Gear of the Year: audioreviews.org is soon completing its 5th year. We are still six dedicated and competent authors located all over the western hemisphere, catering to a mature, discerning readership. Our list of earphone reviews is approaching 450 and our Wall of Excellence (WoE) is better decorated than the Christmas tree at NYC’s Rockefeller Center. Since any product on our WoE is backed by more than one opinion, it should give you confidence in your buying decisions.

However, our WoE is not a bunch of “best of” lists as we have not tested all competitors in each category. Such claims would be presumptuous.

We did, sadly, lose our single sponsor HifiGo (and some more suppliers) over our reviews of their gear. But hey, our critical, realistic approach sets us apart from 98% of the blogosphere (we think). We rather deal with companies that have confidence in their products.

Whatever gear passes our test must be somewhat good. We still don’t do Google ads, affiliate links, and we don’t allow trackers…we are no salespeople, we honour your reading pleasure and your privacy. We are simply audio aficionados.

Thank you for your patronage in 2023! Enjoy this read and we wish you a happy and successful 2024!

Hey, feel free to let us know your personal favourites of 2023 in the comments section below.

We thank our 2023 Partners

And here we go…that’s what we enjoyed in 2023…published by author in the order of submission…and purely subjective.

Loomis Johnson…Chicago, USA

Wiim Mini AirPlay 2 Wifi Streamer—the onboard DAC is just fair, and the app is quirky (if very ambitious), but through its digital out this is a genuinely excellent streamer  for less than a hundo.

BGVP DM9 IEM—energetic and massive sounding, these are head and shoulders above any other IEM I’ve heard this year. Richly priced at $600 and worth every penny.

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones—Bose has marginally better ANC and Sennheiser a longer battery and better UI, but overall the XM5 would be my pick if (god forbid) I could own only one TWS.

Oladance Wearable Stereo Open Ear Headphones —eons better than any bone-conduction model out there, these come close to good in-ear TWS models for sound quality, with a rich warm sound and a big 3D stage. Hall of Fame material.

SMSL D0400  DAC/Headphone Amp—a tad more detailed (if not necessarily better-sounding) than the godlike SU-9, the inclusion of balanced out and an excellent onboard headphone amp makes this my pick among SMSL’s myriad offerings.

Truthear Shio DAC/Dongle—well featured, balanced dongle won’t make your counterfeit Beats sound like Carnegie Hall, but it sounds just slightly more transparent than its ubiquitous price peers.

JBL Boombox 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker— rather than spending ten grand to mod the sound system on his 100k pontoon boat, a very wealthy friend of mine dropped $349 on one of these. He couldn’t be happier. Link two together and you’ll be in hip-hop heaven.

Eagle Rare 10-Year Bourbon—if this was an IEM, we’d deem it “musical, balanced and fully coherent.” People are asking stupid prices for this in the secondary market, but if you can find it anywhere near its $40 SRP, buy it.

Dreamcloud Premier Rest Hybrid Mattress—the downside of buying a really good mattress is that it’ll sap your ambition faster than a meth habit. If, however, like me your ambition is to lay around and watch professional basketball, this is a necessary acquisition.

Jürgen Kraus…Calgary, CANADA

Short and sweet, as I am mainly still using my 2022 gear. And the best gear is the gear one uses after all. 2023 added a few excellent products to my daily listening. Oladance TWS Pro wearables were most impressive…and useful…a home theatre on your ears you don’t even feel. I can listen to these all day.

In terms of earphones, the Sennheiser IE 900 impressed me most because of their natural, cohesive presentation, their incredible treble quality, and their wonderful dosage across the frequency spectrum. I preferred them much more over the IE 600, which offer the same Harman type tuning we have experienced so often before. Both were sadly loaners. I also love the well-balanced Sennheiser IE 200, which are tuning wise closer to the IE 900 than to the IE 600.

Also very natural sounding are the Akoustyx S6, but they do need some modding to tame the upper midrange. As to budget TWS, I do have a pair of Moondrop Space Travel by my bedside, for talk radio and classical music. They have a very composed and nuanced presentation…and they fit me well.

Also by my bedside is the EarMan CH-Amp/Tradutto combination for driving my HD 600 and final Sonorous III. I equipped the HD 600 with a Hart Audio 4.4 mm balanced cable. Also great is the SMSL DO200 MKII DAC, which I use on my desk.

As a movable desktop stack (between sofa and kitchen table) serves the very good sounding Moondrop DiscDream CD player. A great idea to reconsider this technology — looking forward to another premium Walkman.

An honorouble mention goes to the very versatile TempoTec Serenade X Digital Desktop Player, and TempoTec as a company, as they don’t get lost in countless models of the same…no they offer one model of each product, and each is well thought out. A big step up for them in the last two years.

As a guilty pleasure, I indulged myself with USB cables for audio usage from AudioQuest (Forest), IKEA, and Monoprice. I love USB cables. And this combination of brands doesn’t leave room for the usual shitstorm by naysayers.

And hey, Loomis, we just acquired an Endy mattress. Made in Canada, of course.

Alberto Pittaluga…Bologna, ITALY

Given I’m not one of those world-famous tiktokers I guess it’s preliminary worth remembering that I have a sharp inclination to carefully avoid wasting time on even assessing “stuff” which doesn’t apriori seem to qualify for a serious upgrade to whatever I already own – an attitude of mine that applies across the board of course, not certainly to audio gear only. Such information is I presume key to better understand the following list.

Proceeding by categories, and starting with cans, towards the end of the year I got a pair of Sennheiser HD800. These were quite a lot anticipated to upgrade my pleasure on my particular library vs the HD600 – and that’s of course what happened. As a side bonus I had yet another chance to touch how important fresh pads and a decent cable are for sound optimisation, let alone how tough still is finding an overall more exquisite timbre then the one coming off my Groove.

Shrinking size down to IEMs, my trip to Munich earlier this year got me very curious about Sennheiser’s relatively recent IEM introductions, and that’s where the curiosity to assess IE900 and (from a different source) IE600 came up from.

The latter impressed me almost as much as the former, however when it comes to stunning V-shaped IEM encounters happened this year nothing beats – and I reckon will hardly beat tomorrow – Intime Sho DD.

The other major IEM acquisition of the year is represented by final B3, and their ability to capture the auditioner and port him onto the jazz stage. Honorable mention goes to Akoustykx S6 (and their “magic” Earlocks).

In terms of source gear, I completed my collection of DAPs by acquiring a Sony WM-1A, of course instantly flashing MrWalkman WM1Z signature onto it. For a number of reasons its sonic features are at the same time in line and complementary to those of my other standards: Questyle QP1R and QP2R.

Sometimes it does bring an audible improvement, other times it doesn’t – it depends on the apriori situation of the system you plug it onto. I’m talking about AudioQuest’s Jitterbug. My (quite articulated) home setup is clearly in the benefitted category, and that’s why 3 of these are now stable part of it.

Source gear honorable mention goes to a tiny-budgeted device, Ifi GO Link. That, and IEMs with a balanced cable and a 3.5mm TRRS adapter, right away became my blind buy rec to those individuals which every now and then, attracted by the gear they often see me fiddling with, ask me to indicate “something nice and inexpensive to get started with”.

Looking in retrospect what I just recapped (and I genuinely did it “live”, now, for the mere sake of putting these notes together) none of my 2023 preferred tech comes from chifi-land. The white-bearded badly-aging old continent nerd in me shily shruddered in realising it

Durwood…Chicago, USA

Kefine Klanar

Redefines what a planar can do, the Timeless 7Hz was great but it also had that overblown upper air treble that made it standout. The Klanar on the other hand dials everything down delivering similar quality bass and while not as treble exciting is better balanced, target curve crowd pleasing retaining the technical precision and quick transient delivery of the planar driver.

Moondrop Blessing Dusk 2 

Fits snugly staying in place, great technical details, with enough bass to keep me interested.

BGVP DM9

While I do not own many top tier earphones, I have listened to plenty at shows and know that they best anything I have in the $300 realm. The bass hump is well controlled and balanced nicely in the midbass/sub-bass transition region. The elevated treble plateau keeps them energized and engaging delivering maximum resolution and clarity.

SMSL DO400 DAC/AMP

Extreme value premium desktop DAC melding a powerful headphone amp. I miss the quick control of a potentiometer volume knob of a split dac/amp solution, but it is worth the feature rich resolving DAC and potent headphone amp drive.

Truthear SHIO DAC

Just as powerful as any of the dongles out there it sounds the most blended qualities of a dongle dac without leaning too warm, bassy, thin or sharp. Not head and shoulders above the LG G8, but can turn any USB-C phone into an excellent DAP for an average price.

Oladance OWS Sport

A new category of open-ear sports headphones that offers other uses while avoiding disadvantages of in-ear pressure, ear canal phobias, and isolation, earbud compromises, and over ears isolation and sweatiness. Balanced sound quality that trades low-end bass for open awareness without the lackluster bone conduction competition. Review coming soon, they know what they are doing.

TWS????

Still looking for a TWS all-rounder. I want them to fit tight without loosening slowly, excellent tonality and have good ANC. A blend of the Sony WF-1000XM3 ANC with the sound of the Moondrop Alice combined with the fitment of the KZ ZXS Pro.

When browsing the local classifieds this year I scored some very excellent sounding vintage ADS L570/2 and lesser known local midwest unicorn relic well tuned, amazing imaging cherry veneer Amrita Elan (I think) that my buddy is still scorning me over not “allowing” him to buy them instead- no worries we are still friends. He would love to get his hands on the 3 way model with isobaric woofers anyway.

Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir…Munich, GERMANY

This year passed by in the blink of an eye, but fortunately I managed to listen to hundreds of devices in this rather short span. My personal collection also went through some radical changes, so without further ado…

Firstly, I finally upgraded my reference gear, both portable and desktop. On the portable side, it’s now Lotoo PAW Gold Touch paired with the venerable Cayin C9. The desktop, meanwhile, is the recently-retired Questyle CMA Twelve Master. Having tried numerous TOTL setups so far, these two fit my needs the most. I may add a tube amp down the line, but that’s for the future.

On the IEM side of things, my daily drivers include Sennheiser IE 900 and the (discontinued) Softears Turii. The IE 900 are perhaps the most advanced in terms of driver tech, and the Turii have such a unique, spacious sound that it belies the single dynamic setup. They have received the most “ear time” this year, and will likely continue to do so in the coming year.

On the TWS side of things, I am impressed by the Beats Studio Buds Plus. For once, a Beats product is actually decent enough to be a daily driver. Apart from the middling noise cancellation, there is little I’d change about them given the price tag.

