Pros — Best sounding BT headphone, for now
– Better build quality than wired Ananda
– BT connection is pretty stable/strong once connected
– Numerous codec support

Cons — Shouty upper-mids
– Treble can get sizzly on higher volumes
– No analog input, and USB-mode is useless (for now)
– HIFIMan mobile app is a hot mess
– Not suited for portable/on-the-go usage
– Clamp force can cause hotspot around the temple area
– Status LEDs are infuriatingly bright and distracting

INTRODUCTION

Wireless audio thus far has been associated with “trading absolute quality for the sake of convenience”.

Most of them BT headphones are tuned in a consumer-friendly manner and won’t provide you with the highest resolving capability or technicalities to boot.

Enter HIFIMan Ananda BT.

HIFIMan have been one of the front runners when it comes planar magnetic headphones and the technology itself. Who can forget the legendary HE-6, or perhaps the now defunct yet absolutely awesome Edition X V2?

Despite being late to the Wireless headphone game, they are making up for the gap with the Ananda BT — a headphone that’s wireless, planar, full-size, and open-back. All of these while supporting a great deal of BT codecs including LDAC and boasting a decent battery life of ~10 hours (advertised). That’s a pretty rare combo and makes for a very interesting, potentially groundbreaking product. Who is this targeted towards? Is it the on-the-go audiophile? Is it the home-listeners who don’t wanna deal with wires? Is it for someone who’s looking for ultimate flexibility? And of course — will it sound good enough?

Hopefully all of those will be answered once we’ve gone through the review.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. HIFIMan was kind enough to send me the Ananda BT on loan as part of a review tour. Disclaimer.

Sources used: LG G7 (forced LDAC, 96KHz, 32 bits/sample, 990/909 kbps), iPhone SE (AAC default)

Firmware version: 190929
Price, while reviewed: ~$1000.

This review originally appeared on my blog.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

IN THE BOX…

Barebones, in one word. For a $1000 headphone, the accessory pack is not really screaming luxury. You get a carrying case that barely fits the headphones and isn’t particularly premium, inside of which in a pouch you’d get the charging cable, a type-C to type-C cable (perhaps for desktop wired use) and a detachable mic. The mic is pretty poor and has a constant buzz when used via USB mode (I couldn’t get it to work in BT mode).

And that’s about it. It does have everything one may need, but the quality is just adequate and it seems it’s one of the areas where HIFIMan chose to cut corners.
3/5

APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY

The overall build quality is a mixed bag. On the plus side, the yokes are made of metal and quite sturdy, which is already an improvement over certain previous high-end HIFIMan models (e.g. Arya). They’ve also added a helpful swivel mechanism that wasn’t there in the wired version of the Ananda. The earpads themselves are roomy enough even for larger ears and has a pleather outer/velour inner. This is a pretty good combo for comfort, though the foam inside felt a bit on the stiffer side. The headphones themselves have a polarizing look IMO, and I’m veering towards the negative pole. These look huge and ridiculous once you put them on and there’s nothing svelte about the design. Compare this to the Focal Elex for example, and this one doesn’t really win any beauty pageants amidst such competition. Then again, we are more focused on good sound rather than grandeur looks, so there’s still chance for redemption.

At the bottom of the left ear-cup is a host of buttons and ports. First up is the type-C port (thank heavens) and then there is a 3.5mm port. Unfortunately, that 3.5mm port is not for aux-in, rather it’s only for the supplied (and third-party) microphone. That’s a bummer, but let’s move on. Next, we find two buttons, one elongated and another round button. The elongated one acts as the power/pairing mode/play-pause button as long-pressing it will start the pairing mode (denoted by the LED underneath the button pulsing in alternating colors). A note about the LED: it’s too bright and too distracting. I don’t know why HIFIMan chose to use such an obviously distracting level of brightness as using these headphones in the dark is a nuisance at times. If you don’t work in the dark much then perhaps you’d be spared, but even when you put them down with the earcups down and the BT connected on the table, the blinking LEDs are there letting you know of their existence.

Finally, let’s talk about the last button — it’s to make the headphones charge themselves. No, they don’t start charging if you only connect them to the outlet. You have to press and hold that circular button to get it into charging mode. I assume this was done to facilitate using it in USB mode (you can connect it to the PC via USB-C), but the ideal thing IMO would have been to make charging mode the default state, and pressing the button would take it into USB mode. It’s not even a behavior you can change so basically you’re stuck with this peculiarity. I do feel that a volume control button would have been great, but that’s a missed opportunity.

Moving up into the headband region, I am not a fan of the suspender for a number of reasons. Firstly, it feels cheap. Secondly, the padding underneath is minimal and doesn’t add much to comfort. Finally, the wire running through the headband can potentially be a point of failure in the long run. Aside from that, the headband adjustment mechanism is spot-on. I did have a niggle on my review unit where the right ear-cup had a very stiff rotation whereas the left one was just fine. Might as well be a unit variation but something to keep an eye on.
4/5

ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

The Ananda BT is definitely on the heavier side at 460 grams. Fortunately the weight is handled well by the head-band and the slightly higher clamping force of the ear-cups. I did have a problem with the clamping force of the ear-cups as they tended to form a hot-spot around the temple region. Due to the oval shape of the earcups, the area surrounding the temple is larger than the one across the jaw, and this pressure buildup causes discomfort (for me) after about half an hour or so. So do audition them in person if possible to see if these caveats apply.
3.5/5

TECH INSIDE

HIFIMan is using their proprietary NsD (neo super-nano) planar diaphragms here to drastically reduce driver thickness. This apparently results in faster transient response and less distortion, along with a few other perks. The driver area is likely the same as the wired Ananda: 80*50mm, which is quite large indeed. These are still not as large as certain Audeze ones, but this is not a numbers game as driver size is only part of the equation.

Do note that the following impressions are based upon the BT mode of the headphones. I couldn’t get the USB mode to work on my PC/laptop or my phone, and from other impressions it seems to be a common problem. I won’t mind that much, however, since this is a wireless headphone first and foremost. Also, there will be two ratings:

• one rating given on the basis of wired headphones in its price class (because let’s face it — there aren’t too many kilobuck BT headphones out there)
• another rating compared to its meek BT brethren.

Lows: The bass response is mostly flat from the upper-bass to the mid-bass region. Such linear bass response is something HIFIMan has nailed down for quite a while so nothing surprising when compared to their other products, but when looking at other BT headphones a stark contrast arises. This is the most balanced “bass” that I’ve seen a BT headphone offer, period. No mid-bass hump or high sub-bass shelf like Bose/Sennheiser (I won’t mention Beats because that meme’s been overused). There’s zero mid-bass bleed and bass overall is clean, punchy, if a bit on the lighter side.

The problem area with the bass is the sub-bass region. The sub-bass starts a gradual roll-off around 60Hz, which turns into a sharp roll-off at around 30Hz. You won’t get ear-rattling sub-bass response, neither the sub rumbles will be noticeable. Given the open-back nature of the headphones though, quite understandable. The bass is enjoyable nonetheless, and rhythmic bass-tracks are replayed particularly well. Case in point: Polyphia’s Crush.
4/5 (all headphones in its price class)
4.5/5 ( only BT headphones)

Mids: The mids are a bit on the thin side with a dip around 1.5KHz. This results in male (esp baritone vocals) losing their depth as the lower octaves are de-emphasized. This dip is then followed by a rather steep upper-mid boost. This leads to a over 15dB differential between the 1.5KHz and 3KHz range, resulting in female vocal prominence along with the sense of boosted “clarity”, which often leads to shoutiness and is not a pleasant experience. Many modern (female) Pop songs sounded too intense in the vocal range for example.

String instruments meanwhile often sound “too crisp”, but it can be beneficial depending on your inclinations and the track being played. Mid-range timbre is bit on the dry side, lacking any warmth or “lushness”. The overall tonality is bright, with that over-emphasized upper-mid being a particular sore spot for long term high SPL (volume) listening. In quieter volume levels these issues somewhat subsided, and the Ananda BT is particularly adept at lower SPL playback being able to fully reproduce the dynamics without needing to push the volume higher up. But for those who want to listen to normal/higher than normal SPL — the upper mid issues will be exacerbated.
3.5/5 (all headphones in its price class)
4.5/5 (only BT headphones)

Treble: Treble is accentuated on the Ananda BT with the 8KHz peak being prominent. This leads to cymbal hits being highlighted with more presence than snares/pedals. Another thing it does is introduce the dreaded s word — sibilance. Listen to Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie, and the moment the opening lines come up you are hit by a train of ssssssssss. This emphasis also brings out the imperfections in mastering of certain metal tracks, so despite enjoying the forward cymbal strikes and ability to cope up with double bass pedals, I couldn’t use the Ananda BT as effortlessly for metal as I’ve had hoped. Other than that the treble extension was pretty good, with a bit of air added into the mix via a 15–16KHz peak. Overall microdetail retrieval is also at a high level with subtle amp buzzes being picked up in American Football’s Never Meant.
4/5 (all headphones in its price class)
5/5 (only BT headphones)

Soundstage: The overall soundstage is just average in terms of height and width. Soundstage depth is above average which allows some space between instruments. However, sounds that should be very near to the listener are placed slightly farther away, which makes the overall rendition somewhat inaccurate.
3.5/5 (all headphones in its price class)
4/5 (only BT headphones)

Imaging: HIFIMan usually nails down the imaging on their headphones and the Ananda BT is no exception. It has excellent imaging with no apparent “dead-zones”. Due to the limited sound-stage width and height some instruments may not be as far apart or as close as they should be, but their overall placement is spot-on. If you plan to game with them, however, there would be certain issues as trying to figure out enemy distance via footsteps won’t work as well as some other headphones due to the soundstage width limitation. Spatial cues are also rendered well but their distance is quite fuzzy, just as with the footsteps mentioned before. So these might not be the best option if you plan to play competitive fps games.
4/5 (all headphones in its price class)
5/5 (only BT headphones)

Source and Amping: The headphone’s built-in amp was deafeningly loud for me at full volume. Due to Android’s poor native BT volume control (only 10 steps) it wasn’t possible for me to fine tune it. However, I didn’t face the volume issues that many reviewers have faced apparently. I can only guess that some of them might have had Android’s “Absolute Volume” set to on, which is easily fixable via turning developer options on and disabling it. On Windows via BT however fine-tuning the volume was a breeze.

Battery life: Battery life has been pretty good for me throughout the usage. I got about 7–8 hours of playback on average, and considering the type of product it is I’d give that a good grade. However, the recharge time is snail-paced. It takes approximately 3 hours to get fully charged so it’s best to charge it overnight.
4/5

SELECT COMPARISONS

vs Sennheiser HD650: less tight bass on Sennheiser, almost “wooly” bass. The mids definitely sound more balanced and has much better male vocal presentation. Midrange is similarly resolved on both but the Ananda has faster transients leading to them being better suited for electronic and fast-paced music. Treble is laid back more on the HD650 while it is far more up-front on the Ananda BT. So if you were planning to get these as a sort of upgrade to your reference wired headphones, I’m afraid it might not exactly serve that purpose.

vs HIFIMan Ananda: The wired version of Ananda has slightly inferior build quality, but superior sound by a margin. It doesn’t have any glaring upper-mid issues and also can provide some rumble-ridden sub-bass whenever needed. The soundstage is also slightly wider and imaging tad more precise. At $300 cheaper, it’s a great option, though the Sundara is a better value IMO. Moreover, if you absolutely need BT, these are a no-go, but this was a good point of reference to gauge the sound quality loss for going the BT route. It’s not a day and night difference, but it is a downgrade, no doubts there.

vs Bose QC35II: Bose’s wireless headphones have turned into modern classics. Their noise cancellation algorithm is one of the best, they are very comfortable and well-built, and generally has a tasteful V-shaped sound. They are also far more portable and lightweight. Basically, QC35II was custom built for on-the-go usage, and the Ananda BT is the exact opposite. In terms of overall sound quality, Ananda BT eats everything in its path for luncheon. Everything else is on the Ananda BT is undercooked at best.

