Hello! Let me start of my saying thank you very much for all your in-depth reviews! I really enjoy reading through them 
I wanted to ask: I’m looking for a single DD IEM with excellent tonality, sub 250 USD. I will use them for classical music (instrumental, film scores, orchestral, choral), and I am trying to decide between Yuan Li, Vento Conductor, NF NA2+, and Hana 2021. Which of these have you demoed, and which one would you say would be best for classical music?
Thank you in advance!
Thanks for the kind words and for checking out the reviews.
I’m afraid I am not going to be much use as out of the ones you mention, I have only tried the Yuan Li (although the Hana is supposed to be arriving at some point). I am also not someone who listens to a lot of classical music, only now and again and certainly not enough to pretend to actually know enough about it.
The Yuan Li I really like, I find it matches my tastes very well, but the majority of music I listen to is acoustic instrument and vocal based. I would certainly put it above the other single DD IEMs I have listened to and the small amount of classical I have listened to on it sounds good (mainly just London Philharmonic) but again, I am not versed in classical enough to really give a good opinion, sorry!
No worries at all, thanks for taking the time! I’ll keep an eye out for your Hana 2021 review
I know I have said this already but… this is also available in Spanish on my blog and YouTube, links at the end of the post.
Thieaudio Legacy 2
The Thieaudio Legacy 2 have been kindly donated by Linsoul in exchange for this review. They have not requested anything specific, however, as I always point out, even though my review will be as sincere and unbiased as possible, it is always good to consider the fact that these IEMs have not cost me anything.
As usual, I will refrain from posting purchasing links on external websites, even though they are non-affiliate, but please feel free to visit the version published on my blog for the link to the Legacy 2 via Linsoul.
Intro…
To be honest, I hadn’t really been keeping up with the Thieaudio product line. I mean, I know Thieaudio, as it is a brand that is mentioned quite a lot in the IEM world and has uite a fame for some of their higher end models, but I really didn’t know much about their price models or price points. I remember the Legacy 3 interesting me at one point but I never actually got to hear it.
After spending time with the Legacy 2 to form my opinion on it, without even knowing its price, I decided to check it out on Linsoul. I was surprised to find that there are also various other models, such as the Legacy 3 I mentioned, along with the 4, 5 and even 9. I thought that maybe the Legacy 2 was an older model but some quick investigation showed that it is actually newer than the other models in the series, so I was somewhat confused by the naming scheme. However, after a bit more reading, I realized that the model number matches the driver count, which now makes sense to me.
The Legacy 2, as I just mentioned, has 2 drivers in each side, a proprietary 10mm beryllium dynamic driver along with a Knowles ED29689 balanced armature, a driver that has been used on some other very well regarded IEMs.
I must say that I was actually surprised to find that the Legacy 2 sells for $89 (less than 80€), as I actually thought the price would be higher. It is slightly above the sub 50€ bracket that I mention in many of my reviews, IEMs that I consider very budget orientated, but at its price it is still a very economical IEM in the scheme of things.
Presentation…
The Legacy 2 arrives in a largish black box covered by a black cardboard sleeve. The sleeve is all black and simply says Thieaudio on the front. Sliding the box out from inside the sleeve surprisingly reveals a box that is identical to the sleeve, simply black with Thieaudio on the lid.
Inside the box we find the IEMs with their 2 Pin cable attached, along with a selection of silicone tips, a rather nice blue (imitation) leather case with magnetic closure and the usual QC card, warranty card and even an instruction manual.
I have absolutely no complaints about the contents included for the price, it is much more than is included with many other models at similar (or more expensive) price points and there is nothing really missing.
Build and aesthetics…
Thieaudio uses a semi transparent blue shell for the Legacy 2, with a faceplate that has a kind of resin marble effect. I must say that I actually like the look. It is colorful enough to be different from so many other brands but at the same time is not overpowering nor does it stand out too much.
The IEMs themselves are very lightweight and are shaped in a way that I find very comfortable. I have been using the stock tips with them and I have been able to listen for hours without any issues in regards to comfort. There is no filter on the outside of the end of the nozzle, which actually has two smaller openings, to which the drivers are routed via their tubes.
The included cable is also pretty nice. It is a 4 core braided cable, with silver coloured connectors and split, which does have a few loose weaves here and there but nothing to complain about. The chin slider is transparent plastic rather than matching metal but it works as it is supposed to and does not seem out of place.
As far as build and aesthetics, I find that they are a nice set of IEMs that seem well built and are certainly comfortable for long sessions, even if this is something that is obviously a very personal thing.
Sound…
Now, where to start with the sound… My quick description of the sound would be pleasant, not overpowering, just generally a comfortable tuning. There is really nothing that jumps out at me in a bad way from the Legacy 2, although there is nothing that really jumps out at me in a great way either.
I suppose the word mediocre would come to mind but I think that mediocre is more negative than positive and I really don’t think that there is anything really negative about the Legacy 2, it is just not exciting. I have been using these IEMs daily for a week and at no moment did I ever feel that they were doing anything wrong, but I didn’t get any “wow!” moments either.
In the subbass regions, there is quite a bit of extension down to the lower regions, without the lowest notes seeming to roll off but there isn’t any boost either. I didn’t find that songs with deep sub bass came across as powerful in those regions, but they didn’t really come across as lacking either. The usual “Chameleon” work out proved to have enough sound to appreciate the subbass but didn’t really rumble like it does on other sets.
Moving into the mid and higher bass areas, again, presence is correct and bass is as present as it needs to be without being overdone. As you all know (unless this is the first review of mine you read), I am not a bass head, so take that as you will, but I found the bass to be nicely balanced as far as tuning. When I looked at a graph after listening for a few days, I was surprised to find that the bass actually shows to be more elevated than I would have guessed. It is higher than my usual preference in the bass region but it did not give me that impression.
I think that the main reason for it not giving me that impression is that the bass is rather smooth, without really standing out. Listening to “Black Muse” by Prince, I can’t really say that there is any lack of bass presence but once again, it doesn’t really stand out like it does on sets with more exciting bass response (even sets that actually have less bass as far as tuning). As a bass player, I automatically pay attention to bass lines even when I don’t want to, but the Legacy 2 doesn’t make me do that. The bass just doesn’t seem to stand out, but when I actually make an effort to listen to it, there really isn’t anything wrong, it just forms part of the overall music (which is what it should do, but usually doesn’t in my case because I am always unconsciously paying attention to it).
Moving into the mids, I feel I am going to start being repetitive. I listen to a lot of acoustic and vocal music and the mids sound fine but again, not exciting. Listening to “Strange Fruit” by Dominique Fils-Aimé, again her vocals were fine, no harshness, nothing particularly missing or added, but it did not come across as it does on so many IEMs with particularly good mids. Again, I need to stress that it does not do a bad job of the mids at all, in fact it doesn’t make a bad job of any of the frequencies, it just doesn’t excel at them.
Up in the higher regions, this is the area that I usually find most faults on economic IEMs and again, I can’t really fault them. They are clean, they are not harsh, there is no sibilance, there are no weird boosts. Yes, they could extend a little further but I really can’t complain that they roll off too early, or lack air, or any of that. Again, they just don’t stand out.
As far as soundstage and placement of images in that stage, well, the width is typical for an IEM. It is again not bad but is nothing out of the ordinary. The placement of images is decent although not amazing, but I think that this is more due to the fact that everything is sort of coherently balanced, there are no real background details that stand out. It does not give the impression of being a very detailed set of IEMs but if you actually look for a specific detail that you know should be there, it usually is, it just doesn’t amaze with details.
Conclusion…
I may have given the impression that the Legacy 2 are not good IEMs but that is a long way from being true. They are good IEMs, there really isn’t anything bad about them, but they are just an overall safe and coherent presentation of music.
I really don’t think anyone could say that they hate the Legacy 2 (well, this is the internet, I’m sure plenty of people can) because there really isn’t anything to hate about them. I think that they are a set of IEMs that you could literally buy for anyone without knowing their preferences and they would be a safe bet.
My conclusion is that the Legacy 2 is a good set of IEMs that is a safe bet, something that doesn’t really excel in anything particular but doesn’t really fall behind in anything particular either. If there is something specific you want from a set of IEMs, then I think that there will always be an option that will be better at that specific task but the Legacy 2 is an all rounder that will just do its job without complaint.
The following, as usual, is also available in Spanish on my blog and on YouTube, links at the end of the post.
The Symphonium Helios have been sent to me on loan from the company Symphonium Audio without a request for anything at all. I am very grateful for the loan of these IEMs as I would not have had a chance to try them out and they are certainly a set that have changed my view on IEMs as a whole, but more on that in a moment.
You can find the Helios on the Symphonium site here: Helios – Symphonium Audio
As always, my review and opinions will be as sincere and honest as possible but you do need to factor in two things, first that it hasn’t cost me anything to try out these IEMs and second, I may have already had some preconceived impressions of these IEMs before I even received them.
I will explain more on why I may have some preconceived impressions in a second but as I am someone who believes in honest and unbiased reviews, along with sharing as much information as possible, I have arranged with Symphonium to allow me to send these on to two other Spanish reviewers who know nothing about them. The Helios will be going to both Vertex, who posts his reviews on the YouTube channel “Auricular ORG” (in Spanish), and to Cqtek, who posts his reviews in English and Spanish on hiendportable.com, so please check out their reviews as well (I have no idea what they will think of them but I do know that they will share their unbiased opinions!).
Anyway, with that cleared up, let’s get on with the Helios!
Intro…
The Helios is a very recent release from a company called Symphonium Audio that has very few models and I only know about them due to the Helios and the talk of these IEMs in a Discord server that I am part of, along with people who worked on the design of the Helios and some reviewers whose opinions I have a lot of trust in.
This is the reason for the possible preconceived impressions that I mentioned, as I have heard nothing but praise for these IEMs since they started getting heard by those reviewers and by some other non-reviewers who have also had the chance to try them. It was actually quite an experience to see people try them and as soon as they passed them along, place their order for them. This obviously made me expect something great from the Helios, as there is no better positive publicity than people hearing them and then spending 1000€ to own them.
And that is another part of my impressions, I have never experienced a 1000€ set of IEMs before. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago that I said that 100€ was my limit for a set of IEMs and although I have broken that limit a couple of times, I am still a long way from having spent such an amount on a set of IEMs. The main reason is that I always prefer headphones, however, I have started to realize that I do use IEMs more than headphones, mainly due to the heat here for the majority of the year, so I have been more open to higher priced IEMs lately (although I still haven’t made the commitment).
All this is basically nothing to do with the Helios but I thought I would include this information as it gives you an understanding of where I am coming from with my impressions of the Helios, which I can already say is the best set of IEMs I have ever heard.
Presentation…
I am not 100% sure if what I have received is actually the same as what is received in a retail set of these IEMs, as I said, these are a demo unit, but I think that things like cables can be chosen when purchasing from Symphonium.
This set arrived in a black box, which I understand is the retail box, along with another case containing a second cable, wrapped separately.
The extra case is a very nice travel case which is (imitation) leather on the outside, sporting the Symphonium logo, with a nice furry interior. As I said, I am not sure that this case is included with the retail version but I have seen that it is available on the Symphonium webstore for $10 and it really is nice to have the lined interior. Inside this travel case they included a 2.5mm balanced cable.
Inside the main box we get a rather special aluminum storage case, which is round and has a screw off lid. I say this is a storage case as I don’t think I would personally use it for transporting the IEMs due to the size and weight of it, but again, it is very nice and does make it seem like you are receiving something special. The round case is located at the top of the box and has a metal plaque underneath that reads Symphonium Audio Helios. This presentation is rather simple but elegant, again, making it seem like something special.
