Muse Hifi Power

MUSEHIFI POWER Review - With Power Comes Great Responsibility

Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary.

Specifications:
Connector Type: 0.78mm 2-Pin
Driver Configuration: 14.5mm Magnetic Planar Driver
Frequency Range: 10 Hz ~ 40 kHz
Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 106 dB
Price: $199 (Linsoul)


Sources Used:
Zishan U1 ES9038Q2M
Sony NW-A55 (MrWalkman CFW)
Colorfly CDA M1

Introduction:
MUSEHIFI is a brand that I usually associate with dongle DAC/AMPs. The ones that have no cable in a one solid built dongle. I don't really know much about their IEMs offerings and this is the first time that I am using a MUSE HIFI product. With the ongoing Planar wars with many Chifi brands joining the war, MUSEHIFI joins in with the MUSEHIFI POWER Planar IEM. Let us see if it's worthy of having "Power" in its name.

Build Quality:

Opening the packaging is like opening a bento box with two layers. The first layer is the earpieces itself and the carrying case. Inside the carrying case is the cable and an IEM cleaning tool. On the second layer are two eartip containers that house the stock eartips that the MUSE HIFI POWER has.


The earpiece of the POWER is on the large side, same with the Wu Zetian that I previously covered. However, compared to the Wu Zetian, the shell size of the POWER is much larger. The faceplate is very beautiful with swishes of glittery gold coated with resin, The shell is 3D printed using medical grade resin, there is a concha fin to aid users on the fit of the POWER. Personally it does fit me well, but given its large size, many people will not enjoy the fit of the POWER.


The cable I thought at first glance will be a very stiff cable due to its thickness, but it is actually soft and easy to manage. The whole motif of the cable from the 2-Pin connectors to the 3.5mm plug follows the same Black & Gold colorway with the earpieces. The only gripe I have is that I wish it had a modular plug.


For the case, I find it similar to a messenger bag, the top of the case is latched onto the body via magnet. It has a leather finish with the MUSEHIFI brand printed to it. While it can house the POWER snuggly, I would have preferred a slightly larger case than this.


There a a total of 4 sets (S, M, L) of stock ear tips included with the MUSEHIFI POWER. At a glance it may seem generous but the ear tips included are of the generic kind, just with different bore sizes for tip rolling.


Sound Quality:
The first time I tried them on with my preferred size of stock ear tips ( I used a normal bore one), It razed my ears with sharp upper mids and treble. Sibilance all over the place. I hated it. And when I started to tip roll with the other eartips in this set, none of them worked as the sharpness still remains. I was only able to find it listenable when I used Final Type E Ear tips. I am very disappointed that among the included 4 sets of stock ear tips, none of them works well with the MUSEHIFI POWER. The following sound impressions are written with Final Type E Ear tips.

The first thing that I noticed with the POWER, even with the crappy stock eartips, is that the bass hits the sweet spot for me. Mid-bass dominant and has a fast decay. It performs really well especially when I play speedcore tracks with the POWER, where it is able to catch up to the ridiculous bassline speeds it has.

Vocals on the other hand are like gacha, and most of the time I pull an unlucky one. Why? Because this set is sibilant. It is still sibilant even with the Final E tips taming it a lot compared to stock tips. The sibilance is more apparent with female vocals, it is more pleasant to listen to male vocals with this IEM. Putting sibilance aside, the POWER's vocals are a tad bit recessed in the mix with adequate body to lift its own weight against the POWER's bass and aggressive treble.

The treble of the POWER is cold and very detailed to the point that it is fatiguing. While I like myself some good bright treble with wide extension, the treble on the POWER is unrefined for pleasurable listening, sounding unnatural. I always bring the volume down when there's a treble happy track because I know that my ears will get fatigued easily.

Soundstage is fairly wide, with excellent imaging and technical performance. The amount of microdetails in the treble is massive and can get you fatigued fast.

Conclusion:
While the first impressions with the stock ear tips is horrible, the overall experience that I had with the MUSEHIFI POWER planar IEM is okay. I think that the POWER is still immature and is not worthy of its price. I do hope that if ever MUSEHIFI do a planar IEM again, it'll be more refined than the POWER. Thank you for reading.

