Acho Reviews (in English & Spanish)

[SenyorC]

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.

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

[SenyorC]

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:

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.

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

[SenyorC]

Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite

The Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. As always, they have not made any requests or comments and I will do my best to be as sincere and unbiased as humanly possible. However, it is always good to consider that it has not cost me anything to try out these IEMs.

As always, I will leave a link to the Orchestra Lite via Linsoul on my blog (link at the end of this post)
As with all links that I share, this is a non-affiliate link, meaning I do not benefit from the link in any way.

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…

The original Kiwi Orchestra was a set of IEMs that got quite a bit of praise back in 2021, with Audio Discourse (more specifically @antdroid) saying that it was the best IEM under $500 at the time. I haven’t had a chance to listen to the original Orchestra but I usually find that my tastes align quite a bit with Antdroid’s. The Orchestra (OG) featured 8 BA drivers (2 lows, 4 mids and 2 treble) and retailed for $499.

Fast forward to 2023 and Kiwi Ears brings us the Orchestra Lite, once again featuring 8 BA drivers in the same configuration (2 lows, 4 mids and 2 highs) but this time coming in at $249, half the price of the original.

Now, I obviously can’t compare the Lite to the Original as I haven’t heard the latter but I have heard a lot of good performing IEMs lately and straight off the bat, I can say that the Orchestra Lite is one of them.

Presentation…

The presentation is nothing extraordinary but is nothing to complain about either. Arriving in a simple box with an image of the IEMs on the front along with the logo, it opens to reveal the IEMs sitting in a foam cut out.

Below this we receive a Kiwi Ears branded semi-rigid transport/storage case which contains the cable and a large selection of tips (9 sets in total of three different types).

As I said, nothing out of the ordinary as far as presentation but well packaged and containing the necessary good to enjoy the IEMs out of the box.

Build and aesthetics…

The impression that the Orchestra Lite gives is that it is a very well made IEM, with attention paid to detail. It is a resin build featuring a coloured faceplate and a clear shell through which you can see the drivers, crossovers and even a Kiwi Ears logo on one of the BA drivers.

The IEMs are available in blue or green, in my case I received the blue, and I have to say that they are very good looking IEMs (even if aesthetics are very personal). The marble style swirled finish of the face plates looks great, combining different tones of blue and featuring the Kiwi Ears logo in silver.

As far as comfort, I decided on mid sized tips and found the Orchestra Lite to be very comfortable, even for longer listening sessions. These are on the larger size (think B2 Dusk) so ear size may come into play depending on your anatomy.

One issue to consider is that they are unvented which may cause pressure build up and could result in discomfort to those who are sensitive to this. I did have a few occasions when I felt the pressure build up but reseating the IEMs and making sure to release the pressure when inserting worked well for me personally.

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 I used to have a bit of a bias against all BA IEMs (I still do to some extent) as I find that, in the majority of cases, the bass of all BA IEMs is a little lifeless. I don’t mean it is lacking in quantity, rather that it just doesn’t sound natural to me. I believe it is due to the amount of years I have spent listening to bass through dynamic driver speakers (both music and bass playing) and that has just become “normal” for me, so I tend to find that BA doesn’t quite cut it. That is until the Helios came along and threw that theory out of the window. So I am no longer someone who thinks that BA bass will automatically sound unnatural but I do still find that many IEMs do sound this way.

But anyway, enough rambling and lets get into the sound of the Orchestra Lite, fist looking at the graph comparing them to my usual preference target (as always, my target is just a reference, not a rule as to whether I will like something or not):

Starting off in the lowest regions, there is plenty of presence in the usual “Chameleon” test, presenting a low end rumble that is clean and detailed (as far as subbass detail goes of course). I have to say that the seal and fit of the Orchestra Lite is very important, well, it’s very important with any IEM but in the case of the OL, the smallest of issues with seal makes the subbass all but disappear.

The transition from the subbass into the midbass is a little on the warm side but I don’t find this to be a negative on the OL. Listening to something electronic like “Sun is Shining”, there is no sensation of bloat in the midbass at all, with everything sounding clean and balanced in the low end. If you are someone looking for a large bass boost then these IEMs are probably not going to fit your tastes, yet they work well for my tuning preferences in these ranges. For example, “Bury a Friend” has plenty of rumble in those low vibrations but without seeming to lose control or take over the sound signature at all.

If we take something more acoustical, without a subbass presence, the low end could come across as a little “polite” with things like acoustic guitars and basses. In my typical test using “Crazy”, the reverb in the low end of the guitar is present but is never overpowering, making it a very fatigue free listen for me.

In regards to what I said a moment ago about the BA bass not sounding natural (I don’t want to use the infamous “BA timbre” reference), in the case of the Orchestra Lite it is far better than on other BA options I have heard. It is not quite on a level with the Helios (which is to be expected) but is closer to natural than artificial.

Moving into the mid range, the mids are again very clear and well balanced. They portray a good sensation of detail but could be a little on the cooler side, missing a little bit of warmth in the lower mids to round out that natural timbre a little on things like the bass guitar in “Elephants On Ice Skates”.

Vocals are quite forward, especially female vocals, which are clearly the center of the OL presentation. With vocals that are a little harsh in their presentation, such as Alicia Keys in “No One (Acoustic)” or Beth in "Don’t You Worry Child”, this can be a little overpowering on these IEMs due to how forward they are. They are certainly not the harshest of IEMs but that focus on upper mids and treble ranges can become fatiguing with some tracks that are not smooth in their recordings.

The upper ranges are possibly the least balanced out of the whole signature. Sibilance is actually not bad (with the usual “Code Cool” test) but it is noticeable on some parts of the track. There is a decent extension and the upper ranges do come across as detailed but things like cymbals can come across as a little uneven, sometimes seeming to fall behind the upper mids but with peaks appearing now and again.

Details are good in general, with good image placement and a soundstage that is also fairly good, at least above average in IEM terms. I did find that if a lot was going on in the upper ranges then the separation of layers could suffer but in more relaxed tracks it seemed to do a decent job.

One last thing to note is that the Orchestra Lite do reveal noisy sources quite a bit, with hissing (on things like the Go Blu with the balanced out) being more noticeable than on many other sets.

Conclusion…

Not too long ago I reviewed the Kiwi Ears Cadenza and it became one of my favourite budget sets of IEMs, one that I have absolutely no doubts about recommending to those who enjoy similar sound presentations to myself. In the case of the Orchestra Lite that comes in a 7 times the price, I feel that I am a bit more hesitant to do so.

It is not that the Orchestra Lite is a bad set of IEMs, far from it, in fact, I think they are a very good set of IEMs, yet they do have a few things that I can see not working for some people. The performance is good, they are amazingly built, look great and are, in general, something that I think will impress a lot of people. Yet on the negative side, the low ranges are still not 100% natural to my ears and the upper ranges could use some work.

If you are looking for a more analytical sound signature, something that is balanced and maybe leads to the colder side of neutral, then I think that you can expect a lot of enjoyment from the Ochestra Lite, yet if you are more on the warmer and fun side of things, then these will probably not fit your preferences.

Again, I feel that these are a great set of IEMs, just that they won’t be for everybody (well, no IEMs ever are!).

---

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

[SenyorC]

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Plussound Allegro

The Plussound Allegro have been sent to me as part of a tour for me to try them out and share my opinions in this review. Plussound have not made any requests other than fixing a limit of one week to spend with them.

I will do my best to be as sincere and unbiased as humanly possible but it is always good to consider the fact that it hasn’t cost me anything to try out these IEMs.

The official page for the Plussound Allegro is here: PLUSSOUND | Earphones | Allegro

As always, this is a non-affiliate link.

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 be honest and say that I know very little about Plussound other than they are known for their cables. I am not certain if the Allegro are their first set of IEMs or not but on their website they are the only model listed. Specified as the “Launch Edition”, the Allegro cost just over 3200€, a price which I believe makes them the most expensive IEMs to be reviewed on Acho Reviews to date.

Now, before the questions of is it better than X that costs X amount less, it is worth pointing out that after a certain level, it is more about adapting to individual tastes rather than becoming “better” per se. However, it does mean that things that would be considered “inconveniences” at other prices, can quickly become deal breakers at this level.

Anyhow, here are my personal findings and opinions of the Allegro after spending a week with them.

Presentation…

I can’t comment on presentation as the tour unit does not include any packaging, it is just the IEMs inside a (very nice) storage case.

They did, however, include 4 different cable cables and a lot of tips of three different types: silicone, Symbio and Comply.

Also in the case, under the IEMs, there is a cleaning brush, a microfiber cloth, a leather strap (for the cable) and a couple of lengths of edging strip (which I honestly have no idea what it is for).

Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are certainly on the large side, sporting a copper faceplate that uses square edges and geometrical shapes to give it quite a modern look. While I like the look of the IEMs, I am sorry to say that the shape is something that I find extremely uncomfortable. I was actually joking about the fact that the Allegro could become the first IEMs to bring tears to my eyes. This is due to the fact that they really dig in to the top part of my ear, becoming very painful even after a few minutes, yet I was enjoying the music so I kept on listening

To try and combat the issue with comfort, I tried the three types of tips included, along with a large selection of tips that I had on hand. As far as sound, I preferred the included Symbio tips (more on that in a moment) but they actually added to the discomfort. In the end, in order to use them for any extended period, I either had to opt for Crystal’s or Xelastec’s (both in a large size). This allowed me to get a seal slightly further out and was a little more comfortable (although still painful after a while). Out of these two, I preferred the sound of the Crystals but as they sit so far outside the ear, and are heavy IEMs, any slight movements caused the seal to break.

Anyway, fit and comfort is a very personal thing and I have said my piece, so let’s move on and talk about the included cables.

I have no idea what each model of cable is called (I could have probably researched but you know how I usually avoid that sort of thing ) but there is a black & white one, a grey one and a black one. I measured with each of these cables and there was no difference, so I just stuck with the black and white one that came preinstalled. The cables certainly seem to be well built and high end but are a little stiff for my personal tastes. They are not overly thick but aren’t something that is easily draped over the ears, as I said, they are just a little stiff.

There have also included a USB cable with inline controls (and DAC/Amp obviously), which is an option when purchasing the Allegro. I am sorry to say that I ran out of time and din’t have chance to test this cable/DAC/Amp.

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.)

I started off by listening mostly to acoustic/vocal music while I was working and I have to say that I really enjoyed the Allegro (apart from the blades digging into my ears) for a very long session of my favourite genre. I did find that some vocals, especially female, could come across peaky and harsh in the upper ranges but in general, I found them to have a very enjoyable signature.

When moving on to other music, specifically things that included more drums than my usual acoustic guitar and singer arrangements, I found that the upper ranges were more on the harsh side than I had first realized.

But let’s take my usual test list and put things into perspective with the tracks that I always use for my detailed listening. In this case, as I wanted to spend a long session to come up with in depth opinions, I used the Azla Crystal tips and made sure to not head bang too much

First, as always, here is the graph comparing them to my usual reference target:

Starting off with “Chameleon” (don’t I always?), the subbass rumbles nicely and keeps it’s posture even when things are getting “heavy” down there. They didn’t actually give me the impression of having as much subbass as they show on the graph but I think that is due to the cleanliness of these low notes, keeping the rumble from taking over the low end.

With “Royals”, the subbass hits nicely and portrays that “dirt” that is part of the low end in this track. Again, I didn’t find that the subbass was as present as I would have imagined by looking at the graph, or to put it better, when I measured the Allegro and saw the results, I was surprised to see such an elevated low end.

The midbass is something that would worry me if I looked at the graph before listening, as I have a tendency to get fatigued very quickly with excessive midbass, especially if the midbass is not very clean and controlled. This is a non issue for me with the Allegro as the midbass is very clean and defined. The quickest test for me is “Crazy” by Daniela Andrade, which can make me nauseous very quickly if the midbass is excessive and not controlled enough, in this case, absolutely no issues.

With something a little more electronic such as “No Sanctuary Here”, the midbass gave the same impression that the subbass did with “Chameleon”. The presence is there but the hits are very clean and controlled, making it seem like there is less presence than there actually is. There is certainly no sensation of bloat to my ears and even faster and busier tracks in the low end, such as “The Room”, are well defined and do not make the bass feel like it is merging with the guitar, nor does it overpower the bass drum.

In the midrange I find that the transition from the lower ranges is very clean, with no noticeable issues. I don’t know at what point the crossover happens but I found that the DD and BA drivers work well together to make the mids sound smooth and collected. I liked the timbre of acoustic instruments especially in the lower midrange, with the DD adding that bit of natural taste to the cleanliness of the BA drivers.

As we move up into the higher mids, again looking at the graph, I would have expected vocals to not be as forward as they are in reality. I found that vocals didn’t take a step forwards but they didn’t blend into the background either having just enough light on them to be the focus point. There were a few male vocals that I did find to be a bit further back than usual, such as Prince in “Black Muse” where his voice seems to be slightly further back than the female vocals.

However, as we move past this point, things start to go downhill in the upper ranges. As I said, with acoustic/vocal music, I found a few female vocals to have a few peaks that could be irritating but not terrible. When we start to add more instruments in these upper ranges things do start to become a lot more peaky and very harsh on occasions.