Inside the storage case are the IEMs, a 4.4mm balanced cable, a small cleaning brush and tool, along with a few Symphonium Audio stickers.
The bottom end of the box has a small drawer that slides out to reveal another metal plaque with the serial number engraved, under which we find 6 extra sets of silicone tips, 3 sizes of large bore and 3 sizes of small bore. As this is a demo unit and I already have hundreds of tips in different sizes and styles, I haven’t actually used the included tips.
As far as the presentation, that about sums it up. Again, it is rather simple but elegant and includes enough accessories, although an unbalanced cable would have been nice but that will depend on the source that each person is planning on using.
Build and aesthetics…
Starting off with the IEMs themselves, they are very simple rounded triangles, all black, with Helios on one side and Symphonium on the other. To be honest, they are nothing much to look at, they are a simple shape and finish that does not jump out as being anything special, they certainly aren’t something that screams “expensive” to someone who doesn’t know IEMs, which can be a good thing depending on your use case.
They are also quite large and have a fair weight to them, with quite a long nozzle that is also on the larger side (although not to the extent of some nozzled like those of the iSine or Blessing). I found that a lot of tips didn’t slide all the way to the end of the nozzle, making the Helios stick out from my ears a little too much, although they still weren’t uncomfortable in this way. However, they are meant to be used with a deep insertion, meaning that I needed to select tips that are a little longer and also of a smaller size (as the seal happens further inside my ear). To be honest, I am not a great fan of deep insertion but they still weren’t too uncomfortable even when pushed deep.
The rest of the contents are of good quality, the accessories are great, as I mentioned, and the cables are nice. I guess my only complaint, which is not really a complaint, is that the cables do not have preformed memory wire or ear hooks, but that is not my complaint (I actually praise them not being preformed), it is the fact that the 2 pin sockets on the IEMs do not have a guide for the connectors and as the cables are not preformed, it makes connecting them out of phase very easy. This is easily overcome by looking at the channels on the connectors themselves, making sure they are the correct way round, but I can see people making mistakes and ending up with left and right out of phase by accident.
Sound…
So, I already said these are the best IEMs I have heard. That is obviously enough to know that my impressions of sound are very positive, but that still doesn’t mean that they are perfect for everyone, or that they are even perfect for me.
I am going to go through my usual steps as far as sound but I want to point out beforehand that any negatives are minor and they are relative to what I want from a 1000€ IEM, not because the IEMs have any faults themselves.
As I have said with reviews of headphones, once we reach a certain sound quality, the rest is more about preference. That doesn’t mean that all headphones or IEMs above a certain price point are great, there are some that don’t hit the “certain quality” mark, but that is definitely not the case with the Helios, they surpass the that “certain quality” with ease, so it puts them in a zone where personal preference becomes the main deciding factor.
Starting off with the subbass, it is excellent.
Ok, I guess I better be a little more specific The extension of the subbass is great, reaching far lower than my hearing range, providing plenty of rumble but keeping it very clean and articulate, never seeming to lose control over even the lowest frequencies.
Now, I already knew what the measurements of these IEMs looked like way before I got them, and also heard praise for the subbass, but even so, I was very surprised. As I have mentioned many times, I am not a bass head and the graph of the subbass would place these well over my preferences, but the sound doesn’t. The cleanliness and presentation of the subbass means that the power to rumble is there, but it doesn’t just add it to everything, it just presents what the track needs at each time.
I don’t think I have mentioned yet that the Helios is a 4x BA set up, which is something that doesn’t really attract me on paper. I am a lover of dynamic driver bass, probably due to the fact that I have spent all my life listening to bass from dynamic drivers so it is what I find natural. In the case of headphones, I said that the HE1000se (and now possibly the Arya Stealth Magnet version) were the first headphones to make me feel that I didn’t need a dynamic driver for bass tonality and it seems that the Helios can take that same claim for subbass in IEMs. The rumble, articulation, coherency are all just mixed together perfectly for my tastes in subbass.
I can’t finish the subbass section without mentioning “Chameleon”, which is usually a good stress test for an IEM subbass, however, in this case, it is more of a massage for the eardrum, giving a sensation of power that I have not experienced in an IEM before without it becoming overpowering and uncontrolled.
Moving up to the mid bass ranges, the articulation and speed are again there, making any tracks, no matter how busy in the bass areas, sound clean and never seeming to lack any dynamics in the bass area. However, and this is my first negative (which I repeat, is relevant to what I am looking for, not because it is bad), I feel that the midbass is lacking a little bit of warmth and presence to be totally natural on the majority of music that I listen to.
I listen to a lot of acoustic guitars and basses in my music preferences, some samples of which can be found on my test list, such as “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton, “Free Fallin’” by John Mayer or “Seven Nation Army” by Zella Day, just to name a few. With this kind of music I find that the acoustic guitar (and upright bass in something like “Back it Up” by Caro Emerald), lacks a little bit of body to meet my preferences for these instruments.
I know by looking at the graph that the mid bass is slightly below my preferences as far as presence but even with a little bit of EQ in this area, I still don’t find it to be as natural as I would like, which I think could be due to these frequencies being handled by a BA and not a DD. Again, I must stress that this is some very minor nitpicking on my behalf, it is not that the instruments sound totally off, far from it, they just don’t seem to have the body that I love about the midbass of an acoustic guitar or bass.
When listening to similar styles of music that uses electric guitars rather than acoustic, such as “Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman or “Sugar” by Francesco Yates, I do not get this same feeling. I feel that is more relative to the fact that I have been listening to acoustic guitars in a live setting (unamplified) since, well, forever, and it makes it difficult for them to sound the same.
With tracks that move more towards rock, such as “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin, then I find the midbass to be great, with great clarity and coherency that makes it possible to even appreciate effects used in dirty tones such as “Bombtrack” by Rage Against The Machine.
Moving out of the bass and into the mids, there is no need to mention the transition as there is absolutely no hint of anything that resembles bleed or bloat. This is obviously helped by that small lack of presence in midbass (in comparison to other sets) but also the fact that these IEMs are so clean and fast that it is not even something to consider.
The mids themselves are very well presented, keeping up with that clarity and speed found throughout the whole of the frequency ranges. Voices are clear and upfront but without becoming harsh or pushing their way too far forwards. From vocals such as Dominque Fils-Aimé on “Strange Fruit”, through to Beth on “Don’t You Worry Child” (who can easily become harsh), I have no complaints about them at all. There is great balance between the male and female vocals on tracks such as “Billie Jean” by the Civil Wars, without either overshadowing the other.
Songs with multiple voices, such as “Hallelujah” by Pentaonix or “These Bones” by The Fairfield Four, are separated perfectly and allow all the layers to be easily identified. I also need to point out that the very deep voice on “These Bones”, which could possibly be affected by the midbass that I mentioned earlier, does not seem to be lacking in warmth at all, which goes to prove even more my point about it being relative to my expectancy of the acoustic guitar rather than the IEMs.
Moving up into the higher regions, I must say that this is by far the best treble I have heard on a set of IEMs. Everything is smooth, articulate, airy, all those words that actually mean nothing but serve to try and explain the sound. There is no issue with sibilance, although it doesn’t tame it either, so if the track is recorded with sibilance, the Helios is not going to hide it. I can see that maybe the treble would be slightly too much (but only slightly) for some people but personally I really can’t pick faults with the treble of the Helios, it is great and, again, by far the best I have heard in an IEM.
The soundstage is also way above the average I have come to expect from IEMs. I mean, it is not an Arya v2 (nothing is really an Arya v2) but it does place itself in the category of being open and spacious, something that is not common on IEMs that I have tried.
Something that helps add to the spaciousness is the detail and placement of images inside the soundstage. This means that it makes the most of the space that is available, placing images in a way that makes it easy to appreciate small changes in placement and making the whole picture seem larger than it actually is. This is by far the most detailed IEM that I have heard also.
Conclusion…
I think that I have made it clear that I am very impressed with the sound of the Symphonium Helios, as I have already said a couple of times, it is easily the best sounding IEM I have heard. The details, spaciousness, sound signature, there really isn’t anything that can be called an issue, it is just an amazing set of IEMs.
Now, I guess that thousand euro question is… would I actually spend a thousand euros on the Helios?
Let me say that I am very tempted and just the fact that I am even contemplating spending this kind of money on a set of IEMs is proof that I am really impressed with them.
So, what is stopping me?
Well, apart from the fact that I still feel that 1k is a lot of money for a set of IEMs (it was only a year ago that I thought it was crazy), if I was to spend it, I would want something that is perfect. By this I don’t mean a perfect set of IEMs, I mean something that is perfect for me, and there are really only two things that I don’t find perfect about the Helios for my personal taste.
The first is comfort. While these are not uncomfortable IEMs, they are also not the most comfortable IEMs I have worn. I always notice them in my ears. As I said, I am not a fan of deep insertion and these do go a little deeper than my preference. I can also get a good seal by using tips that sit further away from the shell and they still sound great, but not quite as amazing as when inserted properly. I also find that the back part of the triangle shape rests on my ear and the top sticks out at an angle, causing the cable to be at a weird angle also, which is not terribly uncomfortable but it is something that I notice constantly.
The second thing that has me hesitating is the mid bass / lower mids timbre that I mentioned. With almost all music except for that based on acoustic guitars and basses, this is not even an issue, however, a very large part of my listening is based on music that revolves around these two instruments. Again, this is not bad by any means, far from it, but it is just not the perfection that I would hope to achieve by spending this much on a set of IEMs.
Now, both of those reasons are completely personal. Comfort is a very personal thing and my impression of an acoustic guitar’s natural timbre may not coincide with yours. You may not even listen to any music that involves acoustic instruments at all, in which case I would not be able to point out a fault at all as far as sound. I have listened to all kinds of music throughout the week and there really isn’t any genre that I haven’t enjoyed on the Helios. Even music that is based on acoustic guitars has been thoroughly enjoyable, I really am nitpicking when I talk about that “body” of the instrument.
You might even be someone with plenty of disposable income and think that 1000€ is a very reasonable price, which I guess it is in comparison to other IEMs that are twice as expensive, or even 3, 4 or 5 times more expensive. I obviously haven’t heard any of those more expensive models but based on commentary from people that I trust, I don’t think the Helios has anything to worry about as far as sound quality in comparison.
So, I am still on the fence about the purchase but what I am not on the fence about is the fact that they are an amazing set of IEMs that I am very grateful to Symphonium for sending out to me, giving me the opportunity to get to hear them.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I am sending these on to Vertex and Cqtek for them to share their unbiased opinions of these IEMs as, again, I might have already had a preconceived opinion before starting this review, so I would suggest checking out their reviews once they have had chance to publish them (heck, they might not even like the Helios!). I will update this review with a link to their reviews once they are available.
Good job!
I’m envious, as they are one of the sets I wish I could demo in the near future as they interest me a lot.
KZ EDX Pro
Around a year ago, I reviewed the KZ EDX, a set of IEMs that really surprised me at the time, mainly due to the fact that they made a reasonable sound at a very cheap price, just over 5€ at the time of posting that review.
Since then, there have been quite a few extremely economical IEMs released, although not many have come quite as cheap as the original EDX, and some of them have been pretty darn good for their price, with some not being so good of course. However, I think that the EDX still holds the record for the cheapest set of IEMs that I find pleasurable, along with the TRN MT1.
Yes, there are other alternatives that I would recommend over these at a slightly higher price point, which are still very cheap such as the Moondrop Quarks, but I am pretty sure that the EDX was a bit of a pioneer in this bracket (at least for me).
So, following the usual KZ naming scheme of adding a “Pro” or an “X” or a “Pro X” to the end of an existing model, today we have the KZ EDX Pro, a set that comes in slightly more expensive (I have seen them at just over 6€ but they are usually around 10€) and is supposedly an upgrade to the original EDX.
