NiceHCK F1 Pro Planar Universal IEM

NICEHCK is an audio company that specialises on upgraded cables and other audio accessories, and then they try to venture out on earbuds and IEMs. NICEHCK products are also known for its build quality and craftsmanship at reasonable price.



This is actually my second product review of their new IEM line-up model and what I've got here is their latest entry-level planar IEM, The NICEHCK F1 PRO. The F1 PRO has a 14.2mm planar magnetic driver with ultra thin diaphragm with high-grade neodymium magnets and co-axial magnetic design. With this configuration, it will produce a consistent performance and greatly reduce distortion. And as we all know that planar magnetics are known to have fast, precise and very responsive performance that gives them more leverage in terms of technical performance.



The drivers are encased in a light yet solid aluminium alloy shell chassis which have a compact teardrop design. The shell chassis was produced via CNC-milling process and it was sand-blasted to give that appealing look that exudes premium and finesse. NICEHCK employs a 2-pin connector on this one as it is the most stable and easier to detach in case of cable swapping.



As for fitting and comfort, with its compact form factor, this set will give a good seal and passive noise isolation as it rests well into our lugholes that are able to block some external noises from the outside surroundings.



Regarding its stock cable, Since this is a NICEHCK product, we expect a nice quality cable from this one and they deliver it. The stock cable has a 2-core high purity OCC and silver-plated copper that were braided tightly. The earhook receptacle shield, chin slider and plug shield are made of metal alloy, and on its termination plug, you can choose either a standard 3.5mm single ended or a 4.4mm balanced that are gold-plated for better conductivity ans resistant to corrosion.



On how its presents its overall product packaging, NICEHCK did a good job on how they packed the contents of F1 PRO to its packaging box. The placements of content inside of its bulky, rectangular box are well-organised.



Here are the following contents inside of NICEHCK F1 PRO packaging box:

• Pair of NICEHCK F1 PRO IEM transducers.
• Stock cable
• PU leather case
• Three (3) pairs of balanced bore grey-coloured silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Three (3) pairs of balanced bore opaque white ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Four (4) pairs of “EP-EX11” ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Pair of white-coloured, wide bore ear tips.
• Paperwork like user's manual and warranty card.

Like a typical planar set, F1 PRO needs more power output just to drive it properly as planar magnetic structure itself is design to take more current than voltage output that makes it less power efficient compared to other drivers like dynamic driver and balanced armature driver. A dedicated DAP with medium and high gain mode, DAC/Amp dongle or desktop headphone amplifier are better pairing for this set.



As for tonality, NICEHCK F1 PRO has a U/V-shaped sound signature that makes it sound more coloured sounding. It has more accentuated bass and treble response and a notched midrange presentation.




LOWS/BASS:

For a magnetic planar set, the bass response of this one is quite fast, punchy and rumbly. It seems that it is more focused on sub-bass than the mid-bass but the latter has enough texture for bass-centric instruments not to sound too lean.

On the sub-bass, there's a perceivable reverberation coming from low tone bass guitars, synthesisers and drum machines. As I mentioned about the note weight texture on its mid-bass, the bass guitars have resonant yet a bit hollowed sound while bass kick drums have that thudding and gloomy sound, and then on bass-baritone vocals, they sounds a bit light and less deeper that affects the vocal texture but it has some resonance presence on their voices.


MIDRANGE:

On how this set was tuned, the midrange presentation is quite recessed and a tad hollowed sounding particularly on some vocals and instruments. But somehow, it sounds clean, detailed and energetic that will be more beneficial on most female vocals and instruments like strings and woodwinds.

Male vocals are noticeable a tad leaner on texture particularly on baritones as it sounds a bit inadequate of plushiness and richness that I prefer. Tenors' vocals have those spiciness and tinny characteristics on their voices while countertenors sound tender with an added brim on their vocals. On female vocals, contraltos sounds less rich and less smoky that it doesn't have that depth for those low chesty vocal register. Mezzo-sopranos have these fiery and coppery sounds on their vocal characteristics and sopranos have a gleaming and metallic sound that lyric and coloratura-type will have those energetic and expansive sounding.

