The TC01A and TC01C USB adapters were provided by ddHiFi for my analysis…and use. And I thank them for that. You get them from DD Official Store for $8.99 each or $15.99 for the couple.

What? An adapter review? Another one? Does anybody care? Sure, I love adapters, but I never intended to write one about the TC01A and TC01C. When I was asked to analyze the Janus3 earphone, I inquired whether I could try these out. I have purchased quite a few of USB-A to USB-C adapters (in both directions) since Apple changed their USB notebook ports from A to C.

I purchased a few cheepos and a couple of UGREENs. UGREEN is a reliable brand. But there was one problem I could not resolve: getting a tight, stable connection between my Hidizs AP80 Pro-X DAP and the USB-C to USB-A adapter. Most did not work because of the DAP’s leather case, and they also did not fit firmly without. I often had my music interrupted when the connection got loose. Annoying.

On top of that, I am operating amps and headphones with variable 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm sockets and plugs, and also purchased adapters between these two circuits. Relying on cheap no-name adapters from aliexpress caused more harm than good. Independent of sonic issues, some of these did not fit properly and I often had only one channel working.

The TC01A and TC01C are pricey – $16 USD for the pair – but they work. I now get a snug fit on my DAP and the thick leather case ain’t a problem for the connection either. Haptically, they are head and shoulders above their competition. And they are the only ones with gold-plated contacts.

What about the sound? Will probably make no difference. But that’s not really my concern. I want a reliable connection. And it looks good, too.

These are definitely the highest quality USB adapters in my collection.

Sometimes, simple things an make a big difference.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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The post ddHiFi TC01A and TC01C USB Adapters Review appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $130 ddHiFi Janus3 is a Moondrop-tuned single-dynamic-driver earphone with an agreeable Harman sound and an original, small shell design that provides maximum comfort and fit. Adding the compact cable and the good isolation, it is a great companion for travel. Fits in your shirt pocket between flights.

The Janus3 was provided by ddHiFi for my review – and I thank them for that. You can get it from the ddHiFi Official Store.

Introduction

ddHiFi are a company that specializes in accessories such as adapters, cables, and storage cases. But they have also produced a line of earphones called “Janus”, after a Roman god that is often depicted by a double-faced head.

Reason for this name was the unique double connectivity of the two previous models, Janus1 (released in 2020) AND Janus2 (from 2021): both had sockets for 0.78 mm two pin and MMCX plugs. The E2023 Janus3 is therefore the third iteration of this model line.

The dual connector had the advantage that one could connect essentially any earphone cable found in their drawer….which was actually not necessary as each model featured a fancy and rather pricey cable you could also purchase separately. While the Janus1 lacked sub-bass, the Janus2 had an over energetic upper midrange. Both models also came with luxury cases…these accessories drove their price up to $200.

Moondrop helped out with the tuning of the Janus3, which is way more mainstream than that of their predecessors. Also slimming down the accessories helped reducing the price by $70. Interestingly, ddHiFi abandoned the 2-pin connector in the Janus3: you can only connect MMCX cables to this model. Strictly speaking, the Janus ist not a Janus anymore, as one half of its head is missing. But I’m waffling…

Specifications ddHiFi E2023 Janus3

Physical Things and Usability

Although slimmed down, accessory wise compared to its more expensive earlier iterations, you still find quite a few goodies in the box: most of all the gorgeous modular MMCX cable, that comes very close in appearance to the $60 ddHiFi M120 A model.

The wire is OCC (“Ohno Continuous Casting”), manufactured according to a Japanese process that results in essentially oxygen-free copper, which minimizes corrosion. The cable is thin, light, has the right stiffness, and essentially no microphonics. You can choose between a 3.5 mm and a 4.4 mm connector, both are included. There is no memory wire. All this is very handy.

Also in the box are a set of silicone eartips (S/M/L), the largest of which actually work for me. The storage case is not too small and very sturdy, also of good quality.

Finally, the earpieces, not double-faced as in the previous iterations, feature MMCX connectors. They are part metal, part resin, and you can look inside to admire the interior. These earpiece have otherwise not changed in shape: they remain small, light, they seal well, and can be worn over-ear or under-ear.

The Janus3 are easily driven with a phone.

Considering that many earpieces are marketed by their faceplates, which resulted in some monster cherries in our ears, ddHiFi’s pragmatic earpiece design may be one of the Janus’ biggest asset. Together with the light cable, you have a stereo that fits in the smallest pockets and isolates well in the loudest environments.

Tonality and Technicalities

The Janus3 features a classic agreeable, middle-of-the-road sound with a natural timbre and average technicalities without major flaws. In terms of richness, they are more on the lean side but without any stridence, which adds some articulation to the overall sound.

Although the shells are small, the drivers are reasonably large (10 mm, compare to Sennheiser IE900’s/IE 600’s 7 mm), and hence produce some decent heft at the low end. Sub-bass extension is excellent, an annoying midbass hump is missing, and the lower end can develop a good punch and impact…it all depends on insertion depth: deeper means thicker. A satisfying low end that is well layered, well composed, never too thick, and it does not smear into the lower mids either.

Female and male voices are therefore “free standing” and a bit on the lean however nuanced side. Lean does not mean thin, it means articulate and well carved out in this context. Upper midrange is not overenergetic. All this makes for a good midrange transparency: lots of space between notes and musicians.

Treble is subdued in its lower part but quite lively in the upper. This avoids shoutiness but adds (perceived) detail, sparkle, and liveliness to the upper registers such as cymbals. The treble is decently well resolving and articulate.

Soundstage is reasonably expansive and tall, with ok depth, imaging is pretty good. While layering, separation, and spatial cues are also decent (the stage is really well organized in 3D), detail resolution is average. Not bad, but not outstanding either. Timbre, as expected for a dynamic-driver earphone, is very good.

Concluding Remarks

The Janus3 is the sonically much improved version of the 2020/21 Janus1 and 2, with slimmed-down accessories, a better price, and a more cohesive, well-rounded sound. Its biggest assets are its original, imaginative small design with maximum comfort and fit, and its attractive modular cable.