Presentation…
There is only one thing that has changed in regards to presentation, which is actually not even how it is presented, rather the contents of the box.
The overall presentation is identical to the EDX and almost every other KZ, a simple white box that I have already shown more times than I can remember.
Inside the box we get the IEMs presented in the same usual way, along with the usual 3 sets of tips and a cable. It is the latter that is the only thing different.
Build and aesthetics…
As far as the IEMs, there has been a change to the aesthetics but no change to the build. The shells are lightweight plastic in the same shape and form as the originals, however, this time they have opted for a clear see-through shell with a small metal circle sporting the KZ logo. I am not actually sure if it is metal or just plastic with a metal finish but it does look like metal. I can’t see this change having any impact on the durability of the IEMs, but to be honest, I have not yet had any issues with the build of any of the KZ models (and I have had quite a few).
The thing that has changed is the cable. Following the style of the new cables that KZ seems to have introduced in their latest models, the cable is now covered in a silicone tubing and is the same as the cable included with the ZEX that I reviewed recently. I am actually a fan of this new cable style from KZ, it is far superior to their older versions in my opinion, even if it is only a bit of tubing over the same internals. I find it to be a lot less prone to tangling and to be more pleasant to the touch overall.
In the end, I can’t complain about build quality especially at this price and although the contents are scarce, again, this is a sub 10€ set of IEMs.
Sound…
There are sound differences between the original EDX and the EDX Pro, whether these are an improvement or not will depend on personal taste more than anything. The overall quality of the sound is very much the same, it is just a slight change in tuning, and I do mean slight.
The box says that the EDX Pro is a “New Generation Heavy-Bass Earphone” and I must say that the increase in bass is the first thing that stood out to me (before I even noticed this written on the box). It is still not a huge amount of bass but it is noticeable. The tuning is actually the usual KZ “V” shaped tuning that is found on so many of their models but I’ll go through the typical steps anyway.
Starting off with the subbass, I feel that this has been increased in comparison to the original EDX. There wasn’t much roll off on the previous model but it seems that the Pro has actually boosted these lowest ranges, making them take more of a presence in the low end.
Moving into the mid-bass, these frequencies are also more present than on the original EDX. I wouldn’t say that they are extremely boosted, otherwise I would be complaining, but they are certainly more present than I need them to be for my preferences.
As with the previous version, the EDX Pro still do not do a great job of controlling the low end, which can result in some bleed into the lower mids depending on music choice, but as I said about the original version, we do need to consider the price of these, so I really don’t think it is fair to complain too much, although it is worth mentioning.
The mids are a little recessed, as is to be expected with the overall tuning of these IEMs. They are not to a point of being absent, in other words, the vocals and other mid centric instruments are present enough to be heard and appreciated, but if you are someone who likes mid forward sound presentations, you will find that the EDX Pro don’t fit into that category.
As we move into the higher frequencies, these are boosted, maybe a little too much. They are not boosted to a level where they become uncomfortable, they are still quite listenable, but there is a slight presence of sibilance and certain vocals can become a little harsh on occasions, especially if the recording is already a little on the bright side. As with the original EDX, the highs actually extend fairly well and there is a nice presence of air, which sort of simulates some extra detail. By this I mean that these are by no means extremely detailed IEMs but the extra brilliance in the higher ranges gives the impression that there are details.
As far as soundstage and image placement, we are on a par with the previous model and the majority of other IEMs in the lower price brackets. There is not a huge soundstage and the images are placed in a way that lets you appreciate the overall placement but does not present pinpoint accuracy.
Conclusion…
I am basically going to wrap this up in the same way that I wrapped un my review of the previous EDX. There are plenty of things that are not great about these IEMs but when we factor in the cost of them, it is really difficult to complain too much, although there have been many contenders starting to appear in this range.
As I mentioned earlier in the review, I think that there are better alternatives at prices that are not much more expensive than these, but if your hard limit for budget is 10€, then I do think that you get plenty of value for your money.
Personally, if I had to choose, I would probably pick the original EDX over the EDX Pro, not because I feel that they are better, more because I don’t really need the extra bass that the Pro delivers. The rest of the package as a whole is pretty much on a par, except for the cable which I find is much nicer on the Pro model.
If you want or need a set of very cheap IEMs to enjoy music without getting into picking faults, then the EDX Pro is another set of IEMs you could consider. Personally, if budget allows, I would just go a tiny bit higher and pick up something like the Quarks, the Emerald (although I did experience comfort issues with these) or the ZEX.
*** Also available in Spanish on: | Review también disponible en español en: ***
As we get closer to the end of the year, I wanted to do a quick recap of the products that have impressed or surprised me the most so far in 2021. I know there is still over a month left but with Black Friday this next week, followed by Cyber Monday, then the incoming holiday gift season, I think now is a good time to publish this. If anything that comes in from now until the end of the year replaces anything on this list, I will make sure to let you all know!
I must say that it has been difficult to limit this to just 5 products, as there have been quite a few products that have surprised me and impressed me over the past 11 months, some of them that should probably make this list, but after lots of deliberating and listening, I have decided that these are the ones that make my own list.
This is certainly not a list that will match the tastes of everyone, nor have I had chance to try every product out there, so there are many that will disagree with this list and I may also disagree if I had tried certain other products, but as of today, the 20th of November, these are the 5 products that have most impressed and/or surprised me in 2021. Click on any of the product names to see the full review of that item.
At the lowest price…
I am going to start off with something that is extremely cheap but is, in my opinion, far better than the price tag would indicate. As you may know if you follow my reviews, I like to look at a lot of products in the sub 50€ category, as I think there are some very good deals in this price bracket that offer good quality audio for those who don’t want to spend a fortune.
I have tried quite a few sub 50€ products this year but the ones that have surprised me the most are actually available for not much more than 10€ (as of today), these are none other than the Moondrop Quarks.
Ok, the Quarks aren’t perfect, but they are a very good set of IEMs that sound good, are small, lightweight and cheap. If somebody said “I want the good sound for as little as possible”, the Quarks would be my first suggestion. They are also a great backup option, perfect to be left in a bag, car, drawer, anywhere that you want to have a spare set of IEMs that don’t take up any real estate.
There are a few things like non-detachable cables that won’t make everybody happy but, at the end of the day, that means you don’t have to worry about them, just find the correct tips and you are good to go (and let’s face it, a replacement pair is cheaper than a new cable!).
Daily IEMs…
Back in May I reviewed the Moondrop Aria, which I found to be a great alternative to the Moondrop Starfield (which was my daily IEM at the time) for a lower price. These would probably have been my choice for this list if I hadn’t had the chance to try the T Force Yuan Li last month.
The Yuan Li are a set of IEMs that have just clicked with me. I enjoy their sound, I find them comfortable, they include plenty of accessories, all in all I just find them a very good buy for around 100€.
Again, this is not a perfect IEM, there are things that can be improved and I have heard other sub 100€ options that do certain things better, but as an overall package, I think the Yuan Li are great and have become my personal favourites under 100€. Since the arrival of the Yuan Li, the Aria have become my bluetooth option, they basically live connected to the Shanling MW200 and sound great.
Favourite IEMs…
Ok, this is another category where the item has been replaced and in this case, as little as a couple of weeks ago. Up until that point, I would have said that the Blessing 2 Dusk are my favourite IEMs that I have reviewed this year, and they are still my most used IEMs, however, getting to try the Symphonium Helios opened up a whole new category for me.
I have to be honest and say that I have not yet been able to bring myself to spend 1000€ on them but it is not because I don’t feel they are worth it, these are by far the best IEMs I have heard.
Again, there are a few little things that I find not perfect about the Helios but they really are small things that stop them being perfect for me personally, but there really aren’t any complaints that I can make about them, they are an amazing set of IEMs.
If I can bring myself to actually spend 1000€ on IEMs, then I would not hesitate to order the Helios.
Headphones…
I thought that this one would be easy, the Hifiman HE1000se. A set of headphones that I fell in love with and enjoy immensely each time I get to use them.
However, I recently got to try the new Hifiman Arya Stealth Magnet Edition, which really made some small tweaks to the original Arya (v2) and brought it much closer to my preferences. When I reviewed the Arya SM I already made it clear that I thought they were an amazing set of headphones but I would still have picked the HE1000se.
As I have had the chance to spend more time with them and compare them more to the HE1000se, I am no longer as convinced that I find the HE1000se superior. Yes, I prefer the aesthetics of the HE1000se, which I think are beautiful, and there are a few little things that still make me drift towards them, but these are more personal biases than actual sound qualities.
On the other hand, the Arya are a much cheaper option and the more I listen to the new Arya’s, the more I enjoy them and I really think that I would struggle to choose one only based on sound. The battle would probably come down to price vs aesthetics and at the end of the day, I prefer to listen to headphones than look at them, so the 2000€ savings would play a major part in my decision.
In fact, for the budget of the HE1000se, I could get the Arya Stealth Magnet, the Helios and the “bonus” product (read to the end to know what this is), giving me quite easily an end game set up in all three categories for the same price.
Most impressed by…
This is the item that has most impressed me this year when factoring in cost to performance. There are a few that could have been contenders for this bracket, including those that I have mentioned already, but one just stands out above the others in my opinion and that is the Hifiman HE400se with Stealth Magnets.
These are a set of headphones that match my tastes and, in my opinion, sound great!
Yes, there are better headphones out there, I just mentioned two of them in the last category, but for just over 120€ (at this time), none of them come close to offering this performance to price ratio.
Again, there are a couple of things that do not thrill me about the HE400se SM, but none of them are related to sound and certainly not at this price bracket. They are a set of headphones that, if I wasn’t so deep into the headphone hobby, I would have no problems having as my main headphones for sitting back and enjoying music.
I could go on about these headphones but you can read the full review for that, let’s just say that the HE400se SM are the best value for money that have come across my desk this year and probably since I started in the headphone hobby.
Bonus product… Source…
Ok, I know I said my top 5 products but there is one more item I would like to put on the list and that falls into the sources category.
I have reviewed a few sources this year, not as many as I would have liked to but they were all decent products. The Asgard 3 became my preferred amplifier for relaxed listening purposes, I enjoyed the iFi Audio HFM Signature amp and what it can do to certain headphones and IEM, but there is one product that I feel was above the rest… the iFi Audio Diablo.
The Diablo is an amazing piece of gear, with enough power to run just about anything, great sound, great looking (if you like red) and is just an overall great product which just so happens to be portable and battery powered.
My only issue with the Diablo is its price. Now, I am not saying that it is not worth it, it is a product that could probably replace most of my desktop stacks, so it could probably save me more than it costs, but it is still 1000€ for a portable DAC/Amp.
Saying that, there is no way I can’t place it on this list as it deserves it, in my opinion of course, and as I said in the headphones category, I could get the Arya SM + Helios + Diablo for the same price as just the HE1000se and have my end game for all situations. But maybe “end game” is just a myth anyway 
Conclusion…
I really enjoyed making this list because it got me to listen to things again (even if only briefly) and compare things directly. Due to the fact that I am usually trying something out to review, it is things like this that allow me to spend more time with stuff that I have enjoyed and don’t get to use as much as I would like to.
Of course, this list is just my personal opinion, I am not saying that the products I have mentioned are the best for you, they are just the items that have impressed me, in a good way, throughout this 2021.
There are a few more reviews left this year, so maybe something will come along and be far superior to anything on this list, which would be something that would make me happy, I always love reviewing things I like.
However, as of today, if I was looking to find good offers on items during these sales periods, I would certainly be looking for the products I mentioned on this list. I have already mentioned what I feel about them at their price as of today, any discount would increase my approval!
