Cons — Included “Spring Tips” too small for big ear canals.

Executive Summary

The Moondrop KATO か と is a well-balanced, smooth sounding single DD earphone that sets a new standard in the $200 region.

Introduction

In the Japanese syllabary of Hiragana, か と stands for “ka to” or Kato, which is the 10th most Japanese surname. I struggled with these characters in my Japanese class at university during the mid 1990s…in order to end up in China later – many times. And yes, it was Chengdu, Sichuan, the home of Moondrop. C’est la vie. But we digress.

The 10 also stands for the number of Moondrop iems I have reviewed, following the company’s odyssey of tunings, always with micropore tape on standby to tame the iems’ upper midrange.

But, to my absolute delight, there is no more tape needed for the か と, pardon “KATO”. It is as smooth as silk. I said it weeks earlier in the SBAF forum, Moondrop are raising the <$200 bar with this model.

Now, before you pull the trigger on your order, please read on. The fact that this iem is astounding still does not mean everybody will love it. There are some strange listeners out there, after all.

The か と, erm…well…you know…is a further development of the $190 KXXS, which was a modification of the $190 KPE (Kanas Pro Edition). I don’t know the KXXS but found the KPE incoherent in that it was warm and thick at the low end and overly lean and neutral in the midrange. I did not like it.

The $110 Moondrop Starfield was said to be very similar sounding as the KXXS (although some disagree), but they are somewhat “loose” at the low end compared to the Kato.

The $90 Aria has recently rolled up the Moondrop field from underneath for being coherent, articulate, but it is also a bit peaky, which nevertheless made it my favourite Moondrop model so far…until now. Spoiler alert: the KATO is even better in that it is smoother and richer. Everything in the KATO is bigger compared to the leaner Aria. It is like a cappuccino with generous whipped cream vs. a strong cup of black tea.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the (rather big) box are the two earpieces, 2 sets of screw-on tuning nozzles (steel and brass), a carrying bag and a carrying case, a set of foams and a set of Moondrop’s own “Spring Tips”, the earphone cable, and the unavoidable paperwork. Generous!

The steel earpieces are virtually identical with the KPE’s and KXXS’ from the outside, but inside they host a new Ultra-Linear Technology driver for improved dynamics and resolution (info on product page). All these earpieces have the same comfortable fit.

The cable is bordering on spectacular – and you know I usually don’t care much about those. It is of medium weight and intermediate stiffness with fantastic haptic and no microphonics.

The in-house developed “Spring Eartips” also feel superb: they have a rather thin membrane and feel extremely grippy. Unfortunately, they are rather small so that even the largest pair does not fit my ear canals. In contrast, the foams are of generous sizes. And since foams generally do not do it for me, I have good results with the Final E tips (clear version). With those, isolation is ok.

The Moondrop KATO can be driven with a phone, but they get more life when amplified.

Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: Sony NW-A55, MacBook Air + Audioquest DragonFly Red/Earstudio HUD100/EarMen Eagle + AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ; steel and brass stock nozzles; Final E tips (clear version).

Sonically, the Moondrop KATO has no sharp corners or other sonic vulgarities, everything is well measured and well composed. To achieve this, low end and midrange have been dialled back compared to previous models.

Despite lesser quantity, the low end is digging deep down into the lowest frequencies with the bass climaxing at the transition to the sub-bass. This avoids a thumpy midbass. The low end is weighty with enough rumble, and the mid bass has a good punch, but both are well dosed and not overwhelming – and rather smooth and subtle. Decay is realistic and there is no bleed into the lower midrange. The bass adds some colour to the mix.

In contrast to its predecessors such as the KPE, the KATOs’s midrange also has some colour which harmonizes much better with the low end. The KATO’s midrange is fuller bodied with well rounded notes and a good weight but also offers great clarity, transparency, and spatial cues.

New is the lack of an upper midrange (and treble) peak which attenuated and sharpened vocals in the Starfield or, to a lesser extent, in the Aria. Nothing aggressive in the KATO. Hurrah, Moondrop finally did it and I can retire my micropore tape I used to stick onto so many Moondrop nozzles to tame the upper midrange.

Treble has better extension than (many) previous Moondrop single DD models but always remains sweet, composed, and well resolving, contibuting to KATO’s overall cohesion.

Staging and imaging are outstanding. Soundstage has good depth and height at average width. There is no congestion, great three-dimensionality, very good separation and layering. Transients are realistic, which adds to the smoothness.

I summary, the Moondrop KATO is one of (if not) the smoothest and most homogenous iems I have tested.

All of the above was determined with the steel nozzle. The brass nozzle adds body to the sound but also removes clarity. I therefore prefer the steel nozzle, which was also used for the comparisons below.

Moondrop KATO compared

Since Moondrop have pursued their VDSF target in their recent single DD models, their frequency responses are all rather similar – but not their sound. The biggest difference is probably between the KATO and the $800 Moondrop Illumination in that the latter has a much more boosted upper midrange, which made it somewhat shouty to my ears. I much prefer the much cheaper KATO.

In comparison, the Moondrop Aria has more bass and a prominent treble peak, which makes it overall more aggressive sounding. The Aria is also leaner, cooler, and edgier sounding with inferior imaging. So yes, the KATO is a worthy upgrade.

The Moondrop Starfield is looser and less measured across the frequency spectrum with earlier treble rolloff and a narrow stage. It is also behind the KATO in terms of technicalities and I even prefer the Aria over the Starfield.

The $250 single DD JVC HA-FDX1 (on our Wall of Exellence “WoE”) have been a very highly regarded standard staple for the last 2 years, mainly because of their rather accurate tonality at a very reasonable price. The JVCs are more neutral and crisper in their attack compared to the warmer, smoother and more immersive KATO, which lack the JVC’s upper midrange glare.

The JVCs have a flatter stage, the perfect bass, they are harder to drive, but they are tonally very accurate and are even cleaner sounding than the KATO. It is a bit silly to compare these as both are superb in their own way.

The IKKO OH10, also on our WoE, has a more pronounced V-shape than the KATO with a thicker, boomier, more impactful/more satisfying bass and more recessed leaner and sharper, that is more energetic midrange. This results in a huge soundstage. Again, the IKKO OH10 are a different beast and not exchangeable for the Kato.

Finally ddHiFi Janus2 (taped) is shouty and thinner (in the midrange) sounding than the KATO. It also has less bass. The Janus2 is not remotely as smooth and cohesive as the KATO.

Concluding Remarks

Moondrop finally got it 100% right. Their KATO is a super smooth performer with a superb overall presentation. It is technically and tonally good enough to please both analytical and recreational listeners. You cannot do better at this price, as simple as that. Just bo and guy it. What…?

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The KATO was kindly provided from Moondrop via their distributor Shenzhenaudio – and I thank them for that.

Get the KATO from SHENZHENAUDIO.

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Gallery

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Cons — Bass could be tighter; non-descript looks and haptic.

Executive Summary

The BQEYZ Summer is a marginally warm, nimble, mid-centric earphone with well-dosed dynamics across the frequency spectrum that results in an easily digestible, appealing sonic signature with a good sense of ease.

Introduction

BQEYZ had taken the Chi-Fi world back in 2018 with their $50 BQEYZ KC2, one of the few budget releases at the time with a near-neutral bass, which I described as “arid”. This model is still popular today.

The company stepped one up with with their $139 Spring model back in 2019. I remember “unboxing” it at Calgary airport on my way to Rio de Janeiro. It featured a fantastic midrange but my personal overall enjoyment was somewhat marred by a bass, that had transformed itself from “arid” to slow and “wooly”.

Some owners fiddled with the nozzle screens (they took them off, bluntly), which sent the upper midrange screaming while the bass remained the same…as documented by co-blogger Durwood in this article. This fix did not work.

BQEYZ followed up with the Spring 2, which I did not audition, however co-bloggers Loomis and Durwood analyzed both “Springs”, and they still reported a slow bass in the “2” [here].

Most recently, BQEYZ replaced their Spring line with the lower-priced $129 “Summer” model that still carries the Springs’ 3-driver tradition including a piezo tweeter. And – spoiler alert – the bass is now fixed, but the new PU+ LCP [“Liquid Crystal Polymer”] adds a completely different and very appealing sonic lightness to the Summer which somewhat corresponds to the actual season of this name.

I find the BQEYZ Summer a very pleasant listen that is hard to compare to anything in the $50 to $200 price range. In other words, it is somewhat sonically unique in as much as its appearance is rather generic. Yes, gone is the metal flavour of that Chi-Fi era, the current trend is resin.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: MacBook Air + Earstudio HUD100 (bypass filter); iPhone SE (1st gen.) & AudioQuest DragonFly Red; black stock tips.

The BQEYZ Summer comes with two sets of tips, the blue “bassier” ones, and the black “neutral” ones. I prefer the black ones as they bring out the midrange better. But I could not get meaningful measurements with the black tips owing to their thin membrane. The graph shown here likely exaggerates that 9 kHz spike. I also added a measurement with my standard tips I use for all measurements for reasons of consistency.

Measurements repeated with JK's Standard Eartips

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In a nutshell: the Summer is a homogeneous sounding, slightly warm earphone with well-measured dynamics across the frequency spectrum and excellent vocals reproduction that lead to my listening enjoyment, despite a few technical shortcomings.

Yes, although the Summer does not have much in common with the BQEYZ Spring (don’t know the Spring 2), it preserves it excellent vocals reproduction. The money is clearly in the midrange, characterized by well sculptured, full, well composed, and natural voices. Great note definition. Not a hint of shoutiness, but this also means some lack of energy in some situations, the usual tradeoff. Very appealing, overall.

BQEYZ addressed the slow, wooly bass in their Spring models and sped it up a bit. It is well extended into the sub-bass, still not the tightest or best textured one, could have some more kick, but it is also not in the way of the vocals anymore and molds well around the midrange. Bass is not boomy and not too punchy in any way, and both low end and midrange receive a glaze of smoothness and pleasantry from the well-dosed (macro)dynamics and relatively realistic transients (of the BA drivers) that make for a very appealing, delightful and fatigue-free listening over longer periods. Great iems to “chill” with.

Nothing scratches or pierces…and this includes the treble despite the weird 8-10 kHz peak in the frequency response graphs. I don’t hear it (but it is not a coupler resonances either). The steep drop in the upper treble may explain the occasional lack of air and sheen in busy passages. The treble is a bit of a mixed bag, sonically. Cymbals are somewhat elegantly reserved and could be crisper, considering the piezo at work whereas the highest octaves, let’s say of a violin are well imaged, never grainy, but also not particularly smooth.

Timbre is ok for a hybrid, but other technicalities are only average: the stage can be crowded with many musicians and does not allow much space between them. Separation and layering are, however, pretty good with fewer musicians at work. Microdynamics (“the little things”), midrange resolution/clarity, and note definition are also average. Stage is wide and tall, not the deepest but spatial cues is good.

In summary, the value of the BQEYZ Summer is in its smoothness, homogeneity, and composition.

In comparison to the elegantly modest Summer, the BQEYZ Spring 1 was much thicker at the low end [as said, I don’t know the Spring 2]. The $80 single DD Whizzer Kylin HE01 is more fun and exuberant, and the $80 Moondrop Aria (which inherits the Spring’s metal shell type) is tighter in the bass and more articulate in the midrange but also a bit peakier in the treble and with a less expansive but deeper stage, and therefore not as smooth and easy as the Summer.

The BQEYZ was kindly provided by BQEYZ and I thank them for that. Get the Summer from BQEYZ Official Store. Here our generic standard disclaimer.

Concluding Remarks

After having tested so many earphones, the BQEYZ Summer is one of a kind, something new to my ears, one of the most “chilled” listens I have experienced [I credit Thomas Smallman for this attribute]. I am really enjoying these earphones for their lightness and pleasantries in every respect.

As Frank Sinatra sang back in 1960: “Nice ‘N’ Easy does it!”

Until next time…keep on listening!

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All Our 250 Earphone and Earbud Reviews (with Links)

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Cons — Deserves more midrange transparency; bassy for some audiophiles; poor-quality silicone eartips; recessed MMCX connectors do not fit standard aftermarket cables.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Sennheiser IE 300 is the company’s audiophile answer to their own PRO series. It is leaning strongly on the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, sonically, with a warm and safe signature retaining the 400’s bass boost.

INTRODUCTION

Sennheiser microphones are the world’s best. Even US president Joe “Buy American” Biden addressed the nation through a German Sennheiser at his January 2021 inauguration. And whereas Sennheiser headphones are still considered belonging to the very best, their earphones have been exposed to a much tighter competition.

The company still relies entirely on the dynamic-driver principle and proprietary or fixed cables, whereas the wide-awake competition floods the market with high-quality multi-drivers and exchangeable/universal after-market accessories at increasingly lower prices.

Sennheiser have been holding on to the proven technologies for three reasons: dynamic drivers provide a natural timbre and a cohesive sound, and they have very low THD (total harmonic distortion)…a symphony orchestra sounds authentic and you can turn the volume up without regret when listening to, let’s say, the “Scorpions”. The downside is limitations in the technicalities such as detail retrieval.

The company’s answer to the changing market was the PRO series issued 2018-2019: three in-ears with detachable cables aiming at professional musicians. We at audioreviews.org have reported on these from all angles, addressing the three models individually (IE 40 PRO, IE 400 PRO, IE 500 PRO)….and we recently drew comparisons between them…with the IE 400 PRO keeping the upper hand.

More recently, Sennheiser recognized the desire of “recreational listeners” for an “audiophile” mid-price iem and designed the IE 300, tuned in Singapore by their company acoustician Virgilio Pasqua Jr. It is essentially an evolution of the IE 400 PRO – both are very similar sounding.

The IE 300’s transducer is “Made in Germany”, the iem is assembled in China, and it was first released in Asia. The company is obviously having a good look at the Asian markets, which appear to be the world’s largest for audio.

SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers: Single Dynamic Driver, Pressure Chamber
Impedance: 16 Ω
Sensitivity: 124 dB/V (1 kHz / 1 Vrms)…very easy to drive
Frequency Range: 6 – 20,000 Hz
Total Harmonic Distortion: < 0,08 % (1 kHz, 94 dB SPL)
Tested at: $300
Product page: https://en-de.sennheiser.com/ie-300
Quick Guide: Download

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

In the box you find:

• IE 300 Earphones
• Cable with MMCX connectors and 3.5mm plug
• Silicone & Memory Foam Sets (S, M, L)
• Carry Case
• Cleaning Tool
• User Manuals

The earpieces show the typical Sennheiser polycarbonate build. They are functional and don’t quite have a jewelry appeal but the company understands material science like no other so I trust them. The shells are small, light, and comfortable…which is a huge advantage over their bulky multi-driver competition.

The cable is stiffer than that of the IE 40/400 PRO and all of these show noise transfer when wiggled. In this case, “microphonics” is minimized by the cable’s texture. There is no noise problem when moving. And the cable is tangle free.

Another interesting design are the earhooks: the user determines their shape, they are very comfortable and keep the earpieces safely in place…as opposed to merciless memory wires that take over and attempt pulling your ears off your head.

The Sennheiser IE 300 have marginally shorter nozzles than the IE 400/500 PRO. And they deploy a new kind of Sennheiser eartip (not the ones you can order from their website) which has the same umbrella sizes but a thinner membrane than their previous standard tip – used, for example – on the Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear and the PRO series. The new eartip is also shorter than the previous design.

The combination of relatively short nozzle and tip together with the thin membrane creates a real fit and isolation issue for my large ear canals. I had problems inserting the IE 300 nozzles as deep into my ear canals as desired. As a rule of thumb, a thinner membrane may result in a fit a size smaller than needed. This has already been a problem for many with the Pioneer CH3 earphone, for example.

I had to purchase the new Spinfit CP100 XL (14 mm umbrella diameter), which are longer than the stock tips to get the fit and isolation promoted by Sennheiser. That worked.

In the Sennheiser IE 300, Jannik Schentek’s proprietary cable connector design for the PRO series was replaced by recessed MMCX connectors. This could have been a good idea if it let you connect aftermarket cables. But none of mine fit because of Sennheiser’s recessed socket, presumably aiming for added stability and durability of the naturally unreliable MMCX design….and controlling the after-market market.

The previous proprietary connectors had worked (technically) for me, they were robust and reliable. MMCX connectors are historically prone to failure so that most manufacturers have replaced this type with the reliable 0.78 mm, two-pin.

These two-pins also sit firmly in place and do not rotate like a helicopter rotor. When taking the Sennheiser IE 300 out of their case, the ear hooks will have to be re-aligned every time.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

Follow these links for some background information:

My tonal preference and testing practice

My test tracks explained

Equipment used: iPhone SE (1st generation) with or without Audioquest Dragonfly Back 1.5/Earstudio HUD100. MacBook Air with EarMen Sparrow, Earstudio HUD100, and Schiit Fulla (1st generation); iPod Classic 6th generation.

Considering that the Sennheiser IE 300 graph is essentially identical with the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO’s, and the fact that both models are $50 apart, the primary question is what the sonic difference between the two is. Both are driven easily by even the least powerful phone or dap.

The Sennheiser IE 400 PRO is easily the best sounding model of their PRO series – and I like and use it a lot. Sennheiser know how to create an appealing, agreeable sound without any unpleasant peaks, but the IE 400 PRO does still not quite reach “high-end” status. It falls short against the “kilobuck” iems with a smaller soundstage and less clarity and midrange transparency/definition, but scores in timbre and THD (and big in size/weight/comfort/fit).

Sennheiser addressed the clarity issue in their IE 300 model. The biggest difference between the two models I hear is actually in the midrange. In comparison to the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, vocals in the Sennheiser IE 300 are more intimate and lively, but also leaner, and the midrange as a whole has increased transparency.

This results in a better midrange atmosphere and spatial cues compared to the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO. But this improvement is not earth shattering.

The Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, in comparison, have fuller bodied, more relaxed, smoother vocals and a shallower stage than the Sennheiser IE 300. Depends what you prefer!

Bass response is pretty much identical between the models. Results may vary depending on the eartips used. Bass is relatively boosted, but less so compared to previous Sennheiser iems such as the Momentum In-Ear.

There are differences in the lower treble where the Sennheiser IE 300 have a small peak – which appears to be real (and not a coupler resonance). This peak may help enhance the midrange transparency.

In terms of treble, I cannot detect any noticeable differences between the two models either. There is a good extension, the lower treble is boosted, but this single driver does not reach the clarity and definition of a dedicated piezo.

In summary, the Sennheiser IE 300 PRO build on the the sonic legacy of the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO with added midrange clarity – and it plays all genres of music well. Such sonic versatility plays a huge role in customer satisfaction.

INTERNAL FEEDBACK

Co-blogger KopiOkaya auditioned the Sennheiser IE 300 earlier in Singapore. He found them congested sounding and could not handle the thin stock silicone tips, which he replaced with the more substantial Spinfit CP100.

This does not come as a surprise as the Asian tonal flavour is different from the western one: preferred is a more glaring midrange produced by a boost in the 2-4 kHz region paired with a toned-down bass. But he also found the treble “a bit peaky”…and that’s the tenor I found elsewhere. Young guys with “sharp” ears: be warned.

Sennheiser have always been going their own way, not influenced by any trends. The IE 300’s “forward dipping”, gently U-shaped frequency response graph produces a warm and coherent “safe sound” and maximizes the driver’s low harmonic distortion quality: you turn any Sennheiser iem up, and they will never be “shouty” or aggressive sounding…the tradeoff for midrange transparency.

MY PERSONAL OPINION

…should not matter to you. Everybody has their own taste and no $300 iem is perfect. But of all these iems that have gone through my hands in the past 5 years, only the fewest have appealed to me for longer periods of time. And the Sennheiser IE 300 and IE 400 PRO belong to this handful.

Let me give you my holistic view: they fit me extremely well, they are comfortable over long periods, and the sound does not lose its attraction even after hours of listening – which is rare for me.

Yep, they do not have the world’s best transparency or staging, but they have this special timbre, the right punch, and they are never fatiguing. And they work with any source and music for me. They play loud if needed, and, most of all , they have provided me a lot of pleasure. And that’s the difference between recreational listening and a reviewer’s analytical listening.

VALUE

At $300, the Sennheiser IE 300 don’t come cheap, but value is correlated with usage. If you use them all the time, the value is ok. But if they catch dust in your collection, it is not. There are a lot of Chi-Fi products on the market in this price category which are technically better, but I have yet to find one that is as cohesive sounding and as emotionally appealing as the IE 300. Sennheiser put a lot of R&D into their products, and they pay German salaries and benefits. You also get a 2-year warranty.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM SENNHEISER IN THE FUTURE

First of all, there is nothing wrong with holding on to single dynamic driver earphones – there are plenty of examples of the type in the premium segment up to $2000 – and I prefer them over multi-drivers for the above mentioned reasons (timbre; low THD; small driver/shell size = comfort, ).

But Sennheiser may also want to offer a more “audiophile” tuning with a flatter bass and a slightly more elevated 1-2 kHz area, which would increase midrange clarity and open up the soundstage. Offering both tuning types would address a wider audience.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

With their IE 300, Sennheiser went two steps forward and one step back. They advance the sound of their IE 400 PRO marginally (at a lower price), but they irritate us with lesser-quality silicone tips and a pseudo-proprietary version of the unreliable MMCX cable connector that has been phased out by many manufacturers. 

The Sennheiser IE 300 will appeal to listeners who want to avoid unpleasant surprises. They are a safe choice for everyday listening. The company’s sound engineers know how to provide a level of listening pleasure beyond mere technical quality.

Sennheiser are planning to release a “balanced” 2.5 mm cable for the IE 300 for use with balanced amplifier circuits such as the EarMen Sparrow. This will increase the IE 300’s soundstage and headroom. I will update this review once I get my hands on such a cable.

In the meantime, which one would I choose? The Sennheiser IE 300 or IE 400 PRO? Easy: the one I get the better deal on. Both are recommended.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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DISCLAIMER

The Sennheiser IE 300 was kindly provided by Sennheiser Canada/USA before its North American release and I thank them very much for that. I also appreciate the responsiveness of everybody at Sennheiser USA and Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG in Germany over the last 2 years.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

The post Sennheiser IE 300 Review – Safe And Sound appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Non-serviceable battery.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Comica CVM-VM20 is a great-sounding shotgun microphone with useful features that works very well for my vlogging purposes. A personal favourite.

INTRODUCTION

I have been into vlogging since Q2 2020. My start was treacherous, but – since we are an audio blog – I have always favoured sound over images. My 2016 iPhone SE produces good video but unacceptable audio. A friend recommended a certain lavalier microphone, which was a step up. I then played with a few more lavaliers before I tried my first an on-camera microphone. The price range of my selection was $20-$100. I still could not produce a sound nearly as good as these YouTube influencers with their large mics in front of their mouths. But these microphones are expensive and they need an additional $200 device to supply them with 48 V “phantom power”. Sure, I could massage the thin sound of my lavaliers to some extent through specialized software, which would demand much work for every video. But, in my books, a sound has to be decent even raw in a live stream. So what to do?

Coincidentally, the opportunity of reviewing the Comica CVM-VM20 microphone came at the right moment. It was ranked in the top 10 microphones by the Microphone Geeks recently. This is surprising considering that their closest competition range from twice to ten times the price. Is the Comica CVM-VM20 a bargain?

If the Comica CVM-VM20 was good enough for pros, should it be good enough for a casual vlogger like me? The good thing about reviewing a microphone is that you can provide sound samples – nothing to sugar coat. So let’s find out how the Comica CVM-VM20 works for me.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Polar Pattern: super cardioid
• Frequency Response: 20 -20,000 Hz
• Low-Cut: 75Hz/150 Hz
• Sensitivity Range: -43 dBto -23 dB
• S/N: >75 dB
• Maximum SPL: >105 dB
• Output Form: 3,6 mm TRS
• Power: Li-ion battery 3.7 V 300 mac
• Size: 22 mm * 177 mm
• Net Weight: 84 g
• Operating Temperature: 0-50C
• Storage Temperature: -10C to 60 C
• Tested at: $129
• Product Page: Comica Professional Audio Equipment
• Purchase Link: PERGEAR

PHYSICAL THINGS

The Comica CVM-VM20 comes as a complete set with all required accessories: the actual mic with built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery, shock mount, foam cover and furry wind muff, TRS to TRRS cable (connecting to phones), TRS to TRS cable (connecting to a camera), USB-C to USB-A charge cable, and the obligatory paperwork. And the whole lots is nicely stowed in the large included, padded case. There is no charger included, but the Comica CVM-VM20 can be connected to any USB outlet.

The microphone’s body is made of metal; build and haptic are excellent.

HOW THE COMICA CVM-VM20 WORKS

The Comica CVM-VM20 microphone is a condenser microphone with a strongly directional super-cardioid polar pickup pattern. It is most sensitive to on-axis sounds (where the mic “points”) with null points at 127° and 233° and a rear lobe of sensitivity. This pattern has the shape of a heart (kardiá, Greek: heart). The “super” added to cardioid refers to that little tail behind the microphone that offer some extra sound intake from sources behind the microphone….for example useful when filming ahead while commenting from behind the camera.

FEATURES

Built-in Li-ion battery: supplies 60 hours of operation. An OLED display indicates battery level and when the Comica CVM-VM20 needs to be connected through its USB-C port to a USB outlet for charging – with the included cable.

Two-step low-cut button: cycles from flat through 75 and 150 Hz rolloff. The 150 Hz low cut filters out low-frequency ambient noise such as traffic, furnace, or air conditioning. The 75 Hz low cut essentially replaces the “pop filter” when speaking close to the microphone.

Gain knob: produces a variable gain from 1 to 10…which translates to a max. boost of 20 dB. The effect of the gain is demonstrated in my sound-sample video (below).

OPERATION

Easy. The Comica CVM-VM20 is mounted on a standard cold shoe or on a standard 1/4″-20 thread. It connects to a phone or camera with the included cables. No splitter or adapter required. Connect to your camera/phone, switch it on, decide on a low-cut filter (or not), set your gain…and you are recording.

SOUND

Equipment used: Comica CVM-V20 microphone, iPhone SE (first generation, 2016), Ulanzi video rig, amazon basics boom microphone stand with adapter.

I have used several lavalier and two cardioid pattern microphones before – and have never been satisfied with my YouTube sound. Some cut the bass off so that the sound is transparent and clear, but volume and body are lacking. Others do not have the upper extension that adds life to the sound. All of these microphones need lots of time-consuming post precessing to sound somewhat acceptable…but I still did not sound as strong and weighty as these groomed and curated YouTube tech salespeople.

This has changed with the Comica CVM-VM20. Even without processing (“live streams”), my voice is rich, full bodied, and weighty, yet crisp and lively – just like that of a radio host. There is good extension towards the upper and lower end and clarity is good, too.

I could also not detect any hiss or handling noise. Check out the sound samples below from outside and inside the house. I did not use any of the low-cut filters – and the foam cover instead of the wind muff. The sound is raw. In the outdoor part, the traffic noise of a nearby Calgary city highway and schoolchildren playing about 100-150 m away is picked up by the Comica CVM-VM20.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF THE COMICA CVM-VM20 MICROPHONE

Cardioid condenser shotgun microphones are used by the movie industry because of their directionality. The “super” added to the cardioid gives the person behind the camera (phone, DLR) a voice, too. The Comica CVM-VM20 can be used mounted on a camera/mobile phone or simply on a microphone stand for recording sounds from far and near. My videos and images in this article should give you some idea of the Comica CVM-VM20’s versatile uses.