Finally, I have streamlined my headphones collection and ended up purchasing a modded Sennheiser HD 800. These hold up tremendously well against the planar magnetic behemoths even now, and the staging and imaging are unparalleled in the sub-$2000 space. I was also pleasantly surprised by Sennheiser HD 660S2, though the price tag is a bit higher than I’d prefer.

This year, I finally managed to audition the Sennheiser HE-1 for almost an hour. It was a surreal experience and I can definitely see (or hear) why these are so mythical. That being said, the Warwick Acoustics Aperio are no slouch either and trade blows with the supreme Sennheisers.

But the one pair of headphones that I can call my “personal endgame” are none other than Warwick Bravura. They get dangerously close to the summit-fi behemoths and fortunately, come pre-built as a system so you can save on the cost of an energizer or accompanying pre-amps to further flavor the sound.

Notable mentions: Campfire Audio Supermoon (perhaps the best sounding planar IEMs), Softears Twilight (fantastic single DD), Effect Audio Code 23 (the best copper cable I have ever tried, despite the challenging ergonomics), iFi Go Blu (fantastic little dongle), Cayin RU7 (replaced Questyle M15 for my portable use).

Biodegraded…Vancouver, CANADA

Environmentally friendly, as his name implies, he stuck to his 2021 gear…again. Gives us carbon credits.

Gear of the Year 2022

The post Gear Of The Year 2023 – Our Personal Favourites appeared first on Music For The Masses.

ENTER HERE

KZ Acoustics was my gateway brand into the world of Chi-Fi remaining firmly planted in the affordable segment of constantly recommended IEMs, and now they bring us the KZ VXS Pro TWS. The “Pro” indicates a second iteration as the first was actually the VXS, and they have had a few TWS models over the years. 

The KZ VXS Pro is aimed at the active crowd and more specifically the gaming crowd. While I am not their target consumer, these TWS are great for kicking around the house or out and about with a comfy familiar V or Harman tuning. Pricing is more mid-level budget at $58, so twice as costly as entry level and also one of Jürgen’s suggestions of the Moondrop Space Travel.

While my sampling size of budget TWS is small, I previously tried out the Fiitii Air 2, Fiitii Hifidots, and the Tinhifi Tin Buds 3. The bulk of my experience is more mid-tier with the Sony WF-1000W3, Moondrop Alice, and Drop Axel Grell TWS, all different beasts with go-to features that are a mixed bag.

SOUND

KZ VXS Pro bass is warm and thick if not on the punchy side followed by a recessed midrange. I can appreciate these are not shouty in any way or forward sounding. Vocals are flat sounding without portraying much space. Bass guitars have grunt behind them, and electric guitars come on heavy and present, while delivering a sculpted tone. I find this rather enjoyable with rock.

Treble is tuned safely with nothing offensive, but definitely lifted in comparison to the Moondrop Space Travel. The presence region is tilted downward so things such as a snare and horns are not overpowering, perhaps tame. There is a treble lift around the 8-10khz mark that allow cymbals to exhibit crunchy and tizzy tendencies, but I would consider the quality in line with the price.

The KZ VXS Pro sounds rather closed in most of the time, and not a lot of front to back differentiation. Instrument separation is above average however the closed in staging does make it feel crowded. It can handle busy tracks without much fanfare, but there is one excellent star feature.

Volume output on the KZ VXS Pro is top notch. It may have something to do with the Qualcomm 5171 chipset which boasts a  SNR at 105dB. Other bluetooth chipsets are rated around 95dB in the Signal-to-Noise Ratio department. While KZ is employing this chipset, there is nothing stopping others from also using this (captain) obviously.

Part of this chipset and most others as well is that DSP can be applied to tune the earphone, specifically a 10 band parametric EQ. This is exactly how the powered studio monitors have morphed over the years as well. Engineers apply a complex parametric EQ to tune the monitors as desired to hit a flat target.

This is one area TWS will have a leg up on wired earphones that are only tuned acoustically. At some point TWS might crossover from consumer mainstream also into the professional audiophile realm making the EQ dirty little secret just part of everyday life.

Evidence for this exists in the KZ VSX Pro marketing, normally brands like to point out magnet structures, driver counts, fancy diaphragm materials, etc. Instead KZ focuses solely on the chipset and DSP technology. They are not relying completely on the parametric EQ and instead complementing the acoustic tuning methods.

Keep in mind that KZ did not utilize any ANC using the DSP only relying on the passive noise attenuation of the shell. I also do not want to discount that starting with good drive units, and proper acoustic tuning should come first.

If we put the KZ VXS Pro up against the Moondrop Space Travel TWS, I would say the midrange is on equal footing. The Space Travel has a fuller lower midrange and a mellow treble region that gives a more relaxed listening experience. The KZ VXS is more fun, and probably fits the genres of my music collection better. Cymbals and guitars are more pumped up. 

OTHER STUFF

So there is no ANC on the KZ VXS Pro like there is on the Moondrop Space Travel, which is barely enough to call it ANC. Instead the KZ VXS Pro has a “high performance mode” activated by pressing on the right or left earpiece 3 times. This is for lower latency gaming and also movie watching.

I have no idea what the typical latency is on most TWS, but it can be a problem if drastic. I know 100-200ms or more I can usually detect some weirdness when watching movies. The KZ VXS Pro limits latency to 58ms. The vocal announcements are in English on the Kz VXS Pro, albeit the “high performance” is easier for me to understand than the “standard mode”. As long as I can tell though, no big deal.

For charging the KZ VXS Pro, the case has a 400ma battery. Battery life is a touted 8 hours which is pretty good, I never found them running out of juice. The clear cover provides an indication on the earpieces themselves it is charging, vs the case displaying that.

There is a second LED in the case that is activated by charging or by pressing the button. Different colors indicate charge level, cool idea but unless you commit it to memory a multi-segment light would be preferred. Unfortunately, wireless charging is absent.

The clear plastic window has me concerned about the longevity of the case for rough users, mine is already scratched up. At least it has a cover unlike the Moondrop Space Travel. I do like the case better than the TinHifi Tin Buds 3 with its loosely rotating cover that easily swung open making it prone to ear pieces becoming dislodged. 

Taking calls on the KZ VS Pro was relatively easy. Call quality was an oddity and I do not know why. I spoke for a long time in one call without issues, but a few other calls had the sound cutting out and making weird background white noise. Once it transferred the call to the Iphone itself, I was able to hear the caller. I do not know if the trouble was on my end or theirs, but concerning none the less.

Fitment and comfort conform well to my ears, the shell design on the KZ VXS Pro is something that is found on many of their model lineup. This is how KZ keeps costs low, by reusing old molds/designs. Controls are easy to use, and are duplicated on both sides.

CLOSING TIME

KZ VXS Pro was an enjoyable TWS that I found myself digging the bass guitar slap and strum. Treble reproduction quantity was desirable, and quality of it met expectations. Value-wise for a TWS, they sit in the middle of the road. They are double in price over the entry level affair, yet get close to the used market pricing on well known models that offer lots of features and good sound.

I think you are better served buying this TWS model over a budget wired model from KZ since you are not going to get exceptional sound from their low budget tiers anyway. Good enough for government work, just be wary of making calls with them.

Disclaimer: KZ Shipsed these to me accidentally instead of Jürgen. Thank you KZ for making that mistake, they make walking the dog more enjoyable.

Get it from the KZ Store or ALIEXPRESS.

KZ VXS PRO SPECIFICATIONS

• Bluetooth Version: 5.3
• Bluetooth Chip: QCC5171
• Transmission range: Approximately 15 meters
• Earphones battery life: Approximately 8 hours
• Earphones battery capacity: 48mAh
• Charging case battery capacity: 400mAh
• Charging case recharge cycles: Approximately 4 times
• Charging interface: Type-C

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DISCLAIMER

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

The post KZ VXS Pro TWS Review – No Games, All Business appeared first on Music For The Masses.

As much as I’ve raved about Moondrop’s wired IEMs, I didn’t like Moondrop’s prior TWS offering, the $189 Moondrop Alice, and wouldn’t have expected much from the uber-budget ($25), Airpod-style Space Travel. However, Jürgen (who’s generally indifferent to TWS)) positively raved about these and insisted on getting me a pair to audition. With some qualifications, I’m glad he did.

The Moondrop Space Travel are generic looking, but lightweight and comfortable for extended sessions; touch controls work reliably, but (puzzlingly) you cannot control volume with the phones. Battery life is rated at only 4hrs (with up to 12hrs for the case), which is really low for this day and age—these would not work well for long plane trips. The clear plastic case has no top cover, which makes the buds hard to remove and allows all forms of grime and lint to enter if you store in your pocket. It’s a truly baffling design decision.

Moondrop makes much ado about the ANC technology on the Space Travel, which ostensibly abandons feedback and utilizes a “feedforward solution,” which reduces noise without losing bass. The ANC mode does in fact work pretty well and sounded about as detailed and open as the transparency mode; despite the shallow fit the wide shells provide for good seal and exclusion of wind and outside noise. Call quality is good. The voice prompts for noise cancelling, regular and transparency modes (“sh”, “eh” and “heh”) are a panic.

There is ostensibly an accompanying app, the Link 2.0, but as with the Alice I couldn’t get the damn thing to work—you can’t find it on Google Play Store and the apk download from the site doesn’t seem able to find the buds. FWIW, Jurgen got the app to work on his Iphone and states it has three useful bass tunings.

So, mixed marks on the externalities, but how do they sound? Pretty good, actually.  Despite the big 12mm drivers they don’t play very loud (a pet peeve of mine), and they sound veiled, artificially lean and unengaging at lower volumes, without a ton of detail. Crank ‘em up, however, and they transform into a livelier, much more revealing and open presentation, with a neutral, articulate (if still leanish) tonality.

Bass, in default mode, is well-sculpted and fast, though not deep or punchy; mids are slightly recessed while high end has limited extension but is free from glare or sharpness. Soundstage is wide and somewhat low-ceilinged but immersive; instruments are cleanly separated and drums have good snap and crackle. Orchestral and other busy passages are unexpectedly well sorted out–these actually image as well as any budget TWS you’ll hear.

Sonically, Moondrop seems to be going for the Apple/Samsung type of mass-market tuning—smooth, coherent, without enhanced frequencies. As such, it’s quite successful—compared to $150 Galaxy Buds Plus the Space Travel lack some bass throb [in “Reference” or default mode…there is also a “Basshead” mode] and present less high-end information, but actually have the more natural-sounding timbre, although they can’t play in the same league as champs like the $100 Cambridge Melanomia or $100 Lypertek Tevi, both of which have more body/dynamic slam and play louder.

