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.
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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: ***
Top 5 - What has impressed me the most in 2021?
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:
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Hidizs S9 Pro
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.
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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:
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Super ( ) awesome that you do these interviews! I find it very insightful. Thank you both!
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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.
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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
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Here is the link to win the T3+ in case anyone is interested:
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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.
3 Likes
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.
1 Like
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.
5 Likes
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.
2 Likes
Reecho SG03
Also available in Spanish on my blog here and on YouTube here.
The Reecho SG03 have been loaned to me by CqTek from hiendportable.com, allowing me to try them out and post this review. If you would like to see his review of them, please check it out here: Reecho SG-03 English Review - Hi End Portable
Intro…
A while back, a subscriber of Acho Reviews on YouTube asked me about the SG03 and if I could review them. I remembered seeing a review of them on hiendportable so I reached out to CqTek asking to borrow them and give them a listen.
His first reply was “Sure, I’ll send them you but I’m not sure they will be your flavour”. I guess he knows my tastes fairly well because he was totally correct, they are not a set of IEMs that I am overly delighted by.
However, that does not make them any less eligible for review, nor does it mean that, as they are not my cup of tea, that they won’t be perfect for others, so I’ll try and give my impressions on how I hear the Reecho SG03 without being pessimistic
Presentation…
As these were sent to me by CqTek, who probably has even more IEMs than me, it is understandable that he doesn’t keep the packing and accessories around for most of them. In this case, the Reecho were shipped to me in a transport case along with an aftermarket cable, therefore I cannot comment on presentation of the product.
Build and aesthetics…
The IEM shells are metal and on the large side, with a fair bit of weight that comes along with that combination. They are not the heaviest IEMs that I have had in my ears but they aren’t really a lightweight either.
The faceplate use a design that combines shapes and gives them a look that is different from the majority of IEMs on the market. Although the faceplate does use strange shapes and angles, the interior or the shell is smooth and well contoured. resulting in a farily comfortable set of IEMs to wear.
The also seem like a sturdy build, due to the full metal shells, but the edges of the faceplate are starting to show a little sign of wear in the paint. Of course, this is something that is not really fair in comparison to other IEMs I review as these have been used (not sure for how long) whereas the IEMs I usually review are new, with approximately a week of use, but I thought I would mention it anyway.
As I mentioned, the cable I received is not the stock cable, therefore it isn’t relevant to this review, however, I will say that it is the thickest IEM cable I have ever used. I think this cable is a perfect EDC carry for a prepper, as it can be used as a rope if necessary 
Sound…
I already said in the intro that these IEMs are not for me, I am not going to go further into that as I think I have made my preferences clear in previous reviews, so I will just focus on the Reecho SG03 as I hear them.
In the subbass category, there is plenty. In fact, there is more than plenty. Using “Chameleon” which has become my default test track for subbass, the SG03 provide a wall of it. At a low listening level, the subbass is very present, give it some power and it just becomes a huge low end monster.
“Chameleon” is an exaggerated track, one that pushes the low end to an extreme, but even with tracks that are not quite as subbass focused, such as “No Sanctuary Here” by Marian Herzog feat Chris Jones, the low end is nothing short of brutal. The thing is, the SG03 actually manage to pull off this amount low end without it getting too out of control. I mean, there are times when “Chameleon” does sound dirty in the low end, or even “No Sanctuary Here” can feel a bit out of control when pushed, but the exaggerated bass doesn’t really have a negative affect on the remaining frequencies, or at least not to the extent that I would have expected.
Although this is a very V shaped tuning and there is certainly some bleed into the lower mids, this bleed is actually a lot less prominent than I would have thought by listening to the bass these IEMs put out. That is not to say that the transition from the bass to the mids is clean and articulate, but it is cleaner and more articulated than one would expect.
The mids are recessed in comparison to the lower registries. Depending on the choice of music, voices can go from being present enough to actually struggling, depending on the amount of bass and information happening in those lower registers. As an example, “Breezeblocks” by alt-J is acceptable while it is in a tranquil part of the track, but once the bass kicks in, the vocals disappear behind a mass of rumble.
As we move up towards the higher registers, there is presence in the 2kHz to 4kHz which manages to not be harsh but is also not quite enough to bring the presence of vocals back through the rumble. To be fair, they haven’t done a terrible job as I can understand that it is very difficult to make voices cut through the elevated bass rumble without them being overly harsh in quieter and more tamed passages.
That doesn’t mean that they sound great with vocals in simpler and quieter tracks, they still have a harshness to them that I am not fond of, but it is certainly not as bad as it would have been if they had continued to try and cut through.
In the higher regions, there isn’t a great sensation of air or extension. This is partly due to a roll off in the higher frequencies but also due to the tuning itself. I feel that the higher regions are similar to the higher mids in regards to having to counteract the bass without becoming unbearable in parts of tracks where there isn’t a huge amount of bass.
The soundstage is also not very large, although it doesn’t come across as claustrophobic, it just seems to hit a “do not pass” line off to the sides. For example, when listening to “Letter”, the pencil moves across the center but once off to the side, it seems to sit there for quite a long time. Saying this, the SG03 does manage to separate things fairly well inside the soundstage it has to work with. You can still pick out details in the higher mids and lower treble, even in the center of the mids to some extent, just don’t try to focus on bass details when there is a lot going on.
Conclusion…
I have said it already but I’ll repeat it, the SG03 are not for me. They don’t suit my tastes and don’t really make anything that I listen to sound better than I would expect. There have been a few moments of “wow” when listening to certain genres or tracks, like the first time I played “Chameleon” through them, but those weren’t really “wow, I’m impressed” moments, it was more “wow, that’s not what I expected” moments.
