HYLA CE-5

Full Review: https://audiorambles.com/hyla-audio-ce-5/


Packaging and Accessories


Exterior wise, it’s a cardboard black box with a golden “HYLA” logo plastered upon the front. Upon opening the box, the CE-5 sits flush within two dimples, cushioned by a thin sheet of cloth which covers the entirety of the interior. Simple yet effective packaging, very pretty.

Accessories provided include:

– A small Van Nuys Carrying Case (not pictured here, sent for warranty)

– Foam tips

– A few pairs of silicone tips

-Cleaning tool

The carrying case is really good, sturdy enough to be useable yet small enough to be portable. The other accessories are kinda “eh”.

Build Quality, Fit, Comfort and Isolation

Aesthetics (8/10): The dark purple shells are quite endearing, although as a whole CE-5 is a little monotonous given its lack of significant design or pattern on its shells.

Build Quality (9/10): The CE-5 feels strong and sturdy to the touch, being made from medical grade German imported resin. The included braided black stock cable is a little thin for my personal tastes, but has well reinforced joints courtesy of the hard rubber material found on the Y-split and jack. Cables are also detachable in my personally preferred 2-pin connections.

Fit and Comfort (8/10): The shells of the CE-5 are quite large and sit outside of my ears a fair bit. Ironically, while the Jerry Harvey Roxannes are bigger than the CE-5 by a fair margin, I found the former a more comfortable experience. While you wouldn’t forget they’re in your ears, they’re still comfortable and don’t cause any discomfort for long-term listening.

Isolation (8.5/10): The CE-5 provides excellent isolation even though they’re vented, and with the right tips, blocks out a significant amount of sound.

Sound

Bass (9.5/10): The bass on the CE-5 is phenomenal, and genuinely one of the best, if not the best set of IEMs I have encountered in that regard.
The name of the game for the CE-5 is summed up by the word “control”. It never ever sounds loose or bloated, even while possessing such amazing slam and impact. The decay of the bass is naturally DD, lingering on for the perfect amount of time.

Subbass on the CE-5 is second to none, extending to the depths of hell, complemented by thunderous rumble and detail. There’s nothing quite like it, with even the JH Roxannes and the Z1R bowing to the CE-5 in terms of subbass response, unable to achieve the glorious rumble capable by the latter. “Royals” by Lorde was an absolute experience on the CE-5.

Midbass, in comparison, can even be termed as “recessed”. When viewed in isolation, however, it is merely just average in quantity. The quality, however, still shines through in ease, with excellent speed, detail and texture. It’s a cleaner, no-nonsense presentation than its subbass brethren, but might be a little thin for some. The basslines in Lauv’s “Paris in the Rain”, for example, don’t quite have the lush, addictive attack that the Roxannes do so well.

“Endgame bass in an IEM and only a 9.5?”, I hear you say, “how can this be allow?” The rating could have easily been a 10/10, but unfortunately the site belongs to me, and my personal preferences lean towards more midbass body. But for most, bass doesn’t get any better than this.

Mids (8/10): I’m quite ambivalent to the midrange on the CE-5. On one hand, there’s such clarity, resolution and detail that’s apparent on first listen. On the other hand, the tonal balance on the midrange of the CE-5 is relatively poor.

Female vocals are far and away the star of the show here, sounding exceedingly sweet and airy. They stand out with a commanding presence, as you hear every breath, every detail in tracks as vocalists like Adele belt their lungs out in tracks like “When we were young”, as every note is delivered with surgical precision.

However, as fantastic as the upper mids are, the lower mids are recessed and scooped in similar magnitude. While still exhibiting great resolution, male vocalists like Frank Sinatra or Andrea Bocelli have their wings clipped, lacking the body, weight and velvety texture traditionally associated with these singers. The lower midrange scoop greatly thins the midrange, and the tonal imbalance can be jarring at times, with both male and female vocals tending to sound nasal.

In many ways, they remind me of the Sony IER-Z1R, though the Z1R’s lower mids are less recessed than the CE-5’s, and are still the benchmark in resolution and clarity, being a step up from the CE-5. They do get close, though.


