AFUL Acoustics Performer 5

I realize I put my impression in the wrong section, so reposting her in Reviews. --

Back to report my experience with the P5. I am going to copy most of my thoughts from my youtube comments under Honest Audiophile's video on these.

First, I drive them off of an iPhone dongle or MB Air headphone jack. I also tried them out of a very old Portaphile amp, good quality, and the sound signature didn't change.

My scores reflect the sound with the eartips I found that provide the best seal (wide bore)... Still, an 8mm ordinary driver for a $220 DD/BA earphone? No tip rolling will fix that. I suspect these are designed for a narrow bore tip, such as the one supplies... it just didn't work for me. I have Final E tips on the way which are narrow-ish, and that might completely change the 5k-7k tizziness of the P5 when used with wide bore tips.

Second, before I start, I have to correct somebody's mistake in the specifications. There is no "60mm" bass tube. 60mm is 2.4 inches. It is the length of a medium size thumb. Really? Plus hifry on youtube has broken these open, and there simply is no such tube. I think what they meant is 6mm tube.

OK, now to the sound.

1) Tips: 1/5 The red and blue are identical., but the small are narrower bore, while medium and large are larger bore... but not quite true wide bore. Anybody who posted that blue are narrow bore and red are wide bore simply made an assumption... I've measure both, and red/blue are identical. I suppose you could use a red for right and blue for left. I couldn't use them. The small were too small, and the medium didn't fit right. I just couldn't get a seal so the bass was anemic. I ended up using a Final E medium which are wide bore, which fit great and the bass came alive. I should also mention that the EQing I talk about at 8k below might be a result of the eartip that worked for me. Maybe if the medium supplied tips had worked, 8k EQing might not have been needed. The 250 and 2k Eqing i did have nothing to do with eartips.

2) Bass: 3/5 It's good most of the time but on bass heavy tracks I think it distorts a little. I have to disagree with a poster above who wrote that AFUL chose quality drivers. My guess as to why the bass shows difficulty on some tracks ... there is only so much you can get from an 8mm standard driver. This to me is the primary weakness of this set... underspec'd, cheapo bass driver. The opposite of "quality drivers". 8mm, really???

3) Mids: 3.5/5 Didn't like the mids without Eqing -- thought they were slightly muddy and pulled back, so to fix that I added 1db at 125, took out 1.7 db at 250, and added 1.7db at 2k in macEQ. Cleaned it up and the vocalist stepped forward. Some reviewers mention BA timbre. Again, as with the bass driver, AFUL didn't use quality mid drivers like Sonion, so this is to expected. BA timbre is an imbalance in tuning, and it is possible that cheap BAs are only so tunable. They really spec'd the parts for these P5 on the cheap.

4) Treble: 4/5 I eq'd 8k down 1.7 db (this is to reduce the unwanted tizziness in the 5k-7k region). I am using slightly wider bore tips than those supplied, so that could be a reason I felt the need to eq those at 8k.. but about half the reviewers of this IEM mention the same tizziness using supplied tips. I will say that listening without throttling back the 8k was OK, I could live with it, but refining it just felt more relaxed to me. The eqing down of the trebles could possibly also affect my perception of the vocals stepping more forward, just a hunch, b/c as we know changing any area of the frequency spectrum changes perception of all the other areas.

I'm keeping them. With my minor EQing to (possibly) suit the wide bore eartips I chose they sound good. I'm not a basshead, so the tiny bass driver doesn't affect my library much. I do notice the thunkiness, but can live with it. These do give me some much appreciated upper treble energy (air, more realistic cymbal strikes) that I don't get from the single DD Olina SE. Actually I don't think any singe DD can provide a sense of air.

My advise to AFUL would be threefold:

1) use a high quality 10mm bass driver. That $2 dollar cost 8mm unspecified driver (IOW probably not beryllium, or DLC or any other quality driver) are an embarrassment on any IEM above $15. It can't deliver and such an under performing driver might be found in a KZ IEM from 3 years ago. Notice how nowhere in the specs or marketing does AFUL say what the driver is? This 8mm driver cannot be fixed with any kind of EQ or eartip rolling.