That doesn’t mean that they are bad IEMs, I am sure that there will be plenty of people who love these IEMs. Maybe for those who like to listen to deep throbbing Dubstep (which I do on occasions also) will find these perfect for their taste, they just don’t suit mine.
I don’t think I have mentioned the price yet, these sell for around 75€, which is not terribly expensive but is not ultra budget either. I suppose I would need to take into consideration whatever is included as far as accessories etc. before saying these are expensive, but based solely on how they sound, I feel they could be cheaper.
In fact, if these were a set of IEMs that fell into the ultra-budget category, like some of the offerings around 30€, then I would probably be interested in a set just to have in my collection of IEMs, as the bass really is… well… bassy. But as I wouldn’t use them regularly to listen to music, I wouldn’t pay the current price.
Again, this is all personal preference, as with all my reviews, they are personal opinions and are only relevant to my own taste in music and how it is reproduced. If you feel that these may suit your tastes, then give them a whirl!
NF Audio - NM2
this review is also available in Spanish on my blog here and on YouTube here
The NF Audio NM2 have been sent to me by KeepHifi in exchange for the publication of this review. They have not requested anything specific but I will include the (non-affiliate) link to the NM2 via their site as always on my blog and channel, as it is the least I can do.
As always, I will try to keep this review as sincere and unbiased as possible but it is always good that you consider the fact that these IEMs have not cost me anything.
Intro…
NF Audio is a brand that I have never tried before and to be honest, know very little about. I actually like it when I receive stuff that I know nothing about as I avoid some expectation biases and it is always fun to assign a price to something in my mind and then see how far I am from reality when I finally check the price. In this case, I was actually quite close with my guess which was fairly close to their retail price of just over 85€ (I actually guessed around 90 to 100).
Presentation…
The presentation for the NM2 was a little different to the usual packaging from other IEMs. They arrive in a fairly large box, which is actually a lot taller than I would expect and the box opens in two halves, top and bottom, or left and right (once open).
On the right side, at first I thought it was a CD that they had included, as there is a circular piece of cardboard covered foam that contains the IEMs and actually looks quite a bit like a CD. Under this disc, NF Audio include multiple sizes of two different types of tips, labelled as Balanced and Bass.
In the left half of the box, we find the user manual and under that we have a round transport case with the NF logo and the cable inside.
I would say that NF audio include the expected accessories with a set of IEMs at this price range and I don’t have any complaints about content or presentation. Yes, it could have been simpler, but the only thing that is really overdone is the size of the box, which at least makes it stand out from the norm.
Build and aesthetics…
When I first removed the IEMs from the packaging, I couldn’t believe how light they were. They also have an aesthetic to them that doesn’t really stand out as being high quality. I mean, in comparison to other sub 100€ IEMs, the IEM shells are rather simple transparent plastic that remind me quite a bit of the shells used on models like the TRN MT1 or the CCZ Melody.
This is only an aesthetic thing though, the actual shells seem to be very well built and do not show any signs of flaws that would hint at reduced durability. They are also, as I just said, extremely lightweight. That means that they are a great option for long sessions, if you find them comfortable.
I say “if you find them comfortable” as I am unlucky enough to not find them extremely comfortable. While there is nothing really strange about their shape, they are just the correct size to put pressure on the upper part of my ear, making me feel discomfort after longer sessions. They are not extremely uncomfortable, I can wear them, but they do tire my ears.
One other thing that stood out to me is the cable. It is a simple “twisted” cable that is rather thin but seems to be decent enough, very similar to a few other cables I have received recently. However, the memory wire is the springiest and snappies I have come across. It literally acts like a spring and clamps down behind the ear. This hasn’t caused me any discomfort but was certainly strange the first time I put them in. This cable will guarantee to not move while jogging, dancing or even sky diving!
I did actually choose to move on to an aftermarket cable and swap out tips, opting for using the Xelastec in order to improve comfort slightly and also, in my opinion, removes just a touch of top end (more on that in a moment).
Sound…
I must start off by saying that the sound also surprised me, as it wasn’t what I expected after unpacking them. I expected another run of the mill V shape with decent enough capabilities but nothing out of the ordinary in comparison to so many other sets.
However, what I was greeted with was a very clear, non bloated, detailed sound. I have since taken a look at the website for the NM2 and I see that they are marketed as being for monitoring. Although I haven’t been on a stage lately, I can actually see these working well as monitors, not only due to their sound but also due to the passive isolation they have (and of course the cable ear hooks which will keep them in place while headbanging!).
Starting off with the subbass, I find that there is a decent extension that is fairly well balanced with the rest of the bass frequencies. I would say that the NM2 manages to keep the presence of the low end without putting a specific focus on mid bass or subbass specifically.
These are not IEMs for those looking for a eardrum tickle but they do make sure that the lowest of notes are present and well defined.
In the midbass area, things remain rather similar. The bass does not take over the low end, nor is there any noticeable bleed into the lower mids, but it does give enough presence to bass guitars. I spent an afternoon listening to Dire Straits and I must say that the NM2 made it very easy to appreciate the work of John Illsley (the bassist, or that guy with the guitar missing a couple of strings as he is known by many) without him becoming the centre of attention and detracting from Knopler’s guitar playing or anything else. In fact, the song “Money For Nothing” from the live album “On The Night”, was presented in a wonderfully balanced way during the guitar solo, where the guitar was extremely enjoyable without overshadowing the bass at any moment.
But… this does not mean that they are light on bass or on subbass for that matter! When a track calls for it, there is plenty of bass on tap. I moved from listening to Dire Straits on to some Hip Hop (I forget exactly what, I think I was just on shuffle) and the bass hits completely surprised me, reminding me that the low end is there if the song needs it.