I used the Comica CVM-VM20 for the Whizzer Kylin HE01 review below – in an untreated room – with no low-cut filter applied. It features minimal sound processing in iMovie: I pushed the “auto” button in the sound panel, and the software adjusted the sound minimally.

I shot the Earmen Sparrow video in the same room but applied the 75 dB low-cut filter. Sound was also adjusted to “auto” in iMovie.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Comica CVM-VM20 comes as a very pleasant surprise to me – after having tried so many microphones. It has impressed me so much that I have used it for all my blogging and zoom activities since. It delivers the full and rich-bodied radio sound I always wanted. The Microphone Geeks were spot on with their ranking. For an amateur YouTuber like me, the Comica CVM-VM20 is the sonic endgame. Why pay more?

And if you want to hear more Comica CVM-VM20 sound in the future, please subscribe to my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/c/audioreviews…or simply get your own.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

The Comica CVM-VM20 was provided unsolicited by PERGEAR. I thank them for that.

You can get the Comica CVM-VM20 from PERGEAR.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

MORE VISUALS…

The post Comica CVM-VM20 Multi-Functional Super Cardioid Condenser Shotgun Microphone Review – Top Gun appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — 2.5 mm balanced only/USB-C only limits connectivity on either end.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Tempotec Sonata BHD is a neutral, sleek, crisp, and transparent sounding 2.5 mm balanced dac/amp that offers a substantial sonic update over phone/computer dacs/amps when used with iems. One of my favourite products in 2021. A personal favourite.

NOTE

I did not test the Sonata BHD with headphones owing to the lack of a balanced cable. Considering its power, the Sonata BHD is much better suited for iems. I also did not test DSD and MQA, as I do not have the required subscriptions. And I think the Sonata BHD is more tailored towards mobile units than towards computers.

INTRODUCTION

Chinese manufacturer Tempotec made quite a dent with their Sonata HD Pro in 2019. At $40, it comes with all possible adapters and you can connect it to essentially everything: Android devices, Apple devices, and computers. Not bad at the price of essentially an Apple lightning adapter. Unsurprisingly, the Sonata HD Pro has been a favourite in terms of audioreviews.org blog views since, made it into my “Gear of the Year 2020“, and remains highly recommended.

The Tempotec Sonata HD Pro features a single-ended output, whereas, in the meantime, companies like Earmen offer two outputs in their Sparrow dongle: 3.5 mm single-ended, and 2.5 mm balanced. And while I thought “balanced” was just another gimmick, it is truly not: everything sounds bigger and clearer with balanced in a direct comparison. But the Earmen Sparrow comes at a price of $200. Tempotec responded to the market’s demand for “balanced” output with their Sonata BHD, a sleek and powerful dongle at $70.

To answer you burning questions right away: does the Sonata BHD sound better than the Sonata HD Pro? Yes, it does. Does it sound as good as the Earmen Sparrow? No, not quite, but it still sounds impressive.

THE IDEA OF BALANCED AUDIO

Balanced audio is a method of connecting audio equipment using balanced lines [Wikipedia]. Such lines reduce susceptibility to external noise caused by electromagnetic interference. This is particularly beneficial for recording studios, which use kilometres of lines. For our purpose of portable audio, reduced interference results in a clearer, cleaner signal. Headphonesty compared “balanced and unbalanced” audio connections in this article.

SPECIFICATIONS

Product Name: Sonata BHD
DAC Chip: Two CS43131
Output Impedance: NA
SNR: 129 dB
HP Out : 120MW/32ohms 20MW/600ohms
Level: 2VRMS
THD+N: -113dB
Crosstalk: greater than 118dB (32 ohms) *
PCM: up to 32bit/384kHz
DSD: to DSD256 (NATIVE) DSD128 (DOP)
Hiby Music APP: Support exclusive
PC: Exclusive ASIO driver
Volume control: independent hardware volume control
Purchase Link: Tempotec Official Store

Tested at: $66

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

The Sonata BHD comes with a fixed USB-C cable, a USB-C female to USB-A adapter, and a pleather case. It does not feature the detachable cables of the Tempotec Sonata HD and is aiming to be connected to USB-C and USB-A devices such as Android phones, and Windows and Mac computers. It can be connected to iPhones/iPads using either the Apple camera adapter or the much sleeker ddHifi TC28i adapter. Therefore, adding a third-party adapter makes the Sonata BHD as versatile as the Sonata HD Pro with source devices.

In terms of dimensions, the Sonata BHD is slimmer and higher than most dongles. And like the Sonata HD Pro, the housing is made of metal with rather sharp corners. Tempotec increased the often criticized spacing between the two volume buttons compared to the Sonata HD Pro – what they have not addressed is the volume steps when pushing the buttons (which are identical to the source’s volume buttons). The button mechanism is exquisite and precise – with a great soft rebound – so that is is almost fun pushing them. All connections and connectors work precisely, too.

Internally, the Sonata BHD features the same chip as the Sonata HD Pro, however TWO of them (one for each line), which explains the price difference.

FUNCTIONALITY

The Tempotec Sonata BHD has no internal battery and is driven by the music source. This is great in that there is no planned obsolescence (the device will still work in, let’s say, 10 years), but it drains your mobile source faster. As to the drain rate, I did not explicitly test it – but battery consumption appeared to be within reason.

The Sonata BHD is plug ‘n’ play with phones and tablets, and it requires selecting the device in my Mac’s sound panel (probably similar in Windows).

When playing, the Sonata BHD relies on the source volume. I typically set the computer/phone volume at 80%, although I am not sure whether I can turn it up to 100% without (more) distortion. After removing the Sonata BHD from my phone, it recognizes the volume setting upon reconnecting.

AMPLIFICATION

There is a paradox: a balanced output is typically more powerful than a single-ended output – and iems, on average, require less power than headphones: however balanced cables for headphones are harder to get and more expensive than for earphones. As a rule of thumb, external amplification is needed for headphones/iems with an impedance above 50 Ω. While most headphones exceed this number, most iems run at 32 Ω or lower. Iems above 50 Ω typically feature electrostatic or piezoelectric drivers. I don’t have any balanced-headphone cables but could test the Sonata BHD with power-hungry iems such as the Vision Ears Elysium, Triaudio I3, and NiceHCK NX7 Mk3. And they were all driven very well by the Sonata BHD.

I could not test the Sonata BHD with headphones – I don’t have one with a 2.5 mm cable – but was told it is not that powerful. I would therefore be careful with any headphone above an impedance of 70 Ω.

As to specs, the Sonata BHD delivers 120 mW into 32 Ω (and 20 mW into 600 Ω). This is twice as much as the original Sonata HD Pro offers.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

My tonal preference and testing practice

My test tracks explained

Equipment used: iPhone SE (1st generation) and MacBook Air; various earphones, mainly the Shozy Form 1.4.

The Tempotec Sonata BHD is a strictly neutral and sleek but never sterile or over-analytical sounding dac/amp that enhances the sound characteristics of the attached earphone/headphone. It is not only useful for running power-hungry earphone/headphones, it also improves the sound of easy-to-drive iems. Let’s take, for example, the excellent sounding, well reviewed Apple Audio Adapter that works well with my 16 Ω Shozy Form 1.4 iems. The Tempotec Sonata BHD simply adds midrange clarity and definition, opens up the soundstage, and increases headroom. And it adds pizaz to the sound…yep, it is rather punchy. These improvements over my phone are quite pronounced – and much bigger than with the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro.

Replacing the Tempotec HD Pro with the Tempotec Sonata BHD is like adding sour cream to your gravy: smoother, better balance, much bigger stage, better three-dimensionality, the sound is simply more appealing. Connecting my >50 Ω earphones added body, cleanliness, and smoothness on top of power.

WHO NEEDS THE SONATA BHD?

IMO, the Sonata BHD serves two specific purposes:

• Play power hungry iems (such with an impedance of > 50 ohm)
• Improve the sound quality of any iem, even at low volumes

First, there should be no problem playing a, let’s say, 70 Ω headphone such as the Sennheiser HD 25 with the Sonata, however it may be cost prohibitive to get a 2.5 mm balanced cable for headphones. Second, the Sonata BHD is not an ornament as so many other dongles. Any earphone sounds better on my iphone with the Sonata BHD compared to the Apple Audio Adapter or the ddHifi TC25i adapter (which is technically and sonically essentially identical with the Apple Audio Adapter). In comparison, the Sonata BHD adds clarity and definition, slims down the sound, and opens up the stage including headroom.

But I doubt that you will be able to drive full-sized 300 Ω cans with the Sonata BHD well.

TEMPOTEC SONATA BHD COMPARED

As said before, the Tempotec Sonata BHD upgrades the sound of the Apple Audio Adapter as well as their own Tempotec Sonata HD single-ended dongle. It does, however, not live up to the balanced circuit of the $200 EarMen Sparrow that excels in its more analog, fuller sound with an even better headroom. Nevertheless do I like both for their merits and one cannot replace the other. Similar to the different models in my earphone collection, both dongles hits different moods of the listener and I really enjoy them both very much.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Sonata BHD provides a huge sonic upgrade to your phone and is another winner from Tempotec. Is sounds better and is more powerful than their famous Sonata HD Pro, but is a bit more limited by its ootb connectivity. Adding a second dac chip has increased the price, which benefits the sound greatly. The Sonata BHD is not only good for amplification but also for improved the sound quality of easy-to-drive earphones and headphones. It is not an ornament as so many others. Once again, a superb device and great bang for your buck. As simple as that…I said it before.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

The Tempotec Sonata BHD dac/amp was provided by Tempotec upon my request. Thank you very much. You can buy it at the Tempotec Official Store.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

PHOTOS..

The post Tempotec Sonata BHD Headphone Amplifier (Dual CS43131 Balanced Output) Review – Snakebite appeared first on Audio Reviews.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The EarMen Sparrow is a $200 battery-less warm-neutral sounding dac/amp with dual output: single ended 3.5mm and the more powerful 2.5 mm balanced. It is class leading in terms of both power and sound quality. The EarMen Sparrow supports playback from iPhones, Android smartphones, MacOS and Windows computers. It also plays all 32bit/384kHz formats: PCM, DoP, DSD64, DSD128 and MQA. It is the best dongle I have come across (in the $200 category) and was on my personal favourite gear list of 2020.

INTRODUCTION

Do all dongles sound equal? Are most dongles just ornaments? Should we rather go for a desktop dac/amp instead to get more value for money? All of the above have been mentioned in discussions lately. For years I have had a single dongle dac/amp, the Audioquest Dragonfly Black. I mainly used it with my iPhone and life was good. Until…

To make this clear a priori: the EarMen Sparrow is the best-sounding dongle I have tested too far…but also the most expensive one. And it is not an ornament.

EarMen is a company registered in in the US, where most of its stakeholders are located – and from where they focus on the North American market. EarMen are a subdivision of premium audio gear producer Auris Audio. The production is in Krusavec, Serbia [video of production facilities]: Made in Europe.

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 42*22*8 mm

Purchase Link: EarMen Shop

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

In the box is the EarMen Sparrow, the warranty card, and two cables: USB-C to USB-C, and USB-C to USB-A. This allows the Sparrow to connect to Android phones/tablets, and any Windows/Mac computer. It features the ESS Sabre ES9281PRO dac chip – which is well implemented.

The EarMen Sparrow also works with iOS devices but requires the Apple Camera Adapter, which adds to a “monster snake”. The $30 ddHifi TC28i adapter offers the same funcionality but cuts the snake’s length enormously.

The actual EarMen Sparrow is a sturdy and filigree CnC machined aluminium construction with top and bottom covered by glass…although I wished it had come with a sheath to protect it from being scratched.

In contrast to most other dongles does the EarMen Sparrow offers two different circuits and sockets: a single-ended output through a standard 3.5 mm socket and a balanced output through a 2.5 mm socket. Both outputs/sockets work simultaneously. And it is the balanced output that makes the EarMen Sparrow particularly attractive.

The logo is illuminated depending on input:

• White – Connected
• Green – PCM/DXD/DSD
• Magenta – MQA
• Red – Not Connected

THE IDEA OF BALANCED AUDIO 

Balanced audio is a method of connecting audio equipment using balanced lines [Wikipedia]. Such lines reduce susceptibility to external noise caused by electromagnetic interference. This is particularly beneficial for recording studios, which use kilometres of lines. For our purpose of portable audio, reduced interference results in a clearer, cleaner signal. Headphonesty compared “balanced and unbalanced” audio connections in this article. And yes, it works.

FUNCTIONALITY

The EarMen Sparrow contains no battery and is powered by the source device. It works plug ‘n’ play with computers, tablets, and phones (Windows/Mac/Android/iOS). And it requires adjusting the respective sound panel settings in Mac and Windows computers. Volume is controlled from the source device – there are no buttons on the EarMen Sparrow. It is as easy as that. The EarMen Sparrow decodes all 32bit/384kHz formats: PCM, DoP, DSD64, DSD128 and MQA. 

AMPLIFICATION

The EarMen Sparrow is one of the most powerful dongle dac/amps on the market according to AudioScienceReviews.com. Its 2.5 mm balanced output delivers 2.0 Vrms into 32 Ω and 4.0 Vrms into 600 Ω. This results in a power of 125 mW and 20 mW, respectively. The 3.5 mm single-ended output is 1.4 Vrms into 32 Ω and 2.0 Vrms into 600 Ω, which translates to 61 mW and 7 mW, respectively.

I don’t have a balanced cable for my 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 Pro, however the single-ended output drives them “ok”. The balanced circuit delivers enough power to drive the 70 Ω Sennheiser HD 25 on my Mac, which indicates that this is good enough for any iem. In fact, imo the EarMen Sparrow drives even the most power-hungry earphones very well with my Mac.

