[jeffhawke]

I came Home from a mini Vacation to find my Headphones had arrived!!!!
CIEM NCM NC5-V2
Now im no Audiophile so i cant give a review on audio quality and also I am not using a high end source. Just the CIPHER lightning cable from AAW to connect to my iphone X and using Spotify( on extreme ‍). I am largely under using my CIEMS.
Even so I have owned the Audeze isine LX and Fender FX6 and these beat those hands Down. The Audeze aound quality was supererb but the fit was HORRIBLE, Huge wouldnt go in my ears and consistantly fell off. But with the NC5's its the same sound quality ( a bit less loud ) but a PERFECT fit super comfortable. The quality is incredible. No matter hOw badly I tuned the EQ or how high it was hard to distort. Honestly Its like owning a Lamborghini in a small town with short roads and speed bumps. All my music is in Spotify ALL of it so I just cant get these past 2nd gear. So if anyone has some good advice on a HI-FI player with Spotify or Tidal or something with a great built in Amp qnd DAC i am all ears.
The only "downside" about these CIEM's is that I like my music LOUD! And When using the same source with other iems they are a bit louder like The Audeze. At full volume the audeze were too loud unbearably and began to distort even but 1-2 clicks below and the volume was Still very Loud with no distortion. But these NC5's I can Turn them as far up as it goes and not a hint of distortion, also not the same decibels, but like i said " downside " is they leave you wanting More!! But unfortunately my source just cant do it. Even with the built in mini amp on the CIPHER. Just ti emphasize its fault of my source ( and ears ) not the CIEM's they can just handle so much power! And keep going they hare hars to distort.
The craftsmanship is incredible and customer service is 10/10. Theres nothing i can say on this subject other than WOW. Thomas and his crew very professional. They made a small mistake thaT only my picky ass Noticed on one of my faceplates and he fixed it with out me even asking. I just pointed it out, ans expected them to be shipped that way but no he replaced the faceplate And I still got them before i planned. the turn around was fast and I live in Chicago, literally other side of the world from them. He even answered and explained all my stupid noob questions.
( Sorry i am all over the place i an writing down things as i think of them )
If you have the money i highly recommend them. Even the case that they come in is sweet! Ill post some pictures later.
So please any recommendations on sources maybe amps for the Iphone or ways to listen to new songs with out needing to buy albums that'd be great.
Thomas a special thank you to you. You have made my 1 hour commute to work on the Train 100% worth it haha

You may want to consider the new iFi Audio xDSD which also has AAC codec which will allow you to connect your iPhone X via bluetooth and keep a good quality level. Check the xDSD thread for more info .

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

I came Home from a mini Vacation to find my Headphones had arrived!!!!
CIEM NCM NC5-V2
Now im no Audiophile so i cant give a review on audio quality and also I am not using a high end source. Just the CIPHER lightning cable from AAW to connect to my iphone X and using Spotify( on extreme ‍). I am largely under using my CIEMS.
Even so I have owned the Audeze isine LX and Fender FX6 and these beat those hands Down. The Audeze aound quality was supererb but the fit was HORRIBLE, Huge wouldnt go in my ears and consistantly fell off. But with the NC5's its the same sound quality ( a bit less loud ) but a PERFECT fit super comfortable. The quality is incredible. No matter hOw badly I tuned the EQ or how high it was hard to distort. Honestly Its like owning a Lamborghini in a small town with short roads and speed bumps. All my music is in Spotify ALL of it so I just cant get these past 2nd gear. So if anyone has some good advice on a HI-FI player with Spotify or Tidal or something with a great built in Amp qnd DAC i am all ears.
The only "downside" about these CIEM's is that I like my music LOUD! And When using the same source with other iems they are a bit louder like The Audeze. At full volume the audeze were too loud unbearably and began to distort even but 1-2 clicks below and the volume was Still very Loud with no distortion. But these NC5's I can Turn them as far up as it goes and not a hint of distortion, also not the same decibels, but like i said " downside " is they leave you wanting More!! But unfortunately my source just cant do it. Even with the built in mini amp on the CIPHER. Just ti emphasize its fault of my source ( and ears ) not the CIEM's they can just handle so much power! And keep going they hare hars to distort.
The craftsmanship is incredible and customer service is 10/10. Theres nothing i can say on this subject other than WOW. Thomas and his crew very professional. They made a small mistake thaT only my picky ass Noticed on one of my faceplates and he fixed it with out me even asking. I just pointed it out, ans expected them to be shipped that way but no he replaced the faceplate And I still got them before i planned. the turn around was fast and I live in Chicago, literally other side of the world from them. He even answered and explained all my stupid noob questions.
( Sorry i am all over the place i an writing down things as i think of them )
If you have the money i highly recommend them. Even the case that they come in is sweet! Ill post some pictures later.
So please any recommendations on sources maybe amps for the Iphone or ways to listen to new songs with out needing to buy albums that'd be great.
Thomas a special thank you to you. You have made my 1 hour commute to work on the Train 100% worth it haha

