EPZ 530

DISCLAIMER

I purchased the EPZ 530 at a discounted price from Aliexpress.
It can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004100928567.html (no affiliate links).

SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 5 x balanced armature drivers - dual Sonion 38AM007 for the bass, 1 x Sonion 2389 for the midrange, Shengyang ED05 BA + E50DT BA for the treble
• Impedance: 32 Ω
• Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
• Sensitivity: 115 dB
• Cable: 2-pin, 0.78 mm; 16-core gold, silver and palladium alloy cable; 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modular termination
• Tested at $386 USD

ACCESSORIES



Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of wide-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- 3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- Cable
- Modular terminal plugs for 3.5 mm, 2.5 mm and 4.4 mm sources
- Semi-rigid carrying case
- Large wooden case
- Cleaning brush



The packaging is downright luxurious, and is well-befitting of something retailing at the midFI region. The 530 comes in a massive wooden box, which adds a whiff of elegance. I've definitely seen pricier sets with stingier accessories, and other than the lack of foam tips, everything else that an audiophile needs is included.




We have wide-bore and narrow-bore eartips provided - the former boost treble and stage, whereas the latter increase bass, though with some compression in soundstage. Do explore to see what suits your needs.




EPZ has provided a 16-core gold, silver and palladium alloy cable. This cable terminates in a 2-pin connector (which is my preferred connector type compared to MMCX), and it is well-braided with minimal microphonics. There is a chin cinch for added grip.

The cable's selling point are the 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modular plugs, which promises greater source synergy, for various single-ended and balanced sources.




Last but note least, we have a cleaning brush and a leatherette semi-rigid case. The case is tough externally, with the innards containing webbing and a soft material to cushion the contents.

The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock wide-bore silicone tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.


BUILD/COMFORT



The 530's wooden shells are milled from 5-axis CNC carving. Not many IEMs utilize wood as a shell material, and this aids in the tuning/resonance, in addition to adding allure to the aesthetics. During ordering, one can opt between an exotic mamba green or lava orange hue, and both are lookers in their own right.

The housings are akin to semi-customs, and are light with excellent ergonomics. Fit is snug with an added concha protrusion, and I found no discomfort despite longer sessions.




Each shell has an emblazoned serial number, and we can see a well-designed acoustic tube in the nozzles, unlike some CHIFI which just dump an undampened BA in the nozzle and hope for the best.





Being an unvented IEM, passive isolation is top-notch, and EPZ advertises that it can hit 26 dB. On my field tests, it is thereabouts, and that allows the EPZ 530 to be used in noisy places or even for stage monitoring.


INTERNALS

This is a 5 BA setup:
- 2 x Sonion 38AM007 handles the bass
- 1 x Sonion 2389 takes care of the midrange
- The treble is settled by a Shengyang ED05 BA + E50DT BA.

It is uncommon to find Sonions nestled in $300ish IEMs, so kudos to EPZ for using such prized ingredients at this price-point. Of course, tuning and implementation trump driver brand/type/count, so let's read on to check out how the EPZ 530 fares sonically.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the EPZ 530 with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Fiio K11 DAC/amp
- Fiio KA13 dongle
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone

This IEM is easily driven even off weaker sources, with amplification not truly required.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

Graph of the EPZ 530 via IEC711 coupler. 7 - 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.

Tonally, the EP530 sports a consumer friendly mild V-shaped signature, which is quite all-rounded for most music genres.

The 530 is a sub-bass focused IEM, with bass quantity just north of neutral. There is a lack of rumble like most pure unvented BA IEMs, and the decay moves less air than a traditional DD bass. However, the bass here is of exquisite quality, being very textured, tight and fast, with not an ounce of mid-bass bleed.

There is just a slight lower midrange recession. This frequency band is very transparent due to the tuning (ie no big bass encroachment). With the 530's superb layering and imaging, it is very easy to pick out instruments and vocals on a dark background in the midrange. With a 6 dB ear gain, the upper mids are forwards without being shouty, which is much appreciated.

The 530 is bright in the treble, make no bones about it. It is sparkly in the higher frequencies, bringing great clarity and resolution to the table. Sibilance is mild, though the tuning may be fatiguing for our treble-sensitive folk, especially at higher volumes (Fletcher Munson curve). However, trebleheads will love this region, so YMMV. Nevertheless, the treble may be adjusted with eartip choice, source pairing, or playing at lower volumes.

