Hill Audio Mirage
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the Polite Beauty entry
Disclaimer: This set is provided to me for a review. I will send the set back to them and my view is literally non-bias. Also keep your mind straight that this set only costs $50 and my judgement can be a bit less “wow” since I will keep this review neutral without price bias. However, I will try my best to bring some iems those are in the price bracket or even a little bit more to tackle the view even better.
Ramble: DD “burn-in” is somewhat a controversial topic. For that note, I ran at least 10 hour before listening to it. I hate to be a “burn-in” believer but to get everyone on the track, I decide to follow the norm. I had my Kanas Pro back then trying to burn-in and end up without any difference even though the box claims to burn-in for 100 hours (err).
Introduction
First time I listened to this set, I thought it was a BA set (take it at your own preference). Hill Audio aimed for a balanced target and they almost hit it. Though the bass is a bit sluggish as in it does punch but doesn’t really carry the speed and texture. The mids is okay but the peak on 2khz and 4.5khz can sound odd in certain tracks, and can sound overly emphasized on certain tracks, like a piano. The pinna gain is fine. Fortunately, it is fast enough to not sound bloated and this is a good sign for a sub $50 set. The good thing about Mirage is it is not offensive or flawed enough to not consider it if you are in the $50 iem market. This beauty should be in your watchlist for sure when considering $50 iem.
tl;dr
Mirage is a bassy neutral that has decent extensions for both ends but with a little caveat of peak at 2khz that can bother the evenness of the entire frequency, an easy example is the high pitch piano can be accentuated. Considering this is $50, it holds a pretty decent place in this ballpark.
It has different filters though I just prefer the stock. 3 Filters
(Black filter for reference sound, Blue for smooth sound, Red for thick and warm sound.)
Look: S
I love the placement of the vent (right after the nozzle)
Driver flex is non existent
MMCX connection
The cable is smooth and very high quality
One of the most comfortable iems i've ever wear
Bass: B
Less dynamic than I expected
Not very much textured and kind of a blob (can be sluggish in fast track)
Good thing is, it does punch
The entire freq from subbass till upper bass hits (which means no muted issue)
You should not be feeling any issue with the entire lows except the technicalities
Mids: B+
Mids frequency is great
There is a good separation between mids and bass region
However, do take note that the speed of the bass can somehow mask the cleanliness of mids on certain tracks. It is not obvious but if you want a very clean sounding, you need to know about this.
Resolution wise is good on the asking price (neither good nor bad, average I would say)
The 2Khz peak can be shouty for a high pitch piano or anything related but it is not always there
Vocals: B
Vocals are pretty much toward neutral
Note weight is quite a mixed bag.
The vocals are clear but the timbre is not the most neutral to my ears.
It does not carry much emotion in this case.
Vocals is not the strongest trait for Mirage though it is clear and not muddy at all
Highs: B+
Highs are pretty good in consideration of chi-fi market with the treble roll-off trend
I prefer this over KZ line up.
It is smooth and well extended
I dig the highs pretty well for the asking price!
Note Weight (Focusing on vocals)
Even though it has an early rise in the bass region (from right to left), it does as well climb earlier for the pinna gain just right after the bass. These lead to thinner note weight. This is not too thin by any means but if you are finding some meaty vocals, this is not for you.
Imaging
A good soundstage and imaging of an iem priced at $50. I would say this is not its weakness at this price range. I’ve heard worse even at higher prices.
Filters
I need to be honest here, I don’t do much detail on this as after I swapped one of them, I notice it does reduce the details. I believe the filters are just different meshes which reduce sound waves. If you like more bass, probably you will like it as it will make the Mirage darker and you can crank the volume up more.
