Very well written and perfectly on point. I love my set
1 Like
For me the C3 edge’s it out slightly, better fit and shape than the Candenza.
1 Like
I saw you have PR1 Pro. How is it?
I just spent all yesterday a/b between the new Heyday and the PR1 PRO and well today I sold the Heyday cuz I think the KZ is by far the better of the two musically technically and definitely in the bass.
2 Likes
Woaw. Didn’t expect that.
What kind of music did you listen to?
I should be getting one on loan soon and intend to AB with Timeless.
Tin Hifi C2 Mech Warrior
The Tin Hifi C2 Mech Warrior have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. They have not requested anything specific so, as usual, I will aim to be as unbiased and sincere as possible in my review.
As always, a non affiliate link to the C2 Mech Warrior via Linsoul can be found in the version of this review published on my blog (link to my blog at the end of this post).
Intro…
I actually received 3 sets of Tin Hifi IEMs from Linsoul at the same time, the C2 Mech Warrior, the C3 and the T4 plus. For no real reason, I decided to start with these and move my way up through the numbers.
The C2, which are also called the Mech Warrior (for reasons I am unsure of but I guess it is due to the aesthetics) are another set that enters the extreme budget battle, coming in at around 30€ (at the time of writing this review).
They feature a single dynamic driver which is supposedly a new development from the brand and as far as looks, they certainly break away from the usual Tin Hifi offerings.
Presentation…
The C2 arrive in a small white box with a sketch of a robot on the cover and C2 Mech Warrior written beside it. I really have no idea what a Mech Warrior is but I actually like the fact that it is not the usual anime girl that we find on so many packages.
Inside the box there isn’t a lot but there is enough for us to grab the IEMs and get listening. Apart from the IEMs, we get the cable and 6 sets of silicone tips.
That is it as far as presentation, simple but nothing really to complain about.
Build and aesthetics…
The shells are completely made of 6063 aviation-grade aluminum and opt for a shape that is very reminiscent of some CFA models, or even some of the older KZ models. WHile not completely original, it is a change from the usual Tin offerings and while the shape is a little strange, I actually find them quite comfortable. They are not the most lightweight of IEMs but are nowhere near as heavy as they look.
The included cable is coloured to match the IEMs and while it uses plastic hardware, I can’t bring myself to complain about it at this price range.
In general I would say that the presentation and contents are ok, nothing amazing but certainly acceptable.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Spotify, etc.)
First let’s take a look at the graph of the C2 in comparison to my usual preference curve.
Starting off with the subbass as always, there is enough rumble for the lowest frequencies to be present, however, I can’t really talk about the subbass without mentioning the midbass at the same time.
The issue I find here is that the midbass is more prominent than the subbass and it is not the most controlled and clean of bass representations. When trying my usual subbass test with “Chameleon”, I found that the midbass took the focus and made itself too much the center of attention. This meant that to actually test the subbass, I found myself needing to resort to isolating the subbass frequencies.
As you all probably know by now (if you don’t, you are about to find out 
), I am not someone who enjoys an overly present midbass. If there is enough subbass to compensate and the midbass is clean and controlled, then I do find myself enjoying it a lot of the time. However, in the case of the C2, it has the midbass presence that causes me fatigue and can actually give me a headache after some time.
This doesn’t mean that it is bad per se, just that it doesn’t work for me personally and I do not enjoy the lower ranges of the C2. For example, the low end of the guitar in “Crazy” becomes far too boomy for my tastes, and while it is compensated by the higher ranges, it doesn’t eliminate that sensation, just tries to mask it.
Once we get out of the lows and into the mid range, things do get better. I find that vocals are decent and nicely defined, yet they can find their lower ranges competing with that lower boominess that can bleed into the lower mids.
The upper midrange has a smooth climb to it, reaching quite a nice level of presence in the upper mids of vocals, yet, the extension of the presence is just a little too much. This doesn’t actually become painful for me in the way a 5kHz peak would, yet it does give vocals, such as Johnny Cash in “Hurt”, the sensation of being too flat and dry in these ranges. It is as though the upper mids are a 2D representation of a 3D image.
As we move into the higher ranges, there are a few peaks that help give the C2 a sensation of being a little more open and detailed, yet, again, they seem to not quite be smoothed out correctly. It doesn’t become harsh, although there is some sibilance introduced in the usual “Code Cool” test, but things are just a little… unnatural.
Details are acceptable, although the “fake details” introduced by those peaks I find actually work against the real details of the driver, so it is difficult to judge. Usually I would focus on the lower mids in these cases, to see what detail retrieval can be found in those ranges, but I find that the excessive mid bass makes that difficult to do.
Soundstage and image placement is nothing extraordinary, it’s not terrible but it is by no means above average in this regard.
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Isolation is about on average with just the 3 to 4kHz range being slightly above the majority.
Conclusion…
While I can understand others maybe liking the C2, I’m afraid that to me it leaves a lot to be desired.
The midbass is excessive for my tastes, causing me fatigue, and the upper mid range and lower treble seems to be quite unnatural. Again, it is like they are presenting a 2D rendering of a 3D image and it just doesn’t work that well. It’s sort of like a blunt knife, the cutting edge is there but it doesn’t do things like it should.
This may sound a little harsh but with all of the excellent models that occupy this price bracket, I think the C2 falls quite a bit behind.
As always, this is my personal opinion based on my personal tastes, you may love them!
As with all of my reviews, this review can also be found in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
4 Likes
Tin Hifi C3
The Tin Hifi C3 were sent to me by in Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. The usual disclaimer applies, I have not received any specific comments or requests but it is always good to consider the fact that these IEMs have not actually cost me anything.
You can find a non-affiliate link to the T4 Plus via Linsoul in the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this post).
Intro…
As I mentioned in my review of the C2, Linsoul sent me three sets of Tin Hifi IEMs, the C2, the C3 and the T4 Plus. After deciding, for no specific reason, to follow the number sequence, todays review is of the C3, which is currently available from Linsoul for just under 50€. This places it inside what I consider to be an extreme budget set, however, it is quite a bit more expensive than the C2, which comes in at under 30€.
While I will judge the C3 on its own merits, a few comparisons to the C2 along the way are inevitable.
Presentation…
The packaging of the C3 is almost identical to the C2, just without the robot. A simple square white box that opens to reveal the IEMs sitting in the top half and another smaller box containing the accessories in the bottom.
Inside the accessories box we find the cable and 5 sets of silicone tips. Again, nothing to really praise but nothing to complain about either.
Build and Aesthetics…
The build and aesthetics of the C3 are very different to the little brother, with Tin reverting back to a style that is much more common (for them and others). Using 3D printed resin shells in a much more generic shape, they are much more reminiscent of something like the T3 Plus.
The face plate features the Tin Hifi logo in silver over a carbon fiber weave background, simple but by no means ugly (at least in my eyes).
The more generic shape will mean that it should be quite a comfortable fit for most people and while I didn’t have any issues with the fit of the C2, the C3 shape is probably a safer bet for the majority of users. They are also lightweight and I have to say that I haven’t experienced any discomfort from them even during longer listening sessions.
The included cable is a step up in quality, at least as far as hardware is concerned, opting for metal connectors, splitter and chin slider, which features the Tin logo. I am actually quite fond of the cable. It is not my favourite cable ever but I have absolutely no complaint about the build or ergonomics of either the cable or IEMs.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Spotify, etc.)
Here is the usual look at the graph, comparing it to both my personal preference curve and the the C2 for reference:
Starting off with the subbass, we can already see that it is quite a bit north of my preferences in this regard, however, I don’t find it too overpowering in this regard. Using the obligatory (for me) test of “Chameleon”, there is a lot of presence in these lower areas and the control is not the best but it is not the worst either. The C3 seems to defend itself fairly well even in the more populated areas of the track and while I do find it to be a little loose when overworked, I have heard much worse in these frequencies.
Moving on to the midbass, we can also see that the presence is very similar (slightly reduced) to the C2 and I complained about the C2 being far too focused on the bass. Well, the C3 is a good example of how the presence of subbass can actually mitigate the issues I have with midbass. Yes, it is still too present for me in the midbass range but as the subbass takes a little more of the spotlight, along with that (ever so slight) reductuction in the higher part of the midbass, I find that it doesn’t cause me the fatigue that the C2 does.
The midbass doesn’t really bleed over into the lower mids and I feel that the performance is similar to the C2 but that, as the focus is shifted away from these specific frequencies, it comes across as being more coherent. One of the main tests that proves this to me is the low end of the guitar in “Crazy” by Daniela Andrade. In the case of the C2, the guitar becomes very boomy, which is part of my fatigue. Yet the C3, while still having a slight bit of boominess, it is far from the point of the C2, making for a much more pleasant low end for me personally.
