Acho Reviews (in English & Spanish)

[SenyorC]

Truthear x Crinacle ZERO :Red

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

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

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

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

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

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

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

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

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

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

Presentation…

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

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

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

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

Build and aesthetics…

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

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

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

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

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion…

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

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

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

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

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

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[Hark01]

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

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

[SenyorC]

Venture Electronics SIE

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Venture Electronics SIE

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

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

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

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

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

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

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

Presentation…

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

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

Build and aesthetics…

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

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

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

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

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

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion…

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

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

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

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

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Kiwi Ears Quartet

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

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

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

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

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

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

Presentation…

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

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

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

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

Build and aesthetics…

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

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

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

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion…

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

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

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

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

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

Tripowin Piccolo

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tripowin Piccolo

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

You can find a non-affilate link to the Piccolo, via Linsoul, in the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this post).
To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

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

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

Presentation…

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

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

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

Build and aesthetics…

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

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

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion…

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

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

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

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

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

Kiwi Ears Quintet

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Kiwi Ears Quintet

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

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

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

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

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

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

Presentation…

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

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

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

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

Build and aesthetics…

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

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

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

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

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion…

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

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

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

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

Tangzu Princess Chang Le

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tangzu Chang Le

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

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

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

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

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

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

Presentation…

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

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

Build and aesthetics…

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

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

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

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

Sound…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion…

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

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

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

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

Letshuoer DZ4

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Letshuoer DZ4

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

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

As always, this is a non-affiliate link.

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Presentation…

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

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

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

Build and Aesthetics…

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

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

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

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

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

Let me start off by saying that these IEMs have a vibe to them that I like but in certain contexts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion…

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

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

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

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

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

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

Blon x Z Jojo

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Blon x Z Jojo

The Blon x Z Jojo have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of my thoughts and opinions in this review. Linsoul have made no requests and, as always, I will be best to be as unbiased and honest as humanly possible in my review.

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

As always, it is a non affiliate link.

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

I am going to start by absolutely clear as I always say I am going to be as honest as unbiased as humanly possible and that is still the case. However, it is possible that these IEMs already start off on a difficult note with me personally. I will try to not let that influence my review but it is possible that some of that preconceived bias makes it into this review, even if subconsciously.

What am I talking about? Well, the Jojo are based on the Blon BL05s, a set of IEMs that I reviewed way back in 2020 (you can find that review here) and still remain the set of IEMs by Blon that I most enjoyed spending time with during the review. People raved about the BL03 but personally I much preferred the BL05s. So, imagine that you have a song that you loved but haven’t heard for a very long time and then decades later (yes, 3 years in IEM terms are the equivalent of decades in the music world), somebody takes that song and makes a cover version of it… that cover version had better be damn good for you to not hate it! You are already going to be skeptical before you even hear it and preconceived biases are always difficult to get over.

I hadn’t taken the BL05s out of the closet for a very long time (years) but I remember that I found them to be less prominent in the bass area than the BL03, something I prefer, but lacking in the upper ranges, needing a little more extension and air up there. My other complaint was that the nozzle was too short (although they did fit me ok), the tips were crappy and the colour was far from something I would choose. But in short, those are my memories of the BL05s.

So, I grabbed the BL05s from their dusty case and gave them a listen. They are not as good as I remember but I have listened to a lot of IEMs since then which have given me a lot more experience as well as the quality of IEMs getting much much better since I reviewed them. While I was listening to them, I read my review of them and, while I don’t think the BL05s are as good as I remember them (memories are like that), I still pretty much agree with my findings back then.

Ok, so Zeos (who I think is a great guy and had a lot of fun with in Munich, but don’t really agree with a lot of his headphone tastes) took those BL05s and, in collaboration with Blon, came up with his “improved” version.

I am going to go into my usual review process in just a second but as a TLDR here is what I feel that has changed from my opinions of the BL05s to the Jojo:

The bass which I found more pleasurable on the BL05s than the BL03, due to being less exaggerated, is now exaggerated on the Jojo.

The upper mids which were maybe a little too present on the BL05s but tolerable, have now been reduced to a point that they are lacking.

The extension and air that was lacking on the BL05s is now lacking much more on the Jojo.

The colour that I wasn’t a fan of on the BL05s is now a different colour that I am still not a fan of.

The nozzles that could have been a little longer are still the same length and the tips that were crappy have been replaced with tips that are about the same.

I think you can all guess where this review is going, so let’s get it over with.

Presentation…

The box is more colourful than the original, that is for sure, and also looks a fair bit better. The packaging is simple and the design doesn’t scream quality but it’s sort of fun. To be honest, the packaging is something that I really don’t care about unless it is really amazing or really terrible, this is neither.

Inside we get the IEMs, the typical Blon sack for storage, the cable and 9 sets of tips (three sizes of three different types).

Nothing really special as far as packaging goes but nothing to really complain about either.

Build and aesthetics…

The build seems to be identical to that of the original BL05s, with maybe the paint being less thick. They have the same shape, the same length (short) nozzle and use the same connection style for the cable. I would have preferred it if they had opted for a normal 2 pin connection rather than the QDC style but the included cable is actually pretty decent, so you shouldn’t really need to think about swapping it.

The cable is well built, with what seems to be decent hardware (except for the plastic QDC connectors) and is a quadruple weave that uses pink/purple and silver wires, with a sparkle to them. I have no issues with the actual cable but I really can’t say I like the colour.

The aesthetics of the IEMs are basically the same as the original except in an even more “off the wall” colour. The finish is somewhere between pink and a light purple, with Jojo on the gold accents of the face plates and Blon in the center circle on one side, with the Z Reviews logo on the other. I’m afraid that, as with the cable, I can’t say I am a fan of the colour.

Comfort is exactly the same as on the original, which means that many people will suffer with the length of the nozzles, or rather the lack of it. Personally they fit me ok but I do find that I need to choose the largest tips and out of the three different types included, only the grey ones gave me a seal.

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

Zeos had a set of these with him in Munich and I got to listen to them. Shortly after handing them to me, he wandered off and by the time he came back, I had passed them on to someone else, so I didn’t get asked for my opinion. At the time I thought they were overly bassy and too dark, so it was nice to avoid giving a negative answer.

When they arrived on my desk from Linsoul, I was obviously not going to avoid spending time with them but, as you will have guessed from the intro, my opinions haven’t changed that much. Now, I am not going to hate on them, that is certainly not my style as I feel that people have very different tastes, so, just because I don’t like something, it doesn’t mean it is bad, it just means I don’t like it. My aim is to explain why, so you can decide for yourself if you will like it or not (within the possibilities of judging without hearing of course).

So, before continuing, here is the graph of the Jojo with my personal preference target for reference:

And so you can see what I was referring to in regards to the original BL05s, here are the two compared:

Ok, so on with the usual procedure and starting with the subbass, it is not bad but it is not great either. There is plenty of rumble, although some other bass head sets do offer more, but I find “Chameleon” to be a little loose and not quite under control in those lower notes. Another example is “Royals” where that grit or dirt in the subbass is not quite defined on the Jojo. There is (more than) enough subbass but it just doesn’t have the clarity that I would like.

The midbass is elevated and is also not the cleanest here either, although I do feel it is better defined than the subbass. Listening to “Crazy” for my usual fatigue test, it is not terribly fatiguing, I can listened to the track without needing to take a break but I find that I would prefer it to be cleaner, especially during the chorus parts of the song, where the guitar is too boomy for my tastes.

For bass guitars in classic rock, it gives them a nice body (such as in “Whole Lotta Love”) but it does make itself a little too present, moving the focus towards those ranges.

Throughout the midrange, vocals and instruments are not bad as far as timbre goes, yet the upper mids don’t have quite enough presence to them to counter those lower mids and mid bass, making things lack clarity and seemingly missing presence. The original BL05s were a little too hot in this region and while I appreciate the reduction, I feel that it has been taken a little too far.

In addition to that lack of presence in the high mids, the upper frequencies are also quite subdued and roll of rather rather quickly, making the overall presentation rather dark and warm. This does work well to avoid any sign of sibilance in my usual “Code Cool” test but also makes the track seem a little lifeless and lacking clarity.

