EQ for a little bit, it will somehow sound closer to audiophile tuning with some tweaks in the app.

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.

Also hoping that Tronsmart will release a firmware update that will fix the EQ saving issue.

A 4/5 judging from the value and performance it offers to generic users.
A 3.5/5 judging the sound itself from an audiophile’s perspective

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

If you’re interested you may head to the store below to get them. At the time of writing, it is priced at 69USD

General Info/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Akoustyx is an American based company which is based in San Jose, California and their products are all assembled in Nashville, which i personally think it's impressive as they handled everything from design, marketing, manufacturing all within the US itself without outsourcing it. The rationale behind this is to have a better control in terms of QC of the products I believe. Previously there wasn’t much discussion about Akoustyx within the audiophiles community (based on my observation), now the S6 is widely discussed as it is a planar driver, but mainly due to its size.

Build quality of the S6 is good, it consists of Titanium-Oxide coated lightweight aluminium-alloy and polycarbonate, thus making it durable and very light at the same time. It can be worn over the ear or straight down, personally i prefer it to be over the ear as it minimises the microphonic that the cable produced, the supplied ear fin keeps the S6 firmly on your ear, i have tried to move my head vigorously but the S6 remained in place in my ears, fit wise, it really is very good. No complaints about it.

Packaging is rather minimal and straight forward, it came with a sturdy storage case, various sizes of ear fins and ear tips, a high quality Titanium Kevlar mono crystalline OFC cable.

Gears used for this review

• Akoustyx S6 with stock cable and stock eartips with M sized Ear Fin
• Topping DX1 + Topping NX7
• Earmen Angel Dac Amp
• Sony Walkman ZX300 with MrWalkman’s Firmware
• iPod Touch 5th Gen
• Macbook Air M2’s 3.5mm port

Sound Impression
The S6's sound profile is more V shaped to my ears and there aren't any peaks or gains as far as my ears can tell. The tonality is slightly bright with sufficient texture so that it doesn’t sound thin. This set is not for basshead in my opinion and those whose preferred target is the harman curve. Technicalities of S6 are no slouch and the timbre is rather natural for a Planar, there is a slight tinge of planar timbre if you try really hard to look for it, else it is discernible. Let’s take a look at the breakdown below:

Bass

• As many would have expected from a Planar driver, the bass is speedy and good control, and it is impressive especially if you consider the size of the planar driver
• If you’re expecting S6 to rumble like there’s no tomorrow, you may wanna look at some other options. Sub bass rumble is there when the track calls for it, but nowhere near basshead level kind of rumble
• Mid bass is punchy and has enough speed to handle tracks like Metallica’s Lux Aerterna, Slipknot’s People = crap!
• Doesn’t bleed into the mids for sure

Mids

• Mid range is slightly recessed as expected from a v shaped tuning, but not overly recessed to the point where it’s bad
• Vocal is slightly recessed but textures are good
• Male vocal is a little lacking in terms of texture, however, female vocal sounds sweet and lively
• Pinna gain/upper mids is rather standard and nowhere near shouty, it also contributes to female vocal giving it a little extra energy and vividness to my ears

Treble

• Treble is energetic but not offensive, it also has a good amount of details
• Good amount of air and busy track doesn’t sound congested at all
• Nothing much to write home about the treble as it is nicely done and never once i felt that it was sibilant
• Detail retrieval is good for the asking price

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is average, not too wide nor sounds big, good enough and it gets the job done. Average width, height and depth
• Imaging is good with the amount of air, the track doesn’t sound congested and instruments can be pinpointed easily, layering can be better though, just nitpicking

Driveability

• S6 is very easy to drive, it will get reasonably loud even with an Apple Dongle or straight out of 3.5mm from your phone
• However, it does scale with better source as well as more power
• Due to its slight emphasis on the high region, i personally find it to synergise well with slight warm source and also copper cable

Comparison (Dunu Talos - Planar only mode)

• Build quality of both are good and fit wise, S6 definitely pulls itself ahead
• In terms of sound profile, Talos is more on laidback listening, rather neutral, which S6 is more on fun sounding and slightly energetic listening experience
• In terms of technicalities, both are more or less on par, more than that its just nitpicking and self preference in my opinion

Final Thoughts
S6 is a very good IEM in my opinion and it definitely deserves some attention from the audiophile community, with the invasion of Chi-Fi planars, it is good to see an American branded planar driver IEM at an attractive price which has good sound and also good technicalities. The S6 has gained its traction within the audiophile community and it can be seen being discussed among various groups on Facebook. I can’t wait to see what Akoustyx has in store for the next release. I will not hesitate to recommend the S6 to anyone who’s looking for a set of fun sounding IEM.