A bit of an enigma is the dependency of the EarMen Sparrow on my sources: it provides way more power when sourced by my Mac, but appears to be throttled by my iPhones 5s and SE (1st generation). I speculate this is caused by the Sparrow’s power consumption. Sound quality is not compromised and power-hungry earphones such as the TRI I3 are still driven sufficiently well. Newer phones and Android devices may not throttle the EarMen Sparrow’s power. The Sparrow, like most powerful dongles, appears to be a bit of a battery drain on phones.

UPDATE June 2021: Power Consumption Test: Parameters and Raw Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3 h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

[collapse]

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

My tonal preference and testing practice

My test tracks explained

The EarMen Sparrow is a neutral-warm sounding dac/amp (more neutral than warm), and therefore offers the best of both worlds. Whereas a warm dac/amp (such as ifi Audio products) harmonizes best with neutral earphones/headphones (e.g. JVC HA-FDX1, neutral amps (e.g. Earstudio HUD 100) pair best with warm iems (e.g. Sennheiser IE PRO series). Neutral amp with neutral iem may sound like metal on metal – and warm with warm may come across as thick and syrupy lacking clarity and transparency. The EarMen Sparrow appears to strike the right temperature balance to harmonize with most kinds of earphones. The other trait is its good extension in both directions and its full body and natural dynamics. The Sparrow has this quasi-analog sound.

And while the sound through the single-ended output is good, it is fantastic through the balanced output. The difference in sound quality is mindboggling (I A/B-ed a balanced cable between both sockets – with a 2.5 mm female to 3.5 mm male adapter for single ended). Apart from the power gain in the balanced circuit, headroom and clarity opens up substantially…the midrange comes out nicely…this worked even for the ~$3000 Vision Ears Elysium. After several months of using the EarMen Sparrow on my Mac, I conclude that the balanced output is as good as a desktop amp for iems – on a computer.

EARMEN SPARROW COMPARED

The neutral sounding $70 Tempotec Sonata BHD dac/amp with its balanced output is an impressive sounding device. The EarMen Sparrow, however, offers a richer, more analog sound, a larger headroom, and more power. It is also more versatile with its additional 3.5 mm single-ended output. The less powerful Sonata BHD has a leaner, sleeker but less creamy/soft/weighty sound with more clarity.

VALUE – IS THE EARMEN SPARROW FOR YOU?

Is the EarMen Sparrow worth its $200? Any answer has to be subjective. For people who regularly deal with >$300 earphones without blinking: yes, no questions asked. Simply makes them sound better.

For the rest of us: yes, but for any or all of these three specific purposes – from my perspective: for the balanced output that sets the EarMen Sparrow sonically and power wise apart from its competition. Second, it is best used with iems or less power-demanding headphones. And third, for use mainly with a computer, where the Sparrow flexes its muscles best.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

I have used the EarMen Sparrow for a few months now. It took me so long to publish my review because I didn’t know what to write – it just worked great for me, and I used it a lot for earphone testing. The Sparrow is the best sounding dongle I have listened to so far (up to $200), albeit also the most expensive.

What sets it apart from the competition are sound quality and power of its balanced circuit. I don’t think one needs anything “bigger” to drive earphones – it was good enough for the $3000 Vision Ears Elysium. And since it does not have a battery, there is no planned obsolescence – the Sparrow will last for a long long time.

It is the balanced output that makes the Sparrow fly high: first it opens up the headroom and then it makes it a most powerful dongle – ahead of the competition. The EarMen Sparrow is just a very fine dac/amp. One of my favourite devices of 2020…and likely 2021, also. Basta!

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

The EarMen Sparrow was provided by EarMen upon my request. I thank them and also the audiofool who had established the contact. The audiofool has reviewed the Earmen Sparrow here.

You can purchase the EarMen Sparrow from the Earmen Shop.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

PHOTOS…

The post EarMen Sparrow USB DAC + Preamp + Headphone Amp, Review – Super Trouper appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Bass could be more textured; optics not for everybody.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Whizzer Kylin HE01 is a well designed, well accessorized, warm and fluid sounding single DD earphone with a fast driver that provides hard beats, and excellent midrange and treble articulation and definition. I treasure the Whizzer Kylin HE01’s fluid, cohesive presentation. A personal favourite.

INTRODUCTION

As a reviewer, you are are often frustrated when a whole batch of iems supplied for review are uninspiring. Then, there are these models which “are good for their price”, which still may not give one much inspiration in the long run, considering you have better iems in your collection or memory. But there is the rare iem that is appealing and enjoyable independent of price. The Shozy Form 1.4 was one of these rare examples for me, and the Whizzer Kylin HE01 is another one. Yes, the Whizzer Kylin is that …good. I used them in all combinations, be it just with a phone up to the Earmen Tr-amp.

SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers: high magnetic circuit metal composite moving coil
Impedance: 18 Ω
Sensitivity: 112 dB/mW…easy to drive
Frequency Range: 15 – 40,000 Hz
Cable/Connector: 5N OFC oxygen-free copper
Tested at: $80
Company Page: http://www.whizzer-tec.com
Product Page/Purchase Link: Whizzer Official Store

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

The Whizzer Kylin HE01 is generously accessorized. The earpieces come in a padded metal box, two sets of silicone eartips (“reference” and “vocals”) are included as well as a cleaning tool and the “literature”. The 5N OFC oxygen-free copper cable is tightly braided, has metal connectors and a chin slider, and exhibits zero microphonic. High quality.

The earpieces are made of of metal and resin and appear sturdy. They are ergonomically very good with LONG nozzles that go deep enough into my teutonic ear canals. Fit and comfort are very good for me, isolation is ok, too, depending on eartips used.

The appearance is marketed as retro look…but I am not sure what era. My not-so-young wife (don’t tell her…) associates it with “little old ladies”. But, the shells are refreshingly different from the repetitive (and often oversized) standard designs – one has to fall in love with them for that reason alone – and I somewhat did (again, please don’t tell her…).

Yes, the Whizzer Kylin HE01 works fine out of the box. Bonus!

And it can be driven easily even by the weakest source.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

Follow these links for some background information:

My tonal preference and testing practice

My test tracks explained

Equipment used: iPhone SE (1st generation) with and without Earmen Sparrow/Audioquest Dragonfly Black; MacBook Air with EarMen Sparrow or EarMen TR-amp; stock cable, both sets of stock eartips.

To give you the “helicopter view” up front: the Whizzer Kylin HE01 is a warm and (mostly) clean sounding single (and nimble) dynamic-driver iem with a natural timbre. Its strong points are the midrange, upper treble, and technicalities.

That slightly elevated bass is very well extended but could be more layered and articulate. It is not wooly or thumpy, and it provides a good kick, but it also may be perceived as borderline boomy. You have heard this type of bass over and over before. I am sure, tip rolling may modify the low end, however I was testing with the stock tips. Nevertheless, while the bass i technically not the greatest, its slight boost can be fun and it provides a solid base for the midrange.

But where things become interesting is from the lower midrange up: vocals are very articulate for a DD, they are only marginally recessed with medium note weight, and are well sculptured with a good note definition. This results in good midrange clarity and transparency – and really good detail resolution and separation. The bass does not affect the midrange. Also, that pinna gain of 12 dB at 3 kHz is reasonable and provides the right energy to voices. No shoutiness. The midrange is not neutral as in Moondrop or Tin Hifi iems but a tinge warm, which makes it particularly appealing to me.

The drop-off starts in the upper midrange and continues through the lower treble, which explains the lack of shoutiness but it also removes a bit of sheen from the midrange/vocals and subdues high sustainers such as cymbals and string instruments. Treble resolution is also very good. The highest notes are hit with accuracy and minimal smearing.

That midrange clarity plays into a very wide soundstage with average depth. But the music really plays outside your head. As said before, technicalities are very good, delivering just the right punch/dynamics. I appreciate the fluidity of the sonic presentation. Needless to say that speech intelligibility is excellent, too.

As to the included “reference” and “vocals” silicone tips. Although the main difference, according to the graphs, lies in the upper midrange, my listening perception focuses on the low end: the reference tips increase the bass. This is not surprising as the human ear hears the frequency spectrum in its full context….and it had been demonstrated well with the three filters of the JVC HA-FDX1.

WHIZZER KYLIN HE01 COMPARED

Let me be subjective for once. I much prefer the Whizzer Kylin HE01 over the Moondrop Starfield and TinHifi T4. Both Starfield and T4 are less cohesive and fluid. In the midrange they are much thinner, sharper, and hollower than the Whizzer Kylin HE01. These two are classic cases of “earphones good for the price…” as they lack compared to more expensive iems. The Whizzer Kylin HE01 sounded enjoyable even when compared to the very good Moondrop Illumination…albeit not as good. My ears can’t read price tags and they really like the Whizzer Kylin HE01 a lot.

But let’s continue the “slaughter”. The KBEAR Diamond, in comparison, sound much thicker in the bass and thinner in the midrange…I wonder who helped tuning them :).

The Tin Hifi T2 also don’t match the liveliness of the Whizzer Kylin HE01 and can’t keep up with midrange and treble resolution.

The best of this rest is still the Blon Bl-05s, which have a somewhat glaring upper midrange but similar midrange articulation….and substandard accessories.

In summary, the Whizzer Kylin HE01 is the most cohesive, articulate, and engaging iem of the lot to me. My pick. And I would not have expected this, quite frankly. A pleasant surprise indeed. And – for once everything works just fine ootb…but I am repeating myself.

You find reviews of all of the iems mentioned above here.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Whizzer Kylin HE01 is an enjoyable, fluid sounding single DD earphone that strikes the balance between fun (“bass”) and audiophile (“midrange and treble”). And it is comfortable, all of which qualifies it as a daily driver. The company has implemented a few technical, ergonomic, and optical ideas that make this earphone distinct from its competition.

The biggest appeal/non-appeal and potential selling point may be the rose-gold optics. For those who like the Whizzer Kylin HE01’s appearance a lot, there is no reason to stop you from getting it – as this iem has not real weak points and holds up very well against its peers.

I have to admit (secretly), that I quite enjoy this earphone, mainly for its nice punch/dynamics and its comfort/fit. The Whizzer Kylin HE01 is a great find for me.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

The Whizzer Kylin HE01 was provided unsolicited from Whizzer and I thank them for that.

Get the Whizzer Kylin HE01 from Whizzer Official Store

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

RAW DATA…

The post Whizzer Kylin HE01 Review (1) – The Whizzard appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — None.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The <$0.2 Inasmile cable protectors are super low-priced add-on strain reliefs that effectively prevent cable fraying and breakage – and therefore extend cable life. They also help fixing damaged cables such as the notoriously fraying Apple cables. A great solution for disgruntled Apple customers and protective audiophiles alike.

INTRODUCTION

I rarely come across a product that puts a smile on my face. The Inasmile cable protector is one of them. It is very useful and cheap. I use it for protect cables but reinforcing the strain relief but also developed a simple and fully reversible method for fixing frayed cables. No heat think, Sugro, or similar goo needed. The fix is fully reversible. I am convinced that you will throw in an order for these. By they way, I purchased this product myself.

HOW IT WORKS

Just wrap the protector around as seen in the video. These Inasmile cable protectors work for both, protection but also fixing. I will show you how in the following.

SPECIFICATIONS

Material: rubber
Length: 3.5 cm
Outer Diameter: 0.8 cm
Compatibility: any cable with a diameter between 2.5 and 4 mm (Apple power supply, iPhone, OTG or headphone/earphone cable
Flexibility, stretchability: very good ductility and tensile strength
Softness: perceived very good
Colours: wide variety
Tested at: $1.60 for 10
Purchase Link: Inasmile Official Store

USE 1: MOST INTIMATE PROTECTION

The Inasmile cable protectors simply reinforce any flimsy strain reliefs as in the Sennheiser PX 100-II or the heavy used/highest bent areas around usb etc. connectors in computer cables. This can extend the life of a cable and save money.

USE 2: FIXING CABLES

FRAYED APPLE POWER-SUPPLY AND iPHONE CABLES

Apple’s iPhone cables and power-supply cables are notorious for fraying at high bending areas – and Apple never acknowledged the problem. Unfortunately, two of my power supplies fell victim fo cable fraying near the mag-safe connector for no good reasons. The material simply had become brittle. The “genius” at the Apple bar just raised his shoulders. Out of warranty, sorry. As you see in this example, the frayedd segment was quite long. I first wrapped it with ultra thin however sturdy thread-sealing tape and then added two of the strain reliefs to hold the tape in place and also to armour the cable. Works like a charm – and also does for iphone cables. And it is MUCH cheaper than Sugro goo and Kickstarter-type strain reliefs at Apple pricing. And If you don’t like your fix in the end, it is easily reversible. No risk here.

SENNHEISER VS. DYSON

In yet another battle of Britain, my Dyson vacuum cleaner chewed up a Sennheiser headphone cable. In this process, the cable’s PVC cover disintegrated at a couple of ca. 10-20 cm long segments so that the wires were exposed. The cable was still fully functioning. In order to fix this, I first covered up the wires with electrical tape, then kept the tape in place with Inasmile cable protectors. And bingo.

WHAT THE COMPANY SAYS

“Simple crossover convenience wide compatibility more practical”

“Soft without hurting the line”

“Most intimate protection”

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Inasmile cable protectors are truly the “most intimate protection” one could think of. And not only that. While they will extend the life of weaker, brittle, and older cables, they also saved me a lot of money by assisting in repairing frayed cables permanently attached to two Apple power supplies at $80 CAD each. Considering the cost of less than 20 cents per protector, I expect these to sell like hotcakes. Highly recommended.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

None. I purchased the cable protectors myself but felt like writing a review. They are that good. So far, I have ordered 40 pieces.

