AZLA Horizon
- Added by Watermelon Boi
- Create date
Introduction:
Azla has gained a fair reputation in the field of eartips. Sednaearfit, Sednaearfit Light, Sednaearfit Short, Sednaearfit Light Short, Xelastec, Crystal - all of them are pretty highly appreciated in the audiophile community. I personally have the Sednaearfit Light and Light short, along with the Crystal, and I love them. I very much want to get my hands on their Sednaearfit Vivid edition as well, but cannot find a suitable vendor who will ship to India, and they are not yet available with local vendors also.
While researching Azla, I came to find out that they have some iems as well. I gave them a cursory glance in the past and thought nothing much about them. However, after that my preference changed, and I got completely inclined to single-DD iems. I have kind of a treasure hunter syndrome (coined by myself), I always try to look for those gears (mostly iems) which have stayed out of the limelight, but which might have solid potential. If you’d look at my signature you’d know that. Anyway, that is how my search for a TOTL iem landed me on FAudio Dark Sky. I located it on zeppelinandco, and shot them a message asking for a review sample for a discount. They agreed, and just then, by luck, the Horizon on their site caught my glance. This time, I put some more time into it, looking deep into the tech, combing through the handful of reviews it has online, and decided to play a gamble on it. Asked zeppelin for a similar reviewer’s discount, and they agreed. And that is how I came into possession of it.
Specifications:
I bought this from Zeppelin&Co. for a reviewer’s discount in the promise of my honest opinion. I have recorded my impressions below while trying to remain as much as bias-free.
Packaging and Accessories:
Azla has gone with quite the minimalistic approach with the packaging of Horizon. A plain black cardboard box with black sleeve. Although the inscription of the titles feel fairly premium. Inside is a compartment with cavities for the earpieces and the cable. Below that is 2 flat boxes containing eartips. There is some literature in a black envelope as well, but I did not spend much time with it. There was no carrying case or carrying pouch.
The cable that came with Horizon seems to be nothing special, although not particularly cheap. The sleeve seems to be a rubbery kind of material with a pretty high coefficient of friction, and hence very prone to getting tangled. The details of the cable is as below:
Well, from the description it seems to be of fairly good quality, although I am not sure what sonic properties the Kevlar/250D*4 cores provide, or whether it’s just there for structural reinforcement.
The eartips were regular run of the mill short stem wide bore tips. I didn't understand the idea of including the same type of eartips twice. As a saving grace the earpieces came with Sednaearfit M tips attached, but even though I was disappointed, as I found in a previous review that it came with one full set of regular tips and one full set of Sednaearfit tips. I contacted Zeppelin regarding this, and upon checking they confirmed that this is how they received this product. Might be a reshuffling of the packaging. Anyway not a severe deal breaker per se.
The absence of a carrying case or carrying pouch was really something that I disapprove of. At this price range, a carrying case is a given, especially when iems 1/10th of its price are coming with at least a soft carrying pouch.
Build and Fit:
The build of Horizon is quite unique. The actual functioning part is a single metal cylinder that houses the dynamic driver and extends from the back to the front of the earpiece. The middle portion of the cylinder is housed within a polycarbonate (yes, polycarbonate, just regular polycarbonate) shell, which, from the first glance seems to have a lot of empty space save for the pair of cables, but it actually has a different purpose, which will be detailed below.
The nozzle is quite long and reaches deep within the ear. It also is on a somewhat wider side in respect of diameter, about 5 mm wide. Both of these coupled together makes it a tricky fit. Any eartips that I put it on, had either of the two problems: First, it was either slightly narrower than ideal, which, despite the deep fit, did not provide the correct seal; or Second, the eartips provided a snug fit and strong isolation, but also put pressure in such a way that had some effect on the sound signature. It did not become painful or anything, but I could detect that if my ear moves (yeah I can wiggle my ears), the pressure on the inside of my ear canal lessens slightly, and the sound seems to open up slightly more, without breaking the isolation. Despite the strong isolation, I would like to mention that there was absolutely zero driver flex. Also, once I could achieve an ideal seal, I largely forgot that it was even there.
I am not a fan of the PVC shell. While it makes it quite light in weight, the shells themselves are not very hard and hence quite prone to scratches. I am using it as an everyday carry, and while I always keep them inside a cloth pouch, there are several fine scratches on them already. Although I never have any concern regarding the durability of it, it seems to be pretty sturdily assembled.
Tech Inside:
Normally this is not a section I include in my other reviews, however, Horizon is special. It employs some such unique techs inside that I felt obligated to talk about them. I won’t go into rewriting them in my own words to avoid unnecessary hassle, I am just copy-pasting them from their website:
Well, as explained in the Sound Air Vent Holes section, along with the above line diagram, it is clear that within the polycarbonate housing the metal cylinder has small vents, through which air circulation occurs between the metal cylinder and polycarbonate housing. This, along with the two air vents on the conical portion in the back, might help create such an immersive stage combined with a deep and hard hitting bass. Well, this is purely my guess, because no words regarding that internal airflow is mentioned anywhere in the official product page.
Source:
Qudelix 5K balanced out via bluetooth
Luxury & Precision W2 balanced out
(I deliberately put the Shanling M7 out of this because it was not a good match, provided it’s already fairly on the bright side.)
Sound:
It’s not every day that I fall in love with a iem that has a very crowd pleasing V shaped tuning. I love a bit more balanced sound. Nice bass slam that stays controlled, clean and slightly forward midrange, sparkly highs…more like a W shaped sound. However, Horizon is quite an excursion from that. It has a typical V shaped sound that can be found in some quite popular iems, namely, Ikko OH10, Sennheiser IE300, Kinera Norn. And if anyone has read my reviews, they would know that none of them did particularly catch my fancy.
Well, Azla Horizon changed that.
When I first put them in my ears and started playing, there were three aspects that immediately caught my attention:
So, I did a lot of tip rolling, and finally settled on the generic red bore dark grey flange eartips, which are available on Penon and come bundled with a lot of iems. The bass was enhanced slightly more, the stage got slightly smaller (but still providing plenty of satisfaction), and the energy in the upper registers felt dimmed very little bit - which was welcoming nonetheless.
While the stock cable was fine and I used it for quite a while, I finally paired it with the Satin Audio Gaia II, the SPOCC pure copper type-4 litz cable from Satin Audio’s entry level Titan series. Further impressions of Horizon will be with this pair.
Where was I? Oh yes, as I said before, Horizon, in spite of being a V shaped iem, really really captivated me. Now, how did it do that? Well, you see, I was getting bass that was thunderous to a fair degree, and yet a highly transparent midrange, crisp and slightly sharp notes, etched out details, brilliant separation, superb layering & imaging, three dimensional soundstage, and extended sparkling & quite energetic highs (which can make or break it, depending upon tolerance)...it was rare to find all of them together at around $300 mark, so don’t blame me for being enamoured with them! The complete presentation was so dynamic that it shook me to the core and made my foot tap all together!
Let’s get to the details. Firstly, as already mentioned several times and is quite evident in the graph, it boasts a big and bold Bass. There’s no favouritism here - Mid and Sub, none of them are favoured over the other. Both of them are boosted quite a fair bit, as can be clearly seen in the crinacle’s graph: a clear 12 dB boost from 1khz. And every bit of it can be heard and felt. It slams quite powerfully, digs quite deep, exerts quite a respectable amount of pressure, and reproduces textures with authority. Each drum hit is felt. The bass guitar riffs resonate deep within your soul. And yet never they become muddy or overlap one another. A brilliant track to check is Deep Purple - Chasing Shadows. There’s a unique rhythm here, consisting of drums, timbales, maracas, cowbell, along with a clearly pronounced bassline almost throughout the track. The drum and timbales hits are thick and commands a quite strong presence right from the onset of the track. And shortly after the bass guitar comes into play, exerting full bodied notes and deep rumbles. However, never once the drum hits and bass guitar rumbles overlap each other or get mashed together - such is the brilliant control and outstanding textures. Being this strong and thick, one would think that the bass will be one note, but that is the farthest from the truth here - the variation in the bass guitar tones are clearly produced and easily noticeable; there’s a clear distinction between the drum and timbale notes as well. This shows how refined the bass is.
To get an idea of the extent of the low end, I played Bear McCreary-Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST: Prelude To War. This track has some serious bass drums that slam and rumble in a thunderous way that shook me to the core. And never once did I feel the textures became overshadowed by the thick bodies of the notes. There are also some bass at play which set up a firm groundwork for the track with equally formidable presence.
One would think, given how deep the Midrange sits behind the bass, that its midrange performance will be quite substandard. And in fact, I felt the same when I was reviewing the Ikko OH10. The curves of Horizon and OH10 are pretty similar, and the midrange performance of OH10 was not anything remarkable. However, the handful of reviews of Horizon that I could find, not one of them bashed it for being unimpressive. And once it started playing, I can clearly hear why.
Immediately after the powerful bass the aspect that stands out the most is the highly clean and clear midrange. The first defining trait that I can detect is precision. It’s rare to get to hear such a cleanly defined and well separated midrange in this price segment. The strong low end never meddles into it, albeit it does add some weight to the lower mid which is highly welcome. There is an edge in the midrange notes which helps to enhance definitions, which is one of the notable aspects of it. One might say it’s prone to being clinical and dry, but thankfully the DD timbre barely saves it from that…but yeah, ‘barely’. Compared to my other DD iems, the midrange definitely feels a bit lean, and yet not that lean to abandon musicality. Lower mids, especially deep male vocals still have that touch of throaty sound which make them sound natural, but as it goes upwards the edges in the vocals can be detected, especially in the finishing notes, and they do sound slightly less organic then - a bit more digital. There seems to be a slightly metallic sheen in the vocals. All these can be experienced in the track Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah; here his voice starts deep and weighty, but as it soars the sharp edges become a bit accentuated. Rasp and harsh male vocals, like in Metallica - Enter Sandman and RHCP - Dani California sound a bit edgy, but not overly thin and unnatural - an acceptable amount of note weight is still present, but not exactly up to desirable degree (I hope this makes sense.) But come to smooth and baritone vocals, like Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, they sound nothing short of delightful. Sure, I would have preferred slightly more body, but that’s really just me fussing over it, as the DD timbre makes them quite enjoyable nonetheless.
Coming to female vocals, well, Horizon bestows them with a brilliance and extension which perfectly conveys the emotion in them. Be it Whitney Houston,Madonna, Julia Jacklin, Amy Lee, Christina Aguilera, Cherryl Wheeler, Pink, Yao Si Ting, Charlotte Cardin…all of them sound alive and appropriately full of life. The smooth ones have that sublime depth, the energetic ones soar high with surreal radiance. They do have one thing in common - all of them have a silky nature added to them, which makes them all the more magical. Following the trait of the male vocals, here also the sharpness might sometimes work against the female vocals, and accentuates the peaks occasionally to become slightly piercing and adds that metallic sheen to them, but thankfully that happens in very specific tracks only, and that too quite seldom. However, as I played Sara Bareilles through Qudelix 5K, the peaky parts of her voice became really uncomfortably accentuated and sharp, slightly sibilant, and ultimately not enjoyable at all. Yao Si Ting in Scarborough Fair also had one or two sibilant areas that got slightly piercing for a moment or two.
On the other hand, the instrumental tracks sound outstanding. Each instrument notes sound well defined, details are effortlessly brought out. The slightly sharp notes help here a lot. Especially string instrument notes, such as guitar (both electric and acoustic), sound crunchy. Despite having the sharpness, the notes do not feel dry, and most certainly not flat. May be very slightly thinner in body, but that assists in improving the separation rather than making it unnatural. The most notable aspect of Horizon here is how effortlessly it recreates the detail in the instruments being played in the far background. Despite being in the background they do not feel muted and washed out, rather the microdynamics of them are brought forward quite nicely and I never failed to notice them. Don’t misunderstand, though, it’s not like the background instruments are pushed forward in your face, that will kill the stage depth. They remain situated at the depth of the stage they are meant to be, just they sound quite clear and stand out so prominently that the details become really easy to pick up. This is precisely the reason why I love listening to orchestral and instrumental tracks the most with Horizon, for e.g, James Newton Howard - Red Sparrow OST: Overture, Cloud Atlas OST: Won’t Let Go, Estas Tonne - Strings Of A Bard, Hans Zimmer - The Dune Sketchbook.
