Toneking Nine Tail

Disclaimer:
I bought this IEM at my own expense from Aliexpress when it was on sale and am not affiliated to any company.





Introduction:
I was searching for a good single DD driver IEM and am pleased to have bought the Nine Tails. It is a very well tuned single DD driver IEM, and the sound signature can be customized with many filters. This IEM has a cult following with generally good reviews, but hasn't gotten much mainstream attention, probably due to its very unconventional design.
The Nine Tails in actual fact is a Far Eastern "fox spirit" in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cultures, which can shapeshift to take the form of a human. Do the customizable filters let it live up to its namesake in changing the sound signature?

Here's my short review on it:


Specifications:
- Driver: Single Dynamic Driver
- Impedance: 16Ω
- Sensitivity: 100dB
- Frequency Response: 5 – 40,000 Hz
- Cable: MMCX detachable cable


Accessories:
Other than the IEM, it comes with:
- 1 detachable silver-copper MMCX cable
- 3 different pairs of rear filters, 3 different pairs of front filters
- 1 small pouch
- 1 shirt clip
- 2 pairs of foam eartips
- 3 pairs of black silicone eartips, 3 pairs of white silicone eartips




Build/comfort:
Let's get the big elephant in the room out of the way: the design is extremely unconventional to say the least. It took me a few tries to finally figure out how to put it into my ears. It is actually worn like a conventional overear IEM, but with the gourd shaped part downwards and the narrower tip of the gourd facing upwards at about 10 degrees anteriorly.
It is actually very comfortable once you get a good fit in, and very light. It is made of alloy and is very sturdy.
I suspect a lot of potential buyers might be put off by the design, fearing that they may be uncomfortable or not be a good fit, but I can assure you I have average sized ears and have no issue wearing it for hours.


Isolation:
IMHO, this is one of the weaker isolating IEMs, and I tried using it outside, but it failed to really prevent external noise from disturbing my music. I would personally only recommend it for use at home.


Filters:
I can assure you the filters ain't a gimick and they actually do change the sound signature. Based on my listening, the filters do the following modifications to the sound:
a) Silver filters - comes by default on the Nine Tails. Makes the sound V shaped.
b) Red filters - boosts the bass. I felt it does cause a mild mid bass bleed and muddiness when these were used, but it does pump up the lower frequencies by a few DB that is noticable, and is good for EDM. I would say it is just a level shy of true basshead levels when both front and rear filters are red.
c) Blue filters - makes the bass less pronounced but makes treble more extended and airy. I would say it makes the Nine Tails quite neutral sounding with it on.

There are both a front and back filter so they can be used independent of the coloured filters (ie u can use a blue front filter with a silver back filter etc). Generally it would make sense to use the same colour for both the front and back filter, or at least a silver one with either the blue or red. This makes many permutations for finetuning of the sound you want. In view of the three pairs of both front and back filters, there really are nine combinations of sound tuning one can tune the Nine Tails to, so it does live up to its namesake. In between the extreme both blue filters on one end, and the both red filters on the other end, the rest of the filter tunings are subtle changes along this spectrum.
Personally I liked both filters as silver for my general listening. Sometimes when I'm in a basshead mood, I'll use both red filters.

I've read reports in a the forums that the filters can drop out and be lost easily, but personally I haven't had the filters drop out on me, after screwing it on securely.


Sound:
I tested this with a Desktop -> Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 and Android -> Tempotec Sonata HD. The Nine Tails is quite easily drivable from smart phones without any need for external amping. I didn't have any hiss with this IEM on laptops/PC/smartphones. It definitely scales better with a DAC/AMP.

Even on the most neutral tuning, it is mainly a V shaped tuning, with recessed mids.
I found the clarity and details/instrument separation to be very good for a single DD driver, just slightly worse than my other single DD driver IEM, the TFZ No. 3. But it would lose to some multi BA/hybrid IEMs in this area.

Bass:
As above, you can fine tune the sound signature with filters, but in general the Nine Tails bass is very typical of a well tuned DD driver, with good subbass extension and displacement of air with either the silver or red filters on. With the blue filters both on, the bass sounded neutral to me. With both red filters on, it is just a level shy of true basshead levels.

