Hi, welcome to my first rapid-fire review, where I try to get the point across about a certain IEM or earphones as fast as possible. A way to reduce the mountain of review backlog, if you will. Please do leave a comment to give me feedback on how to improve these rapid-fire reviews.

Today, we talk about a pair of (very) budget earbuds from Nicehck, which I bought from Aliexpress for AUD $16. Can it stand up to my scrutiny?

Forewords

• I purchase this unit on my own. I have no affiliation with or financial interest in Nicehck.
• I rate IEMs by A/B testing them against a few benchmark IEMs, regardless of price point. If a $1000 IEM scores the same as a $100 IEM, then either the more expensive one underperforms, or the budget one is a gem.
• I believe that great IEMs are the ones that can achieve multiple difficult things simultaneously: (1) high resolution (meaning lines of music are crisp, clear, easy to follow and full of texture), (2) 3D soundstage with a strong sense of depth, (3) bold and natural bass with a physical rumble, (4) natural timbre, (5) relaxing and comfortable tonality. IEMs achieving those criteria are rated highly in my ranking list
• I use frequency response measurements to double-check my subjective impressions.
• Ranking list and measurement database can be found on my IEM review blog.

Non-sound Aspects

I was so excited when receiving the earbuds that I broke open the box without taking any photos. So, please enjoy some stock photos from the Aliexpress page of Nicehck.

(Yes, they don't give you any carrying case or pouch, but they give you a piece of cardboard with Waifu printed on top.)



The buds are built using the standard shells based on the legendary Sennheiser MX500. The shells of YD30 have an extra layer of shiny and durable paint, making them quite attractive in real life. If you are into DIY earbuds, you might recognize these shells. As far as I know, they are not the cheapest.



The cable is decent. It looks and feels exactly like the current cable that KZ and CCA pack with their IEMs.



The drivers of YD30 are the standard 15.4mm drivers, so you can salvage them for other DIY projects. I'm a bit confused that the horseshoe tuning foams are glued on the shells rather than the drivers, but other than that, everything seems well-done.

How it sounds

Listening tests were done with the following source chains:
- iPhone (Apple Music, Hiby App, YouTube) > Apple Lightning to 3.5mm dongle > YD30 (Full foam)
- (For A/B test) Android Phone / iPad Pro (Apple Music, Hiby App, YouTube) > KA3 (4.4mm) > YD30 (Full foam)
- Android Phone / iPad Pro (Apple Music, Hiby App, YouTube) > Creative X1 > YD30 (Full foam)
- Hidizs AP80 Pro-X > YD30 (Full foam)

Local FLAC files ripped from CDs or bought from Qobuz were used for most casual listening and A/B tests.

Tonality and Timbre: 2.5/5 -Below Average

Frequency response of Nicehck YD30 vs FF3 (a golden standard of earbuds). Measurements were done with an IEC-711-compliant coupler and might only be compared with other measurements from this same coupler. Visit my graph database for more comparisons.

Test tracks:
- Delibes: Lakmé - Duo des fleurs (Flower Duet), Sabine Devieilhe & Marianne Crebassa: how natural are the vocals?
- J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - Variatio 15 Canone Alla Quinta. a 1 Clav. Andante: how natural is the piano? How is the balance between various voices in the canon? Can you hear the subtle variation in dynamic (loudness) from soft to very soft throughout the variation?
- MS Gundam Build Fighters (OST): do you hear any metallic tint in the high-pitched electronic instrument at the opening? Is there any harshness? Unusual tonality? This piece should be energetic but not harsh.

Have you ever listened to your Etymotic ER2SE (or Westone MACH 10) and thought to yourself: what if I keep everything the same but add a bit of soundstage? If you do, these YD30 earbuds are for you.

The bass of YD30 is very ... polite, similarly to ER2SE. There is no extra midbass punch nor rumbling sub-bass, so the bass lines of the music feel crisp and "fast" (I know some folks would hate this term so much). If ER2SE is enough for you, then YD30 would be alright too.

The midrange of YD30 is actually well done. Despite my continuous mentioning of ER2SE, I don't think the midrange of YD30 is similar to the Etymotic DF target. YD30 has less boosted ear gain than ER2SE, so the vocal is less forward and shouty. In this regard, I would say YD30 sounds more similar to Westone MACH 10 than ER2SE. To me, this is a good thing.

The treble is where YD30 stumbles. Cymbals, hi-hats, or hand claps sound uncanny / splashy / weird / unnatural on YD30. Not only that, some higher-pitched instruments have a metallic timbre. The culprit, in my opinion, is the overly-loud mid-treble between 6kHz and 12kHz. This treble problem is hard to solve because earbuds foams cannot dampen these regions effectively.

