Intro
Thinksound’s OV21 is a closed back over ear headphone, the outer part of the cup is made of wood and within it houses a 45mm dynamic driver. As a whole, thinksound is a company who cares about good sound and also sustainability, the plastics on the headphone are made of bioplastics with Eastmen Treva.

Packaging
The packaging is bare minimal as I believe this is due to sustainability. It came with two types of cable, one with a microphone and another one without. A cloth storage pouch for the cables and also the headphone itself. The overall packaging I would describe as being simple and clean, yet functional.
Personally i preferred if it comes with a hard carrying case to store the headphone as it offers more protection than a cloth storage pouch

Build/Comfort
Build quality of OV21 is solid and there isn’t any creaking sound from the plastics nor it looks flimsy at all. As mentioned earlier, the outer part of the cup is made of wood and what’s special about it is that not every pair of OV21 will look the same due to pattern and colour variation from the wood.

The clamping force is average and fits snuggly on my head, the earpads are memory foam earpads and it is very soft and doesn’t cause any discomfort even after a long listening session. Getting a good seal is also crucial for the bass response. The earpads are easily replaceable as they are attached using some magnetic pad. However, I have also spoken to thinksound’s rep on the possibility of using a third party earpad, as long as the measurement is suitable for OV21, there shouldn't be any issue fitting it. I will update this section once they get back to me with the measurements.

Source
Windows 11 Tidal -> Chord Mojo -> Thinksound OV21
Windows 11 Tidal -> iFi iDSD Nano Black Lable -> Thinksound OV21
iPod Touch 4th Gen -> Thinksound OV21
iPhone 12 Mini Apple Music -> Apple Lightning Dongle -> Thinksound OV21

Sound
Let me begin by saying that upon putting them on and listening to them for the first time, I didn't like it at all. It was bright and the bass was lean, and so I've decided to let them burn in for a little while before listening to them again. To my surprise, the sound does change over time and the brightness is slightly toned down and the bass has got more slams compared to the first listen. So, I've put them through for about 50-60 hours and used them for a month plus prior to writing this review. This is to ensure that my impression/thoughts are as neutral as possible.

OV21 is quite neutral to my ears. The tonality of OV21 is leaning towards neutral bright.
The timbre is slightly dry to my preference, but is quite accurate overall. I find OV21 to be quite sensitive to source change, in the sense where the sound can be colored by different source, for example, on my iPod Touch 4th Gen, the bass on the OV21 is slightly boosted and the top end is slightly smoother, where as on iFi iDSD Nano Black Label, i would say it is slightly reference sounding with a fast and tight bass and plenty of details on the top end.

Bass

• Bass on the OV21 is fast and tight, do not expect basshead level of bass performance, OV21 is nothing like that
• Sub bass will rumble when its called for, but it is lacking in extension
• The bass performance of OV21 is very good for songs like Metallica’s Master of Puppets, Slipknot’s Duality, Mastodon’s Pushing the Tides where the bass is fast enough to not cause the track to be become muddy
• I personally preferred the bass to have a little bit more in terms of quantity, but that’s just my preference
• Overall, i would say the bass performance is audiophile kind of bass response where it is not boosted but rather flat

Mids

• Male vocal has got average texture to it, not too dry sounding
• Female vocal lacks a little warmth hence sounding a little bit dry, but not to the point where it deters you from enjoying female vocal track
• It could be from the slightly boosted upper mids, you get plenty of details but some instruments could came off a little fatiguing such as cymbal splash

Treble

• Treble response is smooth and not harsh
• It is very airy and its full of details, i personally think that this is the strong point of OV21
• Micro details are very good and you don’t really have to try very hard to listen to the sound of certain faint instruments

Soundstage/imaging

• The soundstage is also part of OV21’s strong point. For a closed back headphone, it definitely doesn’t sound like one given the soundstage performance
• The soundstage has got a good depth and width, it doesn’t sound in your head nor too artificially wide
• Imaging is also good as instruments can be pinpointed easily and left right transition for HRTF is also very good

Drivability

• OV21 is very easy to drive, you can get good listening volume straight out of headphone jack from your phone
• It does benefit from a better source, a warmer source in particular to slightly tame the top end for those who are sensitive to treble
• Straight out of 4th gen iPod touch gives a very good listening experience as well, you can get a good listening experience from any device in my experience
• It doesn’t really benefit much from amping based on my experience, the sound doesn’t really change much

Final Thoughts
OV21 is not some headphone where you first listened and you get the “WOW” moment, it is a headphone that you will grow to love over time, at least for me. As mentioned earlier, I didn't like it at all upon listening to it after I unboxed it.

I believe I am fair and have used this headphone for more than a month plus prior to writing this review instead of writing the review one week after listening to it. If I had written the review back then, it wouldn’t be fair to OV21 as I didn't give them a proper listening session. The timbre is good and natural, not to mention the soundstage and imaging capability. The only thing that I find lacking is the bass.

Will I recommend OV21? Yes, and only if you are someone who is not sensitive to treble and not a basshead, if you like analytical sound and flat bass, OV21 is for you.

If you are interested in getting a pair, head over to thinksound’s store!

*I received OV21 from thinksound in exchange for my review, i covered the shipping and taxes only. My thoughts are exactly of mine and I am not influenced by thinksound in any way to produce this review.

*Pictures will be attached on my website

Tanchjim OLA's Review



Intro
I don’t think anybody needs an introduction of who Tanchjim is. Their infamous Oxygen is a highly touted model in the audiophile community and reviewers. Tanchjim is back again however they are targeting the “budget friendly” range with OLA, featuring DMT4 Dynamic Driver and tuned by Asano Tanch

Packaging
Tanchjim’s packaging shares similar packaging styles across their models. From TWS Echo, to Hana and OLA, they are quite similar and share similar unboxing experience. Overall I liked the packaging style, very premium looking. Two sets of eartips (Bass and Treble) and also a storage pouch is included for storing OLA. The bundled cable is not bad in my opinion for a stock cable.


Build/Comfort
The shell cover of OLA is made from aluminium and the shell itself i believe is made of plastic. It does look a little cheap, however, it is very light and once you are wearing it, you won’t feel like there’s anything on your ear.

However, the tricky part is to get the fit right, to do so, i’ve decided to cut off the earhook on the cable, and it is so much better and fit very well with stock tips



Source
Win 10 Foobar2k -> ifi iDSD Nano Black Label(IEMatch) -> Tanchjim OLA
Ibasso DX160 -> Tanchjim OLA
Iphone 12 Mini -> Apple’s Lightning Dongle -> Tanchjim OLA
iPod Touch 4th Gen -> Tanchjim OLA


Sound
I would describe the sound signature of OLA as neutral and slightly bright. OLA is extremely sensitive to fitting, in fact it can make or break the sound that you’re hearing from it. Poor fit results in lean/non-existence sub bass rumble, good fit exhibits good bass control and sufficient rumble from sub bass when it’s called for. Being neutral and leaning towards the brighter end of the spectrum, it’s best to pair OLA with a slightly warm source for a good musical experience or neutral source if you prefer it uncolored.

The timbre sounded natural to my ears and I would say they are quite source sensitive as well due to it sounding fairly neutral, so any sorts of coloration from the source can be picked up easily. So, just to reiterate, my impressions written here are solely based on my setup, and so your mileage might vary depending on your very own setup. I will try my best to describe the sound from OLA as accurately as I can.


Bass (Fit and Seal is very important)

• As I mentioned in the header, it is very crucial to get a good seal and fit in order to get the intended bass response, poor seal and loose fit will results in what most people would describe it as lean bass/no sub bass rumble
• Once a proper seal and fit has been established, the bass is actually very good and the sub bass does rumble when its called for
• Bass is tight and fast, quite punchy with good slams
• Doesn’t bleed into the mids
• Not bloated and has got good texture to it, however, i would prefer it to sound a little warmer just so it will make the note feels thicker

Mids

• Vocals are forward but not intimidating in any away
• Female vocal is the star of the show here, very full sounding and pleasant to listen to, for example, Lady Gaga’s Shallow, Adele’s To be Loved
• Male vocal sounded a little crisp to my ears and not as full as female’s vocal, a track that i listened to exhibited this trait, King Gnu’s Ichizu
• Lower to upper mids transition is good as there isn’t any specific peak that i can pick up

Treble

• It can get a little hot for some who’s sensitive to treble when the volume is cranked
• Detail retrieval is excellent for its price point without sounding overly analytical
• The cymbal splash feels a little highlighted but its not fatiguing
• To my ears, i find the OLA to have a good amount of air
• The treble response is slightly emphasised, however it is not fatiguing(at least for me, some folks who are sensitive to treble might find it a bit too hot)
• This frequency range is my fav part of OLA (Subjective)

Soundstage/Imaging

• Being tuned following the HRTF curve, the soundstage is one would expect from, big soundstage and very holographic sounding, not overly done to the point where it feels artificial
• Good width and depth
• Good layering between instruments,it doesn’t feel like one is trying to drown/over-power the other instruments
• Imaging is very good especially at this price point, instruments can be pinpointed easily and left right channel transition is very clear
• Instruments separation is also excellent

Driveability

• Easy to drive, you can easily get a listenable volume level straight out of a phone’s jack
• Doesn’t need amping to sound good, but scales very well with it

Final Thoughts
Prior to receiving my unit and having seen some graphs published by other reviewers, I was afraid I might not like it as the treble seemed hot, but when I received them and gave them a go, it was actually not bad and not harsh at all. At 39.99$ at the time of writing, I personally think that it has got a high price performance ratio.

