Canuck Audioholics Anonymous CAA Reviews & Fun Banter

[KrustyolBastid]

CVJ x R2E3 Mermaid II
Single Dynamic Driver $89.00 usd

Beryllium Crystal Diaphragm.
Impedance: 22 ohms.
Sensitivity: 108dB per mW.
Frequency Range: 20-20KHz.

A sincere and appreciative thank you goes out to CVJ HiFi for providing the Canuck Audioholics Review Group with the CVJ x R2E3 Mermaid 2 review unit.

Note: Price was all over the place on AliX when I checked. $84 on the low end and $160 usd on the top end.
I’m calling it $89.00, that seemed to be the more common listed price.

I received only the ear pieces and a rather nice, and decent quality, modular cable.

Build quality of the shells is excellent. Vented CNC aluminum shells with brass nozzles, and a laser cut? faceplate with a brass/gold coloured inlay behind.
Shells are on the medium/medium large size, they fit my ears well, and the “wing” provides a good nozzle angle that supports a good anchor, seal, and comfort in ear.

The silver plated copper cable, as mentioned above, is a nice upgrade level offering. A little stiff but manageable, the ear hooks are quite stiff and could present some comfort or positioning challenges for some.
It’s Modular and comes with 3.5mm and 4.4mm terminations.

I find the Mermaid II to be somewhat source device sensitive, I only rolled a few and found them all acceptable, but, mids forward devices may push the mids energy to the point some might find it excessive.

Sound evaluation is done on the A&K SP2000T set to OP amp mode, 4.4 balanced out. Stock cable terminated 4.4mm. Divinus Velvet extra wide bore tips.
The Mermaid 2 IEMs are aged 100+ hours.

Bass has good texture and good definition between sub and mid bass.
Sub bass has a nice rumble on bass heavy tracks. The sub bass does pervade throughout the head space, but doesn’t overwhelm.
Mid bass has more thump than attack on kick drums, and toms have a fullness to them, more than a definitive attack.

Mid range has good technicals, good clarity, detail, tonality and timbre.
Lower mids are recessed, upper mids and vocals have a nice lift and present somewhat elevated.

Highs have good micro detail, air and sparkle.
This is my one nit pick with Mermaid 2.
The peak around 8k make the upper/ultra highs too prominent and somewhat detached from the otherwise fairly balanced sound signature.
I don’t have sensitivities in this range, so I don’t find them harsh, sibilant, or irritating in particular, just slightly out of place.
The best way I can describe my experience… It’s like sitting in a room full people, groups are enjoying separate conversations around the room, you can hear them, but they blend into the general ambiance, but one person is talking louder than everyone else. Just enough to consistently redirect your attention toward that point in the room.

Head stage, is good.
Nice outside the ears width, and good height top to bottom. I don’t detect a lot of front to rear depth, but the overall presentation is head filling.
Left to right imaging and layering is good. Stage is also open and spacious enough to allow easy instrument and vocals placement.

Summary:
CVJ x R2E3 Mermaid II is a very nice IEM.
Good quality construction, Nice cable, and a very capable single dynamic driver.

The technical capability is impressive, however, it has a balanced, mids lifted and musical presentation, not dry or technical sounding.

I typically don’t read other reviews on IEM that have the opportunity to review.
I skimmed over a couple after completing my listening sessions and notes.
Those I read didn’t mention the 8k peak that I found so noticeable, so that may be something specific to my personal hearing, and hearing preferences.

Not sure why pricing varied so much on AliX when I was confirming pricing, but, at the $85-90 usd mark, I would say the CVJ x R2E3 Mermaid II is a worthwhile consideration based on quality of build, accessories, and sound performance.
Although, at that price, a pocketable carry case would be a nice add.

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.

[ToneDeafMonk]

Kefine Quatio looking Sleek & Smooth.
The 3 different Nozzle filters actually change the tuning unlike the Fission.

[Sofa_King_Punk_88]

Which filter are you gravitating to?

[ToneDeafMonk]

The stock silver ones are killing it for me.

KEFINE QUATIO FIRST LOOK 4K

That 8mm sub DD is amazing and the 10mm Dynamic must be doing the heavy lifting for most of the mids because it has too much depth and texture for Balanced Armature to do, my theory is the BA’ s are responsible for just the upper treble and air.

Stage is crazy 3D $130 impossibly good.

[GregTheEgg]

for $130 this seems to be such a bargain!

[KrustyolBastid]

Punch Martilo
First impressions.

Very quick first impressions….
Approx. 35 hours burn in.
iBasso DX340

Capable of skull vibrating bass.

Tin Pan Alley - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Bass line is enhanced but stays in its place, sounds natural, good mids and vocal presence, bright airy highs.

Pushin’ P - Gunna
Bass is prominent, fills the head stage.
Skull shaking bass, if you push the volume there. Good vocal presence, not much for highs in this track, but there is a “high hat” synth that is clean and clear.

Angel - Massive Attack.
Deep Boomy bass, handles the bass line well. Good clear vocals.

Cherish the Day - Sade
Nice mid bass thump, good sub mid bass definition. Clear bright vocals, crisp clear treble with good air and sparkle.

Mo’ Better Bass - Techmaster P.E.B.
Deep rumble sub bass, and again mids and treble that are adequate to stand their ground against the bass barrage.

Early Observations:

• Punch Martilo seems to appreciate a powerful source. Not that it is hard to drive, FiiO JM21 pushed them fine on mid gain, but….DX340 with 12V super gain active, and, using high current mode on my headphone amp I use for burn in, wakes up the mids and highs, opens up the staging, and improves bass definition. Planar drivers like power, and it’s possible that’s at least part of it.
• My initial “out of box” listen had me a bit concerned the Martilo might suffer from one dimensional bass, just boomy and lacking texture and definition. But with approx. 35 hours of aging to limber up the dual DD’s and the bass is really good. Regardless of individual thoughts on “burn in” my experience is getting a few hours on this IEM will dial in the bass drivers.
• So far, only a few source devices tried, Martilo doesn’t seem to be overly source fussy. But, as above, I do find more powerful sources are a bonus.
• I was a bit leery Martilo might be a “bass only” focused tuning. But on second listen, after some burn in, it pleases me that they are not. Punch Audio’s engineers paid attention to tuning the Martilo with very good mids and high presence as well. While bass has an extra lift in the tuning, it is very much the recorded source that determines how much bass is present.
• Electronic, Synth, Rap, Pop, House, etc. genres that often focus on a heavy bass presence are Martilo’s sweet spot for sure. But I listened to several different genres, even a couple Classical violin concertos, and Martilo pulled them off nicely.

Summary:
Too early to draw definitive conclusions. Some lengthy listening sessions and some critical listening is required.
But my current impression of the Punch Audio Martilo is;
Punch has served up a bass focused IEM, that can, and will, shake your skull if the track calls for it, and with an extra notch or two on the volume wheel.
But it is well tuned in all ranges and can also play nice with most genres, adding just a taste of extra bass.

ivipQ Phoenixia is under review now, hope to have Martilo review available by end of next week.

Enjoy your Music

[ToneDeafMonk]

My video title is going to be called INSTANTANEOUS BUY!

That 10mm DLC Dynamic Driver is simply fantastic running the entire mids and that 8mm Bass Driver is the Bomb! Kefine OMG

Also looks like the BA’S are composite sets wher everyone else calls this 4 BA’s Kefins calls this only 2.

[pk500]

Looks like another banger by Kefine.

The only brand that’s still batting 1.000 for me, as I loved the Klean and Delci.

[ToneDeafMonk]

Same the only one I passed one was the Planar, I gave they some more input on a future hybrid lets see if that takes hold.

[ToneDeafMonk]

Kinera Celest YAKSHA 4K

Celest Yaksha my thoughts on this one.
Beautiful Design

Nice cable your choice 3.5 or 4.4

Warmer and musical over dry and sterile lots of emotions

Interesting top end will appeal to people who like a crisper treble.

Nice new case

Not quite natural sounding mids

Presence region has a disconnected coherence in the treble

Cable astethetics don’t match either colorway in red or green but a purple version was seen?

[ToneDeafMonk]

KEFINE QUATIO INCREDULOUSLY GOAT MUST HAVE 4K

Kefine Quatio
Incredulously GOAT MUST HAVE!

Value Equation with this sound can’t be touched for anything near it asking price!
Nothing comes remotely close.

3 Distinct Tunings with nozzles that work , Lush Musical / Neutral Full / Fun Engaging your pick

True woofer bass without bloat, texture, depth and Laying in the bass is truly breathtaking.
Driver that was chosen is spot on.

Naturalness across the entire frequency rage but especially in the mids is standout.

Dynamic Driver for full range that sounds hyper realistic and organic and full

Treble that is sonicly detailed and clean.

Stage with depth, and amazing 3D placement done so very musicly.

Laying and placement that levels the Quatio to GOAT levels

Case, cable, Tips all putting other offerings to shape.

Need to be mindfull Nozzles are secured on tightly or bass will be effected.

[KrustyolBastid]

ivipQ Q-09 Phoenixia.
7 Driver Hybrid. $184.99 usd.

IDD+6BA

• 10mm bio-titanium driver
• dual bass BAs
• Dual mid-BA
• Dual customized high-BA
  Sensitivity: 103db
  Impedance: 12 ohms
  Frequency Response: 20hz-20000hz

Preamble:
Thank you to fellow Canuck Audioholic Bennet Kelly for sharing the ivipQ Q-09 Phoenixia from his personal stash.

I received only the ear pieces, stock cable, and the carry case.
Not able to speak to the unboxing experience, but what I received is all above average and commensurate with the retail ask.

Pros and Cons:
Medium size, vented, 3D printed resin shells have metal nozzles, a smooth finish, and seamless at the faceplate. The mild “wing” and mid point nozzle depth, in my ears, offers up a comfortable fit with good nozzle angle for a secure anchor and seal.
Faceplates are decorated with a primarily blue and gold coloured Phoenix feather design.
Nice two core modular 2 pin cable has a smooth black outer insulator that has little micro-phonics. Comes with 3.5 and 4.4mm terminations.
Cable conductor composition not identified.
Driver manufacturer and model numbers not identified.
Not critical, because Phoenixia sounds really good, but it would be nice to be able to become familiar with the drivers for recognition if they appear in other models.
Source device friendly. Sounded good on all I tried. Personal preference was toward a more resolving source.
Relaxed U shaped sound signature, with a mids lift, and somewhat rolled off highs.

Source Devices:
I find the Q-09 Phoenixia very source compliant. I listened to it on several of my source devices from the EPZ TP 35 on an iPhone 16 to the Hiby R8II, and found this IEM sounded good on all of them.
Phoenixia adapted to each source devices tuning characteristics, but in each case no part of the sound signature became too present, or, too relaxed.

In the end I choose the A&K SP2000T on OP mode with its more resolving, but still musical personality for the sound evaluation.

Equipment:
ipivQ Q-09 Pheonixia IEM aged 50+ hours.
Astell and Kern SP2000T DAP set to OP amp mode, 4.4mm out.
Stock non-descript cable terminated 4.4mm.
Eletech Baroque wide bore ear tips.

Sound:

Sub bass has a nice rumble, pulls low, and stays in place, it doesn’t overwhelm the head space.
Mid bass has good impact with good definition between sub/mid bass.
Overall a well textured bass presentation that stays in its lane, but steps up when called upon.

Mids are clean, clear and have very good macro detail. They present elevated and somewhat forward.
Vocals are also elevated and a bit forward. Both male and female have an accurate and natural tonality.