Comparison
ER2SE ($70 if you are lucky enough with discounted price, though it is hard to find in my own country, Malaysia)
Considering Mirage is $50, a higher price of ER2SE has the edge right away from the tonality to start with. It is easier on the ears, not with the fit though lol. The mids on ER2SE is leaner and has the resolution better than Mirage. Bass quantity on Mirage is greater thus giving more thump. Highs I could say Mirage could be almost the same but probably Mirage has a tad more air. When it comes to staging and soundstage, Mirage has an upper hand here. Spatial cues on is better on the Mirage and it is great for this price.
Final E500 ($21 it is more than usual price if you are living in Malaysia.)
I personally love the E500 very much. E500 has the spatial cues even better than more expensive IEMs out there. Comparing Mirage staging with E500 is hard. E500 has the edge in this region. However, if you want more bass, Mirage is for you as the E500 is a mid-focussed IEM. The vocal note weight on E500 is greater even with lower bass as it has lower pinna-gain and 200hz warmth. This lead E500 sounds fuller in the mids than Mirage. I would recommend Final E500 if you have less budget to start with.
Tin T2 Pro ($50 same price)
Just forget about the T2 Pro and get this instead. Clearly Mirage is better in many ways. The T2 Pro is too bright and the vocal is thin and shrill.
KZ ZS5 ($20 first version)
ZS5 is a V shape IEM and Mirage is better balanced than ZS5. Highs on ZS5 can be sibilant and Mirage did better in this regard. Bass on ZS5 is tilted toward lower bass and Mirage is more even. Mirage basically is more polite due to more balanced tuned overall.
Conclusion
The build quality of Mirage alone is worth more than the asking price. The shell is very well made and the cable is one of my first “wow” factors from my experience. Hill Audio as a company has a bright future if they keep improving the little thing consistently. Mirage is their brand new flagship which only costs you $50 and has decent sound quality. Before considering Chi-Fi, do keep in mind that there is Mirage around the corner to cater you in this price range. If you are Malaysian, you have an advantage on customer service which is very important. I’ve had a lot of bad experiences when dealing with Chi-Fi. AliExpress is one of the worst platforms if you are thinking of after sales service.
Rating: Overall is 4 stars considering price. As unbiased price judgment, this is 2.5 stars.
Gallery:
Disclaimer: This set is provided to me for a review. I will send the set back to them and my view is literally non-bias. Also keep your mind straight that this set only costs $50 and my judgement can be a bit less “wow” since I will keep this review neutral without price bias. However, I will try my best to bring some iems those are in the price bracket or even a little bit more to tackle the view even better.
Ramble: DD “burn-in” is somewhat a controversial topic. For that note, I ran at least 10 hour before listening to it. I hate to be a “burn-in” believer but to get everyone on the track, I decide to follow the norm. I had my Kanas Pro back then trying to burn-in and end up without any difference even though the box claims to burn-in for 100 hours (err).
Introduction
First time I listened to this set, I thought it was a BA set (take it at your own preference). Hill Audio aimed for a balanced target and they almost hit it. Though the bass is a bit sluggish as in it does punch but doesn’t really carry the speed and texture. The mids is okay but the peak on 2khz and 4.5khz can sound odd in certain tracks, and can sound overly emphasized on certain tracks, like a piano. The pinna gain is fine. Fortunately, it is fast enough to not sound bloated and this is a good sign for a sub $50 set. The good thing about Mirage is it is not offensive or flawed enough to not consider it if you are in the $50 iem market. This beauty should be in your watchlist for sure when considering $50 iem.
tl;dr
Mirage is a bassy neutral that has decent extensions for both ends but with a little caveat of peak at 2khz that can bother the evenness of the entire frequency, an easy example is the high pitch piano can be accentuated. Considering this is $50, it holds a pretty decent place in this ballpark.
It has different filters though I just prefer the stock. 3 Filters
(Black filter for reference sound, Blue for smooth sound, Red for thick and warm sound.)
