[modjo]

I'll have a review of the TinAudio T2 up in a while. Got that along with a bunch of other hybrids recently; MacaW GT600s, BGVP DM5, and the HiLisening HLS-S8. The GT600s (my new 100 USD benchmark iem) and T2 are the standouts of the group. The T2 is beautifully built and reminds me of an upgraded EMI-CI880. It's treble is less bright and more controlled, but no less detailed. It's bass extends a little deeper. Mid-range is thicker and more weighty. Sound stage is wider too. Pretty well-balanced for a hybrid in this price range. They could easily get away with charging more than the 50 or bucks they go for. I'd take it over the DM5 and Audbos/Magaosi DB-02 without hesitation. Will try to post some pics later. Don't really have a working computer right now as the brand new replacement I just bought crapped out after getting stuck in a Window 10 update loop .

What is the color of your GT600s?

 

[Vidal]

ISK HF-2010 IZ THA BOMB!!!!!

An Open headphone of great build and look and more importantly SOUND EXCEPTIONAL!!!!!!!!!

Yep...it's an IEM thread I know, but anything chinese REAL Gem, please share here too. Like really a REAL GEM!!!!!!!!!! It make 2 years I read about them here, so my attempt was enormous (still taking the little price in account)

These beat all Superlux I own (HD681, 668B, EVO & 660), period. Another league, period.

Oh, I write a marathon 5 minutes review. Just for the sake of these incredible headphone.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/is...ring-street-home-a-v-headphones.22191/reviews

Had a pair for a year or so, I agree they're very good

 

[Fahim Foysal]

Someone please recommend me an iem under 70usd with great neutral and natural signature across all the frequency range with amazing bass rumble that extends deep without drowning the mids, produces subtle details and good sound stage. Detachable cable is a must. Over ear style like shures preferred.

 

[B9Scrambler]

What is the color of your GT600s?

 

[Fahim Foysal]

When will you review it? Its on massdrop right now but there are very few reviews out so its hard to make a decent judgement. Please do post your review soon

 

[B9Scrambler]

When will you review it? Its on massdrop right now but there are very few reviews out so its hard to make a decent judgement. Please do post your review soon

I've got the intro written haha. Got a lot on my plate right now so I'm not sure when the review will be up. It's become my 100 USD benchmark iem though, if that helps.

It's build quality is the best of any similarly priced iem I've used (and bests more expensive stuff too), or at the very least right up there with the best. Comfort is good. Could be improved somewhat (what can't though), particularly on the top inside area where it's still squared off, but they're far from uncomfortable. Isolation is pretty solid too, despite a semi-shallow fit. With the balanced filters installed they sound excellent. Very smooth, balanced, and detailed. Extension at either end is not lacking. Treble is emphasized, but not to the extent of some of the more popular 100 USD iems, like the TFZ King and Kinera H3. That applies even with the treble filter in place, imo. The bass filter is the only true negative. It less boosts bass more than it recesses and muddies the mid-range to give the impression of increased bass. Not terrible, but compared to the other two filters a clear step down. Sound stage is also really impressive, easily up there with the Havi twins.

The GT600s comes across to me as good at everything, bad at nothing, hence it's benchmark status in my collection. It's greatest strength is it's consistency.

 

[HungryPanda]

The bass on the graphene is just more controlled, I love it for acoustic music

 

[Fahim Foysal]

I've got the intro written haha. Got a lot on my plate right now so I'm not sure when the review will be up. It's become my 100 USD benchmark iem though, if that helps.

It's build quality is the best of any similarly priced iem I've used (and bests more expensive stuff too), or at the very least right up there with the best. Comfort is good. Could be improved somewhat (what can't though), particularly on the top inside area where it's still squared off, but they're far from uncomfortable. Isolation is pretty solid too, despite a semi-shallow fit. With the balanced filters installed they sound excellent. Very smooth, balanced, and detailed. Extension at either end is not lacking. Treble is emphasized, but not to the extent of some of the more popular 100 USD iems, like the TFZ King and Kinera H3. That applies even with the treble filter in place, imo. The bass filter is the only true negative. It less boosts bass more than it recesses and muddies the mid-range to give the impression of increased bass. Not terrible, but compared to the other two filters a clear step down. Sound stage is also really impressive, easily up there with the Havi twins.

The GT600s comes across to me as good at everything, bad at nothing, hence it's benchmark status in my collection. It's greatest strength is it's consistency.

The tfz king has fast and decent bass. How does the gt600s's bass compare to the tfz king. And when are you getting the fiio f9? Would love to hear a comparison between them

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Had a pair for a year or so, I agree they're very good

Hehe, can't say i'm surprise, you got the flair for budget miracle

Did you try the closed one or any other ISK headphones??

