The NiceHCK M6 is a warm-sounding, somewhat low-end-heavy earphone with a V-shaped signature that nevertheless excels by its excellent midrange (voice reproduction, natural timbre), soundstage, resolution, and layering. It is quite a step above the $40–50 earphone fare I have reviewed recently.

I was asked by Jim NiceHCK to review this earphone and purchased it for $1. I thank Jim for our ongoing discussion, patiently accepting my criticisms and suggestions and his absolute non- interference with my work.

It is my goal to give the reader a concise, thorough, and accurate account of the earphone – and how the earphone fits the big picture. Packaging and cable shape are of limited importance to me and will not get much attention here. In terms of visualization, I aim to focus on the relevant characteristic features of the earphone including details such as vents, lips, connectors etc. Most photos and diagrams can be enlarged by clicking on them.

NiceHCK is a company that – among other things – sells “original manufacturer design” (ODM) items under their own branding. Recent NiceHCK earphone models include the EP10, EP35, EB2 earbuds, and the P3. The NiceHCK M6 is a higher-priced model and the most upscale iem I have reviewed so far. Therefore let’s explore together what makes the NiceHCK M6 better and more valuable than, let’s say, the $50 class.

The NiceHCK M6 is a six-driver earphone (2DD + 4BA) with a four-way crossover that was designed and tuned by a “famous” (however mysterious) ODM factory in Guangdong. It appears to be technically identical with the BVGP DMG as both share the same sound description and frequency response. They come most likely from the same assembly line.

• Product Name: Original NICEHCK M6 In Ear Metal Earphone
• Brand: NICEHCK
• Model: M6
• Earphone Type: In-ear
• Driver Unit: 4 BA + 2 DD (4 Balanced Armature + 2 Dynamic) hybrid driver unit Crossover: 4-way
• Impedance: 17Ω
• Earphone Sensitivity: 106 ± 2 dB/mW
• Frequency range: 20 – 20000Hz Plug Type: 3.5mm L-shaped
• Cable Length: 1.2m ± 3cm
• Available Colours: Green, Gray
• Cable Connector: MMCX Remote/Mic: No
• Tested at: $85

Purchase Link: NiceHCK Audio Store

The content comes in a factory-sealed box that contains the standard NiceHCK earphone case will all goodies inside, packaged in a series of small plastic baggies. The content is laid out in the photo.

The rounded shells are made of aviation-grade aluminum in a top end “computer numerical control” (CNC) process [according to Jim NiceHCK] and feel smooth and high quality. The shells have a front vent and a back vent, and a third, square one by the connector. The braided MMCX cable is soft and flexible with an L-shaped 3.5 mm connector – and is appearance wise and haptically somewhere between the new KZ cables and the fancier third-party cables. Everything is of good quality.

The earpieces fit me well and were comfortable over longer periods of time. Isolation was average but the bassy tuning counteracts the low outside noise frequencies that are hard to filter out (see below).

I listened with the iphone 5S with the audioquest dragonfly black dac/amp attached to it. Although easy to drive with the iphone alone, the M6 greatly benefitted from the dragonfly. The largest included wide-bore tips worked well for me.

The NiceHCK M6 comes with three sets of filters but no manual describing the differences between them. The ones in the shells’ colour (green in my case) are the standard filters: they had to do for me – I don’t like fiddling with filters – and were used for my sound description. According to JimNiceHCK, the golden filters “improve the low frequencies” and the silver ones “improve the high frequencies”. My measurements show no difference between filters up to 1 kHz – but lots of variation between 2 and 6 kHz where the gold filters produce substantially less energy – and the silver filters slightly more – compared to the green reference filters.

iBasso IT01 (~$100): a known bass and sub-bass canon with a generally accepted superb low-end quality that is not even remotely touched by the M6. The M6, on the other hand, smokes the iBasso in the midrange in terms of timbre and richness as well as in overall imaging and resolution. The iBasso comes with a really fancy looking cable.

Frequency responses IT01 and M6.

Hill Audio S8 ($60): its 2 BA + 1 DD produce a V-shape and warm signature with an soft, bloated bass and a good midrange similar to the M6 but an overall slightly leaner image. The M6 is better resolving with more subtle details and its midrange is fuller, smoother, and less crowded. The S8 is not far behind the M6, sound wise. The S8’s shells are smaller and may be better fitting for some ears. If you like the S8, you will like the M6 (and the other way round).

Frequency responses S8 and M6.

Brainwavz B200 v1 (~$110; discontinued): this 2 BA earphone has a tight bass, not quite as well extended into the sub-bass as in the M6, a slimmer, cooler sound than M6 and S8, but it lacks the rich, natural midrange of the M6. Build is soso at best but the fit of the small earpieces is magical. Technically less competent than the M6 it may nevertheless have attracted many purists.

BCEYZ KC2 (~$50): this 2 + 2 hybrid has a slimmer, faster bass but is also leaner and less natural in the voice department and less smooth/shouty in the upper midrange. The M6 offers simply “more sound and soundstage” and a better resolution. The KC2, while a respectable earphone, is the least capable of this mix.

The NiceHCK M6 is a good, technically competent earphone that is well worth its asking price [the current asking price of $88 is ridiculously low] but it could be a killer if the tuner tightened up the rustic low end. The all-important midrange is of such a high quality that even the small recession can’t take much away from it. Nevertheless, focusing and reducing the bass would bring out even more clarity, detail, and resolution and add balance to the sound signature. I asked Jim to forward my suggestions to his “famous” ODM factory hoping for a second, alternatively tuned version as offered, for example, by Etymotic.

Summing up, the NiceHCK M6 is like a large luxury SUV: roomy and comfortable, offering a smooth ride on a soft suspension. While some of us like this, others prefer the tighter suspension of a sports car. Nevertheless does the ride remain much slicker and more comfortable with the M6 than with a $50 SUV. The road appears to be wider and more open to the driver.

In the end, it comes down to a matter of taste. Looking at the FR graph alone may be a deal-maker or -breaker for the informed reader.

You can get the NiceHCK M6 only here!

UPDATE 2019-01-31:

I added these third-party filters which removed a lot of bass quantity — but it preserved the bass’s slow decay. This brought the mids forward and improved the balance immensely. The overall sound is still pretty meaty and analog.