In a sort of Nigel Tufnel/David St. Hubbins fire/ice schism my learned colleagues Alberto and Durwood have offered completely different takes on the 7Hz Timeless, with Alberto finding them lacking microdetail and unrefined in the treble, while Durwood praised their transparency and resolution.

I lean closer to Durwood on this one—with sufficient power, they epitomize the best qualities of planars—speedy transients, tight (if lean-textured) bass, energetic big-sounding midrange and highly resolving high end which captures the little nuances of acoustic guitars as well as anything I’ve heard at this price point.

I do agree with Alberto that some midbass oomph is missing and that they’re prone to a slight shoutiness/steeliness on some higher frequencies—saxes and female vox can occasionally sound overbright.

The 7Hz Timeless are also a poor match for mobile phones or less powerful sources. However, feed ‘em right and they are damn good and well worth the $200.

Disclaimer 7Hz Timeless

Borrowed form Durwood.

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Granted, there’s some evidence of cost cutting—no balanced outs, and the front panel switches and volume knob on the headphone amp seem a bit flimsy, but work as intended. Little of this would, of course, matter unless the SU-6/SH-6 sounded good, but fortunately they do.

As a headphone amp, the SH-6 isn’t a powerhouse (it hits its limits with my  250 ohm Beyers), but immediately impresses with its low end impact and control—slightly boomy IEMs like the Moondrop Kanas Pro  sound tighter, while more balanced pieces like the Whizzer Kylin HE03D or the 7Hz Timeless show palpably more low end depth and presence.

Other than juicing up the bass, the SH-6 is quite neutral in tone—neither bright nor warm–and added very little coloration across the spectrum. Compared to my trusty (tube) Aune T1 MK2, the SH-6 played louder, had the more expansive soundstage and presented a lot more high end detail; the Aune had the more analog, organic timbre, with the SH-6 sounding a bit leaner and more processed, albeit more resolving.

My ($150)  Project Head Box S2 actually was a close match tonally for the SH-6, with a comparable level of high-end detail, but lacked the bass thwack and speed  of the SH-6.

Moving to the headphone section of the pricier Chord Mojo gets you a richer, fuller-bodied sound, with noticeably better loud/soft dynamics and a wider stage. However I actually thought the bass on the SH-6 was crisper and extended deeper than the Mojo’s, which sounded smoother and not as sculpted.

The SH-6 likewise functions very serviceably as a digital preamp, again maintaining its neutral tone and tight bottom end, although careful pairing with sources/speakers is necessary, as the SH-6, in high-gain mode, can get a tad shrill with higher output devices or very sensitive speakers. 

The SU-6 DAC was initially the more intriguing of the pair, largely because of its lineage from the genuinely great ($450) SU-9, with which it shares a variant of the ES9038 chip. While I usually avoid measurements and graphs (which often skew my impressions on how a piece actually sounds), I cheated on this one and checked out Audioscience Review, which showed extremely good measured performance, including very high SINAD. In fact, the SU-6 was dead quiet, with no audible distortion.

As a standalone DAC (decoupled from the SH-6), the SU-6 sounded slightly bright, with a taut note texture and mostly balanced throughout the spectrum, with an etched, slightly sharp-sounding high end which can sound a little intense on amplified instruments (note that the adjustable digital filters have a small but audible effect on mitigating the intensity).

Microdetails are very present (you can clearly hear the difference between 32/768 files and lower rez stuff), though Bluetooth streaming sounded like typical Bluetooth—compressed and somewhat rolled off at the high end.

Paired with the SH-6, the SU-6 takes on the bassy-but-not-bloated character of the amp, while retaining its slight harshness at the highest frequencies. It’s a good combo nonetheless, with a high level of resolution and good PRAT. The 3x pricier SH-9/SU-9 combo, at least from memory, is more powerful and refined at the high-end, though the qualitative differences are incremental. 

Most of the other reviews I’ve read have labelled the SH-6/SU-6 a good “beginner setup”, and like anything else you can certainly spend more and get better. Frankly, unless you’re driving 600 oHm planars I wouldn’t feel a lot of compulsion to upgrade from this little stack—it does many things well and its bass quality trumps a lot of pricier pieces. Bargain.

Disclaimer

This stack was sent to me by SHENZHENAUDIO for review purposes and I thank them for that. It will go to Durwood for a 2nd opinion.

SMSL SU-6 DAC: tested at $169.99. Get it from SHENZHENAUDIO.

SMSL SH-6 amp: tested a $119.99. Get it from SHENZHENAUDIO.

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SMSL SU-6 and SMSL SH-6

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This piece is to report my experience with a glorious piece of old world technology, Scottish RHA’s CL2 planar IEMs. A privately owned sample was sent to me by an audiophile friend for assessment, and I now understand his love and jealousy for the item indeed.

Currently discontinued, these IEMs were marketed for around €900 back in their day (some 2-3 years ago).

At-a-glance Card

Full Device Card

Test setup

Apogee Groove+Burson FUN / E1DA 9038SG3-3000 – final E clear eartips – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC tracks.

Signature analysis

Tonality

RHA CL2’s tuning as it comes out of the box is – simply put – just flawed. Based on a somewhat wide-v general shape, highmid frequencies (2-4Khz) are ununderstandably over excited which inevitably stirs the presentation into a bad sort of shout party. Sub-bass could also do with some more body physicality, but that’s minor in comparison. Highmids, as is, are just undefendable.

That’s bad, but that’s at least as bad as it gets. The great news instead is that RHA’s driver’s elasticity vs even important equalization corrections is close to divine. Using an ordinary PEQ you can push and pull frequencies as you please and CL2 will follow you pretty much into the tonality you exactly want.

The general timbre is that of a (high end) planar driver, so clear, defined and neat, therefore don’t expect what you can’t possibly get, e.g. DD-style attack in the bass, but within that you are free to think to CL2 as a blackboard to draw the tonality curve you prefer on, and that will be nibly delivered.

For my taste fast drivers (like planars) strictly relate to acoustic music like bebop or classical, and that’s why I shaped a sort of mild Vshape, with elevated high mids within the classical DF boundaries on one end, leaving the existing midbass where they are. More on this here below.

Sub-Bass

Sub bass is extended but less prominent than midbass. Especially for acoustic jazz application, a nudge up is really beneficial to standup bass and similar key instruments. A low shelf of +2 / +3dB is recommended.

Mid Bass

CL2 midbass is just great within its planar category. It has pretty much everything you can dream of: speed, definition, texture, detail retrieval – with the sole important limitation of gutt-felt attack which is of course technologically offlimits. Forget any distortion, barred of course that coming from your source so – beware! – CL2 are totally unforgiving on that. Use a clean source, or be ready to hear how dirty your source is. Musically speaking don’t feed them with Pink Floyd, just don’t. Feed them with Andrew Cyrille.

Mids

As previously mentioned, the first thing to do here is removing that elephant from the room: high mids need to be tamed down. I’m putting -3dB around 2.5/3Khz and another -4dB around 4Khz. Then we can talk: mids are now clear, defined, engaging, very detailed and somewhat lean.

Vocals

Vocals are a bit lighter than organic, both male and female although in slightly different ways. An (optional) way to add a bit more body to lower mids vocals in particular is by adding a +3dB high shelf hinged at around 7/800Hz. In such case of course the previous negative bell values at 3 and 4Khz need to be negatively increased by the same quantity. Don’t take notes here, I’ll add an EQ suggestions recap at the end 

Highs

CL2’s trebles are very good, sparkly, detailed, while making sure to stay on unoffensive territory. Even too much. Too much christiandemocrat, if the term makes sense to you. Beyond sonic preference, this is another example where CL’s agility vs equalization offers you an experimentation liberty that’s simply missing elsewhere: go head, adventure into pumping air trebles and last octave up … until you like or can bear. Just push: CL2 will follow, no distortion.

Equalization Recs recap

Technicalities

Soundstage

CL2 offer very good space sizing both accross and in depth. Not the “most huge” room I heard yet in line with expectation on this price level, and vis-a-vis the other high quality technicalities on the product.

Imaging

Macrodynamics are very good, instrument placement is correctly executed in all occasions and casting on the stage comes accross as credible an fully natural

Details

Detail retrieval on highmids and trebles is finely granular and inoffensive / unfatiguing at the same time – an extremely difficult and therefore rare balance to achieve per my experience. Very good detail extraction also happens from mids and bass, with the sole already mentioned caveat regarding planar timbre necessarily keeping bass just a shiff south of truly organic, which also impacts on the realism of their details of course.

Instrument separation

Separation and layering are beyond beautiful; precision and definition are really outstanding and fully worth the price tag and much beyond.

Driveability

CL2 are extremely demanding in terms of amplification. They require a “high minimum” in terms of current delivery, and furtherly positively scale with the amp’s qualities. Amongst the multiple and diverse sources I have available in the end only desktop gear gave CL2 some serious glory, with the sole notable exception of E1DA’s 9038SG3 and 9039D. Pretty much everything else I have at hand right now doesn’t “open” them up appropriately due to scarse current delivery.

CL2 also easily pick hiss up from the source (in my case: Burson Fun), while on the other hand they prove quite resilient to FR skewage even when the amp pair offers a sub-idel damping factor (again for my case: Burson Fun).

Physicals

Build

Ceramic shells following the classical RHA shape are at the same time solid, resistant and – for my taste – greatly stylish to look at

Fit

CL2 fit rather well into my outer ears, although they tend to stay not perfectly still especially vs mandibular movements.

Comfort

Comfort is ok once fitted. The shape is not 100% ideal to me, but its rounded surface helps minimising pain points and such. Above average anyway.

Isolation

Passive isolation is rather average.

Cable

The privately owned unit I borrowed came with a third party cable so can’t comment on stock one(s).

Specifications (declared)

Comparisons

7Hz Timeless

An unfair comparison looking at price tags: €200 for this chifi thingie, €900 for the scottish one – the latter better be really good ! Dual unfair insofar as per my previous piece on Timeless I don’t find those particularly brilliant even in their own price class. I’m mentioning them mainly due to their recent hype.

Similarly to CL2, ootb Timeless presentation also comes accross as flawed: a major distortion point at 9300Hz introduces a nigh-ridiculous, very invasive artificial tint to the timbre, which must be eliminated or the product is just unaudible, to me at least. Timeless also can benefit of some further sub-bass elevation, again like CL2 does. End of the similarities.

Timeless’ driver is very obviously less refined than CL2’s (heck! at 1/4th the price…) and this results in a much more pronounced, and unpleasant, “inevitably planar” timbre in the first place, and a dramatic lack of texture and detail in the bass line which is dull, uninspiring.

Timeless’ highmids are less shouty than CL2’s out of the box, but they still need EQ correction. No problem, if not for the fact that when downtamed Timeless’s high mids become dull, while CL2’s stay fully vivid, and extremely pleasant.

Even more importantly than all that precedes, Timeless’ technicalities are a joke compared to CL2’s: instrument separation is underwhelming at the very least on Timeless (even vs some non-planars by the way), microdynamics and detail retrieval are nothing more than average un the highs, inexistant from the bass, and soundstage depth is MIA (as in: Missing in Action), whereas CL2 ticks all those boxes with great competence, with a sole sub-top remark reserved to microdynamics which could be even better weren’t for the superfast driver nature of course.

Campfire Andromeda [2020]

Based on a totally different driver setup (5 x BA vs 1 x Planar) comparing Andromeda with CL2 is significant on 2 counts: their sonic presentation (speed, detail, timbre) and their prices categories (€900 vs €1100) are close enough.

You may read my take in detail on my earlier piece about Andromeda [2020], here let me go straight to the point: beyond their differences, Andromeda and CL2 share an almost magically spot-on balance between detail retrieval and control, resulting in smoothness all accross the board.

Neither are my exact cup if tea in terms of timbre: both is too fast, too technical for me. Of the two, CL2’s planar timbre is less pronounced than the (in itself decently moderately at the very least) Andromeda’s BA. What’s totally stunning on Andromeda, and even more so when directly compared to a single-driver product like CL2, is their tonal and timbral coherence across the entire spectrum, and the 5 different drivers working under the hood.

Conversely, and correspondingly, CL2’s single driver needs not pay any toll to the 5 (say: five) different drivers employed inside Andromeda in terms of bilateral extension, articulation, detail retrieval.

Both on my scoreboard excel on the same macro points: the already mentioned resolution/smoothness balance and timbre cleanness and clarity line up in both cases with superb treble delivery, and beyond good imaging, separation and layering. Again, both show their limits on bass texturing and microdynamics in general – which is of course inherent to the very nature of the driver technology of choice in either case.

Andromeda are much less elastic to heavy eq compare to CL2, on the other hand they require much less as their presentation is way more than viable already out of the box. They require much less “power” to be driven, but not a much “cheaper” source anyway: dealing with their very high sensitivity and very low impedance without turning into hiss or distortion in general is not easy.

Considerations & conclusions

RHA CL2 are just spectacular IEMs and they would still be worth every single cent of their price tag if they hadn’t been discontinued as a part of RHA’s disengagement from the higher segments of the audio market. The sole possibility is now finding a good preloved unit.

They deliver an incredibly refined clear and lifelike presentation – a mixture that’s as desireable as rare to effectively find. They can (and must) be freely equalised to have their tonality shaped precisely as per the user taste, and deliver a nothing short of stunning level of technicalities.

Sincere thanks to Simone Fil for the loan and assessment opportunity.

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Even allowing for some recency bias, the Xumee immediately registers as a real find, with a full-bodied, crisp attack, good driving power and notable dynamics and bass impact. It synergized surprisingly well with my new crush, the difficult-to-drive 7Hz Timeless, which sounded louder and more  expansive with the Xumee than they did unamped.

Likewise, the 60 oHm Koss KSC75 took on a palpable physicality with the Xumee, sounding bassier and more like full-sized cans. The Xumee did run out of steam on my 250 ohm Beyer DT 990, which had sufficient volume but sounded wimpy and bloomy at the low end.

On more sensitive (<32 ohm) IEMs, the ($13) Conexant CX31993 sounded more transparent and presented more high end detail, but lacked the energy and low end control of the Xumee, while my current budget fave,  the $23 Meizu Master, matched the Xumee for output power and impact, but sounded a bit coarse in comparison, with a bit of graininess at the high end.  

Moving up the food chain to the $70 Hidisz S3, however, demonstrated the Xumee’s budget roots—while the Xumee played louder and had more low-end presence, the S3 was clearly the more refined, with more lifelike, less artificially bright timbre and a smoother (though still quite detailed) high end. However, the Xumee was a better match for brighter IEMs like the Blon A8 and Whizzer Kylin HD03D than the $75 Audirect Atom 2. So much for price/performace.

While my personal donglequest will undoubtedly continue, I’d venture that among the current flood of barely-distinguishable cheap dacs the Xumee is likely the best.  I’m glad I bought it instead of that fifth of Jim Beam.

On a somewhat related note, I also sampled the surprisingly cheap ($9) Apple USB-C audio adapter, which Jürgen has reviewed favorably here. Simply stated, the Apple does not play well with any Android or Fire devices, producing very low volume and a rolled-off high end.  

The lightning version, OTOH, works perfectly well with my wife’s iPhone, with more than adequate output and a very clean, uncolored presentation. I’m not sure what Apple’s reasoning is here, but if it don’t work it ain’t a bargain.

Non-disclaimer: bought it myself . You find it at amazon.

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INTRO

Lately there seems to be an overwhelming desire for budget brands to break into the mid-tier market. There was not a lot of room to wow and differentiate in the budget class and now it seems we are seeing the same happen in what I consider the mid-tier $100-200.

While there is a whole wide range of offerings way upwards of that price range, they are more dangerous to your wallet as it starts reaching bragging rights and earning style points. Those I consider niche products.

The KBEAR Aurora was released an eternity ago in terms of fast fashion IEM’s and the only reason this comes to me now is a color refresh. One of our past reviewers Baskingshark had his go at them. We have some pretty strong $200ish contenders with recent hits such as the 7Hz Timeless now being challenged by the less expensive LETSHUOER S12, and the brilliant Moondrop Kato at $190.

Before that, people were singing the praises of the Drop JVC HA-FDX1 which runs between $200-250. The great thing is that all 3 of those have completely different strengths and tunings. So with value out the window, the KBear Aurora has to stand on it’s own and hope it doesn’t get lost in the sea of choices. I realize these have been out for 6 months and have already been forgotten. Just another NFAudio NM2+ perhaps, but in a better way.

Disclaimer: These were sent gratis via Keephifi and I hadn’t realized they were already released 5-6 months ago. Warm fuzzies were not exchanged until right now while I thank them for sending a pair to check out. I did not pimp my soul to promote these.

GOOD TRAITS

• Good universal fit and solid construction
• Good accessories
• Full sounding bass
• Perfectly sized carrying case
• No sibilance which should be standard for anything trying to sell for over $70. A low bar to clear in my opinion.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

• Low value
• Treble lacking in resolution and extension

PACKAGE CONTENTS

As with most Earphones over the $100 mark, the KBEAR Aurora comes packed into an easy open larger package that failed to keep the ears in place during shipment. I don’t typically care, but these are metal earphones so bouncing around in packaging is not a good thing given they can easily leave marks on the housings given the sharp edges on the faceplate.

The matte antique bronze color is definitely classier looking than the gaudy 1980’s neon chrome fingerprint magnet trend of the blue/chrome color. I think they should have released it solely in the matte brown first.

The braided gray snake skin looking cable is highly flexible and microphonic free. I notice the 2 pin connectors fit semi loose into the plugs however. The chrome/blue version sported a blue colored cable of the same style.

Two different sets of eartips, S/M/L of a standard widebore with a normal thickness stem, and 5 sizes of the main set that includes a widebore thick stem the same length of the outer tip.

SOUND

Right away it is easy to pick up the eastern style midrange boost that presents as a very in your face forward vocal. Snares are snappy as they should be. This hot upper midrange is preceded by the medium blend boosted bass that barely tickles the seismic region while going full bore into midbass territory with snappy and articulated fullness. Feels perfectly damped and well balanced with rest of the frequency range if you prefer stew over soup.

The treble on the KBEAR Aurora is the least noticeable asset. Inoffensive, bland and just one of those jobs you have to do but don’t put much effort to complete. The problem with this style of tuning is the upper midrange is so over-powering the treble doesn’t really get a chance to showcase what it can do.

For me the treble gives me the sensation of having stayed too long at the discotheque and consumed too many adult beverages. It is not particularly well defined. This was the same problem I had with the recently reviewed Whizzer Kylin HE03D. I have been ruined by the precision and air of the 7Hz Timeless and the control of the luscious Moondrop Kato.

TECHNICALITIES

The KBEAR Aurora sounds expansive, but lacks in depth. Clarity is only average with some cloudiness in the treble mucking things up. No real issues with the timbre until you get past the lower treble, it’s a single driver tuned in a typical +10db pinna gain in the upper midrange. It is driven easily by a smart phone, and has medium isolation.

COMPARISONS

Earlier there were hints at maybe a NFAudio NM2+ ($159) clone because to my poor memory I thought they were tuned similarly. Upon a review, the NFAudio NM2+ is a really hot intense listen, the Kbear gives my ears a break in comparison. Bass is very similar with the KBEAR Aurora recognizing lower extension is important.

The treble is still a bit chewed up sounding on the Aurora, but the NFAudio has so much upper treble my ears just give up looking for the upper end extension. Point goes to Kbear. Width and spacing sound more balanced on the Kbear Aurora. Fitment and isolation are similar.

The BQEYZ Spring 2 ($169) is another good comparison given the price bracket. The BQEYZ suffers from the droning bass tendencies again showing the KBEAR bass is tuned to be midbass centric as well with subbass only having a minor supporting role. Switching back and forth the BQEYZ Spring 2 can actually sound tiring due to this. Vocals sound smoother and treble is cleaner on the BQEYZ Spring 2, but the KBEAR Aurora seems to present more width in the staging aspect although lacking some treble resolution and extension.

When this was previously released the Moondrop Kato ($189) was just on the horizon, but now it’s available for only $20 more than the KBEAR Aurora. The Moondrop kato is more delicate sounding with a much lighter presentation than the Aurora.

The lower midrange/midbass boost give the KBEAR Aurora a more intimate smaller room presentation, but the treble lacks the resolution and clarity of the Kato. The Moondrop Kato has better resolution, more depth and a lighter airy feeling in comparison as if listening in a concert hall. Width feels comparable.

FINAL REMARKS

The color refresh of the KBEAR Aurora is much more elegant than the original shiny launch color scheme, however other brands have encroached on the pricing territory. It is a capable sounding IEM, I just have trouble recommending it based on value and a cloudy treble region. On the plus it is not a screamer or ear-piercer with most of the focus on the low to middle region, with good build and an above average accessory package.

GRAPHS

• Left vs Right
• KBEAR Aurora vs NFAudio NM2+ vs BQEYZ Spring2

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About my measurements.

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Cons — Lean and somewhat bright in the vocals department; top-end transients a bit fast.

Executive Summary

The LETSHUOER S12 is a well executed planar magnetic iem with all the traits adherent to this technology (low distortion, tight bass response, easy to drive, better sense of imaging, deeper stage, great bass extension).

Introduction

Planar magnetic headphones are popular because of their characteristic sound, but they have been traditionally overpriced and underperforming. They have therefore largely enjoyed a life in the shade.

That until a YouTuber started a hype putting the $220 7Hz Timeless ahead of its $1000 siblings, which attracted the attention of bargain hunters. Whilst this was a bit of a deception (the “other” $200 competition was not mentioned), it started a vivid and fruitful discussion all over the forums.

LETSHUOER (formerly known as Shuoer), a company from Shenzhen, China, jumped quickly on that bandwagon and released their S12 at $50-70 lower than the Timeless. They are mainly an OEM manufacturer who came on the scene with their ambitious $850 EJ07 that received a rather lukewarm reception by analysts (it was updated to the much improved EJ07M, which I am currently analyzing). LETSHUOER also did not impress with their budget fare such as the Shuoer Tape.

To take it away, the LETSHUOER S12 is a very good iem and a keeper for me. But can it prevail against the pricier 7Hz Timeless? You may be surprised…

Planar Magnetic Drivers – What do We expect?

The main purpose of a planar magnetic driver was to optimize bass response. In the earlier days, planar magnetic headphones reached down to 20 Hz whereas dynamic drivers only to 50 Hz. On the other hand, a dynamic driver has more punch and slam.

This has changed as slam in the planar magnetics has improved. Further advantages of planar magnetic drivers are: low distortion, tight bass response, easy to drive, better sense of imaging, deeper stage, and great bass extension.

LETSHUOER S12 Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the earpieces, a silver-plated monocrystalline copper cable, 2 sets of LETSHUOER’s standard eartips (S/M/L), a container with foams, a much too small carrying case, and the usual paperwork.

The earpieces are of CNC machined aluminium, their build is rock solid. And they are relatively small, a characteristic also of the EJ07M. Small usually means comfortable, and that’s certainly the case here. Fit is also good for me – much better than the 7Hz Timeless with their larger “footprint”. The translucent stock eartips work well for me, but the seal is average for me (but also better than the Timeless).

The cable is somewhat unusual as it has a rather thick PVC coating, reminiscent of my mum’s clothlines. Well, it is not quite as thick but has a comparable tension/stiffness – and that without being heavy. It is funky to me, I quite like it. And it shows minimal microphonics when wiggled. The storage case is small so that I have not yet tried to squeeze the assembly into it.

In summary, the overall haptic is great and everything works right out of the box.

Sonic Characterization of the 7Hz Timeless

Equipment used: MacBook Air, Khadas Tone2 Pro/4.4 mm BAL & 3.5 mm SE or Earstudio HUD 100/high gain + JitterBug FMJ + ifi Audio iPower X; 4.4 mm stock cable with or without Cayin 4.4 mm to 3.5 mm adapter; Shuoer S12 stock eartips (translucent ones…the loaner came without eartips).