On instruments, brasses like trumpets, trombones and horns, they have these metallic, penetrating and clear sounds respectively. Woodwinds such as concert flutes, piccolos, clarinets and saxophones, the sounds of the flutes are somehow clear and shrill, piccolos sound penetrating with brilliance on them, clarinets have incisive and reedy that even saxophones share similar characteristics with them. As for string instruments, violins have metallic and bright sound while guitars either acoustic or electric ones, have crisp and lingering sound on them. On percussion instruments, snare and tom-toms have this resonant, dry and cracking sound on them, field drums have this sharp and menacing sound and kettledrums have a dry and deep sound on it. And then, it appears that pianos have bright and lively sound on every stroke of its keys.


HIGHS/TREBLE:

The treble response of this set is definitely on the brighter side of tuning as the emphasis on the upper-mids up to the brilliance part is quite noticeable. With its elevated upper-mids and presence part of the treble region gives a more sharper attack, definition and clarity on instruments and female vocals but at the expense of occasional slight sibilance especially in sibilant-laden tracks (try Seventh Son Of The Seventh Son by Iron Maiden if ever).

There's a good amount of sparkle and excellent treble air extension on how it affects some instruments like cymbals, hi-hats, glockenspiels and celestas. Cymbals have these sizzling, metallic and dry sounds while hi-hats have these buzzing sounds albeit it's a bit exaggerated in terms of decay as they are known to have a sudden shortened sound. Glockenspiels have a glistening and a tad piercing sound while celestas have a glistening and sweet sound.


SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

On how I perceived the size of its general sound/speaker stage, it has an above-average to wide lateral span on both ends, good height reach and depth for a planar set. The overall dimension of its sound field gives me that moderately spacious head room within my aural sphere.

Its stereo imaging gives me a concave-like presentation where I was able to locate some placement of instruments and vocals in a soundscape. While it has a good separation, I noticed that its layering present appears to be in two-layer rather than the standard four layers that I usually experience on most planar sets that I've tested. But at least it doesn't sound congested and disorganised on playing some complex multi-instrumental tracks.

Like all planar sets, the F1 PRO is no different in terms of coherency of its driver performance as it has a very fast and responsive transient speed without any distortion on its sound quality.

On resolution capabilities, F1 PRO is quite very resolving on both macro-dynamics and micro-detail retrieval as it has a sufficient note texture with sharp definition on extracting any sonic nuances and detail like vocal ends, reverberations and notation attacks of instruments.


PEER COMPARISONS:

KEFINE KLANAR

• Like the F1 PRO, it also has a metal-alloy shell chassis and similar-sized magnetic planar albeit it has some added composite material that makes it even more responsive and power efficient. The KLANAR is quite easy to drive even for a magnetic planar set.
• As for tonality, KLANAR has a V-shaped sound profile as it has more emphasis on bass and treble region which share a similar sound signature with the F1 PRO but on the treble, KLANAR is quite smooth and well-balanced response that sibilance and harshness are subdued and well-controlled.
• On technical performance, it is also similar in terms of sound/speaker staging, stereo imaging and coherency, but the KLANAR is quite better in terms of layering but less sharper of micro-detail definition.

KIWI EARS MELODY

• KIWI EARS’ first magnetic planar IEM for the entry-level audio market. It has a smaller size planar magnetic driver that was encased in a medium-sized composite shell chassis. Like all KIWI EARS products, the MELODY has a meagre amount of inclusions.
• MELODY has uncommon tuning for a planar set as while it has a v-shaped signature, it is quite warm sounding for a magnetic planar. It has more mid-bass texture that it might sound a bit too boomy, a warm and rich midrange presentation and smooth yet less airy treble response.
• As for technical capabilities, like the F1 PRO, the MELODY has similar sound/speaker stage dimensions, imaging, separation and coherency. But the MELODY has a better layering presentation but again less resolving particularly on micro-dynamics that F1 PRO has more sharper definition.

As I conclude this product assessment, NICEHCK F1 PRO makes a statement that a set with planar magnetic driver could have a musical tonality to have a fun and engaging sound while maintaining a good technical performance. For sure that energetic and tizzy sheen timbre that planar magnetic driver aren't for everyone's preference as it doesn't that natural tone and dynamics that most dynamic driver sets could deliver but what makes this set truly as compelling one was its pricing, the quality of its overall construction and a fun factor of its coloured sound that makes it more enjoyable and even more engaging to listen upon.

NICEHCK F1 PRO is now available on NICEHCK OFFICIAL STORE on ALIEXPRESS. Check out the unaffiliated link below.

