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LZ A7 Review – End Game Multi Trick Rainbow Unicorn

Baskingshark (Singapore) — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 17:58:58 +0000

Pros

Extremely versatile in view of tuning nozzles/switches (to give a potential 10 tuning options that are not gimmicks).
Excellent fit and build.
Good isolation.
Excellent technicalities especially for imaging and soundstage.
Natural tonality.
Good timbre for a tribid containing BA/piezo drivers (except for higher treble areas).
3rd party nozzles from BGVP, NiceHCK M6, LZ A5, LZ A6 mini, LZ A6, Semkarch CNT-1 also fit this set, to give even more tuning permutations!!!
Easy to drive, but does scale with amping.

Cons:

Stock ear tips are tight to remove. No foam tips provided.
MMCX -> I much prefer 2 pin connectors as MMCX has longevity issues sometimes.
Shell is not the most beautiful -> design marred by too many words.
Will need a tool to switch the MONITOR-POP switch (can’t be switched with a finger).
Diehard bassheads may need to look elsewhere as this set is not basshead in quantity even on the most bassy tuning config.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The LZ A7 is a formidable multi trick rainbow unicorn that leaves most of the other one trick ponies in the dust. The adage “different strokes for different folks” can be easily fulfilled with the LZ A7. It has a mind boggling 10 different sound signatures (giving various shades of V shaped to U shaped to neutralish sound signatures), to provide different palettes and hues to suit different sonic preferences, moods and music genres. Tip rolling (and cable rolling if you ain’t a cable skeptic) can even fine tune the tuning options further, in addition to other 3rd party tuning nozzles!

The LZ A7 also has great fit, good isolation, very good technicalities (especially imaging/soundstage) and a natural tonality. To top off the magical horn on this unicorn, the timbre for acoustic instruments is one of the best for a tribrid that contains a BA/piezo (except for the higher treble frequencies).

My nitpicks with this set mostly have to do with external appearances and accessories, and I’m quite sure most folks will find a preferred tuning option with the LZ A7, other than diehead bassheads.

SPECIFICATIONS

Driver config: 7 drivers tribrid earphones: Dynamic Driver for low frequency (liquid crystal molecule coating composite diaphragm) × 1, BA for medium frequency (Knowles) × 2, BA for high frequency (Knowles) × 2 , Piezoelectric ceramic ultra-high frequency (7 layers of piezoelectric parallel) × 2
Frequency response: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
Impedance: POP mode is 15Ω; MONITOR mode is 13Ω
Sensitivity: 109dB/mW in POP mode @ 1 kHz; 113dB/mW in MONITOR mode @ 1kHz
Cable type: MMCX interface
Tested at $318 USD

ACCESSORIES

In addition to the IEM, it comes with:

Multiple silicone tips (from medium to narrow to wide bore) (S/M/L)
8 stranded 6N single crystal silver plated copper cable
Plastic container for tips
Round semi rigid case (green)
Wooden storage box
Card pin (to flip POP-MONITOR switch)
5 pairs of tuning nozzles (with a bar to store them)

The accessories are adequate for a $300ish USD set, everything is usable OOTB. The cable is well braided and usable, with a chin cinch.

Although no foam tips were included, the variety of silicone tips on offer should get a good fit for most people. I found the narrower bore ones in general boosted bass, while the wider bore ones increased the upper frequencies, but YMMV as we all have different ear anatomies. So in addition to the 10 potential tuning signatures of the LZ A7, tip rolling can also give a degree of finetuning in the sound signature, so do explore to see what suits your preferences best.

One thing to note, the stock silicone eartips are very tight, they require quite a lot of effort to remove if you put the tip beyond the nozzle lip. This may be a pain if you wanna switch nozzles on the fly (but still reusing the same tips). On the other hand, you can be sure the eartip won’t easily drop out or be left in the ear when one removes the LZ A7, which I have experienced with some other IEMs before!

Unless otherwise stated, for the rest of this review, most of it was done primarily with the MONITOR-black nozzle configuration, with the black silicone tips (green nozzle).

BUILD/COMFORT

The LZ A7 is extremely well fitting, I had no comfort issues using it for longer sessions. The shells are well built, but I would have preferred lesser words on the shell, as that kinda spoilt the asthetics of the shell. Well I’ll take a good sounding set with ugly shells, over a good looking but crap sounding one any day. The LZ A7 belongs in the former category of good sound with not so good looks, but anyway, when the IEM is inside the ears, one can’t see the shell, and the sonic qualities will be of much more importance!

The LZ A7 came with a MMCX connector, and while I had no issues with the MMCX connections on this set, I generally prefer 2 pin connectors. In my experience, MMCX connectors have lesser longevity in general compared to 2 pin types, especially with frequent cable changes. They either end up loose like a windvane spinning 360 degrees and causing potential sound cut out, or they become so tight they need to be removed with tools. Well YMMV.

Experienced IEM users will automatically know which side goes into which ear, though there’s a left and right marking on the shell, but just to be doubly sure, LZ has coloured the external shell vents blue and red, which corresponds to the left and right sides respectively. (When I first started out in this hobby, I remembered it as BLUE being Left and RED being Right).

There were multiple reports of moisture build up in the nozzles of the LZ A6 and LZ A6 mini (which were the predecessors of the LZ A7). This moisture issue had caused intermittent sound cut out for some users, it was also noted in some other CHIFI like the TRN BA5. I’m glad to report that LZ has fixed this moisture issue with the LZ A7. I live in a humid and hot climate and have used the LZ A7 for many long marathon listening sessions with no issues on this front.

I didn’t find any driver flex, but this is a bit dependent on eartips used and ear anatomy, so YMMV.

ISOLATION

Isolation is good but not classleading. The LZ A7 is vented and will lose to some pure BA unvented sets in the isolation department.

DRIVABILITY/SOURCE

For the purposes of this review, I tried the LZ A7 with a Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp, Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 amp, Shanling Q1 DAP, Ziku HD X9 DAP, smartphone (android) and Tempotec Sonata HD Pro.

The LZ A7 is rather easy to drive from lower powered sources. Though, amping does provide some scaling in details, soundstage and dynamics.

GENERAL SOUND & TUNING NOZZLES/SWITCHES

The keyword that I will use for the LZ A7 is “natural”. It is natural in tonality, rather balanced across most tuning options, and also has a very natural timbre (which we will discuss below in more detail). Some CHIFI, especially at the budget segment, like to boost the upper mids/treble to give a “fake” sense of perceived details, but the LZ A7 manages to get these details in without much effort or using this “cheat code”, even on the less upper frequency boosted tuning configs.

The biggest selling point about the LZ A7, of course, is the mindboggling 10 potential configurations in sound signature. The next few paragraphs and graphics will explain these in more detail. Do forgive me for spending some time in these areas, but I feel it will only be doing justice to this multi trick rainbow unicorn as such. In a nutshell, the tuning is changed via a 2 way switch (POP vs MONITOR switch) and 5 pairs of tuning nozzles. To complicate matters, the provided ear tips of various nozzle diameters and even aftermarket tips/foam tips and aftermarket tuning nozzles can all change the sound signature. Not to mention cable believers may also do an even higher level of fine tuning via pairing it with various aftermarket cables (please don’t report me to the police if you are a cable skeptic!).

This is a LZ store page graph comparing the sound signature of the POP switch (grey line) versus the Monitor switch (purple line).

The POP-MONITOR switch can be flipped with a card pin provided in the accessories. They are too small to be flipped by a finger, so the card pin is something that shouldn’t be lost, but you can use any phone SIM card pin for this purpose, or even a toothpick. The switches are not gimmicks, they do affect the 100ish Hz to 1ish KHz regions as per the above graph. The MONITOR switch increases the mid frequencies and makes the LZ A7 more neutralish/mid centric. The POP switch depresses the mids and makes the sound more V/U shaped.

As the ears take the entire frequency spectrum as a whole, the bass/treble may be perceived to be more emphasized with the POP switch on, as one may boost the volume due to the depressed mids to get the same details and clarity in the mids (when compared to the MONITOR mode). Those who prefer instrumentals and vocals and a fuller mids/note weight will probably benefit from the MONITOR switch. Whereas those that want a more V shaped consumer friendly tuning with a more boosted bass (or say if you are outdoors where bass frequencies are the first to be lost), may benefit from the POP switch.

On the Taobao store page, LZ has some descriptions for the various tuning nozzles (they are all based on the black stock nozzle as a baseline for increase and decrease at the 1.5 – 5 kHz regions):
Black (+0 db, aluminum): standard.
Red (-8 db, aluminum): bass boost.
Yellow (-3 db, copper): mellow vocals.
Blue (+3 db, aluminum): treble clarity.
Silver (+6 db, stainless steel): extreme technicalities.

This is a LZ store page graph showing how the 5 tuning nozzles affect the sound signature while on the POP switch.
Red line = red nozzle
Yellow line = gold nozzle
Grey line = black nozzle
Blue line = blue nozzle
Purple dotted line = silver nozzle

This is a LZ store page graph showing how the 5 tuning nozzles affect the sound signature while on the MONITOR switch.
Red line = red nozzle
Yellow line = gold nozzle
Black line = black nozzle
Blue line = blue nozzle
Purple dotted line = silver nozzle

The above pictures show how the tuning nozzles affect the 1.5 – 5 kHz regions. Once more, they are not gimmicks and they work as advertised. Although the tuning nozzles technically don’t touch the bass frequencies per se, as the ears take the entire frequency spectrum as a whole, boosting or depressing the upper mids/lower treble area will make the ears perceive the bass to be depressed/boosted respectively (see saw effect), so there will be perceived bass changes with the various tuning nozzles on.

I find the gold/red nozzles give a more neutral tuning, the silver and blue ones boost the upper mids/lower treble the most. The black nozzle is the default tuning nozzle the LZ A7 comes with, and it probably is the most middle of the road tuning and most all rounder as such.

The LZ A7 thus can be a multi trick unicorn that has a spectrum of rainbow coloured tunings from a neutralish tuning (MONITOR-Red nozzle) to various shades of neutralish/U shape variants, all the way to the V shaped tunings. POP-Black nozzle is probably the limit of the upper mids/lower treble boost as I am treble sensitive. I found the blue and silver tuning nozzles to be quite hot in the upper mids/lower treble on POP mode, with sibilance, especially at louder volumes/poorly recorded material, so they didn’t get much airtime for me. Though they may be preferred for trebleheads, or in certain music genres (perhaps for instrumental/vocal predominant music), as they gave a better clarity and hence perceived details.

Treble is a big can of worms though, as we all have different hearing health (due to age/occupational/leisure exposure), and treble frequencies are usually the first to be lost in these conditions. Also, we may have different pinna gain due to different ear anatomies, we use different sources, different eartips, play at different volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), and even use different cables (for the cable believers), and some are by default treblehead/treble sensitive.

So do explore to see what suits your preference, I like that LZ has provided different areas for you to finetune the signature for your preferred sonic preferences, music genres, moods and hearing health, via the POP-MONITOR switch and tuning nozzles (and thru the above variables in the last paragraph). The adage “different strokes for different folks” can be easily fulfilled with the multi trick unicorn LZ A7. The good thing about tunable sets like the LZ A7, is that there is also an ideal tuning option for treble amounts for different individuals.

A bonus headache (though a good headache to have!) is that aftermarket nozzles from BGVP, the NiceHCK M6, the LZ A6 mini, LZ A6, LZ A5 and Semkarch CNT1 also fit the LZ A7! I know some of these models are out of production or soon going to be (in the case of the LZ A6 and A6 mini), so I won’t dwell too much on this area, but existing owners of those models have an even greater number of permutations to play with to get audio nirvana on the LZ A7.

SOUND AND TECHNICALITIES IN DETAIL

So, as detailed above, with the tuning switches and nozzles, the LZ A7 can be coloured in various shades from neutralish variants to U shaped variants all the way to V shaped, it can suit different sound signatures from something mid/vocal centric to a more technical and bright signature. Diehard bassheads will unfortunately be the only ones left out as the LZ A7 is not basshead in quantity even in the most bassy sounding config, but the bass is a quality bass nevertheless, which we will discuss later in this section.

Soundstage on the LZ A7 is very wide, with good depth and height (depth > height). Soundstage however, is affected to some extent by the POP vs MONITOR mode, as a V shaped signature in the POP mode may give a more distant mids and hence a perceived wider soundstage. A more midcentric tuning as in the MONITOR mode will compress the stage width a tinge. Soundstage is not the easiest to estimate, but I would say the smallest stage I found on the LZ A7 is on the MONITOR-gold nozzle and/or MONITOR- red nozzle mode as those are perhaps the more midcentric tunings, whereas it is wider on the POP nozzle variants.

With regards to technical performance, the LZ A7 has one of the best imaging I have heard in a midfi IEM, with a very dark background allowing instruments to be pinpointed very easily. Music never sounded congested, with a good space all around. Details and instrument separation were very good, though probably it isn’t the absolute class leader for microdetailing at the midfi segment. Complex music, fast music and music with competing instrumentation/riffs are easily handled by the LZ A7. Clarity is somewhat dependent on which tuning nozzle/switch is used, as a boosted upper mids/treble would generally give a better perceived clarity.

The LZ A7’s note weight is moderate, but may be a tinge thinner with the blue/silver nozzles on. In the area of timbre, the LZ A7 has a very natural timbre for vocals and acoustic instruments (woodwinds, brasses, stringed instruments), this was a big surprise for me, considering it contains a BA/piezo driver, and these drivers aren’t usually known for good timbre compared to single DD types. The LZ A7’s timbre won’t beat some well tuned single DD sets in this department, but it may actually be better than some budget single DD sets for timbre. Perhaps at the higher upper treble frequencies handled by piezo drivers, I did detect a bit of a metallic artificial timbre for violins on occasion, but not many tracks feature violins playing so high, so I would think for general use, this may not be so apparent, and one must really be looking out for it to truly notice it.