Based on the above analysis, I rate YD30's tonality 2.5/5 - Slightly below average (Moondrop Aria). It is not rated 2/5 (bad) because its tonality is not as painful as KZ ZSN Pro X.

Resolution, Detail, Separation: 3/5 - Average

Test tracks:
- Sky Pubs - Now You believe in You: testing the detail of the background elements and the treble extension/air. How clear can you follow the choral section in the background before 0:50? How crisp and texture are the claps?
- Ed Sheeran: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: visiting hours (from 14:20) is a good test for detail retrieval. How clear and distinct can you hear the chimes at the beginning? Can you hear individual chimes or just a blob of high-pitched sound? How clear can you hear the backing vocal at the far sides of the soundstage?
- Vivaldi: Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, RV 315 "L'estate" - III. Presto: testing resolution in complex and dense music. How easy is it to hear individual instruments? Can you hear nuances and textures in each instrument, like bow catching on the strings? Can you hear the cello on the right? Can you feel the rumble of the lower strings of the cello?

There is not much to talk about in terms of resolution. YD30 is in the same class as Moondrop Aria - Adequate for everyday listening. I rate YD30's resolution 3/5 - Average.

Percussion Rendering: 2/5 - Not Good

Percussion rendering reflects how well the tuning and technical performance of an IEM work together to recreate realistic sound of a drum set. Good drum hits have a crisp attack (controlled by frequencies from 4kHz to 6kHz), full body (midbass frequencies around 200Hz), and physical sensation (sub-bass frequencies around 50Hz). Good technical performance ("fast" driver) ensures that bass notes can be loud yet detailed. IEMs that cannot control bass very well tend to reduce the bass' loudness to prevent muddiness.

Test tracks:
- Finale (William Tell Overture): How rhythmic does the whole orchestra sound? Can you follow the drums clearly? How about the rhythm carried by the string and brass section? Can you hear texture and detail in the drum or just mushy thump thump sounds?
- Proof of a Hero - Rise Version: This track tests only one thing: can the battle drums hype you up to pick up your longsword and chase some wyverns?

The percussion rendering of YD30 is very similar to ER2SE, which is something that I rated 2/5. Yes, you might argue that the bass is "neutral" and "fast", but I don't think that drum sounds without body and rumble are good drum sounds.

2/5 - Not Good.

Stereo Imaging (Soundstage): 4/5 - Good

Stereo imaging or "soundstage" is a psychoacoustic illusion that different recording elements appear at various locations inside and around your head. Your brain creates based on the cues such as the loudness and phase differences between the left and right channels. Most IEMs do not differ significantly, nor can they compete with headphones or loudspeakers. However, some IEMs offer a more spacious soundstage than others. Best IEMs can create multiple layers of sound from closer to further away and make some instruments float slight above your head.




Test tracks:
- We are the world(3:00 onward): This song shows some excellent stereo imaging. Can you hear the soloist upfront whilst the choir is pushed further away to the background? Can you hear one choir to the left and further to the back whilst the other is to the right and a bit closer to you?
- Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - I. Allegro: Listen for the precise direction of each instrument in the string quartet throughout the piece. You should also be able to hear the cello located closer than the violin 1.
- I vow to thee, my country: This song is an excellent test for layering. Can you hear the boy choir standing in front of the men's choir, or are they on the same flat plane?

The soundstage has always been an advantage of flat-head earbuds. YD30's soundstage is no exception. It is broader and deeper than usual IEMs. The leaky nature of earbuds also makes YD30's soundstage "holographic", meaning that these buds can sometimes trick you into thinking that the sound comes from your surroundings rather than earpieces.

The excess treble of YD30 can also contribute to the illusion of soundstage height. It means that in some tracks, you would be tricked into thinking that cymbals and hi-hats are slightly above your head.

However, the lack of lower frequencies and resolution seriously hamper the imaging and layering ability of YD30. Simply put, the soundstage of YD30 is large and decently 3D, but not tack-sharp and not very interesting. Still, it is better than many IEMs out there. I rate YD30's soundstage 4/5 - Good.

Conclusion

Economies of scale are a powerful thing. Somehow, Nicehck manages to put together and sell a complete product at a lower cost than the total material costs. Sound-wise, YD30 is very decent if you mostly listen to vocal-centric music. If you are unhappy with the sound, you can always salvage the components to build a different set of earbuds.

I know I did. Below is the current home of the YD30 drivers.