★★NICEHCK OFFICIAL STORE - ALIEXPRESS★★


For more review on a NICEHCK product, I provided a link down.

● NICEHCK DB2

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: NICEHCK F1 PRO
IMPEDANCE: 16Ω
SENSITIVITY: 104dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 28KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: 0.78mm 2-PIN CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm, 4.4mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) PLANAR MAGNETIC DRIVER

Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*



P.S.

I am not affiliated to NICEHCK nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to Ms. VIVIAN for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate her generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.

My audio experience
I've never ventured too far beyond low-end headphones. I prefer a mild V sound signature and am happy to EQ. I occasionally make electronic music and have a very diverse taste in music.

Past gear
Green = I really liked these.
Italics = I still have these.

Headphones: HD600, DT 770 Pro 80 ohm, ATH M50x, Grado SR-80
In-ears: AirPods 2, AirPods Pro 2, FLC-8s, Mee Audio M1 Pro, Etymotic ER3SE, some middling Sennheisers I can't remember.

Source
MBP M1 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro w/ Apple dongle.

Review
Other reviewers have taken great photos and speak better audiophilese than I, so I'll keep this minimal and comment mainly on faults and areas of disagreement with the rest of the reviews

Build
The IEMs themselves have excellent build quality, and the cable is decent. The case, however, is very cheap. The zipper is janky and broke almost immediately. I would have preferred no case at all.

Sound
This is my first planar. I didn't expect the metallic timbre to be so noticeable - maybe that's just this IEM. It's my biggest complaint about this model.

The bass is very clean but not particularly meaty. I tried EQing but couldn't quite get the bass to be exactly what I want it to be. I suppose this is related to the very short decay (maybe the wrong term - how fast the diaphragm returns to neutral) on planar drivers.

There is some excessive brightness in the treble. Sharp transients at certain frequencies make me wince and I wonder if limiter or compressor on the offending frequencies would sort it. I haven't attempted to resolve this with EQ. I haven't experienced this on any other headphones or IEMs.

I have a Qudelix 5k coming, so maybe the PEQ will help me resolve these relatively minor complaints.

Summary
Overall, these are a great value. The technical aspects generally beat the AirPods Pro 2, but I prefer the AirPods Pro 2 tuning and timbre - it's just more natural and tangible where it needs to be. It's possible that, after 2 weeks, I still haven't quite acclimated to the F1 Pro.

I'm happy with these but will be on the lookout for another IEM in the same price range to complement them.

NiceHCK, established in 2015, has become a respected name in the budget audiophile market. They offer a diverse array of products, such as iems, earbuds, and upgrade cables. Known for their commitment to quality, NiceHCK delivers top-notch performance at reasonable prices. Their products boast excellent sound performance, durable construction, and attractive pricing. Among their successful releases are the NX7 Pro IEMs, EBX21 Earbuds, and the flagship Top Guy IEMs.

The NiceHCK F1 Pro was on my radar as a potential pair of iems to try out. Having previously experienced a variety of budget planar iems, including the Letshuoer S15, Kefine Klanar, Hidizs MP145, and Shozy P20, I felt like I had already reviewed some of the best offerings in this category. However, the buzz surrounding the F1 Pro persisted, and I was fortunate enough to receive a pair from NiceHCK for trying out. Overall, the F1 Pro intrigued me with its unique combination of features, and I was eager to see how it stacked up against other planar IEMs in its price range. I'm thankful for the opportunity, and it's important to note that my opinions remain unbiased despite the source of the product.

F1 Pro is available here: Ali Express Link and on Amazon here: Link

It is available to buy here in India here: Link. It can be bought from Hifigo: Link




Rating Criteria:

I want to lay out my rating criteria before we start off. For me, the primary criterion for evaluating audio gear is its intrinsic value rather than its price tag. A higher price doesn't always correlate with superior quality, and similarly, a low-priced product can give enough listening pleasure for it to be called outstanding. I consider the build, features, and, most importantly, the impact on the listening experience. The fundamental purpose of audio gear is to enhance the listening experience. So for me, this degree of enhancement in the listening experience is a key determinant in rating a product.

Rating below 4: I really won't be posting reviews of such items unless someone has asked for them.
Rating of 4: The product is good, and some users may find it more satisfactory, but it does come with a few caveats, such as price, fit, etc.
Rating of 4.5: The product is excellent and comes with an easy recommendation, reflecting its high quality and overall positive attributes.
Rating of 5: This product can be deemed groundbreaking, a trendsetter, and an eye-opener and deserves a spot on everyone's list due to its exceptional features and outstanding performance.