The 7Hz Timeless has been discussed in all details by the usual protagonists, including our own. Find the reviews of Alberto here and Durwood there, and Kazi’s elsewhere. And I have the Timeless on private loan while writing this.

The big schtick in the discussion, as mentioned before, is that planar magnetic iems have been underperforming and overpriced in the past and the 7Hz Timeless constitutes a much better value. At $220, a sweet spot for many, it has to prevail against an army of other models crammed in there. And, to give it away, I think the price is adequate but not sensationally low.

The 7Hz Timeless is all about bass. While it still lacks slam for many (a feature of planar magnetics) there is much bass. The extension is great, but mid-bass can be a bit much for me. It is soft, fuzzy, and occasionally boomy, and pounds mercilessly against my eardrums. I find this overwhelming and tiresome, but that’s subjective. Many may actually like that. For my personal taste, the midbass lacks composure, tightness, and spice.

Replacing the Shuoer S12’s stock ears tips with the JVC Spiral Dots took mitigated the “problem” to some extent, but did not entirely eliminate it.

Mid-bass appears to be up front on the soundstage in some tracks and covers up the whole image like a curtain, which makes for a shallow stage. And it provides for a very abrupt transition into the lower midrange up to bright, female voices. The lower midrange is naturally rather lean (another feature of planar magnetics) and vocals can be partially masked by the bass. Because of the lean and bright nature of the midrange, there can be shoutiness in some tracks.

But even in bass-less tracks vocals lack body and richness although they are articulate, very well sculptured, and natural. There is some brightness in female vocals, but they are “more lean than bright”. There is very good midrange clarity. All of these appear to be the result of the planar magnetic driver’s low distortion.

Treble is another mixed bag. Extension is great, treble resolution is good, upper transients are fast to oversharpened (“tizziness”), there is good air but also the occasional metallic sheen to it.

Technicalities are great. Timbre is ok, resolution and separation are good. Please check the big body of reviews for further details.

LETSHUOER S12 Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: Questyle QP1R on med. gain, Sony NW-A55; MacBook Air with Apogee Groove, AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, Khadas Tone2 Pro/4.4 mm BAL & 3.5 mm SE or Earstudio HUD 100/high gain + JitterBug FMJ + ifi Audio iPower X; stock cable or CEMA 6N OCC + OCC silver-plated 2.5 mm balance cable with or without the ddHiFi DJ44A adapter; stock eartips (translucent ones).

The LETSHUOER S12 carries most of the characteristics expected from a planar magnetic driver: low distortion resoling in good clarity, tight bass, deep bass extension, easy to drive, good staging…but, but but…

The S12’s bass is tight while digging deep. Midbass is well composed and focused, notes are not as rounded and soft (as in the Timeless), there is a crisp attack…and that’s the biggest different to the Timeless. A smaller but better focused kick.

This may have a few reasons, for example, the different housing shapes and the Timeless’ bigger contact area inside the concha (“bigger in-ear resonance”) and also the S12’s relatively higher frequency response above 2 kHz (which itself may be related to the housings).

The S12’s better mid-bass composure may trigger a chain effect in that the midrange is not masked and therefore clearer. Its transition from bass to lower midrange is much smoother compared the abrupt change in the Timeless…which results in a much more cohesive, balanced sound…which is the dealmaker/breaker for me.

Female voice remain articulate and lean, but are more forward and intimate, and a tad brighter, livelier, and spicier than in the Timeless. Vocals have a perceived higher energy in the S12, which plays them softer and therefore with lesser note definition. They are more prone to sibilance and shoutiness with unfavourable sources in the S12, but this has not been a problem for me.

Treble is also a mixed bad with the S12. Whilst extension and resolution are great, the transients are a bit fast up there and occasionally also yield that metallic sheen (“tizziness”) as in the Timeless.

As to technicalities. Staging is rather average, but tall, and reasonably deep (much deeper than in the Timeless). I find the staging adequate. Timbre is ok but benefits from a warm source such as the DragonFly Cobalt or Apogee Groove. Separation and instrument placement are ok. Resolution is absolutely superb and dwarves the Timeless’.

The Timeless, overall, sound a bit darker and less dynamic, more laid back but less composed than the more forward S12, which runs more into danger of being shouty. S12’s attack is crisper, Timeless have the softer transients. Note weight in the midrange is about even and could be better in both models.

When compared to a photo, the Timeless is more blurred and the S12 is sharper…but some may find the S12 overpixelated.

In summary, the S12 has the better composed bass, crisper attack, deeper stage, and better resolution than the Timeless. Everything is tighter in the S2. Compared to a car’s suspension, the Timeless is a comfortable SUV and the S12 is a sporty BMW.

In the end, it comes down to personal taste: pick your poison!

LETSHUOER S12 Driver = 7Hz Timeless Driver?

There are voices that speculate that both models have the same planar magnetic driver. After all, both models graph identically up to 2 kHz, and the differences above are just minor variations, possibly caused by the different housings. And some of the sonically perceived differences can be the product of the interactions between housings and our conchas.

We have also insider information that points to this as well as indirect evidence from upper harmonics measurements. Apparently, this OEM driver has been catching dust on the market for quite some time.

LETSHUOER, upon my request, are evasive and dwell on numbers: the Timeless has a 14.2 mm, the S12 a 14.8 mm driver – so they are different. Or one is a variation of the other? Stop, it all depends how (accurately) you measure them (e.g. front, back…).

The question is why nobody wants to admit to it? The answer is easy: to keep peaceful coexistence of companies as one could sue the other for “copycatting”. This could be a huge issue if one company’s model costs $$ and the competitor’s model (with the same driver) costs $$$$. Examples exist but are not widely publicized to protect the lucrative “kilobuck” markets.

So, unless somebody has cracked both models open, the driver question will be shrouded in mystery. At least for you :).

More LETSHUOER S12 Comparisons

We are in for some surprises. The S12 killed my beloved Final E5000 with my Questyle QP1R reference dap in these aspects: staging, transparency, really good transients, and upper extension. I hope I just had a bad morning when testing these two. The Final has a narrower stage lesser upper extension, less clarity…but more bass quantity.

The KBEAR TRI I3 Pro Pro is less cohesive than the S12 with a narrower stage, lesser resolution, and less midrange clarity. The I3 Pro is less balanced. Resolution is much better in the S12, which also has the crisper attack with more pizazz.

The Moondrop KATO offers a narrower stage because of early treble rolloff. It is slimmer in the bass and the upper midrange but still comes across as not less shouty. It also lacks richness in the lower midrange, a full orchestra’s crescendo comes across as somewhat lean in comparison. The S12 excels in resolution. It is much more bass dominated without overbearing midbass. Higher notes in horn sections as not as incisive as in the Kato, which is a bit scratchy in the upper mids in comparison.

The $600 LETSHUOER EJ07M shows better carved out vocals, is less bassy, has a narrower and deeper soundstage, better dynamics, and better resolution. Its presentation is lean(er) but never on the analytical side.

Concluding Remarks

I absolutely love the LETSHUOER S12. It is reasonably priced and I have yet to find a competitor in this price category that sounds as good. I also prefer the LETSHUOER S12 over the Timeless for five main reasons: better fit, tighter bass, deeper stage, better resolution, and a lower price.

LETSHUOER, ey! Never judge a book by its covers.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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All Our 302 Earphone and Earbud Reviews (with Links)

Disclaimer

The LETSHUOER S12 was sent to me unsolicited by the company. The 7Hz Timeless wass on private loan from Super Best Audio Friend Rockwell. A huge thanks to both. At the time of publication, this S12 specimen was on a “West of Centre” Canadian tour to Rockwell and co-blogger Biodegraded. You may find their impressions over at SBAF.

Get the Shuoer S12 from letsshuoer.net

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The post LETSHUOER S12 Review – Compared to 7Hz Timeless appeared first on Audio Reviews.

INTRO

Lately there seems to be more and more flat driver tech infiltrating the in ear headphone market. Flat drivers differ in how they produce sound in comparison to dynamic drivers. Flat diaphragm driver like planars rely on the bending characteristics of the material itself to produce sound waves, whereas in direct opposite the dynamic driver tries to maintain it’s shape through various geometries and materials to stiffen it up so that it can act as a piston and minimize bending waves. These two concepts are transverse (planar bending) and longitudinal waves (dynamic piston).

This year I had considered the PMV PP flat planar but then 7hz exploded onto the scene with the 7Hz Timeless 14.2mm flat planar IEM with much fanfare. I succumbed to the temptation and bought a pair to see if this hype was warranted. By now this is probably the 101^th review of these, so I took my time to get on board. 7Hz Timeless dazzles with it’s resolving sub-bass infused Harman tuning or U signature, with analytic grace.

Disclaimer: I had some Amazon gift cards burning a hole in my pocket so I purchased during the 11.11 weekend sale from Hifigo on Amazon. We buy our own stuff sometimes believe it or not.

GOOD TRAITS

• Generous eartip selection
• Clarity, Resolution
• Above average isolation
• Lightweight

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

• Bass is tuned very low, the transient speed does not match
• Not the prettiest of the bunch
• Channel matching throughout the treble
• Needs more than a smart phone to shine.
• Missing holographic elements

PHYSICAL / PACKAGE

The shape is interesting, the flat round faceplate hides a rather simple shell. The flatness and grooves provide a simple and painless way to insert them into your ears. With rounded shells, I find myself fiddling and losing my grip sometimes.

An unassuming silver twist detachable cable with a simple earhook comes with the 7Hz Timeless. It coils well, and does a good job of avoiding microphonics. They took my favorite qualities except for one, the mmcx connection. Cable snobs will find it boring looking.

The carrying box seems overly large and heavy, looks awesome sitting on my desk and could be used as a defense mechanism in a pinch by chucking at ones head. Surprisingly it doesn’t appear much larger than the Moondrop Kato case and will definitely allow you to know if you forgot to put it into your pocket.

PACKAGE CONTENTS

• Detachable MMCX Silver cable
• Metal carrying case
• 3 sets of S/M/L eartips -Medium Bore, Small Bore, Bowl shaped medium bore with carrying cases

SOUND

Tested with LG G8, Sony NW-A55 and Liquid Spark DAC+JDS Labs Atom

First the very noticeable sub-bass is front and center and the fact it goes so low and is boosted causes some speed issue for me given the rest of the quick and precise nature of the 7hz Timeless. The lift in the bottom end really lets upright bass and bass drums fill your head with extreme lows, but not in the basshead ear tickling ways. Since the slight boost is pushed so low, there is no bass bleed into the lower midrange.

Velvety smooth vocals complement the rise into the upper midrange, there is excellent darkness that allows the midrange to feel the space or environment of the recording. Horns and present flare and sharpness that provides realism, these are not for relaxed listening but instead for enjoying the nuances of the music and deep listening sessions.

Acoustic guitar plucks are rendered with such resolution as to not get lost in the macro details. Snares, cymbals crash through with sharp well defined precision. Sibilance is non-existent unless purposely in the recording, and there is plenty of airiness to make these a lively set.

TECHNICALITIES

Resolution and transparency is outstanding for the 7Hz Timeless. Width and depth are equally balanced and height information comes through as well. It is really hard to find any faults other than they need some power to extract their full potential. On the sensitivity topic, the LG G8 did just ok but I found myself at the higher volume range.

The Sony NW-A55 was a better fit so this is probably one of the bigger shortcomings given IEM’s are normally geared for mobile use. Given their extreme analytic qualities, I find longer listening sessions can be fatiguing because the 7Hz Timeless really demands your attention.

COMPARISONS

Shozy Form 1.4 ($180) vs 7Hz Timeless ($180-$220)

Warmer bass, damped treble, thicker vocals is what stands out when swapping to the Shozy Form 1.4, my go to IEM these days. It offers a more relaxed presentation for nights when I want to wind down. The 7Hz Timeless instead offers a thinner lower midrange with deeper bass registers and more sparkle and more cymbal shimmer. The Timeless invites a more critical listening experience due to the flat soundstage. The Shozy Form 1.4 shell feels more premium, and might add a subliminal cue despite being near the same price bracket.

BQEYZ Spring 2 ($140-170)

Presence region is enhanced on the 7Hz Timeless, just more shimmer and air compared the BQEYZ Spring 2. The Spring 2 sounds warmer with fuller vocals due to the higher frequency bass hump veering towards midbass, it lacks the control of the Timeless as well. The treble enhancement on the 7Hz Timeless gives the appearance of more resolution and clarity but both are solid performers. Transient speed is quicker on the Timeless.

Moondrop Kato ($190)

7Hz Timeless has a flatter soundstage and a U shaped signature vs VSDF signature on the Kato. Bass on the Kato has a 2 channel stereo large tower vibe while the Timeless is rocking a 2 channel system with an audible subwoofer. The Moondrop Kato is more forward and brighter, while the Timeless has an enhanced cymbal linger. Weight is also a factor, both the cable and shell of the Moondrop Kato offer a more premium feel due to the heft factor, but it is also more noticeable compared to the lighter and nimble 7Hz Timeless. The cable on the Kato is approaching lamp cord thickness boundaries. The eartips on Moondrop Kato are superior and have that Alza Xelastec stickiness feel, while the Timeless offers a generous pick of off the shelf tips. Read up on Jurgen Kraus’s detailed review of the Moondrop Kato for more info.

WRAP UP

Given the many glowing reviews for the 7Hz Timeless I have to agree the praise is real for available planer IEM options despite it’s flat sounding 2D staging. Another purchase I whole heartily feel was “worth it” and “nice to have”. For those that enjoy squeezing out extra resolution from the first and last octaves or U shaped signature, put these on your short list.

Finally a planar IEM that we have been waiting and hoping for. In comparison to value, there are better options if non-planar IEM’s are factored in, such as the Moondrop Kato that provides better technical abilities and an overall whole premium package. By the time this is published another planar follows very closely in the footsteps of the 7Hz Timeless, so they did something right.

SPECIFICATIONS

GRAPHS

• Left vs Right
• 7Hz Timeless vs Moondrop Kato
• 7Hz Timeless vs BQEYZ Spring 2

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DISCLAIMER

They can be purchased at various sellers. Mine were purchased specifically from Hifigo on Amazon here.

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About my measurements.

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

The post 7Hz Timeless Review (2) – Planar Power! appeared first on Audio Reviews.

At-a-glance Card

Full Device Card

Test setup

Sources: Apogee Groove / Sony NW-A55 mrWalkman / Questyle QP1R / Ifi HipDac – foam tips – Stock cable cable – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC tracks.

Signature analysis

Technicalities

Physicals

Specifications (declared)

Selected comparisons

Vs Tin P1 ($169,00)

P1’s uber-neutral tonality sounds obviously sterile compared to Timeless, which at first impact come accross more engaging and vivid, especially due to the ostensibly more elevated bass line. That said, P1 are significantly better in terms of resolving power, midbass texturing (quite terrible on Timeless), instrument separation and organic timbre.

Both are quite underwhelming in regards to stage drawing, with Timeless a bit better in terms of width, and P1 easily better in terms of depth (easy win there). Both are tip-capricious, P1 more of the two. P1 require higher amping power.

Vs Ikko OH10 ($199,00)

This comparison seems particularly meaningful to me due to very close pricing, and very similar presentation tuning on the two products, based on totally different technologies: single planar for Timeless vs hybrid DD+BA for OH10.

OH10’s sub bass is more extended, more elevated, while still very clean. OH10’s midbass is waaaay better in terms of resolution and texturing, so much so as to not sound offensive let alone invasive in spite of its even higher elevation. OH10’s mids are more recessed – V shape for OH10, U shape for Timeless – yet male vocals in particular sound roughly on par vis-a-vis Timeless’ (relatively) leaner note body there.

OH10’s high-mids and presence trebles are fuller, sparklier, more organic and most of all way more refined than those coming out of the Timeless. Unlike Timeless’, OH10’s timbre never scants into artificial. In spite of their hybrid driver structure OH10 do not loose points in terms of horizontal coherence vs Timeless – if something it’s actually the other way around, due to Timeless midbass’ lack of refinement facing their often shouty, somewhat artificial timbred trebles.

OH10 are no soundstage size monsters, yet they still draw a bit bigger space than Timeless, definitely deeper, while they excel hands down in terms of imaging and most of all instrument separation. Neither IEM require huge amping power.

Considerations & conclusions

I remember when I was a young IT enthusiast playing with my Apple II, back in the 80ies. I was so in love with technology that I just “assumed” that pretty much everything was going to be automatically “better” for the very sole reason of being processed in such innovative ways.

Sadly – or not even sadly, actually – of course my assumption was wrong. There were very selected tasks for which my Apple II was unbelievably brilliant, while quite a few if not most of the other things I insisted on doing with it would arguably have been much better, easier, and faster done “the traditional way”. Woe to those who dared pointing this out to me though! I would promptly call them ignorant, obscurantists, or both. The more so if they had my mother’s face, of course

Technology is still enthrilling 40-something years later, more and more so indeed, and legions of people (not necessarily youngsters …) fall into the same pithole everyday that I was in back then. There’s a new piece of technology. There’s a couple of really brilliant products / application based on that. Ergo: all products based on such technology will be superior. No, it’s indeed a non sequitur.

I’ve yet to hear a really outstanding planar magnetic IEM below $500 which is worth its money. To clarify, by “worth its money” I mean “producing sensibly better results than similar priced products based on alternative technologies”.

7Hz Timeless IEMs are no exception.

Sure they deliver a vivid and engaging presentation, departing from other too algid same-tech competitors.

Yet, simply put they are technically lacking when compared with similarly priced non-planar alternatives: mid bass lacks texture, timbre has a slight but annoying artificial tint, and trebles are too often shouty and fatiguing. Good intent, lacking realization. Maybe we should long for a future iteration ?

In the meanwhile, it all comes down to the purpose of the game as always. Die-hard technology enthusiasts should give Timeless a spin, no doubt: depending on their tastes, their musical preferences, and their gear they will probably find it better, or even much better than other “inexpensive” planar alternatives. Music lovers looking for they highest quality IEMs in the $200-ish region, instead, should keep referring to our Wall of Excellence.

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The post 7Hz Timeless Review (1) – Nice Try But… appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Gear of the Year: 2021 marks the blog’s third year and the second with 8 contributors. We collectively published almost 200 articles, mainly product reviews, but also technical information. Apart from receiving review units from manufacturers and sellers, we also purchased a lot…and we borrowed from audiophile friends and colleagues.

We are a heterogeneous bunch not pressed into templates by commercialism. Each of us enjoys maximum freedom. None of us gets paid. And it is this variety that makes this blog interesting. Two of us, Baskingshark and Kazi, have been drafted to also write for Headphonesty, which gives them more exposure and also access to very interesting gear.

We are currently experimenting with generic advertisements to recover our operating cost (Paypal does not work at all)…any money raised will go back into the blog. We remain non commercial.

Our main focus has traditionally been on earphones – we have reviewed almost 300 – but particularly DACs and amps also caught our attention this year.

As at the end of the previous years, we list our our personal favourites of 2021 – the portable audio we personally enjoyed most. There are no rules, we just tell you what we like. After all, the gear we use most is our best. And we attached some of this gear to our newly created Wall of Excellence, which averages all our opinions.

Enjoy this read and we wish you a happy and successful 2023!

We thank

Most of our reviews would have not been possible without our 2021 cooperating partners. We thank:

ADV, Allo, Apos Audio, Astell & Kern, AudioQuest, Azla, Blon, BQEYZ, Burson Audio, Campfire Audio, Cayin, CCA, Dekoni, Dunu, ddHiFi, EarMen, Easy Earphones, Fiil, Helm Audio, Hidizs, HifiGo, ifi Audio, IKKO Audio, KBEAR/TRI Audio, Keephifi, Khadas, Knowledge Zenith, Meze, Moondrop, Musicteck, NiceHCK, OneOdio, Penon Official Store, Pergear, Sennheiser, Shanling, Shenzhenaudio, Smabat, Snake Oil Sound, SpinFit, Tempotec, Tin Hifi, TRN Official Store, Unique Melody, Venture Electronics, Whizzer Official Store, Yaotiger Hifi Audio Store. Don’tkillusifweforgotyoujustsendusanotandwefixit. 

For the companies: you can check for your products/yourself in the search field on the right-hand side.

We also thank the private sources that supplied us with loaners.

And here we go…that’s what we enjoyed in 2021…

Alberto Pittaluga…Bologna, ITALY

I’ve come accross quite a few interesting pieces of gear in 2021, mixed / hidden amongst piles of shameful crap. Nothing new, is it ? I’ll try to make a succint list of the most significant stuff I auditioned here. Most of these devices are also now part of my operative audio gear.

IEMS

Dunu ZEN (discountinued, was $ 699,00) : beyond spectacular microdynamics, resolution, layering and technicalities in general. A masterpiece.

iBasso IT07 ($899) : the sole real “direct upgrade” to Ikko OH10 I encountered as of yet. Same presentation, twice the refinement, at more than four times the price.

Oriolus Isabellae ($ 599) : somewhat “more V-shaped” alternative to Zen, delivering very similar technical prowess.

Ikko OH1S ($143) : a potential new join into the our World of Excellence roster as a sub-200$ allrounder

Headphones

Final Sonorous-II  (€ 300) : arguably by far the best neutral-tuned closebacks in their price category, staging and imaging easily compete with many lower tier openback alternatives.

Sennheiser HD600 (€ 310) : not a novelty for anybody but me, I’m sure. Quite simply: I got my first HD600 pair in 2021 and that’s why I’m listing it here. I presume no one needs a description. Do you?

Earbuds

Rose Mojito ($259) : superbly neutral-tuned high end earbuds with strong bilateral extention, beyond spectacular mids and vivid, refined highs in a fully holographic stage, with plenty of resolution and dynamics.

K’s Earphone Bell-LBS (€ 59,25) : mid centric buds delivering superbly organic vocals – both male and female – and very good trebles

K’s Earphone K300 (€ 28,59) : unreal sub-bass extension for an earbud, they deliver a very nice V shaped presentation while drawing an incredibly sizeable 3D stage. Presentation remembers a bit Ikko OH10, but in earbud form.

DAC/AMPs

Ifi Micro iDSD Signature (€ 749) : top sub-$1K mobile dac-amp. Very high quality DAC reconstruction paired with superbly transparent amping stage with power to spare for the most demanding planars and power deflation options to optimise low impedance IEM biasing. Truly a full step ahead of the competitors’ pack.

DAPs

Cowon Plenue 2 MK-I (€ 835) : hopped on this recently when I found a impossible to turndown openbox deal. Starting from my direct experience proving that there’s pretty much no game between proprietary-OS DAPs vs commercial-OS (read Android) DAPs, the former being in by far better position to achieve superior output sound quality, Plenue 2 represents a great companion to my QP1R offering a different / alternative optimal pairing opportunity for a few of my preferred IEM drivers.

DAC/AMP Dongles

This year’s experience proved to me that exclusively higher-tier (and price) dongles are able to deliver sound qualities worth the comparison with battery-equipped alternatives. Simply put: pretty much nothing until an Apogee Groove ($200) is really worth the price difference compared to the super-cheap Apple Dongle ($9), and even on the Groove some caveats apply (power needs, amp stage competibility).  That said, I really had pick one device “in the midfield” I’d pick the :

Questyle M12 ($139,99): while still not worth an inclusion on our Wall of Excellence, yet M12 runs circles around pretty much all similar or lower priced competitors I assessed in terms of extension, note weight, clarity and technicalities.

Biodegraded…Vancouver, CANADA

Doesn’t have anything to report this year.

Durwood…Chicago, USA

Shozy Form 1.4 has still been my go to earphone due to it’s warm inviting nature, great technical abilities and it feels great in my ears.

7Hz Timeless is another good buy late in the year for me, it’s a little more sub-bass plus analytical counterpart to the Shozy that has nudged the BQEYZ Spring 2 out of the way. A more detailed review is coming.