*S6 is sent to me from Akoustyx in exchange for this review. I thank them for the opportunity given.

If you’re interested in getting a pair, head over to Akoustyx’s store to get a pair now, at the time of writing, it is currently on a sale price of 175$
Akoustyx S6 - Non Affiliated Link

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
HarmonicDyne is a brand where it needs no introduction within the audiophile community. They have various products under their portfolio and i have the Zeus Elite with me today, which is one of the recent releases from the brand. It is dynamic driver headphone which sports quite a big dynamic driver which supposedly will help with the sonic performance.
Build quality is very solid overall, the headband provides sufficient cushioning for my head, earpads are rather soft and comfortable for long sessions.
The packaging for Zeus Elite is rather unique as it is my first time seeing headphones packaged in such a manner. The Zeus Elite is stored in a briefcase like storage case, within the case, you will find two high quality dual 3.5mm cable, one is terminated to 4.4, and another is XLR, which is not an issue for me as i will be using balanced 4.4 most of the time, those who are using single ended might have to source for 3rd party cable.

Gears used for this review

• Earmen Tradutto -> Earmen CH-Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Colorfly CDA-M1P
• Hiby R6 II
• HarmonicDyne Zeus Elite Stock cable 4.4

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
Being an open backed headphone, the Zeus Elite is quite open sounding and has a fairly good soundstage in terms of width, height, and depth perception. Tonality wise, Zeus Elite is slightly warm with good enough treble performance.

Bass

• Sub bass is slightly rolled off but it still has some rumble when the track calls for it
• Mid bass has some slight emphasis here and the bass is very punchy and has good body to it
• The speed is good, listening to Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, Slipknot’s People=crap!, during the speed drumming session, the bass doesn’t sound bloated, it also doesn’t bleed into the mids

Mids

• The mids are somewhat lacking in terms of resolution, yet it is not overly recessed nor very in your face
• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures to them, they both sounded very full and not dull at all
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not certainly not shouty
• Details in this range are good enough for the asking price

Treble

• The treble has enough energy yet it is smooth at the same time, certainly not dark
• Detail retrieval is quite good, micro details can be picked up easily
• The treble performance is safe overall, never sibilant nor has any weird peaks

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is quite good, it has that out of your head experience, depth and height perception is quite good, not exceptional, but not bad either
• Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from
• Good layering and separation

Driveability

• Zeus Elite is very easy to drive,doesn’t require a lot of power to perform at its best, but it does scale well with sources and amplification, when fed with more power, bass seems to sound tighter and exhibited better control
• Dongles released recently will power the Zeus Elite just fine, but not to its maximum performance

Comparison (Sundara)

• Sundara sounds more technical compared to Zeus Elite
• Neutral bright in terms of tuning
• A lot harder to drive and demands more power in order to perform at its best
• Bass is tighter and has better speed
• Mid range is very detailed
• A little bit more energy on the treble
• Soundstage is slightly narrower
• Build quality is rather cheap compared to Zeus Elite

Final Thoughts
Overall, the Zeus Elite is quite a well performing headphone, with good enough technicalities for the asking price, and a smooth frequency range which doesn’t have any spikes on the top end makes for a good laid back listening session. I’m definitely recommending this if you are not looking for a critical listening session, else you might have to look for some other options available in the market.

