[gmdb]

As usual, purchased with my own hobby budget. Truthear SHIO and HOLA.



I have meetings after meetings today, probably would report first impressions tonight.

Truthear may have heard me complaining about their ear tips and carrying pouch Now the pouch got rid of “golden” parts and ear tips has wide open bore.

Below is what I think Truthear should have paired to their HEXA (Latex H570 wide bore x clear silicone) and what Truthear HOLA’s latest ear tips

Proper bore size Truthear have paired as the stock ear tip!!

Notice something? Truthear paid an extra cost to paint the metal filter of HOLA to black. Wow.



30 sec on HOLA with wide bore stock ML size tip: Not something I’d expect from $19 IEM.
Smooth and delicately tuned even right out of the box.

▶︎Cables is upgraded from older generations (HEXA/ZERO), ear tips, carrying pouches as well.

▶︎Pouch is obviously a fake leather, and probably will peel away for couple of months use.


Truthear SHIO and Luxury & Precision W2 they both use same CS43198x2


SHIO close shot (PCM high gain)
▶︎simple gain change (press vol +/- together) indicator LED will change color (yellow = high, red = low for PCM)


Sadly SHIO only comes with USB-C to USB-cable, no lightning to USB-C.

The stock USB-C to USB-C cable is fabric laminated and feels pretty sturdy.

Left 2 cables are W2’s stock cables for comparison


Sound of SHIO; highly resolving, great compatibility with iphone.

—HOLA first impression
▶︎a sub $20 segment advanced to thus far…very impressive.
▶︎More natural / flat upper-mid accent when compared to moondrop‘s VDSF, somewhat Monarch /AFUL P5 style flat approach rather than spotlighting peak approach like Moondrop’s Dusk, or generally what Crin loves to do for a emphasis on female vocals.
▶︎This rather flat upper mid also leads to intimat diffusions
▶︎Surely HOLA’s tuning is very “safe” and inoffensive, which Aria OG’s tuning had very similar first impression on me, however! HOLA‘s less dampened when compared to Aria OG, which brings to a hypothesis that maybe HOLA is a better replacement kit for Moondrop’s Aria…? I need to verify this in a week or so..



—SHIO vs W2
SHIO has very basic functionality, low gain high gain, that’s it. No LPF or timbre tuning. Not as versatile as fullsize DAP or higher functional DAC dongles, but the sound quality is very satisfying.

▶︎more U-tuned than W2, I see some coloration on SHIO‘s sub-bass and treble when compared to more neutral W2

▶︎Technicality of W2 and SHIO, when directly A-B tested, is surely a different class one, W2 has higher imaging / dynamic range illustration/ spatial positioning and finesse rendering than SHIO. Yes even if they use sale DAC chipsets, they sound different. But the difference in technicality of W2 and SHIO isn‘t too far, for line out from iphone probably 10-15% if it definitely needs to be quantified. That means the performance gap between W2 and SHIO is forgivable considering $69 vs $309 gap in the cost. But I must admit when directly listened after W2, SHIO‘s output has defined imaging, and rather boring and straightforward dynamic range expressions.

▶︎SHIO is not USB dongle flagship replacement, but I find it very cost efficient for the sole purpose in getting “better sound output“ from daily use devices.

—SHIO vs M11Pro’s line-out mode (AK4497EQx2 only).

▶︎AK4497EQ x 2‘s line out coming out of FiiO’s M11 Pro is very natural and transparent maybe lacks dynamism in bass range but fairly good subject to compare to USB dongles’ output as it bypasses the amp of the DAP.

When compared SHIO to AK4497EQx2 line out, SHIO has warm coloration around bass range, there is also lower treble gain level when compared to pure flat AK4497EQ. Probably that’s the SHIO’s amp’s taste, as it certainly has more energy than pure DAC to line-out output.

—Overall for SHIO

I feel SHIO could use a bit more power to run dynamic drivers, when directly A-B tested. It is a very good DAC dongle option, as far as cost to performance is considered.

Now SHIO intrigues small DAC alternatives such as Shanling M0 Pro
the review of IEM shop manager is up, Eng CC available

—Overall for HOLA & SHIO combination
I’ve done all A-B test of SHIO with HOLA, and HOLA is capable enough to render the DAP-native sound signature which is very high-performing considering it’s technicality as a reference monitor. SHIO is not 90+/100 type top performer, but it does close to 80/100, a very satisfactory one, so does HOLA, when combined SHIO and HOLA, this pair costing a total of $69+$19 = $88 is bare minimum entry point that you need to pay to get close to 80/100 performance out of daily used devices and phones. What a nice era we are living in!