Very good technicalities for its price point and i have not heard other IEM at such price point that offers similar technicalities, i have seen some comparing it against HZ’s Sound Mirror, i have not heard that before so i can’t comment, from what i had in my stash, it is very good.
An easy 4/5 stars from me
(Do take into consideration that what i mentioned in this review is based on how i hear it via my own setup,YMMV
However, rest assured that you will still be getting a good sound out of Ola even if you don’t share the same source as i have)

*A big thanks to ShenzenAudio as always for sending over the unit in exchange for this review. My thoughts are not influenced by them in any way despite receiving the unit f.o.c

If you are interested in getting one, head over to their site via the link below:
Tanchjim OLA *Non-affiliated

Thinksound in20 Review - Long Term Review


Intro
For those who are not aware of who thinksound is,a snippet from thinksound’s website will probably give you an idea of who they are and why sustainability.
“thinksound began in 2009 with one mission: help people hear music the way it's meant to be heard. Founder and industry-leading audio engineer, Aaron Fournier, dedicated himself to creating audio products that truly respect the art and craft of music professionals. He wanted every thinksound product to sound amazing, look good, feel comfortable, be priced fairly and produced responsibly.

Not a lot has changed since then. We're still relentless about achieving our mission and you can still count on us to develop new and better ways to bring our signature sound to your ears. "Good enough" just doesn't cut it for us and, honestly, it shouldn't for you either. So the next time you're shopping for personal or home audio, start with the sound.”

Packaging
In20 came in rather simple packaging, a small paper box containing all the essentials, eartips, foam tips, a cloth type earphone storage pouch, and in20 itself. Given being sustainable is one of their missions, this is totally understandable.

Build/Comfort
The housing of in20 is part aluminium and part walnut housing to give a distinctive sound to its character. Overall it is very light and very comfortable to wear for long listening sessions.
I prefer to use it with smaller eartips and insert deeper into my ear canal(I will explain why in the sound section).



Source
Ibasso DX160 -> in20
Foobar 2k -> Sony PHA-2A -> in20
Iphone 12 Mini -> Apple Lightning Dongle -> in20

Sound
I am using S sized eartips for deeper insertion. Why? Well, on medium sized eartips, i find in20’s mid bass is too much to my taste and it seems to over power everything and too much warmth. This is solely my experience and everyone’s ear canal is different so your mileage might vary, for me S size and deep insertion works for me, so be sure to try various size to see which one suits you the most.

Back to the sound, in20 is warm and v shaped sounding to my ears. It is generally a very enjoyable pair of earphones to listen to. Laid back, fun sounding and it has got a unique sounding timbre to it, possibly something to do with the walnut housing.

Bass

• In20 definitely doesn’t lack bass quantity, however, the bass is not some low quality bass where it sounds bloated and muddy. Bass is generally fast enough and have good slams to it
• Sub-bass is also emphasised to my ears, however the quantity is tuned to give a certain level of “fun”, it's not bass head kind of bass i would say
• Bass doesn’t bleed into the mids

Mids

• I would start by describing the mids as lush and thick. It is warm and smooth, very analog sounding to me
• It has got a unique sounding timbre to it, not sure how to put it into words, but it’s definitely something to do with the walnut housing of it
• Vocal sounded a little recess given in20 bearing a v-shaped tuning
• Male and female vocal has a good body to it, doesn’t sound lean and dry

Treble

• The treble on in20 is smooth and not at all sounded emphasized, it is not harsh nor anywhere near the level of being sibilant
• Good amount of details in this range
• Cymbal sounds a little muted, not as energetic as it intend to sound
• Smooth sounding in general

Soundstage/Imaging
Soundstage on in20 is big, doesn’t feel like the music only plays in your head but it kind of expands more, wide but slightly lacking in terms of depth. Imaging is very good, the instruments can be pinpointed accurately and separation is also very good, on some busy track like Slipknot’s duality, all the instruments are well layered and doesn’t sound like they are attempting to overpower each other.

Driveability and Amping
In20 is very easy to drive, it can be driven even off a smartphone with acceptable listening volume. However it does scale with better source of course, cleaner sounding and more controls on all three frequency ranges.

Hooking in20 into my portable class A amp, in20 sounded completely different. The bass is a lot more controlled and tighter. A lot more details are being revealed on the top end as well, It is a completely different beast when amped.

Final Thoughts
So, who should get in20? Let me put it this way, in20 is not a set intended for critical listening and I believe thinksound never marketed it as such a set. In20 in general is a laid back and fun sounding earphone where you just put them on and enjoy your music.

There are some genres where they really excel at due to their tuning and tonality, oldies in particular, at least to me, i enjoyed listening to Leonard Cohen, Elvis, and Marvin Gaye’s classic track on it; it's just so immersive. One genre where I personally think it doesn’t excel at is Metal due to the bass being slightly slower and causing the bass to sound a little boomy.

Judging by the sound itself, in20 is worth 4/5, if the price can be brought down a little lower, i believe it will do well in terms of sales. At 149$, the price is indeed a little steep to some.
The purchase link for in20 as follows if you are interested in purchasing a pair for yourself. Show them some support as it is a small company which produces good quality products.
Thinksound in20

*I received in20 from thinksound in exchange for this review. I only covered the shipping cost and custom duties. However my opinions and review are not influenced by thinksound in any way. Many thanks to Mark for arranging this.

Effect Audio Axiom’s Review - Tweaker's Delight

Intro
Effect Audio is no stranger to the audiophile community, they are a very well known cable making company. Yes, you heard me right, cable makers. So, is this their first IEM? No, they released several TOTL IEMs previously but most are collaborations, Axiom is the only one where it’s fully developed by EA. What’s interesting about Axiom is that it features a modular unit where you can swap out(depending on availability from EA),each modular unit sounds different.




Packaging
It’s no surprise that the packaging came in a very simple package as Axiom is being marketed with sustainable features. The packaging is bare minimum and very minimalist in my opinion. Unboxing the package, you will then find the cardboard box housing the Axiom as well as additional modular unit with mmcx socket, not to mention a very nice and fragrant smelling tea bag underneath it.

Axiom does not ship with a cable despite bearing a price tag of 1499$. Why? The reasoning behind this is again down to sustainability where EA believes that for people who are looking to purchase Axiom, they already have a few cables lying around, be it from EA or other manufacturers.


Specifications
Driver system: 2-way BA-DD hybrid
Drivers: 12mm magnesium dynamic driver with LCP suspension (bass, mids),
twinned FK-series Knowles Balanced armatures (high frequencies)
Linear Frequency response (-6dB): 20 to 16,800 Hz
Crossover frequency: 4,800 Hz
Crossover architecture: Proprietary RC architecture
Impedance: 32Ω @ 1 kHz
Sensitivity: 112 dB/mW @ 1 KHz
Weight (without cable): 10.2 g
MU System Modules:MMCX and CIEM (2-Pin)

Build and Comfort
Axiom is very well built and despite the shell size looking a little big, it doesn’t feel heavy wearing it and I can use it for hours without any discomfort. The faceplate of Axiom features a jade like material, I’m not exactly sure what it is called but it certainly looks very polished and classy.

I have no problem with the fitting, however it might pose a problem for some due to its short nozzle. The stock EPro ear tips works well for me in terms of fit, however it does get a little wobbly after some time and I had to re-adjust it, so I settled with Azla’s Sednaearfit Light in order to get the best fit and seal.



Source
Foobar 2k -> IFi idsd Nano Black Label -> EA Axiom with EA’s Thor 2 Plus 4.4 Terminated(With adapter to SE)
Ibasso DX160 -> EA Axiom with EA’s Thor 2 Plus 4.4 Bal
iPhone 12 Mini -> Apple’s Lightning Dongle -> EA Axiom with EA’s Thor 2 Plus 4.4 Terminated(With adapter to SE)

Sound (Silver Module with Thor II Plus cable)
Upon first listen with Axiom, I am overwhelmed by the sheer musicality that it immersed me with. The bass is big yet it doesn’t sound muddy and bloated. I have tried the black module as well and i preferred the silver one over the black module as i find the upper mids has got more body and also slightly smoother top end compared to the black module, bass is slightly toned down which is my kind of preference as i find the black module’s bass a bit too much to my taste.

