Cons — Lacks macrodynamic punch and sub-bass rumble
– Notes sound smoothed over at times
– Lower-mids are somewhat recessed
– Imaging is hazy

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Elle Zhou of BQEYZ was kind enough to send me the review sample.
Sources used: Sony NW-A55, Questyle CMA-400i
Price, while reviewed: $200. Can be bought from HiFiGo

INTRODUCTION

The folks at BQEYZ are best known for their hybrid and multi-driver efforts. Their popular models such as the Summer or Spring had DD + BA + Piezo configuration. In fact, BQEYZ is one of the few manufacturers who still use Piezo drivers and has extensive know-how about this driver type.

The Autumn, being a single-dynamic offering, mark a shift in BQEYZ’s approach. Simplifying the driver count allows for easier tuning but also makes maintaining technicalities a challenge.

Do the BQEYZ Autumn pass the hurdle, or do they fall by the wayside? We’ll find out in the following.

PHYSICALS

Accessories

The BQEYZ Autumn come with 6 pairs of eartips, a 4-core silver + copper mixed cable, and the proprietary tuning magnets along side a tool to remove the magnets. A carrying case is also included which gets the job done without being flashy.

Build

General fit and finish are excellent here, with the BQEYZ Autumn having a polished aluminum shell. The shell is a two-piece design with the seam between the pieces barely noticed.

There are three vents on the inner-side of the IEMs. The nozzle is also metal. Lastly, BQEYZ has opted for 0.78mm 2-pin recessed connectors, which I personally prefer over flush or raised connectors.

Comfort and isolation

Comfort is very good but isolation is lacking due to the vents placed on the inner side of the earpiece.

Internals

BQEYZ went for a 13mm single dynamic driver here, with not much being told about the diaphragm material. Elle Zhou confirmed that they are using a 6 micro-meter ultra-thin PEN diaphragm.

The driver is housed in a dual-cavity structure which is becoming pretty standard lately.

BQYEZ Autumn Sound Analysis

Listening setup: BQEYZ Autumn with normal filter + stock cable + Radius Deep-Mount tips + Sony NW-A55

The BQEYZ Autumn have a slightly V-shaped tuning with emphasis around mid-bass and lower-treble. What makes them stand out is how relaxing the signature is, as the transients are rounded and leading edge of notes are softened out.

Bass here is mostly characterized by the mid-bass bloom that adds some extra decay to bass notes. Snare hits also get extra thickness and body as a result. This tuning works well for moderately paced tracks but leaves you wanting in fast metal tracks.

Sub-bass rumble is lacking, so sudden bass drops lack the physicality you expect. Macrodynamic punch is lacking as well, so the BQEYZ Autumn isn’t really suited for portraying the energy in tracks.

Mids are fairly well tuned. Lower mids are recessed but doesn’t sound drowned out. The recession gives a sensation of laid-back vocals that is devoid of shout or shrillness. If you don’t mind midrange recession, the Autumn won’t be disappointing. However, for those seeking more forward or energetic vocals – this ain’t it.

Then comes the treble, and here we have perhaps the only tonal oddity of the Autumn. The 5kHz peak is quite prominent and makes leading edge of cymbal hits sound a bit brittle. This presence region emphasis is needed to keep the Autumn from sounding overly dark but this also leads to over-crispness at times.

Upper-treble is well extended with resonances being heard well until 15kHz. The airiness is kept in check though so it doesn’t lead to fatigue.

Before getting into technicalities, let’s talk about the filters. The filters only increase or decrease the amount of bass but due to how we perceive sound, this change in bass markedly alters the presentation.

The normal filter is the one I found the most balanced, with the bass filter making things too bassy and the treble filter making the 5kHz peak even more prominent.

When it comes to staging, I found the stage width to be quite good. Everything is well separated, and the Autumn don’t sound cramped. However, stage depth is limited.

Imaging is also average with positional cues often being hazy. The saving grace here is the reproduction of microdynamics that allows you to delineate between instruments playing at differing volumes.

Finally, resolved detail is above average for a single dynamic IEM but the Autumn will be bested by a number of multi-BA or hybrid offerings in this range.

Compared to Final E4000

Final E4000 have been one of my default recommendations for a single dynamic driver IEM under USD $200.

In terms of build, the Final are no slouch with a similarly solid aluminium shell. Final went for a barrel shape and mmcx connectors but both IEMs are at equal playing field here.

Comfort and Isolation wise I think E4000 wins as they block more noise than the Autumn. Accessories are about par on both.

As for the sound, E4000 have a similarly bass-boosted, warm tuning but Final has even less emphasis in lower treble. This results in a tad darker tuning than the Autumn. Another noticeable change is the staging and imaging where the E4000 sound more expansive and accurate respectively.

Resolved detail is a bit better on the Autumn due to better upper treble extension. Macrodynamic punch is better on the E4000 meanwhile. Mids are also more engaging on the Final IEMs.

One advantage of the BQEYZ Autumn is the filter system that isn’t available on the E4000 at all. So if you want to change the tuning on the fly the Autumn will be better suited. E4000 are also more difficult to power, requiring better amping.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

BQEYZ have tuned the Autumn fairly well. They didn’t just try to copy-paste an existing target curve and instead went for their own flavor of sound which is rarer to see these days. I do wish that the Autumn were a bit better in terms of technicalities, esp the imaging department. BQEYZ’s previous offerings were better in this regard so this one is a backward step. 

Other than that, the Autumn are a solid pair of single dynamic IEMs, and on sale price they warrant a closer look.

MY VERDICT

4/5

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DISCLAIMER

Get it from HiFiGo

Our generic standard disclaimer.

The post BQEYZ Autumn Review (2) – Incremental Improvements appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Lean notes, lacks kick, shouty and unbalanced; springy cable.

Executive Summary

Introduction

Tripowin is one of Linsoul’s in-house companies. It was established in 2019 – and we rarely had the pleasure to test their products. Linsoul, of course, is a major Shenzen audiogear retailer.

The Léa is a single dynamic-driver earphone aiming to the super-budget crowd whose goal it is to find a cheap iem that punches well “above its weight”. I personally have yet to find such a model, let’s see whether the Léa can convince us.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the two earpieces, one set of eartips (S/M/L/), a pair of clip-on earhooks, and a cable. The shells ae built very well, the silicone eartips work for my ears, the cable is springy, rubbery, and tangles easily, but it does the job. Everything works out of the box.

Comfort and fit are good for my ears, isolation is average. The Leá are easy to drive with a phone.

Tonality and Technicalities

Leá’s signature is warm-neutral, organic, but notes are lean. It is unbalanced to my ears with lack of bass dynamics and too much of an edge in the mids.

Bass is exceptionally tight and clean right down to the lowest frequencies, although it does not reach very deep into the sub-bass. Slam is lacking. The low end lacks bite and is too polite.

This politeness is turned into the opposite in the midrange. Vocals are lean, and pointy, though overall still reasonably organic. They are attenuated by an over-energized upper midrange and lack weight, though note definition is ok. Call it shouty, there is too much harshness and some body lacking in the mids for my gusto.

The midrange is simply a too edgy and lean. When turning the volume up to reach satisfaction in terms of vocals body, all I get is bleeding eardrums. It is like the torture of Sisyphus as the desired result is never achieved. At low to moderate volumes, the midrange is fine, though.

Treble rolls off way to early. Cymbals are frequently buried and lack substance. They are clean but lack weight.

Stage is relatively narrow and has decent depth and height. Imaging, instrument placement, and separation are surprisingly good. So are clarity and resolution. But bass kick is lacking, painted over and taken hostage by the strident, over-energized mids, which knocks the whole experience out of balance.

In comparison, the $20 Astrotec Vesna sound fuller, wider, and smoother — just way more cohesive. Notes are also much better rounded in the Vesna.

Concluding Remarks

The Leá turn out to be too aggressive in the midrange and too dull at the bottom end for my ears. Some smoothness in the midrange is urgently needed. Technicalities are surprisingly good. They are average iems for listening at low to intermediate volumes in their price category. Build and haptic of the earpieces are excellent, though.

In summary, Leá offers nothing new, sonically. Another one for the lowest drawer in my desk.

Until next time…keep on listening!

The post Tripowin Leá Review – Sisyphus Revisited appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Supplied Spring tips are not the best match for CHU as they attenuate treble
– Mids can sound shouty at times
– Technicalities expose the cheap price tag
– Shell paint is prone to chipping off

INTRODUCTION

Moondrop’s last budget offering, the Quarks, left me unimpressed. The only thing those had going for them: price-tag. The neutral-ish tuning was too dry-sounding and the cheap build did not inspire confidence for long-term use.

Enter Moondrop CHU, their latest budget offering. Priced slightly higher than the Quarks, the CHU have far better build and accessories. The tuning, at least on paper (i.e. graph), looks closer to Moondrop’s VDSF target.

All good news so far, but how do they perform in real life? Let’s delve deeper.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Hifigo was kind enough to send me the CHU for evaluation.

Sources used: Questyle CMA-400i
Price, while reviewed: $20. Can be bought from HiFiGo.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The CHU come in a rather fancy packaging with Moondrop’s signature anime-artwork on top. Fortunately the fanciness do not stop there, as these come with Moondrop’s Spring tips bundled. These tips cost more than half the price of the CHU if purchased separately, so the value proposition is high here.

There are a pair of ear-hooks which add extra strain relief to the cable while helping in over-ear fit. You also get a carrying pouch inside but it’s rather horrible. It offers no protection and is made of a paper-like material that I don’t think will last long. Something’s gotta give, I guess.

BUILD QUALITY

The metal shell of the CHU is exquisitely machined. The fit and finish here is as good as the more expensive Aria. In fact, the CHU have similarly “baked” paintjob on the shell, and similar golden design accents. The two vents on the inner-side of the IEMs also have similar position, with one being placed near the nozzle and another slightly higher up in the shell.

The biggest point of contention for many would be the fixed cable. The good news here is that the cable has ample strain reliefs near the jack and shell, and the sheathing is not too stiff. As a result, you won’t get many kinks and untangling the cable won’t be too difficult. If used carefully, I expect the CHU to last a while.

My only gripe would be the lack of strain relief near the Y-split. A cost-cutting measure perhaps that could be avoided. Another issue which is sort of Moondrop specific: the paint job. These tend to wear and chip-off over time.

COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

The CHU are very comfortable once worn. Isolation is fairly good, though you’ll need foam tips for best isolation. Do note that the supplied Spring tips are smaller than usual sizes, so you’ll have to choose “L” size if you usually use “M” size on other tips, e.g. Spinfits.

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

For this review, I mostly used the Questyle CMA-400i which is extremely overkill for such easy-to-drive (18 ohms, 104 dB/mW) IEMs.

As for eartips, this is where we run into some strangeness. As the supplied tips (and being fairly expensive), the Spring tips should be absolutely perfect for CHU. However, that’s not the case. The Spring tips attenuate the entire treble region noticeably, resulting in a smoother but less dynamic presentation.

As a result, for this review I chose the Spinfit CP-100+ tips. Even with the added cost of third-party tips I think the CHU are great value, so this small addition won’t change my final rating much.

MOONDROP CHU DRIVER SETUP

Moondrop has used a 10mm Nano-crystal coating composite Titanium-Coated Diaphragm in the CHU. In plain terms, there is a PET driver with perhaps a thin coating of Titanium. Overall, nothing spectacular and expected for the price-tag.

The acoustic chamber design is more interesting as the CHU use a similar system to Aria with two front-facing vents that equalize both the front and back-side air-pressure. As a result, driver control is easier to ascertain.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

Moondrop CHU have a “sub-bass-boosted neutral” tuning. Moondrop calls it their VDSF target and higher-tier IEMs like the Blessing2 and Aria have similar target response.

Having the same graph does not mean that the CHU sounds the same as Blessing2 or the Aria. There are noticeable differences in the technicalities and presentation that set these three IEMs apart.

In terms of bass response, the CHU do reach as low as 30Hz, but the rumble is faint. Bass lacks physicality and doesn’t have the mid-bass punch or sub-bass slam you get from better drivers. Mid-bass notes are not the most textured, but CHU do a better job here than many of their peers. Bass speed is average, but again – not expecting miracles here.

The one thing that I like about the bass is that it doesn’t bleed into the mids. Even then, in tracks with a lot of bass undertones you will miss a lot of the notes. The driver is just not capable enough for that kind of workload.

Speaking of the mids, the lower-mids could do with a bit of body as I think baritone vocals lack some of their signature heft. This is somewhat compounded by the nearly 10dB of rise to the upper-mids. Fortunately, the rise is not too drastic and only in certain songs do you hear hint of shoutiness, e.g. Colbie Caillat’s Magic. Nonetheless, the lower-mids never get the heft and weight I would consider “ideal”, so there’s that. Easily fixed with slight EQ though.

The treble response will probably divide the audiences. Those who prefer a bit more presence-region “bite” will be disappointed as the Spring tips smooth those out. This hampers resonances and upper-harmonic, and most noticeably kills the dynamics. The fix is simple: use other tips like Final E-type or Spinfit CP-100+. The graph shows how the Spring tips reduce the frequencies between 4-8kHz by 3dB or so. Upper-treble is also hurt but those measurements aren’t reliable.

General resolution is middling in the grand scheme of things, but for $20 only very few IEMs can claim better performance, and those who actually resolve more have other tonal oddities. Soundstage has decent height but lacks the width and depth of higher-tier IEMs. Imaging is mostly left and right but I don’t want to nitpick here because, again, price.

Dynamics is another area where CHU can perform better even for the asking price. With the changed tips, I find them to have better macrodynamic punch than stock form but the microdynamics are mostly average. Overall, technically the CHU fail to impress as much as they do with their tuning.

SELECT COMPARISONS

vs Moondrop Quarks

The Quarks are inferior in every single aspect. I can’t find a single area where they excel over the CHU, sadly.

vs Final E1000

I consider the Final E1000 more of a CHU competitor than anything else under $50. They have a similarly neutral-ish tuning and come bundled with the excellent E-type tips.