Configuration (from the website):





Design, build, and fit:

These iems have a metallic body and a solid construction that ensures durability and longevity. They are lightweight. Their compact size and ergonomic design make them comfortable to use for extended periods of time.

The cable is of good quality and nicely finished; it comes with a 2-pin connection and a 4.4mm adapter included. The case included is built well and feels durable too. The white color of the cable pairs well with the blue color of the iem shells.




There is a decent set of eartips that come with these iems. I tried them with some other tips as well: Spinfit W1 and Azla SendnaFit Light eartips. Both of these tips go really well. The nozzle is average length; a tip with a long stem can fit well too. This nozzle length can accommodate quite a lot of different eartips, so fit is not much of an issue on these iem.

I find the isolation in these iems above average. With the right choice of good fitting eartips, it can easily block some level of noise from outside. In my time with these iems, I did not find any driver flex issues. In my experience, I encountered no issues of pressure buildup during my time with these iems.




Sound Analysis:

F1 Pro turned out to be a nice surprise. The sound has a decent balance of fun and musicality. It has a V-shaped sound profile.

The bass department excels on these iems. The bass has a very solid impact and a decent punch. The subbass has a good presence. The quality of bass is quite good, with decent layering and texturing. The bass, though having a nice quantity, does not bleed into the mids and leaves it clean.

The midrange is not as forward as to my liking. The lower midrange is recessed, while the upper midrange still manages to come out in the front. While the mids are not a strong point for these iems, I find the weight in the midrange quite pleasing. The upper midrange is tuned really well, devoid of harshness and fatiguing peaks. However, there is extra energy and some instances of thinness in the upper mids region.

These iems handle treble really well. The treble is smooth, extends quite well, maintains energy, and has a nice level of detail. There are instances of sibilance and slight peakiness, which is not a regular thing. I would term it a borderline brightness for sensitive people.



On the technical front, these iems are decent. The soundstage has an average width, and the depth is quite decent. There is decent spaciousness. There is great clarity in the sound, and things come out quite detailed. There is decent instrument separation as well, which is evident even on tracks where there are complex musical passages. From the point of view of the planar driver, I do not find the notorious metallic glare to be prominent.

In terms of driveability, these iems do need a bit of extra juice to shine. Though they are easy to drive, they need powerful sources to show their full potential. They pair well with both the sources I tried, LPGT and Earmen Angel. I find sound to have better dynamics from a more powerful source.




Comparisons:

With Hidizs MP145 (139 usd):

MP145 has an extraordinary soundstage, a very vivid out-of-the-head experience. Technically, MP145 is ahead of F1 Pro

The bass is on the leaner side of MP145. Also, the planar timbre is not very pronounced on these, but the timbre and tonality on the F1 Pro are definitely better. MP145 is the brighter of the two.

The size of the MP145 shells is massive, so the F1 Pro has a much better fit and is lighter of the two. I find the cable on F1 Pro to be better.


With Kefine Klanar (90 USD):

In terms of fit, these iems are quite comfortable. They are both light and not quite big.

I love the bass on Klanar, which goes deep and has enough impact. However, F1 Pro has a better bass body and more impact. The subbass on F1 Pro goes deeper.

Technically, Klanar does not have the blackest background and cleanest sound, and there is a bit of a hazy presentation. F1 Pro has better resolution. I find F1 Pro to be more musical too.


With Shozy P20 ($139 USD):

In terms of fit these iems are quite comfortable. They both are light and not quite big. P20 has more resemblance with the Klanar in terms of shape and size.

In terms of bass, the P20 has more midbass impact, and the subbass does not go deep enough. F1 Pro has more enjoyable bass.

In terms of technicality, F1 Pro excels with better imaging and more depth in the soundstage.

Additionally, P20 has a more pronounced metallic timbre.




Conclusion:

F1 Pro, though one of the many planar iems on the market, is not just another planar iem. It stands out from others in its category by delivering a sound profile that is a balance of both fun and musicality. The bass is promising; there are nice technical aspects to these iems and these all set these iems apart from other planar iems. This product, as a whole package, offers great value for money. Though certainly not the best, it surely is an easy recommendation in the sub-100 USD category. I rate it 4/5