Other observations:

• The HIFIMan app is unusable at this point. The volume control is completely detached from Android’s native volume control so expect your eardrums to be blown via sudden surge of insane loudness. The app itself is slow, crashes often and is very inconsistent in terms of… everything. This app needs a major overhaul.
• BT signal is very strong overall. Didn’t lose connection even through multiple walls.
• The lack of an analog pass-through is a huge missed opportunity and something I hope HIFIMan implements in the future revision/version of the product.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The biggest issue that HIFIMan needs to address is the target audience. Who will be the potential customer for these? It won’t be the commuter type, as these are too heavy/cumbersome/non-isolating for that purpose. It won’t be for those who want the absolute best sound quality in general because the wired Ananda is quite a bit better.

The target audience perhaps is a niche within a niche — someone who absolutely needs the BT functionalities without sacrificing too much on the sonic front. It does somewhat deliver on that promise, but it is a rather unfinished product. It feels more like a proof-of-concept rather than a polished end-result.

My feedback to HIFIMan would be to at first rectify the tonal issues and bring it more aligned to the wired Ananda sound. There is also the newly released Deva that seems to cater to both wireless and wired crowd, so it again puts the Ananda BT in an odd spot due to its lack of analog input. The app is chaos digitized, and should be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch with performance and usability in mind. Also, I wouldn’t dare to wear the Ananda BT in public, and everyone that I’ve showed the headphones to wouldn’t want that either.

This is not a particularly fashionable piece of tech, it’s not portable, it’s not isolating, it’s expensive, and it’s not even as good as its wired brother in terms of sound. It is wireless though, and it is the best sound you can get out of a wireless pair of headphones. Pick your cherries.

MY VERDICT

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

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DISCLAIMER

Hifiman sent the Ananda BT as a review unit on loan.

Can be bought from Hifiman’s official website.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post HIFIMan Ananda BT Review – Identity Crisis appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Good fit and comfortable. Light.
Excellent technicalities for a budget single DD such as good clarity, details and imaging.
Authentic timbre for acoustic instruments.

Cons:

Shouty at 3 kHz region, especially at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve).
Sibilance fest.
Fatiguing with longer listening sessions.
Thin note weight. Brittle female vocals.
Not all rounder due to the lack of bass. Basslite with a lack of subbass rumble.
Below average isolation.
Not that easy to drive.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Moondrop SSR is a budget single DD set that is tuned somewhat diffuse-field neutral with an upper mids boost. It has excellent technicalities and timbre (for acoustic instruments), but unfortunately the upper mids do get shouty especially at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve). Sibilance is also present in spades. It sounds good at low volumes, but those who like to blast their music may need to look elsewhere. In addition, it may not be an all rounder due to the lack of bass, and the tuning is quite niche to say the least. Having said that, the Moondrop SSR has one of the best technical performances for a sub $40 USD single DD set.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver Unit: Beryllium Coated Dome + PU Suspension Ring
• Sensitivity: 115 dB
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 20000Hz
• Impedance: 16 ohms
• Cable: 2 pin detachable 0.78 mm
• Tested at $39.99 USD

ACCESSORIES

In addition to the IEM, it comes with:

1. Silicone eartips (S/M/L).
2. Silver-Plated 4N-Litz Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) cable – For non cable believers, nothing to see here, please move on. If you are a cable believer, I prefer pure copper cables on the Moondrop SSR as they seem to me to tone down the treble/upper mids a tinge compared to the stock SPC cable.
3. Carrying pouch
4. Anime waifu box – Never ever underestimate the power of the anime designed box marketing. For some, it may actually be the most important item in this purchase, more important than the IEM itself!

For the purposes of this review, I stuck with the provided stock cable and tips, but I personally preferred Final E tips with the Moondrop SSR, as they helped to tame the sibilance and upper mids spike a tinge. I also preferred copper cables with the Moondrop SSR to add a bit of bass warmth, but YMMV as we have different ear anatomies and beliefs in cables.

BUILD/COMFORT

The Moondrop SSR is actually much smaller than it looks, and it is heart shaped and made of sturdy metal. It is very comfortable and light, I can wear it for hours with no issues. I didn’t detect any driver flex.

I liked that it came with a 2 pin connector, as I’m not a fan of MMCX connectors due to potential longevity issues.

ISOLATION

Isolation on the Moondrop SSR is below average. Personally, I wouldn’t bring it for commuting due to the poor isolation letting it outside noise, for which one may try to boost the volume to overcome the external noise, and this is not good for hearing health in the long term.

Secondly, bass frequencies are the first to be lost in a noisy environment, and the Moondrop SSR is already bass lite to begin with. So from my subway trip with the Moondrop SSR, I lost a lot of bass frequencies in my music and as the ears take the frequency spectrum as a whole, the upper mids 3 kHz peak could get very hot, especially if one tries to pump up the volume to compensate for the bass loss.

DRIVABILITY/SOURCE

I tried running the Moondrop SSR with a Khadas Tone Board -> Toppping L30, Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 amp, Shanling Q1 DAP, Ziku HD X9 DAP -> Fiio A3 amp, a low powered smartphone and the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro.

The Moondrop SSR is actually not the easiest to drive, and scales better with amping.

Also, as the Moondrop SSR is on the brighter side, I find that pairing it with warmer sources manages to give the bass a bit more heft and evens out the 3 kHz area peak. Analytical sources may overemphasize the glare of the 3 kHz region and sibilance, so for my preferences, I wouldn’t recommend it.

SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The Moondrop SSR is tuned somewhat diffuse-field neutral with an upper mids boost. This said upper mids area is pretty controversial and has very polarizing opinions. The Moondrop SSR actually sounds very good at low volumes, but those who like to blast their music may need to look elsewhere. The upper mids 3 kHz area gets shouty especially when the volume is increased (Fletcher Munson curve), with sibilance in spades. Most users/reviewers do not mention the volume they play their music at, but the Fletcher Munson curve really affects this set a lot, so this may explain the polarizing reviews we see about it.

Having said that, other than volume, upper mids/treble sensitivity is a very personal thing, since we all have different hearing health (due to age/occupation exposure/leisure exposure), different ear anatomy that may affect the pinna gain, and we also use different sources, different tips and have different levels of treble sensitivity/trebleheadedness. I know some friends who really like the Moondrop SSR (but they are low volume listeners or those that like a brighter signature), so YMMV.

The Moondrop SSR thankfully has very good technicalities for the price, considering it is a sub $40 USD single DD set. Lately there have been a lot of beryllium (coated/plated) single DD releases, of which the Moondrop SSR is one of them, I’m still on the fence whether this is a marketing gimmick or not. But for sure, I can say the imaging in the Moondrop SSR is very good, with good clarity, instrument separation and details too. Transient speed in the Moondrop SSR is fast, possibly due to the said beryllium drivers. I dare say the Moondrop SSR probably beats most other single DDs in the sub $40 USD region in technical performance.

Soundstage width and height on the Moondrop SSR is above average, depth is about slightly more than average. Music didn’t sound too congested on the Moondrop SSR during complex movements.

Note weight on the Moondrop SSR is rather thin and the tonality is cold for me, with the tuning veering towards the analytical side. Timbre is accurate for acoustic instruments, but vocals sounded a bit brittle, especially for female vocals.

Bass:

The Moondrop SSR has a rather neutral midbass, with subbass roll off. The bass is quite well textured with minimal midbass bleed and good speed. The subbass lacks rumble, but then again, I’m a basshead, and though the Moondrop SSR’s bass is not my cup of tea in the area of quantity, the bass is of good quality.

This lack of bass quantity may render the Moondrop SSR not that versatile for certain genres where bass forward music is present, eg EDM. In addition, this lack of subbass actually compounds the boosted upper mids (which we will talk about in the next section), as the ears take the entire frequency spectrum as a whole, and this gives a somewhat shouty and harsh upper mids skewed tuning.

Mids:

The lower mids are pretty neutral on the Moondrop SSR, but then it spikes up around +10 dB in the upper mids, which as discussed above, is a big bone of contention. This is especially so when the volume is boosted (Fletcher Munson curve), as the ears perceive the sound to be more V shaped at higher volumes, whereas it is perceived to be more U shaped at softer volumes.

Female vocals are hence more forward than male vocals, and there are excellent microdetails and clarity especially along the upper mids. Trumpets and horns and higher vocals can get quite harsh at the 3 kHz regions, especially in poorly recorded material. Due to the huge dynamic differences from lower to upper mids, sometimes female vocals and violins “jump” out and adds a glare and an unnatural tonality. Personally, I’m rather sensitive to the 2 – 4 kHz areas, and the 3 kHz area is a dealbreaker for me for the Moondrop SSR, but as always, YMMV.

Treble:

Lower treble is about the same level as the aforementioned upper mids, but the higher treble has some roll off. Higher treble is actually quite safe for treble sensitive folks, and cymbals are emphasized but not splashy. Compared to the overcooked upper mids, thankfully the treble manages to gear down nicely. Microdetails and clarity are good in the treble. Unfortunately, the dreaded S word, sibilance is present, and in spades, especially when the volume is jacked up.

COMPARISONS

As per comparing apples to apples, I left out multi BA/hybrids/exotic drivers from the comparisons, as the different transducers have their inherent strengths and weaknesses. Also, since the Moondrop SSR is an upper mids boosted set, I decided to pick some budget single DD types that have a boosted upper mids for comparison:

HZSound Heart Mirror

The HZSound Heart Mirror is a neutralish bright single DD set. Both sets have good technical performance for a single DD set, maybe the Moondrop SSR edges it slightly in clarity, details and imaging. The Moondrop SSR has a better soundstage than the HZSound Heart Mirror. Timbre for acoustic instruments is very good in both sets. The Moondrop SSR has quite bad sibilance and a thinner note weight compared to the HZSound Heart Mirror. Isolation is better on the HZSound Heart Mirror.

After doing A/B testing using the same source, tips (and even cable), I’ll take the HZSound Heart Mirror any day over the Moondrop SSR, as the 3 kHz peak and the sibilance on the SSR is a deal breaker for me, whereas the HZSound Heart Mirror balances a very fine line of pushing forward vocals without going into shouty territory. The HZSound Heart Mirror is smoother and very rarely gets harsh or sibilant. The HZSound Heart Mirror also has a slightly deeper subbass extension, even though both are not basshead sets for sure.

To summarize, the Moondrop SSR actually has better technical performance than the HZSound Heart Mirror, but a worse tonality along the upper mids, so different strokes for different folks, it depends whether technicalities or tonality is a higher priority.

BLON BL-05S

The BLON BL-05S is a mild V shaped set, with a slightly boosted upper mids region and slightly boosted midbass. The BLON BL-05S has a warmer tonality and thicker note weight, with better isolation. The BLON BL-05S is the more bassy set and is less sibilant. Moondrop SSR is shoutier at the upper mids/lower treble than the BLON BL-05S, especially when used at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson Curve).