Truthear 3 sisters from Left to Right

HEXA | ZERO | HOLA

My Shio came in yesterday. Initial impressions are very favourable. It certainly looks classy and with limited listening has the slightly more natural CS chip feel to the sound. There's certainly some extra note thickness which I think the sabre chips lack at times. But early days and I'd like to get a few more hours on it and compare it to a couple of other items I have that use the Cirrus Logic chips.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Last year, I had a chance encounter with the modern flathead earbuds in the form of Fiio FF3. That unassuming piece of head-fi gear ended up receiving the first ever “seal of approval” from me thanks to a combination of headphone-like presentation, unmatched comfort, and affordability.

Still, FF3 was far from perfect. Great DIY earbuds such as TGXear Serratus showed that earbuds can match the bests of IEMs, and Fiio’s earbuds still have quite a bit of work ahead of them.

After many delays, Fiio’s answer in the form of FF5 is finally here. Can it surpass the great FF3? Can it reach the lofty standard set by DIYers?

Let’s talk about FF5. The review is available on Head-Fi and my blog

FF5 is a high-achiever from an old guard in the earbuds world dominated by DIY products. It has a natural, lush, balanced tonality. The big, fun bass of the predecessor FF3 has been tuned down, trading intensity for snappiness and clarity. The resolution has been improved across the board. FF5 is more than a match for many IEMs and some of the most excellent DIY earbuds.

Should you get FF5? Well, can you find a quiet listening space? If the answer is yes, then yes. IEGems seal of approval and highest recommendation.

Pros:

• Natural, lush, balanced tonality
• Excellent resolution
• Excellent soundstage imaging
• Snappy, clean, impactful bassline
• Replaceable cable
• Price

Cons:

• The lush midrange can reduce perceived resolution with some tracks
• The sub-bass rumble is only adequate
• No isolation

 

[helloh3adfi]

Glad to hear your Sea-elf finally got accustomed to your local water

Yea that’s odd thing about LCP driver, many of them acts very poorly when right out of box. Sadly many reviewers don’t believe in burn in and simply slap “failed“ sticker on their review grade

So true man. It's funny how refined my Serials become the more I burn them in. Without burn-in they were pretty boomy and fatiguing. Though I don't know if they use LCP on Serial. Bass DD probably bio something?

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Got a link?

I'm currently looking for a bullet style cheap replacement for my failed mh-750s.

Nvm, i see it. Open back will be dire for use out in public :/

This $14 one does good job. It’s an LCP driver and I have it. Best performing dynamic bullet IEM among many others.
Astrotec Vesna
https://a.co/d/iRO4sdn

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Caved in and ordered a HEXA. Looking forward to some technicals. Really enjoying the OG Penon FAN, great single DD.

Please give HEXA a good 30 hour burn in if you feel bass range isn’t sounding “right” or the edge of bass notes are muffled and off-tuned.

I do noted HEXA’s bass driver had some minor imaging cap limit at the beginning of use, and eventually faded away. Even with that HEXA is very disruptive.

Now HEXA is limit-less in bass range technical expression for tracks like this
https://tidal.com/track/85376066
if you can’t access tidal
YTM

AM or Apple Music

 

[Tzennn]

Please give HEXA a good 30 hour burn in if you feel bass range isn’t sounding “right” or the edge of bass notes are muffled and off-tuned.

I do noted HEXA’s bass driver had some minor imaging cap limit at the beginning of use, and eventually faded away. Even with that HEXA is very disruptive.

Now HEXA is limit-less in bass range technical expression for tracks like this
https://tidal.com/track/85376066
if you can’t access tidal
YTM

AM or Apple Music

Now i know why most youtube link you post, i can't access them, YTM is unavailable in Vietnam so..

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Now i know why most youtube link you post, i can't access them, YTM is unavailable in Vietnam so..

Ah…I see. I may change to general YT or other links then

 

[helloh3adfi]

Now i know why most youtube link you post, i can't access them, YTM is unavailable in Vietnam so..

You could try VPN or paste video ID to general YT link.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Confirmed Truthear SHIO works well with my work laptop (ThinkPad P50). 300% better than 3.5mm stock earphone jack for sure

Great solution as portable USB dongle, I probably will leave SHIO in the office desk drawer and keep W2 as home office solution going forward.

I like SHIO’s design that is very subtle and minimalist, so even in the office this won’t stands out like the other ones has “hi-res” stickers on it.

Just finished a video conference meeting with SHIO+Blessing2, pretty much all you need to deal with non-native English speaker’s verbal conversation.
A very good match SHIO and B2 is.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

New Discovery.


a new Japanese IEM review blog:

▶︎auto-scripted = English (and many other languages) CC available

▶︎it plays recording signature for many tracks among original / IEM being reviewed & benchmarks.