The EPZ 530 is a technical beast, with a holographic soundstage and excellent micro-details; one can pick up minute nuances in the music, and technical junkies and analytical heads will find a kindred spirit. Imaging is pinpoint and instrument separation is very spacious. It is probably one of the most resolving midFI IEMs, and can give some pricier contenders a run for money in technicalities.

Indeed, with the great ergonomics and isolation, and coupled with the stellar technicalities, the EPZ530 may be an option for audio work or stage monitoring.



Being a pure BA IEM, there is no running away from BA timbre, though it is not the worst offender in this department; I've definitely heard other pure BA sets which do much worse here. As mentioned above, there is some BA bass heard with regards to bass decay, and perhaps using a vented BA would have helped here (though of course this is asking for the moon considering the price of the 530).


COMPARISONS

Comparisons were made with other pure BA IEMs. Single DDs, hybrids and planars were left out of the comparisons as the different driver types have their pros and cons.




Tangzu Nezha

The Nezha - Tangzu's erstwhile flagship - contains 7 BAs: 2 x Sonion BAs, 4 x custom BAs, and 1 x EST (the EST is an electret/magnetostat). It sports a warm U-shaped tuning, and is much thicker in note weight, with a darker treble, compared to the 530.

While treble-sensitive folk may be more comfortable with the Nezha, it is however, quite veiled and muddy in sonics, and is a league or two behind the 530, losing in soundstage, micro-detailing, imaging and instrument separation. The Nezha's timbre is a bit more natural though.


Audiosense T800

The T800 is an 8 Knowles BA IEM. Likewise, the T800 has solid isolation, almost hitting 30 dB in this region, though it is a bit more uncomfortable to wear.

The T800 is more V-shaped, and is brighter in the treble/upper mids, resulting in a more fatiguing and sibilant soundscape. The T800 has a vented subwoofer bass, so it actually sounds very close to a DD bass in terms of bass decay and movement of air.

Both sets are technical champs, and provide excellent soundstage, micro-detailing and imaging.


Hiby Crystal6 II

The Crystal6 II is a neutral bright 6 Sonion BA set. It has less sub-bass, but markedly more treble and upper mids. As such, the Crystal6 II is very fatiguing and sibilant, and is even more harsh than the 530 in the upper frequencies.

The Crystal6 II has poor isolation, and has bad BA timbre, with an unnatural BA bass heard. The Crystal6 II is quite proficient in technicalities, but still lags behind the 530 in soundstage and imaging.


Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite

The Orchestra Lite is warm neutral. The Orchestra Lite is thicker in note weight, with a tamer upper mids/treble region, and it is smoother than the 530.

The Orchestra Lite has way weaker technicalities, and it is not even close in this department.


CONCLUSIONS

The EPZ 530 is one of the best purchases I've made in 2023. It blends beauty and brawn nicely into an elegant package (literally and figuratively!). Accessories - with the modular cable specifically - are stellar, and fit and aesthetics are second-to-none.

In addition to sporting a consumer friendly V-shaped profile, technicalities are the 530's calling card, with soundstage and imaging a highlight, allowing it to best other pure BA gear at around the same price point. The easy drivability and top-notch passive isolation are also laudable traits, and indeed, this IEM may be an option for stage monitoring and audio work.

For a pure BA setup, there is admittedly a tinge of BA timbre and some BA bass, but those are common issues that most other all-BA IEMs face, and the 530 is arguably not the biggest villain in these areas. Tonally, the 530 is a bright IEM, so our treble-sensitive brethren might want to explore with eartip rolling or source pairing or using it at lower volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), but once again, there are other pure BA competitors out there which do way worse here.

The 530 was released about 2 years ago and I am thankful to have unearthed such an underrated gem. As someone who does stage monitoring weekly, I will surely be bringing these puppies along for gigs, in addition to using it for listening sessions on the go.

THE EPZ 530

The dark horse from 2 years ago….

Pros:
+ Excellent mid-range/vocals transparency.
+ Amazing treble extension.
+ Highly competent BA bass performance.
+ An "anti-shout" set.
+ Highly technical performer.
+ Insane price : performance value.
+ Premium packaging & accessories.
+ Beautiful wooden (stabilized) shell.
+ Great ear-gonomics. Comfortable & Light.