Moondrop SSR is the technical superior of the BLON BL-05S in the areas of better clarity, imaging, details and instrument separation. Moondrop SSR also has a slightly better acoustic instrumental timbre, and has better treble extension. They are rather different in tuning and would suit different sonic signatures/music preferences.

Tin T2 Plus

The Tin T2 Plus is U shaped, with more bass and less upper mids than the Moondrop SSR. Tin T2 Plus is more analoguish and warmer, though the Moondrop SSR has better technicalities and is more analytical. I find the Tin T2 Plus more balanced and very inoffensive in tuning, and it is pretty non fatiguing in contrast to the Moondrop SSR (especially at higher volumes). Note weight is thicker on the Tin T2 plus too, though I occasionally find it a bit lacking in dynamics. Due to the boosted bass, the Tin T2 Plus is more versatile in tuning, being more all rounded for more music genres than the Moondrop SSR.

The Tin T2 Plus is plague by MMCX QC issues though, there’s been quite a few reports in the forums (my set has a wonky MMCX too). I would strongly advise you to only buy the Tin T2 Plus from places with a robust returns policy (eg Amazon), in case a lemon comes in the mail.

CONCLUSIONS

The Moondrop SSR is a budget single DD set that is tuned somewhat diffuse-field neutral with an upper mids boost. It has excellent technicalities and timbre, but unfortunately the upper mids get shouty especially at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), with sibilance. It sounds good at low volumes, but those who like to blast their music may need to look elsewhere. Most users/reviewers do not mention the volume they play their music at, but the Fletcher Munson curve really affects this set a lot, so this may explain the polarizing reviews we see about it. Having said that, other than volume, upper mids/treble sensitivity is a very personal thing, since we all have different hearing health (due to age/occupation exposure/leisure exposure), different ear anatomy that may affect the pinna gain, and we also use different sources, different tips and have different levels of treble sensitivity/trebleheadedness. So YMMV.

In addition to only using the Moondrop SSR at low to moderate volumes, I will also not take this set outdoors due to the suboptimal isolation. The Moondrop SSR is not an all rounder due to the lack of bass, and bass forward music does sound pretty flat on it.

As such, I would say the Moondrop SSR’s tuning is quite niche, and is probably not a universally safe recommendation for everyone, especially those that listen to bass forward music, or are treble/upper mids sensitive, or those who like to blast their music. I know some friends who like it though (they are low volume and indoor users and/or trebleheads), so different strokes for different folks. Even though personally this tuning is not my cup of tea, I still applaud what sets the Moondrop SSR apart, and that is the excellent technicalities at the sub $40 USD asking price for a single DD set. It really beats most of the other sub $40 USD single DD sets in this department. Timbre for acoustic instruments is also quite authentic on the Moondrop SSR.

I very much look forward to the upcoming Moondrop SSP (Pulse), which is supposed to be a bassier variant of the Moondrop SSR. Hopefully the SSP’s bassier frequencies counteract the upper mids peak (since our ears take the entire frequency spectrum as a whole), or at least Moondrop softens the 3 kHz area peak a bit, but still preserves the excellent technical performance of the Moondrop SSR. They might have a true gamechanger then, if the Moondrop SSP’s price is similar, especially since a bassier sound may also be more compatible with more music genres.

MY VERDICT

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You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

The Moondrop SSR was borrowed from coblogger KopiOKaya for the purposes of this review, and was returned after the review was done.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post Moondrop SSR Review (2) – Shouting At The Moon appeared first on Music For The Masses.

NiceHCK NX7 MK3—Proudly established as the Mad Scientist of Shenzhen, NiceHCK continues to churn out ever more ambitious (if not always fully realized) hybrids, most notoriously the original NX7, which I irrationally enjoyed in spite of (or perhaps because of) its exaggerated, alien treble.  Ergo, I had a greater-than-usual level of anticipation for the new MK3, which commands a premium of around $50 over its predecessor.

SPECIFICATIONS

Impedance: 58Ω…likes amplification
Driver Unit: “Upgraded” 4BA + 2DD (Dual Carbon Nanotube Dynamic) + Piezoelectric Ceramics Driver, hybrid 7 units each side. 
Frequency: 20 – 25000 Hz
Cable Material: 16 core silver-plated copper
Cable Length: 1.2m ± 3 cm
Plug Types: 3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm balanced/3.5mm balanced, gold plated
Connector: 0.78mm 2 pin
Replaceable Facepanels: silver/red/blue
Sensitivities: blue filter 107dB/mW, red filter 108dB/mW, black filter 104dB/mW
Tested at: $119/135 (balanced cable)
Purchase Link: HifiGo

I don’t usually rhapsodize about packaging and accessories, but the MK3 really goes over the top here, with an absurdly large faux-denim case, numerous silicon tips (though no foams), a beefy cable, gratuitous-but-fun interchangeable faceplates and most notably, three sets of tuning filters.

Metal and acrylic headshells look generic, though the standard teardrop shape is very ergonomic and provides for very good seal and comfort. As with the original NX7, my LG G8 drove these capably despite the high impedance, though amping would be preferable for lower-powered phones. 

In any set-up, the NiceHCK NX7 MK3 presents an expansive soundstage, albeit with limited height; imaging is very accurate. As with the originals, the NiceHCK NX7 MK3 has a lean note texture, while coherence ranks from so-so to very good depending on the filters used.

With the default blue “balanced” filters, the NiceHCK NX7 MK3 presents a very bright, expansive, W-shaped signature, with surprisingly enhanced, somewhat thumpy subbass, a conspicuous dip in the midbass region, forward mids and extended highs which present a lot of detail but sound somewhat grainy and strident.

The blue was actually the least seamless of the set-ups, with the prominent low end being somewhat out of sync with the rest of the presentation. Resolution is very good, and there’s a sens of considerable air between instruments.

Switching to the black “heavy bass” filters results in a warmer, more L-shaped signature; bass is not so much greater in depth or quantity as it is in emphasis, and upper midrange and treble sound more subdued and smoother as a result. As Jurgen notes, this does have the effect of toning down the high-end pierce, and provides for a better transition from subbass to midbass. However, the black filters also diminish the sparkle and detail that distinguished the original NiceHCK NX7–like a Margarita without alcohol, you get the idea but not the essence.

The red “mid-high frequency” filters veer closest to the original NiceHCK NX7 and are at once the most engaging and least natural-sounding setup. Bass is dialed down and tightened considerably, giving them a balanced character, while the very bright, extended high end again reveals a lot of sizzle and micro-detail. Those offended by the overamped treble of the original will likewise find this iteration too strident, while bassheads will find these anemic.

I’ve little doubt that given the customizability of the NiceHCK NX7 MK3 that further experimentation with tips, damping, amping, etc. will yield a more perfect result. All things considered, though, I don’t hear the NiceHCK NX7 MK3 as an evolutionary leap from the original version, which is cheaper and has the same basic character, but better-tuned bass and more overall coherence.

If you don’t have the original, however, this latest provides a lot of diversion, although comparably-priced, less ambitous designs from BQEYZ, TFZ et. al. (as well as recent faves like the Shozy Rouge) have more accurate timbre. Conditionally recommended.

MY VERDICT

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DISCLAIMER

The NiceHCK NX7 NK3 earphones were provided for review purposes by hifigo.

Get them from HifiGo!

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About my measurements.

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

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The post NiceHCK NX7 MK3 Review (1) – Bring On The Dancing Horses appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Comfortable and well fitting.
Good details and instrument separation for a single DD set.
Great soundstage at price point.
Accurate instrumental timbre.
Quality bass with good transients and nice texturing in bass.
Easily drivable.

Cons:

MMCX QC issues and doubt in driver type (and hence tuning) exists even today.
Depressed lower mids, distant male vocals sometimes.
Slightly below average isolation.
Sellers greedily went to price gouge and jack up the price from $39 USD to $60+ USD after it was hyped to the moon.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

“My Mom Always Said Life Was Like A Box Of Urbanfuns. You Never Know What You’re Gonna Get.” Statement courtesy of Headfier lgcubana and Forrest Gump.

This above statement is a microcosm of the MMCX QC issues and driver doubts that plague the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 even till today. The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 sports a V shaped tuning with good transients, nice soundstage and great technicalities for a single DD set, coupled with authentic timbre and good bass texturing and extension. It is a big pity that QC problems overshadow, distract and detract from the otherwise good sound of the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014. The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is indeed urbane and fun, and the hype is justfied IF (and this is a big IF) a working legit beryllium driver set is obtained.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver Type: Purportedly 10 mm beryllium plated single dynamic driver. Some have unfortunately gotten a “noble metal” driver which has different tuning.
• Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 40 kHz
• Impedance: 32 ohms
• Sensitivity: 107 dB/mW
• Cable type: MMCX
• Available at $60ish USD

DECODING THE URBAN LEGEND: MMCX QC AND IGNOBLE “NOBLE METAL” DRIVER CONTROVERSY?

Forgive me for meandering, but before we go on to the review proper, I would like to tell an urban legend (no pun intended) about the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014’s MMCX QC issues and ignoble “noble metal” driver controversy. Feel free to skip this, but I feel it is only fair to describe this in more detail, so that potential buyers go in with their eyes open. As we know, budget CHIFI is not a paragon for robust QC, but the MMCX QC issues and driver controversy of the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 takes this to a new and almost laughable level, such that I have to dedicate one whole section for this.

The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 was originally retailing at $39 USD when it first launched, but after it was hyped to the moon, the sellers are now selling it at $60 – 69 USD. Well willing buyer, willing seller. Supposedly this price gouge was to “guarantee” that the MMCX and driver issues are fixed, but as of the time of this writing, I still see numerous reports on audio forums of faulty MMCX connectors even with recent purchases (which come in a white box).

MMCX problems aside, there is also a possibility of receiving a “noble metal” driver instead of a beryllium driver when purchasing the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014. Some platforms like Taobao do let you select which driver version to buy, but other places like Aliexpress/Amazon do not. Well you can ask the Aliexpress sellers whether they are selling a beryllium version with good MMCX connectors, but all salesmen will tell you what you want to hear and you can be none the wiser. To be fair, maybe the sellers themselves also are none the wiser on what driver type is supplied by their suppliers. So it is really playing Russian roulette to see which driver type comes in the mail from said platforms.

There have been some fellow audio enthusiasts in the audio forums who own both a “noble metal” and beryllium driver Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, and they say the tuning is different (credit to Slater and chickenmoon from Headfi). According to guru Slater (credit to him), who has both driver types, the beryllium version has deeper subbass and more treble extension, so basically he finds it more dynamic. Slater finds the “noble metal” version more balanced, like a shallow V shape with less extended subbass and treble. The “noble metal” driver is apparently an aluminum-magnesium alloy, which isn’t that noble after all if it changes the tuning. I’ve also read quite differing review opinions about this set too. Could that be explained to some extent by the different driver types received by reviewers?

So comes the million dollar question: how does one tell if their Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is a “noble metal” or beryllium driver? Well credit once again to Slater, who writes this on headfi:

“The only way to tell is to remove the nozzle mesh and shine a light onto the driver inside the shell. There is a very small hole in the center of the metal cover over the driver, and you can see the center dome of the diaphragm.

Using a powerful magnifying glass, you should be able to tell what type the driver is.

If it is highly reflective, like a chrome mirror finish, then it is the beryllium driver. If it is dull greyish/silver metal, and does NOT have a mirror finish, then it is the noble metal version.”

My Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 was bought second hand, features a black box with a monkey logo and has a pink cable, so it is one of the older batches (unlike newer batches that come with a white box +/- grey cable). I’m not as hands on as Slater, so I didn’t dare to force open the nozzle mesh and hence can’t confirm 100% if it is a “noble metal” or beryllium driver. But I think based on the sound description (see below), it seems to tie up with some others that my set is V shaped with good subbass extension and texturing, so it probably is the beryllium version.

In fact, due to the doubt of driver type, and these MMCX problems, I decided to buy my Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 second hand from a local shop, so that I could test the MMCX and the sound before purchase. So regarding the urban legend of the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 QC issues, I experienced it firsthand: my set had some MMCX issues on the left earpiece, but the seller was flogging it second hand at a relatively cheap $29 USD. There’s an old adage: “you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”. I almost laughed in the shop seeing the black box with a monkey logo laughing back at me. Well after listening to the set, I thought the sound was actually very good, the basshead in me liked the subbass texturing, so at that price, I felt that’s an acceptable risk to stomach, I’ll just leave a cable on the MMCX connector permanently. However, if I bought it at the current full price of $69 USD price and found a wonky MMCX, I would have been pissed for sure.

Other than testing it prior to purchase, you can consider buying the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 from a platform/local shop with a robust returns policy, eg Amazon, as there’s a chance of getting a lemon. If you are gonna buy it from Aliexpress or somewhere else without a good customer support/returns policy, don’t blame us if you get a lemon or ignoble “noble metal” driver, Caveat emptor!

I know some budget CHIFI companies skimp on QC to save costs, but this is a real case of penny wise, pound foolish. Other than myself, there are multiple reports of MMCX QC problems in the audio forums, that are reported even in newer batches of the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 which came with a white box. Some had no sound from one side of the IEM on arrival, some had their MMCX breaking after a few cable changes, some had their sets die after a few weeks of use. So much so the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is now famous (or rather infamous) for their poor QC. In fact I held off on buying the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 for months cause of this, and perhaps others will be facing the same dilemma. I do hope Urbanfun can get their act together and do a thorough review of their QC/driver issues and ensure that every set comes with a working MMCX and beryllium driver. The small amount of effort, time and costs put into good QC will in the long run provide better sales and reputation for the company. There’ readily available solutions like finding a different factory/supplier for your MMCX connectors, spending a bit more on higher quality MMCX connectors, or even using a 2 pin connector etc. There is a already a good product lying underneath here, just that it is tarnished with the QC/driver doubt brush.

Anyways, thanks for reading the background urban legend behind the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, let’s get to the meat of the review now.

ACCESSORIES

In addition to the IEM, it comes with:

1) Silicone tips and foam tips of various sizes.

2) Stock cable -> pretty well braided, minimal microphonics. Mine is pink, and of the older batch; I see newer batches arrive in a grey cable.

3) Semi rigid zipper case.

4) Small metal case for foam tips.

The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is quite well accessorized, everything is useable out of the box, no need to mess around with aftermarket tips/cables.

BUILD/COMFORT

The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is made of metal, the shape of which is rather reminiscent of the BLON BL-03, but the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014’s fit is much much better due to the longer nozzle compared to the BLON BL-03. It is very comfortable and ergonomic, I can use it for hours with no issues.

No driver flex was detected on my set.

For my set, the left side MMCX housing was a wee bit wonky as stated above, as it had difficulty connecting an MMCX cable until after multiple attempts. I think the housing side was a bit loose, but after some difficulty, I managed to pair a cable on it and I intend to leave it there till kingdom come. Hence, I strongly suggest you stick one MMCX cable on the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 and DO NOT change the cable unnecessarily (if at all). That’s my general rule for MMCX type IEMs, but it will be respected 100% for sure on the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014. In fact, I have even seen other users using micropore and other tapes to attach the cable onto the MMCX connector permanently.

ISOLATION

Having brought the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 for a spin on the subway, I find its isolation is slightly below average. Like other vented single DD type sets, it generally loses to multi BA unvented gear in the isolation department. The good thing is the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 has boosted bass, so this tends to counteract the bass losses in a noisy environment, like during transit, but it still wouldn’t be my first choice for a commuting IEM due to the lack of isolation.

DRIVABILITY

I tested the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 with a Shanling Q1 DAP, Ziku HD X9 DAP, Samsung Note 5, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, Sabre HIFI DAC (ESS ES9280C PRO) and a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 Amp. The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is pretty drivable from lower powered sources, with only slight scaling of soundstage and technical performance with amping, so amping is not truly needed.

The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 lies on the warmer side tuning wise, so I find that pairing it with a warmer source may make things overly muddy. As such, I preferred neutral or more analytical sources with it.

SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 sports a warm V shaped tuning, with hefty bass and boosted upper mids.

Beryllium drivers are purportedly marketed for giving fast transients and taking well to EQ and indeed, the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 has good transients and control in the bass especially, and doesn’t distort even with robust EQ.

The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 has one of the better technical performances for a sub $100 single DD set, with good details and instrument separation, though some multi BA/hybrid type gear may have better technicalities at this price point. Imaging on the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is above average but nothing to write home about. Soundstage is wide and tall for the price, though depth of soundstage is about average. Music sounds spacious yet natural with the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014.

Timbre is authentic and excellent for acoustic instruments, with notes being precise, yet with good note weight.

Bass:

The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 has great subbass extension, with bass just a level shy of basshead jawrattling levels, depending on the track. Subbass seems more elevated than midbass for me, with midbass being punchy with only mild midbass bleed. Forgive me for the pun, but a legit beryllium driver Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 with great subbass can really live up to the name “suburban”, the basshead in me totally approves this. The subbass amounts of course depend on getting a good eartip seal, as bass is usually the first to be lost in a bad seal. But I think those that are bass averse or prefer a neutralish bass may need to look elsewhere. One also can potentially decrease the bass amounts by using a wider bore silicone tip instead of the stock ones.

Despite the copious bass quantities, the beryllium driver has some sort of sorcery that gives the bass good control with excellent texturing, remaining clean with tight transients. The bass doesn’t encroach much into vocals or the mids, and there’s good bass timbre also.

Mids:

Lower mids are more recessed than upper mids on the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, though the balance between the 2 is quite well done. I did find rarely, that there was a slight glare in the upper mids, for example with brass instruments when the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 was played at higher volumes (Fletcher Munson curve). But by and large at moderate and low volumes, I thought the upper mids were tame and inoffensive compared to some budget CHIFI offenders. The lower mids reccession loses a bit of points for me though and midlovers might need to look elsewhere, as male vocals sounded a bit distant.

Timbre for acoustic instruments is excellent along the mid frequencies, with instruments sounding quite natural to my ears, other than the aforementioned lower mids recession.

Treble:

Upper treble extension for the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is not the best, this is not a treblehead set, but it is not fatiguing and not sibilant and is a safe treble for our treble sensitive brethen. Nevertheless, details and clarity are above average, but won’t beat some brighter multi BA/hybrid sets in the treble clarity, details and treble extension.

COMPARISONS

You find some of the earphones mentioned below reviewed HERE.

I decided to compare the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 with some other hyped single DD sets. Multi BA/hybrid sets have their own pros and cons compared to single DD sets, so it would be comparing apples and oranges as such and they were left out of this comparison.

1) iBasso IT00  ($69 USD)

The iBasso IT00 is more U shaped in tuning, compared to the V shaped Urbanfun YBF-ISS014. Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 has more boosted upper mids, but more depressed lower mids. Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 has better bass texturing and bass rumble and the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is more basshead in quantity. iBasso IT00 has better extension at the treble, with more airiness.

Technicalities wise they are close, with both being good for a single DD set, but they both won’t beat some multi BA/hybrid sets in the similar price bracket in technicalities. The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 edges out the IT00 in timbre and soundstage, whereas the IT00 has slightly better clarity and instrument separation. Imaging is about on par. Tonally, I prefer the IT00 for the less depressed lower mids and airier treble.

Isolation is also better on the IT00, and coupled with the more balanced tuning, I do pick the IT00 for daily use and transit use more often than the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014. But when I need my basshead kick or listen to bass forward music genres, eg EDM, then the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is selected, so they are complimentary sets in a way.

2) BLON BL-03 ($25 USD) (but it probably costs closer to $40 – 50 with aftermarket tips/cables in view of the atrocious stock fit)

The BLON BL-03 at higher volumes has shoutier upper mids. Bass quantities are similar, but the bass of the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is of better quality and speed and texturing, with the BLON BL-03 having a slower, boomier bass that can’t keep up with fast or complex bass tracks. The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 also extends better for me in the subbass and has better technicalities in all other departments compared to the BLON BL-03. Timbre between the 2 sets is excellent and about on par.

Fit and accessories are way better on the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, with the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 having a longer nozzle that doesn’t necessitate messing around with spacer mods, longer nozzle eartips or aftermarket cables. The BLON BL-03 has slightly worse isolation, though both are poor in the isolation department as a whole.

3) TFZ NO. 3 ($109 USD)

The TFZ No. 3 is more V shaped and is shoutier in the upper mids with louder volumes. The No. 3 is a bona fide basshead IEM and has more bass quantity and extension than the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, but the No. 3’s bass is pretty bloated and uncontrolled when compared to the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014’s faster and tighter bass. TFZ No.3’s bass isn’t particularly textured or accurate either.

TFZ No. 3 has a much poorer instrument timbre with a more claustrophobic soundstage, with notes sounding quite compressed in the TFZ No. 3. Other areas of technical performance are also better on the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014. TFZ No. 3 perhaps has better isolation, and may also be an option for those wanting jawrattling bass in view of the massive bass amounts, though the bass isn’t the best in quality as discussed above. Other than QC issues, I don’t see (or rather hear) any other areas where the TFZ No. 3 is better than the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, despite the former’s higher price tag.

4) Final Audio E3000 ($50 USD)

The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 is more V shaped than the Final Audio E3000, with better extension on both ends. Bass is better textured, speedier and more tight on the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014. Final E3000 is more midbass focused, and I found the subbass a bit lacking personally. Lower mids are less recessed on the Final Audio E3000, with better timbre and a more natural tonality on the Final Audio E3000. Upper mids are smooth and non fatiguing on the Final Audio E3000, in contrast to the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 which can get a tad hot in the upper mids with louder volumes on rare occasions. Vocals were definitely better balanced on the Final Audio E3000 due to the less recessed lower mids.

The Final Audio E3000 has better soundstage, though at the expense of poorer isolation. Technicalities wise, I thought that instrument separation and imaging were better on the Final Audio E3000 too.

Build wise, other than the possibility of a wonky MMCX on the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, I still preferred the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 to the noodle thin non detachable microphonic cable of the Final Audio E3000, which may be a point of failure down the line. I think some wear the Final Audio E3000 over the ears to eliminate the cable noise, though I had a few stares when I tried that in public previously, and the isolation doesn’t cut it for transit use for me, YMMV.

The Final Audio E3000 is quite a power hungry little beast, despite the specs on paper, and amping definitely allows it to scale a lot, in contrast to the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, which is quite drivable even from humble smartphones.

Overall the 2 sets are pretty different, but i preferred the Final Audio E3000 cause of its tonality, timbre, mids and soundstage compared to the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014. The Final Audio E3000 still manages to stand the test of time and is quite an underrated gem in the sea of new hypetrains, only thing is the crappy non detachable microphonic cable and lack of isolation preclude me from using it more for outdoors and transit.

CONCLUSIONS

So, is this an urbane and fun set? Well, only if you get a legit working beryllium driver Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 with working MMCX connectors. The Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 sports a V shaped tuning with good transients, nice soundstage and great technicalities for a single DD set, coupled with authentic timbre and great bass texturing and extension. It should actually be one of the top sub $100 single DD sets, but……..