The bass on the E1000 roll-off earlier than CHU but has better mid-bass texture. Midrange is where Final knocks it off the park with the E1000 having a neutral-yet-engaging tuning without a hint of dryness. Lower-mids have adequate weight and upper-mids are smooth, articulate, and devoid of shout or shrill.

Treble also has slightly more energy and cymbal hits are easier to identify on the E1000. They also have some stage depth and slightly better imaging. However, the E1000 have availability issues and the price is at times higher than the suggested $25.

Depending on availability and price, I would pick the E1000 over the CHU if they cost less than $30. Other than that, with an increased budget, I’ll probably go for the Final E3000 or BLON BL-05S, provided an adequate source is present. However both of those IEMs cost more than twice the price of CHU so there is that consideration.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The TL;DR version of this review would be: “I recommend the CHU if you only have $20 to spend and are willing to shell out for a pair of third-party tips, or like the sound with stock tips”.

The CHU have familiar failings of the budget realm, namely a lack of technical chops especially in perceived stage and imaging, and Moondrop’s VDSF target does not really fit well if the driver is not fast or resolving enough.

However, looking at the competition with their bass or treble-heavy offerings, CHU are pretty much uncontested in the under $20 price-bracket, and deserves the recommendation.

MY VERDICT

4/5

Good tuning meets average technicalities, and the end-product is more than decent.

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DISCLAIMER

Get it from HiFiGo and official Moondrop Store

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post Moondrop CHU Review (1) – A Budget Benchmark appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Stock tips too small for some ear canals.

Executive Summary

Introduction

Another $20 piston-shaped single dynamic-driver iem? Don’t we have enough of these? No fancy faceplate, no detachable cable, no ear hooks? The cool kids have already stopped reading this. But, wait! These are good, so good that even a guy like me who has seen it all uses them. You better read on.

Astrotec’s parent company dedicated to acoustic research was established 20 years ago, the current branding exists since 2011. Their first earbuds and earphones were released in 2012. You may have heard of their Lyra earbuds and the Delphinus series iems. The brand is better known in China were it is regarded as belonging to the 10 best domestic earphone brands.

Vesna is the poetic word for spring in some eastern European countries. And, yes, spring is coming (in Canada) as I write this. So, no coincidence that this earphone is released in…yes you guessed it. Let’s see whether the Vesnas keep what I promise.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the earphone with fixed cable, a set of eartips (S/M/L), storage bag, a USB-C dongle, and the paperwork. The dongle does not work with any Mac device (iPhone of MacBook) and appears to be designed for Android and Windows devices.

There is also a version with 2-pin detachable cable available, the Vesna EVO version.

The earpieces are well made of “airplane-grade aluminum alloy” and feature a prominent nozzle lip to keep the eartips in place. They feel substantial between my fingers and not budget like. The diaphragm used is Japanese LCP (liquid crystal polymer). The cable is spindly, not rubbery, and without microphonics — and therefore good for me.

The comfort/fit of the cylindrical earpieces is as good as expected, as this shape is not (much) in contact with the concha. Isolation is not great. The 30 Ω Vesna work well with my iPhone SE (1st gen.).

Tonality and Technicalities

The Vesna have a warm, (relatively) rich signature with a realistic attack and an overall surprising sonic quality. Sure, they are still budget earphones but their overall cohesion is pretty good and they are attractive and engaging to my ears/brain.

No, the bass does not dip particularly deep – its merely ok – but it is as tight as my wallet. Not the biggest rumble down there and the slam may a bit on the polite side. No midbass hump, no sub-bass hump. The bass is agile and warm. Best actor in a supporting role. Not bad at all.

Vocals are the big surprise…they are intimate, articulate, have decent note weight and the notes are well defined and rounded, too. Exceptional quality at this price point. Yes, you can turn the music up and the voices remain smooth and are not stabbing you in the chest…or rather eardrums. A huge asset. Typically, budget iems are lean and piercing in the midrange, these are not. Therefore, no shoutiness either. Hurrah!

Treble is non intrusive. Cymbals may sound metallic and energetic, but they still keep some subtlety. Extension into the lower treble is very good but resolution is not the greatest.

Stage is reasonably wide, not very deep, and also not too high. Imaging and spatial cues are outstanding for its class, attack is delightful: no harshness, nimble, very pleasant on my ears. Separation, layering, and resolution are also very good for the class. I would like to repeat: note weight and note definition both stick out. Timbre is also great: everything sounds natural.

Looking back, the combination of a warm signature, a speedy, non-syrupy bass, and smooth, silky vocals creates an overall very pleasant listening experience for me.

Astrotec Vesna Compared

The Vesna is the best <$30 iem I have heard in a long time – and they may be a valid successor to the discontinued Moondrop Crescent. The similar looking Venture Electronics Bonus IE is way too sub-bassy in comparison, and therefore blunter sounding at its low end, although it also has an overall organic timbre.

The $25 Tripowin Leá lacks dynamics, and cohesion in comparison, though it has a more impressive build with detachable cable. It is harsher and aggressive sounding in the midrange.

The Vesna, I say it again, can be turned up to the hilt without sounding piercing or aggressive.

Concluding Remarks

Well, another $20 earphone withe non-detachable cable and piston-shaped earpieces. But hey, this one is more cohesive than any of its siblings I have tested (through its flatter tuning). It does essentially nothing wrong, not even remotely. On the contrary, it is an engaging, enjoyable listen for me, even with much higher-priced iems in my drawer. The Vesna’s will go in my glove department for use at the supermarket.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The Vesna was provided unsolicited by Astrotec – and I thank them for that.

Get the Vesna directly from Astrotec or their from Astrotec Official Store.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post Astrotec Vesna Review (1) – Best In Class? appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Relatively high impedance…benefits from amplification.

Executive Summary

Introduction

BQEYZ made themselves a name back in 2018 with one of the first neutrally tuned budget iems, the $30 2DD +2BA BQEYZ KC2, at a time when budget meant V-shaped. The KC2 is still available and has a dedicated following.

The company continued a class higher with the $139 1DD +1BA +1 EST BQEYZ Spring 1, which had wonderful vocals but a somewhat pillowy bass. The subsequent 1DD +1BA +1 EST $169 BQEYZ Spring 2 improved the bass somewhat. All of the above were metal built.

The subsequent $129 1DD +1BA +1EST BQEYZ Summer deviated with its translucent resin shells and finally featured the desired punchy bass.

We have collectively analyzed all of the above to the hilt, including Durwood’s study of the effect of nozzle mesh on the Spring 1’s frequency response.

The latest BQEYZ model is named “Autumn” after the third season of the year, hence “Tre Stagioni” (three seasons). With their BQEYZ Autumn, the company reverts to metal shells being essentially identical in shape to the Summer’s.

New is the driver configuration which is a single DD. BQEYZ also offer maximum sonic flexibility by including three sets of magnetic tuning vents at the font of the shells. Each of these pucks constitutes a different front vent with its very own bass response.

It is an interesting approach contrary to the JVC FDX1, the perceived bass response of which is dosed by screw-on nozzles containing different filters. Although these alter the JVC’s upper midrange response, the effect is only heard at the low end, as the human ear registers the whole frequency spectrum in context.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the 2 earpieces, the cable, 3 pairs of tuning pucks in a holder, the magnetic tuner pole, 2 sets of eartips (S/M/L), a brush, and a carrying case. The three tuning pucks (“bass”, “normal”, “treble”) are actually the inner earphone vents (also called front vents). They come in different openings: the smaller the bassier. We describe the relevant physical principles in this article.

The metal pucks are inserted and removed with the included magnetic pole. This takes as long as a tire change during a Formula 1 race. The magnetic fit guarantees minimal wear and tear even when swapped frequently. Very handy.

The earpieces are made of CNC machined metal and are built very well. The overall haptic of shells and cable is great. BQEYZ have addressed the criticism of the BQEYZ Summer’s resin shells.

Fit and comfort are very good, isolation is rather poor for my ears. The cable has silver-coated copper and high-purity copper strands. It is loosely braided with minimal contact area between the strands for minimum interference. I find the cable rather pliable and light – it has no microphonics.

2 sets of eartips (S/M/L) are included, one wide bore and the other narrow bore. Note that the nozzle diameter exceeds the usual 4.5 mm so that many third-party eartips will not fit. You may try the SpinFit CP500 or any Azla SednaEarfit models if going for third-party tips.

Tonality and Technicalities

A universally valid assessment of the BQEYZ Autumn is difficult as tonality and technicalities depend on the interplay of several factors: magnetic tuning puck + eartips + source (in any combination). This versatility allows to you pretty much to create your own favourite sound.

Considering its 46 Ω impedance, the Autumn benefits from amplification, although it works surprisingly well with my iPhone SE (1st gen.). For example, the powerful Apogee Groove produces a much cleaner and better defined image than the weaker AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt.

Using the JitterBug FMJ with the Apogee Groove makes quite a difference in that it ads definition to the image. The difference is actually considerable.

With the wide-bore stock tips, the “bass” vents generate more…yes…bass…which drowns the vocals out somewhat — and the “normal” vents bring voices more into the foreground without sacrificing bass impact. But this latter combination may be bassier than the combination of “bass” vents and JVC Spiral Dots.

I played with the stock eartips but got the best results with the JVC Spiral Dots that disperse some of the mid-bass and produce the tightest possible low end. Bass generally digs deep but the vocals move into the foreground with the JVCs. Signature becomes brighter but notes also cleaner and more articulate.

I also experimented with the vents, and the normal ones yielded the best result (in combination with the Spiral Dots). The bass vents “overthicken” the low end, move the vocals back and therefore remove intimacy and detail.

My favourite combination therefore is the normal vents with the JVC Spiral Dots.

So, how does the BQEYZ Autumn sound, actually (with “normal” puck and Spiral Dots)? It has the classic slightly warm single-dynamic driver sound with a rather crisp attack adding some edge.

The low end is on the tight side, it is well extended and remains focused to the lowest frequencies. There is no mid-bass hump as emphasis is on the lower frequencies, just above sub-bass. Drum kicks in the mid bass are not as pronounced as they could be but they are nevertheless hard as a rock – and dry.

Lower midrange is standalone without bass bleed. Male and female voices are somewhat recessed, of medium note weight, energetic, and natural. There is no shoutiness but we are getting there, although that 5 kHz peak is not irritating to my ears.

Midrange temperature is a bit cooler than in the bass region but still not quite neutral. Midrange resolution is very good, everything clean and clear there. Note definition is very good.

Lower treble rolls of substantially. Cymbals are a bit back and don’t have the best definition – but they are still ok. Resolution is better in the midrange than in the treble region.

Stage is average in width, height and depth. Spatial cues is very good. Attack is sharp and crisp without being aggressive. The dynamic driver is rather nimble. Stage positioning and separation are also good. Timbre is good.

I am a bit short in my sonic description as it mostly applies to this very particular setup.

BQEYZ Autumn compared

The dynamic-driver competition in the $200 region is tight. The Tanchjim Oxygen (which I don’t know) and the JVC HA-FDX1 are standard staples on our Wall of Excellence (also count the 1+1 IKKO OH10 in). The Moondrop KATO is arguably the company’s best dynamic-driver offer.

To disappoint you, it is impossible to tell which is the best of the lot as they are very close in terms of (sound) quality. But they differ quite a bit in ergonomics.

For example, the IKKO OH10 is very heavy in one’s ear, and so – but to a lesser extent – is the KATO. The Oxygen have short nozzles that may not fit everyone and the JVCs have a weird shape altogether that may not be the most comfortable for many either. In this respect, I prefer the Autumn’s compact shells.

But what I can say is that the Autumn sound more refined than the brighter $139 BQEYZ Summer, particularly in the midrange. The JVCs are not as crisp as the Autumn, they are smoother, dampened, with more rounded notes – but not as deep. The Autumn are rougher around the edges, more dynamic/energetic, and they have more midrange body and a much better sub-bass extension.

The Moondrop KATO are brighter than the Autumn (in my setup), with a wider but shallower stage. They have a smoother bass and vocals are not quite as intimate. They also have more sparkle with more air in the midrange. And they are more prone to shoutiness. How graphs can deceive us. Voices are a bit thicker and more rounded in the KATO. Treble resolution is similar between the two.

As I tend to say (well I stole it from Alberto): pick your poison!

Concluding Remarks

The BQEYZ Autumn are well built and good sounding single-dynamic driver earphones that fit their price category well – and that can prevail against their tough competition.

Whilst it is difficult to rank the large crowd of $200 single-dynamic drivers, the Autumn stick out in two aspects: comfort/fit and sonic versatility through the included tuning front vents. They are, in my opinion, the best offering in BQEYZ’s 3 season series.

Tre stagioni? Quattro stagioni! Now we are ready for “inverno”. No, that’s not what you think*…learn Italian…

Until next time…keep on listening!

*Italian: winter

The post BQEYZ Autumn Review (1) – Tre Stagioni appeared first on Audio Reviews.

The BQEYZ Autumn remidies all previous issues and is the best and most mature sounding iem of the series. In fact it is a very good and enjoyable single DD iem. And it is flexible, sonically, as you can adjust the bass response with the three included front vents.

Before you read my Autumn review, you have the opportunity to check out the Autumn’s physical features. Is the nozzle length right for you, will the shell fit your ears well? Sound quality is only one aspect of an iem’s functionality. And the best iem is the one we use most. Don’t you agree?

Specifications

Images

Get the BQEYZ Autumn from aliexpress.

The post PhotoGraphed: BQEYZ Autumn vs. BQEYZ Summer appeared first on Audio Reviews.

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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DISCLAIMER

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

The post KBEAR Aurora (Review 2) – Elegant Color Remix appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Instead of first impressions, we offer completely flavour-neutral optical treatments before following up with our exhaustive reviews of the products’ performances.