Jürgen actually posited these things as Wall of Fame material, which for me is a stretch—their quirky design and (esp.) short battery preclude daily driver use, while they miss just a bit of the crispness and drive of top sets. Factor in the price, however, and they do have their considerable appeal—they are a nicely built, cohesive sounding piece with class-leading imaging. Plus those voice prompts are worth the price of admission…

The Moondrop Space Travel were kindly provided by SHENZHENZAUDIO for my review – and I thank them for that. You can get them here.

SPECIFICATIONS Moondrop Space Travel

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60 Bluetooth & TWS Devices

The post Moondrop Space Travel Review (2) – Closer To God appeared first on Music For The Masses.

BEGINNINGS

I never thought I would see my Starfield again, but then the Universe delivers the Moondrop Starfield 2 to my doorstep. Not much of a spiritual individual, I was still thankful I get another chance to reminisce.

Truth be told, the Aria would have been more my type to boogie with, but it was released later than the Starfield. Like all impatient audio junkies, I wanted the quick fix of what was new now.

The new Moondrop Starfield 2 is better than version one where the treble brilliance took a trip to the basement and never came back. We should take hints from kids, always shine a light before embarking on a trip to the darkness.

What to expect from the new version? A more forward upper midrange paired with a less gradual decline in treble output with a topping of sparkle and tighter controlled bass.

PACKAGE CONTENTS

Borrowing 1960’s hot-rod paint jobs or old amusement park rides for the kids in us, the Moondrop Starfield 2 utilizes the familiar shell that helps to keep tooling costs down for production. The iridescent paint is beautiful on top of the cast alloy zinc shell.

I believe there were reports of the original Starfield paint had a tendency to chip off. That does not mean the Starfield 2 would suffer the same fate, but painted metal things bouncing against each other will eventually show wear, call it patina or just be warned.

Inside they have stuffed the Moondrop Starfield 2 with a new 10mm dynamic constructed of Magnesium and Lithium alloy that claims to be more rigid and lighter than pure Beryllium.

This should equate to precise and quick transients, and hopefully push the breakup mode of the driver past our threshold of hearing. That is usually the goal of extremely rigid driver materials.

The faceplates are flat vs the angled ones from the Kanas Pro and Kato designs. Moondrop chose to make the screw a decorative feature. The tips of the nozzle also unscrews to change the mesh screen.

I have taken pictures in the past of these screens, and they are rather intricate and specialized to not only keep the moisture out, but apply acoustic filtration.

Also new the Moondrop Starfield 2 are vent hole plugs, in comparison to modders using micropore tape in the past to increase bass. You need patience to attach them, but once attached they increase the bass to bass head levels in a straight liner shot to the bottom. There are also plugs with holes, but it did not seem to change anything different than just leaving them out. 

The 2 pin cable is a striking blue color of twisted silver strand wrapped in a slightly rubberized texture sheath. The brass accents standout and match the brass nozzle. It’s rather weighty at 32g while both ear pieces clock in at 22g together. Microphonics are rendered moot, but the weight of the cable puts a damper in another way.

SOUND

Tested with the Shanling UA2 Plus and SMSL DO100 with HO100, the Moondrop Starfield 2 is a lightweight with the bass, easy on the lower midrange and focused on upper mids with a sprinkle of sparkle. This is the essence of Moondrop’s VSDF target curve many of their products follow with varying degrees of refinement.

The dynamic driver feels quicker than past iterations and the sub bass rumble is adequate. The vent plug drastically changes that, so if you desire they respond well to EQ instead. Still the midbass has a soft start but a tight finish. Despite the relatively minor bass lift it rolls into the lower midrange nicely avoiding sounding too thin.

Midrange clarity is excellent for this tier of IEMs producing well rounded vocals that sound exciting and pure. Note definition has proper decay exhibiting good depth making instruments sound believable. The upper midrange lift is more than my personal preference by a few decibels, but it hangs back ever so slightly before it steps out of bounds. This pinna gain aids in the clarity perception.

The Moondrop Starfield 2 treble is in-offensive and delicate, brass never sounds honky in quieter passages and picks up the slight flutters of saxophones and flutes. A little kick in the brilliance at 10Khz adds excitement and helps to uplift the final stage keeping it from sounding too flat. Purists will probably object, but the original Starfield was too tame for me near this area. What can I say, I enjoy some spice.

Lately I have been giving the Ibasso IT01 some light of day, I felt another oldie but goodie that was frequently recommended in this price bracket deserves a chance. Some might remember the Pioneer SE-CH9T, if not no worries.

They share similarities in the bass department until the Moondrop Starfield 2 except the Pioneer goes flat before making it to the midbass, quantity and quality are equivalent. I find the Starfield 2 has more note weight when listening to stand up bass. 

The Pioneer is more balanced overall, it doesn’t quite have the sharpness at the pinna gain around 3khz. Staging sounds wider on the CH9T and some dips in the treble take the edge off and push the whole stage backwards in comparison to the Starfield 2 with its more forward nature.

I picked up some resolution improvements in the presence region on the Starfield 2. Shakers and cymbals sparkle on the Moondrop Starfield 2 and shine like watching a newer movie shot with digital cameras. The Pioneer feels more analog with a grainy quality. 

Another one of my favorite picks between the $80-100 mark depending on purchase date, the TinHifi T4 is a good match-up for the Moondrop Starfield 2. While following a more similar target to the Pioneer, the T4 has more mid-bass thump and grunt compared to the Starfield 2. Upper midrange on the T4 is a more pleasant and longer session tune for me, but the Starfield 2 has snappier snares. 

While the stage sounds wider on the T4, I do not sense as much separation when compared to the Moondrop Starfield 2. Micro detail resolution winner is the Starfield 2. I clearly pick out each instrument and place them as if listening live, the T4 otherwise sounds more like a great recording.

So what have I missed, perhaps at this point I should mention they offer between good or great isolation. While I sort of miss the sticky and unique Spring ear tips, I think the sizing on them was off and not appreciated by the masses so instead we get rather generic eartips. Storing them is easy in the flip top leather case that can also be found with the Kato.

SO WHAT NOW?

Moondrop really hangs their hat on the VSDF tuning which is more diffuse than the Harman tuning. Moondrop Starfield 2 enhances a few areas on the old Starfield while dare I say, undercutting the previously popular Kato in terms of technical abilities. It will be a shining star for those that crave sharp definition and resolution while not overdoing either in air or bass (unless you want to). 

I have personally bought my way up the Moondrop ladder with the Kanas Pro (retired), Starfield (lost), Kato and Blessing Dusk 2 still in rotation and have previously reviewed the Alice TWS.

I can say the Starfield 2 is good company however not kicking older brothers and sisters out of the house. Kato and Alice still deliver more technicalities than the Starfield 2, but the $100 buys a fantastic floor seat to a great concert anchoring itself at the gate for others to attempt to push past.

Disclaimer: I thank SHENZHENAUDIO/Moondrop for providing these at no cost. While I have purchased the original Starfield, Kanas Pro, Kato, and Blessing Dusk 2 on my own dime you could say I am a bit of a fanboy – I still keep my biases in check.

SPECIFICATIONS

GRAPHS

• Left vs Right
• Open Vent vs Plug
• Moondrop Graph Comparison of Starfield and Starfield 2

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DISCLAIMER

Get it from SHENZHENAUDIO.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

The post Moondrop Starfield 2 Review (1) – Deadly Electric Boogaloo With An Old Friend appeared first on Music For The Masses.

At least in the IEM space, Moondrop has consistently stood out from the legion of gratuitous Chifi manufacturers, with much-loved products ranging from the $30 Crescent to the $800 Illumination. I haven’t heard their prior TWS entrants like the ($89) Sparks, but (like the rest of the gang here) I’m enough of a Moondrop acolyte to have awaited the $189 Alice with consideration anticipation. Durwood, FWIW, praised these highly.

The Alice is a very large, protruding design vaguely reminiscent of the Sony XM3, although I didn’t find them uncomfortable and fit with the included Azla tips was reasonably secure, if not gym-friendly (the unmarked R and L buds are, however, difficult to tell apart). Feature set is really sparse for the pricetag—no ANC, no multipoint, no wireless charging—but 8hr. Battery is good; passive isolation is so-so.

There’s a companion app which promises a variety of preset and parametric EQ, but despite numerous resets and reinstalls (including sideloading from the Moondrop site) I could not for the life of me get the damn thing to work—it kept terminating firmware updates and would not allow access to the EQ functions, so my sound impressions are based solely on the default tuning. Touch controls are minimal–no volume control and no customization–but fairly responsive; call quality is good.

The Alice presents a smooth, balanced signature across a wide but two-dimensional stage which has very limited depth and height; performers are well separated across a flat horizontal plane. There’s limited extension at both ends—low end is well-sculpted but doesn’t have a lot of punch or presence, while high end is rounded off and lacking in sparkle and snap, though free from shrillness and coarseness.

Mids are the strength here– full-sounding and euphonic (male voices have good body), but tonality is just okay—Moondrop seems to be going for a neutral, audiophile approach which isn’t analytical and which provides for good coherence, without sharp peaks. However everything has a slightly muted, distant quality, as if you’re too far from the stage, and some energy and drive is missing.

It’s a more analog, less aggressive tone than something like the (much cheaper) Lypertek Z3 or the Soundpeats H1, but also less full-sounding or dynamic. The recent Tin Buds 3 are similar in approach to the Alice—i.e. low-tech, warmish, balanced—but have better resolution, more energy and are the significantly better phone. Which, considering the Tin cost half as much, is not high praise for the Alice. The Sennheiser CX-400BT is another better, cheaper alternative to the usual V-shaped, ballsy consumer fare, with more bass and a rounder soundstage.

Given that the Alice have the same drivers as the much-adored KATO I’m surprised by my lack of enthusiasm for them. They aren’t by any means a bad TWS—they’re well-built and free from the hyped-up artificiality of many of its peers—but they’re certainly overpriced for what you get. Pass.

Disclaimer: borrowed from Durwood. Get it here from ShenzenAudio priced at $189 at time of publishing.

SPECIFICATIONS Moondrop Alice

• Model: ALICE True Wireless Stereo
• Driver: 10mm U.L.T super-linear dynamic driver
• Diaphragm: 3rd generation DLC composite diaphragm
• Bluetooth version: 5.2
• Bluetooth protocol: A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
• Codec protocol: AAC/SBC/aptX Adaptive
• Charging plug: Type-C
• lmpedance: 32Ω±15%@1kHz
• Working distance: about 15m (barrier-free open environment)
• Input: 5V-0.5A
• Battery Life: about 8+40hours

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50 Bluetooth & TWS Devices

The post Moondrop Alice Review (2) – Swing And Amiss appeared first on Music For The Masses.