The center of the mids has a slight dip but nothing really worth noting and as we climb into the higher mids, the presence of vocals and other instruments is quite nicely balanced.
From around 2kHz to 5.5kHz is where I find a huge difference between the C2 and the C3. As I mentioned in the C2 review, I found the presence in this range to extend too far, giving things a sensation of being compressed. With the C3, there is a bit of an extra boost around 4kHz that can make some tracks become a little harsh, yet it rolls off about 1000Hz before the C2, giving things much more life and making them seem much more dynamic in this range.
I know others have really liked the C2 and I understand that we are all different, listening to different music and having different tastes, so I can only speak for myself but I much prefer the upper mids and lower treble on the C3.
Moving up into the higher ranges, things do seem to roll off more than on the C2, while still presenting some peaks that can cause a little imbalance in these areas, yet, as the 2k to 5.5k frequencies are more dynamic to my ears, I find that I actually notice the treble more on the bigger brother.
Detail I would say is similar between the two, which is to say decent. Saying that, due (again) to that lack of “compression” and the reduction of those high peaks to some extent, I find that I can appreciate the details much more on the C3.
Soundstage is around average for a set of IEMs and while the image placement may not be perfect, I do find it to be a step up from the previous model, or at least the way it is presented.
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The isolation of the C3 is very good above the 1kHz mark, much better than the C2 and way above average.
Conclusion…
The Tin Hifi C3 are a good set of IEMs in my opinion. I don’t think that they are going to break any molds yet the performance is still above average for a budget priced set. In comparison to the C2, I find that they work much better for me in just about every category.
That doesn’t mean that they are better than the C2, as I have seen a lot of love for the C2, it means that they work better for me personally and that I enjoy them much more. I find them more dynamic and that I can appreciate the music much more, both in the low and higher ranges.
As I keep saying in what seems like every review lately, the budget section is full of good choices at the moment and while I don’t think the C3 is to be considered king, it is still a very valid option.
This review can also be found in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
1 Like
Tin T4 Plus
The Tin Hifi T4 Plus have been sent to me by Linsoul for me to test and evaluate by means of this review. No specific comments or requests have been made and I will, as always, do my best to be as unbiased as possible. However, please remember that I did not have to purchase these IEMs.
The non-affiliate link to the T4+ via Linsoul can be found in the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this post).
Intro…
Todays review is the last of the Tin Hifi marathon, which has featured the C2, the C3 and the T4 Plus one after the other. All of these were sent to me by Linsoul at the same time and I decided I would do them in ascending numerical order, just because 
Saying that, while I have done these reviews in succession and I did compare the C2 and C3 when reviewing the C3, the T4 Plus is from a completely different series of IEMs so there is no reason to actually compare the three.
The T4 Plus uses a sigle dynamic driver and is currently priced at just under 120€ on Linsoul, which places it well out of the extreme budget options I have been looking at lately, although it is still not exactly an expensive set of IEMs (in comparison to many other models out there).
Presentation…
The box of the T4 Plus features cartoon artwork of the IEMs in outer space, with the text “Space Station” written across the bottom. I have absolutely no idea where this space reference comes from but at I guess it is a break from both the plain white boxes we usually receive from Tin (except for the recent robot). I can’t say that the box is something that attracts me but the packaging is the least of my worries when testing IEMs.
Removing the outer packaging reveals a box that is much more reminiscent of Tin Hifi (similar in finish to the T3 buds) inside of which we find the IEMs sitting in felt covered cutouts.
Beneath the top layer we find the accessories which are a bit of a change from the usual T series contents. We get a cable, a nice storage/carrying case, 3 sizes of 3 different types of tips and a clear plastic case in which one of the type of tips is stored.
While two of the types of tips are similar to those found in many models, the third type is something different. With previous editions of the T2 and T3 series (I don’t know about the OGT4 as I didn’t try those), Tin usually included at least one set of foam tips. In the case of the T4 Plus, we don’t get the foam tips but we get 3 sizes of hybrid foam/silicone tips. These are tips that have a soft memory foam style interior with a silicone cover over them. It is not the first time I have come across these tips but I can’t remember another set including them.
Build and aethetics…
The IEMs are clearly of the T series, maintaining the classic round shape with the connector being located on a barrel style protrusion on one side. They are still all metal, however, they have changed the colour scheme. Instead of the typical silver finish found on previous models, this time Tin Hifi have opted for a finish in various tones of copper. The shells are of a darker copper colour, with a lighter copper ring surrounding the faceplate. The faceplate is of a dark brown colour with some lighter speckles in the finish. The faceplate is not something that excites me but the overall colour scheme of the IEMs is something I like.
The cable also follows the same colour scheme with a two tone brown weave and metal hardware that matches the IEMs. They have kept with their recent conversion to two pin connectors (something I prefer) and also use their typical coloured ring (red right / clear left) to identify the correct side easily.
I really don’t have any complaints about the build or aesthetics of the IEMs but for some reason, I don’t find the fit and comfort as good as I have done on all the previous T series IEMs I have tried. Looking at them, I can’t spot the difference but for some reason, I have struggled to get them to fit easily, especially in my left ear.
I went through all of the included tips and the ones that work the best for me are the large silicone with red center. But even with these, I have to play around a little to get the correct seal. I thought that maybe my anatomy had changed over the Christmas period but I grabbed the T2 DLC and they fit fine, so I really don’t know why I am having issues with them. As always, comfort and fit is something that is 100% personal, so everyone will have a different experience, I just thought I would mention it.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Spotify, etc.)
I said that I wasn’t going to compare these against the C series but due to the similarities in tuning, I will include the C3 on the graph for our usual look and comparison:
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As you can see in the graph, the tuning of these IEMs is very similar to the C3 (or the C3 is similar to these, whichever way you prefer to look at it) except for a few small tweaks. Obviously, seeing that I was fairly positive about the C3, I am not going to hate the tuning on these but those little changes do make quite a difference.
Starting out at the bottom, as always, the subbass has plenty of presence to create that low end rumble in the tracks that call for it. The subbass is quite clean and coherent although it can suffer slightly when pushed too much. This isn’t a problem for me as 99% of the music I usually listen to doesn’t push the subbass enough to make cause problems for the T4 Plus but if you are listening to dubstep at over 100dB, then it is possible you may notice it
The midbass is too present for my liking. The emphasis is not too bad but I do find it tiring when listening to tracks with a lot of focus in the 100Hz to 200Hz range, creating a bit of fatigue over longer sessions. As I have commented many times, I am not someone who likes too much emphasis on the low end, especially when it is mainly focused on the midbass, but if a set of IEMs manages to keep it clean and defined, then I can enjoy it. With the T4 Plus, the cleanliness and definition is not bad, making it ok for a lot of my music choices, yet when there are things that focus in those regions, then it can become tiring for me.
The center of the mids has that slight dip that all of the recent Tin models seem to have. This really isn’t something that is overly noticeable, unless you really look for it. In most music it does not affect the overall sound, only when something specifically resides in that area (mainly some kind of effect in certain electronic productions) is it noticeable, and even then it is not really an issue.
The upper mids and lower treble is actually my preferred out of all the recent Tin models I have tried. There is enough presence to give vocals clarity and definition but without them becoming overly shouty or harsh. Even Beth in “Don’t You Worry Child” keeps her natural harshness but doesn’t become overy irritating (which is not something I can say on all IEMs).
The treble extension is also fairly decent for a single dynamic driver, and while it is not 100 smooth, it is still enjoyable. A little bit more sensation of air and openness would have been appreciated but it is still not bad in this regard.
I find the detail retrieval to be fairly good also, with a nice presence of detail and space between layers. These are not competing on the detail level of something like the IE600 but are still above average in my opinion. I actually find that the details in the in the upper mids are more noticeable on the T4 Plus than many other sets I have tried lately.
Soundstage and image placement is more than acceptable, although it is not really a huge soundstage. I did find that the instruments in “La Luna” were less spread out but the rear left guitar did seem to be pushed furher back, giving more space of depth behind me.
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The isolation of the T4 Plus is good, well above average in almost all of the frequency ranges. Yes, it still lets low engine rumbles through but anything above the bass range is blocked quite well.
Conclusion…
I don’t have many complaints about the Tin Hifi T4 Plus. The only really irritating thing (to me) is the excessive midbass. Ok, I did have some strange issues with fit but once I got the right combination of tips and placement, they were comfortable enough.
In general they are a good set of IEMs but… and there is always a but… I think that the price may be their biggest flaw. I mean, they are still not exactly an expensive set of IEMs and I know that the race to the bottom in pricing that we have experienced lately distorts the real value of things, but we have some very good options at a fraction of the price.