Details are masked by the general tuning and while they are not bad, the presentation does not favour the sensation of detail, with things sounding rather smoothed over. This is something that also has a bit of a negative effect on image placement. While the placement of said images is not terrible, the soundstage is sort of below average and the smoothed over presentation makes it difficult to pinpoint things, especially when a track is busy.

Vs Blon x HBB Z300…

I don’t usually do comparisons in my reviews but the Jojo are a set of IEMs that actually remind me more of the recent Z300, which is an HBB collab, than the original BL05s (at least as far as tuning goes).

Here is a graph of the Jojo vs the Z300:

As you can see, the tuning is very similar, yet listening to them side by side, there are noticeable differences.

First off, I find the Z300 to be more detailed in general. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a set that focuses on detail and to some extent suffers from the same issue as the Jojo, where the overall smoothed and warm tuning has a negative impact on the presentation of detail, or at least the appreciation of them.

The Z300 is also lacking in air and extension in the upper ranges (for my taste), yet this is even more noticeable on the Jojo, making it even more apparent. This affects image placement more on the Jojo also.

Finally there is the shape and build of the Z300, which, in my opinion, is much more mainstream than the Jojo and will be comfortable for more people. I am not a fan of gold personally either but the artwork on the shells of the Z300 is definitely more complex than the Jojo, with them also being available in Blue (which I think look good).

In general, the things about the sound of the Z300 that I wasn’t overly fond of are exaggerated on the Jojo, along with the addition of a shell that is more difficult to fit and an aesthetic that is more difficult to like (for me at least).

To be brutally honest, at a price that is $15 cheaper than the Jojo, I think the Z300 offers a better overall package.

Conclusion…

I said I wasn’t going to hate on the Jojo and I think I have managed to refrain from doing so, but I didn’t say my review would be positive. I am sure that the Jojo will fit the tastes of many out there but I see it as a difficult sale for two main reasons.

For those who loved the original BL05s, the Jojo is completely different as far as sound goes. Out of all the tweaks that I would have suggested making to the original, the only one that has been made in the right direction is the one just above 2kHz, and that has been tweaked a little too much.

For those who do like the sound signature that the Jojo presents, the Z300 already exists, which does it better and for less money. They are both by Blon and they are both sold in the same places, so the only real reason to pick the Jojo over the Z300, in my opinion, would be to support Zeos instead of HBB, which is something I am not going to comment on as that is irrelevant to my evaluation of the IEMs.

This is the first collaboration by Zeos that I have heard and, although we don’t coincide on many of our opinions about sound, I would have loved to have liked it.

Unfortunately I don’t.

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As usual, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

Review - Tripowin x HBB Kailua

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tripowin x HBB Kailua

The Tripowin x HBB Kailua have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. As usual, or rather, as always, Linsoul have not made any requests or comments and I will do my best to be as unbiased and sincere as I can in this review.

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

As always, the link is non-affiliate.

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

I have come into this review with possibly more of a positive mindset that I would have a month or so ago. As you all know, I have reviewed a few of the collaborations by HBB and I wasn’t overly excited about any of them, then the last one I reviewed, the Blon Z300, I found to be a very enjoyable set.

Exactly the same story happened with Tripowin but even more extreme. I reviewed a couple of their sets and really disliked them, then the last set I received from the brand, the Piccolo, I found to be much more palatable.

Therefore, I was interested to see what the combination of both of them brings to the table.

The Kailua is the latest collaboration by HBB (of Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews), joining quite a list of previous collaborations, and features a dual dynamic driver configuration. In this case, a 10mm DLC driver is being used alongside a 6mm composite diaphragm driver.

Presentation…

The box in which the Kailua arrive is covered by a cardboard sleeve with an image of the IEMs on the front and the name of the model. On one side we get a few specs and on the the name again with a few certification logos. Nothing much to stand out but it is modern, clean and simple, more than adequate for an IEM box.

Inside the box the presentation is also quite simple, so nothing really exciting if you are looking for the unboxing experience (which is something that I don’t really care about anyway). Included we get the IEMs, the cable, 6 sets of silicone tips (3 sizes of 2 types) and a simple after sales document.

All quite simple and nothing out of the extraordinary.

Build and aesthetics…

While there is no mention of the materials used in the shells (at least that I remember seeing), they do seem to be completely made of metal and painted (white in my case). They are very light weight so the metal is obviously some kind of aluminum alloy and are also rather small.

The shape of the shells is reminiscent of something like the Airship or even the Sennheiser IE series to some degree, which are IEMs that I find extremely comfortable. In the case of the Kailua, I find that it puts a bit of pressure on my tragus and does result in a slight discomfort after a while. It is not uncomfortable to the point where I need to stop using them but I do notice that I am wearing them. Of course, everyone’s ear is different, so this is probably not relevant to the majority of people, as they are small and easy to fit, so they should be comfortable for most.

The included cable is nothing special, it is thin and simple but is also lightweight and certainly does its job. It reminds me quite a bit of the cables included by Moondrop with the SSP and SSR models (although it is quite a while since I pulled those out, so I may be remembering wrong).

The Kailua is available in three colours, two with black shells and a choice of purple or blue faceplates, and one with white shells that has a pink faceplate. I can’t say I am in love with the aesthetics of any of the three options but beauty is in the eye of the beholder and they are quite simple, so no one should find them offensive.

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

Let me start out by saying that my first impressions of the Kailua is that it seems to be an improved version of the Blon x HBB Z300. I don’t usually do comparisons in my reviews, which is why I always follow the same format and use the same reference tracks (making it easier for people to compare themselves between models I have reviewed), but that was my first thought.

I said in my review of the Z300 that I enjoyed them but I found treble extension to be lacking and that they could benefit from some more air in those upper regions. I also said that detail suffered on the Z300 due in part to that lack of extension and air, and that they sometimes made tracks come across a little too warm for my preferences.

When I say that the Kailua is an improved Z300, I am referring to them improving those issues that I just mentioned, coming across a little clearer, with more air and extension, and a better detail response than the other model. Of course, we need to remember that the Z300 is a 30€ set of IEMs, where the Kailua is a 70€ set of IEMs, but I do feel that the improvements are worthy of the investment.

Anyway, here is the graph of the Kailua in comparison to my usual preference target for reference:

And to give a visual of what I was just talking about, here is the Kailua in comparison to the Blon Z300:

Ok, so, with that out of the way, let’s get on with how the Kailua perform on their own, using my usual test track list for detailed listening.

Starting off with the subbass and listening to the obligatory “Chameleon” work out, the subbass is clean, well defined and keeps up quite easily with the track. I don’t feel that these IEMs are heavily focused on the subbass range and the clarity possibly adds even more to that sensation, but as far as rumble goes, there is plenty for my tastes.

In the midbass section, I do find that “Crazy” has just a touch too much boom for my tastes. As with the subbass, this is kept clean and well defined, so I don’t find it overly fatiguing (unless I raise the volume too much) and it it keeps itself elevated but out of the way of the mids. Bass drums have a very nice clear punch to them, as do bass guitars, making for a lower range that is north of my personal preferences but impressive.

In the midrange vocals are clear and do not get hidden behind that low end boost. “Elephants on Ice Skates” has a nice separation between the lower bass notes and the mid and upper mid range of instruments. Even when the bass notes are ringing, the detail of the bass and guitar in the mid range is easily appreciated.

Moving into the upper mids, there is enough to brings vocals, and the upper range of electric guitars, into the spotlight when they should be but without making them too harsh or even too up front. Using “Make Noise” as a test for how much they push vocals forwards, I have to say that they don’t overdo it at all. The reason that I chose “Make Noise” for this test is due to the vocals of Busta Rhymes being mixed poorly in the recording and being quite difficult to focus on, especially when there is a larger presence in the lower mids and midbass. In this case, his vocals are not pushed forwards yet they are clear and are quite intelligible (if you can follow his style that is ).

As we get into the upper ranges, I am not overly fond of that dip between 3k and 4k but it is not bad and is saved to some extent by that peak around 4.5k. Luckily this peak is at 4.5k and not at 5k, where I would probably be complaining about it (due to my intolerance for 5k peaks).

“Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” is maybe not a clear as it could be in the upper ranges yet this removes some of the harshness of the brass section and also eliminates the sibilance from Paul Simon’s voice which is present on so many sets. Testing for sibilance with the usual “Code Cool”, I would place Patricia Barber between a -1 and -2 on my totally non-scientific -12 to +12 scale. This proves that sibilance is well reduced with the Kailua.

However, while sibilance is reduced, there is still a nice sensation of air and extension. It is not the best I have heard in this regard but it is nice to hear a set that manages to be clear without being harsh or sibilant.

Detail is good, although I would say that detail is better in the lower and the mid ranges, possibly with the 10mm having better performance than the 6mm in this regard?

Soundstage is along the lines of average for a set of IEMs. The sensation of stage is not huge but the IEMs do a nice job of using the space they have at their disposal, making for an enjoyable sensation.

Conclusion…

The Kailua are possibly the IEMs that I have most enjoyed out of the HBB collaborations that I have tried, and are certainly the set from Tripowin that I have most enjoyed to date. They are certainly not perfect and have other competitors around their price range that I would probably prefer personally, but they are definitely not a bad choice.

Of course everyone’s ears are different and our choice in music also varies wildly from one person to the next, but I can see a lot of people being very happy with the Kailua. I am glad that my enjoyment of IEMs from Tripowin and HBB continues to improve and am actually now looking forwards to the next set that comes this way.

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As always, this review is also avilable in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

This is not exactly a review but I did want to spend a few minutes commenting on the custom tips that I received for the Sennheiser IE600.

I have mentioned quite a few times how much I enjoy the Sennheiser IE600 IEMs. They became my default set of travel IEMs, the set that I grab first and then think about what else I may want to take with me. They have basically become my go to IEMs for when I am out and about also, due to the fact that they sound great, are very comfortable and are easily stored due to how small they are.

I actually found that I would wear the IE600 on flights underneath a cheap set of ANC headphones (that don’t sound great but have decent noise cancellation).

Earlier this year, at High End Munich, those of us that were present on the press days got the chance to have our ears scanned at the Sennheiser booth and a set of custom ear tips made for the IE series of IEMs. The tips took quite a while to arrive but finally made it some weeks ago and I want to share my experience with them.

I have been interested in custom tips for quite some time, as there are a few companies out there that offer them, but I haven’t really heard great things about them and the price is not cheap (usually around 150€ plus the scan). So, getting a free set courtesy of Sennheiser was a great chance to try them out. I really have no idea what price these tips would retail for, I don’t even know if they are officially available to the public yet, but I guess checking Sennheisers site now and again would be the best way to find out.

I was expecting the tips to be a lot larger than they are. The images I have seen of custom tips by other brands usually fill the ear much more, yet these are tiny and only fit over the actual nozzle of the IE600, fitting completely inside the ear canal.

While it is great that they are so small, making a set of very compact IEMs even more compact. At first it took me a while to get them to seat properly and seal well, mainly due to not ever trying custom molded tips (or IEMs) before, but when I finally found the correct seating, I was amazed at how well they sealed and how the isolation of the IE600 increased 10 fold. I could feel the perfect match to my ear canals and it blocked out almost all of the external sound.

The issue came when I went to remove them. As they are so small and fit my ear canals so tight, the IEMs come out of the tips easier than the tips come out of my ear! I have since had some practice and being very careful to use the exact angle upon removing does allow them to come out… most of the time. There are still occasions when I will accidently move a millimeter in the wrong direction and the tips stays in my ear. Trying to get the tip out of your ear is not a fun job, although I am getting a little better at it The first time took around 40 mins to finally get them both out, now it’s just a minute or so of messing around.

As far as sound, these are by far the best sounding tips that I have used on the IE600. I was worried that the deeper insertion would increase the bass presence on a set that is already a little over my normal preferences for midbass levels but I actually find the bass to be punchier and clearer, which gives the impression of having slightly less bass. I don’t think there is actually less bass but the improved clarity gives me that sensation and I find myself liking these IEMs even more than I did. I like a little bit of extra bass when out and about due to it being the first thing to suffer against external noise, yet the increased isolation makes that no longer an issue and I even find myself reaching for the IE600 when just listening for pleasure at home or in the office

As I said, I don’t know the price of these tips but the improvement in isolation and bass presentation are something that I would consider well worth an investment.

[Nr48]

Thank You for the review. I am on the fence of getting these tips for my IE600 as well. Now with your review praising these too I guess I will get them in the near future.

Here in Germany they are available for like 2 months now. Price is 165€ alone or you can buy them in a bundle. The bundle price (880€) with the IE600 is quite high though as you can get the IE600 for 500€ (Sennheiser Coperate Benefits)

https://www.sennheiser-hearing.com/de-DE/p/custom-comfort-tips/

For the tips Sennheiser is working together with an audiologist called “Geers” that actually belongs to Sonova, just like the Sennheiser consumer brand. So the question is with who Sonova / Sennheiser could work together to offer these custom tips internationally.

Especially for US customers I guess it will be easier / faster to get other custom tips, like from ADV. As You mentioned these kind of tips fill out the complete ear, just like an CIEM. I tried these tips some years ago for my Fiio FH7 and paid $150. Later I sold the FH7 and got some Thiaudio Legacy 3 CIEM that didn’t fit as well as the ADV tips.

Eartune Fidelity

[John_W_Clark]

I got a good laugh out of the notion that someone who bought the Raycon E25 would get the custom tips from ADV.

[SenyorC]

Review - Hidizs MP145

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Hidizs MP145

The Hidizs MP145 have been sent to me directly by Hidizs in exchange for me posting my thoughts and opinions in this review. The only request was that I publish the review as close to the official launch date on Kickstarter, 6th of September, as possible. I will, as always, do my very best to be as unbiased as humanly possible in my review, yet it is always good to consider the fact that these IEMs have been sent to me free of charge.

You can find the official Kickstarter page for the MP145 here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hidizs/hidizs-next-gen-ultra-large-planar-hifi-iems-9-sound-types?ref=7ke7sd

As always, this is a non-affiliate link, meaning I do not receive anything in exchange for clicks or purchases made. However, in the case of this link that Hidizs asked me to publish, it does include tracking. In other words, if you click on the link, Hidizs will see that the person has come from my review. I guess they want to see if I am worthy of being sent review items or not

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

It seems like quite some time since the planar boom died down, with the latest trend being combining them with other drivers in hybrid configurations. However, Hidizs presents us with their latest model that is using an “Ultra-Large” planar driver according to them. This is to say that the MP145 are using 14.5mm planar drivers, along with three individual tuning nozzles to tailor the sound to your preference. These are currently available on Kickstarter for an early bird price of $109, which may not make them the cheapest set of planars on the market but still puts them in a reasonable budget category.

For those of you that don’t know how Kickstarter works, basically you make a pre-purchase of an item and it is shipped to you at a later date. The earlier you join the list, the cheaper it is (in the case of the MP145). Usually this is used for companies to raise funding to create a product that is only in the design/prototype phase. In this case, as you can see from my review (and probably many more reviews that are being published), the IEMs already exist, so it is a little bit of a strange way to use Kickstarter.

I will get to the sound in a moment but something that is certainly worth mentioning about this model is the fact that Hidizs is collaborating with the WDC, which is for Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

Here is some info that Hidizs provided me:

“Hidizs x WDC cooperation info.

WDC (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) is the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins. Inspired by the Whale Tail & Rorqual Pleats Design of MP145, we’re collaborating with WDC to raise awareness of whales’ vital role in nature and ocean health. As part of our commitment, we have formed a preliminary agreement for collaboration and assistance. We will maintain open communication with WDC and provide the necessary support to aid their work. Specific details about the donation can be found on Hidizs and WDC’s official social media platforms and website. Further information will be provided after the campaign.”

I applaud any kind of initiative that helps charities and in this case, as someone who has spent a lot of time at sea, I am happy to see them collaborating with the conservation of Whales and Dolphins. No matter if the outcome is small or large, every little bit counts in the attempt to save our oceans and I hope it turns out to be a very useful collaboration.

This will not affect my opinion on the sound of these IEMs but does of course mean that I am starting on a positive note with them.

Presentation…

The usual cardboard sleeve, with images and specifications of the IEMs, slides away to reveal a not so usual plastic box with a lift off lid. While it is something different, I find it strange that Hidizs would decide to collaborate in saving the oceans and then opt for using more plastic than necessary in the product packaging. Saying that, it is quite a sturdy box which I am sure will come in useful for storage, so at least it isn’t going to get thrown away.

Inside the box we find the IEMs sitting in foam cutouts at the top of the box, with a smaller cardboard below it that contains the cable, a spring top pouch and a user manual together with the usual paperwork.

There is no mention of the collaboration with the WDC on any of the paperwork or the box, which I feel is a bit of a missed opportunity but maybe something will be included with the actual retail version (remember that this is a pre-production unit, so things may be slightly different). The user manual also says that they are “Mermaid Series Earphones”, which I guess is sea related.

Underneath the foam cutouts and the accessories box, we find a tray in the bottom of the box that contains 9 sets of ear tips, with three different types. These are labelled as “Vocal”, “Balanced” and “Bass”. Personally I found the medium size “Balanced” to be my preference and are the tips that I have used throughout this review.

Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are certainly on the large side of things, also being a bit heavier than many other sets, although still reasonable. The shape of the shells has been inspired by the tail of a whale and this does show when looking at them. This also means that they have some strange shapes going on on the outer part of the shells which looks uncomfortable but actually, in my case, does not affect the comfort at all. I in fact find them comfortable for long sessions, even if they are on the large side.

They are available in 3 colours: silver, black and titanium. Hidizs asked me which colour I would like and I chose the titanium, just to break from the norm of silver or black, and I have to say that I am a fan of them. They look good, seem to be well built and, as I already said, they are comfortable.

The matching cable also looks very good and gets high praise from me. It’s a quadruple weave that breaks into two wrapped cores on each side, along with matching metal hardware (and 4.4mm in my case). It is not microphonic, not too thick and is, in general, a very pleasant cable.

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

As mentioned in the intro, the MP145 come with three sets of filters that screw on to the nozzle and allow you to change the tuning to suit your tastes. There are not huge differences between the three filters but they are enough to be clearly noticeable when swapping.

Here is a graph of the 3 nozzles with my usual preference target for reference:

Let’s get the red nozzles out of the way first as I am not a fan of them. With these filters I find that the upper mids / lower treble is reduced too much, making vocals lack presence and putting too much emphasis on the low end. There is actually some higher treble presence that stops them from sounding completely dark with these filters and I can see some people enjoying this signature, just I am not one of them.

So, focusing on the Silver and Gold filters, the differences between them are quite minimal in comparison to the Red ones, especially if looking at the graph. When listening, I find that the upper ranges of the Gold filters seem slightly less peaky than the Silver ones and, although it does bring the bass slightly more forward, I found myself preferring the Gold option.

To be honest, both filters have a bit too much in the mid bass region for my personal preferences but I find that the sound signature with the Gold filters is slightly more coherent overall than with the Silver (and more preferable to me personally than the Red filters). I think that the Gold filters generally present a smooth and bassy signature which can be considered a fun listen.

So, I am going to focus on the Gold filters and share my usual detailed opinions on the result of listening to my test track playlist.

While I would usually separate the subbass and midbass regions, I feel that on the MP145, these areas work together to present a full bodied and rather “thick” bass range in general. Although I use the word “thick” (for lack of a better term to describe them in my opinion), that doesn’t mean that they are loose and boomy. In fact, although there is a clear focus on the bass range, the IEMs do a decent job of being coherent when tasked with bassy tracks. The MP145 are very reminiscent of the Letshuoer S12 in these bass ranges, which, as a fan of the S12, is a good thing. I do feel that the MP145 put more emphasis on the lower ranges than the S12 but that is due to the upper regions, which we will get to shortly.

To refer to my usual subbass test, “Chameleon”, there is plenty of rumble going on with the additional boost of the midbass, which makes for an impressive low range on the track, with the MP145 doing a decent job of keeping it under control. I can’t say it is the best I have heard in these lower ranges but it is still impressive nonetheless.

Moving to something less rumbling but still in the electronic domain, “Shot Me Down” has a much cleaner and more defined low end, with bass hits being clean and distinct. With “No Sanctuary Here”, which is sort of halfway between the two, again the bass range performs well, with clean and defined notes that give the sensation of very good bass.

Moving into the mid range, it is nice to see that the bass doesn’t invade it and make things muddy in the lower mids, unless of course you have something extremely boosted going on in the mid bass range.

Instruments and lower ranges of vocals are clean and present, with a decent body to them but without becoming overly muddy. “Elephants on Ice Skates” presents a large bass guitar in the lower ranges, with a cleanliness to the mid range of both the guitars and the bass that is not invaded by those lower notes.

Listening to “These Bones”, those low vocals have a nice body to them but without becoming overly warm and interfering with the other vocals of this acapella track.

The upper mids leading into the lower treble is where I am least fond of the MP145 tuning. While the rise to 2kHz is enough to bring vocals forwards and not get lost against that lower range boost, the response dips just after this mark and returns with a small peak at around 5kHz.

I have said plenty of times in the past that I am very sensitive to 5kHz peaks and while the MP145 is not overly boosted at this mark, the dips surrounding it make that frequency stand out much more, making things quite harsh to my ears. For example, Zella Day in “Seven Nation Army” has a harshness to the vocals that I can find quite uncomfortable.

This can be tamed quite a bit by using the Red filters, yet I find that swapping to the Red’s reduces the 2 to 3kHz region too much, putting more emphasis on the lower ranges and making vocals lack presence.

Moving into the upper ranges, there is quite a nice extension and sensation of air that stops the overall signature becoming dark and overly bass focused. Even with the Red filters, the upper ranges are nicely recovered, making the presentation bass focused but not overly dark in general. Yes, you lose that vocal presence that I just mentioned, but it doesn’t become dull and dark.

Details are pretty good, easily appreciated without being made the center of attention. When a track has a lot of detail going on in the background, the MP145 make it apparent but without making it the focus.

I also find soundstage to be above average on the MP145, with images nicely located and spread out in a left to right stage. As an example, “La Luna”, which is a binaural recording, has a nice placement of the instruments, each with their own location, although I find the back left guitar to be more “left” and slightly less “back” than on some other sets.

Conclusion…

I think that the planar novelty has worn off and is now more about the performance of the IEMs than the fact that they use planar drivers. In the case of the MP145, I think Hidizs has presented a very respectable set of IEMs at a very reasonable price. They are not the cheapest planar out there (nor are they the most expensive, by a long way), but in terms of performance for cost, I would say they do a good job.

Also, add to it the fact that they are collaborating with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation and, while this may not change the way it sounds, it does give them more points in my personal opinion.

In general, I think that if you are looking for a good all round set of planars and you like a bit of additional bass presence, then the MP145 are a good option. You also get the 3 different filters to adjust them to your preference and maybe go for that extra bass emphasis when you are in the mood!

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

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

Review - Moondrop Space Travel

Recently I reviewed the iFi Go Link and said that they were the best Bluetooth portable source I had heard but they cost around 400€. Today I am looking at something that is completely at the other extreme of the price range, coming in at around 25€.

I already said that I am not a huge fan of TWS but I had heard good things about the Moondrop Space Travel and decided to purchase a set to see if they are just another set of TWS IEMs that work for others but just don’t work for me.

Well, I am glad I did pick them up!

As I purchased these IEMs, there are no companies asking for me to share links. I purchased them from Shenzen Audio but they are also available on Linsoul, AliExpress and probably a few other sites also.

Intro…

It has been a while since I reviewed anything from Moondrop. Funnily enough, I think that the last set was actually the Nekocake, a set of TWS IEMs that are very similar to these, or rather these are very similar to the Nekocake.

I didn’t mind the Nekocake but, as soon as the review was over, I gave them to a family member that was looking for some TWS IEMs. This is a positive thing because if I thought they were terrible, I would have never given them to her, but on the other hand, if I thought they were great, I would have probably kept them.