2) Use quality mid and high freq BAs. The whole price point per quality has fallen in the past 18 months, and Sonion drivers are what would be expected at the +200 price level IEM, not no-name cheapo BAs.

3) Tune so that 2k is not underrepresented, and 5k-7k is not overblown. The recessed, muddy vocals can be fixed with prober 2k energy, and the tizziness/splashiness that is immediately evident in these after hearing better tuned IEMs would disappear. All of this is clearly seen in their graph and easily heard within two seconds of starting any song using these. I suspect that this is the best AFUL could do with cheapo BAs.

I would like to get the Hype2 at some point (which does use Sonion BAs for both mids and highs), or even the KiwiEars Quintet, which i suspect are different enough that I might keep both styles, so that should be a fun adventure.

Sound signature: neutral with mild bass extension.

Overview:
This is a hybrid iem with 5 drivers (1DD+4BA) with an impedance of 35ohms and sensitivity of 110db.

Box and accessories
In the box it comes with:
Cable (8core 2pin cable with 3.5mm termination), really nice for the price
6pairs of tips, average quality
Case, generic case that comes with chifi iems.



Build and Fit:
Build in general is really good price considered. Its made of high quality 3d printed resin, feels fairly premium in the hands. Shells are average to small size. They are light weight. Fit is amazing, quite comfortable even for long listening sessions. Fit stability is good as well. Nozzle width is medium sized and the nozzle insertion is deep, therefore good passive isolation. Fit breathability is average. Score 5/5

Tested with
Source: Ak sp1000m, questyle m15, cayin ru7, fiio btr 5, apple type c dongle
Eartips: spinfit w1, spinfit cp145, spinfit cp100+, final E, jvc spiral dots, stock
Cable: stock, letshuoer chimera, kbear blackblade
Tested with versatile genre of music

Sound
Bass
Bass performance is solid. Performer 5’s bass is handled by a single dynamic driver, thus it has the classic dynamic punch. Over all bass is slightly boosted from neutral giving a bit more liveliness to the music. Sub bass is a bit more forward than mid bass with decent rumble and attack. This has a good physicality factor. But mid bass is still prominent and is done well with good punch and body. Bass notes are well separated and bass texture is good. Speed is decent for a dynamic driver. There is no hollowness or muddiness present. Score 4.75/5

Midrange
Mids and treble are handled by the BA drivers. As a whole midrange performance is beautiful. Transition from mid bass to lower mids is smooth with a touch of warmth. Males vocals are warm and lush with no points to gripe about. Female vocals are natural, details are crisp and full bodied. Instruments are also natural with good decay. Personally I would have preferred a bit more extension in the upper mids. 4.5/5

Treble
Treble is tuned perfectly to my and general liking. There is good energy and detail without it sounding harsh or sharp. It has good resolving capabilities. This is not the most analytical type of treble but rather more musical, with over all good resolution. Details are crisp with good body to it. Performer 5 sounds quite spacious with good sense of air. As mentioned already, sibilance is not an issue, at least to my ears. Score5/5



Technical performance (score: 4/5)
Soundstage: above average
Imaging:above average
Sound separation: above average
Dynamics: good
Resolution:good

Conclusion
This is still a solid choice in this price range, in my opinion. Must say the Aful team did a fantastic job making this masterpiece at such an affordable price. As the competition arises, even if this does not stay in the top 3 at 200$, it will stay in the top 10 for a while.

AFUL PERFORMER 5​

~ Definitely not an awful performer. ~​

Pros:
- Very inoffensive tuning.
- One of the best treble quality in it's price range.
- Good driver coherency with minimal BA timbre.
- Scale well with higher volume.
- Super comfortable to wear on long session.
- Reasonably priced.

Cons :
- Treble is abit too safe.
- Female vocals lacks energy.
- Average detail and technicalities by todays standards.


