GLADIATOR CABLE FLAGSHIP CLEO CABLE REVIEW

SPECS
Japanese Gold Silver Copper Wire
8-core 45 strands/core 25 AWG/core
15 strands pure OCC copper, 15 strands silver plated copper, 15 strands gold plated copper
Pure OFC Gold-plated Copper plug
Pure Copper connectors

INTRO
Upcoming Flagship from Gladiator Cable. Very long waiting time, about ~1 month total.
Alright it's finally here. Let's get started.

The package.

Judging from the packaging, there's definitely not enough protection. No case nor box used for protection, just padded bags. Nope not enough. Won't be surprised there are bent or broken parts parts that won't work etc2.

The cable out from the packaging.


Went for a quick look and found some parts are dirty. Went for full inspection and found even more dirt. Obviously it lacks total care.


The wire itself.

The outer skin apparently are not perfectly smooth (damaged). There is a bit of peel off due to scratching or chaffing? The scrapped part actually sticks out.

BUILD

The Left & Right indicator mark position are misaligned, not consistent on the connectors. (Note the orientation of the earphone).

The cable has a working chin slider. However, the chin to ear cable section is too short, pretty much a neck-stranglehold.
So the chin slider is totally useless.

The cable is skin friendly, has minimal smell and looks gorgeous.
It's also flexible, nice to touch and feel and above all it's light weight.

SETUP
E44 -> SilverAg -> Chu2
then swap SilverAg for Cleo.


SOUND
Just a quick summary:
- Improve all frequency
- Improve imaging
- Improve extension?
- Improve vocal. Vocals so sweet...
- Vocals........
- Sound fuller + more bodied
- Balanced sound?
- Wow colour me surprised.

---UPDATE---
Yeah – Usher
The bass.., in the first 10s is OMG... this can't be true (head shake on the rear low left). Wasn't expecting this.
* Remind you this is on Chu2. (A Chi-fi trash IEM).
Yeah Chu2 with E44, this' only a preliminary test and wasn't expecting anything yet was totally surprised by the sonic quality.
(Wrong sound due to wrong polarity caused by mismatch marking indicator).

DURABILITY
Horrendous. So it's only like a week in and the left connection is already acting up or loose. Depending on the orientation of the wire near the plug, the left channel sound may go missing. This is not a flagship quality cable. This is an absolute garbage!

A Rating of 1/5 is too high. Definitely below 1/5!!!
---

PONDERING THOUGHTS
So after ~1 month of waiting & quite a steep price, this is the finished product. A flagship, probably TOTL, cable but with mediocre or actually rubbish treatment, care & build. Those cheap chi-fi cables have better build, care and treatment than this (sonic properties is a different story). Actually I've never encounter chi-fi cables with these exterior build issues.

Thus the craftsmanship is totally questionable. Not to mention the lack of protection in packaging, But the sound is really good or even phenomenal.
So it boils down to this:
- If you don't care about aesthetics then there are only 2 main issues which are the durability and the neck-choke.
- Else look away.

CONCLUSION
So is it worth it? Probably not, not for this kind of craft. It's a blemish really, A superb cable with golden sound irked by sub-standard exterior basic elementary issues. Durability is also questionable and only time can tell.
A flagship cable can't be like this for sure!!!


TL;DR
The wire itself is no joke but the company itself is a choke joke.

TL;DR
Bamboo2 has arrived. Try it.

Package
IEM, tips, 0.78 cable, pouch, QC card, etc2

Build
Tiny with Full metal. Nice.

Cable
The wire actually looks good.
The plug & connectors looks bad, like an unfinished product but they actually aren't.

First thought/What to expect
Can this beat rival OLA?

PART I
Setup
E44 + xinhs crapty 4.4 cable?

Fit
Not that easy. Tried with like 5 so far, only 1 fits easily, 1 needs tweaking, the rest no go.
Not sure if the cable plays an effect or not.

SOUND
Bass
Will show itself there, invitation not required (LOL). Quantity wise it could be a bit too much for some but still acceptable. Now for the quality: No bloat, no boomy none of the sorts. Rumble check, depth check, impact check, speed err no check. LOL. Sorry but speed not that fast. Fx rumble can also be splashy. But hey, this performance is already above the paygrade.