Highs are rolled off, with upper mids carrying most of the load.
There is some sparkle and air, but cymbals and high hats for example present lower in the head space, with mids over riding and presenting higher up.

Head stage has good width and height with average depth. It fills the head nicely with enough open spaciousness for accurate imaging and layering.

Summary:
The ivipQ Q-09 Phoenixia is a really nice all rounder in all respects.
Source device friendly, good bass, clear detailed mids, and while the high end is rolled off, it’s not absent, and no risk of harshness or sibilance.

Apart from maybe wanting a touch more sparkle and air, for my personal listening preference, I can’t find anything to fault with Phoenixia.
It is a well balanced, musical IEM well suited to lengthy listening sessions immersed in the music, and never fatiguing.

At $185.00 usd retail Phoenixia is outside the budget IEM class, but for a well tuned 7 driver hybrid with quality shells and accessories it’s priced commensurate with other IEM’s in its class.

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.

[kingnubian]

Softears Volume S – Musically Balanced

Shoutout to the Canuck Audioholics Review Group as well as Softears and HiFiGo for providing the Volume S in for review.

Preamble:

Softears, based in Shenzhen, has been quietly releasing high quality products since 2017. Their product line includes not just iem but also cables, tips and a portable USB DAC.
The Volume S is positioned at the bottom of the line as per its price, but by no means does this reflect on its performance. At $319 USD the Volume S is positioned in a crowded retail space with more than a few heavy hitters nipping at its boots. I would say that it does hold its own and then some.
Each combo medical grade resin/aluminum/carbon fiber shell houses a hybrid driver setup which includes a single 10mm silicone diaphragm dynamic driver, a 6mm wool paper diaphragm dynamic passive driver and two self developer balanced armatures all mated to a 3-way crossover network. Additional design innovations include what is called “Strip pressure release technology which is said to enhance the bass, low-latency conduits meant to preserver Phase and an interesting two stage tuning adjustment tech. There is a small two position switch located on the faceplate meant to switch between low and high impedance modes. Each position does perceptibly change the overall sound, but for testing I opted for the low impedance mode which sounded fuller.
The Volume S is fairly easy to drive and in my listening was source tolerant although still better suited to more capable front ends in particular where bass drive and impact was concerned. Tuning here is balanced top to bottom with no particular part of the frequency range taking the lead.
Read on to find out more.

SPECS:

Model: Softears Volume S
Drivers: 1 10mm Dynamic Driver, 1 6mm passive dynamic, 2x balanced armatures
Sensitivity: Mode 1 (114dB/Vrms), Mode 2 (124db/Vrms)
Impedance: Mode 1 (31.2Ω ), Mode 2 (9.8ohm)
THD: <1%
Frequency Response: 8Hz - 40kHz
Cable Details: 2-pin Interchangeable tips 3.5mm & 4.4mm

Build & Fit:

The Volume S is an average looking iem, which is subjective, and is moderately large in size. Fitment was not an issue for me but I can see how some with smaller ears may have issues but more so with comfort during long listening sessions. I found myself having to adjust the iem during longer listening sessions to maintain comfort but not enough to be overly distracting. Tip selection is key here, not just for the sound quality but to maximise comfort as well.
Build quality though is very good. I only had the iem and its cable in for evaluation but apparently the retail presentation and quality of the accessories is in step with that of the iem itself. The cable is also standout being of the softer fabric sheathed variety with the addition of being modular which I appreciate. One thing of note is the cable is susceptible to microphonics clearly audible when no music is playing.

SOUND:
Bass:
The low end follows the balanced presentation of the overall sound. There is some emphasis here but only to give body and fullness to the sound. When called for the bass hits hard but this is by no means a basshead iem.
The bass is notably well behaved and negligible bass bleed in the midrange was noted. There is a pleasing thickness to the low end here and while the sub-bass is not bottomless, I rarely ever felt that anything was missing. Detail and texturing are good as heard on “Angel” Massive Attack as is bass impact & decay. The balanced bass of the Volume S is just that. There to serve as a solid foundation and towing the line when it comes to the overall tuning.