The Treble of Horizon has a considerably bright and slightly cold nature, despite the steep 20 dB roll off past 8 khz. It still has plenty of energy in the region of 6 khz-8 khz. The high frequency notes have a silky nature, however, they’re not silky SMOOTH…rather silky and sparkling, with slight edges here and there. The utter transparency of the midrange is carried forward to this region as well. These two aspects combined really elevates the treble to an ethereal presentation. The cymbal and hi-hat notes stand out quite well in the mix, even in the busiest tracks. However, this is purely my guess, because of the steep roll off past 8 khz, they never become uncomfortably piercing. Again, this is purely my guess. The crash cymbals notes sound brilliant in the mix and the subsequent decay is quite natural, but even on tracks where the cymbal crashes are at the forefront, they never become overly piercing. I never had to wince once in the tracks Tool - Stinkfist, Red Hot Chilli Pepper - Dani California, Metallica - Enter Sandman. Specifically, Enter Sandman has a constant hi-hat roll placed quite forward, which has an abundance of sparkle and energy, and never once I had the sensation of getting stabbed in my brain with several icy needles, even though they retained a strong presence throughout the track. In Stinkfist and Dani California various cymbals notes are placed in various depths of the stage - some in front while some come from back in the scene. Horizon, while portraying the frontal cymbal notes with sufficient energy but not uncomfortably bright, also manages to bring out the background treble notes to their justified presence. The background treble notes - cymbal crash, ride cymbal roll, or cowbell - everything becomes clearly discernible in the mix, at their respective position, with sufficient details. Even the faintest of notes sounds clear. The layering of the different notes is masterfully carried out.
Granted, there is a spicy nature due to the edgy notes and perhaps a metallic sheen…but then, treble notes generally originate from metal to metal collisions, so the metallic sheen really did not prove to be detrimental for them, at least to my ears. The sharpness of the notes also remains somewhat within control so that they never become too spicy to sound wrong. However, for treble sensitive ears I can clearly see it may provide notable discomfort, as despite the absence of piercing peaks, the general abundance of energy can get a bit overwhelming. For treble heads, well, you’re in for a treat.
Post 11 khz the treble peaks up and recovers some energy, which helps in retaining the air in the treble region. The multiple different types of treble notes never fight among each other to gain prominence - all of them are well separated and have enough room to breathe.
I believe I have already said enough regarding the several aspects of technicalities of the iem. The stage is sufficiently deep while having a nice width and height, imaging is quite pinpoint and accurate. No need to repeat after myself any more.
Conclusion:
Let me be perfectly clear - Azla Horizon is not a safe choice for everybody. It is very much a specialist iem. Such a sharp V shaped iem at about $300 range ($286 to be exact) is not what most people are looking for at this range. A 12 dB boost in the low end over 1 khz, and a similar boost in the upper mid frequency generally gives off a lot of red flags. And truth be told, I would have definitely preferred a bit less emphasis in the 5khz - 8khz range; however, it is what it is. In spite of so many alarming aspects, Azla managed to tune the final sound in such a way that has definitely drawn me towards it. And that’s where it distinguishes itself from other V-shaped tuning iems. The highly transparent midrange with captivating instruments, just right male vocals, ethereal female vocals, brilliant treble, airy and spacious presentation, immaculate imaging, and all over a very dynamic and engaging sound do not take much time to capture the heart of the listener, the way it did mine, despite the slight nagging of the sharpness of the notes. I cannot recommend it to anyone as a blind buy suggestion, because it takes time and a certain level of tolerance to bright tuning to really adapt to its sound signature and appreciate it. But quite honestly, those who do have these two, would find satisfaction in it - that’s one thing I can swear on. It has become my EDC (every day carry), paired with Qudelix 5K or occasionally L&P W2. The Hiby Lasya is a calmer sister that compliments it. When on the road and I need that energy, that power, to drown out the outside noise a bit to enjoy my music, Horizon fills in that role perfectly for me.
Azla has gained a fair reputation in the field of eartips. Sednaearfit, Sednaearfit Light, Sednaearfit Short, Sednaearfit Light Short, Xelastec, Crystal - all of them are pretty highly appreciated in the audiophile community. I personally have the Sednaearfit Light and Light short, along with the Crystal, and I love them. I very much want to get my hands on their Sednaearfit Vivid edition as well, but cannot find a suitable vendor who will ship to India, and they are not yet available with local vendors also.
While researching Azla, I came to find out that they have some iems as well. I gave them a cursory glance in the past and thought nothing much about them. However, after that my preference changed, and I got completely inclined to single-DD iems. I have kind of a treasure hunter syndrome (coined by myself), I always try to look for those gears (mostly iems) which have stayed out of the limelight, but which might have solid potential. If you’d look at my signature you’d know that. Anyway, that is how my search for a TOTL iem landed me on FAudio Dark Sky. I located it on zeppelinandco, and shot them a message asking for a review sample for a discount. They agreed, and just then, by luck, the Horizon on their site caught my glance. This time, I put some more time into it, looking deep into the tech, combing through the handful of reviews it has online, and decided to play a gamble on it. Asked zeppelin for a similar reviewer’s discount, and they agreed. And that is how I came into possession of it.
Specifications:
- Driver Unit: 8mm new SF ARD(Advanced Research Driver)
- Sensitivity: 103dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion: Less than 0.5%
- Rated Input: 5mW
- Max Input: 20mW
- Impedance: 27Ω ±10%
- Frequency Range: 5Hz - 30kHz
- Weight: 24g (with cable)
- Plug: 3.5mm stereo
I bought this from Zeppelin&Co. for a reviewer’s discount in the promise of my honest opinion. I have recorded my impressions below while trying to remain as much as bias-free.
Packaging and Accessories:
Azla has gone with quite the minimalistic approach with the packaging of Horizon. A plain black cardboard box with black sleeve. Although the inscription of the titles feel fairly premium. Inside is a compartment with cavities for the earpieces and the cable. Below that is 2 flat boxes containing eartips. There is some literature in a black envelope as well, but I did not spend much time with it. There was no carrying case or carrying pouch.
The cable that came with Horizon seems to be nothing special, although not particularly cheap. The sleeve seems to be a rubbery kind of material with a pretty high coefficient of friction, and hence very prone to getting tangled. The details of the cable is as below:
Well, from the description it seems to be of fairly good quality, although I am not sure what sonic properties the Kevlar/250D*4 cores provide, or whether it’s just there for structural reinforcement.
The eartips were regular run of the mill short stem wide bore tips. I didn't understand the idea of including the same type of eartips twice. As a saving grace the earpieces came with Sednaearfit M tips attached, but even though I was disappointed, as I found in a previous review that it came with one full set of regular tips and one full set of Sednaearfit tips. I contacted Zeppelin regarding this, and upon checking they confirmed that this is how they received this product. Might be a reshuffling of the packaging. Anyway not a severe deal breaker per se.
The absence of a carrying case or carrying pouch was really something that I disapprove of. At this price range, a carrying case is a given, especially when iems 1/10th of its price are coming with at least a soft carrying pouch.
Build and Fit:
The build of Horizon is quite unique. The actual functioning part is a single metal cylinder that houses the dynamic driver and extends from the back to the front of the earpiece. The middle portion of the cylinder is housed within a polycarbonate (yes, polycarbonate, just regular polycarbonate) shell, which, from the first glance seems to have a lot of empty space save for the pair of cables, but it actually has a different purpose, which will be detailed below.
The nozzle is quite long and reaches deep within the ear. It also is on a somewhat wider side in respect of diameter, about 5 mm wide. Both of these coupled together makes it a tricky fit. Any eartips that I put it on, had either of the two problems: First, it was either slightly narrower than ideal, which, despite the deep fit, did not provide the correct seal; or Second, the eartips provided a snug fit and strong isolation, but also put pressure in such a way that had some effect on the sound signature. It did not become painful or anything, but I could detect that if my ear moves (yeah I can wiggle my ears), the pressure on the inside of my ear canal lessens slightly, and the sound seems to open up slightly more, without breaking the isolation. Despite the strong isolation, I would like to mention that there was absolutely zero driver flex. Also, once I could achieve an ideal seal, I largely forgot that it was even there.
I am not a fan of the PVC shell. While it makes it quite light in weight, the shells themselves are not very hard and hence quite prone to scratches. I am using it as an everyday carry, and while I always keep them inside a cloth pouch, there are several fine scratches on them already. Although I never have any concern regarding the durability of it, it seems to be pretty sturdily assembled.
Tech Inside:
Normally this is not a section I include in my other reviews, however, Horizon is special. It employs some such unique techs inside that I felt obligated to talk about them. I won’t go into rewriting them in my own words to avoid unnecessary hassle, I am just copy-pasting them from their website:
Well, as explained in the Sound Air Vent Holes section, along with the above line diagram, it is clear that within the polycarbonate housing the metal cylinder has small vents, through which air circulation occurs between the metal cylinder and polycarbonate housing. This, along with the two air vents on the conical portion in the back, might help create such an immersive stage combined with a deep and hard hitting bass. Well, this is purely my guess, because no words regarding that internal airflow is mentioned anywhere in the official product page.
Source:
Qudelix 5K balanced out via bluetooth
Luxury & Precision W2 balanced out
(I deliberately put the Shanling M7 out of this because it was not a good match, provided it’s already fairly on the bright side.)
Sound:
It’s not every day that I fall in love with a iem that has a very crowd pleasing V shaped tuning. I love a bit more balanced sound. Nice bass slam that stays controlled, clean and slightly forward midrange, sparkly highs…more like a W shaped sound. However, Horizon is quite an excursion from that. It has a typical V shaped sound that can be found in some quite popular iems, namely, Ikko OH10, Sennheiser IE300, Kinera Norn. And if anyone has read my reviews, they would know that none of them did particularly catch my fancy.
Well, Azla Horizon changed that.
When I first put them in my ears and started playing, there were three aspects that immediately caught my attention:
- The Big and Bold Bass
- The quite energetic and somewhat sharp highs
- The sense of a well crafted three dimensional space
So, I did a lot of tip rolling, and finally settled on the generic red bore dark grey flange eartips, which are available on Penon and come bundled with a lot of iems. The bass was enhanced slightly more, the stage got slightly smaller (but still providing plenty of satisfaction), and the energy in the upper registers felt dimmed very little bit - which was welcoming nonetheless.
While the stock cable was fine and I used it for quite a while, I finally paired it with the Satin Audio Gaia II, the SPOCC pure copper type-4 litz cable from Satin Audio’s entry level Titan series. Further impressions of Horizon will be with this pair.
Where was I? Oh yes, as I said before, Horizon, in spite of being a V shaped iem, really really captivated me. Now, how did it do that? Well, you see, I was getting bass that was thunderous to a fair degree, and yet a highly transparent midrange, crisp and slightly sharp notes, etched out details, brilliant separation, superb layering & imaging, three dimensional soundstage, and extended sparkling & quite energetic highs (which can make or break it, depending upon tolerance)...it was rare to find all of them together at around $300 mark, so don’t blame me for being enamoured with them! The complete presentation was so dynamic that it shook me to the core and made my foot tap all together!
Let’s get to the details. Firstly, as already mentioned several times and is quite evident in the graph, it boasts a big and bold Bass. There’s no favouritism here - Mid and Sub, none of them are favoured over the other. Both of them are boosted quite a fair bit, as can be clearly seen in the crinacle’s graph: a clear 12 dB boost from 1khz. And every bit of it can be heard and felt. It slams quite powerfully, digs quite deep, exerts quite a respectable amount of pressure, and reproduces textures with authority. Each drum hit is felt. The bass guitar riffs resonate deep within your soul. And yet never they become muddy or overlap one another. A brilliant track to check is Deep Purple - Chasing Shadows. There’s a unique rhythm here, consisting of drums, timbales, maracas, cowbell, along with a clearly pronounced bassline almost throughout the track. The drum and timbales hits are thick and commands a quite strong presence right from the onset of the track. And shortly after the bass guitar comes into play, exerting full bodied notes and deep rumbles. However, never once the drum hits and bass guitar rumbles overlap each other or get mashed together - such is the brilliant control and outstanding textures. Being this strong and thick, one would think that the bass will be one note, but that is the farthest from the truth here - the variation in the bass guitar tones are clearly produced and easily noticeable; there’s a clear distinction between the drum and timbale notes as well. This shows how refined the bass is.
