NiceHCK DB2

We are living in a sea of budget IEMs, where some IEMs are released weekly, and some companies push their products even daily. The market has become so competitive and chaotic in almost every bracket, from budget to flagship, and everything counts: design, driver performance, accessories - literally everything. However, there aren't many IEMs that can offer a good balance of all these factors in the budget bracket. The DB2 from NiceHCK is one of the better examples of how a budget-friendly IEM can be beautiful, have a driver capable of competing in its class, and provide enough accessories for beginners as well as for those who have been in this hobby longer.

** Disclaimer: **​

I received the DB2 for an honest review from Nancy, a partner of NiceHCK. I am not paid for this, so it will not be hyped or anything like that...

** Pros: **​

- Budget hybrid ( DD + BA ) with a current price of $ 21.99(price was when i did review, sometimes can and could change), and it sometimes goes even lower...
- Easy to drive
- Great set of ear tips (full set of NiceHCK 07) + three pairs of black bass ear tips
- Above-average cable quality for the price
- Pouch for storage
- Waifu (some people collect these cards)

** Cons: **​

- The BA driver is sometimes a little too energetic ( I will explain later what I mean by this )
- The IEM comes with pre-installed black ear tips; white would be a better option ( I will explain later what I mean by this )

** Specs: **​

- Frequency range: 20- 20,000 Hz
- IEM sensitivity: 107 dB /mW
- Impedance: 16 Ω

For full specs, feel free to visit the NiceHCK site.

** Gear /Software Used for Testing: **​

- Fiio JA11/KA11
- Sonata BHD
- LG V50
- Motorola G54
- Shanling M0 Pro
- Sony/iPod players and a few other inexpensive players, mostly used for burning...
- 3.5mm RedAG from NiceHCK and 4.4mm Furukawa from NiceHCK
- Fiio music app player, Hiby app player, UAPP, Wavelet when I am not in bitrate or USB mode, along with Spotify and YouTube-a pretty standard setup...

** Packaging and What is Inside the Box:**​

I took a full photo opening with my phone, but again, for clearer pictures and better quality, the NiceHck site is a good place to start. Surprisingly, for a budget IEM, the box is really big, with some nice decoration of a waifu on top . The same card is inside; some people really like it and collect them. Along with standard paperwork, you get a high-purity OFC cable with QDC connectors. It's not fully sleeved; it's more of a half-and-half style. On the connectors, you have "L" and "R" in case you aren't sure - this will help you. Even NiceHck is famous for producing great cables for the money, and this cable is much better than ordinary stock cables in this price range. The 3.5mm connector is L - shaped. What really surprised me is that they included a leather bag, for which I will make a subsection because it's worth saying a few words. There's also a great set of eartips; 8 of them in total. I will write a little bit about them since I'm an eartip fan and I really like them. There's a Velcro strap with the company's logo, and of course, 1 pair of IEMs, which feature a beautiful faceplate. On the golden-colored frame, "DB2" is written along with "R" and "L" just in case you aren't sure which one goes where. This all is pretty standard. The nozzle is a standard size neither too long nor too thick, and the griller inside is metal. The inner part of the IEM is a transparent color, so you can clearly see the inside dynamic driver and balanced armature.

** Leather Bag:**

For people who have been in this hobby longer, bags are a part of what we get by buying or obtaining products, but this bag is really amazing. It's leather with the engraved NiceHCK logo. It's not a standard bag with some magnetic closure; this one has hinges on the side. I have dozens of bags I bought, and compared with this one , all look silly. When you close this one, literally, air stays trapped inside; you can feel it when you push it out. So anything you place inside, whether it's your DAC or IEM, will stay protected . Buying this bag separately will currently cost $ 7.99 on the NiceHck site, but with the DB2, you will get the bag included.

** Eartips:**

They included 8 pairs of eartips. The 3 black pairs are oriented towards lows and come in 3 standard sizes. Believe it or not, they improve the bass. I'll not be brief, or this review will be overly long. With the black eartips, the bass is pushed forward, and the soundstage is a little deeper - not too much, but for stock eartips, this is great. And if you think this is all, well it's not. They also included the NiceHCK 07 > 5 eartips , or a full set , which currently costs $ 13.99. These eartips are some of the better vocal eartips, enhancing the vocal experience by pushing vocals forward without compromising bass and lows. The resolution is slightly improved, as NiceHck advertised, and suddenly the DB2 begins to shine. You can hear more details; everything is much better. I tested them with some of my other IEMs, and they are great. They are very similar to other vocal eartips, but the NiceHCK 07 has a better soundstage! I will make a separate review of the NiceHck 07 eartips, this was just a short version.