MUSE HiFi Power

WHO THIS UNIT IS FOR:

• Planar collectors
• People who like a lot of good accessory inclusions
• People who have big ears
• People who like technically capable IEMs
• People who like colder-sounding female vocals

WHO THIS UNIT ISN’T FOR:

• Shout and sibilant sensitive people
• People who are looking for the best value planar
• People who like a lot of rumble and midbass texture
• People who like a smooth treble response
• People who have small ears

RECCOMENDED GENRES:

• Jazz
• Classical
• Electro-pop
• Soft-Pop
• Rock (generally)

The Planar war continues to rage and companies are coming up with new releases left and right. But what happens when a relatively new brand known for its portable DAC/AMP takes a shot at a newly hyped market?

DISCLAIMERS: This unit was sent as a part of a touring group and provided by MUSE HiFI and Mr. Ken Alfonso. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity, but this does not in any way, shape, or form affect the quality of my review. This review will be based entirely on my experience with the IEM itself and I was not paid or told to say anything regarding the IEM. Lastly, I am only one reviewer; this is my personal experience with the unit. Many variables come to play to make everyone’s experience different and your mileage will vary depending on the circumstance.

TRACKS USED:
I used a mixture of DSD, Hi-Res Flac, CD, and MP3 for my songs. This is to widen the possible use case to as much people and would allow me to give my insight on lower fidelity bitrates.

Spotify Playlist:


Document explaining what to look for in each track:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oMa7GPLaqtpnnoR9tixvWI4aK-7tXMyTEZCJAVkIZx0/edit?usp=sharing


SOURCES USED:
Zishan U1
Not-by-VE Abigail
VE Megatron
Poco M3

OTHER ACCESSORIES USED:

Tips:
Final E in S & M
Newbee in S & M
Stock Red Tips in S & M
Stock Stock Green Tips in S & M
Stock Clear Tips in S & M
Stock Grey Tips in S & M

Cable:
Stock cable

NOTES:
I found that the newbees and the stock green tips are very similar and therefore, my thoughts on one will carry over to the other. However, I found that the most comfortable tip that offers the best sound is the Final E in small. But for a “stock” configuration, I preferred the stock red tips and therefore it was what I used throughout the review. Comfort and sound will vary depending on the tips you will be using.

I also found a potentially big issue where the MUSE HiFi Power would make my Zishan U1 do a weird clicking sound and occasionally lose connection. This was not the case with any of the other sources. This could be a personal issue, though

INTRODUCTION:



MUSE HiFi is a relatively new and lesser-known brand only known to my knowledge with their MUSE HiFi M3 DAC/AMP. This is also my first experience with this brand which leaves me without a basis of reference to the kind of products they release. But this may be for the better as I have no expectations of what they’re capable of just yet which leaves me with no reference to base their own products of. This is also their first IEM and a planar one at that. But enough with the chatter! Let’s get on with the Power.

UNBOXING:

Before we take a look at the MUSE HiFi Power, let’s take a look at the box and its contents.



Starting with the box, it’s your standard rectangular shape with a nice sleeve for protection and aesthetics. The sleeve is a smooth matte black and somewhat thick cardboard that doesn’t easily get deformed like other cardboard sleeves. On the very top, you can see the MUSE HiFi logo and name printed in a thin glossy silver. Under the logo is the MUSE HiFi tagline printed in both English and Chinese.

The left side of the box contains the same MUSE HiFi logo on the top and the right side contains a barcode and the technical specifications
Flipping the box shows a big wall of text that contains another set of technical specifications in 8 languages, Below that, are the contact details of MUSE HiFi, QR Codes to their social media, and your standard warning logos

Moving to the box, it’s a similar black color with a textured, leatherlike feel. The top has a similar printing to the cardboard sleeve with the logo and name but with a silver print on the bottom center that carries over to the bottom side of the box. This silver print has MUSE HiFi’s logo printed on it and cuts off at the very end as if to signify that this is where you open the box. The top side also has its logo.