Mids:
Quite recessed, typical of most V shaped CHIFI tuning. I would have preferred a bit more meat in the mids personally. Nevertheless, the mids are detailed with good clarity and instrument separation. The timbre of voices and instruments from the Nine Tails is very organic and natural, one of the best I have heard in my collection of IEMs.

Treble:
Extends well with no fatigue/harshness/sibilance. Very good for listening for long sessions and having a relaxing listen. I would class it on the slightly darker side compared to the usual bright CHIFI treble tuning.


Soundstage:
Above average.


Comparisons:
a) Audiosense T800
As expected of a 8 BA driver IEM, the T800 trumps the single DD driver Nine Tails in the details/clarity/resolution/soundstage/instrument separation department. The clarity and details of the Nine Tails is no slouch, but the T800 is on another level.
The T800 is much more bright on the treble and may cause a bit of issues for the treble sensitive among us. Whereas the Nine Tails treble is very polite and non fatiguing and relaxing.
The mids are more recessed on the Nine Tails.
Although it is a DD bass, the bass (with red filters) of the Nine Tails is almost on par with the vented subwoofer BA bass of the T800 (IMO the BA bass of the T800 sounds very much like a DD bass).

b) TFZ No. 3
This is a more fair comparison as both are single DD driver IEMs.
The clarity and details is marginally less on the Nine Tails.
Imaging is sharper on TFZ No. 3.
Treble is slightly brighter on the No. 3 especially the lower treble. There is a roll off at higher frequencies for both of these IEMs.
Mids are more recessed on the Nine Tails, with less meat to vocals/instruments.
The TFZ No. 3 bass and subbass extends deeper and has more oomph and displaces more air than the Nine Tails (with red filters). I personally find the No. 3 to have the best bass in my stable of IEMs.
Having said that, with both bass filters on the Nine Tails and with a good DAC/AMP, it can hit almost close to bass head levels IMHO.
Soundstage is better on the Nine Tails.


Conclusion:
This is a great IEM that allows you to customize the sound signature you would like by changing the filters, giving many possible permutations, from a bassy sound to a more neutral signature. I hope more people would come to give the Nine Tails a try, even though it may look weird, it actually is super comfortable and well fitting.
It is very relaxing IEM to listen to, with little fatigue/harshness.
I found the isolation and mids lacking, but the many ways I can customize the sound to suit my mood or music genre more than makes up for this.
The tonality and timbre of voices and instruments are second to none on the Nine Tails.
If you are looking for a well tuned DD driver IEM, you can consider getting the Nine Tails. It may look for all intents and purposes to be an Ugly Duckling, but once you give it a try and look below its appearance, the Nine Tails may actually be a Beautiful Swan underneath it all.

Located in Zhonghsan and founded in 2013, Toneking, previously known as "MusicMaker" has made quite a reputation for themselves by consistently producing quality earphones and earbuds, most notably the MrZ earbud and Shockwave III 5 driver hybrid earphone. In Auguest 2015 the company became officially known as Zhongshan Tiankui Electronic Technology Co Ltd. The company recently released a new in-ear monitor which contains a single dynamic driver and has interchangeable front and back filters for up to nine different combinations, each one with a slightly different sound signature. Hence the name "Toneking Nine Tail". The name is based on a mythical Chinese creature. According to Wikipedia -

Huli jing (狐狸精; literally: "fox spirit") or jiuweihu (九尾狐; literally: "nine-tailed fox") are Chinese mythological creatures who can be either good or bad spirits.

Today I'll be looking at the Toneking Nine Tail and I can tell you right now that this is one of the good spirits. Read on to find out why.

Disclaimer

This sample was provided for the purpose for the purpose of an honest review. I'm not affiliated with the company and all observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product.