Cons
- Instruments falls short on transient and note weight.
- Dynamic range could have been better.
- Overall timbre is leans toward hi-fi sound rather than analogue sound.
- Exhibit a bearable level of sibilance [YMMV]
- A slight sharpness on lower-treble.
- Some male vocals can sound abit too sharp.
- A hint of treble haze (nit-pick level)
- Not for DD-bass connoisseur.
- Unforgiving to low-fi source.
- Very reactive to different tips/source/cable
- Can get fatiguing on higher volume.
- Treble sensitive ears must be wary.
- Not the best for Rock/Metal genre.

[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 This !
4 ★★★★ Solid ! This Should Be In Your Shortlist
5 ★★★★★ Class Leading! You Should Go Right Ahead & Buy One!

EPZ 530 4★★★★​

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SOUND SIGNATURE
The 530 sounds quite unique to my ears unlike any other tuning I’ve heard in the past. It’s got the duality to be smooth and dynamic at the same time which makes the 530 quite an-all-rounder. One could even perceive it as a neutral-bright depending on your sound-chain. Regardless, it has great extension on both ends with a bright tilt to the tone. The bass response with a slight mid-bass bias over sub-bass and a fairly bright treble performance. The mid-range are evenly toned with just about enough pinna-gain to bring out an inviting vocal rendition.

BASS (LOW-END)
The EPZ did a great job on trying to imitate the traits of a well-tuned dynamic driver. It’s close but no cigar. The 530 bassline may sound fast, fat, meaty, quite bouncy and tight but it just missing that last touch of tactile and impact qualities from becoming a true dynamic driver. The sub-bass extension is rather polite with adequate sense of rumble texturing. In trade, it rewards you with a very satisfying fat and thick level of thump, kick and slam, thanks to its more prominent mid to upper- bass extension. Having said that, there is a hint of bass-leak which colours the mid-range but worry not. It is far from becoming muddy or bloaty as it is done in an excellent manner. It took advantage of the BA speed while venting some of that warmth and richness which gives its mid-range a welcoming coloration to the tone. Without that extra reach on that upper bassline, I am pretty sure it will upset the balance and lose some of the magic of Its tuning. It is purposely there for its own good. Despite that, the bass response never seem to domineer the upper registry. It behaves in the background nicely. In fact, for a soft-core bass-head like myself, I am genuinely content by its bass performance considering it is just an all-BA set.

MIDS/VOCALS
To my ears, the strength of the 530 lies in this region. Surprisingly, it is quite the mid-centric set. The mid-range on the 530 is pretty impressive. The transparency on vocals replay is next level. As mentioned above, the extra reach coming from it's thicker bassline and lower-mid-range really helps in giving it's mid-range/vocals the warmth and body that it needs. In addition to that, the brilliance of the treble presence truly elevates the vocal textures, highlighting nuances in the voices effortlessly. The 530 has adequate pinna-gain with evenly toned upper-mids. The vocals and instruments do not come across too forward in the mix which makes the 530 one of the “anti-shouts” set in its class. Both male and female seems to offer equal performance on stage which is mostly evident on duet. If I were to nit-pick, I’d prefer the mid-range to have slightly more note-weight. The transient/attack is fast but it is not as impactful as I’d hope. The decay though sounds natural but it is on the quicker side of the tempo. As a result, instruments will initially sounded crisp but came across light-weight on hits and missing a touch in reverb. And the same true can be heard in it's vocal rendering. The 530 can’t really capture the presence of echo or reverb or even the breath extension of voices which requires a longer rate of decay. One thing to note, when pairing with a brighter DAC/AMP, the lower treble/presence region tend to smear the naturalness of vocal transient. The presence region can sound abit over emphasized to a point that the vocals may take on a slight edgy or metallic sheen which happens more regularly with male vocal than female. Depending on your ear-tips, female vocal tends to exhibit unwanted sibilance but thankfully it appears to be bearable most of the time [YMMV]. This level of sibilance is not as atrocious as something like the IE600 or A5000. Regardless of those imperfections, it’s has got to be one the best mid-range/vocals presentation in its class. It’s definitely up there with the best.