The box is opened by the magnetic side that seals the box. Upon opening the box, you are met with a translucent paper with MUSE HiFi’s logo printed on it. The paper is very similar to parchment paper which I found quite funny but also interesting as they’re the first company that I’ve encountered to use such material.

Removing the paper reveals the IEMs themselves and the grey leatherette pouch sitting inside a foam cutout. Removing the said items reveals a nice desiccant pad to keep the items dry.

Removing the top foam layer reveals the instruction manual/warranty card and the container for the 24 sets of tips.



Let’s move on now to the accessories. The pouch is a grey, leatherette material with MUSE HiFi’s logo embossed on the top flap. Opening the magnetic top reveals the cable and a cleaning tool.



There are a total of 12 pairs of ear tips; 3 pairs of green stemmed stiff dome semi-wide bored tips, 3 pairs of clear stiff dome narrow bored tips, 3 pairs of red stemmed soft dome narrow bored tips, and 3 pairs of grey soft dome semi-wide bored tips. Listed below is the full accessory list:

• The Driver Units
• IEM Cable
• 12 pairs of tips inside a dedicated case
• Leatherette Magnetic Case
• Instruction Manual
• Cleaning Brush

This unboxing was quite bountiful with the experience, accessories, and quality being overall top-notch. This is honestly what I expected from an IEM costing $199 and MUSE HiFi did not disappoint. The combination of a good-quality cardboard sleeve and the magnetic seal made the unboxing experience quite satisfying. The inclusion of a really good quality magnetic pouch and 12 different and good quality tips was what really sealed my thoughts of the overall unboxing experience of the Power. Not only does it come with 12 tips, but the tips also come in their own case with a really good quality sticker of MUSE HiFi on the front. For their first IEM outing, they really did not skimp on the unboxing experience and accessories. Props to MUSE HiFi!



BUILD, FIT AND COMFORT: 5.5 out of 10

Cable:
The cable is a 6N high-purity single crystal copper silver-plated mixed braid with coaxial and litz shielding and a transparent PVC environmentally friendly material.




Starting with the plug, it’s your standard golden plated plug with this stained metal material housing the jack. I’m not entirely sure what material the jack housing is as it was noted stated in their technical specifications, but it feels like a metal alloy. It then transitions to the clear plastic fishtail that leads us to the single crystal copper cable.



The braid is of a 2 core, paracord-like material of a yellow and black colorway. The braids are quite loose and you can put your finger into the braids, but it’s tight enough that you wouldn’t feel anxious that it’d unbraid itself.



Moving up, we find the y-split and chin cinch that are of a similar material to the jack housing. MUSE HiFi’s logo is printed in white on the side of the y-split.



The cable then splits into single strands all the way to the preformed ear hook and the 2-pin 0.78 connectors and its housing.



I love and hate this cable for the same reason. It’s thick and heavy. While I appreciate a well-made cable as it gives me a sense of durability and stability, it also makes the cable difficult to store, excessively heavy when worn and has the tendency to put pressure on your ear. The latter is the biggest issue that I found with the cable of the Power. This could possibly be due to the IEMs themselves but the preformed ear hooks have the tendency to have multiple pressure points on my ear that makes it very uncomfortable to wear on long listening sessions. I also found the usage of a paracord-style braiding on the entire IEM to be an odd choice. Having the paracord be on the jack side makes sense, especially for longer cables, but it makes the IEM feel like a chore to wear. I will say though that the black and white colorway fits the IEM itself and I would love to have a similar aesthetic if I were to have a cable customized to have a paracord cover. It would have also been nice to see a modular cable, especially at this price and product as I found that planars perform best when powered through a balanced output. But honestly, this is just my personal nitpick as I kind of expect this price to start including modular cables if IEMs in the $79 can do it. Overall, really good quality cable but I feel like MUSE HiFi’s choice of going for this style of cable does offer some cons in terms of comfort. But if anything, I know this kind of cable will last a lifetime.

IEM:

Finally, the IEMs themselves. The shells are a combination of hand-painting + CNC + 3D printing in collaboration with a brand named HeyGears to, “ensure that the Planar Magnetic Drivers prevent error in production,”. It uses a five-axis CNC to carve the metal frame while using medical-grade 3D printing for the resin shell.

