NiceHCK DB1 Review – Nice Surprise
Pros — Good transient speed and note definition; good tone colour; overall surprisingly good, cohesive sound.
Cons — Notes could be thicker, bass could have more slam, upper midrange borderline bright; cable ain’t sexy.
In this Article
Executive Summary
The NiceHCK DB1 is a warm-neutral single dynamic driver super budget iem that is surprisingly engaging and musical.
Introduction
NiceHCK and I go back to 2017, when I tried to convince them to replace an iem that had failed after 5 months. They did it reluctantly asking me to write a review in exchange of the exchange….which should become my very first audio review. At the time, Loomis and I had a secret favourite, the $12 NiceHCK Bro single dynamic driver earphone.
The years went by and a lot of NiceHCK iems went through our hands, some hits, some misses. NiceHCK classics are the beautiful M6 and the NX7/NX7 Pro/NX7 MK3 series with their piezo drivers.
Spoiler alert, the NiceHCK DB1 belongs more to the company’s hits. And I am somewhat relieved as I had shredded the last three iems they had sent me.
Specifications
| Drivers: single dynamic |
| Impedance: 16 Ω |
| Sensitivity: 106 dB/mW |
| Frequency Range: 20-20,000 Hz |
| Cable/Connector: copper/0.78 mm, 2-pin |
| Tested at: $15.99 |
| Purchase Link: NiceHCK Audio Store |
Physical Things and Usability
In the box are the earpieces, three pairs of eartips (S/M/L), a cable, a shirt clip, and the paperwork. The whole set is reminiscent of my early days of ChiFi earphone buying back in 2016. The plastic shells, that basic cable etc. same old same old. You have seen it many times before.
The earpieces are of modest size and fit me well. Comfort is good, isolation is average. Cable works but that’s all I can say. It certainly ain’t pretty. The largest stock eartips were still too small for my ear canals so that I used generic ones from my collection.
Tonality and Technicalities
Equipment used: Sony NW-A55 and iPhone SE (1st gen.); generic widebore eartips.
The NiceHCK DB1 is a warm-neutral and surprisingly good sounding earphone without any major flaws – to my ears. Looking at the curve, these 4.5 and 9.5 kHz peaks do not appear to spoil the party (the latter is probably coupler resonance). Nothing is scratching or piercing.
Previously, super-low budget single dynamic driver models such as the legendary NiceHCK Bro or the more recent KZ EDX were typically tuned to a pronounced V-shape, with an overly boosted, boomy bass and an upper midrange that caused our eardrums to ring after a short while.
Not anymore. The DB1’s bass is clean, composed, and refined. It is tastefully boosted without a boom. There is a subtle rumble at the bottom, though sub-bass extension is mediocre. Slam is hard as a rock but only pf average quantity and some may wish for a bit more. All this results in a limited stage depth but a nice, subtle warmth.
The lower midrange is also slightly off neutral with a tastefully dosed tone colour resulting in organic vocals. Voices are well sculptured and well resolving, the are not recessed, not sharp, but yet a bit lean (which is the general issue with cheap dynamic drivers). There is good speech intelligibility and good midrange resolution and clarity. Note definition is better than expected but note weight could be more.
Upper midrange is not strident but also a bit lean. That 4.5 kHz peak is not as evident as the graph may suggest – and way below levels of comparable KZ iems. It can introduce brightness in some tracks. Nevertheless would I have kept it down a bit.
Treble is a rollercoaster. The lower treble is recessed resulting in a complete absence of sibilance and recessed cymbals and hi-hats. However, the boosted upper treble make these metal items sound tizzy. Treble resolution could be better and lags behind midrange resolution.
Soundstage is of average width but, as mentioned before, deserves a bit more depth. Spatial cues is good nevertheless. Separation and layering are astonishing considering the price tag. Transients are outstanding considering the low price: attack is just right: notes are neither harsh or soft. This results in a good timbre.
In comparison, the Whizzer BS1 got the driver speed completely wrong imo: it is way too fast so that it sounds almost robotic and is fatiguing. The DB1 is also superior over the aforementioned NiceHCK Bro and KZ EDX, as it is less bassy and way more balanced. And it beats the KZ ZSN Pro X imo, which is overly shouty and less organic sounding.
Concluding Remarks
The NiceHCK DB1 is another budget single dynamic driver earphone that follows the footsteps of their popular NiceHCK Bro single dynamic driver earphone. The Bro was from an era when budget meant V-shaped. After a long odyssey, NiceHCK finally brought the bottom end down to a tolerable level. Shaving some upper midrange off will be next, I speculate.
Nevertheless is the DB1 a more than decent budget iem that will serve the $$$ conscious well.
Until next time…keep on listening!
Disclaimer
The DB1 was provided unsolicited from NiceHCK and I thank them for that.
Get it from NiceHCK Audio Store
Our generic standard disclaimer.
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