The timbre sounds accurate to my ears and I don't hear any BA timbre despite sporting two BAs. Tonality wise, i would say it is leaning towards slightly warm side

Bass

• Bass is generous in terms of quantity but quality is no slouch either
• Bass is punchy and the slams are good, very good control and tight
• Very good extension and transition as well
• Listening to The Weeknd’s Gasoline, Axiom reproduced the thump of the opening beat in a very smooth way, the bass doesn’t over power any other frequency nor the vocal
• Sub bass rumbles when it is called for, it’s not basshead level of rumble, i would say just nice in terms of quantity for music enjoyment. This is evident in a Jpop track, SiM’s The Rumbling(Attack on TItan’s Opening), the sub bass rumble throughout the track and doesn’t even over power other frequency like the mids and treble, very very good control
• The bass has got a very good texture and weight overall, it is fast enough on busy tracks to not let the whole song sound muddy

Mids

• The mids to my ears are very lush and detailed, listening to Sinne Eng’s We’ve Just Begun is just amazing. The trumpets, piano, saxophones which fell into the mids has got a very good texture and note weight to each of them
• Female vocal has got a very good texture and it sounded very pleasant overall
• Male vocal has got equally good texture as the female’s as well
• There isn’t any bass bleeding into the mids as far as i can tell even on busy tracks like Slipknot’s Duality
• I do find the vocal is slightly recessed

Treble

• The treble on the Axiom is smooth and the air and sparkles are just nice (To my taste)
• It is smooth and non fatiguing, definitely nowhere near sibilant level
• Detail retrieval is excellent, Zhao Cong’s Moon LIght on Spring River, a chinese orchestra track to be specific, the nuance detail of the sound produced when the finger is gliding through the string instruments
• In Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious, at minute 3.30, the part where the sub bass rumbles a little hard and there is a “hiss” like sound and i don’t even have to listen very hard to hear that note compared to other IEM which i had

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage on Axiom, in fact not just Axiom but any other IEM as well, i personally think that the deciding factor on how big/open of the said IEM is depending on the eartips and also the record itself
• In this case, let’s talk about the soundstage of Axiom with the said eartips i mentioned before
• The soundstage of Axiom based on my eartips choice,is not too big nor small, it doesn’t have the “out of head” kind of sensation, but it doesn’t feel very in your head either
• Balanced depth and height to my ears
• Imaging is excellent, instruments can be pinpointed easily and the left right channel transition is very smooth and you are able to hear the instruments going from left to right vice versa without having to be very focused on it
• Instrument separation and the layering is very good, you can clearly hear each instruments clearly without one sounding muffled or attempting to over power each other

Driveability/Amping

• Axiom is very easy to drive, straight out from phone’s 3.5mm jack is able to produce acceptable loudness
• However, of course it does scale with better source as it will give a different kind of flavour depending on the source
• In terms of sounding good, I'm not kidding when I said even on Apple’s Lightning Dongle, it sounded very good and clean. However of course when paired with iFi’s iDSD Nano Black Label, everything is on a whole different level
• Tried amping it with a Class A portable amp, doesn’t seem to benefit much from it to my ears

Comparison with Axiom’s Black Module

• In terms of technicalities, i don’t find much difference between the silver and the black module, they sounded more or less similar to my ears
• Bass wise, i find the black module’s bass response is stronger compared to the silver’s (Which i preferred)
• On the upper mids, black module doesn’t sound as full bodied compared to silver’s, silver module’s upper mids has got more body on the notes
• Treble response on black module, in my opinion, has got more energy compared to silver’s. Silver sounded a little bit more tame compared to the black’s
• Both module has good amount of air and sparkles
• I’m definitely looking forward to new module that EA will be releasing, hopefully soon, to get a different taste

Final Thoughts
I’m sure everyone’s first thought will be like, This IEM costs 1499$ yet it doesn’t even come bundled with any cable, for the asking price, this is ridiculous isn’t it? That’s my initial thought as well, but as I try to understand the rationale and the target audience of Axiom, it made sense, at least to me. Axiom is marketed with sustainability in mind, and also i believe the target audience of Axiom will not be some new audiophile who’s recently got into this hobby, it is more for a seasoned audiophile or EA’s own group of customers where they already own several EA’s cables or cables from other manufacturer.

I like Axiom because of its tweakability. In fact EA mentioned that the customers are free to craft their own sound signature by pairing Axiom with different cables/eartips to form their own preferred sound signature. I personally have done that and I'm very happy with the result. Sure, at 1499$, it isn’t cheap, but with the modules that EA will be coming up with, it’s like having multiple IEMs at your disposal?

I have not tried many TOTL, in fact this is my first TOTL thanks to the opportunity given by EA. Will I recommend Axiom? Yes, for someone who likes to tweak like me, but not for someone who’s new into the hobby for sure.

If you are interested in ordering a pair, head over to EA”s site below
Effect Audio’s Axiom



*The unit is kindly sent over by EA on loan in exchange for my review and thoughts. I am in no way under any sorts of influence from EA to produce a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are of my own

Tronsmart Bang Portable Speaker Review - Starting the Party with a Bang!

Intro
Tronsmart doesn't need any introduction as i believe they're quite popular among the wireless earphone/speaker's space. The products that they launched are usually "wallet" friendly and also carries a certain standard in terms of sonic performance. Bang, the new portable speaker is no exception either. Let's take a look at the specifications below:

"Copied from Tronsmart's website"

Test Equipment Used (As it only supports SBC Codec, i only stick to using one device as it will not utilize better bluetooth codec as well)
- Iphone 12 Mini

*Disclaimer
I received this unit from Tronsmart in exchange of this review, i am not influenced by Tronsmart in any way to produce this review and all thoughts are of my own.

I will skip the packaging part as i received the unit with a box containing the speaker itself and without any cables. I'm sure retail unit will be different anyway.

Battery life
Tronsmart claimed that it is able to last +- 15 hours with the LED lights off. So i've decided to verify the claim.
Of course i did not get 15 hours as advertised, but i did get close to 13-14 hours with the LED lights off, to me it is good enough. However, with the LED lights on, the battery life is halved

App Functionality
Tronsmart Bang is compatible with Tronsmart's app. The app allows you to customize the EQ on the fly, update the firmware of Bang, and also to turn off and on the LED lights. The app worked fine and i did not encounter any hiccups while navigating it. You can also change the colors of the LED or set them to automatic which in a way follows the beat of the music

EQ
There are 7 EQ settings available in the app itself. The default is standard and there's a Sound pulse mode which seem to boost the low and high frequencies a few DBs.
Personally i preferred the default settings as it gives a more balanced sound to my ears and less aggressive.

Sound (Impression is based on standard EQ setting)
Bang is a good sounding portable speaker which punches above its price point in my opinion. Despite sporting only SBC codec, it managed to deliver a good sound via SBC. Just take into consideration that this is a portable speaker marketed as an outdoor speaker and it is not meant to sound very HiFi. it is good enough for general listening but definitely it's not made for critical listening.

Bass

• Bass on the Bang is good and its punchy and sub bass has got good rumble to it
• However, do take note that placement of the speaker will affect its bass performance as well. An example, i placed the Bang on a wooden table and the bass response is balanced sounding to my ears. If i wear to put it in a corner, the bass is boosted in a way how sound travels, so yeah, trial and error if you are attempting to fine tune the bass response via placement
• Setting the EQ to deep bass will get you to bass head kind of bass response if you fancy it

Mids

• Midrange is average in my opinion and considering it is a bluetooth speaker, i honestly wouldn't criticize it due to the fact that it is a portable bluetooth speaker and it is only sporting SBC bluetooth codec
• Male and Female vocal is average, it does feel a little lacking in terms of body

Treble

• The treble on Bang is not harsh nor sibilant
• You can easily tune it to your liking via the app itself
• The details in this range is average which is to be expected, not to say its bad but its good enough
• The details does get a little mushy when the track gets busy and loud

Final Thoughts
All in all, Bang is a very good portable speaker for the price loaded with features. One particular feature that's interesting is the TuneConn which allows multiple Bang to be paired together in order to create a "Party" like environment. While Bang is not exactly a HiFi portable speaker so to speak, however the audio quality and the features are good for the price and i have no reason not to recommend this. One thing to note, it is very loud! On my phone, say i have 10 volume steps, on 2/10, i put the Bang in my living room and the sound is able to fill the living room. Pretty impressive.
A solid 4/5 for Bang

If you are interested in purchasing Bang, head over to their AliExpress's store to grab one!
Tronsmart Bang

BQEYZ Autumn's Review - Is it Autumn Already?



Intro
After Spring, Summer, and here comes Autumn, perhaps Winter is the next hit? Today we’re here to talk about Autumn, both Spring and Summer were highly praised among reviewers for the performance and also the price.