[MY PERSONAL HEAD-FI GRADING]
1 ★ - Appalling! Please Avoid This!
2 ★★ Subpar Offering, There Are Better Options Out There!
3 ★★★ Decent, With Some Caveats! You Should Consider It!
4 ★★★★ Solid ! This Should Be In Your Shortlist
5 ★★★★★ Class Leading! You Should Go Right Ahead & Buy One!

AFUL PERFORMER5 3½ ★★★½​

​

SOUND SIGNATURE:​

- It is a bass boosted-neutral tuned set with nearly zero coloration of warmth or brightness from lows to highs.

BASS (LOWS)​

- It is definitely a bassy set but by no means a warm set. The bass focuses its energy towards the lowest region giving Its sub-bass the more prominent presence over it's mid-bass. As a result, it will sound boomier rather than thumpy, while providing a good sense of rumble. The mid-bass however still offers a satisfying level of punch, kick and slam, just to keep a softcore basshead more than happy. Alas, there are times when the bass tries to dominate the upper harmonics due to its polite mids and treble tuning. In short, the bass tuning is good but it is not the last word in bass definition. Still, it is quite a solid bassline nonetheless.

MID-RANGE​

- Overall, its mid-range resolution is decent at best; not the most analytical but respectable for the most part. Having said that, it’s vocal and instrument are not the most the forward but it is not too recessed either. It is rather laid-back in it's presentation. It is definitely not a mid-centric set. Vocal lovers might want their vocals to standout a little bit more. Due to its smoother approach, the voices do not have the best of texture or crisps that are mostly audible in some of its main rival. Speaking of vocals, male vocals are rather good; they sounded lush and quite rich with adequate amount of warmth and body carried by its bassline and lower-mids tuning. Sadly, the same can't be said with female vocals as they are abit shy or tame, lacking some of that upper-mids energy to make them shine brilliantly on the stage. Some people might find it on the duller side. On the bright side, it can be a sweet spot for people whom sensitive to shout or higher pinna-gain. In general, the mid-range is just relaxing, smooth and pleasant to listen to.

TREBLE (HIGHS)​

- The treble response has good quality and refinement to it. It is well extended but within the realm of neutral. Just like it's mid-range, it underpins the same inoffensive behavior thanks to the evenness of the treble response which has minimal peaks and throughs. And it is surprisingly clean in its reproduction. One of the cleanest in its class. You could barely hear any grains, haze or any sort of that nature that could hinder your music experience. On top of that, it has great tolerance to handle sibilance tracks too. Unfortunately, taking the smooth and safe approach can make its treble sounded less engaging and dark at times. It just lacks that last touch of spark or crisp that gives aggression that the treble needs,especially when it had such an imposing bass response to counter-act with. Alas, nothing is perfect. Mind you, despite my criticism, it is still a well done treble with no major flaws. I just wish the treble could be more vociferous to ignite my music.

TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE:​

- Its detail retrieval is average at best. It does retrieve macro-detail rather well but not the best on retrieving micro-details. It is clearly evident on its instrument replay. The note hits are mostly on the blunted side due to its lacking incisiveness on its initial attack and the decay tempo is on the quick side as well. Having said that, its instrument timbre still sounded natural but not the truest to life.
- Inevitably, it’s resolving power too falls on the plain of average. It can lose some of its composure when trying to reproduction a highly complex tracks which is quite common within this price bracket.
- When it comes to head-stage, it is not the most spacious or open sounding I’ve heard. It’s got decent headroom and depth but the width is on the narrower side. They have just about enough room to not sound compressed. The vocals and background instruments have decent separation and layering to individualize their components while in the mix. The sound localization and stereo imaging between the channels is not the most razor-sharp or pin-point accurate but had sufficient fidelity to achieve of that “3D-ish” spatial.

So how does it stacks up against its main rival?