Current Photography

1. BQEYZ Autumn vs. BEQYZ Summer (Jürgen Kraus)
2. Hidizs MM2 (Jürgen Kraus)
3. IKKO OH2 vs. IKKO OH1S (Jürgen Kraus)

Vintage Photography (prior to March 2022)

1. AME Custom Argent Hybrid Electrostatic (Jürgen Kraus)
2. Anew X-One (Jürgen Kraus)
3. Blon BL-05 Beta (Jürgen Kraus)
4. Blon BL-05 Beta (Jürgen Kraus)
5. Blon BL-05 MKI & MKII (Jürgen Kraus)
6. BQEYZ Spring 1 (Jürgen Kraus)
7. BQEYZ Spring 2 (Durwood)
8. CCA CA16 (Durwood)
9. Drop + JVC HA-FXD1 (Jürgen Kraus)
10. Fidue A65/A66 (Jürgen Kraus)
11. FiiO FD1 (Jürgen Kraus)
12. FiiO FHs1 (Jürgen Kraus)
13. Hill Audio Altair • RA (Jürgen Kraus)
14. iBasso IT01 V2 (Jürgen Kraus)
15. Hilidac Atom Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
16. Ikko OH1 (Jürgen Kraus)
17. KBEAR Believe (Jürgen Kraus)
18. KBEAR Diamond (Jürgen Kraus)
19. KBEAR hi7 (Jürgen Kraus)
20. KBEAR KB04 (Jürgen Kraus)
21. KBEAR Lark (Jürgen Kraus)
22. Kinboofi MK4 (Jürgen Kraus)
23. KZ ASX (Jürgen Kraus)
24. KZ ZSN Pro (Slater)
25. Moondrop Crescent (Jürgen Kraus)
26. Moondrop Illumination (Jürgen Kraus)
27. Moondrop Kanas Pro Edition (Jürgen Kraus)
28. Moondrop SSP (Jürgen Kraus)
29. Moondrop SSR (Jürgen Kraus)
30. Moondrop Starfield (Jürgen Kraus)
31. NiceHCK Blocc 5N Litz UPOCC OCC Copper Earphone Cable
32. NiceHCK Litz 4N Pure Silver Earphone Cable (Jürgen Kraus)
33. NiceHCK NX7 (Jürgen Kraus)
34. NiceHCK NX7 Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
35. Queen of Audio Pink Lady (Jürgen Kraus)
36. Revonext QT5 (Slater)
37. SeeAudio Yume (Jürgen Kraus)
38. Senfer DT6 (Slater)
39. Sennheiser IE 300
40. Sennheiser IE 500 PRO
41. Shozy Form 1.1 and Shozy Form 1.4
42. Shozy Form 1.4 (Jürgen Kraus)
43. Shozy Rouge (Jürgen Kraus)
44. Simgot EM2 (Jürgen Kraus)
45. Simgot EN700 Pro (Slater)
46. Smabat ST-10 (Jürgen Kraus)
47. Tin Hifi T2 Plus (Jürgen Kraus)
48. Tin-Hifi T4 (Jürgen Kraus)
49. TRN-STM (Jürgen Kraus)
50. TRN V90 (Jürgen Kraus
51. TRN-VX (Jürgen Kraus)
52. Whizzer Kylin HE01 (Jürgen Kraus)

The post Photography 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

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

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

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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.

Cons — No pre-amp function/headphone jack; 4.4 balanced output is currently still a rare standard.

Executive Summary

The EarMen Tradutto is a natural, quasi-neutral sounding DAC that distinguishes itself from the competition through its minimalistic, artsy design and streamlined functionality. It works with headphone amps and stereo systems alike. A DAC for the demanding purist.

Introduction

Traduttore is Italian for “translator”. Tradutto is obviously a play on this as a digital analog converter translates zeros and ones into sound. And that’s what this $799 unit does: it is a DAC without a (headphone) amp. Its job is to create a quality audio signal that is then amplified by another device.

Across the Adriatic sea from Italy is Serbia, home of EarMen’s production facilities. From here you get “Made in Europe”. The company itself is registered in Chicago, IL. It was established in 2019 as a spinoff of Serbian premium manufacturer Auris Audio.

So far, EarMen have focused on few products of high quality. Their TR-amp is a great $250 portable, battery-operated DAC/amp that does justice to even to 300 ohm cans such as the Sennheiser HD 600. Their $200 Sparrow dongle features two circuits, of which the balanced produces the largest soundstage of my test population. Both devices are currently on our very own Wall of Excellence.

The Tradutto is EarMen’s first true “desktop size” device, although its use is not limited to workspaces and personal stereo, but it can also be deployed with a full size stereo system.

Specifications

Unfold for Full Specifications

Inputs	BlueTooth QCC5124	Bluetooth 5.1 ( AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL )
	USB
	TOSLINK	S/PDIF optical
	Coax	S/PDIF
Outputs	RCA (SE output)	output impedance = 300 Ω
	Balanced 4.4mm	output impedance = 600 Ω
Audio Formats	PCM	up to 768kHz
	DSD	DoP64, DoP128, DoP256, native DSD512
	DXD	up to 768kHz
	MQA	OFS (MQB/MQA Core), MQA,  MQA Studio
	Bluetooth	44.1kHz – 192kHz/16bit – 24bit
Single-end output
	USB input	S/PDIF input/BT
Output Level	2Vrms 0dBFS	2Vrms 0dBFS
THD+N	0.0003%	0.0003%
SNR	>116dB	>116dB
	A-Weighted	A-Weighted
Freq. Response	±0.014dB	±0.006dB
Fully Balanced Output
	USB input	S/PDIF input/BT
Output Level	4Vrms 0dBFS	4Vrms 0dBFS
THD+N	0.0003%	0.0003%
SNR	>120B	>122dB
	A-Weighted	A-Weighted
Freq. Response	±0.03dB	±0.003dB
Dimension LxHxW	150x30x150 mm	5,9″x1,18″x5,9″
Weight	550 gr	1,21lbs

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Technology/Architecture

The Tradutto hosts the XMOS 16-core receiver chip and the ES9038Q2M DAC chip. The XMOS 16-core  (XU216) is one of the standards in premium DACs for processing the data received by the USB/S/coaxial inputs. It handles MQA decoding in the Tradutto, for example.

Similarly, the ES9038Q2M is a proven DAC chip that processes digital audio files up to 32bit/768kHz or DSD512.  You can find this chip across the board, from the $2150 Burson Conductor 3 (contains two of them), through the $300 DragonFly Cobalt and $200 Khadas T2 Pro, to the $80 Shanling UA2. EarMen’s own $250 TR-Amp also features this chip.

The (Un)Importance of the DAC chip: None of these “ES9038Q2M” devices sound alike (I have not auditioned the Burson). Against the echo chamber of “experts”, a DAC chip alone does not create a characteristic sound but is mainly responsible for the handling of audio formats. As Paul McGowan of PS Audio told me “The way a DAC sounds has everything to do with its output stage and little to do with its DAC chip”. Because of this general misconception, and to protect themselves from misinformation, many manufacturers do not disclose the DAC chip used at all (e.g. Sony). Gordon Rankin of Wavelength Audio adds the other factors that create the sound: power, filters, analog design, digital design, software etc. In order to compare DAC chips, everything else has to be identical, as for example in iPods Classic that featured either Wolfson or Cirrus chips.

Tradutto’s sound and sound quality are actually determined by the DAC’s analog part, which is the result of a combination of parts and engineering.

After filtering the signal’s jagged edges coming out of the DAC (chip), the output analog stage performs several duties, for example, amplifying, additional filtering, removing distortions and residual DC, buffering, and providing balanced and single-ended outputs.

The Tradutto’s analog output stage feature German WIMA quality capacitors “for high-end audio applications” to minimize THD, audio electrolytes in combination with American MELF low noise resistors, and SoundPlus OPA1642 operational amplifiers (“op-amps”) by Texas Instruments.

But even more important than the parts is the engineering. EarMen claim to have minimized jitter (“packet errors”) through the separation of DAC and analog part by the power supply. The printed circuit board is gold plated for optimal contacts. And the solid metal chassis minimizes external interference.

The Tradutto incorporates the Bluetooth QCC5124 SoC (“System on Chip”) for wireless listening – that follows the Bluetooth 5.1 standard.

Last but not least, the Tradutto features a fully balanced circuit, which will work with your balanced amplifier.

Physical Things

In the box is way more than stated in the manual. Apart from the DAC, remote control, power supply with adapters for worldwide mains access, Bluetooth antenna, and user manual, further included are a USB cable, a mesh bag for the power supply, and a microfibre cloth.

The Tradutto is a very compact but rather heavy device in its sturdy aluminum enclosure. The combination of relatively tall feet and the clean, square shape with sharp corners give it a minimalistic elegance with Italian design charisma.

The designers clearly had optical and haptical appeal in mind down to the smallest detail, which includes the font selected for the name on the front. The Tradutto therefore does not only address our ears, but also our eyes (and fingers)…and therefore all senses.

Functionality and Operation

It does

• create a full, rich, dynamic, natural sound
• connect to balanced and single-ended amplifier circuits
• accepts a variety of sources per Bluetooth (phone, dap), USB (computer), and coaxial/optical (CD player)
• come with a nifty rechargeable remote

It does not

• amplify
• work as pre-amp
• feature selectable filters

Front Panel

The minimalistic design is complemented by very clean operational elements on the front panel: 4 buttons with an audible, rugged quality mechanism and an unobtrusive OLED display that gives you bit/kHz numbers for the USB connection, and “COAX”, “TOS”, or “BT” for the other input options.

No dial knob, no “dancing” colour graphs, no selectable filters — form clearly follows function. The Tradutto is designed to work, to translate zeros and ones into the best possible, natural sound. No amplification, no headphone jack. That’s it.

Back Panel

The rear panel features all inputs/outputs (from L to R): 12 V SMPS power supply, Bluetooth antenna, optical, and S/PDIF in, and RCA and 4.4 cm balanced out. 4.4 cm balanced is not the most common standard but it saves space compared to an XLR socket. A 12 V SMPS power supply is included.

Remote

The Tradutto’s front panel’s four buttons are mirrored on the included remote.

The remote is made of metal, has a great haptic, and its buttons have the quality spring mechanism experienced at the front panel.

It charges through any 5V power supply/computer socket through its USB-C socket. Charger and cable are not included.

Sound

One thing I am horrified of in DACs/amps is sonic sterility. I am a child of the pre-digital era going back to the late 1970s, and – with earphones – sacrifice detail resolution for organic sound.

One of the biggest shortcomings of low-quality DACs is a lack of realism and depth of stage, but added sharpness, and a thin, distant midrange. After all, both a $4000 or a $100 DAC do one thing, and one thing only: create sound (quality), that then needs to be amplified. A wow effect does rarely indicate quality: it is the long-term enjoyment that counts.

I tested the Tradutto with headphones in a desktop setting, and also with speakers on my big stereo system. I could not test the 4.4 mm balanced owing to lack of a balanced amplifier.

w. Headphones

Equipment used: Macbook Air (WiFi off, battery operated) with different USB cables (stock, Belkin Gold, AudioQuest Forest), Questyle QP1R with Lifatec USA optical cable, iPhone SE (1st gen.); AudioQuest Golden Gate RCA interconnects; Burson Funk amp; Sennheiser HD 600 headphones.

It is very difficult to isolate the sound of a single stereo component in a chain so that I arrived at my description through comparison with other DACs.

My general impression is that the Tradutto plays very natural, very maturely, never analytical, never lean, never sharp or aggressive. It has natural dynamics and is well composed across the frequency spectrum.

Bass is tight, lower midrange is rich and full, there is no upper midrange glare, and cymbals at the top decay naturally and are well resolving. Soundstage is wide with great spatial cues.

Dynamics is naturally dosed, never overwhelming or too polite.

When substituting the Macbook/Tradutto source/DAC with the portable Questyle QP1R DAP (its built-in DAC is believed to rival $500-700 desktop DACs), there was quite a sonic difference: the Macbook/Tradutto combo had better dynamics, clarity, and extension.

Substituting the Tradutto with other ES9038Q2M chip devices removed any doubt on the general misconception of the role of a DAC chip for sound.

The $250 EarMen TR-amp (as DAC) sounds slightly warmer than the Tradutto and it lacks the upper extension — but it can compete with the amount of bass. It does not rival the Tradutto’s soundstage, clarity, separation, and detail resolution. But it never sounded sharp or digital, harsh or lean. The Tradutto sounded livelier, better extended, with better defined notes. TR-amp is thinner and less dynamic/energetic.

The Khadas Tone2 Pro sounds flat with an attenuated midrange. It lacks depth in comparison to the other two devices. Voices sound lean and distant, which adds a component of air and a good stage width. But it lacks richness and body.

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt without dedicated line-out needs more of the Burson’s amping power than the other DACs (I only set its output volume to 80% to avoid distortion). It lacks a bit in dynamics but sounds rather organic and natural – and surprisingly full and rich. The Tradutto has more bite, it plays bigger and clearer…

In summary, none of these DACs sound alike.

w. Stereo System

Equipment used: Marantz SA8005 SACD player with Cirrus CS4398 DAC; Blue Jeans coax cable, Sys Concept 1300 strand optical cable, AudioQuest Evergreen RCA connectors; Luxman L-410 stereo amplifier; Heybrook HB1 speakers & Sennheiser HD 600 headphones.

Using CDs as source, I could easily A/B between the SA8005’s integrated Cirrus 4398 DAC and the Tradutto, and also A/B between the Tradutto’s coax and optical inputs.

The Marantz ($1400 CAD in 2014) is known for its smooth, rich, clean, well balanced tone quality and its natural reproduction. It has a sweet treble but lacks a bit of sparkle. Its integrated DAC is at about the same price level as the Tradutto as the basic version of this player was $550 CAD at the time.

When switching between Marantz and Tradutto (coax), the difference is…essentially zero at casual listening…and therefore ignorable for everyday use. But when spending some time and using my analytical ear, the Marantz is a tad bassier and warmer with a lesser controlled, fuzzier low end. This results in a narrower stage and less lower midrange separation and resolution.