Also available in Spanish on my blog and on YouTube:
As always, this is also available in Spanish on my blog and YouTube, links at the end of the post.
Let me start out by saying that I am not someone who has tested a lot of dongle style audio devices. I have a few Apple Dongle DACs, and have tried a few of the Creative Labs and similar solutions for laptops quite some time ago, but that is about it. But let’s face it, dongles are in fashion at the moment, with releases from all kinds of companies and at all kinds of prices, from the Apple option at less than 10€ (or even cheaper from some other random brands), all the way up to over 300€ or maybe even more.
I am actually a happy user of the Apple Dongle, it has proven to be of very good quality for its price (which is why I have ended up with multiple units) but there are a few situations in which the tiny device just can’t cut it. This is mainly with over ear headphones, which I rarely use away from my desktop devices anyway, but there are also some IEMs that benefit from having a little more power, especially if we consider the fact that the EU version of the Apple Dongle is only half as powerful as the US version.
So, my review of the Hidizs S9 Pro is really only going to be my opinions on this little portable device in my intended use scenario, without much comparison to anything similar. If you want detailed specs on the S9 Pro, with a full set of measurements etc, along with a very good review (in my opinion), you can check out the review by CqTek here: https://hiendportable.com/hidizs-s9-pro-english-review/
My use case…
My main reason for looking for something like the S9 Pro is to have a very transportable device that I can keep in my bag (ok, man purse) and give me something that has a similar sound signature to the Atom and THX set ups that I (usually) use for detailed listening and comparisons when reviewing.
Without going into sound preferences, basically I just wanted something as clean and detailed as possible, while being as small and compact as possible. I also wanted something that I could plug into my DAP to be able to have the same sound reference without being tied to my phone or tablet, more on that in a moment.
As I said, I don’t have much experience with dongles so I spent some time checking out reviews of all kinds of solutions. I don’t think that there was a single one that had all positive reviews, which is to be expected, and some of the most praised were ones that had some kind of “house sound”. Again, my search was for something that didn’t really have a sound, just pure old gain, in order to evaluate IEMs and not necessarily relax and listen.
The S9 Pro seemed to fit this description along with a few other contenders and was actually the cheapest option out of those that were easily available here.
Anyway, I think that is enough random chat, so on to the actual product.
Presentation…
The presentation of the S9 Pro is nothing spectacular. It arrives in a simple black box with some text on it, inside which we find the dongle in a foam cutout. Underneath the top layer of foam we get the included accessories, consisting of a user manual, a transparent clip, a short USB-C to USB-C cable and a USC-C to USB A adapter.
All the necessary bits are there and it is well packed, but again, it’s not really anything exciting for the price.
Build and aesthetics…
The S9 Pro is smaller than I expected it to be, which is good. After seeing photos online, I expected it to be larger than it actually is, which is still bigger than something like the Apple Dongle but is small enough to store in an IEM case quite easily.
The build of the actual unit is ok. Again, I wouldn’t go crazy and say that it is great, although there is nothing really wrong with it. The aluminium frame is nice but the glass covers on each side, which actually feel like perspex more than something like gorilla glass, do move and creak quite a bit when pressed with any kind of moderate force. Really there is no reason to actually press them with any kind of force, so I guess this is just me being picky, but it doesn’t exactly scream “high quality build”.
The included cable is also ok. It seems to be well made but the length is not quite right for my use case. I find that if I connect it to a device (phone, tablet, etc) and place the S9 Pro behind it, the cable is a little too long and sticks out a bit much at the bottom. The cable also came folded in the box, so it has a built in bend to it at exactly the half way mark. However, if I place my device on a stand, the cable is not quite long enough for the S9 Pro to reach the table, so it hangs from the USB port. Again, this is only relevant to my personal use case, it is impossible for a manufacturer to include a cable that is a perfect length for everyone (this applies to all devices, such as headphones, IEMs, amps, etc.).
The clip serves its function well, allowing you to clip the S9 Pro to your pocket or whatever, but if you are using the included USB cable and attaching this to your phone, it means that your phone can only be within 10cm of wherever you clipped the S9 Pro. This can be solved by using a different USB cable but I have found that not all of my USB cables actually work with the S9 Pro and the included one only works one way around. I haven’t investigated this more, so I don’t exactly know what is special about it but it’s worth noting.
Anyway, there is not much more I can say about the build and aesthetics of the device, I think it can be recapped the same way as the “Presentation”, it’s ok but nothing spectacular.
Functionality…
There is nothing really to explain as far as functionality. You plug the USB cable between the S9 Pro and the device you want to connect it to and that’s it, off you go.
My plan, as I said a moment ago, is to be able to use this with my Android devices but also (mainly) with my DAP which is a Shanling M2X. The reason I like the M2X is because it is my preferred size and it is not Android, it lets me get away from the online world while still being able to stream to it. However, the bad news is that my M2X is still at “the doctor”. I had issues with the volume wheel and they replaced it with a new one. The second one had the same issue so I sent it back (to China) again and they have sent me a new one again. Unfortunately this has still not arrived and I have been without the M2X since February!
But all is not lost, I do have the little brother of the M2X, the M0, which is actually a great little device that I keep in my bag also. It may not be the easiest DAP to use because of it’s size but it does (almost) everything its bigger brother can do. This includes two way LDAC communication, and by connecting the S9 Pro to it, I have been able to use certain IEMs with bluetooth that don’t really place nicely with my other bluetooth solutions, such as the B2 Dusk. It has also let me check that the S9 Pro will in fact work with the Shanling (non-Android) DAPs.
Power…
This is the strong point of the S9 Pro, it is a very powerful device for its size. Ok, 200mW balanced and 100mW unbalanced might not seem like a lot when we are used to talking about desktop (or larger portable, battery powered) devices but it is the difference between being able to enjoy the sound from headphones and certain IEMs on something this small or not, as the case may be with something like the Apple option (which I believe is around 30mW).
I have used the S9 Pro this week to drive the B2 Dusk, the iSine LX, HE400se, HD6XX and a few others, all getting plenty loud enough for my usual listening levels from the SE output, however, I would suggest moving over to the balanced output for things like the HE400se and HD6XX, as I don’t listen very loud and I was near full output and the sound certainly seemed to suffer. Unfortunately I didn’t have a 2.5mm cable available for these headphones so I haven’t been able to test them out of the balanced output.
The negative side to this much power is that it also consumes a lot of power. I haven’t really done any detailed tests of battery life on my Android devices (I can’t afford to let them run out of battery completely), but using it powered from the M0 while the M0 was receiving LDAC from my phone, I only got around 2 hours out of the M0. When using the M0 in the same way but without the S9 Pro, I can easily get more than 4 hours out of it (and more when playing local files with BT off). Obviously this will all depend on what you are running from the S9 Pro and how loud you like it. For this test I was running the B2 Dusk at my usual listening levels from the SE output.
Sound…
Ok, the difficult part.
I am not going to do my usual rant about how difficult it is for me to compare clean SS amplifiers, so I will just get on with it.
The sound is very clean, what could easily be described as cold and analytical. In comparison to my JDS Labs Atom (which is currently being fed by a Modi 3+), I would say that the S9 Pro seems to be a little brighter. This could just be me imagining things, but it seems that the treble areas can be a little hotter on the S9 Pro (when listening to the same tracks with the same IEMs at the same volume level, etc.). Would I pick it out in a blind test, I would like to think so, but I probably couldn’t, at least at my normal, low, listening levels.
Other than that, I would say that it accomplishes what I set out to achieve with the purchase of this dongle, it is clean, powerful (for a dongle) and does not seem to impact the sound in any negative way with any of my IEMs. I do feel that my planar magnetic headphones seem to be a little more “alive” when connected to any of my desktop solutions, but that is to be expected, there is really only so much available power we can expect from a tiny bus powered device. The HD6XX also does not sound great out of this dongle, it gets plenty loud enough for me but sounds a little compressed.
Conclusion…
I like the S9 Pro, it meets my criteria and does exactly what I wanted it to, but I am not in love with it.
I don’t think that I would choose this as my main listening device, I don’t find myself wanting to use this instead of any of my desktop devices. In fact, I would probably put it in the same group as my THX789, it is not my favourite amplifier but it is a very useful amplifier. I use the THX when I am listening for specific things or comparing specific items, but I don’t find myself sitting down and choosing the THX for a long relaxed listening session, the Hidizs S9 Pro makes me feel the same sort of way. It’s true that it can produce some fatigue on longer sessions.
I am certainly hoping not to go down the dongle rabbit hole but I do think that I will continue to look for something that is portable and more “pleasurable”, although that will probably come in a much bigger (and probably more expensive) package than the S9 Pro.
I have just published another interview in the series of reviewers who are kind enough answer the questions and let us get to know them a little better.
This time it is Mark Ryan (a.k.a MRS) from Super* Review.
As with previous interviews, I am not going to copy the full interview here, so I apologise for the spamming of the link only, but you can find the full interview in English and Spanish here:
Super ( ) awesome that you do these interviews! I find it very insightful. Thank you both!
Moondrop Nekocake
As with all my reviews, for the Spanish speaking crowd, you can find this review in Spanish on Youtube and my blog, links at the end of the post.
The Moondrop Nekocake have been sent to me by Shenzen Audio in exchange for the publication of this review. They have not requested anything specific but my usual warning stands, I will do my best to be as honest and impartial as possible but it is always good to consider that these earphones have not cost me anything.
As always, I avoid posting purchase links (even though they are non-affiliate) outside of my own blog and channel, so to see the link to the Nekocake via Shenzhen Audio, please visit the version published on my blog.
Intro…
As some may already know, I am a fan of Moondrop. My experience with them has been that they offer quality that is at least as good as the price range they sit in, sometimes competing with others that are quite a bit higher in price.
This was one of the main things that made me happily accept to review the Nekocake when Shenzen offered to send them out, although I don’t usually review many bluetooth products, mainly because I am not a huge user of bluetooth.
I do have a few TWS IEMs, although they are getting a little long in the tooth (in Chinese product release time at least), but my main bluetooth set up of choice (when I want to be cable free) are the Moondrop Aria connected to the Shanling MW200. The Moondrop Nekocake come in quite a bit cheaper than that, costing less than 40€ (around 100€ cheaper than the MW200+Aria option) and placing them easily inside the sub 50€ bracket that I focus on.
The IEMs themselves use a 13mm dynamic driver, with a titanium coated dome and a Daikaku ultra-thin CCAW voice coil imported from Japan, which they say is to “ensure the lowest possible suspension system mass, so that the earphones can offer a more rapid transient response and further enhance detailed performance”. This sounds pretty impressive on paper, especially for 40€, but let’s see what it’s like in the real world.
Presentation…
Continuing with the anime theme that Moondrop have on the majority of their products, the box is a white box with a sketch of an anime girl on the cover. On the back they show the specs along with a graph of the FR, but we’ll get to sound in just a moment.
Inside the box we find the IEMs along and the charging case on the top level, with a manual, 3 sets of spare silicone tips and a charging cable underneath.
There is nothing really exciting about the presentation or contents but for 40€, I would much rather see that not much has been spent on packing and accessories.
Build and aesthetics…
The aesthetics of the IEMs are very reminiscent of the Apple options. Although not identical, they do have that kind of vibe to them and I could see someone who has never heard of Moondrop mistaking these for some kind of Apple imitation. On the part that extends down there is the logo of the cat (which I guess I should have mentioned that Nekocake means “Cat Cake”, not sure who came up with that name but it is at least a break from the usual Pro, X and Neo that we keeps seeing everywhere) along with Moondrop, both in brown.
The charging case is also a very simple white case with the cat logo on the front and Nekocake across the top cover. It is actually quite a nice and compact case, not the smallest I have ever seen but compact enough to easily be carried in a pocket.