Highs (9/10): The Piezoelectric Ceramic Super Tweeter is no gimmick. Compared to traditional DD/BA setups, the Super Tweeter produces gobs of detail with excellent clarity, as every instrument sounds crisp and clean. However, the overall timbre exhibits something I personally think of as “EST Timbre” termed after Electrostatic Drivers, where the treble sounds so exceedingly clear it can feel slightly artificial. Not a significant issue, though.

In the lower treble, hi-hats and cymbals on “Hotel California” by the Eagles crash with clarity and authority, and the opening trumpet riff on Michael Buble’s “LOVE” is amazingly detailed, though perhaps sounding slightly thin at times. Best part is, the CE-5 while bright and detailed, is wonderfully tuned and has no detectable sibilance and harsh peaks.

Extension in the upper treble is effortless and quite smooth, retaining similar clarity and emphasis.

Soundstage, Imaging, Seperation and Timbre (8/10): The width of the CE-5 is just above average, though depth and height are both good. Imaging is excellent, as instruments are easily placed and identified across the soundscape. Separation is similarly fantastic, blowing complicated tracks like “Little Talks” out of the water. Timbre is where the CE-5 loses most of its points. While not preposterous, as previously mentioned instruments and vocals can sound a little thin/nasally, and its present more often than not.

Conclusions
The Hyla CE-5 easily gets a rec from me, especially given their asking price of merely USD $915, an absolute bargain for what its capable of. Tremendous bass response, resolution and technicalities at the expense of natural tone and timbre, but that’s a trade-off many are willing to take. The issue here would obviously be the fact that there’s only 200 out there in the wild, so you’d have to likely buy them second hand. Fantastic job, Hyla Audio.

My first entry into the world of high-end portable audio was the AKG K3003. The detail and resolution blew away every other IEM I had listened to in the past. It was enough for about five years and then I got sucked into Gear Acquisition Syndrome, and the constant money-sucking desire for incremental returns.

That journey took me first to the LZ-A4, Noble X, FutureSonics G10, Campfire Audio Andromedas, Aurisonics ASG-2.5, InEar ProPhile-8s, Sony XBA-N3, JVC HA-FW01, UE 18+ Pros (2nd Gen), IMR R1, Oriolus MK2, and finally the Hyla CE-5.

Yes, I have a lot of TOTL IEMs. However, almost all of them are all-BA designs. I longed for a return to the detailed and clear sound and natural decay of my OG hybrid, the AKG K3003. For all its clarity and micro detail, what had driven me away from my AKG K3003 was the light bass (I'm a basshead) and piercing treble. Today, I can say that I've found my endgame in the Hyla CE-5.

Tonality: 3.5/5
With the right low-impedance source, it is the perfect W-shaped signature that gives layers of high quality bass, smooth and engaging mids, and non-piercing but extended treble.
Straight out of my MacBook Pro headphone jack, there was audible hiss, the bass was way too strong, and worst yet - the mids sounded lifeless.
My preference is for the Dragonfly Red out of my MacBook Pro - what a world of difference this made. The mids (both male and female vocals, instruments) sounded so much fuller without losing that clarity and separation. Using the iPhone dongle, it sounded close enough to the Dragonfly Red, but with less dynamic range.

I'm a bit surprised at what a difference the source made in the sound of the Hyla CE-5. In that way, it's a bit like the CFA Andromeda.

Separation / Imaging: 4/5
With a low-impedance source and black background, the CE-5 does admirably and allows you to hear layers of detail through the entire dynamic range. Listening to classical pieces, I can hear every instrument section in their "space" in the orchestra. However, the amount of resolution and detail cannot match my InEar Prophile-8. Those are in a whole different class.

Soundstage: 3.5/5
The soundstage is wide, but not nearly as wide as the CFA Andromeda. With the Andromeda, I would occasionally turn my head to look at the direction of the sound and then realize it was from my music. With the CE-5s, I never get faked out.

Driveability: 1/5
I would not recommend any high-impedance sources (unless you're a fan of massive amounts of bass, and thin/lifeless mids. Smartphones and similar devices allow the Hyla CE-5 to truly shine (IMO).