Get them from Inasmile Store

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

The post Inasmile Cable Protectors Review – Most Intimate Protection For <20 Cents appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Sennheiser pricing (watch for sales); a bit too punchy and bassy for some; proprietary cable connectors (but they work reliably).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Sennheiser IE 400 PRO earphone produced in Germany is a well balanced, gently forward-dipping V-shaped, slightly warm sounding single-dynamic-driver earphone that also impresses by its low distortion and great comfort and fit. It is the second-highest priced but best sounding model of their IE PRO series imo.

INTRODUCTION

The world’s most competent (and now retired) headphone reviewer Tyll Hertsens once called Sennheiser the world’s most competent headphone manufacturer. Their standard staples such as the HD 25 and the HD 600 have delighted us for – yep – decades, and these models still belong to the top of the competition. And Sennheiser have brought us the so often copied earbud.

Sennheiser is a 75-year-old company out of Northern Germany that holds the highest reputation not only in headphones but also in professional microphones (and other products). With the advent of the iPhone in 2008, Sennheiser started developing iems – and they have always stuck to the single dynamic driver because of the cohesive sound and the low harmonic distortion.

Sennheiser’s most recent PRO line comprises three models, the $99/€99 IE 40 PRO (produced in China), and the $ 349/€349 IE 400 PRO and $599/€599 IE 500 PRO (both truly “Made in Germany”).

Biodegraded and I had reviewed the Sennheiser IE 40 PRO [here] and the Sennheiser IE 500 flagship [here] very carefully and in great detail. While I approved the IE 40 as a good sounding budget model, we both were more weary with the IE 500 PRO, which sound congested due to the complete absence of an upper midrange.

The Sennheiser IE 400 PRO and IE 500 PRO, although differently priced, share the same design and even the same 7 mm dynamic driver, but they differ in their tuning. From the sparse useful information on the internet, it appears that the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO is a much better sounding earphone than its more expensive sibling. I therefore approached Sennheiser asking for a loaner to test this. Let’s see what I could find out.

SPECIFICATIONS

Company Website: https://de-de.sennheiser.com

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

The unpacking experience of the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO is exactly the same as in the Sennheiser IE 500 PRO and so is the ergonomics. I have tested over 250 earphones and can say that these Sennheiser line sports the best ergonomics out of the lot, perhaps shared with the now discontinued UE900s. The shells are small, they fit snug in my ears, they do not stick out (“bed use”), they are comfortable, and the material feels nice on the skin. And they seal well, which is expected as they have been designed as stage monitors. In fact, you never have the feeling that you have something in your ears – which is also partially contributed to the flexible memory wire. Isolation is very good once again – I have always liked Sennheiser’s silicone tips.

The cable with its round cross section is not too rubbery – and better than the braided version in the IE 500 Pro in that it does not tangle at all. Being black – it is not a grease and dirt magnet. There is some microphonics, though. The connectors are proprietary – you cannot attach a third-party cable – but they are sturdy and reliable. Like all Sennheiser iem cables, this one also comes with a chin slider.

Like their two PRO siblings, the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, with their very low impedance of 16 Ω work well with just a phone – and the included silicone eartips – a Sennheiser standard – fit my ears well.

EQUIPMENT USED: iPhone SE (1st generation) and MacBook Air, alone or with Audioquest Dragonfly Black 1.5 dac/amp; stock cable and stock eartips.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

My tonal preference and testing practice

My test tracks explained

The sound of the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO can be described as medium-warm, gently V-shaped, organic, smooth and cohesive, with a bass punch that creates a mild veil. The driver is noticeably speedy.

The Sennheiser IE 400 PRO’s frequency response curve looks unusual compared to most earphones I have measured, independent of price. The good: it pays off, the sound is very good. The graph is forward dipping which indicates a warm signature. The odd part lies in the upper midrange (2-4 kHz) which appears to be below neutral. Such a graph shape should result in a lack of sparkle and a congested and muted – however rich- sound in the vocals department. The good: this does not happen. Yes, the vocals are rich and intimate, but nothing sounds muffled. Sennheiser must have solved this issue with their tuning in the treble – unfortunately, any coupler (ours included) yields unreliable results in this area so that we can only consider this segment or our graph as semi-quantitative.

But what is obvious is a set of peaks in the upper treble that produces overtones which fuel the midrange with the right sheen and sparkle without making them aggressive. The competition, especially from Asia, frequently boosts the upper midrange (2-4 kHz), which results in aggressive, sharp vocals. This signature is popular in the far east. Sennheiser relies on realistic reproduction that comes with fine British German understatement.

I find the overall sound signature very cohesive, and therefore agreeable, which, together with the organic timbre and the good comfort/fit provides for a pleasant, non-fatiguing listening experience. Stage and headroom are very good for a single dynamic driver, and so is detail resolution. The driver has just the right speed to delight the listener with a realistic attack/decay through the frequency spectrum.

The low end of the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO is well extended and boosted quite a bit above neutral, mainly in the sub-bass area, but this does not affect the vocals of the lower midrange. Although not evident in the graph, mid-bass can be a bit much at times. In terms of quality, the low end is reasonably well focused and medium tight with a natural speed but not as articulate as in the Sennheiser IE 500 PRO sibling. It is punchy, could be a bit sharper and can be perceived as marginally boomy in some tracks.

Moving into the lower midrange, vocals are soft and smooth, intimate, well-sculptured, and N A T U R AL. Very very appealing to my ears. V-shape? Vocals too distant? Just turn the volume up: distortion is minimal and much smaller than what your are used to, even at the highest volumes. There is no hint of harshness as in most of their Chi-Fi colleagues. That’s because the upper midrange is so well behaved. Downside of the tame upper midrange: vocals do not have the biggest sparkle around and it cuts into the transparency…but enough to be appealing.

The highs are very extended into the 15 kHz area recovering some sparkle and sheen but also creating some splashiness in cymbals.

The stage is wider than deep, it deserves a bit more depth. The overall presentation is very accentuated – but detail resolution, layering, and separation are good however somewhat limited by the 7 mm dynamic driver. Sound is as organic as it could be. The Sennheiser IE 400 PRO shine through their coherence and agreeable, inviting sound rather than through their nitty gritty technicalities.

WHY WOULD I WANT IT (OR NOT)?

We at audioreviews.org haven’t had much of a chance reviewing German gear. And that’s exactly where your money is in Sennheiser products: German quality control. Any of the Sennheiser earphones I have measured have impeccable channel balance. The Sennheiser IE 500 PRO and IE 400 PRO are “Made in Germany”, which remains one of the world’s highest quality seals. As a reviewer, I have been disappointed more than once with poorly designed and poorly manufactured, faulty products, that had been thrown on the market prematurely. The other advantage of the IE 400 PRO over their Chi-Fi competition is that they incorporate long (and real) professional experience, that much R&D went into them, and that this product has been so well designed that it is here to stay (on the market). The Chinese competition frequently floods the market with half-baked earphones prematurely, uses their clientele as guinea pigs, and an “improved” version, labelled as “Pro”, will follow so closely that the early adopters are being disgruntled. Sennheiser have the solidity and maturity of a company that they also don’t change their tuning unannounced so that the customer can rely on what they have to expect.

SENNHEISER IE 400 PRO COMPARED

The >$300 4 BA +1DD Anew X-One [here] is superior in most technical aspects (staging, imaging) but does not have offer the same cohesion and degree of natural reproduction, as well as the ergonomics and comfort. It also does not offer the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO’s low harmonic distortion and rigorous quality control (channel balance).

The Sennheiser IE 400 PRO graphs similar to the much cheaper Sennheiser IE 40 PRO [here], but do they sound similar? The main difference lies in the refinement: the IE 40 PRO’s low end is less articulate and slower/less tight and the model also lags in the midrange, particularly the vocals department. The IE 400 PRO reproduces voices more natural, richer, and adds more transparency. The Sennheiser IE 500 PRO [here], in comparison to the other two sounds congested and dull because of its lack of upper midrange/lower treble, but it has a more articulate and layered low end. It also loses against the IE 40 at 1/6 of the price. The $250 JVC HA-FDX1 [here] (with green/least perceived bassy filters) are more upper midrange forward and neutral with a flatter and less extended however realistic bass compared to the warmer Sennheiser IE 400 PRO. The JVCs also have a natural timbre.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Sennheiser IE 400 PRO are not only the clear winner against their siblings imo, they are also very good earphones per se. Price aside (sale price is ok), the only criticism could be the boosted bass, which was just fine to my sensible ears. Imaging is immersive, and the overall sound (“Klangbild”) is coherent and pleasant. These are a safe choice not only for expert hobbyists, but also for music lovers who are not so familiar with/overwhelmed by the market’s offerings. It will be difficult to find somebody who would not enjoy these. On top of that Sennheiser give you the piece of mind that their products are well quality controlled and equipped with a 2-year warranty.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

The review unit was loaned to me by Sennheiser Canada upon my request. I thank them for that as well as some German Sennheiser audio engineers for discussion.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

The post Sennheiser IE 400 PRO Review – Best Of The Pro Series appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Not all included tips big enough for huge ear canals; iem may prevent people from impulse buying other stuff.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Shozy Form 1.4 is a slightly warm L-shaped (forward-sloping) 4+1 earphone that is wonderfully balanced and therefore a Swiss army knife for all musical genres.

INTRODUCTION

Shozy are a Hong Kong company that appear to put a lot of thought in their products, be it design or functionality. They offer a wide variety of gear, from daps through amps to earphones. During writing this review, I had a few questions for them and they promptly, openly, and readily answered them. Appears to be a good business. You find more information on the Shozy website.

The $199 Shozy Form 1.4 (as the name implies: 1 DD and 4 BA) follows their popular Form 1.1 model. The Form 1.4 has already experienced a few reviews. It was generally liked but found to be pricey. I conducted a “deep” analysis of the 1.4 to find out whether these reviewers were right.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver: 4 balanced armatures, 1 dynamic driver
• Cavity: Imported medical resin (3D printed)
• Faceplate: Imported wood stabilized panel
• Technology: 3-way crossover
• Sensitivity: 102 dB
• Frequency: 20 Hz – 20KHz
• Impedance: 16 ohms
• Cable: 2-pin 0.78 mm
• Connector: 3.5 mm
• Carrying case
• 9 pairs of eartips
• Tested at $199
• Purchase Link: HifiGo

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

Pragmatic packaging: a simple small box around the case…the goodies are all inside. Environmentally friendly and easy on the mailman. Bravo!

You may have read on the product page about the one-of-a-kind faceplates and the medical-grade resin of the earpieces. The earpieces look, feel, and handle very well. The cable’s outer material is textile, it is just fine, works well, and I never felt the need to change it.

The earpieces are extremely light, the nozzle angle is perfect for my ears, which resulted in great comfort and fit. These were extremely comfortable over several hours and more so than the much heavier Moondrop Starfield and KBEAR Diamond. Isolation varied with tips used.

From the selection of included eartips, only the largest small black foams fit my ears — and they work well. The KZ Starline tips do the same job. Azla SednaEarfit Light Short tips increase the bass somewhat, and the JVC Spiral Dots even more so. This for bassheads as the “standard” bass is more than enough. The Shozy From 1.4 are easily driven with my iPhone SE. I use the headphone jack, the Apple lightning adapter, and the Scosche Strikeline adapter…it makes no sonic difference.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

My tonal preference and testing practice

To say it right away: I really like this earphone, it is one of the best sounding ones I have ever tested, and it will not disappoint anybody. The tonality can be characterized as being slightly off neutral through a slightly elevated bass and a signature that strikes the balance between naturalness and detail resolution. I found this earphone universally usable from Joy Division and Heavy Metal to Jazz and Classical, something that is rare.

Considering that four of the five drivers are BAs, it is surprising that a symphony sounded like a symphony, and a cello sounded like a cello. The sound has enough air to even let older recordings shine, without getting lost in unnecessary detail that may let the analytical listener/reviewer jubilate — whereas the casual listener misses the coherency of the sound image.

The Shozy Form 1.4. is also a good example of how L-shape can be beneficial: this is the case in a situation where the midrange is firm and dense enough to be alone standing and the upper midrange/lower treble does not add an icepick factor — and bass quantity does therefore not have to be compromised: the bass can be a bit above neutral without spoiling the overall sound image.

With such a tuning, the listener can turn up the volume without the fear of compromising pleasure and even damaging their eardrums. The Shozy Form 1.4’s tuning works well at all volumes. So much to practicality and usability of the Shozy Form 1.4.

Sure, the bass is a bit north of neutral, which is indicated by the small buckle in the graph. And, although I am sensitive to bass, this hump is forgivable, one gets used to it fast, and it is minor. The Beryllium-cated dynamic driver is reasonably fast, controlled, and the low end is well extended. It is the low end that adds the organic component to the sound, and it is in good harmony with the midrange. The forward dipping graph points to a slightly warm overall tonality.

I tend to say that I put my money on the midrange…or, the other way round, the value of an earphone is reflected by the quality of its midrange imo (ignoring the technicalities for now). And this midrange delivers: male and female voices are beautifully imaged in 3-D. I sometimes have the feeling my ears are wrapping around the singers’ heads [don’t try this at home!]. Vocals are wonderfully natural, dense, with a good depth, and the right amount of air. Even voices in older recordings sound reasonably fresh again. In this respect, I have problems finding another earphone in my collection to match this quality.

Upper midrange is well behaved, no sensitive areas of our hearing are affected negatively. It is just the right dose to add some air. Treble is also rather in support of the midrange, and micro detiail at the upper end are lagging behind the rest a bit. The Shozy Form 1.4 is certainly not treble forward, which adds to its pleasant and easily digestible overall sound.

Soundstage is very wide and tall…the music really leaves my head. And it has a healthy depth and height too, which results in superb spatial cues with great instrument placement and separation. I listened to some dummyhead recordings that literally blew my mind because the were so realistic to the point of being creepy. Timbre is also astonishingly natural as said above. The image is clean and clear, the BAs do not accelerate the decay to unnatural levels.

WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY?

Being an amateur tuner myself who had contributed to the KBEAR Diamond and the KB04 (plus a few betas that disappeared mysteriously somewhere in a hole), I would do very little differently, essentially only one thing: I’d “flatten the curve” (hey, isn’t that the phrase of the season) at the low end to make the mid-bass less punchy. But this is guided by my personal taste and may not be shared by everybody. It is easy to add bass to the Shozy Form 1.4 by the choice of eartips, but it is difficult to reduce bass. The inclusion of different tuning filters giving the listeners more flexibility to adapt the sound to their individual tastes would have been an asset.

SHOZY FORM 1.4 COMPARED

The Shozy Form 1.4 resolves and images better than my beloved JVC HA-FDX1 $250 single dynamic driver, but does not quite reach its timbre (because of the BA drivers). The same accounts for the $109 single DD Moondrop Starfield, which is inferior to the JVC in all aspects. Where the Shozy outclasses the Starfield is in the three-dimensionality: the Starfield sound much flatter. The Form 1.4 does not have the wooly bass of the otherwise great BQYEZ Spring 1. I don’t know any other $100-200 iems to compare them to, but I also don’t think this is necessary as the Shozy Form 1.4 does most things very well. To me, the Shozy Form 1.4 is definitely an upgrade over the $150 BQEYZ Spring 1, hence I don’t feel it is outright overpriced, also considering that prices are all over the place.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Shozy Form 1.4 is a very good, well-tuned earphone imo, and it does everything I expect well: it is comfortable, handles all genres of music very well at all volumes, it is well built and beautiful. If there is room for improvement it is in the micro detail, but there is also room for a couple of thousand dollars to achieve that. I am a man of timbre and this earphone is pleasing me 100%.

People who are not sure about the price — I have to repeat that prices are generally all over the place — should be aware that they get an earphone in the Shozy Form 1.4 that may prevent them from further impulse buys — which will save them money in the long run. I have identified my personal sweet spot here and could be very happy with just this one model on a lonely island. And now go and read all the other informed opinions and paint your own picture.

Keep on listening!

Contact us!

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

The Shozy Form 1.4 review unit was supplied unsolicited by HifiGo and I thank them for that.

HifiGo product link HERE.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

FURTHER READING

Shozy Form 1.4. photos

Moondrop Starfield review by Jürgen

Jürgen’s JVC HA-FDX1 review

Jürgen’s BQEYZ Spring 1 review

The post Shozy Form 1.4 Review (1) – Universal Soldier appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Jürgen has already written a thorough review of the NiceHCK Bro, which you find HERE.

By Loomis T. Johnson

Senfer UEs/NiceHCK Bro—very refined quintessential ChiFi knockoff gets surprisingly close to the exponentially more expensive mainstream IEMs they imitate. Nicely built, easy to drive and ergonomic, with good isolation; I prefer their sleek fit and stock cable to that on the (real) UE900s. Like the UE900s, the UEs is balanced, with more prominent mids than the usual V-shaped fare. Some subbass is palpable, if not especially punchy or deep (these are not optimal for EDM or metal); midbass lacks some body but is well-controlled and sculpted. Mids, as stated, are forward and clean, while treble is sparkly, slightly bright and reasonably detailed (prone to very slight sibilance or splashiness at the extremes); note texture is comparatively lean overall. Soundstage has good width and height; imaging is particularly good; the position of each performer is very accurate and unlike many of these DIY hybrids, driver coherence is seamless. Compared to the UE900s, the UEs has a more adrenalized quality and is brighter and less resolving, particularly at the high-end, though the difference is not nearly as large as the price would suggest. Scary good value.

By Jürgen Kraus

After a couple of years with 3 to 6 BA driver-earphones, I have come back to treasure single DDs because of their natural timbre. These Senfers also have a very natural timbre but, to my surprise, feature 1 DD + 1 BA. When I put these into my ears after a long time, they first sounded somewhat flat and analog. But once my ears got used to their timbre, these simpletons just killed it. Have yet to find any in my large iem selection that reproduce voices and instruments as naturally as this earphone (or the NiceHCK Bro). A cello really sounded like a cello and the Queen of the Night out of Mozart’s Zauberflöte was standing right in my room – scary. Sure, the multi-drivers are technically more competent, e.g. they resolve better, but they cannot reproduce these instruments as authentically as this cheapo. Strangely enough, that enormous bass as shown in the frequency response does not appear huge at all to my ears, because it is focused and controlled, and extends like this into the sub-bass.

Compared to the newer $20 Knowledge Zenith models, the Senfer/Bro does not have these fatiguing 2-4 kHz peaks. Vocals sound therefore less accentuated and thinner but also less intrusive and more natural — the much more detailed and refined sounding ZSN becomes quickly fatiguing to me.

Loomis – with a grain of salt – tends to compare these to the $399 4 BA UE900s [errr…compare the names] in terms of detail resolution — whereas the UE900s wins on the bass focus. I want to add that the Senfer UEs has a much more natural timbre.

Paradoxically, the Senfer UEs/NiceHCK Bro come in a shape that appears to have become one of the standards in the ever expanding $100 to $200 Chifi category. The fact that this model has found mainly friends in poor, cheap, old, and grumpy people shows how hype does not affect…poor, cheap, old, and grumpy people.

To me, the Senfer UEs/NiceHCK have stood the test of time and will always remain a favourite.

Keep on listening!

EPILOGUE

Recommending these little Senfer rascals to a fellow Head-Fier got me banned from some functionality there forever (I was reported to admins by some creep of known identity). I purchased these about two years ago for $17 — but saw them lately for around $13 (in the NiceHCK Bro version).

Head-Fi continue to claim that Senfer is associated with Wooeasy/Yinyoo/Easy Earphones without presenting evidence — and they lash out against people mentioning Senfer. Wooeasy/Yinyoo/Easy Earphones are banned from Head-Fi for allegedly having rigged product reviews. Fact is that Senfer is Senfer is Senfer, an entirely independent company and unrelated to the aforementioned. Head-Fi have the house right, but they don’t have the right to manufacture and spread falsehoods, which constitutes libel. I appeal to Head-Fi’s basic decency and fairness to test their claims. As to rigging reviews: there are no sharp boundaries between real, sugarcoating, and fake. Some Head-Fi-tolerated “reviewers” are suspiciously closely associated with certain companies (some of which sponsor Head-Fi) while never or hardly ever finding any flaws on those companies’ products…in contrast to some independent external (only) reviewers. 

The post Senfer UEs / NiceHCK Bro 2-in-1 Review – A Classic Revisited appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Ok…but I am pushing it…slightly boosted upper midrange, limited soundstage, limited resolution, heavy earpieces and cable.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 is a dynamic-driver earphone that makes its way to the top of the field by its incredible tonal balance and accuracy, that is superior over any multidriver iem I have heard. While it does not reach the levels of soundstage and definition of expensive hybrids, its tonal qualities more than compensate for the shortcomings (if there are any). You find some photos of the Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 HERE.

INTRODUCTION

The story goes like this: a classical music lover from Vienna ordered a pair of JVC FD01 earphones from Japan, found the upper end overly aggressive, and experimented with his own filters made of alcohol swabs…until the sound was right for him. For the rest of us, he kept on modifying cheap single dynamic drivers to mimic his beloved JVCs. I had followed his published modding efforts for more than a year and am now proud owner of three of his “reversibly” modded budget models: the Blitzwolf BW ES1 [annotated FR], the Alpex HSE-2000 [annotated FR], and the Hifi Walker A1…the latter received some special dedication on the audioreviews.org blog [HERE]. In the end, we compiled his modding techniques with his permission: how to remove or add treble or bass etc. [HERE]. Once all over the internet, everything rests now compact in one place. Should anybody say there is no compatibility between Austrians and Bavarians. Eventually, people wanted to have the original JVC sound and discussion between some earphone wizards, drop.com, and JVC resulted not only in producing a special edition of these earphones available for the international market, no JVC implemented the suggested modifications into a new filter design, and they dropped the price by $100. The Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 was born.

Many major manufacturers such as Sennheiser, AKG, Pioneer, and B&W still rely exclusively on the single-dynamic-driver technology because of its minimal harmonic distortion, natural timbre, and coherent sound. Unfortunately, many of their models are old school V-shaped with vocals caught somewhere between an unnaturally boosted bass and elevated treble. Recently, Sennheiser attempted a flatter tuning in their IE 500 PRO flagship item that failed by effectively omitting the upper midrange, resulting in a dull, congested sound [HERE]. The Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 does no suffer from any of this.

SPECIFICATIONS

The specs were copied from the product page: https://drop.com/buy/drop-jvc-ha-fdx1-dual-carbon-iem

• Model type: In-ear monitor
• Driver type: Dynamic driver
• Driver unit: 11mm DLC DOME DUAL CARBON driver unit with newly developed diaphragm, air damper, and titanium metal driver case
• PEN (Polyethylene Naphthalate) center dome with diamond-like carbon coating
• PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) outer ring with black-carbon coating
• Impedance: 16 ohms
• Frequency response: 8Hz-52kHz
• Output sound pressure level:  103dB @1mW
• Maximum power input: 200mW (IEC standards)
• Cable: Detachable MMCX connectors (Y type) OFC
• 3.5 mm 24 gold-plated stereo mini plug (straight)
• Groove cable
• Cable length: 1.2 m (3.9 ft)
• Weight (not including cable): 0.7 oz (20 g)
• JVC recommends 48 hours of burn-in time at low volume
• Rich soundstage straight from a phone/computer, or driven by an amp
• Tested at: $250
• Purchase at: https://drop.com/buy/drop-jvc-ha-fdx1-dual-carbon-iem

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

Unboxing was pure pleasure as there was no knick-knack at all. A generic beige carboard box…it is all about technology here…

The box hosts 5 pairs of “JVC Spiral Dots +” eartips in different sizes (not available individually), a very substantial and heavy, slightly rubbery & springy, round MMCX cable, the earpieces, and a nifty case. The earpieces are of pragmatic industrial design, of plain beauty reminiscent of the Bauhaus school. They are big, heavy, and (probably) bulletproof. Front and back can be rotated relative to each other for optimal fit, which allows to wear the cable above ear or under ear. Comfort is good, maybe the earpieces are a bit heavy, and isolation is ok. The filters can be exchanged quickly and easily by a clever spring-loaded mechanism.

As sources I used the iPhone SE with the audioquest dragonfly and the Shanling M0 with the FiiO E12 Montblanc amp.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

JK’s tonal preference and testing practice

I report the sound of the Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 using the included green filters, as they painted the most realistic/natural/balanced sound image for my ears. The blue filters create more depth/warmth/fun so that they may work better on the commute with a noisy backdrop. I did not use the white filters at all as they reportedly create little chainsaws. What stroke me first was the natural reproduction of sound, characterized by a heavy note weight, a full body, smoothness, and slight warmth. Bass is mighty, nevertheles is it well textured and controlled without being overbearing. It has natural dynamics, that is realistic punch/attack/decay, which makes percussion instruments or the basso continuo in Baroque orchestral pieces particularly delightful. Sub-bass extension is good.

The midrange is generally very nuanced and clear. Vocals, both male and female, are well sculptured, very realistic, and intimate, although they are slightly recessed. Upper midrange such as high piano notes or high voices can be a bit much at times (but it does not lead to congestion), which is the JVC’s weakest point. The upper midrange can be reduced by using the blue filter, which adds perceived bass while not substantially cutting down the upper midrange perception to my ears. Cymbals are again rather realistic in their attack/decay, in fact they show the most authentic reproduction of any earphone I have tried.

Soundstage and resolution are very good for a dynamic driver, depth is reasonable, but it cannot compete with an expensive hybrid — however it beats any hybrid in terms of natural transients. That said, spatial cues is very good and layering and separation are outstanding. Overall, the Drop + JVC HA-FDX01 excel by their pleasant, homogenous image that makes the shortcomings somewhat irrelevant. In comparison to a typical premium hybrid, the Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 are less aggressive, more organic, and you can turn them up to higher volumes before they start distorting. What I would improve is their sparkle…certain pop genres can come across as a bit blunt.

SELECT COMPARISONS

The Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 sound much more refined and coherent compared to the more loose sounding ($100) iBasso IT01 (which have the strongest sub-bass extension of all earphones I know). The Blon BL-03 ($30) are slightly brighter and less deep but they have a similarly refined, natural sound. Surprise! The modded $50 Hifi Walker A1 are more treble forward, lack the JVC’s note weight and depth, and sound overall thinner and less smooth, but they are certainly worth your while. The $600 Sennheiser IE 500 PRO are utterly lifeless and congested in comparison stemming from a total lack of upper midrange.

VALUE

Are the Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 worth their $250 asking price imo? I write this because that price tag for a dynamic driver earphone was heavily criticized in some discussion by people who had not listened to this earphone. Well, you can pay $1000 for a soso Sennheiser IE800s or $1300 for a bassy Campfire Audio Atlas. But if you get this one, you’ll probably never buy another dynamic driver earphone. I once again put my money where my mouth is and ordered a pair myself.

The answer is therefore yes.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 are not perfect, but they are getting close. As a recreational listener, I first hear the wonderful tonal balance and accuracy. As an analytical reviewing listener I first hear the good technicalities. What could be improved? Well, resolution and soundstage, possibly, but the timbre alone makes this earphone worthwhile. The Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 is not only an instant classic, it also will be an instant collector’s item.

Keep on listening!

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

The loaner pair was provided by drop.com and I thank Christian Tanimoto III for his trust and the pleasant communication.

Our generic standard disclaimer

About our measurements

Our Earphones Of The Year!

