Hannya
- Added by mervindc146
- Create date
Sound Signature: Flat sound, Neutral
Disclaimer: Hannya was sold to me by a friend who wanted me to take a listen and review the #lokal buds. This will be as honest a review as it can get. I uphold my morale code to be fair and just. All you can read here will be my own opinion, subject to different factors such as gear used, tracks and what my own ears perceive. I also only write reviews after thoroughly listening to it for a week or more rather than just a day; both casually and critically with reference tracks I'm personally familiar with. Please be respectful towards the comments section. With all that on the side, let's talk Hannya.
Price: 20 USD/Php 1000
Specifications:
Impedance: 32Ω
Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
Sensitivty: 108db/mW
Cable: None
MMCX: Gold-plated
Driver diameter: 15.4mm
Gear used:
(Hiby Music) Mi 9T Pro (naked)/Mi 9T Pro > Tempotec Sonata HD Pro w/ 2 Vrms. (Foobar2000) Desktop (naked)
Reference Music:
Dream Eyes - Mine, Kosuke Quintet (DSD 128)
Evolution Orange - Earth, Wind & Fire (DSD 128)
Giorgo by Moroder - Daft Punk (DSD256)
Making of a Cyborg - Kenji Kawai (FLAC 24bit)
On the Run - Pink Floyd (FLAC 24bit)
Charlie Wasn't Afraid - Day Din (FLAC 16bit)
Uchiage Hanabi - DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu (FLAC 24bit)
Upstairs - Psapp (FLAC 16bit)
Grand Escape - RADWIMPS ft. Toko Miura (FLAC 24bit)
Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach - Gorillaz (FLAC 16bit)
Hotel California - The Eagles (WAV 32bit)
Black Rainbows - Hawaii: Part II (FLAC 16bit)
Introduction:
A brief introduction to Aureus Audio:
Build:
The Hannya v1.0 showcases a black MX500 shells with the typical matte paint. They have L & R markings painted in white from the bottom of the stem. It sports a gold-plated female mmcx connector both sides. The craftsmanship looks good but nothing premium.
Comfort:
Any earbuds with the typical mx500 shells provide heat spots on my conch when foamed. They are decent without foams but unfortunately, they will fall-off when you move a lot. I find the comfort of mx500 highly subjective and differs from one ear to another.
Isolation:
These are earbuds, don't expect too much.
Sounds:
In your class, there are a plethora of different characters. Some are loud, some are those soft-spoken meek students, some just feels like they want to be heard by everyone. But there will always be this "normal" guy, the average one that slips past every radar set-up by the teacher. He's the individual who speaks normally when given the stage to present. By-the-book, standard and unimpressive; the whole class listens but some dozes off from a distance. Hannya is that "normal" guy. He does not stand out but he impresses from time-to-time. He doesn't shine at anything but coasts by with more than a passing grade. Hannya does what it intends to do, they deliver musicality in its own pace. It can sing but there's always room for improvement. In-depth review below:
Lows:
During my casual listening, I thought Hannya was made for bassy tracks but boy was I so wrong. It was made for everything. A good all-rounder, Hannya plays decent with tracks like Charlie Wasn't Afraid by Day Din and Giorgio by Moroder of Daft Punk. They are well-textured and can deliver a satisfying character to your bass. Punch feels decent, they don't knock you out with booming push of air but instead feels "just about right". But, with all of the frequencies present when listening to Hannya, you're always wanting more. The sense of punch can enjoy a little more push to feel warmer, and the mid bass despite the well-presented texture, lacks note weight. Kenji Kawai's Making of a Cyborg certainly feels dry, as if you are wishing more weight, more depth. Sub bass is rolled-off but it adds personality to the lows, presenting the mid bass more than the rumble. Just like everything with Hannya; they sound average. Perhaps more extension to 80-150hz would make this livelier for casual listeners.