Mids
Vocals are good, female or male. Won't be any issue in proper tracks, can be a little sibilant with slightly dirty tracks (female vocals). No issues such peakyness, harshness etc2. Instruments such as organ sounds a bit off (lacking energy?). The upper mids has too much boost to create artificial clarity but this is no big deal.

Treble
Typical weakness of budget IEM. Lacking dedicated driver really presents itself here. Decent extension but also sounds a bit off (maybe lacking presence?). High pitched background instruments just lacking zing/energy, but it's not smoothen (The foreground and the background details kinda sounds unbalanced)? It can handle busy tracks to a certain extent but don't expect too much. As bad as it sounds, it is competent, actually very competent for one driver.

Techs
WOW. This IEM actually has a somewhat decent proper soundstage. For Real!!! Totally unexpected. May not have the biggest size but it is there.
Imaging is good as well. It actually does a pretty decent job for live stage/orchestra but instruments separation may struggle in busy tracks.
The techs itself already out values the IEM. You simply don't get this kind of results for the price.
END OF PART I


PART II
Setup
Space + RedAg cable

Fit
Found the culprit. It's the detachable nozzle. It easily gets loose during insertion causing fit issues. Make sure to secure it before usage.

SOUND
Better now, more balanced. Probably minuscule improvement over bass if there's any. Can confirm that vocals sound good at the expense of instruments but not for every tracks.
So it goes like this:

• If there's spare budget, get Space + RedAg (or any good affordable pure silver cable) + Chu II.
• If not get Chu II by itself (still good techs) or get something else.

END OF PART II

UPDATE
Apparently the build quality rather poor. After a few months, the nozzle starts getting mouldy.

So there you have it. Rating has been updated too.

Itsy Bitsy Tips
Stock tips didn't use.

FR
Later or never.

Comparison
vs Tanchjim OLA. Would say OLA has a better driver thus better performance but yeah the fit...

vs. Raptgo Hook-X. Cost like ~10x more, has 2 drivers. I'll take Chu2. Period. Besides planar speed there's nothing else to offer.

vs. Intime Sora2. The one & only. Cost like ~3.5x more. Chu2 has a newer driver. Treble definitely go to sora2. Easy picking. For the others ugh... this is hard.

Closing thought
Full metal build, good driver, good sound quality etc2. The list could go on & on. Hard to find faults for the price. Could easily compete with those in the higher bracket. Moondrop actually does a fantastic job this time. Mediocre builld quality spoils eveything.

Verdict
2/10

P.S R.I.P Starfield 2, and possibly Zero1.

TL;DR
Just get one.

Package
Device, Cable, USB adapter, manual, etc2.

Build
Smooth silvery metal. Cool to touch. Awesome. I think it's aluminium?
There's a volume knob the '+' and '–' are joined together. The one with the bump is a '+' but it doesn't say or have any indication on it. There are two modes of operation. One is individual clicks which is responsive without lag (usable for small volume adjustments). The other is push and hold, not as responsive and has a bit of lag (usable for big volume adjustments).

Did I mention this knob + operation is exceptional? This is by far one of the best volume knob, if not the best for a USB dongle. Why? Because it's literally the same as a desktop device version. It has small steps volume adjustments, the knob feels good and plus the operation mode.

Accesories
Silvery looking sleek. Stiff but still flexible and it actually has two wires inside. You can actually see it. Very good cable. The supplied USB adapter doesn't work so if you're looking to hook with a PC, you may need to find 3rd party adapter. Mobile usb-c connections not an issue.

First thought/What to expect
It's Tanchjim...

Temperature
The device is stone cold when unoperational. Only gets to warm or hot-warm, depending on ambient temperature, after 1+ hours of use. No issue here.

SOUND
This is definitely not your standard device. The sound is transparent but with added sauce. So I wouldn't call it neutral. Depending on the IEM, you may either hate it or love it. I will elaborate on this later. I don't hear anything special on the mids, as in extra sauce but they are definitely around in the bass and treble region. Not by much though, just enough to make it kinda noticeable. But the biggest surprise is the tech area. The device will try to alter/distort or remove the soundstage and boost the details/micro details. Yep, you heard that right. Alter/distort or remove the soundstage!
Enough of that and let's go to real life test/comparison.

IEM TESTS
Raptgo Hook-X
Haven't used it in yonks so decided to give this long dusted junk IEM a go. And well well well... I'm in for a big surprise. It totally sounded different than the last time I used them. It's not bland any more, there's an actual soundstage kinda, bass is better overall, treble also the same plus added details. It basically overcomes most of the shortcomings the IEM, without compromising the mids. Due to this, decided to listen to it more a few days later. Planned to spend an hour and actually spent 1.5 hours. It could've been more really. Forced myself to stop. So yeah, this is it, the game changer.

Intime Sora-2
Overall there's a subtle improvement across the board.

Intime Cocoro
This is where it gets intriguing. Let's use Usher – Yeah. The song has a distinct pointy? sound in the background. It should be located in the back, a bit to the right and it hits periodically based on the melody/rhythm. The sound should be about level to the vocal, in terms of loudness. That should be the norm. On Tanchjim space, the sound position is still the same but the coordinate is not. It's actually outside the back of the head. It also sounds louder than the vocal and actually overpower and swallows the vocals and probably distort the overall scene to a certain extent. So there you have it.

Comparison
vs Tempotec E44. Better build, better buttons, better cable? worse USB adapter. Sound colour about the same since they both use same chips. If E44 is neutral then Space isn't because it has added sauce, for better or worse. Space may also sound a tad cleaner but not to sure about this.

Closing thought
Ladies and Gents, we have a new winner. Good build + exceptional volume knob = insta-buy. Sound quality is good, added sauce is not much of an issue. Extra details are always welcome. Only the soundstage adjustment can be a hit/miss. So there you have it. More plus then minus.

Verdict
11.5/10

P.S The volume adjustment thing should really be called buttons instead of a knob, but since they're joined together, knob it is.

TL;DR
Get OLA instead.

Package
IEM, Tips, 0.78mm cable, pouch, etc2x.

Build
Cheap plastic.

Cable
Thin cable but pretty long which is handy.

First thought/What to expect
Just another chi-fi.

SOUND
Bass
Quality wise it's quite good but the quantity may be a bit too much in some tracks but ok in others.
Bass got speed though which is good.

Mids
Men vocals are alright but female vocals are not. Especially female vocals with high pitch. They just sound muted, lack of excitement. Same thing with instruments. Electric guitars sound blunted, violins, trumpet same thing. This thing just lacks energy because there's just too much smoothing. So there's no peaky/shouty issues.

Treble
Weak. Cymbals lacks 'zing', extension. When many instruments are playing simultaneously, they just sound off due to the lack of energy. Nuff said.

Techs
Not worth wasting time.

Itsy Bitsy Tips
Plenty of cheap tips.

FR
Later or never.

Comparison
Not gonna bother.

Closing thought
Everything above, including female vocals range are lacking energy. They sound off.

Verdict
Skip.

TL;DR
This thing sucks power.

Package
IEM, Tips, 0.78mm modular cable, crappy pouch, modular plugs etc2x.

Build
Full Metal build. Nice and solid.
Excellent fit too which is unexpected. Definitely a big plus.

Cable
Pretty good cable. Good looking + modular.

First thought/What to expect
Fist planar + Open back. Not sure what to expect. Chin slider works.

SOUND
Bass
Right planar bass. Lets get into it. Hmm not sure what too say. Quality wise it's quite good but
quantity is mixed. In some tracks it sounds alright, in some it lacks impact but in others it has a tad too much? How bizarre. Generally it's on the light side. Bass got speed though which is good.

Mids
No issue whatsoever. No harshness, peakiness etc2x. Pure simple natural sound. No. not smoothen sound; Natural. However, this can have the opposite effect eg. electric guitars lack the 'zing' energy but it's not a biggie really. Vocals are good, which can be further complemented by the techs. Instruments also pretty well done.

Treble
The treble presence is the kinda weak which is surprising. Not sure why it's like this. Maybe it's designed this way to complement the planar driver or due to open-back?
As for micro-details, we need to separate them into majority and minority. Most IEMs will try show the majority but this set seems to do the opposite. The result is that the majority sounds weak & lacking (but still there), while there will be a minority that you haven't heard before but it's very rare. It doesn't have any issue such as sibilance etc.

Techs
The freak of the show. This set is rather clean sound quality and has an overall natural sound.

Sound stage
The soundstage itself is pretty wide. The height is also pretty tall. Not your average chi-fi but it's not fixed. Depth is available too but generally it's not that deep.

Imaging
It's really a variable. Tracks can sound close suggesting lack of depth but it's doesn't feel like in front of speaker placement either. So it does have depth or some sort. Depending upon the track, vocals can come forward closer to you which makes you appreciate the quality. On a certain track, the vocal actually comes out behind your head. Normally vocal stays in front and comes to you like speaking with another person. But not this one, no. This time it's like you both merge into one and the other party do the talking. So the sounds flow out behind your head instead of receiving them in front. Some instruments can also (be forced to) appear behind the ear. It makes me wonder if the imaging axis are shifted. But it's definitely not the case because other songs sounds normal.

The overall soundstage & imaging can sometime sound close to you where it normally doesn't.
It also has somewhat incomplete 360 audio? The rear low region behind the ear is exceptional. One track actually managed to produce a sensation of ants crawling on skin. Unreal.
However the other region are not as good. They feel rather weak or incomplete. It's such a pity.
Make no mistake though, most IEM may not even be able to produce this kind of imaging.

Lastly, there will usually be at least one thing that will stand out in a track, whether it's the vocals, plucking strings, sound effects etc. There's something mysterious that will attract you to this IEM. Not sure what it is but there's something alluring within.

Itsy Bitsy Tips
Didn't use.

FR
Later or never.

Comparison
vs. Sora2. Not really a fair comparison but Sora2 owns the treble. Everything else is Hook-X.

vs Miyabi. Hook-X has a better low rear field and maybe a slight edge in vocals. Else, it's all Miyabi.

vs. EST50. EST50 has an edge in treble, vocals, soundstage width and height. Hook-X owns the imaging.

Closing thought
This set definitely has an up and down qualities built into one. It's rather unpredictable.
So the 101 question is:
Would you keep this IEM? Of course because it's a bizarre creature.

Verdict
Hmm... 3/5 is too low, 5/5 is a no go. 4/5 doesn't seem right either

TL;DR
What do you know?

Package
IEM, Tips, MMCX cable, pouch, warranty card, etc2

Build
Plastic resin + metal hybrid. Tiny size.

Cable
Decent looking cable.

First thought/What to expect
Bought T-APB, was impressed. So got Ola, first Tanchjim set.

SOUND
Bass
It's just good. Despite what the graph shows, the quantity is actually sufficient. No bloat, no boomy none of the sorts. No issues whatsoever. Quality though, is really good for the price. You won't need to worry about speed because it's one of its strength and it has impact too.

Mids
One of the star of the show. For this kinda price, the vocals are really good. I'm not sure you can get a better vocals + mids in this price range. It's clean, it's fast and you can here vocal details that you've never heard before. Yep. vocal details. No issues such peakyness, harshness etc2x either. Instruments sounds like the way they should be.

Treble
The weakness of the set. Safe tuning + limited driver impaired this region. Don't mistake it for being incompetent. The treble is actually fine, but it may lack a little bit of bite. The energy, sparkle is there but not quite as much. It also kinda struggles in busy tracks.

Techs
The star of the show. The soundstage is wide, like real wide and it's really tall. Sounds can go over you head and there is some kind of depth too. That's crazy. You don't get this kind of performance at this price. It is really well done. Imaging is also really good. Instruments placement, separation are easy to identify. Did I mention that this set actually has traces of 360 audio. Unreal right for this price?

Itsy Bitsy Tips
Stock tips don't work.

FR
Later or never.

Comparison
vs BQEYZ KB1. KB1 rules the treble. Other than that it's all OLA's.

vs. ISN EST50. Cost about 10x more, has EST drivers. OLA wins in the bass quality, imaging and soundstage. EST50 takes the treble + microdetails.

vs. Intime Miyabi. Swallowed by Miyabi but I do believe they use the same, if not similar DD.


Closing thought
What do you know? Tanchjim has a winner. It'll be even better if they can fix the fit issue but can't ask for too much from this price bracket.

Verdict
10/10

P.S Looking forward to next Tanchjim.

TL;DR
What a nice surprise.

Package
IEM, Spinfit tips, MMCX cable, cable clip, pouch? (Can't really remember)

Build
Plastic resin + metal hybrid (brass). About same size as Nagi.

Cable
Good looking + quality cable and it actually works, unlike last time.

First thought/What to expect
After Nagi, not much expectations really. (Damn was I ever wrong!)