Still have the HF2010 on head, they do very well with acoustic jazz, right now the cello in it have so much body and authority. Far from being boring this headphone!
hum. I was able to find it in sale for 34$....it's good to feel like an audiophile thief when its perfectly legal!

Really, to put on wish list for 11/11 Ali sale!!! If you give this to any music lover for christmass your sure to be a big shot hehe

One thing to note: at 60ohm with sound pressure of 93db it can need little amping and will not sound as glorious straight out of a phone or little DAP.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

I've got the intro written haha. Got a lot on my plate right now so I'm not sure when the review will be up. It's become my 100 USD benchmark iem though, if that helps.

It's build quality is the best of any similarly priced iem I've used (and bests more expensive stuff too), or at the very least right up there with the best. Comfort is good. Could be improved somewhat (what can't though), particularly on the top inside area where it's still squared off, but they're far from uncomfortable. Isolation is pretty solid too, despite a semi-shallow fit. With the balanced filters installed they sound excellent. Very smooth, balanced, and detailed. Extension at either end is not lacking. Treble is emphasized, but not to the extent of some of the more popular 100 USD iems, like the TFZ King and Kinera H3. That applies even with the treble filter in place, imo. The bass filter is the only true negative. It less boosts bass more than it recesses and muddies the mid-range to give the impression of increased bass. Not terrible, but compared to the other two filters a clear step down. Sound stage is also really impressive, easily up there with the Havi twins.

The GT600s comes across to me as good at everything, bad at nothing, hence it's benchmark status in my collection. It's greatest strength is it's consistency.

The GT600 intrigue me now but I was so disapointed with the cheapest Macaw RT-10 (like, I HATE them and im stock with them). Tough, the BT Macaw aren't as bad than the RT-10.

But my question is more about the new 4driver BGVP DM5 (wich I barely buy), because you are one of the few owner and they do not get much love from what I read....did they sound less good than ZS5 or what?

Oh, and I have Kinera H3 too...true that it have something strange in soundsig and can have treble peak in vocal that will make brighter an otherwise enough smooth sound. I so want to love these, but perhaps my pair is seriously defective cause sometime it create distortion in one ear, anyway, will review them soon so need more listen. Did burn in change anything? I find them very source dependant too, did not sound good at all straight out of my Xduoo X3, its a different story with Ibasso DX90 and even more so with Fiio Q1 MarkII DAC. Try like 10 different pair of eartips to finally choose a unique ultra big and long silicone one that expend soundstage ALOT.

 

[Selenium]

The GT600 intrigue me now but I was so disapointed with the cheapest Macaw RT-10 (like, I HATE them and im stock with them). Tough, the BT Macaw aren't as bad than the RT-10.

But my question is more about the new 4driver BGVP DM5 (wich I barely buy), because you are one of the few owner and they do not get much love from what I read....did they sound less good than ZS5 or what?

Oh, and I have Kinera H3 too...true that it have something strange in soundsig and can have treble peak in vocal that will make brighter an otherwise enough smooth sound. I so want to love these, but perhaps my pair is seriously defective cause sometime it create distortion in one ear, anyway, will review them soon so need more listen. Did burn in change anything? I find them very source dependant too, did not sound good at all straight out of my Xduoo X3, its a different story with Ibasso DX90 and even more so with Fiio Q1 MarkII DAC. Try like 10 different pair of eartips to finally choose a unique ultra big and long silicone one that expend soundstage ALOT.

In the discovery thread dsnuts said the DM5 is better than the Dunu 2000j. If that helps at all.

 

[Slater]

...It's build quality is the best of any similarly priced iem I've used (and bests more expensive stuff too), or at the very least right up there with the best. Comfort is good. Could be improved somewhat (what can't though), particularly on the top inside area where it's still squared off, but they're far from uncomfortable.

Looks like you could easily smooth out those squared off edges with a Dremel and a fine sanding drum (without hurting anything).

 

[Vidal]

Did you try the closed one or any other ISK headphones??

Still have the HF2010 on head, they do very well with acoustic jazz, right now the cello in it have so much body and authority. Far from being boring this headphone!
hum. I was able to find it in sale for 34$....it's good to feel like an audiophile thief when its perfectly legal!

Really, to put on wish list for 11/11 Ali sale!!! If you give this to any music lover for christmass your sure to be a big shot hehe

One thing to note: at 60ohm with sound pressure of 93db it can need little amping and will not sound as glorious straight out of a phone or little DAP.

Still have the HP2011 knocking about somewhere but not listened to them in a while. Always paired them with the Little Dot mk2.

 

[Slater]

So my UiiSii CM5 arrived today (bought for $19.99 from Amazon, although it can be found on sale for less).

This is my first UiiSii, and if this is representative of the brand I guarantee it won't be my last.