Mids:
Hannya displays a smooth and clean tonality. They are just within hands reach to be classified as musical but they do the job quite well. The female vocals from Uchiage Hanabi by DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu sounds lush, linear whilst the vocals of Kenshi feels lacking of warmth. As mentioned above, perhaps a better transition from mid bass to lower midrange should lend some weight and transparency to male vocals. The mids are fairly linear, they don't overcrowd everything and they also don't step back from the instruments. There isn't any metallic or edgy tone, which suggests a good transition to lower treble. The Hannya however aren't for folks who love midcentric tuning. Again, they do the job well but there is room for improvement.
Treble:
The greatest strength of Hannya v1.0. They are inoffensive, not sharp and won't offend treble-sensitive individuals. They have decent initial attack, which makes percussive instruments a delight to listen to. The cymbal strikes are well-textured and they don't sound coloured to my ears. Listening to Dream Eyes by Mine, Kosuke Quintet and Work 1 from the same artist, the hi-hats sounds crisp and detailed. However, the saxophones and some air instruments feels "off", probably because of the rolled-off upper treble. Because of these reasons, Hannya has an average definition and soundstage. Despite the crisp cymbals, it lacks sparkle and micro-details to be considered analytical or bright. They sound good enough for most people but it can certainly use more treble extension to tie the package and wrap things up.
Soundstage:
Quick Note: Soundstage is a highly subjective spectrum of audio. Different factors such as how the track was recorded or if it was properly mastered, plays a crucial role in identifying soundstage. Please take everything with a grain of ajinomoto seasoning.
The roll-off from 10khz-20khz didn't help Hannya with its soundstage. Listening to Black Rainbows by Hawaii: Part II, the left & right panning is above average but there is no space in between. Pink Floyd's On the Run doesn't sound as wide as others. They do not sound cramp, but they don't sound impressive either. It lacks both depth and height to showcase spatial ambience.
Layering and Separation:
The Hannya v1.0 has above average layering and separation. When presented with a variety of string instruments, you can safely identify which is which if it's not overly complicated. The instrument separation is enough to satisfy critical listeners, though some might find it difficult placing airy instruments from a given space. Like other entry-level earbuds, complex tracks hinders this, but for a $20 earbuds; they do it just about right.
Comparison:
Vido Red: Winner (Hannya) The Vido Reds does everything with punch. When you listen with them; you'll be drowned with the weight and depth of its lows that you'll forget where you exactly are. However, despite it being a "basshead" approved earbuds, they don't exactly sit in the "amazing" territory. With too much bass comes muddy and bloated sound quality, something that Hannya doesn't have. Vido Red might be the winner in terms of punch but Hannya compensates the lack of rumble with impressive texture. The Hannya has smooth mids and clean tonality whilst whilst Vido sounds mediocre at best. Of course Hannya kicks Vido's butt when it comes to comparing their treble response. Albeit not stellar, Hannya offers better decay and details than Vido. Still, if you want to listen to deep-sounding tracks like Dubstep, stick with Vidos.
VE Monks Plus: Winner (VE Monks Plus) The legendary VE Monks Plus made headlines years ago for being an absolute bang-for-buck earbuds. Price to performance ratio they are indeed good; they have musicality that surpasses the Vido in terms of technicalities and an above average soundstage to stick it in everyone's ears. The Monks + won because of a few tricks in its arsenal: the midrange is better, smooth but still articulate, they aren't the type to serenade you but they do both male & female vocals justice. The soundstage is wider than Hannya, it isn't as "out of the head" experience like others hyped it to be but it is above average. The bass also has better extension on the Monks + than our challenger. When compared side by side, the cheap VE Monks Plus takes the cake when it comes to over-all tonality. However, treble wise; Hannya provides a better texture and attack than Monks Plus's untamed highs.