Comparisons (vs. other TOTL I own or have owned)
vs. CFA Andromeda:
A pretty neutral IEM, with a touch of warmth and AMAZING soundstage. Best soundstage of any IEM I've heard. However, it didn't have the coloration and richness of mids I was looking for in an IEM. Nor did it have the quantity of bass. I want rumble. CE-5 provided both of those.

vs. InEar ProPhile-8:
Extremely neutral IEM, with probably the best bass quantity out of all my TOTL BA IEMs. Soundstage is smaller than Andromeda, probably a 4/5 on my rating (occasionally get the feeling of sound outside your head). Despite the incredible amount of separation, imaging, detail and resolution, the overall sound is very sterile. And I much prefer DD bass decay.

vs. Oriolus MK2:
I thought the MK2 would be my endgame hybrid, until the CE-5 came along. Now, I find the Oriolus too warm with not enough detail for my liking. The bass quantity is also too much for me on the Oriolus. The mids on the Oriolus are gloriously rich, however.

vs. UE 18+ Pro 2nd Gen:
Best mids out of the bunch. However, the tonality is VERY warm. It sounds like someone wrapped the sound in leather and you're listening to it in a room full of mahogany furniture and dusty books. Some say the timbre is very realistic. Soundstage is not as impressive as the PP8 or Andromeda. Has a very intimate sound. Resolution, imaging, and separation are almost as good as the PP8 on this. Bass quantity isn't as great as the CE-5.

I've left out comparisons with rest of the IEMs I own / have owned as the others cannot compare to the CE-5.

Conclusion:
If you're a fan of W-shaped signatures and love DD bass decay, this is the TOTL Hybrid IEM for you. The bass quality is unmatched by any other IEM I've heard - in a lot of BA IEMs, great separation in the mids but I've never heard the same phenomenon for bass. This is truly unique. There's so much separation between the sub-bass, mid-bass, upper-bass that you can hear the difference between bass drum kicks and bass lines. Unreal.

At the same time, the bass quantity isn't overwhelming, but has great growl and rumble. Bass slides give me goosebumps on the CE-5.

Vocals are a bit ahead of instruments, but everything sounds clear and well separated with a hint of warmth. Very coherent.

In terms of treble - I'm not a huge treble head, but I feel there's decent air and sparkle comparable to the PP8.

Based on my own preferences, this is my current favourite IEM and daily driver.

Before starting this review, I would like to share technical aspects and package details.


Specifications:

Driver type (per channel): Balanced Amateur x 2 Dynamic x 1 Ceramic x 1

Sensitivity: 97dB@1kHz / 105dB@2.5kHz

Frequency response: 20Hz-40kHz

Impedance: 8.9Ω

Cord: 2pin CIEM 6N OFC 1.2m

Plug type: 3.5mm mini stereo


Package Details:

Hyla earphone with stock cable

Foam eartips (S M L)

Silicon eartips (S M L XL)

Cleaning tool

Nylon earphone case (Van Nuys collaboration)


Test Equipment:

Lotoo Paw Gold Titanium

Opus #1

Astell Kern AK120

Astell Kern AK70



Package, Design & Isolation;

The Hyla-CE05 comes with a box that can be considered as elegant. While the box has a simple structure, the inner surface of the box is covered with a quality satin-like finish. The contents of the box may be relatively simple. High-quality VanNuys case comes with Hyla CE-05. Also, 3 sets of foam, 4 sets of silicon tips are come out of box. Unfortunately, it does not come with a PW No5 cable like Oriolus, but the CE-05 includes the highest quality stock cable. Probably this is the best stock cable I've ever seen.

The design of the CE-05 has high-quality design and the material quality is top notch. The CE-05 has standard 0.78mm 2-pin design. There is no blemish and no defect in the body that made of German resin. The body is transparent purple color that I really like. There is no logo on the body, only the serial number is on the side of body. However, you can easily recognize of the body when you see due to its unique design.

The CE-05 has a slightly large body, but it fits ergonomically. It is possible to use it for long hours without any pressure on ears. Nozzle is neither too long nor too short and it is quite comfortable on the ear.



Sound Type:

The sound character of CE-05 is like V-shape. The upper frequencies are accompanied by lower frequencies in similar amounts, while the mids are slightly backwards. The vocals are not far behind, but it’s I think a little bit forward. The vocals have a relatively forward presentation even though the mids are behind in the overall spectrum. Also vocals have a very sweet tone and color. Non-aggressive presentation of the vocals can make you feel urge to listen to the vocals for long hours. The treble is incredibly detailed and resolute, thanks to the piezoelectric driver. I didn’t expect such a drastic and detailed treble response. The dynamic driver on the other hand, creates stronger and deeper bass which probably best I ever heard.