SOUND
Bass
Quantity may be just a tiny weenie above the desired level but it's not a biggie. Still ok and acceptable. It's not boomy or bloaty. Nope. The quality on the other hand is superb. It rumbles, thumps, goes deep. Mezzanine's Angel goes deep and thumps like no other. I thought something hit my throat when it kicks. Oh, have I mention that the bass is speedy too? It's as fast if not faster than my relic Klipsch speaker. Yes, you've heard that right, actual 2.1 speakers.

Mids
Let me start it off, this is definitely one of star of the show. The vocals... I don't know what they did with it but “good” is an understatement. The vocals are sublime. Vocals details that haven't heard before comes alive. Sounds crazy right? Vocal details...I never thought there are such thing as vocal details. It's probably somewhat connected to the separation. And of course there are no issues such peaky, harshness etc2. It is also clear and clean. Instruments such as strings also shines.

Treble
Hmm what should I say here? The treble is actually good by any means. It doesn't lack energy, it has details, sparkle etc2. It also doesn't have any issues such as sibilant, peaky etc2. Pretty sure it's an upgrade from the previous iteration. It's just that the 'wow' factor is overshadowed by the other regions.


Techs
This set is very clean, as in sound quality. It's that kind of tidiness that everything just falls in place nicely. This applies to the whole range, not just the mids or vocals. Never heard something so clean before.

Imaging
Now, back to business. Wanna hear floating strings? Not enough? How about flowing sounds in space? Still not enough? Then have a taste of 360 sound. Sounds that appear horizontal becomes either horizontal behind the ear or horizontal in front depending on the track. Crazy right? Yep. Welcome to spatial imaging, the main star of the show. It's truly noticeable in tracks such as MZ23. There are probably other sounds that I haven't explored such as popping out bass drums.

Sound stage
There's actually a quirk with the soundstage but that can come later. The soundstage itself is wide or actually very wide. The height is also very tall. The sound can actually go over your head height. Ridiculous.
Now for the depth... it is tricky. Why? Due to spatial imaging. Forget your typical soundstage. The shape can either be rectangular shape or spherical. Yep you heard that right.
At first I thought it's a typical rectangular shape but it may no be so, because you can be inside the soundstage. (Awesome). It's also possible that the rectangular is inside the sphere or vice versa. Unbelievable.

Itsy Bitsy Tips
Stock tips rules.

FR
Later or not.

Comparison
vs Nagi. Nagi's bass quantity is just right the right amount. In terms of bass quality, Miyabi rules by a fair margin. For mids, as good as Nagi is, it just doesn't hold a candle to Miyabi. It's that significant. For treble, Miyabi a bit better? Don't need to mention the rest.

vs. EST50. EST50 probably have a slight edge in width and height of soundstage? But really it's tiny. EST50 uses EST drivers but I hear more details in Miyabi.

Closing thought
Well I said to myself not to get another Intime and guess what, I have been well rewarded. Could this IEM be a mini M9, if not an M9 killer at a fraction of the price? Can't tell. What I can tell is once you hear 360 sound, there's no going back.

Verdict
If I rate Nagi 11~12/10 before, Miyabi's at least 15/10.

P.S 凪 終わり.Hello Miyabi

TL;DR
If you don't use demanding earphones, you can use this as your all-in-one DAC/AMP.
No need for separate desktop/portable DAC/AMP.

Package
S9, 2x usb-c cable, full usb to usb-c adapter, pocket clip

Build
Aluminium. Smooth, cool and clean. Feels nice to touch.

First thought/What to expect
Velvet Sound because it's AK.

TEST TOPIC
1. Sound Quality (SQ)
2. Power Consumption
3. Heat

TEST EQUIPMENT
Android micro-usb, Android usb-c, PC Linux. You'll probably need micro-usb to usb-c adapter OTG adapter for older mobiles. PC setup done with the provided accessories from the box.

SOUND QUALITY
Very good sound quality, clear without distortion. Can't notice the difference to desktop setup or without using DAC/AMP but I prefer the S9 sound output. Huh? Eh? Whuttt... Anyway it's probably a brain thingie.

POWER CONSUMPTION
ANDROID
~63 minutes => ~15% battery consumption on Hiby App on Android micro-usb.
~46 minutes => ~8% battery consumption on Hiby App on Android usb-c. (may not be accurate because test got interrupted)
AIMP also works.