Now, before I continue, this review is not going to say that the Space Travel are the best TWS IEMs in the world because they aren’t, yet I have found myself reaching for them a lot and enjoying using them, these will probably stick around in my bag for the foreseeable future.

I definitely think they are worthy of a review, even if it is a brief one (famous last words, as it is never brief by the time I get to the end of it!).

So, let me share my experience with the Space Travel and why I think that, for 25€, these little IEMs are a great buy.

Presentation…

You really can’t get simpler than the presentation of the Moondrop Space Travel. They arrive inside their charging case, in a clear plastic cover (I can’t bring myself to call it a box) with a space in the bottom for the charging cable, a couple of extra sets of tips and the usual manual/docs.

That is it, not much to review here.

Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs themselves are identical to the Nekocake, which is basically just another one of those “Apple Airpods Inspired” designs (not to say copy). This time the cat logo has been replaced with some simple yellow and grey design, with “Space Travel” written on one side.

What has changed is the charging case. Where the Nekocake came with a white case with a flip up lid, the Space Travel use clear plastic with no lid at all. I know that this is something that people have complained about but in my use case, I actually don’t mind it. The IEM case has lived in my bag since I got them (except for removing it to charge) and it fits great in one of the little front pockets. I just unzip the pocket and grab the IEMs and just drop them back in when I have finished.

I understand that this is not something that works for everybody but I’m sure there will be some kind of silicone cover available soon enough and, in case you have the Nekocake, it seems they also fit and work in the Nekocake case.

My only personal complaint is something that I find over and over again with TWS charging cases, the USB-C charging port is on the bottom, meaning you have to lay the case down to charge it. This is a minor gripe but I would still prefer to see the charging port on the back of the case.

Functionality…

The touch controls on the stems of the IEMs are responsive and seem to work well. A simple touch on either side will play or pause the music (or answer/end a call), a double tap on the left is previous track and on the right is next track, with a triple being to summon the assistant.

The Space Travel also have three different modes which you can cycle through by pressing and holding the left or right IEM for 1 second. The modes are Normal, Transparency and Active Noise Cancelling. Rather than a voice telling you what mode you are in, a chinese girl makes a sound, which is “Ummm” for normal, “Shhhh” for ANC and “Heh!” for transparency mode. It’s certainly something original.

Bluetooth pairing mode is entered by holding both sides for 3 seconds and is very quick to both pair and to reconnect each time, although only SBC and AAC codecs are available. Moondrop states 4 hours playback with the IEMs fully charged, with an additional 12 hours available with the use of the case (which takes around an hour to fully recharge the IEMs).

Things are obviously not perfect and I would have liked to have seen LDAC and of course, my pet peeve, volume control on the IEMs. But for 25€, I really can’t bring myself to complain.

Sound…

As mentioned in functionality, the Space Travel have three modes, Normal, Transparency and ANC. Due to the way the ANC is implemented (the location of the mics) I have not been able to measure the frequency response but when comparing Normal & Transparency, the response is identical (except for the extra background noise of course) and I can’t hear any difference in response with ANC on, so the mode does not influence the frequency response of the IEMs.

While on the subject of ANC, it is fairly decent. It is not the best ANC I have used but the noise reduction is useful. I haven’t travelled with them yet (i.e: I haven’t flown) but with the A/C drone in my office it is effective.

There is also an app that can be installed (at least on Android, I don’t have any iOS devices) and allows the user to select between three different tunings. The app is far from great but once the tuning is selected, it saves to the IEMs, so you can pick it and then not worry about the app.

The three tunings are “Reference”, “Monitor” and “Basshead”. Here is a graph of the three in comparison to my personal preference target for reference as always:

After spending some time trying each of the tunings, I found that I preferred the “Reference” tuning and that is what I have been using since then.

Now, don’t expect these IEMs to be amazing, they are not the best in terms of audiophile performance, yet they still have a very enjoyable performance.

To be totally honest, I haven’t really sat down to have a dedicated in depth listening session with the Space Travel. Usually, when I review something, I spend time with it and then sit down with my list of test tracks to have a focused listen where I pinpoint certain responses to certain tracks. In this case, all I have done is use the Space Travel as and when I wanted to, without really focusing on minute details.

This may make this review null and void for some people but, in my opinion, these IEMs are not really something that I would expect people to choose for dissecting music. These are more of a set to have handy, being able to grab them at any time, without having to worry about them too much. And in those terms, they perform really well.

The “Reference” sound signature has a bit of a boost in the lower ranges, which does a nice job of keeping things smooth but clear, with a boost around the 2.5 to 3kHz mark that works to give things presence. Add those to a very neutral mid range and a decent extension in the upper ranges, and you have a very pleasurable set of IEMs for easy listening.

Not once, in the various weeks that I have been using these IEMs, have I felt that they sounded awful. I haven’t found myself focusing on them and thinking, “damn, that sounds bad on these”, they just played music as I went about my daily routines. And I really think that is the strong point of these IEMs.

They have a pleasurable sound signature, with decent enough detail and performance that is more than satisfactory for 25€. They even have decent sound stage for a set of IEMs.

Conclusion…

I know I haven’t gone into depth on the sound of these IEMs, which sort of defeats the purpose of reviewing a set of IEMs, but honestly, they are a decent sounding set of TWS for a very cheap price.

I wouldn’t recommend these to someone who is looking for specific strong point in IEMs, in other words, I wouldn’t put them as the “best bass” or “most detailed” or anything like that. I would simply put them as a 25€ set of TWS that provide a good and enjoyable experience.

And before the question gets asked, yes, I prefer them to the Nekocake which are twice the price. In fact, as someone who really doesn´t like TWS IEMs all that much, I think these are the set that I have spent most time listening to and intend to keep on doing so. They are certainly one of the few sets that I have reviewed as most of the budget TWS sets that come my way end up getting a couple of hours listening and then either returned or thrown in a drawer never to see a battery charger ever again.

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As always, this review is avalable in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

[SenyorC]

Tangzu x Divinus Fudu Verse 1

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tangzu x Divinus Fudu Verse 1

The Tangzu x Divinus Fudu Verse 1 have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of my review. Linsoul have not requested anything and, as always, I will do my personal best to be as unbiased as humanly possible.

You can find a link to the Fudu Verse 1 via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this review).

As with all the links I publish, it is a non-affiliate link, meaning I do not receive anything in exchange for clicks or purchases via the link.

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

Tangzu x Divinus Fudu Verse 1… that is certainly a long name! Tangzu seem to have a tradition of adding verses and chapters to their IEMs, so my guess is that there will be a follow up to these IEMs (which I am going to refer to as Fudu for brevity).

I originally reviewed Tangzu before they were actually Tangzu (they were called T-Force at the time) and I have to say that they have made some interesting sets. I felt that the Tangzu Wan’er were a great set of IEMs in the sub 20€ bracket, well, they still are, although there is a lot of competition in that price bracket.

The Fudu are in a slightly higher bracket, selling for around 80€ on Linsoul at the time of this review, and while this puts them outside my personal ultra budget limit of 50€, they are still not an expensive set of IEMs.

The Divinus part of the name comes from the collaboration with the brand (Divinus) who make ear tips. I have never tried, or heard of, Divinus tips (until now) but it seems that they are well known amongst other IEM users.

So, let’s take a look at this latest release from Tangzu and see what we get from the brand that has given me positive vibes in the past.

Presentation…

Tangzu is pretty generous with the contents of (most of) their models, with packaging that usually focuses on traditional Chinese decor. In this case, we still get a hint of that Chinese traditionality on the box but much more subdued than their usual packaging.

A rather large black box is covered with a black sleeve showing greyscale clouds and birds in the background and white model name and branding on the front. This simple presentation does give the packaging a bit more of a more elegant look (in my opinion) than many other presentations from the brand.

Opening up the box, we find the IEMs in a cardboard and foam cutout in the center, with 3 sets of Tang Sancai tips and 3 sets of Divinus tips to the left. On the right we get a (faux) leather case with zipper closure that reminds me more of my grandmothers coin purse than an actual IEM case. Inside the case (purse?) we find the cable which, in my case, is terminated with a 4.4mm balanced connector, although 3.5mm unbalanced is also available.