I also need to stress that the bass is clear and defined but will show any issues with recordings. In other words, if the track in question has too much bass, or bass that is not well recorded, the NM2 will not only not fix it, it will actually highlight the issues.
Moving into the mids, there is a bit of a dip in the centre of the region, however, as both the bass and the higher frequencies are well balanced, there is no sensation of this taking anything away from the performance.
The higher mids are rather present and, if these are going to have a negative reaction from anyone, it will probably be the high mids that are the culprit.
It is not that the high mids are bad, or extremely boosted, it is that they present the same issues as the bass frequencies. They are present in a way that balances them well with the lows, on a well recorded and mastered track. On a track that presents some harshness or excess in these frequencies, or even a lack in other frequencies, then the NM2 can once again highlight the problem.
This is a good thing, the fact that they are well balanced on good recordings, if you listen to good recordings of course. If the music you listen to is not so well recorded, or is overly sharp in the higher mids, then I think you will find that the NM2 are not really suited.
The higher frequencies are not the most extended but are good enough to not make me feel like there is anything missing in the higher range. They don’t have the top end sparkle and air that some other contenders do, but that is mainly due to their tuning and focus on the lows and higher mids.
As far as detail, I have already said that these are decently detailed IEMs. They do a good job of separating layers and instruments, allowing you to focus on details of different instruments and their playing, without difficulty.
The sound stage is not huge but is slightly above average, with the placement and use of the available space being good, allowing enough room for things to spread out. I have especially enjoyed some of the multi-mic’d (well recorded) live performances.
Conclusion…
When I opened the NM2, my mind automatically thought that it would be another run of the mill tuned economic IEM. I was surprised at what I actually heard when I started listening, as it certainly isn’t just another run of the mill tuning.
The tuning is far more balanced than I expected and it comes with very competent technical performance, along with a soundstage that is very acceptable. I can see that the NM2 would actually perform well as a monitor, but it is also capable of being a very enjoyable, not necessarily boring.
The shell design might not be the most exciting but its extreme lightweight makes it great for longer sessions. I do experience a little uncomfort over time due to fit being just that few mm off for my personal anatomy, however, that is something that is totally personal and if it is not the case with your own ears, then these would make great IEMs for long sessions and also while on the go, due to the decent isolation also.
All in all, I must say that the NM2 is a decent IEM for the price it sits at.
3 Likes
Reecho SG01
The Reecho SG01 have been kindly loaned to me by CqTek of hiendportable.com so I could test them out and create this review. Of course CqTek has not requested anything from me in exchange for sending these IEMs over but if you would like to see his review of these IEMs, you can find it here: Reecho SG-01 English Review - Hi End Portable
This means that my review will follow the usual rule of being as unbiased and sincere as possible but, as I always say, I have not actually spent any of my own hard earned cash to try out these IEMs, so you may want to keep that in mind.
Intro…
CqTek has actually sent me a few models of IEMs to try out, for which I am grateful as I hadn’t tried any of the models he sent me, or anything else from the brands.
The loan of these items started with a subscriber to Acho Reviews who commented that he would like to see me review the Reecho SG03. I remembered that hiendportable had published a review of them (although I couldn’t remember anything about them), so I reached out to CqTek who kindly agreed to send them to me (the SG03) and also included some more models at the same time, the Reecho SG01 being one of them.
I must say that I know absolutely nothing about these IEMs, so I did a bit of research before sitting down to write this review. From the brief search that I did, it seems that the SG01 are available for just over 40€ (at the time of my search) and features a single graphene 10mm dynamic driver.
Apart from that, I didn’t find much info, without reading reviews of course (which I always avoid doing when I plan on reviewing something myself). I do know that the review on hiendportable contains more details and information, so I suggest that you give it a visit to see more details.
Presentation…
As this set of IEMs was sent to me by someone who has the exact same issue as myself, too many IEMs which means too many boxes, which means too little space to store them all, he just sent me the IEMs in their travel case along with a cable that is not the original (without any tips or other accessories).
This means that I can’t comment on the presentation of these IEMs. I can say that the way the reached me, nicely coiled inside a semi-rigid transport case, is something i have absolutely no complaints about.
Build and aesthetics…
Again, as I just said, the included cable is not the original, therefore I can only comment on the build and aesthetics of the IEMs themselves (well, I can comment on the cable also, which is quite nice, but it is irrelevant to the product at hand).
As far as the IEMs, to be honest, it took me a while to decide if the shells were made from a lightweight alloy or plastic that has been painted to look like metal. In the end, I am 99% convinced that they are actually a lightweight metal in their totality.
This means that they are extremely lightweight and I also find them very comfortable. The size is rather and sits well inside me ear, being almost flush. Using silicone tips I found the seal to be very easy (I didn’t even try Xelastec or foam on these, which is usually a sign of immediate comfort for me) and different tips did do the usual change of sound but none of the ones I tried sounded awful.
As far as aesthetics, they remind me of something that I would associate with Fiio, with the wavy face plates. I don’t mind this look to be honest, it is something that breaks from the normal smooth finish but is not too over the top.
As far as build quality, I don’t know how old these IEMs are or how they have been treated (although I know that CqTek treats his stuff very well) but they aren’t showing any signs of wear or damage, which is always positive.
Sound…
There are times when specific IEMs or headphones inspire me to listen to certain genres of music, although the day and my mood also play a big part. In the case of the SG01, they were the IEMs I picked up to go back to work on the 3rd of January, without listening to them previously. Upon sitting down at my desk to start making my way through the hundreds of backlogged emails, I connected them to the Atom and started listening. After about 10 minutes, the SG01 just kept making me feel like listening to female pop.