PRESS START

Welcome the $189 Moondrop Alice with pixelated fonts I get an eerie sense of being watched by an AI fembot out to seduce and destroy. She does have a cheerful peppy voice and ready to send high quality sounds to your ears. True Wireless Stereo (TWS) has been making progress but these feel next level. In case you are new to Moondrop, they continue to add to the growing list of well received products of the likes of Kato, Aria, Starlight, Kanas Pro, Blessing 2, and such.

When the Moondrop Alice were offered up all I knew was that they were a TWS wireless set with price tag set at $189. When I first popped them into my ears I was instantly awarded with Moondrop’s VDSF (Virtual Difuse Sound Field) sound and it was recognizably clean, clear and spacious sounding. It was not until more details came out that it became clear, these were Moondrop Katos unleashed.

Disclaimer: Set sent free to me from Shenzhenaudio, much appreciated but still free from mind control for now…. muhahaha!

SOUND

Test with LG G8 Hiby Player and IPhone 8

I am not kidding when I say the Moodrop Alice is a wireless Kato (sound only). The bass has the typical Moondrop softness that is accentuated by the bluetooth amplifier blunting the bottom end a bit and doesn’t give it full breathing room. That is something I feel happens on every bluetooth set I have tried most likely a result to conserve battery power.

As usual though you would not find any bass bleed into the mids. The midrange is pleasantly enhanced to the typical Harman curve that rides the fine edge of not too forward and not too recessed sounding. What lifts these above is their ability to give plenty of spaciousness to the instrumentation and vocals that give a better sense of realism.

The treble has nice lift for presence but not overly bright that they feel goosed in the upper treble avoiding unnatural airiness. Cymbals sound natural and ring true with great clean precision while flutes and strings have good loft.

TECHNICALITIES

The Moondrop Alice tackles instrument separation wonderfully and provides excellent resolution. They sound wider than deep, but still provide great depth. Pause on that for minute, because there is more to discuss about this. Volume is a tad limited, but I still found them faithfully loud enough to enjoy and probably take some years off my hearing. Isolation is below average, so combined with the lower than average sound output they loose a half a heart deduction.

VDSF+

Un-pause, so the Moondrop Alice have this feature called VDSF+ which didn’t seem like active noise control otherwise they would have said so. Upon listening to enabled I sensed a slight bass change and staging change. There was also a bit of treble coloration. After looking more into it, Moondrop added crossfeed or the act of inducing crosstalk (a little bit of the left signal goes to the right, and right goes to the left, delay it, level it down, some filtering-there are many ways to do it).

The concept for those that do not know is that in the non-headphone world our two ears create a bit of a timing difference heard from the same sound and filtered and bit due to blocking of our head. With headphones, this delayed mixing of sound signal is removed completely and you get that “in your head” experience.

The goal of crossfeed or VDSF+ in this case is to make it sound more “normal” and move the stage away from the imaginary line between your ears to further in front of your face. So it is a neat feature at the expense of a little comb filtering that mucks with the treble a bit. I think it is so subtle that I prefer it with the VDSF+ on, a slight bass boost and added staging realism.

COMPARISONS

Sony WF-1000XM3 ($60-80 used market/ $300 when new)

Sony makes great wireless products and can be in the same ballpark in terms of pricing compared to the Moondrop Alice. The WF-1000XM3 can be found for insanely low used pricing, but the XM4 version is closer in price currently. I bought the Sony WF-1000XM3 for 3 reasons, first was sound signature and technical abilities (app), second ANC, and third the battery can be replaced if you are handy.

The Sony app gives you control over EQ, active noise cancellation settings and transparent mode. This is why you buy the Sony. The Moondrop Alice on the other hand provides supreme sound quality better treble resolution and tonality, the Sony WF-1000XM3 have a V shaped signature making the treble sound enhanced only at the top end and do not bring out the micro nuances of say the triangle strikes in Pink Panther.

The Sony have a thicker midbass enhancement, while the Moondrop Alice is bit thinner here with more snap. The Moondrop Alice sound lighter and 3 dimensional with better layering, the Sony sound a little flat. Rock and Pop are favored on the Sony, while the Alice lean classical and jazz centric, however this does not mean you cannot use them for either or.

Drop Axel Grell ($150-200 Indirect comparison)

I have not had a chance to catch back up with Loomis who last reviewed the Drop Axel Grell, so I will have to refer back to my memory to compare against the Moondrop Alice. The Drop Axel Grell had a different bass profile centered on midbass, so given that the Sony sounds fuller than the Moondrop Alice, the Grell will further increase that gap with less controlled sub-bass region. The Alice will sound neutral in comparison.

The upper mids, treble follow the Harman curve similar to the Moondrop Alice, whereas the Sony has a warmer and treble knob boosted treble. The Grell seems to have a flat sounding midrange and the Alice will sound more dimensional. While the Grell’s treble was their best feature, I think the Alice is still hard to topple here.

One final nail in the coffin is the Moondrop Alice clearly have better battery management when sitting unused. They retain a charge just as well as my Sonys. The Grell seem to discharge and never enter a deep sleep mode like the others. I wonder if this is something that can be fixed with a firmware update.

DESIGN FEATURES

So why are the Moondrop Alice a wireless Kato? They use the same third generation U.L.T DLC (ultralight, diamond like coated) driver. Moondrop designed them around sound first, form second so the electronics in the shells were placed in position as to not interfere with their sound goals. The flat faceplates serve as an easy to use control surface and taking calls on them was simple and sounded good.

They paired quickly and easily with both my IPhone and Android and stay paired with both at the same time. This is handy because sometimes I listen to music on one phone, but get work calls on the other. No need to pull them out, I just take the call. The carrying case entertained my child with it’s magnetic flip top and additional cardboard protective cover. The Cardboard cover however makes it bulkier, I probably would skip it.

The battery life is great they claim about 8 hours + 40 more due the charge the case holds, taking 1.5 hours to fully charge the earphones. I have no reason to doubt this, and they stay charged unlike the Drop Axel Grell that annoying discharge just sitting there. It has 4 lights on the case to indicate charge level of the case taking 3 hours to charge up. To top it off, use the included USB-C cable (although no charger included) and it also offers wireless charging too when you place it standing in an upright position, not laying down.

The box was hard to slide the sleeve off but inside they give you a collectible anime artwork, the earphones, the case, the case cover and the S/M/L spring tips as well as the sticky feeling S/M/L tips. The Moondrop Alice are rather lightweight and fit ok, but they rely solely on the eartips to stay in place. The inclusion of the sticky feeling eartips are helpful in this regard. The were comfortable enough.

They lack sensors to turn them off if you take them out of your ears like the Sony WF-1000XM3, so they will keep playing music or just sit there turned on until you put them back in their charging case and close the lid. Controls include the following functions:

1. Voice prompt – 3 taps left or right earpiece
2. Play/Pause – 1 tap on left or right earpiece
3. Previous track – 2 taps left earpiece
4. Next track – 2 taps right earpiece
5. Answer or hangup call – 1 tap left or right
6. Refuse call – long press left or right
7. Toggle VSDF+ on/off – long press right or left

BONUS FEATURES

To unlock bonus features for the Moondrop Alice, the Moondrop Link app is essential. They have 10 different sound EQ presets that seem to be planned, I was unable to see them during testing. There is also a 10 band parametric EQ, but lots of apps already include an EQ of sorts.

Firmware updates are also done through this app. The firmware version I tested them with was 0.1.3, upon connecting with the app there was a version 0.1.9 that claimed upgraded sound, a version 1.2.0 that says reduced noise, but neither would update. Hopefully this gets sorted out, if something changes I will update my review to reflect.

I did take some calls through them and while I could hear my calls just fine, the microphone didn’t seem to make it easy for the person on the other end. I love that they can pair to 2 devices at once. I am a weirdo that typically hauls around a work phone and a secondary “music” phone. So while listening on the music phone, if a call comes into my work phone it pauses the music on the other device and I can take the call.

GAME OVER

I strongly recommend these to anyone that wants top quality sound first, and doesn’t need ANC. Moondrop dropped a boss level TWS into our laps and just upped the bar as usual. The only reason not to get a set is if you want ANC, or if you still want to accessorize with fancy cables, DAC’s and amplifiers then you have the Moondrop Kato instead. Or maybe you do not care for the Harman inspired Moondrop VDSF tuning model and need a bassy set.

Battery life is excellent, wireless charging is nice, they stayed paired without issue but just a reminder that as a headset they are not the best option. The app functionality is a bit freshmen, I would not buy it based on features that rely on the app, and talking into the mic, but if that is a deal breaker I would talk to Moondrop or stay tuned to the forums Head-fi, SBAF, etc for updates as people are eager to relay updates and fixes.

PACKAGE CONTENTS

• Earphones with U.L.T Dynamic driver and Qualcom 5151 Bluetooth 5.2 SoC
• Wireless Charging Case
• A Cardboard Case for your Case
• S/M/L Spring tips
• S/M/L Sticky Softears Brand Silicone tips
• Waifu Artwork Card
• Manual

SPECIFICATIONS Moondrop Alice

• Model: ALICE True Wireless Stereo
• Driver: 10mm U.L.T super-linear dynamic driver
• Diaphragm: 3rd generation DLC composite diaphragm
• Bluetooth version: 5.2
• Bluetooth protocol: A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
• Codec protocol: AAC/SBC/aptX Adaptive
• Charging plug: Type-C
• lmpedance: 32Ω±15%@1kHz
• Working distance: about 15m (barrier-free open environment)
• Input: 5V-0.5A
• Battery Life: about 8+40hours

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DISCLAIMER

Get it here from ShenzenAudio priced at $189 at time of publishing.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

The post Moondrop Alice TWS Review (1) – Level Up appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Gear of the Year: 2022 marks the blog’s fourth year. We collectively published 100-150 articles, mainly product reviews, but also technical information (such as earphone modding). Apart from receiving review units from manufacturers and sellers, we also purchased a lot…and we borrowed from audiophile friends and colleagues.

Our list of earphone reviews is going towards 400, which is a very useful database. And one of the world’s biggest. In the DAC and amplification department we have also reached a respectable 70.

While we shrank from 8 to 6 authors, we essentially doubled our viewer numbers and currently record well over 1000 daily individual blog visitors (1377 on Black Friday 2022). But we remain humble, continue viewing our hobby as labour of love and focus on information for you, the reader, while not selling out.