*EDIT:
At the sale price of 322.15$ currently, instead of the usual 379$

*The HarmonicDyne Zeus Elite was sent over by Linsoul 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 322.15$ sale price instead of the usual 379$

HarmonicDyne Zeus Elite - Non affiliated

General/Packaging/Build/Comfort
7Hz is back with another banger collab with Crinacle. This time, we have the Zero:2, which is an improved version of the OG Zero that was released last year. Some are happy with the OG Zero, some aren’t, so 7Hz collected the feedback and here we have the Zero:2, featuring a new driver for improved bass and mid range, not to mention a better cable that’s similar to 7Hz’s Sonus. Packaging is similar to the OG Zero, the same goes for the bundled eartips, candy coloured ranging from wide to narrow bore, the shape and the build is also similar as to the OG Zero, except the Zero:2 has slight translucent for the colour that i’m reviewing, the silver and blue colour is transparent, i don’t have any fitting issue as with the OG Zero, hence the Zero:2 fits me just fine, but some might find the nozzle length a bit too short, tip rolling may help with this, i am using the Dunu S&S eartip for a better seal and insertion depth.

Gears used for this review

• Earmen Colibri
• Earmen Tradutto -> Earmen CH-Amp
• Hiby R6 2020
• Colorfly CDA-M1P
• Zero:2 Stock Cable with Dunu S&S Eartip

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

Sound Impression
Zero:2 is a lot more fun sounding compared to OG Zero. Many complained that the OG Zero lacked bass, there you have it, Zero:2, some complained that the highs are a little too much, Zero:2. The driver within Zero:2 is completely new and different from OG Zero, hence, making this tuning possible. The timbre sounds natural to my ears and has very good note weight overall.

Bass

• Bass quality is good on the Zero:2 and has adequate quantity for me
• The sub bass does rumble when it’s called for but nowhere near basshead territory
• Mid bass has good slam and punch to it and it is really commendable for its price point
• Good texture and speed as it is evident on tracks like Slipknot’s People = crap, it’s keeping up and doesn’t sound muddy at all, it doesn’t even bleed into the mids

Mids

• The mids has good note weight to me when listening to Imperial March by Wiener Philharmoniker, John Williams
• Vocal positioning is slightly recessed but not to the point where it is v-shaped kind of recess
• Both male and female vocal has pleasant texture and weight to the vocals, they’re not thin sounding
• Upper mids are safe and no where near shouty

Treble

• Treble has got enough energy and never harsh nor sibilant, very smooth overall but certainly not dark
• Good amount of air and extension which is quite rare for the price point
• Nothing much to comment here as the implementation is generally good
• Something’s got to give right? Well, detail retrieval is average i would say, not really a con but rather nitpicking

Soundstage/Imaging
Soundstage is slightly out of your head, good depth and height for the asking price.
Imaging is good with the ability to pinpoint instruments easily



Driveability
Zero:2 is easy to drive but of course when you feed it with a better source, it does perform better. Majority of the dongle will be sufficient to provide a decent experience on the Zero:2.

Comparison (OG Zero)

• Less bass quantity and a little bit lacking in terms of punch and impact, Zero:2 does this better in terms of quality and quantity
• Treble has got more energy compared to Zero:2, not exactly a good or bad thing but this is down to personal preference
• OG Zero sounds a little bit lacking in terms of note weight due to the lows
• Slightly smaller soundstage compared to Zero:2
• Overall, my interpretation will be OG Zero will sound cleaner/a little bit technical whereas Zero:2 will sound more fun

Final Thoughts
Not gonna say much but if someone asks me if they should get Zero:2 as their first starter IEM? I’m more than happy to tell them yes, even seasoned audiophiles will like this I'm sure. I for one like them, I take em out and just put them on with my DAP and listen to music without caring much for technicalities or seeking to hear every single detail in that particular track. It is just something that I wear and I listen to music and completely indulge myself into it. An easy rec for Zero:2 in terms of sound and high price performance ratio.

*Zero:2 is sent to me from Linsoul in exchange for this review. I am in no way under any influence nor do I receive any monetary compensation for this review. All thoughts are of my own.

Head over to their store to purchase one if you are interested
7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 - Non affiliated

Truthear Zero X Crinacle Review



General Information (Build/Packaging/Comfort)
Truthear Zero is a collaboration between Truthear and Crinacle. It is a dual dynamic driver config where one dynamic driver is acting as a dedicated woofer handling mainly the sub bass while the main driver handles the rest of the frequency range.

Zero 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.