Trebles:

Details. Lots of detail in the treble. The treble of CE-05 can be easily my favorite frequency range of the CE-05. The upper frequencies are quite pronounced, but they are also spreading over a very wide area. It is possible to hear lots of instrument details from every part of soundstage. It is possible to feel friction of each part of biceps crashing into each other. You can hear even the smallest nuance in the voices. For some people it may feel a little bit shiny and bright, but it is not disturbing. Though it can be a little tiring in the long listening, it offers a unique experience in terms of speed, frequency and resolution. The well-extended trebles also maintain control of fast sections. The sound does not tend to metalize when you increase the sound level. There is a thin line between sibilance and losing control, which is distinctive and pristine, and this line is stable. I listened to different types of music and I expected to hear some sibilance but I didn’t hear it which I tried with my all sources. Of course, the source used here is also very important. I would also like to mention that I have provided the best harmony with warm character sources. Mostly. I liked AK120 and AK70 with the CE-05. I can say that the CE-05 doesn’t paired good with the LPG. Trebles can be sharp and aggressive.

CE-05 has clean and energetic trebles. If you think to upgrade stock cable, I would recommend to upgrade with pure copper cable. Also, I believe that the result will be really satisfying copper-hybrid cables.



Mids:

The mid frequencies are detailed, but it is slightly behind the lower and upper frequencies. The voices of the instruments are very clear and effortless. Even though mids are behind in general spectrum, the vocals are positioned in front and it performs smooth sweet tones. The overall instrument sound is slightly thinner than natural, but I cannot make a fair approach due the lack of reference earphone. The separation of strings is flawless and it has high level of detail by virtue of bright top mids. There is a slightly pressure of the lower mids because of the powerful low frequencies, but this does not cause an obvious mid-hump. I really liked to presentation of vocals. Although the vocal presentation is in the front even the overall presentation is V-Shaped. The vocals have soft and velvety tone like cream. It is very enjoyable to listen to the both male and female vocals. Overall resolution level of the mids is extremely high. You can hear the drums distinctively on a separate level and you can feel the rumble.



Bass:

CE-05 has amazing slam and well extended bass which I love. It has strong bass that does not lose control. For my personal taste, the tonality and quantity of the bass is almost exactly what I want. I feel that, when I found bass level not enough it doesn't satisfy me, so this situation impacts my musical pleasure negatively.

The extension of sub-bass is quite successful, there is no roll off. There can be bloating in bossy tracks sometimes but it does not feel any hoarseness. If we talk about bass, I always prefer dynamic drivers because it is airier and impactful. There is a strong dynamic driver inside of CE-05 and it reminds you the strong bass in the tracks. I think that listeners who has a similar authoritative bass taste as mine, will like CE-05`s bass quantity. The lower-mid and bass harmony is really good. Bass level does not leave other frequencies in the shade. Its quantity and impact level provide comfortable easy listenability. Bass is slow according to armature driver`s bass but its recovery time is quite short. Bass is not dry as armature driver`s bass.

CE-05 is the best earphone I have ever listened in terms of bass quality.



Soundstage:

CE-05`s soundstage is quite airy and spacious. Stage width is not the best I have ever heard, but it is higher than average. Instruments spreads in a wide spacious area. Background is very dark and silence. There is not any issue like mixing the instruments which makes the positioning easier in the soundstage. You can make the distinction that every instrument plays from a different position. The space between instruments is perceptible. It is amazing to feel and be in the great atmosphere of floating, continuous notes of an instrumental track. CE-05`s performance is successful and above its price about separation of instruments.





Verdict:

CE-05 is detailed, musical and it does not compromise of it is details. It can be counted as powerful, able to go deeper into a certain place. CE-05 can be preferred by anyone who desires a wide soundstage. The CE-05 is a very successful headphone for V-shape lovers, with its full lower and high treble frequencies. This is a type of headphone that I will keep and never sell. Hyla is a young company but it proves that it can produce very successful and satisfying products with the advantage of previous Oriolus experience. I am looking forward to try the new Hyla products in the future. They deserve much more attention.