Midrange:

The midrange is arguably the star of the show. Clean with good definition and natural sonics. There is a good mix of both macro and micro details here though to be fair the Volume S is not a detail monster but satisfying none the less. There is a warmth to the lower mids that is inviting paired with the slightest of presence boost to keep thing interesting. Note weight here is also pleasing adding to the organic delivery.
Pinna gain is kept in check with no harshness noted. Transients are handled in a believable fashion and the noteworthy timbre is quite natural adding to the immersive quality that the midrange possesses. And this is the strength of the balanced organic midrange the Volume S delivers. The impressive level of coherency combined with its inherent natural presentation really do add up to an iem that can pull the listener in. Also Noted was how forgiving the Volume S is on less than perfectly recorded tracks. That being said, on well recorded music the Softears Volume S does sing.

Treble:

The treble is nicely extended and is obviously tuned for musicality as opposed to standing out. There are adequate amounts of sparkle and air here with the same organic sonics noted in the midrange.
No harshness or glare was noted, the Volume S staying the course even at higher volume levels and more complex tracks. Detail retrieval is good and the Volume S was heard to have a resolving treble.
The treble continues to tow that line of a balanced and more mature tuning.

IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE:

Soundstage is moderately large with notable layering and separation of instruments. Width is beyond the ears and depth is well presented with some height thrown in for good measure.
Instrument placement is precise with space heard around each. As in some of the better sets I have heard, the Volume S offers up a soundstage with dimensions that are not exaggerated in one direction or another being presented more believably. This enhances the previously mentioned immersive of playback on the Volume S.

VERSUS:

-Kiwi Ears Astral-

The Astral also uses a slightly different hybrid setup. I should point out that the Astral was a more comfortable iem in the ears but what about the sound.
In the bass the Astral digs deeper and is more prominent as compared to the Volume S but not in an obtrusive way. In terms of detail and texturing they are more similar than different.
The midrange is where differences are more easily heard. The Astral has a livelier presentation with comparable if not arguably better detail retrieval while the Volume S is just a touch more organic. The Volume S does have a smoothened over sound as opposed to the more tactile sound of the Astral. Each offers a great midrange but here I do prefer the way the Astral relays the mids but that is down to personal preference and not the overall musicality.
In the treble the Volume S also less energetic yet with respect to detail retrieval is comparable to the Astral. The treble as ordered by the Volume S is slightly more organic here although each does well in this regard. I would like a little more sparkle with the Volume S but the natural playback gets the nod here.

CONCLUSION:

The Softears Volume S is an excellent IEM. I can see those listeners who prioritize musicality and organics as being well suited to what the Volume S has to offer. The Softears Volume S gets a recommendation.

[pk500]

Bingo. You nailed it with that review. The Volume S is all about balanced musicality, not “look at me!” tuning tricks.

Well done.

[ToneDeafMonk]

I think you will really enjoy the K9 then!

[kingnubian]

Kiwi Ears Etude – Rumble in the Jungle

Thanks to Kiwi Ears for providing the Etude for an unbiased review

Preamble:
Readers of my reviews will instantly recognize the Kiwi Ears brand as I have had a number of their products grace my ears.
This one though is different. The Etude while sporting a more traditional driver compliment that includes a 10mm Beryllium dynamic driver and three balanced armature drivers, one for mids and a dual unit for the treble, has an ace up its sleeve by incorporating what Kiwi Ears calls a KVT (Kiwi Vibration Transducer). Kiwi ears goes out of their way to state that the KVT is “not like bone conduction drivers currently used in earphones. Rather, it is more akin to scaled down miniature vibration drivers that are used in Bluetooth vibration speakers”. This transducer, basically a vibrating conduction plate operating in a vibration chamber, does indeed affect the sound. Interestingly tapping the shell does return some interesting reverberant sound.
The Etude does do better with ample power driving it in particular with respect to the bass. Underpowered, bass quality takes an audible hit with respect to clarity and tightness even negatively affecting midrange presence and clarity. For best sonic results power the Etude well.
Tuning is relatively balanced but the bass does stand out to a great extent more so on how “Different” it sounds as opposed to it overpowering the rest of the frequency range which it does not.
Read on to find out more.