Who am I to disagree with my subconscious? So the first 5 or 6 hours of my work in 2022 was spent listening to people like Alicia Keys, Destiny’s Child, Macy Gray and many other similar artists, which I feel that the SG01 did a very good job of presenting.
Not everything was perfect, I’ll mention more about the flaws, but I was happy with the tuning and quality of the music I was listening to, and that was before I knew the price of them. Now that I know that they cost 40€, I must say that I am impressed.
Anyhow, starting off with the subbass, there is a clear roll off as we reach down to the lowest notes, therefore these are not a set of IEMs that will appeal to those who want plenty of that low end rumble. The subbass is not totally absent, there is enough to appreciate that the music has information in the lowest registers but those looking to tickle their eardrums will need to look elsewhere.
In the mid/high bass rangers, I find that the presence is a little north of neutral for my preference. However, although there is a little too much presence in this area, the SG01 does still manage to be smooth and it is only on occasions when this extra bass is noticeable. For example, the start of “No One” by Alicia Keys comes across as slightly too much and can seem as though it is about to distort.
The transition from the bass to the mids also suffers due to this extra presence of mid-bass and lower mids, with the bass clearly bleeding into the mids on tracks that are a little busy in those areas. Listening to simple acoustic and vocal music, this muddyness is not overly apparent but when moving onto tracks that are a little busier in those regions, it does become a little overpowering. The sensation is very similar to when you are in a venue listening to live music and you end up standing in just the wrong spot for those 300Hz notes. The difference is that in a live venue you can take a few steps sideways and resolve the issue, whereas with the SG01, you can’t fix it that way.
The mids themselves are pretty smooth also, with no real issues until we get to the highest of the mids, the 2kHz to 3kHz mark. Around this area I find that the SG01 are tuned very similar to the Yuan Li that I like so much, however, the SG01 increase this area more than the Yuan Li, and this can present some sensation of harshness depending on the song. This increase works well to bring back presence to the vocals, and on voices that are not harsh in those 3kHz frequencies, it works very well and gives a nice clarity to the voices. However, when coming across a voice that is overly hot in the 3kHz range, the SG01 make it become rather harsh on the notes that are centered around those regions. It is a shame because this is something that attracts far more attention from me than if the peak was somewhere else. There are occasions when the harshness appears out of nowhere and draws attention to itself, only to disappear again when the damage is already done (in other words, when it has already drawn my attention to it).
Moving into the higher frequencies, I find them to be rather smooth and fairly airy for a single driver. There is a decent extension in the top end but it is not boosted, meaning that it keeps the smoothness that I find constant in these IEMs except for when the 300Hz or 3kHz issue arises. I don’t find these IEMs sibilant, at least on tracks that are not overly sibilant themselves. For example, “Code Cool” is quite listenable on these IEMs, which is a good guide line.
As far as stage width, I find that the SG01 is actually larger than the average I have come to expect from IEMs. There is a decent amount of space which, partnered with that smooth and extended treble, gives room for the music to breath and for there to be space between instruments. I wouldn’t say that these SG01 are the most detailed IEMs I have heard, nor that they are amazing at placing those details with millimetric accuracy, but they are not something that I could really complain about, there are far worse IEMs out there in this regard (some at much higher price marks).
Conclusion…
The SG01 is very close to hitting my preferred tuning for IEMs, if only those boosts around 300Hz and 3kHz were resolved. They don’t need to be eliminated, not at all, they just need to be reduce slightly. In fact, if those two areas (say 100Hz to 300Hz and 2kHz to 4kHz) were reduce slightly, the SG01 would be almost identical to the Yuan Li at less than half the price.
As it stands, those peaks don’t actually affect all the music, I can spend hours listening to certain artists and genres without any negative effects, but then with another artist of genre, the peaks will suddenly become noticeable, at least to me. I guess it is also due to the fact that the 100Hz to 300Hz is a frequency range that I focus on a lot due to being a bassist and the 2kHz to 4kHz range is something I focus on a lot due to my preference for vocal orientated music. This means that these two peaks probably stand out to me more than they would other people.
Honestly, other than that, I have no issues with the SG01 at all. I find them comfortable, they seem well built, the tuning is aimed towards my preferences, they don’t suffer from the single DD drop off in the higher registers… in general they are a decent set of IEMs for around 40€.
I am not going to rush out and purchase a set but I am glad to have been able to try them out and will certainly take more notice of Reecho as a brand.
This review is also available in Spanish on my blog here and on YouTube here.
5 Likes
The iFi Audio Go Blu was sent to me by the seller in exchange for money. The seller did not ask for anything other than payment, therefore, although I will do my best to be unbiased and sincere as always, you may want to consider that this product didn’t cost me any less than it will you.
Intro…
The title of this review on YouTube, in Spanish, is “ok, they were right”. This title is actually a response to all of those that have been praising this little iFi device for quite some time. I suppose the title could also reflect some of the negatives of the device pointed out by others as well. This device is not perfect (what device is?), but I’ll get on to the good and bad parts in a second.
First I just wanted to state the obvious. The iFi Go Blu is not a product that I know nothing about, as is the case with quite a few of the things I review. I have been paying attention to the Go Blu since it was announced and have been procrastinating the purchase ever since.
My main reason for putting off the purchase was that, as I have said plenty of times in the past, I am not a huge user of Bluetooth. I do use Bluetooth, I have nothing against it, I just always prefer wires when possible and only choose BT for convenience. So, I kept telling myself that I would just send up putting the Blu in a drawer and not use it.