The post Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 DUAL CARBON IEM Review (1) – Is the End Nigh? appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Poor accessories; needs tinkering with tips and cable to unleash its full potential; a bit bright; short nozzles.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Blon BL-03 is a neutral to slightly warm, marginally bright single dynamic driver earphone that excels by its tonal accuracy, natural dynamics, clarity, authentic soundstage, and spatial cues that gives you the feeling of sitting in the first row of a concert.

You find more photos of the Blon BL-03 here: https://www.audioreviews.org/blon-bl-03-photography/

INTRODUCTION

Blon stands for Believe, Let the music burn, Opportunity, Never give up. I don’t know anything about the company other than their tuner Zhuo Hulang also tuned the highly acclaimed Tanchjim Oxygen at 10 times the price, and that both models sport the same driver…but, I cannot verify this.

SPECIFICATIONS

Product Name: BLON BL-03  
Drive Unit: 10mm Carbon Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
Impedance: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW
Frequency Range: 20-20000 Hz
Connector: 2 Pin 0.78MM 
Cable Length: 1.2 m ± 3 cm 
Interface: 3.5mm Gilded
Plug Type: L-shaped
Tested at: $28.49
Product Link: Wooeasy Earphones Store

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

There is not much in the rather huge box other than the earpieces, cable, three sets of eartips (S, M, L), and a storage bag made of jute…well, Woodstock was 50 years ago. The drop-shaped earpieces are made of kirsite (like the NiceHCK HCK EP-10), appear robust, and fit very well into my ears without sticking out…the Blon BL-03 may work well as sleep earphones, too. The earpieces are way ahead of stock cable and stock tips in terms of haptic and build. First, I threw out the cable, not because it sounded bad but because the memory wire strangled my ears and because it was so stiff (I replaced it with a $7 cheapo I had purchased in my earlier youth). No regret here as the stock cable was not the fanciest anyway. Next, I dumped the totally useless eartips which were way too flabby to achieve a seal with.

After a lengthy and unenjoyable period of tip rolling, I finally arrived at the solution: only the “inverted” Starline tips worked for me (the DIY process is described HERE). I also had to passively extend the nozzles by cutting out a ring from the inner tube of an old eartip (see photo). The SpinFit CP145 and some similarly shaped eartips that came with the iBasso IT01 generated too thin a sound as their canopies were not wide enough in combination with these particular earpieces. Results may vary for you, as everybody’s ear canals are different.

Comfort is good and isolation depends on the eartips, but I never got fantastic results. As so often, I used low-impedance sources (iPhone 5S with and without AudioQuest dragonfly dac/amp) and the Shanling M0 dap. The Blog BL-03 has huge advantage over the likes of the Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 or the Moondrop Kanas Pro because of their small, light shells, that don’t stick out of the ear.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

JK’s tonal preference and testing practice

The Blon BL-03 is neutral with a tendency towards bright that excels by its clarity, good speed, tonal accuracy and homogeneity/balance. The sound details depends a lot on eartips used so that results may vary between listeners. Hence, please also look at the other quality reviews out there.

The Blon BL-03 has a rather subtle, balanced sound signature with my setup and for my ears with a tendency to a forward upper midrange, which gives it a margially brightish flavour….it is certainly a far cry from the previous generations of V-shaped single DDs. Nothing punches (too much) from the low end or pierces at the high end. It is a polite and refined earphone all around. The Blon BL-03 is primarily an earphone for “audiophiles” imo and only secondary for rockers and dance music fans as its strength lies in the authenticity of sonic reproduction. It largely lacks perfume: the bass is rather natural in quality and quantity…and not substantially boosted to prefer certain musical genres with a hard beat. Fitting to the low end, the dynamics are rather natural, too. Further, the stage is quite authentic (wider than deep, including a good height), and the spatial cues is good, too, so that you really think you are in the first row of a concert.

With the tips used, the bass is well extended and has the aforementioned decent but not unnaturally strong punch, it is well textured and adds subtle warmth to the image. It can be a bit slow at times but is never thick. A subtle sub-bass rumble is pleasant on my ears. Overall, bass is tastefully dosed. The midrange is clean and clear, organic, energetic, and maybe a bit on the bright side because of a lift in the upper midrange. It has good air but not as much density as the more expensive Drop + JVC HA-FDX1. There is no congestion anywhere, including the upper midrange. Treble is very well extended, well resolving, and never strident (but not smooth either). Cymbals are surprisingly realistic sounding as transients are surprisingly natural. Stage is rather wide and high with enough depth. Resolution and instrument placement on stage are almost incredible for a budget earphone. 3-D impression is very good. And then there is the timbre, which is absolutely spot on. No budget hybrid can keep up with the Blon BL-03, although the TRN V90 gives it a good try.

Condensing all these observations, the Blon BL-03 cater particularly to fans of classical music, folk, and jazz. I don’t usually give music examples (as most people don’t have access to them) but have a look at the recent John Williams re-recordings by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. A very fluid listening experience.

COMPARISONS

The fantastic Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 ($250/280) have more note weight and depth, and they are ultimately more substantial sounding…but not by much. A/Bing them with the Blon BL-03 still makes the Blons a great, enjoyful listen. The Blons are brighter trough more boost in the upper midrange and have more recessed vocals. The darker iBasso IT01 ($100) have more sub-bass but sound somewhat loose in comparison, and the thicker sounding Moondrop Crescent ($30; discontinued) are behind in terms of composition and definition. The Blon BL-03 are also more refined and more organic sounding than the astonishingly good Senfer DT6 ($20). I have to point out that all of the above earphones are quite enjoyable. The Sennheiser IE 500 PRO ($600) have a tighter bass than the Blon BL-03 but they fail by their missing upper midrange, which makes their sound muffled and muted. The Blon BL-03 are actually better in terms of air and soundstage than those premiums.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Out of the box, this earphone was a cinderella. Once you get the Blon BL-03 going, they are an absolutely superb earphone that is unparalleled in its class in terms of tonal balance and accuracy, and resolution. It is good enough for serious listening at home, and the flat earpieces make it a good bedphone, too. I favour the Blon BL-03 over much more expensive earphones, simply because of its tonal accuracy, balance, and natural dynamics.

Keep on listening!

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

The Blon BL-03 were supplied unsolicited by Wooeasy Earphones Store. I thank them very much.

Our generic standard disclaimer

About our measurements

BLON BL-03 Review II — Another (Unsolicited) Opinion

The post Blon BL-03 Review (1) – Love Is Like Oxygen appeared first on Audio Reviews.

I have been waiting to get my hands on this JVC HA-FDX1 one for a bit over a year now. Arguably the best single dynamic driver on the market (appreciated in Japan for its tonal balance and accuracy) at a measly $250. Thanks to Christian at drop.com for this loaner. Once again, I put my mouth where my money is (or was it the other way round?) and ordered one at full price. At the time of photographing, the edition was limited to 665. In the meantime, these JVCs have re-appeared occasionally on drop.

Product page: https://drop.com/buy/drop-jvc-ha-fdx1-dual-carbon-iem

The post Photographed: Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 DUAL CARBON IEM appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Pros — Great build; perfect timbre; cohesive sound.

Cons — Hard to drive; heavy earpieces.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Moondrop Crescent is a sturdily built, (Harman Target) neutral tuned single dynamic-driver earphone with a warm, full, homogeneous, organic sound that rivals its Kanas Pro sibling at 1/6 of the price. You find more photos of the Moondrop Crescent HERE.

INTRODUCTION

I took a lot of flak by fanboys recently for my review of the Moondrop Kanas Pro [HERE]…”fanboys” means people who already owned the product. My main criticism was an unbalanced tonality from a misfit between an overly boosted bass and a thin midrange…which does not contradict the review of our own Biodegraded [HERE]. But isn’t the basic idea of a review to critically assess the pros and cons of a product rather than feeding a confirmation bias? Doesn’t the attentive reader benefit from taking in as many informed opinions as possible? “Sunshine reviews” consisting merely of descriptions laced with interchangeable commonplaces and buying recommendations may help the manufacturer/distributor/seller (and the reviewers by keeping their gravy trains going) but they are not informative and therefore useless for the critical reader/potential buyer. Let’s see what we can do with the Moondrop Crescent, another earphone from Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

SPECIFICATIONS

Model Number: Moondrop Crescent
Material: Brass
Driver: dynamic
Sensitivty: 98 dB
Impedance: 32 ohm
Frequency Response: 16-30000 Hz
Cable Length: 1.2m
Plug Type: straight
Color: Gold
Tested at: $29.99
Product Link: Miss Audio Store

PHYSICAL THINGS

Included are the earphone with the attached cable, felt storage bag, shirt clip, three pairs of silicone eartips, and the usual paperwork. Build quality is stellar. The rounded piston-shaped brassy metal earpieces are heavy, the cable is soft, rubbery, and a bit springy. Fit and comfort are what you expect from this shape (with a bit of weight added). Isolation depends on the tips used, the largest included ones worked well for me. Just like the Kanas Pro, the Crescents are hard to drive. They work with a phone but better with my Audioquest DragonFly amp/dac.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

JK’s tonal preference and testing practice

A word on the Harman Kardon neutral curve: I don’t consider it as neutral or even optimal. It is the idea of a single person, Sean Olive, it changes from time to time and is therefore not universally valid. But the curve is a useful reference marker.

The Crescents are warm and rich sounding earphones coming from their low end: the lower bass is slightly boosted (could be a bit less for my taste). Extension in the sub-bass is good but the low end could be more controlled and textured. OK, I have to remind myself, this is a $30 earphone. The whole midrange could be a bit thicker but remains warm (and not neutral as in the Kanas Pro). Male and female voices sound amazingly relaxed and natural but are also a bit back. The upper midrange remains calm, almost smooth, there is no annoying Chifi peak in the 2-4 kHz region. Extension towards the top end is good and without unwanted surprises, but the treble could resolve better (cymbals tend to smear). The timbre is spot on – exquisite – and that’s where the value is in the Crescents imo. Soundstage is of standard width (bassy tracks shrink it) but is reasonably deep and high in my perception. The other technicalities such as detail resolution are not of premium quality but quite acceptable. Considering the Crescents’ low price I may borrow the hollow standard phrase that they provide a refined and mature, non-fatiguing listen (as opposed to sounding tinny or plastic-like with weird treble peaks, not unheard of in this price category).

In comparison, the Senfer DT6 [review] have a less natural timbre but a more forward midrange and they are easier to drive. The Kanas Pro [review 1 | review 2] have a better resolution than the Crescents but they sound less homogeneous. Both earphones aim for the Harman target in their frequency responses. The Crescents are darker than the Kanas Pro, their bass fits better in the mix making for a more balanced tonality. The identical sounding Paiaudio DR2 [review] / Hill Audio Altair•RA [review] are much bassier resulting in a more pronounced V-shape.

VALUE

Yes! There are certainly $$$ earphones out there that don’t have the Crescents’ tonal accuracy.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Moondrop Crescent could be a poor man’s Campfire in terms of haptic and build (I have never listened to a Campfire). To me they sound like a premium earphone in need of a bit (but not much) of refinement. The Crescents are yet another example of a price/quality mismatch (relative to the diminished return earphones). I prefer them over the $180 Moondrop Kanas Pro, not because they are “better” but because they are more homogenous and more comfortable. And they cost much less. The Crescents are good, enjoyable earphones independent of price.

P.S. I am surprised that no hype has developed around the Moondrop Crescent but on the 6 times as expensive Kanas Pro. There are hardly any reviews of the Crescents to be found — they are obviously not pushed by the distributors. Could it be that there is more money in the higher-priced earphones?

Keep on listening!

Our rating scheme

DISCLAIMER

This pair of the Moondrop Crescent was provided by Miss Audio Store for my critical analysis. I thank them very much for that.

About our measurements

The post Moondrop Crescent Review – Brassed Off! appeared first on Audio Reviews.

CATCHING THE HYPE TRAIN

This $5-8 cheapo has caught the attentention of the earphone wizards after creating a hype earlier in 2019. Crinacle rates them highly: “Clean notes, proper sub-bass extension and a tonal balance beyond expectations.” Shotgunshane also added them to his list of favourites: “Yup, Seven dollars and 95 cents. Dynamic driver. Universal. Exaggerated Harman type frequency response with large sub bass boost, very clear upper mids and slightly easier going treble. Less warmth than [Sony] MH1/C. Once again Sony makes a budget gem and then screws us over with a J cable.​” Antdroid also appreciates the Sonys: “The Sony freebie is exceptionally good for $6-8. It’s included free with their Bluetooth adapters, and a similar model, the MH750, is included with their cell phones. It’s a warm, bassy yet quite coherent in-ear that is quite a bit bassier and warmer than the Harman Target but has a similar upper-midrange and treble curve. It’s a steal for $6 on eBay.” Another qualified earphone guy, B9Scrambler, assigned the Sonys a small soundstage typical for the price range [original statement]. Co-blogger Biodegraded commented the bass was a bit strong for him (I have not heard him ever not say that). The question is: who is right and is the hype justified? The short answer: they are all right, each for their own reasons, and the hype (if there ever was one) is somewhat justified considering the low price and the small risk to lose money on something one doesn’t enjoy.

NOTHING SPECIAL IN MY EARS?

This is the MH755: single dynamic driver, small earpieces, cable too short (needs extension or recabling), haptic is nothing special. Got my pair from Biodegraded who had purchased them on ebay for $7 AUS.

I put these Sonys first into my ears after a week with the $600 Sennheiser IE 500 PRO [review], which generated a jaw-dropping experience (I had expected the Sonys being slaughtered but the opposite was the case): outstanding tonal balance, clean, natural reproduction. Technicalities are also good: sufficiently wide soundstage with ok depth, good resolution, separation, imaging, layering. No, the Sonys are not better than the Senns, but they excel in the upper midrange: the upper winds and strings of a symphony orchestra are nicely reproduced whereas they are lacking in the better resolving, smoother Senns. Note: the Sony MH755 need quite a bit of juice…while it appears to be preposterous purchasing a dongle amp/dac for a $8 earphone, they work “louder” with my audioquest dragonfly.