The comfort of the IEMs is not bad, not the most comfortable but they don’t irritate me over periods of 2 or 3 hours, and they are nice and light.
The build quality seems to be pretty decent, it is obviously still completely plastic but in general it does seem to have been well put together and I see no obvious flaws.
Functionality…
The functionality of the Nekocake is simple, much the same as 90% of the TWS offerings available. You take them out of the case, they connect to your phone and you are ready to go. The only thing that is slightly different is that you enter pairing mode by holding the button on the case while the IEMs are in it (with the cover open). Other than that, you get play/pause by tapping either side once, you get next/last track by tapping the right or left side (respectively) and you get the assistant by triple tapping. You can also activate ANC by tapping and holding either side for a couple of seconds, with a VTuber voice that tells you it has been activated or deactivated. You can also answer calls, hang up and refuse calls by using the same system.
The functionality of these single/double/triple taps can be reassigned in the Moondrop Link app, letting you choose which you would like each combination of taps to do, although there are no extra functions you can assign. To be honest, I have no issue with the way the functions are assigned as they are, however, I do miss not being able to raise and lower volume from the IEMs themselves, something that I would like all bluetooth IEMs and headphones to have, as getting my phone out of my pocket to change volume is something I would rather avoid when going wireless.
In the app you can also change the EQ of the IEMs and it gives you a choice of 5 different settings, I will mention more about these in just a second.
I can’t say that I have had any issues with connectivity, although I haven’t really tested the distance (10m according to the spec) and the battery life has been enough for my daily use, which is 4 hours for the IEMs and 12h with the case (according to the manufacturer). As I usually place them back in the case when I don’t have them in my ears, they have never run out of battery on me and the case has lasted over 2 days easily (no warning light for the battery), although I automatically recharged it at the end of the second day.
I made a few calls and the other end said that while I didn’t sound perfectly clear, they could easily understand me, so I can’t complain about using them for calls either.
The last thing to mention is codecs. While the Nekocake uses bluetooth 5.0, which seems to be good to not experience any glitches in connection or lag, they only support SBC or AAC codecs. Now, I would much prefer to have the option of a higher quality codec, such as LDAC, but I haven’t found it to be that important, my opinions on sound will probably clear this up.
EQ Presets…
As I just mentioned, the Moondrop Link app (which is the same app for the Moondrop Sparks) allows the choice of 5 EQ presets: Balanced (the default option), Moondrop Classic, X’ Dynamic, Nobass and Wennebostel.
Balanced is, as I just said, the default option and, in my opinion, is the only one that I found to be usable for me. I will talk more about this preset in the sound section, as it is the one I have been using and have based my opinions on.
This is what the Balanced EQ looks like on paper:
Moondrop Classic is strange as it seems to cut the volume level in half, I mean, it actually drops the output by about 8dB in comparison to the Balanced option. I have no idea why this is a preset or who came up with the idea but here is the graph of it vs Balanced:
X’ Dynamic is a bass boost but not in a good way, at least in my opinion. I know that I am someone who is not a bass head and that I don’t favour overly present bass (except on occasions) but this preset just seems to make everything muddy and, well, wrong. It boosts everything all the way through the mids also. This is the graph of the ‘X Dynamic vs Balanced:
Nobass is just that, no bass. This is certainly not a tuning that I would choose but, to me at least, it is much better than the X’ Dynamic option. This is what it looks like on paper, vs the Balanced option, although the impression when listening is of even less bass:
Finally we have Wennebostel, a very strange name for an EQ preset. Wennebostel is a place in Germany and from what I have read, this preset brings “Sennheiser like” characteristics. Now, I haven’t had much experience with Sennheiser TWS IEMs, except for some brief tests, but this doesn’t remind me of any Sennheiser I have heard, at least that I can remember. Maybe I am remembering wrong and it is reminiscent of a Senn product but I certainly wouldn’t have guessed it if I hadn’t read it, it reminds me more of the X’Dynamic preset than anything else.
Here is the Wennebostel graph vs the Balanced:
Sound…
So, finally, on to the sound section. As I said, I chose the Balanced profile and all of my opinions are based on using this preset.
Starting off with the subbass, I would say that it is on a par with the rest of the frequencies. There is a roll off that happens due to the fact that there is no boost and our hearing rolls off naturally as we get to the lowest end of the spectrum. There is some rumble present when listening to “Chameleon” but by no means is it to a level that I would consider “bassy” in comparison to so many other sets. This is not really an issue for me with the majority of music I listen to but it is something to consider if you like deep rumbling subbass.
Moving into the mid bass frequencies, as you can see on the graph, there is a bit of a dip going on. This dip works fairly well to stop any muddy transitions between the bass and mids but can also remove some of the lower body of acoustic instruments. To be fair, it is not as bad as it looks on paper, I still find acoustic guitars and basses to have a nice body to them but they are missing a little bit of warmth down there.
The lower mids are clean due to the dip in the upper mid bass that I mentioned and are actually fairly well balanced up until the higher mids where there is again a bit of a dip. This does avoid the vocals becoming harsh in their upper mid range but may make some voices feel a little further back than usual. For example, Leonard Cohen has a voice that is usually placed quite a bit forwards in comparison to the instruments (using “Happens to the Heart’’ as an example) yet on the Nekocake it is much more balanced. It is as though Moondrop has used these two dips (upper bass and upper mids) to stay safe and it seems to work ok. It is not my favourite FR in this regard but it is definitely not offensive.
The higher ranges are rather smooth, once again avoiding any harshness or even sibilance. My usual “Code Cool” test did not present any more sibilance than it should. However, in this same track, the treble itself does sound a little wrong.
I know that wrong isn’t really a good way of explaining anything, but it sort of sounds like there is a slight delay between the hit and the roll off of the higher notes, giving a sort of strange misaligned effect. Again, this is not exactly a very comprehensive way of explaining it but I am struggling to describe it.
The higher end of the treble does roll off, lacking a little bit of extension and air, but that is something that I find on 99% of single DD IEMs that I try.
The soundstage is actually rather decent, better than I would have expected, with a placement of images that is actually fairly well done. No, this does not make you close your eyes and focus on images with millimetric accuracy but I find it to be better than many of the wired alternatives at similar prices.
As far as detail, these are not the most detailed of IEMs. There is a bit of a smoothness to the overall sound, meaning that small details do get lost in the overall picture of things, but that doesn’t really take away from the enjoyment of the Nekocake for what they are, which I guess brings me to the…
Conclusion…
I feel that the Moondrop Nekocake are a set of TWS IEMs that don’t pretend to be something that they are not. They are a simple, economical, set that just delivers sound in a smooth and simple way.
I found myself using them with Spotify most of the time and enjoying them. I did not spend my time focusing on the music and looking for details (except when actually consciously doing so for this review), I just got on with my life with the freedom that TWS brings. That is, in my opinion, what these IEMs set out to do, they give you a way of listening to some background music while you go about your day to day.
They follow a tuning that is fairly balanced and safe, at least in “Balanced” mode, which some may think is a bit boring but I, personally, found it quite pleasant and non offensive, again, meaning that my attention wasn’t really brought to the music, it was kept on whatever other tasks I was doing at the time.
The ANC is not the greatest but it does tame constant rumbles (such as the AC) reducing them by quite a bit, although voices and other non-constant sounds are still easily audible.
I don’t have a huge amount of experience with TWS IEMs, so I really don’t know what these are up against in the price bracket they sit in, but I certainly don’t think they are bad value for 40€ if what you want is the commodity of TWS and not ultra defined high resolution audio. Yes, I could pick plenty of things that I would prefer to improve on them but they are things that are not really important (to me) when I am doing something that brings me to choose TWS.
I think that the vast majority of people who just want some wireless buds to go with their phone for when they are out and about would be more than happy with the Nekocake, unless they are someone who wants a lot of bass, but then they could just turn on the X’ Dynamic mode and have more bass than they wished for In fact, I think if moondrop could release a few more (i.e: better) EQ presets for these, they would be a great buy for the price.
Tin Hifi T3 Plus
(just in case you haven’t read any of the reviews above this one, the following is also available in Spanish on my blog and on YouTube, links at the end of the review
The Tin T3 Plus have been sent to me by HifiGo in exchange for this review. The only thing that they have requested is that I leave links to the T3+ on their site and via Amazon, which I will do as usual. Other than that, they haven’t requested anything in particular and my review will attempt to be as honest and unbiased as possible, but as I always say, it is good to take into consideration that these IEMs have not cost me anything.
As normal, I will not post purchase links outside my web and channel, even though none of the liks are affiliate. So to see the direct links to the T3+ on HifiGo, please visit the version posted on my blog.
Preamble…
Before I get on with the review, I want to mention that I have actually received 2 sets of T3 Plus, one from HifiGo, which is the set I am reviewing, and a second set direct from Tin Hifi, who have donated the set to be given away on Acho Reviews. Check the blog or YouTube channel in the next few days to find out how to win these.
Intro…
The Tin Hifi T3 Plus, which I will just call T3+ from now on, are the latest release from a company that has a well established name in the IEM world, especially in the economical ranges.
My first introduction to Tin Hifi was the T2, which I believe was the same for many people. It was a fairly neutral set that was very good for its price, I still see it recommended. Since then I have reviewed a couple of their IEMs, although they have released many more than I have reviewed, and the T2 Plus, which I reviewed last year, was my main recommendation for a sub 50€ set for quite a while. In fact, I think it is still a great set of IEMs for the price.
I didn’t get to try the original T3, released back in 2019 I believe, but I remember it receiving its fair share of praise, so when I was offered the T3+ for review, I was of course happy to take a listen.
Presentation…
The T3+ arrives in a simple white box, the same as previous models I have seen from them, and inside this we find a grey box with a lift of lid and a felt covered interior. The IEMs sit in a cutout with a small white box underneath containing the accessories. Underneath the lid, which is also felt covered, there are a couple of ribbons that hold the user manual and warranty card.
Inside the smaller accessory box we get a cable, various spare silicone tips and a small cloth carrying bag with the Tin Hifi Logo.
The presentation is nothing out of the ordinary but as I always say, with economical IEMs I prefer to see that a large percentage of the budget has not been destined to packaging and accessories.
Build and aesthetics…
Starting with the IEMs, Tin Hifi has moved away from the usual aesthetics that I automatically associate with the brand, opting for a more generic shaped resin shell, with a very nice grey marble effect on the faceplate and the Tin logo in gold.
These aesthetics do take away some of the instant recognition that the majority of Tin models have, blending in more with many other brands, however, this is a shape that is very comfortable and lightweight, so I am happy with their decision. I also must say that I do like the finish on these, not a boring single colour but also not a bright “look at me” finish.
The shells are dark enough to not allow me to see the insides of them but from the outside they look to be well made. I guess only time will tell but I can’t foresee any specific issues with the build.
The cable is also a simple black cable with a “rope style” weave, or rather wrap, which is very reminiscent of the cable included with the Kinera IEMs that I reviewed earlier this year. However, it has a nice feeling to it and also has connectors and hardware that look to be of good quality and do add an elegant touch to the cable.
One thing that certainly deserves praise, at least from me, is that they have opted for 2 pin connectors instead of MMCX! Yes, I know that the T1 Plus also had 2 pin connectors (which were similar to the ones used by KZ, rather than the flush ones on the T3+) but I am still happy that they are used. In the past I have had issues with MMCX connectors and the Tin T2 were the ones that I had most issues with, so it is nice not to have to worry about that happening on the T3+.
To be honest, I really have no complaints about build or aesthetics with the T3+ and the comfort is very good, although that is obviously something that I can only vouch for with my own ears.