I did keep following the threads and discussions though, and finally decided that I had to give it a try. This means that I already knew the positives and negatives opinions of others and had a preconceived expectation when I received the device. Whether this has any influence on my opinions that I am about to post? Maybe. As I said, I always try to remain unbiased but I am only human
Anyway, less rambling and more reviewing!
Presentation…
As with all iFi products, the packaging is fairly simple but well done. There is nothing special about the presentation or packaging but it never feels like it has been thrown together.
Inside a simple white box with an image of the GB on the front, we receive the Go Blu, a USB to USB-C cable, a drawstring bag for transport, a simple instruction card and the usual warranty card.
Nothing extraordinary or unexpected (except maybe for the bag).
Build and aesthetics…
Both the build and the aesthetics are excellent in my opinion.
The device has an elegant look to it, while breaking away from the typical blackness that is commonly found on so many other devices. The copper coloured plate that decorates the front along with the matching volume wheel really makes this look like something special. If we took away those two elements it would just be another black plastic box but 2 simple touches make all the difference.
Although the device is plastic in its majority, it seems to be well built while staying very light. The wheels and buttons have a good feel to them and work without flaw, with no noticeable looseness or rattling.
All I can say is that the Go Blu looks and feels great.
Functionality…
Let me preface this by saying that as soon as I received the Go Blu, the first thing I did was upgrade to the latest firmware, currently v3.05 I believe, which has some features that may not be available on earlier firmware releases. As far as I am aware, there is no way to update this via windows, however, I do believe that it can now be updated via iOS (but don’t quote me on that as I don’t have an iOS device, I just seem to remember reading that it could now be done).
The Go Blu is a unit that is very simple to operate with one hand and the various buttons are well laid out for easy access. Looking at the front we have a single button on the left (centered) and a wheel with a push button center, along with another button just below it on the right hand side. On the top we have the 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm Balanced outputs, along with an indicator LED, with a USB-C connector in the bottom of the device and a charging indicator LED.
The single button on the left is for power. Holding it down for a couple of seconds turns the unit on and off. While powered on, pressing the power button twice will trigger the voice of a lovely British lady, who informs you of current codec and sample rate. The same lady informs you of the codec in use each time you connect to your device.
Three clicks of the button enters filter choice mode, which can be cycled through standard and minimum phase by pressing the right hand button of the device. These are identified by the colour of the led on the top of the device, green for standard and pink for minimum phase. Once selected, confirm choice by pressing the power button again, three times.
The dial on the right hand side of the unit is the volume wheel, with a center button for play/pause etc.
The wheel is very sturdy and has points that it clicks to. This volume wheel actually controls the Android volume (when connected to an Android device of course) but it does it in much smaller steps. For each increase by the androids slider (in the case of a phone), you get three clicks of the wheel. That makes finer adjustments easier and much more precise.
In the case of none Android devices, I am not actually sure how the volume control works. I have used it connected to my non-android DAP via USB, with the USB output set to “fixed”, and the Go Blu has controlled the volume fine without any changes reflecting on the DAP. I also found that when I used it via USB with my DAP and connected via BT to my phone, the volume level of the phone is controlled at the same time as the music playing. In other words, listening to music via USB, when I increase or lower the volume of the music, my phone also increases or decreases at the same time. So it is somehow controlling both volume levels together, even though the DAP is set to fixed. As I said, I have no idea.
The button that is in the center if the volume wheel uses a multiple click set up. One press plays or pauses the music, two clicks next track, three clicks previous track and long press for activating the assistant. I don’t know about other devices but these commands dont work when connected to my DAP via USB and when connected to my phone via USB (without BT), 2 clicks lowers volume and 3 clicks increases it. I also found that Android volume can react a little strangely when connected only via USB, something that works fine on windows and my DAPs.
The final button, on the right hand side below the volume wheel, is to turn XBass and XSpace on or off (along with the filter cycle like I just mentioned). From Off, one press will activate XBass (indicator LED turns yellow), another press activates XSpace (LED goes blue), one more press activates high (along with a white LED) and pressing once again will take us back to all off (including the LED).
That’s it. Rather simple but includes quite a few features and manages to do so without having to rely on 20 presses of a single button or an obligatory app (although you do need an app for the firmware upgrades).
My use case scenario…
While this is probably the least useful part of the review, as you are not me, I find that sharing my use case of the device and the pros and cons I have found may help someone who is looking at a similar scenario.
As I said earlier, I held off buying the Go Blu for so long because I didn’t think I would use it for what it is good at. I don’t hate Bluetooth, I use it in many circumstances, but I always find that, if I have a choice and it doesn’t hinder me, I would much rather hook up a cable. There are plenty of times when BT is more than good enough, most of my manual tasks are done while using a BT neckband and Spotify. I don’t need to search for perfection while I have my head in an engine or something. BT is good enough, especially now, that I am happy to use it to listen to music as BGM and am happy with the neckband set up.
As a USB DAC/Amp, I felt like there were better options out there (which there are) that are dedicated to that function, whereas the Go Blu is focused on BT with USB as a secondary thing.
Well, let me just say that the Go Blu is the first BT device that has actually attracted me to listen to music with it. For the first time, I have found myself choosing it over wired set ups even when spending extended periods at my desk.
During the past 2 weeks or so, I have found that I have been content with just using the Go Blu. It has even made me get lazy and not even bother turning on my main station when getting home, just crashing directly on the sofa with the Go Blu.
But not everything is perfect and I must mention the things that could be better when speaking about a product from a manufacturer with the pedigree of iFi (especially in the portable realm) and at a price of 200€ which is not exactly cheap for a small Bluetooth dongle when comparing to other contenders with far more options.