Across most of the tuning configs, bass on the LZ A7 is more subbass focused than midbass focused. The subbass extends deep and moves air like most well tuned DD bass sets, with a slightly slower decay than traditional BA bass. The LZ A7’s midbass is punchy, but even at the most perceived bassy config, this is not a true basshead set in terms of quantity, but the bass is a quality bass, being on the faster side, with good texturing. On the most bassy config, bass does not bleed into the mids and it gives the mids and treble a lot of space to breathe.

Mids as discussed above, are very dependent on the POP vs MONITOR switches, and the upper mids area in particular are affected by which tuning nozzle you use. Midcentric and vocal lovers would like the MONITOR switch and can fine tune the upper mids region with the various tuning nozzles, whereas V shaped lovers can opt for the POP switch. On most configurations, the mids are very detailed, layered, natural sounding and transparent, aided by the superb imaging and soundstage. I liked that the LZ A7 sounded quite musical yet detailed, but without treading into being an overly analytical set.

The LZ A7 has quite good treble extension and air and details. As per the mids, the tuning nozzles will affect the lower treble quantity to some extent. The amount of treble quantity can be controlled as such, depending if you want more sparkle and brightness, or something smoother and less fatiguing. Overall, I would say the LZ A7 has a treble generally lying on the energetic side of the spectrum, maybe except with the red tuning nozzles.

Trebleheads will probably like the blue and silver nozzles. I’m treble sensitive and I prefer the gold and red +/- black ones, with the red nozzle being the most treble light of the configs. I didn’t use the blue and silver nozzles too much, but they do have their uses for me for certain music genres eg perhaps for instrumental/vocal predominant music. The POP-black nozzle mode is probably the limit of the treble I can take (but it is very non fatiguing and smooth in MONITOR-black nozzle mode), so the black nozzle is a useful baseline to see how much treble you wanna adjust from there. On the non blue/silver nozzles, cymbals sound quite natural and not splashy, unlike some other treble steroid boosted CHIFI. Sibilance was present some times on the silver tuning nozzle especially in the POP mode, but as discussed previously, this unicorn can give a preferred treble setting for almost everyone, from trebleheads to treble sensitive brethen!

COMPARISONS

I did most of my comparisons versus these other sets using the Monitor-Black nozzle config.

Westone W30 (3BA) ($400 USD)

The Westone W30 is a warm neutralish set. Timbre is worse on the Westone W30 and notes lack an edge definition/bite on the Westone W30. The LZ A7 easily beats the Westone W30 in technicalities (in the areas of imaging, instrument separation, soundstage and details). Isolation and comfort is about on par.

The LZ A7 is a complete upgrade in almost all areas, and it is more versatile too due to the tuning configs.

Audiosense AQ7 (1DD + 6BA) ($498 USD)

The Audiosense AQ7 is a mild U shaped set with a subbass boost, with some dampened treble frequencies. Soundstage is a tinge smaller on the Audiosense AQ7. For technical performance, both are very good sets in this area, but imaging is a tinge better on the LZ A7. The Audiosense AQ7 wins in the area of instrument separation and details. Both have fast and clean basses without midbass bleed.

The LZ A7 is slightly better in timbre for acoustic instruments.

The Audiosense AQ7 comes with better accessories eg a Pelican like waterproof hard case, and the shells look like semi customs and are quite beautiful.

Between the 2, the Audiosense AQ7 wins in microdetails, but I would give my vote to the LZ A7 for the more natural timbre, more tuning options and cheaper price.

Audiosense T800 (8 BA) ($298 USD)

The Audiosense T800 is an 8 knowles BA bright V shaped set. It has a vented subwoofer that makes the BA bass on the Audiosense T800 sound pretty close to a DD bass instead of a traditional BA bass.

The Audiosense T800 has a more “fun sounding”, in your face type of sound. Even on the most bassy config in the LZ A7, the Audiosense T800 still has more sub bass quantity but Audiosense T800’s bass is not as fast or textured as the LZ A7. The LZ A7 has better imaging, instrument separation, clarity and details and soundstage than the Audiosense T800. I also found the tuning is more refined and smoother on the LZ A7, with treble extension on most tuning nozzles being better in the LZ A7.

In the area of isolation and accessories, the Audiosense T800 edges it, with the Audiosense T800 having almost 30 dB passive isolation, very impressive for a non etymotic type deep insertion IEM or custom IEM. Plus the Audiosense T800 came with the aforementioned Pelican like hard case similar to the Audiosense AQ7 discussed above. Fit is better on the LZ A7 due to the smaller shell.

The Audiosense T800 is a very source picky IEM in view of the very low 9.2 ohm impedance, and it pairs well with sources with < 1 ohm output impedance (ideally as close to zero as possible is better). The Audiosense T800’s frequency response gets skewed with inappropriate source pairing especially if the source output impedance is too high. The LZ A7 is much easier to pair with sources. So one other area to consider if you don’t have an appropriate source on hand.

The Audiosense T800 has spent much time with me on the road, it has been my daily transit and stage monitoring driver for the last 18 months due to the great isolation and good technical performance, and it was my endgame IEM for 2019. The LZ A7 has landed and has taken the new title of midfi CHIFI end game today. I will still use the Audiosense T800 for stage monitoring due to the excellent isolation, but I have to admit here that the LZ A7 here is the better set in terms of sound quality. And we haven’t even talked about the 10 tuning configs on the LZ A7 giving it more versatility.

TRI I3 (1 DD + 1 planar + 1 BA) ($169USD)

The TRI I3 is a U shaped set, and sounds very coherent and well balanced despite the weird mishmash of driver types. It is very smooth and non fatiguing, but has an occasional 3 kHz spike that rears its ugly head during poorly recorded material or at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve).

The TRI I3 is much more power hungry due to the planars in the mids requiring some juice, and it needs amping to perform optimally, unlike the LZ A7, which is easier to drive. The TRI I3 is bulkier and heavier in shell size, and may be more uncomfortable for longer listening sessions. Isolation is also poorer on the TRI I3.

The TRI I3 has poorer details, less instrument separation, poorer imaging and clarity even when amped. The TRI I3 also has a higher treble bordering on dark, and perhaps wouldn’t be a good option for trebleheads, whereas the LZ A7 has better treble extension and airiness, especially on the silver/blue tuning nozzles.

For the mids, the TRI I3 has lusher and thicker mids (when the planars are amped), but the mids ain’t as transparent as the LZ A7. Bass wise, the TRI I3 is more midbass focused, compared to the subbass focused LZ A7 (on most tuning configs), but the bass quality is not as fast on the TRI I3.

The TRI I3 is famous for having a holographic 3D soundstage at the $150 USD price bracket (when amped). The LZ A7 actually has better width and depth in soundstage, but loses a tinge to the TRI I3 in the height department.

TRI Starsea (1DD + 2 BA) ($129 USD)

I know it is an unfair comparison due to the almost 2 – 3 times price difference between the 2 sets, but I view the TRI Starsea as sort of a poor man’s LZ A7, with the TRI Starsea having 4 tuning options (via switches only without tuning nozzles). Other than the LZ A7 having more possible tuning sound signatures than the TRI Starsea, the LZ A7 also has better timbre, a thicker note weight and a more refined tonality. The LZ A7 also has a bigger soundstage and better instrument separation, details and imaging.

Like the Audiosense T800, the Tri Starsea is also a very source picky IEM in view of the very low 9.5 ohm impedance, and likewise pairs well with sources with < 1 ohm output impedance (close to zero is best). As per the Audiosense T800, the frequency response gets skewed with inappropriate source pairing, unlike the LZ A7 which is more source agnostic.

The LZ A7 is not 3 times better as the price would suggest, and diminishing returns are present the higher you go up in this hobby, but I would say if you can save up, it might be better to skip the TRI Starsea and just go for a higher tier upgrade in the LZ A7 in view of the more tuning options, less source pickiness and better technicalities/refinement.

Oriveti New Primacy (2 BA + 1 DD) ($300 USD)

The Oriveti New Primacy is a balanced, warm neutral set. The LZ A7 is faster, tighter and more textured in the bass. The Oriveti New Primacy has a smooth and somewhat veiled mids and treble, whereas the LZ A7 is more transparent in the mids, with greater treble extension and airiness and fowardness (dependent on tuning nozzle type).

The LZ A7 trumps the Oriveti New Primacy in technicalities (instrument separation, clarity, details, imaging and soundstage). The LZ A7 has better timbre for acoustic instruments. BA timbre is quite apparent in the Oriveti New Primacy for the mids and treble frequencies for acoustic instruments, with the LZ A7 sounding much more natural, maybe except in the higher treble frequencies handled by the piezos.

I also had a very bad driver flex with the Oriveti New Primacy, I gotta say it may actually be one of the worst driver flex I’ve experienced in the last 16 years of using IEMs. On inserting the Oriveti New Primacy, there’s a literal “clunk!” sound that makes me super worried something gets damaged inside each time I use it. On the other hand, I had no driver flex with the LZ A7, but YMMV, as driver flex is dependent on ear anatomy and eartips used to some extent. Driver flex aside, I also found the LZ A7 to be more comfortable for longer sessions.

Kinera Freya (3 BA + 1DD) ($249 USD)

The Kinera Freya is a U/V shaped set, with a beautiful hand painted shell, which is much larger in size. The Kinera Freya has better accessories too. Those external superficial areas are however the only areas where the Kinera Freya surpasses the LZ A7. In terms of sonic performance, it doesn’t hold a candle to the LZ A7. The LZ A7 is the superior IEM in the areas of technicalities, timbre and tonality and fit/comfort, and by quite a distance. The LZ A7 of course has 10 tuning configurations too, so it is more versatile. Unless you prefer looks and accessories over function, then the LZ A7 is definitely the better option.

Toneking Ninetails (1 DD) ($125 USD)

I know it is strange to compare the Toneking Ninetails (a single DD set) to a more expensive tribrid in the LZ A7, as the single DDs and tribrids have their different strengths and weaknesses among the different transducer types. But I decided to go ahead and compare them since the Toneking Ninetails has tuning nozzles (rear and front) to give 9 tuning signatures, 1 short of the LZ A7.

Just a bit of a background, the Ninetails is a Far Eastern “fox spirit” in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cultures, which can shapeshift to take the form of a human. So it is quite a good naming convention, as the Toneking Ninetails IEM had a rear and front tuning nozzle to give 9 different sound signatures, from neutralish to V shaped to basshead. The tuning nozzles are not gimmicks and they actually worked, and it tied in nicely with the Ninetails namesake and folklore.

The Toneking Ninetails IEM was a cult classic with good reviews among owners, but a lot of people were hesitant to purchase it due to the unconventional looking design. The Ninetails is actually quite well fitting and comfortable once you know how to wear it, but the LZ A7 is still more comfortable due to the more ergonomic and conventional profile.

The LZ A7 has better isolation and accessories. The Toneking Ninetails has actually one less tuning configs (nine) than the ten in the LZ A7, but the Toneking Ninetails can become basshead on certain configs with a jawrattling nausea inducing headache, something the LZ A7 cannot do, even on the most bassy config.

The single DD Toneking Ninetails has much weaker technicalities than the multi driver LZ A7, though the Toneking Ninetails has a better timbre for acoustic instruments, as per its single DD roots. The LZ A7 trumps the Toneking Ninetails in details, instrument separation, clarity and imaging, transients, speed and bass tightness. Though in view of the semi open backed design, the Toneking Ninetails has a slightly better soundstage (though at the expense of poorer isolation).

CONCLUSIONS

Getting the LZ A7 is like getting 10 IEMs with 1 purchase (or even more if you explore aftermarket tuning nozzles), and it has my vote for midfi CHIFI of the year for 2020. I think that it can be an end game set for many in the midfi segment, but is there really such a thing as a mythical endgame unicorn in this hobby?

MY VERDICT

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DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank HIFIGO for providing this review unit. It can be gotten here (https://hifigo.com/products/lz-a7) at $318 USD.

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

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The post LZ A7 Review – End Game Multi Trick Rainbow Unicorn appeared first on Audio Reviews.

ifi Audio Zen Phono RIAA Preamplifier Review – And Now for Something Completely Different

Biodegraded (Vancouver, Canada) — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 19:24:35 +0000

Pros– Flexibility (cartridges); technicalities especially transients and resolution; value.

Cons– System matching required (depending on preferences).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The ifi Audio Zen Phono preamplifier is an excellent performer suitable for a wide range of phono pickup cartridges at a budget price. But depending on preferences, its transient speed and dynamics mean it might not sound ‘vinyl enough’ in some systems.

INTRODUCTION

I’m not sure how many of Audioreviews’ predominantly portable-focused audience will be interested in anything to do with vinyl – but I am, and I get to write here :-P.

For those unfamiliar with the species, a phono preamplifier is a component that corrects the amplitude imbalance of the low vs high frequencies of a record (which exists because otherwise the low notes would give grooves with such big wiggles that hardly anything would fit on a side) and boosts the signal from the pickup cartridge to a level suitable for the ‘line’ input of a regular audio amplifier. These things have always been around, but in the days when vinyl was the main source of recorded music they were built in to most stereo amplifiers and stand-alone ones were ‘boutique’ and usually expensive. As vinyl’s popularity has recovered from its low point during the CD years, phono preamp stages have increasingly been incorporated into amplifiers and even turntables – but still, amps designed for modern digital systems and better-quality turntables typically don’t have them, so a stand-alone unit is often required.

As a low-budget alternative to its considerably more tweakable and expensive iPhono 3 (also relatively new), ifi Audio has recently expanded its new ‘Zen’ line of compact home/desktop audio components with the Zen Phono, an inexpensive phono preamp suitable for moving-magnet and moving-coil (including low-output) pickup cartridges.

SPECIFICATIONS

Just the important highlights of the ifi Audio Zen phono preamplifier here, you can read the ifi product page for all the claimed signal/noise, distortion etc. figures (oddly though, they give no crosstalk spec):

Gain/load options: MM 36 dB/47k Ohms; MC HIGH 48 dB/47k Ohms; MC LOW 60 dB/1.4k Ohms; MC V LOW 72 dB/110 Ohms
Outputs: Single-ended RCA L, R; Balanced 4.4mm
Power: DC 5V, 500mA
Dimensions: 158x117x35mm / 6.2×4.6×1.4” WxDxH
Weight: 515g / 1.14lb
Warranty: 12 months
Price: $US 149 / GBP 149 / EUR 159
In the box: Zen Phono, manual, warranty card, power supply, 45cm / 18” dual RCA cable

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

The nattily shaped and nicely finished metal case is of the same style as other Zen components. It’s certainly more attractive than many other phono preamps, which tend to be ugly boxes of odd proportions. On the front are the power button, LED indicators for power and gain/load setting, and a button and indicator LED for a subsonic filter circuit designed to eliminate the low-frequency ‘whoomph’ that could come from a badly warped record.

Connections, the switch for the 4 gain/load settings, and the DC power input are on the back (the power supply is a small standard switch-mode unit, not one of iFi’s low-noise ‘iPower’ things). Standard RCA sockets are used for the unbalanced outputs and phono inputs, and there’s a screw for connecting a ground wire if your turntable requires it. There’s also a balanced output socket (4.4mm TRRRS) to take advantage of the Zen’s dual-mono circuit design. This is unusual (unique?) at this price point. Using this into the balanced inputs of a stereo amplifier will require a 4.4mm TRRRS to dual male XLR adapter cable, which are available from internet retailers and which iFi Audio say they’re going to make too.

FUNCTIONALITY AND OPERATION

Having 4 gain/load settings in a budget phono preamp is pretty good. Moving-magnet and high-output moving-coil cartridge types are generally designed to work with a high input loading, so having MM and MC HIGH gain switchings with 47k Ohms impedance makes sense. Optimal cartridge loads tend to decrease with output, so 1.4k Ohms and 110 Ohms for MC LOW and MC V LOW respectively is sensible too, although vinyl tweakers with boutique MC carts tend to like to change loadings if they can. However, many such carts are very expensive and would likely be used with a much more expensive phono stage.

Connecting and using the ifi Audio Zen phono preamplifier is dead simple, although you have to wait for a while for the microprocessor-controlled circuit to sort itself out on powering up or switching gain – the lights flash interestingly for a few seconds. As with anything that amplifies very small signals, the Zen should be kept away from potentially noisy power supplies, transformers and cables if it’s not to pick up interference; but I found it to be not as picky about placement as other stand-alone phono stages I’ve had.

For the following impressions I used it between my Sansui SR-525 direct-drive turntable with a Denon DL-110 high-output moving-coil cartridge and either: a Rega Brio 2017 integrated amplifier feeding Dynaudio Audience 52SE standmount speakers and Triangle Tales 340 subwoofer; or a Massdrop Cavalli Tube Hybrid headphone amp feeding Sennheiser HD6XX headphones. The Denon’s output is high even for a HOMC, so I tried both MM and MC HIGH settings, but I thought MC high had slightly better resolution so I spent most time listening with that. I didn’t play any badly warped records so I didn’t try the subsonic filter, and my amps don’t have balanced inputs so I couldn’t try the Zen’s balanced output.

SONIC QUALITIES COMPARED

Listening comparisons were to the two other phono stages I currently have: the Hagerman Bugle, a well-regarded $US 189 unit from a small Hawaii-based company (mine is version 2, identical to the current model but with fixed gain & load of 40 dB & 47k Ohms) and the phono stage built into the Rega Brio 2017 integrated amplilfier (40 dB & 44k Ohms according to Stereophile’s measurements).

The really notable things about the Zen Phono compared to the other two are increased resolution of low-level information throughout the frequency range; increased transient speed, particularly in the bass; and increased treble resolution, which comes across as a more extended treble. The tonal balance of the Zen Phono is more forward (upper mid/lower treble focused) than the others. This is highlighted by tracks with female vocals, violins, horns, and high-pitched guitar solos. Together with the increased resolution, this adds to the perception referred to below of it being less smooth/relaxing, but also increases the sense of ‘detail’ conveyed.

The Bugle has a warmer tonality than the Zen and its bass maybe goes deeper (it’s at least more prominent) but it’s nowhere near as well textured. Bass guitar notes through the Zen snap on and off beautifully and preserve reverb missing from the Bugle in their decays. The Rega has a warmer tonal balance still, but its bass doesn’t seem as deep as the Bugle’s and is similarly rounded. The Zen seems more extended in the treble than both, and with reduced hash, cymbal decays being cleaner and sibilants being rendered more correctly (‘sss’ not ‘shh’). The Rega also has some slight grain in the mids.

Compared to both of the others, the Zen has considerably better resolution across the range, leading to improved instrument separation and staging and every component of the music being more discernible. The improved rendering of subtle vocal and instrumental pitch and volume changes adds to the effects of the snappier transients to result in improved timbral qualities particularly in vocals and horns. Dynamics are also heightened, note edges on percussion hits and string plucks seeming to come in louder as well as faster; and these more precise notes seem to appear out of and fade into a quieter and deeper background.

In summary, the Zen Phono has significantly superior technical abilities than these other two phono stages (and by extension, another that I’ve compared the Bugle to: the MM section of the first version of the Pro-Ject Phono Box. I haven’t heard the current version). However, there’s a potential downside to this: if you like a smoother, more ‘liquid’ presentation, you might find the Zen Phono’s zippy transients and high-amplitude dynamics a bit much, particularly if your systems has other components with these characteristics. Direct-drive turntables tend to be faster in the transients than belt-drive ones, and some cartridges can be analytical or ‘dry’ sounding.

While I found the other preamps smoother and more relaxing to listen to (particularly through speakers), their smoothness came with a notable loss of resolution compared to the Zen. Small low-level changes in the midrange, delicate vibratos in vocals that were glossed over by the Bugle and the Rega, and the textures highlighted by the faster transients and heightened dynamics that were rendered much better by the Zen demanded more attention, especially on lively tracks. For me on my system, these improved technical aspects would be worth the change. For other people with other systems though, this character might come across as too much of the ‘technical’ at the expense of the ‘musical’ or ‘euphonic’, and be the opposite of what they’re trying to achieve with their vinyl setup.

OTHER COMPARISONS

The Hagerman and built-in Rega preamps are appropriate comparisons budget-wise and in configuration. While the Rega at 40 dB gain is really only good for MM and the highest-output MC carts, The $US 189 Bugle 3 has four gain/load combinations: 40 dB / 47 k Ohms, 50 dB / 553 Ohms, 60 dB / 100 Ohms, 64 dB / 85 Ohms. These are a good mix for multiple cartridge types. Other appropriate comparisons would be to the $US 129 Schiit Mani, which has four gain settings spanning 30-59 dB and two loading options, 47k and 47 Ohms, selectable independent of gain. I haven’t heard the Mani, but in a review herethe writer found the Zen to convey more detail. I also haven’t heard the current iteration of the $US 115 Pro-Ject Phono Box (40 dB / 47 k Ohms, 60 dB / 100 Ohms); this has slightly different specs from the old version that I found inferior to my Hagerman so it might sound different. There are a few others in the price range of the Zen (e.g., NAD PP 2e, Music Hall Pa1.2), but these typically have fewer gain & load options and none have a balanced output option.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The iFi Audio Zen Phono phono preamplifier offers excellent performance, flexibility and value. The only caveat is that its performance emphasizes the technical rather than the euphonic aspects of music reproduction, which might not be a perfect match for all vinyl lovers’ tastes or systems.

MY VERDICT

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DISCLAIMER

Audioreviews thanks ifi Audio for their loan of a Zen Phono for this evaluation. Note by the editor: following his review – and only then – Biodegraded negotiated to buy the unit out at a 25% discount.

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BLON BL-05S Full Review (2) – Pleasant Surprises

Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir (Munich, Germany) — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 06:01:34 +0000

Pros — Better comfort and ergonomics than BLON BL-03
– Good build quality
– Generally well-tuned; non-fatiguing tonality with plenty of technical chops
– Great imaging and instrument separation
– Scales well with higher-tier sources
– Good price-to-performance ratio

Cons — Shallow nozzle
– Awful, unusable accessories
– That Color
– Upper-midrange glare
– Sub-bass lacks extension and rumble

INTRODUCTION

Many assumed BLON as being a one-hit wonder, and rightly so.

The BL-03 was so unlike their previous releases and the successor BL-05 being completely outta whack in comparison made it seem like BLON accidentally struck the pot of gold and now were digging through their entire backyard in supreme desperation with hopes of another miracle.

The BL-05S was released without much fanfare. Frankly, I initially assumed they were just releasing the BL-05 with a new (and gaudy) paintjob, but the promotional materials suggested a completely new and retuned driver. BLON apparently has figured out the issues with the BL-05 and fixed them all, while royally messing up the color palette.

Yup, I’m being a bit too hung over that color scheme. Let’s just get on with the review, shall we?

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. WooEasy Store was kind enough to send the BL-05S as a review unit. Disclaimer.

Sources used: Questyle QP1R, YuLong Canary, Cowon Plenue V, LG G7

Price (while reviewed): $45

A version of this BLON BL-05S review was previously published on my 10Hz Tech blog. Check it out HERE.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

IN THE BOX…

Horrible tips, useless cable, a janky pouch… completely worthless. If you’ve owned a BLON IEM in the past you likely got some third-party tips and/or cables. Make good use of them. Otherwise get ready to spend $15 extra on a pair of tips and an aftermarket cable.
1/5

APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY

The BLON BL-05S is made of the same Kirsite alloy as the BL-05 and BL-03 before it. The actual design mirrors that of the BL-05 with a gold-insert on the back and a vent on the inner side. The connector is again 2-pin. The dimensions have changed though and the BLON BL-05S is slightly more bulbous, likely to accommodate the new driver.

However, it’s really hard to get past that color. It’s probably called Mint Green or something and everyone I’ve shown this to have had negative to mixed reactions. It takes a brave soul to wear these outside while commuting — that’s all I’m gonna say about this. BLON really needs to offer a different color option (as they’ve done with the BL-03 which now comes in purple) since a number of potential buyers will immediately discard it due to the color. It’s so bad that you almost forget the tacky gold-insert at the back. Ah well…
4/5

ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

BLON BL-05S has better ergonomics than the BL-03 but falls slightly short of the BL-05 due to the slightly thicker shell that presses against the ears and doesn’t provide as flush a fit. The nozzle is still short so you’d need tips with longer stem (e.g. Spinfit, Final E-type etc.) for a flush fit and tight seal. Driver vent has been improved over the older models, albeit there can be some pressure build-up from time to time (nothing too problematic). Isolation is average but you can get better results with foam tips.
4/5

TECH INSIDE

BLON BL-05S has an all new 3rd gen Carbon Nanotube (CNT) driver apparently. BLON also advertised the BL-05 similarly but that was a massive letdown. Fortunately this time the claims check out. The driver has faster transients and sound more controlled as a result. Detail retrieval has had a generational leap as well. There is apparently a new (thicker) CCAW voice coil as well.

The general sound signature is similar to that of the BL-03 but with one important change: the mid-bass has been dialed down slightly and sub-bass extension has been reduced to some degree. This subtle modification makes noticeable change to the signature compared to the BL-03 and the BL-05S is more of a technical listen with some of the BL-03’s warmth but lacks the analogue lushness of the predecessor. In return, you get a boost in technicalities, as we shall explore in the following.

The following impressions were made with the Acoustune AET-07 tips and an aftermarket cable ($10 SPC one from AliExpress). Source was Cowon Plenue V, LG G7 and Yulong Canary for the most part.

Lows: The lows are no longer as prominent as they were in the BL-03 and BL-05. BLON BL-05S goes the other direction with a leaner bass-response. The mid-bass is pretty well tuned and doesn’t bleed into lower-mids or congest the upper-bass. There is some emphasis at the start of the sub-bass region (~60Hz) but sub-bass starts dropping off around 40Hz and by 30Hz you just faintly hear it.

Sub-bass rumble is absent, as is evident on Siamese Youth’s Nariyeh Thanei. Bass is fairly textured though not the most textured in the price bracket (Final E3000 does that best). Bass decay is faster than typical DD though that’s partly due to the rolled-off sub-bass and toned down mid-bass. Transition of bass notes in fast flowing bass sections is adequate, not as precise as some BA drivers or dynamic driver setups with stiffer diaphragms (e.g. DLC/Beryllium). Snare hits were good, but not as authoritative or satisfying as I like them.

Overall, good bass response, but not great.
4/5

Mids: The BLON BL-03 made the mid-range its bread and butter. Subsequently the BL-05 made the mid-range its biggest point of contention. BLON BL-05S tries to address the issues of the BL-05 rather than refining on the warm nature of the BL-03. The midrange here has some warmth, but it’s quite minimal compared to the BL-03.

Lower mids are not thin neither full rather borders on neutral in terms of note-weight. Tip and fit might change this perception slightly. Upper-mids do get that typical peak around 2.5/2KHz but surprisingly doesn’t sound as shouty as the previous BL-05 despite having a similar level of boost. BL-03 avoided this largely due to the bass that would mask the upper-mids to some extent. BL-05S tames the bass down by a few notches and has similar upper-mid boost, but somehow avoids shoutiness in most cases. Damien Rice’s Elephant should get shouty but it surprisingly didn’t. It bordered on shoutiness on Natalia Imbruglia’s Torn but that’s about it. To my ears, it didn’t cross the threshold with the usual tracks. There was no sibilance. String instruments had a nice bite to them without being strident. Macrodynamics were superior to most IEMs in the range with subtle gradation in instrument/vocal volumes being evident.

Resolved details in the mid frequencies is above average, especially for a single-DD setup. Midrange timbre was not the most natural truth be told, there is some coloration which I like to call “upper-mid shine”. Everything has a tinge of brightness added due to the upper-mid boost, but it’s something you get used to quickly and not detrimental or destructive to my ears.
4.5/5

Treble: The BLON BL-05S doesn’t try to mess with the treble too much. It’s a safe-ish tuning with no extra peak between 4 — 10KHz. The upper frequencies are dipped post 4Khz but not rolled-off which helps the treble maintain its presence throughout without being a pain-point. It peaks around 12/13KHz to add some air into the mix and then drops off.

Cymbal strikes and hi-hats had a satisfying crispness to them. In Lamb of God’s Ruin from the 2:30 marks onwards there is a great solo section with hard-hitting drums accompanying the riffs. Cymbal hits/hi-hats weren’t splashy, and crush cymbals didn’t sound smeared at all. Even in faster drum sections I didn’t feel congestion.

I really can’t complain much about the treble here, even more so when I look at the price tag. Separation of notes isn’t the strongest in the treble area but this is a common theme across all single-DD IEMs in the price bracket so it’s mostly an expected weakness.
4/5

Soundstage: Soundstage is wider than average, and definitely the widest among all BLON models until now. BLON BL-05S also has a surprisingly tall stage for such a small shell so color me surprised. Soundstage depth isn’t class leading however.
4/5

Imaging: Now, I wasn’t expecting the BLON BL-05S to have such excellent imaging. It really caught me off-guard. Instrument separation and layering is top notch, better than certain $100 models *cough* Tin T4 *cough* Moondrop Starfield *cough*.

The only time where the imaging suffers is when something is happening at the back of your head (common weakness with most IEMs). Cardinal/Ordinal imaging was mostly spot on (as defined by the mix). Left-right separation was impressive as well, and if you can pair the BL-05S with a balanced cable to connect with portable sources you are in for a treat.
4.5/5

Bang-for-Buck: This is a bit difficult to ascertain in case of the BLON BL-05S.

Firstly the price goes ~$60 with extra cables and tips (unless you already got some around). It’s playing with some established IEMs in the range i.e. Final E2000/E3000, Tin T2 Plus, iBasso IT00, and their own BL-03 and the other numerous hybrids that gets released at an alarming frequency.

The BL-05S does cut a little niche for it. It’s got the technical chops without going overboard with the details ala Tin T4. A single-dynamic is also more coherent overall than multi-BA or hybrids. The paintjob is a divisive point though this is something I’d judge based solely on sound quality.
4/5

Source and Amping: The BLON BL-05S is fairly easy to drive and will get loud out of most portable gear. However, it does scale surprisingly well for such a budget IEM. I got the best performance when connected to Yulong Canary and frankly I didn’t expect such improvement over, say, the LG G7. That being said, I don’t encourage buying a dedicated source just to run these IEMs. Source should never be the most expensive item in a chain, or at least for the most part (Electrostats are another story).

However, if you own a nice desktop amp or two try plugging in the BL-05S into them, especially if they offer a fully balanced architecture. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. Also pairing with slightly warm sources is recommended.

Blon BL-05s Review I – New Gold Dream

SELECT COMPARISONS

vs BLON BL-03 ($25): The BLON BL-05S has better fit/comfort vs the BL-03 and both share horrible accessories. Sigh.

In terms of sound, BL-03 is considerably warmer and bassier with a more lush midrange tonality whereas the BLON BL-05S lowers the warmth and focuses a bit more on clarity. Treble is also slightly more emphasized on the BL-05S and has more upper-treble reach. On the other hand the bass on the BL-03 hits harder even though it’s not the cleanest of bass responses. Soundstage, imaging is considerably better on the BL-05S, so is instrument separation and dynamics.

The BLON BL-05S is more of a complementary IEM to the BL-03 than an outright replacement, though I haven’t used the BL-03 once since getting the BL-05S so there’s that.

vs BLON BL-05 ($35): The BLON BL-05S is better in every single aspect. No contest.

vs Final E3000 ($50): The Final E3000 has far better accessories and are also more comfortable.

In terms of sound, the E3000 has a more laid back sound with more recessed upper-treble. It has a very soothing tonality that may sound too dark upon first listen but it does have a decent treble response. The bass is slightly better on the E3000 due to more thump and better texturing, though they also suffer from similar roll-off issues. The midrange is a toss-up though I prefer the E3000 more for vocals. String instruments and distortion guitars fare better on the BLON BL-05S.

Treble is similar in terms of detail retrieval on both, though the BL-05S has more pronounced lower treble. If you’re very treble-averse or just want something completely fatigue-free no matter what you throw at it: try the Final E3000. Otherwise BLON BL-05S will be more genre agnostic.

Instrument separation/layering/dynamics were slightly better on the Final E3000, however, and same applies to soundstage/imaging. Overall resolution though was in BLON BL-05S’ favor. In short: I like both of these IEMs and would gladly own both of them for a combined $100 instead of spending that on something mediocre like, say, the Moondrop Starfield (reviewed here) which both the BL-05S and Final E3000 beats with aplomb.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The BLON BL-05S is not without its issues. The accessories are a disgrace at this point. The bass lacks sub-bass rumble and lacks extension. The midrange may get a bit shouty for very sensitive people. The treble meanwhile isn’t the most resolving out there and would likely lose to some multi-BA offerings in terms of sheer resolution. As an aside — the model name causes confusion with the old one. To top it all: the color scheme is fashion-suicide and I had to shed part of my dignity as I went outside wearing them in the metro just to check isolation. sigh

As an overall package though, sonically, the BL-05S is hard to beat. It handled every genre well, had good staging and great imaging/instrument separation, and can still be retrofitted under $60 with a nice pair of tips and a decent cable.

The BL-05S is the second BLON earphone that I can recommend without reservation. It’s earned that medal.

BLON BL-05S Review III – Third Oppoty’s The Charm, You Better Belief It!

MY VERDICT

Overall Rating: 4.25/5

Recommended

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

WooEasy Store was kind enough to send the BL-05S as a review unit.

Can be purchased from WooEasy Store.

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HZSound Heart Mirror Review (1) – Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who Is The Fairest Of Them All?

Baskingshark (Singapore) — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 06:01:00 +0000

Pros

Beautiful shell. Light and comfortable. Good build.
Fast transients.
Good details, clarity, imaging, instrument separation for a budget single DD.
Neutral bright tuning with very few instances of hot upper mids/lower treble.
Very good timbre for vocals and acoustic instruments. Good for vocal lovers.
Good price to performance ratio.
Generous accessories.

Cons:

Shells are fingerprint magnets, can be scratched too.
Bass lite, lacks midbass punch (good news is that it takes to bass EQ well).
Average soundstage height/depth when not amped.
Will need amping to perform optimally.
Thin note weight.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The HZSound Heart Mirror is a well tuned neutralish bright set, with to die for vocals, excellent timbre and tonality. It boasts fasts transients and good technicalities for a budget single DD set. Despite the brighter tuning, there’s very rare instances of shoutiness that plague the usual upper mids boosted contenders at this price range. It’s as beautiful sounding as it looks, though soundstage, lack of midbass punch and thin note weight are my nitpicks in the tuning. The best compliment I can give a neutralish bright set like the HZSound Heart Mirror, is that a basshead like me thinks it is a keeper.

SPECIFICATIONS

Driver type: 10mm Carbon Nanometer DD
Frequency range: 15Hz-40kHz
Impedance: 32Ω (±15%)
Sensitivity: 106 ± 3dB
Cable Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Tested at $49 USD

ACCESSORIES

In addition to the IEM, it comes with a very generous assortment of accessories:

1) Silicone tips (S/M/L) x 2 variants (total of 6 pairs). The white tips are stiffer with a longer nozzle, whereas the black ones are flimsier with a shorter bore. Actually the black coloured ones look and feel suspiciously similar to Final Audio E black tips, except without the grooves on the stem, and indeed they function in a similar way in tightening the bass and taming the treble a tinge.

2) One pair of foam tips.

3) Shirt clip.

4) Cloth case.

5) Carabiner.

6) 4 core OFC Silver Plated Cable – The cable is very well braided and of good quality, no microphonics. As for sound, if you are a cable skeptic, please skip to the next section. Otherwise, personally I felt the HZSound Heart Mirror synergizes better with pure copper cables as this set is already neutralish bright and bass lite, and the copper cables perhaps thickens the sound and bass a tinge, YMMV.

BUILD/COMFORT

The HZSound Heart Mirror comes in a beautifully polished metal shell, sporting a similar look to the Moondrop KXXS and TRI I3. It isn’t as heavy or large as the TRI I3, and is very ergonomic and comfortable. I can wear it for hours without issues.

The shell lives up to the namesake of Heart Mirror, it is beautiful but unfortunately is a fingerprint magnet. HZSound does wrap protective stickers around the shell, but after unboxing them, one should be careful when bringing this set outside the house as the metal finish can be easily scratched.

I didn’t detect any driver flex on the HZSound Heart Mirror.

I liked that it came in a 2 pin config for cable housing, I had many bad experiences with MMCX connectors in general.

ISOLATION

Isolation on the HZSound Heart Mirror is slightly above average, as per most vented DD sets. It won’t beat pure BA unvented sets in this area, but should be sufficient for outdoor usage.

DRIVABILITY/SOURCE

I tried the HZSound Heart Mirror on a Samsung Note 5 phone, a Ziku HD X9 DAP, a Shanling Q1 DAP, a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 amp, a Sabre HIFI DAC (ESS ES9280C PRO) and Tempotec Sonata HD Pro. The HZSound Heart Mirror is drivable from lower powered sources, but scales a lot with amping in the areas of dynamics, details and soundstage. As such, I would recommend that one considers a more powerful source when using the HZSound Heart Mirror, so as to get it sounding its best.

The HZSound Heart Mirror is a neutralish bright set, so I generally preferred pairing it with a warmer source.

SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

As discussed, the HZSound Heart Mirror is a neutralish bright set, veering towards the analytical and colder side in tonality, with a neutralish bass and a boosted upper mids. This tuning is quite atypical in the sub $50 region in CHIFI, but this is a well done upper mids boost with minimal shoutiness. The HZSound Heart Mirror manages to balance a razor thin edge of getting vocals to be forward in the upper mids without sounding harsh, and I’m very sensitive to the 2 – 4 kHz regions in general. On rare occasions, such as in poorly recorded material, then the upper mids sounded shouty, but IMHO, the HZSound Heart Mirror’s upper mids are much smoother than the upper mids of the BLON BL-05 (non S) and Moondrop SSR.

Technicalities are good, with the driver really excelling at transients. Multi BA/hybrids at the same price point will still be better (in general) for technicalities, but the HZSound Heart Mirror has one of the better technicalities for a budget single DD set. Clarity, instrument separation and imaging and details are very good. I liked that it could keep up with complex music passages despite not possessing multiple drivers in the config.

Unfortunately, the HZSound Heart Mirror’s soundstage isn’t the best at this price bracket, with the soundstage being deep but about average in width/height when not amped. Thankfully, soundstage increases in width with amping, so do consider using an amp with this set to do the sound justice. Different aftermarket eartips may also help to some extent in the soundstage, so do try tiprolling to see what changes for you.

Timbre for vocals and acoustic instruments is excellent on the HZSound Heart Mirror, I daresay it has more authentic timbre than the famous BLON BL-03. In view of the foward upper mids, this set is very good for vocal lovers, with instruments being a bit in the background compared to vocals. Note weight is on the thinner side, would have preferred more meat on the bones.

Bass:

Bass on the HZSound Heart Mirror is neutralish in the midbass and subbass with quite good subbass extension. Subbass is perhaps a tinge emphasized in quantity over the midbass, but this is tip dependent to some extent too. Midbass lacks a punch in bass forward music, and borders on the anemic side quantity wise when there’s bass predominant movements in the music.

Bassheads will hence not like the bass quantity, but the bass quality is thankfully good. Bass is quite textured, fast, with no midbass bleed. Decay is below average. I liked that the driver on the HZSound Heart Mirror takes to bass EQ very well, so no biggie for bass boosting for our basshead brethen (unlike some other sets that distort with EQ).

Mids:

Lower mids are pretty neutral, with the upper mids having a boost to give vocals good clarity. Vocals are a treat on this set in terms of vocal nuances, details and timbre. Female vocals are slightly more forward than male vocals, with instruments being a bit in the backseat compared to vocals. There’s a slight 4 kHz dip to balance the upper mids and prevent it from going into shouty territory. As discussed, the upper mids are actually smooth, compared to some similarly boosted upper mids CHIFI sets at this price bracket.

On rare occasions, such as with poorly recorded material or with pumping up the volume a lot (Fletcher Munson Curve), then the upper mids were a bit shouty, but by and large, the upper mids balances a very fine line of being forward without being shouty/harsh, at moderate volumes.

Treble:

The HZSound Heart Mirror extends moderately well in treble. Sibiliance is mild. It has plenty of detail and clarity to suit trebleheads, but isn’t the most airy set. Personally, I felt the treble is managable compared to the garden variety TRNs/KZs. Cymbals and high hats are not splashy and quite well done.

COMPARISONS

As per comparing apples to apples, I left out multi BA/hybrids/exotic drivers from the comparisons, as the different transducers have their inherent strengths and weaknesses. Also, since the HZSound Heart Mirror is a neutralish bright set, I decided to pick some single DD types that were not too bass heavy but yet have a boosted upper mids for A/B comparison here.

BLON BL-03, which is midbass heavy, is not mentioned below as the tuning of the HZSound Heart Mirror is very different to the analoguish warm tuning of the BL-03 (and I feel both sets have a complimentary tuning). But I’m fairly certain someone will ask about comparing the Oppoty sooner or later. So suffice to say, the HZSound Heart Mirror beats the BLON BL-03 in aspects of timbre, fit, accessories, bass quality/speed and technicalities (maybe except soundstage and note weight). The BLON BL-03 is better for those wanting an analoguish warm bassy sound with thicker note weight. As for cost, the BL-03 may end up costing the same or thereabouts as the HZSound Heart Mirror due to most folks needing to get aftermarket tips/cables due to the poor fit on the BL-03.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the original Tin T2 with me now to do A/B, but the Tin T2 Plus will be discussed in the comparisons below.

So mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

Moondrop SSR

The Moondrop SSR is tuned somewhat diffuse-field neutral with an upper mids boost. Both sets have good technical performance for a single DD set, maybe the Moondrop SSR edges it slightly in clarity, details and imaging. Timbre for acoustic instruments is very good in both sets. The Moondrop SSR has quite bad sibilance and a thinner note weight compared to the HZSound Heart Mirror. Isolation is better on the HZSound Heart Mirror.

The Moondrop SSR actually sounds nice at low volumes, but by pumping up the volume a few dB, the 3 kHz area is shouty and is too much for me (Fletcher Munson Curve). The Moondrop SSR has very polarizing reviews, and I think this may be due to the different volumes all of us are using it at, and volume levels are typically not mentioned by reviewers or consumers. Not to mention the different sources, tips, hearing health we all have may affect our perception of upper mids/treble in the Moondrop SSR. After doing A/B testing using the same source, tips (and even cable), I’ll take the HZSound Heart Mirror any day over the Moondrop SSR, as the 3 kHz peak and the sibilance on the SSR is a deal breaker for me.

Different strokes for different folks though, I know a lot of our friends like the Moondrop SSR, especially those that use it at lower volumes. The Moondrop SSR actually has better technical performance than the HZSound Heart Mirror, but unfortunately it isn’t my cup of tea in terms of tonality.

BLON BL-05 (non S)

The BLON BL-05 (non S) is also shouty in the upper mids/lower treble compared to the HZSound Heart Mirror, with the latter being smoother and overall more refined. Timbre, tonality and technicalities are better on the HZSound Heart Mirror, maybe except for clarity.

Accessories are better on the HZSound Heart Mirror, though the BLON BL-05 (non S) has better isolation.

BLON BL-05S

The BLON BL-05S is an upgrade over the aforementioned BLON BL-05 (non S), with less shouty upper mids, and better timbre, tonality and technicalities than the BLON BL-05 (non S). Accessories are similar (unfortunately as bad) as the BLON BL-05 (non S).

Compared to the HZSound Heart Mirror, the BLON BL-05S has a bit more boosted midbass quantity and is more “fun sounding” and hence probably more versatile in the tuning, especially when bass foward music is involved. The HZSound Heart Mirror sounds a bit more analytical and colder. Timbre and technicalities are a tinge better on the HZSound Heart Mirror. Both sets have fast drivers for a single DD but the HZSound Heart Mirror wins in transient response speed. The BLON BL-05S has lesser upper mids boost than the HZSound Heart Mirror and is generally less fatiguing for longer sessions than the HZSound Heart Mirror. Isolation is better on the BLON BL-05S.

Both sets do better with amping, but the HZSound Heart Mirror scales much more with amping. Unfortunately, the BLON BL-05S driver distorts with higher volumes/EQ, so that’s an area of weakness when pumping up the volume compared to the HZSound Heart Mirror.

I would consider both sets sidegrades with complimentary tunings to suit different music genres/preferences.

Tin T2 Plus

The Tin T2 Plus is very well balanced and non fatiguing U shaped (or mild V shaped) set, and I can see why it is a big crowd favourite. It has a more boosted bass than the HZSound Heart Mirror, though it has slightly poorer timbre and technicalities than the HZSound Heart Mirror. HZSound Heart Mirror’s driver is faster too for transients, with the Tin T2 Plus having some lingering cymbal decay during splashes/hits. Upper mids aren’t as boosted as on the HZSound Heart Mirror, and coupled with the Tin T2 Plus being bassier, overall it gives a warmer and less cold tonality than the HZSound Heart Mirror. The Tin T2 Plus is hence more versatile in view of the tuning especially for bass forward music.

Likewise, I would consider both sets sidegrades with complimentary tunings to suit different music genres/preferences.

HZSound Heart-Mirror Review II – Reflection Of My Heartfelt Truth

CONCLUSIONS

So, mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

Well I’m glad to say the HZSound Heart Mirror is as beautiful sounding as it looks, though it is not perfect, with soundstage and a thin note weight and a lack of midbass punch being my nitpicks in the tuning. The HZSound Heart Mirror is otherwise a very well tuned neutralish bright set, with to die for vocals, excellent timbre and tonality. It boasts fasts transients and good technicalities for a budget single DD set. Despite the brighter tuning, there’s only rare instances of shoutiness that plague the usual upper mids boosted contenders at this price range, when used at moderate volumes.

The BLON BL-03 was my previous gold standard for instrumental timbre in the sub $50 USD region, but it has now been dethroned by the HZSound Heart Mirror in the area of timbre. My favourite aspect of the HZSound Heart Mirror is that it boasts a vocal forward tuning without veering on the shouty side, which is a very fine line to balance. Vocal lovers should give this set a try if the ~~OPPOTY~~ opportunity allows.

The best compliment I can give the HZSound Heart Mirror is that a basshead like me uses it in my weekly rotation (without bass EQ to boot).

MY VERDICT

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank Ann from KeepHIFI for providing this review unit.

It can be gotten here at $49 USD: KeepHifi

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

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Dunu Luna Full Review (1) – More Than Good Enough?

Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir (Munich, Germany) — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 19:19:41 +0000

Pros — Build and accessory pack
– Awesome stock cable
– Bass texture and speed
– Delightful lower-midrange
– Resolving treble: sparkly yet not harsh
– Headphone-like imaging and soundstage depth
– Fantastic instrument separation

Cons — Slightly shallow nozzle
– Lack of sub-bass rumble at the extreme end
– Upper-midrange glare
– Needs above-average volume to sound best
– Soundstage width is not class-leading
– Price

INTRODUCTION

How good is good enough?

That is the one question I keep asking myself as I encounter yet another top-of-the-line (TOTL) gear. At this price, diminishing returns start creeping in, you begin splitting hairs, focusing on not only the whole picture but also the abstract representation of it all.

Dunu has been in the IEM game a long time. They were also one of the first IEM brands that got the hybrid setup right. Beyond the hybrid stuff, their single dynamic models have also been quite memorable. I myself bought the Dunu Titan 1 (reviewed here) and it has a solid place in my collection due to its airy soundstage and impeccable imaging.

The Dunu Luna is a single dynamic driver flagship. That’s not been too common lately as most have focused on multi-BA/hybrid setups with their top-end offerings (Audeze, Final, Hifiman a few exceptions). I’m quite glad though that Dunu went the other way — less is more, et cetera. This price bracket is rather uncharted territory for Dunu since they’ve never really competed at this level before. So there would be a lot of scrutiny involved along with the typical shade-throwing as to how only brands with a history of high-end offerings should dabble in this range.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier.

Sources used: Yulong Canary, Questyle QP1R, Cayin N6 II + E01, LG G7, E1DA PowerDAC V2
Price, while reviewed: $1700.

A version of this Dunu Luna review was previously published on my 10Hz Tech blog. Check it out HERE.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

IN THE BOX…

At first, a disclaimer: Dunu sent a reduced package for the Dunu Luna Review Tour, and all of us on the EU tour basically got the big purse/bag chock-full of eartips, the earphones and swappable plugs of various terminations. Frankly, it’s a good decision to ease up logistics given the current COVID-19 situation (the full package weighs over 2.5kg).

The retail package is one of the most luxurious unboxing experiences you will likely have, and goes toe-to-toe with the awesome IER-Z1R unboxing experience. Heck, Dunu even throws in extras like a type-C DAC dongle along with a USB-A to USB-C adapter and another smaller carrying case just to round the whole thing up. You get loads of Spinfit tips (13 pairs to be exact) and they are of rather high quality.

A special mention goes to their custom cable. It’s an OCC Copper/DHC Silver mixed strand cable and has great ergonomics. No kinks or loose braids, very pliable and the memory hook is rather supple. It does have some heft but I reckon that the quick-switch termination system is responsible for the weight.

Speaking of the quick-switch system, it’s very convenient. You just pull at the plug-end and it snaps out. The internals of the quick-switch mechanism seems akin to a miniaturized 4-pin XLR connection. The connection was solid throughout despite routine plugging/unplugging operation and I think this will last a while. My only gripe: this whole mechanism adds a lot of weight at the jack-end of the cable and extends the length of the L-shaped plug which can be a bit of a bother when putting inside a jeans pocket.

Yeah, I nitpick.
5/5

APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY

The Dunu Luna has an understated yet striking design. There are no sharp angles, everything is rounded and smoothed out. Such lack of angles often leads to blandness but the Dunu Luna exudes character. The grade-5 Titanium alloy shells are practically perfect with subtle grooves around the nozzle and the stem that shimmer as light scatters across them.

The concave face-plates have raised ridges that snugly caresses your thumbs. The metal nozzle is angled to help with ergonomics, and it has a raised lip to keep the eartips in place without them sliding out.

There are two visible vents: one atop the mmcx stem, and another on the inner-side just above nozzle. The text DUNU Beryllium is etched onto the outer circumference of the IEM and is mostly out of sight. Meanwhile, the mmcx connector is further reinforced using a catch-hold mechanism. Basically, there is a substantial amount of friction between the mmcx port and jack once the cable is plugged in, so the IEMs don’t spin around like most mmcx ones.

Picture perfect.
5/5

ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

The lightweight shells and the angled nozzle coupled with the smoothed out inner shell should make this a very comfortable wear, but there’s a catch — the nozzle length. While it’s not that short a nozzle (Sennheiser IE800 still takes that crown) it’s not long enough for a deep-fit, which is essential to get the best out of Dunu Luna. As a result, using tips with a longer stem (e.g. Azla tips, or the Spinfit/Final ones) is necessary for most. I myself went with the Spinfit CP-100 and got good results but your mileage may vary. Do note that isolation is only average at best, so this is not an IEM I’d recommend for commuting. Then again, I’m not too inclined towards yanking out a nearly 2 grand IEM in the middle of the metro while precariously balancing myself between two grab-bars.
4.5/5

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

Dunu Luna can easily get loud out of most dongles and phones. However, they can exhibit hiss with higher noise-floor sources, so keep that in mind. I personally found it to perform the best out of Yulong Canary with its slight warm tonality complimenting the Luna well. Questyle QP1R was also great though I had to use low gain since higher gain levels showed slight amp hiss.

On the plus side, Dunu Luna is source output-impedance agnostic. So even if you have something with a rather high output impedance you will likely be safe from Frequency Response anomalies.

Regarding eartips, the Dunu Luna is very much eartip-sensitive, more so than most models. I stuck with Spinfit CP-100 tips but it’s recommended that you try one that fits you the best. Many have found good results with the dual-flange Spinfit tips so keep those in mind as well. Ideally, you’d want a deep fit with good isolation and housing stability (as the nozzles are short-ish).

TECH INSIDE

The big selling point of the Dunu Luna is its 10mm single-dynamic driver. More accurately: the material of the driver-diaphragm. It is one of the world’s two “first” pure Beryllium driver-diaphragm earphones (other Beryllium touting IEMs use a vapor deposited Beryllium coating). In fact, apart from Focal Utopia, I can’t think of another headphone that had a pure Beryllium driver-diaphragm. The reason behind choosing Beryllium is it’s exceptional stiffness (287 GPa), which combined with the relatively low density (1.85 g/cubic cm) results in extremely fast sound conduction speed (12.9 km/s). The material being very brittle in room temperatures is also challenging to work with. The whole driver manufacturing process is extremely time consuming in fact and also needed fair amount of R&D. It’s best to point toward’s Dunu’s promotional video regarding the drivers since it’s visualized a lot better there:

The tech is impressive, no doubt, but the proof is in the pudding, or sound in this case.

The sound impressions below were mostly formed with the CP-100 tips and Yulong Canary desktop DAC/Amp as the source.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

The Dunu Luna’s general signature is more of a W-shaped response, with emphasis around the 4KHz region. This isn’t as noticeable while listening as it is on the graph, but there is indeed a somewhat colored upper-midrange presentation. Clarity-focused signature would be a more apt description. It doesn’t sacrifice midrange warmth however as the lower-mids do get some much-needed “naturalness” to counter-balance the upper-midrange clarity.

Lows: Perhaps the most contentious part of Dunu Luna’s signature would be the lows. Bassheads will find it lacking in sheer volume and grunt, whereas those who prefer a more neutral response would feel right at home. I myself am veering towards “a bit more rumble would be perfect”, so there you go.

The bass response is mostly flat, and if not for the gradual roll-off post 28Hz — I’d be ecstatic. As it stands, the bass response is fine for most genres, and even some bass-line heavy tracks (e.g. Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name) sound fantastic. The issue arises with tracks that have deep sub-bass rumble, case in point: John Mayer’s Your Body Is a Wonderland. The section from 2:50–3:14 mark feels tad undercooked.

Ironically, another John Mayer track, Clarity, shows off the biggest strengths of the Dunu Luna’s bass response: speed, texture, and impact. There’s no bass-bleed while bass resolution is excellent with different instruments displaying their subtly different textures. Double-bass pedals exhibit a distinctly different thump from the downstroke thock of grand pianos. Meanwhile, the speed displayed in fast-paced tracks have a planar-like feel to them, albeit with more body and slightly slower decay. The impact, meanwhile, is instantaneous and can feel a bit jarring at first if you’re coming from an all-BA/regular dynamic driver earphone. Rest assured, you get used to it quickly and then there’s no going back (until your bass-head heart yearns for sub-bass extravaganza).

In short: almost perfect bass response. Almost.
4.5/5

Mids: Dunu Luna’s midrange is quite… peculiar. The lower-mids have a slight sense of warmth to it, but due to the boosted upper-mids (it looks especially scary on graph) there’s an uncanny clarity to the whole midrange.

Fortunately enough, the 4KHz boost that grabs your attention instantly on the graphs doesn’t quite have the same effect in reality. Yes, the tonality is shifted towards the upper-mids rather than absolute neutrality but it’s not shouty. On certain tracks (Gin Blossom’s Jealousy) it can creep ever so closer to shoutiness despite never really crossing the line. This is mostly displayed on tracks with compressed dynamic-range (and tracks with a lot of processed sound, e.g. Electronica) while well-mastered tracks have been absolutely fine.