While it does not add anything spectacularly new sonically for the experienced hobbyist, it may have its appeal to the novice and intermediate experienced…and/or to listeners who prefer to carry their stereo in a shirt pocket. Considering their good seal, the Janus3 are well suited for airplane, bus, or train travel. And that’s what I will use them for.

Until next time…keep on listening!

The post ddHiFi E2023 Janus3 Review – Beheaded God appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $60 ddHiFi M120A is a well-made, haptically, and optically very appealing earphone cable with a great jewelry effect that is sadly only available as single-ended with a 3.5 mm plug.

The M120A cable was supplied by ddHiFi for my review…and I thank them for that. You can get it from the DD Official Store.

Arrgh, I was talked again into analyzing an earphone cable that came piggyback with the ddHiFi Janus3 earphone. I don’t like doing this as such reviews give a reviewer a bad name. Why? Because every single cable reviewed “sounds better”, frequently “instantaneously better” than any stock cable or competitor it is compared to.

There is no doubt that analog cables contribute to sonic differences, although they may “measure the same”. No surprise here either as there is no physical correlation between impedance and capacitance on one hand, and soundstage, note definition etc. on the other.

Another problem with testing cables is the reviewers’ expectation bias, fueled by the lack of memory between re-cabling the test earphones. My memory is certainly insufficient and A/B-ing on the push of a button is not possible. There was only one analyst, the revered B9Scrambler, who never included sonic characterizations or comparisons in his reviews.

Even if such were real, they would only apply to that particular test setup and would not be universally valid.

ddHifi are a Chinese company that specialize on audio accessories (with a few exceptions such as the Janus earphone line). Their products are imaginative, practical and of high quality. If you want to get a cross section of their gear, check our reviews of their products. The M120A analyzed here is an earphone cable that comes optionally with MMCX or 2-pin connectors, and a 3.5 mm plug (no balanced version available).

The specs need some explanation:

• CTIA standard refers to the plug with the microphone connector on the sleeve end, which works with all modern smartphones.
• Litz refers to the internal cable structure; it is a special type of multistrand cable designed to reduce skin and proximity effect losses in conducturs below 1 MHz.
• AWG is the short for American Wire Gauge and relates to the wire diameter.
• OCC characterizes the wire material and stands for “Ohno Continuous Casting”. It refers to a method of copper refining developed and patented by Professor Ohno of the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan. The process results in essentially oxygen free pure copper, which has ultra-low impedance that results in rapid signal transmission. And the lack of impurities makes the material corrosion resistant.

The cable is built extremely well with sturdy metal connectors on both ends. It feels rigid and minimizes noise transmission. The jacket is of rather hard polycarbonate and is dirt and water repellent. What I find most appealing is the fact that this cable lacks memory wires…it can be worn over and under ear. Strange that nobody else has had this great idea before. The cable is thin, almost spindly, and light, which contributes to its comfort.

I chose the 0.78 mm two-pin connectors over the MMXX. The two-pin connectors have a universal fit, which includes recessed sockets in earpieces.

When it came to testing this cable, it was initially catching dust. I could not be, pardon, arsed, to tell you how good or bad it sounded. But one fine evening, I ripped the CEMA RX series cable off my LETSHUOER EJ07M iems, and plugged the M120A in. First: it really upgrades these >$600 in terms of haptic and appearance. Second, the M120A is haptically a pleasure. And third, I liked listening to it.

Using the iPhone SE (1st gen.) with the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, my latest “Deutsche Grammophon” classical music acquisitions sounded full and balanced. Whether this is better than the CEMA cable is completely irrelevant for you, everybody has to test a cable with their own equipment. All I can say is that I really like using this cable, and that I am positively surprised.

If you want to test this or any other cable for your yourself, please consider these points:

1. Cables can make a sonic difference, mainly with multi-driver earphones
2. This difference possibly relates to impedance, wire material, and wire structure
3. Impedance differences may in some cases be large enough to result in different sound volumes and can also alter the earphone’s frequency response; such changes in the frequency response can be calculated
4. Cables may not make any difference with some earphones
5. Listeners often mistake volume increase due to lower impedance for sonic improvement
6. The sonic differences between cables are largely independent of price
7. If sonic differences between cables exist, they are not universally valid but only relate to that particular earphone and the cables used in that particular comparison
8. Eartips are the cheaper alternative to achieve a different sound
9. Expensive upgrade cables may sound worse with your favourite earphone than stock cable
10. One may be better off spending the upgrade cable’s price on better earphones

And what does the mic sound like? Here my test recording:

In summary, the M120A works for me. It sits at the upper end of what I cheapskate have spent on an earphone cable in the past. I am just sad that a balanced version does not exist.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Gallery ddHiFi M120A

Disclaimer

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The post ddHiFi M120A Earphone Cable With Mic Review – Sexy Hexy appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The ddHiFi Carrying Case C2023 is yet another well-made textile-leather carrying case for your personal audio gear.

The ddHiFi C2023 was provided by the company upon my request – and I thank them for that. You can get it for $57 from ddHiFi.

Introduction

ddHiFi are a Chinese company that impressed us with high-quality adapters, cables, earphones, dongles, and other accessories – which promoted them collectively to our Wall of Excellence. The company started adding a series of bags and cases 3 years ago with the C2020, a storage wallet for headphone DACs, amps, and other accessories. The C2020 is useful for travel and lives mostly inside a bag or suitcase. The subsequent C2022 was a true on-the-go shoulder bag with the dimensions of a small camera bag.

The new C2023 is another compact shoulder bag with different dimensions and functionality compared to the C2022. It is not an upgrade or replacement but rather a parallel development and a complementary design.

Specifications

Physicalities

The C2023 carrying case, like the C2022, is largely made of double-strand nylon on the outside, with cowhide leather at the bottom and in the front. Critical areas of the bag are padded with sponge material.

The inner lining is of polyester. It comes with a shoulder strap that is also made of sturdy nylon and adjustable in length. It is plenty long for a 6 ft/180 cm guy like me. The straps are of very good quality and so are the zippers.