The Tradutto has the tighter, faster low end and better note definition up to the lower midrange. It also plays a tad warmer than neutral (but less so than the Marantz) – which appears to be EarMen’s house sound (also found in TR-amp, Sparrow, and Eagle).

Towards the top of the spectrum Tradutto (coax) has a slightly better extension and both offer natural decay of high notes e.g. cymbals. And that’s where mediocre DACs fail — they sound articial.

Both Tradutto and Marantz have no attenuation in the midrange, no lean vocals, they are rich and lush. Vocals are better aligned in 3D space in the Tradutto, which also has the wider stage.

When switching from coax to optical, there is a difference in that the TOSLINK produces slightly slower transients compared to coax. The notes are more rounded and the sonic image is a tad smoother – also compared to the Cirrus DAC. Again, the differences are small.

Overall, the Tradutto is slightly better composed across the frequency spectrum than the Marantz — which plays essentially no role for my system for everyday use.

I re-produced the results with the Sennheiser HD 600 plugged into the Luxman amp.

What we learn is that the Tradutto sounds natural and not analytical or aggressive or lean. It does its job very well.

Bluetooth

The Qualcomm SoC delivers pretty much a prefab standard sound in a black “box” where the engineer cannot optimize the sound.

I A/B-ed Bluetooth vs. coax with two iPhones (same music), one hardwired into the Marantz, the other wireless per Bluetooth.

Bluetooth plays quieter, it looses some richness and intimacy, and is edgier, but it is still decent, and more than good enough for casual listening.

Connection was great, I walked around the 1000 sq ft floor of my house (with the iPhone) and never had any problems.

Concluding Remarks

After 2 months of testing, I conclude that the EarMen Tradutto does what it is supposed to do: generate an analog audio signal of the highest quality. And it promptly delivers. It is sonically marginally ahead of my high-end Marantz SA8005 SACD player and beats all other ES9038Q2M devices I compared it to by a mile.

Apart from its sonic capabilities, the Tradutto is aesthetically pleasing (“Italian design”) and handles well, with high-quality button mechanisms and a rechargeable remote.

The Tradutto is a mature product with Auris Audio’s experience behind it. It is small enough to fit on your desk/stereo system, easy to operate, and it sounds great. What else do we want?

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The EarMen Tradutto was supplied by EarMen for my review and I thank them for that. You can purchase it at the EarMen Shop. I thank Gordon Rankin of Wavelength Audio and Paul McGowan of PS Audio for discussion.

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

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The post EarMen Tradutto DAC Review – It’s Only Natural 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.

This article has had over 40,000 views as of January 2022

The eartips are listed in alphabetical order.

Latest Additions

May 2022 additions: Acoustune AEX07, Acoustune AEX50, Azla SednaEarFit Vivid Edition.

Mar 2022 additions: Simphonio Diamond Earfit, Softears Liquid Silicone Ear Tips.

Feb 2022 additions: Canyon Silikon-Eartips ET400 (Bass), ALPEX Hi-Unit HSE-A1000.

Testing Parameters and Disclaimer

The following tests of silicone eartips are based on my evaluations and listening observations. All test are conducted in a quiet listening environment. Fit is ensured such that eartips are properly inserted and seated into the ear canal with good seal. I have to elaborate, your experiences may vary.

Associated equipment list: Sources – JWD JWM-115, Shanling M0, Zishan DSD and Topping DX3 Pro.IEMs – Tin Hifi T2, KBEAR Diamond, TRI I4 and Moondrop Kanas Pro

Disclaimer: All scores are subjected to change without notice. I may update or add new scores every few months when I acquire new eartips.

NOTE: I don’t have favorite eartips but if I want neutrality, SpinFits CP-145 is my first pick usually. For IEM tuning, I always use reversed KZ Starline, follow by stock eartips from the manufacturer. 

A

Acoustune AEX07

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.00

For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange. The AEX07 sounds closer to AET07a than AET07. Improved overall tonal texture and clarity over the latter. Note weight is is denser than AET07a however it sounds less congested than AET07. A good middle-ground between its two predecessors. My new favorite Acoustune eartip.

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AEX50

Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular 
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 1.50
Midrange: 2.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 3.50

What was Acoustune thinking when they came out these?! 

These eartips are “directional” (meaning you must wear them in a certain way) and a pain in the butt to put on. You need lots of patience and time to get them to sit well inside the ears. Getting the proper “ear seal” is nearly impossible. There is literally zero isolation. The design adopts a WW2 helmet-like umbrella shape with double “wings” design. The wide wing is to face the inner-part of the entrance to the ear canal, and the narrow wing facing out (see attached photos). 

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get them to fit in my ears properly not matter how hard I tried. Although made of soft memory polymer, they become uncomfortable, irritating and warm inside my ears after a while.

Sound-wise, these eartips thin the sound so much that they make your TOTL IEMs sound like 1950s transistor radio. Everything sounds distant, lean and sibilance. 

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AET06
Bore size: double flange, regular
Stem length: extremely short
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 5.0
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 5
Similar to AET08 in many ways but with an even tighter bass punch. Vocal is bodied and three-dimensional
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AET06a (Enhanced comfort)
Bore size: double flange, regular
Stem length: extremely short
Feel: firm and pliable (slightly softer than AET06a)
Bass: 4.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 5
Virtually identical to AET06 with a hair bit cleaner and more sparkling upper-midrange and treble. Feels softer than AET06 thus less pressure inside the ears.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AET07
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4
For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange. Similar to SpinFit CP-145 in many ways but with better bass texture and vocal presence.
Purchased from Japan through a friend

Acoustune AET07a
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
Slight improvement over Acoustune AET07 in texture, detail, tonal purity and vocal clarity.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Acoustune AET08
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 5
For vocal, midrange and solid bass
Purchased from Japan through a friend

Acoustune AEX07

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.00

For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange. The AEX07 sounds closer to AET07a than AET07. Improved overall tonal texture and clarity over the latter. Note weight is is denser than AET07a however it sounds less congested than AET07. A good middle-ground between its two predecessors. My new favorite Acoustune eartip.

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AEX50

Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular 
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 1.50
Midrange: 2.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 3.50

What was Acoustune thinking when they came out these?! 

These eartips are “directional” (meaning you must wear them in a certain way) and a pain in the butt to put on. You need lots of patience and time to get them to sit well inside the ears. Getting the proper “ear seal” is nearly impossible. There is literally zero isolation. The design adopts a WW2 helmet-like umbrella shape with double “wings” design. The wide wing is to face the inner-part of the entrance to the ear canal, and the narrow wing facing out (see attached photos). 

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get them to fit in my ears properly not matter how hard I tried. Although made of soft memory polymer, they become uncomfortable, irritating and warm inside my ears after a while.

Sound-wise, these eartips thin the sound so much that they make your TOTL IEMs sound like 1950s transistor radio. Everything sounds distant, lean and sibilance. 

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

ADV Eartune Fidelity U Elliptical Silicone Eartips (horizontal fit)
Bore size: small (4mm)
Stem length: short
Feel: flexible, soft and pliable
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 2.5
Vocal presence: 3.5
An interesting elliptical eartip which fits two ways and can affect sound. The not so interesting part is it projects a smaller soundstage and vocals get thrown backwards. In both fittings, I experienced quite significant treble roll-off and details lost. Isolation is NOT GOOD!
Sample from ADVSound, courtesy of co-blogger Baskingshark.

ADV Eartune Fidelity U Elliptical Silicone Eartips (vertical fit)
Bore size: small (4mm)
Stem length: short
Feel: flexible, soft and pliable
Bass: 3.0
Midrange: 3.5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 2.5
Vocal presence: 3.5
An interesting elliptical eartip which fits two ways and can affect sound. The not so interesting part is it projects a smaller soundstage and vocals get thrown backwards. In both fittings, I experienced quite significant treble roll-off and details lost. Isolation is NOT GOOD!
Sample from ADVSound, courtesy of co-blogger Baskingshark.

AKG Anti-allergenic Sleeves for K3003
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 5.0
Yes, it is called “anti-allergenic sleeves”. If you can find these at your local earphone stores, GET IT! These sound extremely close to Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC but at half the cost. If you are not used to the grippiness or tackiness of the XELASTEC, AKG is the best alternative. Vocal is forward with very good dimension and ambience. 3D. Best of all it doesn’t affect bass and treble.
Purchase from a friend who bought from AKG outlet in Germany

ALPEX Hi-Unit HSE-A1000
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.25
These wide bore eartips bear an uncanny resemblance to JVC Spiral Dot in look but they don’t sound alike. The HSE-A1000 is brighter, more open and livelier. Midrange has more sparkle and life. The bass is cleaner, tighter and more textured. Best of all, they cost only a fraction of the JVC. I am surprised how good these are. What a hidden gem!
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Audiosense S400 Soft Silicone Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: flexible and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.5
Both Baskingshark and Vannak Pech are fans of this eartip. It adds “round-meatiness” (a.k.a smoothness and body) to the music without clouding the low-mids. Vocals can be a tad forward but still very pleasant. I would rank its sonic signatures between SpinFit CP-145 and Final Audio Type E eartips. Similar to SpinFits, it has a pivoting cap design.
Purchased from Audiosense Official Store on AliExpress

Audio-Technica FineFit ER-CKM55M
Bore size: small
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flrm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3
Vocal presence: 4
Bassy eartips that accentuates on vocal. Soundstage is smaller than most tips.
Purchased from Stereo Electronics (Singapore)

Azla SednaEarFit Crystal (Standard)

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 5.0

Another pricey eartip offering from Azla. Feels just like XELASTEC. Both XELASTEC and Crystal excel in the midrange and vocals. Their most obvious differences are in the upper-mids and mid-bass range where Crystal adds a touch more instrument presence, separation and space. Mid-bass is cleaner and clearer than XELASTEC yet doesn’t sacrifice warmth and body. It is good to note that Crystal does not have the upper-midrange “ringing” that plagues XELASTEC.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Azla SednaEarfit Crystal (for TWS)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 5.0

Another pricey eartip offering from Azla. Feels similar to XELASTEC but with a shallower in-ear fit. Both XELASTEC and Crystal excel in the midrange and vocals. Their most obvious differences are in the upper-mids and mid-bass range where Crystal adds a touch more instrument presence, separation and space. Mid-bass is cleaner and clearer than XELASTEC yet doesn’t sacrifice warmth and body. It is good to note that Crystal does not have the upper-midrange “ringing” that plagues XELASTEC. Can be used for both IEM and TWS.

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Azla Sedna EarFit (Regular)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: long
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5
For long nozzle good midrange
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Azla Sedna EarFit (Light)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: long
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.25
A “lighter” version of the regular Sedna EarFit. More balanced-sounding overall.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Azla SednaEarFit (Light) Short
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5
A “short-stem” version of SednaEarFitLight. Both nozzles are brought closer to the eardrums thus enhancement in overall clarity and vocal presence, which means stereo image and presentation are slightly more forward.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Azla SednaEarFit Vivid Edition

Bore size: narrow 
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.75

At first glance, these look like colourful version of SednaEarFitLight Short. Upon close examination, they are very different in looks, feel and sound. SednaEarFit Vivid Edition feels softer and plusher. It has a narrower bore and sounds livelier than SednaEarFit Light Short. Bass is punchier, better texture and definition. Vocals sound cleaner, clearer and slightly forward. Upper-registers are brighter and slightly more extended than SednaEarFitLight Short. This eartips definitely deserve the “Vivid Edition” title. Not suitable for bright or shouty IEMs. 

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 5.0

The most expensive eartip in my collection. Isolation is impeccable. If you love vocals, THIS IS IT! Vocal presence is extremely 3D. Best of all it doesn’t affect bass and treble. Projects soundstage a bit narrower than regular SednaEarFit.

B

BGVP A07 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
Suspiciously similar to Acoustune AET07. Heck… It sounds closer to AET07a than AET07. Neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange and top-end sparkle. I find this eartip to have better bass texture, dynamics and vocal presence than SpinFit CP100 and CP145. The A07 is often labeled as “vocal” eartip for most stock tips offering.Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BGVP A08 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 5
Suspiciously similar to Acoustune AET08, this eartip adds thickness to bass and midrange. However, unlike Acoustune AET08, I find it a speck bright. The A08 is often labeled as “bass” eartip for most stock tips offering.Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BGVP Electric Blue “ArtMagic VG4” Silicone Vocal Eartip
Bore size: regular 
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.0This eartip comes stock with BGVP ArtMagic VG4, ArtMagic V12 and DH3, labeled under “vocal” eartip. Highly-praised by Singaporean audiophile Reza Emmanuel as his standard reference, I must say this eartip is extremely comfortable, literally fatigue-free for long listening sessions.

Sound is clean, tight and very well-textured. Bass and low-mids are detailed, punchy and dynamic. Midrange is clear with excellent separation. Upper-mids and treble are smooth and extended with good amount of air and spacial cues. Vocal position is ‘just nice” – that is neither too forward nor too laid-back. Soundstage is realistically wide without sounding too spread-out. Similar to SpinFit, this eartip comes with a pivoting umbrella/cap.
Specially-ordered from BGVP Taobao Official Store as they do not sell this eartip individually. 