Another very popular list is our Wall of Excellence, which hosts gear not approved by one of us, but by the whole team. This is a useful filter for you and should give you confidence in your buying decisions.

And yes, we searched for and found an exclusive sponsor in HiFiGo, who help us with our basic operating cost (web hosting). We still chip a lot of our own money in for mailing between us reviewers, import charges etc.

By having a single sponsor (and not Google ads) paying us a moderate flat fee, we don’t rely on viewer numbers. For you, this means no popups and no ads between paragraphs, nothing in your way when reading our articles. All advertisement takes place in the top toolbar and the sidebar. Feel free to check it out.

We also continue refraining from affiliate links as it still leaves a bad taste in our mouths.

As at the end of the previous years, we list our our personal favourites of 2022 – the portable audio we personally enjoyed most. There are no rules, we just tell you what we like. It does not have to be the latest. After all, the gear we use most is the best for us. Between us, the Dunu Zen, 7Hz Timeless, Final ZE3000, and Questyle M15 received the most mentionings. The Questyle M15 appears to be the most highly acclaimed dongle in the blogosphere period and may as well be the “Product of the Year” all around.

We don’t publish any “best of” lists as we have not tested all competitors in each category.

Enjoy this read and we wish you a happy and successful 2023!

We thank

And here we go…that’s what we enjoyed in 2022…

Alberto Pittaluga… Bologna, ITALY

My 18 readers know that I’m much more into enjoying better sound than into getting excited about sidegrades or other small changes from my existing preferences. I am the polar opposite of a marketing hype target individual – on pretty much any topic by the way. I mean: try and sell me a “better” (?) Moka coffee machine…

With that in mind, and considering that I’m not into this since yesterday evening, it’s quite logical that the list of the really significant items out of all those I come across over a year’s time is short. Here’s what I found in 2022 which is worth recommending.

IEMS

Intime Miyabi – a great piece of engineering ticking most if not all boxes for my tastes. Beyond details, one of the absolute best sound delivery experiences one can buy (well… some personal initiative is required to fetch it from Japan) below 500$… spending less than half of it. My report here.

RHA CL2 – I heard quite a few planar IEMs, and not a single one “closes the door” for me. Long story short, none offers me a well-articulated-enough sound experience out of the box, and none carries a driver good enough to be equalised into something I really like. The sole exception I ever came across yet is this RHA CL2 – a dated model indeed, which I had the venture to audition this year for my first time. More on this on my piece about it.

DAC/AMP Dongles

Questyle M15 – no doubt the “best overall quality” battery-less DAC/AMP (“dongle”) at any price. Paired with a small transport easily makes all sub-800$, and most sub-2K$ DAPs pointless in terms of sound quality delivery (some may still prefer “some” DAP for better pocketability convenience or specific features). Firstly reviewed in depth by Jurgen here, you can read my incremental notes here.

E1DA 9038SG3 and 9038D – the M15 is what it is, but it also is relatively expensive (almost 300€ once delivered to Italy). My previous experience taught that me that exclusively higher-tier (and price) dongles are able to deliver sound qualities worth investing in more money than the 9$ price tag asked for an Apple Dongle ($9). Then I found these two gems which fulfill the need for incredibly clean and powerful sound for less than half M15’s price, and 90% of its proficiency.

Biodegraded…Vancouver, CANADA

7Hz Timeless:
Despite a somewhat elevated and loose midbass, these have great overall tonal balance, smooth mids, excellent instrument separation and layering, and speed. Macrodynamics are on the soft side, which might not be for everybody; and the fit will be problematic for people with concha bowls on the smaller side. They work best with warmer, dynamic sources.

Durwood…Chicago, USA

Swimming in dongles I don’t have a favorite, Moodrop Dawn has the selectable gain, others like the Shanling UP3 have single and balanced outputs and controls. Take your pick. I would like selectable gain AND single ended/balanced outputs.

Desktop DAC goes to the SMSL C200 for best value and sound that hangs near the top dogs. I personally prefer separate pieces for the ability to have more connection options and swapping but for near double the price I don’t see double the performance. The SMSL SU-9 is excellent for me I ended up buying one on the second hand market. The SMSL DO100/HO100 is great too and bit more user friendly for the size.

For earphones I still love my Shozy Form 1.4 for the bass tuning, warm signature and superb fitment YMMV. There are lots of excellent performers if just factoring in sound and technical merits including the 7Hz Timeless and Moondrop Kato, but I struggle keeping them in place. For those starting out or not a lot to spend, my budget pick for what is available would be the CCA Lyra.

For TWS, I only have 3 pairs to compare-but if I don’t need ANC, I would pick the Moondrop Alice all day everyday. Review coming soon, they are a wireless Kato and they nailed all the important features (sound, battery life, control, fitment), form follows function.

Jürgen Kraus…Calgary, CANADA

In terms of earphones, I continue liking the JVC HA-FDX1, the Dunu Zen, and the Final E5000. The Zen remain my go-tos. New on my list are the LETSHUOER EJ7M (great allrounders), the Final A3000 & E3000, and the very articulate Dunu Talos. But the earphone I used most in 2022 is the superb Final ZE3000 TWS.

As to headphones, my Sennheiser HD 600 have received company by the Final Sonorous III. On the budget side, I added the excellent KTXPro1 to my Koss selection (Porta Pros, KPHi-30, and KSC75).

I am principally a “portable guy” who used to operate his iPhone with a dongle, mainly the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt. Whilst the Cobalt remains a standard staple of mine, the excellent Questyle M15 (and here too) is a great alternative for my higher current-drawing headphones/earphones – and my personal product of the year 2022.

For driving full-sized headphones and single DD items, nothing beats the Apogee Groove. For Bluetooth DAC/amp, I exclusively use the very mature Qudelix-5K. And for earphone testing, I am still holding on to the totally underappreciated Earstudio HUD100.

The Hidizs AP80 Pro-X has proven a great dap for me, no matter if used alone or as transport with a dongle. The Sony NW-A55 with Mr Walkman firmware also remains in my collection of favourites. And the very crisp sounding Questyle QP1R remains my flagship dap. The biggest surprise for me was the Tempotec V6 dap…essentially a $500 device at half price.

For my desktop setup, I am holding on to EarMen Tradutto DAC in combination with the Burson Funk amp and AudioQuest analog and digital interconnects.

Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir…Munich, GERMANY

Just like that, another year went by. This year was special for me as I got to visit High End Munich 2021 (which happened after a 3-year hiatus) and also got to meet some great reviewers and legends of the industry in person.

Best Headphones: This year, I have slowly transitioned from portable audio into desktop audio. A knock-on effect of that has been my growing headphone collection. What used to be a mere 4 headphones last year, has grown into a whooping 25 now.

Yup, I need another shelf.

Speaking of the best headphones, Hifiman HE-6se V2 got the most use this year from me. I still use the Sennheiser HD650 whenever I feel like relaxing, but for my playlist – the Hifimans absolutely slap!

That being said, they aren’t the best headphones that I’ve tried this year. That recognition goes to the venerable Stax SR-X9000. Still underrated in the summit-fi segment, these overtook Susvara for me in almost every aspect. They are build better, has better sense of space, bass is better defined and slams a bit harder, and of course – the ethereal treble is an absolute joy.

Too bad that the price tag (with energizer) makes these nigh-unobtainable for me. Doesn’t make them any less awesome, though.

Best IEMs: Dunu Zen remains my daily driver, and they scale tremendously with desk sources, so I am a happy camper.

Speaking of camps, Campfire Audio Holocene has sneaked their way into my daily rotation. Probably my most favorite Campfire Audio IEMs, ever. They deserve a lengthy, long-term review, which is in the pipeline.

This year I also had to wade through loads of “meh” IEMs, each mimicking a certain “scientifically perfect” (lol) curve in one way or another, and each sounding boring and unremarkable. But the one IEMs that kept the fire alive was the Softears Turii.

Exceptional in almost every sense, their fit is the biggest concern, but with Spinfit W1 tips (excellent tips btw, recommended) I found them stable enough to enjoy outdoors. Too bad that they’re discontinued.

The Softears Twilight is a spiritual successor of sorts. Doesn’t have the crazy sense of space that the Turii portray, but pretty much beats every other single dynamic I’ve tried under USD $1000 (and I have tried nearly all of the hyped ones by now). So yeah, Softears, take a bow!

Desktop DAC and Amp: Questyle CMA Fifteen takes the cake for the best all-in-one system that I’ve heard. Near-endgame for 99% out there I’d say. Drives almost everything with authority. What’s not to like? Oh yes, the price. Something’s gotta give after all.

As for standalone units, the best solid-state amp I’ve tried: Zaehl HM1. As for the best tube amp: Feliks Envy, or the Feliks Euforia AE. Two very different price-points, but both about the best tube amps you can buy right now.

DACs are a bit difficult for me to judge, and the ones I’ve tried this year couldn’t replace the Holo May L3 I tried last year, so that one still reigns supreme.

Portable DAC/Amp: Questyle came outta nowhere with the M15 (and here too) and seized the day. Nothing else comes close, really. On the higher side of the price, Chord Mojo 2 is an excellent device. For using with IEMs and moderately efficient headphones – that’s all you’ll ever need. The DAC section is kilobuck-level as well.

Surprise of the Year: Final ZE3000.

I do not like wireless stuff at all, mostly because of how poor and compressed 99% of them sound. This one caught be off-guard. I bought them only to review them, fully expecting to put them up for sale once the review is done.

Now, three months later, I carry them everywhere and despite the finicky touch controls, I keep coming back to them. Only the Sony WH-1000XM4 sound as good as them, and they cost 2x the price. To think that Final would come up with one of the best TWS IEMs around – didn’t see that one coming.

Then again, who else would be that methodical?

Loomis Johnson…Chicago, USA

IEMs:

Moondrop Starfield—my default rec to folks who ask me which <$100 phone to buy…big-sounding, with seamless coherence and as lot of PRAT.

7Hz Timeless—polarizing and imperfect (there’s some stridency at the highest frequencies), but technically very accomplished and highly resolving. The more I hear ‘em the more I dig ‘em.

Tin HiFi TWS Buds 3—light on features (no app, no ANC) but beautifully built and a really engaging listen, with very good imaging and instrument placement.

AXS Audio Professional Wireless Earbuds—generic-looking, with a modest soundstage, but probably the best-sounding TWS I’ve heard to date. 

Portable DAC/Dongles:

Xumee USB-C—lots of power and surprising finesse for less than the price of a six pack.

Hidisz S3Pro—a really refined performer which synergizes well with anything under 150 oHm.