Features and Functionality

The ddHifi C2023 case is a rather tall and slim bag that can be worn in different ways along the body. Since its compartmentalization is impossible to photograph, I present its layout schematically.

• Green: zippered and padded front pouch for small items: iems, change, bus passes etc.
• Red: the padded main compartment for your DAP, DAC, phone or similar. It features two interior pockets and a keychain.
• Black: a back pouch that can be expanded via a zipper (compare to some carry-on luggage for air travel). It is open towards the top. The pouch can hold a 0.5 l water bottle or a small umbrella, for example.

How to wear

Wear the C2023 like shown in the two images below or without a shoulder strap…just attach it with a carabiner to your belt or backpack. The bag features lots of hooks and D-rings for various configurations.

Comparison C2023 and C2022

C2023 and C2022 differ in shape and functionality, but not in materials. The C2022 is noticeably stubbier and thicker, the C2023 is taller and slimmer. With its 4 compartments, the C2022 holds more gear, but the C2023 holds taller devices – and it sits just better along the body….I find the C2023 ergonomically more appealing.

The C2023 also features some improvements such as the advanced shoulder strap.

When actually using the C2023 bag on a daily basis, I find it more comfortable than the C2022. I also like the idea of the expandable pouch. The C2022 may be not as ergonomic, but it holds more gear.

Concluding Remarks

ddHiFi extends their line of high-quality storage devices with the C2023. Although it serves a slightly different purpose than the bulkier, roomier C2022, I find the smaller but taller C2023 more comfortable to wear. From a material or quality perspective, both are identical. In the end, both bags complement each other.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Disclaimer

I thank ddHifi for providing this case for review. I always have fun analyzing “difficult” items.

Get the C2023 from ddHifi.

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The post ddHiFi C2023 Carrying Case Review – I Want You appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The ddHiFi MFi09S is a 10/50 cm long Lightning to USB-C cable claimed to make an obvious sonic difference. This article also generally addresses the contentious issue of sound improvement by digital cables.

Introduction

ddHiFi have been one of the most innovative companies for portable audio. They produce functional, imaginative, high quality accessories, from bags, through cables to adapters, and even a couple of earphones. Their latest endeavour is the Nyx series of audiophile digital cables, which are all share the same wire material and insulation: a USB-B to USB-A, a USB-C to USB-C, a Ligthning to USB-A and a Lightning to USB-C for connecting iPhones to a DAC.

Therefore, today we are…no, that was already last week. And its only me once again. Therefore, in this article, I examine the ddHifi MFi09S Lightning to USB-C, mainly for its sonic capabilities. There are many crying “snake oil” now (and pull out some questionable measurements in their support), but whining is one thing, and listening is another. As we will see, the situation is not as black and white as it seems.

This article also has another purpose: to summarize our current knowledge of digital data transfer in layman’s terms. Although this is presented rather compact, you may want to re-visite this article for the occasional refresher.

Specifications MFi9S

Physical Things/Technology

You have seen the materials used in the specs above. Power line and data line are made with different wires that are well shielded against each other. The connectors are rather large, therefore easy to grip, and they are very rugged. These plugs fit even the smallest phone case. The cable as such feels substantial but it is a bit stiff, which works better for the shorter 10 cm version. You find technical details on ddHiFi’s USB-data cables product page. Overall, this cable is haptically and visually very attractive.

The MFi09’s lightning connector features a decoding chip which draws a small current from the phone. I did not test this one specifically, but all other non-Apple lightning cables previously in my hands have the same power consumption, as tested here.

Company Claims

ddHifi claims that the MFi09S offers a “noticeable sound quality improvement“. They fail to specify over what the improvement would be (maybe their own MFi06 cable?, but it appears obvious that it must be any other such cable.

Physical Theory

Noise and Timing

So what sonic improvement (over what?) can we expect in a digital cable? After all, it transports zeros and ones, right (which are transmitted as voltage fluctuations)? Actually, it carries data and power in two separate lines.

Principally, there is lots of “digital crap” coming out of a phone: jitter (timing errors) and noise. That’s because a phone is not a dedicated music player. I has no proper audio clock and lots of other functionalities that require different electrical components, which are cramped in a small case and affect the outgoing digital signal negatively, mainly by electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency interference (RFI), and timing errors (jitter). In some cases, interference is caused by the client DAC, as demonstrated on the example of the EarMen Sparrow by Biodegraded. And noise can also be produced inside the cable (through poor insulation).

What’s in a Digital Cable?

Fact is, there is no difference in incoming vs. received data between expensive and budget cables, bits are bits, and the result is “bit perfect” in every case. So, no sonic difference, right? Stop, we have to examine what’s in a bit: jitter, timing, and noise. Jitter and timing can be measured (and corrected for by re-clocking), which leaves us with noise. It is a bit of an unlucky choice of words, I’d call it impurities superimposed on the digital signal which may (or not) degenerate the sound.

A metallic digital cable is principally a conductor that also transports pre-existing noise (it cannot distinguish between the good and bad things in the data stream) but it is also an “antenna” for near-ambient RFI/EMI, and it generates its own stray/spare magnetic and electrical fields (when carrying a constant current).

So what can go wrong during digital data transfer? When signal voltage is transported, the host and the cable may pick up stray signals in addition to the intended one…just like dirt being added to the bathwater. In addition, host, cable, and client can be on different “electrical” ground levels. Third, interferences during transport may generate time delays.

Timing errors need filtering by decrappifiers such as the ifi Nano iUSB 3.0 and re-clocking, typically not done in the phone host but in the DAC client at the other end of the digital cable. EMI can be minimized or avoided by the use of high-quality, well-shielded electronic components in the phone – and by a good digital cable.

In a well-designed cable, data line and power lines are separated and well shielded from each other (and from outside electromagnetic interference from, let’s say, power supplies), and it is twisted to minimize the contact areas between the two. Material also plays a role for data integrity: for example, in networks, fibre optic cables are not susceptible to EMI, copper is. EMI is important not only for the design of cables, but also for the electronics and the circuit board.