I rediscovered the Senfer UES for a quick throw around set, was hoping the Senfer DT9 was a slight improvement, but alas the Senfer UES sticks around instead. Sony MH755 is also perfect for quick on the go usage where I don’t need the universal fit in-ears.

Tempotec impressed me enough to consider the Sonata E35 for when good phone DAP’s are finally dead. Other than that, dongles are not my thing, and I have issues with some of Sony’s GUI decisions on the NW-A55 mainly related to playlist creation and long text support.

Lastly, the Questyle CMA Twelve would be an awesome DAC/amp combo to have, but my needs are more mobile. Perhaps when life slows down, but there are other bucket list items such as the Burson Playmate 2, RebelAmp, the Ruebert Neve RNHP, or RME ADI-2 that look interesting as well. Maybe someone will loan me one in 2022?

Jürgen Kraus…Calgary, CANADA

Earphones have traditionally been our main trade and there’s not many that stuck with me this year. First and foremost, I was impressed by the immersive and engaging sound of the single DD Dunu Zen that further excel in microdynamics. They are still very popular within our team.

Moondrop finally got it right with their tuning in the smooth and very pleasant sounding Moondrop KATO single dynamic driver. This model is generally well received. The JVC HA-FDX1 are still my standard iems for equipment testing, and an honourable mention goes to the Unique Melody 3DT for the clean implementation of 3 (!) dynamic drivers.

Another iem that fascinated me is the Japanese Final E5000. On the market since 2018, and very source demanding, this iem can produce a bass texture beyond belief. I have become a bit of a Final fanboy, as their products are unpretentious and natural sounding…and they fit my ears very well. I also purchased the Final E1000, E3000, and A3000…which get a lot of usage. No surprise that our Wall of Excellence is decorated like a Christmas tree by quite a few of these Japanese earphones and headphones.

Expanding my horizon into other devices, the Sony NW-A55 is a user-friendly digital audio player with great sonic characteristics and signature-altering 3rd party firmware options. But, most of all, it updates its music library within a minute or two. For the ultimate portable enjoyment, I discovered the Questyle QP1R dap...sounds simply amazing with the Final E5000. Found the dap on Canuck Audio Mart.

Dongles, battery-less headphone DAC/amps that turn any cheap phone into a decent music player, were big in 2021. Around since 2016, the market caught on to these devices. But out of the mass of dongles tested, the 2019 AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt was the most musical to my ears. I also like the AudioQuest DragonFly Red and the EarMen Eagle (replacing the EarMen Sparrow which I sent to Biodegraded). For earphone testing (and bigger cans), I still use the excellent Earstudio HUD100.

For my full-sized headphone needs with my notebook, I discovered the powerful Apogee Groove, a current-hungry dongle DAC/amp that has been around since 2015. I am even portable around the house. As to headphones themselves, I am still happy with the Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 25, but also with the Koss Porta Pro.

For my desktop setup, I identified the EarMen Tradutto as being a fantastic DAC in combination with the Burson Funk amp. Currently testing the Tradutto with my big stereo system.

In summary, I learnt a lot in 2021…

My Take Home this Year

• The latest is barely the greatest…many old brooms get better into the corners
• Influencers are not always right (…to say it nicely)
• Measurements are overrated
• Timbre (degree of naturalness of sound) is underrated
• Source is super important and also underrated
• Group pressure through hype may become a sobering experience
• That groomed YouTube stuff is boring

Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir…Munich, GERMANY

This year was very educational for me when it came to audiophilia. I got the chance to try out truly summit-fi setups and realized how good a system can sound. This also resulted in a sense of yearning where you keep comparing the gears you own with the ones you cannot own, at least not yet. Nonetheless, without further ado.

Headphones: The one headphone that has stuck with me throughout the year is the Hifiman Susvara. They won’t flatter anyone with the build quality but when paired with the right amp they sound astonishing. One of the most natural sounding headphones out there with exceptional timbre. A must listen.

Honorable mention goes to the Final D8000. Supreme bass that’s pretty much unmatched. On the budget side, I really liked the Final Sonorous-III. They are underrated and under-appreciated.

IEMs: When it comes to in-ear monitors, I have a hard time picking any single one of them as all of them fall short in one area or another. Nonetheless, the one IEM I’ve used the most throughout the year is the Dunu Zen. There is something truly addicting about their sound that makes me come back to them time and again.

However, the Zen is not the best IEM that I have heard throughout the year. That would probably be the Sony IER-Z1R or the 64Audio U12t. In the relatively budget realm, the 7Hz Timeless took me by surprise with their planar speed and excellent bass slam.

Source: Instead of going with separate sections for amps, DACs and such, I will just consolidate them into one.

Best desktop amp I’ve tried: Accuphase E380. One of those rare speaker amps that sound great with headphones.

Best portable amp I’ve tried: Cayin C9. It is the only review loaner in the past year that I have wanted to buy with my own money. I probably will, soon, budget permitting.

Best DAP: Lotoo PAW 6000, even though it can’t power difficult loads.

Best dongle: L&P W2. The only dongle that I found to be good enough to replace some DAPs.

Best DAC: Holo May L2. The price is extremely high but so is the sound quality. Exceptionally natural and neutral tuning. Another must listen.

And that’s a wrap. Have a great Christmas, and see you on the other side!

KopiOkaya…SINGAPORE

Too many lists…I focus on eartips…

Best EARTIPS of 2021

Most versatile eartips: SpinFit CP-100+
Best budget eartips: Audiosense S400
Best eartips for bass: FAudio “Instrument” Premium Silicone Earphone Tips
Best eartips for vocal: Azla SednaEarFit Crystal (Standard)
Best eartips for treble: BGVP S01
Best eartips for soundstage: Whizzer Easytips SS20
Most comfortable eartips: EarrBond New Hybrid Design

Loomis Johnson…Chicago, USA

Gear of the Year (and other Favorite Things)

SMSL SU-9 DAC/Preamp—one of those pieces that makes you seriously question why anyone would spend more. A seriously good DAC which is even better as digital preamp.

Hidisz S3 Pro DAC/Dongle—lacks the juice to power challenging loads, but has an uncanny knack for enlivening and improving more efficient phones. Very refined, with impeccable bass control.

Cambridge Melomania TWS—ancient by TWS standards, and its rivals have more features and tech, but this may still be the best-sounding TWS you can buy.

Shozy Rouge IEM—like a really hot girl you get smitten by the beauty before you even delve into the substance. Properly driven, however, these sound just as good as they look, with estimable staging and clarity.

The Beatles, “Get Back” Documentary—as probably the only person on earth who hasn’t seen Lord of the Rings I was gobsmacked by how brilliant this film looked and sounded. The real surprise for me, however, was how natural  a musician John was—unburdened by technique, but soulful and  exploratory.  Poor George invokes your pity—a good writer forced to compete with two great ones– while Ringo wins the award for Best Attitude.

Bob Dylan, “Desolation Row”—I always found the lyrics impenetrable and a bit sophomoric, but the Spanish-influenced lead guitar part is incredible, with scarcely a phrase repeated throughout the full 11 minutes. I’d always assumed it was Mike Bloomfield, but it’s actually the harmonica virtuoso Charlie McCoy, who also plays the trumpet part of “Rainy Day Women”.

Reds, Pinks and Purples, “Uncommon Weather” In hope of finding something genuinely fresh I dutifully listened to the most-touted 2021 releases before fixating on this one, which (predictably) sounds exactly like 80s Flying Nun and Sarah bands.

And This Was The Previous Year:

The post Gear Of The Year 2021 – Our Personal Favourites appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Fit a bit too tight on large heads; narrow soundstage with no depth; not the best for recreational/audiophile listening; pricey.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The V-Moda M-200 is a stylish, sturdy, closed-back over-ear headphone characterized by its quasi-neutral sound signature with an unusually narrow soundstage and a rather forward midrange. While this works well for for DJs, the limited soundstage takes away from audiophile and fun listening.

INTRODUCTION

V-Moda is a company out of Los Angeles that has produced stylish headphones and earphones since 2004. Their design team is located in Milan, Italy, and their engineering team in Japan. V-Moda’s signature design is the hexagonal earcups. The company has been known for their love of detail and their quality haptic – and the V-Moda M-200 are no exception. I purchased my first V-Moda in 2008: it was the “Vibe”, an earphone that we would now refer to as “bass bomb”. V-Moda were early in the game for mid-price earphones, a kind that shot of the ground with the advent of iPhone and an increased popularity of ipods. V-Moda continued their bassy signature with the Crossfade M-100 headphone. The V-Moda M-200 may look similar to the M-100, but they have a much flatter, that is a more realistic, less coloured sonic signature.

SPECIFICATIONS

Type: over-ear circumaural
Driver size: 50 mm
Frequency response: 5 – 40,000 Hz
Speaker Sensitivity: 101.5 dB @ 1 kHz 1 mW
Maximum Input Power: 1,000 mW @1 kHz
Impedance: 30 Ω
Weight w/o cable: 290 g
Cable length: balanced 120 cm (47″); SpeakEasy 132 cm (52″)
Other: replaceable earpads; customizable aluminum shields
Tested at: $350
Warranty: 2 years
Purchase Link: https://www.v-moda.com/us/en/products/m-200

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

Photos in support of the V-Moda M-200’s physical description are appended to the end of this review.

In the box are M-200, carrying case, carabiner, black single-ended balanced cable (with 3.5 mm connector), orange one-button “SpeakEasy” cable with microphone, 1/4″ adapter, and the usual paperwork.

The V-Moda M-200 are full-sized closed-back headphones that are nevertheless highly portable due to their nifty and sturdy folding mechanism. That carrying case is highly space efficient. And it can be attached to a bag with the included carabiner. Despite being full size, the V-Moda V-200 appears very compact. We don’t have to talk much about the design as this is up to personal taste: I find it very appealing and timelessly fashionable without being overdone. Subtle and classy.

The whole headphone is of bulletproof build quality and durability. The metal frame is as sturdy as it gets and the hinges and cables are extremely rugged. The folding mechanism is spring loaded and you hear a precise clicking when folding the V-Moda M-200 up. The cups are of aluminum on the outside with PU leather coated memory foam pads on the inside – the latter are easily detachable just by pulling very lightly on them – handy. They are held in place by magnets only. The aluminium faceplates can be customized upon special order. The metal headband is PU leather coated. Overall, the V-Moda M-200 have a great haptic and lots of detail in their build and mechanical functionality.

Both included cables are textile coated, very strong, and they have a 45 degree angled 3.5 mm connector which minimizes the strain on both the jack and the cable. They can be attached to either side (the respective empty hole is filled with a plastic plug). The black cable is single sided balanced with a 3.5 mm plug, a standard that is not common (4.4 mm and 2.5 mm are), so “balanced” mainly remains an unfulfilled wish with this cable (unless you use an ifi Audio SE balanced output, for example). The black cable does not work with my Schiit Fulla, Earmen Sparrow, or Earstudio HUD 100.

The orange “Speakeasy” one-button cable with microphone is aramid-fiber re-inforced and can be used for phone calls or video calls. I did a sound quality test – see video below: even under optimal conditions, the microphone’s sound quality is the poorest I have ever experienced. Test it yourself. Now take that video test and run it though an actual phone line… not sure whether anybody would understand you on the other end.

Both cables are excellent in terms of noise transfer: microphonics is minimal.

Fit and comfort may vary with size of head and ears. First, the clamp pressure is really high for my large teutonic head, which can get uncomfortable and sweaty over longer listening periods. The cups are also not the largest and people with large ears may also run into issues. They have a good firmness and coziness but could be a bit deeper. Wearing glasses with the V-Moda M-200 on is difficult because of the snug fit. On the upside, the V-Moda M-200 fit tightly, firmly, and securely around my head, which is great when moving around. Isolation is middle of the road.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

Follow these links for some background information:

My tonal preference and testing practice

My test tracks explained

Equipment used: MacBook Air with ifi Audio nano BL and EarMen Sparrow. iPhone SE (1st generation).

It comes as a pleasant surprise that the V-Moda M-200 experienced a rather flat tuning with a close to neutral (and marginally warm) sound signature – in contrast to the “Basshead” Crossfade M100. With an early roll-off on either end and a narrow soundstage, the music plays in the middle of the frequency spectrum and spills right in your face, pardon ears. This also results in a rather slim overall body. The lower end is only soso extended and remains subtle throughout my playlist. It is swept under the rug by the midrange however it is reasonably tight and has a decent punch. There should just be a bit more of it.

The vocals department in the lower midrange is forward – quite forward – right into your ears, sometimes being too much. Vocals are overly intimate and lack richness and the energy of overtones – and therefore sparkle. Voices are squeezed by the narrow stage and can appear nasal. High piano notes in the upper midrange sound muffled. Midrange transparency, clarity, and resolution are poor. The midrange is totally unbalanced.

Due to the early treble roll-off, cymbals are overly subtle and in the background. It appears that the overall frequency response is a gentle inverse U.

As mentioned before, soundstage is extremely narrow, which is a real problem for audiophile or recreational listeners but this should not matter that much for DJs. Depth is quite shallow. The musicians on stage can be a bit crowded and appear to sit along one line. The narrow stage does nothing for separation and layering.

V-Moda M-200 COMPARED

The closed-back over-ear Beyerdynamic Custom Pro (€122) are similarly rugged but much bulkier headphones. They also feature a metal frame but cannot be folded. The earcups are larger and deeper so that the fit is much more relaxed. Sound wise, everything is more back in the Beyerdynamic which results in a bigger soundstage. The listener gets a better overview of the whole stage. The Beyerdynamic sound a bit darker as their bass is not rolled off that much. The V-Moda M-200 have a lower impedance and can be driven with a phone, the Beyerdynamic cannot…at least not well.

The closed-back over-ear AKG-K550 ($200) have a similar quality build as the V-Moda but much larger and deeper round earcups, so large that it is difficult to get seal even with the biggest ears. The AKGs have a warmer, wider sound but also quite a bit more treble than the V-Moda M-200.

The open-back over-ear Sennheiser HD 600 (€399) are also bigger and bulkier with larger cups – but they are a plastic construction. Unlike the V-Moda and the Beyerdynamic, the cable is connected to both earcups. Note that the the Sennheiser HD 600 are hard to drive at 300 Ω…compared to the V-Moda’s 30 Ω. The Sennheiser’s sound is smoother, warmer, more relaxed, and less forward, although it is also rather midcentric. It also has way more body…when A/Bing, the V-Moda sound comparatively nasal whereas the Sennheiser sound veiled. The Senns are much better suited for recreational listening.

The closed-back on-ear Sennheiser HD 25 (€149) are another cheap appearing plastic construction that has proven to be rugged nevertheless – and they have therefore been DJ favourites for some 30 years. They share a high clamp pressure with the V-Moda and can get hot after some time – at least on my big head. The HD 25 sound much bassier (superb bass extension) and warmer, and therefore darker than the V-Moda M-200, but also way more homogenous and balanced. And they have a much better spatial cues than the V-Moda M-200. Again, at 70 Ω, the Senns need amplification whereas the V-Moda work with a phone, too.

The closed-back on-ear British KEF M500 (£250) rival the V-Moda in appeal with their stylish Porsche design. They are bassier (borderline boomy) and have a fuller body than the V-Moda M-200, are slightly veiled, and they lack in resolution.

Note: none of these comparison models comes with a balanced cable.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The V-Moda M-200 are rugged, well-built, stylish headphones that incorporate quality materials and much love to detail. They sit firmly on the head, are relatively small, and they have a neutralish tuning. All this makes them very useful for DJ-ing. Where they fall short at is staging: the image is right into one’s face, pardon ears, everything is intimate and close, which makes the V-Moda V-200 not the best choice for listeners sitting in their armchairs at home. Cool factor: yes! Analytical listening: maybe! But symphony: no!

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

This loaner unit of the V-Moda M-200 was provided for three weeks from V-Moda as part of their Head-Fi review program I thank them particularly for having included ready return shipping labels.

Get it from V-Moda

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

FIGURES

The post V-Moda M-200 Headphone Review – DJ Culture appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Retro shape and squeaky green colour not for everyone; cable and eartips a write-off.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Blon BL-05s earphone is a well tuned single-dynamic-driver budget earphone that excels in its coherent and organic sound. Its speedy 10 mm dynamic driver handles the most complex music well. Simply a great allrounder that will be a general crowdpleaser and provide listening pleasure independent of price. It is a true upgrade from the popular Blon BL-03 and the best Blon to date.

INTRODUCTION

Yes, my night table is full of Blon BL-05 iterations. The original came with a piezo and was so shrill that it never made it beyond the testers’ ears. The first regular BL-05 also did not make my cut but the beta of the current Blon BL-05s eventually attracted my ears’ interest. Finally, the current BL-05s Mk3 war released (MK1 was the Blon BL-03 and MK2 was the Blon BL-05) – and it is an improved version of the beta in that the upper midrange has been corrected downwards. No screamer – we are relieved. You can read up on the history concealed in my night table in the note by co-blogger KopiOkaya. For me, the Blon BL-05s is one of these timeless, priceless earphones that I like using, despite its budget design and performance.

SPECIFICATIONS

Driver: 3rd generation 10 mm carbon diaphragm dynamic driver
Impedance: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 108 dB/mW
Frequency Range: 20 – 20,000 Hz
Cable/Connector: 2pin 0.78 mm
Tested at: $40
Purchase Link: Wooeasy Earphones Store

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

Huh…unboxing! My favourite chapter…not! Not much to be said about the Blon BL-05s: earpieces, eartips, cable, baggie, and paperwork. Yawn. The cable works fine, technically, but it is an insult to the eye and fingers – and it does not live up to the well-made metal earpieces…which come in a single colour: a loud green known from inside public swimming pools. For the case you dropped them in one, there is no chance in hell to ever find them again. According to the company’s propaganda, the shells are made of a zinc-alloy and the golden stuff you see is actually 24K gold.

You may find shape and colour awful, HOWEVER, the shells are ergonomically excellent: they fit me well and were therefore comfortable over longer periods…and I find them easily in my dark backpack. I am ashamed to admit it: I like the colour. Isolation is not that great for my ears, though.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

Follow these links for some background information:

My tonal preference and testing practice

My test tracks explained

EQUIPMENT USED: iPhone SE (1st generation) and MacBook Air with EarMen Sparrow dac/amp; stock/pure copper/silver-plated balanced cable (none worth more than $12)…Azla SednaEarfit long-stemmed wide bore silicone tips…as the included tips were too small for my ears.

First, a word on assessing single-dynamic drivers. It is obvious that single DDs sacrifice detail resolution for organic timbre, sonic cohesion, and low harmonic distortion. Multi-hybrids hosting a group of drivers are bigger and heavier in comparison, and they offer better technicalities. Single DDs are typically smaller and more comfortable. Depending on how you look at it/what criteria are subjectively applied, some prefer one and some the other. On average, I see single DDs rated lower than multis. I am more an organic timbre/cohesion guy as I look more at the overall appeal to my ears than the nitty-gritty details.

OK, the graph is nothing to write home about. But it is not always about the graphs as they give you information on quantity but not on quality of sound. This Blon BL-05s has a moderate sounding upper midrange: no shoutiness. It has a speedy driver and it offers a very coherent, organic, smooth yet lively and very appealing overall sound. And that could be it in terms of sound description. Now take the comfortable fit, forget about the colour, and run to the next online store…ok, one step back: why is it appealing despite its technical mediocrity?

The low-end perception may be strongly influenced by the eartips used. With the Azla SednaEarfit the low end very well extended, very tastefully dosed, well controlled, and not boomy or rubbery. It is fast but not the most layered low end…however the speed holds up well down to the lowest octaves. The punch from below is pleasant and very appealing to my ears.

The vocals/low midrange are a bit recessed – surprise, surprise – but the voices are relatively full and rich – and realistic – because of a well behaved upper midrange and the good driver quality – without being congested or muffled. A great treat after so many agressive Chi-Fi midranges tested.

Moving up, cymbals come across as realistic. Nothing splashy up there, everything well behaved with a mild sheen.  Decay of the high notes is as natural as expected – and they resolve well. The treble adds that decent sparkle to the mix.

Soundstage is expansive, wider than deep – and tall. Tall soundstages with much headroom in budget earphones are rare. Resolution, layering, and separation between voices and instruments are actually quite good and probably not any worse than in some $150-200 single DDs. Note definition is sharp across the board and there is no significant smudging. The Blon BL-05s are one of these earphones where no particular detail is fantastic but they all combined yield an enduring, pleasant listening experience independent of price.

Soundstage and headroom open substantially up in all directions when driving the Blon BL-05s with the $199 Earmen Sparrow dac/amp’s balanced output (and that lone $10 balanced cable I own). It is truly amazing what open soundscapes this combination produces. One could say the Blon BL-05s react well to amping.

Timbre is organic as we have known from the original Blon BL-03, but packaged in a more compact, cohesive sound. This cohesion, together with the fit, makes this earphone attractive to me.

WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY?

I would offer the Blon BL-05s in a variety of colours. This squeaky green is not to everybody’s gusto. I would also include better cable and eartips, even if this upped the price by $5 to $10.

BlON BL-05S COMPARED

You find reviews of all of these single-dynamic-driver iems mentioned below here.

The $109 Moondrop Starfield has a less homogenous sound, particularly the transition from the warm low end and the neutral lower midrange could be smoother…and the treble rolls off a bit early towards the top. The Blon BL-05s is sparklier in the treble and has better bass control and imaging. The $79 KBEAR Diamond is similarly homogenous sounding as the Blon BL-05s, but the midrange is more recessed, which was actually a main point of criticism. The $79 Tin Hifi T4 has a thinner, aggressive midrange and does not offer the BL-05s’ cohesion…and the $60 Tin Hifi T2 Plus lacks the Blon Bl-05s’s dynamics and punch but may be a better choice for the realistic reproduction of classical music (punch may be enjoyable but is not necessarily realistic). The $40 Moondrop SSR is much brighter and more neutral sounding than the Blon BL-05s, which offers great transparency enjoyable at low to medium volumes but it can be painful when played loud; its brightness has been the subject of controversy in forums.

The older sibling Blon BL-03 ($40) graphs very similarly as the Blon BL-05s, but is has a looser bass. While it beats the Blon BL-05s optically, its shorter nozzles generate a fit problematic for many. The BL-05s’ upper-mids are not as smooth sounding as the BL-03’s, but they make up for it with crisper and more agile treble. Finally, although the graphs between the original Blon BL-05 and the Blon BL-05s may not be monumentally different, they are so in a sensitive part of the range: from the midrange trough of the original Blon BL-05 (600 Hz) to the ~2k peak is about 12dB, whereas on the Blon BL-05s it is about 9dB. These differences are therefore perceived as significant. Of all the three Blon models, the BL-05s has the best bass control and the best imaging.

It is interesting to note that the sonic differences between the Blon models are significant although they graph very similarly. Note that all three Blons have different drivers and the Blon BL-05s’ is the fastest. This shows that quantity (graphs) and quality (sound; drivers) are generally not directly correlated.

In summary, I pick the Blon BL-05s out of all of the above single DD models.

I HAVE THE ORIGINAL BLON BL-03…SHOULD I?

Yes, the Blon BL-05s are smoother all around, they have a better driver, and they fit better. Be prudent and pull the trigger when the price is right. But should you, if you already have the Blon BL-05? Quite frankly, I don’t know as I pretty much avoided the BL-05. Just ask the guys in our Facebook Discussion Group: thttps://www.facebook.com/groups/audioreviews/

UPDATE: I did a quick comparison between the Blon BL-05 and Blon BL-05s: they sound completely different owing to their different drivers. In comparison, the original BL-05 sound slow and plump and the BL-05s sound swift and relaxed. Same housings, similar graphs but different sound. To me, the original Blon BL-05 are a redundant model that should have never been released.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Blon BL-05s is an agreeable, compact, coherent sounding earphone that has provided me with much pleasure so far. It is cheap, green, and many may find it ugly – others may find it refreshingly different. It fits well, and I feel myself reaching for it over and over again. As I tend to say “the best earphone is the one you use”, and I use this one a lot. The only downside is that the cable and eartips are underwhelming and grabbing a $10 8-core pure copper/silver-plated copper cable adds to the price. Is it worth the upgrade? Yes it is darn well. After some teething with the original BL-05, the BL-05s is a worthy successor to the BL-03 in terms of both sound and ergonomics.