For example, the plucks in “Elephants On Ice Skates” can actually make me wince on occasions, as can the cymbals in “The Room” or even the snare hits in “Jack of Speed”.

I already know that I am sensitive to 5kHz peaks, which isn’t going to help things, but in this case, the dip before this mark with the additional presence moving up from there puts too much focus on this range, making it uncomfortable with certain tracks and genres.

Sibilance is also present, using the usual “Code Cool”, I would place Patricia Barber (on my completely non-scientific -12 to +12 scale) around a +3 or +4. The hi-hats don’t really help in this track either, adding to the harshness when sibilance occurs. Paul Simon in “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” is much the same.

Details are good, with good image placement and a nice open sensation, not huge but still very enjoyable and above what I have come to expect as average from IEMs. “Bubbles” may not have the largest 3D imaging I have ever heard but it is certainly at a level to make the track enjoyable for what it is.

Conclusion…

The Plussound Allegro are a high end set of IEMs that, pardon the pun, come apart in the high end.

If I ignore the issue I have with the comfort of these IEMs, which is obviously a deal breaker for me personally but may not be an issue at all for others, then I have to say that there are things about the Allegro that I have really enjoyed.

I find that the lows and mids work very well together, giving both good sound and great performance in those areas, with details that are impressive and, in general, a pleasant experience in those ranges.

I find that they work very well for acoustic/vocal centric music, which makes up a large portion of what I actually listen to, only showing a less than “comfortable” treble on certain vocals in this genre, mainly female (although some male vocals also).

The problem arises when there is more going on in this upper ranges, such as percussion etc., which starts to put more focus and emphasis on the higher end, making the sharpness become much more apparent. In these cases, the upper ranges, at least to my ears, do become very uncomfortable. There are spikes and sibilance that can actually cause me to wince at certain points in time.

It is very possible that with a combination of different tips (the Symbio did seem to tame them slightly, although not enough) and possibly some filters, that this would not be apparent and result in a more balanced signature in these upper ranges. The issue is that, due to the fit and how painful I find it, I am very limited to what tips I can actually use.

If these are actually the first IEMs by Plussound (again, I am not sure on this), then I think they have proven to be very capable and have already created a very good base that just a few tweaks could turn them into something that is excellent.

---

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

[SenyorC]

KZ ZVX

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - KZ ZVX

As with the last set of KZ IEMs that I reviewed, I am not very sure who sent me the KZ ZVX for review. This time I received an email from someone who had reached out to me in the past (not the same person/company who reached out last time) and asked if I would review the KZ Linglong. I mentioned that I had a rather large backlog of reviews but if they wanted to send them out then I would review them once I got a chance.

I didn’t hear anything else and a couple of weeks later I received the KZ ZVX. I am guessing that it is from the same person/company but I really don’t know. Therefore, I will share a link to the ZVX via the site of the person who contacted me about the Linglong, as I guess they just decided to send a different model? To see the link, visit this review published on my blog (link at the end f this review).

This obviously means that I have not received any requests from the person who sent these to me and the link is of course non-affiliate, as I am not even sure if I am linking the correct page.

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 don’t think KZ need any introduction, I have reviewed many of their models in the past and anyone who has ever looked at budget IEMs has heard of KZ.

In the case of the ZVX, they are a single dynamic set which use a 10mm and are stated as having a sensitivity of 109dB and an impedance of 25 Ohms. I have to say that they are very easy to drive and will work fine from any dongle or telephone with headphone output.

They are also marketed as being a “New flagship in single dynamic field” and come in at a price of 20€ at the time of writing this review, so they are certainly aiming at that entry level price point.

Presentation…

This is another section that really doesn’t need much context as 95% of KZ IEMs are presented and packaged in the same way and the ZVX are no exception.

They usual white box containing the IEMs, the usual KZ cable and 3 sizes of tips.

The only break from the norm in this case is that the tips included are actually foam tips, something that is not the usual case with KZ IEMs.

Build and aesthetics…

I have to give it to KZ, they do manage to keep innovating the aesthetics of their IEMs while managing to stick with a general shape that I find very comfortable.

In this case they have opted for a full alloy build, with a vent on the face plate, along with a rather large opening that is purely aesthetic but works well in my opinion.

I have many sets of KZ IEMs and while they don’t get used daily (I am always testing out new things so none of my IEMs really get used as much as they would in normal circumstances), I have ever had an issue with their build over the years. Obviously only time and use will tell but I can’t see any clear reason why the build of the ZVX would be any different.

The IEMs are available in black or silver, with or without mic, and I have to say that the black version I have looks rather good for a 20 set of IEMs. I don’t think KZ is ever going to win any awards for the best looking IEMs but, again, I think they deserve a lot of credit in the aesthetic department as they always manage to change things up slightly.

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 they included only foam tips with these, obviously those are the tips that they are thinking work the best with these IEMs, so that is what I have used for this review.

Let’s start with the usual comparison between the ZVX and my personal reference target:

Starting off in the lowest ranges, the ZVX has a decent amount of rumble although it is not quite as clean as other competing sets in this range. It doesn’t lose control too much but does give a sensation of things being just a little bit too loose in those lower notes of my usual test tracks.

The midbass is a little overly present for my preferences but is actually quite coherent and controlled in these ranges. My test with “Crazy” did not result in the reverb being overly bloated and, while it is a little too present, is quite listenable on the ZVX without me getting fatigued.

In the case of EDM, using “Shot Me Down” as an example, I found that these IEMs do quite a good job of being powerful in the lower ranges without losing focus of the other frequencies that are present in this song. The bass hits of this song are actually quite clean and don’t portray themselves as being too sloppy in these ranges. I can’t say it is the best I have heard in this regard but they are pretty good for a set of 20€ IEMs.

The mid range seems to be the better part of the IEMs, something that KZ seems to have been doing fairly well on all of the recent models that I have tried of theirs. There is a nice presence of vocals, with a decent instrument timbre, that climbs towards the upper mids in a way that matches my preferences very well. They are not the most detailed in the mid range but are very enjoyable and I found myself liking what I heard on multiple genres of music.

Moving into the upper ranges, things are not terrible either. Ok, they are not perfect, but they do a decent job of keeping things from being too harsh (in the case of Beth in “Don’t You Worry Child”) and sibilance is not overly present either, with Partricia Barber being at a level that I would say is around normal (or maybe just a hint more) in “Code Cool”.

Treble is nothing great, with quite a bit of roll off and a sensation that air is lacking, yet, as the upper mids do a good job of being clean and well defined, the result is not as bad as it could be. Yes, there are a few peaks here and there but none that I found really irritating.

Details are not the strong point of the ZVX but they don’t sound overly blunted and I think that they do a job that is plenty good enough for general listening while out and about.

Soundstage is about on a par with average, maybe slightly above, and while details may not be spectacular and imaging is not millimetric, they again do a job that I really can’t find reason to complain about at this price level.

Isolation is not the best, especially in the lower ranges, but is around average and shouldn’t be too much of an issue while listening to music in normal surroundings. They aren’t going to give amazing isolation on planes, trains or automobiles, but should work well enough for most other things.

Conclusion…

I have already said it a hundred times but I will say it again, there are some very good options in the extreme budget market and that makes it difficult for many brands to be competitive.

In the case of the ZVX, I feel that KZ has done a pretty good job. No, they are not groundbreaking and something that suddenly jumps to the top of the budget rankings but they are still good and I think they could make a lot of people happy for a very small amount of money.

It wasn’t long ago that KZ were seemingly trying to add as many drivers, of as many types, as possible. Yet there is something to be said about simplicity, especially when focusing on the lower price bracket. By reducing the amount of parts, and the work needed to make those parts work together, it gives more budget and time to focus on doing one thing right. It seems that on this occasion they got it right, or they got lucky. Either way, the ZVX are a set of IEMs that I think are well worth their price.

---

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

[SenyorC]

Blon x HBB Z300

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Blon x HBB Z300

The Blon Z300 have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have made no specific requests or comments and, as always, I will do my best to be as unbiased and sincere as humanly possible.

I will leave a link to the Z300 via Linsoul on my blog, which you can access by following the link at the end of this review.

(As with all links I share, this is a non-affiliate link).

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…

So we have another collaboration, once again by HBB (of Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews) but this time with Blon. I have actually lost count of how many collabs there have been by HBB but I know that there are a lot

Honestly, while I have understood the appeal of previous HBB tunings to a vast amount of people, I haven’t really fallen in love with any of them. I think that, out of the ones I have tried, the KAI was probably my favourite. It is not that I think the others have been bad, they just don’t suit my personal tastes, usually due to an excessive presence in the lower ranges.

Upon receiving the Z300, I had (have) quite a backlog of stuff but for some reason it ended up in my bag and when I arrived at the office after a long weekend, it was the only set I had with me. So, I decided to give it a whirl (jumping the queue of other items) and I have to say, the first listen was impressive.

Usually I put all new arrivals on the burn in rig for at least 150 hours, not because I am a strong believer in burn in but because it doesn’t cost me anything to do so while they wait their turn. In this case, no burn in was done () but I really don’t think that should be a concerning factor for those who feel it is necessary, as my opinions are positive, so unless it was supposed to get worse…

Anyhow, the Blon Z300 costs around 30€ at the time of putting together this review, placing it firmly in the ultra budget category (that I consider under 50€) and, in my opinion, it places high in the ranking of said budget IEMs, competing with some of my favourite IEMs in this price bracket, such as the Kiwi Ears Cadenza.

So, let me try and explain what makes me like the Z300 and how I find it to perform.

Presentation…

There is really nothing spectacular about the presentation of the Z300, as is usual with Blon, and it really shouldn’t be expected at this price range anyway.

A simple white box with slide out tray is the packaging used, with a monochromatic image of a dragon on the front and the text “Oppoty & Driams Pt.2”. While the majority will know what this refers to, for the newcomers to the IEM world, “Oppoty & Driams” was the caption which became famous with the release of the Blon BL03, a set of IEMs that received a huge amount of praise and set the bar of ultra budget IEMs at a new level at the time (if you could get them to fit that was). Later Blon obviously found spell check and the well known catchphrase was dropped.

Funny thing is that, in my opinion, Blon really hasn’t done anything worthy of high praise since the “Oppoty & Driams” was dropped, and the return of this slogan with a set that is actually worth praise is very fitting.

But anyway, I digress…

Inside the box we get the IEMs, the cable, a small drawstring bag (like a miniature potato sack, another Blon clasic) and 6 sets of silicone tips in two types. Blon have never really been great with their tips and usually I don’t even bother to use them on the sets that I receive but, as these were the only IEMs I had with me, I used them for the first day and either my memory is fading or these are actually better than those of yesteryear (at least the white ones).

As far as contents and packaging, that is all we get but it has inspired a trip down memory lane

Build and aesthetics…

The build uses a zinc alloy shell which is published as being 18K gold-plated. I have no idea if they are gold-plated or not but they are certainly very gold, at least the model I received. The IEMs are available in two colours, blue and gold, and luck would have it that I received the gold version (I am not really a fan of gold).

However, I have to say that the aesthetics are very good and judging by the photos, I think the blue may be even more impressive in person.

The build seems to be very well done, with no apparent issues on my set and while I don’t know how the gold finish will hold up, I can do nothing but praise these IEMs for build and aesthetics at this price range.

Comfort is also very good for me personally, without the issues of some of the previous Blon models (which actually were ok for me but were problematic for many). They are lightweight and the shape fits well, meaning I experienced no discomfort even after hours of wearing them.

Last but not least, the cable. It is nothing extraordinary but it is a good cable that is far better than some of the cables received with IEMs that cost 10 times or more than the Z300. I have absolutely no complaints about it so, as far as build and aesthetics in general, full praise in this category from 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 mentioned previously, I didn’t intend to review these IEMs. Even when I put them on originally, my intention was to use them for the day and then take them home and throw them on the burn in rig until it was their turn. Yet, straight away I found myself enjoying the music and ended up spending all week with them. This is already positive from my side as I found I enjoyed them and didn’t just “have” to use them to review them (which does happen with many sets).

Over the week I have listened to plenty of genres of music, finding them to be a pleasurable listen with almost all of them. Yes, there have been certain tracks/albums where I found them to be a little too warm and even too bassy on occasions, but those have been limited to certain things and not the majority (like with some of the other HBB collabs).

But let’s get on with my usual process using my normal detailed listening playlist (which can be found in full on my blog BTW) and starting off, as usual with the graph in comparison to my personal preference target.

I have said many times before that my reference target is just as a guide, it is not an indication that I will definitely like or dislike something, many other factors come into play. In fact, the Z300 graphs very similarly to some other models that I have enjoyed (and some that I haven’t). You can see how it compares to other IEMs by visiting the Acho Reviews Squig Link (link at the end of this review).

So… starting off with the subbass and my usual (almost obligatory) workout with “Chameleon”, we get off to a fairly good start. The lowest notes do not present as much rumble as on some other sets yet there is still more than enough for the track to be appreciated for what it is. The subbass is also clean and nicely defined, as far as subbass goes, showing the subtleties of these notes in tracks like “Royals”.

In the midbass range, there is a bit of a boost above what would be my personal preference, however, as the bass range is well controlled, keeping notes fast when they need to be and without interfering with other sounds happening around them, I find the midbass to be quite enjoyable.