To me, the Sony MH755 are like the Toronto Raptors basketball team: every element is good, not much is individually brilliant but everything working together wins matches or even the championship: HOMOGENEITY (=balance) is the Sony’s strength…some may disagree because of the lifted low end. These are simply a delight to listen to for my ears and the main reason may be the tastefully executed upper midrange. Personally, I favour the Sony MH755 over most of my recently reviewed (and much much more expensive) iems, which once again shows that listening pleasure/quality and asking price are frequently not correlated (hence the expensive stuff often has to compensate with window dressing). And even if the MH755 were a bucket of crap in the opinion of others, they still did their job for me by creating pleasure. Isn’t that what we want? MORE JOY OF UNBOXING? Not needed at this price (it comes in a plain baggie).

So why are all earphone guys mentioned above right imo? It depends where you are coming from. If you listen to classical music, the Sonys will excel by their tonal accuracy (“timbre”), their liveliness, and their homogeneity. If you listen to amplified music, the Sony’s benefits don’t play such a big role. As so often, it is in the eyes of the beerholder. The discussion also shows how much timbre can contribute to the listener’s satisfaction…but it is not mentioned at all in many reviews. Many (expensive) balanced armature earphones may not satisfy the listener in terms of timbre or harmonic distortion. As to soundstage: small or not? I find the soundstage being oval, quite wide rather than deep, with an ok height, but it appears to become smaller with decreasing volume. Add some juice and the soundstage is ok (for my ears).

SMOOTH JOURNEY IN THE END

Does the Chifi holy grail we all have been looking for come from Japan in the end? This is up to you to answer. I usually don’t give buying advice: “If you are in the market for a $xxx earphone, this is a no brainer because it punches above its weight…pull the trigger now” or similar sales blabla. But at $5-8 your biggest risk is getting a fake. Check the ratings of the ebay sellers.

Keep on listening!

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

The Sony MH755: There is no reason to be euphoric about them but they certainly are a victory for the dollar-store audiophiles.

P.S. I am lazy and “recabled” by adding a female-to-male audio cable for $2.99. Works.

The post Sony MH755 Review – Testing Another Hype appeared first on Audio Reviews.

The post Photographed: The Moondrop Crescent appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Pros — Exceptional sound quality: cohesion, balance, and timbre; high-quality build; smooth, robust, full sound; great isolation and fit; outstanding value.

Cons — Grainy upper treble; flimsy pouch.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Sennheiser IE 40 PRO is a warm and cohesive sounding single dynamic driver (DD) monitor earphone that excels by its natural tonal quality. The image is built on a solid but never overpowering low end.

INTRODUCTION

My first headphone was a Sennheiser: I picked up the HD414 with its bright yellow pads from a flea market in Germany in the late 1970s — and listened to the Clash and Graham Parker & the Rumour, of course on vinyl. Heavenly! And since then, I have acquired another 7 pairs of Sennheiser headphones and as many earbuds and earphones.

Sennheiser is a company based in lower Saxony, Germany, that rose from the ashes of WWII. Founded in 1945 by Prof. Fritz Sennheiser out of Hanover University, they have been innovative mainly in headphone and microphone technology since.  The very competent Tyll Hertsens of innerfidelity.com once ranked Sennheiser as the world’s best headphone maker (“despite the odd screwup”). 

Sennheiser certainly did well with their headphones; for example, the HD600 has been a perennial favourite since 1998. With the appearance of smartphones, Sennheiser introduced the CX300 earphones as an alternative to the buds that came with the phones. I saw their follow-up, the CX300B MKII, ranked somewhere as one of the 10 best headphone/earphone buys below $500 back in 2013. These CX300s had great speech intelligibility but an overly muddy bass. The next generation of Sennheiser budget earphones included the very popular and praised Momentum in-ear, which disappointed me somewhat by its rather recessed midrange. In recent years, Sennheiser had been a bit complacent for my taste, missing the rapid developments in the in-ear sector. For example, they have never produced a balanced armature (BA) driver (earphone). Sennheiser claim that a single wideband transducer produces a more natural sound than an array of BAs that introduce a crossover effect…and they may actually be right.

And while holding on to the single dynamic driver designed in-house, the Sennheiser IE 40 PRO is the lowest priced one out of a series of three: the IE 400 PRO and IE 500 PRO [review] are due to release in May 2019. These are true monitors aiming to musicians but they work equally well for recreational listening.

SPECIFICATIONS (from the Sennheiser website)

IN THE BOX…

..are the earpieces, a cable with proprietary connectors similar to MMCX that actually work (patent pending); 3 sets of quality rubber earth and 1 pair of foams, a cleaning tool (!) and a pouch that is too small for my liking.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY

The earpieces of my black review unit are made of softish plastic, similar to the material used in Sennheiser headphones. It feels smooth and so does the cable that has just the right tension not to be springy. The ear mold (“memory wire”) around the ears is thick and soft and sturdy. The cable is detachable (bonus) but the connectors are proprietary (patent pending) — and as opposed to MMCX connectors they are reliable. The eartips are made of the usual thick high-grade rubbers offered in Sennheiser iems. Overall, all plastics and rubbers use are of good quality and I trust the Sennheiser engineers that the materials have the usual longevity. These monitors offer a truly functional design.

ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

The earpieces are small and rather shallow so that they fit perfectly into my ears without sticking out. The fit is terrific and the thick ear mold is not intrusive while holding the shell firmly in place. The cable has zero microphonics. Isolation is outstanding: if you don’t need these for your band, they will also work well on the city bus or a plane.

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

I did my listening with the iPhone SE and used the largest included rubber tips. At 20 ohm, the IE 40 PRO are very easy to drive.

TONALITY

JK’s tonal preference and testing practice

The big picture: The IE 40 PRO are warm and mildly bassy earphones characterized by their great tonal quality (timbre) and homogeneity. Gone are the dreaded Sennheiser veil and the associated darkness. The overall sound is extremely pleasant without any significant aberations.

The details: What stands out is the strongly reduced bass compared to previous Sennheiser budget models such as the Momentum in-ear, CX 5.00, and CX 300B Mk II. The IE 40 PRO’s low end has its biggest slam rather deep down between 40 and 100 Hz, and the frequency response remains almost linear and a bit forward inclined between 100 Hz through the complete midrange into the lower treble, where it starts dipping at 6 kHz but and it reaches its biggest peaks between 12 and 15 kHz. 

The slightly elevated sub-bass and bass form the solid foundation of the tonal image (“Klangbild”). This healthy but never thick low-end adds the volume that makes the IE 40 PRO sound like a headphone. The bass is medium-fast decaying which contributes to the natural timbre and it adds warmth to the image. It stays focused at this level into the sub-bass. The upper bass enhances and colours the lower midrange (male vocals) but at the expense of some clarity and transparency. For the listener, the bass appears to creep up subtly without the classic mid-bass hump. Very pleasant to my ears.

The midrange is not recessed. Both male and female voices sound full and natural. The upper midrange is actually below neutral at the expense of brightness and energy in guitars and female voices. Speech intelligibility is outstanding.

The lower treble is well-dosed and yet well extended without any peaks that could introduce sibilance, harshness, or hardness. The sound is smooth right into the upper treble that compensate for the flat upper midrange and lower treble by introducing some but not too much sparkle and air. The 12-15 kHz area is rather emphasized compared to other single DDs (including the ones mentioned below), which brings cymbals forward — they can sound a bit grainy in some cases. Several others reported this “upper” sibilance” that affects notes high above the voices. But because the treble did not pierce and the bass does not thump, I could turn the volume up on the IE 40 PRO without regret.

The soundstage is average in width but has a good depth and height. Instrument separation and layering are great – but, quite frankly, I don’t really care that much as the timbre is the delightful part: a saxophone sounds like a saxophone, a cello like a cello, and an acoustic guitar sounds like a…you got it.

In summary, the sound is like “aus einem Guss” (extremely homogenous), never fatiguing, and in the end addictive for me.

SELECT COMPARISONS

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear ($99): This highly praised and by no-means bad single DD model has an overcooked, thicker bass that pushes its quality vocals into the back and produces a somewhat veiled and muffled sound. A simple mod [instructions] brings the midrange forward, recovers some transparency, and reveals its true quality, but still does not produce the depth of the IE 40 PRO. Midrange and treble are similar between the two models with the upper treble being more forward on the IE 40 PRO. Fit of the IE 40 PRO is also better. Overall, the IE 40 PRO are a good step up from the Momentum in-ear. 

Brainwavz B200 v1 ($120; discontinued): The original black B200 with their 2 BAs are an underappreciated jewel and one of my all-time favourites. Although both are tuned very similarly up to 3 kHz the B200’s midrange and treble (and therefore the overall sound) is much leaner than that of the IE 40 PRO and their low end is more focused on the mid bass. Where they differ substantially is from the upper midrange up, where the B200 starts dropping off at 3 kHz. Cymbals are less forward and voices are less full, more fragile, less three-dimensional and less natural in the B200 v1. The IE 40 PRO sounds fuller at higher volumes, where the B200 v1 get tinny. It lacks the full sound that makes the IE 40 PRO sound like a headphone. The Senns also handle dense instrumentations better. Nevertheless is the lean sound of the B200 v1. appealing. If asked which of the two I’d surrender, I’d say: none. Both are excellent and it is needless to rank them against each other (considering that one is off the market)! 

Focal Sphear ($129): This single DD has a similarly great natural sound, a thicker, less extended and less focused bass bleeding into the slightly recessed and thinner mids, and also more modest treble. The somewhat V-shaped Sphear is less dynamic and darker. Nevertheless are the differences not gigantic and the Sphear’s timbre makes it a great earphone.

iBasso IT01 ($100): The single DD IT01 has a more extended bass, which is nicely textured, but also a tad too strong for my liking. It smears into the lower midrange at the expense of clarity – which bugs me every time I use them (as they are very competent earphones in most other aspects). The vocals department of the Senns is cleaner, richer, and more homogenous wheras the iBasso’s may have more depth but it is also more recessed. In terms of natural sound, there is not much between them. The iBasso’s shells are much bigger and its fancy braided however heavy cable may be more appealing to some. Again, the Senns are more streamlined and pragmatic in this respect: everything works well together.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

I have rarely had a product come through my hands that was so well thought out and balanced as the Sennheiser IE 40 PRO, from the haptic, isolation, comfort, and fit to the sound. The IE 40 PRO’s strength is that it is just really good in most respects — and it hits a sweet spot, price wise. This is the rare case where I consider going out and buy myself a pair for the commute.

Es lebe das dynamische Treibersystem | Long live the dynamic driver!

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

The review unit was a loaner sent upon my request with Sennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co KG in Wedemark, Germany, through Sennheiser USA. Dankesehr and thank you everybody involved! The sole purpose of this review was our independent evaluation of the IE 40 PRO’s technical and sonic qualities. Biodegraded used the same unit for his second opinion.

Our generic standard disclaimer

About our measurements

SECOND OPINION BY BIODEGRADED

Pros — Fit, comfort, isolation, cable (strong, flexible, quiet); bass (over-emphasized, but done well).

Cons — A bit recessed in the upper mids, treble spike (highs are grainy/scratchy); connectors are proprietary.

In the marketing material for these, Sennheiser pushes the ‘stage monitor’ focus, and stresses their ‘expanded sound spectrum’ vs alternatives with ‘multi-way drivers’ (presumably meaning the multi-balanced-armature units more typically targeted at performers). These two aspects are evident in the IE 40 PROs’ tonality: a downward-sloping frequency profile reminiscent of other ‘pro’ IEMs like Westones, but with the addition of a spike in the treble to complement the elevated bass (see JK’s measurements above).

People used to a stage-monitor style presentation might initially be impressed: coming from a dynamic driver, the elevated bass has good punch and timbre and goes deep, and the treble spike might initially give the impression of resolution. However…

Ok, the bass IS good. For me, it’s the highlight of these. It’s boosted a few dB, but it also extends deep, doesn’t seem to overwhelm the lower mids too much, and has dynamics and transients that sound natural. This, together with the isolation (good, but being rear-vented not quite as good as non-vented BA competitors) would be good in the noisy environments of a stage or a plane. The treble, though, is a let-down. The narrow peak (around 12 kHz in JK’s measurements) is too high and its timbre is unrealistic, rendering a grainy or scratchy texture to cymbals and high violin notes. For me, this is a deal-breaker.

The upper mids are also a bit low. People sensitive to emphasis in the 3-5k area (JK’s ‘ChiFi chainsaw’) might not mind this, but I found the suppression in this region coupled with the treble exaggeration to negatively affect my perception of instrument separation and imaging – for me, another minus.

If you can get over the treble, construction, fit, and as noted above, isolation, are very good. The cable is a particular highlight: strong, flexible, and almost completely non-microphonic. The connectors, while easy to plug in and out, also seem strong and flexible (they’re recessed into the bodies of the earphones for extra protection). Unfortunately the connectors are proprietary. I don’t know if after-market versions are available, but replacements direct from Sennheiser are $CAD 39.95; not too bad.

In conclusion, if you like (or thanks to background noise, need) a bit of bass boost and don’t mind or can’t hear the spiked and scratchy treble, these could be worth considering – and to repeat, the bass is good. Serious musicians who are considering replacements for or alternatives to multi-balanced-armature monitors in the few-hundred-dollar range, or studio buffs looking for a more neutral sound signature, however, should look elsewhere – perhaps at Sennheiser’s upcoming IE 400 & IE 500 models. These are also of single-dynamic construction, and at ~3.5x & ~5.5x the price they’ll hopefully address the IE 40 PROs’ shortcomings (audition before buying, of course!).

The post Sennheiser IE 40 PRO Review – Instant Classic appeared first on Audio Reviews.