Qianyun Qian39: Winner (Qian39) For something half as cheap, the Qian39 excels in musicality within the $10 range. Hannya being the average guy, again prevails with its highs due to the great cymbals and hi-hats presentation. The Qian39 on the other hand serenades you with the smoothness of its midrange, courting your ears with its clean presentation. Our contender presents the lows quite well, with well-timed decay and sufficient depth. If Hannya improves its bass extension and midrange transition, I can see it giving Qian39 a hard-time or even a run for its money, but as of now; I'll go with the 14.8mm buds.
Tingo TC200 Old: Winner (Tingo TC200 Old but not without contest) Now I think this is the best 1v1 we have with Hannya. Almost everyone who loves cheap earbuds already heard of the TC200 and with good reason. For measly $5, they offer a flat to bright tonality and a soundstage that surpasses anything below its price range. Now why do I think it's a good contest? TC200 to my ears sound flat to bright whilst Hannya sounds flat neutral with accent to highs. If you didn't skip anything, our challenger showed that it doesn't sleep with the presentation of percussive instruments, the attacks are good and well-textured. On the other hand, Tingo TC200 can be sometimes sharp and abrassive but offers better micro-details and sparkle. If we compare the lows, the TC200 has the same weakness with the challenger; bouncy slow-decaying lows. However, the budget champion takes the belt because it has better kick and punch. Going to mids, the TC200 creates an articulate and raspy tonality whilst the Hannya provides a smoothened midrange. Now who really won? I can summarize the battle in two sentences: "Tingo TC200 Old won because it's flat but lively. Hannya lost because it's flat but dry sounding"
Conclusions:
Aureus Bernard told me that the tuning for his Hannya is his own personal preference. He loves EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and so I did try it with a few tracks. As a former dancer (yes) who loves pop-lock and hip-hop, I appreciate the tuning and find it very good to such genres. Do I recommend them? If you are in the looks for an inoffensive, flat-sounding earbuds that does well at every genre you threw at it, you don't need to look further. Hannya does everything correctly. But if you want a livelier and a more energetic presentation to your music, you may want to try something different.
You can check out his work or get Hannya by following the link: Aureus Audio
Disclaimer: Hannya was sold to me by a friend who wanted me to take a listen and review the #lokal buds. This will be as honest a review as it can get. I uphold my morale code to be fair and just. All you can read here will be my own opinion, subject to different factors such as gear used, tracks and what my own ears perceive. I also only write reviews after thoroughly listening to it for a week or more rather than just a day; both casually and critically with reference tracks I'm personally familiar with. Please be respectful towards the comments section. With all that on the side, let's talk Hannya.
Price: 20 USD/Php 1000
Specifications:
Impedance: 32Ω
Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
Sensitivty: 108db/mW
Cable: None
MMCX: Gold-plated
Driver diameter: 15.4mm
Gear used:
(Hiby Music) Mi 9T Pro (naked)/Mi 9T Pro > Tempotec Sonata HD Pro w/ 2 Vrms. (Foobar2000) Desktop (naked)
Reference Music:
Dream Eyes - Mine, Kosuke Quintet (DSD 128)
Evolution Orange - Earth, Wind & Fire (DSD 128)
Giorgo by Moroder - Daft Punk (DSD256)
Making of a Cyborg - Kenji Kawai (FLAC 24bit)
On the Run - Pink Floyd (FLAC 24bit)
Charlie Wasn't Afraid - Day Din (FLAC 16bit)
Uchiage Hanabi - DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu (FLAC 24bit)
Upstairs - Psapp (FLAC 16bit)
Grand Escape - RADWIMPS ft. Toko Miura (FLAC 24bit)
Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach - Gorillaz (FLAC 16bit)
Hotel California - The Eagles (WAV 32bit)
Black Rainbows - Hawaii: Part II (FLAC 16bit)
Introduction:
A brief introduction to Aureus Audio:
Build:
The Hannya v1.0 showcases a black MX500 shells with the typical matte paint. They have L & R markings painted in white from the bottom of the stem. It sports a gold-plated female mmcx connector both sides. The craftsmanship looks good but nothing premium.