The Nine Tail is currently priced at $125 and is available from Penon Audio: https://penonaudio.com/TONEKING-9way?search=toneking

Specification

• Brand: TONEKING
• Model: 9way / Nine Tail
• Sensitivity: 100dB / mW
• Impedance 16Ω
• Headphones sound principle: Dynamic driver
• Frequency response range: 5-40000Hz
• Plug: 3.5mm Straight Type
• Cable length: 1.2m

Packaging and accessories

The Nine Tail arrived in a small, square black box with TONEKING embossed in silver on the front. Lifting off the lid you find a semi-hard carry case secured in a slab of black foam. Everything else is found inside the carry case. This is about as simple a packaging that you can get but it doesn't bother me in the least as it allows cost savings that can be channeled directly into the enclosed product. Sure it's nice to have all the fancy packaging sometimes but in this case you're getting an earphone with sonic abilities that punch well above its price point. But more on that later. Let's take a gander at what's inside:

• Toneking Nine Tail IEM
• 7N 4-wire single crystal copper silver-plated +4-wire single crystal copper MMCX cable
• Shirt clip
• 3x pairs black silicone eartip (S, M, L)
• 3x pairs white silicone eartips (S, M, L)
• 2x pairs foam eartips
• 3x rear IEM filters
• 3x pairs front IEM filters

As you can see it's a pretty basic bundle but for most people should be sufficient. Unfortunately all the eartips are too small for my extra large ear canals so I had to resort to some from my personal collection of silicones.



The included cable is actually really good quality, better than most in this price range. In my opinion it's every bit as good as the one provided with the Kinera H3 although it is significantly different. Starting with the silver colored MMCX connectors that have an L and R denoting sides - I do wish there was some color coding added because the letters are difficult to see and due to the unique nature of the IEM shells it's quite difficult to pick the left and right at a glance.

There's a silver Y-split but unfortunately no chin slider. Not that I use them anyway but I know some people get upset if there isn't one present. There's a clear, rubber strain relief on the lower end of the Y-split.

The cable terminates in a straight, silver, gold-plated 3.5 mm plug that has another clear strain relief. The wires are braided and although they feel quite firm and robust the cable sits really well, is quite pliable and is resistant to tangling. I like this!



Build, comfort and isolation
The first thing you'll likely notice is the unusual design and shape of the Nine Tail, which according to the description is an original patent design, inspired by dripping water. The spherical cavity is said to curb resonance sound loss and enhance fidelity.

So we have a 3-tiered all metal water drop shaped housing in silver color. They're fairly lightweight and have the Toneking logo lazer engraved on the end of the bulb. On the side of the bulb is where the various nozzles attach. They're very easy to insert and remove, the machine threading precise and are held securely with a rubber washer. At the other end are the rear "bolts" which are equally as simple to interchange. Just next to the rear filters are the female MMCX connectors.

Build quality is excellent and the IEMs feel very robust. The edges and joins are all clean and well assembled. Not much more to say on that really.

The Nine Tail is designed to be worn over-ear. It can be worn cable down but it's a little awkward and not really practical. The fit is quite unusual to say the least. They sit in my ears with the narrow end pointing upwards and the bulb at the bottom, much like a drop of water or teardrop. Inserting them takes a little getting used to but becomes second nature in a short amount of time. I find these really comfortable and can easily wear them for hours on end.

Isolation is pretty decent, assuming you have a good seal with your chosen ear-tips. I'd say it's a slightly above average because the bulb section of the IEM fills a good part of the ear's conch and helps to block outside noise. These are perfectly suitable for noisy environments enabling you to enjoy your music wherever you are.



Sound
Gear used for testing

Acoustic Research AR-M20

Benjie T6

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Foobar2000 > Topping DX7

With an impedance of 16Ω and 100dB sensitivity the Nine Tail is easy to drive and works just as well from a smartphone as it does from a good DAP and doesn't require extra amplification.

The general sound is fairly balanced tonally, organic, natural and is quite forgiving to poorly mastered tracks but it still carries plenty of detail. It's hard to believe that a single dynamic driver at this price can have such a masterful coverage of the frequency range and the layering and separation is similar to what I would expect from a good hybrid IEM. Perhaps it has something to do with the unique, spherical shell design combined with a very capable driver but these have a technical ability that one expects from much more costly earphones. Not only that but because it utilizes a single dynamic driver the sound produced is very cohesive from top to bottom, from the brilliance of crisp upper treble to the low physical impact of the sub-bass.