“My Mom Always Said Life Was Like A Box Of Urbanfuns. You Never Know What You’re Gonna Get.”

We come back to this statement about the QC issues and driver doubts surrounding the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, which sadly distract and detract from an otherwise good sound of a legit beryllium driver Urbanfun YBF-ISS014. As such, I cannot universally recommend this set, or can only recommend it with major reservations. I strongly suggest to only buy the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 from a place with a good returns policy/customer support, eg Amazon, or buy it from a second hand shop in my case, where you can test the MMCX and sound prior to purchase (or no purchase). If you feel lucky and wanna play Russian roulette and get it from Aliexpress and other places without a solid returns policy/warranty, then by all means, but don’t blame us if a wonky MMCX or ignoble “noble metal” driver set comes in the mail! Caveat emptor!

Based on sound alone, I would have rated the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 very high, even in my top 5 sub $100 single DD sets, it is truly a basshead set that warms my basshead heart (no pun intended). It is with great pity that I have to deduct points from it and knock it down from a highly recommended set to a meh recommendation, due to the QC problems and driver doubts, not to mention the price gouge stunt the mercenary sellers pulled after it received massive hype. I’d be happy to change my review and rating if Urbanfun can show that it can consistently churn out future Urbanfun YBF-ISS014s with a good track record of working MMCX connectors and being 100% legit beryllium drivers. As it is, the QC issues and driver doubt will be an albatross around the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014’s neck for the foreseeable future, and it will be held back from the pantheon of great budget CHIFI over very correctable and preventable issues.

TEST TRACKS

1) Forrest Gump OST – Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates Urbanfuns

2) Doris Day – Que Sera Sera —> I really liked the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 at 01:14, it really showcases the timbre of the voices when Doris Day sings the following heavenly lyrics:

“When I was just a little girl,
I asked my mother what will it be?
Will it be “noble”?
Will MMCX by wonky?
Here’s what she said to me:
Que Sera Sera,
Whatever will be will be,
The future’s not ours to see,
Best buy it with a good warranty!
Que Sera Sera”

3) Van Halen – Loss of Quality Control

4) The Beach Boys – Noble Metal Surfer

5) Lenny Kravitz – Mr. Cab Noble Driver

MY VERDICT

Please only buy the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 from a place where there is a robust returns/warranty policy, or where you can test it prior to purchase, in view of the possibility of MMCX QC issues or doubt in driver type!!!

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DISCLAIMER

I bought the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 at $29 USD at my own expense from a local second hand shop.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 Review – Urban Legends: Life Is Like A Box Of Urbanfuns appeared first on Music For The Masses.

I understand the need for a good DAC, but it is typically the sum of all parts that determine the quality. DACs boosting about 120dB SNR sounds great on paper, but the final verdict is typically the noise output figure usually in the range of 100dB. This typically means the individual components should be transparent to the final product. So when I was given the chance to test an external USB DAC I was willing to give it a fair run down. My LG V30 and Cozoy Takt-C both have a similar branded DAC chip, the Sabre 9218P vs the 9018Q2C. I did find some differences between the two.

GOOD TRAITS

• Smallish
• Metal Casing
• Controls on the DAC for play/pause-track up/down, and volume up/down.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

• Cable not detachable (There is a Cozoy Takt Pro with exchangeable cables)
• Gets warm, reduces battery life (to be expected of external DACs)
• Does not support 4 pin TRRS headphones (But it does have its own built in controls).

TESTING APPARATUS

LG V30 (Built in Sabre 9218P) vs Cozoy ( Sabre 9018Q2C dac chip).

Desktop PC Realtek^® ALC887 codec

Various IEMS, BQEYZ Spring1 & 2, Philips X2HR, Sennheiser HD6XX.

BATTERY LIFE (ESTIMATES)

Unscientifically, I let the phone play random tracks at a preset volume that was normal listening levels for me. It didn’t seem to matter the load I tested with 32ohm vs. 600 ohm headphones. It appeared to drain at a 0.22% rate for every minute used. Surprisingly, it drained faster when sitting idle at a rate of 0.33%/min. On my LG V30, that works out to about 7.5 hours, I think that it would probably be less then that in real world usage.

HEAT

Hovers between 105-110 deg F when running 32 ohm headphones.

SOUND

I find it noise free for the majority of earphones I used, however I do not recommend high sensitivity IEMs since you lose the fine resolution of volume control and gain hiss. The noise I am referring to is more of digital garbage the V30 seems to put out on its low volume settings. IEM’s such as the Final Audio E500 seem to benefit from a slight gain boost of the Cozoy Takt-C. On my V30, the Philips X2HR level 50 is equivalent to around 25% of the volume level of the Takt-C. My LG V30 does suffer some noise at lower volumes on dynamic classical recordings with a lot of silence, I notice the noise is gone when using the Cozoy Takt-C – big plus right there. Bass does get a bit more oomph that comes with some increases in headroom from more amplification, but it’s hardly noticeable. It does give the impression of a warmish signature over the built in Quad DAC of the V30, the V30 sounds brighter. It is definitely an improvement over typical smartphone output. No improvement in the soundstaging capabilities to my V30, if anything the treble feels a bit subdued and therefore reduces some of the ambiance.

Using something harder to drive such as my Sennheiser HD6XX, the Cozoy Takt-C can power it, but not to the desired output levels my O2 headphone amp can achieve. This results in an OK experience, but always longing for more. Treble sounds a bit grainy and plasticy.

Using my Windows 10 PC, installation was a breeze. Windows installed it quite easily. It does improve over the onboard sound, but it does sound a bit congested. I find it noise free again. Depth, layering and ambiance is improved over onboard sound.

Unfortunately, my music collection contains no DSD files so I am unable to test this, but take comfort in knowing the capability is there to handle 32bit 384khz DSD files.

OUTRO

If you have a need to improve your basic smartphone output, or you have low sensitivity headphones that you want to boost (doesn’t even need to be high impedance), then this could be a contender. I hear good things about some other portable DAC’s such as the Temptotec Sonata Pro HD at quite a bit less cash, but without comparing I cannot gauge the “value” of the Cozoy Takt-C. As for a desktop DAC, there are some others in this price range that I would look at (maybe OL DAC or Atom DAC), but I have no personal experience. I only think it is an improvement to my LG V30 in terms of low volume noise, but I also lose the auto high impedance gain switching, low volume step resolution and battery life. For those with a sterile weak sounding smartphone and would prefer a warmer boosted output, this could a contender for improvement. My verdict only represents my small sample size of different DACs.

SPECIFICATIONS

Output power: 1.5V RMS@32Ω per channel
Housing material: 6063 Aluminum Alloy
Input power: depend on device
Input: USB Type-C
Output connector: 3.5mm TRS Stereo earphone
SNR: 120dB
Cable length: 10cm
Power supply design, without built-in battery
*Takt C is device driving, driver may be required on some operating system.

MY VERDICT

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You find an INDEX of all our dac/amp reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

I received this from Jürgen Kraus after his review found here…who have received the unit from HifiGo.

Get the Cozoy Takt-C at the HifiGo store

Product Page: http://www.cozoyaudio.com/takt-c

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post Cozoy Takt-C Dac/Amp (USB-C Version) Review II – Second Look appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Pros:

Good price to performance ratio.
Comfortable, well fitting.
Above average isolation.
Good details, imaging and especially soundstage at this price bracket.
Deep subbass extension.

Cons:

Plasticky build.
Timbre artificial for certain acoustic instruments/vocals.
Tonality issues – Overly V shaped, with upper mids/lower treble occassionally getting hot when bass frequencies are not playing, with overly recessed lower mids. Bass may be too boomy for non bassheads.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The KBEAR KS2 is a budget bassy V shaped set with good technicalities for the price. It isn’t the best in timbre/tonality and has an overly recessed lower mids with occasionally hot upper mids. Adjust your expectations and don’t be expecting a tour de force for the price, but it excels at soundstage and does more things right than wrong. It would be an affordable daily beater set, or even a gaming and movie IEM in view of the great soundstage/imaging.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver: Hybrid 10mm composite diaphragm Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature
• Interface: 2 Pin 0.78mm
• Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20kHZ
• Sensitivity: 106±3dB
• Impedance: 16Ω
• Tested at $23 USD

ACCESSORIES

In addition to the IEM, it comes with:

1) Stock cable – thin with no chin cinch. Recommended to swap if possible.

2) Silicone tips of various sizes.

BUILD/COMFORT

The KBEAR KS2 looks to have a similar shell to some KZs (like the ZST), and looks plasticky and cheap, but don’t judge a book by its cover, build wise, it is quite comfortable, light, well fitting, with above average isolation. I did not detect any driver flex.

DRIVABILITY

I tried the KBEAR KS2 with a humble Android smartphone, Shanling Q1 DAP, a ESS ES9280C PRO DAC, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 amp, and a TRN BT20 bluetooth device. The KS2 is quite sensitive, and hissing may be noted with some desktops/smartphones but the hiss generally disappears when music plays. Otherwise, one can mitigate the hiss with using an impedance matching device, amp/dac or an inline volume controller.

The KS2 is pretty drivable from lower powered sources like smartphones, but scales slightly better with amping.

SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The KBEAR KS2 is a bassy deep V shaped set with some brightness in the upper mids as above.

Technicalities are good for the $20ish USD price, with a big soundstage, good imaging, instrument separation and details. In fact, it has one of the best soundstages at the $20ish price tag (the other competitor in big soundstage at this pricetag would be the Senfer DT6, though the Senfer DT6 has worse isolation due to the semi open backed design). The KS2 would make quite a good gaming and movie IEM in view of the good soundstage and imaging, though the bass is quite boosted, so footsteps and gunshots might be a tad overemphasized for gaming, but I quite like the KS2 for movie watching due to the great subbass extension.

String timbre is okay considering it is a hybrid, but woodwinds and brass instruments sound very artificial, so not the best option if you listen to classical or jazz. Vocal timbre is a bit chalky but intelligible and clear, so also not the best option if you are a vocals connoisseur. The tonality of the KS2 is skewed towards the upper mids and bass frequencies, and non bassheads might find the bass quantities boomy, with the lower mids overly recessed, with some occasional hot upper mids.

Bass:

Subbass extends well for a DD bass, with good rumble and decay. Subbass seems to be a tad more emphasized than the midbass in terms of quantity, with the visceral grunt of the subbass rattling the jaw in some music tracks with amping. Indeed, bass quantities are one level shy of basshead levels. I’m a basshead and like the bass amounts but I think those that want a neutral bass might need to look elsewhere or do some bass mods, as it might be too boomy for them.

The KBEAR KS2 sounds quite good for bass forward music, eg EDM.
I didn’t find overt amounts of midbass bleed considering the KS2 has rather copious bass, unlike some other basshead sets eg TFZ No. 3.

Mids:

The KS2’s lower mids are quite recessed, certain songs sound thin/distant in lower mids. Guitars in particular aren’t that well rendered in the lower mids and some chunks of music are missing in the lower mids for pieces I’m familiar with. In fact, the big soundstage of the KS2 might be partially explained by the distant lower mids.

Even though the graphs appear quite boosted in the upper mids/lower treble for this set, I find the big bass quantities balances out the upper mids and the KS2 isn’t shouty when there are bass frequencies playing. The upper mids and lower treble do get harsh and fatiguing when there is female vocal predominant music or when the music is bass lite (i.e. no bass to balance the upper frequencies) or when saxophones, trumpets and flutes come out to play.