Here's my impressions.

Build:

• The CM5 uses a single 10mm dual-diaphragm graphene driver**. I think I'm really growing to like graphene drivers. Graphene has a certain unique sound quality to them vs other IEM drivers (titanium, PEEK, PET).
• The wire is TPE, which makes the cable feel soft and slippery (even though the cable itself is a little stiff). If you're familiar with the Xiaomi Pro HD cable, it's similar.
• The 3.5mm plug is an offset angle type, which I like (it's a cross between a straight and 90 degree plug). The plug has a fairly compact width, which barely fits my phone case (YMMV).
• The cable has a single button control with mic (no volume), which worked on my Android as well as iPhone. The button itself is small, but since there's only 1 button you can find it by feel only. Mic is clear and effective.
• There are adequate cable strain reliefs at the shells, Y split, and 3.5mm plug.

Fitment:

• The shells are made of plastic. The outside of the shell is transparent, with tiny sparkles which I could do without. The outside of the shell has a 'carved' style, reminiscent of a seashell. I would have preferred a plain outer shell, but they are stylish. Multiple colors are available (black/blue/red - I got black).
• The back of the shells are coated with a nanotech/rubberized coating found on some phone cases.
• They have a very organic ear shape. UiiSii obviously did their homework on the shell shape. They feel natural and comfy in the ear, with no odd protrusions or sharp edges that can lead to hot spots.
• The insertion with the stock tips is shallower than I prefer, and as a result the bass and soundstage suffers due to an unreliable seal. I wish the nozzles were a few mm longer. They may fit your ears differently, but in my ears the shell body bottoms out, and whatever insertion seal you get is it. I later tried some KZ Starline tips and Comply style foam tips and was able to get an improved fit/seal.
• The 'memory wire' ear hooks is one of the best features of the CM5. I love them. It's very comfortable, stays out of your way when you take the CM5 on/off, yet snaps right back into position. There's no wire in the earhook section - it's a pre-formed clear rubber covering that I've seen before on a few other IEMs.

Accessories:

• A total of 5 pairs of silicone tips are included (2 different types in multiple sizes each). One of the tip shapes is slightly different than I've seen before (a "long dome" shape, like you chopped off the bottom of a test tube)
• Nice velcro cable wrap (not the tiny minimalist one KZ used to provide)
• Hard EVA foam zippered carrying case

Sound:

• Bass is controlled, and has good quality and extension. There's no bleed into the mids. The bass is heavily influenced by the tips you choose (stock or tip rolling) and the insertion/seal. With the stock tips (and shallower insertion), bass was reduced. I later tried some KZ Starline tips and Comply style foam tips and was able to get an improved fit/seal resulting in a significant increase in bass. As user @jant71 pointed out: "I have been trying out a few different tips and the way they fit can give various amounts of bass or even a closer to neutral sound."
• Mids sound clear, but are recessed as expected with a v-shaped signature.
• Treble is bright, but with no sharpness or sibilance (like the KZ ZST has for example).
• They can sometimes sound unnatural or dry, but this was only noticed it a few times. It could be something going on with a specific frequency (that can be EQd), or it could just be the nature of the driver(s). I noticed the tips have an effect on this as well.
• Instrument separation is good
• Clarity is above average
• Soundstage is excellent, with an open and airy quality
• Isolation and external leakage is excellent
• Dynamics are excellent
• I did not experience any fatigue, even after hours of continuous wear

The CM5 has a 32ohm impedance. My iPhone had no problems driving it, and it sounded good whether it was on the phone, my DAP, or my DAP+amp.

The bottom line is that from the packaging and accessories to the build quality and sound, color me impressed! These are a literally a no-brainer for <$20.

Again, the CM5 are highly tip dependent (moreso than most IEMs), which you can seriously use that to your advantage for tuning possibilities if you are willing to do some tip rolling.




** Some seller listings incorrectly list the CM5 as a hybrid (DD+BA). This is incorrect - CM5 is not a hybrid.

 

[Slater]

Guys, just a PSA.

It seems that counterfeit Xiaomi In-Ear Pro HDs are out now, and a HF member on the Pro HD thread has posted details including photos.

He recently bought them from GearBest (sadly), and there has been a 2nd member that has chimed in with another pair from GearBest.

This is sad news - 1) because only previously the Pistons were faked, but more importantly 2) that even GearBest is not immune to counterfeit goods. Whether they knowingly are involved or are even aware of it is unknown. In any event, be aware and be careful.

The most telltale sign is the lack of any BA drivers in the nozzle (in other words, just a crappy single dynamic driver instead of a triple driver hybrid). He posted photos of all of the differences.

Check the Pro HD thread for information and continuing developments: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/xia...ro-hd-2-1-hybrid.825485/page-48#post-13742769