BGVP E01 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4
Looks identical to Final Audio Type E eartips it has a balanced sound that tames harshness. I find it lacks the smoothness of original Final Audio Type E eartips. This style of eartip is often labeled as “balance” eartip for most stock tips offering.Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BGVP S01 Eartips
Bore size: Very wide with narrow opening
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 3.0
Vocal presence: 3.0
A very interesting eartip with an exceptionally wide nozzle and narrow opening. Treble is vastly emphasize with a hint of bass and midrange. Works very well for dull-sounding earphones but make sure you can fit it 6.5mm diameter bore.
Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BVGP W01 Eartips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short and stubby
Feel: short and flexible
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5Short stem and wide bore brings nozzle closer to the eardrums thus enhancement in overall clarity and vocal presence, which means stereo image and presentation are slightly more forward. A slight boost in mid-bass is noticeable. 
Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BGVP Y01 Eartips
Bore size: Very wide with narrow opening
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 3.0
Vocal presence: 3.0
A very interesting eartip with an exceptionally wide nozzle and narrow opening. Similar to BGVP S01 but with a smidgen more bass. Works well for dull-sounding earphones but make sure you can fit it 6.5mm diameter bore.
Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

C

Canal Works CW Dual Nozzle (CWU-DECM)
Bore size: wide / short cap
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 3.75
For neutral tonality with slight bass reduction and laid-back vocal compared to SpinFit CP-145. Otherwise both sound quite similar.
Purchased from Japan through a friend

Canal Works CW Single Nozzle (CWU-ECM)
Bore size: small
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.25
Eerily similar to Radius Deep Mount but with slightly less vocal presence and less transparent. Not suitable for bright earphones.
Purchased from Japan through a friend

Canyon Silikon-Eartips ET400 (Bass)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 3.25
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 3.0
Canyon is a German company however these eartips are made in China. Interestingly, I find these eartips very pleasing, especially in staging. The ET400 is laid back yet retains imaging scale and focus very well. Although the packaging says “bass”, the ET400 isn’t bassy or rumbly. I would classify it as balanced with a touch of midrange warmth.
Purchased from Canyon Official Taobao Store.

CleanPiece Anti-bacteria Silicone Eartip
Bore size: narrow
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 3.0
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 3.0
An interesting audiophile’s “sanitary” product from Japan, and made in Japan. How true is the anti-bacteria, anti-microbial and anti-virus properties I don’t know (it comes in a plastic “petri dish”) but I do know these eartips roll-off treble and thicken bass and mid-bass. You lose clarity but gain body and smoothness. Recommended for bright and harsh sounding IEMs.
Purchased from Amazon.jp

E

EarrBond Barreleye Blue 
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft with sturdy core
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 4.0
Different from EarrBond New Hybrid series, Barreleye eartips use a sturdy silicone core which give an surprisingly good seal without the squishy feel of foam. Similar to the New Hybrid series, sound is laid back. Barreleye Blue has better clarity, instrument separation, treble extension, stage depth and layering than Barreleye Green and New Hybrid.

However due to its emphasis in the upper-midrange and treble regions, Barreleye Blue isn’t suitable for bright, sibilant or harsh sounding earphones. Group member Vannak Pech described the sound as if “when you apply contrast filter to your image…”.
Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

EarrBond Barreleye Green
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft with firm core
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
Different from EarrBond New Hybrid series, Barreleye eartips use a firm silicone core which gives an surprisingly good seal without the squishy feel of foam. Similar to the New Hybrid series, sound is laid back. Barreleye Green adds body and bass punch but it lacks the clarity, instrument separation, treble extension, stage depth and layering of Barreleye Blue. 
Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

EarrBond New Hybrid Design
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and spongy
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.25
EarrBond is softer and more squishy compared to other hybrid eartips, thus more comfortable for long-listening sessions. The moment you put them on, they simply disappear into your ear canals. Furthermore, they isolate well too. Sound-wise these are a bit too laid back for my taste. Also, I could detect some sibilance on a some female vocal tracks. In term of wearing comfort and isolation, this win hands down.
Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

Elecom Spare Ear Cap (EHP-CAP10)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 4.25
The brand Elecom is relatively unknown outside of Asia. These eartips surprised me with their exceptionally good sound and budget-friendly price. For ￥250 or US$2.50, you’ll get 4 pairs of eartips consist of X-Small, Small, Medium and Large sizes. Sound-wise, it is neutral tonality with emphasis in upper-bass and midrange regions (which adds body) as well as in vocals. I rank these higher than SpinFit CP-145 and on-par with Final Audio Type-E (black) eartips. Everybody should get these eartips if they ever come across it.
Purchased from Amazon.jp

Epro Horn-shaped Tips
Bore size: cone-shaped, tempered (4mm nozzle end, 5mm bell end)
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4 25
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.25
Made of graphene and unlike most eartips, Epro has a cone-shaped tempered bore of 4mm at nozzle end to 5mm at the bell. It adds warmth, body and texture to vocals It tames harsh and peaky treble exceptionally well too. It DOESN’T roll-off highs and kills the air and ambient like some other foam tips. What I really enjoy about the Epro is that it adds a buttery smooth to the overall sound which make harsh-sounding earphones, such as the KZ ZS6, listenable again.
Purchased from Treoo Singapore

Epro Truly Wireless Horn-shaped Tips
Bore size: cone-shaped, tempered (4mm nozzle end, 5mm bell end)
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.25
Made of graphene and unlike most eartips, Epro truly wireless horn-shaped eartips have a cone-shaped tempered bore of 4mm at nozzle end to 5mm at the bell. It adds warmth, body and texture to vocals. It tames harsh and peaky treble exceptionally well too. Not suitable for bass-heavy earphones.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

F

FAudio “Vocal” Premium Silicone Earphone Tips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 5
Accentuates on vocal and midrange but it also makes sibilance more noticeable. My favorite vocal eartip is still the SednaEarFit XELASTEC.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

FAudio “Instrument” Premium Silicone Earphone Tips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 5
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.25
Very punchy, fun, musical-sounding eartips. Sub-bass is exceptional. Vocal and mids are laid-back. Soundstage is average.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Fender SureSeal Tips
Bore size: tapered widebore
Stem length: short
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5
Vastly similar to Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC, Fender SureSeal offers a more laid-back presentation with balanced sound. Mid-bass is a tad fuller. Soundstage slightly wider than XELASTEC but imaging is less precise. SureSeal does not suffer from the upper-midrange ring that plagues XELASTEC especially with DD-based earphones. Expect dust-magnet. All thermoplastic elastomer eartips require regular washing and sanitizing to prevent ears infection.
Purchased from Amazon.jp.

FiiO Silicone (Balanced Ear tips)
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.25
Nice sounding eartips with a toned down bass and treble.
Purchased from FiiO store on Taobao (Mainland China)

FiiO Silicone (Bass Eartips)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 3.5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4
This is similar to many stock tips like those from TRN.
Purchased from FiiO store on Taobao (Mainland China)

FiiO Silicone (Vocal Eartips)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 2.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 5
These tips cut bass drastically!
Purchased from FiiO store on Taobao (Mainland China)

Filter H270 TPE Eartips
Bore size: regular with grille
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 5.0

Is this US$7 per pair Chinese-made TPE eartip comparable to Azla SednaEarFits XELASTEC and Fender SureSeal? I am sorry to say the H270 eartip doesn’t feel and wear like a TPE eartip. Thus, I do suspect it isn’t made of TPE at all. Probably made of silicone at best. Nonetheless, H270 is a very lively-sounding eartip. Bass is quite punchy.

Sub-bass rumble is good. Midrange is crisp and clear. Treble extension is very good. Soundstage and imaging are good. If you can overlook the fact that this isn’t made of TPE like they claimed, this is a pretty decent eartip. In terms of sound, it is closer to SureSeal than XELASTEC. Both eartips have accentuated upper-mids and treble.
Purchased from Filter Taobao official store

Filter H370 Latex Eartips
Bore size: elliptical-shaped, regular with grille
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 2.0
Midrange: 3.75
Treble: 3.0
Soundstage: 3.0
Vocal presence: 3.5

This Chinese Filter H370 does remind me a bit of ADV Eartune Fidelity U Elliptical eartip but performs far worse… Yup, in my encyclopedia of eartips this one is pretty bad. First thing you will notice is how boomy and wooly the bass is. It is so bad that it bleeds into the mids. Upper treble is rolled-off, thus lacking a sense of space and openness. All-in-all, the H370 is a dark-sounding eartip with poor technicalities. Comfort-wise is quite good though. What a pity!
Purchased from Filter Taobao official store

Final Audio Type A
Bore size: narrow
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 4. 8
Vocal presence: 4
Less common than Type E. Let’s call this Type E with a slightly boosted treble and thus lesser bass. As a whole it gives better clarity. The overall tonality remains quite balanced.
Purchased from Amazon.jp.

Final Audio Type B
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and plush
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4
Less common than Type E. Let’s call this Type E with a slightly boosted bass. Overall sound is more round robust as well. My favorite eartips for diffused-field oriented earphones
Purchased from Amazon.jp

Final Audio Type E
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4
For balance sound. Tame harsh earphones
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

Final Audio Type E (Clear, Clear/Red) 2020 Edition)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4 25
Vocal presence: 4.5
Sounds cleaner, clearer, brighter and tighter bass than conventional black Final Audio Type E eartip. Improved vocal lucidity. Tonally more accurate as well.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Final Type E Silicon Eartips for True Wireless (black)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 5
Vocal presence: 4
Probably my favorite eartips for true wireless earpieces. These eartips really open-up the sound without adding sibilance or harshness. Bass is tight, controlled, distinct with great texture and clarity. Vocal is neither too forward or backward… Just nice! Currently, my reference to gauge against other TWS eartips.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Final Type E Silicon Eartips for True Wireless (clear)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 5
Vocal presence: 4
Overall, similar to Final Type E True Wireless (black) but with slightly less bass.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

J

JVC Spiral Dot (Regular)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 4
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4
For balance sound. Tame harsh earphones
Purchased from Japan through a friend

JVC Spiral Dot SF (Short Flange / Shallow Fit)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short (shallow fit)
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
These eartips are meant for true wireless earpieces. These have more bass and vocal presence than SpinFit CP-350 and CP-360. Comparable to Final Type E True Wireless (black) but sound less open and less treble extension.
Purchased from Amazon.jp

JVC Spiral Dot++ (EP-FX10)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: supple and grippy
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 3.75
Treble: 3
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4
For balance sound. Tames harsh earphones. Cleaner but lesser bass and midrange compared to regular Spiral Dot. Very comfortable for long listening sessions.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

JVC/Victor EP-FX2 (Poor men’s Spiral Dot)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and grippy
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
You get 80% performance of Spiral Dot at 30% of its price. Comfortable for long listening. Good value for money.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

K

KB EAR 10 Silicone Eartips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 3.75
Treble: 3 5
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4
For balance sound. Tames bass-heavy earphones. Smooth tonality suitable for long listening sessions.Purchased from KB EAR Taobao store

KB EAR A07 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
Suspiciously similar to Acoustune AET07. Heck… It sounds closer to AET07a than AET07. Neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange and top-end sparkle. I find this eartip to have better bass texture, dynamics and vocal presence than SpinFit CP100 and CP145. The A07 is often labeled as “vocal” eartip for most stock tips offering.Purchased from BGVP Taobao storePurchased from KB EAR Taobao store

KB EAR A08 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 5
Suspiciously similar to Acoustune AET08, this eartip adds thickness to bass and midrange. However, unlike Acoustune AET08, I find it a speck bright. The A08 is often labeled as “bass” eartip for most stock tips offering.
Purchased from KB EAR Taobao store

KB EAR “Columbia” Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
This eartip is worthy of the title “Sony clone”. Sounds virtually identical to Sony EP-EX11M eartip, which my sensitive ears couldn’t tell them apart. For neutral tonality with slight treble roll-off.
Purchased from KB EAR Taobao store

KZ Starline
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 3.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3
Vocal presence: 2.75
Purchased from KZ store on Taobao (Mainland China)

These stock KZ eartips come in two versions. The older version was included with KZ ZS3 and KZ ZS5, etc, were no longer available. They are softer and more pliable compare to current ones. Sound-wise, co-blogger Slater prefers the former. They give smoother midrange and cleaner treble. The ones tested here are the current/ new version.

KZ Starline (reverse)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: long
Feel: soft and grippy
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 3.5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4*
Vocal presence: 3
For bright, clear and crisp sound
*soundstage has more depth and height than width
Purchased from KZ store on Taobao (Mainland China)

KZ Whirlwind Silicone Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 2.0
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.50
Similar to Tennmak Whirlwind, these eartips reduce bass and mid-bass significantly. Projects vocals forward with good presence.
Purchased from KZ Official Store on Taobao

M

Marunana 七福神 silicone eartips
Bore size: narrow
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4Vocal presence: 4.25
Marunana eartips is recommended by a friend who discovered it from a native Japanese audio enthusiast. These eartips are surprisingly affordable (880¥ for 12 pairs!). Great midrange texture and vocal presence. My only nitpick is they tend to cloud the mid-bass a little but it adds body to lean earphones.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Moondrop Spring Tips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft with pliable stem
Bass: 2.50
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 5.0
These originally come stock with Moondrop KATO. First impression is how suppressed the bass and mid-bass are, which thins the overall note-weight and body. Midrange is textured with good details. Vocal is forward with very good presence.