To get an idea of the extent of the low end, I played Bear McCreary-Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST: Prelude To War. This track has some serious bass drums that slam and rumble in a thunderous way that shook me to the core. And never once did I feel the textures became overshadowed by the thick bodies of the notes. There are also some bass at play which set up a firm groundwork for the track with equally formidable presence.
One would think, given how deep the Midrange sits behind the bass, that its midrange performance will be quite substandard. And in fact, I felt the same when I was reviewing the Ikko OH10. The curves of Horizon and OH10 are pretty similar, and the midrange performance of OH10 was not anything remarkable. However, the handful of reviews of Horizon that I could find, not one of them bashed it for being unimpressive. And once it started playing, I can clearly hear why.
Immediately after the powerful bass the aspect that stands out the most is the highly clean and clear midrange. The first defining trait that I can detect is precision. It’s rare to get to hear such a cleanly defined and well separated midrange in this price segment. The strong low end never meddles into it, albeit it does add some weight to the lower mid which is highly welcome. There is an edge in the midrange notes which helps to enhance definitions, which is one of the notable aspects of it. One might say it’s prone to being clinical and dry, but thankfully the DD timbre barely saves it from that…but yeah, ‘barely’. Compared to my other DD iems, the midrange definitely feels a bit lean, and yet not that lean to abandon musicality. Lower mids, especially deep male vocals still have that touch of throaty sound which make them sound natural, but as it goes upwards the edges in the vocals can be detected, especially in the finishing notes, and they do sound slightly less organic then - a bit more digital. There seems to be a slightly metallic sheen in the vocals. All these can be experienced in the track Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah; here his voice starts deep and weighty, but as it soars the sharp edges become a bit accentuated. Rasp and harsh male vocals, like in Metallica - Enter Sandman and RHCP - Dani California sound a bit edgy, but not overly thin and unnatural - an acceptable amount of note weight is still present, but not exactly up to desirable degree (I hope this makes sense.) But come to smooth and baritone vocals, like Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, they sound nothing short of delightful. Sure, I would have preferred slightly more body, but that’s really just me fussing over it, as the DD timbre makes them quite enjoyable nonetheless.
Coming to female vocals, well, Horizon bestows them with a brilliance and extension which perfectly conveys the emotion in them. Be it Whitney Houston,Madonna, Julia Jacklin, Amy Lee, Christina Aguilera, Cherryl Wheeler, Pink, Yao Si Ting, Charlotte Cardin…all of them sound alive and appropriately full of life. The smooth ones have that sublime depth, the energetic ones soar high with surreal radiance. They do have one thing in common - all of them have a silky nature added to them, which makes them all the more magical. Following the trait of the male vocals, here also the sharpness might sometimes work against the female vocals, and accentuates the peaks occasionally to become slightly piercing and adds that metallic sheen to them, but thankfully that happens in very specific tracks only, and that too quite seldom. However, as I played Sara Bareilles through Qudelix 5K, the peaky parts of her voice became really uncomfortably accentuated and sharp, slightly sibilant, and ultimately not enjoyable at all. Yao Si Ting in Scarborough Fair also had one or two sibilant areas that got slightly piercing for a moment or two.
On the other hand, the instrumental tracks sound outstanding. Each instrument notes sound well defined, details are effortlessly brought out. The slightly sharp notes help here a lot. Especially string instrument notes, such as guitar (both electric and acoustic), sound crunchy. Despite having the sharpness, the notes do not feel dry, and most certainly not flat. May be very slightly thinner in body, but that assists in improving the separation rather than making it unnatural. The most notable aspect of Horizon here is how effortlessly it recreates the detail in the instruments being played in the far background. Despite being in the background they do not feel muted and washed out, rather the microdynamics of them are brought forward quite nicely and I never failed to notice them. Don’t misunderstand, though, it’s not like the background instruments are pushed forward in your face, that will kill the stage depth. They remain situated at the depth of the stage they are meant to be, just they sound quite clear and stand out so prominently that the details become really easy to pick up. This is precisely the reason why I love listening to orchestral and instrumental tracks the most with Horizon, for e.g, James Newton Howard - Red Sparrow OST: Overture, Cloud Atlas OST: Won’t Let Go, Estas Tonne - Strings Of A Bard, Hans Zimmer - The Dune Sketchbook.
The Treble of Horizon has a considerably bright and slightly cold nature, despite the steep 20 dB roll off past 8 khz. It still has plenty of energy in the region of 6 khz-8 khz. The high frequency notes have a silky nature, however, they’re not silky SMOOTH…rather silky and sparkling, with slight edges here and there. The utter transparency of the midrange is carried forward to this region as well. These two aspects combined really elevates the treble to an ethereal presentation. The cymbal and hi-hat notes stand out quite well in the mix, even in the busiest tracks. However, this is purely my guess, because of the steep roll off past 8 khz, they never become uncomfortably piercing. Again, this is purely my guess. The crash cymbals notes sound brilliant in the mix and the subsequent decay is quite natural, but even on tracks where the cymbal crashes are at the forefront, they never become overly piercing. I never had to wince once in the tracks Tool - Stinkfist, Red Hot Chilli Pepper - Dani California, Metallica - Enter Sandman. Specifically, Enter Sandman has a constant hi-hat roll placed quite forward, which has an abundance of sparkle and energy, and never once I had the sensation of getting stabbed in my brain with several icy needles, even though they retained a strong presence throughout the track. In Stinkfist and Dani California various cymbals notes are placed in various depths of the stage - some in front while some come from back in the scene. Horizon, while portraying the frontal cymbal notes with sufficient energy but not uncomfortably bright, also manages to bring out the background treble notes to their justified presence. The background treble notes - cymbal crash, ride cymbal roll, or cowbell - everything becomes clearly discernible in the mix, at their respective position, with sufficient details. Even the faintest of notes sounds clear. The layering of the different notes is masterfully carried out.
Granted, there is a spicy nature due to the edgy notes and perhaps a metallic sheen…but then, treble notes generally originate from metal to metal collisions, so the metallic sheen really did not prove to be detrimental for them, at least to my ears. The sharpness of the notes also remains somewhat within control so that they never become too spicy to sound wrong. However, for treble sensitive ears I can clearly see it may provide notable discomfort, as despite the absence of piercing peaks, the general abundance of energy can get a bit overwhelming. For treble heads, well, you’re in for a treat.
Post 11 khz the treble peaks up and recovers some energy, which helps in retaining the air in the treble region. The multiple different types of treble notes never fight among each other to gain prominence - all of them are well separated and have enough room to breathe.
I believe I have already said enough regarding the several aspects of technicalities of the iem. The stage is sufficiently deep while having a nice width and height, imaging is quite pinpoint and accurate. No need to repeat after myself any more.
Conclusion:
Let me be perfectly clear - Azla Horizon is not a safe choice for everybody. It is very much a specialist iem. Such a sharp V shaped iem at about $300 range ($286 to be exact) is not what most people are looking for at this range. A 12 dB boost in the low end over 1 khz, and a similar boost in the upper mid frequency generally gives off a lot of red flags. And truth be told, I would have definitely preferred a bit less emphasis in the 5khz - 8khz range; however, it is what it is. In spite of so many alarming aspects, Azla managed to tune the final sound in such a way that has definitely drawn me towards it. And that’s where it distinguishes itself from other V-shaped tuning iems. The highly transparent midrange with captivating instruments, just right male vocals, ethereal female vocals, brilliant treble, airy and spacious presentation, immaculate imaging, and all over a very dynamic and engaging sound do not take much time to capture the heart of the listener, the way it did mine, despite the slight nagging of the sharpness of the notes. I cannot recommend it to anyone as a blind buy suggestion, because it takes time and a certain level of tolerance to bright tuning to really adapt to its sound signature and appreciate it. But quite honestly, those who do have these two, would find satisfaction in it - that’s one thing I can swear on. It has become my EDC (every day carry), paired with Qudelix 5K or occasionally L&P W2. The Hiby Lasya is a calmer sister that compliments it. When on the road and I need that energy, that power, to drown out the outside noise a bit to enjoy my music, Horizon fills in that role perfectly for me.
Attachments
I've been listening to rubbish my whole life. I should’ve been listening to this instead.
That was my first thought when I heard the AZLA Horizon, the definitive proof that South Korea is indeed the best Korea.
I’ve always followed the mantra of never listening to anything I couldn’t afford, hence I had to make do with the ATH-LS70 (fun but not good for modern bassy genres), the ATH-E40 (good all rounder but unexciting) and recently, the Fiio F9 Pro (impressive for the price, but with an overdone treble and weak mids). Circumstances lead me to have a bit more spending money, so of course, I went IEM shopping.
I ended up trying only 2 IEMs. The Fiio FH5 and the AZLA Horizon. In a different world, I would've probably walked away with the FH5. However, in this world, the Horizon exists, and that's all that matters.
Package
Not much here. IEMs, cable, 6 pair of tips and that's it... 'kay thanx bye. No foam tips or carry case for you!
It all seems like a rather poor showing for the price, but apart from a carry case, you get all that you’ll really need.
BUILD & FIT
If I were feeling generous, I would say the AZLA Horizon looks unassuming, but I'm not, so I'll just say they look cheap.
That's not to say that they are built cheaply, far from it, but when compared to the sexy waifu curves of the FH5, these look more like the girl next door rather than a supermodel. Not to say that girls next door don't have their charms, mind you.
You do, however, get a nicely braided cable which feels nice and has low microphonics. MMCX, of course.
The actual shell is a lot smaller than I expected. Certainly smaller than the FH5 and nowhere near as cumbersome as the ATH-E40. However, quite a bit larger than the ATH-LS70is.
Thankfully, the nozzles are quite long, providing plenty of sexy insertion and stability.
Included in the package, we get SednaEarfit tips, and Sedna wants to make sweet, sweet love to your ears.
I heard that SednaEarfit tips are sort of a big deal. I don’t know what makes them special compared to your standard tips, but they sure feel nice!
They have a kind of a grippy, dry texture that sits very secure in your ears.
The over-ear cable is soft and comfy. Perhaps not as comfortable as the Fiio F9 Pro, but I found no hint of discomfort.
SOUND
As I stated earlier, I do not listen to gear I can’t afford, so I don’t have a point of reference compared to say, the Andromedas.
My impressions are:
Clear, coherent, expansive, detailed and exciting.
No multiple BA set up here, just a single tweaked dynamic driver, proving that the technology is anything but dead.
Bass: Present, detailed... DETAILED, tasteful, impactful, beautiful and stunning.
My ATH-LS70’s have a lot of bass, but all they do is a monotone rumble. The Horizon goes far deeper and far more controlled. No sloppiness or taking over the mix. They are part of the music, not the focus, yet so present and slamming.
The Horizon is not a warm IEM per se. It has no mid bass coloration. Instead, it opts for a boost in the low/sub region. This gives a clean presentation with lots of energy down the low end.
I love it to tears.
Mids: Some say these are recessed but I think they are perfect. Clear and natural.
Vocals don’t stand back in the mix and they don’t sit inside your head. They sing around your head, if that makes sense, yet strong and present.
At no point do I get the sense that mids are fighting to be heard or getting lost. It's not a wall of noise, but a beautifully laid out table.
Treble: Slightly bright, maybe? But there’s no harshness or sibilance. Just airy detail. No brittleness either.
The best way I could describe it, it's like a pleasant and entertaining dinner guest. It makes its presence known but never becomes loud or annoying.
Soundstage: Not as immediately impressive as the Fiio F9 Pro that sounds like you're inside a huge warehouse, but it's natural and very, very satisfying. The imaging is pretty nice too, allowing me to clearly place the instruments on stage.
COMPARISONS
MSR7
Okay, what kind of nutcase compares an IEM vs a full sized headphone?
Me.
My whole purpose of getting an IEM was to replace my MSR7 which get stupidly hot in the Sydney summer heat.
I love my MSR7, but the Horizon kinda blew them out of the water. The highs are as detailed, yet they are smoother and less prone to harshness.
The MSR7 has a rather strange midrange which sounds a bit (to quote Lachlan from lachlanlikesathing) "honky", which makes female vocals sound amazing, but male vocals can sound somewhat hollow and nasal. Specially at higher volumes, where it starts to sound shouty.
The Horizon, on the other hand, sounds full and detailed without resorting to tricks to make the mids cut through the mix.
The MSR7 has nice bass, but not a lot of it, which, combined with the weird mids, can make things sound thin.
No such problem for the Horizon. Its stellar bass performance slaps the MSR7's anaemic bass in the face, providing a far more satisfactory and deep listening experience.
Overall the Horizon is an upgrade which is also way more comfortable. Win/win.
Fiio F9 pro
Okay, this comparison is nowhere near fair as the Horizon costs about twice as much, but this was my previous daily driver.
The F9 Pro has an impressive soundstage and well controller bass response, which is fairly restrained.
The Horizon's soundstage is not as expansive but sounds more coherent and natural.
Both are very detailed, but whereas the F9 Pro achieves this by turning the treble up to 11, the Horizon does it effortlessly.
The F9 Pro is sibilance hell at high volumes. Listening to St Eteinne's Slow Down At The Castle with the F9 becomes an ear-piercing test of endurance. There are absolutely no issues of this sort with the Horizon as there are no piercing peaks, but retains the energy and sparkle which makes for an exciting listen.
In the midrange, there's no competition. The F9 Pro's vocals tend to get lost in a mist. Although pleasant, they are not completely satisfying. The Horizon is both satisfying and well presented with a sense of body which is in front of you but not inside your head.
A lot of people felt that the F9 Pro’s bass was too light. I thought it was decent, with good control and depth, however, the Horizon has more sub bass which goes deeper. Neither are warm, but The Horizon gives you a bit more with better quality.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was very fortunate. Minidisc in Sydney had a $100 discount on the Horizon, meaning I ended up paying $350 dollaroos instead of the usual $450.
Frankly, I would've happily paid full price.
It excites me to put them on and rediscover my music library. Maybe it's because it's such a leap from the Fiio F9 Pro, but having heard the LS200, ER3XR and FH5, which are in a similar price range, I would pick the Horizon every single time.
In a market saturated by IEMs that boast an ever increasing number of BA drivers, AZLA tweaked the good ol' dynamic driver with astounding results. Well played Korea, well played.
Now, if I could only afford the Andros...
That was my first thought when I heard the AZLA Horizon, the definitive proof that South Korea is indeed the best Korea.
I’ve always followed the mantra of never listening to anything I couldn’t afford, hence I had to make do with the ATH-LS70 (fun but not good for modern bassy genres), the ATH-E40 (good all rounder but unexciting) and recently, the Fiio F9 Pro (impressive for the price, but with an overdone treble and weak mids). Circumstances lead me to have a bit more spending money, so of course, I went IEM shopping.
I ended up trying only 2 IEMs. The Fiio FH5 and the AZLA Horizon. In a different world, I would've probably walked away with the FH5. However, in this world, the Horizon exists, and that's all that matters.
Package
Not much here. IEMs, cable, 6 pair of tips and that's it... 'kay thanx bye. No foam tips or carry case for you!
It all seems like a rather poor showing for the price, but apart from a carry case, you get all that you’ll really need.
BUILD & FIT
If I were feeling generous, I would say the AZLA Horizon looks unassuming, but I'm not, so I'll just say they look cheap.
That's not to say that they are built cheaply, far from it, but when compared to the sexy waifu curves of the FH5, these look more like the girl next door rather than a supermodel. Not to say that girls next door don't have their charms, mind you.
You do, however, get a nicely braided cable which feels nice and has low microphonics. MMCX, of course.
The actual shell is a lot smaller than I expected. Certainly smaller than the FH5 and nowhere near as cumbersome as the ATH-E40. However, quite a bit larger than the ATH-LS70is.
Thankfully, the nozzles are quite long, providing plenty of sexy insertion and stability.
Included in the package, we get SednaEarfit tips, and Sedna wants to make sweet, sweet love to your ears.
I heard that SednaEarfit tips are sort of a big deal. I don’t know what makes them special compared to your standard tips, but they sure feel nice!
They have a kind of a grippy, dry texture that sits very secure in your ears.
The over-ear cable is soft and comfy. Perhaps not as comfortable as the Fiio F9 Pro, but I found no hint of discomfort.
SOUND
As I stated earlier, I do not listen to gear I can’t afford, so I don’t have a point of reference compared to say, the Andromedas.
My impressions are:
Clear, coherent, expansive, detailed and exciting.
No multiple BA set up here, just a single tweaked dynamic driver, proving that the technology is anything but dead.
Bass: Present, detailed... DETAILED, tasteful, impactful, beautiful and stunning.
My ATH-LS70’s have a lot of bass, but all they do is a monotone rumble. The Horizon goes far deeper and far more controlled. No sloppiness or taking over the mix. They are part of the music, not the focus, yet so present and slamming.
The Horizon is not a warm IEM per se. It has no mid bass coloration. Instead, it opts for a boost in the low/sub region. This gives a clean presentation with lots of energy down the low end.
I love it to tears.
Mids: Some say these are recessed but I think they are perfect. Clear and natural.
Vocals don’t stand back in the mix and they don’t sit inside your head. They sing around your head, if that makes sense, yet strong and present.
At no point do I get the sense that mids are fighting to be heard or getting lost. It's not a wall of noise, but a beautifully laid out table.
Treble: Slightly bright, maybe? But there’s no harshness or sibilance. Just airy detail. No brittleness either.
The best way I could describe it, it's like a pleasant and entertaining dinner guest. It makes its presence known but never becomes loud or annoying.
Soundstage: Not as immediately impressive as the Fiio F9 Pro that sounds like you're inside a huge warehouse, but it's natural and very, very satisfying. The imaging is pretty nice too, allowing me to clearly place the instruments on stage.
COMPARISONS
MSR7
Okay, what kind of nutcase compares an IEM vs a full sized headphone?
Me.
My whole purpose of getting an IEM was to replace my MSR7 which get stupidly hot in the Sydney summer heat.
I love my MSR7, but the Horizon kinda blew them out of the water. The highs are as detailed, yet they are smoother and less prone to harshness.
The MSR7 has a rather strange midrange which sounds a bit (to quote Lachlan from lachlanlikesathing) "honky", which makes female vocals sound amazing, but male vocals can sound somewhat hollow and nasal. Specially at higher volumes, where it starts to sound shouty.
The Horizon, on the other hand, sounds full and detailed without resorting to tricks to make the mids cut through the mix.
The MSR7 has nice bass, but not a lot of it, which, combined with the weird mids, can make things sound thin.
No such problem for the Horizon. Its stellar bass performance slaps the MSR7's anaemic bass in the face, providing a far more satisfactory and deep listening experience.
Overall the Horizon is an upgrade which is also way more comfortable. Win/win.
Fiio F9 pro
Okay, this comparison is nowhere near fair as the Horizon costs about twice as much, but this was my previous daily driver.
The F9 Pro has an impressive soundstage and well controller bass response, which is fairly restrained.
The Horizon's soundstage is not as expansive but sounds more coherent and natural.
Both are very detailed, but whereas the F9 Pro achieves this by turning the treble up to 11, the Horizon does it effortlessly.
The F9 Pro is sibilance hell at high volumes. Listening to St Eteinne's Slow Down At The Castle with the F9 becomes an ear-piercing test of endurance. There are absolutely no issues of this sort with the Horizon as there are no piercing peaks, but retains the energy and sparkle which makes for an exciting listen.
In the midrange, there's no competition. The F9 Pro's vocals tend to get lost in a mist. Although pleasant, they are not completely satisfying. The Horizon is both satisfying and well presented with a sense of body which is in front of you but not inside your head.
A lot of people felt that the F9 Pro’s bass was too light. I thought it was decent, with good control and depth, however, the Horizon has more sub bass which goes deeper. Neither are warm, but The Horizon gives you a bit more with better quality.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was very fortunate. Minidisc in Sydney had a $100 discount on the Horizon, meaning I ended up paying $350 dollaroos instead of the usual $450.
Frankly, I would've happily paid full price.
It excites me to put them on and rediscover my music library. Maybe it's because it's such a leap from the Fiio F9 Pro, but having heard the LS200, ER3XR and FH5, which are in a similar price range, I would pick the Horizon every single time.
In a market saturated by IEMs that boast an ever increasing number of BA drivers, AZLA tweaked the good ol' dynamic driver with astounding results. Well played Korea, well played.
Now, if I could only afford the Andros...
Watermelon Boi
Well written review. In fact, there's a good chance that you might even prefer that over Andromeda if your taste works well with Horizon. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case.
Killcomic
@Watermelon Boi - To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised. The Horizon is just such a beautiful sounding IEM. I'm still over the moon. I just want to put them on again.
Azla Horizon IEMs Review - Bring Me The Music
Introduction
Azla Horizon is a 300 USD IEM, coming to challenge the ones already dominating that market, which isn't by any means open or an easy place to be in. With many competitors to beat, and many boxes to check to be worth its asking price, it is going to be a nice match between 300 USD IEMs, from which no one knows who'll come alive.
Azla Project is one of the innovators of the Audiophile Industry, having created some interesting and refreshing pieces of tech for their IEMs, like the Advanced Research Driver inside their Horizon IEMs, and the Bullseye driver inside their 01RMKII IEMs. They are a very friendly company, very open and very helpful with their customers, and although not everyone has heard about them quite yet, they are quickly becoming better known, and hopefully, will one day be in top ten Audio companies from around the world.
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Azla or Azla Project, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. This review is not sponsored nor has been paid for by Azla or Azla Project or anyone else. I'd like to thank Azla for providing the sample for this review. The sample was provided along with Azla's request for an honest and unbiased review. This review reflects my personal experience with Azla Horizon. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Azla Horizon find their next music companion.
About me
https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html
Packaging
First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:
I love unboxing IEMs and products in general that have an interesting package. It has been only days since I published my review of FLC 8N, which had a really interesting package, and now, here's another one that really made me smile while unpacking it.
Azla Horizon is a IEM, but it comes packaged in multiple boxes, each with a designated role. A large black box, with a nice small font on it presents what can be thought of as a fully black package. In fact, if you haven't caught the joke from the title yet, the title tries to make an indicate towards the band name "Bring Me The Horizon", a Metalcore band with a pretty interesting aggressive style. Azla Horizon has nothing in common with the band really, but the name really gave me the opportunity and I simply couldn't miss it.
Back the the Horizon, Azla Horizon has a nice way of present the IEMs, which are enclosed in a separate chamber from their cable. Below, there are two twin boxes, with tips, one with normal tips and one with Sedna Tips. There's not enough explanations on what Sedna Tips are, but the short version is that they are some kind of Spinfit Alternatives, and this gives big bonus points to the package, as Spinfit tips are some of the most comfortable tips I know of already.
In the package you can find the paperwork, the cable, the IEM shells, and two sets of tips, each in three sizes. There is no carrying pouch, which is a pity, considering the price point, and there are no extra cables for balanced connections. Even so, the package is quite good, as it includes everything needed to enjoy the Horizon.
What to look in when purchasing a high-end In-Ear Monitor
https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html
Technical Specifications
Driver Unit - 8mm new SF ARD(Advanced Research Driver)
Sensitivity - 103dB
Total Harmonic Distortion - Less than 0.5%
Rated Input - 5mW
Max Input - 20mW
Impedance - 27Ω ±10%
Frequency Range - 5Hz - 30kHz
Weight - 24g (with cable)
Plug - 3.5mm stereo
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
Here we start with something a little different from other IEMs. Where most IEMs are fully metallic at this price point, Azla Horizon is made from a high-quality semi-transparent plastic. This is not an issue by any means, and plastic can be even better for long-term usage, and given the fact that there is no paint over the plastic, just its natural color, there's no chance of anything chipping off the IEM shell.
You can actually see the cables going from the connectors to the drivers inside the IEMs, through the semi-transparent housings.
Seeing the photos of the Red / Cherry version of the Horizon on their site, I really wished now I had that version instead, as it is just too beautiful to be true. This being said, even the black one, has a smooth aura to it, but at the same time, it has some more aggressive elements, like the round cap on the outside, and overall, they look stylish and have a nice "Cool" factor to them. The IEM shells are very ergonomic, smooth, without any kind of hard edges. The IEM bore (tube) is long and thin, and it is positioned at just the right Angle for the Horizon to be a really comfortable place to be. They are super comfortable, and they will be for most people. The Sedna tips are very good actually, they aren't exactly Spinfit variants, but they are some high-quality silicone tips with a good rubber, which doesn't get slippery after much usage, doesn't fall out, and doesn't wear out, so you don't need to worry about them.