Sound…
My experience with Tin Hifi, along with the many reviews that I have read of their products, lead me to expect a tuning that is more towards the bright side of things, which is not something I hate by the way, but that is not the case with the T3+.
I am not saying this in a negative way, not at all, I just found that upon listening to the T3+ for the first time it presented a smoother and less “bright” signature than my ears were expecting.
It seems that this time Tin have opted for a tuning that is more along the lines of the contenders that it is up against in a similar price bracket (the T3+ comes in around 60€, which is just above the 50€ bracket that I consider “ultra economical” but is still a very reasonable price). The overall signature is more towards that found on things like the Legacy 2 or the Aria. This could be considered more of a “safe” choice from Tin but seeing the praise that things like the Aria get, it is obviously a tuning that works well for many people.
While it is a similar tuning, it is obviously not exactly the same, it does deviate a little, especially in the higher mids and lower treble, but I’ll go through my usual sections to get there.
In the subbass, there is a nice extension but it is not really something I would consider subbass focused. Listening to tracks with plenty of subbass content, such as “Chameleon” (as always) and “Royals”, there is rumble going on, letting you appreciate those lower notes but without it really becoming the center of attention. I can’t say that it lacks subbass for my personal preferences, I could even survive with a little less, but I like the fact that it is not overdone to the point where it takes control of the whole lower end.
Moving into the mid bass, listening to tracks like “Sun is Shining” by Bob Marley & Robin Schultz, “No Sanctuary Here” by Marian Herzog feat Chris Jones, or even things like “All Eyez on Me” by 2Pac or “Still D.R.E”, I find that the bass has plenty of presence for these to be enjoyable. Again, I wouldn’t say that it is overly bassy but I don’t think many people would complain that it has a lack of bass at all (unless they are real bass heads!).
I also find that the bass is also very well controlled and defined. I spent most of Friday at my desk listening to Dance music and I was quite surprised at how well the bass came across, making it very enjoyable. I also don’t have any real complaints about the timbre of the bass, making most instruments sound very natural in their lower ranges, with no lack of warmth. Once more, it is slightly north of neutral but not enough for me to find it offensive or bloated.
Moving into the lower mids, there is no real bleed and I don’t find the bass invading these regions and making them seem bloated. Ok, I have heard better transitions but it is not really something that is worth complaining about as I feel that it is more than adequate for the price bracket it sits in.
The mids themselves do have a bit of a dip in their center, as is to be expected with the tuning that Tin Hifi are aiming for with this set of IEMs. However, the higher mids do have enough presence to bring back vocals and put them back up front. There are a few voices that I have found to seem a little recessed in the mids, mainly those that are located in the lower mids, and also a couple that suffer with the presence in the higher mids, making them take on a little harshness at times. This is not a regular occurance and it is mainly voices that are already known to be harsh, such as Beth in “Don’t You Worry Child”, but they do sort of clash with that extra upper mid presence and can come across a little shouty at times.
Moving into the higher regions, sibilance is something that is kept in check quite well, with only a hint appearing on songs that are usually on the verge anyway. As with the upper mids, it is not something that appears regularly, only on vocals that are already in that zone, but it can show a hint now and again.
As far as details, I find this is probably the weakest point of the T3+. It is not bad, there are details, but it is not as detailed (in my opinion) as something like the T2+. I think a lot of this is due to the tuning that they have opted for with this set, it is certainly not as “in your face” as the T2+. The details are there, within reason, but they don’t jump out at you.
Soundstage and image placement are ok, sort of the average I am used to finding in this price range of IEMs. I guess they could be slightly above average in this regard but the smoothness of the tuning again masks the imaging slightly and makes it not sound quite as impressive as it might have been with a slightly different tuning.
Conclusion…
Tin Hifi have moved towards a tuning on these IEMs that I think will fit well for 90% of those interested in IEMs in this price range. They work well with every source I have tried, they look and feel decent, and the overall sound is quite pleasant.
I feel that they may have lost some of the “Tin” sound along the way, or at least the sound that I personally associate with Tin Hifi, but again, I think that is something that will probably appeal to a larger amount of people.
The negative side to this is that they are suddenly in a bracket with a lot of competition, there are many brands that offer similar sound signatures and performance at prices that are around this mark. I think that the T3+ is a competitive set though and those looking for this kind of tuning should definitely check them out as there really isn’t anything bad about them for the price.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I have another (unopened) set of the T3+ which I will be giving away in the very near future, so, for those who are interested but are not Spanish speaking* , in other words, don’t follow the Acho Reviews YouTube channel, you can follow in English on Twitter (@SenyorC_) and I will let you know when the giveaway is available on the Blog, or, just stay tuned to the Blog over the next few days.
*Shipping restrictions apply for those residing outside Spain
Here is the link to win the T3+ in case anyone is interested:
Aune Jasper
Available also in Spanish on my blog here and on YouTube here.
The Aune Jasper have been kindly sent to me by Aune in order to publish this review. They haven’t actually made any specific requests but I will include the link to the Jasper on their website anyway (on my blog and YouTube), as it is the least I can do.
As always, my review will be as honest and unbiased as possible but it is always good to consider the fact that these IEMs have not cost me anything.
Intro…
Before starting with the review, I have to say that I had absolutely no idea that these IEMs existed!
Aune is a company who have made some interesting stuff that has caught my eye but I only really knew about their amplifiers and DACs etc. So, I was talking with Aune about reviewing their new portable DAC/Amp, the BU2 (which will be coming up soon, by the way), and they asked if I had heard their IEMs. I was totally honest with them and said that I didn’t even know they made IEMs.
They mentioned the model name to me and said that they had been released either late last year or early this year, so I did a quick internet search and I was very surprised to find that they were actually reviewed by Audio Discourse in March this year. The reason that I was surprised is because I usually follow most of the AD reviews and somehow I had just completely ignored this one. In fact, I have still completely ignored it (sorry Antdroid!) because, as Aune said they would send them out for me to try, I have avoided reading any reviews about them at all.
I always try to avoid reading reviews of anything I am planning on reviewing, although some details always manage to make it through, but in this case, I was going into this completely blind as to what I was going to receive. All I knew was that they sell for around 280€ (on the Aune page) and that they are a single DD that is available in Black or Silver.
So, I went into this review hoping to be surprised and I must say that I have been, but I’ll get to that next.
Presentation…
The Jasper arrive in a simple white cardboard sleeve with a picture of the IEMs on the front. From inside the sleeve a black cardboard box slides out to reveal the brand logo on the front in silver. As a totally random comment that has nothing to do with the IEMs, I just want to say that I really like the Aune logo, a simple logo that is easily identifiable even when upside down 
Anyway, opening the black box reveals a simple content that actually impressed me far more than it should have. At the top of the felt covered lining there is a large leather storage case which seems to be of very good quality. I am not certain it is real leather but it certainly looks the part. In the lower half of the box, in their own cutout, we find the IEMs themselves, in my case in black.
Inside the storage case we get a selection of silicone tips, a cleaning tool and the cable. Below the case we find a microfiber cleaning cloth, which comes in rather handy for these IEMs, which can be a bit of a fingerprint magnet.
That is it. As I said, the presentation impressed me more than it should have, there really isn’t anything out of the ordinary but the packaging just gave me a good vibe, which is always a nice way to start out with a product.
Build and aesthetics…
The IEMs, which are black as I just mentioned, have a very smooth and rounded shape to them. They look good in their simplicity, although they are quick to pick up fingerprints, and I must say that I personally find them very comfortable. However, the nozzle is not very long, meaning that they don’t insert very deeply into the ears, at least in my case, but they fit my ears very well and I get a great seal with Xelastec tips. There are no sharp edges or weird shapes and they just work very well with my ear anatomy.
The cable is something that may not appeal to everyone. Let me be clear, I have had no issues with the cable, it works fine, is well built, non microphonic, but it is rather thick. The cable is reminiscent of cables that are included with some of the bigger names, such as Sennheiser, Shure, etc. It is a no frills, no weaves, straight cable that does its job. However, it is premolded to the ear shape (for over ear fit) and the thickness does feel a little “beefy” at times.
The included tips are ok, they do their job, however I have opted for the Xelastec tips on these as they are tips that I really like and I find that in the case of the Jasper they work great for both sound quality and a comfortable fit with a good seal that is not too deep.
Now, my only real negative as far as build is the use of MMCX connectors. This is not because they have used bad quality connectors, they seem to be very well made, it is just that I much prefer 2-Pin as I have had issues with MMCX connectors in the past. For some reason, I am always hesitant when disconnecting cables that use MMCX connectors as I always get flashbacks of the times that I end up with half a connector, or a broken pin etc. Again, the connectors in this case seem to be of good quality and I have swapped cables around a few times without issue, it is just a pet peeve of mine.
Sound…
Getting straight to the point, I like these IEMs. I have already mentioned the price and it is a bracket which basically puts them in competition with things like the Blessing 2: Dusk, a set of IEMs that sees a lot of use in my case and that I feel is a very good set of IEMs at its price. Therefore, it was to be expected that I would automatically compare these. Are they better than the Dusk? Well, that depends on what you seek in IEMs. But just the fact that they can compete is a very positive start in my opinion. I will get more into comparisons in a moment but first I will go through my usual process of explaining, or trying to explain, what I find is good and bad about the Jasper.
Starting off with the subbass, I find that there is some roll off as we get down to the lowest registers. This is not an exaggerated loss of the lowest notes, there is still enough subbass to appreciate that low end rumble that is found in tracks that need that low end (such as “Chameleon” that has become my main reference for subbass). I must say that I have found listening to EDM and other music with a lot of low end rumble, very pleasant and enjoyable, although I don’t think that the Jasper tuning is something aimed at that style of music, at least in the case of those who like the subbass to rumble their brains and tickle their ear drums.
Moving into the midbass, here there is more presence than in the case of subbass, making the bass frequencies be nicely presented but without them dominating the sound. I have said before that I am a fan of dynamic drivers for bass and the Jasper remind me of why I like the DD bass. While they are clean and articulate in the bass regions, they still have a bit of that smooth round bass sound that I associate with dynamic drivers. They work well here for EDM also but in my opinion they excel with more natural bass notes, such as those from electric and acoustic bass guitars, double bass and the lower end of guitars.
The mid to upper bass regions are slightly more present than I would have chosen on paper but after listening to them, I must say that they do not detract from the sound in my opinion. They use that slight extra presence around the 200Hz mark to their advantage and I find that my favourite music, which is heavily centered around acoustic instruments, to have a very natural low end and timbre. I especially enjoy acoustic guitar through the Jasper, such as “Something Just Like This” by Missy & Blonde and Julia Ross, “Billie Jean” by the Civil Wars or “Long After You’re Gone” by Chris Jones.
However, there are a few tracks where this additional presence in the mid/upper bass regions does have a bit of a negative effect. In songs like “Black Muse” by Prince, I do find that the bass is a little too warm, making the clarity of Prince’s bass playing lose some of its magic. This is something that I have experienced on a few tracks, mainly containing electric bass guitars that are very present in the mix and depend on clarity for the best appreciation of the bass playing. It is not something that I have found very common, it seems to just be when a specific mix of prominent bass and an already warm bass sound in these (200-300Hz) regions, not something that I notice on the vast majority of music I listen to.
Moving into the lower mids, the transition is mainly clean except when experiencing what I just mentioned with the odd song where the bass is a little too warm. In these occasional moments, it can seem that the transition is not quite as clean as it should be. But, really, I can’t complain about the transition as it is clean on 99% of the music I listen to.
Moving up through the mids, there is a slight dip just before the 1kHz mark which I would have expected to make vocals seem more recessed than they actually are. The reason for this is that it is only slightly below my preference in this regard and the space from 1kHz up to 3kHz has a smooth climb, reaching a point at 3kHz that I would have also expected to be more shouty than it actually is. I am not sure if it is the fact that the slight reduction around 1kHz counteracts the slight over elevation at 3kHz but it does work very well and does not come across recessed or shouty.