The Blon BL-05s go on my [unpublished] Best-Of-2020 list. They join the only other one on there so far, the $199 Shozy Form 1.4.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

The review unit as well as another four pairs of betas as well as the BL-05 were provided unsolicited by Wooeasy Earphones Store. Larry Fulton and I had been involved in the tuning. We did not receive any compensation for our input and – as always – do not receive any revenue through the purchase links.

Get the Blon BL-05s from Wooeasy Earphones Store!

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

The post Blon BL-05s Review (1) – New Gold Dream appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — A bit polite; fixed cable.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Cozoy Hera C103 is a modern old-school single dynamic driver earphone of warm tonality that impresses by its natural reproduction and outstanding tonal coherency.

INTRODUCTION

I am a big fan of single dynamic-driver earphones – mainly because I am a man of timbre. Accuracy of sound reproduction is of utmost importance to me – way ahead of resolution and other technicalities. As a rule of thumb, single DDs don’t resolve as well as BAs or multidrivers, but they sound more organic and coherent – and they have a much lower harmonic distortion, which means you can play them loud. Single DDs are also typically small and therefore very comfortable. My favourite single DDs “if all time” are the fabulous $250 JVC HA-FDX1 [my review], which have rather large and heavy metal housings – and they are actually not the most comfortable ones.

When I recently saw the beautifully crafted Cozoy Hera C103, I expected an interesting tonal signature – thanks to Cozoy for giving me the opportunity to test them.

Cozoy is a relatively young company out of Hong Kong, extablished in 2014. The company has designed a good handful of products and appears to focus on high-quality products in the mid-price sector. All but one are dacs/decoders with the Hera C103 being their only earphone model. The company’s signature is sleek technical and optical designs with high-quality metal finishes. I am introducing my test results of the the Hera C103 in the following (and the Cozoy Takt-C dongle dac/amp in the near future).

SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver Type: 9.2mm diameter dynamic driver with composite diaphragm
• Sensitivity: 103 ± 3dB @ 1 kHz 0.126v
• Frequency response: 10 Hz to 20 kHz
• Impedance: 32 Ω ± 15%
• Rated Power: 2 mW
• Cord: L=1.2m
• Plug: 3.5mm gold-plated
• Company page: http://www.cozoyaudio.com/
• Product page: http://www.cozoyaudio.com/hera
• Tested at $160
• Purchase link: http://www.cozoyaudio.com/store/hera

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

The Hera C103 come in a snazzy pleather case reminiscent of my late mum’s bedside jewellery box – just smaller. Nice, different, good quality, but not the lightest and most portable case. The Kevlar-coated cable is not braided, it has a round cross section – and it is fixed to the small earpieces of polished metal – and so are the chin slider and the 3.5 mm connector – all of very high quality. Haptic is great, the earphone looks and feels luxurious and noble. While people have become picky with cables, frequently as jewelry-type accessory, this kevlar-shielded cable is relatively tangle free, very pliable and more than just fine for my idea of aesthetics and functionality. Included are also 3 pairs of silicone tips (S/M/L and one pair of foam tips. The largest included tips worked well for me. Fit and comfort are great owing to the approximate barrel shape and a reasonable lightweight. Isolation depends on insertion depth/tip size selected, but is good for me. The Hera 103C are rated at a standard 32 Ω with a sensitivity of above 100 dB, which means they can be driven well with any standard phone (but they need a bit of juice). I used my iPhone SE (2016) with the earphone jack, the Apple Audio Adapter, and the AudioQuest Dragonfly Black v.15.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

My tonal preference and testing practice

The sound of the Cozoy Hera C103 is characterized by a slight warmth from the bottom up, well sculptured, warm mids, and an organic timbre.

The low end fuels the image with cozoy temperature (forgive the pun). Bass is well extended into the sub-bass, attack and decay are not the hardest, fastest or tightest but they are very natural…there is no mid-bass hump that adds artificial punch and tortures the eardrums. The low-end is nevertheless definitely NOT wooly. A very pleasant, natural bottom end.

Midrange is warm and reasonably intimate. While a tad relaxed, male and female vocals are nicely sculptured and dense, which can occasionally result in minor congestions. There is basically no sharpness as the upper midrange is not peaky. Very enjoyable.

Treble is not the most extended as seen in many recent single DDs – which also means that there is no fake resolution and sparkle added. The lower-treble peak at 6 kHz adds a bit of energy to the midrange, particular to the voices in the lower midrange.

Soundstage is rather wide for a DD, and more wide than deep, with a good height. Spatial cues and three-dimensionally are good for a single DD imo. Resolution is particularly good at the low end and, as said, it can get a bit crowded in the mids. Like most other single DDs, the Hera C103 cannot compete with its technicalities with similarly priced multidrivers (which, on the other hand typically lack timbre).

Impact and attack/decay of the Cozoy Hera C103 are more on the soft side. Great for naturally generated sounds, but a bit polite for hard & heavy rock music. Here, a tad more kick would sometimes be desired. But since the Cozoy has very little harmonic distortion (much less than comparable multi drivers) you can crank the volume up without regret — which somewhat compensates for the rounded-off sonic edge.

WHY WOULD I WANT THE HERA C103 (AND WHY NOT)?

I could not think of anything much better for classical music than a polite single DD. Apart from the timbre, the interplay of low end and midrange yields a wonderful natural sensation of string instruments. Take J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites or Fritz Kreisler’s “Liebesleid”: absolutely marvellous. Vocals are also nicely crafted and realistic. That’s where the money is in the Cozoy Hera C103. Since single DDs compromise resolution for timbre and coherency, the Hera, like so many single DDs, is only better average for electronic music.

A word on the fixed cable: it is just fine. 3 years ago, nobody would have complained about the lack of connectors. Sennheiser, Focal, B&W, and other brands also still rely on fixed cables, even in higher price categories. Fixed cables have one advantage: one contact point less, which means one less sound bottleneck. We really don’t want an MMCX connector.

COZOY HERA C103 COMPARED

The $109 Moondrop Starfield [review] has a tighter bass and a more neutral and thinner midrange — and a narrower soundstage. The $79 KBEAR Diamond [review] has a stronger bass than the other two, and the midrange is more recessed than in the Cozoy Hera C103. All three share a modest treble extension. The Hera also has a wider soundstage and a better midrange resolution justifying its $160 price tag. The recently discontinued Cambridge Audio SE1 [review] has a similar timbre and imaging, but everything is a bit thinner and leaner. This accounts particularly for the midrange which is much pointier and leaner in the SE1. One of my recent favourites, the 4+1 Cozoy Form 1.4 cannot point in terms of timbre against the Hera C103, but has a better resolution, more punch, and a bigger “headroom”. It is a philosophical question what kind to prefer.

The $250 JVC HA-FDX1 single DD [review] are bulkier, heavier, but they have a detachable cable. The JVCs have more attack and bite from their tighter bottom end and sharper, pointier vocals because of their slightly boosted upper midrange, which makes voices less intimate and a bit more recessed. This also stretches the soundstage a bit in comparison. The JVCs also have a better midrange separation. The Cozoy Hera C103 play generally softer and warmer without being dark and they don’t run danger of becoming shouty, which the JVCs sometimes do.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Cozoy Hera C103 is an undiscovered and therefore underrated single old-school DD marvel that will particularly appeal to lovers of naturally generated sounds. No hype required for this one – it is more like slow food for purists, for people who enjoy music rather than gear. The Hera C103 is one of these iems that is here to stay in one’s collection – and ears. It is timeless quality in terms of both, sound and build.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

The Cozoy Hera C103 was provided by Cozoy upon my request and I thank them for that.

Get the Cozoy Hera C103 from Cozoy

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

The post Cozoy Hera C103 Review – Little Luxury appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Supercrush, SODO Pop—hard edged, jangly guitar band sounds exactly like classic Teenage Fanclub, albeit without the Scottish accents. Which, since Teenange Fanclub hasn’t sounded like itself for years, is a good thing. (“I Cant Stop Loving You”; “Get It Right”).

Young Jesus, s/t—haunting postpunk from LA variously evokes Talk Talk and shoegaze, while  the principal croons uncannily like Jeff Buckley. The long, meandering songs and poetic, stream-of-conscious lyrics are oddly hypnotic, though they keep you off guard with some jagged metal passages. This is a real find.

Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher—this sort of femme altfolk definitely ain’t my genre, and she’s neither musical nor big-voiced enough to grab me. She is, however, a brilliant lyricist—sardonic, fearless and funny—and this is worth the megahype if only for “Moon Song” (“we hate Tears in Heaven/but it’s sad his baby died”).

Holy Wave, Interloper—spacey neopsychedelics mine the same Spacemen 3-meets-Krautrock vein as peers like Wooden Shjps, but are hookier and more tuneful, with well-crafted songs, understated vox and a keen sense of dynamics.

Orange Humble Band, Assorted Creams—something of an underground supergroup founded by Aussie Daryl Mather, who enlisted powerpop luminaries like Ken Stringfellow and Mitch Easter to sing his unfailingly catchy tunes. Strangely soulful in spots, though there’s an Americana, countryish vibe to much of this, while songs like “Fanclub Requiem” and “Little Picture Story Book” have the feel of classics. Impecable production.

Eleventh Dream Day, Beet—long running Chicago altrockers in the vein of Yo La Tengo or the Feelies have been making good-to-excellent records since the late 80s, of which this is probably the earthiest. Rick Rizzo is a good shredder and a serviceable frontman, but it’s his ex-wife/drummer who writes and sings the best stuff here, like “There’s This Thing” and “Rose of Jericho”. 

John Prine, “Pink Cadillac” the venerable folk songwriter wasn’t known as a hard rocker or an interpretative singer (or, for that matter, as much of a singer) but here he covers classic rockabilly stompers like “Ubangi Stomp” and “Baby Let’s Play House” along with a handful of originals like “Saigon,” which sound just as authentic. Surprisingly raw and raucous; his Covid death this year is particularly irksome.

Palace Brothers, “There is no One What Will Take Care of You”—in the wrong hands this kind of rootsy, intentionally primitive alt-country can sound pandering, and I haven’t really connected with the rest of Will Oldham’s lengthy oeuvre. This debut, however, is something of a lo-fi masterpiece, with his cracked warble somehow meshing perfectly with melodies so primal you wonder why you’ve never heard ‘em before. (“Long Before”).

Flaming Lips, “American Head”— I’ve always admired their ambition, but found most of their records since 1993’s “Transmissions from the Satellite Heart” to be generally forgettable. This latest retains the usual ork-pop template but, however, is surprisingly songful with wistful (and deeply disturbing) autobiographical tunes and real hooks (“Assassins of Youth”, “My Religion is You”).

Population II—“A La O Terre”—young French Canuck trio play a jammy, spacey sort of prog in the manner of Dungen, although I also hear a lot of exploratory, avant/ jazzy 60’s influences like Soft Machine and Can. They can play their instruments, but are more about atmosphere and feel than virtuosity, with enough heavy/noisy passages to awaken your inner metalhead.  I’ve had this on repeat for a week now.

Smashing Pumpkins, “Siamese Dream”—I have real issues with Billy Corgan’s mewling, hyper-emotive voice. Fortunately for him, this is a guitar record. Sonics/songwriting are beyond reproach. (“Rocket;” “Cherub Rock”).

Smashing Pumpkins, “Cyr”—the virtual antithesis of the aforesaid, there’s barely a guitar to be heard on this synth-laden New Wave horror.  A real singer might have mitigated some of the damage, but I’m not that convinced the songs are there, either. Lousy album cover.

Strum and Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987—an unexpected gift for music geeks—28 tunes from the innumerable Rickenbacker-toting bands who emerged in the wake of REM. A few of these (Windbreakers, Absolute Grey) got some critical love (if not record sales) back in the day; others like The Darrows and Vandykes are wholly unknown even to obsessives like me, but are no less worthy. Much like 80’s Sarah and Flying Nun, there’s a shared ethos to these bands—melodic, pastoral and hooky as hell—and this is a nice counterpart to the glossy New Wave and heavy punk of its era.

The Gun Club, “Miami”—I’d previously underrated this psychobilly/cowpunk outfit,  who were  indifferently recorded and lacked the musical chops  of X or the campy charisma of the Cramps. On re-listen, however, they  were actually pretty great, with lotsa wild slide, some ace tunes like “Mother of Earth” and “Carry Home” and an intense lead singer who wails like a cross between Johnny Cash and the Wipers’ Greg Sage.

Vincent Gallo, “When”—gentle, ethereal balladry is the last thing you’d expect from the oddball filmmaker/actor, but this is haunting stuff. The best parts of this are just his guitar and quavery, almost feminine vox (think Jose Gonzalez or Bon Iver), though he periodically throws in minimalist keys or electronics for color. Perfect listening for before bedtime or after a few anisettes.

Verbow, “Chronicles”—the principal’s an excellent musician and Cobainesque singer best defined by his idolatrous worshipof Bob Mould, who produced here. First-rate tunes like “Holiday” and “Fan Club” would fit perfectly on a Sugar record, although the liberal deployment of cello gives a nice symphonic swell to these proceedings. 

Guided by Voices, “Do The Collapse”—a Ric Ocasek production reviled by purists who resent their transformation from shambolic lo-fi rock to polished, New Wave-y professionalism. I find it oddly endearing—Robert Pollard’s lyrics have never been more inscrutable, but Doug Gillard’s guitar cuts through all the studio trickery and the whole thing sounds good. “Teenage FBI” and “Surgical Focus” rank with the very best of Pollard’s 57,000 or so compositions.

Califone, “Roots & Crowns”—atmospheric blend of postrock, ambient, folk and blues from longtime Chicago scenesters. They have a unique ability to shift from spacey to thrashy to earthy without sounding schizophrenic. “The Orchids” is a perfect song.

Spinanes, “Manos”—90’s guitar/drum duo played a restrained sorta shoegaze/dream pop dominated by the sultry alto and interesting, cryptic tunes of Rebecca Gates. I like how they leave a lot of space between instruments without sacrificing power; occasional dissonance and guitar skronk keeps this from fading into mere pretty background. (“Dangle,” “I love That Party”)

Flamin’ Groovies, “At Full Speed—The Complete Sire Recordings”—after the departure of co-founder Roy Loney they mutated from Stonesy garage rockers to jangly Byrds/Beatles imitators. Here they do a surfeit of straight covers of their idols (along with an inspired version of “Werewolves of London”) along with a bunch of “originals” which, comically sophomoric lyrics notwithstanding, sound just as tuneful. Derivative as hell, but they have a fantastic guitar sound and this is like crack for power pop fans. (“Tell Me Again,” “You Tore Me Down”).

Rolling Stones, “Goat’s Head Soup (2020 Deluxe Remaster)”– as I understand it, a strung-out Keith left Mick to do the heavy lifting here, and coming off the visceral, cathartic “Exile,” this slick, mainstream follow-up can’t help but disappoint. That said, Mick does a yeoman’s job here–“Dancing with Mr. D” and “Heartbreaker” are mere product,  but he nails a bevy of uncharacteristically understated, ephemeral ballads like “Winter” and “Coming Down Again”, while the greasy Chuck Berry rewrites “Silver Train” and “Star Star” prove they haven’t lost their mojo. The demos and and bonus tracks on Disc 2 aren’t revelatory, but they include a tough live set, which, if nothing else, shows how much they’d miss Mick Taylor.

Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians, “Fegmania”—the  insects-and-ghosts fixations get repetitive, and unlike his idol Syd Barrett, his weirdness is more shtick than genetic. Yet like Barrett his songcraft is impeccable, and I’ve always envied his chiming, folk-influenced guitar. “Heaven” makes a fitting requiem for our dying planet.

Dramarama, “Stuck inWonderamaland”— my vote for the best American band of the late 80s (you thought I’d say the Pixies?). Majordomo John Easdale’s brilliant, concise tunes fuse the brainy decadence of  Lou Reed with the insular introspection of a Nick Drake, while the band rollicks like Mott or the NY Dolls. The FM classic “Last Cigarette” and the uncharacteristically Byrdsy  “Lullabye” are the obvious attention-getters, but it’s the lower, slower “It’s Hardly Enough” and “Would You Like” that will haunt you eternally.

Small Faces, “Ogeden’s Nut Gone Flake”—according to Steve Marriott, although co-credited, he wrote all their big hits, while Ronnie Lane wrote the uncommercial weird stuff. On this disc, while straight ravers like “Son of A Baker” and “Afterglow” roar mightily, it’s the weird stuff that elevates this to classic status. The wacked-out rock opera on Side Two has held up a lot better than “Tommy” or “The Wall”.

PJ Harvey, “Dry: The Demos”—not that Chrissie Hynde or Courtney Love don’t rock as hard as any boy, but they needed their bands to put them over. PJ, on the other hand, has always been a wholly self-contained unit, and her voice and guitar dominate even her more lavishly arranged efforts. These skeletal, acoustic versions of her loud debut make up in intensity what they lack in volume and, if nothing else, reminds you how goods these songs were.

Terror of the Deep, “The A-Team”—all of a sudden there are innumerable bands channeling the Go-Betweens (Twerps, RVG, Rolling Blackouts, etc.), but these Kiwis, with a Robert Foster soundalike at the mike, are the best I’ve heard. Their lyrics lack the sheer poesy of their forefathers, but they have the feel down cold. 

Nick Lowe, “Jesus of Cool”—this hyper-clever, studio-gussied sort of English pop can sound smarmy in the wrong hands, but this is great stuff, mainly because he has an instinctive genius for three-chord melody. He’s funny, too (“Marie Provost;” “Little Hitler”), though he’s at his best when he plays it straight, as on the white reggae “No Reason” and the unexpectedly tender “Tonight.” Drummer/Rockpile cohort Terry Williams swings mightily throughout.

Let’s Active, “Big Plans for Everyone”—like Game Theory or the underrated Superdrag, Mitch Easter connects the dots between Abbey Road and Big Star. His adenoidal voice is an issue for some, but he’s an outstanding musician and producer who can throw a lot into the mix without cluttering the sound. “Badger” ranks with “Waterloo Sunset” or “God Only Knows” for sheer beauty.

Shoes, “Elektrafied”—their playing was merely serviceable, although they harmonized beautifully, and they sang almost exclusively about perfidious girlfriends, but they had an uncanny knack for the giant, crunchy pop hook. This box set contains the three major label discs released in the wake of their lo-fi DIY masterpiece Black Vinyl Shoes.  The first two are virtually flawless—recording with  big-name producers in an actual studio did little to temper their melodic genius, and tunes like “Only in My Sleep” and “Now and Then” are time-capsule worthy.  By the third disc, Boomerang, you can sense them struggling for commercial relevance, with slower tempos and some ill-advised synth flourishes, although “In Her Shadow” and “Under the Gun” are among their best. The live set included here is surprisingly ragged.

Catherine Wheel, “Ferment”—on the basis of their later American releases I had dismissed these shoegazey Brits as mere Swervedriver/Ride wannabes. This comparatively raw debut, however, is one of the best records I’ve heard of late, with furious-but-fluid twin guitars, a limber rhythm section and a heartwrenching crooner in Rob Dickinson, who commands the stage without over-singing. The lighter-waving power ballad “Black Metallic” is the obvious hit, but the ruder deep tracks shouldn’t be overlooked. 

Café Racer, “Shadow Talk”—Chicago neo-psychedelics purr like a tamer Tame Impala, although they also evoke the gloomy post-punk of 80s Brits like Echo and the Cure. They’re not especially songful , but they’re atmospheric as hell, with a lovely flowing guitar sound, and this would make a fitting soundtrack to the pending apocalypse. 

Bob Dylan, “Rough and Rowdy Ways”—the Nobel laurels seem to have inspired him, as this is his densest, most literate set of lyrics since the 80’s. His melodic gifts, unfortunately, seem to have waned—most of these tunes are generic jump-blues or pallid Tin Pan Alley balladry—while his voice has settled into an uninviting Tom Waits growl, all of which make this better absorbed as poetry than as popular music.

Neil Young, “Homegrown”—just-unearthed 1975 set proves that his discards are better than most major artists’ hits.  Recorded around the same time as Tonight’s the Night and Zuma, this is folkier and more introspective (and at times weirder), but no less worthy.  The closers “Little Wing” and “Star of Bethlehelm” pinch melodies from JJ Cale and Johnny Cash, respectively, but are lovely nonetheless.

Bottle Rockets, “Live in Heilbronn”—they’ve made some very good studio records, but their real milieu is the barroom, which makes this live German set a good starting point. Usually typecast as alt-country, they actually hew closer to vintage Skynyrd, with live-wire guitars  and one of the best writers in the genre in frontman Brian Henneman. The funny, wise  “1000 Car” and “Gotta Get Up” are working-class anthems for the ages.

Urge Overkill, “Saturation”—their retro hipster pose was annoying, and their creative peak was short, but this is a great album, with memorable songs and excellent, fat-free production. Miscast as grunge, they’re really closer in spirit to sinewy classic 70’s Stones or Bowie, while kitchy-but catchy power ballads like “Turn Your Back” wouldn’t sound out of place on a Boston record. (“Postive Bleeding;” “Bottle of Fur”).

Dangtrippers, “Days Between Stations”—80’s Iowa jangle pop trio didn’t stray far from the  REM-inspired template of peers like Dumptruck or Guadacanal Diary, but stand out for their inventive guitar solos, Byrdsy harmonies and  some really sharp tunes like “Masquerade” and the searing “When Time Runs Out”

Golden Palominos, “Vision of Excess”—something of an underground supergroup built around drummer Anton Fier and a rotating cast of guitarists (most notably Richard Thompson) and vocalists (Michael Stipe, Johnny Rotten, an inspired-sounding Jack Bruce and the superlative, previously unknown Syd Straw). Sort of a cross between artsy King Crimson prog and the driving pop of Moby Grape (whose “Omaha” is covered here);  despite the pedigree of the musicians, this is no mere exercise in virtuosity—the songs have real hooks and there’s enough skronky edges to keep this sounding fresh. (“Boy;” “Kind of True”).

The Jam, “In The City”—Pete Townsend recently complained in an interview about how hard it was to play with Entiswistle and Moon, whose lack of musical discipline left it to Townsend to hold the rhythm together. His acolyte Paul Weller had no such problem—his bassist and drummer stay locked-in even at their thrashiest. This debut isn’t breathtakingly original, but shows plenty of pop smarts and steers clear of the Grand Statements and over-earnestness that marred Weller’s later works. (“Art School”).

Fiona Apple, “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”—this has quickly been anointed a masterpiece (including a perfect 10 from Pitchfork), and while it’s not quite all that it is quite striking. Her sonic approach is very narrow—most of these tunes feature the same slow jazzy tempo with minimalist piano/bass/drums and soul sistah backing vox, and this can get wearying over the course of a whole album. However, she is a commanding vocal presence, even if she lacks the sheer lungpower of some of her peers, the angsty, psychosexual lyrics are supersmart, funny and frequently harrowing and she’s nothing if not her own woman. (“Ladies; “For Her”).

A.C. Newman, “The Slow Wonder”—his fizzy New Pornographers are something of a mixed bag for me, but these 11 concise, slightly off-kilter pop tunes are close to perfect. Usually (and fairly) compared to Todd Rundgren, though you can also hear the effortless melodicism of a Paul McCartney and the glammy flash of Hunky Dory-era Bowie in tunes like “Secretarial” or the sad, sweet  “Drink to Me.” 

Dark Blue, “Victory is Rated”—very Brit-sounding gothy garage postpunk from Pennsylvania band, with a ragged, crunchy guitar sound and a wondrously deep-voiced Peter Murphy soundalike at the mike. They won’t make you discard your Bauhaus and Joy Division records, but they have a real feel for the form and deserve props for keeping the postpunk flame aglow.