Look: S
I love the placement of the vent (right after the nozzle)
Driver flex is non existent
MMCX connection
The cable is smooth and very high quality
One of the most comfortable iems i've ever wear
Bass: B
Less dynamic than I expected
Not very much textured and kind of a blob (can be sluggish in fast track)
Good thing is, it does punch
The entire freq from subbass till upper bass hits (which means no muted issue)
You should not be feeling any issue with the entire lows except the technicalities
Mids: B+
Mids frequency is great
There is a good separation between mids and bass region
However, do take note that the speed of the bass can somehow mask the cleanliness of mids on certain tracks. It is not obvious but if you want a very clean sounding, you need to know about this.
Resolution wise is good on the asking price (neither good nor bad, average I would say)
The 2Khz peak can be shouty for a high pitch piano or anything related but it is not always there
Vocals: B
Vocals are pretty much toward neutral
Note weight is quite a mixed bag.
The vocals are clear but the timbre is not the most neutral to my ears.
It does not carry much emotion in this case.
Vocals is not the strongest trait for Mirage though it is clear and not muddy at all
Highs: B+
Highs are pretty good in consideration of chi-fi market with the treble roll-off trend
I prefer this over KZ line up.
It is smooth and well extended
I dig the highs pretty well for the asking price!
Note Weight (Focusing on vocals)
Even though it has an early rise in the bass region (from right to left), it does as well climb earlier for the pinna gain just right after the bass. These lead to thinner note weight. This is not too thin by any means but if you are finding some meaty vocals, this is not for you.
Imaging
A good soundstage and imaging of an iem priced at $50. I would say this is not its weakness at this price range. I’ve heard worse even at higher prices.
Filters
I need to be honest here, I don’t do much detail on this as after I swapped one of them, I notice it does reduce the details. I believe the filters are just different meshes which reduce sound waves. If you like more bass, probably you will like it as it will make the Mirage darker and you can crank the volume up more.
Comparison
ER2SE ($70 if you are lucky enough with discounted price, though it is hard to find in my own country, Malaysia)
Considering Mirage is $50, a higher price of ER2SE has the edge right away from the tonality to start with. It is easier on the ears, not with the fit though lol. The mids on ER2SE is leaner and has the resolution better than Mirage. Bass quantity on Mirage is greater thus giving more thump. Highs I could say Mirage could be almost the same but probably Mirage has a tad more air. When it comes to staging and soundstage, Mirage has an upper hand here. Spatial cues on is better on the Mirage and it is great for this price.
Final E500 ($21 it is more than usual price if you are living in Malaysia.)
I personally love the E500 very much. E500 has the spatial cues even better than more expensive IEMs out there. Comparing Mirage staging with E500 is hard. E500 has the edge in this region. However, if you want more bass, Mirage is for you as the E500 is a mid-focussed IEM. The vocal note weight on E500 is greater even with lower bass as it has lower pinna-gain and 200hz warmth. This lead E500 sounds fuller in the mids than Mirage. I would recommend Final E500 if you have less budget to start with.
Tin T2 Pro ($50 same price)
Just forget about the T2 Pro and get this instead. Clearly Mirage is better in many ways. The T2 Pro is too bright and the vocal is thin and shrill.
KZ ZS5 ($20 first version)
ZS5 is a V shape IEM and Mirage is better balanced than ZS5. Highs on ZS5 can be sibilant and Mirage did better in this regard. Bass on ZS5 is tilted toward lower bass and Mirage is more even. Mirage basically is more polite due to more balanced tuned overall.
Conclusion
The build quality of Mirage alone is worth more than the asking price. The shell is very well made and the cable is one of my first “wow” factors from my experience. Hill Audio as a company has a bright future if they keep improving the little thing consistently. Mirage is their brand new flagship which only costs you $50 and has decent sound quality. Before considering Chi-Fi, do keep in mind that there is Mirage around the corner to cater you in this price range. If you are Malaysian, you have an advantage on customer service which is very important. I’ve had a lot of bad experiences when dealing with Chi-Fi. AliExpress is one of the worst platforms if you are thinking of after sales service.
Rating: Overall is 4 stars considering price. As unbiased price judgment, this is 2.5 stars.
Gallery:
