Final Sonorous-II and Sonorous-III are in my opinion the absolute best closed back headphones you can buy for less than 500$ (either costing much less than that actually). You can find them stuck on our Wall of Excellence, and reviewed here.

At-a-glance Card

Why and how

Ear pads – their internal structure, size, thickness, and external fabric – do change headphones sound even more than what eartips do to IEMs. And final Sonorous Earpads are no exceptio.

First and foremost, the distance between the actual sound transducers and the ear modulate low frequency sound pressure, which obviously significantly influences the presentation. Based on this fact, final Sonorous earpads are filled with sponges of different thickness and consistency. Their external material is synthetic leather featuring equal horizontal and vertical flexibility. Finally,

Another important aspect when it comes to closed-back earphones is avoiding sound appearing “muffled” due to lack of backside venting. Final accomodates for this by carving small apertures on the inside and the outside of the pads “donuts”, achieving superb results in terms of sound clarity.

Lastly, final Sonorous Earpads feature a quite ingenious system to facilitate swapping. By direct experience it does work. You may want to take a look at the final’s official quick tutorial video to get an idea.

The range

As I mentioned, final Sonorous Earpads are avaialble in 7 different variations. Here are the lineup specs, directly taken from final’s website.

Model	Surface Material	Sponge	Filter	Stock on	Picture
Type A	synthetic leather	thick, strong standard type sponge	single layer	SONOROUS VI, IV
Type B	synthetic leather	thinner/softer sponge compared to Type A	single layer	SONOROUS VI
Type C	synthetic leather	W-shaped sponge combining Type A and Type B types	3 layer	SONOROUS X, VIII
Type D	synthetic leather	thick, strong sponge	3 layer	SONOROUS III
Type E	synthetic leather	thick, strong sponge	single layer	SONOROUS II
Type F	Polyurethane	expanded foam body with superior breathability and special polyurethane fibers	n/d	D8000
G	Polyurethane + Toray Ultrasuede	expanded foam body with superior breathability and special polyurethane fibers	n/d	D8000 Pro

My direct experience

Final of course issues a number of pairing recommendation for each of such models. You can find the entire story here.

That said, I only directly tested the 4 models which are recommended for my 2 Sonorous headphone models (II and III). Here is a recap of my opinions.

So the aftermath is… I could have saved the money for Type C and B, and just swap stock pads between Sonorous-II and Sonorous-III to reach my preferred configuration on both. But how could I have known it without trying?

Conclusions

final Sonorous Earpads significantly contribute to alter and finetune Sonorous headphones.

They are not inexpensive – retailing from ¥ 5810 / € 44 to ¥ 9300 / € 70 a pair – but their build quality is ace and they are a more than solid recommendation for any Sonorous user.

Disclaimer

All the earpads I tested are my own property, they did not come from the manufacturer or a distributor on review/loan basis.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

The post final Sonorous Earpads Review – Easy Rec appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Nozzle mesh screens sometimes look like a decorative piece or something just to keep the ear juice out. They can create problems though when they wick up too much moisture or modders decide to remove them completely. Below you can see up close images of various nozzle mesh screens serving a vital function – to dampen unwanted resonances. The screen openings themselves (number of holes + diameter of holes) can also factor into the tuning of the earphone, but this was not included as part of this investigation. Below are samples of certain earphones where nozzle screens were discussed in more than passing on certain forums, as well as a popular modder tool otherwise known by the name of micropore tape or paper tape.

KZ ZS3

It was quite the rage to remove these screens and I see why. Mine was actually two plastic screens stuck together. Was this a mistake or on purpose?

SONY MH755

Reviewed here. Modders like to remove the foam plug, but do not remove the black mesh screen. It tames the peaks at 2.8kHz and 5.3khz giving it almost a textbook Harman curve. Very much important noted by certain modders like Slater.

BQEYZ SPRING 1

Our takes on the Spring 1 here. Modders claimed by removing the screen it would get rid of the woolly bass. I removed mine and the quality of the bass did not change, but treble peaks were turned up giving the illusion of improved bass. The bass was just masked by the extra treble punch. Again, I do not recommend removing unless there wasn’t enough upper midrange in the stock tuning. I have heard that other BQEYZ models employ tuning filters directly on the BA units, so this might explain why the screen only has a minor impact.