The first negative that I am going to mention is a clip. I don’t think the lack of clip bothers me as much as many others who have expressed their opinions in forums, but I do agree that some way of connecting this to your clothing would be a big benefit. The best part of BT is the lack of cables and if I am still running a cable from my head to my pocket, it doesn’t really matter what I connect it to in my pocket.
The next is the limitation of 24bit 96kHz. I really couldn’t care less about MQA or DSD, so then not being supported does not bother me at all. The 24/96 also is not a deal breaker but it would be nice for it to be supported when playing via USB, again, especially when the competition can do it, and cheaper.
The BT range is also not exactly the best. It will work ok with my phone on my desk if I enter the bathroom (about 5 meters away), but any more than that results in drops. This is something that is common with many LDAC devices, I have gotten used to it after using Shanling DAPs, but could be much better.
I will say that the quality of the microphone was a very pleasant surprise. I expected much worse quality and to have to hold the device to my mouth but, at least in my quiet office, I can make calls with the device on the desk with no complaints from anyone.
I am also very happy with the fact that I can use it via USB while still being connected to the telephone via BT. It would be nice to be able to pair it with multiple devices via BT but USB+BT works well for me personally. One thing to note though is that each time you unlock the screen of your phone, or use it in any other way, the music will pause.
That has actually been my main use for the Go Blu. I have had it connected either to my DAP or PC via USB, with my phone connected via BT. This allowed me to use the Go Blu for calls on both PC and the phone without any changing over. However, for some reason, I did find that certain apps (for example Zoom and Skype) needed me to manually set the Go Blu as the device in their app settings, the “use predetermined device” didn’t work.
Finally, before I move on to sound, I want to mention one thing that is probably the negative that most affects me. The background noise with sensitive IEMs. Ok, this is not present on the SE output, nor on less sensitive IEMs and headphones, but with the balanced output and sensitive headphones/IEMs, it is certainly noticeable to say the least.
This is not such a big issue for me as it would be on another device as I prefer the SE output (more about that under “sound” in just a moment) and when I am using something that really needs the balanced output, well they usually aren’t that sensitive for it to be an issue. I know that iFi sells the perfect solution to this, the IEM Match, but when purchasing one of the most expensive BT dongles (again, from a company with the pedigree of iFi), a gain setting would have been a very nice touch.
So, these are just my random musings after using the Go Blu (almost exclusively) for the past two weeks or so. Now, let’s get on with the sound.
Sound…
Where to start?
I have reviewed other iFi devices in the past and I have found that they have a bit of a colour to their sound that is representative of iFi. I might be crazy and I might be imagining it, but that is what my brain has told me I hear. A lot of that is supposedly due to the use of Burr Brown DAC chips, other things may be they way that iFi amplify the signal or even the parts involved, but ignoring the fact that maybe I am just making things up, I do feel that iFi really does have a “house sound” that is slightly warmer than other options.
In the case of the Go Blu, there is no Burr Brown chip and there is nowhere near as much room as in any of the other iFi products to use the same parts, so there is no reason for it to have that iFi warmth to it. But it does. At least to some extent and on the single ended output.
Ok, so I may have gone totally crazy and I may be hearing this just because I have read about som many other people hearing it, but I really do find (or at least my brain says it does) that the SE output is warmer and less harsh than the balanced output.
There is probably no reason for me to hear one be warmer than the other, although I haven’t seen measurements, but my brain tells me it is. Using the same IEMs, with the same cable (terminated in 2.5 balanced), just swapping the adapter and from SE to Balanced, I feel that the IEMs sound harsher from the Balanced output.
Obviously the balanced output is louder until we reduce the volume level and performing a perfectly volume matched test is rather difficult with just one device (without quite a gap between listening to one port and the other), so it may be just my perception due to the volume differences, but I also feel the balanced output to be far more fatiguing over longer listening sessions.
Again, different music choices, different moods, different times of day, everything can be an influence, but as an example, I found that using the Yuan Li from from the balanced output made me feel like taking a break every hour or so, whereas from the the SE I could listen all morning (4 hours).
The XBass is great (isn’t iFi XBass always great?) although I don’t really use it that much. I have used it on a few occasions but not really too much, more for specific albums than anything else.
The XSpace is ok but unfortunately (for me at least) it is not the same as the XSpace on the iFi HFM Signature CAN. On the HFM Sig I found that the XSpace worked really well to give IEMs a bit more room to breathe up top, with the Go Blu I don’t get that same sensation of openness. It is more like a subtle treble boost (which I guess the CAN was also) that doesn’t quite give the same result.
Here is a graph of the changes in frequency response between the 4 modes (off, XBass, XSpace, XBass + XSpace):
I guess that the last thing to mention is how the Go Blu performs and sounds with more demanding headphones. To be honest, as most of my listening is done at low levels and a lot of it is quite simple acoustic based music, I probably don’t suffer as much as someone who listens loudly to Metal. I don’t personally need the speed or the volume levels that others may need.
Saying that, here are a few brief opinions on things I have tried with the Go Blu.
IEMs (in General): I have found that the Go Blu can drive any of my IEMs from the SE output without any issues. I have tried multiple IEMs and I did find that balanced opened up some of the darker sounding IEMs a little, my favourite IEMs have been things like the Jasper and the Yuan Li, running from the SE output.
Beyerdynamic Custom Studio (80 Ohms / 96dB/mW): These were actually the first over ear headphones I tried with the Go Blu, as they live in a drawer of my desk in the office. Running them from the SE output I didn’t find that I had any issues with volume or performance in general. I was actually surprised to find that I really like the combo and they make a great BT headset.