The faceplate has a gold, grey, and black overall design appearance with the gold appearing to be of a somewhat glittery finish. The faceplate is covered in a resin-like material with the aforementioned CNC metal to close the seams around the faceplate on the resin shell.





Going down to the inner shell, its shape is overall much larger than your usual IEM with very pronounced fins. MUSE HiFi and either L or R is seen printed beside the somewhat protruding 2-pin connector. The protrusion is not very pronounced but it sticks out along with the shell somewhat compensating for it.
There are 4 vents in total. One across the MUSE HiFi print, one directly on top of the driver and two across the fins. The nozzle is ~4.2mm wide and ~3mm long. It uses the cheese grater/shower sink style filters. Thankfully, any hints of driver flex are alleviated (potentially thanks to having a planar driver)

Speaking of the planar driver, the MUSE HiFi Power uses a 14.5mm flat diaphragm planar magnetic driver. Exact specifications and model are currently undisclosed.



This is arguably the worst part about the MUSE HiFI power. While I can see where they were going with the size, fins, and nozzle size, its overall size with the said fit makes it extremely uncomfortable for long listening sessions. Combined with the small nozzle and heavy stock cable, I was constantly reminded that I was wearing an IEM throughout my listening sessions. The aesthetics and shape of the Power are very attractive and quite fancy I would say. The aluminum alloy sealing around the resin faceplate gives it a very confident and well-built feel and the resin overall is very well done. I don’t feel any creases or weak points besides the nozzle, but its length makes it justified. It’s also not a separate material which is a plus for durability. But overall, I found that despite the beautiful aesthetics and confident build quality, the overall fit and comfort of the Power is one of the worst that I’ve tried so far.

SOUND: 31.5 out of 40

Sound signature:

• Mild U-Shape

Driving Power: Above average power requirements (as expected from a planar). At least a dongle DAC is recommended to run for best performance. Scales very well

Bass: 8.5 out of 10

• Tight but well-defined and bodied overall presentation
• Subbass is present when needed but does not dominate the spectrum
• Midbass is tight with a decent punch with a very clean and well-defined detail
• Midbass elevation over sub-bass
• Midbass texture is sufficient but lacking for my taste
• Sufficient midbass bleed that adds body to male vocals without sounding bloated

The Power presents bass in quite an elevated but well-controlled manner. I am aware that planars don’t often present bass in a cohesive or well-defined manner like DDs. However, Muse Hifi tuned the Power’s bass to give an almost DD-like experience. I say almost as I feel that the overall bass dynamics of the Power are on the tighter end of my preference in this kind of tuning. Subbass is on the leaner side where the rumble exists to complement rather than to dominate. It’s more than enough for my library, but I notice its tightness and submissiveness compared to the midbass on tracks with a good balance of midbass and sub bass. Tracks like Waffles by Lettuce include a rather aggressive bass line throughout the song that has a lot of rumble and midbass texture. The Power presents a tasteful amount of subbass with a hefty and well-defined midbass. Synths and drones are arguably the weakest instruments that the Power represents as the lack of a considerable subbass presence along with a smoother midbass quality make the lower registers of the instruments sound too clinical and smooth. A friend described it quite well when he said that despite the midbass dominance, he still felt that the bass was “too fast”. This is not a negative thing as this allows for the Power to provide one of the most articulate and detailed bass response out of all the IEMs I’ve tried. As stated, my nitpick about the power is the bass being almost too clean for how elevated it is.

Mids: 7 out of 10

• Natural lower mids to mids, but become treblesome (pun intended) on the upper mids
• Good body and detail on lower mids thanks to the sufficient bass bleed
• Good overall instrumental cohesion and presentation
• Cold, detailed but borderline shouty upper mids
• Articulated micro nuances but borders unbearable levels