MOONDROP KANAS PRO

We covered the KPE exhaustively here. Notorious for clogging with moisture in high humidity areas or sweaty ears, Moondrop eventually started selling replacement nozzle screens and included them in subsequent models like the Starfield. They have an interesting arrangement of a small rectangular area with extra damping coverage. Similar to using a partial piece of micropore tape. Again removing it introduces peakiness. Not recommended.

MICROPORE TAPE (3M NEXCARE PAPER TAPE)

Micropore tape has a very irregular pattern. Not much to say about it other than it doesn’t seem to target any specific frequency. All the other filters are uniform and tend to dampen certain frequencies. Useful as a butter knife, not a scalpel.

SUMMARY

So personally, I do not recommend removing nozzle mesh screens unless planning to replace or mod with something else. There might be exceptions such as pure balanced armature IEM’s that utilize resistance damper filter plugs on the end of the balanced armature itself. Therefore the nozzle screen is not like putting a screen door on a submarine, most appear to be used as resistive dampers to tame the frequency response. I’m not suggesting it is wrong to remove the filters, but be aware of the consequences. If there are other earphone modding materials you would like to see up close and personal, leave a comment below or feel free to get in touch with us and we will see what we can do to expand this article.

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

Sometimes I stare blankly at walls.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.

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KBEAR TRI I3 has been around since the 3rd quarter of 2019. It was launched at the same time together with KBEAR Diamond, which received all the attention while the elder sibling was largely neglected. TRI I3 rose to fame slowly but gradually. It gained recognition in Japan after very successful sales. Ever since, the I3 has always been on backorder because the Japanese are buying them faster than TRI can churn them out.

In the West, similarly TRI I3 gained fame and recognition slowly among the head-phile community, especially the tri-brid earphone enthusiasts. A few of them even prefer it over the very popular BQEYZ Spring (first version). A quick search on Google reveals not many reviews of TRI I3 on English websites, at least not as common as on either Japanese or Korean websites. 

In May 2020, KBEAR sent me a TRI I3 in exchange for my honest review. Personally, I am not a fan of doing reviews however I could sense the potential in this earphone. After receiving the I3, I took a quick listen. It has a luscious and fluid sound that many Chi-Fi earphones lack. At that time I was also testing the KBEAR KS2, so having the TRI I3 around is like taking a short break from work. The I3 was an instant relief from the aggressive tonality of KS2. 

Subsequently, my colleague Baskingshark wrote a definitive review on Audioreviews, titled “TRI I3 Review – Smooth Operator”. From his review we know the TRI I3 has a balanced and coherent sound. It excels in staging and is good for non-fatigue listening. Also, it needs a headphone amp to shine.

My listening impressions largely coincides with Baskingshark’s. In addition, I would like to add that TRI I3 has a “grand” presentation. Everything sounds bigger, taller, bolder… As if your set lunch has been “super-sized”. My only nitpick is its mid-bass is a bit too much (slight bloat). It gives warmth but it also adds a layer of haze. Upper-mids and treble are fine except it is a tad less detailed than what many people would consider good resolution, and it does lack some top-end extension and air.

My apology to KBEAR… I don’t want to do a review. Instead I will do a tweaking blog, just like the one I did for KBEAR TRI I4. It will be a very simple tweak. Nothing fancy… No 3M Micropore tape mod… No poking holes on filters, and definitely no dismantling.

Let’s look at the two basic components that affect sound in an IEM – mainly the cable and eartips. I am sure some of you will start crying “snake oil” when I mention the word “cable”, but like it or not, cables do affect tonality to a certain extent. The logic behind may not be scientifically-proven but the effects are obvious enough to be heard.

– Let’s look at the first component: cable.

The stock cable that comes with TRI I3 is a 4-core 4N OCC copper cable. OCC copper has a tendency to elevate bass and midrange, so this copper material isn’t ideal for the I3.
To establish a baseline, I hooked up my trusty Yinyoo 8-core tin-plated copper cable to the I3. With this cable, bass tightened slightly (but not reduced) and midrange clarity improved. Still not the results I wanted.

My past experience with stereo hifi systems tells me that pure silver cable helps suppress, tighten bass and lower-midrange. At the same time adds sparkle and clarity to treble and open up treble regions. Immediately, I contacted Yinyoo if they have a high-purity silver cable which they can suggest to me. They recommended the 4-core 7N pure silver cable at $62. Well, it is a small price to pay for big improvement.

– The second component to consider are eartips. The stock eartips that come with I3 are “loudness” eartips. How so? Similar to the loudness switch on many vintage amplifiers, this eartip lifts both bass and treble (yes, a V-shaped boost)… Which again, isn’t a good choice for I3.

I am looking for eartips that will reduce bass and midbass yet leaving upper-midrange and treble mostly untouched. For this task, I have Ortofon silicone eartips (€11 for 3 pairs) in mind. I had these eartips with me for a while but I hardly use them because they thin out low frequencies, sometimes a bit too much. It looks like I can make good use of them in this project. Alternatively, Tennmak Whirlwind has similar effect but tonality and comfort-wise, I still prefer Ortofon.

With both components in place, here is how the synergy goes… 
Overall tonality is so much more coherent with upper-midrange and treble “open-up”. Yinyoo 7N pure silver cable helps clean up treble, tighten bass and mid-bass, improves overall clarity, as well as solidify stereo imaging and instrument placement. Ortofon silicone eartips help suppress mid-bass, reducing a bit of that woolly-warmth that plagues the stock I3.

Further adjustment of 5 to 6 dB gain at 5KHz at a Q-factor of between 1.5 to 2 on parametric equaliser (PEQ) helps improve resolution and adds sparkle. Resulted in a sound that is both buttery-smooth and crystal-clear at the same time.

These executions are straightforward, simple and can be performed in a few minutes. Of course, you will still have to fork out your hard-earned money for the silver cable and eartips before you can experience any improvement.

The basic sound characteristics of TRI I3 that everybody loves and enjoy largely remain with this tweak. What you gain is clarity, a balanced tonality and richer music texture. You do get a slight increase in resolution but don’t expect to hear more micro-details than it has, unless you are prepared to remove the filter behind the nozzle screen. Then again, tri-brid earphones are tricky to tune. Even I have trouble making them sound right. Therefore, I prefer to keep the innards of the I3 intact to retain its silky-smooth signature.

TRI I3 proves that a tri-brid earphone, when done right, can sound magnificent. Once tweaked, I3 owners will be able to ascent their beloved earphone to the next level. A grandiose makeover for this Grandioso is definitely worth a try!

The post Tweaking the KBEAR TRI I3 : Redefining The Grandioso appeared first on Audio Reviews.

I have mentioned on Audioreviews.org Facebook group that I do not wish to do a full review on the TRN-VX. Instead, I will let my sharp-eared colleagues do the honours. The reasons are… First, being one of the tuner of this 7-driver hybrid earphone, I don’t want to contradict myself in any way possible. Secondly, it isn’t to anybody’s interest if I proclaimed it to be the next best thing since sliced bread. And finally, if I do pass any negative remarks, it makes me look like I am trying to bail myself out with lame excuses. Therefore, I will just highlight some of its deficiencies and how they can be overcome and improved without complicated modifications.

The idea of taming upper midrange/treble peaks with 3M micropore tape goes back to super best audio friend/head-fier james444. We have covered it in detail in our modding 101 section.

1. Harsh treble

This characteristic is nothing new to many TRN aficionados. Almost every V-series flagship earphone since V80 has inherited this 8KHz peak! This peak can be lowered using parametric equaliser or PEQ app at 8Khz with a Q-factor of between 2.5-3.0. I use Toneboosters EQ (an auxiliary add-on for USB Audio Player Pro app) on Android and Peace EQ on Windows.

2. Brittle or ‘glassy” upper-midrange

I have introduced the 3M Micropore tape mod to our Facebook group, and I will reiterate it again. The logic behind this is simple. Out of the VX’s 7 BAs, 2 of them are located inside the nozzle. These two BAs are aiming directly into your eardrums. 3M Micropore tape acts like a filter and damping material that reduces sound energy to your ears by couple of decibels.

3. Tip tips

Most IEM benefits from rolling eartips, VX is no exception. I was experimenting with various silicone eartips and I have good success with Final Audio Type E, JVC Spiral Dot, Azla Sedna EarFits Light, Canal Works CW dual nozzle and SpinFit CP-145. Reversed KZ Starlight eartips thin midrange further so I don’t recommend using it.

4. Traditional snake oil remedy – cable

TRN-VX seems to be more cable sensitive than its predecessors, thus I have added this section to make all the cable skeptics scream in protest. When TRN sent out their samples, they have included their latest T4 OCC copper cable in the bundle. Frankly, this cable brings out the worst of the VX. It is both lean and harsh. Jurgen and I have good success with the $8 Yinyoo 8-core OFC copper cable. Just avoid any cable made of OCC, silver-plated or pure silver that tends to add glare to the already-bright earphone.

De-toxification?
The tuning of TRN-VX isn’t completely toxic. If you could overlook the harsh and willing to do a bit of DIY mods, experiment with eartips and cables, it is actually quite a good IEM for US$70. Bass is responsive, textured and clean. Resolution is exceptional at this price point. Spatial perception is open, airy with good extension. Its timbre is probably the best of all the TRN models, thanks to the new 10mm dynamic drivers.

Thus, when Vannak Pech claimed that “TRN- VX can spoil your hearing”… Inside my little mind, I told myself “Yeah… Literally!”

Enjoy the music!

OUR TRN-VX REVIEWS

RELATED…

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.

The post TRN-VX Modding: Antidote to the Venom appeared first on Audio Reviews.

THE ISSUE

The tonality of the well-received KBEAR Diamond, which had tuning input from Larry and Jürgen, has been described in terms from slightly U-shaped or just a tad bassy (e.g. Loomis, Jürgen) to aggressively v-shaped (e.g. guest reviewer Christophe). When I received my pair, my first thought was that my co-bloggers were irredeemable bassheads. The right-hand side of the V didn’t bother me, but I found the low bass really too much. It’s been mentioned that these are very tip-dependent, and Jürgen and Larry encouraged me to try different ones. In my particular ears, however, different tips either gave good seal and maintained the overbearing bass or gave poor seal leading to very weak bass and lower mids, with no happy in-between (Tennmak Whirlwinds, which I’ve used successfully with other sets, I found too shallow for the deeply-fitting bodies of these). The stock grey tips in medium fitted me well, and not noticing audible differences between those and other wide-bores of similar depth, I stuck with them. I also wondered if I might have a slightly differently tuned pair from the ones that early reviewers received; more on that later.

Being impressed with the timbre and technicalities of the Diamonds (as mentioned in reviews here and elsewhere) and their smooth upper mid and treble presentation, I decided to have a go at modding them to see if I could get the bass down to somewhere not so overwhelming, and if that turned out to increase the perceived upper mid bump, to try reducing this as well. I wanted to see if I could get something closer to ‘my’ target neutral, which through bass and lower mids is represented by the JVC HA-FDX1 with ‘medium’ filtered nozzles, and through the upper mids and lower treble is something between the modified Hifi Walker A1 and Moondrop Kanas Pro. These are shown on the graph below along with the stock Diamond; all are L-R averages measured with our plastic fantastic coupler.

STEP 1: FIXING THE BASS

I started with the bass, and after trying the air-duct-under-the-tip trick and finding that even a thin insert reduced the bass too much, I went for the irreversible but more precisely tuneable solution of piercing the filters in the front vents, taping them up again, and needling the tape to get bass down to taste (see here for another example of this, and see the photo below for reference).

Because the front vent is in the nozzle, well in front of the driver and perpendicular to it, the deep and vigorous needling necessary to pierce the strong and springy-feeling filter is no risk to the driver. The needle should be inserted as far as it will go, numerous times with slight variations in angle to get the hole in the filter out to about the same size as the vent itself. To be safe, make sure your fingers are not covering the rear vent or nozzle bore: as with inserting or extracting non-vented earphones too fast, sometimes creating strong air compression or vacuum can damage the driver. Listening to the earphones after this operation, there should be almost no bass and the tonality should sound the same in both left and right. If there’s still appreciable bass in one or both, poke harder!

To get some bass back again, put a small strip of tape over each front vent and poke a small hole with the tip of the needle. Listen to see if the bass balance is similar in each earpiece (sometimes hard to judge at these low frequencies), enlarging the holes to get the balance even and its level to your taste. A measurement setup is useful in this respect, but not necessary; your ears know what you like. If the bass gets too thin or too unbalanced, start again with new tape. I use Scotch ‘Magic Tape’ for this rather than the ubiquitous modder’s tool of 3M Micropore because Magic Tape is thin and easy to work with and small holes in Micropore tend to heal, becoming smaller over time.

STEP 2: FIXING THE UPPER MIDRANGE

Upon reducing the bass, you might find that the upper midrange and upwards has become too prominent. Disregard this as much as you can while getting the bass to your target, because taking down the higher frequencies can be addressed next if you think it necessary.  This is where Micropore or similar tape, or third-party filters if you have them, can be used. Unfortunately, the peakiness in these is in the upper midrange (around 3 kHz), and it’s difficult to get this area down without taking the treble along for the ride. I tried a few things here; 3M Transpore (which has bigger pores than Micropore but is impermeable between them) to different-width strips of Micropore. In the end I settled on a 4mm-wide Micropore strip, as shown in the photo. This left the upper mids a bit more elevated than I’d like, so screechy horns on some material remain a bit much; but I found that 100% coverage of the nozzles not only took too much air out of the treble, it also squashed mid and treble dynamics. 

My favoured end result (green curve) is to me slightly v-shaped, having more bass & upper-mid emphasis than the JVCs but not being too much more rolled-off in its already somewhat relaxed treble, and restoring some presence to the lower and middle portions of the midrange. And importantly, doing something not reflected in frequency-response graphs: retaining and even enhancing the good timbral qualities and technicalities of the pre-mod character. I find bass notes now to have better defined textures, and midrange voices and instruments to have apparently enhanced detail and placement – while the whole signature retains an overall smoothness that makes an interesting change from the wicked fast transients of the JVCs.

So if you find these to be too v-shaped for you and you don’t mind the irreversible aspect of the bass component, give these mods a go. Experiment with different widths and configurations of tape (e.g. two thin strips crossed), maybe along with different tips (see Larry’s list for ideas, bearing in mind that different tips might sound different in different ears) until you find what suits you best; the joy of modding is that you get to be the tuner and call the final shots. And of course, if you find your Diamonds just fine as they are – don’t do any of this, just enjoy them!

I speculated in the first paragraph that my pair might have been a bit different from others. This suspicion is based on Jürgen not reporting them as overly bassy or v-shaped (although he’s accused me in the past of being a bass lightweight, we don’t usually differ too much in our impressions there), and on differences between our measurements. We use identical couplers, both ‘built’ by me, and the same measurement procedures, and our past measurements of the same earphones have given results that are very close. Comparing our Diamond measurements, however, mine are 3-4 dB higher in the low bass and ~3 dB higher around 3 kHz and don’t drop anywhere near as deep into the mid-treble compared to his (whether my original unsmoothed L&R or the 1/12-octave smoothed average in the graphs above is used in the comparison). It’s not impossible that the difference is operator/measurement-equipment variation, but this past experience and Christophe’s reaction to these as well as mine does make me wonder.

Disclaimer

The KBEAR Diamond was provided unsolicited from KBEAR. Thank you very much. You can buy it at the KBEAR Official Store.

RELATED…

KBEAR Diamond review by Loomis

KBEAR Diamond review by Jürgen

KBEAR Diamond review by Christophe

All our modding tricks

The post KBEAR Diamond Mods: If They’re Too Bassy or Too V-Shaped, Try This… appeared first on Audio Reviews.

When KBEAR sent Jürgen and me the KB04 beta for tuning, we were still halfway through fiddling with the KBEAR Diamond. The former, being a less important “candidate”, was put aside until a much later date. We gave Diamond our 200% attention. KBEAR did mention to me (not Jürgen) briefly the KB04 was going to be their new budget model. 

When we did eventually get to the KBEAR KB04, we were exhausted by the excitement over Diamond. I have to admit that I didn’t bother to give it a good listening. My initial impression of the KBEAR KB04 beta was good. Nothing offensive that needed my immediate attention, so I didn’t get back to KBEAR promptly as I normally would. However, Jürgen did highlight the mids being a tad shouty.

I did some minor adjustments on the tuning console. Somehow, reducing midrange “shoutiness” dulls the overall sound and rendered it lifeless. I told Jürgen about it. From our experience with the Diamond, we know cable and eartips can make or break the sound of an IEM, and so Jürgen suggested maybe KBEAR could match the earphone with right “accessories” to tame the midrange a bit. 

Another few weeks had passed, and KBEAR was busy promoting Diamond. They didn’t contact me again until one fine day, I received a WeChat message asking how Jürgen and I feel about KBEAR KB04. I told them it needs a good cable and eartips. I was immediately hit back in protest – “blah, blah, blah… this is a budget set, if we include fancy cable, it is going to increase the cost… ” Okay, okay… Cool down. I didn’t want to agitate her further, so I told KBEAR to go ahead with the final tuning. The earphone sounded fine to us.

Subsequently came Chinese New Year, then the COVID-19 pandemic and the Great China Lockdown. At the same time I was busy with other projects. The presence of KBEAR KB04 left my memory completely. Then in March, out of the blue I received a WeChat message from KBEAR. This time informing me KB04 will be launched by month’s end. I tried to recall which earphone KB04 was… I dug up the frequency response graph… Oh, that one! And so, I posted it on the Audioreviews Facebook page.

So, what is KBEAR KB04 and how does it sound? I believe there are many talented reviewers out there who can write and describe sound better than me (such as my colleague Loomis Johnson), so I won’t go into that. What I can share here are its shortcomings and which kind of audiophiles the KBEAR KB04 will appeal.

– First of all, do understand that the KBEAR KB04 is a budget IEM model… Meaning everything has been skimmed to most basic to save cost. 

– KB04 is tuned for beginners and amateur audiophiles in mind… In another word, it is suitable for newbies who are still discovering their sound preferences.

– Since KB04 is tuned for newbies, it has a “safe” tuning. Meaning, it will appeal to most people (both audiophiles and non-audiophiles), and is suitable for a broad range of music.

– And since this is a budget model, those advanced-amateurs or expert audiophiles can give it amiss. If you insist on buying a set, PLEASE LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND DON’T NITPICK – KB04 was tuned by amateur tuners still in diapers.

– To get the most from it, you will have to spend more than US$30. Put aside at least $20 and invest in a good set of cable and eartips. If you already own some, do a mix and match to find the right combination.

– If the upper-mids glare bothers you, do a 3M Micropore mod on the nozzles. That will smoothen the sound a little and makes it more palatable to treble sensitive ears.

If all of the abovementioned seem reasonable and acceptable to you, order a set, enjoy it and be happy.

Every audiophile has a starting point, Jürgen and I are glad that you use KBEAR KB04 as your launch pad. Slowly but surely, you will grow in this hobby, and so is your earphone collection. By then, KB04 will be a distant memory to you as well.

Happy exploring…

Contact us!

RELATED…

Loomis’ review of the KBEAR KB04

Baskingshark’s review of the KBEAR KB04

Jürgen’s photos of the KBEAR KB04

The post KBEAR KB04 Tuning – A Distant Memory Lost And Found appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Thanks to Wooeasy Store for sending the first tuning beta. I received the beta two days after Crinacle and Hawaii Badboy (Chris) got theirs. Chris made a YouTube video with graphs.

Crinacle wrote a short comment on Discord. After both commented, I knew roughly what to expect from the BL-05 more or less.

However when I put them in my ears, my anticipated smile turned into a drooping frown faster than Usain Bolt could reach the finish line. The treble is way too peaky!

There are plenty of details though but in the wrong places. Vocals sounded harsh and brittle… Timbre is artificial… I can continue the long list of negatives but in short – no way is this earphone going to the stores.

This is when my job as a tuner comes in. I posted my listening impressions on Audioreviews.org Facebook page. Then I posted comments on both Audioreview and NBBA (No BS Budget Audio) Facebook page seeking suggestions on what audiophiles want from the new tuning.