TREBLE (HIGHS)
It doesn’t take long for you to realize that the 530 is very detail-oriented set. The treble extension is incredible with ample amount of air presence which create that sensation of openness to the sound. It extends way above the air region with very minimal peaks and troughs, almost a plateau-like treble response. Normally, this level of treble energy will rip people’s eardrum but oddly enough it didn’t quite do that. Perhaps, this is due to its overall lighter note-weight plus that smooth treble response which would otherwise sound very piercing if the treble were to possess a heftier note density and peaky response. The cymbal-strikes and hi-hats are borderline inoffensive for as long as you avoid pairing with something that can boost the treble. Electronics or synthetic noise has that sense of zing/ring or shimmering that tinkles your eardrums which is quite addicting. Regardless, it can get quite fatiguing after a while especially when listening to music loudly with lots of treble elements. Being one of the more resolving set, it tends to highlight some of the foible artifacts that are often present on bad recordings/mastering. Other than that, the treble quality of the 530 is definitely not the last word in refinement. On some instances, there is a hint haze or micro-grain up top. In this case, you may or may not hear it which is very negligible. However, treble sensitive folks might still find the treble abit too energetic, mainly speaking for a loud volume listener. And one might complaint having a sibilance issue as well which are heavily dependent on ear-tips [YMMV]. Even so, I was quite shocked to discover how much treble energy it possessed on day 1. It took me almost a week to get used to it. And that is the only deal-breaker I could think of, if dark and laid-back treble is your type of bag

TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE:

- The overall head-stage of the 530 is pretty average. It is not too spacious nor cramped. It’s got good width but plays more depth than height which helps in stage layering. The mid-range/vocals are more to the fore but not domineering. The instrument/background elements seem to resolve around the vocalist with adequate sense of spaces between them.

- The stereo-imaging on the 530 is rather competent. The instrument placement is quite sharp and precise in its conduct but not the most vivid I’ve heard. The transition of sound between channels are rather well articulate. It flows from left to right with great fluidity and grace.

- The detail handling on this is tremendous. It’s one of the very best. Perhaps, the best in it's class. It can pretty much trade blows with something twice of its price point. The level of micro-detail mainly anything from the mid-range/vocals to treble region are nothing short of amazing. It proved to have great consistency in maintaining the border between element of sound, keeping them well separated while retrieving the highest-level of detail regardless of music complexity.

- Having a smooth frequency response also means taking away some of that dynamic transient. The transient is fast but less impactful. As a result, the contrast between separated elements isn’t that distinct.

- The overall timbre of the 530 is quite natural but not the most realistic I've heard, it is very crisp on the attack with a speedy decay rate. The note weight on the 530 is definitely on the light side. Sometimes it just lacks that solidity or thickness or substance which gives heft to your music. As a result, the vocals or instrument can come across lacking a touch of density while the treble could use a little more bite. The dynamic ambience is decently perceived, teasing a hint of echo or reverb onto the background.

- The driver is rather competent with top-notch implementation. The level of cohesion between 5 drivers are superb. They work in perfect harmony with minimal timbre contrast with no driver flex issue. Despite having an unvented shell, there is zero occasion of in-ear pressure build up other than great isolation.

" SYNERGY, VOL.SCALING, POTENTIAL TWEAKS "

- Synergy/Sound-chain plays a big role in extracting it's best potential, more so than my PRISM and Variations would react. It can sound very different depending on your source which is a blessing and a curse. The upside is, it allows you to tweak the 530 according to your preference. The downside is, every listener will have a slightly different experience. Besides, not everyone has the privilege to own a plethora of DAC/AMP to suit their preference.

- DAC/AMP: I find the 530 to be very source picky. I would suggest to pair the 530 with an analogue/warmer sounding source or something that has a linear treble roll-off in its tuning. Since, I'm used to a darker treble set, jumping straight to a bright set like the 530 can be abit disorientating but eventually I get used to it. In case you didn't managed to adapt, warmer source is the only way, just be sure that it's void of noise floor or else you are going to hear it very clearly.

- EARTIPS: I would recommend to use a wide or medium wide bore eartips for the 530. In my case, I used the Spinfit CP500(M) which also allows for a deeper fit. It really helps to sooth some of that treble energy while mitigating the sibilance. Deep insertion is near compulsory, if not you will high likely to experience an unwanted sibilance or resonance of some sort. [2023.11.27] I've recently tested the 530 with a no brand 2-flange tips, Recommended. Purchase Link Below.

- CABLE: I find the stock cable A.K.A the EPZ Canari to be quite good. It’s decently built with a swappable termination for added utility. Sound-wise, the Canari offers a good instrument timbre but less intimate mid-range/vocals presentation. I discover this character upon pairing the Canari with my Variations and PRISM which is an interesting finding. So, the other potential tweaks you could do is by swapping the cable with a good pure copper cable which will help to reduce the treble energy while boosting the low- end. You could go with a silver-platted copper cable for the more balance option.