In summary, noise contamination happens in the source and/or during transport through the digital cable. The old rule “garbage in, garbage out” is also valid for digital data. If the data stream leaving the phone is compromised, the cable cannot fix it. All it can do is not let it further deteriorate. It cannot reclock or filter, and therefore not correct for the phone’s EMI/RFI and/or jitter.

Therefore, if the source emits a noisy signal, even the best cable makes no difference, but a bad cable further deteriorates the signal. If the host signal is clean, cables may make a difference. A dedicated music player may generate a cleaner data stream than a computer or a phone.

What Others say

The Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg compared “fancy” optical and coaxial cables with generic, low-cost ones. He recorded substantial sonic differences between the expensive and the generic ones. Steve is a reputable analyst: was he dreaming and putting his good reputation at stake? In contrast, no test of Lighting cables has been conducted yet. Actually, I did test a few in my analysis of the ddHifi MFiS06…and found no obvious difference.

Self-acclaimed “objectivists” claim digital data don’t make a difference. This is based on measurements that do not reflect the quality of the data stream – and no physical connection between them and sound is established. And because the measurement setups are as arbitrary as the interpretation of the results, there is nothing objective about them. Nada. Zilch.

To add insult to injury, such protagonists typically don’t bother testing the gear with their ears they lecture the rest of us about. As we know already from earphones: graphs are insufficient for characterizing the sound of a device. And nothing is objective anyway.

Being opinionated is not being objective!

Whatever the theory tells us is one thing, listening is another. What’s important in the end is sound and not opinion. I have written all of the above before any listening test of the MFi09S cable.

Sonic Effects of Noise

I have experienced and described the effects of EMI and RFI (as well as switching noise, but not jitter) on the example of power supplies, for example the Burson Super Charger or the Allo Nirvana & Shanti and ifi Audio Power X. Contamination muddles the sound, it loses clarity and transparency. In the Burson case, I have no desire to go back to the stock power supply, the difference in the amp’s sonic performance was that huge.

Listening

We have learnt that the ddHifi MFi09S Lightning to USB-C cable is just one piece in the noise puzzle, sandwiched between a potentially noisy phone and a USB noise filter and a reclocker. That’s when the less imaginative audio linguist pulls out the phrase “your mileage will vary”. It is not a black and white affair. If the signal incoming from the phone is clean (just switch the Wifi and cell connection off), all a poor cable can do is deteriorate the signal, whereas a good cable has a high data integrity.

Round 1: iPhone SE (1st gen.) with different Lightning Cables

For my testing, I connected my iPhone SE (1st gen.) to the Questyle M15 DAC/amp with different lightning cables:

• ddHiFi MFi09S
• ddHiFi MFi06
• ifi Audio
• makeshift lightning cable 1: TC28i adapter with USB-C charging cable
• makeshift lightning cable 2: Apple camera adapter with USB cable

I then listened with the Moondrop Katos the Final E5000s. If there is a sonic difference between these cables, it is not obvious…and therefore negligible. In order to remove all doubt, I moved on to round 2.

Round 2: iPhone SE (1st gen.) vs. Hidizs AP80 Pro-X DAP

I listened with the Moondrop Kato’s to the following two setups:

• iPhone connected to the Questyle M15 via ddHiFi MFi09S cable
• Hidizs AP80 Pro-X DAP connected to the Questyle M15 via a generic UGREEN USB-C charging cable

Phone and DAP served as transports only – but both use different music softwares. The Hidizs setup sounds obviously better: richer, deeper, cleaner, with better dynamics and more headroom. I speculate the cleaner data stream and/or the different encoding from the dedicated (and therefore less noisy) player make the difference, but not the cable. The paradox is that a technically superior cable may not matter at all in many cases because of the other sound-influencing factors.

In the two test rounds, I toggled the phones cellular connection, Bluetooth, and Wifi on and off in all possible combinations, which also made no sonic difference.

Round 3: iPhone into Marantz SA8005 with different Lightning Cables

To put the lid on the pot, I played the iPhone through the Marantz SA8005 SACD player into the home stereo – and listened with the Sennheiser HD25 headphone with its integrated headphone amp. The MFi09S did not work at all, neither did the ifi Audio OTG cable – the iPhone was not recognized by the Marantz. Only the Apple Lightning cable, an MFI-certified Startech USB cable, and even a cheaper MFI-certified UGREEN charge cable worked. And no, there was no audible difference either.

Reasoning is the fact that the Marantz, like a Mac computer, requires a bi-directional power line (with charging functionality) to communicate with the phone. OTG cables generally do not offer that.

Interpretation

All cables tested “sound” the same. They appear to be reasonably well shielded against EMI/RFI and the metallic wire material used makes no sonic difference but rather other factors such as the source (software, noise) in the phone’s case.

In other words, the MFi09S is overkill for my applications. It may be as good as intended but cannot show its qualities in my setups. It would make a difference if the client DAC was emitting EMI/RFI, but this is a special case. The other fact to consider is that a DAP without network/general computing capabilities sounds better than a phone, even with a budget cable.

Although the MFi09S makes no sonic difference in my tests, it is still not snake oil!

Concluding Remarks

Whether a digital cable makes a sonic difference depends mainly on the data quality of the host. If my phone emits a noisy signal, even the best cable is wasted on it. On the other hand, even the cleanest signal can be contaminated by a poorly designed cable.

ddHiFi’s series of “audiphile” digital cables connects computers, daps, and phones to client DACs. Phones typically produce the noisiest data stream. The fact that I don’t hear a difference in sound quality between the MFi9S and other lightning cables may lie in the problematic phone source. An “audiophile cable” may simply be overkill for this job.

In summary, the lack of “obvious sonic improvement” as claimed by ddHiFi may not reflect on the cable – such a general claim is simply not tenable as such “improvement” (rather call it “lack of deterioration”) would depend on many other factors, too.

But just as with earphones cables, the MFi9S is a haptically substantial, well-handling, durable cable with quality connectors that also adds a visual “jewelry” effect to your OTG setup. Unless you are keen on the overpriced, white, easily fraying Apple equivalents…And there is still ddHiFi’s lower-priced MFi6 cable.