Treble has good sparkle and crisp, however it lacks that last bit of extension and airiness. Great match for earphones with too much mid-bass or has bleeding mid-bass. The caps are too soft in my opinion. They flap over every time I remove them from my ears, which is very annoying.
Purchased from Moondrop Taobao Official Store

O

Ostry OS100 Tuning Eartips (Blue)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.25
Vocal presence: 3.5
Sounds 90% identical to SpinFit CP145 but with a touch more bass and narrower soundstage.
Purchased from Ostry Official Store on Taobao (Mainland China)

Ostry OS200 Tuning Eartips (Red)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.25
Soundstage: 3
Vocal presence: 3.5
Similar to Ostry OS100 but with a tad more bass and less crisp in the treble. Quite a balance-sounding eartip. Narrows soundstage.
Purchased from Ostry Official Store on Taobao (Mainland China)

Ostry OS300 Tuning Eartips (Black)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 5
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 2.5
Soundstage: 2.5
Vocal presence: 3.5
The most bass-heavy Ostry tuning eartips of all. Also rolls-off treble the most. It adds tightness and punchiness to the overall sound. However, I find them a bit too forward for my taste.
Purchased from Ostry Official Store on Taobao (Mainland China)

Ortofon silicone eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: very soft and pliable
Bass: 2.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
For good midrange, best female vocal, tames bass and brightens treble
Purchased from Ortofon direct (Denmark)

Q

Queen Lab Hybrid Silicone Memory
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5 
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4 5
Exceptionally good vocal presentations for hybrid. Tighter bass and clearer midrange compared to Symbio W. My favorite hybrid eartip. 
Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

R

Radius Deep Mount
Bore size: small
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
Just like the company’s slogan – Pure Comes True, Deep Mount is the most transparent of all eartips I have tested. Not suitable if your earphone is already bright.
Purchased from Bic Camera (Osaka, Japan)

RHA dual density silicone eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5
These eartips enhance details and stereo imaging extremely well. Tighten bass. Projects midrange and treble frequencies more than some eartips. Not recommended for bright earphones.
Purchased from RHA in UK

S

Sennheiser Momentum Eartips
Bore size: regular with “sound beam”
Stem length: very short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 3. 5
Vocal presence: 3.5
This is the stock eartip from Sennheiser Momentum series of earphones. It has a bold, thick and robust sound signature with buttery-smoooth upper-midrange and treble. Can sound overly warm and muddy when used on dark-sound earphones. Clarity, soundstage, imaging, and details are average.
Purchased from Sennheiser Singapore

Simphonio Diamond Earfit
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 2.50
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 5.0
Vocal presence: 5.0
This eartip has rhombus patterns stamped around the cap (or umbrella) thus the name “diamond” Earfit. This eartip bears some resemblance to Moondrop Spring Tip, however Diamond Earfit is a bit shorter height-wise. Vocal is forward with very good presence. Midrange and treble feels more open and livelier than Spring Tips. Just like Spring Tips, Diamond Earfit thins bass and mid-bass, reduces note-weight. Skip if you prefer bassier eartip.
Purchased from RoadRunner Taobao Store

Softears Liquid Silicone Ear TipsBore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and grippy
Bass: 3.0Midrange: 5.0Treble: 4.50Soundstage: 5.0Vocal presence: 5.0
Very pricey eartips from Softears. Appearance and texture feel just like SednaEarfit XELASTEC, although it says “Liquid Silicone”. Frankly, I have no clue what liquid silicone is other than those used in aesthetics surgery.

However, I find these eartips sound very much cleaner, clearer and airier than both XELASTEC and Crystal. Midrange and vocal presentation are outstanding. Softears Liquid Silicone does not have the upper-midrange “ringing” that plagues the original XELASTEC eartips. Unfortunately, these eartips attracts dirt and dust just like XELASTEC, so clean them regularly if you decide to try.
Purchased from Softears Taobao Official Store

SonicMemory Cup Tips
Bore size: cone-shaped, tempered (4mm nozzle end, 5mm bell end)
Stem length: short
Feel: medium soft and pliable
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 3.75
An alternative to Epro Horn-shaped Tips. It has an overall softer yet balanced tonality. Bass not as impactful and robust. Vocals don’t stand out as much. Nonetheless, I do enjoy the “air” it gives to the sound. Also, these eartips present slightly wider soundstage and more spacious than Epro. Comes with antibacterial properties added, which is a good thing if you don’t have sensitive skin.
Purchased from SonicMemory Taobao Official Store

SonicMemory Fungus Tips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft with a sturdy stem
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 3.50
These eartips look like little pink champignon mushrooms thus the name “fungus” tips. A balanced-sounding eartip with emphasis in bass and low-midrange. Vocals sound slightly nasally and laid-back. Treble lacks air and extension. Soundstage is of average width. If you prefer an open and airy sound with wide-staging, do consider its sibling the SonicMemory Cup Tips. Infused with antibacterial properties.
Purchased from SonicMemory Official Store on Taobao

Sony Clear White
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: pliable and soft
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.5
I consider the Clear White an improvement over Sony Triple Comfort. This enhances overall clarity and vocal presence without sounding overly bright or harsh. Top-end sounds more airy. Bass texture improved as well. My only gripe is it isn’t as smooth as I would prefer but this is a small trade off in my opinion.
Purchased from Amazon.jp

Sony EP-NI1000M Noise Isolation Earbud Tips

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: spongy and sturdy
Bass: 5.0
Midrange: 4. 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 5.0

This is the most expensive eartips in my collection as of October 2021. These tips retail for US$20 A PAIR! Yes, you hear that right… Two Hamiltons for a pair of eartips!

Deemed to be a replacement for Sony Triple Comfort (EP-TC50), these are eartips with an attitude. They sound like silicone but seal and isolate like a good pair of foam tips. Extremely comfortable and stable fit.

Are they better than XELASTEC? All I can say is both are very different. If you are always a “foam person”, the EP-NI1000 sounds more lively and open than, say, Comply or Dekoni.

Heard from a friend that these eartips don’t last long, so it is better to keep them dry and away from heat. Purchased from Amazon, Japan

Sony Spare Earbuds EP-EX10A / EP-EX11

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5

Neutral tonality with warm mid-bass and slight treble roll-off. Midrange is smooth and laid-back. Ideal choice for bright and lean sounding earphones.
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

Sony Triple Comfort
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: spongy and sturdy
Bass: 5
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3.25
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.25
For similar to Sony Hybrids but with boosted bass
Purchased from Bic Camera (Osaka, Japan)

Sony Hybrid (discontinued)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
For neutral tonality with treble roll-off
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SPEAR Labs nFORM XTR SERIES 500
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: spongy and sturdy
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 3.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.25
An alternative to Sony Hybrids (EP-TC50M). Compared to the Sony, nFORM has a clearer and tighter bass, with forward midrange. Human voice can sound nasally (a common problem with foam-based eartips). Soundstage is narrow and stereo imaging less distinctive and precise. Nonetheless, nFORM is extremely comfortable for long listening sessions. Suitable for bright and lean sounding earphones.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

SpinFit CP100
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.25
For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange.
Purchased from Stereo Electronics (Singapore)

SpinFit CP100+
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 3.75
Slight improvement over the original CP-100 especially in the midrange and upper-midrange. However, I feel the top-end is less airy than CP-100. Bass also lacks a bit of punch and dynamics. The “plus” addendum probably comes from the better portrayal of the human voice. True enough, vocals sound slightly more forward and crispier.

Imaging, focusing, instrument and vocal separation definitely improved over its predecessor. Personally, CP-145 is still my most favourite SpinFit.
Purchased from Amazon.sg (Singapore)

SpinFit CP145
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.5
For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange and vocal
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SpinFit CP155
Bore size: regular
Stem length: long
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
1 mm longer than CP-100 and CP-145, the additional length and bullet-shaped caps of the CP-155 allow deeper insertion to bring more bass and fuller vocal. 
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SpinFit CP220
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular (double flange)
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4
For neutral tonality with emphasis in bass, midrange and vocal. For clarity and bigger soundstage, choose CP-240.
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SpinFit CP240
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular (double flange)
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 4
Exceptional clarity with good treble extension. Soundstage is one of the biggest I have heard. Vocal presentation is forward. Can get sibilant when matched with bright earphones.
Purchased from Stereo Electronics (Singapore)

SpinFit CP350
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short (shallow fit)
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 2.0
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.5
These eartips are originally meant for TWS wireless earpieces but a friend of mine suggested they are very good at cutting down bass and midbass. Indeed, these are the “Diffuse Field Target-equivalent” of eartips. They clean up the bass.

Reduces mid-bass bloat or muddiness. Upper-midrange is sparkly and treble extension is one of the best I have heard among universal eartips. Vocal is forward with good clarity. NOTE: SpinFit CP-350 has a very shallow fit. Make sure the earphone nozzle length is at least 5mm in order to fit securely.
Purchased from Stereo Electronics (Singapore)

SpinFit CP360
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.0
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence’ 5
These eartips are meant for true wireless earpieces. If you find SpinFit CP-350 too short, this one fits between regular CP-145 and CP-350. Bass and low-mids are stronger than CP-350. Vocal is forward with good clarity.
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SpinFit CP500
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.0
A lesser known SpinFit model. CP-500 gives tighter, punchier bass, better vocal presentation than the popular (and common) CP-100 and CP-145. May add sibilance and harshness to bright-sounding earphonesPurchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

Symbio W
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 3 75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.5
For good midrange, slight treble roll-off
Purchased from Symbio direct (Hungary)

Symbio Orange Peel
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 3
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 3.5
Good midrange. Punchier bass, better treble extension and more open-sounding compare to Symbio W.
Purchased from Symbio direct (Hungary)

T

Tanchjim T-APB Air Pressure Balance Silicone Eartips T300T (Treble Enhancing)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4.5 
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4What’s is T-APB? Simply put it, a hexagonal-shaped internal wall of the nozzle that Tanchjim claims “enhance the comfortness (is there such a word?) by evenly balancing the air pressure inside the ear canal, thus to prevent swelling of the ear canal caused by prolonged use of earphone”

… Marketing aside, the T300T (Treble Enhancing) eartip does pushes some high frequency through but it causes the entire bass spectrum and low-mids to “muddle up”, resulting in a loss of texture and low-end details. Does not go well with “thick-sounding” IEMs but good match for leaner-sounding ones BUT be very careful as it might brighten sound too much. 
Purchased from Hifigo

Tanchjim T-APB Air Pressure Balance Silicone Eartips T300B (Bass Enhancing)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.75What’s is T-APB? Simply put it, a hexagonal-shaped internal wall of the nozzle that Tanchjim claims “enhance the comfortness (is there such a word?) by evenly balancing the air pressure inside the ear canal, thus to prevent swelling of the ear canal caused by prolonged use of earphone”

… Marketing aside, the T300T (Treble Enhancing) eartip is surprisingly neutral despite the “Treble Enhancing” name tag. I find the vocal slightly laid-back and lower-mids a tad muffled. Otherwise, a good choice for IEMs with diffused-field tuning, such as those from Tanchjim and Moondrop.
Purchased from Hifigo

Tennmak Whirlwind
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 2
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
Reduces bass and mid-bass significantly. Let vocal shines through.
Purchased from Tennmak Store on AliExpress

TRN Silicone Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: flexible with firm stem
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 3.25
Treble: 3.0
Soundstage: 2.50
Vocal presence: 3.0
Listening to these eartips is like having a thick veil covers the entire frequency spectrum. They simply muffle sound! Bass is clumpy, lacks texture and details. Midrange and upper-registers cover by a layer of haze. Vocal is lackluster and lifeless. Staging is flat and narrow. Imagining is fuzzy. One of the worst eartips I have tested so far.
Purchased from TRN Official Store on AliExpress

W

Whizzer Easytips ET100 (natural)

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 3.5

A very interesting eartip that looks like a toilet plunger. The shape may be odd but the sound isn’t. Balanced, clean and clear tonality that is neither too bright nor too bassy. Seals and isolates well too.
Purchased from OperaFactory Taobao Official Store

Whizzer Easytips SS20 (soundstage)

Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 5.0
Vocal presence: 3.5

As the title implies, this eartip improves soundstage, and this isn’t a gimmick. It really adds dimension to sound, giving it a more spacious presentation.
Purchased from OperaFactory Taobao Official Store

Whizzer Easytips VC20 (vocal)

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 3.75
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 2.5
Vocal presence: 2.5

Not very good. This eartip clouds midrange and boosts low-mid a bit too much for my taste. Resolution is poor as well. Everything just sounds stuffy and dull. Perfect for bright-sounding IEMs though.
Purchased from OperaFactory Taobao Official Store

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The post Tweaking Tips – A Simplified Guide To IEM Silicone Eartips UPDATED 2022-05-27 appeared first on Audio Reviews.

My impressions are purely based on the “best” set of audio analyzer I own, which is my pair of ears. Before I dive into the US$290 TRI TK-2, a bit of background story. I knew KB EAR /TRI Audio was planning a dongle DAC/Amp device back in Spring 2020. That time their idea was very vague but their owner did ask my opinion on a possible dongle DAC/Amp solution.

At that time, I wasn’t too keen on their proposal since most dongle DACs I have tried are either quite weak or sounded mediocre. The idea of sharing battery power with the source (the phone) is unappealing to me. I told him I will explore his plans further but I didn’t actually do so… At least not until this year when the donglemadness movement exploded.

Few months ago, I saw a series of photos on Weibo showing KB EAR show booth at an audio event in Mainland China. On the table was a portable device with a TRI logo on it. I knew immediately that was it! That’s the DAC/Amp device which KB EAR had been planning all this time.

Today we know this device turned out to be a collaboration between TRI Audio and KAEI. But who is KAEI? This brand is relatively unknown to those of us outside of Mainland China. Also known as 小林KAEI, they started business producing DIY amps before moving to portable DAPs. Today, the company produces a TOTL iOS-based audiophile digital audio player called DAP-3.

Just imagine a souped-up version of iPod with dual ESS Sabre ES9038Pro DACs and a powerful amp section… That’s how I would describe it. This is the first collaboration between the two brands to bring new variety to the already saturated DAC/Amp market. The innards of TRI TK-2 are largely based on the now discontinued KAEI HP-100.Let’s take a look if the TK-2 can live up to the hype to become one of the mainstream products like the Chord Mojo or the iFi Hip-DAC.

DISCLAIMER: The TRI TK-2 was sent to me “partially” free-of-charge (I paid for the FedEx International Priority shipping) as a review unit; however, this won’t affect my overall impressions.

HITS 

Neutral and balance sound signature with a hint of warmth. Pleasant and linear tuning that is neither too harsh nor too smooth. A wide dynamic range that is both accurate and coherent. Good note weight that is engaging and musical. Great extension at both ends of the frequency spectrum. Transients and attacks are fast with good energy and control that is able to handle even the most complex and demanding music tracks. Textured, open and weighty bass notes. Good midrange presence that is neither forward or recess. There is a hint of softness in the midrange texture and quality, giving each note a refined, luscious and sophisticated presentation.

Nonetheless, the sense of clarity in macro and micro details are still very much preserved. Vocal is positioned at the right depth, which is both inviting and pleasing to listen for hours. Treble is neither bright, grainy nor sibilant. Top-end is open, airy, slightly reverberated that really helps to portray a sense of space. As a result, soundstage has good dimensions in both height and depth.