Up in the higher regions is where the Jasper really surprised me, providing much more extension than I am used to finding in single dynamic driver set ups. The treble is smooth and defined, without any unpleasant experiences (such as sibilance etc.), and provides a nice sensation of air. It is true that not all single DD IEMs suffer from roll off in the higher regions but it is something that I find in the majority of them, the Jasper is one of the cases that proves the point about it not being all of them.
The soundstage and image placement is also a very pleasurable experience. The soundstage is larger than average, providing plenty of space for the music to spread out and the image placement, while not the best I have ever heard, is also above average and makes the most of that nice space.
In fact, the airy openness of the Jasper, with above average space and decent image placement makes these very enjoyable IEMs and I have found myself reaching for them more and more. Tracks with layering like “Strange Fruit” by Dominique Fils-Aimé or even “Bubbles” by Yosi Horikawa are presented in a way that make it very easy to get lost in the music.
The detail retrieval of the Jasper is also rather good, maybe except for those cases where the upper bass becomes a little too much, but again, those are very limited occasions (at least with the music I listen to). They are not a set of IEMs that throw a huge amount of detail at you, but they are a set that has enough detail to appreciate all of the small background details, while keeping them there, in the background.
Comparison with the Dusk…
If you are someone who reads (or watches) many of my reviews, you will probably have noticed that I don’t do a lot of comparisons in the majority of my reviews. I try to keep my reviews consistent, using the same music and focusing on the same characteristics, so that my reviews can easily be compared by reading/watching one and then another. Well, that and the fact that my reviews are usually always way too long anyway!
However, there are occasions on which I find that it is necessary or just seems to be the best way to go. Those are usually reviews of two versions of the same headphones/IEMs, or very similar headphones/IEMs, or, as in this case, because I feel that something is competing directly with something that I already like.
In this case, my comparison is with the Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk. I already mentioned previously (and in countless other reviews) that the Dusk is a set of IEMs that I use a lot and that I think highly of. In the case of the Jasper, I feel that they address some of the things that I am not so fond of with the Dusk, while maybe not quite hitting some of the things I do feel the Dusk is very good at.
First, the comfort. Yes, this is a very personal thing and is only relevant to me but I find that the Dusk are oversized and not that comfortable. I had to play with tons of different tips before I found something (the CP155) that worked well, fitting the huge tunnel that is the nozzle and was comfortable for long sessions. With the Jasper, although I have settled on the Xelastec as my preferred tips for them, I have found them to work well with quite a selection of tips and they are also very comfortable, sitting nicely inside my ear and not sticking out like I have a Cadilllac parked in each ear. Don’t get me wrong, the Dusk are not uncomfortable (otherwise I wouldn’t use them as much) but the Jasper are just much more so.
With regards to sound, both sound very good to my ears but excel in different ways. The Dusk has more bass, is more impressive in the lower registers, with a more powerful presentation and works very well for things like pop, electronic music etc. I still enjoy acoustic music on the Dusk but it doesn’t really make the bass shine like other genres do with the Dusk. In the case of the Jasper, I find the bass to be smoother and more inline with acoustic music, while still maintaining detail. If I had to pick one, I would probably go for the bass on the Dusk as it can be more impressive and doesn’t seem to suffer no matter what you throw at it, whereas the Jasper does have just a touch too much mid/upper bass on occasions, as mentioned in the bass section of the review.
The mids are probably also more inline with my preferences with the Dusk, especially when looking at a graph. However, I don’t listen to graphs and I must say that I can’t complain about the mids on the Jasper. They don’t look like they should sound like they do, but ignoring measurements and focusing on sound, I have no issues with the Jasper mids.
In the higher ranges is where I would definitely pick the Jasper over the Dusk. The treble is smoother, less harsh, and extends way more than the Dusk to my ears. I am obviously not listening up to 20kHz (my last check up showed 17kHz) but I feel that I am not missing information, at least within my hearing range, and at the same time, it is not overly done, the treble is not the center of attention.
Finally, the soundstage and general spaciousness of the Jasper is something that I find superior to the Dusk. Don’t get me wrong, these are still IEMs but with the openness of the sound, along with the comfort I find in them, they are perhaps the most enjoyable IEMs I have heard in this regard.
Conclusion…
The Jasper have sort of been a Deja Vu. Not long ago I received the T Force Yuan Li, a set of IEMs that I knew nothing about and just clicked with me, becoming one of my most used IEMs. The Jasper is a repeat of that. They are IEMs that I knew nothing about, not knowing what to expect, and I have found them to coincide very well with my preferences.
Another major factor for me is comfort, these are actually one of the few IEMs that I forget I have them in my ears, especially with Xelastec tips and a cable swap (the included cable is a good cable but is a little stiff to forget it is there). There are plenty of IEMs I find comfortable but very few I can forget are in my ears. The spaciousness of the sound also adds to the comfort, they are not open back but they are not a closed in sound either, making them far more enjoyable for me.
I feel that they are a set of IEMs that are reasonably priced at where they sit. Are they the best IEMs for less than 300€? Well that is going to be a question that gets a different answer from each person you ask but for a large proportion of my music which is acoustically based, I find that these are a great choice and will happily continue to reach for them when wanting to enjoy a relaxed listening session.
Thanks for the excellent write-up! I appreciate that you compared the Jasper against B2D as they are similarly priced, but could you compare it against a single DD? Seems to be more apples to apples, IMHO. You mentioned Yuan Li, but didn’t give any details. How about Jasper against Oxygen, or Hana 2021, or Kato? Thanks!
Thanks for taking the time to read it.
In regards to the comparisons, my review is already far too long
Seriously though, I don’t have any of the three you mention. The Hana was supposed to arrive at some point and I have the Kato on the list of “to check out” but I haven’t heard either of them yet.
In regards to the Yuan Li, I haven’t really sat down to A/B them but as a brief comparison, the Yuan Li has more subbass and slightly less midbass (although very similar). The Jasper has better extension, smoother treble and is more spacious.
KZ ZEX Pro a.k.a KZ X Crinacle CRN (ZEX Pro)
This is also available in Spanish on my blog here and on YouTube here.
The KZ ZEX Pro has been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for publishing this review. As usual they have not requested anything specific, therefore, as usual, my review will be as honest and unbiased as possible but it is always good to consider the fact that these IEMs have not cost me anything.
To find the KZ ZEX Pro, also known as the KZ X Crinacle CRN (more on that in a moment) via Linsoul, check my blog for the (non-affiliate) link.
Intro…
As I just said, the KZ ZEX Pro is also known as the KZ X Crinacle CRN, something that has led to a bit of confusion in regards to these IEMs and whether or not they are identical. Crinacle published this a few days ago, which serves to clear up any misunderstandings but in case you haven’t read it (and don’t want to), the quick recap is that the KZ ZEX and the KZ X Crinacle CRN are exactly the same IEMs, with the exception of the Crinacle logo on the CRN version.
Basically the KZ ZEX Pro was tuned by Crinacle but was released before the announcement was made public, the idea being, according to Crinacle and KZ, to see how the tuning was received before Crinacles name was linked to it. This was to see if the tuning was well received without using the “Crinacle” name or to see if it depended on his name to become a hit. I guess that it is sort of like Richard Bachman seeing if he could become a best selling author before telling everyone it was just Stephen King under a pseudonym. Yes, there is a bit of a difference between Stephen King and Crinacle but you get the idea.
I got sent the KZ ZEX Pro before the announcement was made, therefore my set does not show any mention (or logo) of Crinacle, but again, the IEMs are exactly the same.
Confused?
Ok, now let’s get on with the review of the “KZ ZEX Pro a.k.a KZ x Crinacle CRN (KZ ZEX Pro)”
Presentation…
I am not sure if there is any difference in the presentation of the CRN branded version but the ZEX Pro arrives in a packaging that is identical to that of the ZEX, with the same contents.
The typical white KZ sleeve from which a tray slides out to reveal the ZEX Pro IEMs covered by transparent plastic, underneath which we find the usual user manual, a couple of spare silicone tips and the cable that KZ includes recently with all of their products, in my case with an inline microphone.
Nothing special or out of the ordinary but we are talking about a set of 30€ IEMs (about 2€ more if opting for the CRN version), so there are no complaints from me regarding contents.
Build and aesthetics…
The shape of the IEMs does differ from the original ZEX, this time opting for a shell shape that was used on the KZ DQ6. As far as looks, both are (the ZEX and the ZEX Pro) are decent looking simple IEMs in my opinion, I really can’t say I prefer one over the other as far as looks.
As far as comfort, they are again both fairly comfortable, with no specific complaints from me, although I do find that the original ZEX sits inside my ear a little better, being a little smaller.
I have already mentioned the new KZ cables a few times in previous reviews and my opinion hasn’t changed. They are not the best cables in the world but are far superior to previous cables used by the brand.
Sound…
First off, let me start by saying that the ZEX and the ZEX Pro are tuned completely differently, therefore there really isn’t much to compare between them. I mean, I could list the differences but it would not really be very useful, as it is different in almost every part of the frequency range. Where the original ZEX has the usual KZ emphasis on the mid bass, running into the lower mids, with quite a dip in the center of the mids to later climb up and complete their usual V shaped tuning, the ZEX Pro follows a curve that matches my personal tastes more than the originals.
Starting off with the subbass, I like the fact that the presence starts to climb around the 100Hz mark and continues to rise the lower the notes get. This works well to give the subbass a nice balance, counteracting the natural roll off of our hearing as we go low, giving presence to the lower registers without actually overpowering any of the mid bass and lower mid frequencies.
Tracks that have plenty of info in the subbass realms come across nicely and I don’t find myself needing more in tracks like “Chameleon”, “Royals” or any of my other subbass test tracks.
Moving into the mid bass, it is slightly below what I would consider perfect (for my personal tastes of course) but only slightly. In general, the subbass and midbass follow my preferences very closely. It is also clean and articulate, without seeming to fall apart on busier tracks. The bass on “Killing In The Name” is a good sample of how the ZEX Pro keeps it clean and articulate in the low end.
Moving into the lower mids, the transition is clean and well defined. Crinacle mentions that he likes to boost bass in the lower ranges to keep the 300Hz area clean and avoid bass bleed, and it works well. I don’t get the impression that the bass bleeds into the lower mids at all. I do sometimes miss a bit of body when listening to purely acoustic guitar based music but that is the price to pay of the presence being slightly below my preferences in these frequencies. However, I would much rather it be lean in this regard than bloated.
Moving into the higher regions, here is where my first real complaint comes. There is a harshness that appears on occasions and can make vocals become a little shouty and too upfront. Now, the strange thing about this is that I have measured and compared graphs and don’t see any specific spike on paper that would cause this. It is also not on every track, or all the time, it is just with specific songs where things sound suddenly harsh and actually painful at times. I have found myself checking quite a few times if I had any EQ on by accident but it wasn’t the case.
An example would be the voice of Rag’n’Bone Man on “Human (acoustic)”, where his voice has a harshness that I don’t find on other sets.
As far as sibilance, I do find it to be a little too hot for my personal tastes, but again, it is only slightly. “Code Cool” does present a little sibilance throughout the track but it is by no means terrible in this regard. I would just prefer it to be a little tamer in this range.
As far as soundstage they are around average but with slightly higher than average image placement. The soundstage is not huge but does at least give the sound enough space to play around, with the images being placed fairly well, making the most of the space they have. “Bubbles” is enjoyable and the ZEX Pro are good enough to appreciate the intent of the song, something that I feel is very important.