The only wearing style is over-the-ear, but they use MMCX connectors, in the case you plan on getting aftermarket cables, especially if you plan on using them with balanced cables. The connectors are fairly solid, they click nicely in place, but they aren't too tight, so they won't damage over time from typical usage. You can have the peace of mind that the MMCX connectors will be there to serve you for many winters.
Isolation is incredibly good, especially considering those are vented, and the plastic isn't thick enough to block all the noise from the outside. You can always take a walk in the snowing horizon, thinking about that sweet girlfriend who's waiting you home, with fresh made cookies to savor together with her.
The comfort is pretty good, they have a nice, thin and long bore, it is angled perfectly straight, so they will fit really well for most ears, and the Sedna tips are pretty nice as well. The Rubber on the tips is high-quality, and it doesn't gather grease and doesn't get slippery. The IEMs have no driver flex, and the vent holes do their job fairly well, but they are the type that doesn't equalize the pressure instantly, so it is best to be careful when taking them out and when inserting them, and to do it slowly. They are the kind of IEMs that after the initial insertion will just sit there, without bothering you in any way, without getting uncomfortable over time.
This being said, they have some microphonic noise with the original cable, even though it is the type that you wear over-the-ear. It is a much less intrusive noise compared to something like IE800, which were really loud while walking or just sitting and moving your head, but it isn't completely silent either, just a bit, especially if you do movements where you touch the cable from above the Y split.
Overall, the aesthetics, fit, comfort, and build quality of the Azla Horizon are up with all the other IEMs in the 300 USD price range, and they don't have any flaws that would make them stand out. Furthermore, they are even more comfortable than some of their direct competitors, being an interesting choice from this point of view.
Sound Quality
Azla Horizon is a fairly healthy V-shaped IEM, with a clear love for a thick and strong bass, with a recessed midrange, that is incredibly clear and astonishingly detailed, and with a treble that is sparkly, but which doesn't impose itself with a grainy texture. As soon as I placed them in my ears, I was shocked by the large soundstage they have, along with the really amazing instrument separation. Compared to something like IE800 (which they feel like they've been tuned like), Azla Horizon has a thicker, slower, and more lush bass, with a less distant midrange, and with less brightness and fatigue in the treble, and a larger soundstage, but a pretty similar instrument separation (sounds like a total win for those who wanted an easier to listen to IE800).
Starting with the bass, I picked some Pendulum - Propane Nightmares, as some Drum'N'Bass is always a good weapon to test the bass of a IEM for general usage. The bass is fairly deep, though not all the weight is placed in the sub-bass, but actually in the 40 - 80 Hz, giving a satisfying and fuller sound to the whole bass. The upper bass is not overly enhanced, and the sound isn't veiled, nor too thick, but rather natural. The speed of the bass is fairly natural, to slightly slow. The overall sound works incredibly good with Symphonic Metal / Heavy / Thrash, and Symphonic music in general. The Bass is quick enough for Grindcore / Technical Death Metal, so you don't have to worry about your fast and aggressive music being too slow, but you also don't have to worry about your Jazz sounding too technical, as the well-rounded bass works with Jazz and slower music as well.
The midrange is recessed compared to the bass and the treble, and in general it is a really clear kind of midrange, with a good amount of detail, more than most would expect from a IEM less known, and with a more spot-on tonality for both male and female voices than expected. Sweet, sugary voices sound as such, while deep and serious voices have the proper tonality for achieving a truly impressive performance. Listening to Leningrad highlights that trumpets are rendered towards the smoother side, but with still a good texture. Guitars are juicy, and not over-textured, everything sounding natural, but very detailed (you can hear the background instruments very well defined), and well separated.
The treble is quite interesting, as it is well extended, but doesn't offend. This is achieved by having a dip somewhere in the treble, where the hot part, or the harsh part, is attenuated. With certain cymbal crashes, this can make the overall impact feel a bit lower than it should be, like slightly crushed at its mid point, but in general the treble is airy and well extended towards the highest octaves. Compared to IE800 (since they go for a somewhat similar overall U-shaped tuning), IE800 is more sibilant, more bright, where Azla Horizon is much more fit for long term listening.
The dynamics are quite good, and generally it is a pleasing experience to listen to them.
Soundstage
The Soundstage of Azla Horizon is large, competing with the soundstage of FLC 8N actually, which are the current king of soundstage from most IEMs I heard in this price range (midrange area ~300 USD). The soundstage has both an excellent width and depth, sounds coming from more distant places are well separated from sounds closer to the listener, music is holographic when it is meant to, and Azla Horizon truly paints a musical Horizon, working well with both Classical and Symphonic music.
The Instrument separation is also really good, instruments are well defined from each other, and each instruments tends to have its own space and air to breathe.
Texturization
The texturization is a complex subject for any IEM, and Azla Horizon mostly has a natural approach. They manage to sound more natural than most similarly priced IEMs, by having a fairly natural texture to everything, the bass is natural to ever so slightly slow, resulting in a natural bass, realistic, the midrange sounds textured for textury instruments, and smooth for instruments that are supposed to be smooth, and the treble is mostly natural to smooth in texture. Azla Horizon is not an analytic IEM though, it is not dry, and doesn't reveal textures quite that well, this works nicely with the soundstage and instrument separation for giving the sensation of a large, but natural stage.
Portable Usage
The portable usage is okay.
Azla Horizon is not what I'd take with me portably unless I had a great source, they eat a ton of power to sound good, and to be loud, being about as hard to drive as IE800 is, or the average headphone. They are harder to drive than Ultrasone DXP, to have a point of reference.
The isolation is actually very good, and you can take a walk through the snowy winter streets of Bucharest, dreaming of that girl, while wearing Azla Horizon, or wake up early to admire the early morning horizon, and take some photos, but they are vented, so the isolation is not quite as high as it is with an all-BA design, where the acoustic chamber is entirely separated from the main IEM.
Ergonomics while on-the-go are excellent, the cable is not very tangle-prone, they look really nice, and they don't draw unwanted attention to the listener, and Azla Horizon is fairly comfortable, even while walking or headbanging, although most people don't headbang while on-the-go or randomly on the street.
You can always stop from your walk, and spend a few minutes to admire a flower, or the hard working bees, while listening to some good music, as I did while testing Azla Horizon.
Th microphonic noise is there, if you're easily disturbed by it, but it is not loud, and after you get around wearing them and pressing play, you're not going to be noticing it too much.
In all fairness, the main drawback on their portable usage is the fact they are so hard to drive, pretty much like Final Audio E5000, but otherwise, they are fairly solid and recommended if you plan to take a trip into the forest wild, or adventure through the urban jungle.
Comparisons
The main competitors in this price range are Sennheiser FiiO FH5, Final Audio E5000, and FLC 8N. Of course, IE800 is also a fair competitor, as Azla Horizon could make an interesting IE800 replacement for those who wanted a similar level of clarity, detail, instrument separation, but with better comfort and better long-term listening.
Azla Horizon vs FiiO FH5 - FiiO FH5 is an iconic IEM at this point, one of the best there are in this price range, FiiO having made a statement in what is an excellent build quality, package content, and sound quality. Starting with the package, FH5 has a more complete package, with more tips included in the package, and with a really nice transport solution, while Azla Horizon is made to be listened while looking into the Horizon, and doesn't come with any carrying case. The build quality is similar, although Azla Horizon is made of Plastic, where FH5's outer housing is made from metal. The cables on FH5 are thicker, while the ones on Azla Horizon are much more flexible. Comfort levels are slightly better on Azla Horizon, mainly because their bores are longer, and thinner, and they allow for more insertion options, where FH5 really work well with my ears, but some users couldn't get the same fit, as everyone's ears are shaped differently. In this sense, Azla Horizon is more universal and should sit well with a larger number of users. The sound, the most important aspect, is at opposite sides of the sonic spectrum. FH5 is a midrange-forward IEM, with a nice clarity, thick bass, but with a smooth treble. They generally feel well balanced, to midrange-forward, especially in the upper midrange. The detail levels are comparable, although Azla Horizon renders more background instruments and with better definition, mainly because their midrange is pushed back, allowing for more space for the background instruments to play. The textures are comparable, and so are the dynamics, but if you want a midrange-forward IEM, with an intimate soundstage, FH5 makes an excellent offer, while if you want a V / U shaped IEM, with a large soundstage, then Azla Horizon is clearly better fit for your needs. Both raise similar levels of price / performance, so you don't have to worry about this.
Azla Horizon vs Final Audio E5000 - Final Audio E5000 is also one of the most interesting IEMs of the moment, most users are really pleased with them, although they are a one-trick pony, having a really thick and lush sound, but that being their main direction. If you don't like their wide, but very lush, thick and clear sound, you can't really get anything else from them, but if you're looking for that thick, lush, clear, wide and wearm experience, there's nothing thicker and more lush, while staying this clear, in this price range. The package is comparable, although E5000 comes with a transport solution, although not a very useful one (being made of rubber, it doesn't really offer them much protection during transport). The construction quality is great on both, but E5000 has a much smaller overall shell size, with a metallic shell, and with thicker, yet better cables. E5000 can be worn both over-the-ear and straight-down, and they are super comfortable, even a bit more comfortable than Azla Horizon. E5000 has excessive amounts of sonic leakage, compared to Azla Horizon, but they both isolate well from the outside noise (I am only able to scare people around me in the bus with E5000, by blasting some Grindcore, with Azla Horizon they don't seem to notice.) The sound on Azla Horizon is much more versatile and balanced than with E5000, but then again, this is where E5000 is unique, in their really lush presentation. Azla Horizon has much less thickness, a much better treble in terms of naturalness, Azla Horizon has more instrument separation, an largest soundstage, although both E5000 and Azla Horizon sound fairly dynamic. One thing to take into account with both is how hard they are to drive, both are pretty hard to drive. If you want one of the most lush and thick IEMs in this price range, E5000 makes a very compelling offer, while if you want something that's U or V shaped, then Azla Horizon is an excellent option for their price.
Azla Horizon vs FLC 8N - I can't simply forget that I just reviewed FLC 8N, and also said that they are able to get a wide array of signatures, and all of those are good. Starting with the package, FLC 8N comes with a larger number of tips, and with a really high-end carrying case, while Azla Horizon has no carrying case. The comfort is comparable, although FLC8N is smaller in general, and feels more comfortable (they will be more comfortable with most ears). The sound is quite different, and FLC 8N can't quite match Azla Horizon's main signature regardless of the tip combo installed, Azla Horizon having pretty much a more detailed, more clear, with more background instruments, with better instrument separation sound of the basic FLC 8N configuration (the one it comes installed with). This being said, Azla Horizon can't change their signature the way FLC8N can, and FLC8N is much more versatile in terms of what it can do, but still, if you want a really simple hassle-free, no-risk IEM which you can just enjoy, Azla Horizon is an excellent one, while if you want to go for a bit of tweaking and to play with the sound, then FLC8N is still very interesting, and an IEM I recommend a lot, especially if you want a better understanding of your tastes and preferences.
Azla Horizon vs Sennheiser IE800 - This is really not matched evenly in terms of pricing, but it highlights some of my frustrations with IE800, which have been voiced by other users, and which make a big reason on why I really wish Sennheiser would make an updated IE800. Starting with the package, Azla Horizon comes with more tips, and a fully detachable cable, although IE800 comes with a carrying case (which doesn't offer much protection, and pretty much requires protection by itself). The build quality is great on both, and IE800 has a smaller, ceramic body, but in terms of comfort, IE800 is no match for Azla Horizon. Azla Horizon just sits in your ears, and at most, you may be annoyed by the void when inserting them, which means you have to insert them slowly, while with IE800, the comfort is never really great, the tips get slippery easily, I need to re-insert them a few times, before my ears fully accommodate with them, the cables are way too short above the Y-split, so you can't really wear them over-the-ear, which would have been great since they have a pretty microphonic cable. Azla Horizon is just comfy and a dream, in comparison. Now, onto the sound, Azla Horizon feels more natural and more even, with a slower bass, a more natural overall presentation, a larger soundstage, and a more easy sound for long-term listening. IE800, by comparison, feels more detailed, more analytic, has better texture revealing, but is brighter, more sibilant, has a considerably deeper bass, more focused in the sub-bass, and with better overall impact, but with a midrange that is a bit too recessed, resulting in a considerably less even sound that can get fatiguing. This being said, I feel that for the money, Azla Horizon is a better option for long-term listening, and is much easier to recommend to most people, except for those who want the really strongly U / V shaped sound, like IE800 has, or the better resolution of IE800, with the warning, that they have to put up with IE800's ergonomics for it.