Comfort:
Any earbuds with the typical mx500 shells provide heat spots on my conch when foamed. They are decent without foams but unfortunately, they will fall-off when you move a lot. I find the comfort of mx500 highly subjective and differs from one ear to another.
Isolation:
These are earbuds, don't expect too much.
Sounds:
In your class, there are a plethora of different characters. Some are loud, some are those soft-spoken meek students, some just feels like they want to be heard by everyone. But there will always be this "normal" guy, the average one that slips past every radar set-up by the teacher. He's the individual who speaks normally when given the stage to present. By-the-book, standard and unimpressive; the whole class listens but some dozes off from a distance. Hannya is that "normal" guy. He does not stand out but he impresses from time-to-time. He doesn't shine at anything but coasts by with more than a passing grade. Hannya does what it intends to do, they deliver musicality in its own pace. It can sing but there's always room for improvement. In-depth review below:
Lows:
During my casual listening, I thought Hannya was made for bassy tracks but boy was I so wrong. It was made for everything. A good all-rounder, Hannya plays decent with tracks like Charlie Wasn't Afraid by Day Din and Giorgio by Moroder of Daft Punk. They are well-textured and can deliver a satisfying character to your bass. Punch feels decent, they don't knock you out with booming push of air but instead feels "just about right". But, with all of the frequencies present when listening to Hannya, you're always wanting more. The sense of punch can enjoy a little more push to feel warmer, and the mid bass despite the well-presented texture, lacks note weight. Kenji Kawai's Making of a Cyborg certainly feels dry, as if you are wishing more weight, more depth. Sub bass is rolled-off but it adds personality to the lows, presenting the mid bass more than the rumble. Just like everything with Hannya; they sound average. Perhaps more extension to 80-150hz would make this livelier for casual listeners.
Mids:
Hannya displays a smooth and clean tonality. They are just within hands reach to be classified as musical but they do the job quite well. The female vocals from Uchiage Hanabi by DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu sounds lush, linear whilst the vocals of Kenshi feels lacking of warmth. As mentioned above, perhaps a better transition from mid bass to lower midrange should lend some weight and transparency to male vocals. The mids are fairly linear, they don't overcrowd everything and they also don't step back from the instruments. There isn't any metallic or edgy tone, which suggests a good transition to lower treble. The Hannya however aren't for folks who love midcentric tuning. Again, they do the job well but there is room for improvement.
Treble:
The greatest strength of Hannya v1.0. They are inoffensive, not sharp and won't offend treble-sensitive individuals. They have decent initial attack, which makes percussive instruments a delight to listen to. The cymbal strikes are well-textured and they don't sound coloured to my ears. Listening to Dream Eyes by Mine, Kosuke Quintet and Work 1 from the same artist, the hi-hats sounds crisp and detailed. However, the saxophones and some air instruments feels "off", probably because of the rolled-off upper treble. Because of these reasons, Hannya has an average definition and soundstage. Despite the crisp cymbals, it lacks sparkle and micro-details to be considered analytical or bright. They sound good enough for most people but it can certainly use more treble extension to tie the package and wrap things up.
Soundstage:
Quick Note: Soundstage is a highly subjective spectrum of audio. Different factors such as how the track was recorded or if it was properly mastered, plays a crucial role in identifying soundstage. Please take everything with a grain of ajinomoto seasoning.
The roll-off from 10khz-20khz didn't help Hannya with its soundstage. Listening to Black Rainbows by Hawaii: Part II, the left & right panning is above average but there is no space in between. Pink Floyd's On the Run doesn't sound as wide as others. They do not sound cramp, but they don't sound impressive either. It lacks both depth and height to showcase spatial ambience.