UPDATE 2023-01-03: I also tested the USB-C version of this cable, the ddHiFi TC09BC, and it does make a difference in my test setup. And there is a good explanation why…

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

THE MFi09S cable weather supplied by the ddHiFi for my review upon my request – and I thank them for that. I also thank Alberto for his input to this article.

Get them it from the DD Official Store

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About my measurements.

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

Gallery

The post ddHiFi MFi09S Digital Cable Review – Fancy Overkill! appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The article shows how to customize the sound of your iems by changing the frequency response – without equalization – and in a non-destructive way. That is, the modification is quickly reversible. The results of this earphone modding may vary but you will frequently enjoy an earphone more when modified than right out of the box.

Introduction: Why reversible Earphone modding?

Reversible earphone modding (“modifying”), mainly performed with micropore tape, aims to balance an earphone’s sound to better fit one’s personal tonal preferences. Those audioreviews.org authors who are also subscribing to the “Super Best Audio Friends” Forum, have always been keen on the technique.

In the following, I will summarize the basic principles and some simple tricks & tips in an easy cookbook style to assist you in getting the best out of your earphones. You then can dig deeper into some case studies provided.

Reversible meaning that, after modding, the iems can be easily brought back to their initial stage…no holes poked, nothig ripped off etc. That’s favourable if you want to sell them later…

Modding is required then some iems don’t sound right for some listeners out of the box. They may be too bright (“shouty”) or the may have too much/not enough bass. In some cases, a different cable of different eartips help, but our method is cheaper – and it can be applied on top of all others. It changes the frequency spectrum without equalization.

The idea of “reversible modding” was initiated and pioneered by SBAF/Head-Fier James444. We reproduced his wisdom with his permission on our blog, previously, whilst applying and refining it ourselves over time.

Typically, a sensitive listener wishes to reduce unwanted peaks in the upper midrange (2-4 kHz harshness and hardness area) and treble (e.g. 7-10 kHz sibilance area). And he/she also wants to attenuate an overly inflated bass, particularly slowly decaying mid-bass humps. In short, if the frequency response curve is a U or V with its lowest point in the lower midrange (let’s say at 1 kHz), this shape should open up towards a horizontal line in the eyes of an “audiophile”.

Dynamic-driver (DD) earphones, because of their comparatively simple design, are easier to modify than balanced armature (BA) multi-drivers or hybrids.

Our Success Stories

Our authors have tamed the upper midrange by micropore mod in the following iems – and included the process and results in their respective writeups (each of which gives you insights in the particular modding process) – but I recommend finishing this article first before dipping into the particulars:

• Blon A8 Prometheus
• Blon BL-05 MK1
• Brainwavz Delta
• ddHifi Janus2
• KBEAR Diamond
• KBEAR TRI3
• KBEAR KB04
• KZ EDX
• LETSHOUER S12
• Moondrop Kato
• Moondrop SSR
• Moondrop Starfield
• NF Audio NM2+
• NiceHCK M5
• NiceHKC NX7
• NiceHCK NX7 Pro
• Pioneer CH3
• Rose Technics QT-9 MK2S
• Shanling ME80
• Shozy Form 1.1
• Tin Hifi T2 Evo
• TRN BA8
• TRN VX
• Unique Melody 3DT
• Urbanfun YBF-ISS014

Materials needed

You will find most of these items in your household. The biggest hurdle may be finding 3M micropore tape. Have a look at your local drug mart or health supplies store (e.g try here if you live in Calgary).

1. 3M micropore tape (Johnson & Johnson micropore tape may be too thick; you can also try Transpore tape)
2. Electrical tape or Scotch tape (Tesa Film for Germans)
3. Alcohol swabs (only in rare cases; 2-ply because it is the thinnest)
4. Thin wire (create it from a twist tie)
5. Needle
6. Scissors

One IEM, two Vents: the physical Principles

Typically (but not always), an iem has two vents, one in the front and one in the back. Here the Tinaudio T2 as an example.

Head-Fier James444 explains the functionality of the vents (original Head-Fi post):

Front Vent: making it smaller increases bass. Explanation: the front-mod adds a tiny amount of front leakage which avoids over-pressurization in the ear canal and reduces bass quantity. Attenuation is a bit stronger in deep bass than in mid/upper bass, resulting in a bass-lighter, but slightly more mid-bassy signature. Because of the leakage, isolation is slightly reduced.

Back vent: adding air increases bass; decreasing back vent diameter makes bass roll off. Reducing the air flow through the rear vent by taping it reduces bass (cover up and poke). Explanation: the back-mod restricts airflow through the back vent, resulting mainly in mid/upper bass attenuation. Deep bass remains unchanged and strong. Due to partial blocking of the back vent, isolation is slightly increased.

Both vents: the combination of front and back-mod yields the largest amount of bass attenuation and results in a significantly more balanced signature than stock.

Reducing and increasing Upper Midrange/Treble

Attenuating Upper Midrange/Treble

Is your earphone shouty? This mod can affect the frequency range between 5 and 15 kHz, depending on earphone.

This is done by adding micropore tape onto the nozzle:

1. Cover 80-90% of the screen with a single strip of micropore tape or use two thinner strips and tape over in a cross-like manner. this should do the job in most of of cases.
2. If this does not work perfectly well, try this: cover the nozzle 100%, then take a needle and poke a hole in the middle and four by the edges.If this still does not do the job in rare cases…
3. You can also try covering ca. 80-90% with 2.5 mm square of 3M micropore tape. This resulted resulted in 2-3 dB decrease in the upper midrange of the TRN VX.

Downside: if nozzle is covered too much, micropore can slow down the bass and make it “boomy” and/or compromise dynamics and soundstage in some earphones.

Example on the right: 95% of screen taped over with 3M micropore tape removed an evil 6-7 kHz “sibilance” peak in a Knowledge Zenith ED3.

Increasing Upper Midrange/Treble

Since the human ear hears the whole frequency spectrum in context, you increase perceived upper midrange/treble by reducing bass. See below how this is done.

Reducing and increasing Bass

Attenuating Bass with Micropore Tape

This is a twofold process and involves a bit of juggling between the two. Measuring comes in handy for double checking the results.