Even without considering anything outside of Tin Hifi’s own line up, we have the C3 at less than 50€ which may not be quite as good as the T4 Plus but it is close. We also have the T2 DLC wich comes in at just 10€ more than the C3 and, in my opinion, sounds great. So, for the jump up to 120€ that the T4 Plus costs, we get a slight improvement in sound (depending on your tastes), a slight increase in performance (although I would need to do a side by side of the T2 DLC to say just how much) and we get more goodies in the box.
I have no complaints about the T4 Plus as IEMs but if they are worth the extra cash is only something you can decide.
As with all my reviews, this is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
5 Likes
Hifiman Svanar
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Hifiman Svanar
The Hifiman Svanar have been sent to me directly by Hifiman for me to try them out and share my opinions in this review. The only request was that I prioritize the review if possible. This is something that I am happy to do with anyone I collaborate with, as long as it doesn’t become a habit and this is certainly the first time that Hifiman have requested it. Other than that, they have made no other specific comments or requests.
The official page for the Svanar is here: Svanar- HIFIMAN Flagship Dynamic In-Ear Monitor with Topology Diaphragm
As always, this link is a non-affiliate link.
Intro…
The Svanar are the new flagship IEMs from Hifiman, coming in at just under 2000€, making them quite an expensive set of IEMs. It is no secret that I am a big fan of Hifiman headphones but it has been a long time since I tried or reviewed any of their IEMs and those were much more on the more on the economical side of things in comparison. I am not sure if they are aimed to replace the RE2000 or an addition in the line but they are priced similarly and the web shows them as an improved version.
The Svanar use a single 9.2mm dynamic driver with what they call a Topology Diaphragm, which has a special nano particle coating on the surface. I’m afraid I am by no means versed enough to explain what that actually means so I will just stick to my usual way of describing my experience with the Svanar, in terms that I aim to be simple and easily understood
Presentation…
A large cardboard sleeve with an image of the IEMs on the cover slides off to reveal a hard (immitation?) leather covered flip top box with a gold coloured plaque showing the make and model of the IEMs.
Opened by a clasp type lock, inside the (rather large) box we find a round and rigid storage/transport case located in the middle. Inside this case, the IEMs are sitting in cut outs of a foam disc. This is probably the most protected I have seen a set of IEMs in their packaging.
Also inside the box, to the left we get a small cardboard box that contains the cable along with an additional two pin socket (more on that in a moment) and another one to the right that contains the tips. As far as tips, Hifiman include 5 sets, 2 triple flange and 3 double flange. I do wish they had included a few more types of tips, as we will see throughout the review.
Underneath the top layer we get a couple of ear hooks along with the usual warranty paperwork and a nice owners guide book, similar to those received with a lot of the higher end Hifiman headphones.
Apart from tips, the other thing that I feel could have been included is a balanced cable, especially at this price point. I do understand that anyone who is investing this kind of money into a set of IEMs is most probably going to have their own preference as far as cables but I think that the option would have been nice.
The packaging is quite impressive and while everything we need would easily fit in the round storage case, the box and the general presentation does make us feel like we are unpacking something special.
Build and aesthetics…
The build of the Svanar is very unique. They have used a combination of aluminium, brass and a 24k gold plating to assist in the tuning and performance of the sound. Again, I cannot say how these materials react or the sound properties they produce, but I will say that it certainly makes for a unique looking set of IEMs.
The rear part of the IEMs (the part that faces outwards while wearing) is of an aluminium colour, while the internal part is brass. While the IEMs are sitting in the ear they look nice but don’t stand out as something special, in other words, they don’t scream “look I’m wearing expensive IEMs”, yet when they are removed, the colour combination certainly stands out.
The name “Svanar” is swan in Swedish and Hifiman point to the resemblance in the shape of the IEMs. I have to say that the shape of the IEMs is a little different most generic shapes it is still a shape that should fit well for most people. At least I have found them to be very comfortable (depending on the tips used, which I will mention in a moment) but as always each ear is its own world.
I can’t say that these are the most beautiful IEMs that I have ever seen but I do think they look special without being too “far out”, something that I like. They are simple but elegant. As always, in my opinion.
The included cable is not something I would regard as a high end cable. It is rather thin and has the habit of jumping off the top of my ears. This is easily fixed by using the included ear hooks or by tightening the chin slider, however, as I mentioned in presentation, I feel that another cable would have been nice. In fact, a nice modular cable (with interchangeable connectors) would have been perfect.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Spotify, etc.)
Before going in to depth on my opinions on sound, I have to say that these are some of the most tip dependent and source dependent IEMs that I have tried. A change in tips will always make a difference with IEMs but in the case of the Svanar, I found that they can be completely different IEMs depending on not only the tip type but also the size and how deep they sit in the ear. I have gone through many types of tips and all of them bring out different traits in the Svanar and not just in the bass quantity (which is usually the most noticeable with tip changes). I did find myself using the Azla Xelastec a lot with these IEMs. I usually avoid the Xelastec because they are a pain to look after, especially when having to remove and reinsert IEMs regularly, but in this case, each time I sat down to listen, it turned into a long listening session so they weren’t an issue. The following opinions are based on using the Xelastec tips for my detailed listening (which was quite a long session) but my impressions do differ when using other tips, finding that the difference between tips seems to work better for different genres and recordings, so keep that in mind.
Also, as I just said, they are very source dependent as well, seeming to really bring out the differences in sources. They are a set of 60 Ohm IEMs which is higher than most IEMs yet I don’t find that they need a large amount of power. In fact, I wasn’t running them at levels much higher than many other sets. What I did find is that they are very revealing as far as what is actually driving them.
I know that I haven’t performed blind tests (and have no intention of doing so) but I feel that, while they sound good from most sources I have tried, they are the IEMs that most show the differences between something like the iFi Gryphon, the M15 or and of my desktop amplifiers. In fact, while I understand that it is complete overkill, they sound glorious from the Feliks Audio Echo Mk2 and also from the EF400. Obviously I am not in the habit of dragging a desktop amp with me so my opinions are based, as usual, on using the Gryphon to run them. I have to say that I really like the pairing with the Gryphon and find that they respond to XBass and XSpace very well.
Ok, so with that out of the way, let’s get on with the review…
Here is the typical look at the graph in comparison to my personal reference target:
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This is one of those cases where the graph goes out of the window as soon as I listen to the IEMs. Actually, I had been listening to the IEMs (and enjoying them) before I measured them and I repeated the measurements multiple times (more than the usual 5 measurements) to see if the FR was actually as it looks above.
I say this because looking at the graph, the Svanar have a tuning that I very rarely enjoy. In fact, some of the IEMs that I have liked the least have had similar tunings to the one shown above, causing me fatigue and even a headache due to the midbass. Yet, as I have also mentioned so many times in the past, when a set of IEMs has the detail and speed in the low end to keep the midbass clean and defined, I find that I can enjoy them, and that is certainly the case with the Svanar.
In the lowest of regions, using my usual subbass test of “Chameleon”, there is a nice amount of rumble in the subbass to provide the vibrations that the track needs and while it is followed by a very present midbass, I do not feel that the midbass overshadows the subbass, allowing me to appreciate those low notes.
Using “Royals” by Lorde as another test, again the subbass is present and the detail in the low notes shows that “dirt” in the low end that is present in the recordings subbass.
Moving into the midbass, here is where I most find that my ears don’t agree with the graph. Well, not so much that I disagree, I mean, the midbass is there as it shows on the graph, yet it is so clean and defined that I do not find it come across as overly boosted in these regions. As I have said in the past, I find that if the midbass is well defined, with no boominess, then I have no issues with the actual level being above what I would normally choose, and that is the case with the Svanar.
For example, I mention a lot about how the low end of the guitar in “Crazy” can become far too boomy and even nauseous when the midbass is too present and not well controlled. In this case, while there is plenty of that presence, it stays clean and very enjoyable, filling out the low end without it dominating.
Listening to something more electronically focused, such as “I Fink U Freeky”, then it may even come across as not bassy enough for many people. There is no focus on the low end, it is more of an even and balanced representation, they certainly don’t give a subwoofer impression to this kind of track. The same can be said for hip hop, for example “Still D.R.E”, where the graph would lead me to believe that it would be quite bassy, that is not what I hear. In fact, for those that like a huge bass rumble in their hip-hop, the Svanar aren’t going to provide that sensation.
Even “No Sanctuary Here”, the version with Marian Herzog and Chris Jones, comes across as quite polite in the low end. By this I don’t mean that it is lacking in bass, at least not for my tastes, but that the focus is more on a defined presentation than an elevated presentation, in other words more quality than quantity.