Hifiman Arya w/ Stealth Magnets (32 Ohms / 94dB/mW): I enjoyed these headphones powered by the Go Blu, from both the SE and Balanced outputs. With the majority of music I listen to, there were no issues but when listening to some heavy paced electronic music, I did feel that they weren’t performing to their capabilities. They lacked some technical performance more than actual sound issues.
Hifiman Ananda (25 Ohms / 103dB/mW): I enjoyed this combination very much. I did not find that the Ananda seemed to be lacking in any way and seemed to be as detailed as always. I actually preferred these from the SE output.
Hifiman HE400se (25 Ohms / 91dB/mW): These sounded ok with the Go Blu but somehow seemed to be lacking a bit of life. Where the Arya was lacking in technicalities, the HE400se just seemed to be a little dull in general.
Sennheiser HD6XX (300 Ohms / 103dB/mW): These headphones actually sound fairly decent on the Go Blu, at least at low listening levels. I didn’t really push these while trying them out as I had people at the side of me but I enjoyed the while I spent with them (it’s always random whether I enjoy these headphones or not anyway).
Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro: Guess what? They sounded like DT1990 Pro’s, as they always do
That is about all I have tried out with the Go Blu, except for the Titan S that I tried out briefly today, but I will certainly be trying out new stuff I receive with it and I’m sure it will be mentioned in more reviews over time.
Conclusion…
iFi Audio seems to have a vibe with their products that invite you to listen to music. I know I haven’t had the pleasure of trying all their stuff but the ones I have, all give off this same vibe, except maybe for the Diablo. The Diablo still has that iFi flavour but is more of a “look what I can do!” kind of source than others that are more “just sit back and enjoy!”. I had that sensation with the NEO and with the HFM stack, and now I get it with the Go Blu, even though it is not using the same hardware at all.
I avoided the Go Blu for so long because I thought I would not use the BT functionality except on occasions and that there were better wired options, so it would just sit in a drawer. I have been proven wrong. Not in the fact that there are better products out there, everyone will have their own needs and things will suit them better or worse, but in the fact that I wouldn’t use it.
As I said earlier in the review, it is the first BT device that actually inspires me to pick it up even when I have wired alternatives on hand. In comparison to other things that I have been using recently, such as the Hidizs S9 Pro and the Aune BU2, it is different to both of them.
The harshness I find in the higher ranges of the S9 Pro is present in a similar way but to a more reduced extent on the balanced output of the Blu. As with the S9 Pro, I find the balanced output of the Blu to be more tiring over time. However, everything else about the Blu (except for the 24/96 limit) is superior by a mile. The build, the looks, the functionality and the fact that it inspires me to relax and enjoy the music where the S9 Pro is more of an attention seeker.
In comparison to the BU2, they are again different. I feel that the BU2 focuses on USB with BT as an extra, whereas the Go Blu is the other way around. If using Bluetooth I would no doubt go for the Blu, but when competing on wired terms, the Aune is more detailed in my opinion. Maybe more detailed is the wrong term, it is clearer with its details, whereas the Go Blu is more relaxed. The balanced output of the BU2 also avoids that harshness I mentioned, sounding exactly like the unbalanced output (in my opinion), just with more power.
I have to say that the iFi Go Blu really is a great little product. It is a perfect companion to always have on hand as it fits in an IEM case along with a set of IEMs, a couple of adapters and a USB-C to USB-C cable.
There are a couple of things that could be improved on and I would love to see more case options for it (even if they are just simple transparent cases with a clip like on the S9 Pro) but other than that, I really can’t complain.
And the final thing that matches the rest of the iFi products is that my review of them turns into a long wall of text!
This review is also available in Spanish on my blog here and on YouTube here.
The Titan S have been sent to me by Dunu for me to try them out and share my impressions. Dunu have not requested anything specific, therefore my review will follow the usual system of being as unbiased and sincere as possible, while keeping in mind that it has not cost me anything in order to try out these IEMs.
You can find the official Dunu Titan S page here: https://www.dunu-topsound.com/titan-s
Intro…
Dunu are a brand that I have had on my radar for quite a while but never had the chance to try until now. IEMs like the Zen, Zen Pro, and especially the SA6, have all been models that have drawn my attention and their modular cables are not only a great idea but have also been praised by many for their quality.
None of these items are really budget oriented though, so when they announced a new budget model in their line up, the Titan S, I was of course immediately interested. I have been lucky enough to be sent these out by Dunu to try and I am really glad they did.
Presentation…
The box is cheerful and colourful, showing an image of the Titan S on the front with specifications on the back.
From the coloured sleeve, a simple black box sporting the Dunu logo slides out. Removing the lid, we are greeted with a very nice carrying case, inside of which we find the IEMs, attached to their cable, but each covered with their own individual zip lock bag.
Under the case there is another smaller black box that contains the warranty card, (plenty of) replacement tips and a clip for attaching the cable to your shirt etc.
There is nothing really out of the ordinary about the way they are packed but it does show that plenty of care has been taken to pack them. I can’t complain about the amount of included tips (of multiple types), in fact, I really don’t think there is anything I would consider missing from the presentation at all.
Build and aesthetics…
Anyone who has seen a photo of the Titan S, which you obviously have if you have made it this far into the review, will have noticed the steampunk aesthetic going on. I have to say that I am a fan of the looks, they break away from the aesthetics of so many other IEMs (as do many of Dunu’s models) but I can’t deny that I was worried about fit. The thing with using strangely shaped and contoured IEMs is that there is a big risk of them being uncomfortable, but that is not the case with the Titan S (at least for me).