The presentation in general is not remarkable but is good, with a selection of contents that may not be the most vast at the price point but does seem to be of quality.

Build and aesthetics…

The IEM shells are 3D printed resin with a very dark tint, allowing just a hint of the internals to be seen. On the front of the shell they feature a metal faceplate that shows Tangzu on the right earpiece with Divinus on the left.

The IEMs are small and light, using a pretty generic shape, which should work for the majority of people out there. Personally I have not experienced any discomfort. The faceplate has sloped surroundings that aim to a triangle in the center (where the branding is shown in white). I can’t say that they are going to win any prizes for their beauty but they are not overly dreary, just a little simple.

The included cable works fine but does have a bit of a cheap feel to it. It is also a little bit “springy”, although this may reduce over time with use. As I have been using them at my desk, the cable hasn’t really moved a lot, so it still has that new springyness to it.

The included Sancai tips are tips that I received with a previous set and find quite nice. They have a textured finish to them and, while they are not my number one prefence, I have found that they work well with some IEMs that I find overly bassy. The Divinus tips have been a pleasant surprise and I feel that they work well with the Fudu (I haven’t tried them on other IEMs yet), improving the sound at both ends of the spectrum (to my ears).

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

There is a noticeable difference between the 2 kinds of included tips, with the Divinus moving a bit of the low end presence towards the subbass region instead of the midbass (although midbass is still very present) and seemingly giving things a bit more sparkle in the upper ranges. These have been my preferred choice for the Fudu.

My measurements, as always, are taken with foam tips to keep consistency between models, so the frequency response will not match exactly with the included choice of tips but is still pretty close:

Starting off with the low end, here I found the tips to play quite a large role in the presentation. Well, tips always play a big role, but in the case of the Sancai vers the Divinus, I found that the latter placed a little more emphasis on the subbass ranges, making the midbass area seem a little less prominent, whereas the Sancai took a little away from the subbass, making the midbass be more of the center of attention in these low ranges.

Using my typical “Chameleon” as a test track, there is enough subbass with both of the tip choices, yet, as the Divinus move the attention a little further down, it doesn’t seem to be as overpowering as with the Sancai tips. Overpowering is maybe the wrong term, as it is not like these IEMs are bass monsters, but as someone who prefers a less boosted midbass range, I found the Divinus to work better in this regard.

The same goes for more electronic focused tracks, with things like “No Sanctuary Here” being more to my preference with the Divinus tips.

In general the bass range is rather smooth and relaxed rather than fast and detailed, something that holds true for the rest of the frequency ranges also, with these IEMs giving a more relaxed and rounded presentation in general.

I don’t find the midbass to be overly boomy but it is still a little north of my preferences on tracks like “Crazy” by Daniella Andrade. The bass region of the guitar is pretty smooth and while I would like a little more detail on other tracks, for this kind of music it is not something that stands out.

The midrange is pretty decent until we start to get into the higher end of it. There is a climb in the upper midrange frequencies that serves to bring the presence a little forwards, however, at the 2kHz mark it stops climbing, even rolling off a little, until suddenly we have a peak around the 4kHz mark.

The issue with this is that it brings vocals forwards so they are not lost (counteracting that additional midbass), however, that isolated peak at the 4kHz mark, followed by another prominent dip, makes vocals sound fragile to my ears. I found this to be the case both with male vocals, such as John Mayer in “Free Fallin’”, and female vocals, such as Daniela Andrade in the song “Crazy” that I already mentioned. In fact, on “Billie Jean” by The Civil Wars, both vocals (male and female) sound a little thin and fragile, even impacting the higher ranges of the acoustic guitar.

As we move into the higher frequencies, this is another point where the tips are most noticeable in their changes. Here I once again preferred the Divinus with the Fudu, as they make things sound a little airier and spacious in these ranges. With the Sancai tips I would say that the upper ranges are a little too rolled off for my tastes, yet with the Divinus I feel that they are much better balanced.

Sound stage is also improved with the Divinus, becoming quite decent for a set of IEMs. It is not a huge difference from the Sancai but it is noticeable and I would say that they are on the higher end of average with these tips.

One thing that is noticeable throughout the whole spectrum is that detail is not the forte of the Fudu. They have used that 4kHz peak to make things a bit clearer and also the Divinus tips help by making the upper ranges seem more alive, however, this just adds a false sensation of detail.

Conclusion…

I can’t say that there are any glaring issues with the Tangzu x Divinus Fudu Verse 1 (I’m glad I abbreviated it to Fudu throughout the review ) but I can’t say there is anything spectacular about them either.

They are a decent performing set of IEMs but, in my opinion, they have tried to make up for a lack of detail by using that 4kHz peak, along with a couple more peaks throughout the treble.

I really don’t think it was necessary for them to do this, as I don’t feel that all IEMs should be detail monsters. Sometimes we just want IEMs that are musical and provide us with enjoyment and I think the Fudu would be great for this if it wasn’t for things becoming “fragile” with that intent to seem more detailed.

Again, I can’t complain about them, I think they are a set of IEMs that can be very enjoyable with just a little tweaking of EQ (or maybe some kind of filter in the nozzle to tame that peak) but I also can’t say that they are amazing.

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

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

Tin Hifi C0 Elf

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tin Hifi C0 ELF

The Tin Hifi C0 Elf have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not made any requests or comments and, as always, I will do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible.

You can find the C0 via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this post).

As always, this is a non-affiliate link, meaning I receive nothing in exchange for clicks or purchases.

Intro…

Tin Hifi have been around for quite some time in the IEM world, making some very good, and some not so good, sets. A lot of their models have been based on variations of the original T2 shape and the C0 that I have here today are another similar design but with some changes that I will mention.

They have also released quite a few ultra budget oriented IEMs, with the C0 also being well inside that sub 50€ bracket that I consider ultra budget. At the time of publishing this review, the standard model is available on Linsoul for just over 10€, although there is also a model with a microphone and even one with a USB-C connector and built in DAC for not much more.

The IEMs feature a 10mm driver in an open back shell, which is nothing really new for this style of IEMs from Tin, although these feature an open back shell which is a little different to the usual configuration we find from the company.

Presentation…

When a set of IEMs retails for around 10€, something has to be reduced to keep costs down and I always prefer that it is the packaging and presentation.

A simple white box with the make and model on the top, along with some specs on the side is the extent of the external packaging, but it is more than sufficient.

Inside we get the IEMs in a piece of sponge, along with the cable, two rubber earhooks and 6 sets of silicone tips. Again, more than sufficient for the price we are looking at for these IEMs.

Build and aesthetics…

At a simple glance, the C0 are very reminiscent of the T2 (and other similar models), however, once we look a little closer, things are quite different. The shells are still completely made of aluminium, yet the size is a little larger and rather than the extra shape on the side for the cable connection, here the cables connect directly to the cylindrical shape of the shell.

This time, Tin have opted for a two pin connection for the cables, which is a good thing as I have had quite a few issues with their MMCX connectors in the past. The IEMs are also open back, with a larger version of the same metal filter in the nozzle on the back of the shells.

As far as comfort, I am not quite sure why but there is a bulkiness to these IEMs that makes them sit strangely in my ear, always feeling like they are not quite seated or sealed properly (to which the tuning doesn’t help either, but I will get to that in a moment). I tried all of the included tips and quite a few others and at no point did I get comfortable with these IEMs. Of course, everyone’s ear anatomy is different but in my personal case, they just don’t seem to fit right.

The included cable is simple vinyl covered cable, with metal two pin connectors and plastic for the rest of the hardware, which doesn’t look too bad but it is a bit microphonic. It’s not terrible but it is noticeable.