VS MOONDROP BLESSING 2.​

• Instantly, you'll hear that the P5 has much better bass response as if it had a better dynamic driver in it. The P5 just offers a better sub-bass and mid-bass definition with a more realistic attack and decay on its replay. However, it has to be said, on busier tracks the B2 has better control and speed to give a clearer separation between its mid-bass and mid-range, whereas the P5 can struggle a little making it sound slightly congest by comparison.
• The B2 has slightly better mid-range resolution and it is more mid-centric by comparison. The vocals and instrument will sound more forward in the B2. It's upper-mid noticeably had greater energy which can leads to bearable shout for some people. But for me, the added energy allows female vocals to shine brilliantly on stage. Both male and female vocalist have much better contrast within the mix while highlighting those little nuances that are presence in the vocals. The B2 not just reward you with a better textured vocals but also more expressive and emotional in its way.
• The B2 makes the P5 treble sounded dark and uninspiring. It just has the legs on defining it's treble as it carries more energy and air presence while giving it's treble that extra bite that is missing on the P5. And yet, it is never fatiguing on longer session. The aggression of its treble is something a treble-head might appreciate over the sublime treble of the P5 making the B2 ever so slightly more enjoyable at the top-end.
• As for detail retrieval & note definition, the B2 has the upper hand on defining any elements that lives in the mids to treble region whereas the P5 is much better at defining the lows.
• Overall, the B2 is the more resolving set. The ability to reproduce complex layered tracks has been the B2’s strength even till this day. The P5 is close but not quite there yet.
• As for head-stage, the B2 will sound more open and spacious.
• As for imaging capabilities, the B2 is slightly sharper and more accurate.
• The B2 requires more power to drive vs the P5.
• The P5 is definitely more comfortable to wear and I believe majority of people won’t be facing fit issue as much as the B2.
• The P5 has better driver coherency, it's phasing is closer to dynamic driver. Meanwhile in the B2, the bass can sound as if it not integrated with the mids and treble properly as if its coming from a different channel.
• From the looks of it, the B2 is definitely a more analytical, the more technical set between the two but the P5 will sounds more natural for most people partly because the bass, mids and treble has equal level of sound quality and it is more cohesive in its response. Unlike the B2, its bass quality is not up to par with to keep up with its mids and treble performance which can be a major let-down for people who seeks naturalism, cohesion and harmony in sound. And because of that, the B2 can sound abit plasticky and unnatural at times which is unfortunate.
• Depending on your preference, you could say one is better than the other. In short, if you loves forward mids, slightly more energetic treble, better detail retrieval and technicalities but with the cost of unnatural bass response, the Blessing 2 is the way to go. On the other hand, if you prefer something that has better bass response, inoffensive mids and treble with a slight cut back in technicalities. The Performer5 is an easy pick. And it's cheaper too.
• So which one to pick? Pay attention to each of their flaws and ask yourself can you compromise it’s cons for its pros. I still think overall, the P5 is a better product but if you’re gravitated toward the potential strength of the B2 and you can stomach its flaws, there’s no denying that it is the better buy but it is not going to be a best buy for everybody.

CONCLUSION​

All and all, the Aful Performer5 is solid piece of gear through and through. Sure, after 3 years of AFUL’s R&D, it is bound to be good. But on the grand scheme of things, it is good but not off dial. In other words, it not a flagship-killer nor it is an awful performer. It is not as great as people hyped it to be. You cannot complaint about its build though or its packaging or even its fit and comfort because it just ticks every single box with a big correct tick. Tuning wise, it is up there with the best. It is such a well-tuned set. But dynamically, it just not igniting my emotions. It’s lacking that crescendo that I want on the low-end/top-end. Its missing some of those unhinged qualities. It sounds a little bit too clinical or too safe for its own good. It feels like they've throttled back on it ever so slightly in terms of personality and dynamic feel. The Bottom line is that Aful Acoustic needs to sort this aspect, if they want the P5 to be taken seriously. It can’t just be good; it has to be something special or else the P5 will not survive the test of time. Especially when chifi is moving at an alarming rate. Until then though we can but wonder.