Layering and Separation:
The Hannya v1.0 has above average layering and separation. When presented with a variety of string instruments, you can safely identify which is which if it's not overly complicated. The instrument separation is enough to satisfy critical listeners, though some might find it difficult placing airy instruments from a given space. Like other entry-level earbuds, complex tracks hinders this, but for a $20 earbuds; they do it just about right.
Comparison:
Vido Red: Winner (Hannya) The Vido Reds does everything with punch. When you listen with them; you'll be drowned with the weight and depth of its lows that you'll forget where you exactly are. However, despite it being a "basshead" approved earbuds, they don't exactly sit in the "amazing" territory. With too much bass comes muddy and bloated sound quality, something that Hannya doesn't have. Vido Red might be the winner in terms of punch but Hannya compensates the lack of rumble with impressive texture. The Hannya has smooth mids and clean tonality whilst whilst Vido sounds mediocre at best. Of course Hannya kicks Vido's butt when it comes to comparing their treble response. Albeit not stellar, Hannya offers better decay and details than Vido. Still, if you want to listen to deep-sounding tracks like Dubstep, stick with Vidos.
VE Monks Plus: Winner (VE Monks Plus) The legendary VE Monks Plus made headlines years ago for being an absolute bang-for-buck earbuds. Price to performance ratio they are indeed good; they have musicality that surpasses the Vido in terms of technicalities and an above average soundstage to stick it in everyone's ears. The Monks + won because of a few tricks in its arsenal: the midrange is better, smooth but still articulate, they aren't the type to serenade you but they do both male & female vocals justice. The soundstage is wider than Hannya, it isn't as "out of the head" experience like others hyped it to be but it is above average. The bass also has better extension on the Monks + than our challenger. When compared side by side, the cheap VE Monks Plus takes the cake when it comes to over-all tonality. However, treble wise; Hannya provides a better texture and attack than Monks Plus's untamed highs.
Qianyun Qian39: Winner (Qian39) For something half as cheap, the Qian39 excels in musicality within the $10 range. Hannya being the average guy, again prevails with its highs due to the great cymbals and hi-hats presentation. The Qian39 on the other hand serenades you with the smoothness of its midrange, courting your ears with its clean presentation. Our contender presents the lows quite well, with well-timed decay and sufficient depth. If Hannya improves its bass extension and midrange transition, I can see it giving Qian39 a hard-time or even a run for its money, but as of now; I'll go with the 14.8mm buds.
Tingo TC200 Old: Winner (Tingo TC200 Old but not without contest) Now I think this is the best 1v1 we have with Hannya. Almost everyone who loves cheap earbuds already heard of the TC200 and with good reason. For measly $5, they offer a flat to bright tonality and a soundstage that surpasses anything below its price range. Now why do I think it's a good contest? TC200 to my ears sound flat to bright whilst Hannya sounds flat neutral with accent to highs. If you didn't skip anything, our challenger showed that it doesn't sleep with the presentation of percussive instruments, the attacks are good and well-textured. On the other hand, Tingo TC200 can be sometimes sharp and abrassive but offers better micro-details and sparkle. If we compare the lows, the TC200 has the same weakness with the challenger; bouncy slow-decaying lows. However, the budget champion takes the belt because it has better kick and punch. Going to mids, the TC200 creates an articulate and raspy tonality whilst the Hannya provides a smoothened midrange. Now who really won? I can summarize the battle in two sentences: "Tingo TC200 Old won because it's flat but lively. Hannya lost because it's flat but dry sounding"
Conclusions:
Aureus Bernard told me that the tuning for his Hannya is his own personal preference. He loves EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and so I did try it with a few tracks. As a former dancer (yes) who loves pop-lock and hip-hop, I appreciate the tuning and find it very good to such genres. Do I recommend them? If you are in the looks for an inoffensive, flat-sounding earbuds that does well at every genre you threw at it, you don't need to look further. Hannya does everything correctly. But if you want a livelier and a more energetic presentation to your music, you may want to try something different.
You can check out his work or get Hannya by following the link: Aureus Audio