Headphones:

1More Sonoflow Wireless ANC—you can pay a lot more for punchier sound or more tech features, but these are an awful lot of headphone for the money, with good noise-cancelling, an unforced natural tonality and fantastic battery life.

Koss KTXPro1—uber-comfortable and musical as hell; for $19 there’s no reason everyone shouldn’t own a pair.

Bluetooth Speakers:

Oontz Angle 3—diminutive, seemingly indestructible cheapo with surprisingly good bass output and an enveloping 3D soundstage.

Edifier R1280DB Bookshelf Speakers—I gave a set of these to the owner of a cannabis dispensary, whose customers rave incessantly about how good they sound even before imbibing.

Desktop DAC:

SMSL SU-6—a more than capable DAC, with excellent bass control and a very detailed (if occasionally overbright) high end; digital preamp and Bluetooth functionality are big plusses. Outstanding value.

KopiOkaya…SINGAPORE

The editor: although KopiOkaya retired a year ago (on his own terms), he keeps his eartips compendium up to date. His list has been a cornerstone of this block and its most successful article. It currently records somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 views.

Best under $50 IEM:

7HZ SALNOTES ZERO

Best under $100 IEM:

DUNU KIMA

Best IEM of 2022:

SOFTEARS TURII Ti

Best dongle DAC/AMP of 2022:

QUESTYLE M15 (here and here)

Best portable DAP of 2022:

TEMPOTEC V6

Best budget DAC/AMP combo:

SMSL SH-9 THX AAA-888

Best desktop DAC of the 2022:

HOLO MAY KTE (KITSUNE EDITION)

Best desktop headphone amp of 2022:

QUESTYLE CMA FIFTEEN

Best eartips of the 2022

SPINFIT W1

Most outstanding audio product of 2022:

QUESTYLE M15 (here and here)

And This Was The Previous Year:

The post Gear Of The Year 2022 – Our Personal Favourites appeared first on Music For The Masses.

TWS Earphones

Acefast T8 (Mazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

Anker Soundcore Liberty Pro 2 (Loomis Johnson)

AXS Audio Professional Wireless Earbuds (Loomis Johnson)

Beats Powerbeats Pro TWS (Loomis Johnson)

Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 (Loomis Johnson)

CCA CX4 Wireless TWS (Loomis Johnson)

Creative Aurvana Ace 2 (Durwood)

Donner Dobuds One (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

Drop Grell TWS1X (1) (Darin Hawbaker)

Drop Grell TWS1X (2) Loomis Johnson

Earsonics AERØ (Jürgen Kraus)

Elevoc Clear TWS (Loomis Johnson)

FIIL CC2 (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

FIIL T1XS TWS (Loomis Johnson)

Fiitii HiFi Air 2 (Durwood)

Fiitii HifiDots (Durwood)

Final ZE3000 (English) (Jürgen Kraus)

Final ZE3000 (Japanese) (Jürgen Kraus)

Gravastar Sirius Pro TWS (Alberto Pittaluga)

Klipsch T5 II TWS Sport (Loomis Johnson)

Knowledge Zenith VXS Pro TWS (Durwood)

Lypertek Tevi Z3 Powerplay (Loomis Johnson)

Mifo S TWS (Loomis Johnson)

Moondrop Alice (1) (Durwood)

Moondrop Alice (2) Loomis Johnson

Moodrop Space Travel (1) (Jürgen Kraus)

Moodrop Space Travel (2) (Loomis Johnson)

Naenka LITE Pro TWS (Loomis Johnson)

Oladance OWS Pro (Jürgen Kraus)

Oladance OWS Sports (Durwood)

OneOdio OpenRock Pro (Loomis Johnson)

Oladance Wearable Stereo (Loomis Johnson)

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (Loomis Johnson)

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus (Loomis Johnson)

Sennheiser CX 400BT (Loomis Johnson)

Sony WX-1000XM3 (Loomis Johnson)

Soundpeats H1 (Loomis Johnson)

Soundpeats H1 (Loomis Johnson)

Status Audio Between Pro (Loomis Johnson)

Tini Hifi Tin Buds 3 (Loomis Johnson)

TOZO Golden X1 (Loomis Johnson)

TRN T300 (3 reviews): Baskingshark | Loomis Johnson | Alberto Pittaluga

Tronsmart Apollo Bold (Baskingshark)

TWS Headphones

1More Sonoflow Wireless ANC Headphones (Loomis Johnson)

Apple Airpods Max (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

Final UX3000 (English) (Jürgen Kraus)

Final UX3000 (Japanese) (Jürgen Kraus)

Hifiman Ananda BT (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

Jabbra Elite 45H (Loomis Johnson)

Master & Dynamic MW50+ Wireless Headphones (Loomis Johnson)

Naenka Runner Caller Bone Conduction Headphone (Loomis Johnson)

Naenka Runner Pro Bone Conduction Headphones for Swimmers (Loomis Johnson)

Nank (Naenka) Runner Pro 2 Bone Conduction Headphones (Loomis Johnson)

Oneodio Pro C Wired + Wireless (Y80B) (Durwood)

Phiaton 900 Legacy (Loomis Johnson)

Sennheiser Momentum 4 TWS (Loomis Johnson)

Sony WH-1000XM4 [Wireless, Noise Cancelling] (Loomis Johnson)

Status Audio BT One (Loomis Johnson)

SuperEQ S1 and SuperEQ Q2 Pro (Loomis Johnson)

Bluetooth Amplifiers

Fosi Audio BT30D Pro (Durwood)

ifi Audio GO blu (Alberto Pittaluga)

iKKO Heimdalir ITB03 (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)

Qudelix-5K* (Jürgen Kraus)

Shanling UP4 (Durwood)

TempoTec March III M3 (Jürgen Kraus)

TempoTec Serenade X Digital Desktop Player (Jürgen Kraus)

Other Bluetooth Devices

Gravastar Mars Pro (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)

iBasso CF01 Bluetooth Adapter (Baskingshark)

NiceHCK HB2 BT Earhooks (Baskingshark)

The post 67 Bluetooth & TWS Devices appeared first on Music For The Masses.

All Our Earphone-related Articles: here

ALL OUR REVIEWS (headphones, earphones, dacs/amps, daps, bluetooth, clean power & USB, microphones, cables/adapters, eartips, earpads, noise insulation): here

Models labelled with “*” are on our Wall of Excellence.

April additions: TRN BAX PRO ,Creative Aurvana Ace 2, CCA Rhapsody.

March additions: TRN Conch, Simgot EA1000.

February additions: Truthear X Crinacle Zero Red, Oladance OWS Sports, Simgot EA500, Sennheiser IE 600.

Reviews in Alphabetical Order:

1. 7Hz Timeless (1) (Alberto Pittaluga)
2. 7Hz Timeless (2) (Durwood)
3. 7Hz Timeless (3) (Loomis Johnson)
4. Acefast T8 (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
5. Acoustic Effect TRY-01 (Baskingshark)
6. AFUL Performer 5 (Jürgen Kraus)
7. Akoustyx R-220 (Jürgen Kraus)
8. Akoustyx S6 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
9. Akoustyx S6 (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)
10. AME Custom Argent Hybrid Electrostatic (Jürgen Kraus)
11. Anew X-One (Jürgen Kraus)
12. Anker Soundcore Liberty Pro 2 (Loomis Johnson)
13. Astrotec AM850 MK2 (Jürgen Kraus)
14. Astrotec Vesna (Jürgen Kraus)
15. Audbos/Tenzh P4 Pro (Loomis Johnson)
16. Audiosense DT200 (1) (Baskingshark)
17. Audiosense DT200 (2) (KopiOkaya)
18. Aune Jasper (1) (Loomis Johnson)
19. Aune Jasper (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
20. AXS Audio Professional Wireless Earbuds (Loomis Johnson)
21. BCD X10 (Loomis Johnson)
22. Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd (Jürgen Kraus)
23. BGVP DM9 (Durwood)
24. Beats Powerbeats Pro TWS (Loomis Johnson)
25. Blon A8 Prometheus (1) (Loomis Johnson)
26. Blon A8 Prometheus (2) (Durwood)
27. Blon Bl-01 (1) (Baskingshark)
28. Blon BL-01 (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)
29. Blon BL-03* (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
30. Blon BL-03* (2) (Loomis Johnson)
31. Blon BL-05 (1) (Baskingshark)
32. BLON BL-05 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
33. Blon BL-05s (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
34. Blon BL-05s (2) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
35. Blon BL-05s (3) (Baskingshark)
36. Blon BL-Max (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
37. Blon Mini (Baskingshark)
38. Brainwavz Delta (Jürgen Kraus)
39. Brainwavz Koel (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
40. BQEYZ Autumn (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
41. BQEYZ Autumn (2) (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
42. BQEYZ KC2 (Jürgen Kraus)
43. BQEYZ Spring 1 (1) (Durwood)
44. BQEYZ Spring 1 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
45. BQEYZ Spring 1 (3) (Jürgen Kraus)
46. BQEYZ Spring 2 (1) (Durwood)
47. BQEYZ Spring 2 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
48. BQEYZ Summer (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
49. BQEYZ Summer (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)
50. BQEYZ Topaz (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
51. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 (Loomis Johnson)
52. Campfire Audio Ara (Alberto Pittaluga)
53. Cambridge Audio SE1 (Loomis Johnson)
54. Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 (Alberto Pittaluga)
55. Campfire Audio Honeydew (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
56. Campfire Audio Satsuma (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
57. Cat Ear Mia (1) (Loomis Johnson)
58. Cat Ear Mia (2) (Durwood)
59. Cat Ear Mia (3) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
60. Cayin Fantasy (Jürgen Kraus)
61. CCA C10 (Slater)
62. CCA C10 (Loomis Johnson)
63. CCA C10 Pro (1) (Durwood)
64. CCA C10 Pro (2) (Baskinghark)
65. CCA CA16 (1) (Durwood)
66. CCA CA16 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
67. CCA CKX (Durwood)
68. CCA CRA+ (Durwood)
69. CCA CX4 Wireless (Loomis Johnson)
70. CCA Duo (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
71. CCA Duo (2) (Durwood)
72. CCA Lyra (1) (Durwood)
73. CCA Lyra (2) (Loomis Johnson)
74. CCA Rhapsody (Jürgen Kraus)
75. CCZ Plume (Baskingshark)
76. Celest Pandamon (Jürgen Kraus)
77. Cozoy Hera C103 (Jürgen Kraus)
78. Creative Aurvana Ace 2 (Durwood)
79. CVJ CS8 (Baskingshark)
80. ddHiFi Janus1 (E2020A) (Jürgen Kraus)
81. ddHiFi Janus2 (E2020B) (Jürgen Kraus)
82. ddHiFi Janus3 (E2023) Jürgen Kraus
83. Donner Dobuds One (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
84. Drop Grell TWS1X (Darin Hawbaker)
85. Drop Grell TWS1X (2) Loomis Johnson
86. Drop + JVC HA-FDX1* (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
87. Drop + JVC HA FDX1* (2) (Loomis Johnson)
88. Dunu DM-380 (Jürgen Kraus)
89. Dunu DM-480 (Baskingshark)
90. Dunu Falcon Pro (Alberto Pittaluga)
91. Dunu Kima (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
92. Dunu Luna (1) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
93. Dunu Luna (2) (Baskinghark)
94. Dunu Studio SA6* (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
95. Dunu Talos (Jürgen Kraus)
96. Dunu Vulkan (Jürgen Kraus)
97. Dunu Zen* (1) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
98. Dunu Zen* (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
99. DZAT DR-25 (Jürgen Kraus)
100. Earstudio HE100 (Jürgen Kraus)
101. Earsonics AERØ (Jürgen Kraus)
102. Earsonics ONYX (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
103. Einsear T2 (Loomis Johnson)
104. Elevoc Clear (Loomis Johnson)
105. Etymotic E2XR (Loomis Johnson)
106. EZAudio D4 (Jürgen Kraus)
107. FAAEAL Datura Pro (Baskingshark)
108. FIIL CC2 (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
109. FIIL T1XS TWS (Loomis Johnson)
110. FiiO FA1 (Loomis Johnson)
111. FiiO FD1 (Jürgen Kraus)
112. FiiO FH1s (Jürgen Kraus)
113. Fiitii HiFi Air 2 (Durwood)
114. Fiitii HifiDots (Durwood)
115. Final Audio A3000* (Alberto Pittaluga)
116. Final Audio A5000 (Alberto Pittaluga)
117. Final Audio B3 (Alberto Pittaluga)
118. Final Audio E3000* (Baskingshark)
119. Final Audio E-Series Roundup (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
120. Final Audio F7200 (Alberto Pittaluga)
121. Final Audio ZE3000 (English) (Jürgen Kraus)
122. Final Audio ZE3000 (Japanese) (Jürgen Kraus)
123. Geek Wold GK10 (1) (Baskingshark)
124. Geek Wold GK10 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
125. Gravastar Sirius Pro TWS (Alberto Pittaluga)
126. Hidizs MD4 (Durwood)
127. Hidizs MM2 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
128. Hidizs MM2 (2) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
129. Hidizs MP145 (1) (Durwood)
130. Hidizs MP145 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
131. Hidizs MS1 Rainbow (1) (Durwood)
132. Hidizs MS1 Rainbow (2) (Loomis Johnson)
133. Hidizs MS3 (1) (Durwood)
134. Hidizs MS3 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
135. Hidizs MS5 (1) (Durwood)
136. Hidizs MS5 (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)
137. Hidizs MS5 (3) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
138. Hifi Walker A1 (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
139. Hill Audio Altair • RA (Jürgen Kraus)
140. Hill Audio S8 (Jürgen Kraus)
141. Hisenior B5 (Loomis Johnson)
142. Hisenior Okavango (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
143. HZ Sound Heart Mirror (1) (Baskingshark)
144. HZ Sound Heart Mirror (2) (KopiOkaya)
145. iBasso IT00 (Baskingshark)
146. iBasso IT00/Tin Hifi T2 Plus/Moondrop Starfield comparison (Durwood)
147. iBasso IT04 (Alberto Pittaluga)
148. iBasso IT07 (Alberto Pittaluga)
149. Ikko OH1 (Jürgen Kraus)
150. Ikko OH1S (1) (Alberto Pittaluga)
151. Ikko OH1S (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
152. IKKO OH5 Asgard (Alberto Pittaluga)
153. Ikko OH10* (1) (Alberto Pittaluga)
154. Ikko OH10* (2) Jürgen Kraus
155. IKKO OH2 (Jürgen Kraus)
156. Intime Miyabi (Alberto Pittaluga)
157. Intime Miyabi (Italian) (Alberto Pittaluga)
158. Intime Miyabi (Japanese) (Alberto Pittaluga)
159. Intime Sora 2 (Alberto Pittaluga)
160. Intime Sho DD (Alberto Pittaluga)
161. ISN Audio Rambo (Jürgen Kraus)
162. KBEAR Aurora (1) (Baskingshark)
163. KBEAR Aurora (2) (Durwood)
164. KBEAR Aurora (3) (Loomis Johnson)
165. KBEAR Believe (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
166. KBEAR Believe (2) (Baskingshark)
167. KBEAR Believe (3) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
168. KBEAR Believe (4) (Loomis Johnson)
169. KBEAR Diamond in Japanese (Jürgen Kraus)
170. KBEAR Diamond (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
171. KBEAR Diamond (2) (Loomis Johnson)
172. KBEAR Diamond (3) (Christophe Branchereau)
173. KBEAR Diamond modding (Biodegraded)
174. KBEAR hi7 (Jürgen Kraus)
175. KBEAR KB04 (1) (Loomis Johnson)
176. KBEAR KB04 (2) (Baskingshark)
177. KBEAR KB04 (3) (Jürgen Kraus)
178. KBEAR KS1 (Baskingshark)
179. KBEAR KS2 (1) J ürgen Kraus)
180. KBEAR KS2 (2) (Baskingshark)
181. KBEAR KS2 (3 (Loomis Johnson)
182. KBEAR Neon (1) (Baskingshark)
183. KBEAR Neon (2) (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
184. KBEAR Lark (Jürgen Kraus)
185. KBEAR Qinglong (Jürgen Kraus)
186. KBEAR Robin (Baskingshark)
187. KBEAR Rosefinch (Jürgen Kraus)
188. KBEAR TRI I3 Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
189. KBEAR TRI Starsea (1) (Kopiokaya)
190. KBEAR TRI Starsea (2) (Baskingshark)
191. Kefine Klanar (Durwood)
192. Kinboofi MK4 (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
193. Kinera BD005 Pro (Baskingshark)
194. Kinera Hodur (Alberto Piitaluga)
195. Kinera Idun 2.0 (1) (Durwood)
196. Kinera Idun 2.0 (2 (Loomis Johnson)
197. Kiwi Cadenza (Durwood)
198. Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
199. Kiwi Ears Quintet (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
200. Klipsch T5 II TWS Sport (Loomis Johnson)
201. Knowlege Zenith AS24 (Standard Version) (Jürgen Kraus)
202. Knowledge Zenith AS24 (Tunable Version) (Durwood)
203. Knowledge Zenith ASF (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
204. Knowledge Zenith ASX (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
205. Knowledge Zenith ASX (2) (Loomis Johnson)
206. Knowlege Zenith F-Fi (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
207. Knowledge Zenith ED9 (Loomis Johnson)
208. Knowledge Zenith ED16 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
209. Knowledge Zenith ED16 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
210. Knowledge Zenith EDX (Jürgen Kraus)
211. Knowledge Zenith ESX (Durwood)
212. Knowledge Zenith Ling Long (Jürgen Kraus)
213. Knowledge Zenith VXS Pro TWS (Durwood)
214. Knowledge Zenith ZEX (1) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
215. Knowledge Zenith ZEX (2) (Durwood)
216. Knowledge Zenith ZEX (3) (Alberto Pittaluga)
217. Knowledge Zenith ZSN (Loomis Johnson)
218. Knowledge Zenith ZSN Pro (Slater)
219. Knowledge Zenith ZSN Pro X (Jürgen Kraus)
220. Knowledge Zenith ZS4 (Loomis Johnson)
221. Knowledge Zenith ZS7 (Loomis Johnson)
222. Knowledge Zenith ZS10 (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
223. Knowledge Zenith ZS10 Pro (Loomis Johnson)
224. Knowledge Zenith ZSX Terminator (Loomis Johnson)