Source
Macbook Air M2 Tidal/Apple Music -> iFi iDSD Nano Black Lable -> Truthear Zero
Macbook Air M2 Tidal/Apple Music -> Truthear Zero (Straight from MBA’s audio jack)
Tempotec V6 (Tidal/Apple Music/Offline Musics) -> Truthear Zero



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? My experience with Zero is fairly positive, while i’m not a basshead, i do enjoy the rumble from the sub bass and it is so much fun, as for the rest of the freq, they are what you would have already expected from a Harman’s tuning. Rather safe and non offensive. Smooth and easy to listen to. While the sub bass is the main highlight of Zero, the mid bass at times lacks a little impact especially on kick drums, but they’re not that bad.

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. 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, it is a 50$ IEM 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 is easy to drive and it can even be driven by an Apple Dongle and have decent volume output from it. However, it does scale up with better sources. To my ears, they don't sound that different when amping it.

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 is more on fun, to me, the target audience is different.

Final Thoughts
I don’t have any problem recommending Zero 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.

*As always, quick shoutout to @shenzhenaudio for sending over this unit in exchange for the review.
Head over to their store to grab the unit if you are interested
Truthear Zero X Crinacle

General Info (Build/Comfort/Packaging)
KBear is on some frenzy mode hitting the market IEM after IEM, i have the Ormosia with me and it is a hybrid config which sports 1 dd and 1 ba, except they are using mmcx this time instead of 2 pin. I personally have no issue with mmcx as I have never broken any or have one failed on me before. The fitting is very comfortable to me, it feels like an earbud/in ear hybrid (comfort of earbud and fitting of in ear monitor) and fit snugly on my ears, i did not feel any discomfort over the period when i was using them.

As for the packaging, you would probably know by now if you owned KBear/TRI’s product at this price point, premium looking and decent bundled accessories, except for the cable which i had higher expectations of but kinda disappointed by it. Not really a deal breaker as I have other mmcx cables, but i do hope they include a better one especially at this price point.



Source
Macbook Air M2 Tidal/Apple Music -> iFi iDSD Nano Black Label -> Ormosia
Macbook Air M2 Tidal/Apple Music -> Ormosia (Straight from MBA’s audio jack)
Tempotec V6 (Tidal/Apple Music/Offline Musics) -> Ormosia


Sound
To my ears, Ormosia sounds a little U shaped, hence there will be some slight recession on the mids, in terms of tonality, they are slightly warm with good enough note weight and texture. They are certainly not for basshead. I do notice a slight BA timbre, but not so much that it will ruin your experience.

The sub bass does its job when it’s called for, average quantity but having good control. The mid bass is slightly prominent and produces more thump and gives the perception of more impact. Speed and control is good, it does well on metal tracks but occasionally it will bleed into the mids, but not to the point where it starts to bother you. Negligible, but if you feed it with a little power, it has got more control and the speed is a little faster, hence it doesn’t bleed into the mids.

As for the mids, as mentioned earlier being a u shaped sounding iem, there is a slight recess to it but it is still lush sounding and has decent texture to it, both male and female vocal sounds good and have good texture, never once i find them thin sounding at all.

Treble is smooth and never harsh. Nothing much to say about this, pleasant to listen to.

Soundstage is good, slightly out of your head but nothing too much, lacking a little height and depth but other than that, it’s good for the price. Imaging is average, it suffers a little on complex tracks such as Slipknot’s People = crap, but other than that, it will do just fine.


Driveability
Very easy to drive and does benefit a little from amping to have a better control on the bass and speed, but other than that, it will do just fine on almost any source.

Final Thoughts
So where does Ormosia stand in such a competitive market? I believe every product released by any company does have a specific target audience. For Ormosia, I believe it is for those who are looking for a set that’s warm and musical and with good enough technicalities, definitely not for a purist. If you are looking for a neutral set and seeking to hear every detail in the track, Ormosia is not for you.

*Ormosia is sent over by KBEAR F.O.C in exchange for my review. I received no monetary compensation nor am I under any influence to produce this review.

If you are interested in purchasing a set, head over to KBEAR’s store to get one
KBear Ormosia - Non Affiliated