Speaking about tonality, the lower-mids are mostly spot-on. My reference headphone for midrange tonality is the HD650, and these sound eerily similar to them in the lower mids. Baritone vocals are portrayed realistically (check the usual Colin Hay track) with ample amount of heft, but not so much that it ends up sounding boxy. It’s the upper-mids that has slight coloration due to that boost. Thus, female vocals can often become a bit tiring to listen to, as is the case with Frou Frou’s sole studio album: Details, or Wolfclub’s Tears (a rather extreme example). This dichotomy is the sole reason why I can’t quite declare Dunu Luna’s midrange as perfection.

On a similar note, no thanks to that 4KHz boost string instruments get a bit of extra bite, which is welcome in many tracks. Damien Rice’s Cannonball is one such example as Rice’s entire vocal range (including the breathing) is rendered naturally, whereas the two acoustic guitars are placed further forward. Another one of Luna’s strengths lies in live performance/concert rendition, just listen to Blue October’s The Worry List (Live at Texas).

Micro-detail retrieval along with instrument separation is top-notch and technically I can’t quite fault it.

To summarize: Coloration in the upper-mids is counterbalanced by a warm lower-midrange. Overall excellent detail-retrieval and instrument separation. Male vocals are mostly superb, female vocals can be a bit spotty depending on track/mastering. Timbre in general is realistic, with the aforementioned caveat of upper-registers.
4.5/5

Treble: The one thing that best showcases the true prowess of this Beryllium diaphragm is the treble response, I’d say. It’s immaculate, for my tastes at least. I listen to quite a few heavy metal/metal/hard rock genre and sub-genres and hi-hats or cymbal hits are things I’m always particular about. Often the treble is sizzly, resulting in a wince rather than an ensuing head-bang *side-eyes to Noble Khan*.

Dunu Luna walks the fine line between excess treble energy and proper treble sparkle. The treble extension is excellent with ample amounts of air beyond 10KHz. Transient response is exceptional, with instantaneous attack and a natural decay (unlike the ultra-fast unnatural blips of typical BA drivers). In terms of tracks that showcase this, take Slipknot’s Liberate for example. It’s a rather heavy track with blistering fast drum work by the one and only Joey Jordison. Man, earlier Slipknot was ruthless until they slightly mellowed up for that one weepy album and that nearly emo song *cough* Snuff *cough*. Glad that they’re past that with We Are Not Your Kind, but I digress. Dunu Luna keeps up as well as anything out there in this price bracket. Same applies to Porcupine’s Trees The Sound of Muzak where every cymbal strike is accurately defined. No smearing whatsoever, and the attack-decay pattern is realistic.

To bring up a slightly lighter track, take Dave Matthews Band’s Crash into Me into account. This particular rendition has a rather elaborate arrangement with jingles, triangles and tambourines chiming in. Dunu Luna perfectly portrays the airy shimmer of the triangles along with the subtle taps of the cymbals.

Another unusual characteristic of the Dunu Luna is its ability to deal with compressed dynamic-range tracks. Silversun Pickup’s Future Foe Scenarios can turn into an incoherent mess in lesser earphones, not so much here. The heavily distorted guitar riffs neither overshadow the cymbals nor the vocals. Thus, if you listen to a lot o indie tracks the Luna can be a good option.

TL;DR: Excellent treble that will serve nearly every genre/musical taste well, with perhaps the exception of those looking for even more pronounced treble, or those who are rather treble-averse. Do note that due to fit issues, the treble can range from muted to overly thin. So tip-rolling is again highly advised.
5/5

Note: the following two sections may have varying perceptions for each individual due to a number of factors e.g. pyschoacoustics, insertion depth, ambient noise etc.

Soundstage: Stage width is not class-leading, but both stage height and depth are excellent. Instrument placement is determined by the mastering of the track itself, with certain tracks having very up-front instrumentation (Third Eye Blind’s Exiles) and some having sparser presentation (Third Eye Blind, again, but this time The Background).
4.5/5

Imaging: Now, this is more like it. When I first listened to the Dunu Luna, for the first hour or so I couldn’t quite pin down why songs sound slightly different on them versus most other IEMs. After a while, I realized that it’s their headphone-like instrument placement. Swapping between these and the Final Sonorous III (a headphone with excellent imaging and even wider stage than the Luna) often resulted in an eerily similar imaging, which is odd as headphones have pinna interaction (thus helping in localization) whereas IEMs don’t have that luxury (most of them, that is, Audeze iSines apart).

Ordinal imaging is spot on, and the only weak point I can mention is the imaging of events happening at the very back of your head, which even many headphones struggle to realistically portray. For an IEM and considering all the limitations, this is excellent performance.
5/5

Dunu Zen Review 2 – Almost Perfect

SELECT COMPARISONS

Unfortunately, I couldn’t audition the IEMs I planned to compare with the Dunu Luna at the stores I usually visit, nor could I contact other local enthusiasts due to the COVID-19 lockdown situation. I had plans to compare these against Sony IER-Z1R and Campfire Solaris among others, but alas.

The ones I could compare to mostly fell short. Among the classic single-driver IEMs, the Sennheiser IE800S and Beyerdynamic Xelento both have inferior build quality, accessory package and most importantly: sound quality.

Sennheiser IE800S sounds bland and lacks the midrange prowess of the Luna. Detail retrieval is a downgrade whereas the treble response is far more peaky with that dreaded 5KHz spike. Soundstage is a tad wider, but imaging is hazy in comparison to the Luna. Sub-bass is more boosted on the Sennheiser but then falls flat in terms of dynamics, overall bass texture and speed.

The Beyerdynamic Xelento Remote, meanwhile, struggles to keep up with the Luna in terms of nearly every technical parameter: bass speed/texture, micro-detail retrieval, dynamics, treble extension, imaging/soundstage. It’s a wash. Only on certain tracks can the Xelento’s overall warmth be more inviting than the less forgiving Dunu Luna. That’s about it.

Let’s talk about the de facto standard of kilobuck IEMs: Campfire Andromeda (2019). I myself have never quite found the Andromeda appealing due to the lackluster BA bass, but I do admit that on the technical side these had its own set of strengths. Build quality and comfort I’d give to the Dunu Luna, as despite the dense shell of the Andros I’ve seen a number of them color-chipped ones. The Dunu Luna cable is also markedly better, on an entirely different plane in fact. The Andros have more boosted bass (depending on your source’s output impedance, mine was 0.6ohms), but bass texture and dynamics go to the Luna. I really like the lower mids presentation of both of these IEMs, but the Andros had a more cluttered midrange due to slightly more emphasized lower mids, while the Dunu Luna managed to pull off clarity without sounding thin. Upper-mids are more restrained on the Andros, thus more enjoyable with female vocals for longer listening sessions. Overall detail retrieval goes to the Dunu Luna by a margin in my book. Luna just sounded more effortless and even in busier tracks instruments never smeared into one another. The treble continues that trend, so does imaging and instrument separation. The Andromeda did have a wider soundstage, but that’s about it.

DUNU LUNA Review II – Lunatically Good Sounding

CONCLUDING REMARKS

When I first listened to the Dunu Luna, I didn’t quite find it jaw-dropping enough. It quickly grew on me, however, and now is one of my most favorite IEMs out there.

The build is exemplary and the accessories are plentiful which is taken a step further by the extravagant packaging. The bass is mostly excellent. The midrange has remarkable technicalities and portrayal of male vocals, while female vocals might have some added glare depending on track/mastering. The treble, meanwhile, is perfect for my taste and suits a varying range of genres. Soundstage, imaging and instrument separation is akin to certain full-sized headphones and should satisfy most buyers.

The big elephant in the room is, sadly, the price tag. At $1700 the Dunu Luna has to battle established flagships like the Sony IER-Z1R, Campfire Solaris, and the 64Audio U12t (to name a few). Furthermore, DUNU also has to consistently showcase top-tier customer support and reliability/quality assurance to appeal to the higher end buyers. In the former case, it’s often up to the listener since personal preferences swing the tides by a large degree at the upper-echelons. The latter is being addressed via Dunu Luna by prominent presence in audio forums and quick, transparent communication. They’ve been very up front about the technical details and tuning decisions of the Dunu Luna, which is definitely a refreshing approach. To take things a step further, Dunu is also offering a Private Client Program so that you can listen to them at home before deciding to purchase. They’ve left no stones unturned — I’d hand them that. Time will prove the rest.

At the end of it all, is the Dunu Luna good enough?

No.

It’s more than good enough.

MY VERDICT

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

#HighlyRecommended

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

Dunu was kind enough to send me the Luna as part of the Review Tour (thanks Tom!). A version of this review was previously published at https://medium.com/10hztech/dunu-luna-review-b88eca828250.

Can be bought from Dunu’s Official Website.

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

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TRN-STM Review (1) – The Devil Wears Lucite

Loomis T. Johnson (Chicago, USA) — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 20:35:06 +0000

Call us jaded, but requests to review <$30 Chinese earphones are generally met with a singular lack of enthusiasm around these parts, especially since upstarts like TRN are churning out barely-differentiated models faster than my wife generates traffic tickets. Certainly, nothing about the $23 TRN-STM’s appearance got me excited—generic cheap cable (albeit with a nice L-shaped connector) and dowdy-looking plastic and metal headshells which look a great deal like their KZ ZS and CCA competitors (In fairness, the teardrop design is very ergonomic and provides for excellent fit and isolation). Behold my glee, then, when I found two sets of interchangeable tuning nozzles at the bottom of the box. Tuning nozzles are, of course, the audio geek’s equivalent of crystal meth.

TRN STM Review III – Oh Snap!

Rather than following the current trend of jamming 18 cheap drivers into a shell, the TRN-STM goes old school with a single (30019) BA and a 10mm DD; as a result it’s a lot more coherent than many of its budget peers. Crossover from low end to mids is essentially inaudible. The TRN-STM is very easy to drive and didn’t benefit notable from amping.

With the default (gold) nozzles, the TRN-STM immediately register as a loud, energetic and very bright V-shape, with substantially enhanced subbass (at near-basshead levels) and crisp, highly extended treble. Bass is deep (lower and more voluminous than the V80 or the V90, for example), and well controlled, with considerable texture and good speed. Mids are somewhat recessed, as if the performers are a few feet from front-stage, but full-sounding, while treble is very detailed, lean-bodied and sparkly; it’s not strident exactly, but not at all rounded or smoothed over, and treble-averse folks would find these too hot.

The red nozzles transform the sound significantly to a more balanced, mid-forward presentation—midbass is toned down a bit, though subbass is still full and present, while vocals (especially female) move to the front of the mix. They don’t rock as hard as the gold nozzles, but were better suited to tamer genres. The blue nozzles can be described as “vivid” or less politely as “reverse L-shaped treble cannon”—they similarly tone down low end and wildly accenuate the high end to emphasize upper frequencies and bring out even more micro-detail, but are over-pixilated and sharp to the point of exhaustion—there’s simply too much musical information.

In any permutation, the TRN-STM excels at a couple of things. First, it presents a surprisingly wide, deep soundstage, albeit with limited height— with excellent stereo separation and beyond-the-speakers imaging, it rivals the best KZs for sheer spread and instrument placement. Second, it does an absolutely uncanny job of reproducing drums—every snap, pound and cymbal is captured with precision, and attack transients are very fast.

Photographed (And FR Graphed): TRN-STM Earphone

So what’s the catch? Well, timbre is not the TRN-STM’s strong suit—like the recent KZ hybrids it’s ballsy and revealing, but excessively brilliant and somewhat over-etched; compared to something like the Blon BL-03 or BQEYZ KC-2, not to mention TRN’s $75 VX, the TRN-TM (like its predecessor, the V80) sounds a bit harsh and artificial, especially on brass instruments and with the red or blue filters. In this regard, the TRN-STM hews very close in character and quality to the ($30) KBear KB04, which is similarly bright, lively and hyper-detailed, though not paragons of naturalness. Yet while “technically” superior models like the Blon are truer to the source and ultimately less fatiguing, I’d likely find myself reaching for the STM (or for that matter, for the KB04) more often—it’s less fussy with source and more fun overall.

Finding absurdly cheap models like the TRN-STM are precisely what makes this obsession enjoyable—they’re colored as hell and purists may shudder, but give me that caffeine buzz are recommended nonetheless.

TRN STM Review – Transformers, Different Tunings In Disguise

SPECIFICATIONS

Driver Configurations -10mm dual-magnet dynamic driver -30019 balanced armatures
Impedance 24 Ω
Sensitivity 106 dB/mW
Frequency range 20-20000 Hz
Cable Length 1.25m
Earphone interface 2Pin 0.75 mm interface
Tested at $23

MY VERDICT

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

These were provided free for review purposes by TRN and not by Linsoul.

Get the TRN-STM at Wooeasy Earphones Store.

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

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iBasso IT00 Review – White Knight

Baskingshark (Singapore) — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 16:01:00 +0000

Pros:

Great price to performance ratio.
All rounder for most music genres.
Good build, light, comfortable, with above average isolation.
Good timbre, organic and coherent tuning, melding bass/mids/treble well.
Airy treble without fatigue.
Excellent and clear vocals.
Fast bass that doesn’t encroach into mids.

Cons:

Driver flex. MMCX connectors a bit tight.
Technicalities are above average for a single DD set, but may lose to some multi BA/hybrids in this area.
Tangly stock cable.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The IBasso IT00 has superb price to performance ratio, featuring a very coherent tonality, a fast and accurate bass without bass bloat, transparent mids, excellent vocals, with an airy treble that is not fatiguing or sibilant.

SPECIFICATIONS

Driver type: Dynamic Driver 10 mm, (Multi layered graphene diaphragm incorporated in a unique dual Helmholtz resonators driver)
Frequency response: 10 Hz – 35 kHz
Sensitivity: 106 +/- 2 dB
Impedance: 16 ohm
Cable type: MMCX
Tested at $69 USD

ACCESSORIES

Other than the IEM it comes with:

3.5mm MMCX detachable high purity OFC cable – the cable is servicable sound wise, although it is on the thinner side and occasionally tangles.
Semi rigid carrying case.
Silicone eartips of various sizes (10 pairs) – I found the wider bore tips to increase treble, whereas the narrow bore ones boosted bass. The IT00 is very tip sensitive, so it is best to spend the initial few minutes to tiproll and see what suits your preference sound wise.
A pair of spare nozzle filters – this can be modded by adding foam/micropore to the nozzle/tubing if you wish, or just kept as a spare pair.