Placement has a reliable distinction between each and every instrument and singer with ambient details such as echoes and sound reverbs, allowing them to excel and shine. Imaging and layering capabilities are exceptional as well. The TK-2 has a sustaining transients and decay that gives a natural and clean timbre to instruments such as acoustic guitar and violin.

Equally-distributed power of 1,250mW@32Ω to all 3.5mm single-ended, 4.4mm and 2.5mm balanced outputs! (a rarity in budget amps) Class AB amplifier able to churn out lots of clean power with minimum distortion.

When the volume knob turns past 60% or at around 2 o’clock, that is where the magic begins. TK-2 emits a soft “click” and kicks into Turbo mode or high gain. In Turbo mode, TK-2 becomes a Class A amplifier that is able to drive planar headphones such as HifiMan Sundara. You can hear the differences not just in volume gain but the richness in tonality immediately.

Supports Line Out (LO) function. Supports both USB Type-C PD (Power Delivery) and QC3.0 fast charging. Recessed volume knob to prevent accidental movement. No low-volume channel imbalance (on my unit), unlike some iFi products. The L-shaped USB Type-C data cable and Apple Lightning adapter are very thoughtful inclusion. Unlike many DAC/Amps today, TK-2 radiates very little heat even in Turbo Mode (Class A). It feels slightly warm to the touch even with more than 2 hours of continuous usage driving the 300Ω Sennheiser HD600 headphone.

MISSES

No MQA support…. (Frankly I don’t care about the format). Look and feel “chonky” due to its 24mm (1-inch) thickness, which makes it less portable than some DAPs or even a phone with dongle. The silver finishing a fingerprint magnet according to feedback (I have the black version).

No Bluetooth or Line In function. No battery power indicator. No bass boost or tonal selection. Clean but not ultra-clean noise floor with sensitive IEMs such as Campfire Andromeda. Average battery life lasted 8 hours powering just IEMs. Volume knob feels loose and sensitive to the slightest touch; just be careful.

Sound-wise, sub-bass doesn’t go as deep as some other portable amps such as Chord Mojo. Treble can sound a tad bit bright on some tracks. Armed with dual ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DACs, I expected the soundstage, imaging and layering to be even better but hey, I am just nitpicking here. No dedicated phone app to tweak DAC settings and EQ.

Is this thing firmware-upgradeable? (there is no information from KB EAR) To be honest, it is kind of pricey at US$290 when there are much lower-priced DAC/Amp with better features and future-proof firmware support.

CONCLUSION 

The TRI TK-2 is very hard to dislike. It sounds impressively musical, natural, smooth and pleasing to the ears. As a neutral source, TK-2 is able to pair well with any transducer and is ideal for both testing and evaluation. It has more than enough power capable of driving just about every load; from IEMs to headphones.

Technicalities are stellar for the price especially in terms of tonality, transient, dynamics, resolution, soundstage, imaging, instrument separation and layering. However, lack of useful features such as dedicated app support, MQA support, aptX-HD Bluetooth and Line In function, average battery life and questionable firmware upgradeability can be a deal-breaker to some folks, especially when compared to the competitors at similar or lower price range. Nevertheless, TRI Audio and KAEI have done a fantastic job producing this desktop-caliber powerhouse.

Nice “TRI” guys!

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Cons — Moondrop Quarks have fragile plastic shell
– Lack of sub-bass rumble
– Dry timbre
– Poor technicalities in general

INTRODUCTION

Moondrop has been teasing about a pair of single-dynamic ultra-budget earphones for the while. So it is fair to say that there has been quite some anticipation building up to the Quarks. As it stands, Moondrop Quarks are their cheapest earphones and also the cheapest earphones to offer a neutral-ish tuning.

Given the cheap price of admission it’s hard to not get impressed by the Quarks, at least on paper. Reality can be sobering, though, so let’s see if the Quarks can keep up with the competition.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. ShenzhenAudio was kind enough to send me the Quarks for evaluation.

Source used: Hidizs AP80 Pro

Price, while reviewed: $13 (no mic version). Can be bought from Shenzhen Audio or Moondrop Offical Store.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

Not much to talk about here, really. The packaging is kinda unique for Moondrop though as it is bereft of any anime artwork. Other than that – the tips are not good and the carrying pouch is meh. I’d highly advise getting third party tips.
1/5

BUILD QUALITY

The Moondrop Quarks do look quite decent from afar, esp the transparent shell and color-coded back-plates give a nice visual touch. Sadly, up-close the illusion evaporates. The plastic is decidedly cheap with a shoddy finish, the cable is springy, and the innards lack the polish of higher-tier earphones. But hey, we are talking about the price of a decent lunch. Understandable omissions.

One curious omission was that of vent, since there are no visible vents on the Quarks. Moondrop calls this a fully-enclosed structure and it will be interesting to see how that affects the sound.
3/5

COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

Due to the light-weight nature and bullet-type shell, the Moondrop Quarks fit rather easily. However, there is some pressure build-up in the ear-canals due to lack of back-vent but it was not much of a problem for me. Your mileage may vary.
4/5

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

For a budget device, the Quarks required surprising amount of power and the driver seems rather inefficient with a sensitivity around the 97-98dB/mW region. This means that you will require a source with above-average output power to drive them properly. I think most modern dongles will suffice even though Apple dongle, out of phones, will likely fall short.

As for eartips, I found the stock tips to be a poor fit for me and opted for Final E-type tips with a size smaller than I usually use to help with the deeper fit.

DRIVER SETUP

Moondrop Quarks utilizes a 6mm micro-dynamic driver with a PET diaphragm. Nothing to write home about, really, though I am not expecting such at this price point.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

The general sound signature of the Moondrop Quarks can be described as “Neutral” with a dry midrange and somewhat rolled-off treble.

When it comes to the bass, the Quarks aren’t a good performer even with the best of seals. The bass lacks texture and rumble and thus sounds rather one-note. Deep sub-bass is reduced to a generic hum and as a result you don’t notice the subtleties in fast-flowing basslines.

The midrange appears to be the bread-and-butter of this kind of tuning and the Quarks mostly delivers on the “clarity” front. The upper-mids are prominent followed by a recession in the lower-mids and this leads to a sense of “cleanliness” in the midrange. However, due to the driver limitation the entire midrange ends up sounding dry and lifeless. The tonality of the midrange is correct, but it lacks engagement.

As for the treble, it is rolled off post 6/7KHz. This results in muted cymbal hits and a sense of compression in the high registers. Staging is hampered as a side-effect and you get a very in-your-head presentation. Imaging is also mostly left/right with no distinction between ordinal and cardinal directions. Overall timbre is dry though not as artificial as the cheap BA drivers in this range. Overall resolution is middling as well owing to the textureless bass and rolled-off treble. Dynamics are disappointing too due to the lack of perceivable end-to-end extension.

A very middling display, overall, only redeemed by the tuning choice (neutral midrange) which is rarely found in the budget range.

Bass: 3/5
Mids: 4/5
Highs: 2.5/5
Soundstage: 2.5/5
Imaging: 3/5
Dynamics: 2.5/5

FREQUENCY RESPONSE GRAPH

SELECT COMPARISONS

vs Moondrop Spaceship

The Moondrop Spaceship is priced slightly higher ($20) and has been the cheapest single-dynamic offering in Moondrop’s lineup before Quarks.

In terms of build quality, I’ll give the edge to Spaceship due to its metal housing. Comfort is similar between these. However, the sound is where things get interesting and both tend to target a neutral signature. In my opinion, Moondrop Spaceship executes the neutral signature better with superior technicalities and more natural timbre. The driver on the Spaceship is seemingly superior to that of the Quarks as well.

Both of these IEMs are bass-lite but the Spaceship bass has more texture (with a tip change of course). Midrange isn’t as dry on the Spaceship and has better male vocal rendition. Treble also has more sparkle and definition on the Spaceship. Soundstage is slightly wider and imaging is more precise on the Spaceship.

The biggest issue with the Spaceship, however, is how power hungry it can get. You’ll need a good source to power them fully and that’s a contradiction given most people aiming for budget IEMs will pair them with budget sources. Either way, in terms of sound alone, the Spaceship is better than the Quarks and well worth the extra $7.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

I hoped the Moondrop Quarks would be a stand-out due to the initial fanfare, but alas. In fact, it’s the tuning target alone that acts as the saving grace for the Quarks since it is mediocre in terms of everything else e.g. build quality, bass performance, timbre etc.

If you want a budget IEM with neutral tuning, the Moondrop Quarks can be worth looking into, though be prepared for third-party eartips. Even then, Moondrop Quarks doesn’t quite become the budget miracle I hoped it would be. So it becomes just another option instead of being something more.

MY VERDICT

3.5/5

Decent, and that’s about it.

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The 2DD/BA/piezo GK10 is a warm (cf dark-sounding) V-shaped piece with emphasis on the voluminous but somewhat sluggish midbass, recessed mids and a grainy but  reasonably detailed treble. There’s adequate separation between instruments, but imaging is confusing—the performers seem to be randomly placed in a scrum towards the middle of the stage.

Drums lack some snap and the highest frequencies seem to be veiled by the big low end. For all that, the GK10 is a pleasant enough listen—there’s no harsh edges or sharp peaks, and tonality is fairly analogue-sounding.  However, it’s difficult to hear just what all those drivers are doing—these lack the quick transients and high-end transparency of  other budget piezos like the NX-7 or BQEYZ Spring. Okay overall, but the more revealing KBEAR KB04 or a TRN STM are much better for much less. 

Specifications

• 1 balanced armature for high frequency
• 2 piezoelectric ceramic for ultra-high frequency
• 7mm graphene diaphragm dynamic for middle frequency
• 8mm dome titanium diaphragm dynamic for bass
• Panel: stable wood
• Shell material: ABS+PC
• Impedance: 8Ω
• Sensitivity: 106dB
• Frequency response range: 20-30kHz
• Cable material: 8-strand silver-plated
• Connector: 2pin 0.78mm
• Cable length: 1.2m

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DISCLAIMER

Hifigo kindly provided this set to Durwood for no charge, for everyone else they can be found on Amazon on Hifigo’s store page.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

Executive Summary

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

Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

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

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

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

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

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

Tonality and Technicalities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moondrop KATO compared

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Concluding Remarks

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

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

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

Get the KATO from SHENZHENAUDIO.

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Gallery

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Geek Wold GK10 is currently being hyped like no other, I actually jumped on these when I saw piezo hybrid prior to seeing any hype. Air and sparkle can be fun so they seemed interesting enough especially at their price tag.

You don’t see too many piezo hybrids sub $70 (Nicehck NX7 is the most inexpensive I know) this particular IEM is a 2DD, 1BA and 2 piezo hybrid. The titanium dynamic driver handles the bass, graphene (coated?) handles the mids, BA the lower treble and the ceramic piezo the upper treble.

The promoters set my expectations high, but is the Geek Wold GK10 a main act or the opening act? I suggest having a read through our past reviews of the Nicehck NX7 and BQEYZ Spring 2 to familiarize with what other acts might be competing for the top spot in the piezo hybrids.

Since the Olympics just wrapped up, I equate the Geek Wold GK10 to a long distance track runner with short legs, working real hard to keep up with the more majestic stride of the smoother runner.

It’s fun to watch but ultimately not going to end up on the podium. The reference here though is a $170 IEM to a <$50 IEM so it needs to be taken in context. Now that the real expectations are set, please have a look.

GEEK WOLD GK10 SPECIFICATIONS

• 1 balanced armature for high frequency
• 2 piezoelectric ceramic for ultra-high frequency
• 7mm graphene diaphragm dynamic for middle frequency
• 8mm dome titanium diaphragm dynamic for bass
• Panel: stable wood
• Shell material: ABS+PC
• Impedance: 8Ω
• Sensitivity: 106dB
• Frequency response range: 20-30kHz
• Cable material: 8-strand silver-plated
• Connector: 2pin 0.78mm
• Cable length: 1.2m

OUT OF THE BOX CONFESSIONS

Some of these are hard to classify as a pro or a con, so you get to decide.

• Connectors were hard to push in, made a creaking sound when I finally used enough force to insert the 2 pin. Afterwards there didn’t seem to be any issue removing and reinserting.
• Shells are on the lighter thinner plastic side, reminds me of some of TRN’s budget models IM series. It sacrifices premium build feel for a more practical lightweight disappears in your ears concept.
• Eartips, I had to go up a size from my usual medium and then the midbass nature makes an appearance.
• 6 ohms on the box, 8ohm listed on the web. Measurement below confirms 6 ohm if not closer to 5 ohm. High output impedance sources beware.
• The wood faceplate is unique as a snowflake and yes they are heart shaped. Love at first sight? The wood faceplate is offest, I did a double take thinking the faceplates had come off in shipment.
• The cable is of the tight twisted variety it is not afraid to show it’s kinky side.
• They stay put in my ears, but isolation is average.

PROS

• Unique wood faceplate
• Stays in my ear YMMV
• Smooth piezo tweeter implementation

CONS

• Low Impedance makes it susceptible to cable impedance and source output impedance
• Average isolation
• Bass tuning is centered high and wide
• Left vs Right level differences

GEEK WOLD GK10 PACKAGE CONTENTS

• Removable 2 pin cable
• 2 sets of eartips S/M/L
• Carrying Pouch

THE IMPORTANT SOUND STUFF

Equipment Sources LG V30 / Liquid Spark + JDS Labs Atom

The Geek Wold GK10 is a V shaped signature with bright treble and peaky bass centered in the midbass region. It roughly outlines the Harman curve expect for a few peaks in the response. I have seen the controversy about graphs and perceptions…more on that in a bit. I can only comment on the set received.

The bass has a quick decay but at the same time boomy and thick sounding. Lower registers drop quickly off only to come in later with a slight lack of control, be prepared for all vocals to sound boxy. But wait you say, my set doesn’t sound like that so yours must be defective? The plausible idea is that there is glue covering the vent hole altering the tuning giving them a unit to unit inconsistency.