Next I posted a several graphs on Audioreviews.org to collect opinions and suggestions. It is a TEAMWORK!!! Crinacle shared his concerns. Many have posted their opinions too.

Special thanks to Erlk Ikomori, Yannick Khong, Andrew Grimshaw, Sandeep Shetty, Brian Wheatley, Matt Batista, Rodrigo Rodrigues and many friends of Audioreviews.org (apology if I missed out your name).

I have done a rough tuning and will submit the parameters to BLON after Jürgen received his BL-05. As of now, I am quite satisfied with the new tuning. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that BLON will accept and approve the “new sound”.

We shall NEVERGIVEUP!!! 

Some Photos Of The Blon BL-05

FURTHER READING

Tuning The KBEAR Diamond – A Killer Earphone Ready To Go! by Jürgen Kraus

The post Belief in Driams: The Oppoty To Tune The BLON BL-05 appeared first on Audio Reviews.

KopiOkaya (more) and I (less) recently started helping manufacturers Blon and KBEAR with tuning earphones (we reported) – for free. This came from cumulative frustration with purchases and review units of models that did not appeal to the western ear (including KopiOkaya’s). The idea was to help with generating a product that is universally liked and that works right out of the box, at an attractive price.

Our first project was the KBEAR Diamond (name suggested by co-blogger and Head-Fier Slater). It sports a “Diamond-Like Carbon” (DLC) coated dynamic driver, one that reacts very sensibly to the smallest changes. Not an easy task keeping balance across the frequency spectrum. Therefore, much of the tuning was done by applying different filters. One thing we recognized right away was the potential of this earphone.

What the heck is a DLC coated driver?

KopiOkaya and I received two Betas, we listened, measured, and communicated via Facebook Messenger, often both testing simultaneously. This was not always easy, considering the 15 hour time difference between Singapore and Calgary.

You may wonder why we did not choose a FR that plots between red and blue. I would have preferred this but the tuning filters did not allow it.

The first iteration (green) was too bassy, the second (red) was not bassy enough (that is: good for jazz, classical, but not “fun” enough for most other genres). In no case was the cable particularly attractive. We also had to pick our own eartips and recommend them to the manufacturer. We wanted to make sure this iem works right away and that no upgrades are required.

One of the last steps was deciding on the cable entirely based on sound!!! I am not a believer in cable sound differences (you know they cannot be measured) but HOW WRONG I WAS. We had two cables available, the pink OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) cable in the title photo above and the grey OFC (oxygen-free copper) cable (see below).

What the heck is Ohno Continuous Cast?

The KBEAR Diamond’s sound with the pink OCC cable was disappointing to both of us: way too bassy, which congested the low end. Also too punchy. No, that can’t have been it. KopiOkaya and I were equally horrified…such a poor result after all this work?

Plugging in the grey 8-core OFC cable created a totally different and much more balanced, more appealing sound. Smoother and more homogeneous throughout the frequency spectrum with a way more articulate bass. Done! Bingo! And it is obvious that, if the sound with one cable is perceived as awful but attractive with another, that there MUST be a difference. The KBEAR Diamond is obviously sensitive to such cable differences and is therefore a good object for testing your cables with. The culprit cannot be the impedance profile, which is usually flat in a single DD so that cables with different impedances would still result in the same frequency response. Beats me why these differences.

We also decided on a quality leather case to complete the package, and not a soft baggie or a pleather case. This earphone is worth it. In the end, we are very happy with the result: a well-built, great sounding earphone with good accessories at an attractive price. Let’s see how it will be received by both consumers and reviewers. Not sure whether I will write a full review of the final product or just a detailed characterization. We also hope our contribution will inspire other manufacturers to follow suit and put more emphasis on the small details that usually make the big difference.

The KBEAR Diamond has been available since 15 December 2019, initially limited to 500 pairs, at ca. $79. KopiOkaya and I will not receive any compensation for our work. After all it is our hobby. And on to the next project…

Keep on listening!

The post Tuning The KBEAR Diamond – A Killer Earphone Ready To Go! appeared first on Audio Reviews.