The iBasso IT00 is well accessorized, everything is usable OOTB. There’s no real need to mess around with mods or spend money on aftermarket tips/cables unlike certain other CHIFI (cough cough, such as a certain hyped set that espouses belief and oppoty and letting music burn).

BUILD/COMFORT

The iBasso IT00 is very well fitting, and is light and comfortable. I can wear it for hours without any issues.

The MMCX connectors on the iBasso IT00 are a bit stiff during cable changing, not the worst I’ve encountered, but as per all MMCX IEMs, I would recommended to minimize cable rolling once you have found an ideal cable for it, as they tend to have lesser longevity than 2 pin connections in my experience.

The iBasso IT00 does have some driver flex.
Driver flex is usually due to a too tight seal, and is partially related to the tips we use and/or our ear anatomy. So YMMV. FWIW, I found a few ways to mitigate driver flex on the IT00:

1) Use foam tips instead of silicone tips, works sometimes for me. Probably cause the foam is porous and lets air escape thru the foams rather than going into the IEM shell.

2) Sometimes using another silicone tip that has lesser isolation/seal may reduce driver flex, though at the expense of isolation. Try a variety of different ear tips and sizes if you can, some tips give more driver flex than others.

3) Try opening your mouth and/or pulling down the earlobe before inserting the IEM, this opens the ear canal a bit for more space to insert the eartip, and hopefully some air can escape during insertion with the bigger diameter of the ear canal.

4) Insert the ear tip slowly or at an angle, and do not insert too deeply initially, and slowly make fine adjustments to push it in.

ISOLATION:

Isolation on the iBasso IT00 is above average, it passed my subway commute isolation test without much issues, though it might lose to some unvented pure BA sets in isolation.

DRIVABILITY:

I tested the IT00 with a Samsung Note 5 smartphone, a Tempotec Sonata HD Pro dongle, Shanling Q1 DAP and a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 amp.

The iBasso IT00 is pretty drivable from lower powered sources like smartphones, and amping isn’t truly mandatory, though there is some scaling of dynamics, soundstage and details with good amping.

The iBasso IT00 doesn’t distort at louder volumes, so one might be tempted to overly boost the music, which may not be safe for longer listening sessions!

SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The iBasso IT00 has a very coherent and organic U shaped, warmish tuning, with an airy, yet non fatiguing treble. I really love the tonality on this set, it has no harshness/troughs throughout the bass/mids/treble frequencies, and coherently blends all these frequencies. Some CHIFI get hot in the upper mids/treble, or end up being too bassy with midbass bleed/bloat, especially with higher volumes (Fletcher Munson curve). Whereas the iBasso IT00 manages to walk the fine line between having a good tonality, yet being musical and engaging at the same time, without fatigue or compromising any part of the frequency spectrum. Other budget CHIFI may excel at certain frequencies but are weak at others, but the iBasso IT00 doesn’t have any real weaknesses in tonality from the bass to the treble, and extends quite well at both ends to boot.

Timbre is very natural and well done for acoustic instruments and vocals, in keeping with its dynamic driver roots. In fact this set shines at vocals and will be good set for vocal lovers.

The iBasso IT00 has above average soundstage width, but soundstage is not the widest at this price range. Depth is on the shallower side, yet I did not find the music to be overly congested.

With regards to the rest of the technicalities, it is above average compared to other DD gear at the sub $100 mark, but it might lose to some multi BA/hybrids in imaging, instrument separation and details, which is an expected limitation of a single DD transducer at this price bracket. Nevertheless, the iBasso IT00 is no slouch in the technicalities department, although if one is looking for an analytical IEM for critical listening, then it might be best to look elsewhere. The iBasso IT00 is really a set that lets one sit back and chill and get lost in the music without being OCD about microdetailing or whether a certain ghost note is heard.

On this point, I would argue that it is much easier to find a technically proficient multi driver monstrosity CHIFI at sub $100 than something with excellent tonality like the iBasso IT00. A few of these multi BA/hybrid sets at this price point may excel at technicalities, but have crossover/coherency and timbre issues, so different strokes for different folks.

The iBasso IT00 is quite an allrounder for most music genres, it sounded natural with rock, EDM, jazz, acoustic and pop and especially vocals. Though perhaps classical purists might want something more neutralish and analytical. I don’t listen to metal so I’m not sure if metalheads will like this set, but the bass (which we will describe below) is on the faster side, and I think that might aid somewhat for the metal genre. Though possibly something with a pure BA bass may suit metal better in terms of bass speed.

Bass
Bass on the iBasso IT00 descends quite linearly from midbass to subbass and the subbass is weighty. This subbass heft adds to the warmth, but don’t be expecting a subwoofer like subbass. Bass quantities are north of neutral, but not at basshead levels. The iBasso IT00’s bass has minimal midbass bleed and doesn’t intrude into the mids at all or impinge on the vocals, which is a common offence seen in some other budget CHIFI.

Bass is punchy yet natural, with speed on the faster side for a DD set. The bass is a tinge less textured than I would have preferred, but that’s just nitpicking.

Mids
Mids are slightly recessed, but are still very transparent and detailed. Guitars sound very natural. Vocal timbre is a highlight on this set, and vocal lovers will dig this set for voices being forward yet without being overbearing, but still managing to sound very natural.

I liked that iBasso IT00 does not have the usual CHIFI overly boosted/sawtooth upper mids, so this set is very non fatiguing despite the clear vocals.

Treble
Treble wise, the iBasso IT00 is on the slightly brighter side and the treble extends well and is airy, yet smooth and not fatiguing, with no sibilance. Cymbals are not splashy or artificial sounding and sound quite natural. I’m treble sensitive and didn’t find much harshness here in the treble, I liked how it balanced a tightrope of having good treble extension yet without being harsh.

Having said that, when talking about treble frequencies in IEMs, I find that it is a big can of worms. Cause some have different hearing health (due to age or occupational/leisure exposure), some are treble sensitive/trebleheads, some are using different sources/tips, some are playing the music at different volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), so I think tuners have a very large population to cater for when tuning the treble. Nevertheless, I’m in my mid 30s, and I’ve tried a few different tips/sources/volumes and so far have not experienced fatigue whatsoever even with marathon listening sessions on the iBasso IT00.

COMPARISONS

I decided to only compare only single DD sets in the budget segment here as multi BA/hybrids have their own strengths and weaknesses among the different transducer types, so it would be more fair to compare similar driver setups. Suffice to say, the iBasso IT00 trumps a lot of my more expensive single DD sets such as (in alphabetical order), the BLON Cardinal, Semkarch SKC CNT1 (before firesale prices), Sennheiser IE80S, Shure SE215, TFZ No. 3, TFZ Tequila, Toneking Ninetails, and some cheaper ones too such as the BLON BL-03, BLON BL-05, Cambridge Audio SE1, MEE Audio M6 and Sony MH755.

For the sake of time, I picked out a few commonly owned/hyped single DD sets to compare here:

1) Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 ($69 USD)

The Urbanfun is an excellent set. Coincidentally, I bought a secondhand Urbanfun from a local shop on the same day I got the iBasso IT00. It was previously retailing at $39 USD at launch, but the price seems to have jumped to $60 – 69 USD now after it got hyped to the moon (admittedly the hype is legit if you got a working Urbanfun with a beryllium driver).

The problem about the Urbanfun, (credit to and quoting headfier lgcubana [and Forrest Gump]) can be summarized as such:

“My mom always said life was like a box of Urbanfuns. You never know what you’re gonna get.” That’s the big chocolate stomping mega elephant in the room, one doesn’t know if you are gonna get a “noble metal” driver or legit beryllium driver, or whether there are gonna be MMCX issues with it. These QC issues are still being reported on audio forums up till recently even with so-called newer batches. So it is literally playing russian roulette in seeing whether a working set comes in the mail or you get a dud, not to mention the different driver materials, which some have found to affect the sound signature. Partly why I bought a second hand set instead of a first hand one was so I could check out the MMCX connectors and do some listening prior to purchase.

I’m not 100% sure which Urbanfun driver I got, but it came in a black box with a monkey logo, so it is probably one of the older batches. Compared to the IT00, my Urbanfun is more V shaped, and it has more boosted upper mids with deeper subbass extension. The Urbanfun also has better bass texturing and rumble close to basshead levels. The basshead in me really liked the Urbanfun, and these two IEMs are complimentary sets for me, with the Urbanfun bringing more bass to the table but having less treble airiness. Lower mids are thicker on the IT00 with the Urbanfun being a bit too recessed in the lower mids for my liking.

Technicalities wise they are close, with both being above average for a single DD set, but they both won’t beat some multi BA gear in the similar price bracket in technicalities. The Urbanfun edges out the iBasso IT00 in timbre and perhaps has a taller and deeper soundstage, whereas the iBasso IT00 has slightly better clarity and instrument separation. Imaging is about on par. Tonally, I prefer the iBasso IT00 for the less depressed lower mids and airier treble.

However, due to the QC problems and doubt about driver type, I can’t in good conscience recommend the Urbanfun universally. Perhaps if you are feeling lucky, you can take a punt on the Urbanfun, but at least you get a known quantity and quality (and good service too from iBasso) if you pick the iBasso IT00. In terms of music genre suitability, I also think the IT00 is more all rounded due to the tonality, whereas the Urbanfun that I got was more basshead with a rolled off treble (which suits me, but some folks may prefer a bass of less quantity or more treble airiness).

2) BLON BL-03 ($25 USD)

Now, I really like the BL-03 and it is a very special landmark CHIFI showing what a sub $30 USD CHIFI can do, but the IT00 is really in a higher league compared to the BL-03.

The BL-03 is excellent in timbre and tonality, but it is poor in fit, has a midbass bloat and the bass can’t keep up with fast or complex bass movements. BL-03 isn’t the best in isolation/technicalities also. The BL-03 also gets shouty in upper mids with higher volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), and the upper treble is a bit dull for me. All these factors hold it back from being a “giant killer” for me, but YMMV.

The iBasso IT00 has better tonality without being shouty in the upper mids even with higher volumes, and the bass of the iBasso IT00 is of better quality and speed. The IT00 also extends better in treble and subbass and iBasso IT00 has better technicalities in almost all departments. The BL-03 though has better instrumental timbre.

Anyway, BL-03 is actually not a sub $30 IEM if one factors in aftermarket tips and/or cables (which majority of folks need due to the poor fit with the overly short nozzles and stiff stock cables). After factoring these aftermarket tips/cables, top up about $20 USD and you can get the iBasso IT00, which I think is the superior IEM here.

3) TFZ NO. 3 ($109 USD)

The TFZ No. 3 is more V shaped and gets shouty in the upper mids with louder volumes. The No. 3 is a bona fide basshead IEM and has more bass quantity and extension than the iBasso IT00, but the No. 3’s bass is pretty bloated and uncontrolled when compared to the iBasso IT00’s faster and tighter bass.

TFZ No. 3 has a poorer instrument timbre and thinner lower mids. TFZ No. 3 also has a more claustrophobic soundstage, with notes sounding quite compressed in the TFZ No. 3. Instrument separation and clarity are better on the iBasso IT00. Cymbals sound less natural and more splashy on the No. 3 compared to the iBasso IT00.

No contest here, even though the TFZ No. 3 is more expensive, the iBasso IT00 is the better IEM.

4) KBEAR Diamond ($79 USD)

The Diamond is a more V shaped IEM and as such has more recessed lower mids than the iBasso IT00. Timbre is better on the Diamond, but it has a narrower soundstage than the iBasso IT00 (though Diamond’s depth and height of soundstage is slightly larger than on the iBasso IT00). Clarity and instrument separation are slightly better on the iBasso IT00 at the mids, but the Diamond may have a slightly boosted lower treble. There’s a midbass hump on the Diamond unlike the linearly descending bass of the iBasso IT00, with slight midbass bleed on the Diamond. The bass does encroach into the lower mids on the Diamond unlike the iBasso IT00.

Mids and vocals lovers will probably find the iBasso IT00 to be a better option in terms of tonality, but the Diamond is more fun sounding.

CONCLUSIONS

The White Knight iBasso IT00 is an excellent sub $100 single DD set, featuring a great price to performance ratio, being an all rounder for most music genres and boasting an organic and coherent tuning. The iBasso IT00 blends the treble/mids/bass frequencies well, and provides an airy treble without fatigue, meshing excellent and clear vocals, and delivering a fast bass that doesn’t encroach into mids.

It is no slouch in the technicalities department too, especially when compared with other similarly priced single DD competitors, though pure multi BA/hybrids at this price range may trump it in these areas. As detailed above, it is very easy to find a technically proficient CHIFI at this price bracket, but much harder to find one that excels at tonality and timbre, yet threading a fine line of not compromising any part of the frequency spectrum.

Other than some driver flex and tight MMCX connectors, the build is impeccable. Sound wise, the iBasso IT00 is in my top 3 sub $100 single DD sets for the great tonality it brings to the table (my other 2 being a legit beryllium driver Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 and KBEAR Diamond) and the iBasso IT00 is a solid single DD set I would recommend without reservations.

MY VERDICT

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank Paul from iBasso for providing this review sample in exchange for an honest opinion. My views are my own. It can be gotten here at: http://www.ibasso.com/cp_xq_dy.php?id=10790

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Shozy Rouge Review (1) – O You Pretty Things

Loomis T. Johnson (Chicago, USA) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 16:19:37 +0000

Minimally packaged (just the Shozy Rouge phones, a few silicon tips and a large case); lightweight headshells are beautifully finished in hand-painted resin. Long nozzles do, as advertised, provide for deep insertion and good seal (also some mild driver flex), but shells protrude from the pinna and long-term comfort is only fair. Isolation is very good, however.