Moving into the mid range, I find that vocals are possibly the part that most reflect changes in tips. In general, I find that a lot of vocals are not quite in the spotlight as much as on other IEMs. There is still clarity and there is no issue with appreciating them, just that they seem to be more balanced with the surrounding instruments, not taking as much of a step forwards as in other cases. Yet, opting for different tips, I find that they can in fact take that extra little step forwards, taking more of center stage than with other tips. An example would be going from a smaller deeper sealing tip, where the vocals move slightly further forwards, to the Azla Crystals, where the vocals are further back, with the Xelatecs being a very nice balance between the two (in my opinion of course).
I listen to a lot of vocal centric music, simple songwriter (mainly female) where the accompanying instruments are mainly acoustic and while I did find that vocals were not quite as “intimate” as I usually prefer, I found that the balance with the guitar (for example) was a very pleasing experience, giving more the impression of listening to the music from a slightly larger distance than directly in front of the singer.
As an example, Zella Day in “Seven Nation Army” can go from being quite upfront (with deeper insertion) to being just slightly forwards with a focus to the left with Xelastec and being much more balanced with the guitar with the Crystals.
Moving into the higher regions, the Svanar give off a nice sensation of extension and air, staying very clear and detailed in these upper ranges. My usual sibilance test with Patricia Barber in “Code Cool” places her just slightly into that sibilance range, with just a hint of sibilance. I would say it is slightly more pronounced than I find it on things I consider my reference (speakers in the case) but it is not uncomfortable, at least with the Xelastec tips. I did find it could get a little hotter with other tips but with these, if I used my usual -12 to +12 scale (which is totally subjective and unscientific), I would place her somewhere around a +1 or +2.
Details, soundstage and image placement are things that I find go hand in hand with the Svanar, performing very well at all of them. I find layers to be extremely well separated and placed just where they are supposed to be. I always say that I find very few IEMs to give me a sensation of a nice open and wide soundstage and the Svanar are one of those few sets. There is a sensation of openness and spaciousness that make these a pleasure to listen to.
The intro to “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” has the vocals of Ladysmith Black Mambazo which are placed excellently, allowing each voice and layer to be easily identified but without seeming like there is any kind of disconnect between on them (I have to say that the fretless bass in this track is also portrayed excellently on the Svanar).
While on the subject of performance and detail, I also found that the Svanar shows the focusing towards channels in a way that is quite surprising. By this, I mean that, for example, vocals may be mixed in a track with a slight pan to one channel, placing the vocals (or instruments) slightly off center and this is quite noticeable on the Svanar. In fact, I was listening to one jazz track (which I forget the name of) during my first session with them and I thought that maybe there was a channel imbalance as I hadn’t noticed the slight pan on the vocals of that track with IEMs before.
Conclusion…
I have to say that it has been a long time since I have enjoyed testing a set of IEMs so much. I do admit to being a Hifiman fan, so although I always aim to be as unbiased as possible, it is always possible that my personal biases kick in, yet all I can do is speak about my experience with the Svanar and my experience has been great.
I have been most impressed by the detail and the spaciousness of these IEMs, the way they present the soundstage, with everything being easily appreciated but without trying to make itself the center of attention. For a set of single dynamic driver IEMs, I find this is even more impressive.
The fact that they are so tip (and source) dependent does mean that people will have to play around with them to find what works best for each individual case. It is not that they sound bad with any source or tips (within reason) but there is so much available when you get the right combination that they just suddenly click and make everything fall into place (or at least they do for me).
There is no denying that they are an expensive set of IEMs and there are a few things that I feel could have been done better (such as the cable or the tips etc.) but as far as sound and performance, they do it wonderfully.
If you get a chance to give them a try, I strongly suggest that you do so, but don’t hesitate to try some different tips (and sources) before coming to a conclusion.
As always, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
5 Likes
Love the review and the way you wrote it. Sounds like a banger of a IEM but that’s alot of cookie dough!
Cheers Tone Deaf Monk.
2 Likes
TRN XuanWu
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - TRN XuanWu
The TRN XuanWu were sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. They did not make any specific requests, therefore, I will be as sincere and unbiased as I can, following my usual approach.
You can find a (non-affiliate) link to the TRN XuanWu by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this post).
Intro…
I have had the XuanWu since sometime around the early part of December. I have actually tested them on a few different occasions, which I will get to in a moment, but haven’t made it to the review part until now.
These are a set of hybrid IEMs, featuring a 10mm planar driver along with a custom BA driver, all for just over 30€ (at the time of this review). I am not sure if this makes them the cheapest set of IEMs with a planar driver but they are certainly well inside the extreme budget category.
Presentation…
Presented in a black box with gold highlights and images of the IEMs on the cover, it opens to reveal the IEMs sitting in the cutouts at the top of the box with a cardboard cover that is removed to reveal the accessories at the bottom.
Other than the IEMs we receive the cable (with recessed two pin style connectors) and 7 sets of silicone eartips, one of which is sort of a mix between regular silicone tips and the spring tips by Moondrop. Apart from that, we get the usual warranty card and paperwork. We really can’t expect much more at this price.
Build and aesthetics…
While the IEMs have some originality to their aesthetics, they are mentioned (in the publicity) as being aluminium face plates, yet these are the most plastic looking (and feeling) aluminium that I have seen. If it wasn’t for the advertising saying otherwise, I would have had no doubt that they are plastic.
That doesn’t mean they are not well built, I don’t see any specific build issues and I don’t have any complaints about them at this price range. I don’t find them to be the most comfortable of IEMs but they are not bad, they just don’t “disappear” like other models do.
Aesthetics are good in my opinion, looking like something that would retail for a higher price point than they do, even if they do look like they are 100% plastic.
Sound…
I am going to be brief in this review as I really don’t get on well with the sound of the XuanWu. As I said in the intro, I have tried these IEMs on multiple occasions and kept leaving them to come back and try them later, this is mainly because I just do not enjoy them. However, I will share my opinions, even if they are in an abbreviated form.
Here is the graph of the TRN XuanWu in comparison to my usual preference target:
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While the graph already points us towards me not enjoying these IEMs, there are actually other sets that have a similar (although not quite as exaggerated) tuning that I enjoy, that is mostly because of the way those (other) sets of IEMs perform.
I find that the XuanWu is not only exaggerated in the bass regions, it can also sound distorted and the IEMs (driver?) struggle to keep up with anything that is over a moderate pace, especially if the music in question is bass heavy. I just feel that low end lacks the speed that we should be able to expect from a planar and at the same time makes bass heavy tracks seem “dirty” in the low end.
At the other end of the spectrum, there is a very uneven high range that tries to counter the boosted low end but only manages to come across as harsh and irritating, to my ears at least. sibilance is very present, as is an upper sheen that is just uncomfortable.
I could continue but to be honest, those two factors just make the IEMs something that I can’t enjoy, I struggle to move my focus away from the bass and treble.
Conclusion…
As I said, this is a very brief review as I haven’t really spent too much time with the XuanWu. I have tried on various occasions to use them over a longer period but I just don’t enjoy them and seeing that I have so many things backed up, I would rather move on that spend time going deeper into a set that I clearly do not like.
This does not mean that they won’t be for anyone, as I always say, audio is very subjective and these may be something that fit your tastes perfectly, I just can’t suggest them amongst so many other sets that I enjoy in this price range.
All my reviews are also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
2 Likes
QKZ x HBB Khan
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Ep.163 - QKZ x HBB Khan
The QKZ x HBB Khan were sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. They did not request anything specific and I will, as always, aim to be as unbiased and sincere as possible.
As usual, you can find a non-affiliate link to the Khan via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog, link at the end of this post.
Intro…
The Khan is another collaboration between HBB (of Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews) and QKZ, however, as we will see, this is a bit of a different approach than previous tunings by HBB. Coming in at around 40€ (at the time of this review), placing them inside the ultra budget category (sub 50€), the Khan feature a 10mm dynamic driver for the bass along with a 7.8mm dynamic driver for the mids and highs.
Aimed at being easily driven by cell phone devices (and other small dongles), the Khan has an impedance of only 10 ohms and a sensitivity of 117dB. This easiness to drive, along with the reduced price, makes them a set that can easily be thrown in a pocket or bag for day to day use.
Presentation…
The QKZ x HBB Khan arrives in a box that is nothing really special, although they have restrained from showing quite as much info and publicity than they did on the previous collaboration, the QKZ x HBB.
Upon opening the box, we find something that is quite unexpected (at least for me), in the form of a large gold coin. One side of the coin shows the HBB logo, while the reverse side shows the QKZ logo. I have no idea what the reason is for including the coin but it certainly makes it a little different as far as unboxing and contents go.
Obviously we also get the IEMs, along with the cable, three sets of silicone tips and a rigid storage/carrying case. The case doesn’t exactly feel like a high quality case, made of fairly indelible plastic, but it is more protection than a simple bag, which is about all we can really expect for the price.