1. Taping off the back vent. If bass is too weak now, poke a hole into the tape to dose bass quantity. As long the hole in the tape is smaller than the original vent opening, the bass will be removed.
2. Creating an air-vent (or aid duct) in the front between tip and nozzle: this easy process is described over there. If you prefer a quickie, follow these pictures…

The combination of back-mod and front mod yields the largest amount of bass attenuation and results in a significantly more balanced signature than stock. If there is no back vent, one can obviously only do the air ducting. And that’s how it goes:

Unfortunately, you will never be able to speed up the bass, that is making it less muddy…but, of course, the muddiness will appear less irritating with reduced bass quantity after modding.

Below an example of a successful mod.

Attenuating Bass with the “Gummiringerl” (=Elastics) Method

(German, Viennese slang: “Gummiringerl”…little rubber ring, elastic; name coined and method suggested by SBAF/Head-Fier James444). 

The air-vent mod can also be performed with rubber string/elastic/any other string: pull through between tip and nozzle, then cut the ends off. You can try string of varying thickness. The downside is lack of flexibility in fine tuning, but you don’t have to worry about channel balance and it probably lasts longer. And it is faster and easier.

Increasing Bass with Micropore Tape

Tape off front vent for maximum effect. If you would like to scale it down, poke a small hole. The bigger the hole, the lesser the bass. Measure channel balance after each step, or do it sonically using a sine wave (Online Tone Generator).

Example: The Tinaudio T2s’ bass can be maximized by taping the front vent over. The bass quantity can be scaled back by poking a hole into the tape.

How to add Bass Extension

That’s hit and miss and varies from earphone to earphone. The idea is to reduce the air flow in the back vent. It is a byproduct of reducing bass by reducing the size of the back vent by taping and poking as described above.

Modding Limitations – That awful 3 kHz Peak

3 kHz peaks may introduce unpleasant hardness and fatigue, but they effectively cannot be safely removed with a reversible mod. Some drivers may respond to micropore tape on the nozzle: it is therefore worth a try to either cover the nozzle grille with 80-90% of micropore tape or remove the screen with a needle, tape completely over with micropore tape and poke a hole near the edge…as described in the treble section.

Other published Mods

Successful mods of single dynamic-driver earphones performed and described by James444:

Alpex HSE-A2000 —  balancing reduction of bass and treble

JVC FD01 with DIY filters — dampening with swabs

JVC HA-FX850 — with great explanations of the physics

Pioneer CH3 — treble reduction only

Kopiokaya explains his mods of the following earphones in great detail:

TRN VX — shoutiness reduced

KBEAR Diamond — bass attenuated

Concluding Remarks

The methods I have summarized in this article may help you getting over your dissatisfaction with a recent purchase – by easy, inexpensive means. In the future, just read as many evaluations of an iem as possible to form the most complete picture.

And please, never – NEVER – fall for any YouTube hypsters/salesmen/influencers and order pricey iems on spec. They mostly want your money. We don’t.

Although this article is quite comprehensive, the relevant chapters can be easily selected and accessed from the “Table of Contents” above. All of these methods are easy and can be performed by people with two left hands. I am the best example of that.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

I thank James444 and Kopiokaya for their insights and cooperation. James444’s wisdom is reproduced here with his permission.

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The post The Principles Of Reversible Earphone Modding – Removing Shoutiness and Bass Boom… appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The ddHifi TC35i is a dongle sonically identical to Apple’s lightning audio adapter in a more compact shape with a better shielded and more premium metal enclosure.

Pros — World’s most compact 3.5 mm lightning adapter; good sounding; compact; great design; rugged.

Cons — Pricey.

Introduction

When ddHifi released the TC25i, which is 2.5 mm balanced version of their lightning adapter, they were tight lipped about its internals. But rumour had it they used the same chip as found in the Apple dongle (the one that used to come with your iPhone).

And whilst the rumour solidified, Apple themselves never released the specifications of their own adapter. The TC35i analysed for this article also features the Apple chipset, so that the specs published here may give us insight into the Apple’s adapter design.

ddHifi have been specializing in attractive and well-made accessories (and lately also iems such as the Janus) that blend design and functionality in a way that put the whole company up on our Wall of Excellence.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

The ddHifi TC35i is the world’s most compact and most rugged Apple Audio adapter. Yes, it features the same tech components as its Apple counterpart: a microscopic stereo digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a stereo headphone amplifier, a microphone preamplifier, and monophonic analog-to-digital converter (ADC) – and power converters to run the whole.

The big difference to the Apple adapter is that the TC35i comes in a metal enclosure that is not only much sturdier but it also provides better shielding against electromagnetic interference.

Amplification and Power Consumption

The key asset of Apple’s internal dac/amp combination was a very low output impedance of about 1 ohm, which should be indentical in the TC35i. We ideally want a low output impedance for any music player (<3 ohm) for optimal earphone/earphone pairing.

The Apple adapter not only has an output impedance of <1 ohm, it also has by far the lowest power consumption of all the dongles I have tested. Again, this should also be valid for the TC35i. In terms of amplification, Apple/TC35i handle iems and headphones up to 50 ohm impedance with ease. The 70 ohm Koss Porta Pros are marginal.

Sound

The TC35i’s sound is neutral, clear, clean, transparent with accurate and tight bass reproduction. In comparison, most dongles such as the Helm Bolt, Shanling UA2 or the AudioQuest DragonFlys are slightly coloured. The ddHifi dongle works well with even the most sensitive multi-driver items.

Anything the TC35i drives sounds excellent be it phone or computer. The Audioquest Dragonflys actually add bass and therefore colour (“warmth”) whereas the TC35i is more neutral. It is hard to find a dongle that equals or surpasses the TC35i/Apple audio adapter in terms of dynamics, clarity, cleanliness, and imaging.