SOURCE & GEARS​

Native FLAC Files [44.1Khz 16bits-96Khz 24bits]
Foobar2000 [Laptop] [Ugreen USB C Adapter]
Huawei P20 PRO [Phone][ App- Foobar2000]
Dongle DAC/AMP only :
Moondrop DAWN 4.4
Tanchjim SPACE
Tempotec Sonata E44

PLAYLIST (AS TESTED)​

1982 Chicago - Greatest Hits (album) - Hard to say I'm sorry.
2009 Greatest Maksim (album) – Exodus
2010 Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou (OST) - Kokoro no Oku De Ha
2012 To Love-Ru Darkness OP - Ray - RAKUEN PROJECT
2014 Grabbitz - Here with you now.
2019 Blade & Soul (OST) - Half-Moon Lake
2021 OWV - CHASER (album) Fifth Season.
2021 SELECTION PROJECT Vol.1 - Only one yell -天沢灯ソロver.-
2022 Belle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Million Miles Away (ENG vers.)
2022 rei (E-girls) - Just Wanna Sing (album) – IDNY, Dark Hero.
2022 SHINEPOST TINGS - Yellow Rose
2022 I can fly (Special Edition) - Bleecker Chrome - You will shine
2022 I can fly (Special Edition) - YOSHIKI EZAKI x Bleecker Chrome - UP
2022 BEAST TAMER (OST) - じんわり感じている幸せ
2023 La prière - Sweet Dreams
2023 Bungou Stray Dogs 4th Season ED - Luck Life - しるし

[IEM-SCORING-BOARD]​

RATING
1: Trash (F)
2: Horrible (E)
3: Bad (D)
4: Subpar (C)
5: Decent/Average (B)
6: Good (A-)
7: Great (A)
8: Superb. (A+)
9: Masterclass/Top-Drawer (S)
10: Perfection (P)

AFUL Performer5 [1DD-4BA]
Tuning: Bassboost-Neutral
= Tonality =
Bass: 6/10 Mids: 5.5/10 Treble: 5.5/10
Male : Female: 5.5 : 5.5
= Technicalities =
Detail : Resolve: 5.5 : 5.5
Timbre/Note Weight: 5/10
Layering & Separation: 5/10
Head-stage: 6/10
Transient/Attack: 5.5/10
Stereo Imaging 6/10
Ambience : 6/10
Cleanliness: 8/10
Build : Comfort: 6 : 8
Value: 8/10
Personal Enjoyment: 5.5/10

SETUP (As tested)
- Stock Cable 3.5SE
- Misodiko S550 (M)
- Tanchjim SPACE [3.5SE]

Pro:
+ Very inoffensive tuning.
+ One of the best treble quality in it's price range.
+ Good driver coherency with minimal BA timbre.
+ Scale well with higher volume.
+ Super comfortable to wear on long session.
+ Reasonably priced.

Cons :
+ Treble is abit too safe.
+ Female vocals lacks energy.
+ Average detail and technicallities by todays standards.

Moondrop Blessing 2 [1DD-4BA]
Tuning: Neutral-Bright
= Tonality =
Bass: 4/10 Mids: 6/10 Treble: 6/10
Male/Female: 6/6
= Technicalities =
Detail : Resolve: 6 : 6
Timbre/Note Weight: 6/10
Layering & Separation: 7/10
Head-stage: 6.5/10
Transient/Attack: 6/10
Ambience: 5/10
Stereo Imaging: 6.5/10
Cleanliness: 7/10
Value: 7/10.
Personal Enjoyment: 5/10

SETUP (As tested)
- Moondrop PCC 3.5/4.4
- Spinfit CP100 (M)
- Tanchjim SPACE

Pros:
+ Great technical performer.
+ Vocal/Mid-range focus set.

Cons:
- Poor bass texturing for a DD.
- Not the most natural timbre.
- Not the most coherent hybrid.
- A hint of grain on vocals, sometimes.


THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!