Build and Aesthetics…
The shells are 3D printed and very reminiscent of the QKZ x HBB, featuring the HBB logo in gold on the right IEM and the QKZ on the left, both behind a transparent covering but opting for a grid type design rather than the lightning found on the previous model.
The build doesn’t scream high end but there are no obvious flaws on my set and I have no complaints about the build at this price point.
Comfort is decent although I did find myself opting for larger tips which seat the IEMs slightly further out of my ear canal as I couldn’t get a correct seal sith deeper insertion (at least with the included tips). I did wear them for long periods though and felt no discomfort.
The cable is rather generic and cheap feeling, although the 3.5mm and the splitter are both metal, with a swirl (or spiral) pattern on them. Again, no complaints at this price point.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Spotify, etc.)
Here is my usual comparison of the Khan against my personal preference target:
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Now that is certainly a break from all the similarly tuned sets we have seen recently!
I expected the bass on these to give me fatigue in a very short time, yet, to my surprise, that wasn’t the case. In fact, I found that these IEMs inspired me to listen to more EDM and Hip-Hop than I have listened to in a long time. I have never really been a huge EDM fan (although at the right time and place, I have enjoyed a lot of EDM) but I was heavily involved in the Hip-Hop scene for many years (a story for another day) and while I still listen to HH, it had been quite a while since I spent a long session (actually multiple sessions) listening exclusively to HH. The tuning of these IEMs actually remind me of the tunings I used to go for in car audio many years ago, where people could hear me before seeing me.
Anyway, let’s get on with the review and take a look at them with my usual test tracks and following the usual steps.
Rather than focusing on the subbass, I am going to mention the low end as a whole, due to the way the upper midbass dip interacts with the lower bass regions. This makes for a very present but also very clean low end. “No Sanctuary Here” provides a very impressive low end rumble, making the bass seem as though it is felt although it stays clear.
That dip around 200Hz does disconnect the bass regions from the mids but it doesn’t do so in a way that seems strange. I sometimes get the feeling that on some sets that have a dip in the midbass can make it seem like someone has set the crossovers wrong on a subwoofer+mains set up, yet the Khan doesn’t give me that impression. It does have a negative effect on some tracks that utilize the roll of the midbass into the lower mids, yet works in favour of other tracks that have a larger presence in those deeper bass regions. The same dip also serves to avoid the boominess found in the low end of things like “Crazy”, where the guitar can become overly reverberant in its lower notes.
The midrange does certainly take a step back in comparison to the lows (and highs). I wouldn’t choose these IEMs for a lot of my vocal and instrument based music as I feel that the vocals don’t have as much presence as I would like, yet female vocals do seem to cut through slightly better than male vocals in this regard. With simpler tracks, this doesn’t really come across as an issue but more complex arrangements, such as “Whole Lotta Love”, does seem to overshadow the lyrics to some extent.
The higher midrange is not very present, with the usual climb actually peaking around 3.5kHz to 4kHz, this will accentuate that slight step back in vocals but also keeps things rather smooth.
The higher ranges are actually a lot smoother that I would have expected by looking at the graph. There is a good amount of presence in the high end but is not very “airy”. The sound doesn’t become overly harsh but can seem a little fragile on occasions. Sibilance is in check (as tested with the usual “Code Cool”) but is not subdued, so it will depend on the track.
I can’t say that I find sound stage to be anything above average, as with the vast majority of IEMs to my ears, yet the Khan does a decent job of utilizing that space and keeping things well place, allowing me to identify different layers without too much issue.
Details are not the strongest point of these IEMs, especially those found in the midrange, yet the lower ranges do work well to preserve those that are found in this range. It is not an overly blunted soung in general, in other words, they don’t make you feel like you are missing out on a lot of detail, but they do not stand out either.
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Isolation is not actually great in the low end, yet the presence in the same region will mean that you will not notice external noise when listening to music (especially the genres that seem to work best with the Khan). The rest of the frequencies are around average.
Conclusion…
The QKZ x HBB Khan are sort of a double edged sword. On one side, it is refreshing to listen to something that is a break away from so many similarly tuned IEMs in this price range, yet on the other side, I find that it restricts the genres that I would actually use these for.
I can’t say I enjoy them with the majority of my acoustic music (which is a lot), yet I do find that I enjoy them for Hip-Hop and EDM. I am not someone who listens to much EDM or Hip-Hop (at least not recently), so that means that, while they did inspire me to spend more time than usual with these genres, I wouldn’t choose to use them on a daily basis.
A large positive is the price, which means that they are not an expensive set to have around for an alternative tuning for those times you do feel like a bit of bass centric music. I also find that they do not fatigue me, due to that dip in the midbass, so I can enjoy them for more than a few tracks (something that was not possible for me with the QKZ x HBB).
If you are someone who listens to a lot of Hip-Hop or EDM, I think that they are well worth trying out for their price tag. Yet if you are looking for a budget set of all-rounders, then I don’t think these fit that bill.
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As always, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
3 Likes
KZ DQS
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - KZ DQS
The DQS have been sent to me directly by KZ. You could say that they were in exchange for this review but in this case, they just said that if I had time and wanted to, that they would appreciate it if I reviewed them.
I have not had any further communication with KZ about these IEMs, so there have been no requests or comments made. I will, as always, do my best to be unbiased and share my honest opinion on these IEMs.
I was going to link to the official page for these IEMs (on my blog), as I usually do in these cases, but I am not quite sure what that link is. The person who reached out to me is from kzhifi.com, which is a website that seems to be an official KZ brand web. At the same time, I have previously dealt with kz-audio.com, which also seems to be an official KZ brand web. Both webs share the same street address (at least that is what I understand from their contact pages) but have different phone numbers, so I am confused 
However, seeing that the DQS don’t seem to appear on the kzhifi page but do appear on the kz-audio page, I am going to link the latter of the two. I apologize to the person who sent these to me if I am linking the wrong page, please let me know if I am.
You can find the KZ DQS link by visiting this review on my blog (link at the end of this post)
All of the links I share are always non-affiliate but in this case, I am not even sure who I am linking to, so no need to mention that I receive nothing from clicks or purchases made via the above link.
Intro…
I haven’t really been following KZ lately and although I reviewed the PR1 a few months ago, I really am not up to date on their latest releases. I am sure there have been a few as KZ are usually pretty consistent with new releases and seeing that they reached out to me in late November or early December about the DQS, I am not sure if this is still one of their most recent models or not.
The previous DQ models (DQ6 & DQ6S) that I have tried have been marketed as triple DD’s (emphasis on marketed) yet the DQS is a single dynamic driver. It also uses a semi open shell design and is available, with or without mic, for just over 15€ (at least that is the price on the KZ Official store on Aliexpress which kz-audio sends me to when clicking “buy now”, so I am still just as confused ).
Presentation…
The DQS arrive in the typical KZ style, a small white box from which a cardboard tray slides out revealing the IEMs beneath a clear plastic cover.
Underneath the top layer, we get the cable, 3 sizes of the “star” style KZ tips and the warranty card.
Nothing different from so many other KZ models we have seen in the past.
Build and aesthetics…
The build also follows the usual KZ style, with shells that resemble the other previous DQ models such as the DQ6 and DQ6s, along with some other models. I have to say that as far as the exterior build is concerned, I have never experienced any issues with KZ IEMs and I have no reason to think these will be any different.
The faceplate is different in aesthetics to previous models, this time with a brass coloured mesh type grill behind the openings in the plastic face plate. This does give them a very open back look. I can’t say if they are actually as open back as they look from the outside, it is difficult to tell from their publicity images and I am not going to take them apart to find out.
In general I don’t have any real issues with the build and aesthetics, they are not something I think looks amazing but they are not boring either. As far as comfort, as with other KZ models that use the same shell shape, I find them to work well for me, even for longer periods.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Spotify, etc.)
As usual, let’s take a look at the graph of the DQS in comparison to my personal preference target.
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Starting off at the bottom, we can clearly see that there is a very large boost in the whole bass range, which continues to climb the lower we get. The lower ranges actually remind me a lot of the PR1 that I reviewed not too long ago. In fact, the measurements of both sets is very similar all the way up to around 1kHz.
While this is obviously way above my preferences in the lower ranges, it is actually not as bad as it looks on paper. The subbass, while excessive on tracks like “Chameleon”, is fairly well controlled and it does not take over the whole sound. “Royals” does come across a bit more boomy and “loose”, seeming to place more emphasis on that slight “dirty” rumble that the track has.
The midbass is also fairly well controlled, especially when looking at how much there is. It is not overly bloated and while it does affect the lower mids a little, it doesn’t become an uncontrolled muddy mess. In fact, even “Crazy”, which is a track that soon shows an overly present and boomy midbass (in the form of reverb in the lower guitar notes), is quite listenable on the DQS. I honestly expected the lower end to be far worse than it is and was pleasantly surprised.
Would I pick this tuning in the lower end? Well, no, but I didn’t find myself wanting to get them out as soon as possible either.
The dip in the center of the mids is noticeable when focusing on it but in general it doesn’t stand out as being overly recessed in this area. Some tracks will show this more than others, with specific voices or instruments that have their fundamentals in the 600 to 800Hz range taking a little bit of a step back but it is certainly not something that stands out on all tracks.
The rise into the higher mids is very smooth and is almost perfect, as far as tuning, for my tastes. It works well to bring vocals forwards but is not overly harsh and doesn’t really affect the vocal range dynamics either.
Sibilance is well controlled, with Paul Simon in “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”, who can be both harsh and sibilant, being fairly well controlled. The typical “Code Cool” shows just a hint of sibilance on some words but not all “S” and “T” like on many other more sibilant models.
The upper treble is where things are not quite up to par in my opinion. There is a noticeable roll off in these upper ranges with a peak to give the IEMs a bit of air and a sensation of more detail. Unfortunately that peak can come across as quite harsh on occasions and make the treble range a little brittle and unforgiving.
Details are not really excellent. They are not terrible but I wouldn’t class them as being a strong point of the DQS. They are acceptable and you don’t feel like half the music is missing but they are not doing to be something to sit down and analyze music with.
Soundstage is rather narrow overall and while the image placement is ok, the narrow soundstage and lack of detail make things like “Bubbles” difficult to appreciate, everything seeming to blend into one rather than specific layers being separated.
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Isolation is surprisingly good for a set of semi open IEMs, showing to be above average in the whole frequency range. This is one of the things that leads me to think that they are not as open as the vents would have us think.
Conclusion…
I can’t say that the DQS aren’t a good set of IEMs when I consider the fact that they are 15€. They are not my personal taste in tuning and I find that there are other IEMs around a similar price that I would pick over them but that doesn’t detract from what they do offer at this price point.
A set of IEMs that I have recommended a lot in this ultra cheap bracket (15€ or less) are the CCA CRA, also made by KZ. I actually prefer the upper mids tuning on the DQS over the CRA but, as I have mentioned before, I am not a fan of overly boosted low end and the DQS add another few dB to the CRA which are already way above my preferences. However, various people have mentioned that the CRA have received a “silent” revision, so I can’t vouch for how they sound now.
Details and soundstage are not the best, along with that sizzle in the treble range, but seriously, these are standing out due to the amount of good options in the budget range that we have received lately. I am sure that there will be many people out there that love a lot of bass and find the DQS to meet their tastes, offering them a lot of enjoyment for very little money.
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As with all my reviews, this review is also available in Spanish on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
2 Likes
QoA Gimlet
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - QoA Gimlet
The QoA Gimlet have been sent to me by Linsoul for me to publish this review. They have not made any requests or comments and I will do my usual best to be as sincere and unbiased as possible.
I will leave a link to the Gimlet via Linsoul on my blog, which you can access by following the link at the end of this post. As always, it is a non affiliate link.
Intro…
I had never heard of QoA until I received the Gimlet. According to the packaging, QoA stands for Queen of Audio. Doing a quick search on the web with this info led me to the QoA official page which is quite a nice and modern website but is lacking any information about the brand, so I really have no idea how long they have been around. Maybe they have been around for a while and I have just not come across them.
Looking at their page, they have 8 models, with the $59 Gimlet being the most budget orientated (although there are a couple more models at a price that is not much more) and their TOTL IEMs coming in at almost ten times the price.
However, checking out the Linsoul page for these (which is linked on my blog, as mentioned above), they are listed as Kinera QoA Gimlet, so I am guessing that they are a sub brand of Kinera. I am just guessing here as I didn’t do any further investigation, I just got on with the important part (listening to them and putting together this review) but there is no mentione of Kinera anywhere on the packaging or on the QoA website.
Presentation…
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the presentation of the Gimlet. They are not exactly high end IEMs but the packaging is very clean and professional looking. Inside we get the IEMs, the cable, a very nice storage/transport case and 6 sets of tips in two styles.
Nothing really out of the ordinary but everything is nicely packaged, with branding on the small bags that contain the tips and they actually gave me a first impression of being quality IEMs without even making it as far as build and aesthetics, much less listening to them. I still maintain that packaging and presentation is the least important part but it is still nice to get a good first impression.
Build and aesthetics…
The Gimlet are completely made of metal and use a simple rounded shape, with no sharp edges, that I actually find quite comfortable. They are a little on the heavier side, if you are used to plastic or resin IEMs that is, but I have not found them to be fatiguing at all even after long periods of time.
The set I received are white with a gold round plate that sports the QoA logo. I am not one for gold but I have to say that they look very elegant and with the matching white and gold cable, I would say that they look a lot more expensive than they actually are.
Everything seems to be well built, both on the IEMs and on the cable (which uses gold coloured metal hardware), so I can’t find anything to comlain about at all in this regard.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
Let me start off by saying that I really enjoy these IEMs. These are another set that prove that my preference target is really only a reference target, as when things are done properly, I enjoy them even when moving away from my usual preferences. It is also worth noting that I chose the tips with the blueish tint to them.
Here is the graph of the Gimlet in comparison to said target:
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I have found that these IEMs work very well for my usual music taste but I will focus, as always, on the test tracks that I use for my reviews and comparisons.
Starting off with the subbass and, of course, “Chameleon” by Trentemoller, there is plenty of that low rumble to do the track justice, without the Gimlet seeming to lose control at all. The same can be said with the subbass in “Royals”, where they stay calm and collected but show that “dirt” that is present in the recording. These may not be for the most hardcore bassheads out there but I really don’t think that the majority of bass lovers would have any issue with the quantity. The quality is also decent. It may not be the most amazing subbass out there but is certainly above the majority of similarly tuned sets in a similar price bracket.
Moving into the midbass and turning to something more EDM, in this case “Sun Is Shining”, I find the bass to be clean and articulate. There is a nice punch to the bass without it becoming muddy or taking over the low end. Focusing on “Crazy”, which I usually use to find out fairly quickly if the low end is too much for me, I found that while it is boosted, it is not annoying. There is a slight hint of the reverb becoming a little too much but the Gimlet don’t seem to lose control of it and they certainly didn’t fatigue me like so many other sets do.
There is a dip in the center of the mids but it is not something that I found to really stand out. It may be more noticeable on instruments that have root notes residing in that area but I certainly didn’t find it affected vocals or acoustic guitars in a negative way. In fact, I found the overall timbre of guitars to be slightly on the war side but very realistic.
As we head to the upper mids, there is a nice presence that brings vocals forward, giving them a bit of a focus but without them becoming overpowering. Using Beth in “Don’t You Worry Child” as a test for harshness, I didn’t find her to become unbearable. She is still quite harsh as her voice is that way in the recording, but I didn’t find it to be overly exaggerated.
In the higher ranges, there is a nice sensation of extension and air, with details seeming realistic and not artificially exaggerated by certain peaks. Sibilance is not overly present either. Using “Code Cool” as my usual test, with my usual unscientific scale of -12 to +12 on Patricia Barbers voice, I would actually place her between a -1 and -2. Paul Simon, in “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” can also exhibit sibilance and harshness on many sets of IEMs, yet the Gimlet do keep him in check fairly well.
Details are good and so is soundstage. They are not going to give you the impression of a wide open and huge soundstage, I don’t find that IEMs do that very often, but they are definitely above average in this regard. Image placement is good and so is the spacing between the layers of vocals on “Strange Fruit” by Dominique Fils-Aime. Everything is easily tracked and while I have heard better, I would still say that the Gimlet perform very well in this regard.
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Isolation is not the greatest on the Gimlet, being below average across the whole scale. I wouldn’t recommend these IEMs for use in loud environments but they still work very well in offices and places that aren’t too loud.
Conclusion…
I have been very impressed with the QoA Gimlet and while they are just over the 50€ I set for the “Ultra Budget” category, I have to say that I think that these are a set that is well worth taking into consideration for those on a tight budget.
They are well built, they look good (to my eyes of course) and above all, they sound good. During the week I have been listening to them, I found that I enjoyed everything that I listened to and actually found myself adding a bunch of music to my “New Discovery” list to revisit at a later date. What more can we ask than to enjoy the music?
As with all of my reviews, this is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (Acho Reviews - YouTube)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
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QoA is the sister company of Kinera. iirc, its the wife or sister of the Kinera boss that started it.
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Yeah, they are posted on Linsoul as Kinera but no mention of Kinera on any packaging or their website etc.
Ok, so the following are not IEMs but I can’t find a thread for them and I can’t open a new thread under headphones, so if a thread is started, I would be more than happy to move this post across.
Thieaudio Ghost
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Thieaudio Ghost
The Thieaudio Ghost have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. They have not made any specific requests or comments and, as always, I will do my best to be as unbiased and sincere as humanly possible.
You can find the Thieaudio Ghost via Linsoul by visiting my blog (link at the end of this post) where I will leave a direct link, or just do a quick google search
As with all links that I share, it is a non-affiliate link, meaning that I do not benefit from any clicks or purchases made via the link.
Intro…
The Thiaudio Ghost is a new release from the brand which is more known for their IEMs than over ear headphones, although these are not the first set of headphones that they release. At the time of writing his review, I actually have no idea what the price of these headphones is, as they are not yet officially available. Although I am putting this review together now, I will not be publishing it until they are officially released, so I will check the price and add it below.
That means that I am certainly not judging these headphones as “for the money”, as I don’t know how much “the money” will be. It’s always fun to have a guess and then see how wrong I am.
Anyway, the Ghost is an openback set of headphones that uses a 40mm Sapphire dynamic driver (I don’t know what a Sapphire dynamic driver is, sorry) and at a glance, remind me of the Shure SRH1840.
I haven’t had a chance to try out much from Thieaudio, except for the Legacy 2, and I was actually quite interested in getting to try out these new headphones from the brand.
Edit: At the time of publishing this review, the Thieaudio Ghost are available on Linsoul for $129, which is actually less than I would have guessed. Please remember that the following review and opinions were written before I had any idea of the price.
Presentation…
A cardboard sleeve with an image of the headphones and other information slides away to reveal a simple black box, with no logo or other markings.
Opening the box, we find a nice storage case that the headphones are packed inside, along with the usual paperwork and warranty stuff etc.
The storage case is semi-rigid and shaped to be thinner at the top than the bottom, where the cups sit. Although the case is sort of moulded to the shape of the headphones, there is a surprising amount of space inside, giving me plenty of room to carry the Gryphon inside the case with the headphones.
Other than the above, we also get the cable (I will mention more about it in a moment) and a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adaptor. For those that are used to opening IEMs and receiving all kinds of things, this may seem pretty basic but is actually quite good for a set of headphones, especially because we get the case.
Build and aesthetics…
I already mentioned in the intro that they remind me of the Shure SRH1840 as far as aesthetics, maybe with a blend of Sennheiser thrown in. In fact, when wearing them, they are very reminiscent of the HD6X0 line, but I find the Ghost to be more comfortable, mostly due to the extra padding of the headband.
The build quality is not the best but it is not terrible either. They have opted for metal yolks which seem to be very sturdy and well assembled, yet the plastic on the cups is a little cheap feeling, as are the plastic covers to the adjustment sliders. The pads are very similar to the Sennheiser pads but a little softer, just like the headband, which is nicely padded and very soft to the touch.
I sort of have mixed feelings in general about the build, some things I think are very well done while others seem to have not had as much effort put into them. The grilles are also plastic, with a zig zag pattern to them and a gold accent around them. These don’t look bad but are again a little cheap feeling.
The included cable is something that I am not used to seeing. It is a ribbon style cable which upon first inspection I thought I was going to hate. However, after using the headphones, I have found that I actually like the cable quite a lot and have no complaints about it at all.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
If you have watched my TLDR video on YouTube, I have said that the worst thing about these headphones (in my opinion of course) is that they lack excitement. As I spent time with these headphones, I would be listening to a certain genre of music and find that, while it did not sound bad, it just didn’t come across as great. It’s common for headphones to work well for certain genres better than others, so I would move on to a different style of music and come to the same conclusion, it doesn’t sound bad at all, just not exciting. This is something that I honestly found across all genres.
But let’s go step by step, as usual, and start off with a look at the graph:
%20vs%20HD6XX%20(purple).jpg)
I have included the HD6XX as a reference on the graph as I don’t have a database of headphone measurements like I do IEM measurements, so it’s not easy to compare between many other models (hopefully I can catch up on headphone measurements and get to presenting them in a squig.link soon). So, I thought the HD6XX is a well known reference and it is also a headphone that is useful as a comparison in this case, as we will see.
Starting off at the subbass, there is some roll off and I find that this is noticeable in things like “Chameleon” or other tracks/genres that have a large subbass presence. I spent time listening to HipHop (I really did go through a lot of genres with the Ghost) and I don’t think it would be something that I would suggest to the deep bass hip hop lovers out there (although, yet again, it doesn’t sound bad).
Moving into the midbass, while on paper it looks almost identical to the HD6XX, I actually find that it doesn’t have as much warmth in these specific ranges as the HD6XX does. It is not cold or lacking, and in fact, the upper mids/lower treble (which I will get to next) do maybe allow these regions to be more present, yet when isolating some of my bass guitar tracks, I didn’t find that it was really boosted much in these regions. It’s a bit of a strange sensation as the warmth is there but I feel it is more an illusion created by the upper ranges than an actual presence of warmth. I didn’t find older rock, such as “Whole Lotta Love” to really place more emphasis on the bass, yet, at the same time, it does sound rather smoothed over.
The upper mids, and lower treble, is where things are… let’s say… different. While everything up to the higher end of the mid range is very reminiscent of that Sennheiser HD6XX sound, the upper mid range (and the lower treble) is not boosted at all. Where the HD6XX brings vocals forward and makes them more intimate, the Ghost doesn’t do this, it keeps vocals mixed in with everything around them, never seeming to take presence up front.
I listen to a lot of vocal centric music and I kept expecting the vocals to be clearer and more distinct, yet when the voice kicked in, it always left me wanting something more. Again, at the risk of being repetitive, they don’t sound bad, they just don’t make their presence felt.
More of the same happens in the higher ranges, where there is no real sensation of air or openness. And while everything is there, nothing really stands out, leaving things to just be a little “blunt” for the lack of a better word. People speak about the “Sennheiser Veil” and I think that the Ghost could be described in a similar way, although different (if that makes any sense at all).
Details are there but once more, they are not something that stands out. It is as though there is some life missing from them, even if they are present. Soundstage is also quite close, not claustrophobically close but they don’t portray a sensation of openness in this regard either.
Conclusion…
The Thieaudio Ghost are a set of headphones that just don’t really stand out at anything. At the same time, nothing really sounds terrible on them either, they are just not exciting in any way shape or form.
They are not a bass heavy set of headphones, they are not a mid centric set of headphones, they aren’t a set of extremely detailed and clear headphones, they are just constant, as the graph shows.
That doesn’t mean that they can’t become a very interesting set of headphones with the use of EQ, as they really are like a blank canvas, but I don’t usually go into depth on the use of EQ as there are so many options.
They are comfortable, they are light weight and by no means are they offensive in their tuning, so there is really nothing negative to say about them. It’s just that if I was asked to describe them in a few words, I really don’t think I could, except for saying that they are just not exciting.
This review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (Acho Reviews - YouTube)
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TKZK Ouranos
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - TKZK Ouranos
To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
The TKZK Ouranos have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for this review. As usual, they have not made any specific requests and I will do my best to be as unbiased and sincere as possible.
I have left a non-affiliate link (as always) to the Ouranos via Linsoul on my blog, link at the end of this post.
Intro…
TRZK is another brand that I hadn’t heard of until I received these IEMs from Linsoul. A quick search of the web doesn’t bring back any results, except for Linsoul (at least on the first couple of pages of results). Linsoul has two models by TKZK, the Wave at $39 and the Ouranos at $55. This places the Ouranos just about on the 50€ limit that I like to mention as ultra budget here on Acho Reviews.
There is not a huge amount of information about the model except for the fact that it uses a 10mm driver and has a sensitivity of 110dB with an impedance of 32 Ohms.
Presentation…
The Ouranus come in a square black box with a lift off lid, inside of which we find the IEMs, the cable, 6 sets of silicone tips (in two styles) and a small drawstring bag for storage.
There really isn’t anything special about the presentation although there is nothing to complain about either, so let’s move on.
Build and aesthetics…
The IEMs are off a very generic shape and size, 3D printed in resin, which should work as far as comfort for the majority of users. The nozzles are longer than usual which led me to opting for the small size of tips with the grey core in order to get a comfortable fit and good seal. Once I decided on these tips, I found them to be comfortable for longer sessions.
The build is decent, nothing extraordinary, just another 3D resin printed shell but with no issues that I have come across. As far as aesthetics, the shell is black with a faceplate that combines copper and black coloured flecks set into the resin, with the TKZK logo in a gold colour. Again, nothing spectacular but they look decent enough and have actually grown on me since I received them, especially in this budget range.
The cable is a simple double twist in a titanium colour that matches the IEMs well and uses metal hardware and connectors.