Price/Quality Ratio :​

To conclude about the Bag and Eartips, if you followed correctly and did a little bit of math, subtracting both products from the original price of the DB2 ($ 21.99), buying the bag and eartips separately would cost you $21.98, which is an amazing price for such quality. This leaves you with a cost of $0.01 for the DB2, and I doubt there are any IEMs on the market with such a deal. Even if you don't need the bag but require eartips, you get a pretty affordable hybrid for the price, plus other goods!

Comfort:​

The comfort of the DB2 is excellent; they are very light, making them ideal for longer sessions. The fit is perfect, and I didn't experience any sound leakage at all.

Design:​

Usually, this category among IEMs is skipped or ignored, but since the DB2 is so beautiful and well - designed, it would be a pity to overlook it. One of my previous jobs was working for in an art gallery on cruise ships, and during that time, I truly enjoyed selling fine art, meeting new people, all good memories. When I opened the box and held the DB2 in my hands, I felt as if I were literally holding a piece of artwork. The faceplates are so beautiful; the pattern of purple is mesmerizing. I found myself staring at it and playing with the light. Surrounding the faceplate, there is a golden color frame. As I mentioned, there aren't many IEMs as beautiful as this one, especially in this price range.

**Sound:**​

Finally, we arrived at the sound part. The DB2 is clearly a budget entry hybrid, very affordable but still capable of delivering a more than decent sound experience. The sound signature is neutral-bright; the sound is smooth and easy-going, very analytical, and it's ideal for critical listening, gaming, and much more.

**Bass:**​

The bass is much better than I anticipated. The driver inside delivers a great bass experience; there is enough rumble to be enjoyable. The sub-bass is better than on some other more expensive IEMs, and the bass is punchy and very clear—almost natural, fast slamming, and it doesn’t decay quickly. I’m not a basshead, but for me, this was more than enough.

**Mids:**​

The mids are engaging enough. As I wrote, the sound is smooth and easy-going. Both male and female vocals are more than ok; female vocals are clearer, while sometimes male vocals on certain tracks can be a little thin. Even though the sound is neutral-bright, it will not spoil the mids. The BA inside is more than capable for deleivering even on busy tracks, but as I mentioned, it is a little energetic in the cons section; actually, the right term would be more like agressive or ambitious. What does that mean? It means trying to do something much more than what it should have originally. How to avoid this? Very simple: white eartips will greatly improve the mids. If you have a high-gain option, try to reduce it to mid or low gain. Starving the ambitious BA will sometimes eliminate the energetic mids, and this creates a completely new game.

**Treble:**​

The treble is rich but bright, not harsh; there is no sibilance. Detail retrieval is average, but the DB2 is sparkly enough, and the airiness is more than acceptable. If you mess out with eartips and the source, it could sound a little shouty, and metallic timbre is minimal barely noticable.

**Soundstage:**​

With the pre-installed black eartips, the soundstage becomes deeper, and for some genres, that’s fine. However, when I add the NiceHCK 07 eartips, the soundstage becomes wider and more spacious, which I really like and enjoy. In this price range, the soundstage is above average. So, with the NiceHCK 07 eartips, the soundstage becomes even more enjoyable.

**Imaging/Separation:**​

Imaging is actually the better aspect; you can easily pinpoint where the instruments are positioned. Separation is acceptable; instruments are distinguishable and not mixed, of course, I am talking about this price range. Don't expect it to outperform some super expensive IEMs.

**Gaming and Other Media:**​

As I wrote in the section above, this is more than an acceptable IEM for gaming due to its nice imaging and soundstage. I played some mobile shooting games and could hear footsteps and shooting clearly; I knew exactly where they were. I also played a little bit of *Journey* on the iPad, and it was nice. I watched a few TV shows and movies, and the experience was more than acceptable.

**Squeezing the Most Out of DB2:**​

This part is more for people who would like to get a little extra or change the sound of the DB2. It’s not a must; it is just more about experimenting and playing. Some people have found that changing filters can alter the sound signature. Unfortunately for me, my selection of filters is limited, so I experimented with what feels more familiar to me: different ear tips and sources to achieve better results. I tried almost 20+ eartips and realized the NiceHCK 07 are more than enough. Using low gain or no gain will enhance the sound experience. Yes, this may differ for other people, and that is normal; after all, this hobby is more about play and fun and finding what works best for you.