Lucinda Williams,  “Good Souls Better Angels”—never a cheery broad, her records since 2001’s Essence have grown progressively more somber and harder to listen to. This latest, however, is something of a reversal of course—a stripped down, surprisingly heavy bar band affair which is closer in spirit to Credence than it is to Hank Williams. A bit underwritten in spots—some of the tunes are mere recycled blues clichés—but she sounds wholly committed on tracks like “Bone of Contention” and can still rock damn hard for a 67-year old.

Lyres, “Lyres Lyres”—oft-imitated, never-surpassed garage rock framed around the plaintive wail and overdriven Farfisa of 60’s obsessive Jeff Connoly. He has a knack for finding and covering obscure gems (“I Love Her Still”), but his own songs are excellent and he’s an underrated singer who can do rude and raucous or tender and soulful with equal aplomb. “She Pays the Rent”, done both as a slow blues and a loud rave-up, is the bomb.

Kurt Vile, “Smoke Ring for My Halo”— oddly appealing freak-folk  from prolific stoner (and J. Macis soundalike), who also  contributed to the critically overpraised War on Drugs. Somewhat monochromatic in melodic approach—he tends to default to a sort of densely-strummed mid-tempo shuffle—but he’s got a rich ambient guitar sound and is an instinctive tunesmith who periodically puts down the bong long enough to pen an offhand classic like the title track or “Jesus Fever.” 

Pearl Jam, “Gigaton”—I sorta get why hipsters hate on PJ—too earnest, too commercial, too white—but even arch-nemesis Kurt Cobain acknowledged that they were nice people, and they do have a knack for the big dramatic singalong. This latest mostly eschews their grunge side in favor of a glossier, generic pop sound which betrays a curious lack of hooks and energy even on the stompers. The low-key, acoustic ballads towards the end (“Comes Then Goes;” “River Cross”), however, are awful purty.

Translator, “No time Like Now”—80s SF guitar band with a driving New Wavish sound somewhere between REM jangle and bright hooky fare like Duran Duran or the Cars. I don’t quite get the fey Brit accents, but they had two strong frontmen and a passel of sharp tunes ranging from the upbeat/anthemic (“Un-alone”) to the emotive/somber (“I Hear You Follow;” “I Love You”).

Strokes, “The New Abnormal”—these overage prepschoolers have been rewriting the same song since 2000, and the drummer and guitarist still haven’t absorbed much more than the rudiments. They are, however, nothing if not comfortable in their vacuity, and frontman Julian Casablancas (in fine falsetto here) exudes charisma. This latest is good for a sugar buzz,  with a nice loose swagger and a raw, almost punkish sound which screams out to be played really loud.

Scrawl, “Travel on, Rider”—forgotten femme trio played a smart, stripped-down sorta punk-pop reminiscent of early PJ Harvey (who also enlisted Steve Albini to produce). This is no mere riotgirl screamfest—the principal is a nuanced, highly expressive singer, bass riffs are slithery, and they have an innate sense of dynamics. Songs like “Good Under Pressure” and the oddly tender “Story Musgrave” are grabbers, but my fave is the thrashy “He Cleaned Up” (“…she took him back/he fucked up/she kicked him out”).

Cowboy Mouth, “Cowboys and Indians”— not the forgettable Louisiana roots-rockers of the same name, but rather NYC-based David Lichtenstein, who (from what little I’ve gleaned) is a former John Cale sideman and son of the pop artist Roy. With hiccupping rockabilly vocals, eerie simple synth lines and chiming guitars, this plays like a mélange of Murmur-era REM and off-kilter Devo-ish New Wave pop. Weird but original; songs like “Long Hard Ride” and “Indy Man” grab you like a stray coronavirus.

Black Pumas, s/t—70’s soul revivalists with an Al Green-soundalike at the mike. The songs hew so close to their influences as to veer towards parody, but they really know their way around the studio, with phunky rhythms and a virtuosic, psychedelicized guitar sound which gives an acid-rock vibe to the proceedings. Supposedly a shit-hot live band.

Stephen Malkmus, “Traditional Techniques”—not that Pavement wasn’t great, or influential, but their shambolic, too-cool-to-tune-my-guitar vibe could be a bit off-putting. Which makes it surprising that Malkamus’s solo outings have been so tightly constructed and professional-sounding. This latest eschews most of the guitar flash and rock-dynamics for a subdued acoustic sound somewhere between Beck and 60’s Britfolk ala Donovan.  This initially registered as melodically underwhelming, but on close listen songs like ShadowBanned and Amberjack show a surprising depth and resonance. Subtle but worthwhile.

Barbara Manning, “In New Zealand”—very talented indie-rock songwriter who, I’m absolutely convinced, would have been a major star if she looked more like, say, Carrie Underwood than Rosie O’Donnell. This set of moody, minimalist folkie tunes is collaboration with principals of some of the best Kiwi bands (Tall Dwarfs, Verlaines, Clean) and, unsurprisingly, sounds a great deal like classic Flying Nun, with insidious guitar hooks, poetic lyrics and an unforced, pastoral beauty.

Tame Impala, “The Slow Rush”—curiously popular Aussies have evolved from gutsy, Pink Floyd-inspired psychedelic guitarism  to a much more eclectic, pop-oriented sound.  With ubiquitous synths, trip-hop beats and other such studio trickery, this latest isn’t too far removed from the commercial electro-pap trotted out by the likes of MGMT or Of Montreal. Well manicured and well=performed, but I defy you to actually remember any of the songs.

Air, “Moon Safari”— I’m xenophobically contemptuous of the knob-twiddling Euro-electronic genre, which generally reminds me of the “Sprockets” parody on SNL. That said, this record is actually pretty great, with real melodies, lovely female vox and a broad pallet ranging from trip-hop to Krautrock to cheesy film scores, all impeccably produced and performed.  World-class bassline on “La Femme d’Argent;” 

T-Bone Burnett, “Trap Door”—ubiquitous producer’s later works became progressively more artsy and inaccessible, but this rootsy 1982 EP is near-perfect, with five tight, shimmery originals and a genius reimagining of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.”  

Kevn Kinney, “MacDougall Blues”—his Drivin N Cryin weren’t fully convincing as heavy rockers, but he’s a natural at this pure folkie milieu. His adenoidal tenor is unpretty (if expressive), but he’s a strong acoustic player and tunesmith and no stupe as a lyricist—sagas like “Maddie Hope” and “Tina’s  Grocery” show surprising depth and resonance. 

Comsat Angels, “Waiting for a Miracle”— debut from atmospheric Brit postpunks, whose first three hard-to-find releases make a strong a trilogy as anyone’s.  More melodic than Joy Division and more cerebral than the Cure, the songs are uniformly superb, with spare, driving rhythms and memorable dadaistic lyrics. “Total War;” “Independence Day.”

The Johnsons, “Break Tomorrow’s Day”— hooky, smart raw-edged  guitar pop from Pennsylvania trio who dropped one disc in 1986 before vanishing from the face of the earth. There’s a classic 60’s folkrock vibe to these songs—Lovin Spoonful and Beau Brummels come to mind– though you can also hear the ebullient drive of early Beatles and the effortless harmonies of the Hollies. The punchy cover of Peter Laughner’s “Sylvia Platt” is spot-on, but originals like “Call Your Name” and “Burning Desire” are just as good.

The Wrens. “Meadowlands”— literate indie guitar pop evokes Pavement or Built to Spill, but has a confessional, impassioned edge that’s quite original. The dramatic “She Sends Kisses” and “13 Months in 6 Minutes” are exceptional.

Bram Tchiakovsky, “Strange Man, Changed Man”—amidst all the glossy New Wave and punky angst of their 80s peers, these pubrockers aspired to nothing more than a fat guitar sound and a hooky chorus. Songs like “Sarah Smiles” and the FM staple “Girl of My Dreams” may sound like they took ten minutes to compose but stick in your craw nonetheless.

The Windbreakers, “Time Machine”—THE ultimate jangle pop band, with memorable songs and two good writers in the hard-edged Tim Lee and the more lyrical Bobby Sutliff, whose Byrdsy Rickenbacker prowess is underrated. This compilation has a few duff tracks at the end, and isn’t as seamless as their studio records, but is a good intro to an essential (if commercially irrelevant) band.

Martin Courtney, “Many Moons”—solo record from principal of Feelies-inspired  folkrockers Real Estate, whose “Days” and “Atlas” were among the better records of this decade. Unsurprisingly, this sounds a lot like his old band, albeit with a more pastoral feel ala Buffalo Springfield-era Neil Young or 80s Flying Nun bands like the Clean. His lyrics are fairly inscrutable, but he’s got unique melodic gifts, with a seemingly limitless repertoire of descending chords and orbiting arpeggios. Pretty stuff.

Latin Playboys, s/t—I always respected Los Lobos more than embraced them, but this trippy offshoot of fragmentary songs and sonic experiments is oddly gripping. Alternately unsettling and calming, there are some memorable riffs buried in the mix + the whole thing sounds good on headphones.

Procol Harum, “Exotic Birds and Fruit”—post-Robin Trower, and largely bereft of orchestral pomp, this set is focused on Gary Brooker’s strangely soulful vox and percussive piano (which reminds me, oddly, of Aretha’s). “The Idol,” “Strong as Samson” and “New Lamps for Old” are as strong as anything they’ve penned.

Ron Wood, “I’ve Got My Own Album to Do”—he’s no one’s idea of a great musician, and his longevity in important bands seems to  have more to do with his being a genial guy with a good haircut. That said, this busman’s holiday has an endearing, loose swagger wholly missing from the Stones’ albums since the 70s and two unexpectedly classic songs in “I Can Feel the Fire” and “Mystifies Me” (later crushed by Son Volt).

Santana “III”—it’s been said, not inaccurately, that Carlos can only play one solo, so adding the fleet-fingered teenager prodigy Neal Schon gives this some flava. Carlos rarely sang, but his vocal on “Everything’s Coming Our Way” is suprisingly moving. Cool album cover.  I never before noticed that “No One to Depend On” had only one line of lyric.

Lucy Show, “Mania”—mostly-forgotten, hyper-tuneful 80s Britpoppers bypassed the synth-driven New Wave of their contemporaries in favor of bright, ringing guitar rock ala the Smiths or the Chameleons. Hooky and big-sounding; songs like “New Message” and “Million Things” still resonate some 30 years later.

Jessica Bailiff, s/t–eerie fusion of Cocteau Twins dreampop and distorted MBV-like slowcore. Like the similarly-inclined Low, she’s moody but not amelodic, and her understated vocals are really haunting. Quite exceptional.

Yummy Fur, “Piggy Wings”—noisy-but-tuneful Scottish punk-pop mines the same jagged, minimalist turf as Gang of Four or the Fall, but had their own brash, oddball approach to the form.   A couple of these guys went on to the distinctly less interesting Franz Ferdinand.

Gene Clark, “American Dreamer”—I saw the last show he ever played, which was memorable if only for the fact that he remained coherent after 50+ shots of bourbon. This compilation is as good as any an overview of the guy who, as much as anyone, pioneered folk-rock and country-rock. You can quibble about some of the omissions, although it does include his best Byrds song, “Set Your Free This Time” and a smattering of his coked-out, baroque pop masterpiece “No Other.” If nothing else, it demonstrates how many great Gene Clark songs there were.

Wire, “Pink Flag”— I had forgotten what a great, snarling punk rock singer Colin Newman was until I re-heard “Ex Lion Tamer.” The records they’ve churned out since 1978 are consistently better than 99% of the pap out there, but this debut remains the ultimate mofo. 

Three Johns, “Live in Chicago”—Jon Langford’s pre-Mekons project had the anarchistic furor of the Sex Pistols and the pulsing drive of Public Image Ltd., but were much smarter than the former and funnier than the latter. This live set includes both their shambolic parody (“McDonna”) and massively hooky near-pop (“Death of a European”) and is the best representation of their distinctive, if minor, genius.

The Suburbs, “Credit in Heaven”—I recall these New Wavers getting a lot of critical adulation in the early 80s, though they seem to be have been forgotten in time. Very reminiscent of (and musically at least on a par with) early Talking Heads; unlike most of the genre this record hasn’t dated at all, with sharp sardonic songs and a broad sonic palette—the really deft rhythm section keeps this sounding a bit raw. 

Freedy Johnston, “Right Between the Promises”—you’ll turn this off if you don’t connect with his quavery, eccentric tenor, which is a shame because his songcraft and sonics are impeccable. Much of this is his trademark melancholic chamber-folk, but the best tunes here hit harder than you’d expect .(“Waste Your Time” “Anyone”).

Jaimie Branch, “Fly or Die”—unusual trumpet-cello soundscapes from Chicago free jazz scenester. Exploratory but not amelodic; the principal has a thin, icy tone reminiscent of Nils Petter Molvaer, while the rhythm section give the ethereal, Eastern-sounding compositions a solid post-bop foundation. Very good late night music. The subsequent “Fly or Die II” features African rhythms and gratuitous vocals and isn’t as compelling. 

Timothy Eerie, “Ritual”— retro-psychedelia from complete unknown, who can churn out a tightly constructed tune like “She Talks to Mushrooms” and “Sold My Sunshine” without a trace of irony. Well sung, with a great fuzzed-out guitar tone and overall grrovy.

The Rutles, s/t—I generally have trouble getting past “Goose Step Mama” (“you’ve got nothing to eins zwei drei Fear!”), but “I Must Be In Love” and “Ouch” are genuinely melodic gems. I’m still aghast that the Beatles’ publisher sued for copyright infringement—I thought it was the Krauts who lacked a sense of humor.

Joe Jackson, “Big World”—I have decidedly mixed feeling about JJ—he’s a very good musician and composer, but a lousy singer and fitfully ham-fisted lyricist. This live recording of all-new material, however, is pretty compelling, with pristine sound and some of his best songs like “Right and Wrong”, “Shanghai Sky” and the riotous ugly American stomper “Jet Set”.

Roy Montgomery, “Hey Badfinger”— soundtrack to an imaginary film by renowned experimental Kiwi guitarist. While much of his extensive body of work veers towards shoegaze/noiserock, these solo pieces are surprisingly poppy and accessible, with ubiquitous hooks and a rich chiming tone. Repetitive but oddly hypnotic.

Basehead, “Play With Toys”— a concept album of sorts about old girlfriends, slacking and beer, this fuses Sly-like funk, old school hip-hop and shambolic guitar rock into something funny, poignant and tuneful as hell. Perhaps the great lost record of the 90s (and oddly unavailable on Spotify/Tidal). (“Not Over You”).

Dick Diver, “Melbourne Florida”—usually compared to the Go-Betweens, these Aussies actually hew closer to the tightly-crafted NewWavey pop of Men At Work or the Cars, with an ambitious sonic palette and a bunch of hooky tunes.

Kevin Salem, “Gimmer”–unsung ex-Freedy Johnston/Dumptruck guitarist made a couple of outstanding records in his own name, of which this is the rawest. An excellent, literate songwriter with a cool Lou Reed-like voice, this’ll appeal to fans of Springsteenish heartland rock, but has a uniquely skronky 80s New York edge–tunes like “Run Run Run” and the extended “Destructible”  sound like lost Television classics.

Lenny Breau, “Hallmark Sessions”—Canuck  jazz guitarist with impressive stylistic range, from classical to Arabic and Flamenco to country,  accompanied here by Rick Danko and Levon Helm from the Band, who keep up better than you’d imagine. Cerebral and subdued in tone, but his’ll get you through the ironing as well as anything.

Artful Dodger, “Honor Among Thieves”—overlooked Virginia band played very British-sounding melodic rock in the vein of Faces or early Who, with memorable tunes, concise guitar solos and an outstanding singer who caterwauls like Rod Stewart on the loud ones but can also get slow and soulful (“Scream;” “Remember”). Their swan song, “Rave On” is even better but hard to find and, as far as I know, never released on CD.

Bill Llloyd, “Feeding the Elephant”—ex-country star turns to super-hooky, jangly guitar pop in the manner of Marshall Crenshaw. His vox are pedestrian, but he’s an outstanding guitarist and tunesmith—“This Very Second” and “Lisa Ann” will remain permanently imbedded in your cranium

Peter Case, s/t-–ex-Plimsoul reinvents himself as a modern folkie in the vein of  Freedy Johnston or Joe Henry. I never liked Mitchell Froom’s overmanicured production style, but he and T-Bone Burnett do very well here—this is a great headphone record, with pristine layering and a crisp percussion sound. Case does well by the songwriting—smart and melodically quirky–though the cover of the Pogues “Pair of Brown Eyes” is the best thing here.

Blankenberge, “Radiogaze”—Siberian kids play swelling, Mogwai-styled postrock, with wispy female vox giving it a bit of dreampop feel. Intense and very dramatic, if not breathtakingly original. This would make a good soundtrack for a Russian war film.

Steve Miller, “Welcome to the Vault”—the LA rock critic Robert Hillburn had an interesting theory about “active” artists like the Clash or Springsteen, who require listener attention and engagement to appreciate, and “passive” artists like Boston or Foreigner, who merely present a glossy surface for you to effortlessly absorb. By this standard, Miller is as passive as they come—his records are virtually all glossy surfaces. That said, my brain needs occasional respite from all the fury out there, and this collection of outtakes and other emphemera works as well as any, proudly vapid but tuneful and well-played.

 Tom Petty, “You’re Gonna Get It”— generally dismissed as an less-refined rehash of their preternaturally accomplished debut, and it is fairly dark and garagey, with a ragged drum sound. On re-listen, however, I think it’s their best, hardest hitting set of songs, closer in spirit to their Southern Rock roots than to the glossier, poppier records that followed.  (“When the Time Comes;” “Too Much Ain’t Enough”).

The Bad Plus, “Activate Infinity”—long-running piano trio are slicker than my usual, but they do this sort of consumer-friendly postbop very proficiently, with expansive sound and the sort of telepathic interplay that reminds me of an updated Bill Evans Trio. This latest, with a new pianist, is more subdued than previous fare and works well as bedtime music.

Young Guv, “GuvI/II”— guitarist for noisy Canuck hardcore outfit Fucked Up moonlights as a melodic pop maestro (he supposedly ghostwrote for Taylor Swift). The best of this channels classic Teenage Fanclub, with jangly guitars and surprisingly deft harmonies, although he can also do an uncanny facsimile of glossy Fleetwood Mac-style AOR and even old-school R&B. Very talented guy.

Lucille Furs. “Another Land”—a JK recommendation, this Chicago band plays tightly-crafted, 60’s inspired pysch-pop in the (somewhat esoteric) manner of the Move or the Zombies. The songs aren’t quite there yet, but they have the sonics down cold with close harmonies, vintage keyboards and chiming Rickenbackers and are definitely a gang worth watching. 

Beatles, “Abbey Road” (50^th Anniversary)—this was generally regarded as Paul’s record, and his ambition and melodic sophistication here vastly surpassed John’s. That said,  it’s John’s comparatively primordial blues (“Come Together”, “Polythene Pam”) that stick. The innumerable demos and alternate versions on this reissue do demonstrate that, if nothing else, Paul could play the hell out of that bass.

Angel Olsen, “All Mirrors”—I liked her lo-fi, alt-country “Half Way Home”, but she clearly had wider ambitions, and this Spectoresque, string-laden chamber pop is closer to Dusty Springfield or Bjork than it is to Patsy Cline. Very cinematic (some of these songs could have been Bond themes), but surprisingly effective—she writes economically and has the pipes and melodic chops to bring off what could have been baroque overkill. Not rockin, but she does seem like a major artist.

DIIV, “Deceiver”—it’s not like the world needed another MBV-obsessed shoegaze band, but these guys are more songful than most, with a heavier-than-typical guitar sound and a bit of pulsing Krautrock groove.

Elvis Costello, “Get Happy”—it has been observed to me that women don’t like Elvis Costello, and I can sorta see why—he can be treacly and morosely self-pitying, and there’s usually a certain acid edge to his lyrical  gymnastics. This neo-R&B record, however, catches him in a cheerier place; he assiduously avoids the oversinging and palpable anxiety of his later works. There’s a loose, tossed-off quality to many of these tunes, and the mastering is somewhat compressed, but “Secondary Modern” and “New Amsterdam” are among his very finest.

The Real Kids, s/t—Unlike the Ramones, whose punky image always seemed like a bit of a put-on, these guys wear their working-class stupidity very naturally. This is pure, alcoholic garage rock; leader John Felice has a distinctive snarl and a deft way with the big tension-and-release, best shown on the mighty “All Kindsa Girls” and the Bo Diddley-ish “Reggae Reggae.” I was at one of their shows the night my son was born, and I gotta admit I still have regrets about leaving early.

Sun Kil Moon, “April”—I’ve seen Kozolek perform live and he came across as a boorish dick; it seems unjust that he would bestowed with such amazing musical gifts. This set is probably the best showcase for his lyricism, with delicate fingerpicked acoustic offset by harder-edged Crazy-Horse churn, all framed by plaintive vocals and tense, mesmerizing melodies. 

The Records, “Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses”—their comparative obscurity is somewhat puzzling—Birch and Wicks were world-class tunesmiths, and they’re underrated as a guitar band, with virtually every tune featuring a big, fluid solo. “Paint Her Face” and “Golden Disc” are every bit as resonant as their classic “Starry Eyes,” although the pervy (if maddeningly catchy) “Teenarama” would not be well-received in today’s social climate.

The Scruffs, “Wanna Meet the Scruffs”—a standout among the myriad of late 70s powerpoppers, with memorable songs and a charismatic lead singer. Much of this is early-Beatles stomp (“Tommy Gun”), but they’ll surprise you with their songcraft, as on the Zombies-like “She Said Yeah” and the gorgeous string-sweetened closer, “Bedtime Stories”. Cool slide part on “Revenge”.

John Coltrane. “Blue World”—being dead for 50 years hasn’t seemed to slow him down, as a font of worthwhile releases keep rising from the crypt. Consisting of re-worked versions of his old classics like “Naima,” this ‘64 set seems like something of an aberration from the Eastern/avant direction he was pursuing at the time, but his approach is more meditative than on the originals and his tone is slower and fatter while the normally subdued Jimmy Garrison’s bass is frequently front and center. Worth your time.

Todd Rundgren, “Something/Anything”—wildly self-indulgent by definition, but this one-man twofer has surprisingly few misses among its dizzyingly diverse 25 tracks. He’s a master at the lightweight blue-eyed soul ballad (“It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference;” “Cold Morning Light”), though the Hendrixy “Black Maria” is genuine heaviosity and the oddly evocative “Piss Aaron” and “Slut” are good dumb fun. The soaring “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” is one of the best songs of the 70s.  

Pure Prairie League, “Busting Out”—this may be the unhippest record I own, but good is good, and this country-rock staple is pretty much flawless, with expansive production and a singer who can really get into bed with these pretty songs. The overplayed standard “Amie” is here, but the best tunes are “Angel #9” and “Leave My Heart Alone”, which have a surprising amount of electric bite. Mick Ronson, oddly enough, adds the well-placed strings.

Chrissie Hynde, “Valve Bone Woe”— I hate the sanitized, Diana Krall-style “adult” pap they force you to listen to in high-end stereo stores, but this retro-jazzy detour by Ms. Pretender ain’t half-bad—there’s still some rock dirt in her voice, and she nails some oddball Nick Drake and Ray Davies covers along with the predictable standards.

Matt Keating, “Killjoy”—underrated singer songwriter slots somewhere between the wry, literate folk of Loudon Wainwright and the driving pop of early Elvis Costello. He’s a pedestrian singer, but has real knack for melody, a crunchy guitar and drum sound and a bunch of first-rate tunes, including the uptempo title track and the acerbic, funny “The L Word.” Great line: “you wanted a man who had substance/you got one with substance abuse.”