I’m torn with the mids of the Power. While I myself love colder female vocals as a treblehead, the balance of forward upper mids and the treble tonality (that will be discussed in the next segment) makes the overall tonality of the Power on the odd and unnatural side. The lower mids I would argue saves the overall quality of the mids as the Power presents a transparent and organic sounding vocal and instrumentation on the likes of guitars. The aforementioned midbass bleed also doesn’t meddle with the overall clarity of the instruments on the higher registers. Smoke by Cornelius is a perfect example as, despite the midbass dominance, it does not overpower the guitar notes and nuances as other midbass-centric IEMs do. Pianos also sound transparent and dynamic while still having body, albeit starting to thin out due to the upper mids. On that note, the upper mids are quite aggressive and unnatural sounding on the first listen. It has this hard bite that makes vocals sound cold and borderline shouty with female vocals particularly affected by having a colder and more articulate presentation. The forwardness, however, may be too much for some, and find that the vocals in this region sound unnatural and shrill. Again, I personally like this kind of tonality but I can’t shake the fatigue I get from listening to the Power on long listening sessions. Overall, the mids provide enough vocal and instrumental presence and then bumping that presence to 1000 on the upper mids that skews the tonality just a little bit too much.

Treble: 8 out of 10

• Uneven but well extended
• Lower treble is very forward and occasionally shrill sounding
• Mid treble is uneven with dips in clarity on certain regions
• Very well-extended upper treble and air
• Sibilance is occasionally present, but generally tolerable compared to the upper mids
• Micro Detail retrieval is very impressive despite the unevenness in the treble

The treble both disappointed and satisfied me for the sole fact that the unevenness creates this edginess that I adore in some IEMs. When the unevenness is well executed, it can create an almost holographic and immersive stage. When done poorly, however, it ends up sounding almost one-dimensional and lo-fi in a sense. Thankfully, the transient peaks and dips on the Power are smooth enough to still have good clarity and articulation. However, its unevenness is quite evident, especially in tracks with more aggressive cymbal and percussive hits that border that splashy sound. There are also instances where certain cymbal strikes can sound somewhat dulled in presentation while others are very well represented. But this still offers a quite resolving treble response, albeit potentially being sibilant for some. Personally, the Power sparkles enough for me to resonate with the percussive strikes without having to wince at every hit. What really brings the Power to my preference is how well it represents micro nuances in the likes of guitar plucks, high vocal notes, and especially the lingering sparkle due to the extended upper treble. It has the tendency to become too much at times, but I found it extremely enjoyable and very articulate. But I really do wish the lower to middle treble was smoothened out a bit more to alleviate the dips in clarity in certain areas. Overall, I enjoyed the treble despite the few qualms I have with it.

Soundstage, Imaging, and Separation: 8 out of 10

• Decently wide but has really good stage depth
• Precise and accurate imaging but limited by stage width
• Great separation, but suffers from congestion in the upper region

I wasn’t so surprised to hear the Power perform as capable as it did, especially after hearing how prominent the treble is. I was, however, surprised by how well separated the low-end was for being as elevated as it did. The instrument separation of bass guitars, low register voices, and synths were clean and the imaging was very crisp. It’s still not headphone levels as I still feel the clear distinction when switching gears (this could be attributed to the stage) but it’s still no slouch. The stage is very much depth leaning rather than width as I occasionally found the stage to be narrow but with a sense of grandness in instrumentation. Where I personally hear the Power slightly suffers is when the upper mids to mid-treble gets congested where I feel that the capability of the Power to separate starts to take a hit as some instruments take center stage and others are pushed back a bit too much for my liking. This isn’t a massive difference, but it's noticeable enough for me to mention.

Gaming Performance: ✪✪✪✰✰
The technical capabilities of the Power really show in gaming but suffer from the same problems stated in the technicalities section. While immersive games such as Genshin Impact, Sky: Children of the Light, and other games with expansive sceneries provided one of the most beautiful gaming experiences I’ve had on IEMs, competitive gaming is quite disappointing. The narrower stage made me feel like all the sounds I hear are exactly behind me. I had a situation where I called out in Valorant that an enemy was in front of me running when in reality it was a teammate meters away. Due to the Power’s tuning, certain gunfire also causes quite the pierce to my ears. Overall though, this would be a great IEM if you were to use this exclusively for immersive games

Multimedia Performance: ✪✪✪✪✰
Similar to gaming, the multimedia performance of the Power is very desirable. Films and Shows offer a very immersive experience with nature sounds, soundtracks, and overall sound design is easy to appreciate and hear the nuances. But the tuning really takes a hit on especially action movies where gunfire becomes quite uncomfortable to listen to. I should also bring up the fact that the IEM is quite uncomfortable over a long period of time which will definitely affect your binge-watching.