Pretty f'ing dope yeah

I never considered a custom set of caps on any IEM until NCM came along . Thomas is a wizard of sound tuning. The FiiO Q5 works great and I will have the xDSD by iFi in a few days so i can chime in on that. The Aune B1s is a really nice amp for these too

 

[CAPTAINIVAN]

Pretty f'ing dope yeah

I never considered a custom set of caps on any IEM until NCM came along . Thomas is a wizard of sound tuning. The FiiO Q5 works great and I will have the xDSD by iFi in a few days so i can chime in on that. The Aune B1s is a really nice amp for these too

Thank you Both for the advice. The Xdsd is definitely more than I want to spend, i only need a small extra kick. How would the FiiO q1 mark ii work? Do you happen to know if the provided cable for the ncm v2 is balanced? Will that plug into the mark ii? ( Excuse me I am new to the headphone world, I am a transplant from high end car audio )

 

[thomaskr]

Ivan, yours was terminated in stereo 3.5mm jack, you need to re terminate it to 2.5mm / 4.4mm for balance

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

Thank you Both for the advice. The Xdsd is definitely more than I want to spend, i only need a small extra kick. How would the FiiO q1 mark ii work? Do you happen to know if the provided cable for the ncm v2 is balanced? Will that plug into the mark ii? ( Excuse me I am new to the headphone world, I am a transplant from high end car audio )

The FiiO Q1mkII is enough power for the NCM

 

[CAPTAINIVAN]

Sweet! Thank you. The AAW lightning Capri Cable i am using now says it does 128mw at 16ohms and i can only guess maybe 90 at 19? And if so it isnt enough. So maybe the FiiO can give me that boost.

 

[srosenberg]

looks like i might be the next member of the NCM CIEM Club...

i just left Thomas's retail store (i am fortunate to be living in Ho Chi Minh City now) where I spent a considerable amount of time listening to the Bella and NC5-V2. since this will be a travel kit for me i'll likely be driving them directly from my iphone and not a stand alone DAP. in this context, there was little between them. the Bella might have had a touch larger presentation and required one or two more clicks up on the volume for equivalent playback levels, but given the source i was using, they were extremely similar. i suspect with a better DAP, there may have been greater differentiation between them.

while it's already been mentioned, it bears repeating... Thomas is absolutely awesome to work with. extremely patient and accommodating. he answered all of my questions, let me spend as much time as i needed with the various models and did my impressions right in the shop. absolutely top shelf service.

thanks for making me aware of NCM... what an amazing find right here in Saigon!

 

[thomaskr]

looks like i might be the next member of the NCM CIEM Club...

i just left Thomas's retail store (i am fortunate to be living in Ho Chi Minh City now) where I spent a considerable amount of time listening to the Bella and NC5-V2. since this will be a travel kit for me i'll likely be driving them directly from my iphone and not a stand alone DAP. in this context, there was little between them. the Bella might have had a touch larger presentation and required one or two more clicks up on the volume for equivalent playback levels, but given the source i was using, they were extremely similar. i suspect with a better DAP, there may have been greater differentiation between them.

while it's already been mentioned, it bears repeating... Thomas is absolutely awesome to work with. extremely patient and accommodating. he answered all of my questions, let me spend as much time as i needed with the various models and did my impressions right in the shop. absolutely top shelf service.

thanks for making me aware of NCM... what an amazing find right here in Saigon!

Thanks for the kind words and support~! and welcome to the Club

 

[srosenberg]

Whilst awaiting a 4.4mm plug that Thomas special ordered for me (thanks, Thomas... amazing customer support as usual) I went into the NCM shop here in Saigon to test the fit and have an initial listen to my custom Bellas. Wow, these IEMs are absolutely incredible!! I was driving them with a Sony WM1A via the 3.5mm output, and I don't know if there's some special synergy between these components that compliments my sonic preferences, but the combination was simply outstanding. Straight across the board, by all the usual metrics - staging, extension on both ends of the spectrum, clarity, PRAT, etc - the bellas were exemplary. They excelled in EVERYTHING I value in sonics. I was quite simply floored by these IEM's, which is something that hasn't happened in quite some time. Of course the sound is paramount, but I would be remiss if I didn't also call out the build quality - the fit was spot on and the finish on the shells is gorgeous.

Outstanding work, Thomas... I can't wait to hear the Bellas through the balanced output on the WM1A.