A warm source, or tape mods, or copper cables (if you aren’t a cable skeptic) or even EQ may help with the upper mids issue if you are sensitive to these areas, but I usually listen to bass heavy music (which as above balances the upper mids), so I enjoy the KBEAR KS2 with the stock configuration without any mods.

Treble:

Lower treble is discussed in the above point with the upper mids. The upper treble extends moderately well, and isn’t that fatiguing for me. Sibilance is mild, cymbals aren’t that splashy compared to budget KZs. I like the upper treble amounts, which balances details and clarity without being overly harsh.

COMPARISONS

Here are some comparisons of the KBEAR KS2 with other CHIFI gear in the similar price bracket ($20 – 30 USD):

KBEAR KB04 ($26 USD):

Ironically, the KBEAR KB04 from the same company is the KS2’s main competitor in having a similar driver config (1DD + 1 BA) and price in a V shaped tuning (see graph below).

KB04 is less V shaped as per the graphs below, with lesser bass and upper mids/lower treble. Note weight on the KB04 is slightly thinner, but the KB04 is more balanced tonally. The KB04 also has slightly better instrument timbre.

I find the KB04 to be faster in transients for complex portions of music, with a more accurate bass, but the KS2 trumps the KB04 in soundstage and imaging.

Both sets are tuned differently and bring separate benefits to the table. The KB04 has better build, timbre and tonality, but the KS2 is slightly cheaper, has better soundstage/imaging and better bass quantity (I’m a basshead and appreciate this aspect). Overall, for my music preferences, I’ll take timbre/tonality over technical performance for casual music listening, so the KB04 edges the KS2 for me.

BLON BL-03 ($24 USD):

In general, I try not to compare single DD sets to hybrids as they have their own inherent strengths and weaknesses between the different transducer types, so it is really comparing oranges to apples, but since a lot of folks own the BL-03 and use it as a yardstick, here goes:

The single DD BLON BL-03 has better tonality, and more accurate timbre for acoustic instruments, with a thicker note weight.
Upper mids are not as hot on the BLON BL-03.
The BLON BL-03’s bass is slower with more midbass bleed and it sometimes can’t keep up with complex bass riffs.
Fit and isolation are poorer in the BLON BL-03. In fact the infamous BLON BL-03 fit may require one to splurge a bit on aftermarket eartips or even cables, so the BL-03 outlay may be closer to $40 USD actually.
Technicalities are also poorer on BL-03, with a smaller soundstage on BL-03.

Hence, the BLON BL-03 is better for timbre/tonality and would better suit those that listen to music genres incorporating a lot of acoustic instruments, whereas the KS2 is better for technicalities and fits well OOTB; the KS2 would be better for more complex music or synthetic music.

Senfer DT6 ($18 USD):

The DT6 (1DD + 1BA + 1 Piezo) has worse timbre especially for acoustic instruments, but is more balanced and less V shaped than the KS2.

The DT6 needs amping for the treble regions to not sound dull (the piezos handling the treble need some juice), whereas amping is not really mandatory for the KS2.

KBEAR KS2 has better technicalities (imaging, clarity, details, instrument separation), and both have big soundstages, but the DT6 has penalties in isolation due to the semi open backed design.

KZ ZS10 Pro ($30 USD):

The ZS10 Pro (1DD + 4 BA) is likewise a V shaped set, and the ZS10 Pro also suffers from an occasionally harsh upper mids/lower treble, but I felt the lower mids aren’t as recessed in the ZS10 Pro.

The ZS10 Pro has better technicalities (except soundstage and imaging), but I found the timbre on both sets to be artificial for non-stringed acoustic instruments, with the KS2 being a worse offender in the timbre department.

The ZS10 Pro has more predominant midbass than subbass, unlike the KS2 which has subbass quantity > midbass. ZS10 Pro’s midbass is not as tight with some flabbiness and midbass bleed.

CONCLUSIONS:

The KBEAR KS2 is an entry level budget CHIFI set with good technical performance for the price. Unfortunately, it lacks a bit in the timbre/tonality department. I think the KS2 can suit most genres due to the consumer friendly V shaped tuning, except maybe genres that need good instrument timbre e.g. classical, jazz. The upper mids/lower treble can get hot occasionally when the bass isn’t playing, but pairing the KS2 with a warm source helps if you are sensitive to this area. Bass averse folks and lower mid lovers might also wanna give this set a miss.

So this brings us to the million dollar question: does one need another $25ish USD budget set like the KBEAR KS2 in the flood of budget CHIFI releases? Well, that’s pretty subjective and only one that you can answer yourself. Those stuck in the neverending CHIFI IEM rabbithole who own higher end gear will definitely have heard something more refined in sound quality. Do you have a drawer full of cheap CHIFI collecting cobwebs somewhere and does your spouse/significant other give you a deathstare when they see another budget CHIFI coming in the mail? Are you looking to climb up the CHIFI ladder in terms of price/quality, rather than staying in a vicious cycle buying budget sidegrades, which do add up to the costs of a midfi set eventually? Then probably not. But the KBEAR KS2 will suit avid pokemonesque “gotta catch them all” CHIFI collectors or someone new to the hobby and starting to sample budget gear to discover their ideal sound signature. It would also be an affordable daily beater set for the price for beginners, or even a gaming and movie IEM in view of the great soundstage, imaging and visceral subbass amounts.

Overall, I’m rating the KBEAR KS2 to be a pass, with context being the KS2’s selling price of a restaurant meal. It brings a big soundstage and good imaging to the budget CHIFI table. For experienced audiophiles, please temper your expectations and don’t be expecting a tour de force considering the asking price of $25ish USD (well, the BLON BL-03 is an amazing anomaly at the same price tag, but probably costs more after purchasing aftermarket tips/cables for the fit, whereas the Senfer DT6 is hyped to the moon but has an Achilles heel of poor timbre). The KBEAR KS2 excels at soundstage/imaging and does more things right than wrong.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the music!

MY VERDICT

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Here’s another review of the KBEAR KS2 earphone.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank KBEAR for providing this review sample. It can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001134070208.html

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

The post KBEAR KS2 Review (2) – Bear Necessities vs Barely Necessary? appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Good build/fit.
2 pin connector – better lifespan than MMCX.
Above average soundstage.
Above average technicalities for a DD.
Good timbre for acoustic instruments.
Easily drivable.

Cons:

Somewhat harsh upper mids/lower treble – this is to some extent, source dependant and can be tamed or modded (see below).
Thin note weight, vocal timbre not the best in the mids area.
Average isolation.
Meh accessories.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The BLON BL-05 is quite different in tonality from the hypetrain BL-03, sporting a clean, bright V shaped tuning which is easily drivable, with above average technicalities and a good fit.

INTRODUCTION

I’ve had a very pleasant experience so far with the BLON brand, having purchased both the BLON BL-03 and its underrated big brother (the BLON Cardinal), which is unfortunately no longer in production.

The BLON BL-03 was (and still is) a mega hypetrain single DD set with good timbre and tonality at an affordable sub $30 USD. It’s rather famous among budget audiophile groups for the superb price to performance ratio. Some folks even labelled the BL-03 as a giant killer that can compete with TOTL sets. Personally, while I think the BL-03 is a very good set for the price, and maybe it can compete with some $100 sets in timbre/tonality, it lacked a bit in these areas to be a true giant killer:

1) Poor fit OOTB with stock tips – due to the too short nozzle. Most people had to resort to a spacer mod or aftermarket longer eartips, or even different cables. So with these aftermarket extra costs, it probably was closer to $40 – 50 USD in terms of pricing (depending on what stuff u bought to augment it).

2) Overemphasized midbass with midbass bleed; bass can’t keep up with fast/complex music.

3) Lack in technicalities.

So there was great anticipation for the next BLON release, which is the BL-05. From released graphs, it seems to have a toned done bass with some slight boost in the upper mids, with a better looking fit too. So here we are with the BL-05 review today.

SPECIFICATIONS

Driver: 2nd Generation 10mm CNT Diaphragm.
Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 KHz
Connector: 0.78mm 2 Pin
Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 108dB

Tested at $42 USD

ACCESSORIES

In addition to the IEM, it comes with:

1) Stock cable – thin with no chin cinch. Recommended to swap ASAP.

2) Lame sack cloth pouch like in the BL-03.

3) Silicone tips of various sizes, some with longer nozzles and some with shorter nozzles.

BUILD/COMFORT

The BL-05 is very comfortable and well fitting OOTB, in contrast to its BL-03 little brother, there’s no need to mess around with aftermarket tips/spacers.

The shell is metal, and is on the heavier side of things as such, but is very ergonomic with no weird poky edges. The steampunk look is quite unique!

I liked that it came with a 2 pin connector, which has generally better lifespan than MMCX connectors in my experience. Although the 2 pin housing protrudes a bit and certain 3rd party 2 pin cables may not be compatible, or may protrude when in use.

I didn’t have any driver flex with the BL-05.

ISOLATION

Isolation is average, but better than the BL-03.

DRIVABILITY

I tried the BL-05 with a humble Android smartphone, a Ziku HD X9 DAP, a Tempotec Sonata HD, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 amp, and a TRN BT20 bluetooth device.

The BL-05 is pretty drivable from lower powered sources like smartphones, and amping isn’t truly mandatory.

However, do note that the source plays quite an important role in the sound signature and synergy with the BL-05. As the BL-05 is on the brighter side for the upper mids, with thinner bass quantities, I found it to sound less harsh in the upper mids when pairing the BL-05 with a warmer source. When I paired it with more analytical or brighter sources, it brought the upper mids area too much to the forefront and made it more fatiguing and harsh for longer listening sessions. YMMV.

SOUND AND TECHNICALITIES

The BL-05 is a mild V shaped set with some boost at the upper mids/lower treble region and a slightly tamed down midbass (compared to its predecessor the BL-03).

Technicalities like details and instrument separation are above average at its price point. Imaging and clarity is good. Soundstage is above average. It probably won’t beat multi BA/hybrid sets that are equivalently priced in the technicalities department.

Timbre is good for acoustic instruments. Note weight is on the thinner side and vocals sounded not as good in the timbre as acoustic instruments. The BL-05 can sound somewhat analytical and dry at times, and is quite different from the warm and analoguish tonality of the BL-03.

Bass:
The BL-05’s subbass is of more quantity than midbass, with some rumble typical of DD bass, though it is not as bassy as the BL-03 in terms of quantity. Midbass thump is a bit lacking for my basshead tastes, but I think those that like a neutralish bass will love this set’s bass.

Bass quality is on the faster and tighter side, though not the best in texturing. There’s no midbass bleed.

Mids:
Upper mids are boosted compared to the lower mids and I found some harshness at the upper mids area which may sometimes be fatiguing for longer listening sessions and female vocal predominant music. Vocals are very intelligible. As stated above, source pairing is important as a warm source can help in the upper mids area. Other than source, EQ or micropore mods may help, +/- narrower bore tips and copper cables (if u ain’t a cable skeptic). In case anyone is interested in doing a reversible mod for the upper mids on the BL-05, there’ll be a discussion below.

Treble:
There’s a boost at the lower treble, but otherwise it extends fairly well but is not a super airy set. I’m treble sensitive and found the treble to be within my tolerances, without the need to EQ/use foam tips (cough cough looking at you TRN VX). There is very mild sibilance. Cymbals are occasionally splashy.

COMPARISONS VS BLON BL-03

I know a lot of folks’ next question will be, how does the BL-05 compare to the BL-03? I would say upfront that the BL-05 is pretty different in tonality compared to the original BL-03. The BL-05 has decreased midbass but increased upper mids compared to the BL-03 as the above graph.

