Cage Match: NiceHCK NX7 vs. TRN V90

That’s how it works: we put two pieces in the cage, lock the gate, and let them in there for three days, let them cook for a bit…and only one of them gets to come out.

Our inaugural fight is between two superhyped and therefore currently hot budget iems: the NiceHCK NX7 (first batch of 2000 sold out) and its challenger, the up-and-coming TRN V90. We also throw a NiceHCK M6 in the cage with them, possibly as referee. Let’s say what happens…

The bad ahead: none of these three works well ootb. They all have to be tinkered with to unleash their full potential.

ROUND 1: PACKAGING

Just kidding. Unimportant. As Muhammed Ali said: “Never judge a fighter by his hotel room“…replied Hugh Hefner: “Never judge a dick by its condom“. Got it?

ROUND 2: ACCESSORIES

Horror all around. The cage match has to be interrupted for installing some add-ons and giving these guys some water.

ROUND 3: BUILD (earpieces only)

M6 = V90 > NX7; the M6/V90 have impeccable CnC machined shells, the NX7 is about the same build as the KZ ZSN PRO. Still no reason to complain other than the NX7’s design lacks imagination. But who really cares. Some extra points go to the NX7 and V90 for having the more reliable two-pin connectors (whereas you may hope for luck that the MMCX connectors of the M6 will last).

ROUND 4: SIZE

Sure, size matters, particularly when you stick stuff in your ears.

M6 > NX7 > V90; this means the V90 has the smallest earpieces…which is good. M6 and V90 are equally well fitting and comfortable with their rounded corners, the NX7 are marginally behind…but this varies from ear to ear.

ROUND 5: TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

For this comparison, I used the NiceHCK NX7 as is (unmodded, no micropore tape, Tennmak Whirlwind wide-bore tips) and the TRN V90 with the JVC Spiral Dots eartips as in the review. To make it short, the V90 win this one. They have more life, they are clearer, they have the harder beat, and they are easier to drive. The NiceHCK NX7 do not dig that deep, they don’t have the wide soundstage, they are less exciting, they are more difficult to drive, however they are smoother (and flatter and less intimate) in the midrange. The TRN V90 are a bit grittier in the mids, they have more sparkle, and they offer much better (= more natural) transients such as cymbals attack and decay. The M6 as cage referee lack bass kick (low end is really thick and slow) but they have the best note weight and the fullest midrange.

FINAL ROUND

Overall, the TRN V90 has a smoother and fuller sound than the NiceHCK NX7. This lies in the bassier nature of the V90 and the thinner midrange of the NX7. The V90 also has the smoother treble of the two. The NiceHCK M6 wins the midrange contest but lacks the exciting bass kick the other two guys offer. In the end, the TRN V90 can leave the cage and settle down somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.

Keep on listening!