SPECS:
Drivers: 3BA + 1DD + 1BN
Sensitivity: 104dB SPL/mW
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Impedance: 5Ω
Connector: 0.78mm 2-Pin
Cable Length: 1.2 Meters

Build & Fit:
The Etude is an attractive looking iem with a larger than average size. During listening I did not find that fitment was an issue but those with smaller ears may not fair as well. Build quality overall was typical Kiwi ears that being very good.
The packaging is also typical for the company being the same for the Etude, Septet and Astral only differing on the contents to some extent. The included accessories, tips case and cables, are of good quality. The included cable, while being a step down from that offered with the other two just mentioned, is a pretty basic cable to be honest but will get the job done for most people.

SOUND:

Bass:

Right away it becomes apparent that the tuners of the Etude did spend some time with this particular bass implementation. The low end has a density to it that at times reminded me of my dad’s old speakers with their 15” woofers. This is not to take away from the quality heard though.
Bass takes on a more tactile quality with ample power and slam and a thickness to it that did make me sit up and take notice more than a few times. Even with such a bold presentation, the quality of the low end is surprisingly good. When adequately powered the Etude is capable of relaying detail and texture in a pleasing way with bass being taught with good quickness.
Bass does sound “Larger” than many iems I have heard but I need to make something clear. Calling the Etude a “Basshead” iem is flat out incorrect. Yes, bass can be powerful and tactile but it is fairly unique in presentation and can become addictive even. Bass here is more than just an audible sensation. No, my ears did not vibrate, but I felt that the low end extended beyond the confines of just sonics.
The KVT does not sound like a typical bone conductor implementation. It is in my experience different and I for one did appreciate what it added to the sound.

Midrange:

The midrange is resolving with a good mix of macro and micro details heard. While there is a warmth to the mids they remain neutral overall. That being said, vocals can sound more distant yet at other times they can stand out. I found it really depended on the track with busier or more bass present tracks pushing the vocals more forward.
Vocal texturing was something that I noticed with the Etude being able to reproduce those nuances well. Both male and female vocals had a comforting natural tone to them with good clarity. Instruments as well sounded natural and distinct. Note weight is commendable as is timbre and transients were reproduced with good attack and decay. Layering and separation are also notable but can suffer greatly if the Etude is not driven by a capable source.
Pinna gain is thankfully kept in check with just a manageable rise there to enhance clarity and keep thing interesting.
The Etude offers a midrange that is clean, coherent and pleasurable to listen to. While not the kind that will immediately drag the listener in, it is well suited to long listening sessions and over time will envelop the listener.

Treble:
The treble is nicely extended and balanced with adequate quantities of sparkle and air. It is a treble that does not call attention to itself yet is not lacking.
Treble detail retrieval is actually quite good with no harshness encountered. In fact, I found the treble nicely technical without sounding cold. Cymbal strikes and brushes are reproduced with a nice cleanness and control being natural to these ears.

IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE:
Soundstage is moderately sized, tuned for a more balanced and natural presentation of scale than being overblown. More intimate than expansive the soundstage does not feel cramped or constrained. Imaging within that soundstage is good if not precise although there is a clear separation of instruments.

VERSUS:
-Kiwi Ears Astral-

The Astral also uses a slightly different hybrid setup and does not have a KVT. In essence, the Astral is comparatively a more refined “musical tool” than the Etude, the Astral being overall more precise in its delivery.
Bass is interesting as the Astral has great bass but more typical of a “standard” iem than that offered by the Etude. The Etude’s bass has greater reverberation in the low end while the Astral again arguably has better detail retrieval.
Midrange follows the same trend with the Astral just being that much more precise with better layering and separation. That being said, the Etude does very well in particular when it comes to reproducing vocal textures.
In the treble both do very well with the Astral having more sparkle and air. Each has good detail retrieval and lack harshness.
In the end I do prefer the more expensive Astral, which has become one of my favorite iems of 2025. Still the KVT powered bass and balance of the Etude is well done.