I didn’t compare the BLON Cardinal here as it is no longer in production and not many people own it.

Pros of BL-05 (stock form):
– Fit is better on the BL-05, no need to mess with eartips/spacer mods OOTB.
– Bass tighter and less midbass bleed on BL-05. Better subbass extension/rumble than BL-03.
– More analytical/colder tonality with better clarity.
– Better soundstage.
– Easier to drive.

Pros of BL-03 (stock form):
– Cheaper (though if u factor in aftermarket tips and cables it might be thereabouts in cost).
– Less fatiguing at upper mids/lower treble.
– More natural tonality in mids.
– Fuller lower mids, thicker note weight.
– Better vocal timbre.

I feel the BL-05 has its own merits and it shouldn’t be viewed as a BL-03 Mk2, but taken as its own IEM and I appreciate that they’ll be fans of both tunings either way (disclaimer I’m more a fan of the BL-03’s tonality but I try my best to judge the BL-05 as objectively as possible in this review). I think a lot of folks expected the BL-05 to be tuned along the same lines as the BL-03 and quite a few BLON fans were disappointed with the BL-05 as such.

Also, factor in that the BL-03’s hype was at hysterical levels, and anticipation for the BL-05 was at sky high amounts. As is quite commonly seen, it is very difficult to live up to the same standards and demands in the sequel of a hyped original movie/book. If the sequel meets the standards of the original movie/book, fans would say, it is only to be expected. But pitchforks will come out if the widely anticipated movie/book sequel has some flaws or is rather different than anticipated. In addition, the BL-05 was priced more expensive than the BL-03, and the $40 – 50 USD market the BL-05 was released into had much tougher competition than the $20 – 30 BL-03’s market. (Though I would argue the BL-03 is actually also in the $40 price bracket if an average aftermarket tip/cable is factored in the equation as most folks don’t get a good fit OOTB).

MICROPORE MOD FOR BL-05

Credit to KopiOKaya for this great and reversible mod for those who want to lower the upper mids/lower treble of the BL-05 a tinge.

Use a 3M tape (2 mm x 2 mm square) and cover part of the nozzle mesh, but do not cover it entirely, if not the sound will be muffled. With the micropore mod, the upper mids are reduced and the mids sound a bit more tonally similar to the BL-03, but with the midbass bleed/bloom removed and with the BL-05’s good fit and speedier bass.

I appreciate though that not everyone wants to mod stuff and a lot of consumers would just prefer to use the IEM OOTB as it is, then perhaps EQ or changing to a warm source would help too if you are sensitive to the upper mids region.

CONCLUSION

The BL-05 sports a V shaped bright tuning with above average technicalities, a good fit, and is easily drivable. I actually like the BL-05 more than the recently reviewed (and more expensive) TRN VX, which was much shoutier in stock form, and I couldn’t listen to the TRN VX more than 5 minutes without a EQ or some micropore mods. 

Like real life siblings, audiophiles will always compare the BL-05 with the BL-03 younger brother, even though the BL-05 is tuned rather differently from the BL-03 and is not a BL-03 MK2 (maybe unless you wanna try the reversible micropore mod as above). The BL-05 has areas of improvement over the BL-03, such as in fit, soundstage, bass quality, and a toned down midbass. The BL-05 should thus be seen as its own IEM, with its own unique tuning and merits.

All in all, I think the BL-05 is not for bassheads or those wanting an analoguish/warm tonality (which is my sound signature preference). So, the BL-05 is not my cup of tea for the brighter upper mids region and thinner note weight/lower mids, but forgive me while I meander a bit in this short story:
My review of the BL-05 was delayed cause my wife saw the BL-05 delivered in the mail and she snagged it. She would normally go “tsk tsk” and roll her eyes at another audio gear arriving in the mail or be ambivalent at best. However, the moment she saw the rainbow wording of Oppoty and Driams and the steampunk look of the BL-05, she grabbed it and said she wanted to try it. She isn’t an audiophile but she listens to a variety of music genres like 3 hours a day, and her first words were “good fit”, “clean sounding”, “sounds good”. After that I didn’t see the BL-05 for a week (well this constitutes a free burn in I guess). She only returned it to me after I bugged her for a few days. For comparisons, she didn’t like the BL-03 (even though I went to extreme lengths to buy aftermarket spinfits to help her BL-03 to fit).

Hence I appreciate that there will be fans of the BL-05’s tuning, such as those who want a cleaner and brighter sound signature than the hypetrain BL-03.

Let music burn!

MY VERDICT

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DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank the Wooseasy Earphones Store on Aliexpress for providing this review sample.

Get it from Wooeasy Earphones Store

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Excellent timbre.
Lush mids – great for vocals.
Above average soundstage.
Above average technicalities (imaging, clarity, details, instrument separation).
Non fatiguing tuning.
Minimal sibilance.
Good build with well braided and thick cable.

CONS:

Lacking bass quantity and extension.
Lacking treble sparkle.
Non-detachable cable.

Specifications:
– Driver: Dynamic
– Sensitivity: 106dB
– Frequency response: 18Hz – 20kHz
– Impedence: 16Ω
– Cable: non detachable

Accessories:
In addition to the earbud, it comes with:
– semi rigid case
– shirt clip
– multiple full foams and donut foams of different thickness

Build/Comfort:
The Datura Pro is made of sturdy metal and the shell is of good quality. It is light and comfortable.

The cable is non detachable. Fortunately, the cable is well built, well braided, very thick, non tangly and non microphonic.
The Datura Pro can be worn cable down or over ear. There’s no left/right marking on the earbud, but a horizontal indentation on the stem of the left side earbud is the only indication that it is the left earpiece.

Isolation:
Like other earbuds, isolation is a weakness compared to IEMs. As such, it’s best suited for home use, both to preserve good sound quality, preserve bass frequencies, and to protect one’s hearing from jacking up the volume outdoors due to the poor isolation.

Soundstage:
Above average width. Depth and height of soundstage are average. 

Sound:
The Datura Pro is drivable from smart phones but scales better with a DAC/AMP (in terms of dynamics, soundstage and details).

The Datura Pro is a N shaped set, with boosted mids and higher treble/subbass roll off. The timbre is excellent, with average note weight and good texturing. As such, it is a good set for vocals. Acoustic instruments sound very well rendered on the Datura Pro. Technicalities (imaging, clarity, details, instrument separation) are above average for a earbud, but not classleading (I would say the Yinyoo BK2 has better technicalities at this price range).


Bass:
Midbass and subbass quantity is lacking on the Datura Pro, with quite a marked subbass rolloff below 60 Hz. Luckily the Datura Pro takes very well to EQ, so no biggie boosting the bass. The bass is of good quality though, with good speed and texture. It smears minimally during complex bass movements. I did not hear any midbass bleed. Due to the lack of bass, it may not be an all rounder for every genre.

Mids:
Mids are my favourite aspect of the Datura Pro. It has boosted mids that makes vocals the highlight of the music, imparting good details and good timbre to voices. The upper mids are boosted relative to the lower mids, and only on very rare ocassions did I detect shoutiness at the upper mids.

Treble:
There’s a slight boost at the lower treble region; it rolls off towards the higher treble regions. Cymbals are not splashy and sound quite well replicated. I’m treble sensitive and I like the Datura Pro’s treble, but trebleheads may not like it due to the lack of airiness/sparkle. Details and clarity at the treble region are not the best in view of the treble roll off. Sibilance is minimal, and it is quite suited for long chill listening sessions. I feel there’s gonna be a tradeoff for having a non fatiguing listen versus sibilance and brightness, so one has to choose your poison.

Conclusion:
The Datura Pro is a great earbud that has good timbre. Due to the lush mids, chill non fatiguing tuning and comfortable fit, I’ve fallen asleep with it in my ears on more than one occasion!

It’s not an all rounder due to it’s tuning (rolled off bass/higher treble), but vocal lovers will love it. As such, I wouldn’t recommend it for trebleheads and bassheads, unless EQ is applied. Honestly in the similar price bracket for earbuds, I would still pick the Yinyoo BK2 on most days, as the latter has better technicalities and a more balanced tuning, which makes it more all rounded. Hence, those intending to purchase the Datura Pro should know that the tuning may not suit everyone, but what you will get is a niche midcentric earbud, which shines especially in vocals.

MY VERDICT

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I bought the Datura Pro from Aliexpress (via FAAEAL lucky bag) at my own expense. Current price is about $25.

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A Sides:

• The mid to upper BA’s do a fantastic job and no weird tonality tuning
• Precise upper end devoid of sibilance AND pierce but exciting
• Solid shells
• Holographic layering

B Sides:

• The thin and distracting bass.

Intro:

The TRN BA5 is the first all BA model from TRN, and they are not as shouty as the KZ AS10 all BA, I don’t have the CA16 or BA10 from CCA and KZ to compare to. They seem to use the same or similar shell to the TFZ King Edition.

Cosmetics I don’t really comment on other than the shell molds look a bit rushed- there are grooves in the shell where perfectionists might take offense, however they do not impact fitment so that is the important thing to keep in mind. The paint is smooth just like the TRN  V90. The shell is larger than the V90 and nozzle seems longer. Here we can see the BA5 vs the V90 and the TFZ King Pro.

My biggest issue is with the TRN BA5 bass drivers that seem out of phase (reversed polarity perhaps) with the rest of the drivers. It gives the bass a floating sensation or discontinuity from everything else. Vocals sound thin, specifically males. It’s either a result of too low of a tuning for the BA driver or it just has a gap in the crossover.  It’s possible this was on purpose to try and avoid mid-bass bleed which it definitely does not have.  I would love to test this by opening them up and reversing the wiring on the BA bass drivers only or trying another pair. It is such a weird sensation. I notice it is the only set I have measured that shows a phase shift in the upper bass/lower mids. There is some sub-bass pressure to them when listening to tracks with infrasonic bass going on, but it sounds like it is huffing a puffing to make it happen.

Treble takes on a heightened sense of detail/brightness for cymbal work and strings. Timbre is good, does not come across metallic at all. It is missing sibilance which is good. The signature is sort of opposite of a Harman treble where it continues to rise up towards the upper end instead of peaking early and slowly dissipating.

On the soundstage front, the TRN BA5 is more intimate sounding, everything sounds very precise, quick decay, no congestion, it seems balanced towards width and depth. The missing body in the mids subtracts from the extra treble energy that might make the soundstage feel bigger. The boosted mid treble gives it height. There is something with these that have a more 3D holographic imaging than many other sets I own, it adds a sense of spaciousness that will make other sets sound flat with their instrument layering.

Outro:  

I am impressed that TRN has improved their treble with the last few offerings. I wonder how they have pulled this off.  Lately many budget offerings have greatly improved their treble BA drivers. My only gripe is the disconnected bass which is a deal breaker for me, for some this might not bother you. I wanted to like them, and they lean towards details without pierce, but fail to connect all the dots to satisfy my bass needs. If you were choosing between the KZ AS10 and the TRN BA5 however, the TRN is the clear winner to me with its smoother presentation and 3D holographic fun.

MY VERDICT

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You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

Specimen was borrowed from Loomis Johnson (who had bought it himself).