Conclusion, NiceHCK DB2 is a great entry-level all-rounder budget hybrid, ideal for beginners as well as experienced users due to the wide range of accessories included. It's easy 4.5 of 5 for bright sound lovers. Links of iem is below and some cables which are amazing for price as well...

**Links:**​

DB2
Amazon DB2
NiceHck DB2

FuruKawa Copper Cable
Amazon FuruKawa Cable
NiceHck FuruKawa Cable

RedAg Cable
Amazon RedAg Cable
NiceHck RedAg Cable

IcyMoon Silver Cable
Amazon IcyMoon Silver Cable
NiceHck IcyMoon Silver Cable

Specification:
1. Product name:NiceHCK DB2 HIFI Audiophile In-ear Earphone Monitor
2. Brand:NiceHCK
3. Model B2
4. Impedance:16Ω
5. Color: Blue/Purple/Black
6. Earphone plug type: 3.5mm
7. Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
8. Eerphone sensitivity: 107dB/mW
9.Connector etachable 0.78 2pin
10. Cable Length: About 1.2m±5cm
11.Cable material: High Purity OFC
12.Shell Material: PC+Aluminum Alloy
13.Whether with Mic: Optional, No Mic and With Mic
14.Drive unit: 10mm Titanium Plated Graphene Dynamic+1BA

The NiceHCK DB2 arrives in an attractively decorated box featuring information on the back. It's a budget-friendly IEM that boasts a beautifully crafted shell. It features a faceplate with a marbled design in three colors: blue, black, and purple. Inside, there is an impressive array of accessories, including a sleek yet slim copper cable with a Velcro strap, ear tips in two different styles and various sizes, and an attractive pouch crafted from synthetic leather.

Sound:
It's a V-shaped IEM that's enjoyable and has respectable technical capabilities for its price. The bass is more pronounced in the sub-bass region, while the mid-bass is more balanced and less prominent. Lower Bass has good depth and is slower but only a little compared to the rest of the Bass. Bass remains controlled and has a nicely texture and detailed presentation.
Midrange is well detailed with the upper midrange being much different from the warm thicker lower midrange. While male vocals sound smooth and warm with a decent body, the upper midrange is brighter and slightly thinner and forward giving more energy to Female vocals and more details. While it seems a little uneven at times it doesn't come across too harsh or shouty at normal volumes.
The treble of the DB2 is notably capricious, appearing bright and extended on certain equipment while seeming subdued on others. However, it consistently rolls off swiftly, maintaining a respectable level of detail and airiness.
Soundstage was average in width, height and depth, accurate enough and with average separation.

This is a budget IEM that has its charms and weaknesses, what music and how you listen could be the deciding factor here. Its not the most even or detailed but it does sound fun with Kpop and similar music.

Specifications
Driver config: 10mm Titanium Plated Graphene Dynamic Driver + 1 Balanced Armature Driver
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Sensitivity: 107 dB/mW
Cable: 0.78mm NX7 Style 2pin, 3.5mm termination

I included the DB2s in my daily rotation for almost a month now in order for me to give it a proper review. I am not an expert so take this review with a grain of salt. Fit and personal preference might have affected my opinions regarding this set.



Disclaimer
The review I'm about to share reflects my personal experience and provides an honest evaluation regarding this set. I am completely unaffiliated from the brands I review.


Sound Impression
Treble
Sounds unnatural, maybe due to the dips and peaks? The 8kHz peak produces a bit of sibilance. The treble region can be quite fatiguing.

Mids
Lower mids are recessed (I think to keep this IEM "V-shaped"), making male vocals sound hollow. Because of the peaks in the upper mids, this set is definitely on the shouty side.

Bass
This is what makes the DB2 decent at the very best. The DB2 is sub bass focused, producing a decent rumble and thump but retaining balance in the mid bass. Bass quantity is enough for most people, excluding bassheads. However, bass lacks details and textures, but what can you expect from an ultra-budget set like this one lmao.



Conclusion
Overall, DB2 sounds shouty and congested. What makes this set decent for its price is definitely not the performance but the build quality and accessories. Yes, it is decent for its price, but there are better options within the price range. The sub $20 price range is just too competitive, you should not settle for "decent" sets.