Enrico Rava/Joe Lovano, “Roma”—live set has roots in classic 60s Miles Davis Quintet, but moves subtly into modal and free jazz. Very, very well composed and played, especially by Rava, whose cool-but-powerful tone dominates. Exploratory yet accessible, this is a good entry drug to the avant garde.

Byrds, “Untitled”—the surprisingly raw live side of this twofer is actually pretty great. Bluegrass prodigy Clarence White was the best musician to ever pass through the band and McGuinn sings with a fury–check out his pissed-off take on “Rock and Roll Star.” The eclectic studio side has the shaggy-horse story “Chestnut Mare” and some worthy deep tracks like “Well Come Back Home.”

Mazzy Star, “So Tonight That I Might See”—other than the transcendent three-chord “Fade Into You” and the Arthur Lee cover, the songs don’t stick with you, but taken as a whole this is a mesmerizing, fantastic-sounding record—pristine slide, drony organ, crisp drums. Plus that haunting, ethereal voice really could tempt the devil.

Chris Whitley, “Terra Incognita”—his acclaimed debut was impeccably produced and performed roots-rock, but he was clearly looking for something more fugged up and primal, and his subsequent records got progressively more stripped down and rawer. This record is something of a cross between hallucinatory electric Hendrix and acoustic Delta blues– he’s a better player and singer than he is a writer (although “Weightless” is a gorgeous), but the intensity is there and this has a hypnotic feel that’ll stick with you.

Tool, “Fear Innoculum”—  I confess to being underwhelmed by this long-awaited comeback, mainly because they’ve almost wholly abandonded their thinking-man’s metal roots in favor of jammy prog which is closer in spirit to Rush than it is to Slayer. Forsaking the heaviness and tight structures of their earlier work, these really, really long songs devolve into a sort of atmospheric formlessness (“Chocolate Chip Trip” in particular meanders endlessly). Keenan is still an engaging singer, even if I can’t decipher what he’s singing about, and good sonics are a given for this crew, but the drummer overplays to the point of parody—he makes Keith Moon seem comatose by comparison. 

Green, “Green”—recorded on a shoestring by a ragged, garage-y Chicago trio, this 1986 set is something of a tour-de-force. They love the Kinks and the Buzzcocks but also hint at country (“For You”) and even soul (“I Don’t Want Say No”). The principal has an amazing voice which ranges from punkish howl to tender croon to shrieking falsetto, often within the same song.  The anthemic “Better Way” and “She’s Not A Little Girl Anymore” are standouts, but every one of these tunes connect, and this is well worth tracking down.

Lemonheads, “Car Button Cloth”—Robert Christgau described Evan Dando as “a good looking guy with more luck than talent and more talent than brains,” which is funny but perhaps a tad dismissive–the guy may be drug-addled but is unquestionably a natural. This curious, eclectic set veers wildly from sharp, radio-ready pop (“If I Could Talk”) to intense, brooding psychedelia (“Losing Your Mind”) to murder ballads and country, but other than the pointless, noodling closer, holds together surprisingly well. “Break Me” is a truly great song.

Dwight Twilley Band, “Sincerely”—Studio rats Twilley and Phil Seymour were influenced as much classic Sun Records as by the Beatles, and you can hear a lot of Roy Orbison and Everly Brothers in their approach. The original recording was somewhat compressed-sounding, but the remastered version on Spotify/Tidal is much better-sounding, and musically this is near-perfect with enduring songs like “You Were So Warm” and the sorta-hit “I’m on Fire”. The amazing guitar solo on the title track is played by electronic pioneer Roger Linn, who more or less invented digital sampling.

Hoodoo Gurus, “Mars Needs Guitars”—ebullient garage rock from Sydney. Gregarious frontman Dave Faulkner is a smart, funny tunesmith (like the Ramones, there’s a lot of classic Brill Building in his songs), but their real edge is guitarist Brad Shepherd, who has a fat, rockabilly-influenced tone reminiscent of Mick Jones or Johnny Thunders. “Bittersweet” is their acknowledged masterwork, but my favorites are the gothy “She” and the arch, cutting “Poison Pen” (“everyone enjoys sharing a rumor/but when it’s aimed at you it loses its humor…”).

Rolling Stones, “Beggar’s Banquet”—listening to this some 50 years after its release I’m struck by how rootsy/folksy it is, with virtually every song (including the anthemic “Street Fighting Man”) framed around Keef’s acoustic. I never liked “Sympathy for the Devil,” but the rest of these tunes have a depth and sense of humor unmatched by their later, louder opuses. 

The dBs, “Repurcussion”—like Squeeze or the Go-Betweens, the dBs played idiosyncratic guitar pop and hosted two brilliant composers, although they were edgier than the former and less melancholic than the latter. The singing (esp. Peter Holsapple’s) is artless, but the playing is impeccable and the songs are memorable, with Chris Stamey serving as a quirkier Lennon to Holsapple’s more melody-driven McCartney. Future REM/Nirvana knob-dialer Scott Litt gives this a nice sonic sheen. I play this one a helluva lot more than Pet Sounds or Sgt. Pepper.

Ballboy, “The Sash My Father Wore”—another John Peel favorite, this is essentially a showcase for one Gordon McIntyre, who offers minimally-accompanied twee pop in the same vein as Belle & Sebastian. Your reaction to this disc will rest wholly on your tolerance for his Scottish brogue and unabashed sensitively (this ain’t swaggering cock-rock). I find it oddly endearing, especially the rebuke of the “big fat bigoted areshole” and the deconstructed cover of “Born in the USA.”

Matthew Sweet, “Son of Altered Beast”—underneath the honeyed voice and pretty melodies, there’s something deeply sinister and disturbing about Sweet (“I don’t like knowing people/I don’t like people knowing about me”). This (mostly) live set, with Richard Lloyd shredding maniacally throughout, is rawer and harder than his studio albums and includes a lost classic in “Superdeformed” as well as the transcendent “Someone To Pull the Trigger.”

Credence Clearwater Revival, “Live at Woodstock”—suppressed for 50 years because they didn’t like the performance, and it is pretty sloppy, with lumbering drums and frequently out-of-tune bass. John Fogerty, however, howls and plays like a man possessed—he may only know a handful of licks, but delivers ‘em correctly. Deep album tracks like “Commotion” and “I Put A Spell on You” are standouts, while the extended “Suzie Q” channels their inner jam band.

Russian Circles, “Blood Year”— instrumental post-rock from Chicago trio somewhere between the atmospherics of Mogwai and the artsy heaviness of Tool. Scrupulously avoiding solos, the songs are tightly composed and concise, with a jazzbo’s sense of dynamics and a  really, really good drummer.

Jethro Tull, “Benefit” (Steven Wilson Remaster)—Ian Anderson’s subsequent, grandiose art-rock releases veered dangerously close to Spinal Tap, but I keep returning to this disc, with massive riff-rockers (“To Cry  You A Song;” “With You There to Help Me”) and some gorgeous folk melodies (“Sossity”), which seemed to have informed the legendary Roy Harper. I like Anderson’s acoustic strumming much more than that infernal flute, but the real weapon here is Martin Barre, who may be the great unsung English guitar hero. This 2016 remaster radically improves on the murky original, with a cleaner mix and much better instrument placement.

Yim Yames, “Tribute To”— My Morning Jacket has gotten progressively poppier and suckier, but James is unequivocally one of the great singers of his generation, and these solo acoustic renditions of George Harrison songs bring out a depth and resonance that the baby Beatle couldn’t deliver. His “Long Long Long” will get you sobbing like a baby.

Tommy Keene, “Real Underground”—like Game Theory’s Scott Miller or (spiritual godfather) Alex Chilton, Keene had one of those reedy, “alternative” voices that condemned him to cult status, but he wrote excellent, Badfinger-esque songs and was one of the best guitarist in the genre, with a simultaneous lead/rhythmic approach that reminds me of Johnny Marr or Pete Townsend (whose “Tattoo” is covered here). The first five songs on this compilation are fantastic, as are the morose “Safe in the Light” and the Fender workout “Mr. Roland.” 

Underground Lovers, “Cold Feeling”—unknown (to me) 90s Aussie band played a trippy, shoegazy blend of Sonic Youth and 4AD-style dream pop. With soothing male/female vox and reverb-heavy guitars, this is familiar sounding but very hypnotic. Definitely a subject for further study.

Kimberly Rew, “Bible of Bob”—ex-Soft Boy/future Wave was overshadowed by his more flamboyant bandmates, but he’s  a clever, spidery guitarist and ace songwriter with a knack for stripping a tune down to its basics. This obscure pubrock gem finds him backed by three different bands (the aforesaid + the dBs) and has at least two shoulda-been immortal classics in “Stomping All Over the World” and the screamalong “Hey War Pig.” 

Buzzcocks, “Singles Going Steady”— my wife made two salient observations about this record the other night: first, that under all the buzzsaw guitars there’s a lot of 50’s doo-wop and Elvis-style rockabilly in these tunes; and second, there’s almost no bass in the mix—it’s virtually all midrange. True dat, but these are stone classics nonetheless; at least during his late 70s heyday Pete Shelley might have been the great English songwriter.

Ed Kuepper, “Everybody’s Got To”— hard pop masterpiece from ex-Saints guitarist. Largely eschewing his punk past and the dark folk of his earlier solo records, this is closer in spirit to Ike and Tina or Sticky Fingers-era Stones, with blaring horns, big drums and a lovely-voiced backing vocalist. He’s a powerful rhythm player and a distinctive singer, but it’s the songs that really stand out and these are as good as any to emerge from Oceania. (“Lonely Paradise” “Too Many Clues”).

Chris Forsyth, “All Time Present”—he studied under Television guitar madman Richard Lloyd and was obviously a star pupil—most of these compositions sound like variations of “Marquee Moon,” though he also channels Krautrock, Neil Young and Sonic Youth. Mainly instrumental, though his sporadic vocals and lyrics are at least serviceable, this is technically dazzling (if derivative) guitar nirvana.

Sex Clark Five, “Strum and Drum”—Sort of a DIY, indie-rock counterpart to “Who Sell Out” from Alabama, of all places. They fuse REM jangle, Merseybeat, and T. Rex, but have their own unique take on this form, and  virtually all these one and two-minute gems feature a big hook, inventive harmonies and oddball lyrics. John Peel was a big fan.

The Verlaines, “Bird Dog”—sonically akin to, but more ambitious and sophisticated than their Flying Nun labelmates; the principal is classically-trained and uses a lot of shifting time signatures, ethereal choruses and brass and string parts. The somber, melancholic “Makes No Difference” and “Slow Sad Love Song” are the standouts, while the title track is a rousing rumination on old age and German beer, subjects with which I’m growing ever more familiar. 

Pernice Brothers, “Overcome by Happiness”—orchestrated alt-pop in the vein of (and just as good as) “Forever Changes” or “Odessey and Oracle,” albeit with a darker edge. Lead brother Joe is a melodic genius whose world-weary vox and depressive lyrics belie the ebullience of these tunes. “Crestfallen” or “Dimmest Star” are worthy of Brian Wilson or Carole King.

Rory Gallagher, “Calling Card”—he was a purist who refused to dress up his bloozerock for mass appeal; he supposedly turned down Brian Jones’s slot in the Stones because he wouldn’t be able to sing his own songs. His guitar is rightly revered, but I’ve always thought the songwriting was underrated and liked his shopworn voice. This record has more finesse than his usual, with acoustic shuffles (“Barley and Grape Rag”) and wistful ballads (“I’ll Admit You’re Gone”) as well the expected storm-und-drung (“Moonchild”).

Gary Clark Jr., “This Land”—his Hendrixy guitar is a little overflashy, but he’s an outstanding singer who can go from fierce growl to a Prince-like falsetto, and you can’t fault him for ambition. This record, though, is so eclectic as to be almost schizophrenic, with  unconvincing forays into hiphop and reggae offset by tough rockers (“Gotta Get Into Something”) and soulful slow burners like “Pearl Cadillac,” a song so sublime you wish he’d just stuck to his blues roots. 

Black Keys, “Let’s Rock”—their busy, Danger Mouse–produced megasellers didn’t grab me as much as their earlier, primal guitar-and-drums records, though they always sounded big and pounded hard. This latest is something of an enigma—oddly subdued, barely-rewritten rehashes of 70s AOR like Fleetwood Mac (“Tell Me Lies”), Foreigner (“Lo/Hi”) and Stealer’s Wheel (“Sit Around”).  They do know their way around a studio, and the damned thing soundsgood, but this rates about a “D” for effort and passes through you as soon as you hear it. I assume the album title is ironic.

Elephant9, “Psychedelic Backfire Vols I and II”—live organ-fueled improv trio from Norway melds avant-groove, heavy jazz-fusion and prog. The long compositions threaten to veer off into the ether, but never stray too far from their rhythmic bones, and the playing (esp. the drumming) is virtuosic, with a great sense of dynamics and pace. Vol II features the guitarist from Dungen and has more of a jam band vibe, while Vol I hews closer to Tony Williams or electric Miles. Both sets will leave you pining for the fjords.

Beck, “Morning Phase”—he’s always struck me as possessing more  industry savvy than musical genius, but dammit if he hasn’t  gone and written himself a near-perfect facsimile of a Nick Drake record. Similar in tone to his previous “Sea Change” (somber and contemplative), though the arrangements are more austere; there are periodic string interludes and orchestral swells, but the sonic focus is on clean fingerpicked acoustic guitar, with minimal percussion and keyboard coloration.  As on Sea Change, he adopts a somewhat over-emotive, unnatural baritone—a better singer would have crushed this material –but the mostly sad songs themselves are really good and the production is impeccable.

You Am I, “#4 Record”—curiously ignored outside their native Australia, these mod-inspired yobs get my vote as the world’s best bar band, with a Who-like sonic attack and a great frontman in Tim Rogers, who swaggers like Steve Marriott or Paul Westerberg. This record is looser and more live-sounding than their (excellent) prior releases, deftly blending dirty riff-rockers (“The Cream and the Crock”), ballads (“Heavy Heart”) and hard-edged, pretty pop (“Fifteen”).

David Kilgour, “Feather in the Engine”—ex-Clean majordomo draws a line between trad Britfolk like Davy Graham and Bert Jansch, the dreamy din of the Velvet Underground and the Byrdsy jangle of early REM or Yo La Tengo. A subtly brilliant guitarist, he has a real knack for simple, indelible melodies (“Today is Gonna Be Mine;” “Perfect Watch”) and makes this all flow seem effortlessly and naturally.

Posies, “Frosting on the Beater”—probably inspired by their hipper Seattle peers, these popsters added some grunge to their trademark blend of XTC lyricism and Hollies harmonies. Side One (starting with the pounding sing-along “Dream All Day” and ending with the extended “Burn and Shine”) is as strong a set of songs as was produced in the 90s; Side Two is moodier and quieter, though also worthy. I’ve probably listened to this record as much as any I own.

Loudon Wainwright III, “Album II”—the most enduring of the new Dylans, this 1972 set is his best set of songs, ranging from surreal (“Me and My Friend to the Cat”) to sardonic (“Nice Jewish Girls”) to sincere (“Motel Blues,” later covered by Big Star).  As skeletal a production as you’ll hear—almost entirely just his acoustic guitar and reedy voice—but he’s more tuneful than you’d think, and you respond to this melodically as well as cerebrally.

Earth, “Full Upon Her Burning Lips”— atmospheric, instrumental sorta-metal grabs you like a megadose of Robitussin.  There’s not a ton of differentiation between the songs (or, for that matter, between their numerous records)–all feature slow throbbing rhythms and sludgy sustained  guitar riffs ala Sabbath or the Melvins—but this is oddly calming stoner music  which even your mother would love.

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, “Men Without Women”— white working class R&B from E-Street guitarist/Sopranos consigliere. He throws a lot into the mix–bullring horns, screeching guitar solos, barrelhouse piano –but keeps it ragged, plus the songs are mostly stellar, esp. the poignant title track and the apocalyptic “Under the Gun.”   I’ve wondered if this would be better with a real singer, but his frenetic yowl suits the bar band vibe just fine. 

Edith Frost, “Calling Over Time”–I saw her play a set of Patsy Cline covers in a tiny bar and was sufficiently moved to pick up this odd hybrid of ambient and countrypolitain. She enlists postrock luminaries like Jim O’Rourke (Tortoise) as well as Microdisney/High Llamas prodigy Sean O’ Hagen to inject some dreampop feel into these proceedings, and this record has a lo-fi, electronic sheen, but she’s a country singer at heart and unlike self-consciously artsy peers like Beth Orton, there’s a very organic, natural feel to these proceedings.  Try this.

Ultra Vivid Scene, “Joy 1967-1990“—NY-born one-man band plays concise neopsychelia reminiscent of the early Church (his vox sound uncannily like Steven Kilbey’s) as well as shoegazy English bands like Ride. His drumming is rudimentary, but he has a great, reverb-heavy guitar sound and really knows how to put a song together—“Staring at the Sun” is a classic.

The Bongos, “Drums Along The Hudson”—jittery New Wavy guitar pop not too far removed from early Talking Heads or the B-52s, albeit without the neuroses of the former or the campiness of the latter. They have punkish energy but sound tight, with precise propulsive percussion in the manner of the Feelies, and they have a knack for a hooky guitar riff and  memorable, oblique lyrics (“flash lights when ready, that’s what she said to me/some assembly required, that’s what I said to her”).  

Absolute Grey, “Greenhouse”— jangly Velvet Underground-inspired acid/folkrock with a great female singer and some inspired tunes (“More Walnuts”; “Remorse”). Rawer and more spontaneous than contemporaries like REM or Thin White Rope, their lack of studio polish is endearing and much of this’ll stick with you long after you’ve heard it.

Bob Mould “Workbook 25”—solo debut from Husker Du principal is much closer to the electric folk of Richard Thompson or John Martyn than it is to the grungy barrage of his former band. He’s still a somber guy, and he doesn’t wholly abandon the blistering distorted guitar solos, but he deploys a lot of cello and 12-string acoustic to give this a much cleaner, almost-orkpop quality; songs like the instrumental opener “Sunspots” and “Dreaming I Am” are outright pretty. Meticulously played and produced and very powerful stuff. The bonus tracks on this reissue include a searing cover of Thompson’s  “Shoot Out the Lights.” 

Skip Spence, “Oar”—ex-Jefferson Airplane drummer/Moby Grape founder recorded this visionary, one-man tour de force in a manic burst following his release from Bellevue. Much of this is minimalist folk blues (“Weighted Down;” Cripple Creek”), though he also touches on gospel,  psychedelia and even music hall (“Lawrence of Euphoria” would do Gilbert & Sullivan proud). Out there but not really unhinged—like Syd Barrett’s solo work there’s real melodic heft to the songs and the lyrics are fraught with strange imagery and clever double entendres.

V/A—Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye—Known for primal garage rockers (“You’re Gonna Miss Me”), the recently-departed Erickson had surprising range as a writer and could pen a tender love song as well as acid-fried paeans to zombies and two headed dogs. His own records are uneven, but this tribute project is a fitting obituary. The bigger names (ZZ Top, REM) do fine, but the standout tracks here are from John Wesley Harding and the generally-forgettable Poi Dog Pondering, who nail the sublime, oddly beautiful “I Had to Tell You.”

Cheap Trick, s/t—they’d strike it big with their later, studio-shiny product, but this heavier, underrecognized debut is one of the best-ever hard rock records. Rick Nielsen’s tunes are sharp and  subversive (“He’s A Whore,” “Elo Kiddies”), while Robin Zander may have the strongest lungs in the genre—check out his microphone shredding take on “Speak Now”.

Nirvana, “Live at Reading”—I’ve always had reservations about the sonic approach to the (overpolished) Nevermind and (artificially grungy) In Utero, which leaves this unfiltered barrage as the truest representation of their genius. “Been A Son” rules.

Aimee Mann, “I’m With Stupid”— she’d prbably be miserable on a camping trip, but nobody writes a better kiss-off song and she scores here with surprisingly tough-minded, Oasis-like rockers (“Long Shot,” “Sugarcoated”) and wistful, cerebral torch songs (“Ray,” “Par for the Course”), all sung in her bell-clear dulcet voice. Producer/cohort Jon Brion does well with the arrangements, wisely stripping away the gratuitous New Wave trappings that murked up her earlier works and leaving in enough raw edges and guitar solos to appease more jaded listeners.

Funkadelic, “Maggot Brain”— I was familiar only with the mindblowing, psychedelic ten-minute title track, but the shorter funk-meets-thrash numbers that follow seem to have influenced not just Prince and Rick James but the whole SoCal skatepunk ethos, while the closer, “Wars of Armageddon” is genuinely trippier than anything Zappa could conceive. That album cover still gives me nightmares, however.

The Hotrats, “Turn Ons”—Bowie’s “Pin-Ups” excepted, most such all-covers project are a wank, but this loud, reverent set from neo-classicists Supergrass is really well done, with creative takes on classic songs by Squeeze, Lou Reed and (esp.) the Beastie Boys. 

The Ponys, “Laced With Romance”— exuberant postpunk from Chicago grabs you from the get-go with overdriven riffs and unrelenting grooviness. They borrow heavily from “Nuggets” era garage rockers as well as from Echo and Television—the principal intones like an Anglicized Tom Verlaine—but somehow have their own primal sound; songs like “I’ll Make You a Star” and “Let’s Kill Ourselves” have a way for insinuating themselves into your cranium. 

Boris “Rainbow”— hypnotic mix of metal, ambient and Melvins-style stoner rock from Japanese power trio, here joined by the face-melting pysch guitarist Michio Kurihara (whose main band, Ghost, is also a must-hear). Pulverizing and/or droning in spots, this is not your typical Satan-worshipping noisefest—the songs are melodic, even gentle at times, with soothing (if incomprehensible) vocals and a great sense of loud/quiet dynamics. Really exceptional.

Preoccupations, “New Material”—a Calgary band who (like the similarly derivative Interpol) does a very credible take on 80s-style gloom merchants like Joy Division, Echo and the Cure. Lyrics are unfailingly dark—suicide, anxiety, doubt—but the tunes are sprightly, the singer emotes convincingly and the band plays with a nice propulsive swing. Inessential but worthwhile.

Vibrators, “Pure Mania”—fat-free Brit punk owes as much to Eddie Cochran as it does to the Clash. Refreshingly unconcerned with politics or alienation—they snarl mostly about women—virtually all these two minute gems feature a tightly wound verse, a cathartic chorus and a frenzied guitar break. This’ll get your heart pumping as well as anything.    

Bark Psychosis, “Hex”— spacy atmospheric postrock in the vein of Talk Talk, though you can also hear swatches of Eno, ECM-style jazz, dub and prog. Built around reverb-heavy guitar, pulsing rhythms and unsettling, whispery vocals, this is an exceptionally lush sounding work which in its own more subdued way is a much a sonic landmark as “Dark Side of the Moon” or “OK Computer.” Very highly recommended.

Chris Bell, “I Am The Cosmos”— co-founder of powerpop deities Big Star, his lyricism and tormented vocals remind me of no one so much as John Lennon. He could rock out convincingly (“I Don’t Know;” “Got Kinda Lost”), but his real forte was intense spiritual/gospelly numbers (“There Was A Light”) and melancholy love songs of extreme delicacy and beauty (“Speed of Sound”). Sound quality is ragged (this was cobbled together posthumously from demos and singles), but this is fantastic stuff nonetheless. The dreampop supergroup This Mortal Coil covered the title track superbly.

Clinic, “Wheeltappers and Shunters”—eccentric Brits use jittery rhythms, vintage keyboards/drum machines and melodica (!) to create an addictive sort of electropop. They’ve clearly listened to the angular postpunk of Gang of Four and Wire as well as to Radiohead—the singer purrs like a sinister Thom Yorke—but they have a very distinctive take on the form. This new set of songs isn’t as memorable as their 2002 masterwork, Walking with Thee, but this still sounds great on headphones.