225. Knowledge Zenith ZVX (Jürgen Kraus)
226. K’s Earphone Bell-LBs (Alberto Pittaluga)
227. K’s Earphone K300 (Alberto Pittaluga)
228. LETSHUOER Conductor (Biodegraded)
229. LETSHUOER DZ4 (Jürgen Kraus)
230. LETSHUOER EJ07M (Jürgen Kraus)
231. LETSHUOER EJ09 (Biodegraded)
232. LETSHUOER S12 vs. 7Hz Timeless (Jürgen Kraus)
233. Lker i8 (Jürgen Kraus)
234. Lypertek Tevi L3 Powerplay (Loomis Johnson)
235. LZ A2 (Jürgen Kraus)
236. LZ A7 (Baskinghark)
237. MEE Audio Pinnacle P2 (Loomis Johnson)
238. Meze 12 Classics V2 (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
239. Meze RAI Penta (Kazi Mahbbub Mutakabbir)
240. Meze RAI Solo (Jürgen Kraus)
241. Mifo S TWS (Loomis Johnson)
242. Moondrop Alice (1) (Durwood)
243. Moondrop Alice (2) Loomis Johnson
244. Moondrop Aria (1) Jürgen Kraus)
245. Moondrop Aria (2) Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
246. Moondrop Aria SE (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
247. Moondrop x Crinacle Blessing2:Dusk (1) Jürgen Kraus)
248. Moondrop x Crinacle Blessing2:Dusk (2) Biodegraded
249. Moondrop CHU (1) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
250. Moondrop CHU (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)
251. Moondrop CHU (3) Jürgen Kraus)
252. Moondrop Crescent (Jürgen Kraus)
253. Moondrop Illumination (Jürgen Kraus)
254. Moondrop Kanas Pro (1) Biodegraded
255. Moondrop Kanas Pro (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
256. Moondrop Kanas Pro (3) Loomis Johnson
257. Moondrop KATO (Jürgen Kraus)
258. Moondrop Lan (1) (Durwood)
259. Moondrop Lan (2) (Loomis Johnson)
260. Moondrop May (Durwood)
261. Moondrop Quarks (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
262. Moondrop Spaceship (Jürgen Kraus)
263. Moondrop Space Travel (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
264. Moondrop Space Travel (2) (Loomis Johnson)
265. Moondrop SSP (Jürgen Kraus)
266. Moondrop SSR (1) Jürgen Kraus
267. Moondrop SSR (2) (Baskingshark)
268. Moondrop Starfield (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
269. Moondrop Starfield (2) Loomis Johnson
270. Moondrop Starfield (3) (Durwood)
271. Moondrop Starfield II (1) (Durwood)
272. Moondrop Starfield II (2) (Loomis Johnson)
273. Moondrop Stellaris (Jürgen Kraus)
274. Naenka LITE Pro TWS (Loomis Johnson)
275. NF Audio NM (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
276. NF Audio NM2+ (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
277. NF Audio NM2+ (2) Loomis Johnson
278. NiceHCK Bro (Jürgen Kraus)
279. NiceHCK DB1 (Jürgen Kraus)
280. NiceHCK DB3 (Jürgen Kraus)
281. NiceHCK DT600 (Jürgen Kraus)
282. NiceHCK EB2 (Jürgen Kraus)
283. NiceHCK EB2S (Jürgen Kraus)
284. NiceHCK EBX21 (Baskingshark)
285. NiceHCK EP10 (Jürgen Kraus)
286. NiceHCK EP35 (Jürgen Kraus)
287. NiceHCK F1 (Jürgen Kraus)
288. NiceHCK Lofty (Jürgen Kraus)
289. NiceHCK HK6 (Loomis Johnson)
290. NiceHCK M5 (Jürgen Kraus)
291. NiceHCK M6 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
292. NiceHCK M6 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
293. NiceHCK N3 (Loomis Johnson, Jürgen Kraus)
294. NiceHCK NX7 (1) (Loomis Johnson)
295. NiceHCK NX7 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
296. NiceHCK NX7 Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
297. NiceHCK NX7 MK3 (1) (Loomis Johnson)
298. NiceHCK NX7 MK3 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
299. NiceHCK NX7 MK4 (Jürgen Kraus)
300. NiceHCK P3 (Jürgen Kraus)
301. NiceHCK X49 (Jürgen Kraus)
302. Oladance OWS Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
303. Oladance OWS Sports (Durwood)
304. Oladance Wearable Stereo (Loomis Johnson)
305. Oneodio OpenRock Pro (Loomis Johnson)
306. Oriolus Isabellae (Jürgen Kraus)
307. Oriveti OH500 (Alberta Pittaluga)
308. Paiaudio DR2 (Jürgen Kraus)
309. Penon Fan 2 (Alberto Pittaluga)
310. PHB EM-023 (Jürgen Kraus)
311. Pioneer CH3 (Jürgen Kraus)
312. Queen of Audio Pink Lady (Jürgen Kraus)
313. Reecho Insects Awaken (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
314. RHA CL2 (Alberto Pittaluga)
315. Rose Mojito (Alberto Pittaluga)
316. Rose Technics QT9 MK2S (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
317. Rose Technics QT9 MK2S (2) (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
318. Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (Loomis Johnson)
319. Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus (Loomis Johnson)
320. SeeAudio Bravery (1) (Loomis Johnson)
321. SeeAudio Bravery (2) (Baskingshark)
322. Semkarch CNT1 (Loomis Johnson)
323. Senfer DT6 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
324. Senfer DT6 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
325. Senfer UEs/NiceHCK Bro (Loomis Johnson, Jürgen Kraus)
326. Sennheiser CX 400BT (Loomis Johnson)
327. Sennheiser IE 40/400/500 PRO compared (Jürgen Kraus)
328. Sennheiser IE 40 PRO (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
329. Sennheiser IE 200* (Jürgen Kraus)
330. Sennheiser IE 300 (Jürgen Kraus)
331. Sennheiser IE 400 PRO (Jürgen Kraus)
332. Sennheiser IE 500 PRO (Jürgen Kraus, Biodegraded)
333. Sennheiser IE 600 (Jürgen Kraus)
334. Sennheiser IE 600 and IE 900 Counterfeits (Alberto Pittaluga)
335. Sennheiser IE 900* (1) (Alberto Pittaluga)
336. Sennheiser IE 900* (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
337. Sennheiser IE 900* (Deutsch) (Jürgen Kraus)
338. Shanling ME80 (Jürgen Kraus)
339. Shanling Sono (Durwood)
340. Shuoer Tape (Loomis Johnson)
341. Shozy Form 1.1 (Biodegraded)
342. Shozy Form 1.1 vs. Form 1.4 (Jürgen Kraus)
343. Shozy Form 1.4* (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
344. Shozy Form 1.4* (2) (Durwood)
345. Shozy Form 1.4* (3) (Loomis Johnson)
346. Shozy Rouge (1) (Loomis Johnson)
347. Shozy Rouge (2) (Durwood))
348. Shozy Rouge (3 (Jürgen Kraus)
349. Simgot EA500 (Alberto Pittaluga)
350. Simgot EA1000 (Alberto Pittaluga)
351. Simgot EM2 (Jürgen Kraus)
352. Simgot EM2 (Loomis Johnson)
353. Smabat M0 (Durwood)
354. Smabat M2 Pro (1) (Baskingshark)
355. Smabat M2 Pro (M2) (Jürgen Kraus)
356. Smabat Proto 1.0 (Alberto Pittaluga)
357. Smabat ST-10 (Jürgen Kraus)
358. Smabat X1 (1) (Baskingshark)
359. Smabat X1 (2 (Jürgen Kraus)
360. Sony MH755 (Jürgen Kraus)
361. Sony IER-ZR (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
362. Sony WX-1000XM3 (Loomis Johnson)
363. Soundpeats H1 (Loomis Johnson)
364. Soundpeats Opera (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)
365. Status Audio Between Pro TWS (Loomis Johnson)
366. SuperEQ Q2 Pro ANC TWS (Loomis Johnson)
367. Tanchjim Blues (Jürgen Kraus)
368. Tanchjim Cora (Jürgen Kraus)
369. Tanchjim Darling (Aberto Pittaluga)
370. Tanchjim Ola (Loomis Johnson)
371. Tanchjim Oxygen* (Alberto Pittaluga)
372. Tanchjim Tanya (1) (Baskingshark)
373. Tanchjim Tanya (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)
374. Tangzu WAN ER (Jürgen Kraus)
375. Tansio Mirai TSMR-6 (Alberto Pittaluga)
376. TempoTec IM05 (Jürgen Kraus)
377. Tennmak Dulcimer (Loomis Johnson)
378. Tforce Yuan Li (1) (Durwood)
379. Tforce Yuan Li (2) (Loomis Johnson)
380. Tinaudio T1 (Jürgen Kraus)
381. Tinaudio T2 (Jürgen Kraus)
382. TINHIFI C2 Mech Warrior (Jürgen Kraus)
383. TINHIFI C3 (1) (Durwood)
384. TINHIFI C3 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
385. TINHIFI C5 (1) (Durwood)
386. TINHIFI C5 (2) Loomis Johnson
387. TINHIFI P1 Max (Jürgen Kraus)
388. TINHIFI T2 DLC (Jürgen Kraus)
389. TINHIFI T2 EVO (Jürgen Kraus)
390. TINHIFI T2 Plus (1) Jürgen Kraus
391. TINHIFI T2 Plus (2) (Loomis Johnson)
392. TINHIFI T2 Plus (3) Durwood
393. TINHIFI T4 (1) (Durwood)
394. TINHIFI T4 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
395. TINHIFI T4 (3) (Jürgen Kraus)
396. TINHIFI T4 Plus (Jürgen Kraus)
397. TINHIFI T5 (Alberto Pittaluga)
398. TINHIFI Tin Buds 3 (Loomis Johnson)
399. Tinker TK300 (Baskingshark)
400. ToneKing Nine Tail (Loomis Johnson)
401. TOZO Golden X1 (Loomis Johnson)
402. Triaudio I3 (1) (Baskingshark)
403. Triaudio I3 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
404. Triaudio I3 Modding (KopiOkaya)
405. Triaudio I4 (1) (KopiOkaya)
406. Triaudio I4 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
407. Triaudio Meteor (KopiOkaya)
408. Tripowin X HBB Olina (KopiOkaya)
409. Tripowin Leá (Jürgen Kraus)
410. TRN BA5 (1) (Durwood)
411. TRN BA5 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
412. TRN BA5 (3) (Loomis Johnson)
413. TRN BA8 (1) (Baskingshark)
414. TRN BA8 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
415. TRN BAX PRO (Jürgen Kraus)
416. TRN Conch (Durwood)
417. TRN Kirin (Alberto Pittaluga)
418. TRN ST5 (Looomis Johnson)
419. TRN-STM (1) (Loomis Johnson)
420. TRN-STM (2) (Baskingshark)
421. TRN-STM (3) (Durwood)
422. TRN T300 (1) (Baskingshark)
423. TRN T300 (2) (Loomis Johnson)
424. TRN T300 (3) (Alberto Pittaluga)
425. TRN V80 (Jürgen Kraus)
426. TRN V90 (1) (Durwood)
427. TRN V90 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
428. TRN V90S (1) (Baskingshark)
429. TRN V90S (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
430. TRN VX (1) (Loomis Johnson)
431. TRN VX (2) (Baskingshark)
432. TRN VX (3) (Jürgen Kraus)
433. TRN-VX modding (KopiOkaya)
434. Tronsmart Apollo (Baskingshark)
435. Tronsmart Apollo Bold TWS ANC (Baskingshark)
436. Truthear Hexa (Durwood)
437. Truthear Hola (Durwood)
438. Truthear X Crinacle Zero (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
439. Truthear X Crinacle Zero Red (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
440. Truthear X Crinacle Zero Red (2) (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
441. Unique Melody 3DT (Jürgen Kraus)
442. Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 (Baskingshark)
443. Venture Electronics BIE Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
444. Venture Electronics Bonus IE (Jürgen Kraus)
445. Venture Electronics Monk Go (Jürgen Kraus)
446. Vision Ears Elysium* and VE8 (1) (Jürgen Kraus)
447. Vision Ears Elysium* and VE8 (2) (Biodegraded)
448. Vision Ears EXT (Jürgen Kraus)
449. Vision Ears Phönix (Jürgen Kraus)
450. Westone MACH 40 and MACH 60 (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)
451. Whizzer BS1 (Jürgen Kraus)
452. Whizzer Kylin HE01 (1) Jürgen Kraus)
453. Whizzer Kylin HE01 (2) (Baskingshark)
454. Whizzer Kylin HE03AL (Jürgen Kraus)
455. Whizzer Kylin HE03D (1) (Durwood)
456. Whizzer Kylin HE03D (2) (Loomis Johnson)
457. Whizzer Kylin HE10 (Jürgen Kraus)
458. Yinyoo BK2 (Baskingshark)
459. Yinyoo D2B4 v2 (1) (Biodegraded)
460. Yinyoo D2B4 v2 (2) (Jürgen Kraus)
461. Yinyoo V2 (Jürgen Kraus)

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