CONCLUSION:

I believe the Kiwi ears has another great product here with the Etude. With the KVT driver some would think that the Etude would be a niche product. Nothing can be farther from the truth. The Etude is a very good sounding iem that just happened to have a bass presentation that I’m sure will garner many fans.
It is an iem that offers a clean and interesting sound from a manufacturer that knows how to leverage different driver technologies to create a compelling listening experience. The Kiwi ears etude gets a recommendation.

Availalable here: Kiwi Ears Etude

[ToneDeafMonk]

Jumble in the jungle! LOVE IT

[KrustyolBastid]

Punch Martilo
Legit “Basshead” IEM
5 Driver Tribrid IEM. $329.00 usd

• 1 planar magnetic driver
• 2 Knowles RDE balanced armatures
• 2 8 mm dynamic drivers

• Sensitivity
  100 dB @ 1 kHz (±1 dB)
• Frequency Response
  10 Hz–22 kHz
• Impedance
  9 Ω @ 1 kHz (±1.5 Ω)

Preamble:
The Punch Martilo is a personal purchase.
It will tour with the Canuck Audioholics Review Group.
Tone Deaf Monk, King Nubian, and myself.

Packaging:
Packaging is pretty standard, medium sized box printed with info on the iem. Foam and boxboard inserts protect the contents well for shipping.
Included are:
The ear pieces, a nice 2 pin modular cable, a usable zippered carry case, 3 pair silicone tips, 3 pair foam tips, 3.5 and 4.4mm terminations.
Nothing out of the ordinary, but nicely done.

Pros and Cons:
Quality and finish of the 3D printed vented shells are commensurate with what we have come to expect from 3D printed shells.
Medium/Medium large in size and leaning toward the thick side.
Semi custom nozzle design and a mild wing work well with my ears for nozzle placement in ear, and a comfortable and stable fit.
Above average quality, modular, 4 core cable with metal encased fittings, a workable chin toggle, and 3.5-4.4mm terminations.
Punch does not specify conductor composition of the cable.
Chin toggle is tight and requires two hand operation. But, it does stay put.
Easy to drive, even with a basic dongle on a phone. But….
Pushing extra power to Martilo enhances the presence of the planar magnetic driver, and boosts the highs. (more on that below)
Not source device fussy, but some have better overall synergy than others.
(Genre and recorded track play a role)
“Basshead” IEM in a multi faceted way.
Nice clear mids and accurate vocals.
Good highs, relaxed and never harsh or sibilant, but present.
Head filling stage with good layering and imaging.

Source Devices, and Power:
As mentioned above the Martilo are not difficult to drive, on the EPZ TP35 connected to iPhone 16 running Qobuz, the Martilo sounds good. Not as open and spacious and a more bass oriented sound signature, but, you don’t have to push the volume way up to enjoy a decent listening session.

I first noted the effect of “more power” while aging the Martilo on my headphone amp (Cayin iHA-6).
I switched on high current mode and immediately noted tighter bass, a more open and spacious stage, and the air and sparkle of the treble elevated higher in the head space.
Not huge differences, but a noticeable refinement in the sound.

Moving on to my DAPs the Martilo sounded good on all I tried, from the lower powered FiiO JM21 to the high powered Hiby R8ii.
I did find I had a personal preference on each DAP to set them to high gain, and a little less volume applied.
FYI, I seldom set my DAPs above low gain.

The most significant difference with a DAP was on the iBasso DX340 with stock AMP15 card, and the 12v adapter plugged in.
Plugging the DX340 into a 12v power source allows you to set it to “super gain” mode. This was as close as I got to the results on my headphone amp.

