I saw a moondrop representative somewhere saying its the CEO and that most people working there thinks its weird.
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So the CEOâŠ
Oh yes we know exactly what youâre doing you fucking 
!!!
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Ha Ha looks about right add some kleenex into the mix and thatâs it!
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ooooh thats not a good look xD
Advanced Acousticwerkes Z02 â If OnlyâŠâŠ
Shout Out to the Canuck Audioholics Review Group.
We put the music first.
Here is my review of the Avanced Acousticwerkes Z02. An iem by a lesser known brand based in Singapore.
PREAMBLE:
Advanced Acousticwerkes (AAW) is a brand that many will not be familiar with many. They are a Singapore based company producing a line of in ear monitors and accessories. The also offer CIEM (Custom In Ear Monitor) services for those who are after a custom fit.
The focus today is on their Z02 which at $217USD is the least expensive earphone that they offer. This does not mean that it is lacking from a design or hardware standpoint. When taking into account the fit and finish as well as the drivers used, the AAW Z02 is well thought out and made.
Driver compliment is an interesting point in that it boasts a hybrid setup with a 10mm Graphene dynamic driver paired with a Miniature Planar Magnetic Tweeter. This high frequency driver type is seeing more use these days and may have some inherent advantages over competing technologies such as improved dispersion, transient response, ect. That being said arguably it is the implementation of tech that the most important thing, not the tech itself.
The tuning of the the Z02 falls somewhere between a V & W shape. Why no definite determination here? Well, the particular âSonic Idiosyncrasiesâ of the Z02 is the reason. The source material really defines how the Z02 Sounds with some caveats. There are some common elements that will be made clearer below.
The Z02 are relatively easy to drive but do sound best on a warmer source. In fact, a warm source combined with the included bass tips is what I found achieved the best balance. The ifi Hip-Dac 1 & 3 proved to be a wonderful match with the Z02 as compared with dead neutral sources such as the Topping A50s. My little hybrid tube Xduoo MT-602 also was a good match, but with a audible drop in resolution noted.
FIT/FINISH:
The AAW Z02 is a well manufactured iem. The 3D Printed resin shell is of high quality with no visible edges or rough spots. Mine has a black resin shell with a purple cap adorned with prominent AAW branding. It is a smaller sized iem with a protruding nozzle. This will provide a good fit form most but some may have to go down a tip sized as the nozzles do stick out more than average.
The retail presentation is well done and on par with that offered by some of the more standout products in this price range. The included cable, mine was 4.4mm balanced as the buyer is offered options, is of good quality but not the best haptics I have seen at this price, feeling somewhat thin and average. The sets of included tips are of good quality and are labeled âBassâ, âTrebleâ and âStandardâ. A standard carrying case is also included.
Overall, nothing groundbreaking here but still well done.
SOUND:
Bass:
The Z02 has a bass that goes fairly deep but is more mid-bass focused with solid slam and speed. The level of bass detail is quite good with great speed and articulation. This is heard on âAngelâ by Massive Attack where the bass stays in excellent control at all times with the texture easy to discern. On âInside Stuffâ by Wayman Tisdale the beautiful tone of the bass guitar is in full view sounding tight and clean.
The bass offered by the AAW Z02 is wonderfully articulate but there is one caveat. The lowest registers can feel lacking at times as they do not offer enough push to counter the treble. As an experiment, not used for the overall evaluation, I enabled X-Bass on the Hip-Dac and that frequency balance was improved without any loss of the inherent bass characteristics. I did turn it off for this evaluation though.
The Bass of the AAW Z02 is well done, but it doesnât operate in a vacuum by itself. I believe this wonderful low end could have been brought up a bit to better balance the rest of the frequency range. Taken by itself though, the bass is quite good.
Midrange:
The Z02 has a midrange with that is detailed with good detail retrieval, a mix of macro and micro details. Instrument separation and layering is notable. In fact when listening to âBeautiful Lieâ by Vic Lavander, a busy track with lots of diverse percussion, I was impressed the with Z02âs ability to keep everything in its place. I could easily hear all the different elements and it never sounded like a wall of sound. This is no minor feat as most earphones fall flat here.
Transients had a notable sharp attack, but was not as organic as could be in the upper frequencies with a falloff that at times had a less than natural extended decay.
There is a rise in the upper midrange that while audibly apparent comes off different than that same characteristic as produced by the balanced armature drivers often used for high frequencies. While harshness is thankfully kept mostly in check, there is sometimes an audible glare or shimmer that surrounds the notes. This does add some bite to female vocals but at times can be distracting when listening to cymbal work or strings for example.
Male vocals overall have great tone but at times can sound a little thin. Female vocals sit comparatively closer in the mix sounding wonderfully detailed but with extra emphasis.
Timbre is good until the upper midrange where that above mentioned glare steers the Z02 away from being perfectly natural and organic. This is not always noted, but with the right source material that has lots of high frequency energy, it can be heard.
Here we have a midrange that that is detailed and articulate but at time the experience is less than optimal due to how the upper-midrange is presented. If onlyâŠâŠ
Treble:
The treble has great extension with generous quantities of sparkle and air. Detail retrieval is very good here, besting most of the recent iems I have heard. Listening to âVanston Place 12amâ by Ronny Jordan revealed the clear space around the notes which added to the airiness of the track.
My nitpick here is that the amount of Sparkle offered was at times overdone and did compromise the timber and consequently organics. This to some extent was track dependent.
SOUNDSTAGE/IMAGING:
The Avanced Acousticwerkes Z02 throws up a moderately large soundstage with good height, moderate width and depth. Imaging within that soundstage is solid with each instrument made easy to pinpoint. The soundstage is open, never in the least sounding compressed or crowded. The inherent speed and layering of the Z02 is on display here.
CONCLUSION:
I purchased the Advanced Acousticwerkes Z02 with my own $$ looking for something outside of the crowd of manufacturers that most people talk about.
Sonically the Z02 has a fast taught bass with well detailed mids and extended and airy treble. It also has standout layering and separation. That being said there are some downsides. The occasional upper midrange glare and overly crispy treble does veer off the path of the more natural organic sonics that I crave so much.
There are enough positives that I do not regret my purchase. That being said, when I am after a long relaxing listening session, I will reach for something else such as the Timsock TS-316 or Shanling Tino for example. Those being just more organic sounding.
The Z02 has so much promise as where is does perform it does very well. Itâs unfortunate that there are sonic distractions that can sometimes get in the way.
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nice packaging on this one!
Thanks for sharing.
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Nice review. That shape appears to be a bit odd and likely problematic for manyâŠholy extended nozzle batman.
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Threw up my TRN Shell Video today
All I can say is great Job TRN 
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Itâs a pretty small iem, but yes the nozzle does stick out more than average. Maybe a drop in ear tip size may be needed for some.
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Yeah, thatâs not a damn nozzle â itâs a refueling probe. 
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LETSHUOER CADENZA 12 DRIVER HYBRID IEM
1 Dynamic Driver, 11 Balanced Armature Drivers.
10mm Kevlar dome, liquid silicone surround DD
7 Sonion BA
4 Knowles BA
Sensitivity 110db/mW±1%
Distortion < 1%
Impedance 16Ω±1%
Frequency response 20Hz â 30kHz
6 way electronic crossover.
LetShuoer doesnât specify numbers for each range, but the driver configuration is as follows.
-10mm LSS Kevlar Dynamic woofer driver.
-Sonion Composite BA mid-woofer drivers.
-Sonion Composite BA mid-tweeter drivers.
-Knowles Composite BA tweeter drivers.
-Sonion Composite BA super tweeter drivers.
Preamble:
Gracious thanks go out to LetShuoer for providing the Cadenza 12 for a Canadian review tour.
And, to Tone Deaf Monk for securing the Cadenza 12 for the Canuck Audioholics as tour participants.
I received only the IEMs, stock modular cable, and carry case. I canât speak to packaging or unboxing experience.
Pros and Cons:
Beautiful, immaculately sculpted pure titanium shells. Considering the 12 driver per side count, the shells are reasonably compact, although those with smaller ears may experience fit challenges.
Mirror polished shells are fingerprint magnets.
Quality 6N mono-crystalline copper and silver hybrid weave modular cable with 2.5, 3.5, and 4.4mm terminations.
Cable is fabric wrapped below the splitter.
Chin toggle is highly functional.
Pairs well sonically.
Cable is a bit stiff and unwieldy.
Ear hooks wouldnât stay in place for me unless I snugged up the cable using the chin toggle.
Cable suffers from micro phonics.
6 way electronic crossover, and 5 separate acoustic tubes, provide driver frequency management that delivers a balanced and musical listening experience.
Volume wise, Cadenza 12 is not difficult to drive. Ample volume is attainable with a basic dongle.
Sonically, the Cadenza scales significantly with extra power applied.
A quality, powerful DAP or desktop amp improves dynamics and staging, and is strongly recommended.
Sound:
I find the Cadenza 12 to be balanced with a slight mids vocals boost, musical, with a natural and accurate timbre.
Excellent staging, with imaging, and layering that allows for precise and accurate instrument identification and placement.
Itâs an extremely good sounding IEM, with one caveat, you need to be equipped to provide them enough power to coax the very best out of all those drivers.
The Cadenza 12 definitely benefits from a powerful source device.
I tried streaming Qobuz on my iPhone 16 with the EPZ TP35 DAC/Amp dongle.
Attaining a suitable listening volume was not a problem, but the staging, imaging and layering was anemic, and the bass was loose and muddy.
Swapping up to my DAPs they all faired much better, but even the Hiby R8ii, iBasso Dx340, and Astell & Kern Kann Max, all of which are very capable DAPs, failed to lift and expand the head stage to full, head filling, levelsâŠâŠ
Until I added gain.