Unlike both Spring and Summer which have multi driver setup, Autumn is a single dynamic driver setup, with swappable magnetic tuning vent. A rather interesting and fresh concept which allows you to change the tuning with minimal effort.

Packaging
The packaging is rather standard to me, however, at 199$, I would expect the unboxing experience to be a tad better as I've seen some other brands which offer exceptional unboxing experience at a lower asking price.

It consists of two sets of eartips, one would be the bass and another would be the standard i supposed. A BQEYZ branded carrying case, the magnetic filters and the IEM itself.


Build and Comfort
The build quality here is exceptional as the whole IEM is in metallic shell. I also like the fact that it is matte, very smooth and doesn’t attract any fingerprints.

Comfort wise, I have no issues wearing them for long listening sessions. It fits well and doesn’t feel heavy.


Source
Tidal -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> BQEYZ Autumn(4.4 to 3.5 SE) (Stock cable and Tips) - Powered on laptop
Tidal -> RHA Dacamp L1 -> BQEYZ Autumn(4.4 Balanced) (Stock cable and Tips)
Tidal -> Apple Type C Dongle -> Cayin C5 -> BQEYZ Autumn(4.4 to 3.5 SE) (Stock cable and Tips)

Sound (On Normal Filter)
First track, Radiohead’s Creep i hit play, and i am instantly amazed by the level of details rendered, the layering, the imaging and the separation, they are so good and in a complex track like this, some IEM struggled to layer and image properly whereby the vocals at time seemed to be drowned by the instruments, but that is not the case for Autumn.

Timbre is very natural and also the tonality is spot on. There really isn't much to criticize in terms of sound.

Bass

• Bass is well controlled, fast and tight and right amount of quantity
• The bass region is how i like/think bass should sound like, ie Audiophile’s bass, realistic and not bloated nor authoritative (Do take into consideration that this is my preference, some might perceive it as lean bass)
• No bass bleed
• Sub bass rumble can be felt when the track calls for it, working in tandem with the mid bass in a smooth and controlled manner

Mids

• Vocals are forward and not recessed
• Very detailed and lush mids
• No weird peaks here thus very enjoyable, even at high volumes

Treble

• Treble presentation is good in my opinion
• No signs of sibilance nor piercing high here
• Good amount of air and also right amount of sparkles that doesn’t cause fatigueness even at high volume (Do take into consideration that some are more sensitive to treble, however i personally feel that this is alright)

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage here is average to me, more in your head kind rather than the out of head kind of experience
• Source does play a role in terms of soundstage rendering, eartips as well. Hence i am only give my impressions based on stock setup(stock eartips and cable), with RHA’s DACAMP, the soundstage is tighter and layering is excellent
• With Audirect’s Beam 3 Pro dongle on mid gain, the soundstage is a little wider and layering remained excellent
• Instrument separation is very good as well
• Imaging is good as well as instruments can be pinpointed easily and also the left right transition between channels is very good as well

Driveability

• Autumn is easy to drive
• However it does benefit from a good source and it certainly do better when it’s amped
• With RHA’s Dacamp L1 line out to Cayin C5 portable amp, Autumn sounded cleaner and exhibited better control on all three regions
• So i would say it does benefit from amping

Comparison between filters
Bass

• Low end has got more weight and body to it
• This track in particular, Zhao Peng’s The Moon Represents My Heart, his vocal seemed to sound slightly thicker and has got a bit more body to it, very pleasing
• Sub bass rumble a little harder now and also the mid bass has got a bit more thump to it, still nowhere near basshead level
• Loses a little air, to my ears

Treble

• Low end sounded similar as Normal filter
• Some microdetails can be picked up more easily
• Mid range remained unchanged
• Still not sibilant nor harsh

Comparison
Moondrop KATO

• KATO has got slightly more energy compared to Autumn (This is nothing bad or good, more on personal preference,some might find the energy too much, some prefer it)
• KATO’s sub bass is slightly rolled off whereas Autumn has better bass extension, on KATO the bass will be perceived as fast whereas Autumn, you can fine tune it according to your preference
• Soundstage is tighter on KATO, hence perceived as smaller soundstage compared to Autumn which has a bigger soundstage
• Imaging capability is more or less the same on both

Final Thoughts
The introduction of the tuning nozzle is quite innovative as it allows an individual to have extra flexibility in fine tuning the IEM to suit his/her own sound preference if stock setup is not what they like. However, i am not sure if this will pose as an issue in the future where the tuning nozzle will suddenly dropped due to some force applied to it, eg while wearing the IEM or when taking it off the ear and accidentally rubbing it off, i’m not saying it happened to me, so far it's holding up pretty good, but not sure if it will become a problem or not in the future?

Make no mistake that this is a good sounding set, however i do think that the asking price is a little too high for some people and that may limit the reach of Autumn to many other people.

However, putting all that aside, judging Autumn based on its sound performance, a solid 4/5

*A big thanks to BQEYZ for offering a substantial discount for this unit in order for me to review. My impression is not influenced by BQEYZ in any way to write this review.

If you are interested in getting a pair, do check out the link below if you are from Malaysia
BQEYZ Shopee MY

​

Disclaimer
*sent to me by Whizzer in exchange for this review. In no way my thoughts are influenced by Whizzer.
I have not seen many people talk about BS1 or perhaps Whizzer doesn't do much promotion and let its product walk the talk instead.
To give you an overview, BS1 is an IEM with an open backed design as claimed by Whizzer to give a better/bigger soundstage(Yes, it does that indeed!!)


Packaging
It comes in a fairly standard box set with a carrying pouch, two types of eartips, one is the Easy Tips(SS20) and a standard eartips, Whizzer is also kind enough to send me another type of eartips for me to try it out, the ET100.




Source
Tidal -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro - BS1 (SS20 eartips)
Ibasso Dx160 -> BS1 (SS20 eartips)

Sound
It is a very relaxed sounding IEM in my opinion. The mids to me are the highlight of this IEM, you can listen to this for hours without feeling fatigue and both the low and highs are well tuned. Let's get into that. Slight warm to me.


Bass
• Bass quantity is just right to my ears
• It has got good texture and controlled bass
• You can feel the sub bass rumble but it is definitely no where near bass head level of course. Very evident in tracks like Why So Serious, that doesn't mean it is lacking, more like it has got enough quantity and quality for you to enjoy the track
• Good slams, fast and tight

Mids
• Vocal is quite forward, not really an issue as its more of a preference
• Both male and female has got good texture and doesn't sound dry
• Sinne Eng's We've Just Begun, plenty of details from the mids and it is so enjoyable using BS1 to listen to this track
• Lower to upper mids transitioning are smooth and doesn't have any kind of weird peak that i can notice

Treble
• The treble on the BS1 is smooth and it has a good amount of air and sparkles, in a way where its not fatiguing to listen to
• Detail retrieval is good, there's a faint sound of a certain instrument that i'm not sure what is it called, BS1 is able to pick it up, on some other IEM where detail retrieval capability is poor, that sound either is not there or muffled
• Not harsh and not sibilant at all

Soundstage/Imaging
As an open backed IEM, it is no surprise that the soundstage is ought to be good. It has good depth and width to my ears.
It is also very 3D sounding to me, in We've just Begun, i feel like i am in the middle of the stage and the vocalist is in front of me and the instruments are playing all around me, like i'm engulfed within it. Its just amazing.
For the price it is asking for, imaging is also above average, instruments can be pinpointed easily. Instruments separation is good and it can be clearly identified and doesn't attempt to over power each other. I normally listen to Slipknot's Duality to test the imaging, if it is bad it will sound muffled especially when the drums are hitting fast and also the guitar is strumming hard. Overall it is very impressive for the price.

Driveability
• It can be powered by pretty much anything, even from your smartphone's 3.5mm jack
• It does benefit from a better source of course
• Does not benefit from amping

Final Thoughts
This is my first time hearing an open backed IEM and BS1 does not disappoint. It is versatile enough to handle any tracks that i threw to it, even EDM(although i generally don't listen to EDM, but i just played a few for the sake of testing). It is very musical and listening to it is very very enjoyable, although it is not an IEM that is very resolving, it is not lacking in detail retrieval either, it is good enough for the price it is asking for. One thing that do annoy me is the cable, it has got the same material as Aria’s and it is very easy to get tangled. This is one of the cons to me. Other than that, all good.

Ain't trying to shill this but i truly think that this is worth your money and time for music lovers. Whizzer is not on a rapid fire mode releasing IEM after IEMs, they certainly take their time to develop something good such as BS1.
I'm giving this a 4/5 based on my setup and listening experience.

*Do take into consideration where you experience might vary due to the setup, however, shouldn't be much of an issue since it sounded good off an Apple Dongle as well


Cheers and thanks for your time!

Till next time!

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.

Intro

I don’t think you need any introduction to CCA. They’re KZ’s sister brand and I believe you guys are seeing a lot of IEMs from both KZ and CCA almost every month. Yes, models after model, not sure what’s the strategy here. That aside, let’s check out how CRA sounds.