 

[hamhamhamsta]

I came Home from a mini Vacation to find my Headphones had arrived!!!!
CIEM NCM NC5-V2
Now im no Audiophile so i cant give a review on audio quality and also I am not using a high end source. Just the CIPHER lightning cable from AAW to connect to my iphone X and using Spotify( on extreme ‍). I am largely under using my CIEMS.
Even so I have owned the Audeze isine LX and Fender FX6 and these beat those hands Down. The Audeze aound quality was supererb but the fit was HORRIBLE, Huge wouldnt go in my ears and consistantly fell off. But with the NC5's its the same sound quality ( a bit less loud ) but a PERFECT fit super comfortable. The quality is incredible. No matter hOw badly I tuned the EQ or how high it was hard to distort. Honestly Its like owning a Lamborghini in a small town with short roads and speed bumps. All my music is in Spotify ALL of it so I just cant get these past 2nd gear. So if anyone has some good advice on a HI-FI player with Spotify or Tidal or something with a great built in Amp qnd DAC i am all ears.
The only "downside" about these CIEM's is that I like my music LOUD! And When using the same source with other iems they are a bit louder like The Audeze. At full volume the audeze were too loud unbearably and began to distort even but 1-2 clicks below and the volume was Still very Loud with no distortion. But these NC5's I can Turn them as far up as it goes and not a hint of distortion, also not the same decibels, but like i said " downside " is they leave you wanting More!! But unfortunately my source just cant do it. Even with the built in mini amp on the CIPHER. Just ti emphasize its fault of my source ( and ears ) not the CIEM's they can just handle so much power! And keep going they hare hars to distort.
The craftsmanship is incredible and customer service is 10/10. Theres nothing i can say on this subject other than WOW. Thomas and his crew very professional. They made a small mistake thaT only my picky ass Noticed on one of my faceplates and he fixed it with out me even asking. I just pointed it out, ans expected them to be shipped that way but no he replaced the faceplate And I still got them before i planned. the turn around was fast and I live in Chicago, literally other side of the world from them. He even answered and explained all my stupid noob questions.
( Sorry i am all over the place i an writing down things as i think of them )
If you have the money i highly recommend them. Even the case that they come in is sweet! Ill post some pictures later.
So please any recommendations on sources maybe amps for the Iphone or ways to listen to new songs with out needing to buy albums that'd be great.
Thomas a special thank you to you. You have made my 1 hour commute to work on the Train 100% worth it haha

My recommendation before you spent too much money on getting dap, get this bluetooth receiver, earstudio es100. It plays Aptx HD and with latest update, plays LDAC. It has 3.5 mm and 2.5 mm balanced connection and X2 current. Used 2 x chips used by AK. Sound quality is truly amazing on 2.5mm balanced. Personally, I think it beats any Dap below $500, definitely better than Mojo. On Android, you can use LDAC by upgrading to Oreo.

The best thing, ES100 is only $99 and available on Amazon prime. EQ is really really good. Based on sound quality alone on balanced connection, I am willing to pay up to 4x. This is from a guy who used modified Sony WM1Z. As you can see, Im a fan, Im raving this amazing little device. It will bring your listening experience another level.

 

[galangerz]

I just watch HBB's video and I'm interested in these! just wanted to know how the bellas compare to the EE LX's, I have the uni and I might want a custom bella

any opinions are appreciated thanks guys

 

[faceestrella]

I was lucky enough to get loaned these. And MAN, MAN these great, all around performer and something I miss already.
If anyone wants to they can check it out here: http://faceaudioreviews.blogspot.co...the-beautiful-the-bella-ncm-bella-review.html

 

[SeeSax]

I was lucky enough to get loaned these. And MAN, MAN these great, all around performer and something I miss already.
If anyone wants to they can check it out here: http://faceaudioreviews.blogspot.co...the-beautiful-the-bella-ncm-bella-review.html

Congrats @faceestrella for a great review that is now on the front page. A very enjoyable read, thanks for taking the time.

-Collin-

 

[Hanesu]

looks like i might be the next member of the NCM CIEM Club...

i just left Thomas's retail store (i am fortunate to be living in Ho Chi Minh City now) where I spent a considerable amount of time listening to the Bella and NC5-V2. since this will be a travel kit for me i'll likely be driving them directly from my iphone and not a stand alone DAP. in this context, there was little between them. the Bella might have had a touch larger presentation and required one or two more clicks up on the volume for equivalent playback levels, but given the source i was using, they were extremely similar. i suspect with a better DAP, there may have been greater differentiation between them.

while it's already been mentioned, it bears repeating... Thomas is absolutely awesome to work with. extremely patient and accommodating. he answered all of my questions, let me spend as much time as i needed with the various models and did my impressions right in the shop. absolutely top shelf service.

thanks for making me aware of NCM... what an amazing find right here in Saigon!

Hi! Can I ask what exactly you mean by "bigger presentation" of Bella? Larger soundstage? All in all thicker tone?
Is there maybe anybody else who can comment in detail on the sound differences between the NC5-V2 and Bella?

Thank you!
I am really interested in both and am wondering if one of them could become my first CIEM!

 

[superuser1]

Got a universal NC5v2 as a loaner from @suman134 and i must say the sound is just surreal. The only issue for me if i nitpick is the shallow fit. What tips are you guys using?