Recommended Pairings
Azla Horizon is pretty hard to drive, but even harder to master. They have a low impedance of just 27 OHM, and a farily high sensitivity of 103 dB/mW, which doesn't seem to make them that hard to drive, but in practice they require xDSD from iFi to go in the yellow for loud listening. They are also hard to master, as they will pick some hiss from hissy sources, and they will change their signature with a high output impedance source. On the bright side, this also means that they will perform really well from a high-quality source, as they have a stated maximum distortion of just 0.5%, which is pretty darn impressive for any IEM. Being a 3.5mm SE input IEM, they should work with most sources out there, and if you're feeling courageous and daring, you can get an aftermarket cable and even use them with the balanced output of your source, but you should keep in mind that Azla notes a maximum power input of 20mW for them, so be careful to not burn them (most Balanced Outputs tend to have a higher power rating than the Single Ended Output of the same device).
Azla Horizon + iFi xDSD - xDSD from iFi is a great DAC/AMP to pair with anything really. It is a universal-kind of DAC/AMP that you can simply use without giving it much thought, performing really well for the price, and being really easy to pair with almost anything that you'd take on a walk with you. Of course, it isn't exactly perfect, but it doesn't present any hiss with Azla Horizon, it can make them go louder than most sane people listen to, it has those XBass and 3D enhancements, which are quite amazing, and you get iFi's excellent support behind it. On the other hand, if you're lonely and planning on getting a companion, xDSD makes both an excellent conversation starter, but also something odd that may lower your chances, so going with a stack is something to consider when considering xDSD, although I love it, and most people who saw it are quite impressed by it.
Azla Horizon + iBasso DX150 - iBasso DX150 is an interesting DAP made by iBasso, which you can pair with all their high-end AMP modules, making it one of the most interesting DAPs of the moment. It is priced high enough to be in the high-end range, being similar in price to FiiO X7mkii, so it isn't exactly a cheap or simple option, but if you don't like stacks, it is a very interesting option. The sound is quite good, and you won't get attention while using it in public, and with iBasso's AMP5, it sounds very wide and has a really amazing overall dynamic range. This pairing is a personal favorite, very balanced, and aesthetically pleasing. With the default AMP installed, DX150 is quite thick and warm, with a smoother top end, making Azla Horizon smoother and thicker.
Azla Horizon + FiiO M7 - M7 is a more entry-level DAP from FiiO, made to please without breaking the bank. It has a lot of abilities, including advanced BT abilities, but those won't be quite that useful while using Azla Horizon. In terms of sound, M7 is colder and more neutral than DX150, and it makes an interesting option if you want a tighter overall presentation for Azla Horizon, or if you're on a budget.
Value and Conclusion
Nothing is said and done before I get to mention that I actually did get to listen to Bring Me The Horizon on Azla Horizon and it helped open new Horizons before me, making me see Beyond The Horizon. With that out of the system, Azla Horizon really did open new horizons for me in terms of what is possible at this price range.
Interestingly, most IEMs in this price range seem to come with innovation that was possible before with considerably more expensive IEMs, Azla Horizon's innovation being mostly in their price/performance ratio, and in the level of detail and soundstage, along with their instrument separation, for an IEM in this price range.
The package is pretty good, they come with enough high-quality tips that you won't require changing them immediately, although you can always go for aftermarket tips if you found comfort with a specific type. Azla Horizon comes with a braided cable that is Single Ended, 3.5mm, a pretty universal choice that should work just fine with pretty much any source out there, and they come packaged nicely, in a pretty modern package.
The build quality is pretty amazing, they are solid plastic, but they have vents, or at least pressure equalization vents, as the air doesn't get out of them immediately, and you should insert them slowly, which means that the inner chamber has its pressure adjusted carefully for the best sound. The comfort is also pretty good, with some minor microphonic noise and bores that are slightly larger than average being the main drawbacks, but with a smooth IEM body that sits really well in all ears, regardless of their shape, with long bore tubes, and with good tips that are and will be comfortable for most ears seasoning the great sound rather well.
And the sound, is exactly what U/V shaped sound enthusiasts love in a midrange IEM, high price/performance ratio, so high that's insane, a nice deep bass, with a nice kick and impact to it, a recessed midrange with nice instrument separation, large soundstage and great background instruments rendering, and a sparkly treble that's not fatiguing nor harsh, meaning that I can listen to Azla Horizon for hours in a row without getting tired. The dynamics and overall clarity are also top notch, and the sound of Azla Horizon makes them a really attractive choice if you're a U/V sound lover.
In the end, if you're looking for a IEM that will take you beyond the horizon and will be a fairly versatile, clear and punchy experience, Azla Horizon is really easy to recommend, and especially if you're a V/U-shaped signature lover, you should totally check those out and consider them for your next companion in this neverending music adventure!
Playlist used for this review
While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.
Bats - Gamma Ray Burst: Second Date
Eskimo Callboy - Frances
Incubus - Summer Romance
Electric Six - Dager! High Voltage
Kishida Cult - High School Of The Dead
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
Thousand Foot Krutch - The Flame In All Of Us
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Infected Mushroom - Song Pong
Attack Attack - Kissed A Girl
Doctor P - Bulletproof
Maximum The Hormone - Rock n Roll Chainsaw
Rob Zombie - Werewolf, Baby!
Escape The Fate - Gorgeous Nightmare
SOAD - Chop Suey
Ken Ashcorp - Absolute Territory
Machinae Supremacy - Need For Steve
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Wanna Stop
Crow'sclaw - Loudness War
Eminem - Rap God
Stromae - Humain À L'eau
Sonata Arctica - My Selene
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Metallica - Fuel
Veil Of Maya - Unbreakable
Masa Works - Golden Japang
REOL - Luvoratorrrrry
Korn - Word Up!
Papa Roach - ... To be Loved
Fever The Ghost - Source
Fall Out Boy - Immortals
Green Day - Know The Enemy
Mindless Self Indulgence - London Bridge
A static Lullaby - Toxic
Royal Republic - Addictive
Astronautalis - The River, The Woods
We Came As Romans - My Love
Skillet - What I Believe
Man With A Mission - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Yasuda Rei - Mirror
Mojo Juju - Must Be Desire
Falling Up - Falling In Love
Manafest - Retro Love
Rodrigo Y Grabriela - Paris
Zomboy - Lights Out
Muse - Resistance
T.A.T.U & Rammstein - Mosaku
Grey Daze - Anything, Anything
Katy Perry - Who Am I Living For
Maroon 5 - Lucky Strike
Machinae Supremacy - Killer Instinct
Pendulum - Propane Nightmares
---
Audiophile-Heaven Link: https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2018/12/azla-horizon-iems-review-bring-me-music.html
---
I hope my review is helpful to you!
---
Contact me!
---
Introduction
Azla Horizon is a 300 USD IEM, coming to challenge the ones already dominating that market, which isn't by any means open or an easy place to be in. With many competitors to beat, and many boxes to check to be worth its asking price, it is going to be a nice match between 300 USD IEMs, from which no one knows who'll come alive.
Azla Project is one of the innovators of the Audiophile Industry, having created some interesting and refreshing pieces of tech for their IEMs, like the Advanced Research Driver inside their Horizon IEMs, and the Bullseye driver inside their 01RMKII IEMs. They are a very friendly company, very open and very helpful with their customers, and although not everyone has heard about them quite yet, they are quickly becoming better known, and hopefully, will one day be in top ten Audio companies from around the world.
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Azla or Azla Project, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. This review is not sponsored nor has been paid for by Azla or Azla Project or anyone else. I'd like to thank Azla for providing the sample for this review. The sample was provided along with Azla's request for an honest and unbiased review. This review reflects my personal experience with Azla Horizon. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Azla Horizon find their next music companion.
About me
https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html
Packaging
First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:
I love unboxing IEMs and products in general that have an interesting package. It has been only days since I published my review of FLC 8N, which had a really interesting package, and now, here's another one that really made me smile while unpacking it.
Azla Horizon is a IEM, but it comes packaged in multiple boxes, each with a designated role. A large black box, with a nice small font on it presents what can be thought of as a fully black package. In fact, if you haven't caught the joke from the title yet, the title tries to make an indicate towards the band name "Bring Me The Horizon", a Metalcore band with a pretty interesting aggressive style. Azla Horizon has nothing in common with the band really, but the name really gave me the opportunity and I simply couldn't miss it.
Back the the Horizon, Azla Horizon has a nice way of present the IEMs, which are enclosed in a separate chamber from their cable. Below, there are two twin boxes, with tips, one with normal tips and one with Sedna Tips. There's not enough explanations on what Sedna Tips are, but the short version is that they are some kind of Spinfit Alternatives, and this gives big bonus points to the package, as Spinfit tips are some of the most comfortable tips I know of already.
In the package you can find the paperwork, the cable, the IEM shells, and two sets of tips, each in three sizes. There is no carrying pouch, which is a pity, considering the price point, and there are no extra cables for balanced connections. Even so, the package is quite good, as it includes everything needed to enjoy the Horizon.
What to look in when purchasing a high-end In-Ear Monitor
https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html
Technical Specifications
Driver Unit - 8mm new SF ARD(Advanced Research Driver)
Sensitivity - 103dB
Total Harmonic Distortion - Less than 0.5%
Rated Input - 5mW
Max Input - 20mW
Impedance - 27Ω ±10%
Frequency Range - 5Hz - 30kHz
Weight - 24g (with cable)
Plug - 3.5mm stereo
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
Here we start with something a little different from other IEMs. Where most IEMs are fully metallic at this price point, Azla Horizon is made from a high-quality semi-transparent plastic. This is not an issue by any means, and plastic can be even better for long-term usage, and given the fact that there is no paint over the plastic, just its natural color, there's no chance of anything chipping off the IEM shell.
You can actually see the cables going from the connectors to the drivers inside the IEMs, through the semi-transparent housings.
Seeing the photos of the Red / Cherry version of the Horizon on their site, I really wished now I had that version instead, as it is just too beautiful to be true. This being said, even the black one, has a smooth aura to it, but at the same time, it has some more aggressive elements, like the round cap on the outside, and overall, they look stylish and have a nice "Cool" factor to them. The IEM shells are very ergonomic, smooth, without any kind of hard edges. The IEM bore (tube) is long and thin, and it is positioned at just the right Angle for the Horizon to be a really comfortable place to be. They are super comfortable, and they will be for most people. The Sedna tips are very good actually, they aren't exactly Spinfit variants, but they are some high-quality silicone tips with a good rubber, which doesn't get slippery after much usage, doesn't fall out, and doesn't wear out, so you don't need to worry about them.
The only wearing style is over-the-ear, but they use MMCX connectors, in the case you plan on getting aftermarket cables, especially if you plan on using them with balanced cables. The connectors are fairly solid, they click nicely in place, but they aren't too tight, so they won't damage over time from typical usage. You can have the peace of mind that the MMCX connectors will be there to serve you for many winters.
Isolation is incredibly good, especially considering those are vented, and the plastic isn't thick enough to block all the noise from the outside. You can always take a walk in the snowing horizon, thinking about that sweet girlfriend who's waiting you home, with fresh made cookies to savor together with her.
The comfort is pretty good, they have a nice, thin and long bore, it is angled perfectly straight, so they will fit really well for most ears, and the Sedna tips are pretty nice as well. The Rubber on the tips is high-quality, and it doesn't gather grease and doesn't get slippery. The IEMs have no driver flex, and the vent holes do their job fairly well, but they are the type that doesn't equalize the pressure instantly, so it is best to be careful when taking them out and when inserting them, and to do it slowly. They are the kind of IEMs that after the initial insertion will just sit there, without bothering you in any way, without getting uncomfortable over time.
This being said, they have some microphonic noise with the original cable, even though it is the type that you wear over-the-ear. It is a much less intrusive noise compared to something like IE800, which were really loud while walking or just sitting and moving your head, but it isn't completely silent either, just a bit, especially if you do movements where you touch the cable from above the Y split.
Overall, the aesthetics, fit, comfort, and build quality of the Azla Horizon are up with all the other IEMs in the 300 USD price range, and they don't have any flaws that would make them stand out. Furthermore, they are even more comfortable than some of their direct competitors, being an interesting choice from this point of view.