COMPARISONS:

vs TangZu Zetian Wu ($150)

• Zetian Wu is more balanced while the Power is leaning closer to being a mild u-shape
• Zetian Wu has better overall bass balance but Power is more detailed and textured
• Zetian Wu mids are more balanced compared to Power but Power has better male vocals.
• Zetian Wu doesn’t sound as offensive as Power, especially on upper mids
• Treble sounds cleaner on Zetian Wu, but microdetail retrieval is better on Power
• Power handles busier tracks and deeper than Zetian Wu but Zetian Wu has a wider stage and more precise imaging

VERDICT:



If I were to take a look at the MUSE HiFi in a vacuum, I would say that this is one of the most impressive releases that I’ve seen and heard of recently. The combination of a glorious unboxing experience, a lot of accessory inclusions, a good build, and technically capable sound makes the MUSE HiFi power a very recommendable planar option.

The problem arises when you look at the competition and its development over time. The sudden resurgence of planars in the first place was due to a brand providing a revolutionary planar that redefined people’s perspective on what planar is capable of in the IEM space. I can only assume that MUSE HiFi attempted something similar with the Power. Due to its bizarre, potentially offensive tonality, large size and most importantly the price, the MUSE Hifi Power seem to really be an attractive option only for those looking to collect all the planars in the market.

It’s not to say that the MUSE HiFi Power is bad. Far from that. I personally really enjoyed the Power and I’m actually really intrigued with what MUSE HiFi has in store in the future. But it’s one of, if not, the most contested market in the IEM world as of recent. If it was priced in the $150 range, I would have felt that the Power would be a very competitive option even with its fit and tuning quirks. But $200 is steep, especially now when you can get the likes of SHUOER S12, TangZu Zetian Wu, and the $49 Celest Gumiho. I still think that the MUSE HiFi power exists in a spot where there will be people who will be attracted to it, but I wouldn’t count on it to be the first suggestion when someone asked for a Planar IEM.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review! Please consider liking and following Facebook my page if you want to see more audio review content from me. Thank you and have a beautiful day!
https://www.facebook.com/OB.ODIO

If you would like to buy one for yourself, here is a non-affiliated link. Happy listening!
https://keephifi.com/products/muse-hifi-power

INTRODUCTION:

The Muse HiFi Power is part of our review tour. I would like to thank Kent Aldriann Alfonso and Muse HiFi for providing us with the unit to review. This is my first encounter with the brand. And to be purely honest, I was quite surprised that this didn’t fall into my personal preference. If you’ve noticed, there are more cons above. Read on to know why…

DISCLAIMER:​

My opinions here are entirely my own. I am NOT in any way influenced by any form of incentive. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this as a grain of salt for we have different perception to sound and what we hear. I always try my best to stick with the stock accessories that come with the gear by default. You are free to try other methods such as tip rolling or cable rolling. Below are worth noting before concluding on what I say here:

1. DAP (digital audio player, be it phone, laptop, mobile, or stationary setup)
2. DAC or dongle or any external amp
3. Ear Tips
4. Cables
5. Source of audio file be it offline FLACS or streaming services like Deezer, Apple music, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the likes..
6. Your playlist. It matters and is worth to be considered when reading from a reviewer's perspective. It is apparent that you get to know your favorite reviewer and what they are listening to leisurely and critically.

My reviews are more on how music sounds in my ears. The technical stuff like frequency graphs and the physics behind the tech and drivers used, I leave to other reviewers.

SPECIFICATIONS:​

Configuration: 14.5mm Planar Magnetic Driver
Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: 106db
Freq response: 10hz - 40khz

PACKAGING:​

Inclusions are on the generous side. Especially the ear tips. Below comes with the packaging.

1. 4 kinds of ear tips. 3 pairs each kind
2. a pair of Muse HiFi Power IEM
3. Braided black cable cloth in material
4. a cleaning tool
5. Documentation
6. a carrying pouch

Sound Impressions:​

The sound signature of Power is on the brighter side. Though I can handle brightly tuned sets, (my Kinera Idun Golden for example) the Power is problematic on top. Let’s dive in deeper.