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

RELATED…

TRN BA5 review by Jürgen

TRN BA5 review by Loomis

TRN V90 review by Durwood

TRN V90 review by Jürgen

GRAPHS

1. TRN BA5 L & R
2. TRN BA5 vs KZ AS10
3. 30Hz Square wave
4. 300Hz Square wave
5. Impedance/phase

The post TRN BA5 Review- (1) Pity the Fool appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Context : when I first saw the Frequency response curve of the Diamond, before its actual launch, I expressed my disappointment regarding the elevated bass on head-fi, and Otto [Jürgen Kraus] from https://www.audioreviews.org/​ instead of taking offense, contacted me to arrange a sample sent to me in exchange for a review, stating that he was pretty sure I’d like it anyway.

I accepted, so the disclaimer is that I got this IEM for free, but in no way does it affect my opinion. I have not watched or read any review of this IEM so far to avoid external influence.

The Diamond is a single dynamic driver, with diamond-like carbon coating applied on the membrane, and measures at 16 ohms.

Let’s start with the non-audio stuff : the packaging is quite substantial, and a good surprise. While not looking as premium as say, Moondrop offerings, it certainly looks way above what KZ or TRN provide.

We get some foam tips I won’t comment on, because I can’t put this material in my ear canals, 2 sets of short wide-bore ear-tips, a good-looking, and rather pleasing cable (maybe slightly rubbery feeling if I’m being picky) and a very nice leathery carry case, all arranged in a spacious box.

The shells themselves feel very solid and well-machined. While not a fan of carbon on anything but windsurf masts or formula ones, it really doesn’t look overly “need-for-speedy” on the final product as I was afraid of, and the metal part is a nice grey, not the greeny tint that was on the mockup, looks better in reality. The nozzles are very well machined, and well grooved so the ear-tips are locked in place and don’t slip.

Next comes what is probably the best part about this IEM : the fit. A-ma-zing. As I didn’t find rolling ear-tips to make much of a difference (tried the stock ones, various spin-fits, and TRN stock tips), I settled with the short stock ones, and the diamond sits flush and is incredibly comfortable for me, to the point it’s a pleasure to wear. I’m not exaggerating.

That being out of the way, let’s move on to the audio part.

Here I’m more reserved. As I suspected, this IEM has too much bass for me. While the bass is not particularly slow, it’s not super fast either, and it sounds overall soft and lacks some punch in my book. This is obviously due to the exaggerated v-shape tuning. Too much has been detracted from a flat response and it sounds like a band-pass filter was applied. The Diamond doesn’t sound very natural to me, frequency and timbre wise.

This is especially apparent for jazz, jazz kicks are often subdued and need good attack retrieval to be heard clearly, while the walking bass often takes the lead. It’s missing here. Timbre wise, while I’ve heard other IEMs perform worse on double-bass rendition, it’s nothing to rejoice about either. Details of strings attack especially, are missing entirely, due to the 1khz region being so recessed. It does perform ok for slow vocal stuff but won’t be your best choice for a bebop trio session.

However on rock and folk music, where the kickdrum is much more forward, it comes rather nicely together. Jeff Buckley, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, all plays nice with a coherent bass / battery rendition, lively, warm but not overly so. I suspect it was tuned with this type of music in mind.

There’s a bit of bass bleed into mids, but it’s not a problem for me, I actually like it for Rock. Low mids are otherwise not very present, and high mids are more prominent which can cause a bit of fatigue at higher volume, but enhance nicely female voices and guitar solos. It remains a v-shape which is not my preference, but should work quite well for the average western ear.

Trebles are quite inoffensive with good speed and detail retrieval, reasonable extension and an overall airy feeling that helps a lot with the sense of space this IEM provides. Despite having only 2 small vent holes, it sounds quite spacious to me with a good soundstage and avoids the “congested” feeling that many chinese IEMs share.

Testing was conducted with a mix of DSD and flac files, on a Redmi Note 7, a Zishan DSD pro, a Ziku HD-X9 and on PC with a Hidizs Sonata HD.

Comparisons:
Vs Tin T2
The KBEAR can’t compete in any way for people who like accurate renditions. The Tin is as flat as it gets on budget and is a vastly superior iem if one is after that type of sound. The KBEAR will take the lead for those who love their V and generally a warmer and less bright tuning. The T2 remains my favorite flat-ish IEM by far.

VS Moondrop Kanas Pro Edition
I feel the KBEAR missed the mark of what I’d hope it to be, a more affordable KPE contender. While the KBEAR is ok timbre wise, its v-shape and overly elevated bass recess the very frequencies that makes acoustic music so much more natural and lively, like the sound of fingers sliding on strings, which the KPE retains. The KPE also has more sparkle in the highs, at a frequency that never gets tiring for me, adding to the enjoyment. The KPE remains my favorite non-flat but musical IEM by far.

VS Blon BL-03
I don’t own this one anymore, because it could not keep up with fast bebop tracks, but I remember it well and can say it sounded less capable than the KBEAR on fast material, quickly losing cohesion, but better timbre-wise because of the FR. I’d chose the Diamond over the BL-03 because an iem that can’t play fast tracks well is a deal-breaker for me, and the Diamond is competent in that domain.

Conclusion : The Diamond is a well machined, very pleasing to wear IEM which unfortunately was tuned too aggressively on the V side to allow what single dynamic drivers usually excel at, timbre, to shine in direct comparison to some of its competition. While a clear upgrade in my book from the KZ ZS10 pro and the likes timbre, soundstage and imaging-wise for those who like their V, it probably won’t suit those like me, who prefer a more linear frequency response, or a U at most.

Nontheless, tuning is a personal matter, but the packaging, machining and quality of the complete kit is impressive and one more step in the right direction for Chi-Fi.

The editor: in the meantime, Biodegraded offers a mod to flatten the V, that is altering the tuning towards a more neutral signature. You find it HERE.

MY VERDICT

Our rating scheme

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

FURTHER READING

KBEAR Diamond Review by Loomis

KBEAR Diamond Review by Jürgen

Modding the KBEAR Diamond (flattening the V) by Biodegraded

Photos Of The KBEAR Diamond

First Impression: KBEAR Diamond vs. Moondrop Kanas Pro Edition (KPE)

Second Impression: KBEAR Diamond vs. BLON BL-03

Tuning The KBEAR Diamond – A Killer Earphone Ready To Go!

KBEAR Diamond レビュー-ダイヤモンドは永遠に！

KopiOkaya Explains The Different Driver Coatings

The post A Third KB Ear Diamond Review (3) – Aggressive V-Shape appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Very loud and sensitive, to the extent that some hiss can be heard at dead level. The BA5 is bright, with a generally balanced signature, which is not to say ruler-flat or bass shy—compared to other all-BA designs like the B5+, bass is surprisingly punchy and impactful, with well-sculpted notes and very quick decay; these deftly balance having good midbass quantity without smearing into the midrange. Mids are nicely forward and well-etched, while well-extended treble closely resembles that of the TRN V80, which is to say energetic and highly extended, though somewhat sharp/strident, with the typical 2-4k ChiFi spike. Micro-detail is present, though these avoid the overanalytical quality of similar designs. 

Like the V80, soundstage here is enveloping and has impressive width and depth (though limited height); imaging and layering are okay but not class-leading—there’s a bit of “surround-sound” effect on more complex material which makes precise instrument placement tricky. 

Compared to similarly-priced hybrids, the BA5 are very coherent and well-integrated; however the timbre is somewhat hopped-up and can be artificial sounding, especially on electric instruments; these lack the smoothness of say, the Blon BL03 or BQEYZ and treble-sensitive folks should definitely avoid (foams do help smooth the presentation). If, however, you find more accurate but less frenetic players like the T2 or the BL03 underwhelming, you’ll enjoy these.

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

Like a high-alcohol craft beer with a little too much hops, the BA5 lacks the refinement to recommend unqualifiedly–as expected for the price point they use generic drivers, which account for the occasional harshness. That said, they reproduce bass as well as anything in their class, and I like these more than the recent KZ hybrids. Good value.

Disclaimer: I got these unsolicited from Yinyoo.

RELATED…

TRN BA5 review by Jürgen

TRN BA5 review by Durwood

TRN V90 review by Jürgen

TRN V90 review by Durwood

The post TRN BA5 Review (3) – Because You Can’t Have Enough IEMs appeared first on Music For The Masses.

In any event, the Pro is the updated version of the polarizing ZS10 [review HERE], albeit with a sleeker design and much better comfort. Visually almost identical to the ZSN, but with a shiny stainless metal fascia which looks more upscale, at least until time and fingerprints take their toll. Stock cable is flexible and ergonomic, and isolation is extremely good. 

The Pro is L-shaped, with a pronounced bias towards a well-extended sparkly treble; like the ZS7 these are very energetic, loud and efficient.  These seem optimized for more intimate, nearfield listening than their more expansive-sounding KZ stablemates like the ZS6 or ZS10—the Pro’s soundstage is fairly narrow and inside-your head, but nicely rounded (think movie theater rather than concert hall). Stereo imaging and instrument placement are impressive, although the aforesaid models present more space between the performers and, as noted below, the Pro can sound congested on certain bass-heavy fare. Tonally, these are bright but not strident and sound significantly more accurate and “expensive” than their cheaper stablemates like the ZSN, though the warmer ZS7 and original ZS10 sounds truer to the source.

The treble emphasis notwithstanding, low end (particularly subbass) is voluminous and visceral; however like the ZSR and ZS5 there’s a distinct tubbiness to the bass, and attack is a step slow, which causes a little smearing on some material; the ZS7 by comparison has less slam but better lowend speed and control. (EQ and/or tiprolling can mitigate the bloom, but KZ would have been better served by dialing down the subbass a notch). 

Where some have opined that the mids on the originals ZS10 were peaky and/or undercooked, the mids on the Pro are nicely forward, full-bodied and articulate—male voices and electric guitars sound rich and clear. High end is the definite focus here—very detailed and transparent compared to the ZS5/ZS7, albeit with a little bit of added shimmer. Low level details are captured impressively and sibilance is mild; they also avoid the somewhat clinical, dry quality of treble-oriented peers like the T2. These excel with acoustic material—every string, high hat and cymbal is reproduced very accurately—although I would opt for the ZS7 or ZS5 for heavier stuff.

Within the crowded $50 price class, the BQEYZ BQ3 is more coherent overall, with tighter bass and a tubier timbre, thought the Pro is more revealing at the high end and a livelier listen. The TRN V80 likewise has a more refined low end and presents an equivalent amount of high-end detail, but is more strident/digital sounding and consequently more fatiguing. The ZS7 has less extension at both ends and is less revealing but has a larger stage, better bass control and a more balanced, smoother presentation; your preference between them may be very material-dependent. Moving up to the $100 class, something like the Simgot EM2 or ToneKing 9T are significantly bigger sounding, with a less-digital, more natural tonality, although the Pro actually shows more microdetail than either and acquits itself pretty well in comparison. 

Not groundbreaking, or perfect, but the Pro represents a positive step towards a more refined signature and (perhaps needless to say for a KZ) is a lot of earphone for the money.

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: KZ Acoustics
Model: ZS10 Pro
Driver/Transducer: 4 Balanced Armatures + 1 Dynamic Driver
Sensitivity: 111 dB/mw
DC resistance: 24 ohms
Connection: 2-Pin 0.75mm diameter
Frequency response range: 7hz – 40KHz
Wire length: 1.2m (approx. 3.9 feet)
Plug diameter: 3.5mm
Price: $49.99 (at the time of this review)
Purchase Link: Yinyoo amazon store

Disclaimer: I got these unsolicited and free from Yinyoo via Amazon. The photos were provided by Slater.

Our generic standard disclaimer

The post KZ ZS10 Pro Review – Another Step Forward appeared first on Music For The Masses.