Sound Quality
Azla Horizon is a fairly healthy V-shaped IEM, with a clear love for a thick and strong bass, with a recessed midrange, that is incredibly clear and astonishingly detailed, and with a treble that is sparkly, but which doesn't impose itself with a grainy texture. As soon as I placed them in my ears, I was shocked by the large soundstage they have, along with the really amazing instrument separation. Compared to something like IE800 (which they feel like they've been tuned like), Azla Horizon has a thicker, slower, and more lush bass, with a less distant midrange, and with less brightness and fatigue in the treble, and a larger soundstage, but a pretty similar instrument separation (sounds like a total win for those who wanted an easier to listen to IE800).
Starting with the bass, I picked some Pendulum - Propane Nightmares, as some Drum'N'Bass is always a good weapon to test the bass of a IEM for general usage. The bass is fairly deep, though not all the weight is placed in the sub-bass, but actually in the 40 - 80 Hz, giving a satisfying and fuller sound to the whole bass. The upper bass is not overly enhanced, and the sound isn't veiled, nor too thick, but rather natural. The speed of the bass is fairly natural, to slightly slow. The overall sound works incredibly good with Symphonic Metal / Heavy / Thrash, and Symphonic music in general. The Bass is quick enough for Grindcore / Technical Death Metal, so you don't have to worry about your fast and aggressive music being too slow, but you also don't have to worry about your Jazz sounding too technical, as the well-rounded bass works with Jazz and slower music as well.
The midrange is recessed compared to the bass and the treble, and in general it is a really clear kind of midrange, with a good amount of detail, more than most would expect from a IEM less known, and with a more spot-on tonality for both male and female voices than expected. Sweet, sugary voices sound as such, while deep and serious voices have the proper tonality for achieving a truly impressive performance. Listening to Leningrad highlights that trumpets are rendered towards the smoother side, but with still a good texture. Guitars are juicy, and not over-textured, everything sounding natural, but very detailed (you can hear the background instruments very well defined), and well separated.
The treble is quite interesting, as it is well extended, but doesn't offend. This is achieved by having a dip somewhere in the treble, where the hot part, or the harsh part, is attenuated. With certain cymbal crashes, this can make the overall impact feel a bit lower than it should be, like slightly crushed at its mid point, but in general the treble is airy and well extended towards the highest octaves. Compared to IE800 (since they go for a somewhat similar overall U-shaped tuning), IE800 is more sibilant, more bright, where Azla Horizon is much more fit for long term listening.
The dynamics are quite good, and generally it is a pleasing experience to listen to them.
Soundstage
The Soundstage of Azla Horizon is large, competing with the soundstage of FLC 8N actually, which are the current king of soundstage from most IEMs I heard in this price range (midrange area ~300 USD). The soundstage has both an excellent width and depth, sounds coming from more distant places are well separated from sounds closer to the listener, music is holographic when it is meant to, and Azla Horizon truly paints a musical Horizon, working well with both Classical and Symphonic music.
The Instrument separation is also really good, instruments are well defined from each other, and each instruments tends to have its own space and air to breathe.
Texturization
The texturization is a complex subject for any IEM, and Azla Horizon mostly has a natural approach. They manage to sound more natural than most similarly priced IEMs, by having a fairly natural texture to everything, the bass is natural to ever so slightly slow, resulting in a natural bass, realistic, the midrange sounds textured for textury instruments, and smooth for instruments that are supposed to be smooth, and the treble is mostly natural to smooth in texture. Azla Horizon is not an analytic IEM though, it is not dry, and doesn't reveal textures quite that well, this works nicely with the soundstage and instrument separation for giving the sensation of a large, but natural stage.
Portable Usage
The portable usage is okay.
Azla Horizon is not what I'd take with me portably unless I had a great source, they eat a ton of power to sound good, and to be loud, being about as hard to drive as IE800 is, or the average headphone. They are harder to drive than Ultrasone DXP, to have a point of reference.
The isolation is actually very good, and you can take a walk through the snowy winter streets of Bucharest, dreaming of that girl, while wearing Azla Horizon, or wake up early to admire the early morning horizon, and take some photos, but they are vented, so the isolation is not quite as high as it is with an all-BA design, where the acoustic chamber is entirely separated from the main IEM.
Ergonomics while on-the-go are excellent, the cable is not very tangle-prone, they look really nice, and they don't draw unwanted attention to the listener, and Azla Horizon is fairly comfortable, even while walking or headbanging, although most people don't headbang while on-the-go or randomly on the street.
You can always stop from your walk, and spend a few minutes to admire a flower, or the hard working bees, while listening to some good music, as I did while testing Azla Horizon.
Th microphonic noise is there, if you're easily disturbed by it, but it is not loud, and after you get around wearing them and pressing play, you're not going to be noticing it too much.
In all fairness, the main drawback on their portable usage is the fact they are so hard to drive, pretty much like Final Audio E5000, but otherwise, they are fairly solid and recommended if you plan to take a trip into the forest wild, or adventure through the urban jungle.
Comparisons
The main competitors in this price range are Sennheiser FiiO FH5, Final Audio E5000, and FLC 8N. Of course, IE800 is also a fair competitor, as Azla Horizon could make an interesting IE800 replacement for those who wanted a similar level of clarity, detail, instrument separation, but with better comfort and better long-term listening.
Azla Horizon vs FiiO FH5 - FiiO FH5 is an iconic IEM at this point, one of the best there are in this price range, FiiO having made a statement in what is an excellent build quality, package content, and sound quality. Starting with the package, FH5 has a more complete package, with more tips included in the package, and with a really nice transport solution, while Azla Horizon is made to be listened while looking into the Horizon, and doesn't come with any carrying case. The build quality is similar, although Azla Horizon is made of Plastic, where FH5's outer housing is made from metal. The cables on FH5 are thicker, while the ones on Azla Horizon are much more flexible. Comfort levels are slightly better on Azla Horizon, mainly because their bores are longer, and thinner, and they allow for more insertion options, where FH5 really work well with my ears, but some users couldn't get the same fit, as everyone's ears are shaped differently. In this sense, Azla Horizon is more universal and should sit well with a larger number of users. The sound, the most important aspect, is at opposite sides of the sonic spectrum. FH5 is a midrange-forward IEM, with a nice clarity, thick bass, but with a smooth treble. They generally feel well balanced, to midrange-forward, especially in the upper midrange. The detail levels are comparable, although Azla Horizon renders more background instruments and with better definition, mainly because their midrange is pushed back, allowing for more space for the background instruments to play. The textures are comparable, and so are the dynamics, but if you want a midrange-forward IEM, with an intimate soundstage, FH5 makes an excellent offer, while if you want a V / U shaped IEM, with a large soundstage, then Azla Horizon is clearly better fit for your needs. Both raise similar levels of price / performance, so you don't have to worry about this.
Azla Horizon vs Final Audio E5000 - Final Audio E5000 is also one of the most interesting IEMs of the moment, most users are really pleased with them, although they are a one-trick pony, having a really thick and lush sound, but that being their main direction. If you don't like their wide, but very lush, thick and clear sound, you can't really get anything else from them, but if you're looking for that thick, lush, clear, wide and wearm experience, there's nothing thicker and more lush, while staying this clear, in this price range. The package is comparable, although E5000 comes with a transport solution, although not a very useful one (being made of rubber, it doesn't really offer them much protection during transport). The construction quality is great on both, but E5000 has a much smaller overall shell size, with a metallic shell, and with thicker, yet better cables. E5000 can be worn both over-the-ear and straight-down, and they are super comfortable, even a bit more comfortable than Azla Horizon. E5000 has excessive amounts of sonic leakage, compared to Azla Horizon, but they both isolate well from the outside noise (I am only able to scare people around me in the bus with E5000, by blasting some Grindcore, with Azla Horizon they don't seem to notice.) The sound on Azla Horizon is much more versatile and balanced than with E5000, but then again, this is where E5000 is unique, in their really lush presentation. Azla Horizon has much less thickness, a much better treble in terms of naturalness, Azla Horizon has more instrument separation, an largest soundstage, although both E5000 and Azla Horizon sound fairly dynamic. One thing to take into account with both is how hard they are to drive, both are pretty hard to drive. If you want one of the most lush and thick IEMs in this price range, E5000 makes a very compelling offer, while if you want something that's U or V shaped, then Azla Horizon is an excellent option for their price.
Azla Horizon vs FLC 8N - I can't simply forget that I just reviewed FLC 8N, and also said that they are able to get a wide array of signatures, and all of those are good. Starting with the package, FLC 8N comes with a larger number of tips, and with a really high-end carrying case, while Azla Horizon has no carrying case. The comfort is comparable, although FLC8N is smaller in general, and feels more comfortable (they will be more comfortable with most ears). The sound is quite different, and FLC 8N can't quite match Azla Horizon's main signature regardless of the tip combo installed, Azla Horizon having pretty much a more detailed, more clear, with more background instruments, with better instrument separation sound of the basic FLC 8N configuration (the one it comes installed with). This being said, Azla Horizon can't change their signature the way FLC8N can, and FLC8N is much more versatile in terms of what it can do, but still, if you want a really simple hassle-free, no-risk IEM which you can just enjoy, Azla Horizon is an excellent one, while if you want to go for a bit of tweaking and to play with the sound, then FLC8N is still very interesting, and an IEM I recommend a lot, especially if you want a better understanding of your tastes and preferences.
Azla Horizon vs Sennheiser IE800 - This is really not matched evenly in terms of pricing, but it highlights some of my frustrations with IE800, which have been voiced by other users, and which make a big reason on why I really wish Sennheiser would make an updated IE800. Starting with the package, Azla Horizon comes with more tips, and a fully detachable cable, although IE800 comes with a carrying case (which doesn't offer much protection, and pretty much requires protection by itself). The build quality is great on both, and IE800 has a smaller, ceramic body, but in terms of comfort, IE800 is no match for Azla Horizon. Azla Horizon just sits in your ears, and at most, you may be annoyed by the void when inserting them, which means you have to insert them slowly, while with IE800, the comfort is never really great, the tips get slippery easily, I need to re-insert them a few times, before my ears fully accommodate with them, the cables are way too short above the Y-split, so you can't really wear them over-the-ear, which would have been great since they have a pretty microphonic cable. Azla Horizon is just comfy and a dream, in comparison. Now, onto the sound, Azla Horizon feels more natural and more even, with a slower bass, a more natural overall presentation, a larger soundstage, and a more easy sound for long-term listening. IE800, by comparison, feels more detailed, more analytic, has better texture revealing, but is brighter, more sibilant, has a considerably deeper bass, more focused in the sub-bass, and with better overall impact, but with a midrange that is a bit too recessed, resulting in a considerably less even sound that can get fatiguing. This being said, I feel that for the money, Azla Horizon is a better option for long-term listening, and is much easier to recommend to most people, except for those who want the really strongly U / V shaped sound, like IE800 has, or the better resolution of IE800, with the warning, that they have to put up with IE800's ergonomics for it.
Recommended Pairings
Azla Horizon is pretty hard to drive, but even harder to master. They have a low impedance of just 27 OHM, and a farily high sensitivity of 103 dB/mW, which doesn't seem to make them that hard to drive, but in practice they require xDSD from iFi to go in the yellow for loud listening. They are also hard to master, as they will pick some hiss from hissy sources, and they will change their signature with a high output impedance source. On the bright side, this also means that they will perform really well from a high-quality source, as they have a stated maximum distortion of just 0.5%, which is pretty darn impressive for any IEM. Being a 3.5mm SE input IEM, they should work with most sources out there, and if you're feeling courageous and daring, you can get an aftermarket cable and even use them with the balanced output of your source, but you should keep in mind that Azla notes a maximum power input of 20mW for them, so be careful to not burn them (most Balanced Outputs tend to have a higher power rating than the Single Ended Output of the same device).
Azla Horizon + iFi xDSD - xDSD from iFi is a great DAC/AMP to pair with anything really. It is a universal-kind of DAC/AMP that you can simply use without giving it much thought, performing really well for the price, and being really easy to pair with almost anything that you'd take on a walk with you. Of course, it isn't exactly perfect, but it doesn't present any hiss with Azla Horizon, it can make them go louder than most sane people listen to, it has those XBass and 3D enhancements, which are quite amazing, and you get iFi's excellent support behind it. On the other hand, if you're lonely and planning on getting a companion, xDSD makes both an excellent conversation starter, but also something odd that may lower your chances, so going with a stack is something to consider when considering xDSD, although I love it, and most people who saw it are quite impressed by it.