LINUX
Doesn't apply but let me say a few things. Linux support is truly good. Plug and play, completely bypass the OS master volume and interacts directly with the audio player volume.
HEAT
Using Hiby, it runs cool, barely warm after ~1 hour.
Using AIMP, the thing heats up fast. It gets hot. Probably becauses AIMP doesn't have the USB DAC support?

Closing thought
Does the job as expected. For the price it's definitely worth it for the DAC/AMP + 2 connections. 2.5mm connection will be tested later maybe. Too bad can't really do more demanding tests since no nitpicky/demanding cans/earphones. So where's the Velvet?

Verdict
5/5 as far as SQ goes, but overall 4.5/5.

TL;DR
Don't ask, just pull the trigger.

Package
IEM, AET07 tips, MMCX cable, cable clip, pouch? (Can't really remember)

Build
Plastic resin? + metal hybrid (brass/titanium?). It's a bit longer/bigger than sora-2.
It looked better too.

Cable
Better cable than sora-2. Longer with 2x protection but the left MMCX connector is kinda loose.

First thought/What to expect
Next toy level up after sora-2, probably already been brainwashed by intime by now.
Expectations are bass along the line of e3000 and +VST2 -HDSS showdown.
From the law of diminishing returns, expecting ~1.5x more performance to the 2x price. (YMMV)

SOUND
Bass
Definitely the biggest game changer. No need to mention thumpy, rumble, punchy etc2. It's all there. Better quality + quantity with just the right amount. Controlled bass is probably the best way to describe it. It's even better than e3000 bass in both quality + quantity. (Heck, I'm not even a bass person and I got addicted to drum beats? in songs like Collective Soul – Shine).

Mids
Same characteristics as sora-2 pretty much.

Treble
VST-2 ain't no lie. Treble is definitely better with more details (can hear sounds that wasn't there in sora-2). Still retain the characteristics of sora-2 eg. non-sibilant, sparkly and energetic etc2. There's also probably more than meets the eye ear.

3d-ness
Definitely not near field soundstage, probably medium~far.
Better layering and instrument separation than sora-2. (Can hear there's actually a 2nd vocal in the background during casual listening, didn't happen with sora-2).
Can locate sound source eg. top-left, bottom-right etc. Have a complete full surround.

Tonality/Timbre
Same as sora-2 pretty much? Or maybe better? No clue. If HDSS is applicable for all frequencies then it's HDSS no more.

Itsy Bitsy Tips
Probably the hardest battle so far. Due to the build, getting the right tips ain't easy.
Nuarl, sedna light ain't cut it. CP145 probably the 2nd best but the bass becomes muddy/bloated? and not addictive. So, Marunana to the rescue with third party cable.

FR

Really would like a better resolution >1KHz+, but alas.. better than nothing I guess.

Closing thought
So the most important question is does it meet the expectations?
Despite having the small issues, cable + build fit, the overall sound quality just eclipse them all.
How to explain it, full satisfisfaction is an understatement.
The bass performance itself probably, already worth 1.5x return or more (I kid you not) and there're still other factors such as the treble, soundstage, imaging, separation, layering etc2. If I were to give a fair complete return value, it would be at least ~2x or something along ~2.5x? (Kinda regretting not getting a second pair).
And yes, the amp. volpot can go higher while still maintaining sane volume level compared to other
IEMs.

Verdict
5/5 rating is a joke. It's more like >5/5.

P.S. Get ready for price hike (j/k)

TL;DR
Best under $100, basshead excluded.

Package
IEM, AET07 tips, earhook, cable clip, pouch. (Hmm what else...)

Build
Full metal finish stainless steel? (Can't remember the exact material)

First thought/What to expect
First foray into Japanese IEM after budget chi-fis. Expecting some good things?

Bass
Quality bass with power. Punchy, rocky etc2, not so much in quantity.

Mids
Thought the treble is the cream of the crop. Guess again.
The mids is where the IEM really shines. No muddiness, clear and transparent mids.
Vocals just sounds really good, no-peakiness issue whatsoever.

Treble
Sparkly treble with energy, non-sibilant in the slightest. Plenty of details everywhere.

3d-ness
Near field soundstage with good instrument separation. Can locate sound source eg. top-left, bottom-right etc. Have a complete full surround.