Sound…

When I first started listening to the C0, I found that there was quite a lack of bass which, added to the sensation of the IEMs not seating correctly, made me think that I was not getting a seal. I started to work my way through all of the tips without anything seeming to make it better. I then moved on to other tips and while some of the extra narrow bore tips did improve bass slightly, the sensation of them not being sealed correctly. (edit: see note at end of review)

I spent a few hours messing around with them and in the end I gave up and looked at the frequency response:

Looking at the graph, I then realized that I wasn’t going crazy, there really is a lack of bass and an emphasis on the higher ranges. However, not to the point that I am hearing in reality. Remember that the graph above is in comparison to my personal preference target and I am someone who favours bass on the leaner side. If we were to compare this to the the preference target of somebody who is more bass happy than me, such as HBB, this would be the result:

Usually I would spend at least 5 days listening to a set of IEMs before I sit down and start doing more detailed listening, with my usual test list. In this case, I am sorry to say that I didn’t make it that far. I did spend a few more hours with them and just couldn’t enjoy them. Even while working (which is how I do my usual 5 days of working), the music kept drawing my attention to it as it was… annoying?

Now, I don’t know if this is an issue with the set I have or if this is the intended tuning of these IEMs, as I haven’t checked any other reviews or measurements, but the set I have is not an enjoyable set of IEMs for me personally.

I did do some tests with a few of my usual test tracks but I honestly didn’t see the need to continue nor do I see the need to get too deep into how these interact with specific tracks. In general, they are lacking subbass, short on midbass, then over emphasized in the upper mids, moving into a peaky treble.

Yes, there is more of a sensation of openness to them, both due the fact that they are open back and that they emphasize the upper ranges, but making the sound wider doesn’t make this particular tuning sound any better to me.

Conclusion…

I am going to cut this review short as I don’t want to spend too long explaining faults when I have other things I would prefer to listen to and review.

Yes, the C0 Elf are a very cheap set of IEMs with a good build quality. Unfortunately that is the end of the positive side for me. The cable is microphonic, the IEMs are uncomfortable and the tuning is something that I do not enjoy. I would say that they are a cheap set of IEMs that sound cheap but that would be unfair, as there are cheap IEMs that sound pretty good, including some from Tin’s own brand.

Edit: After putting together the above review, I discussed the C0 Elf with another reviewer. We compared measurements and the units do measure the same (close enough to account for differences in rigs and measuring techniques), so we are looking at the same tuning.

He mentioned that he also had a lot of fit issues but with certain tips he managed to get them to actually have more bass presence and less focus on the upper ranges.

I tried another few tips but I’m afraid that I just cannot get them improve in my ears. So, I am saying this to point out that my review of these IEMs could be totally due to me not managing to get a decent seal (which is what it feels like). This would actually make sense as the measurement of these IEMs is very close to the Titan S, which are a set of IEMs that I use regularly and really enjoy.

This is not going to change my opinion or review of the C0 as I have shared what is my experience with them but I do want to point it out as your experience, depending on your ear anatomy, may be totally different with these IEMs.

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This review (and all my reviews) can also be found in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

7Hz Sonus

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - 7Hz Sonus

The 7Hz Sonus have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul, as always, have not made any requests or comments and I aim to do my best to be as unbiased as humanly possible.

You can find a direct link to the 7Hz Sonus via Linsoul in the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this post). As always, the link is non-affiliate.

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

For those that follow my reviews, you may remember that, when I reviewed the 7Hz Legato I said “With 7Hz I have found that I don’t have a middle ground with them, out of 5 sets I have tried, 3 I have found to be very good and the other 2, well, let’s just say that they are not my thing.”

Well, the Sonus are set number six and have equaled the score board.

(EDIT: After a few people have notified me of my error, I have reached the conclusion that my maths leave a lot to be desired in this review. More info at the end of the review)

Using a hybrid design of a single dynamic driver paired with a single balanced armature driver, I find them to be very coherent and well balanced, making for a very enjoyable listen.

Coming in at just under 50€, placing them inside what I consider to be ultra budget sets, that makes them even more interesting.

So, here are my findings and opinions on the 7Hz Sonus.

Presentation…

The presentation from 7Hz is usually pretty decent for whatever price bracket the specific model sits in and the Sonus are no exception. While there is nothing exactly spectacular about the unboxing experience of the Sonus, they do arrive in packaging that is not just thrown together and include the necessary accessories that we have come to expect at this price point.

An orange box, inside a grey and white cardboard sleeve with images and specs, opens to reveal a clear plastic semi-rigid frosted cover. The cover lifts to reveal the IEMs in their corresponding cutouts, cable attached, with the accessories placed underneath.

As far as contents we obviously get the IEMs and cable, along with a simple but elegant storage/transport pouch, 8 sets of the multicolour coded tips we are accustomed to from 7Hz, and 2 sets of spare filters, both mesh and metal.

Again, I have to say that, while nothing is amazing and game changing, I can find no reason to complain about the presentation or accessories included with the Sonus.

Build and aesthetics…

One thing that 7Hz has a habit of doing is making their IEMs aesthetically different. Even the ones like these, which opt for a more generic shape in comparison to some of their other models, still have their own look to them.

The transparent (medical grade) resin shell is paired with an aluminium faceplate which has a curved, stepped, design to it. The 7Hz logo is engraved on the metal face plate and, while it is not exactly “out of this world” as far as aesthetics, it does look good and has an elegant vibe to it.

The IEMs are comfortable, lightweight and seem to be well built. I have had no issues with them as far as comfort, choosing to use the tips with the white core for this review.

The included cable is a four core in a ribbon style layout. This is not the first time I have received a cable like this with IEMs and, as with the previous cables of this style, I actually am quite fond of it. While it does look like it may be bulky and uncomfortable to use, I find it is actually the opposite, at least when using the IEMs while sitting at my desk.

For sub 50€, the aesthetics, build and accessories are all more than adequate.

Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

The last couple of sets of IEMs that I have reviewed were not exactly enjoyable but sitting down to listen to the Sonus, I have to say that I like them. No, they are not something that provide never before heard music, yet they perform very well within their safe but (to me) enjoyable tuning.

Here is the graph of the Sonus in relation to my personal preference target:

While the subbass may seem a little more elevated than my personal preferences, the slope of the subbass into the midbass makes for a tuning that I am very fond of. Listening to “Chameleon” there is no shortage of subbass, yet that ramp down into the midbass stops things from becoming overpowering.

Subbass is also clean and fairly fast in its resolution. Things don’t become too “sludgy” in those areas, with things like that slight dirt in “Royals” being apparent without taking over.

Midbass is by no means overpowering, with my usual test of “Crazy” being rather clean whilst not missing any body to the low end of the guitar. I wouldn’t say that the dynamic driver is the best performing driver I have heard in the these low ranges yet the tuning favours it, due to no sense of muddyness or boominess, so details are appreciated.

The midrange starts to climb quite early, peaking around 2kHz and then dipiping slightly up to the 4kHz mark. This, in addition to a quite tame midbass range, can make certain vocals seem to have less body than on other options, such as Rag’n’Bone man in “Human (acoustic)”.

Listening to “Billie Jean” by The Civil Wars, I find the female vocals to suffer less from this than the male vocals. The male vocals are still quite pleasant but I feel that either a slight touch of warmth in the lower ranges or less of a dip in the 2k to 4k mark would have have worked better in favour of both the male vocals and the strikes on the strings of the guitar in this track.

The BA used for these upper ranges is fairly detailed and, with the help of the tuning, does keep layers well separated and details quite present, such as the vocal layers of “Strange Fruit” or the (accidental?) bird chirp during the intro. Again, a slight bit of extra body to the voice of Dominique Fills-Aimé would have been nice but I still enjoy the presentation.

Things that do have a bit more of musical presence with the vocals, such as “No Ordinary Love”, don’t emphasize this as much, keeping a nice clean presentation throughout.

As we move into the higher ranges, there is no real roll off, at least as far as my personaly auditory capacities go. It is not the smoothest of treble areas but it is not terrible either. Sibilande is kept in check pretty well on “Code Cool”, maybe placing Patricia Barber around a +1 (on my -12 to +12 scale), which is nice when taking into consideration the general tuning. It also portrays a nice sensation of air and openness.

Sound stage is also pretty decent, not huge but enough to enjoy a sensation of width, with details assisting in the placement of images, which may not be milimetric but are still fairly good.