Smoking Popes, “Destination Failure”—Green Day-style guitar pop with a Sinatra-loving crooner. Better than you’d think, with some great ravers like “I Know You Love Me” and “Before I’m Gone;” you could actually envision Tony Bennett tackling “Star Struck One” or “Megan”. 

Nils Peter Molvaer, “Khmer”—Swedish trumpeter plays eerie electronic jazz which falls somewhere between bop and industrial. Eschewing traditional accompaniment, he plays his (frequently muted) horn over ambient electronic washes, trip-hoppy beats and squalling, occasionally dissonant guitars. Very accessible—the compositions have real structure and his icy tone is crystal clear. His later records drifted towards New Age/Enya territory and kinda suck, but this one is optimal late night listening. 

Microdisney, “Clock Comes Down the Stairs”–aptly branded “iron fist in velvet glove,” these Irishmen paired sophisticated orchestrations with hyper-literate, acerbic lyrics and an outstanding deep-voiced singer. Sonically akin to polished studio pop like Prefab Sprout or Blue Nile, but this has an edgier spirit–like Morrissey or (audioreviews faves) Go-Betweens, there’s an angsty, sardonic feel to these songs. Not for rockers, but a classic of its type; “Begging Bowl” is one of the greatest songs of the 80s. 

Al Green, “Belle Album”–his last secular album, and you can hear him moving from away from the carnal to the spiritual (“it’s you that I want/but it’s Him that I need”). Darker and more stripped-down and guitar-focused than his prior fare, without obvious hits, this has a hypnotic flow capped off by the gospelly “Chariots of Fire” and the slow-burning, transcendant “Dream.” He sings pretty good, too. 

Crazy Horse, s/t—as Americana I rank this ragged barroom fare on a par with “Music from Big Pink” or Little Feat’s debut. OD victim Danny Whitten really was a formidable talent, and his ballads “Look at all the Things” and “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” will literarily break your heart. Neil Young stand-in Nils Lofgren contributes his best song, “Beggar’s Day,” while Ry Cooder is lethal on slide throughout.

Rain Parade, “Emergency Third Rail Power Trip”—the best of the late lamented Paisley Underground scene, this borrows heavily from 60’s folkrock and psychedelia (think “Eight Miles High” or “Hurdy Gurdy Man”), sometimes with the trippy feel of early Pink Floyd. Melodic and well-recorded, with earnest, uncolored singing, a great clean twin guitar sound and some genuinely beautiful tunes (“Kaleidoscope,” “Carolyn’s Song”).

Vampire Weekend, “Father of the Bride”—I understand this is college music, but I can’t for the life of me grasp why college kids would listen to this sanitized, sexless, saccharine sort of pseudo-World music. Well produced and performed, which, in context, is not a compliment.

Blind Faith, S/T—there’s a bit of a tossed-off quality to this prototypical supergroup project–the lyrics are comically underwritten and the extended “Do What You Like” drifts into aimlessness. That said, I’m surprised at how enjoyable this is–Winwood has never sung better and the songs are there, including the certifiable classic “Can’t Find My Way Home” and “Presence of the Lord,” which may be Clapton’s best non-Dominos composition. I’ve never worshipped Clapton’s playing, which always struck me as technically flawless but rigid and soulless, but he sounds nice and loose here. The scratchy violin solo on “Sea of Joy” is epic.

Richard Buckner,  “Our Blood”–Buckner has evolved from bittersweet altcountry  (ala Son Volt or Lucinda Williams) to an insular, original sort of electrofolk, which fuses his warm, grainy baritone (think an Americanized Joe Cocker) to  simple guitar figures, vintage keyboards and poetic, emotionally raw lyrics about loss and longing. His sonic palette is somewhat narrow–he favors elegaic, downcast melodies –but he’s really mastered this sound, and  this very well-recorded set is as good an introduction as any. 

Liquor Giants, “Every Other Day at a Time”–unfussy 60’s-inspired guitar pop from ex-Gun Club guitarist Ward Dotson, whose harder-edged prior band, the Pontiac Brothers, is also worth checking out. A genuinely great songwriter with an innate knack for clever lyrical and melodic hooks, he effortlessly invokes the Beach Boys, the Byrds and the Move (whose “Fire Escape” is covered here), though he throws in enough skewed Buzzcocks-like guitar and ragged harmonies to keep this from mere rehash or parody. I would kill to knock off a song as good as “Raining Butterflies” or “I Know I’m Wrong.”

Cat Power, “Moon Pix”—I’ve vacillated between thinking she’s a dreary self-absorbed mess or a gifted torch singer before settling, at least on this set, for the latter. Austerely arranged and deliberately paced, though less somber than her usual, she enlists Aussie jazzbos Dirty Three to give this some kick in spots. Much of this has the earthy fervor of an old Delta blues record, and her voice does stick with you.

Prince, “Plectorumelectrum”—he didn’t exactly lose his muse, but most of his post-1990 output was so eclectic/unfiltered as to be almost unlistenable—he’s one guy who definitely needed an editor. This oddball power-trio set, though, is surprisingly coherent, mainly because he stops screwing around and just cranks up his guitar. Leaving most of the vox to a couple of ladies, he mixes slow, Ohio Players-style R&B with heavy almost-metal which borrows as much from Black Sabbath as from Eddie Hazel or Hendrix. Jammin.

Duster, “Capsule Losing Contact”—three disc collection from obscure 90s depressives whose broody, atomospheric output seems to have garnered a lot of recent critical interest. Most of these songs feature glacial tempos, distorted guitars, subdued synths and offhand vocals—tuneful slowcore bands like Low are an obvious influence, though I also hear a lot of emo and Velvet-influenced dreampoppers like Galaxie 500 and Mazzy Star. Very, very pretty stuff, if somewhat lugubrious and monochromatic, this is definitely not suitable for your Zumba class, though it works very well for winding down with a couple of gin-and Valiums.

Anteloper, “Kudu”—psychedelicized, improvisational update of “Bitches Brew” era jazz-funk, featuring a wild, arrhtymic drummer and a fantastic lady trumpeter whose cool but powerful blowing approaches Miles. Exploratory and unpredictable, these tunes nonetheless are surprisingly cohesive, with powerful grooves, ambient electronic washes and real melodies peeking out amidst the sudden dynamic shifts and free-form explorations. A real find.

Fleetwood Mac, “Kiln House”—recorded after Peter Green’s departure and pre-chick singers, this album marks their transistion from blues band to their eventual AOR commercial zenith. Deftly mixing Jeremy Spencer’s sleazy rockabilly (“This is The Rock”, “Hi-ho Silver”) with the melodic, understated genius of Danny Kirwan (“Jewel Eyed Judy”, “Tell Me”), this is song-for-song the best album in their catalog, alternately funny, tender and heavy.

Fig Dish, “That’s What Love Songs Often Do”– maddeningly catchy, Replacements-like rawk from Chicago quartet that got swept up (and subsequently ignored) in the wake of Smashing Pumpkins. Unruly and anarchistic live, their two major-label records actually show a tight, crafty studio band, with massive hooks, subtle harmonies and a giant, crunchy guitar sound ala Meat Puppets or “Monster” era REM. More tuneful than most grunge, and louder than most power pop, though they can dial it down a bit when they choose (“Lemonader,” “Quiet Storm King”); like Nirvana they have a particularly good feel for loud-soft dynamics.  The furious waltz-tempo opener, “Bury Me” is a real stomper, while the edgy “Seeds,” with its terse haiku chorus,  is a shoulda-been classic. I sorta understand why bands like this don’t make it—they lack anything like a marketable image—but if you care more about the adrenaline than the optics, this delivers.Nik Bartsch, “Awase”— hypnotic, minimalist trance from Swiss quartet. Seemingly informed by neo-classical composers like Phillip Glass or LaMonte Young, this also has elements of fusion and funk, albeit without all the wankery. The long songs generally follow a pattern–the rhythm section lays down a propulsive almost techno beat, leader Bartsch plays repetitive, fragmentary piano figures and the horn player adds fluid, melodic lines which gradually intensify and/or approach disorder. Much more accessible than you’d think and a great late-night listen, this is avant-garde for people who thought they don’t like avant-garde

Lorelle Meets the Obsolete, “De Facto”— off-kilter neopsychdelia/triphop from Mexico City. Most of these tunes begin with a druggy, hypnotic feel, with soothing (Spanish language) female vox crooning over pulsing, repetitive basslines and gentle synth washes; however they inevitably add fuzzed-out, noisy guitar, driving percussion and distortion to the mix to give an unsettling quality to the proceedings. Trance-y minimalists like Spacemen 3 (whose Sonic Boom had some interaction with the band) are an obvious influence, though I also hear elements of Krauts like Tangerine Dream and Neu as well as avant guitarists like Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth. Addictive stuff.

Free, “Fire and Water”–granted, Bad Company was kinda stupid, but there’s no denying that Paul Rogers was a great singer–soulful without sounding cloying–and every one of these tunes connect some 50 years later. I like how spartan the arrangements are (no overdubs, no harmonies); impeccably restrained guitarist Paul Kosoff in particular must set a record for playing the fewest notes per full-length album. The real killer here, though, is bassist Andy Fraser who simultaneously plays trebly rhythm and lead and gives this a swing which peers like Cream and Humble Pie never grasped. Their big hits “All Right Now” and “Fire or Water” (later crushedby Wilson Pickett) are here, but my favorites are the stately, somber “Don’t Say You Love Me” and “Heavy Load.” 

Vijay Iyer Sextet “Far From Over”—a cerebral, technically brilliant pianist whose wild genre-hopping experimentation sometimes ventures into inaccessibility, Iyer plays it comparatively straight here, with a horncentric, hard-bop set that brings to mind “Ascension”-era Coltrane or funkier, later-day Miles Davis. Much of this is uptempo and electric (he plays a lot of Fender Rhodes), with swelling crescendos and  big dynamic shifts, tho he varies the mood nicely with quiet piano meditations (“For Amiri Baraka,”) and more modal /Eastern passages. Impressive.

Afghan Whigs. “Gentlemen”—their noisier early records and overpolished faux-R&B later stuff never fully connected with me, but this is one of the best, most harrowing rock records of the 90s. A concept album of sorts—singer/auteur Greg Dulli self-flagellates about his moral failings and dysfunctional relationships while the super locked-in band howls and purrs behind him. Alternately loud/funky (“Debonair”) or slow and somber (“Be Sweet”), these are great, smart songs, esp. the cathartic, piano-driven “What Jail is Like,” which more-or-less sums up his view of romance. The orchestral coda at the end seems tacked-on and incongruous at first, but soon becomes a needed respite from all that psychic fury. Great production, with notable stereo separation and a huge, crisp drum sound. 

Jason Isbell, “The Nashville Sound”—Isbell does a certain kind of sad, pretty tune as well as anyone and this incredibly depressing mediation on the inevitability of death is his saddest and prettiest. (“If we were vampires and death was a joke/We’d stand out on and the sidewalk and smoke/And laugh at all the lovers and their plans/And then I wouldn’t need to hold your hand”). Goddamn if this one doesn’t make me feel old.

DM3, “Hourglass”–pubrockers played an exuberant, garagey  pop not too far removed from Nick Lowe or (fellow Ozzies) Hoodoo Gurus, with hypercatchy tunes and a big ringing guitar sound.  This 21 song best-of has their genre classics like “One Time Two Times” and a great cover of Creation’s “Making Time.” “Take It All” is as purty an old-fashioned power ballad as you’ll hear.

Eyelids, “OR”—ex-Decemberists/Guided by Voices sidemen don’t necessarily do anything different than the legions of other Big-Star worshipping powerpoppers (Velvet Crush, Matthew Sweet, etc.), but like the similarly-bent Posies have a real feel for the form, with a bevy of hooky, melancholic tunes and particularly noteworthy singing and guitar playing (“Slow It Goes”). Unfashionable, uncomplicated and all the better for it. 

Adam Franklin, “All Happening Now”—re-recorded, dialed-down versions of songs from his former bands, the overdriven shoegazers Swervedriver and the spacier, ambient Toshack Highway. Shorn of most of the whammy bars, feedback and overdriven rhythms, this sounds closer to Britpop like Oasis or Suede, either of whom would be thrilled to have so deep a catalog. Franklin’s a very good guitarist and expressive enough of a non-singer to deliver these taut melodic tunes; one wonders why he wasn’t anointed a major artist. Also worthwhile: Swervedriver’s 2019 fuzzed-out reunion disc, “Future Ruins,” which sounds like they haven’t lost a step since the early 90s.

Arab Strap, “The Red Thread”—intense, tough-to-categorize sort of postrock/slowcore features one Aidan Moffat sing-speaking twisted tales of  jealous lovers and perfidious women in a heavy Scottish brogue over rich, flowing guitar-and-drum machine washes, sometimes enlivened with piano and strings.  Perhaps best analogized to a fugged-up Tindersticks or the National, you respond to this melodically even if you can’t speak Scottish—this is intense, often hilarious and definitely original.  

The Bevis Frond, “We’re Your Friends, Man”—DIY psychedelic guitar hero Nick Salomon has been cranking out records of remarkable consistency since 1987 and is the rare rocker who actually improves with age. This latest (his “20-something swinging disc”) is as well-written as anything you’ll hear this year, with nary a duff track among its 20 tunes. Veering capably from tightly-constructed stompers (“Enjoy”; “Old Wives Tales”) to pretty Britfolk ballads (“We’re Your Friends, “Mad Love”) to his typical acid-jammy workouts (“You’re on Your Own”), he variously invokes Richard Thompson, Byrds and Crazy Horse without sounding particularly derivative. Granted, his homely-but-appealing voice (never a particularly supple instrument) sounds noticeably strained, but riffs and lyrics are sharp, his band is tight and he can still shred like a mofo. My pick for album of the year, which shows where I’m coming from.

Pete Townsend/Ronnie Lane, “Rough Mix”—this mostly-low key folksy 1977 set with ex-Small Face Lane tones down the psychodrama and is one of the more listenable records in Townsend’s canon, perhaps because (except for the over-arranged “Street in the City”) it doesn’t aim to make a Grand Statement. Townsend’s rough-and-ready pubrocker “My Baby Gives It Away” and the poignant “Keep Me Turning” (which for some reason always brings a tear to my eye) are among his best songs, but the real gems are Lane’s subtle, acoustic “Annie” and “Nowhere to Run,” which have timeless, classic feel. 

Watter, “History of the Future”–brooding, atmospheric landscapes from Louisville, of all places The shortish tunes are not mere ambient wankery, but have real structure and textural variety, with spacy electronic and pastoral folky parts melding with progrock dynamics and even classical passages; despite the disparate elements the record is quite coherent overall. Experimental and instro bands like Trans Am, Godspeed You Black Emperor or Caspian are fair reference points, but this shows more sonic range and ambition. Great headphone music.

The Stroppies, “Whoosh” –Ozzie primitivists uncannily recreate classic 80s Flying Nun (NZ) bands like the Bats, Tall Dwarfs and the Chills. Deploying boy/girl harmonies, rudimentary Casio organ and jagged loudish guitar lines, these guys have a knack for creating rhythmically insistent, stripped-down tunes which are both shambolic and surprisingly hooky (“Pen Name,” “Entropy”). Pastoral yet punchy, with an innate sense of dynamics, this record will have appeal to admirers of insular indy rockers like Feelies or Pavement and really hearkens back to a better era where good songs and angst-free attitude trumped studio polish. Similar and also recommended, The Stevens, “Good”.

Jenny Lewis, “On the Line”— a charismatic critic’s pet and former child actor who (like the similarly-situated Neko Case and Kelly Musgraves) I’ve never fully embraced, Ms. Lewis enlists a bunch of studio pros (Beck, Ringo, Benmont Tench) to create a big-sounding, glossy countrypolitain production which is unquestionably accomplished but ultimately leaves me unmoved. Dealing largely with loss, death and decadence, the songs are lyrically ambitious although the somewhat monochromatic melodies drag (like Fiona Apple, she tends to default to the same slow, percussive piano tempo). She has a crystal clear, dramatic voice, but sounds curiously detached and soulless here, like she’s playing a role, rather than genuinely inhabiting the downtrodden personas she’s singing about. Mostly, though, there’s an offputting hyper-showy quality to this thing—everything from the overbusy mix to her overarticulated vocals to the boob shot on the album cover screams “look at me.” Pass.

Michael Head and the Strands, “The Magical World of the Strands”—although vaguely aware of Head’s prior bands, Pale Fountains and Shack, this 1998 folkrock masterwork wholly escaped my purview until now. Strongly reminiscent of Fairport Convention or a ballsier Nick Drake, these songs are instantly memorable, with gorgeous melancholic melodies and hallucinatory, introspective lyrics. Like Drake (or Love’s “Forever Changes”), he sweetens some of his arrangements with strings and flute and there’s a subtle chamber-pop feel to some of these tunes, although there’s little that’s twee about it—the band plays with rock dynamics, the drumming is propulsive and the electric/acoustic guitar interplay is sinewy and sometimes freak-folky and exploratory. Head is an excellent, understated singer whose warm tremulous tenor reminds me of Gene Clark or Pete Ham, and there’s a natural organic feel to these proceedings. Optimal late-night listening and a real find. 

Hookworms, Live Vol. III—much rawer than their synth-heavy studio work, this set fuses the Stooges, “Sister Ray”-era Velvets and droning Krautrock into a punkish-but-tuneful organ-fueled clamor which hits you like a bottle of cough syrup.   Heavy but hooky, with a sort of psychedelic feel, the singer howls cathartically over thumping, almost-danceable drums and thick, driving guitar lines; there’s an undeniable emotional power to these tunes even if you have no idea what they’re caterwauling about. More accessible than you might think, this would appeal to fans of early Pink Floyd as well as postpunk bands like Public Image Ltd. Good workout music.

The post Loomis’ Music Picks appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Big and heavy earpieces; timbre not for everybody; requires tip rolling…but hey, this earphone costs $20!

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Senfer DT6 is a technically competent 3-driver earphone with a dynamic driver (DD) for the low end, a balanced armature (BA) driver for the midrange, and a piezoelectric tweeter for the highs. It offers a refined, close-to-neutral sound with emphasis on a quality midrange at a ridiculously low price.

For more photos see Slater’s Audio Porn “Senfer DT6 on the Rocks”!

INTRODUCTION

Senfer is a Chinese brand known for earphones with a bright sound signature. I have owned their $20 UEs model for a couple of years, which is not bright, and it has a resolution that co-blogger Loomis Johnson and I compared to the $399 UE900s.

Piezoelectric drivers for the treble are the latest offerings in the budget segment. We reviewed one of them, the NiceHCK N3, which did not impress most reviewers and us either. I grudgingly was talked into reviewing these DT6 — and must admit that I never looked back.

SPECIFICATIONS

Product Name: SENFER DT6 in ear metal earphone
Brand: SENFER
Model: DT6
Earphone Type: In-ear
Impedance: 32 Ω
Earphone Sensitivity: 110 dB/mW
Frequency Range: 5-40000 Hz
Interface: 3.5mm Gilded
Plug Type: straight
Cable Length: 1.2 m ± 3 cm
Connector: MMCX Interface
Microphone/Remote: Yes
Driver unit: 1BA + 1DD + Ceramic Piezoelectric hybrid 3 driver unit
Price (list): $37.49 (at the time of the review)
Your Price: $19 [instructions]
Purchase Link: MissAudio Store

IN THE BOX…

You find the earpieces, cable with MMCX connectors, shirt clip, and 4 pairs of eartips. NOTE: the braided cable that came with my unit is fancier than the cable I have seen on earlier pictures. It is braided, contains a three-button remote, and has a straight TRRS plug.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY

The earpieces are made of metal, they are big and heavy. The nozzles are relatively short and angled. Build is good but the shells look a bit rudimentary, reminiscent of very early Knowledge Zenith models. The braided cable is just fine.

ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

The combination of these big and heavy metal shells and the angled nozzles required a bit of fiddling to get the right fit. I applied the technique suggested by Etymotic [video]: insert into ear canal and rotate by 90 degrees. Once they are in, they are comfortable, especially since the wire is worn down, but be aware that the shells stick quite a bit out of your ears. Isolation is soso, depending on your ear shape and the tips used, but it is in no case fantastic.

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

I used the iPhone SE, which drove the DT6 with ease. The included tips were problematic as none of them was big enough to seals my ear canals. I settled with wide-bores that came with the NiceHCK M6 and the Yinyoo D2B4.

TONALITY

JK’s tonal preference and testing practice

The big picture: the Senfer DT6 offers a refined, brightish, quasi-neutral sound with no offensive humps or peaks in bass or treble.

The details: There is an almost linear response from the very low-end into the midrange. The bass is well extended down to 20 kHz and peaks at the sub-bass/lower bass transition. There is a small peak in the midrange just before 2 kHz, a dip at around 3 kHz, and another moderate peak at 4 kHz. Treble starts dropping off early at 4 kHz (one would expect at 6 kHz for neutral) but it is well extended between 10 and 15 kHz. This results in a neutral to brightish sound signature without any offensive parts.

I read some accounts of an overwhelming, boomy bass, which I initially also experienced. This shows that the frequency response measured in a coupler can be different from the human ear’s perception. The solution of this paradox lies in the different ear shapes: depending to what extent the front bass vent is covered upon insertion, bass quantity may differ substantially [explanation].

If you push the earpieces deep down and close the b assholes, the low end is indeed boomy and darkens the overall image. Wiggling the earpieces brings the bass back to normal and the sound close to neutral.

The bass is not the speediest or tighest, has a decent slam from its very low end and stays reasonably contained into the sub-bass. That extension is ok and there is some rumble down there. Overall, the bass adds warmth, bleeds somewhat into the midrange, and is not the DT6’s strongest side…

…no the strength is the midrange which is not hanging back as it is so often the case in this class. It is neutral, a bit on the cool side, resolves well and it “makes” the overall perception of the earphone being good. The rather odd combination of peaks and troughs between 2 and 4 kHz results in a decent vocals rendering

Treble is well resolving and never strident, with no sibilance, harshness and hardness. Sparkle and air are added by the broad 10-15 kHz peak.

Where the Senfer DT6 may be polarizing is its timbre (“tone colour”): it is certainly not organic and violins, acoustic guitars, saxophones, and pianos may sound sterile and metallic to some. This does not matter for rhythm guitars, sequencers, or synthesizers as they don’t have a pre-defined timbre.

The soundstage is quite impressive for such a cheapo: comparing it to the more organic sounding Brainwavz Delta [review here], the stage is bigger and closer, with a good sense of space and an astounding height and depth. You are in the first row with the DT6 whereas you are more in the bleachers with the Deltas (but the Deltas have their merits, too, with their natural sound and good bass foundation adding to the isolation on the daily commute).

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Senfer DT6 is a technically competent and mature sounding earphone independent of price. Even better that it costs only $20. Outstanding are its detailed quality midrange and its refined image without any major flaws. I could wear the DT6s for longer periods without any problems. The only concern could be the timbre that may not cater to purveyors of classical music and jazz. In summary, I’d say the DT is a real find out of the ordinary and at this price you can’t go wrong.

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

The review unit was offered to me by the exuberant people from the MissAudio Store. David Hahn from CHI-FIEAR had established the contact. I thank all of them. The review served the purpose of independently evaluating the technical and practical characteristics of the Senfer DT6 earphone.

Our generic standard disclaimer

About our measurements

Here our other review of the Senfer DT6:

The post Senfer DT6 Review (1) – Epic Little Wonder appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Pros – Homogenous image; outstanding timbre; good build; generous accessories including a high-quality carrying case; good value.

Cons – Bass too punchy for some audiophiles; lower treble spike too much for sensitive ears.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Brainwavz Delta is a well-built, good sounding earphone that thrives on the harmony of its average properties and its outstanding timbre. And it constitutes very good value.

INTRODUCTION

The single dynamic driver (DD) is a dying breed in the new age of balanced-armature (BA) driver earphones. Once expensive, manufacturers now stuff new generations of cheaply produced BAs into large, flashy shells and compete on the number of drivers as their marketing gimmick and price reference. These large shells leave enough space for detachable cables which created an additional market for accessories and therefore even more revenue.