Concluding Remarks

The ddHifi TC35i is the world’s smallest and most compact Apple audio adapter, improved over the original trough better shielding and a more rugged design. And a more premium look and feel. It may not be the most powerful but will drive any iem up to 50 ohm with ease at a sound quality adapted from and designed by the engineers of one of the world’s most influential tech companies. The TC35i delivers proven quality in a better shell.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The TC35i was provided by ddHifi for my analysis and I thank them for that. You can purchase it from DD Official Store.

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The ddHiFi Carrying Case C2022 is a well-made textile-leather carrying case for personal audio gear. It is roomy enough to hold a couple of daps or portable headphone amplifiers plus accessories.

Pros — Spacious, practical, attractive, great workmanship approved by a seamstress.

Cons — Buckles made of plastic (not metal); no shoulder pad.

Introduction

ddHifi have left a big impression on us in the past. The company sparkles with innovation with their adapters, cables, earphones, dongles, and other accessories. Anything they released is not only extremely useful but also optically and haptically of the highest quality. Any premium earphone that went through Calgary on a Head-Fi tour contained at least one ddHifi adapter. It is therefore no wonder that the company made it as a whole onto our Wall of Excellence.

I love storage. Being German by trade, I like to have my gear orderly stowed, but also quickly accessible. ddHifi’s C-2020 case fulfills all these requirements, but it is a tech organizer and a pure storage device, bulky and therefore best suited for travelling in our luggage.

The C2022 is a totally different design – inside and outside – to be worn on the go while playing music – if desired. It therefore has a different functionality. Both cases are complementary.

Let’s see what the C2022 case can do for us…

Specifications

Physicalities

The C2022 carrying case is largely made of double-strand nylon on the outside, with cowhide leather at the bottom and on the sides. The inner lining is of polyester. It comes with a shoulder strap that is also made of sturdy nylon and adjustable in length. It is plenty long for a 6 ft/180 cm guy like me. The velcro straps are of very good quality and so is the zipper.

I showed the C2022 to my sister-in-law who is a seamstress. She approved of the stitching and the ruggedness of the fabric. Not much I can add.

Functionality

The ddHifi C2022 case looks very much like a camera bag. Since its compartmentalization is impossible to photograph, I drew its layout schematically.

• Green: On the outside is a “frontal zipper pouch for small items” (iems, SD cards, batteries, adapters). Too small for iems.
• The main bag is divided into 3 compartments: slim front and rear pockets with double velcro straps (blue) for phone, dap, power bank, dongles etc.
• The middle pocket (red) is extremely roomy and offer storage even for the fattest Discman, Walkman, even a small desktop amp…the sky’s your limit.

There are several loops on the back and the sides for attaching shoulder strap, carabiners or similar and/or strapping the case to another device.

Let’s now have a look what this looks like in real life.

These plastic parts may be sturdy and light but I preferred the metal in the C-2020.

When actually using the C2022 bag on a daily basis, I found it interfering with my arms because of its depth. It sticks out from the body quite a bit. I’d prefer a different aspect ratio: wider and less deep, like a map case (and not so much like a camera bag). I’d also appreciate a shoulder pad for increased comfort considering you can load this bag up quite a bit. But maybe this shape is optimal for you. You can see that readily from the photos.

As to the price, I don’t find $50 particularly cheap, but it is all relative. A Van Nuys bag costs you three times as much. After all ddHifi use real leather. Nevertheless do I find the identically C-2020 bag a better value (with more metal and more leather).

Concluding Remarks

Well, schlepp your audio gear around while listening to it with this well-made, rugged, and practical ddHifi C2022 bag. I am taking it on an intercontinental trip to Europe this July. It may not be the cheapest solution, but when looking at a comparable Van Nuys, Coach, or Louis Vuitton, you may be out a multiple of what you pay for the C2022.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Disclaimer

I thank ddHifi for providing this case for review. I always have fun analyzing “difficult” items.

Get the C2022 carrying case from ddHifi.

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Cons — None.

Executive Summary

The ddHiFi MFi06 and TC03 are digital cables that are well conducting, well insulated, built rugged and priced right. And they add optical appeal to our devices.

Introduction

ddHiFi have been favourites of our blog for quite some time. They produce very well designed, functional AND optically appealing audio accessories and even earphones.

I have tested their TC25i and TC28i adapters, their Carrying Case C-2020 as well as their Janus E2020A and Janus E2020B earphones. And I purchased a few of their audio adapters. For their accessories, the whole company is attached to our Wall of Excellence.

In this article, I am analyzing the MFi06 and TC03, two USB cables in the broadest sense. Both have a USB-C connector on one and, the MFi06 has a lightning plug on the other, and the TC03 a micro USB plug.

And all USB cables are equal, right? Zeros and ones transfer the sound, the stock cable is as good as the snake oil ones at $$$.

Erm, stop. Not always. The signal carried by the cable is not only zeros and ones (which are actually transmitted as voltage fluctuations), there may be some noise riding along the lines that affects sound quality. Two kinds of noise exist, “Electromagentic Interference” (EMI) and “Radio-Frequency Interference” (RFI).

If the data line is not effectively shielded, nearby electrical components (e.g., switching power supplies, other fluctuating electrical/magnetic fields from computer circuitry) can contribute to EMI that might pollute the USB data.”

Running power and data lines (from a phone or computer) through a single USB cable can cause additional interference and exacerbate the issue. Decrapifiers such as the AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ act as filters to reduce such pollution, but a “good” USB cable adds to this effect, too.

“Good” does not refer to the wire (that’s where the snake oil is) but to the insulation of the power and data lines against each other. In other words, a quality cable does not add anything, it makes sure that nothing is taken away from the signal quality.

A well-known example of the positive effects of insulation is the EarMen Sparrow dongle, that, when operated with a phone, can show strong interference in the shape of intermittent buzzing and clicking (subsides when switching the phone function off). The culprit is the stock cable, and a good third-party cable strongly reduces (but might not completely eliminate) the problem.

One measure of the shielding effectiveness of different cables, the resistance of shield terminations, was investigated in this thread.

Good-quality, well-shielded USB cables do not have to be expensive. USB audio pioneer Gordon Rankin reported very poor $$$ USB cables to me. It is all about the cable’s design, not the price.

ddHiFi are a company that offer a large range of imaginative, well designed, and well built accessories….and even a couple of earphones.