Starting with the lows, which are the best part, are very quick, punchy, and have excellent responses. It possesses a clean presentation and minimal bleeds to neighboring frequencies. The lows gave me a thumping and good nodding on some of my favorite tracks. It has a good reach at the sub-bass level. I will compliment the mid-bass having grit and bite and good details. If the track calls for a sub-bass presentation, Power gives. Playing classic tracks with more emphasis on mid-bass is fairly accurate and was never bloated.

Mids are the first I noticed to exhibit having a thin and lean character. More often than not, female vocals tend to be unnatural and boxy. Therefore Power favors male vocals by a noticeable amount. Instruments like pianos and acoustic guitars are also tainted with a smear of unnaturalness and unrealism. Though near borderline, it is tolerable. Violins on high registers also give that sheen that is natural to planar drivers. The mids sometimes get hot and fatiguing to listen to, being a chore over time.

Trebles are the most problematic in this set. Trebles are thin by default but Power reproduces it in a non-appealing way to my ears. My Kinera Idun is also a bright set but it has a more organic way of delivering trebles. Power on the other hand, is somewhat unrealistic. It tries to maintain organicness on some instruments, but it struggles and elements will sound unnatural every now and then. On top of that, like the mids, it is fatiguing to listen.

Conclusively, the whole presentation here leans to be thin and brittle. Fatiguing to listen. You might want to consider pairing this with a warm and analogous source to fix the trebles. The one thing that saves this set, is the lows. Ear tip rolling is also strongly suggested. Maybe that is the sole reason why they included 4 kinds of tips.

Fit & Isolation:​

Despite the large build of Power, the fit is very snug, and never felt they will fall off my ears. I easily manage to achieve optimal fit. Pain-free wear and comfortable. Isolation is above average leaving me and my music in our own world.

Technicalities:​

Now we come to the key strength of Power. Its technicalities. Can this aspect save this set? Read on…

First off, Power has medium drivability. I find myself notching my volume level a few steps louder. Hence, a dongle or dac-amp is suggested.

Sound stage is quite nice and has that extra head room. While IEMs are designed to be intimate with our music, having a large build is beneficial when it comes to sound stage.

Imaging is very admirable as instruments are well placed and easy to follow. Elements never felt overlapping. Rather instruments have their own scope and are occasionally thrown at the far right or left in an accurate manner.

Speed of drivers are very adequate and capable. Complex tracks are a breeze and Power executes busy tracks effortlessly.

Resolution and details are very high with Power. Macro and micro details are well audible and present with tracks I’m very familiar with.

Conclusively, technicalities are above average and might be the selling point of Muse HiFi power. Rightfully and fitting for a planar driver performance.

SOURCES AND GEARS:​

• LG V30 hifi dac (high impedance mode)
• Hiby Music player
• UAPP app (USB Audio Player Pro)
• Tidal Masters subscription
• offline FLACS
• Hidizs AP80 pro
• Deezer Hifi subscription

Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:

That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks


And many more… I always listen to High-resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS, whether offline or online.

VERDICT:​

This set proves that technicalities alone cannot save a gear. The technicalities outweigh the tonality which results in a not balanced set in terms of performance. Fatiguing to listen to. Imagine you are trying to enjoy your music for hours but just cannot do it for the reason it gives you a fatiguing experience. That’s a deal breaker for me. Power still tries to be enjoyable but more often than not, it falls short. Unnatural tonality, occasional sibilance, and boxy female vocals prevent me from enjoying and recommending this set.

As the planar wars continue, the Muse HiFi Power is the least in my opinion. It is just too hot to handle. Too tiring to listen to and very hard to appreciate. I’m listening to it as I’m writing this review and I can’t wait to finish this article so I can put it back in its packaging. Sorry Muse HiFi, but I think you need to rehaul this set and fix its cons for your upcoming IEM releases.

That’s a wrap and I hope that you’ve reached this end. Again, love the music more than the gears!! Cheers! Catch you on the next one!!