Packaging

Packaging is bare minimum as expected from the budget range, cable, eartips and IEM itself. Nothing much to shout out about and also to nitpick for its asking price.


Build/Comfort

CRA itself is made out of plastic, it is very light and I have no issue wearing it for long listening sessions. No weird edges that cause discomfort.



Source

Ibasso DX160 -> CCA CRA (Swap to 4.4’s SPC cable)
Tidal MQA -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> CCA CRA (Stock cable)


Sound (Based on my experience with balanced cable)

CCA CRA has a balanced tone to my ears and setup. Not too bright nor warm, very easy to listen to and like. Let me put it this way, on stock form with SE, it is good enough but the potential is not maximised, when i swap to balanced cable and it’s safe to say the difference is very audible in terms of more control on the bass and also noticeably bigger soundstage.

Bass

• Sub bass rumble is average and you are able to feel it when its called for, don’t expect it to rumble like bass head kind of IEM of course
• It’s a little thin and very evident on tracks like Post Malone’s I Fall Apart. The bass sounded quite tinny.
• Both sub bass and mid bass doesn’t attempt to overpower each other and the transition is balanced
• Bass is fast enough to not cause the bass to feel muddy/bloated
• Occasional bass bleed (Track dependent (EG - Linkin Park’s Somewhere i Belong))

MIds

• There’s a slight recess on the vocal
• Good enough details
• A little splashy to my ears
• Average mids performance

Treble

• There’s a slight graininess to my ears, and it's quite obvious
• Good amount of air and sparkly treble
• No sibilance
• However where you crank the volume up, it will get a little harsh
• The extension is average and nitpicking it is just unfair given its asking price

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is very tip dependent, it's a known fact for most of the IEMs, i’m using the stock tips and the soundstage is quite wide however lacking in depth to my ears.
• HRTF is average
• Imaging is good enough as i’m able to pinpoint the instruments, however it does suffer a little from busy track

Driveability

• Very easy to drive
• Doesn’t benefit much from amping, however source does color the sound a little
• Pretty much it will work with anything you have but it will definitely benefit from good source

Final Thoughts

Will it beat IEMs twice of its asking price? Let’s be real here, no, it will not.
Is it good for it’s asking price? Yes, it is. In my opinion, this is a good set for those who are new in this hobby and still exploring what kind of signature they are into.

It will not break a hole in their pocket for sure as it cost only $23, and that’s fair given its performance.

If you already have several other IEM at similar price points, this is just another sidegrade.

I am giving this a 4/5 based on the price performance ratio for this IEM and i think it is fair.

If you are interested in having one, head over to KZ’s site to grab a pair.
CCA CRA

*A big thanks to KZTWS for sending CRA over in exchange for my review. My opinion and thoughts remain unbiased and not influenced by KZ in any way despite receiving the unit F.O.C

Intro

I have heard of Soundmagic during my early days about their bullet styled IEM. Then I kinda stopped hearing from them until recently Caliya from Soundmagic approached me asking if I am interested to review some of their products.

I have heard good feedbacks regarding their IEMs, so I have decided to try out this P23BT wireless headphone. Let’s see how does it sound in today’s competitive market.



Packaging

• Packaging is fairly standard
• It came with a carrying case, a cable with a microphone, and some adapters

Specifications

• Driver: Dynamic 40mm Neodymium
• Bluetooth Version: 5.0
• Bluetooth Codecs: aptX, aptX HD, AAC, SBC
• Transmission Range: up to 13m
• impedance: 32ohm
• Mic Sensitivity: 42dB
• Battery: 400mAh large capacity lithium-ion
• Charge time: 1 hour
• Music playback time: 54-60 hours
• Talk time: 30-45 hours
• Standby time: 50 days
• Weight: 156g

Build Quality and Comfort

• Built quality wise, it is average especially for its asking price
• The headphone is made out of plastic, which keeps its weight light and also comfortable during long session
• On ear design, I have no discomfort throughout my listening sessions, however it does get a little uncomfortable when I am wearing spectacles. (Only on my left ears, which I suspect is due to the shape of my ear)
• The power on button in my opinion is a little too small and sometimes it is hard to press

General Features

• Charges via Type C usb port
• 50-60 hours of battery life playing music continuously
• Supports a wide range of Bluetooth codecs, APTX HD, APTX, SBC, AAC
• Auto power off after 5 minutes after disconnection
• Pairing is fast and easy, and connection is quite stable

Battery Life test

• I was really having a tough time running down the battery, connected via AAC and playing music at 50% volume, looping it 8 hours a day, from Monday to Friday, I am left with 25% still at Friday night. It’s really amazing (Do note that YMMV, as different codec might consume more/less battery life, also the volume)
• Based on real life scenario, where I don’t usually use 8 hours a day, say only 2 hours or less, it will last you weeks before you need to recharge
• Not to mention there’s also a fast charging to get you juiced up pretty quick

Audio Performance (Bluetooth AAC Mode)

• P23BT has been run in for about 50 hours prior to writing this evaluation
• Tonality leaning towards slight bright
• Slight emphasis on the bass and also the treble, slight v shaped to my ears
• P23BT is not shy on bass quantity, whenever it is called for, it will be there
• However, I do feel that the bass can be a little too much to my taste (Personal preference here)
• Despite having some emphasis on the bass, it doesn’t creep into the mids, which is a good thing
• Sub bass rumble can definitely be felt, also the mid bass thump is pretty much very present but not to the point where it’s distracting
• Both male and female vocal does sound a little lean to my taste, however this is just nit-picking especially at its asking price
• Treble extension can be better
• Non sibilant nor harsh
• Treble is smooth and non-fatiguing even for long listening session
• Soundstage feels pretty much in your head, boxy kind of feeling, however, instruments separation is good as instruments can be pinpointed easily

Microphone Performance (Both built in and External mic)

• Tested both external and built-in microphone with Microsoft Teams meeting, the other party can hear my voice clearly
• I do feel the included external mic is quite good for my usage, voice is clear without much background noise

At the end

Focusing on the sound quality itself, I’d say the asking price is a steal considering the sound itself is really good. However, the only let down I’d say is the build quality, which to me feels rather filmsy, but that’s understandable, possibly to drive the cost down.

SoundMagic doesn’t really do a lot of marketing hence they don’t really stand out among the competitors, but they do make good stuffs too like the P60BT that I reviewed previously.



All in all, I would definitely recommend this to someone who is in the lookout for an affordable and high quality sound headphone.



Headover to Soundmagic’s Aliexpress store to grab one if you’re interested.

*not affiliated

*Caliya from Soundmagic sent me this in exchange for my review, however it remain unbiased and my thoughts are not influenced by them.

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.

Intro
No intro needed for Dunu i believe? They’re pretty much very well known in the audiophile community with their SA6 and EST 112. Today I have here with me the reboot of their entry level series, Titan S, A 11 mm dynamic driver with a multi-layered, poly-condensated liquid crystal polymer (LCP) diaphragm. Let’s find out how it will pit itself against today’s sub 100$ mark’s IEM.


Packaging
I would say the packaging is reasonable for the asking price. However, when i unbox it, i’m very surprised to see such a nice and premium looking storage pouch, it doesn’t look generic, this pretty much shows the thought that goes into it.


Build/Comfort
The shell of Titan S is made from durable and lightweight zinc alloy, you will feel a little weight when you are holding the IEM, but when you are actually wearing it, it is very comfortable and you won’t feel like something is weighing you down. No weird nor sharp protruding edge that causes discomfort.

Design wise, it does have a cyberpunk kind of feel to it. Including the box’s artwork. I like the design personally.



Source
Foobar2k -> RHA L1-> Titan S(Stock Cable and Tips)
Ibasso DX160 -> Titan S(Stock Cable and Tips)
Windows 10 Tidal(MQA) -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> Titan S(Stock Cable and Tips)


Sound
The overall tuning is very balanced except there’s a slight elevation at the upper midrange’s 3k freq from the official FR in Titan S’s product page, personally i kinda like this slight gain as it gives the music a little more excitement and stand out a little bit compared to a smoother curve which often feels a little dull to my taste.

Titan S sounds pretty neutral to my ears. However, if you prefer a colored tuning, you can easily match it with any cooler/warm source.


