I feel like they need a higher volume for the FR to give its best, but my personal experience is that they don’t require much/any further driving power to achieve this. On my BTR7 I listen to them several ticks above my other sets (high gain, mid to low 20s rather than 18-22), but that’s more because their mids and highs can take volume scaling and not because power is needed to hear them. I think most “hard to drive” claims are overblown across the board, for every IEM I’ve ever tried that supposedly is.
6 Likes
I agree with this. I think the only IEM I ran into an issue with was the Timeless ( planar ) needed more than an Apple dongle, but the BTR5 on low gain was more than enough.
1 Like
First “Laura” by Bats for Lashes (perfect vocal timbre, same goes for instruments in the background)
Now “Autumn, Autumn” by Askell (detail in all the little “clicks” and immersive bass/background.
I’m really digging the Explorers on second encounter. Now that I knew I did want a more laid back sound pretty frequently. Only done a little tip rolling, these ones pictured (I forget their name) are making a good case for staying on, usually a tip that works well for mids.
6 Likes
AFUL Performer 5+2: The New Benchmark in Its Class
Pros: - Very good unboxing experience and accessories
- Beautiful design
- Excellent fit and comfort.
- Excellent bass quality
- Very good midrange tuning
- Detailed and incisive treble
- Excellent detail retrieval
- Excellent technical performance ( Specially the stage)
Cons: - Non modular cable
- Very small and cumbersome to use carry case
- Slighly boosted mid-treble
Specs And Driver Configuration
- 2 DD + 4 BA Driver + 1 Micro planar Setup Per Side
- RLC network crossovers
- Impedance: 15Ω ± 20%
- Sensitivity: 109dB @1kHz
- Shell weight: 10.76gm
Before starting the review, I want to thank Hifigo for arranging the review tour of this iem in my country. Purchase link - https://hifigo.com/products/aful-performer-7?variant=45949842915567
Unboxing Experience and Accessories Package
The unboxing experience is excellent. You have to side the outer sleeve (which has no waifu) to get to the inner box.
When you open the magnetic flaps of the inner box, the IEMs are elegantly displayed in front of you, with a hockey puck-style case on the opposite side. Below them, you’ll find a selection of eartips neatly arranged for easy access.
The accessories provided are very good. Things provided in the box are 1. hockey puck style case 2. non modular cable 3. three sizes of three different types of tips. The cable provided looks and feels very good. It feels very supple and robust at the same time. It behaves very well as well. One drawback is that it is non modular, many iems in the same price category provide modular termination system.
Eartips provided are very high quality as well, they provide excellent seal and comfort.
The included case is well-built, but its size poses a challenge. It’s cumbersome to fit the IEMs in or take them out with each use. A slightly larger case would have greatly improved usability.
Design, Fit, and Comfort
Aful’s iem design and looks have always been their strong suit. This time is no different. The faceplate design of this IEM is visually striking, featuring a textured, gemstone-like pattern in vibrant shades of blue and green. The triangular geometric lines create a dynamic, fractured look, resembling stained glass or crystal shards, giving the IEMs a sophisticated, high-end appearance. The design strikes a perfect balance between elegance and bling.
The build of this iem is equally as good as it looks. The full resin build feels very sturdy and robust. No, complaints about build quality.
The fit and comfort of this IEM are outstanding, thanks to its compact and ergonomically contoured shell. The small shell size allows it to sit securely in the ear, offering a stable, snug fit that’s comfortable even during extended listening sessions. This shows they put alot of effort into engineering their iems. Additionally, the nozzle diameter is 5.8mm which also aids in excellent fit and comfort.
Sources Used
For my sound testing, I used the Chord Mojo 2, and I found that it drove the IEM effortlessly. I didn’t need to push the Mojo 2 hard to achieve optimal volume levels, indicating that the IEM is easy to power
Frequency Response
I used the stock tips for sound evaluation. Performer 5+2 has a slight U-shaped sound signature.
Bass
Let me say this upfront: this IEM delivers some of the best bass quality in its class, if not the very best. The bass profile is sub bass over mid bass. The bass glides smoothly from sub bass to mid bass. The bass region overall comes across as very dynamic and punchy.
The sub-bass hits deep and low. The sub-bass rumble and texture is also excellent for the price. The sub-bass has sense of depth to it, it’s like it envelops around you. It easily plays the triple drop in the track Kill Jill by Big Boi. The mid-bass thumps and slam is also good. The bass attack is well-defined with just the right amount of decay, leaving nothing to be desired. The tuning strikes a balance that complements nearly all genres, delivering versatility and quality across the board.
Mids
The mids on the Performer 5+2 are expertly tuned, offering a well-textured midrange with impressive detail retrieval. The transition from mid-bass to lower mids is smooth, giving the lower mids a natural heft and body. The upper mids feature an early rise with a flatter pinna gain, which effectively prevents any shoutiness or fatigue. This tuning approach keeps vocals powerful, giving them a subtle boost in the mix without overwhelming other elements.