FILTERS

Obvously people are going to be curious about the effects of the various tuning filters. Rather than create another wall of text trying to explain it I'll just show my measurements here. Do note that these measurements are only very roughly compensated so don't take them as totally accurate (especially the peak at 12k) but they should at the very least give you a ballpark impression of the tonal properties of various combinations. Also note that for most of my listening I stuck with the Silver rear + Silver or Blue fronts.



As you can see the effect of the rear filters is quite subtle, making slight changes not only to the bass but also from 1k upwards. Changing the front filter will have a more immediately noticeable reaction.

Bass has a nice impact to it and is well balanced regardless of filters used as the rear filters only have a slight effect on overall sound. Response in the bass is linear, maintaining steady levels from the lowest notes to the upper mid-bass. Speed is good and control is very tight. The Nine Tail had no problem at all keeping up in Katatonia's "The Night Subscriber" and kept right on top of things without any noticeable bleed into the lower mids. Sub-bass is fantastic as well, bringing the rumble that you can feel in your ears in a seemingly effortless fashion without being too aggressive or overpowering. There's fantastic texture and definition throughout making the bass one of my favorite aspects of this earphone.

Midrange oozes with clarity, deftness and just the right amount of warmth to make them musical but maintain a natural tone. There's great layering as well and instrument separation is handled with aplomb. Male vocals are rich, smooth and full-bodied while female voices ring with vibrancy and clarity. Despite the excellent detail retrieval the Nine Tail still manages to be forgiving and works well with just about any type of music. Listening to Ludovico Einaudi's "The Earth Prelude" is a wonderful example of how this IEM handles the resonance of string instruments and piano.

Treble lifts up out of the spectrum with such clarity that it once again makes me wonder at the nimbleness of this single dynamic driver. It's not aggressive but has plenty of energy and great extension. Timbre is on point and hi-hats and cymbals sound lifelike with a good sheen that never fatigues like in Keb' Mo's "France" with it's forward in the mix hi-hats and cymbals.

Soundstage is another strength of the Nine Tail. Having the vented rear filters probably helps in this aspect, giving a sense of air and space in music. Width is good, with sounds often being perceived out past your ears and depth is satisfying too. Aaron Copland's "An Outdoor Overture" is a great track for highlighting the scope of the Nine Tail's soundstage as it really transmits the sense of the large orchestra being spread out in a large space. It also shows well this IEM's imaging capability as you're easily able to pick the direction of the separate elements coming from among the group.



Comparisons

TFZ Exclusive King ($99 USD)

The TFZ is a very agile single driver IEM. It focuses a lot on the upper midrange which can become fatiguing if you're sensitive in that area. It has great clarity and a clear, crisp sound. Bass has a really authoritative punch, great speed and well defined edges. Midrange on the TFZ is very clean with little coloring and good detail. I personally find the sound to get fatiguing quite quickly but if you prefer a brighter signature the Exclusive King would be a good choice. The 9T in comparison is more relaxed, musical and emotive and of course has the option to customize the sound more to your preference.

Kinera H3 ($99 USD)

The H3 is a great looking IEM that has gained a lot of popularity since its release. It's probably safe to say that the H3 is more attractive aesthetically and its conventional style of wear will be less daunting than the unusual style of the 9T. When it comes to sound though the H3 lacks the body and fullness of the 9T. As a result it comes across as a bit thin sounding and at time can be harsh in the upper midrange. The H3 lacks the authority found in the 9T's bass, the 9T having more texture and body and is more musical and organic.


Conclusion

I'm somewhat in awe of this IEM. Maybe it's just tuned very much toward my personal preference (as is the DUNU-DK3001) but I really think that there's something special about the sound that the Nine Tail puts out.

It's very comfortable. It's customizable. It's well built. It sounds incredible. I'm just a little concerned that some people might be deterred by the unique design and end up missing out on a truly stellar sounding product. This is probably the best IEM I've heard under $150. The sound does seem to border on mythological as the name would suggest. This is one of those mysterious and elusive products that hits above its price point, with an ability to take on many different forms and dwells on the fringes of the spirit world. Am I losing you here? Let me bring it back to more direct and earthly terms: The Toneking Nine Tail is just awesome.