- VOLUME SCALING: you could dial-up the volume for as high as your ears could take. The driver still maintains its composure even on very high volume with no distortion issue. Mind you, playing the 530 at a high volume can accelerate your ear fatigue.
- The 530 is quite efficient as it doesn’t need a high amplification to reach the optimum listening volume.

HEAD-2-HEAD


vs Moondrop Variations+ (feat CP100 (S) x Hiclass Lvory.) [AS TESTED]

- The treble is significantly darker on the Variations which adds to that warmish tone on the mid-range. It doesn’t have that plateau-like treble response that you get on the 530. The upper treble lacked a little definition and the amount of airiness on the highs is seemingly less. The Variations just sounded less crisp and inoffensive on its response. But I find the EST treble on the Variation carries a tad better quality in terms of refinement. The void of harshness, grain or haze is what makes this treble performance stood above the 530’s. And it is much forgiving to sibilance as well. It manages to be fairly smooth yet offer adequate sparkles up top. And it is very friendly to treble-sensitive ears as well. The treble on the Variations is rather pristine in comparison which is hard to fault.

- They both a have raised bass-shelf but tuned significantly different. The Variations is more sub-bass oriented with a mid-bass tuck so it’s got less punch and more rumble with that classic dynamic driver timbre which is slightly missing on the 530. Having said that, the bassline on the 530 must not be underestimated. It’s got a very satisfying mid-bass punch with excellent speed and for a BA driver, it never seems to sound lightweight in terms of physicality.

- There is no denying that the 530 will excels in mid-range/vocal transparency. Though, the Variations may have a more forward vocal presentation, but in terms of vocal texturing, it loses out to the 530 quite significantly. And the Variations seems to favor its female vocalist more than its male counterpart, plus it has the tendency to get shouty unlike the anti-shout 530. However, the Variations has the upper-hand in retrieving those reverb or echo on vocals and surprisingly better at capturing the breath on those voices. It’s warmer and longer decay give its mid-range/vocals slightly more density and weight to the notes. On top of that, I hardly face any sharpness, or edgy metallic character on its vocal reproduction regardless of my pairings. To my ears, it achieves better balance of euphony and clarity. I just wish that the lower-mids has more meat so that male vocals will have more oomph.

- As mentioned briefly, in terms of micro-detail, the 530 is a step up especially anything above mid-range. The overall timbre on the 530 is quite natural but the Variations timbral approach is more accurate. The note-weight is denser and the transient phase is noticeably more dynamic, creating a better sense of contrast between elements. As a result, every note hit is more distinct allowing vocals and instrument to have slightly better sense of separation.

- In terms of sound-stage recreation, 530 edges out the Variations. The Variations may have a broader sense of width and a tad taller headroom to stage but in terms of depth it is a tad behind the 530. The vocals on the Variation often sound in your head as if it floats above the rest of the instrument whereas the vocals on the 530 sits dead center with realistic positioning surrounded by multiple images of instruments.

- The sound localization and stereo imaging between the channels is much sharper and accurate on the 530 with sufficient fidelity to achieve of that “3D-like” spatial cues.

- Before I forget, the 530 is much more efficient on power draw. Meanwhile, the Variations requires a tad more power to reach average listening volumes and it’s shine with better AMPs. And of course, their sound quality will transcend with superior DACs as well. The better the source, the better they get.

In short, if you prefer stronger sub-bass, more euphonic vocals, darker yet well extended treble with better note weight and more realistic timbre with good level of refinement, the Variation is the way to go. But if you seek mid-range & treble clarity, stronger imaging performance, punchy thick bassline, higher treble presence with vocal-centric tuning in mind, pick the 530.

FINAL WORDS
The EPZ 530 will definitely surprise a lot people especially when the brand “EPZ” is almost unbeknownst to others. Shockingly, this set has been around for more than 2 years. Only recently we get to know that the 530 exist, thanks to Akros whom are very professional on venturing this chifi-hobby. He was kind enough to share his discovery with us, leaving us to spread the gospel. The 530 then is a very interesting set. I didn’t like it when 1st heard it. But after roughly 200 hours of running in and assessing it, it started to get under my skin. I am quite sensitive to treble if I say so myself. I have multiple bad experience with a bright tuning set in the past. I was never a fan of neutral-bright set and then came the 530. Bizarrely, the 530 managed to take away that stigma. Sure, I did go through some arduous process to get the right synergy for the 530 but it was well worth it. On day-3 of ownership, I was adamant to sell it after I wrote my review on the 530. But after more than a week of listening and assessing it, I’m struggling to make that decision. Few days ago, I was lucky enough to it A/B with my friend’s Thieaudio Oracle which used to be my vocal set that I highly regards. It’s got one the best tonal balance and vocals presentation in its price range. And now I’m not sure if I can say the same. The moment I put the 530 on my ears, it just triumphs the Oracle in the pursuit of becoming a vocal-set. It blows the Oracle in almost every technical aspect. It even shakes my Moondrop Variations to core on being my only "technical benchmark" reference . In many ways, the 530 puts me in a dilemma. Sometimes, you just need to A/B with other sets which are well known in order to appreciate a set like this. I find the treble presentation of the 530 is quite special and unique in its way. The more time I spent with it, the more I grew attached to it. Perhaps, I have fallen in love with it. Maybe.... All I know is, I’m glad that I give it a try. It does makes me smile sometimes. Words doesn’t need any longer than that.