▶︎it has live spectrums charts and FR measurements

▶︎so far 285 IEM videos have been posted

▶︎it is “paid promotion” type but pretty informative, I suggest do not take the whole review comments as-is, however this channel does say “no” to the one that didn’t meet expectations of the reviewers. Also the recording signatures are purely objective and at least you can tell the tonal balance from that

 

[morndewey]

I have the opportunity to audition VE Grand Duke (Single DD) Initial impressions are warm, smooth, mellow, bass is like a subwoofer that goes deep. Mids are slighty forward and details are there. Has that vintage sound but modernized. Timbre and male vocals are on point.

Definitely going to order my own set this year.

Vision Ears or Venture Electronics?

 

[PhonoPhi]

Yeah, the change is minimal and stays way above the resonance peak, where the coupler is already inaccurate, so I decided to leave the calibration out.

If I were to appeal to authority, I would say Mr Super*Review does the same

Fun fact, I bought the coupler because I wanted to develop my own EQ profiles. It was when I believe that with the power of EQ and apple dongle, I can match any kilobuck

I am sure that capable equalizing skills can save few kilobucks for many

Surely, the limitations of the frequency and dynamic range of transducers can't be overcome with EQ. Good to be aware of these limitations.
But then trimming some excess on the ends of the spectrum range works the best, as well as compensating for unwanted peaks - changing some IEMs from "not my thing" to a good match.

As for the Apple dongle, I came to appreciate it as a nice neutral reference source after having 10+ DACs and other sources ($1000+). Knowing the colours of your current and/or preferred source rendering is very helpful (I learned it quite a bit of a hard way). The Apple dongle has its limitations too. Knowing them is equally empowering not to think that "all you need is this dongle", as some guys in the Science forum delude

Confirmed Truthear SHIO works well with my work laptop (ThinkPad P50). 300% better than 3.5mm stock earphone jack for sure

Great solution as portable USB dongle, I probably will leave SHIO in the office desk drawer and keep W2 as home office solution going forward.

I like SHIO’s design that is very subtle and minimalist, so even in the office this won’t stands out like the other ones has “hi-res” stickers on it.


Just finished a video conference meeting with SHIO+Blessing2, pretty much all you need to deal with non-native English speaker’s verbal conversation.
A very good match SHIO and B2 is.

In a very nice surprise, I got my Shio today as well P. S. Amazon not Ali - super!!)

The very first impressions:
-- well built
-- light
-- good leather surface (? durable)
-- the usb cable is the shortest I've seen - a good addition to my collection; as an only cable, it can be too short and stiff for some uses
-- clean and clear sound, will compare against my favourite everyday E44 and differently very capable E1DA SG3 and Muse M3, will sure to have some fun in the next few days

P. P. S. Without independent volume controls promised, Shio will remain a limited half-baked product, at least for the Android-based phones. Please do it!

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tinhifi-c3.26242/review/30042/

My take on the C3

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

KBEAR Storm

$17.99 USD

PEEK+PU diaphragm DD





Seems like another ultra-budget contender.

The 15 dB pinna gain is a bit worrisome though.


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005098755912.html

Here's my official review of the KBEAR Storm.

Yeah it's a Storm of a wacky hot mess of tuning!

Looks CHEAP feels CHEAP and is cheap. KZ made the same looking IEM but better

And that's the huge problem at $18 it is 200% outclassed by other IEM's

Don't waste your money on this IEM.

Truthear Hola is out. same price but waaaayyy better tuning , better no not better leaps and bounds better build quality, Better cable , better Case ( Actually includes a nice one.)

END OF REVIEW.

 

[o0genesis0o]

As for the Apple dongle, I came to appreciate it as a nice neutral reference source after having 10+ DACs and other sources ($1000+). Knowing the colours of your current and/or preferred source rendering is very helpful (I learned it quite a bit of a hard way). The Apple dongle has its limitations too. Knowing them is equally empowering not to think that "all you need is this dongle", as some guys in the Science forum delude

Nitpicking aside, Apple dongle is a feat of engineering to be sure. The audio input side is an unsung hero that enable the entire IEM measurement hobby, IMHO. I was shocked when realising that not every audio input interface has flat 20Hz to 20000kHz response like Apple dongle, making FR measurement impossible.

My dream? Something acts like Apple dongle, drains as little energy as apple dongle, but somehow gives me that big spacious sound that I get from my M6U or K7 when listening to IEMs. I don’t get why it is so hard to do so, since IEMs require little amping anyway.

Of course, one can say that all of those “spacious 3D soundstage” are just audiophile placebo BS. I do wish it is the case, because the illusion would disappear with time, and I can find a tiny dongle that gives me the sound I need. Yet, this “placebo BS” has been pretty persistent

---

I have this little unknown dongle from DUNU, sent by Hifigo as a gift

Thick as a rope. Gets quite warm after a while. Quite promising sound quality wise. Not as good as my big gear, sadly (for me), but not too lacking like some in my collection. I think it’s a generic OEM with Dunu logo on top. Zero idea what’s inside. I think it’s $10.