The overall detail is also decent, especially if we consider the fact that they cost just over 30€. They are not detail monsters but I didn’t find myself feeling that I was missing anything, nor did I have to focus too much to appreciate the overall detail of the music I was listening to.
Conclusion…
The 30€ price bracket of IEMs is getting more and more crowded by the day, with some models offering a performance that is far more than one would expect for the price. The ZEX Pro is a set of IEMs that directly aims to compete with the better sets in the price bracket. In fact, I have heard sets costing far more that sound less impressive.
I feel that the tuning is very close to my personal preference and while I would prefer to somehow tame that harshness and slight sibilance in the higher regions, those are really my only complaints.
I can’t say that these have suddenly become my favourite IEMs but I also cannot deny the fact that for their price, they are a very good set of IEMs. The “KZ ZEX a.k.a KZ X Crinacle CRN (ZEX Pro)” are certainly worth a listen if you want to find out what the extreme budget section of IEMs is capable of nowadays.
Aune BU2
As always, this is also available in Spanish on my blog here and on YouTube here.
The Aune BU2 was kindly sent to me for review by Aune. They have not requested anything but I will leave a link (on my blog and YT channel) to the BU2 via their webstore as it is the least I can do.
This means that my review will, as always, attempt to be as unbiased and sincere as possible but you should always consider the fact that it has not cost me anything to try out the BU2.
Intro…
As I mentioned in my recent review of the Aune Jasper, a set of IEMs that pleasantly surprised me, Aune is a brand that has released quite a few DACs and amplifiers that have interested me, although I have not had a chance to try out their products until now.
The original BU1 was (is) a portable DAC/Amp that attracted me aesthetically, as did (does) the B1s, so when they announced the BU2, I was instantly interested in trying it out.
The BU2 is a fully balanced DAC/Amp, using two ES9318 DAC chips along with four independent amplifiers, a R2R ladder volume control and supports up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM with native DSD512 decoding.
All of this sounds great on paper but I am interested in what it sounds (and performs) like in the real world, so I have been putting it through its paces for around 3 weeks.
Presentation…
The external packaging is a simple white cardboard sleeve, showing an illustration of the unit and a few features, from which a black box, sporting the Aune logo in silver, slides out.
Inside the box we get the BU2 in its own cutout (protected by a plastic bag), along with a smaller box containing a USB-A to USB-C cable, a shorter USB-C to USB-C cable, a 2.5mm TRSS male to 4.4mm Pentacon female adapter cable and a very basic, single page, user manual in English and Chinese.
There is nothing special about the presentation but it is nice that they choose to include the 2.5mm to 4.4mm cable for those who use Pentacon connectors on their headphones/IEMs.
Build and aesthetics…
If you are someone, like me, who likes the aesthetics of the BU1, you will find that the BU2 aims for a much simpler look. A completely black unit, with a small LCD screen on one side and the connections on top and bottom, this does not stand out as much as the BU1 (or B1s) but is certainly not ugly.
The build is completely aluminium except for the two panels around the screen, which are plastic to avoid issues with Bluetooth reception, and even these are well made and do not stand out as being plastic (at first I thought they were aluminium also). This makes the unit very sturdy and feels like it will withstand quite a bit of abuse, especially if we also take into consideration that the volume knob (also metal) is protected by a metal guard (more on that in a moment).
I know that there will be people who complain about Aune opting for a 2.5mm balanced output instead of a 4.4mm, which I can understand. Personally, while I would like the 4.4mm connector, being more robust than the 2.5mm connector (then again, the 6.35mm TRS is also more robust than the 3.5mm but we don’t expect that on a portable unit), I don’t actually have 4.4mm connectors on any of my cables, so I have no real issue with this. As mentioned, Aune also included the adapter which is a nice touch.
At the end of the day, I really don’t have any complaints about the build quality or aesthetics of the BU2. Yes, the BU1 looks more impressive but the BU1 is simple and very well built, with no signs of flaws to my eye.
Functionality…
The BU2 is very simple to use. At the bottom of the unit there are 2x USB-C sockets. The right hand connector is for data connectivity, just connect a cable between the USB output of whatever source you are using to this socket and you are good to go.
The second USB-C socket, on the left, is for charging. Here there are going to be people who complain that it is a separate socket for charging, meaning that you need to use two cables, however, personally I much prefer this. This means that you can use the BU2 (connected to a phone for example) without draining the battery of the phone, and can recharge the BU2 from a power bank while it is in use.
On the top of the unit there are the two headphone outputs, one 3.5mm TRS unbalanced output and one 2.5mm balanced output. These are pretty self explanatory.
In the center, between these two outputs, we find the volume knob which is my only real complaint about this unit.
The knob is recessed and has a metal plate that surrounds it to protect it. I can understand that this was done intentionally to avoid accidentally turning up (or down) the unit while it is in a pocket but it makes volume adjustments rather difficult. I thought about putting this in the “build” part of the review but to be honest, there are no issues with the build, the knob works great and is very robust (and extremely well protected), it is just a pain to adjust without using two fingers, one on each side of the unit. While you are holding the unit, this is not a huge issue, ok, it takes a little longer to make large adjustments, but once you have the unit flush against something, such as the back of a phone/DAP or on a desk, you can only really access one side and it is difficult to make adjustments at all. After 3 weeks of using the device daily, I have sort of got the hang of it, managing to adjust it with only one finger on one side, but in order to do this, the device needs to be secure, otherwise it will just move around instead of the volume knob turning (like when it is on a desk for example).
This is more irritating than anything else and the actual quality of the R2R volume adjustments far outweighs the pain of the usability, but is still irritating nonetheless.
Speaking of the R2R volume control, it is excellent. After having issues with digital volume knobs skipping and analog volume knobs having channel imbalance at low levels, Aune seems to have hit the nail on the head with this setup. There is no channel imbalance even at the lowest of settings and the volume steps are smooth and consistent, allowing you to select the exact volume level every time.
The volume knob also acts as a button, when pressed from the top. This allows you to power the device on and off, with a long press, and also enter the menu which can be seen on the screen.
The screen is placed on the front panel of the BU2 and is a small simple LCD screen with white letters. I must say that I like the choice of screen very much. There is no need for a huge colour screen that eats up battery life, the small LCD screen shows the necessary information without adding to the power consumption (at least not enough to be relevant).
When powering on the BU2, by a long press of the button, you are greeted by the Aune logo followed by the current volume level which, by the way, is remembered from the last use. After this, and at any other time when not interacting with the device, the screen goes into screensaver mode, which is basically the Aune logo followed by a scroll of the letters (A then U then N etc.). This is again a nice touch as it shows that the unit is powered on but does cut the power usage of the screen even more and avoids screen burn to some extent.
By a short press of the button (with the unit on), the device cycles through the menu options.
The first press brings back up the current volume level for reference. The volume can be set from 0 (mute) to 60. If the device is in screensaver mode, a turn of the volume know will also automatically bring up the volume screen for reference.
Another press takes you to input selection, where you can choose between USB (shows a USB logo) and Bluetooth (shows Bluetooth logo) by turning the volume knob. There is no need to press to select, it will automatically keep whatever selection is shown on screen and revert back to screensaver mode after a few seconds.
Two clicks of the button takes you to filter selection. There are 7 filter modes to choose from, each represented by two letters on the screen. The filters are:
SC: brick wall filter
SU: hybrid fast roll-off filter
SL: apodizing fast roll-off filter (default)
SI: minimum phase slow roll-off filter
SH: minimum phase fast roll-off filter
SE: linear phase slow roll-off filter
SD: linear phase fast roll-off filter
Three presses of the button will bring up an image of the current battery level, represented by an image of a battery with bars showing the remaining power and one final press will take you back to the volume level.
As you can see, this is very simple to navigate and use, making the screen useful without the need for more information.
As far as battery life, the specs claim 9 hours in USB DAC mode and I must say that I have no reason to doubt it. I got more than that but I do listen at low levels.
Power…
According to Aune, the BU2 offers 265mW @32 Ohms via the balanced output and 100mW @ 32 Ohms via the single ended output. This is obviously not a huge amount, especially compared to some of the alternatives, in fact, the unbalanced output is the same as the S9 Pro and the balanced output is only slightly more than the usb powered dongle.
This means that some of the more demanding headphones, such as the HD6XX or the HE400se, are lacking a bit of power to drive them to their best. However, I must say that I don’t find the BU2 to sound “anemic” even with these headphones. I have found with other devices with low power outputs that these headphones can lack, especially in bass response, but when powered by the BU2 they don’t seem to suffer as much from these issues. With easier to drive headphones, such as the Ananda, I didn’t feel that there was any issue at all.
With IEMs, there is plenty of power, even with those that need more than usual, such as the iSine or the Dusk, with no complaints from me at all.
Sound…
As you probably already know, I don’t have the necessary equipment to provide measurements of DACs and amplifiers, all I can do is share my experiences with the device. As with all devices, and all people, it is possible that I hear things that my brain makes me hear which maybe don’t exist, but at the end of the day, what I hear is the important part, not what I should hear.
In this regard, I must say that I have spent plenty of time comparing this to various other setups that I have and I find that the BU2 is basically identical to my Modi3+ and Atom that I use daily on my desk at work.
I mean this as a compliment as I find that the Modi+Atom combination is one that I really like for my daily use. It is a clean setup that does not become fatiguing for me, even after many hours at my desk. Obviously the Atom has more power and can drive things like the headphones I mentioned above a little better, but at my usual listening levels, with IEMs and some of my easier to drive headphones, the BU2 could easily replace the Mod+Atom stack on my desk, taking up less space and easily fitting inside my laptop bag for portability.
Even with the Beyerdynamic Custom Studio that I keep at work for when I need a closed back headphone, the BU2 can drive these 80 Ohm / 96dB/mW headphones from its single ended output to volume levels that are plenty for me, without me feeling that I am missing anything.
I mentioned above that the output power of the BU2 is similar to the S9 Pro, however, the BU2 is much smoother and does not become harsh like the S9 Pro can when pushed.
One last thing to mention is Bluetooth. As some of you probably know already, I am not a huge user of Bluetooth and when I do use it, I usually opt for using LDAC either via one of my DACs or via my neckband. The BU2 does not offer LDAC as a codec, being limited to SBC/AAC/aptX and aptX HD, however, I have found that I don’t miss LDAC quite as much on this device as I do on others. Usually I have the BU2 connected to my source (laptop or DAP) via USB and paired with my phone via bluetooth. If I am listening to music and there is something I want to listen to on my phone, with two clicks and a turn, I can swap to my phone. The connection is very quick and once I switch back to the USB input, the BT connection is broken, allowing my phone’s BT to go back to whatever else it might be doing (such as the neckband that I use for calls etc.).
Conclusion…
I don’t think I have mentioned the price of the BU2 yet. It costs around 270€, depending on where you buy it from, which is obviously quite a bit more expensive than something like the S9 Pro, however, I feel that it is also a much better product and does not drain my phone or DAPs battery (something very important for me).
As I mentioned, I find the sound to be identical (to my ears) to the Modi3+ and Atom, which is a desktop stack (although small) that comes out at around the same price (here in Europe) but is obviously tied to a power supply. The BU2 is not as powerful but in my opinion makes up for it with its usability and portability, along with a great build quality.
There are obviously things that could be improved (I have yet to find the perfect product at any price range) but my only real complaint is with the difficulty of using the volume knob with one hand.
As someone that has been looking for a self powered, portable and well built DAC/Amp, the BU2 fits my needs very well. I had the Topping NX4 DSD for some time but it finally broke under warranty and I did not replace it. I feel that the BU2 solves the few complaints that I had with the NX4 and I am happy to have finally come across such a device which, while not cheap per se, is not ridiculously expensive.