Conclusion…

Whether or not the Sonus is for you is going to heavily depend on your preferences as far as tuning. This is obviously always something that comes into play, but what I am referring to is that, if you are someone who likes a nice clean presentation, without any midbass boost and leaning more towards the cooler side of things, then I think they are a great set of IEMs that should definitely be considered in their price range.

If you are more on the warmer side of things in your preferences, with more of a bass boost and more body in the lower end, then I think that other sets will meet your criteria much better.

I would look at the Sonus as a bit of step up in performance from 7Hz’s own Salnotes Zero, where the tuning is similar but the detail and openness is improved. To be honest, I do think I prefer the 2kHz to 5kHz tuning on the Zero, seemingly a little smoother to my ears, but for the rest, I think the Sonus could be considered an upgrade without taking too much of a step up in price.

As I said at the beginning, I have reviewed 6 sets of 7Hz IEMs and the score is now level at 3 I like versus 3 that aren’t for me.

(EDIT: As I mentioned above, my maths in this review are terrible!

In reality, the Sonus so not equal the scoreboard, they actually put it 4-2 in favour of the models that I do like!

The 7Hz models that I have reviewed and if I like them or not:

Timeless =Yes

Eternal = No

Dioko =Yes

Zero =Yes

Legato = No

Sonus =Yes

My apologies for the confusion!!)

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This review (and all my reviews) can also be found in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

[SenyorC]

I searched around the forum and found a couple of mentions of this dongle but no real thread where it fits, so I will drop it in here (as it works best with IEMs anyway).

7Hz 71

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - 7Hz 71

The 7Hz 71 is a dongle DAC that seems to have gone fairly unnoticed, at least I hadn’t heard anything about it until I ended up purchasing it out of pure coincidence. I was actually purchasing something else and to meet the free shipping minimum order, I saw it on sale for around 20€ (if I remember correctly) and added it to the cart.

It has sat unopened for quite some time as I sort of forgot about it. I kept seeing it when I was grabbing something else and it wasn’t until this week, when I was grabbing a couple of dongles for a test, that I decided to finally open it and give it a test.

As this was purchased, I am not going to link to any specific store but it seems to be available on all the usual stores, priced around 30€. Its also available on Amazon in some countries and on Aliexpress (although I did see it was more expensive on AE).

Anyways, here are my impressions of this rather budget friendly dongle DAC from the brand who are better known for their IEMs.

Presentation…

The packaging is a simple cardboard sleeve that shows the dongle on the front and a picture of the internal board on the back. There are no specs shown on the packaging, just the brand and model. There is a small logo in the top corner that says “1st - 2022”, but I am not sure what it was actually first in/at.

Removing the sleeve reveals the dongle covered by a transparent plastic sheet and that is about it. There is actually a card inside the box that does show some specs, which are as follows:

DAC: AK4377

THD+N: -108dB/0.0004% (32 Ohms)

1Vrms (32 Ohms)

70mW @32 Ohms

120dB

20Hz-40kHz

PCM 32bit/384kHz

DSD DoP DSD128,DSD64

There’s really not much more to say, copying the specs was more of a content filler than anything else

Build and aesthetics…

The dongle isn’t tiny but it is still rather compact, smaller than many other dongles that I have tried out in the past. Completely made of metal, it is not heavy although it does have a little bit of weight to it, giving that sensation of being well built.

Although it is quite simple in it’s build, 7Hz have given it a touch of aesthetics on the face, with a raised center section that features a single, blue, LED (which I have to say is rather bright). The 7Hz logo is shown in white in the center of the raised section, with a sort of robotic shape to the surrounding area.

The cable is fixed, with a 4cm flat section of cable before terminating in a USB-C connector that also shows the 7Hz logo. I am not sure how long the cable will stand up to abuse in a pocket but with it being flat, it allows for it to be bent and attach the dongle to the back of your phone etc.

I honestly have no complaints with the build or aesthetics with this dongle for the price. No, it is not something that stands out as being beautiful but it does have something going on to break up the simple black box.

Functionality…

There really isn’t much I can say here. You plug it into your device and away you go. I have tried it on various systems, Android and Windows, without any issues of it being recognized.

There is no volume control on the dongle, so you will need to be careful when plugging it in to a Windows device, as Windows has the habit of setting these things to full volume (not this dongle but many dongles).

I have to say that the power draw of this device is pretty impressive, being similar to the Apple Dongle in this regard, with the battery of phones not seeming to drop any quicker than if we were using the normal headphone output of the device (for those devices that still have a headphone output).

The dongle does get a little warm after a while but by no means does it get hot. I think if they lost the LED, it would not get warm at all and the battery consumption would be even less.

Just as a note for those of you that care, the 71 does not decode MQA.

Sound…

I have to say that I was expecting less from the 71 when I first plugged it in. I obviously had no idea what it would be like as I had never seen anyone speak about it but I was dubious about a 30€ unbalanced dongle that hadn’t found any fame amongst forums (at least that I have seen).

As I mentioned a moment ago, this dongle uses the AKM AK4377 chip, which has been around for quite some time (info dates back to at least 2018) and has been used in quite a few dongle DAC devices and some compact DAPs (such as the Fiio M5). Some of these devices have received a lot of praise, such as the Lotoo PAW S2, which was released in late 2021 and is still a very popular device today.

I mention this because it is not always about having the latest chip for something to be good, in fact, it’s very rarely about the chip, it’s more about the implementation. This is something that I have found with many devices that use what some would consider “old technology” but prove that, when done right, they are capable of achieving a great outcome. I feel that the 7Hz 71 has proved this once again but at a much lower price point.

Ok, this is not exactly a power dongle, I wouldn’t choose it to run my planar headphones, but as an option for IEMs, or even some of my easier to drive over ears, it does a very satisfactory job.

The sound is very neutral, with a hint of coolness but without ever seeming to be harsh or bright. When starting to listen to the 71, I grabbed the IE600 (just because I had them at the side of me) with the custom tips and the result was great. There was nothing about the sound of the IE600 that sounded “off” or “wrong”, with the bass being fast and punchy, and the details shining through as they should with these IEMs.

I tried quite a few of the IEMs I had on hand and the 71 performed well with all of them. If I had to pick a negative one, it would be with the Hifiman Svanar, but even then it is not really a negative, just not quite as good as I am used to it being. I have been listening to the Svanar mostly paired with the M15 but I fell in love with it paired with the Cayin N7 lately and swapping to the 71 just took away some of the beauty of the sound of these IEMs. Obviously neither comparison is fair, as the M15 is a 200€ dongle and the N7 is a 2000€ DAP, and it is not like the differences are in any way suggestive of the price differences, but it was a noticeable step down in the overall presentation of these IEMs (which we need to remember are 60 Ohm with 100dB sensitivity, so it is asking quite a lot from the not so powerful 71).

A set of headphones that I like to use on dongles to give me an idea of performance are the Koss KPH40. These cheap headphones are something I have found to show quite a bit of difference between sources, especially portable ones. They never sound “bad” (and with the 71 this stays true) but I do find that the clarity of bass and the presence of air can change quite a bit. With the 7Hz dongle, I did find that some of that clean punch was lost, with the highs not being quite as open and clear as with other options. By this I don’t mean that there is a huge difference, they are still good sounding headphones powered by the 71, just not as exciting as they are from some other dongle options.

Conclusion…

The 7Hz 71 dongle is a cheap, ultra portable, dongle DAC that has a surprisingly neutral and present sound. I would not really suggest it for over ear headphones, especially those that are not extremely easy to drive, but with IEMs it is a very good performer for very little money.

I have a bunch of dongles (they seem to be breeding) from different manufacturers and at very different price points, and while I wouldn’t say that the 71 has suddenly beaten them all, I would have absolutely no issue using it, much less recommending it.

If you are looking for a very budget friendly dongle and you don’t need balanced (let’s face it, most of us don’t really need balanced), to pair with a decent set of IEMs, then I think the 71 is a great option.

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As always, this review can be found in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

[John_W_Clark]

I really liked the 7Hz 71 , and it was my goto dongle, but it developed a short and now I rarely use it.

After about 15 minutes or so, It gets very warm, and starts getting some shorting noises, which can’t be good for my IEMs. I think it is a heat management issue.