I confess to have been underwhelmed by these Shozy Rouge initially; if they cost $30 instead of $179 and weren’t so pretty I’d probably have dashed off a snarky review and given these to my 20-year old (which is the equivalent of throwing ‘em out). However, since they are so visually striking that I put them through their paces until their not-inconsiderable virtues emerged.

First and foremost, although their specs suggest otherwise, the Shozy Rouge are hard to drive and definitely need power to shine—through my usually serviceable LG G8 they sounded anemic unless cranked up to near-discomfort. Amping with a Cozoy or Topping NX3 made a night-and-day difference and made them sound much richer and fuller, with far more low end impact and better instrument separation.

Photographed – Shozy Rouge

Second, with the included silicon tips these sounded bass-shy, with a noticeable suck-out in the midbass region. Switching to foams improved matters markedly; although the transition from subbass to midbass isn’t quite seamless, the foam-tipped Rouge had more audible, even low-end presence.

Thus amped and shod, the Shozy Rouge are a neutral-to-warm-sounding phone with a “reverse L-shape”, which is to say generally balanced with some emphasis on a well extended high end. Note texture is meaty (tho not artificially boosted) and soundstage is deep and spacious, with a wide stereo spread, although height is limited—the effect is like listening in a large, low-ceilinged auditorium. Instrument placement is accurate and there’s considerable air between the performers. Simply stated, these sound like an expensive phone.

Low end isn’t seismic in depth, but well-shaped and more than adequate in quantity, with enough subass boom-and-bloom to keep these from sounding sterile. Mids are full, forward and free from artifiacts; female vocals in particular are expressive and rich. Treble, as noted, is the emphasis here, and it is extremely detailed and transparent—hard-to-capture nuances like piano sustain and plucked violin strings are reproduced very accurately, without sibilance or harshness—the Rouge deftly pulls off the trick of sounding smooth without sacrificing resolution. Drums, however, lacked a bit of snap and realism, perhaps because of the overall warmth of the signature

So how’s the timbre? Well, compared to single DD price peers like the Moondrop KPE or the BQEYZ Spring, somewhat less “analog” sounding and closer to a well recorded HDCD; despite (or perhaps because of) its hyper-revealing high end, the Rouge doesn’t let you forget that you’re listening to a recording as opposed to a live performance. However the Rouge has better-tuned bass and better overall clarity—I’d go so far as to call the Rouge’s clarity class-leading. (They’re actually a logical upgrade from the similarly-tuned KBear Diamond, which also show a highly revealing high end but have a smaller stage and less oomph). To use the old cliché, I found myself hearing new revelations in familiar recordings.

Shozy Rouge Review II – Touched for the Very Second Time

All things being equal, I like phones which don’t require accoutrement. However, if you have a suitable amp or DAP, the Rouge are a considerable step up in class and well worth the fare, both aesthetically and sonically. Highly recommended.

SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers: Proprietary Dynamic Driver + Dual Knowles Balanced Armatures
Impedance: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 113 dB/mW
Frequency Range: 20 – 20,000 Y Hz
Cable/Connector:
Tested at: $179
Product Page: http://www.shozy-hk.com/rouge
Purchase Link: HifiGo

Shozy Rouge Review III – Second Love Song

MY VERDICT

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

We received these as a free review copy from Hifigo—I’ll be passing them on Durwood et. al. for their better-informed opinions.

Get the Shozy Roug e from HifiGo.

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Tempotec Sonata HD Pro Review (2) – The Mighty Mouse

Baskingshark (Singapore) — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 21:42:13 +0000

Pros

Small and light, good build.
Doesn’t heat up.
Easily plug and playable, compatible with desktops/laptops, apple and android phones (with OTG cables/adaptors if needed).
Very low output impedance.
Excellent details, clarity, imaging, instrument separation.
Quite neutral, with a slight tinge of warmth.
Transparent and clean sound with black background, no hiss or clicking.
Shuts down when not in use (battery saving when gear is detached from 3.5 mm connector).
Not too battery hungry.
Volume controller.

Cons

Volume steps too far apart.
Not compatible with mic/phone calls (only music mode).
Can’t juice up power hungry cans (but then again it isn’t marketed for these as per the specs).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Tempotec Sonata HD Pro provides a great upgrade in sound quality for smartphone and desktops for cheap. It has so many good points and the term “superb price to performance ratio” was created for this baby.

INTRODUCTION

The Tempotec Sonata HD Pro is a DAC/AMP dongle, and it seems to be the OEM version of Hidizs S8 but at half the price. Some folks in the other audio threads have kindly opened and measured the two and they seem comparable internally and on measurements. The Hidizs S8 is very well regarded here on audiosciencereview: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/…dizs-s8-usb-c-headphone-adapter-review.10823/

Last year, I had purchased two of the predecessor of the Sonata HD Pro (the non Pro version), and while this non Pro version was above average in sound quality, the non Pro version had a bad hiss with highly sensitive IEMs, and it could cook an egg after use (it really generated a lot of heat!). There was some clicking with changing music tracks and it had no volume controller. The Sonata HD Pro promises to fix all these issues and for an affordable price of $40ish USD, and after reading Jurgen’s review, I knew I had to purchase the Sonata HD Pro to check it out.

SPECIFICATIONS

Recommended Headphone Maximum Impedance: 32-50 Ohm
Input Type: Micro-USB
Body Material: Aluminum
Dimensions (WxHxD): 1.85in x 0.66in x 0.31in
PCM: Yes
DAC Model: CS43131
WIFI: No
MIC INPUT: No
Built-in Battery: No
DSD (Direct Stream Digital): Yes, DSD SUPPORT: DOP128 NATIVE 256
Output Power: 60MW/32
Signal To Noise Ratio: 126
Bluetooth: No
24bit/192kH: Yes
32bit/384kHz: Yes
DSD64: NATIVE & DOP
DSD128: NATIVE & DOP
DSD256: NATIVE
SNR: 128dB
DNR: 128dB
USB DRIVER: Yes
ASIO: Yes
Tested at $42 USD

ACCESSORIES

1x Sonata HD Pro dongle (the shops generally sell an Apple compatible version and an Android compatible one, or even a package that is compatible with both, so choose what you prefer).
1x Adapter (female type-c to male USB-A).
1x Hi-Res logo sticker.
1x OTG cable (micro-usb to type-c).

BUILD

The Sonata HD Pro has a great sturdy build, yet it is very light, and comes in a small size that is very portable. All the necessary cables/adaptors come in the package, but if you want to use it with some micro USB smartphones, you might need to get some OTG cables/adaptors.

It has a built in volume controller and the cables are pretty well braided. I think it should last a long time, definitely until the next hypetrain dongle DAC/AMP comes!

FUNCTION

The Sonata HD Pro is a plug and play set, and is compatible with desktops/laptops, apple and android phones (with OTG cables/adaptors if needed). *please ask on the Audioreviews facebook site or audio forums regarding compatibility of smartphones as there have been reports that certain android models are not compatible with the Sonata HD Pro. FWIW I have no issues with the Sonata HD Pro on a few variants of Samsung smartphones (Note 5, J1 ACE).

The volume can be changed on the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro and/or at source (eg phone, desktop/laptop). Generally, most would agree to max out the volume at the source and do fine tuning on the dongle. Unfortunately, the volume steps on the Sonata HD Pro are pretty far apart, so for fine tuning, I prefer to do volume changes at the source.

One good thing is that the Sonata HD Pro’s in built volume controller remains at the last volume set even after it is disconnected. When nothing is connected to the Sonata HD Pro’s 3.5mm port, the DAC turns off, thus saving battery life. Very ingenious and user friendly ideas were incorporated here!

It doesn’t eat that much battery from my smartphone usage, and it doesn’t heat up at all compared to the non Pro predecessor.

It can go up to 2V output but has an auto gain setting based on the impedance of the connected transducer. I ever almost blew up my ear drums with the non Pro version when I previously connected a highly sensitive IEM straight after a low sensitivity IEM (and I forgot to change the volume), so this is quite an innovative idea on the manufacturer’s part with the Sonata HD Pro version.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

The Sonata HD Pro can play DSD 256 natively with a sample rate till 32bits/384 kHz.

The Sonata HD Pro sports a neutral sound signature (with a very slight tinge of warmth), with great improvement in dynamics, details and with low THD.

I did not note any hiss nor clicking with changing tracks midway, and the sound is very transparent, clean and layered on a dark background.

I like that I didn’t detect any subbass roll off (unlike some other DAC/AMPs), and there is no colouration to the bass frequencies. Bass texture is improved with the Sonata HD Pro. Mids are clean and detailed, with good timbre. The Sonata HD Pro provides good treble extension, with no sibiliance. I definitely hear better resolution/clarity/details/separation/imaging with it, compared to just a low end smart phone source, and transients in music are quicker.

Soundstage on the Sonata HD Pro is above average compared to a low end smartphone.

The Sonata HD Pro has a very low output impedance. I usually struggle hard to find a good source pairing with the Audiosense T800 as this is one finicky IEM with a very low impedance of 9.2 ohms. The Sonata HD Pro drives it very well with no hiss at all. Perfect pairing!

With very high impedance cans eg ~ 300 ohms, the Sonata HD Pro doesn’t do the best job and stuff sounds a bit flat with lack of dynamics. Then again, the Sonata HD Pro wasn’t marketed to power such gear as per the specs, so nothing I can fault the Sonata HD Pro as such in this area. It could power almost all of my IEMs with room to spare, maybe except for planar type IEMs which do need some juice.

COMPARISONS

As above, the Sonata HD Pro truly lives up to the “Pro” moniker, with better specs than the non Pro version. The Sonata HD Pro doesn’t come with a mic and it cannot be used for phone calls, unlike certain flash versions of the non Pro version.

Versus the non Pro, the Sonata HD Pro has:
– Better subbass extension than non Pro
– No hiss with highly sensitive IEMs, unlike non Pro
– Does not heat up, unlike non Pro
– No clicking when changing tracks, unlike non Pro
– Volume controller, unlike non Pro
– Better technicalities, compared to non Pro

Tempotec Sonata HD Pro Dac/Amp Review I – King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll

Here our other Tempotec Sonata HD Pro review.

CONCLUSIONS

This is one versatile and great sounding DAC/AMP dongle I’m not gonna leave the house without. It provides a great upgrade in sound quality for smartphone and desktops for cheap, especially for IEMs. It has so many good points and the term “superb price to performance ratio” was created for this baby.

I’m actually done chasing the “upgradiitis” bug for audio sources with this, but I’m so impressed with this set that I’m probably gonna get a second Sonata HD Pro soon! 10/10 for me!

MY VERDICT

Our DAC & Amp Reviews

DISCLAIMER

I bought the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro at my own expense at the recent Aliexpress sale. It can be gotten at $40ish USD at a few shops on Aliexpress (I got mine at $33 with discount coupons).

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Yinyoo BK2 Review – Bud Wiser

Baskingshark (Singapore) — Fri, 22 May 2020 01:48:01 +0000

Pros:

Cheap.
Balanced tuning.
Light and comfortable, good build.
Good technicalities (for a earbud).
Minimal harshness/sibilance.
Detachable cables at this price point.

Cons:

Average soundstage width.
Thin note weight.
Bass lite, with subbass roll off (may be a pro or con depending on your bassheadedness).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Yinyoo BK2 is: Beautifully Balanced, Bang for Buck, Brilliant Bud, No Brainer Buy!

Not for Bassheads.

SPECIFICATIONS

Impedance: 16 Ω
Sensitivity: 96 dB
Frequency Response: 5 – 50000 Hz
Cable: detachable MMCX
Tested at $21 USD

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

ACCESSORIES

In addition to the earbud, it comes with:

1) Detachable 3.5 mm SPC cable (MMCX) – hardly seen in buds at this price point. In fact some TOTL sets costing more than ten times may not even come with detachable cables.

2) Generous assortment of foam covers (full foams and donut foams)

3) Shirt clip

4) Semi rigid case

BUILD/COMFORT

The BK2 is comfortable and light. The build looks robust enough, and I’m very happy that something at its $20ish USD pricing can incorporate detachable MMCX connectors, as non detachable cables may be a potential point of failure down the line. The MMCX doesn’t lock with a satisfactory click however, though so far I haven’t had the MMCX area detach on me while in use.

DRIVABILITY

The BK2 is drivable from lower powered sources like smartphones, though it scales slightly better with amping.

SOUNDSTAGE

Soundstage width is an area of weakness on the BK2 compared to similarly priced earbuds: it is average in width at best. Height and depth of soundstage is above average.

SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The BK2 is not exactly neutral, but is very balanced with a slight upper mids boost.

Technicalities are good for a bud at its pricing.

Timbre on the BK2 is good for acoustic instruments, but note weight is on the thinner side.

Bass:

Bass is neutralish in quantity, with a slight midbass hump. There’s a subbass roll off around 30ish Hz. It lacks subbass rumble when compared to IEMs, but this is a common issue in buds, and I’ve certainly heard worse in other buds.

Mid bass quality is good and tight and accurate, with no midbass bleed.

Mids:

Mids are detailed and clear, but perhaps some specialist midcentric buds may be better solely in the area of vocals. Upper mids are slightly boosted relative to lower mids, but there is minimal harshness.

Treble:

Lower treble on the BK2 is slightly boosted compared to higher treble, but there is minimal sibilance and harshness, and the BK2 still manages to retain quite good details/clarity. Treble extends moderately well but is not a true treblehead bud.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The BK2 was originally priced close to $50 USD during launch and maybe at that price it would not be a universal recommendation, but now at the $20ish USD pricing, it is a no brainer purchase.

The BK2 sports a well balanced tuning, with good technicalities and few weaknesses. I’ve always looked down on earbuds for years due to my preferences for IEM isolation and subbass, but the BK2 really opened my eyes to what a earbud can do for an affordable price. Indeed, the BK2 is my most used earbud in my earbud rabbithole collection, and it is the very definition of bang for buck.

MY VERDICT