Only mentioning the power thing so those who purchase, or have the opportunity to listen to the Martilo, can consider rolling sources and/or amping up the gain to see if you notice similar results to my experience.

Martilo on the iBasso DX320 with optional Nutube AMP 14 installed adds an “era appropriate” analog touch to music from the 70-90’s, as well as to many jazz selections.
I find it very enjoyable.

I choose the iBasso DX340 set to high gain, NOT connected to the 12v adapter for the sound evaluation portion of this review.
I like the tighter bass, more open staging, and elevated treble with this more resolving DAP.

Equipment:
Punch Audio Martilo IEM aged 60+ hours.
iBasso DX340 DAP, stock Amp 15 card, amp gain set to high, 4.4mm out.
Stock, non-descript cable, 4.4mm termination attached.
Eletech Baroque wide bore ear tips.

Sound:
** Punch audio Martilo is very prominently marketed as a basshead IEM.
But “Basshead” is a very ambiguous term. It can be a double bass line laying low and slow along the stage, punchy, impactful, rocking mid bass, boomy/rumbly electronic sub bass, or a Honda civic with 6000 watts and two 48” sub woofers in the trunk ensuring you can hear, and feel, it coming from a block away.
Punch audio has successfully tuned the Martilo to cover all the bases (bass’s?)

Bass:
Is agile and multi faceted, such that the recorded source dictates how it’s presented.
Sub bass that is deep, boomy and/or with a satisfying rumble. Realistic sub woofer grade sub bass.
Mid bass is punchy and impactful but with reasonably quick transients that keep it in its place.

Bass on recorded sources that lean toward a bass heavy presence will pervade throughout the head space the way a subwoofer fills a room, and, other instruments and vocals either play through, or within it.

While recorded sources, with less emphasis on bass, will keep the bass in check, and, where it is meant to be. Often with a bit more bass lift than what the listener might be accustomed to listening on other ear gear, but in control and where it should be, allowing vocals and other instruments their individuality in the mix.

Mids:
Present most often elevated and somewhat forward. Good macro and micro detail, tonality and timbre.
The recorded source again dictates to some degree how mids are delivered. At times they are less elevated, and present lower in the head space than instruments like piano, high hats and cymbals.

Highs:
The highs are relaxed and somewhat subdued. They are present, and have good detail and clarity, but often are somewhat “buried” underneath the vocals and mids.
This is where I find more powerful source devices and/or gain settings can be beneficial, helping to open up staging and given the highs a boost.
(My experience, YMMV)

Head Stage:
Width is very good, outside the ears.
Height also very good, with sub bass able to pull low around the chin, and mids, vocals, and highs stretching well into the upper reaches of the skull.
Front to rear depth is average, I don’t get an enhanced holographic feel, but the stage does fill the head nicely.
I find the stage itself to be more intimate than expansive, but spacious enough to give instruments space and individuality. Imaging and layering is accurate and precise.

Summary:
No IEM will be right for every audio enthusiast. But the agility of the Martilo to roll with the recorded source and deliver bass of the right type, in the right quantity, at the right time, will likely satisfy, and find favour, with a wide swath of bass loving enthusiasts.

Punch Audio has nailed it with their inaugural IEM release.

Martilo is most certainly an engaging IEM.
It will draw you in, but don’t expect to relax and drift.
Martilo makes you tap your toes and dance in your chair.
A true musical joy ride.

At $329.00 usd it is well outside “budget” territory, but well worth every penny IMHO.
I will never outright recommend any IEM, because I’m well aware we are all unique in our hearing and hearing preferences.
But the Martilo is 100% worthy of consideration.
And if you get a chance to put a pair in your ears, don’t turn down the opportunity.

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.

[ToneDeafMonk]

Looking forward to hearing this one , nice looking Graphic designer on the shelks ,

[kingnubian]

Great review. Looking forward to this one.