Anyone who has followed my reviews over time will know that excessive and uncontrolled midbass is something that fatigues me, even causing me to feel nauseous at times. My quick test for this is “Crazy” by Daniela Andrade, where the low end of the guitar can become a uncontrolled and overly reverberant, something that is not the case with the Z300. Yes, there is still a trace of it being overly boosted but I don’t find it to affect me negatively like it does on so many other sets.

Knowing that HBB has a library that consists of a lot of rock, and that I have found many of his other collaborations to be overly boosted in these ranges for my personal preference as far as rock bass is concerned, I found the bass guitar in “Whole Lotta Love” to be nicely present in the tuning of the Z300. There is a presence that gives it a bit of warmth but still keeps the notes clear and precise in this rather old recording. The same can be said for the bass guitar in “Bombtrack”, although I did find the kick drum to be a little too present on this track. I am really being picky here and the air that the kick drum moves is impressive, without even considering price.

Focusing on something more electronic, such as “Sun Is Shining”, I think the bass range works fairly well and while it may not be enough for those who like skull rattling bass, personally I feel it has a decent balance with the rest of frequencies to place the focus on those bass notes without taking over the whole spectrum.

Moving on to the mid range, I find that acoustic guitars and other similar instruments have a nice timbre to them, seeming very realistic with just a hint of extra warmth. The lower ranges of vocals, particularly deep male vocals such as Leonard Cohen in “Happens to the Heart” have a nice smoothness in the lower mids, with a decent amount of detail.

As we move to the higher midrange, here things are not quite as forward as on other sets, something that I find can make certain vocals come across as rather dull, again referring to tracks like “Happens to the Heart” or Raelee Nikole in “Dreamin’”. On the other side of the coin, it can work well for vocals that are overly harsh in these ranges, such as Beth in “Don’t You Worry Child”, who comes across a lot tamer on the Z300, although it does dull the piano of the song a little at the same time. It can also work well to tame overly harsh brass instruments but, again, on tracks where the brass has been recorded well, it can dull them a bit too much.

Moving into the upper ranges, extension is not bad but is not really excellent either. There is a bit of a lack of air in these higher notes but it is not the worst I have heard. I do find that on tracks that are dulled by the slight lack of 3 to 4kHz, then the sensation of lack of air can be more apparent.

Sibilance is fairly well controlled but not eliminated, at least on “Code Cool”, where I would place Patricia Barber quite close to neutral. Again, this can seem to be a little less sibilant due to the slight lack of presence and of air. Using Paul Simon in “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes”, the result is very similar or, in fact, I find sibilance to be slightly reduced from neutral.

Detail in general is decent yet that slight lack of presence and air does make the upper ranges sound slightly less detailed than they are. Focusing on the details in these ranges proves that they are indeed there but just not as apparent. The details in the lower and mid ranges are much more apparent and impressive at this price point.

Sound stage is around average for a set of IEMs, in my opinion, with decent placement of images without being millimetric but good nonetheless. The Z300 are not going to win any award in this category but then we have to remember the price of these IEMs to make fair judgement, in which case, they are pretty good.

Conclusion…

While doing the detailed listening tests of the Z300, I found myself picking out slight flaws and areas where they are not amazing, then I would remember that these IEMs are 30€. If considering price, the Z300 are a very good set of IEMs that compete with the best in the sub 50€ range and even with other models at higher price points. The only place I ever give scores to IEMs is on Head-Fi, as it is obligatory, but what you get with the Z300 for 30€ is certainly worth 5 stars.

However, I don’t often give 5 stars and 4.5 stars is the maximum I have ever given to a set of budget IEMs, which I think I gave to the Cadenza, the CRA and the CRA+. Are the Z300 better than those 3 sets in order to give them a higher score? Well, “better” is very subjective and I’m afraid that, for me personally, they are fighting at a similar level and the preference of each person will sway the scales one way or the other, so I am going to keep them at a 4.5, as I don’t think they are perfect. Certainly still a 5 star as far as value for money though!

Until now, the Cadenza have been my reference for the top spot in the under 50€ range and while I feel that the Z300 are good enough to trade blows, they don’t remove the Cadenza from the top spot for me. It is all going to depend on personal music tastes and what everyone prefers to listen to, as the Z300 work much better than the Cadenza for certain things but, due to the fact that I listen to a lot of acoustic and vocal centric music, I prefer the upper mids presence on the Cadenza. Again, personal preference.

What I am happy to say is that Blon have finally, with the help of HBB, brought something new that puts them back in the spotlight of budget IEMs, something that has not happened for a long time. I am glad that the Z300 are the IEMs that have brought the “Oppoty and Driams pt.2” tag.

---

As with all 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

[SenyorC]

Simgot EA500

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Simgot EA500

The Simgot EA500 have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. As always, Linsoul have not made any requests or comments and I will do my best to be as honest and sincere as possible in this review.

As always, I will leave a link to the EA500 via Linsoul in the version of this review published on my blog, link at the end of this review.

As with all links I publish, it is a non-affiliate link

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…

Simgot is a brand that I have seen mentioned a lot over the past years on various forums, although I haven’t really paid much attention to them. Their website features quite a few models of IEMs, a couple of dongle style DACs and even a set of over ear headphones, however, I can’t say I have ever had the chance to try out any of their offerings until now.

The EA500 is quite a new release from the brand and features a dual magnet, single 10mm dynamic driver, coming in at under 80€ (at the time or writing this review) on Linsoul. While this does place them outside of the ultra budget category (50€ or less), it still makes them a very affordable set of IEMs. It also puts them in direct competition with many other models at similar price points (a search of IEMs between 50€ and 100€ on Linsoul returns 77 results), some of which are from brands that are quite well known in the IEM segment.

Therefore, let’s see if there is anything special about the EA500 that makes them a good choice over other alternatives.

Presentation…

Arriving in a simple but modern looking box, the packaging could easily be mistaken for a DAP or even a cell phone. On the cover there are no images of the IEMs and only the Hi-Res logo in the top corner points us towards this being an audio product.

The back of the box does hint more towards the fact that these are earphones, showing us the two frequency response graphs for the included nozzles (more on that in a moment), along with the specifications of the IEMs.

Opening the box we find the smooth and shiny silver IEMs sitting in cut outs, with a box below containing the accessories.

Those accessories are an oval storage/transport case, free of any logos, 3 sets of silicone tips, the cable, the replacement nozzles and quite a few spare o-rings that fit on the nozzles to seal them with the shells.

While some extra styles of tips would have been nice, I can’t really bring myself to complain about the contents as I feel that the basic necessities are more than covered.

Build and aesthetics…

As I said above, the shells are silver and shiny, looking quite elegant (until you fill them with fingerprints of course). The Simgot logo on the shells is visible but quite discreet and works well with the simplicity of the aesthetics. The shells are completely metal, as you may have guessed from the photos, and while they are not the lightest of IEMs, they are not heavy weights either.

The overall shape of the shells is quite generic but smoothed around the edges, leading to quite a comfortable fit, for me at least. They are not overly large and the weight, while noticeable, doesn’t lead to any fatigue.

The included cable, while advertised as a high quality silver plated cable, is nothing really exciting but it does match the IEMs well and certainly does its job. The connectors and hardware are plastic and not really something that will stand out for their luxury but, again, they get the job done.

In general, I find them to be a comfortable set of IEMs that, while not anything exciting, look fairly good in their simplicity.

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.)

One of the things that makes the EA500 stand out from many other models is the fact that they include 2 sets of nozzles that simply unscrew to be replaced and change the overall tuning of the IEMs.

According to Simgot, the first set (with the red silicone rings) aims for the H Brand-2016 Curve, which I am guessing is the Harman curve due to them stating that it “…is a very universal trend-orientated tuning style. It is also the basic curve widely used by different brands of audio manufacturers in the industry…”. Well, that and the fact that the show the Harman curve on their graph for reference, although the EA500 don’t exactly follow it that closely (and even less in my measurements but I’ll get to that).

The second set, with the black silicone rings, is stated as following the SIMGOT-Classic target curve, which does vary quite a bit in the bass and treble (at least on their graphs but, again, I’ll get to that). The state that this tuning “Through appropriate gain of the treble and slight forward shift of the first peak, on the basis of ensuring accurate positioning and clear image, the three frequency keep balances, making the instrument more beautiful, the separation clearer, and the female vocal more addictive”. I don’t know about you guys but I’m sold

Anyway, enough about what they claim and on to what I actually found while testing out the EA500. First let’s take a look at what Simgot show as the differences between the two different nozzles:

Now here is what I got when measuring the two nozzles (in comparison to my personal preference target as usual):

As you can see, the differences between the two measurements are a lot less pronounced on my set up. We should take into consideration that there is obviously a difference between measuring rigs and also there is the possibility of unit variation between the two, but the differences are still fairly minimal on the set that I received (both when measured and while listening).

Starting off with the nozzles with the black o-rings (I am jus going to refer to black nozzles and red nozzles from now on) and the usual subbass test with “Chameleon”, there is enough presence for me to not say that the subbass is lacking. Saying that, it is a little less present than on many other sets, so if you are looking for a bass head set of IEMs, at least in the sub ranges, the black nozzle are not going to be it.

Switching to the red nozzles and running the same test, the differences are fairly inaudible. I like to think that my hearing is so good that I could tell the difference but as I had already seen the graph, it was just my mind telling me to expect more subbass. If someone else changed the nozzles and I listened again, I wouldn’t be able to tell which is which (although I would have 50% probabilities of getting it right ).

In general the subbass is decent, well controlled and doesn’t seem to struggle at all even when pushed. My listening levels are not the highest in general but I did push them for a while when trying out some EDM and I can’t say they performed badly at all.

Moving into the midbass range and returning to the black nozzles, I ran the usual “Crazy” test to see if the midbass fatigued me and while it wasn’t the cleanest of midbass, it didn’t become overpowering nor interfere with the mid range, something that I find to be a common occurrence with this track. The red nozzles once again showed no difference to my ears, with me feeling the same way about the track with both options.

Trying out “Sun Is Shining” I felt that the bass wasn’t as clear and defined as I have heard it on many other single DD options recently. It doesn’t sound bad but did come across as being a little blunt in those bass rhythms. It is not that it is lacking in speed, just that the rhythm is not quite a clear and powerful as I would like.

If in the lower regions I find there is very little difference between the nozzles, through the center of the midrange there is no difference at all, at least as far as tuning goes. In terms of detail in the mids, the black nozzle does give a sensation of things being clearer and more defined, which is partly because there is slightly more presence in the upper mids with these nozzles. I say “partly” because I EQ’d that range down ever so slightly to match the red nozzles, just as a test, and I still found the midrange to come across as a little more detailed with the black nozzles.

As we get to the upper mids, and above these regions, this is where we do find clear differences between the two nozzles. These changes are still not dramatic, they do follow a very similar tuning, but the black nozzles do push vocals forward along with instruments that have plenty of presence in these ranges.

As far as vocals, at first I found that I liked the extra presence of the black nozzle but as I listened to more music I started to realize that they could become tiresome, making upper percussion in things like “Royals” or “Forgot About Dre” come across as harsh and uncomfortable. Vocals can also be harsh and more tiring with the black nozzles, such as Paul Simon in “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes”, being overly hash and sibilant. Using the usual non-scientific -12 to +12 sibilance scale on “Code Cool”, I would place Patricia at a +4 at least with the black nozzles.

Switching over to the red nozzles, these upper ranges are tamed quite a bit, with Patricia dropping to somewhere between +1 and +2 as far as sibilance but, more importantly, the harshness of those upper snare, hi-hats and brass instruments on other tracks are also calmed in comparison to the black nozzles, although they can still come across a little harsh on occasions (such as the trumpets in “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes”)

The sensation of detail I would say is slightly better with the black nozzles yet, as the red nozzles are tamed slightly, it is easier to focus on the detail of these upper ranges. Soundstage is decent enough, not a huge open space but certainly on the upper side of average for IEMs, with good use of the available space for image placement.

Conclusion…

The Simgot EA500 are a set of IEMs that I really don’t know where to place them as far as my preferences. The overall set is impressive but at the same time, it can become tiring very quickly, depending on the choice of music.

If I am listening to something that is not overly present or harsh in the upper mids and above, then I find that I really enjoy the black nozzles as they make things sound exciting. Yet, if I am listening to things that are harsher in those same ranges, then I find that the black nozzles make things a little calmer and easier to tolerate, yet they do seem to loose that excitement factor.

I can’t say that the EA500 are not a good set of IEMs, I think they perform very well, but I think that the choice of music is going to be the main thing that puts them either at excellent or harsh for many people.

---

As with all 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

[SenyorC]

Blon B50

I know that these are not IEMs and this thread is in the IEM section, for which I apologize. I looked for a B50 thread and couldn’t find one (please point me to it if there is one and I will move this review) but, honestly, I am not sure they even need their own thread…

The Blon B50 were sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not made any requests or comments and I will do my usual best to be as sincere and unbiased in this review as possible.

You can find the B50, via Linsoul, by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this post).

As always, it is a non-affiliate link.

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 actually had the Blon B50 for some time but haven’t really gotten around to them until now. As the temperatures start to climb rapidly here, hitting between 30 and 35C every day, I decided it was best to focus on testing these closed back headphones before the heat starts to get, let’s say, uncomfortable.

The B50 are a set of budget oriented headphones by the brand that is more known for its IEMs than over ears, although they do have a few models of headphones, none of which I have tried. This specific set is available for just under 120€ on Linsoul at the time of putting together this review, which, in my opinion, is a very reasonable price for a set of headphones… if they are decent that is.

So, after using the B50 at my desk, finding that they are easily powered by anything with a headphone jack, here are my opinions on these headphones.

Presentation…

I have to say that I was very surprised by the packaging of the BL50, which arrives without even being in a box! The normal brown shipping box used by Linsoul opened to reveal a rectangular semi-rigid storage case just sitting inside.

Opening the case didn’t get any better either. The interior of the case is just an empty space inside which the headphones were placed in a clear zip-lock bag, with the included cable in another zip-lock bag, and a simple warranty/info card.

That is it. I would say that the presentation being sparse would be a bit of an understatement but they do at least give us a storage case and if the savings are spent on the headphones themselves, then I am all for saving on packaging where possible.

Build and aesthetics…

Let’s get the aesthetics out of the way first, I am not really a fan. They have a bit of a retro look going on but, honestly, I think it makes them look more “cheap” than “retro”. I think the main thing that turns me off as far as looks are those large gold diamonds with blue text and decor. These are mounted on solid metal cups that are a darkish grey colour which is not terrible but doesn’t match the metal used on the headband either, making it look like it was put together with random parts.

Moving on to build quality, credit should be given where credit is deserved. There is no shortage of metal used on the B50, with metal cups, yokes and headband, all seeming well assembled and looking like they would withstand quite a bit of abuse. When fully extended, there is a bit of play in the part that extends but it is not bad and I would say that, for 120€, these are very well built.

As far as comfort, this is obviously going to vary from one person to the next but personally I found them to be very comfortable. There isn’t much in the way of adjustment, just some tilt (very little) to the cups and the extension of the headband but in my case they fit well. They are also on the heavy side, which is understandable due to them being completely made of metal, but I didn’t find them tiring, mainly due to the soft pads, decent clamp and the (faux) leather headstrap that just all click into place with my personal anatomy. Again, this is going to be very different for each and every one of us, so it is worth noting that there is no swivel or really much adjustment at all, they will either be comfortable on your head or they won’t.

Before moving on, I have to say tha the included cable is quite nice, being superior to many cables received with other headphones at price points above these. It is a simple fabric covered twist which then divides into single 3.5mm connectors, one for each side. It is a lightweight cable that isn’t prone to tangling (or having a life of its own) and, while it may not be a boutique cable, I like 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, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

Now on to the important part, how does it does it perform in the audio realm. Well, I’m afraid that it doesn’t do great. There is a strange overall presentation of music with the B50 that is difficult to explain but I will try.

First off, as always, the graph:

I have included the HD6XX just for comparison’s sake so you can get a reference as to what the basic frequency response is like. Now it is not really fair to compare the measurements of a closed back headphone against an open back as closed backs rarely measure well (at least the ones that I have measured) and while sometimes the measurements look rather weird, it is possible that the sound is not as weird as the graph would suggest.

As an example, here is another graph comparing the the B50 to the Beyerdynamic Custom Studio, which is another closed back headphone:

In this case, you can see that the CS measurements are also all over the place in comparison to an open back but these are a set of closed back headphones that I actually find myself using when I need over ear isolation. No, they are not the best sounding headphones I have but they are not terrible either.

But anyway, enough of the squiggly lines and let’s get to how I find the B50 to perform in my subjective opinion, starting off with the subbass.

The lowest frequencies are actually not bad, they do have a bit of a roll off in the lowest frequencies but manage to stay from being too boomy in that low end. My usual “Chameleon” test track is a long way from being the cleanest I have heard but they are still fairly decent in these lower ranges. If you are looking for an extreme rumble in the lowest frequencies then they aren’t going to give you that but seeing that they stay coherent, I can’t really complain.

Midbass actually seems a little hollow, without much presence, which is again not a bad thing. I would rather there be some absence of midbass than an overly bloated mess that some other closed backs have in this area. Although there is a dip around the 200Hz mark, they don’t actually sound like the lower notes are too detached from the mids, avoiding that “separate subwoofer” feeling that I have found with some other sets that have a similar dip.

Unfortunately, as we move up from this range, things get progressively worse moving through the mids and then into the upper ranges. The B50 give a sensation of having holes in the frequency response, with certain groups of frequencies being elevated while others are just not there. This gives a very unrealistic timbre to acoustic instruments and, when listening to more electronic focused music, gives the impression that a DJ has been playing with his effects and forgot to turn the knobs back to neutral.

Vocals somehow manage to be recessed yet peaky and harsh at the same time, going from not being quite upfront to attacking you, all at the same time. This is the case with both female and male vocals, however, females can portray the harshness much more than in the case of males.

Sibilance is present but doesn’t really stand out as much as it would if there weren’t other harsher things going on around it. Again, the impression that I get is that some kind of effect has been activated and not removed, this can make certain parts of songs in the upper ranges actually quite painful. I did find myself removing the headphones on occasions until I could change tracks.

Soundstage is actually not too bad for a closed back set of headphones and if it wasn’t for the weirdness in sound, I think imaging would be fairly decent also, but as it stands, it is difficult to locate things accurately due to those dips and peaks in both music and vocals.

Conclusion…

I can’t see the point in going deeper into this review as the Blon B50 just don’t agree with me. I am not sure what went on with the tuning of these headphones but the outcome is… strange.

While I would love to say that they are a good alternative for a specific use case or genre, I’m afraid that I haven’t found it personally. They are comfortable and seem like they will withstand abuse, meaning that you could probably throw these about in a bag and not worry about them but, to be brutally honest, I’m not sure that the weight would be worth it.

---

As always, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (Acho Reviews - YouTube)

[John_W_Clark]

@SenyorC

I can’t see the point in going deeper into this review as the Blon B50 just don’t agree with me. I am not sure what went on with the tuning of these headphones but the outcome is… strange.

I remember thinking that Zeos’s review of this seemed like maximum shilling. He loved them for about a week, and I don’t recall seeing them again.

[SenyorC]

I was talking with him about them last week and he still likes them.

[SenyorC]

Simgot EW100P

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Simgot EW100P

The Simgot EW100P have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. They have not made any requests or comments and I will, as always, do my best to be as sincere and unbiased as I can.

I will leave a link to the EW100P via Linsoul in the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this review)

As always, this is a non-affiliate link, meaning I do not receive anything for clicks or purchases via the link.

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…

Very recently I reviewed the Simgot EA500, a set of IEMs that cost just under 80€ and are a good set of IEMs, although I don’t find that they work (for me) with all genres and recordings. Today we have the EW100P, set of IEMs that come in at a quarter of the price, available for under 20€ at the time of writing this review. There are quite a few differences between the two models, apart from the price, so I am not going to focus on comparing them.

As we all know by now, there are lots of very good options in the 20€ bracket, so can the EW100P make space for itself in what seems to be turning into a very crowded but very good value for money sector?

Presentation…

The Simgot EW100P arrive in a very flashy and shiny silver coloured box with a shark on the front and the word “shark” in very bold lettering under which the actual model is shown in smaller text. I am not sure what the shark is all about, as there is no mention of it on the Linsoul site (or the Simgot site), but it does make the box stand out in the crowd of budget IEMs.

On the back of the box, in a similar style to the bigger brother, Simgot show an FR graph of the IEMs, alonsg with more information in Chinese and English.

Sliding out from the silver cover, we get a much more discrete black box, with the Simgot logo on the top, that flips open to reveal the IEMs sitting in a cardboard cutout with a small accessories box to the right.

Under the IEMs we find the cable and a usual manual, while inside the accessories box we get three sets (S,M,L) of white silicone tips.

That is it as far as packaging and presentation, nothing extraordinary but nothing to complain about at this price either.

Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are rather small and while they are listed as being an aluminum alloy construction, they are actually a semi transparent plastic, except for the copper coloured faceplate that is. The shell is not quite as rounded as some of the other more generic shapes but, as they are so small, I find that they fit easily in my ear, being comfortable and lightweight for long periods of time.

The aesthetics are also pretty basic, with a plain black (semi transparent) shell and the copper plate that features the Simgot logo in black and “Salute to art and science” in small letters. They are certainly not offensive by any means and while they aren’t a fashion statement, they look pretty good in their simplicity.

The included cable is also pretty basic, similar to those found with KZ models but better looking (in my opinion). The clear plastic coating on the outside of the grey covered cores is not really apparent and it isn’t until you pick up the cable that you notice it. The listing says that the shielding of the cable is silver foil and I have to say that I quite like the look.

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’s get straight to the point and start off with my usual graph comparing them to my personal preference target as a reference:

Starting off in the extreme lows, there is quite a bit of presence in these ranges without being overpowering. The low note rumbles are present but are not really as tight as I would like. This makes things seem a little slow and out of control when there is a large presence of subbass, such as in “Chameleon”. They are by no means bad in this region and I’m sure that many will find them to work well, especially considering the price, but they can seem a little sloppy on occasions.

This midbass is not too elevated and although it is not the cleanest of midbass, it is quite well defined for such a budget set of IEMs. With my typical “Crazy” test, I do find the guitar to be a little too boomy in this regard but not enough for me to find it fatiguing. Using “Sun Is Shining” to get a feel for how they deal with EDM, they do a pretty decent job. The bass is kept fairly tight and while they are not the most impressive in these ranges, they are certainly not a set that I can complain about in this regard.

The midrange does seem to lack some definition for my liking. It is tuned very similar to so many other sets in this region, yet comes across a little 2 dimensional, without much body to things that are happening in this range. For example, the vocals in “Down To The River to Pray”, seem to be all happening in a similar plane and come across a little dull, without that nice feeling of chorus that other sets can bring in this track.

The upper mids climb later than on the EA500 and I actually prefer this, at least as far as tuning. The negative is the same as with the rest of the midrange, vocals, while forward enough, are not very exciting, seeming to be quite flat. This is something that I don’t find with the lower ranges of the EW100P, it seems to be apparent more in the mids and upper mids/lower treble.

Moving into the treble, extension is not great, adding a little to that sensation of bluntness found with vocals in the mid range. There is a lack of sparkle and air that takes away from the “excitement” of the music. Sibilance is kept in check, actually subdued in my usual “Code Cool” test, while Paul SImon does still exhibit some sibilance in “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes”.

Soundstage is not great, mainly influenced by that sensation of the mids not being very open and while the treble is a little better as far as separation, it is still on the lower side of average in this regard. The same can be said for the image placement, where things are more in a “general” location than specifically placed like on other sets.

Conclusion…

Once again we have a set of IEMs that suffers from a few issues but once we factor in the price, we really can’t complain. Is it my favourite set of IEMs in its price range? No. But it is still a long way from being a terrible set of IEMs.

They are comfortable, seemingly well built, and perform adequately for a large range of music, although they don’t really excel in any of them. I would say that the bass ranges are the most impressive and while the mids are tuned to my liking, there is just some “life” missing from them, which is made even more apparent by the lack of air and sparkle up top.

There is no way I can bring myself to say that these IEMs are not worth their price, they are more than worthy, it is just that we are a little spoilt for choice at this end of the budget and some of the competitors are very good.

---

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

[SenyorC]

7Hz Legato

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - 7Hz Legato

The 7Hz Legato have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. As usual, Linsoul have not requested anything specific and I will aim to be as honest and unbiased as humanly possible in this review, however, it is always good to consider the fact that these IEMs have not cost me anything.

You can find a link to the Legato via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (info at the end of this post).

As with all the links I share, it is a non-affiliate link.

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…

While I haven’t had a chance to try all of the IEMs by the brand, I have tried a few (I believe this is the 5th set from the brand that I have reviewed) and except for the Eternal, the remaining sets have all been good performers in their respective price ranges.

In the case of the Legato, we are looking at a dual dynamic driver which comes in, at the time of creating this review, at just over 100€ on Linsoul. This means that, while not an extreme budget IEM, we are at least looking at a set that is budget friendly.

The Legato uses a 12mm DD for the bass range, while opting for a 6mm DD for the mids and treble ranges. This is not the first time for this driver configuration but it is still a driver combination that interests me, as a fan of dynamic drivers, allowing some freedom between drivers to focus on their respective frequency ranges. So let’s see if 7Hz have made it worth the price.

Presentation…

The Legato arrives in a box showing the IEMs on the front and a breakdown of the internals on the back. Inside this box we find a large storage case, very similar to the one included with the 7Hz Dioko, a planar set of IEMs that come in at around the same price.

Inside the storage case (which could be called a transport case but there is no way you are fitting this in your pocket), we find the IEMs with the cable attached, a decent selection of silicone tips, a user manual and 4 sets of spare filters and grilles.

It is not extraordinary to receive spare filters with IEMs (although it is not really common) but I do think this is the first time I have received both spare filters and grilles.

The included tips are nothing extraordinary either but I found the transparent ones to work for me and that is what I have used throughout this review.

Build and aesthetics…

The Legato features CNC’d aluminium shells that look a lot heavier than they are. The nozzles protrude quite a bit from the shells, allowing a deeper fit with smaller tips in my case. Together with the rounded edges of the shells, I find them to be quite comfortable even for long listening sessions, without feeling any discomfort or them becoming tiring.

As far as aesthetics, these are the most “normal” looking 7Hz IEMs that I have seen to date. In a dark grey, almost gunmetal, colour and a textured faceplate, they look elegant and are not prone to showing every last fingerprint like some other smoother metal finishes. The are quite a bit smaller than models like the Timeless, Eternal or Dioko, and are far better looking (in my opinion of course) than the “toyish” like build of the Zero.

The included cable is also good, both in build quality and looks, matching the IEMs rather well. All in all, I find them to be well built, good looking and comfortable, so I can’t ask for more in the build and aesthetics category.

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.)

Moving on to how the Legato sound, let’s start with the usual look at the graph comparing them to my personal preference target as a reference:

Now, starting off with the subbass, there is a lot. In fact, there is a lot of bass in general, boosted all the way to where we meet the lower mids. Although there is a lot of quantity, the Legato actually do a decent job of keeping the bass section under control, dealing well with fast moving lines and not becoming overly slow or sluggish in their response to bass heavy tracks.

However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t too much bass for my personal tastes, I’m afraid that there is far too much for me. The subbass is actually ok and I find it enjoyable on tracks that have a lot going on in those lower ranges (I’m sure you can guess my reference track at this point) but when we move into the midbass, it is just too much for me to enjoy it regularly.

I did have a few sessions where I felt like some EDM and enjoyed the result in the lower ranges but these were not the usual occurrence. With music that I listen to more regularly, featuring instruments rather than electronic samples, I found the midbass to be overwhelming.

My usual test of “Crazy” was not as bad as on some other “less capable” sets but even the clarity and speed of the Legato driver was enough to stop me from getting that feeling of nausea from the excessive reverb in the low end of the guitar.

Moving into the mids, I feel that there is a distinct lack of presence. In the lower range of the mids this is due to the wall of bass that proceeds them, but even in the higher end of the mids, there is just not enough to bring vocals forwards and make them stand out. On tracks like “Shot Me Down” by David Guetta, I found it a struggle to appreciate the voice (although the bass rhythm was pretty impressive).

In general the mids are just not present enough, leaving the center of the frequencies to sound rather dull in my opinion.

Moving into the upper ranges, there is again not quite enough presence to add some light to what I feel is a rather dark and bass centric tuning. I feel there is a lack of air and brilliance that is needed to clean things up a little. Cymbals are too dull, pianos are lacking life and, although they do avoid any sibilance, I just feel that the driver that deals with the mids and upper ranges could use a few extra dB to compete with the lower driver.

This also makes for rather a small soundstage, with placement of images that is not really very good, mainly because of that lack of air and brightness. It’s not terrible as far as soundstage but it is below what I have come to expect as average for a set of IEMs.

Conclusion…

If you are looking for a set of IEMs that offer a rather dark and bass heavy presentation, then I think that the Legato could be something very interesting. They can be very impressive in the low ranges, depending on your music taste.

However, the lack of mids and upper ranges is something that makes them not fit well with my personal tastes or personal music preferences, meaning that they are not a set that I would reach for except on specific occasions.

With 7Hz I have found that I don’t have a middle ground with them, out of 5 sets I have tried, 3 I have found to be very good and the other 2, well, let’s just say that they are not my thing. But that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them, if your tastes fit the sound I described, then give them a try!

---

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

[SenyorC]

Truthear x Crinacle ZERO :Red

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Truthear x Crinacle ZERO :Red

The Truthear x Crinacle ZERO: Red have been sent to me by Crinacle, or at least I think they have, I will explain more in just a second.

I have not received any specific requests or comments (as I just said, I am not even 100% sure who sent them to me) and I will do my usual best of being as sincere and unbiased as humanly possible.

A quick search shows that the Truthear x Crinacle ZERO: Red are available from Amazon but it seems that the main dealer for these IEMs is Shenzen Audio, therefore, I will leave a link to them via Shenzen Audio in the version of this review published on my blog.

As always, the link is non-affiliate, meaning that I do not receive anything in exchange for clicks of purchases made by following said link.

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…

As I just said, I think that Crinacle sent these IEMs due to the fact that I was with Crinacle in Munich High End a few weeks ago, when these were officially released, and got to try them (briefly). He asked if I was on the reviewer list for these IEMs and I said that I didn’t think I was. When I got back to my office about 10 days later, the IEMs were waiting for me, so I guess I was either already on the list or Crinacle added me.

Anyhow, on to the IEMs… The Truthear x Crinacle ZERO: Red was referred to as “Project Red” for quite some time and I saw many tweaks to the tuning published over the past months, showing that a lot of thought and work went into them. They are follow up to the orginal Truthear ZERO, which was also tuned by Crinacle, and I am just going to refer to them as the “Red” for the sake of brevity throughout this review.

I have tried a few of the Crinacle collabs over the past couple of years but the Truthear ZERO were not one of them. However, judging by the graph (yes, yes, never judge by the graph alone), I don’t think they would really match my tastes. In the case of the Red, the graph of the final tuning I had seen seemed to fit my preferences much better. I know there have been a lot of reviews released of the Red lately, adding to the hype that had already built up even before it had released, but I have actually managed to avoid reading or watching any of them.

Therefore, other than a brief listen at High End Munich, my only previous knowledge of the Red was the graphs posted by Crinacle on social media, and a few comments from people who visited CanJam New York (where a prerelease version was available).

Presentation…

The anime presence on IEMs that appear on my desk seemed to have died down lately but Crinacle is back and so is the anime

The box that the Red arrive in is actually quite discreet and elegant looking, but this is covered by a cardboard sleeve that makes the girl on the front the center of attention. To be honest, it is not something that bothers me on the packaging and, other than a cardboard anime stand type thingy (I can’t think of a better description) included in the box, everything else is more “universal” in its appearance.

Other than the above, inside the box we get the IEMs, the 3.5mm unbalanced cable, 7 sets of tips (3 wide bore silicone, 3 small bore silicone and 1 set of foams), a storage/transport case which is a break from the normal included cases and a 10 Ohm adapter (which we will discuss more in a second).

In general, the packaging and contents are more than satisfactory for a set of IEMs that come in just under the 50€ mark, independent of the fact of anime being your preference or not.

Build and aesthetics…

The Red feature a dual dynamic driver configuration, with 10mm driver for bass and a 7.8mm driver for mids and treble, assembled inside a DLP-3D printed shell. This makes for a very lightweight set of IEMs with a generic triangular shape that, while not the most comfortable IEMs I have every tried, are still rather comfortable for long listening sessions without building up any fatigue from the weight.

The nozzles are rather long and also rather large. They are not as large as those found on something like the B2 Dusk but they are still large enough for me to have issues fitting a lot of my usual preferences for tips. However, as they include a selection of tips, I found that the smaller bored silicone tips (in medium size) worked well enough from me.

The faceplate is a dark red (who would have guessed it would be red?) and has a layered effect to it, mounted on a black semi translucent shell. Personally I don’t think they are the most beautiful IEMs in the world but they are pretty discreet (considering they are red) and look fairly good.

The included cable is nothing special but it does its job and I didn’t find any need to swap it out, which is always a positive.

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 mentioned a moment ago (depending how fast you read), in the box we also get a 10 Ohm adapter. This is to increase impedance and with it, give the sound an extra bass boost.

Here is my usual graph showing the Red both with and without the adapter, along with my usual preference curve as reference:

You can see from the graph that the adapter does make a difference and, while it may not look like a huge amount on paper, it is certainly noticeable to the ear. Anyone who has followed my reviews over the years will know that I am not one for overly present bass, especially when it is overly present midbass, but I do find that with the boost, the bass is still quite enjoyable as it maintains the bass shelf that Crinacle favours (and I am a fan of), without interfering in the midbass hardly at all.

Saying that, you may already have guessed by the graph that I prefer it without the adapter, being my choice for this review. So, my comments on the Red are without the additional bass but if you would like to know my opinions on it with the bass boost, just add 4dB to the subbass shelf

You may have also already noticed, by looking at the graph, that the tuning of these IEMs is a great match for my personal preferences. Now, just because something matches my tuning preferences quite closely (on paper) doesn’t mean that I will actually enjoy it. There have been sets that were even closer to my curve than the Red that I didn’t really enjoy. Usually this is due to performance issues. In the case of the Red, with this being a spoiler for the review, I do enjoy it quite a bit as the performance is very good for a set of IEMs coming in at this price point.

Anyway, let’s get on with the review and stop the rambling, as this is already long enough and I haven’t even spoken about the sound yet!

Starting off, as always, with the subbass and my usual “Chameleon” test track, the Red holds up very well to the abusive workout that is this track. Due to the tuning of the lowest ranges and the good performance of the 10mm driver, the Red manages to stay clean and defined even when this test track is trying to push it to its limits.

Is it the best subbass I have ever heard? No, but it is certainly a very good performer and I would say it is maybe the best, or one of the best, that I have heard in the budget range, maybe even from sets costing multiple times more.

Moving into the midbass, this is where I am a fan of Crinacles tuning. Actually, when I first heard the Red in Munich, my first impression was that it has more midbass than other Crin collabs that I have tried in the past. I mentioned this to him and he said that it only seems like it. Now that I have got to spend more time with them, I have to agree with him, the midbass is just as balanced as it usually is on his tunings.

The drop from the subbass to the midbass makes things sound a lot clearer and yet still keeps enough midbass presence for instruments to sound natural in their timbre. Testing “Crazy”, the reverb at the low end of the guitar is just exactly where I like it to be, an effect in the background and not a dominating sound.

While some might feel that the midbass is lacking a little, and maybe it could be the case with some older rock recordings such as “Whole Lotta Love” where the bass benefits from a little extra in the midbass region, I am more than happy with bass guitars, both acoustic and electric, on more modern recordings such as “Back It Up” by Caro Emerald or “Elephants on Ice Skates”, where the bass has plenty of thump to it in the low end, without ever distracting from the higher notes.

In the mid range, the clarity continues, with the bass keeping out of the way. The detail in the mid range is pretty darn good for a set of 50€ IEMs, with vocals and instruments being clearly defined. In the case of acapella recordings, such as “Strange Fruit”, the vocal layers are easily identified and distinguished, without giving the sensation that they are “detached” from each other.

Moving towards the upper mids, there is enough presence to bring voices and other lead instruments forward into the spotlight but without becoming harsh or overly up front. With “Make Some Noise”, a track that I use to see how vocals that have very little presence in the mix perform, I would say that Busta Rhymes voice is just where I would expect it to be on a neutral system. That means that he is placed behind the music, poorly mixed and struggling to break through, which is why I like to use this track as a test for this.

Into the upper ranges, things are still decent, without any sensation that the upper ranges drop off a cliff, giving a fairly good sensation of air and openness. I would say that the treble is the least impressive of the whole set, yet it is still very very good for the price that these IEMs come in at.

Sibilance is around what I would expect for a neutral set of IEMs, with Patricia Barber (on my totally unscientific scale of -12 to +12) coming in at around a 0 or -1 in “Code Cool”. Paul Simon backs up this theory, with “Diamonds on the Soles on her Shoes” still exhibiting a trace of sibilance but being quite listenable.

Soundstage is above average also, with good image placement. The intro of “All Your Love Turned to Passion” shows nice separation between the strikes on the body of the guitar and and the echoes of these, lending to a nice open space for them to fade away into. Ok, these are not open back headphones but, again, they are above the usual average of IEMs.

Conclusion…

I think I have made it clear that the Red are a very good set of IEMs for 50€ and I don’t think I have any doubts about placing them at the top of my recommendation list in the budget category. No, they are not the best IEMs I have ever heard but they are far better than they have any right to be at this price point.

As I have said many times, and shown in the graph above, I am a fan of the tuning that Crinacle has opted for with these IEMs, which, paired with good performance, could only end in positive comments from me. But what about those who like more bass than I do (which, to be honest, is probably the majority)? Well… just plug in the bass boost adapter and enjoy the same performance with some extra rumble in the low end.

I am sure there are going to be plenty of people who don’t end up liking these, as I said, I haven’t read or watched any of the reviews yet, but I am certainly not one of them.

If you want to know what my preferences are in IEMs, then the Truthear x Crinacle ZERO :Red gives you the answer for less than 50€.

---

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

[Hark01]

“The nozzles are rather long and also rather large. They are not as large as those found on something like the B2 Dusk but they are still large enough for me to have issues fitting a lot of my usual preferences for tips.”

The nozzles are 6.2mm wide. It would be nice if measuring nozzle size became standard when reviewing IEMs.

[SenyorC]

Venture Electronics SIE

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Venture Electronics SIE

The Venture Electronics SIE have been sent to me directly by Venture Electronics, for me to try them out and publish this review. I have not received any requests from Venture Electronics, in fact, I haven’t even been in contact with them directly, they sent them via a mutual friend. Therefore, I will do my best, as always, to be unbiased and sincere in this review.

You can find the official Venture Electronics SIE page here: SIE Venture Electronics 微翼音频

As with all links that I publish, this is a non-affiliate link, I just searched google for the IEMs and shared the link.

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…

Some of you may remember that a while back I did a sort of mega-mini-review of a bunch of products by Venture Electronics (you can find it here). There were a lot of products to cover in not much time, so I basically shared my brief opinions on each of them.

This time I was asked if I would like to try out the SIE, a set of IEMs by the brand, without being restricted to a time frame. I said I would and a couple of weeks later received a box of things from them, which contained not only the IEMs but also the Megatron (which I touched on briefly in my “Venture Electronics ad-Venture”), a set of earbuds and quite a few impedance adapters amongst other things.

I will get to the rest of the contents at a later date but today I am focusing on the SIE, which are a set of IEMs that I knew absolutely nothing about before receiving them. In fact, I did my usual test period and detailed listening tests before researching them at all, so I have only found out the price of them just before putting together this review. As is usual with VE, they are available with multiple purchase options, costing around 90€ with a choice of 3.5mm, 2.5mm or 4.4mm cable terminations. You can also opt for them together with the Megatron for around 140€.

Presentation…

I can’t really say what the official presentation of the SIE is like as I received them in a box with a lot of other items. The IEMs were packaged, along with their cable and 5 sets of silicone tips, inside a semi rigid transport case that was inside a small black box with the VE logo on the front.

As I am not sure if this is how they will be packaged for retail, I will refrain from passing comment on the presentation.

Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs use gold coloured shells in a rather generic rounded triangle shape with a faceplate that resembles a seashell. They sort of remind me of the shells of a Reecho (the model name I forget) or something from the likes of Fiio as far as the shape and design.

As I have said many times in the past, I am not really a fan of gold colours and these are very gold coloured. We all know that aesthetics are a very personal thing, so each will have their preferences.

The build seems to be decent enough, all in metal, and while they opt for MMCX connectors, which are not my preference, they seem to be of good enough quality. At least based on the few times that I have detached/attached them.

The cable is simple but does it’s job and the option of choosing between balanced or single ended at no extra cost is definitely a plus. The MMCX connector housings are plastic but the rest of the hardware on the cable is metal.

In general, I can’t say that the aesthetics and build are something that I am crazy about but I find them comfortable enough and don’t really have any specific complaints about them that are not totally personal (such as the gold).

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.)

The SIE are a set of IEMs that definitely focus on providing bass, specifically midbass, and plenty of it. As you can see from the following graph, in comparison to my usual preference target, they are way above it in the midbass range:

If I were to just look at the graph of these IEMs, I would quickly decide that I would not be a fan of the tuning and that it is very probable that the midbass range would cause me fatigue and even a sensation of nausea over extended periods. That is one of the major reasons why we can’t just judge IEMs based on FR measurements. Sure, they give us an idea of what kind of flavour we are getting, but there are other ingredients that can influence my final opinions on the sound.

Starting off with the subbass and my usual test track “Chameleon”, there is a quite a lot of subbass but give a feeling that there is even more due to the high presence of the mid bass. As the track starts to get bassier, the sensation is something that I think would attract even the strongest of bass heads out there.

Whilst the subbass is very present, it seems to keep control well, with the subbass notes in EDM bass drops being quite clear and maintaining their composure. It is difficult to focus just on the subbass without isolating specific frequencies due to the midbass which adds to the sensation of a wall of bass.

The midbass is the area that worries me on sets that are tuned in this fashion. I am very sensitive to excessive midbass and when it is overly present and not kept clean and well defined, it causes me fatigue very quickly and even to the point nausea and headaches. One of the quickest ways I have of testing whether an IEM will have this effect on me is by using the track “Crazy” by Daniela Andrade (a track that I mention regularly in all of my reviews, almost as often as “Chameleon”!).

If an IEM has too much midbass and doesn’t keep it under control, the low end of the electric guitar in this track becomes very boomy and causes a reverb in the midbass that will be apparent to me within just a short listen to the track. In the case of the SIE, I found that I could listen to the track without any of these negative effects. Yes, there is still too much midbass for my personal preferences but it stays clear and doesn’t take over the whole presentation of the track.

Moving into the lower mids, I expected there to be a sensation of bass bleed, due to the midbass presence extending into the lower mid frequencies. Yet, as the midbass performs well, it doesn’t seem to have a negative effect on the lower mid regions, something that I was very pleased to hear.

There is a dip in the center of the mids but it is not pronounced enough for it to cause a hole in the frequency response and, while the upper mids may not be quite as forward as I would have expected to counteract the bass, they still manage to do a decent job of bringing clarity to vocals.

For example, when listening to “Black Muse”, the intro proved to be very bassy and I was expecting a darkness to cover the vocals of the track, yet when they did kick in, I was surprised to hear that they were coherent and easy to appreciate. The bass is still the main focus of the track but there isn’t a sensation of the vocals fighting to be heard.

Moving into the upper ranges, there is a peak around the 5kHz which is another range that I am very sensitive to, even more so than the midbass regions. In this case, due to the bassy nature of the tuning, I don’t find the peak to be irritating or even that apparent. In fact, I would say it helps with the clarity and certainly doesn’t cause the harshness that the same peak usually causes to my ears.

Beth in “Don’t You Worry Child” has voice that I find to be harsh in its nature, yet the SIE manage to smooth it over, even with that 5kHz peak, making it more listenable on the SIE than on many other sets.

Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” is another track that I find to be harsh and sibilant on many sets of IEMs and in the case of the SIE, the harshness is tamed and sibilance is reduced to the point where there is only a trace on occasions.

While on the subject of sibilance, my usual test for this is “Code Cool” and, again, I find sibilance to be tamed a fair bit from what I would consider normal for Patricia Barber. It is not totally gone but on my usual non-scientific scale of -12 to +12, I would place her around a -3 or -4.

Finally, details… I honestly expected details to be less apparent than they are on the SIE, due to the nature of the tuning. I find that, while they are not detail monsters that focus on every minute detail, they present a fair amount of details throughout the whole frequency range, maybe slightly less apparent in the 300 to 600Hz range.

Conclusion…

While there are lots of sets of IEMs that are providing great performance at low prices of late, I feel that the SIE are a break from the race, focusing on doing their own things without entering into that category of IEMs that all sound similar and perform similar, so pick the cheapest.

They present a tuning that is more focused on enjoying the music and not analyzing it, especially if you are someone that likes a lot of bass. They are not the bassiest IEMs out there but they are certainly bass focused, putting a lot of emphasis on the low end yet still managing to keep the upper end clean but free of harshness and sibilance.

They are not a set of IEMs that I personally would choose for everyday listening, especially with my preferences in tuning and music, but they are a very fun set of IEMs that I would use when I feel like some extra low end without it causing me fatigue.

---

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

[SenyorC]

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Kiwi Ears Quartet

The Kiwi Ears Quartet have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. As usual, Linsoul have not made any comments or requests and I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible in this review.

You can find a (non-affiliate) link to the Quartet via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review posted on my blog.

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…

There have been a few Kiwi Ears releases lately, two models that I already reviewed and enjoyed. The Cadenza, with it’s single dynamic driver, being one of my top picks in the ultra-budget category, and the Orchestra Lite, an 8x BA config, which I also liked (although I didn’t find them such a “bang for buck” as the budget model). The Kiwi Ears Quintet is another interesting model (1DD + 2BA + 1 Planar + 1 PZT configuration) that will be coming soon but today’s focus is on the Quartet, a dual dynamic + dual BA set up, showing that Kiwi Ears have a configuration for everyone.

The Quartet is available for around 100€ (at the time of putting together this review) which places it midway between the budget Cadenza and the more expensive Orchestra Lite and Quintet options, meaning that they also have a price range for everyone.

I have spent a week or so with these IEMs, using them mostly at my desk while working, before sitting down to do my usual detailed listening with my test track list. I have to say that these have not disappointed me, keeping up the good vibes that I have been getting from Kiwi Ears lately.

Presentation…

The packaging and presentation of all the recent models from the brand is very similar, in fact, almost identical. On the outside of the box, only the model name and the image of the IEM is different.

Opening the box we also find the same contents as with the Orchestra Lite, which is to say the same contents as the Cadenza with only a storage/transport case in addition.

Said contents are the IEMs, the cable, 9 sets of tips in 3 types, a velcro cable tie, a small tool for the dip switches and the storage case with the Kiwi Ears logo.

I had absolutely no complaints with the contents of the previous models so I am not going to start now, they are of good quality and more than adequate to be able to pull out the IEMs and get straight into enjoying them.

Build and aesthetics…

While the aesthetics are similar throughout the models (except the Quintet, but thats for another day), with that marble swirl effect that I like, there are differences in the build. The overall shape of the Quartet is similar to the Orchestra Lite (almost identical) but has the marble swirl over the whole shell, not just the faceplate, and also features 2 dip switches on the back of the IEMs for changes to tuning.

The shape is comfortable, the IEMs are lightweight and I honestly have absolutely no complaints about the build or aesthetics of these IEMs. They are cheerful without being overly blatant and I find I can wear them for long periods without any discomfort.

The cable is simple but is well made and is also comfortable, without being overly thick (I am not one who really chooses overly thick cables on IEMs). It is not a boutique cable but it does its job and, again, I have no complaints.

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.)

The Quartet features the 2 switches that I just mentioned and these give an option of 4 different tunings. Here is a graph of all 4 options together with my usual preference target as a reference:

As you can see from the graph, there is not a huge difference but it is enough for each option to be distinguished from the others, something that can’t be said for some of the other “tunable” IEMs out there.

I honestly didn’t find any of the tunings horrible but I personally prefer the 0-1 tuning (that is first switch down, second switch up) as I find it tames the midbass a little and gives me a little more presence in the upper mids/lower treble. This gives the Quartet an overall presentation that I enjoy more than the others and, while on paper it may not seem to be anywhere near my usual preferences, I have found that it works well for most of my general listening throughout the day.

Starting off with the subbass, there is a nice presence and clarity in these lower notes, providing not only rumble but also definition. The “dirtiness” in the lower ranges of “Royals” by Lorde is easily appreciated, making for a deep reaching response that I like.

Moving into the mid bass, here the presence is noticeably boosted, giving more presence to these areas than I would personally pick, However, due to the clarity and the way the IEMs handles these notes, they are not overly bloated or muddy. “No Sanctuary Here” has plenty of presence but also good detail in these midbass ranges, working well for this track and a lot of electronic music in general.

With instrument based music, there is warmth in these lower ranges of guitars and basses which can become a little excessive on occasions. My usual fatigue test with “Crazy” doesn’t become overly boomy but is still more towards the boomy side of things than I would like personally. The upper ranges do a good job of counteracting this and the definition of the bass means that I don’t feel overly fatigued with the track, but I would still tame it down a little personally.

In general, while the bass is a little north of my preferences, the performance in these ranges does make up for it, making it quite an enjoyable listen. I did find that the other switch combinations increased the bass even more, which I would not choose personally but I can imagine there will be lots of people who will.

The mid range is slightly recessed to my ears, especially in the mid section but the upper mids do climb and bring back the presence of most vocals, especially female vocals in a lot of my acoustic music choices. I did find that, for example, Dr.Dre and Snoop Dogg in “Still D.R.E” seemed a little recessed in their vocals, which was exaggerated even more in other switch configurations, taking a bit of a step back in comparison to the lower ranges and the piano.

However, with something like “Don’t Start Now”, Dua Lipa is present enough and the clean and present bass makes for a great overall presentation. In the case of “Hallelujah”, I find that the female voice is more present than the male voice, but there is still a bit of a struggle for her to break through the bassy chorus vocals.

Moving into the upper ranges, there are a few peaks and dips that can sometimes interact in the wrong way with certain tracks and just in the right way with others. For example, I find that the voice of Zella Day in “Seven Nation Army” has a harshness to it that can make it less enjoyable, however, Paul Simon in “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” is actually less harsh than I usually find it, making it more enjoyable (also, the Quartet do a great job or portraying the fretless bass in the track!).

I did find that other switch combinations could counteract the harshness of some of the tracks that suffer from it, but at the expense of more bass presence (which will be a good or bad thing depending on both your tastes in tuning and music).

Detail is very good in the lower ranges yet not so great in the upper ranges. I feel that there is a sensation of air and the slightly blunted treble region can add to the sensation that the detail is not quite there in the upper ranges.

Soundstage is pretty average, in the realm of IEMs, with image placement that is decent but not amazing. Tracks like “Bubbles” have a decent sensation of separation but not much in the way of space between them. With “La Luna”, I get a very similar sensation, that instruments are clearly separated between themselves but not very spread out, so you still get a sensation of the binaural recording but on a much closer level.

Conclusion…

I find that the Quartet can be a very enjoyable set of IEMs depending on what music you are listening to. There is the option of tweaking the tuning to your individual taste and it is nice that all the tunings are usable (again, depending on tastes), although I mainly opt for the 0-1 configuration. With instrumental electronic music, I find that they can perform very well and be very enjoyable. Even with acoustic instruments, the result can be good, although a little overpowering in the midbass for me personally. Where I find they are a bit of a let down is with vocals.

To be honest, there are certain vocals that sound very good on the Quartet, but there are many that can either suffer from a little lack of presence (being overshadowed by the lower ranges of the music) or can become harsh when those upper range peaks hit just in the right (or rather, wrong) spot.

While these IEMs are not going to suit everyone (including me), they will work very well for certain genres of music and be a good fit for many.

---

As with all of my reviews, this is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.achoreviews.com/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

[SenyorC]

Tripowin Piccolo

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tripowin Piccolo

The Tripowin Piccolo were sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not requested anything specific and I will do my usual best to be as sincere and unbiased in my review as humanly possible.

You can find a non-affilate link to the Piccolo, via Linsoul, in the version of this review published 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 been putting off the Piccolo review for quite some time, mainly due to the fact that my last two reviews of Tripowin IEMs were not exactly positive, nor was my experience with them. However, it is only fair that I give them a try and, I have to say, they are quite a break from the last two models of theirs I tried.

The Piccolo are a budget set of IEMs, costing just over 30€ (in fact, at the time of putting together this review, they are on sale for less than 25€), that use a single 11mm dual cavity dynamic driver in each side. They are available in both silver and black, with the latter being the ones I received (in case you couldn’t see that in the photos ).

Presentation…

A white cardboard sleeve, with an image of the IEMs on the the front, along with the usual text etc., slides away to reveal a black box with the model in large white letters and some basic white circles.

The size of the box would suggest that we are going to receive much more inside that we actually do. Opening the box reveals the IEMs with their cable attached and a small plastic bag containing 3 sets of silicone tips.

While we could say that the Piccolo are rather short on accessories, we have to remember that these are an ultra-budget set of IEMs that cost 30€, so I really can’t find it in myself to complain. It’s true that other brands have spoiled us with content at similar prices but, even so, I still believe that the accessories should be way behind on the priorities list at this price.

Build and aesthetics…

The shells are a generic triangular type shape with rounded corners, in a matte black finish that has quite a texture to it. This makes them grippy and, while I personally haven’t found any discomfort, if the shells are large enough to touch your outer ear, then they may present an irritating sensation with use. The positive side is that they will not show fingerprints, no matter how many crisps (or potato chips for the US market) you eat before touching them.

The cable is another “nothing great but works” which is similar to the cables received with other Tripowin models. The included tips are also nothing special but the medium size worked ok for me and are what I have used for this review.

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 a moment ago, the sound signature of the Piccolo are a break from the last two models (Rhombus and Cencibel) I tried, taking away the extreme harshness I found with said IEMs. While the sound signature of the Piccolo is still a bit of an acquired taste, I much prefer it to those mentioned and I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the time I have spent with them, depending on the music.

Let’s start off with the usual look at the graph in comparison to my personal preference target for reference:

And just so you can see what I am referring to, here are the Piccolo in comparison to the Rhombus and the Cencibel:

So, starting off with the lowest of notes, there isn’t a huge presence of subbass but there is enough for my tastes. I did find that it was very easy for the seal to break with the stock tips and the subbass (and midbass) dropped off dramatically, which is to be expected. The thing I found unusual was how easily the good seal was lost. The positive side is that the change is so noticeable that there is no doubt about having them sealed correctly or not!

In the midbass range, there is a little bump in comparison to my usual preferences but I did find this worked well for the low end of electric guitars and bass guitars. The Piccolo are not overpowering in my usual “Crazy” test for midbass, with the lower notes staying nice and clean, avoiding the fatigue that I find many times with midbass.

I find that the low end of the Piccolo works well for a lot of the older Blues recordings that I like to listen to, giving the electric guitars a nice bit of warmth without pushing them into the muddy category. The same could be said for older rock tracks, such as “Whole Lotta Love”, where it gives the bass guitar a nice body and warmth, however, I did find that I was wanting more in the upper ranges with these kinds of tracks (which I will get to in a moment).

The mid range is nice and clean, with a nice separation between instruments and vocal layers. Nothing seems to get lost, due to the midbass being rather clean and the upper mids having enough to bring vocals and instruments forwards to be center stage when needed. Going back to “Crazy”, the vocals of Daniela Andrade are still clean and clear, without having to fight the reverb of the low end of the guitar. Acapellas such as “These Bones” show warmth and power in the bassier vocals, while still being clear enough in the higher ranged vocals.

As we move into the upper frequencies, this is where the Piccolo lacks some life in my opinion. Not for all music, as I said previously, things like older Blues recordings, where the upper ranges were a little harsh (and frequently hissed) are cleaned up nicely on the Piccolo, smoothing them out and giving them more warmth and body in their presentation.

However, tracks that have more percussion in the higher ranges, such as rock, or just more modern music in general that has more presence in the upper ranges can come across, to me at least, rather dull. Saying that, there are tracks, such as “Code Cool”, that still manage to have sibilance break through. This is a shame as it is just the peak that is exactly where Patricia Barber’s sibilance resides, making it even more apparent due to the rather smoothed treble that surrounds it.

Conclusion…

The Piccolo are not a bad set of budget IEMs, I just don’t find that they work for all kinds of music. I really enjoyed them with my older Blues sessions, yet didn’t enjoy them as much with more modern recordings.

Saying that, I would take the Piccolo many times over the Cencibel or Rhombus, as I find that the tuning is more enjoyable (with certain music) than that of the previous models, as it is tamed at both ends of the spectrum. It is just a shame that certain frequencies can still break through on occasions and produce a little bit of harshness.

To wrap up, I have to give credit to Linsoul here. They never request or make any comments on my reviews (they never have) and after the previous two reviews I published of Tripowin IEMs, I was sure that they would not send me any more from the brand. Companies (brands or stores) being open to criticism and not taking offense is something that I value highly and it is nice to see that Linsoul prove once again, at least to me, that they are one of those companies.

---

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

[SenyorC]

Kiwi Ears Quintet

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Kiwi Ears Quintet

The Kiwi Ears Quintet have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not made any requests or comments and I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible, although it is always good to take into consideration that these IEMs have not cost me anything.

You can find a link to the Quintet via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog, link at the end of this post.

As always, it is a non affiliate link, meaning I do not receive anything in exchange for clicks or purchases made through said link.

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 recently reviewed the Quartet, a quad driver IEM by Kiwi Ears, and mentioned that there have been quite a few releases from them lately. The Quintet is the latest of those releases, featuring 5 drivers (as the name would imply) and coming in at just over 200€, from Linsoul, at the time of putting this review together. That places it just a little cheaper than the Orchestra Lite and leaves 2 cheaper models (plus a more expensive Orchestra, which is the TOTL from Kiwi).

The drivers featured in the Quintet are a DLC dynamic driver, 2 balanced armature drivers, a planar magnetic driver, and a piezoelectric bone conductor. This makes for quite a complex setup that is very easy to get wrong. The planar magnetic driver is something they call an MPT (Micro Planar Transducer) and there is some debate as to whether this should actually be referred to as a planar or not. However, I am not here to debate the technology, I am here to tell you what I think about the performance of the IEMs, and let me say that I am impressed.

Presentation…

There is really not much to say about the presentation that I haven’t already said in my last 3 reviews of Kiwi Ears IEMs. The packaging is the same as the Cadenza, which is the same as the Orchestra Lite, which is the same as the Quartet… just the image on the cover and the name of the model changes.

Inside the box there isn’t much that differs from the other 3 models either. Compared to the Cadenza, we get a transport/storage case (which is the same as the one included with the Orchestra Lite and the Quartet). In comparison to the Quartet, we don’t get the little tool to move the DIP switches, which is to be expected, as the Quintet doesn’t have any switches to move.

I will say that I prefer the cable that is included with the Quintet. It is similar to the cables included with the other models but in a greyish brown colour which I am a fan of.

In general the presentation is good, the contents are decent and I have no complaints about them.

Build and aesthetics…

The build and aesthetics are something that sets the Quintet apart from the other models in the brands line up. Where the others all featured a resin shell with a marble effect finish, the Quintet goes for a more discreet metal faceplate mounted on to a plain black resin shell.

To be honest, I really like the marble effect finish but the simple design of the Quintet is not something that I find ugly either. It is certainly more discreet (although the marble effect I didn’t personally find to be too “loud” anyway) and shouldn’t be a turn off for anyone, unless they have a dislike for simplicity.

The build is just as good as on the full resin options, with the faceplates seemingly well attached and no sign of any flaws, but only time will tell in this regard.

While I don’t think the Quintet are anything special to look at, I certainly have no complaints about their build or aesthetics either.

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 where things get interesting and where I found myself enjoying the Quintet very much. Before getting into my usual description of how the IEMs perform sound wise, let’s take a look at the frequency response in comparison to my usual preference curve for reference:

While on the subject of graphs, let me mention something that I find interesting. If you have been following my reviews, especially in the budget section, I have said multiple times that the Kiwi Ears Cadenza are one of my top picks in the under 50€ segment. In fact, they are probably only second to the Zero: Red in this regard.

Well, here is the graph of the Quintet in comparison to the budget Cadenza:

As you can see, the tuning is very similar and to the ear, the Quintet do actually come across to me as a refined and improved Cadenza, with better technical performance and some very slight changes in the FR which I have to say I like.

(By the way, if you want to compare the Quintet to the other Kiwi Ears models, or any of the IEMs I have measured, you can do so here: achoreviews.squig.link)

But let’s go through the usual procedure and start in the lowest of ranges, using my obligatory “Chameleon” bass work out test track. There is plenty of subbass to create those low rumbling notes that are present in this track. Yet, while the presence is there, I did find that there is a clarity that takes away from the background vibrations that are so often present when listening to “Chameleon” on a subbass heavy set. To put it into context, it is like having a couple of small and fast subwoofers, rather than a large and rumbling subwoofer. I say this because, while there is certainly a boosted presence in subbass, I wouldn’t say that, upon listening, that these are focused towards a basshead market.

“Royals” is a better way to showcase what I mean, where the subbass is certainly present and clean, showing that dirt that I associate with this track in these regions, yet staying out of the way as far as the low end rumble. I can’t say that it is the best subbass I have heard but it is certainly on the good side of things.

As we move into the midbass, there is a slight boost but it is very well done and works well for things like “Sun Is Shining”, where the bass is very nicely presented in a clean and precise way. My fatigue test with “Crazy” proves to give the guitar a nice body to it without being overly boomy, making the track enjoyable. Yes, there is a noticeable presence but it is not something that I dislike.

John Paul Jones’ bass guitar in “Whole Lotta Love” has a very nice thump to it, making its presence felt and not just heard. I did find that Prince’s bass in “Black Muse” was a little more boomy than I expected but that is a minor thing, it still sounds very good.

The mid range is very nicely balanced, with good presence throughout, climbing smoothly to a presence peak just under 3kHz in the upper mids, bringing vocals forwards into the light. There are tracks which have an overly present midbass range in their recordings that can overshadow the mids slightly, yet with good recordings, I find the balance to be pleasant and natural.

For vocal and acoustic based music, which accounts for a lot of my listening time, I find instruments to have a very nice timbre to them, with a little bit of extra warmth in the lower ranges which I would live without but don’t dislike by any means. For example, the lower percussion in “Hotel California (Acoustic)” does have a bit of boom to it but does not overshadow the guitars or vocals.

Vocals I find to be rather natural, although I do find that on occasions that some female vocals, such as Alison Kraus in “Down to the River to Pray”, can seem to be lacking just a little excitement. As with the slight boomyness in Prince’s bass, this is a very minor thing and is much more of an observation than a complaint from my side.

Moving into the upper ranges, I find them to be very coherent and fairly neutral as far as peaks and sibilance is concerned. Patricia Barber, in my usual “Code Cool” scoring, would be placed around a +1 in my opinion. That is, just above what I would consider neutral but only slightly. In the case of Paul Simon in “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes”, I would again place his voice around neutral as far as sibilance is concerned.

Detail in good, with instruments being nicely separated and lingering effects such as the echoes in “All Your Love Turns to Passion” being easily identified. I wouldn’t say the details are amazing but are certainly above average, especially in this price point.

Soundstage is decent, at least above average for a set of IEMs, although they don’t provide a huge soundstage (not many IEMs do). When listening to the binaural recording of “La Luna”, I find that the instruments are slightly closer than I would prefer, with the right front guitar seemingly more centered than on other “wider” presentations, without as much depth towards the front as on other sets.

Conclusion…

I really like the Kiwi Ears Quintet. I would say that they are my favourite IEMs from the brand to date (note that I haven’t heard the original Orchestra, so I cannot compare there). I still feel like the Cadenza are the biggest bang for buck from Kiwi Ears (and a lot of other brands) but in the price range that the Quintet sits in, they are certainly a great set of IEMs. I think I would even go as far as to place them in the top 10 of IEMs I have most enjoyed out of those that I have reviewed, although I would need to decide that after a longer term relationship.

There are a few things that are not perfect but they are minor things, in my opinion, and would have absolutely no doubts about recommending people check them out if they are looking for a reasonably priced, good all round IEM. Especially if you are someone who listens to more modern, well recorded, music.

---

As with all of my reviews, this one 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

[SenyorC]

Tangzu Princess Chang Le

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tangzu Chang Le

The Tangzu Princess Chang Le have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have made no requests and, as always, I will do my best to be as sincere and unbiased as possible.

You can find the Princess Chang Le via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog. As always, it is a non-affiliate link.

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…

Tangzu are a brand that I have had good experiences with in the past and, in fact, the Wan’er are a 15€ set of IEMs that I think are very good and place well on my list of favourites under 50€. Today we have the Princess Chang Le which are even cheaper, coming in at around 10€, which is less than a McDonalds menu!

They even arrived with 3 sets of Tangzu Tang Sancai tips (which increases the price of the Princess Chang Le by about 0.80€) which are valued at 8€ on their own (and are actually decent tips that I have found work well on certain headphones).

But, as Tangzu (and other companies) has proven in the past, cheap does not mean it has to sound bad, so let’s see if we can really get decent sound for 10€.

Presentation…

The box keeps up the classic Chinese decor that Tanzu (and T Force before them) has used in the past. The packaging reminds me of a gift you would get at a local Chinese restaurant but is far superior to what we should expect for the price. Just a box is more than we should expect!

Inside the box we get the IEMs with their permanently attached cable, three sets of silicone tips and that’s it. But again, what do we expect!?! The Tang Sacai tips arrive packed separately.

Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are very small bullet style IEMs similar in size to something like the Final Audio E series. However, the shells are metal and there is quite a lot of detail in the design of the decoration. The shells are silver in colour, with engraved patterns all around them, and the back plates are of a gold colour, with a design in black.

The attached cable is a simple silver cable but it also uses metal hardware and there are two small metal rings (one red and one blue) where the cable attaches to the IEMs which is a nice touch.

As far as comfort, well, it will depend on the tips as that will be the only part of the IEMs that touches your ears.

I have to say that the aesthetics and build of these IEMs, whether you like the design, is amazing for the price. The only negative I have with build quality is that the cable is very microphonic, and I mean “very”. Each small movement of your body is heard through the cable and tapping on it will sound like a bass drum in your ears.

Sound…

Here is the graph of the Princess Chang Le in comparison to my usual preference target for reference:

The general presentation of these IEMs is quite warm and more towards the “fun” side of things than presenting detail.

I am not overly fond of the tuning and things like “Crazy” can become fatiguing to my ears due to that excessive midbass and a slight lack of clarity, but they are certainly not terrible. I usually find that sets that are midbass boosted and lack clarity and definition, will make me fatigued and even nauseous after a short while but that hasn’t really been the case with these IEMs.

I did use them for extended listening sessions and I quite enjoyed them, as long as I kept still. The issue is with the microphonics of the cable, which takes away from the enjoyment.

The upper ranges are not the focus of the IEMs but they are not absent, in fact, these IEMs have no right to sound as good as they do at this price.

Detail, as I already said, is not the strong point, yet it sort of works well with the general tuning, making them a relaxed and smooth/fun listen.

Conclusion…

I know this is a very short review but I have a lot of things waiting to be tested and seriously, these IEMs are surprisingly well built, have plenty of detail in the aesthetics (more than in the music itself lol) and are very comfortable. They even include a microphone!

If it wasn’t for the microphonics of the cable, I would say that these are a perfect “keep in my bag” set to always have around and just pull out and connect to your phone. As it is, with that cable, I can’t suggest using these while out and about unless you are sitting still on a bench somewhere, the microphonics would just drive me crazy.

---

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

[SenyorC]

Letshuoer DZ4

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Letshuoer DZ4

The Letshuoer DZ4 has been sent to me directly by Letshuoer in exchange for me to try it out and share my impressions in this review. Letshuoer have not made any requests or comments and I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible.

You can find the official page for the DZ4 here: LETSHUOER DZ4 Triple Dynamic Drivers Single Passive Radiator EDC Hifi – letshuoer

As always, this is a non-affiliate link.

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 first heard the DZ4 back in Munich, or at least I think I did, as my current impressions are slightly different to what I remember. This could be due to the fact that I listened to a lot of stuff in Munich and have listened to a lot more since, but I just remember the set being darker when I listened to it back then.

That is not to say that the DZ4 that I have is bright, I will get to my sonic impressions soon, just that it doesn’t seem to be as dark as I remember.

The DZ4 is a set that features 3x 6mm Titanium Dome Dynamic Drivers, along with a 6mm passive radiator. The addition of a passive radiator is an interesting concept, yet it seems to be implemented in a way that is different to what I would expect for a passive radiator. While I do not proclaim to be an engineer, far from it, I have had experience with the implementation of passive radiators in speakers and subwoofers in the past. I even put one together myself for a bass cabinet some time ago, after a lot of trial and error in WinDSD.

Without getting too far into the science behind it, let me briefly mention what a passive radiator is. It is basically a speaker that does not have a voice coil or magnets etc. and does not produce any sound on its own. In other words, you don’t connect cables or an amplifier to it as it is sort of a dummy speaker. This is used, at least in my experience and understanding, instead of a port in a speaker (the hole that lets air in an out) and allows more response in the bass ranges in comparison to a simple sealed cabinet design, although with a steeper roll off. There are obviously a lot more scientific things going on behind this simple explanation but I wanted to just share the basics.

Why am I saying this? Well, in the case of the DZ4, the passive radiator is not actually in a sealed enclosure (the IEMs are semi open), meaning that the way it is implemented is different to what I have learned about the implementation and functionality of this set up. While I can’t say exactly what the passive radiator is responsible for in the case of the DZ4, it would need to be compared to the same IEMs without the radiator, I will say that there doesn’t seem to be an extra boost in the bass and the roll off is not really steeper, in fact, if anything, it is less than on a lot of other dynamic driver sets.

Anyway, enough rambling on about what should and shouldn’t happen, let’s get on with reality and what my experiences have been with the DZ4.

Presentation…

The packaging and contents of the DZ4 are very respectable for a set of IEMs that cost around 80€. The external packaging is a simple white but elegant box, covered by a white sleeve that has some modern looking designs on it and basic info about the set.

Opening the box we find some paperwork under which the IEMs are sitting in their respective foam cutouts at the top, with a large round storage case below. I say storage case because it is rather large to carry in a pocket (although you can obviously transport the IEMs in it). The case is made of a plastic with a satin finish to it, which feels quite nice. The top screws off which is a nice touch but also takes many turns to open, which is not really a complaint but does mean it takes a little longer to open.

Inside the case we receive the cable, which is a very nice cable at that, along with a circular disc that holds 5 sets of tips, plus the ones installed on the IEMs themselves. The tips are labelled as “Vocal” and “Balanced”, 3 sizes of each. Personally I found I preferred the “Balanced”, as the “Vocals” tend to give a little extra harshness to the upper mids, something I find works against the sound presentation that the DZ4 are going for.

Build and Aesthetics…

The IEMs use a shell that looks like plastic, although it is shown by Letshuoer as being anodized aluminum. The shells are a creamy colour with a bit of a pink hue to them, with a metal face plate which has an aluminum finish to it, also with a hint of pink (matching the hardware of the cable). The face plate features a Z shape cutout with a red grille behind it and I have to say that I am a fan of the aesthetics. They look original and are not too “loud” about being different.

The nozzles are rather large but not large enough to cause any issues, at least for me, and in general I find the IEMs to be nice and comfortable. I spent some long sessions with these IEMs and found no issues with comfort at all but, as always, everyones ears are different.

The cable is reminiscent of the cable I received with the S12, although a little thinner and less bulky, something that I prefer. The IEMs use a normal 2 pin connection and in this case, the cable is terminated in a 3.5mm unbalanced connector. While some will miss the balanced option (which is easy to swap to), I have actually found that, when testing with a balanced cable, I didn’t really find the results to be an improvement over the unbalanced. In fact, as with the “Vocal” tips, the small change moving to balanced I think, again, works against the vibe of these IEMs.

In general they are well built, look good and are comfortable IEMs (all to me personally of course).

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 these IEMs have a vibe to them that I like but in certain contexts.

I have said many times that a lot of the music I listen to is simple vocal centric music with simple acoustic instruments and I find that the DZ4 give a special flavour to this. These are not the most detailed of IEMs, I don’t find myself focusing on string attack of guitars nor on minute details happening in the percussion section. I find them more relaxed, smooth, with a habit of making simple things sound a little fuller and more “rounded”. They sort of have a warm sound to them when reproducing simple stringed instruments but without the additional presence of bass.

Let’s take a look at the graph in comparison to my usual preference target as a reference:

You can easily see that they are close to my target and that is something that obviously puts them off to a good start for me personally. However, while I have no disagreement with the tuning, nor do I doubt it is very close to my preference target, I do find that the presentation is very different to the usual more clean and neutral response that the majority of IEMs tuned in this way present.

It is difficult to explain with words but to use a reference that I have used sometimes in the past, it is a similar presentation to a set of Sony speakers that I have had for many years. They (the speakers) are not the most detailed nor impressive of presentations, yet they have a relaxed way of making things seem warm and smooth (again, without additional bass presence). It is similar in some ways to that extra vibrance that a tube amplifier adds, where the frequency response may remain the same but the sensation is of more body.

This is something, as I just said, that I find works very well for my usual preference in music. Adding flavour and intimacy but without losing soundstage or presence. In this regard I have enjoyed the DZ4 very much.

However, moving over to my usual detailed listening session and focusing on my list of test tracks (available here as always), these things that are beneficial to certain music I find to be detrimental to others. They can actually make the lower end sound thin and almost as if phase cancellation is occurring. So, to keep things consistent with all my reviews, here is what I experience when putting them through my usual tests.

Subbass is not rolled off but I would say that, for those looking for a bass head presence, these are not going to fit the bill. While I don’t find the subbass to be too weak for my tastes, in fact it is over my reference on the graph, the DZ4 does not give a sensation of a huge presence in the lowest of notes. “Chameleon”, as my usual reference, is not a track that I find to be impressive on the DZ4. There is rumble but it is not the cleanest and I get the sensation of more presence due to that than due to the amount of subbass per se. I would much prefer more presence but cleaner (or the same presence but cleaner).

Midbass is something that goes the same way. As far as the quantity, I find the DZ4 to be leaner than I would have guessed looking at the graph. Again there is some body to the bass on simpler tracks, with that almost pseudo-harmonic sensation, but with “Crazy” as an example, I find the lower end of the guitar to be a little boomy but lacking in presence at the same time. This is a sensation that I have not come across before in IEMs.

Moving to something more electronic, like “No Sanctuary Here”, again I find the bass to seem to lack presence yet still be a little out of control. It is not terrible, by no means would I say that the bass is loose and boomy, but I get a similar sensation to “Crazy”, where the bass seems to fill out but not present itself in a way that impresses those looking for a great bass hit.

The mid range is something that works much better for vocals and acoustic instruments than it does for electronically produced music. With something like “Sun Is Shining”, there is again this pseudo-harmonic response that makes things seem a little unclear and thin, whereas a track like “Happens To The Heart” the vocals get a lovely smooth body to them, the same with vocals by Dominique Fils-Aimé in “Strange Fruit”.

The upper mids depend on the tips used and here is where I found the “Vocal” tips worked to bring vocals forward and provide them with a little more clarity, for example “Whole Lotta Love”, whereas the “Balanced” tips sort of merge the vocals into the lows and mids on that track. While I would say that bringing vocals a step forwards may be beneficial, as I said before, it seems to work against the overall presentation of the DZ4. I find that when vocals are brought forwards, it makes them stand out against that smooth bodied signature, making them seem harsher than they actually are.

As we get into the upper ranges, the treble is quite tame and again smooth but with a slightly “off” sounding timbre. There is no sibilance, both “Code Cool” and “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” are tamed in this regard, yet I do find that the upper ranges of pianos can come across a little unnatural. This is mainly because, in my opinion of course, the upper ranges don’t seem to have that same pseudo-harmonic sensation that the lower ranges do. This means that when instruments that extend well into the higher ranges, such as the piano, have a tonality that is slightly different to the tonality of the same instrument in the lower ranges. I don’t think that this is because the treble is actually wrong in it’s tonality, just that it is different (possibly more natural even) than the lower ranges, creating the sensation that something is not quite right.

Soundstage is decent. I wouldn’t say it is huge but it is above average for a set of IEMs. However, that extra body makes things sound fuller and as though there is more space around you, which, again, works very well for acoustic instruments and vocals. Detail and image placement is not great but I don’t feel that it is due to it lacking, more that it is smoothed over giving a general presentation rather than individual image placements for the smaller details.

Conclusion…

The DZ4 are a set of IEMs that I have enjoyed immensely for my day to day listening, where I found myself enjoying album after album of acoustic music from many artists. That feeling that there is a bit of tube flavour (sorry but I can’t think of a better description at this moment) going on in the lower and mid ranges is something that I find enjoyable for relaxing and enjoying the music. However, when moving over to specific more detailed listening tests with other genres, I didn’t feel that they were quite as enjoyable.

To be honest, I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing at all. They may not be an all-round detail focused IEM but there are plenty of those already on the market, it is nice to see a different approach to the presentation of music.

I honestly think that if you are someone who mainly listens to vocal centric and acoustic stringed instruments, then the DZ4 are something that you are really going to enjoy. If your tastes lay in other genres and/or you are focused on detail retrieval, then maybe look elsewhere.

By no means is this a negative review, in fact, if I were to review these as a consumer with my tastes, I would say these are excellent. However, reviewing them from the viewpoint of a reviewer, there are things that are to be taken into consideration.

---

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