The other possibility is something I have come across now twice recently, using certain sized tips the shell prevents deep penetration to get that seal needed for proper bass reproduction. What you end up with is a loose seal that helps mask the peakiness of the bass hump. The same result can be achieved by sticking something between the stem of the eartip and nozzle so that it “leaks”.

If comparing the other piezo hybrids, the Nicehck NX7 wins hands down with it’s sub-centric non-bleeding bass, while the BQEYZ Spring 2 comes in second only due to less quantity of the wide hump.

There is a third possibility, consider the fact the hump covers the whole lower octaves similar to trekking up a very long gradual hill to only realize later how tall that hill actually gets. Our brains work very well in relative terms, not so much in absolutes, in others words this rise can be masked.

Mids on the Geek Wold GK10 are pushed into the background with rockiness in the waters presenting some audible grain consistent with IEM’s in this price bracket. Females and male vocalists sound rather chesty as expected with such a midbass hump. I am also picking up some ever slight edginess as we move into the upper mids. The BQEYZ Spring 2 excel in the midrange over the Nicehck NX7 and the Geek Wold GK10 coming in third.

The upper mids and treble come in hot and heavy giving the old noggin a lot to process. They are lively and energetic with a peak near 5khz. Snares are soft and cymbals have no real wincing impact that can easily occur with the Nicehck NX7 leaving just the splash at the end-think shhh instead of catshhh.

The BQEYZ Spring 2 is cleaner and more cohesive. It’s easy to see the treble is the star of the show since it is not offensive. Many IEM’s in this price bracket have trouble controlling treble to extent that it is either piercing or subdued. It’s a tough call here, I prefer the BQEYZ Spring 2, but others might decide the softer presentation of the Geek Wold GK10 might be preferred. The Nicehck NX7 looses terribly unless you want to chase away a wild pack of wolves.

TECHNICALITIES

The Geek Wold GK 10 presents a wide stage with medium depth with only vocals sitting in the background. Separation of instruments is acceptable but easily bested by the 3 times as expensive BQEYZ Spring 2. I get the feeling there might be no crossover in these relying solely on driver overlap and natural roll off of the drivers.

I pick up smearing throughout the midrange so this is perhaps the reason. I might be mistaken but I did not find any literature that mentions a crossover division of frequencies. Geek Wold might want to mention that if it exists. If you didn’t want to spring for the Spring 2, this is an alternative with a recessed midrange in comparison.

Soundstage does present nice width and height with only a minor dip in depth through the mids. The piezo super tweeter adds some ambiance to give some air, but not to the level of the BQEYZ Spring 1 or 2.

OUTRO

The Geek Wold GK10 will enjoy the 15 minutes of fame until the next shiny toy comes out, there is currently no one else offering a hybrid with a ceramic piezo super tweeter at this price range. I have to be realistic, it is not a giant killer or something that can compete in higher price brackets.

Enjoy it for what it is, a sub $50 hybrid and pretty to look at less smooth Harmon tuned IEM heavy on the midbass. After some brain burn re-calibration, I have to let my hearing adjust back to my daily favorite, the Shozy Form 1.4.

GRAPHS

• Geek Wold GK10 Left vs Right
• Geek Wold GK10 vs BQEYZ Spring 2 vs Nicehck NX7
• Geek Wold GK10 Impedance Plot

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DISCLAIMER

Hifigo kindly provided this set for no charge, for everyone else they can be found on Amazon on Hifigo’s store page. No affliate kickbacks, I pinky promise.

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About my measurements.

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

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Cons — The atrocious, hilariously horrible carrying case Airpods Max comes with (that you can’t avoid using)
– 9KHz peak with ANC on
– Sounds overly processed with noticeable BT compression
– No high bit-rate codec support
– Clamp can be uncomfortable, can feel heavy
– Call quality is mediocre, voice sounds muffled even in a quiet room
– Overpriced

INTRODUCTION

The moment Apple removed the headphone jack from its latest iPhone 7, it spelt doom for the headphone jack itself on all flagship devices. It’s incredible how something as innocuous as the 3.5mm jack became the bane of existence for Apple and how they called it “courageous”, but that rant is best delivered elsewhere. 

This is a review of the Apple Airpods Max, Apple’s most expensive headphone, and one of the most expensive bluetooth headphones out there. If you are someone who is enamored (!) by the Apple ecosystem and also an audiophile, this review shall address your concerns regarding the tonal and technical proficiency of the Airpods Max.

If, however, you are someone who wants the latest trend, I think you can skip the rest of the review and just get the Airpods Max right away (the prices are dropping nowadays). It is definitely the most advanced Bluetooth headphone out there right now, and the competition will take a year to catch up at the very least. However, caveats apply, as always.

All relevant specs here.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. I bought the Airpods Max with my own funds.

Sources used: Apple iPhone 11, Apple iPhone SE, Google Pixel 4XL
Price, while reviewed: $550. Can be bought from Apple’s Web-store.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The Airpods Max come with the (now infamous) “Smart Case” and a lightning-to-USB-C cable. That’s about it. The “smart case” is the worst headphone case in existence and $5 Aliexpress cases with questionable design decisions are less useless.

This smart case is an absolute abomination in design (it looks like a silicone bra), the material choice (attracts gunk/dust and gets dirty real quickly) , the absolute lack of protection (doesn’t even cover the headband), and the absurd requirement for the Airpods to be kept in the cover to put them in deep sleep mode (they don’t turn off otherwise). Usability nightmare.
1/5

BUILD QUALITY

Premium, super-solid, futuristic — these are the operative words. The Airpods Max is built exceptionally well. It’s mostly anodized aluminium with some rubber and plastic parts. There is a curious lack of branding all around, no Apple logo/branding to be seen anywhere.

Let’s talk about the headband first since I find the headband design quite interesting. It’s a two-piece metal construction with the inner steel frame adding rigidity whereas the outer frame (rubber coated) houses the upper-portion of the headband (a fabric layer). The sliding mechanism for size-adjustment is also very solid, though I wish there were some markers for finer adjustments.

The earcups themselves are two chunks of aluminium and are packed with several mics, sensors, receivers, and buttons. This is the most sophisticated earcup design I’ve seen till now and is an impressive feat of engineering.

The right earcup has two buttons up top: the rotary dial (digital crown, as Apple says) that acts as both volume and playback control (press down to play/pause, press twice to skip), and a square button that toggles between Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) on/off. Lastly, The lightning port (ugh) is at the bottom for charging.

Opting for lightning instead of type-C is baffling, but I guess they thought of the ease of use for existing iPhone users. The left earcup is bereft of any controls but has an antenna cut-out for RF transparency.

What’s not immediately apparent but catches your attention once you look closer: the numerous microphone holes in both of the earcups. In fact, there are a total of nine microphones. Eight of these mics (two on the top and two of the bottom of each earcup) works for the ANC and the remaining one is used for voice pickup. Two of the eight ANC mics also help in voice pickup, and that rounds up the entire mic assembly.

Other than that there are other interesting design decisions. The earcups can rotate into a flat position for storage, and there is a spring-loaded swivel mechanism which I haven’t seen anywhere before (and a great design decision IMO).

The earcups attach/detach magnetically, and there’s an IR sensor inside each earcup (underneath the cutout in the earcup on the inner-side) that detects if you’ve worn the headphones or not (something that doesn’t work on Android/Windows for some reason).

A highly sophisticated build with premium materials. I guess I can’t really ask for more.
5/5

COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

The earpads have a cloth exterior with memory-foam inner. Unfortunately, the clamp force is a bit too high. Competing products like Sony 1000XM4 and the Bose QC35ii have superior wearing comfort, and that acts as a detriment.

The headband material is surprisingly comfortable though and distributes pressure evenly across the top of the head. It’s the clamp around your temples that is uncomfortable. The ~400gm weight is also noticeable while wearing.

As for noise isolation, the Active Noise-Cancellation here is class-leading indeed. You can only hear faint irregular noises, but most noises like hum of your laptop, the noisy bus engine are well taken care of.

I also like the transparency mode and found it fantastic during commute (as you can hear the surroundings while crossing the street, or trying to follow a conversation).
4/5

CONNECTIVITY

The BT reception is generally strong, but there were some connection drop issues with older iPhones that had BT 4.0. With BT 5.0 devices and the newer iPhones (that are compatible with the H1 chip) the connection was rock-solid. Pairing was also quite simple irrespective of OS/device.

The biggest downside here is the lack of any lossless codec as Apple is using the archaic AAC codec even in their flagship headphone. It’s a major shame and the BT compression is quite noticeable in many tracks. Call quality is also middling as the voice sounds somewhat muffled.
4.5/5

AIRPODS MAX DRIVER SETUP

Apple doesn’t tell much about the driver setup apart from that it’s 40mm. Looking at iFixit’s teardown I think it’s a PET diaphragm with a PVD metal plating (likely Titanium). The driver looks cool in a matte-black finish but that’s about it. I don’t think there’s much to write home about here (otherwise we wouldn’t hear the end of it in Apple’s promo materials).

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

The Apple Airpods Max has a warm, slightly V-shaped (or U-shaped, as some say) sound that focuses more on the “fun” side of things rather than going for neutrality.

The bass response is definitely north of neutral with a sizeable sub-bass boost but the mid-bass is left untouched, resulting in a clean bass-response with no mid-bass bleed. Bass is fairly textured but lacks in definition and speed, partly due to the driver limitation and partly due to the BT compression that takes a toll on the bass region. 

The midrange is perhaps the best aspect of the Airpods Max. The recession in the lower mids tend to drown out male vocals in some tracks with lots of instrumentation, but that’s about my biggest complaint here.

The slight warmth in the lower-midrange coupled with lack of shoutiness in the upper-mids and generally correct tonality makes the Airpods Max good at reproducing both male/female vocals and string instruments. Acoustic guitars sound especially nice with crisp attack and a natural decay. 

The treble is where things start to get divisive. With the ANC on, there is a noticeable rise in the 9KHz peak and the treble becomes fatiguing. With ANC off, however, that issue is mostly mitigated, and in the transparency mode it is completely gone.

It’s ironic that a headphone that went through so much trouble for ANC sounds its worst with that feature turned on. If you are treble-sensitive and want/have the Airpods Max, I’d highly recommend keeping the ANC off/transparency mode on.

As for the rest: resolved detail is middling. This is about as resolving as the $65 Philips SHP9500 and I’m not exaggerating in the slightest. In busy tracks, the cymbals turn mushy and it’s hard to pick apart leading edge of notes.

The staging is fairly tall but lacks height and depth. Apple uses heavy DSP to give you a sense of space (esp when listening to songs with Dolby Atmos) but such tracks are rare and most of all: the DSP tricks sound artificial and lacks the natural stage expansion of an open-back headphone. However, compared to other BT headphones, the staging here is above-average indeed.

Finally, imaging is fairly accurate. Center-imaging suffers though, as is the case with most headphones. Dynamics are fairly good with the macrodynamic punch being delivered with authority (though the sub-bass emphasis can make snare hits and pedals sound a bit muted). Microdynamics are decent for a BT headphone but nothing to write home about.

Bass: 3.5/5
Mids: 4/5
Treble: 3/5
Imaging/Separation: 3.5/5
Staging: 3.5/5
Dynamics/Speed: 3/5

SELECT COMPARISONS

vs Sony 1000XM4 ($300): The Sony 1000XM4 is widely popular for a few good reasons: it’s very comfortable, it’s got the branding, and the sound signature is a bass-boosted V-shaped that many find “fun” to listen to. It’s also got LDAC support and good ANC.

However, the Airpods Max has better build and controls, and the ANC on them is superior. Also the sound has better midrange resolution and imaging. Almost twice-the-price better? I don’t think so, but hey – it’s Apple.

vs Bose QC35ii ($200-ish): The Bose QC35ii has been on the blocks for a long time and I find it to be a very enjoyable pair of BT headphones. The ANC is fantastic (nearly as good as the Airpods Max) and they are supremely comfortable to wear. The lightweight helps in carrying too.

The sound signature is more mid-bass focused than the Apple Airpods Max and tends to sound thicker in general with less treble presence. A non-fatiguing sound that’s middling in resolution but very inoffensive.

The Airpods Max, again, has superior build and ANC. However, the tonal profile is different enough to cater to different audiences. Moreover, the price is markedly lower on the Bose. It’s an inferior headphone to the Airpods Max no doubt, but for the price, it’s a very good performer.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Apple Airpods Max has stunning looks and perhaps the best balance of sound among wireless headphones around $500. There’s one BT headphone that’s superior in almost all aspects to the Airpods Max, the Hifiman Ananda BT, but it retails for twice as much ($1000) and is an open-back headphone. Plus, the design isn’t anywhere as cool.

In terms of raw sound quality and comparing against wired offerings, the Apple Airpods Max stand no chance. It’s slightly worse than the Philips SHP9500 and that tells it all. Sennheiser HD600/650 duo are on an entirely different dimension altogether, and the Hifiman Sundara/Beyerdynamic DT1990 are technically far more proficient. 

However, you don’t get the Airpods for sound quality. The entry level Airpods are about as resolving as $10 earbuds, and Millions of people bought them. The price point is a bit too high on the Airpods Max though and for non-audiophile, style-conscious consumers it might be a bit too high a premium to pay. 

If you are someone who loves the Apple “ecosystem” (though said ecosystem barely helps here) and got the budget for it, Airpods Max will probably earn you more style points than anything else out there. The sound without ANC is quite good and the easy to use control scheme can be refreshing.

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the Apple Airpods Max to the regular audiophile as they are overpriced, over-designed, and under-performing. They look cool, but you can’t see them when worn. You can feel them though, and the high weight coupled with high clamp-force is not ideal. The sound quality is way below average and will be bested by certain wired headphones under $200.

If you really need a BT headphone, the Bose QC35ii will be an inoffensive, inexpensive option with good ANC as well and great comfort. The Airpods Max, meanwhile, belongs more in lifestyle photo-shoot than actual real-world use.

MY VERDICT

3/5

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