Many manufacturers discontinued their sidelined single DDs similar to record companies getting rid of vinyl in the late 1980s in favour of digital technology. What has not been considered by consumers and manufacturers alike is that single DDs have one huge advantage over the BAs: they sound more organic and natural.  As somebody once wrote: when comparing iems with images, BAs are like overpixelated photos and DDs look like analog prints.

The Brainwavz Deltas are dinosaurs on the market having survived since 2013, I could only think of some Sennheiser and Etymotic models having been offered for longer.

SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers: Dynamic, 8 mm
Rated Impedance: 16Ω
Frequency Range: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Sensitivity: 100 dB at 1 mW
Rated Input Power: 20 mW
Cable: 1.3 m Y-Cord, Copper
Plug: 3.5 mm, Gold plated

Price: $27.50 (list)…I saw them for $20 CAD

IN THE BOX… 

…are the earphones, three pairs of wide-bore silicone tips, one pair of Comply foam tips, cable tie, shirt clip, user guide, and the classic sturdy hard case (the same that comes with the Koel, B200, and B400). Very generous!

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY

The earpieces are well-made of light metal, they feel and appear sturdy and look somewhat non-descript (don’t judge the book by its cover). The cable is reminiscent of thin speaker cable, it is robust and worked for me. And it is red, which sets the Deltas apart from their competition…looks distinct and good. Strains reliefs are fine, and the jack is the classic Brainwavz 45 degree angled designed found on the company’s other cables. The chin slider comes in very handy. In summary, everything is of good quality, nothing to complain about.

ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

As with most of barrel-shaped dynamic in-ears, the Deltas fit very well. Isolation is good, especially when combined with the deep-bass punch (see below). I barely heard street noise and recommend these for the daily commute.

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

The largest included wide-bore eartips worked well for me, but I wished Brainwavz had included narrow bores, too (which tame down treble and move the treble peaks to slightly lower frequencies, as depicted HERE). The Deltas were easily driven by my iPhone SE.

TONALITY

JK’s tonal preference and testing practice

The big picture: The Brainwavz Delta is a warm, smooth sounding earphone with a natural timbre and good resolution.

The details: The Brainwavz Delta has a linear frequency response that is forward inclined between 50 Hz and 1.5 kHz, that is the output decreases at an approximately uniform rate with increasing frequency. The bass is well-extended and only starts rolling off slightly at 50 Hz while not getting fuzzy downwards. Bass is not as fast as of a single BA, but is ok. The low end is punchy and the main impact comes from deep down at the transition to the sub-bass. The bass peak is broad and extends upwards into the mid-bass, which can become boomy at times. Yes the bass slam is still far enough away from the lower midrange not to smudge substantially into male vocals of the lower midrange, which maximizes clarity in this segment and minimizes the perception of the slight recession. There is no punch at 200 Hz (so typical for budget DDs) that excavates my eardrums…very pleasant.

The lower (250 to 500 Hz) and upper midrange (2 to 4 kHz, the most sensitive frequency range for the human ear) are slighty recessed and truly linear with no shouty peaks and no harshness or hardness (in contrast to many KZ earphones such as the ZSN or AS10). This is a real strength of the Deltas and the basis of their pleasant sound. The lower midrange is warm, darkish, natural, and smooth. In the upper midrange, high female vocals stay slightly behind and deserve a bit more sheen. 

The treble is well extended. A narrow peak at 6.5 kHz adds brightness to the image. I taped the nozzles off with micropore tape to remove this peak temporarily [instructions], and this not only darkened the image but also removed much of its life, as depicted HERE. This peak adds the icing to cymbals and high piano notes, but it also introduces the occasional borderline sibilance and may be too sharp for sensitive ears. The treble starts rolling off at 6.5 kHz, which means it is well extended, and a secondary peak at 14 kHz adds the perception of added resolution, clarity, sparkle and airiness.

Clarity and detail resolution are generally good and so are instrument separation and layering. The timbre is natural and beats many much higher priced hybrid iems (which resolve better and have a deeper and taller soundstage).

The soundstage is wider than deep and not very tall, typical for a budget single-DD earphone, which is just fine.

In summary, the Deltas’ sound is different from so many other single DDs in its class by having the bass attack deep and no annoying upper midrange peak (“not the classic V-shape”). The price to pay for the latter is an added lower treble peak that area (reportedly) strident to some ears. Overall, the Deltas sound enjoyable to me and I could not find any noteworthy weakness.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Brainwavz Delta is the classic, simple, rugged, well-built budget DD earphone that holds its marketplace whereas many of its competitors have been sacrificed for flashier BA or hybrid models. Kudos to Brainwavz for that — as the Deltas are well worth it. And while they don’t break any world record, they sound good, have not a single flaw, come with a great case, and are shipped fast. The Deltas are yet another example that a good sound does not have to be expensive. I enjoyed testing them.

MY VERDICT

DISCLAIMER

The Deltas were selected and provided by Brainwavz upon my request for reviewing an interesting single dynamic-driver earphone and I thank them for that. The fast communication with Brainwavz is once again appreciated. The sole purpose of this review was to independently test the Deltas’ technical and practical capabilities. 

Our generic standard disclaimer

About our measurements

The post Brainwavz Delta Review – Seriously Timeless! appeared first on Audio Reviews.

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Models labelled with “*” are on our Wall of Excellence.

May additions: Gravastar Sirius Pro TWS, BQEYZ Autumn (2), 7Hz Timeless (3), Drop Grell TWS1X, Tripowin Leá, Mifo S TWS, Moondrop CHU (1), IKKO OH2.

April additions: Astrotec Vesna (1), RHA CL2, BQEYZ Autumn (1), KZ x CRN, 2*Hidizs MM2, KBEAR Aurora (3).

March additions: Whizzer Kylin HE03D, IKKO OH10, Tripowin X HBB Olina, LETSHUOER EJ07M, KBEAR Aurora (2), Whizzer BS1, NiceHCK EB2S, NiceHCK DB1, Tanchjim OLA.

Reviews in Alphabetical Order:

1. 7Hz Timeless (1) (Alberto Pittaluga)
2. 7Hz Timeless (2) (Durwood)
3. 7Hz Timeless (3) (Loomis Johnson)
4. Acoustic Effect TRY-01 (Baskingshark)
5. Akoustyx R-220 (Jürgen Kraus)
6. AME Custom Argent Hybrid Electrostatic (Jürgen Kraus)
7. Anew X-One (Jürgen Kraus)
8. Anker Soundcore Liberty Pro 2 (Loomis Johnson)
9. Astrotec Vesna (Jürgen Kraus)
10. Audbos/Tenzh P4 Pro (Loomis Johnson)
11. Audiosense DT200 (1) (Baskingshark)
12. Audiosense DT200 (2) (KopiOkaya)
13. Aune Jasper (1) (Loomis Johnson)
14. Aune Jasper (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
15. BCD X10 (Loomis Johnson)
16. Beats Powerbeats Pro TWS (Loomis Johnson)
17. Blon A8 Prometheus (1) (Loomis Johnson)
18. Blon A8 Prometheus (2) (Durwood)
19. Blon Bl-01 (1) (Baskingshark)
20. Blon BL-01 (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)
21. Blon BL-03* (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
22. Blon BL-03* (2) (Loomis Johnson)
23. Blon BL-05 (1) (Baskingshark)
24. BLON BL-05 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
25. Blon BL-05s (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
26. Blon BL-05s (2) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
27. Blon BL-05s (3) (Baskingshark)
28. Blon BL-Max (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
29. Blon Mini (Baskingshark)
30. Brainwavz Delta (Jürgen Kraus)
31. Brainwavz Koel (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
32. BQEYZ Autumn (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
33. BQEYZ Autumn (2) (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
34. BQEYZ KC2 (Jürgen Kraus)
35. BQEYZ Spring 1 (1) (Durwood)
36. BQEYZ Spring 1 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
37. BQEYZ Spring 1 (3) (Jürgen Kraus)
38. BQEYZ Spring 2 (1) (Durwood)
39. BQEYZ Spring 2 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
40. BQEYZ Summer (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
41. BQEYZ Summer (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)
42. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 (Loomis Johnson)
43. Cambridge Audio SE1 (Loomis Johnson)
44. Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 (Alberto Pittaluga)
45. Campfire Audio Honeydew (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
46. Campfire Audio Satsuma (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
47. Cat Ear Mia (1) (Loomis Johnson)
48. Cat Ear Mia (2) (Durwood)
49. Cat Ear Mia (3) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
50. Cayin Fantasy (Jürgen Kraus)
51. CCA C10 (Slater)
52. CCA C10 (Loomis Johnson)
53. CCA C10 Pro (1) (Durwood)
54. CCA C10 Pro (2) (Baskinghark)
55. CCA CA16 (1) (Durwood)
56. CCA CA16 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
57. CCA CKX (Durwood)
58. CCA CX4 Wireless (Loomis Johnson)
59. CCZ Plume (Baskingshark)
60. Cozoy Hera C103 (Jürgen Kraus)
61. CVJ CS8 (Baskingshark)
62. ddHiFi Janus1 (E2020A) (Jürgen Kraus)
63. ddHiFi Janus2 (E2020B) (Jürgen Kraus)
64. Drop Grell TWS1X (Darin Hawbaker)
65. Drop + JVC HA-FDX1* (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
66. Drop + JVC HA FDX1* (2) (Loomis Johnson)
67. Dunu DM-380 (Jürgen Kraus)
68. Dunu DM-480 (Baskingshark)
69. Dunu Falcon Pro (Alberto Pittaluga)
70. Dunu Luna (1) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
71. Dunu Luna (2) (Baskinghark)
72. Dunu Studio SA6* (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
73. Dunu Zen* (1) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
74. Dunu Zen* (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
75. DZAT DR-25 (Jürgen Kraus)
76. Earstudio HE100 (Jürgen Kraus)
77. Earsonics ONYX (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
78. Einsear T2 (Loomis Johnson)
79. Elevoc Clear (Loomis Johnson)
80. Etymotic E2XR (Loomis Johnson)
81. EZAudio D4 (Jürgen Kraus)
82. FAAEAL Datura Pro (Baskingshark)
83. FIIL CC2 (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
84. FIIL T1XS TWS (Loomis Johnson)
85. FiiO FA1 (Loomis Johnson)
86. FiiO FD1 (Jürgen Kraus)
87. FiiO FH1s (Jürgen Kraus)
88. Final Audio A3000* (Alberto Pittaluga)
89. Final Audio E3000* (Baskingshark)
90. Final Audio E-Series Roundup (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
91. Geek Wold GK10 (1) (Baskingshark)
92. Geek Wold GK10 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
93. Gravastar Sirius Pro TWS (Alberto Pittaluga)
94. Hidizs MM2 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
95. Hidizs MM2 (2) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
96. Hidizs MS1 Rainbow (1) (Durwood)
97. Hidizs MS1 Rainbow (2) (Loomis Johnson)
98. Hifi Walker A1 (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
99. Hill Audio Altair • RA (Jürgen Kraus)
100. Hill Audio S8 (Jürgen Kraus)
101. Hisenior B5 (Loomis Johnson)
102. HZ Sound Heart Mirror (1) (Baskingshark)
103. HZ Sound Heart Mirror (2) (KopiOkaya)
104. iBasso IT00 (Baskingshark)
105. iBasso IT00/Tin Hifi T2 Plus/Moondrop Starfield comparison (Durwood)
106. iBasso IT04 (Alberto Pittaluga)
107. iBasso IT07 (Alberto Pittaluga)
108. Ikko OH1 (Jürgen Kraus)
109. Ikko OH1S (1) (Alberto Pittaluga)
110. Ikko OH1S (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
111. Ikko OH10* (1) (Alberto Pittaluga)
112. Ikko OH10* (2) Jürgen Kraus
113. IKKO OH2 (Jürgen Kraus)
114. Intime Sora 2 (Alberto Pittaluga)
115. ISN Audio Rambo (Jürgen Kraus)
116. KBEAR Aurora (1) (Baskingshark)
117. KBEAR Aurora (2) (Durwood)
118. KBEAR Aurora (3) (Loomis Johnson)
119. KBEAR Believe (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
120. KBEAR Believe (2) (Baskingshark)
121. KBEAR Believe (3) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
122. KBEAR Believe (4) (Loomis Johnson)
123. KBEAR Diamond in Japanese (Jürgen Kraus)
124. KBEAR Diamond (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
125. KBEAR Diamond (2) (Loomis Johnson)
126. KBEAR Diamond (3) (Christophe Branchereau)
127. KBEAR Diamond modding (Biodegraded)
128. KBEAR hi7 (Jürgen Kraus)
129. KBEAR KB04 (1) (Loomis Johnson)
130. KBEAR KB04 (2) (Baskingshark)
131. KBEAR KB04 (3) (Jürgen Kraus)
132. KBEAR KS1 (Baskingshark)
133. KBEAR KS2 (1) Jürgen Kraus)
134. KBEAR KS2 (2) (Baskingshark)
135. KBEAR KS2 (3 (Loomis Johnson)
136. KBEAR Neon (1) (Baskingshark)
137. KBEAR Neon (2) (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
138. KBEAR Lark (Jürgen Kraus)
139. KBEAR Robin (Baskingshark)
140. KBEAR TRI I3 Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
141. KBEAR TRI Starsea (1) (Kopiokaya)
142. KBEAR TRI Starsea (2) (Baskingshark)
143. Kinboofi MK4 (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
144. Kinera BD005 Pro (Baskingshark)
145. Klipsch T5 II TWS Sport (Loomis Johnson)
146. Knowledge Zenith ASF (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
147. Knowledge Zenith ASX (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
148. Knowledge Zenith ASX (2) (Loomis Johnson)
149. Knowledge Zenith ED16 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
150. Knowledge Zenith ED16 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
151. Knowledge Zenith EDX (Jürgen Kraus)
152. Knowledge Zenith ZEX (1) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
153. Knowledge Zenith ZEX (2) (Durwood)
154. Knowledge Zenith ZEX (3) (Alberto Pittaluga)
155. Knowledge Zenith ZSN (Loomis Johnson)
156. Knowledge Zenith ZSN Pro (Slater)
157. Knowledge Zenith ZSN Pro X (Jürgen Kraus)
158. Knowledge Zenith ZS4 (Loomis Johnson)
159. Knowledge Zenith ZS7 (Loomis Johnson)
160. Knowledge Zenith ZS10 (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
161. Knowledge Zenith ZS10 Pro (Loomis Johnson)
162. Knowledge Zenith ZSX Terminator (Loomis Johnson)
163. K’s Earphone Bell-LBs (Alberto Pittaluga)
164. K’s Earphone K300 (Alberto Pittaluga)
165. LETSHUOER EJ07M (Jürgen Kraus)
166. LETSHUOER S12 vs. 7Hz Timeless (Jürgen Kraus)
167. Lker i8 (Jürgen Kraus)
168. Lypertek Tevi L3 Powerplay (Loomis Johnson)
169. LZ A2 (Jürgen Kraus)
170. LZ A7 (Baskinghark)
171. MEE Audio Pinnacle P2 (Loomis Johnson)
172. Meze 12 Classics V2 (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
173. Meze RAI Penta (Kazi Mahbbub Mutakabbir)
174. Meze RAI Solo (Jürgen Kraus)
175. Mifo S TWS (Loomis Johnson
176. Moondrop Aria (1) Jürgen Kraus)
177. Moondrop Aria (2) Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
178. Moondrop x Crinacle Blessing2:Dusk (1) Jürgen Kraus)
179. Moondrop x Crinacle Blessing2:Dusk (2) Biodegraded
180. Moondrop CHU (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
181. Moondrop Crescent (Jürgen Kraus)
182. Moondrop Illumination (Jürgen Kraus)
183. Moondrop Kanas Pro (1) Biodegraded
184. Moondrop Kanas Pro (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
185. Moondrop Kanas Pro (3) Loomis Johnson
186. Moondrop KATO (Jürgen Kraus)
187. Moondrop Quarks (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
188. Moondrop Spaceship (Jürgen Kraus)
189. Moondrop SSP (Jürgen Kraus)
190. Moondrop SSR (1) Jürgen Kraus
191. Moondrop SSR (2) (Baskingshark)
192. Moondrop Starfield (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
193. Moondrop Starfield (2) Loomis Johnson
194. Naenka LITE Pro TWS (Loomis Johnson)
195. NF Audio NM (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
196. NF Audio NM2+ (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
197. NF Audio NM2+ (2) Loomis Johnson
198. NiceHCK Bro (Jürgen Kraus)
199. NiceHCK DB1 (Jürgen Kraus)
200. NiceHCK DB3 (Jürgen Kraus)
201. NiceHCK DT600 (Jürgen Kraus)
202. NiceHCK EB2 (Jürgen Kraus)
203. NiceHCK EB2S (Jürgen Kraus)
204. NiceHCK EBX21 (Baskingshark)
205. NiceHCK EP10 (Jürgen Kraus)
206. NiceHCK EP35 (Jürgen Kraus)
207. NiceHCK Lofty (Jürgen Kraus)
208. NiceHCK HK6 (Loomis Johnson)
209. NiceHCK M5 (Jürgen Kraus)
210. NiceHCK M6 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
211. NiceHCK M6 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
212. NiceHCK N3 (Loomis Johnson, Jürgen Kraus)
213. NiceHCK NX7 (1) (Loomis Johnson)
214. NiceHCK NX7 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
215. NiceHCK NX7 Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
216. NiceHCK NX7 Mk3 (1) (Loomis Johnson)
217. NiceHCK NX7 Mk3 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
218. NiceHCK P3 (Jürgen Kraus)
219. NiceHCK X49 (Jürgen Kraus)
220. Oriveti OH500 (Alberta Pittaluga)
221. Paiaudio DR2 (Jürgen Kraus)
222. PHB EM-023 (Jürgen Kraus)
223. Pioneer CH3 (Jürgen Kraus)
224. Queen of Audio Pink Lady (Jürgen Kraus)
225. Reecho Insects Awaken (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
226. RHA CL2 (Alberto Pittaluga)
227. Rose Mojito (Alberto Pittaluga)
228. Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus (Loomis Johnson)
229. SeeAudio Bravery (1) (Loomis Johnson)
230. SeeAudio Bravery (2) (Baskingshark)
231. Semkarch CNT1 (Loomis Johnson)
232. Senfer DT6 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
233. Senfer DT6 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
234. Senfer UEs/NiceHCK Bro (Loomis Johnson, Jürgen Kraus)
235. Sennheiser CX 400BT (Loomis Johnson)
236. Sennheiser IE 40/400/500 PRO compared (Jürgen Kraus)
237. Sennheiser IE 40 PRO (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
238. Sennheiser IE 400 PRO (Jürgen Kraus)
239. Sennheiser IE 500 PRO (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
240. Sennheiser IE 300 (Jürgen Kraus)
241. Shanling ME80 (Jürgen Kraus)
242. Shuoer Tape (Loomis Johnson)
243. Shozy Form 1.1 (Biodegraded)
244. Shozy Form 1.1 vs. Form 1.4 (Jürgen Kraus)
245. Shozy Form 1.4* (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
246. Shozy Form 1.4* (2) (Durwood)
247. Shozy Form 1.4* (3) (Loomis Johnson)
248. Shozy Rouge (1) (Loomis Johnson)
249. Shozy Rouge (2) (Durwood))
250. Shozy Rouge (3 (Jürgen Kraus)
251. Simgot EM2 (Jürgen Kraus)
252. Simgot EM2 (Loomis Johnson)
253. Smabat M0 (Durwood)
254. Smabat M2 Pro (1) (Baskingshark)
255. Smabat M2 Pro (M2) (Jürgen Kraus)
256. Smabat Proto 1.0 (Alberto Pittaluga)
257. Smabat ST-10 (Jürgen Kraus)
258. Smabat X1 (1) (Baskingshark)
259. Smabat X1 (2 (Jürgen Kraus)
260. Sony MH755 (Jürgen Kraus)
261. Sony IER-ZR (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
262. Sony WX-1000XM3 (Loomis Johnson)
263. SoundPEATS H1 (Loomis Johnson)
264. Status Audio Between Pro TWS (Loomis Johnson)
265. SuperEQ Q2 Pro ANC TWS (Loomis Johnson)
266. Tanchjim Blues (Jürgen Kraus)
267. Tanchjim Cora (Jürgen Kraus)
268. Tanchjim Darling (Aberto Pittaluga)
269. Tanchjim Ola (Loomis Johnson)
270. Tanchjim Oxygen* (Alberto Pittaluga)
271. Tanchjim Tanya (1) (Baskingshark)
272. Tanchjim Tanya (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)
273. Tansio Mirai TSMR-6 (Alberto Pittaluga)
274. Tennmak Dulcimer (Loomis Johnson)
275. Tforce Yuan Li (1) (Durwood)
276. Tforce Yuan Li (2) (Loomis Johnson)
277. Tinaudio T1 (Jürgen Kraus)
278. Tinaudio T2 (Jürgen Kraus)
279. Tin Hifi T2 EVO (Jürgen Kraus)
280. Tin Hifi T2 Plus (1) Jürgen Kraus
281. Tin Hifi T2 Plus (2) (Loomis Johnson)
282. Tin Hifi T4 (1) (Durwood)
283. Tin Hifi T4 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
284. Tin Hifi T4 (3) (Jürgen Kraus)
285. Tin Hifi T5 (Alberto Pittaluga)
286. Tinker TK300 (Baskingshark)
287. ToneKing Nine Tail (Loomis Johnson)
288. Triaudio I3 (1) (Baskingshark)
289. Triaudio I3 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
290. Triaudio I3 Modding (KopiOkaya)
291. Triaudio I4 (1) (KopiOkaya)
292. Triaudio I4 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
293. Triaudio Meteor (KopiOkaya)
294. Tripowin X HBB Olina (KopiOkaya)
295. Tripowin Leá (Jürgen Kraus)
296. TRN BA5 (1) (Durwood)
297. TRN BA5 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
298. TRN BA5 (3) (Loomis Johnson)
299. TRN BA8 (1) (Baskingshark)
300. TRN BA8 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
301. TRN-STM (1) (Loomis Johnson)
302. TRN-STM (2) (Baskingshark)
303. TRN-STM (3) (Durwood)
304. TRN T300 (1) (Baskingshark)
305. TRN T300 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
306. TRN T300 (3) (Alberto Pittaluga)
307. TRN V80 (Jürgen Kraus)
308. TRN V90 (1) (Durwood)
309. TRN V90 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
310. TRN V90S (1) (Baskingshark)
311. TRN V90S (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
312. TRN VX (1) (Loomis Johnson)
313. TRN VX (2) (Baskingshark)
314. TRN VX (3) (Jürgen Kraus)
315. TRN-VX modding (KopiOkaya)
316. Tronsmart Apollo (Baskingshark)
317. Tronsmart Apollo Bold TWS ANC (Baskingshark)
318. Unique Melody 3DT (Jürgen Kraus)
319. Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 (Baskingshark)
320. Venture Electronics BIE Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
321. Venture Electronics Bonus IE (Jürgen Kraus)
322. Venture Electronics Monk Go (Jürgen Kraus)
323. Vision Ears Elysium* and VE8 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
324. Vision Ears Elysium* and VE8 (2) (Biodegraded)
325. Whizzer BS1 (Jürgen Kraus)
326. Whizzer Kylin HE01 (1) Jürgen Kraus)
327. Whizzer Kylin HE01 (2) (Baskingshark)
328. Whizzer Kylin HE03AL (Jürgen Kraus)
329. Whizzer Kylin HE03D (1) (Durwood)
330. Whizzer Kylin HE03D (2) (Loomis Johnson)
331. Yinyoo BK2 (Baskingshark)
332. Yinyoo D2B4 v2 (1) (Biodegraded)
333. Yinyoo D2B4 v2 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
334. Yinyoo V2 (Jürgen Kraus)

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