Tonality/Timbre
No idea what this' but didn't notice anything weird or out of ordinary. Didn't notice any metallic/artificial sound either. Overall SQ is really well defined.

Itsy Bitsy Tips
CP145 does the job and mobile friendly too.

FR


Closing thought
Blown away. That's probably the word to describe it.
Worth the penny? You betcha. Every single one of them. Truly an ear-opener after hearing budget chi-fis. Can probably compete with higher price brackets ($100~$300) in some areas.

Verdict
5/5.

TL;DR
A steal for $20.

Package
IEM, BQEYZ tips, cablex2, pouch? (Yes two cables, very generous)

Build
Aluminium feels premium. Not bad looking either. Lightweight.

Cable
Standard cable one with and one without mic.

First thought/What to expect
Heard about BQEYZ for a while, never had the chance to try one until the $20 vending machine came along. Not expecting anything really at this price point.

SOUND
Bass
Well rounded bass in terms of quality and quantity. Probably not up to e3000 standards but still good and not overpowering.

Mids
Didn't find any issue with female vocals. Peakiness/shoutiness could be borderline in certain tracks but generally they're safe. Can lack energy in few tracks.

Treble
Decent treble with enough details. No issue with sibilance. Didn't notice any artificial/metallic sound. Better than e3000 in this department.

3d-ness
This is where the surprise lies. It has a further soundstage than sora-2, probably somewhere along medium field (Totally unexpected). No problem in locating sound source eg. top-left, bottom-right etc. Doesn't have a complete full surround.

Tonality/Timbre
Sounds good overall.

Itsy Bitsy Tips
Tried with multiple tips, not a problem.

FR


Closing thought
So how does it perform? Does it worth the $40? Hard questions to answer indeed.
If you listen to Chinese music then this' thing is it.
I was chilling, listening to random tracks from a mobile. Western, Japanese tracks etc2 then come along Chinese tracks. Couldn't believe how good it actually sounded (sounded better than sora-2 when I thought it's not even possible). I just reacted, jumped up, eyes wide open. Thought it's just a mere coincidence, so played the next Chinese tracks. The majority of them sounded better, if not equal to sora-2. Un-freagin-real.
So it just fell short of being a e3000 killer but if you listen to tracks with multiple language, mutiple genre or random/radio then BEQYZ KB1 is it.

Verdict
Definitely 4.5~5/5 for $20, 4~4.5/5 for original price.

P.S. Keeps me wondering if other BQEYZ are tuned like this.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank Jade Audio for the review sample. I don't have any affiliation with any company or review site. Audio were reproduced from Topping D50 and JDS Atom.

SPECS
Impedance: 18 ohms
Earphone sensitivity: 108 dB (1mW)
Frequency response range: 5Hz-40KHz
Driver: Dynamic (13.6mm) + Knowles BA (33518)
Weight (with cable): 21g


PACKAGE
Good accessories with pouch, cable and two type of eartips, black and red. Red tips have wider bore compared to the black one.

CABLE
Silver plated copper cable with 96-cores and ear-hook + chin slider. Looks alright but feels a bit thin.


BUILT
Material is mainly plastic, decent but not a luxury. It doesn't look as bad as it seems but definitely not close to the official illustration.

SOUND
- Bass did not fail to deliver as expected from the large driver. It's good, punchy and about the right amount.
- Mids are good with details and clarity. Male vocals are a bit recessed compared to female vocals. High pitched female vocals can cause sibilance. (Update: Sibilance are virtually gone after long term break-in.)
- Treble is boosted, sounds faster and have plenty of micro details. Its probably somewhere close to borderline of sharp and harsh. Depending on the tracks, long period at hi-volume of listening can be fatiguing/piercing.
- Soundstage is above average and wide.
- Isolation is very good. The tips provided sits well in the ear.
- Need a proper source for full potential drive and sound. Tried with a tablet, it sound plain ordinary. With an amp it's a different beast.

CONCLUSION
The EA3 is a good entry point for Chi-fi. For it's ~$40-50 price point, it's hard to find an IEM with a Knowles BA. It's excellent for EDM but may not be so on others such as hip-hop/rap. Lowering the volume level may help with the above issues. Besides the built and cable kinda lower than average quality, there's really not much fault to mention.