Bass

• Bass is done very well here in terms of quality and quantity
• Bass extension is pretty much spot on
• Tight and fast
• Doesn’t bleed into the mids
• Sub bass rumble is there when it’s called for, very evident in Dune’s OST Dream of Arrakis, not lacking in any way
• Not bloated and has got good texture to it

Mids

• Vocals are forward but not intimidating in any away
• Both male and female has got good texture to it
• I personally liked the slight elevation on the upper mids, it does highlight and put some emphasis to certain instruments, but it’s not too intrusive that made you feel like it is overwhelming

Treble

• Not sibilant nor harsh
• It has got enough air and sparkles to not made it sound dull and dark
• Extension can be better but at the asking price,it’s just nitpicking
• Plenty of perceived detail

Soundstage/Imaging

• The soundstage is wide, if you are listening to live music, very very good
• Good imaging and instruments can be pinpointed easily
• Good layering between instruments,it doesn’t feel like one is trying to drown/over-power the other instruments
• Overall, very good considering the price point, anything more than this is just nitpicking

Driveability

• Easy to drive, you can easily get a listenable volume level straight out of a phone’s jack
• Doesn’t need amping to sound good, but scales very well with it

Comparison (Ikko’s OH2)

• OH2 is a bit more mid centric and laid back
• Tonality wise its tilting towards the warmer side of spectrum
• Generally a more laid back listening experience comparing to Titan S which has got more energy and revealing nature (Not a good or bad thing,it’s all down to personal preference)
• Detail wise,Titan S takes the lead as OH2 is not tuned to be a revealing set in nature
• Soundstage on the OH2 feels more in your head rather than having a more open kind of sound like Titan S

Comparison (Moondrop’s Aria)

• Aria being slightly bland(darker),Titan S has got more sparkles and air
• Smoother top end
• Less analytical than Titan S
• Bass quantity is slightly higher on the Aria compared to Titan S, but both exhibited good control
• In terms of treble presentation, both are different being Titan has got more energy and Aria is more reserved in terms of a smoother response
• Both are going head to head,to my ears and my setup

Final Thoughts

Well, what do I think about Titan S? I absolutely like it and it is very easy to recommend to someone who dislikes Aria due to it being bland. Titan S is the alternative and in fact, it is a bit more resolving compared to Aria based on my listening setup.

Dunu has really set a benchmark on how budget IEM should sound and you don’t even have to pay a significant amount of money to enjoy good sound. I will definitely be keeping an eye out to see what they have to offer up next.

At the time of writing, Titan S is going for 79.9$, which has a high price performance ratio.



An easy 4.5/5 stars from me
(Do take into consideration that what i mentioned in this review is based on how i hear it via my own setup,YMMV
However, rest assured that you will still be getting a good sound out of Titan S even if you don’t share the same source as i have)

*A Big thanks to Kevin and Thomas from Dunu for sending over this tour unit and providing the opportunity for others to review the Titan S as well. I am in no way influenced to write a positive review by participating in this tour

Titan S Product Page
Dunu’s Webstore
Dunu’s Aliexpress Store

Intro
I believe nobody is not aware of TinHifi in the audiophile community. They have several popular models which are highly regarded such as the P1, T2, T2 Plus and also their P2 plus. Today they are releasing another new IEM several months after T2 Evo, which I personally reviewed and grew to like it as well. Let’s take a look today at their latest single dynamic driver namely the T3 Plus.

Not to mention this is their first 2 pin IEM and also resin based shell. Moving to a 2 pin connector, I believe TinHifi really listens to their customers as most of them disliked their MMCX which most of them consider as problematic.


Packaging
Packaging is the usual TinHifi style kind of packaging. Nothing too simple nor premium. It’s in the middle. I have no issue with it. It comes with two sets of eartips. One which I believe is the bass tip and another is the normal ones, also came with a carrying pouch.


Build/Comfort
This is their first resin based IEM i believe. The comfort is top notch and I have no discomfort wearing them for long sessions.



Source
Tidal -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> T3 Plus
Tidal -> RHA L1 -> T3 Plus


Sound
Big soundstage, smooth and non fatiguing. They seemed to sound close to harman tuning, however, they don’t sound as bland as Aria. They’re warm and seem to have a slightly elevated sub-bass. Natural timbre.


Bass

• Good sub bass performance, adequate rumble and does not overpower the mid bass
• Sub bass is well extended, however, mid bass does feel a little lacking to me due to the elevated sub-bass
• No bass bleed can be heard here
• Bass is fairly fast and controlled
• No bloated bass here
• Bass is dominant but no where near basshead leve

Mids

• Forward presentation
• No recessed vocal
• Both male and vocal has got a very good body to it, not dry sounding, very good for its asking price, it is very pleasant to listen to Patricia Petibon’s track
• Very pleasant timbre, sounds natural to my ears

Treble

• Treble extension is lacking to my ears, this is probably the reason why it sounded smooth and never sibilant nor harsh
• However, there’s still a good amount of energy that deter it from sounding dark, i would say it's a sweet spot
• No weird peak can be heard here as well

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is fairly source dependent based on my evaluation, on Audirect Beam 3 Pro, i’m getting an intimate soundstage, whereas on RHA L1, it sounded very spacious and wide
• Detail retrieval is very good for its asking price
• Instrument separation is very good and doesn’t get congested in busy track, well layered
• Left and right channel transition for HRTF is fairly good as well

Driveability

• Easy to drive and you can get good sound out of a smartphone
• Source does matter and T3 plus definitely benefits from it, which is quite evident in my evaluation
• Amping doesn’t make a lot of difference to my ears, but the source does

Comparison (Moondrop Aria)

• A lot more fun than Aria
• Aria’s sound is on the darker side to my ears
• Smaller soundstage on the Aria and i did not notice any changes in soundstage when i switched source as i how i did with T3 Plus
• Bass is more fun on T3 Plus than on Aria. but it is cleaner on Aria
• Timbre wise, both are quite similar to my ears, quite natural
• Both transient speed is fairly good to my ears

Final Thoughts
TinHifi has finally got it right which I believe through the feedback gathered from numerous reviewers and customers alike. This is actually a good thing whereby they’re open for criticism and taking it in a positive way and improving it.

Personally I like T3 Plus and I have several other reviewer friends who tested T3 Plus and they like it as well. The tuning of it is just right and very pleasant to the ears. I can see why it is so highly praised and recommended by many.

Both Moondrop’s Aria and T3 Plus’s pricing is very close because they’re in the same pricing range, however, if i were to pick one, i will definitely go for T3 Plus, not because i’m biased but Aria is just too bland to my taste, there are people who likes Aria as well.
Let me lay it down and tell you if you’re comparing between Aria and T3 Plus, i’d say get T3 plus if you prefer a more fun sounding IEM, Aria if you’re looking to dissect the music and also if you like a darker signature. Personally, i’d go for T3 Plus not because I'm trying to hype it, but because I enjoy my music more with T3 Plus instead of Aria. Aria is for when you want to have some critical listening sessions.

If you are interested in buying a pair of T3 Plus, head to their official TinHifi’s store in Aliexpress
TinHifi

TRI Meteor Review - Does it enter the hybrid market with a bang?



Intro

TRI is no stranger to the audio community. They are also KBEAR’s sister brand. They’ve had several popular models namely the TRI L3 and also TRI Starsea. Meteor is a hybrid IEM which consists of a beryllium plated dynamic driver and a balanced armature.


Packaging

The unboxing experience is very good. The design looks premium in my opinion. Wide range of tips bundled. A solid carrying case. Pretty good unboxing experience so far. At least matching with the asking price.

Build and Comfort

Build quality of Meteor feels average, resin based, but the faceplate is very beautiful no doubt about it. The fit is good and i don’t have any sort of discomfort throughout my listening session.






Source

Foobar2k -> RHA DACAMP L1 Lineout Cayin C5 -> TRI Meteor
Apple’s Type C Dongle -> TRI Meteor
Tidal MQA -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro - Tri Meteor


Sound

Balanced sounding and fairly natural timbre to my ears. No signs of BA timbre to be heard here. Soundstage is a little narrow in my opinion. Slightly warm tonality and I wished for a little bit more on the top end region to give Meteor a little bit more energy and dynamism.



Bass

• Bass is very accurate and fast, very very good response to fast track.
• No bass bleed
• Good amount of thump and rumble, or rather accurate if i were to put it
• Not an IEM that a basshead should be looking at
• In my opinion, this is the right amount and quality bass that we’re getting
• This is not to say that the bass quantity is lacking at all
• Bass is tight and have a good texture to it

Mids

• I would say the mids are just okay, smooth but doesn’t stand out
• Vocal for both male and female has got a good texture to it. Doesn’t sound thin nor veiled
• Despite the mids doesn’t stand out, I do think that the bass and the mids kinda complement each other very well, in terms of the transitioning.

