Seahf AWK F32 (T version)

SEAHF AWK F32 earbud review.

INFO-Specs

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  • Brand Name: seahf
  • Function: For Mobile Phone,For Routine Office Work,Common Headphone,Voice control,Supports music,for Video Game,Portable,HiFi Headphone
  • Support APP: No
  • Active Noise-Cancellation: No
  • Connectors: 3.5mm
  • Support Apt-x: No
  • Sensitivity: 110dB
  • Support Memory Card: No
  • Line Length: 1.2m
  • Vocalism Principle: Dynamic
  • Is wireless: Yes
  • With Microphone: No
  • Control Button: No
  • Style: In-Ear
  • Plug Type: Line Type
  • Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz
  • Wireless Type: None
  • Volume Control: No
  • Waterproof: No
  • Communication: Wired
  • Model Number: AWK-F32
  • Resistance: 32Ω
  • earphone type: Flat head earphone
  • use: Portable Media Player
  • model: Seahf 32ohms Black Version (T version)

Seahf is a quite respected chinese earbud brand and I was curious to hear something at a budget price range and finally choose the AWK F32 T version because I find the construction beautifull and cable look of better quality, can't say if in term of sound it justify the price different (5-7$) but for the look it sure do. I buy this pair when it was on sale at Yaoyaotiger HIFI audio store, at the time it was about 15$ and thank god this aliexpress seller shipping take 2 weeks (Epacket!) instead of 2 months like most others. After about 1 month or 200 hours of use with different audio source I decided to do this review.

CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN :



For 15$, construction is quite good, especially the transparent cable that look like to have silver plated wire and is quite solidly built and got a L jack. Housing, in the other hand, is standard construction like with must sub 20$ earbud, the plastic is more solid and glossy-transparent than Faael earbud for exemple, but have little opening in the back. All in all, a very beautifull earbud to look at, but far from looking pretentious or very expensive. Cable can feel a little sticky too, like with KZ brown cable, and he’s quite long (a plus or drawback depending your gear), myself, I really like this transparent cable and housing wich give unique look to this Seahf model.



SOUND IMPRESIONS :

Using 2 different DAP (Xduoo X3 & Ibasso DX90) and a Ibasso D2+ BOA DAC-AMP really change the soundsignature to the warmer side with X3 while to a very brighter side with DX90. In both case, it's sound better with external amping source. Anyway, they are easier to drive than the MusicMaker MrZ Tomahawk because they do not sound tamed or bass light at all, neither bass heavy, just very punchy with good low resolution that permit even electronic music to sound very good for an earbud. So, I will use Xduoo X3 Amped (at 92 out of 100 volume level!) for must of the review as I fell it’s with the more compatible source we must listen to an earbud, earphone or headphones, it’s like feeding a puppy with the right food.




LOW :
Low are impressively well resolute and go deep too, but they are not fowards or bassy at all, it’s ‘’cerebral’’ low, or litterate and polite, it say what the music say but without the hammer hit, so, if the low got texture like with rock bass it will feel punchy, but if it’s just plain clean squarewave sub it will be hard to heard and especially to feel, because as expected….no sub rumble here, wich mean, no distortion too! I can compare these type of bass response with the Grado SR60 punchy presentation that have a dynamic and rock-friendly soundsignature and is on the bright side too. Mid low end bump and trebly sub bass to compensate a certain lack of power. Punchy and accurate, it give lot of energy to the music and permit to have high sparkle and fowards mids.



MID :
Depending of sound source, mids are always present but have a little cutting edge to it, vocal are on bright side but with good amping have a rather larger presentation and would have been envelopping without the little harshness they got in some frequencies regions. It’s very textured mids that give a very good sens of imaging and instrument separation to whole soundspectrucm and more suited to male vocal to compensate the ‘’shhhhh’’ in female vocal we can find in MrZ Tomahawk too, this is due to a pushed treble I think but it will not be invasive if you listen at normal volume (I listen very LOUD).



HIGH :
This is where the Seahf stand out, they are a details beast that will surely impress alot of earbuds lover, high are fowards but not unbalanced, they are part of an overall pushed treble soundsignature and they aren’t congested with complex tracks that have lot of instrument or sound in it. I see this as a balanced soundsignature with a not too agressive brightness that give a very exciting sound presentation, high have decay and texture to it and make micro details easy to find out of an average soundstage. It lack a little air between instrument separation to give the supreme WOW effect but with good amping it can expend it for real. These earbud is a perfect match for warm sounding DAP and will help to calibrate the fowards treble. For highs freq performance, they are my more detailed sounding earbud and a very competent tool when I need a competent ‘’details craver’’ for certain type of music like chamber quartet, free jazz or hard to deal with instrumentals in general.



COMPARAISONS :




DIY XM500 :
Warmer with a wider soundstage and more well rounded bass, the MX500 is one if not the better sub-15$ earbud we can find, they are less bright and analytical than F32 but have a more natural and calibrate feel. Mids are as present but more wide with the MX500 while the F32 have more texture but less expension. F32 with his hot treble have more micro details but just in certain region wich make them feel less natural. DIY MX500 are my ultimate favorite because of a wide and warm soundstage and spot on instrument separation, U shaped soundsignature that do not veil the smooth vocal, very energic earbuds with incredible bass performance wich is round and dynamic, F32 are quite the opposite and more a analytical earbud.
My favorite : MX500



**** PT15 :
Darker and feel a little veiled compared to F32, they lack in details and sound like old analogue headphone were the F32 have a very modern approach like perhaps the AKG 701 type of soundsignature if we can say. Vocal are not very foward and mix with rest of veiled spectrum, PT15 are more prompt for background hissing even if F32 aren’t total clean there. PT15 are .
My favorite : F32 big time.



TY Hi-Z 32ohm : With the right amping and sound source TY and sound incredible, vocals are sweet and spot on with a very warm and envelopping presentation whil the F32 is more fast and bright. Both have a rather nice bass presentation for earbud but TY is more round and less agressivly punchy, more V shaped too so they feel less balanced than F32. Soundstage is wider with TY but instrument separation is better with F32. Some highs region of TY is pushed wich make ome details pop up and other don’t, with F39 its a flatter treble response. Construction wise, cable jack of TY isn’t good with my pair and if I turn it it will create static noise.
My favorite : TY Hi-Z 32ohm because of soundstage even if they need more amping.



FAAEL 64ohm (silver plated cable version) :
Another personal favorite of mine, the Faael got very present, warm and organic vocal with a little treble roll off, soundstage is wider and deeper than AWK tough it is way less detailed in general. For me, the Faael are easy listening earbuds, laid back sounding while the Seahf are serious and authoritative with treble and have a more resolving sound with more microdetails and a faster presentation.
My favorite : FAAEL 64ohm



Conclusion:

I love how the Seahf AWK F32 sound as well as I love how they look, for earbuds collector I think it's a good addition, especially if you like brigthish soundsignature.