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)

EPZ 530 [1BA-2BA-2BA (3-WC)]
Tuning: Bright-Neutral
= Quality =
Bass: 6/10 Mids: 7.5/10 Treble: 7.5/10
Male/Female: 7.0/7.5
= Technicalities =
Micro-Detail & Resolve: 7.5/7.5
Instrument Timbre/Note Definition 6/10
Layering & Separation: 7/10
Head-stage [W-H-D]: 6-5-6
Dynamic-Range: 6/10
Stereo Imaging 7/10
Cleanliness: 8/10
Ambience: 6/10
Price/Performance: OFF-THE-DIAL/10
Build/Comfort: 8/9
Personal Enjoyment: 6.5/10

SETUP (As tested)
EPZ Canari 4.4 (Stock)
Spinfit CP500 (M)
Tanchjim SPACE

Pros:
+ Excellent mid-range/vocals transparency.
+ Amazing treble extension.
+ Highly competent BA bass performance.
+ An "anti-shout" set.
+ Highly technical performer.
+ Insane price : performance value.
+ Premium packaging & accessories.
+ Beautiful wooden (stabilized) shell.
+ Great ear-gonomics. Comfortable & Light.

Cons
- Instruments falls short on transient and note weight.
- Dynamic range could have been better.
- Overall timbre is leans toward hi-fi sound rather than analogue sound.
- Exhibit a bearable level of sibilance [YMMV]
- A slight sharpness on lower-treble.
- Some male vocals can sound abit too sharp.
- A hint of treble haze (nit-pick level)
- Not for DD-bass connoisseur.
- Unforgiving to low-fi source.
- Very reactive to different tips,dac/amp & cable.
- Can get fatiguing on higher volume.
- Treble sensitive ears must be wary.
- Not the best for Rock/Metal genre.

MOONDROP VARIATIONS+ [1DD-2BA-2EST (3-WC)]
Tuning: Harman-Neutral
= Quality =
Bass: 7.5/10 Mids: 7/10 Treble: 7/10
Male/Female: 6.5/7
= Technicalities =
Micro-Detail & Resolve: 7/7
Instrument Timbre/Note Definition: 7/10
Layering & Separation: 8/10
Head-stage [W-H-D]: 8-6-5
Dynamic-Range: 7/10
Stereo Imaging 6/10
Cleanliness: 8/10
Ambience: 7/10
Price/Performance: 8/10
Build/Comfort: 8/9
Personal Enjoyment: 6/10

SETUP (As tested)
HiClass Lvory 4.4BAL
Spinfit CP100 (M/S)
Tanchjim SPACE

Pros:
+ Sub-bass monster.
+ Impeccable layering and separation
+ Great detail handler under kilobucks.
+ Grand soundstage.
+ Natural tone and timbre.
+ Great value/performance.
+ One the best technical performer in it's class.

Cons:
- Sub-bass wallop can be a hindrance.
- Mid-bass tucked (- warmth & - punch & thump)
- Thin lower-mids (Vocal lacks body especially on male)
- Great macro-dynamics but micro-dynamics can be lacking.
- Not the most engaging listen, can get boring pretty quickly.


Do take my words for what it’s worth. Afterall, I am just one man.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! HAVE A GOOD DAY WHEREVER YOU ARE! TAKE CARE!

Disclaimer:
- I blind purchase this unit after watching Akros videos on it.
- If you're interested to own one checkout their aliexpress stores (non-affliated) : https://epzearphones.aliexpress.com/store/1100218270?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000061.1.5431wRibwRibZx

If you like me to review your gears, contact me on my facebook
https://www.facebook.com/DevaPainAkatsuki/