Azla Horizon + iBasso DX150 - iBasso DX150 is an interesting DAP made by iBasso, which you can pair with all their high-end AMP modules, making it one of the most interesting DAPs of the moment. It is priced high enough to be in the high-end range, being similar in price to FiiO X7mkii, so it isn't exactly a cheap or simple option, but if you don't like stacks, it is a very interesting option. The sound is quite good, and you won't get attention while using it in public, and with iBasso's AMP5, it sounds very wide and has a really amazing overall dynamic range. This pairing is a personal favorite, very balanced, and aesthetically pleasing. With the default AMP installed, DX150 is quite thick and warm, with a smoother top end, making Azla Horizon smoother and thicker.
Azla Horizon + FiiO M7 - M7 is a more entry-level DAP from FiiO, made to please without breaking the bank. It has a lot of abilities, including advanced BT abilities, but those won't be quite that useful while using Azla Horizon. In terms of sound, M7 is colder and more neutral than DX150, and it makes an interesting option if you want a tighter overall presentation for Azla Horizon, or if you're on a budget.
Value and Conclusion
Nothing is said and done before I get to mention that I actually did get to listen to Bring Me The Horizon on Azla Horizon and it helped open new Horizons before me, making me see Beyond The Horizon. With that out of the system, Azla Horizon really did open new horizons for me in terms of what is possible at this price range.
Interestingly, most IEMs in this price range seem to come with innovation that was possible before with considerably more expensive IEMs, Azla Horizon's innovation being mostly in their price/performance ratio, and in the level of detail and soundstage, along with their instrument separation, for an IEM in this price range.
The package is pretty good, they come with enough high-quality tips that you won't require changing them immediately, although you can always go for aftermarket tips if you found comfort with a specific type. Azla Horizon comes with a braided cable that is Single Ended, 3.5mm, a pretty universal choice that should work just fine with pretty much any source out there, and they come packaged nicely, in a pretty modern package.
The build quality is pretty amazing, they are solid plastic, but they have vents, or at least pressure equalization vents, as the air doesn't get out of them immediately, and you should insert them slowly, which means that the inner chamber has its pressure adjusted carefully for the best sound. The comfort is also pretty good, with some minor microphonic noise and bores that are slightly larger than average being the main drawbacks, but with a smooth IEM body that sits really well in all ears, regardless of their shape, with long bore tubes, and with good tips that are and will be comfortable for most ears seasoning the great sound rather well.
And the sound, is exactly what U/V shaped sound enthusiasts love in a midrange IEM, high price/performance ratio, so high that's insane, a nice deep bass, with a nice kick and impact to it, a recessed midrange with nice instrument separation, large soundstage and great background instruments rendering, and a sparkly treble that's not fatiguing nor harsh, meaning that I can listen to Azla Horizon for hours in a row without getting tired. The dynamics and overall clarity are also top notch, and the sound of Azla Horizon makes them a really attractive choice if you're a U/V sound lover.
In the end, if you're looking for a IEM that will take you beyond the horizon and will be a fairly versatile, clear and punchy experience, Azla Horizon is really easy to recommend, and especially if you're a V/U-shaped signature lover, you should totally check those out and consider them for your next companion in this neverending music adventure!
Playlist used for this review
While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.
Bats - Gamma Ray Burst: Second Date
Eskimo Callboy - Frances
Incubus - Summer Romance
Electric Six - Dager! High Voltage
Kishida Cult - High School Of The Dead
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
Thousand Foot Krutch - The Flame In All Of Us
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Infected Mushroom - Song Pong
Attack Attack - Kissed A Girl
Doctor P - Bulletproof
Maximum The Hormone - Rock n Roll Chainsaw
Rob Zombie - Werewolf, Baby!
Escape The Fate - Gorgeous Nightmare
SOAD - Chop Suey
Ken Ashcorp - Absolute Territory
Machinae Supremacy - Need For Steve
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Wanna Stop
Crow'sclaw - Loudness War
Eminem - Rap God
Stromae - Humain À L'eau
Sonata Arctica - My Selene
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Metallica - Fuel
Veil Of Maya - Unbreakable
Masa Works - Golden Japang
REOL - Luvoratorrrrry
Korn - Word Up!
Papa Roach - ... To be Loved
Fever The Ghost - Source
Fall Out Boy - Immortals
Green Day - Know The Enemy
Mindless Self Indulgence - London Bridge
A static Lullaby - Toxic
Royal Republic - Addictive
Astronautalis - The River, The Woods
We Came As Romans - My Love
Skillet - What I Believe
Man With A Mission - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Yasuda Rei - Mirror
Mojo Juju - Must Be Desire
Falling Up - Falling In Love
Manafest - Retro Love
Rodrigo Y Grabriela - Paris
Zomboy - Lights Out
Muse - Resistance
T.A.T.U & Rammstein - Mosaku
Grey Daze - Anything, Anything
Katy Perry - Who Am I Living For
Maroon 5 - Lucky Strike
Machinae Supremacy - Killer Instinct
Pendulum - Propane Nightmares
---
Audiophile-Heaven Link: https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2018/12/azla-horizon-iems-review-bring-me-music.html
---
I hope my review is helpful to you!
---
Contact me!
---
Dasm
Can you compare with cheap Sonicast Dirac MK2 (or mk2 +) with same driver?
Dobrescu George
@Dasm Sadly, I don't have Sonicast Dirac IEMs, so I cannot do a direct comparison...
Dasm
Got mine mine Sonicast mk2 about month ago, and absolutely love it. Hope you will listen it too. FH5 was sold out 
AZLA Horizon: Sunrise and a new brand breaking through
AZLA is a fresh new firm from Korea which made their debut with the AZLA-01R (or simply called as AZLA) in Japan. Because they didn't acknowledged to the users about their nationality, so I supposed them as a Japanese brand back then. AZLA was definitely an eye-catching brand and gained enormous attention when they made their first appearance with the 01R in Japan exhibitions. Getting a satisfying impression, I soon bought AZLA 01R before coming back home and they still pleasure my ears. Then they recently came up with their second model; the Horizon. I'd love to talk about the 01R as well, but I'll mainly focus on the Horizon on this review.
But for a quick reference, the 01R has an MSRP of approximately $499 and comes with LabKable Silver Galaxy Mix MKII custom cable as well as a Dignis ARCA case. Not only that, it's equipped Dynamic Motion's BED (Bull's Eye Driver); Feeling like an audio Avengers team. The Horizon, on the other hand, has an MSRP of approximately $299 and equipped with interesting techs as the 01R did, but definitely different. The 01R was only released in Japan as it was more like a testing model for AZLA, and now they're ready to officially stretch out worldwide, presenting their second model Horizon.
Packaging
The packaging is compact, yet has a premium touch to it; feels like a good phone packaging. Inside, it includes the earpieces, a stock cable, some paperwork, 3 pairs of normal silicon tips, and 3 pairs of Sedna Earfit tips. It's a bummer that they didn't include any sort of case or pouch to store the Horizons, so I decided to stick it into my Dignis ARCA case that were provided with my purchase of 01R before. Though on the bright side, I should definitely talk about the Sedna Earfits which were very impressive.
I've heard AZLA put much effort making these eartips to the point where rumors came out that they actually spent more time on making the eartips than on the earpieces. Well, it's probably just a joke but at least we get that they worked hard on the Sedna Earfits, and I can confirm that these eartips are incredible in terms of both fitting and sound.
It feels like a hybrid between JVC Spiral Dots and Final Audio Type-E; providing depth and adequate thickness while extending the soundstage like the JVCs. The cores are relatively longer than average eartips, so seems to be a good choice for IEMs that have shallow nozzles, like Fidue Sirius A91 or Beyerdynamic Xelento. If I'm correct, the Sedna Earfits will be soon sold separately so I'm looking forward to get few more pairs for my other IEMs.
Earpieces / About SF drivers & Infinity ARDs
The earpieces are designed to be worn over ear and equipped with MMCX sockets, which was quite unexpected as the previous 01R had 2-Pin CIEM sockets. The size of the earpieces are also much smaller than the 01R, resulting in a lesser chance on having a bad fit. The next thing that I would like to highlight is the drivers that are used, called the 'Infinity ARD'. But before explaining about that, I must first talk about what is called the 'SF drivers'.
Some may of heard about an IEM named 'DIRAC' which is the very first IEM to be equipped with SF drivers. (I've tried DIRAC before and it had outstanding performance in terms of accuracy and image specification) AZLA decided to use SF drivers for the Horizon and done some upgrades and customization, presenting the Infinity ARDs (Advanced Research Driver).
Moving on..
Anyway, moving back to the topic, AZLA took this SF driver and improved/customized it, presenting the Infinity ARD. AZLA claims that they were able to produced an even stronger diaphragm by using the '46 nanos 3 multi-layer' method, achieving minimal partial vibration that causes the distortions. It is also equipped with AZLA's original technology, the Air-Flow system, which is an extra internal room inside the earpieces acting as a vent.
Cable
The Horizon comes with an Urethane-coated copper cables (4 core, 128 strands) with an 3.5mm L plug. It isn't equipped with custom cables as 01R did, but I can see that the one included with Horizon isn't those typical cheap cables from China. The cable got adequate thickness with flexibility, and also soundwise matches pretty well with the Horizon. It doesn't have a chin slider, so be aware if you're one of those who use them.
So how's the sound
Horizon aims to have a W-shaped sound, but slightly lower on the highs. The meaty bass gives a dense thud and nicely controlled reverb, keeping the bass to stay neat on bass heavy tracks. Not only the bass got richness. but the scale and imaging are pretty wide, which AZLA claims it to be possibly by their Air-Flow technology. This seems to help how the soundstage to be natural, but what I more love is the overtone that it produces from the bottom end. The bass feels to be smooth and thick in density, especially making cello and contrabass sound quite realistic.
Mids are slightly placed forward and shifted more on having a natural transitions from the bass, rather than the mids being buldged out. Mids sound transparent without particular coloring added to it, giving a very natural taste. Both male/female vocals matches well and sounds full, plentiful, and smooth on the mids. Looking at the size of the driver, I first expected the sound signature to rather have a cute, small spaced sound, but Horizon turns out to be vibrant and engaging. The transitions to the highs are gradual without sibilance, overall giving me an impression that mids sound pretty darn accurate.
Horizon serves well on the high notes as well, though it somewhat feels like it possess characteristics from both BA and DD, which I found to be quite interesting. It knows how to quickly punch and step back like BA drivers, but with good density and a texture of a dynamic driver. The highs are lightly laid back than other frequencies but nicely presents itself on various circumstances. Overall, the highs provides adequate airiness and makes the music to be more shining.
I love the sound signature, but another thing that I'd like to highlight from the Horizon is its accuracy on tonality and image specification. Not a surprise since I was aware that SF drivers do a great job on these, but Horizon shows a better performance compared to DIRAC, the original IEM that were equipped with SF drivers. As someone who puts much attention on imaging and coherency, I enjoy trying out various single driver IEMs and Horizon definitely step ups the game with other IEMs with high accuracy.
Verdicts
So far AZLA seems to be incorporating lots of gimmicks to their products, however I can say that it's not just for attraction but in a desire of perfection. Horizon is a model that appropriately reduced the price from 01R while keeping its standard in terms of both performance and usability. Horizon will be AZLA's first model to be presented out of Japan, so I'm hoping to see some more AZLA users out there. It's glad to see a new firm to have a stable start like this and I'm excited to see how they'll be shaping out their brand and their models.
Visit www.aboutaudio.org or follow on Instagram for more reviews!
Thanks to AZLA for providing the Horizon in exchange for an honest impression/feedback.
The 01R was previously purchased by myself.
I am not affiliated with AZLA and none of my words were modded or asked to be changed.
The 01R was previously purchased by myself.
I am not affiliated with AZLA and none of my words were modded or asked to be changed.
Hinomotocho
Have you tried the Azla 01R MKii?
Watermelon Boi
@Beninnzorjp Only for a brief time. Compared to my 01R MK1 the mid-highs were brighter but with slightly decreased headroom as well. Seems like there'd be pros and cons between MK1 and MK2, but just take it lightly as I've tried it for a very short session. Thinking about getting myself a pair soon. If you're in JP, it would be the best for yourself to try out both versions.
Hinomotocho
Thanks, I'll be there in a couple of weeks to try them