Overall, the midrange is balanced and cohesive, with a slight boost in the presence region that adds bite to instruments and vocals, avoiding a too-safe or dull sound. Both male and female vocals shine on this IEM, though male vocals, in particular, have a touch more richness. Instruments also come through with a natural timbre, enhancing the realism of the listening experience
Treble
The treble on this IEM is impressive, offering a smooth yet well-extended response. It has an incisive quality, likely due to the micro planar drivers, delivering remarkable clarity and detail. A boost in the mid-treble region adds energy, giving cymbals and hi-hats a slight emphasis. Personally, I feel that the mid-treble could be toned down a bit for a more balanced presentation. The air region is well extended, making the sound feel airy and open. Overall, the treble is incredibly revealing and picks up every little detail in the tracks
Detail retrieval and Technical Performance
Aful performer 5+2 is one the best detail retrieval in its class. It extracts each and every macro and macro nuances from the track. The technical performance is also excellent for the price, especially the staging. Staging is one of the strong suits of this iem. Stage feels very holographic and wide with excellent front and back depth pickup. The instrument separation and laying is also very good. The same goes for imaging as well. You can easily pinpoint all the instruments in the track. The Performer 5+2 also handles busier passages of a track with ease
Aful Performer 5+2 vs Ziigaat Estrella vs Dunu Davinci
So, now let’s start with the comparison. I have chosen dunu davinci and ziigaat estrella. In terms of accessories package performer 5+2 and davinci are almost neck and neck estrella is in last place. But, if have to choose one I will pick davinci. Davinci’s carry case is much better. Performer 5+2’s case is not that good, it is small, and putting iems in after use is very hard. In terms of tips both performer and davinci provide a lot of tips to choose from and ziigaat lags behind in this aspect as well. In terms of cables again estrella is last and performer and davinci are tied both of their cables are robust and sturdy feeling.
In terms of looks and aesthetics, davinci is very royal feeling with its stabilized wood faceplate, estrella is very eye-catching with glitter and speckles in its shell and face plate, and performer 5+2 is also very good looking with a very interesting face plate design. I personally like all of them and choosing between them is hard, but if I had to pick one I would pick estrella as it has more depth to its looks. In terms of build quality all of them feel well built and robust, no issues here. But, estrella has a driver flex issue, you can hear the DDs crinkle when you put the iem into the ear. Davinci and performer 5+2 have no such issues.
If I talk about fit and comfort aful performer 5+2 is the most comfortable among the three, it has the best shell shape and size. Second place goes to estrella and third place to davinci due to its not that great shell shape and thick nozzle.
Now, to the main part. Sound. Performer 5+2 has a U-shaped sound signature, DaVinci has a bassier rendition of new meta tuning and estrella has a v-shaped tuning.
Let’s start with bass. Before I say anything all three have very good bass performance and have very minor differences here and there. In terms of sub-bass rumble and texture, I have to say both performer and estrella tie and davinci is in second place. Both performer 5+2 and estrella hit deep sub-bass notes effortlessly, It’s just that estrella has more sub-bass amount than performer 5+2. In terms of mid bass, davinci takes the win here. davinci ‘s mid-bass feels satisfying and meaty with a very good thump and slam to it. With a very close margin performer 5+2 is in second place the initial attack of mid-bass is more defined in the performer but still, I find davinci’s mid bass to be more satisfying sounding. The third place goes to estrella here.
Now, let’s talk about midrange. If you want the most natural sounding mid range with both excellent male and female vocals davinci is the way to go. Performer 5+2 also has very good lower mids with flatter upper mids which overall sound very good and produces both male and female vocals that well. But, due to the flatter upper mids vocals do not feel as powerful as they can be, so if you want a slightly relaxed uppermids then aful performer 5+2 is the iem for you and when I talk about estrella I fell estrella’s mid range to be slighly recessed so male vocals do not feel that powerful when compared to davinci and performer 5+2 but upper mids are slightly boosted so female vocals feel open, powerful and extended.
In terms of treble smoothness performer 5+2 and davinci have the smoothest treble with estrella to be very close second. In terms of treble tuning, davinci has a relaxed tuning that does not attract your attention towards it, the treble is there to complement the whole sound signature. Performer 5+2’s treble tuning is more detailed and focused. To make it sound more detailed they boosted the 6-8k region, but due to this instruments in this region sound more forward. The estrella’s treble is also detail focused, but there is less elevation in the 6k - 8k region. In terms of treble extension, davinci is in last place. Performer 5+2 and estrella have excellent extension and sound super airy and open.
Now, to the detail retrieval and technical performance. Before starting this segment let me say upfront detail retrieval and technical performance are not Davinci’s strong suit when compared to estrella and performer 5+2. In terms of macro and micro detail pickup it was a very tough call but I would say aful performer 5+2 edges ahead of estrella slightly. In terms of stage width and depth, the clear winner is the performer the stage feels very wide with excellent front and back depth presentation. Performer 5+2 is also better in instrument separation and layering is better on performer 5+2 as well. In terms of imaging, I would estrella is slightly better here.
Conclusion
This IEM redefines what performance in its class can be. If your budget is around $300, I’d say stop searching and just get the Performer 5+2—you won’t regret it. And if your budget is closer to $200, consider saving up a bit more, because the quality here is worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Performer 5+2, and it’s hard to find another IEM that brings this level of detail, balance, and enjoyment in this price range. This gets a huge thumbs-up from my end.
4 Likes
for those interested in the explorer. Its currently under around 80€ on hifigo on sale 
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Screaming deal on a terrific IEM.
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My Performer 5+2 review video is out. Give it a watch !