Treble

• Treble is smooth and non fatiguing
• Non sibilant
• Due to its smooth nature, there’s a slight roll off on the upper treble region
• Technicality is quite good for its price point
• Despite the roll off that i mentioned earlier, it is nowhere near dark, so no worries about that

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is rather intimate to me,slightly out of head but still small
• Imaging is very good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily
• Doesn’t get congested during busy track, layering is very good

Driveability

• Easy to drive and you will get acceptable volume level even off smartphone, but of course not to its best performance
• Benefit from better source/dac/amp
• -Amping does open up the sound more, more controlled bass and slightly better soundstage

Comparison (IKKO OH1s)

• I know it’s not fair to compare both of them due to the price point, however they both shares the same config, so i will share my experience on what are the pros and cons between them
• Detail and technicality wise, OH1s is on another different level, highly resolving and superb imaging and also very detailed
• Better suited for critical listening
• TRI Meteor is more suited towards a laid back and long listening session as OH1s can be a little fatiguing after some time due to it highly resolving nature (Personal preference of course)
• Bass response on the Meteor has got more texture and quantity, It is slightly lean on the OH1s or what we would refer to as audiophile’s bass.
• A very easy recommendation if you like highly resolving IEM (OH1s), if you prefer a more laid back approach (Meteor)

Final Thoughts

Well, based on my preference, it is very easy to like the Meteor due to its tuning.
Fairly detailed at this price point and also suitable for various genres of music, I'd say it's very versatile. The highs left me longing for more, if the highs are slightly boosted, I believe it will be a very very competitive model, not that it isn’t right now.

I personally think that the hybrid market is very competitive, if the price of Meteor can be slightly lowered, I believe it will pretty much trump the competition in terms of pricing.

*A big thanks to TRI for offering a discount for my unit in exchange for this review. However, I am free to express my thoughts and opinions and not restricted to any obligations.

If you guys are interested, head over to TRI’s store to grab this unit! There’s a Christmas sale happening currently in the store. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.
TRI’s Store

TKZK is TinHifi's sub-brand if you are not aware of it. Now that you know. Let's get into it.

Packaging
-Fairly minimal and nothing much to expect at this price point, a storage pouch, and wide bore eartips (Bad pairing), i will get into that later on

Build and Comfort
-Solid build quality, does not look cheap (to me), the wavy design is kinda nice actually and i like it
-Comfortable to wear for long listening session without any discomfort



Source
-Tidal -> RHA L1 -> TKZK Wave (OFC cable and Audiosense S400 Eartips)
-Tidal -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> TKZK Wave (OFC cable and Audiosense S400 Eartips)

Sound
I have decided not to review this in its stock form. Let me tell you why?
-The cable and the eartips that came with TKZK Wave, not to say its horrible, let's just say they don't work well with each other
-Why do i say that? SPC cable with wide bore eartips and pair it up with a bright IEM, that eventually translate into a shoutfest, especially at high volume
-So i have decided to swap out the cable to Tri Meteor's stock cable and the eartip with Audiosense's S400, the experience? Whole lot better, in fact i enjoy them a lot with this combo
-I do notice there's a slight BA timbre which sounded splashy on certain track

Bass
-Bass presence is adequate and on the warmer side
-Good texture and good control on the mid bass
-Sub bass is however slightly lacking, it is there when it's called for, nothing more nothing less

Mids
-Vocal feels slightly recessed being a mild V shape IEM
-I kinda like how the upper mids come by where the presentation is just nice without causing it to be too shouty
-Both male and female vocal sounded alright, natural, good enough texture

Treble
-No signs of sibilant here, good job TKZK
-However, there's a hint of graininess
-Good amount of air
-Technical capability for TKZK is good enough for its price point and it shouldn't be fault for it, i would say its good enough considering its price, it is not meant to compete with anything that's higher than its price point

Soundstage/Imaging
-Soundstage wise, it is rather small to me, feels a little narrow to my ears
-Imaging wise,the instruments can be pinpointed easily in not so busy track, however, it does struggle to image properly when the track gets busy

Driveability
-Fairly easy to drive
-Good enough to be powered via Apple's Type C dongle
-However it does benefit from better source of course
-Amping it doesn't really provide any additional benefit

Conslusion
Personally i like this IEM, not in its stock setting, because the treble is just too much for me.
If you have a copper cable,or any eartips which are not wide bore, get this and experiment with it, it respond very well to those.

KeepHifi's rep is actually very open in taking in suggestion on how to improve this TKZK and have gathered my opinion on how can it be better and will feedback to TKZK. To me this is a good thing that there's actually some people who care instead of brands who just wanna look for another hype train and ride along and doesn't really care about whether the product that they released is good or not.

*Thanks to KeepHifi for the opportunity to try this out and also taking in us reviewer's feedback to better improve the product.
Do check them on their website if you're interested in grabbing this.
KeepHifi Online Store

Ikko OH2 Review - New contender in town



Intro

There are several models in the OH series which are highly touted, namely the OH10 as well as the OH1s, at least from what I heard. Today I have the OH2 with me. Let's see if it’s able to hold out or stand out among the competition out there today.


Packaging

This time around, Ikko has decided to go with a Hip-Hop-ish Waifu kind of theme.
Unboxing experience is nothing less than the more premium OH1s which I reviewed earlier.
Same kind of eartips and carrying case.
In short, I like the packaging very much, I have a very good unboxing experience.


Build and Comfort

The build quality of OH2 is very solid. It consists of aluminium and resin. Majority of the shell is aluminium. The size is also very small and it stays in my ear very comfortably and I have no issue wearing them for long hours. However, while the eartips does seal properly, you might need to take some time to try and see which size actually works for you due to the oval shaped nozzle.

No protruding edges that cause discomfort throughout my listening session.



Source

Foobar2k -> RHA DACAMP L1 Lineout Cayin C5 -> OH12
Apple’s Type C Dongle -> OH2


Sound

This is the IEM where you want to put on and just chill out. It’s not meant for you to dissect the music nor analyze every single instrument in the track. This is the IEM where you put on and enjoy Teresa Teng’s album.

Warm-ish sound and smooth across the frequency range. If you’re thinking of getting this for critical listening purposes,I'd suggest you skip and look for another unit, because this is not meant for it, in terms of tuning. Timbre sounded quite realistic to my ears.


Bass

• Bass presentation for OH2 feels very smooth
• No sudden rise nor drop from what I can hear. It’s just smooth and well controlled
• Adequate quantity for fun and also good quality kind of bass
• Non bloated bass
• No bass bleed
• Nowhere near basshead level

Mids

• Both male and female vocal has got good texture to it, doesn’t sound thin nor veiled
• No recessed vocal here, vocal positioning is rather intimate sounding which compliment well for OH2’s tuning
• Vocal doesn’t sound dry but somehow,it feels like there’s a little crisp to it, and i personally quite like it
• Upper mid range is smooth all the way to the top end,as mentioned this is not a pair meant for critical listening

Treble

• Treble is smooth and non fatiguing
• Good enough detail retrieval, as mentioned earlier, this set is not for critical listening
• Enough treble extension to not make OH2 feels dark despite being a warm set
• Average amount of air

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is rather intimate to me, lacking depth to my ears
• Imaging is rather average to my ears but instruments can still be pinpointed easily

Driveability

• Easy to drive and you will get acceptable volume level even off smartphone
• Benefit from better source/dac/amp
• Does not really benefit much from amping

Comparison (Moondrop Aria)

• Aria has better technicalities and detail retrieval
• Harman tuned
• Better suited for critical listening
• Bass performance on the OH2 is better to me compared to Aria which does lack a little bit of mid bass thump causing it to sound bland
• OH2 is more “fun” sounding compared to Aria (My preference)
• Aria is lacking a little air to my ears compared to OH2 and it doesn’t feel as dynamic as OH2

Final Thoughts

Well, based on my preference, it is very easy to like the OH2, this is coming from someone who disliked Aria due to its bland nature. I’m not saying Aria is bad, don’t get me wrong, it just doesn’t offer the kind of enjoyment or dynamic that I'm looking for in a listening session.

However, despite liking the OH2, i do think OH2 can be better tuned on the top end region to offer more energy, and I think it will be a very fun set.

OH2 is not very hard to recommend for someone who wants to have the laid back kind of listening session, but for a critical listener, you may stay away as this is not for you. In fact Ikko doesn’t even market them as a set for critical listening.

Overall, i will rate this IEM which i listened via my listening setup a 4.0/5

*A big thanks to Ikko for sending over this unit for me to review. I receive no compensation that will affect my evaluation towards this IEM.

If you guys are interested, head over to Ikko’s store to grab this unit! There’s a Christmas sale happening currently in the webstore! Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Webstore
AliExpress Store

TRN TA2 Review


Intro

TRN is a company that needs no introduction to the community. They offer a wide selection of IEMs at different price point. No doubt some of the IEMs are very well known to the community and being praised very hard, namely the MT1 and also a few others. I have the TA2 with me today, which is a hybrid configuration which consists of 1DD+2BAs. Let's see if it’s able to follow the footsteps of its siblings.


Packaging

The packaging is average. Nothing to expect at this price point. The inclusion of a 6.3mm adapter is rare for IEM at this price point. A very welcoming gesture nonetheless.

Build and Comfort

Build quality of TA2 is alright. Metal faceplate with resin shell. Feels very light and comfortable for long hours without feeling its weight. No sharp protruding edges.