All in all, the build and aesthetics are more than adequate for the price range that these IEMs sit in.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
Here is the graph comparing the Ouranos to my usual preference target:
Starting off with the subbass and the usual “Chameleon” work out, there is enough in the lowest frequencies to appreciate the track, however, the control and clarity of the lower rumbles is not the best. The Ouranos do seem to lose a bit of control in these ranges and, while it doesn’t take over the whole tuning, it is a little too present and “boomy” for my personal tastes.
The mid bass suffers from a similar issue. While the midbass is not too excessive in its presence, there is a general lack of control and can once again come across as boomy on tracks like “No Sanctuary Here” by Marian Herzog feat. Chris Jones or “Sun Is Shining” by Bob Marley & Robin Schulz.
The mid range is well balanced and there is no real bleed from the lower ranges into the mids. I did find that the electric guitar on “Whole Lotta Love” overshadowed the vocals a little but the result was not terrible by any means in these ranges. The same could be said about “Don’t Start Now” where the instruments are a little too powerful for the vocals but this is really a minor gripe.
Moving through the upper mid range, the response is smooth and things don’t come across as harsh. Even Beth in “Don’t You Worry Child” is listenable on the Ouranos, maintaining a little of that harshness that is present in her voice but smoothing it slightly, making it more tolerable than on many other sets.
The upper ranges are also rather smooth and relaxed, while maintaining some sensation of air and clarity. Sibilance is kept in check fairly well with the usual “Code Cool” test and also Paul Simon on “Diamonds On The Soles of Her Shoes”. There is a slight hint but it is certainly reduced in comparison to what I feel is “normal”.
As far as details, the Ouranos is not really a set that stands out in this regard and while the soundstage is not bad (maybe slightly above average for an IEM), with layering that is also decent enough, there is a sensation of things not being quite as “lively” and detailed as they should be on tracks like “All Your Love (Turned Into Passion)” or even “Strange Fruit”, where the vocal layers are separate but seem to be a little short on the small details that make the distinguishable.
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Isolation is around average for the Ouranos, meaning that they should work well enough for usual surroundings but will suffer in very noisy enviroments.
Conclusion…
We have been spoiled by so many ultra budget sets lately that it makes it difficult for new arrivals in the category to stand out and make a name for themselves. The Ouranos are by no means a bad set of IEMs but they aren’t really anything that places them in a position to compete with some of the “better” models in their price range (I put better in quotes as this is a very subjective term).
The bass ranges are a little boomy and “loose” for my personal tastes but again, that is because they have some tough competition to be compared against. I think that they are good enough for theirr price range, in other words, I don’t feel that they are overpriced or are something that most people would regret buying, they are just not the top of their range (in my opinion of course).
As always, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (Acho Reviews - YouTube)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
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Celest Pandamon (by Kinera)
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Celest Pandamon (by Kinera)
The (Kinera) Celest Pandamon were sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. I have not received any specific requests or comments and will try to be as unbiased and sincere as humanly possible, as usual.
As always, I have left a (non-affiliate) link to the Pandamon via Linsoul on my blog, link at the end of this post.
To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
I have to say that when I received the Pandamon, I was rather surprised and had absolutely no idea what to expect. In my normal procedure, I didn’t do any research into the model and had absolutely no idea what they were, except for something with an angry panda on the box (and IEMs).
After finally listening to them for a while (and being quite surprised at what I heard), I finally got around to doing some research. Selling for just under 50€ (at the time of this review) they feature a 10mm square planar driver with an impedance of 9 Ohms and are actually made by Kinera. Linsoul actually shows them as Kinera Pandamon on their site, whereas the box does mention Kinera in one of the contact options but the rest just refers to Celest.
So, now that we know what they are, let’s talk about how they perform.
Presentation…
I can do nothing but give them full marks for originality. The box shows a very angry looking panda, with a transparent window above that lets us see the IEMs in the interior.
Inside the box we find, along with the IEMs, 6x sets of silicone tips (in two types), the cable, a storage pouch (of the type with a spring loaded closure), a cleaning brush/tool, a small booklet and some kind of pendant that also shows the angry panda with a small silver coloured chain that runs to a small plaque at the other end with Celest engraved on it.
The presentation keeps up with the Pandamon theme throughout, even telling the story on the outside of the box.
Again, all I can do is give them points for originality (whether the theme is something I like or not).
Build and aesthetics…
The first thing that obviously jumps out at us is the Pandamon face on the IEMs faceplate. The IEMs are round and the faceplates have a silver metal theme going on, although they are made from plastic. There are openings on the faceplate with mesh behind which make them look rather open, although, as in most cases, they are not as open as the meshing would lead us to believe.
The IEMs are incredibly lightweight and I find them to fit comfortably in my ears, feeling absolutely no fatigue from the fit even after hours and hours of use. The build also seems to be pretty good, with all the small details of the faceplate (which are quite complex) looking well done even upon closer examination.
To be honest, I am not a fan of the aesthetics of the Pandamon, I don’t think I would find myself wearing these out in public, just not my style. Yet, again, they are definitely original and may be much more appealing to a different (younger?) audience.
The included cable is also decent, although I am not really a fan of the plasticy finish of it. The connectors are metal and the cable is comfortable and non-tangly (which is a word that I am sure doesn’t exist), it is just that outside material that doesn’t appeal to me.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
As I said, when I started listening to the Pandamon, I didn’t know what to expect. I guess my mind automatically thought they would be some sort of V shaped tuning aimed at the masses, based on the aesthetics (preconceived opinions are always there, no matter how we try to avoid them), but they are certainly not that. In fact, they present a tuning that I am quite fond of.
Here is the usual graph comparison between them and my personal preference target:
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We can see on paper that they are not that far away from my preferences, which doesn’t automatically mean that I will like them but I do find that I have enjoyed listening to them.
Starting with the subbass, these are definitely not IEMs that are aimed at giving you a lot in these lower ranges. They are rather calm in the subbass region, without any additional boost in comparison to the mid bass. “Chameleon” can come across as a little thin in the low end, even to my tastes (being someone who is by no means a bass head). This doesn’t mean the subbass is bad, just that it is not really that present.
Moving into the midbass, it is again not something that is going to appeal to those who like a boosted low end. The low end is quite calm in general. The performance of the planar driver is decent and all notes in the midbass are clearly defined but Ido thing that some people will find it lacking some warmth for their tastes. Listening to “Smooth Operator”, the bass guitar is very clear but does not really have a lot of “body” to it.
This does make vocals, like Sam Smith in “HIM”, take a step forwards and the piano take a little bit of a background role. This can be very enjoyable for those moments when you want the vocals to take the front stage but I wouldn’t recommend these to those who want to listen to things like EDM with a nice bass presence. Again, the bass is very clear and is not missing, it just doesn’t have the body and warmth that many other sets do.
Towards the top of the midrange, there is quite a smooth climb to the main presence point just over 2kHz and this forms part of that extra step forwards in vocals that I just mentioned. For example, “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” places Sara Bareilles very upfront. I do find this very enjoyable for a lot of my vocal centric music yet, for something more rock orientated, such as “Bombtrack”, it can place a lot of emphasis on the midrange of the guitar.
The treble range is quite smooth and while there isn’t a huge amount of air, the overall sound signature does make things seem a little more present in these ranges. Sibilance is pretty well controlled, without things coming across as harsh in these upper ranges.
Details are not great although the tuning does help with being able to appreciate those that are there. By this I mean that the Pandamon are not going to suddenly reveal things never heard before but at the same time, they never come across as overly blunt in this regard. Specifically focusing on certain background details that I know are there, they can be heard on the Pandamon but they don’t jump out at you.
Soundstage is another of those that I find to be around average with image placement being good but certainly not pin point. Separation of the layers in vocals in “Strange Fruit” is acceptable but I wouldn’t say it is amazing.
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Isolation is quite a way below average but as I said earlier in the review, I can’t see me going out in public with these IEMs anyway, so noise shouldn’t be an issue
Conclusion…
I have been pleasantly surprised by the Pandamon, they certainly aren’t what I thought they were going to be when I first opened them. The sound signature is something that gets close to my preferences and although I would like a little more in the low end (which is something I don’t say often), in general they are a nicely balanced set of IEMs for those who want a more “neutral” sound.
The details are not the best but they are not bad either and the overall presentation of the IEMs is something that I find non-offensive and fairly well done. Yes, there are points that can be improved but that is usually the case with most IEMs.
I am not a fan of the aesthetics but that is obviously something very personal. I am just not one for wearing cartoon characters, I guess I am more of the boring type for that kind of thing.
They are certainly something different and it is always refreshing to see things on my desk that break away from the routine, whether I like them or not. In this case, I have enjoyed listening to them.
As always, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (Acho Reviews - YouTube)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
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