The size and shape of the shell does not cause me any kind of discomfort at all, as long as I am using tips that work for me, and they are also lighter than I expected from the photos. After trying the included types of tips, and a few more, I decided on the included red tips and they are what I have used for these impressions.
The build quality seems to be of high quality and Dunu have paid attention to detail, with things like the connectors being shaped to match the aesthetics of the shells.
That is something that some may see as a negative, the fact that changing the cable (even though it is a simple 2 pin) will interfere with the looks of the IEMs, but the good news is that the cable included is a very nice cable. It is a simple twisted cable which is quite thin but feels very nice and does not have a habit of tangling at all. It fits nicely together and I must say that the Go Blu with the Titan S connected via the stock cable looks great!
Sound…
Straight away I knew I was going to like the Titan S. The overall tuning is aimed towards my preferred kind of tuning and after 5 minutes of listening, I knew this was going to be an enjoyable review.
I have used these IEMs on my usual setups that I use for testing and comparisons between IEMs, but I have to say that I found these to work extremely well with the Go Blu and would be high on my list of choices for a general day to day IEM, but I am getting ahead of myself, so let’s do the usual walk through the frequency ranges.
Starting off down in the subbass, there is no real boost down there but it doesn’t roll off sharply either. I put them through the usual sub test that is “Chameleon” and I can’t say that I needed any more sub bass than what they gave me but that doesn’t mean that others won’t find themselves looking for a little more of the rumble. In more realistic scenarios, in other words with songs that aren’t aimed at destroying subwoofers, I would say that the low end is nicely balanced and works well with the overall tuning.
Moving into the mid bass category, they may be just slightly warmer than neutral but are by no means boosted. In fact, they remind me a lot of the bass found on the Aune Jasper, that is fairly neutral but with just a hint of warmth.
Listening to my usual acoustic based music, I would find myself feeling that they could have even added a little more in this area but when swapping over to other music that has more bass content, such as “No Sanctuary Here” by Marian Herzog feat. Chris Jones, I am very glad they didn’t. This is mainly due to the additional presence around the 3kHz mark but I will mention that in more detail in a moment.
I would say that the bass is maybe not the most detailed bass out there but it has a way of making things sound real. The timbre of things like acoustic guitars sound very natural and listening to “Long After You’re Gone” by Chris Jones, the air moved by the hits on the guitar body really stand out.
Moving into the mids, there is no sense of anything being missing at all throughout the mids, with a nice clean transition moving into the lower mids that doesn’t seem to get muddy not matter what I decided to listen to.
Reaching the higher end of the mids, there is a presence as we move past 3kHz that is slightly higher than normal and give voices a bit of a push forwards. I recently reviewed the Reecho SG01 that also had a bit of a boost in this area and I mentioned that this created a sensation of harshness with some music and vocals. This is not the case with the Titan S, the additional presence is a lot smoother than on the SG01. Where there was a more pronounced peak just over 2kHz, the Titan S just climbs smoothly to be and doesn’t create that harshness at all (as long as you are not listening to music that is already overly boosted in those frequencies).
I feel that another reason for the Titan S to avoid being overly present in those higher mids is due to these IEMs having a fairly decent extension in the higher ranges. For a single dynamic driver, aided by its overall tuning, the treble extension is more than acceptable, especially if we think of the price range these sit in.
This gives a nice sense of air to the IEMs and although the soundstage is not the largest out there, it is still at least average, with image placement and separation being quite good and making the most of the space they have to work with.
Detail and speed is also pretty good, again aided by the overall tuning, sounding clean and not making me have to strain to be able to focus on those details. Ok, these are not detailed in a way that something like a planar headphone is but are certainly more than adequate for what I usually expect from a sub 100€ IEM.
Vs Aria…
I don’t usually go into too many comparisons in my reviews, you can read other reviews of mine to see what I feel about other IEMs (that is why I try to keep my review system consistent) but the Moondrop Aria is something that needs to be mentioned. Ever since I received the Aria, back in May last year, they have been my go to recommendation under 100€ (and for many other people) and I think the Titan S are a serious contender for that spot, if they haven’t won it already.
The main difference between these IEMs, which sit at the same price point, is the tuning and the way they focus on different presentations. Where the Aria are a much warmer and laid back presentation, the Titan S focus on a brighter “more awake” presentation. The latter works much better for my preferences and the majority of music I listen to.
I don’t feel that the Titan S are leaps and bounds above the Aria as far as technicalities, I just feel that they present them in a way that makes it easier to appreciate them. Personally, after listening to both, I prefer the Titan S over the Aria but which you prefer will depend on your preferences and the music you listen to.
Conclusion…
The Dunu Titan S have been a nice introduction to Dunu for me. I obviously can’t say how they compare to other Dunu products but against other similarly priced (and some higher priced) alternatives, they are more than competitive.
When I think of Dunu, I think of their higher end models and their modular cables, but the Titan S is a set of IEMs that deserves a lot of attention.
I wouldn’t say the Dunu is the “best” anything in particular, but I would say that it scores well in every category and is tuned in a way that I find very pleasing. I feel that Dunu haven’t just released this IEM so that they have a model in a, lets face it, very popular price range, I feel that they have spent time on making it a good IEM, treating it as its own thing and not just dropping their name on something. Dunu have proved that they know what they are doing with their other models, and with the Titan S they have proved that they put effort into all of them, independently of the price.
If you are a fan of the looks (which I can imagine some people won’t be, but I am), and you like a tuning that is aimed more towards a neutral bright response, then the Titan S is really one of a kind, I don’t think there is anything like it on the market.
I am glad that I have had a chance to spend time with these IEMs and they have turned into a reference point for me under the 100€ mark.
As always, this review is available in Spanish on my blog here and on YouTube here.
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