Source

Foobar2k -> RHA DACAMP L1 Lineout Cayin C5 -> TRN TA2 (With TRN T2’s cable)
Apple’s Type C Dongle -> OH1S


Sound

*Take note that the review is done by pairing it with TRN’s T2 Cable. The stock cable just sounded too warm and bassy to my taste. TRN should have just pair the TA2 with this cable and it’ll sound okay out of the box.

TA2 is a warm set to begin with, it’s advisable that you don’t pair it with a warm source.
There is a slight BA timbre but due to TA2 being a warm set, not that noticeable to my ears.


Bass

• Bass here is definitely highlighted
• Mid bass bleeding into the mids occasionally when the track gets busy
• Sub bass rumble does present and in a good amount that’s adequate for some fun

Mids

• Male and female vocal’s texture is average. Lacking some bite
• Well bodied mids
• Bass occasionally bleeds into this region during busy track

Treble

• Non fatiguing nor sibilant,buttery smooth
• Detail retrieval is average
• Lacking in air due to treble roll off which is very evident

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is average to my ears
• Lacking in width
• Imaging is average,doesn’t really stand out for this price point
• Instruments separation is also average to my ears
• Despite having average imaging capability, i’m still able to pinpoint the instruments properly

Driveability

• Easy to drive and you will get acceptable volume level even off smartphone
• Benefit from better source/dac/amp
• Does not really benefit much from amping

Cable Rolling

• Cable rolling does not change the signature much but it does improve the note weight depending on the cable material used
• I found them to pair well with copper cable,it will kinda tame down the upper mids a little for those who find them to be too glaring
• Doesn’t really synergize well with SPC as it made it even brighter

Final Thoughts

So, do i like this? No. Is it a good product? Depends on what you’re looking for. Warm and bassy set, then its for you. Critical listening? Stay away from this.

I honestly have no idea why a company would keep churning out new IEM on a monthly basis without getting the tuning right. It seems to me the direction that this company is taking is focusing on quantity instead of quality. Churning out new IEMS every month won't help, get the tuning right and it’ll boost your reputation and sales at the same time.

Interested in getting it?
Head to the link below: Non affiliated
TRN Ali Express

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

Ikko OH1s Review - Hidden Gem?



Intro

There are several models in the OH series which are highly touted, namely the OH10 as well as the OH1, at least from what I heard. Today I have the OH1s with me. Let's see if it’s able to hold out or stand out among the competition out there today.


Packaging

Not going to be talking much about the packaging as I've already made an unboxing video for it. You may check them out here
In short, I like the packaging very much, very premium and the bundled eartips are a very welcoming gesture. I have a very good unboxing experience.


Build and Comfort

The build quality of OH1s is very solid. It consists of aluminium and resin. Majority of the shell is aluminium. The size is also very small and it stays in my ear very comfortably and I have no issue wearing them for long hours.

When they’re in my ears, I totally forgot that I'm actually wearing an IEM. They are that lightweight. Provided that you are using it with the stock cable of course. Your mileage might vary depending on the cable that you will be using it with.




Source

Foobar2k -> RHA DACAMP L1 Lineout Cayin C5 -> OH1S
Apple’s Type C Dongle -> OH1S


Sound

Upon putting them in my ears, hitting the play button. I am instantly amazed by the level of details and technicalities that this little gem offers. It is highly resolving and it’s unlike anything that I have in my collection. For some, it might be a little too glaring, but i actually like the way it is, it is also possible that i’m not as sensitive to treble compared to others.

Tonality wise, I would describe them as very revealing and slightly lean overall, best to pair them with warm source. I like the detailed presentation of OH1s in general. Your mileage might vary.



Bass

• The bass coming from this little gem is very lean, at least to my ears
• Definitely not for basshead
• It is tight and fast,adequate quantity to ensure there’s still some room for fun
• As mentioned earlier, the bass is lean and naturally, it lacks some warmth and body
• The bass is fast and tight and it makes it very enjoyable on tracks on Slipknot’s Duality and System of a Down’s Chop Suey!

Mids

• Vocal is rather forward and rather intimate
• The vocal to my ears they are rather thin sounding and somewhat dry, but it doesn’t sound bad at all
• The upper mids might be a little too glaring for some, but I find them to synergize very well with such tuning.
• Overall, the mids is not this gem’s strong point

Treble

• Energetic and complement very well with the lean signature of this gem
• No signs of sibilance nor piercing high
• Smooth and energetic is how i would describe the treble
• Plenty or air
• Very good micro details

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is average to my ears
• Lacking in width
• Imaging is average,doesn’t really stand out for this price point
• Instruments separation is also average to my ears
• Despite having average imaging capability, i’m still able to pinpoint the instruments properly

Driveability

• Easy to drive and you will get acceptable volume level even off smartphone
• Benefit from better source/dac/amp
• Does not really benefit much from amping

Cable Rolling

• Cable rolling does not change the signature much but it does improve the note weight depending on the cable material used
• I found them to pair well with copper cable,it will kinda tame down the upper mids a little for those who find them to be too glaring
• Doesn’t really synergize well with SPC as it made it even brighter

Final Thoughts

When I first listened to OH1S, I found it hard to accept it due to the glaring upper mids and it’s highly resolving nature. However, as I used them longer and probably they kinda settled in (burned in), I grew to like its signature. It is airy and very detailed.

Now, who will not like this? I guess those who prefer a meatier bass response will not like OH1s, the bass on this little gem is lean, the dosage is just right and responds when it's called for. Nothing more, nothing less.

As for me, I like it personally. Who would I recommend this to? Someone who’s looking for a highly resolving hybrid IEM that doesn’t have the BA timbre and flat bass response. I will not recommend this to someone who prefers meatier bass response and also slightly darker tonality.

Overall, i will rate this IEM which i listened via my setup a 4/5

*A big thanks to Ikko for sending over this unit for me to review. I receive no compensation that will affect my evaluation towards this IEM.

If you guys are interested, head over to Ikko’s store to grab this unit!
Webstore
AliExpress Store

Moondrop's Nekocake Review - Killer Budget TWS?



Intro

Moondrop is no stranger when it comes to the audio community. Most of their releases are hits rather than misses, being priced affordably, does not mean they skimp on the sound quality. Let’s take a look and see if it’s holding up against other similarly priced TWS.


Packaging

The packaging is pretty straight forward, nothing to expect at this price point.
A box consists of the IEM, eartips. Pretty straight forward no BS, not to mention the usual anime art.


Build and Comfort

The whole earbud is made out of plastic and there are no sharp edges or any protrusion that causes discomfort. Despite it’s fully plastic,it doesn’t look cheap and it’s light, i’ve worn them for several hours during my meeting and there’s no discomfort throughout the period.


Specifications

Bluetooth version: 5.0
Protocol supported: A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP/SBC/AAC
Charging port: Type-c
Impedance: 32±15%Ω@1kHz
Working distance: 10m (barrier-free open environment)
Support system: All Bluetooth devices and smartphones
Charging time: About 1 hour
Charging time of charging case: About 1.5 hours
Battery capacity: 3.7V/ 37mAh
Battery capacity of charging case: 3.7V/ 380mAh
Battery life: About 4 hours
Battery life with charging case: About 12 hours

Sadly, there’s no fast charging available when the device is in the case, but this is just nitpicking especially at this price point.


Connection Test and Latency

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

Audio Quality

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

*This evaluation is done using the Classic Moondrop Preset via the Moondrop LINK App

Bass

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

Mids

• Vocal is forward and slight intimate to my ears
• Good enough detail at this spectrum of frequency
• At time it feels a little lean

Treble

• Treble is smooth and non sibilant nor fatiguing
• Good enough detail retrieval
• 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

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

ANC Test

If i were to rate the ANC performance, In comparison with AirPod Pro, i’m giving the AirPod Pro a 8/10 and Nekocake at 5/10. This is to be expected as the ANC performance for Nekocake is definitely not on par with the high tiered TWS that offers a better ANC performance.

This is to be expected and I am not nitpicking especially at this asking price. The ANC does work, however it doesn’t cancel out most of the noise, EG, my mechanical keyboard typing sound, Keys jingling sound. It does cancel out the road noise when i am driving. When I'm out about in a busy restaurant, it’s not dead silent, but it does cancel out some noise in order for me to listen to the music at average listening volume without having to crank up the volume.


Final Thoughts

Throughout the week that i’ve been using Nekocake, i find them to be very comfortable over all and soundwise, they offers a good price performance ratio, the stock eartips offers good enough seal for me, it’s kinda hard for me to change the eartips as it won’t fit into the charging case. I find myself going for Nekocake instead of my wired setup throughout this test period because it offers good enough performance and the convenience that TWS offers

Overall I find them to offer a balanced performance with a good price performance ratio considering the specifications of the earbuds. At this asking price, It is very easy to recommend it to anyone who is looking for a budget TWS right now. I see no reason why I shouldn't recommend it.

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

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