Increasing gain to mid and high settings on these three DAPs resulted in a very wide, spacious, and open head stage, with precise and accurate imaging and layering.
After a few lengthy listening sessions I settled on the slightly warmer R8ii, set to high gain, as my preferred source device.
The remainder of the review is using:
Hiby R8ii, AB amp mode, high gain, 4.4mm out, no EQ of any sort.
LetShouer Cadenza 12 Hybrid IEM.
Stock copper/silver modular cable terminated 4.4mm balanced.
Sedna Xelastec wide bore eartips.
Bass on the Cadenza 12 leans more toward mid bass presence. It is high quality bass with good dynamics, texture, and well defined mid/sub bass definition.
Sub bass is somewhat tight and controlled. Even on sub bass demanding source tracks it remains well mannered and in its place. Powerful, with good rumble, but doesnât pull overly low in the head space.
Enthusiasts that like sub bass that permeates throughout the head space, and, is perceived pulling as low as around the chin, will be left wanting.
Stage presentation on the Cadenza 12 compliments the mids and vocals.
Wide, spacious, clean and clear, the mids have room to present with individuality, mildly elevated and forward, with excellent macro, and some micro detail.
Vocals, both male and female, sound natural, with accurate dynamics, tonality, and timbre.
Treble has very good micro detail, air and sparkle. It has no hint of harshness or sibilance.
The very highest upper registers do roll off a bit too soon and I do find myself sometimes wanting a little more energy up at the very top.
In conclusion:
A mostly balanced, detailed, musical, and very enjoyable listening experience; when paired with a capable source device.
Cadenza 12 worked very well with most of my library, the exception being genres that are often anchored to very prominent sub bass presence. Some may find them lacking for these genre.
(Music preferences listed at end of review)
Is the Cadenza 12 worthy of its admission price of $1999.00 usd?
That assessment would hinge on individual experience. Audiophiles are a diverse group, and regardless of price, some will connect with an IEM, and others will not.
The tech inside (Knowles, Sonion, 6 way crossover, etc.) and fit and finish of the titanium shells are commensurate with other IEMâs in the Cadenza 12 price category.
But tech alone doesnât equate to the listeners level of enjoyment and satisfaction
When, fit, comfort, tuning, and proper implementation of the tech blend together in a listening experience that results in lengthy sessions, fully engaged and immersed in the music, this is what defines an individuals perceived value.
My experience with the Cadenza 12, as well as experience with other similarly priced IEM, is, yes, the Cadenza 12 will compete against other IEMs in this category.
Provided it is paired with a capable source device, and the tuning and implementation meets the expectations of the perspective buyer.
I will miss the Cadenza 12 when I send it off this coming week to continue the tour.
My music sources:
Qobuz, and, FLAC and DSD files stored on the SD cards of my daps.
My music genre are primarily Rock, Blues, Jazz, Symphonic, Country, Rap, R&B, Pop, Electronic.
Enjoy your music 
6 Likes
Great take on that set Kevin, the C12 is definitely unique in a kilobuck iem in the fact that it doesnât try to have a unique or niche tuning.
I love the bass on that set maybe itâs me and my love if Mib Bass but that Kevlar driver works for me.
That cable sucks ballz.
Thanks for sharing your review!
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I mind those cables like the plague. Over here we have a weather phenomenon (calima) that brings shâŠloads of sand and fine dust over from the Sahara desert and just after a couple days outside some of those cables, including new ones stiffened up like you wouldnât believe it.
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Solid review! Sounds like it strong technically with great layering and separation, but that upper mid glare and crispy treble could definitely be a dealbreaker for someone whos treble sensitive like me.
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Thatâs an interesting regional phenomenon.
Fortunately weather here is quite moderate, so not a concern we have to deal with.
Also, Iâm typically not overly active during listening sessions so micro phonics isnât a bother.
I just like to mention it so others are aware.
I really like the bass as well, excellent quality presentation, but for some enthusiasts, the managed sub bass may not suit their listening preferences.
The mids boost is very well managed and not excessive. Iâm mids sensitive, and found it very well done. I also wasnât experiencing any upper glare or sibilance on this set. In fact I found the treble is somewhat relaxed, but still with very good detail.
The very upper treble could even use a bit more energy and sparkle for me personally.
I think most mids/treble sensitive individuals would find the Cad 12 an acceptable listen.
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The C12 is definitely not spicy up top if anything could use a bit more. It your treble sensitive you will be golden I think.
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Great breakdown! Sounds like the Cadenza 12 really shines with the right setup. Did you find any genres where the bass felt more satisfying, or was it always on the tighter side? Also, gotta love the classic âneeds more powerâ audiophile dilemma. 
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Ohh i see. I guess Iâll have to give them a listen mself to see whats up. Thanks!
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