Physical Things

Both cables are 8 cm long. Wire material is high-purity silver-plated OCC copper.

Four strands of separately insulated wire serve as conductor. The inner insulation is teflon. The outer insulation is thermoplastic polyurethane imported from Germany. The aluminum alloy connector are cased in stainless steel to minimize external interference.

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is any of a class of polyurethane plastics with many properties, including elasticity, transparency, and resistance to oil, grease, and abrasion. Technically, they are thermoplastic elastomers consisting of linear segmented block copolymers composed of hard and soft segments.

As it appears, these cables are technically sound. They feature good conductors and sufficient internal and external insulation. Sonically, they are indistinguishable from the OEOTG cable and one other brand of which I could not identify (see photo at the bottom of this article).

Haptically, the MFi06 and TC03 are vastly superior over the typical stock cables and the Apple Camera Adapter. The connectors feel rugged, the cable is flexible and the shiny, pearly white TPU is dirt and grease resistant.

And, let’s face it, these cables also add a jewelry effect to our gear. Yep, they don’t just feel good between the fingers, they also look good.

All good so far, only one worry remains: the MFi06’s battery consumption.

MFi06’s Battery Consumption

The MFi06’s lightning connector features a decoding chip which draws current from the phone. The question is how much it contributes to the phone’s battery drain.

I measured battery consumption of different dongles (AudioQuest DragonFly Red, Shanling UA2 single ended, Hidisz S9 Pro single ended) with the Apple Camera Adapter vs. the MFi06. I then repeated these tests with two other Lightning to USB-C cables (OEOTG and an unknown brand) for comparison purposes. All tests were performed under identical conditions. The absolute values are meaningless, what is important are the relative values.

.

Results:

1) The Apple Camera Adapter has by far the lowest power consumption.

2) In my 3 h tests, the 3rd-party MFi chip in the ddHiFi MFi06 cable consumed between 130 and 220 mAh (23%-36%) more (for my specific test parameters) than the one in the Apple Camera Adapter.

3) All three tested 3rd-party cables appear to have the same MFi chip (approx. same battery consumption with Shanling UA2).

4) Battery consumption of the ddHiFi MFi06 cable varies vastly between dongles. It is much lower for the DragonFly Red that consumes by far the least battery with the Apple Camera Adapter.

In summary, the MFi06’s power consumption is acceptable for today’s ever increasing phone battery capacities.

Concluding Remarks

The ddHiFi TC03 and MFi cables do what they are supposed to do: they work as promised while adding appeal to our devices. And they don’t break our piggy banks.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

THE MFi06 and TC03 cables were supplied by the ddHiFi for my review – and I thank them for that.

Get them from the DD Official Store

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About my measurements.

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

Gallery

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Cons — Included “Spring Tips” too small for big ear canals.

Executive Summary

The Moondrop KATO か と is a well-balanced, smooth sounding single DD earphone that sets a new standard in the $200 region.

Introduction

In the Japanese syllabary of Hiragana, か と stands for “ka to” or Kato, which is the 10th most Japanese surname. I struggled with these characters in my Japanese class at university during the mid 1990s…in order to end up in China later – many times. And yes, it was Chengdu, Sichuan, the home of Moondrop. C’est la vie. But we digress.

The 10 also stands for the number of Moondrop iems I have reviewed, following the company’s odyssey of tunings, always with micropore tape on standby to tame the iems’ upper midrange.

But, to my absolute delight, there is no more tape needed for the か と, pardon “KATO”. It is as smooth as silk. I said it weeks earlier in the SBAF forum, Moondrop are raising the <$200 bar with this model.

Now, before you pull the trigger on your order, please read on. The fact that this iem is astounding still does not mean everybody will love it. There are some strange listeners out there, after all.

The か と, erm…well…you know…is a further development of the $190 KXXS, which was a modification of the $190 KPE (Kanas Pro Edition). I don’t know the KXXS but found the KPE incoherent in that it was warm and thick at the low end and overly lean and neutral in the midrange. I did not like it.

The $110 Moondrop Starfield was said to be very similar sounding as the KXXS (although some disagree), but they are somewhat “loose” at the low end compared to the Kato.

The $90 Aria has recently rolled up the Moondrop field from underneath for being coherent, articulate, but it is also a bit peaky, which nevertheless made it my favourite Moondrop model so far…until now. Spoiler alert: the KATO is even better in that it is smoother and richer. Everything in the KATO is bigger compared to the leaner Aria. It is like a cappuccino with generous whipped cream vs. a strong cup of black tea.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the (rather big) box are the two earpieces, 2 sets of screw-on tuning nozzles (steel and brass), a carrying bag and a carrying case, a set of foams and a set of Moondrop’s own “Spring Tips”, the earphone cable, and the unavoidable paperwork. Generous!

The steel earpieces are virtually identical with the KPE’s and KXXS’ from the outside, but inside they host a new Ultra-Linear Technology driver for improved dynamics and resolution (info on product page). All these earpieces have the same comfortable fit.

The cable is bordering on spectacular – and you know I usually don’t care much about those. It is of medium weight and intermediate stiffness with fantastic haptic and no microphonics.

The in-house developed “Spring Eartips” also feel superb: they have a rather thin membrane and feel extremely grippy. Unfortunately, they are rather small so that even the largest pair does not fit my ear canals. In contrast, the foams are of generous sizes. And since foams generally do not do it for me, I have good results with the Final E tips (clear version). With those, isolation is ok.

The Moondrop KATO can be driven with a phone, but they get more life when amplified.

Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: Sony NW-A55, MacBook Air + Audioquest DragonFly Red/Earstudio HUD100/EarMen Eagle + AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ; steel and brass stock nozzles; Final E tips (clear version).

Sonically, the Moondrop KATO has no sharp corners or other sonic vulgarities, everything is well measured and well composed. To achieve this, low end and midrange have been dialled back compared to previous models.

Despite lesser quantity, the low end is digging deep down into the lowest frequencies with the bass climaxing at the transition to the sub-bass. This avoids a thumpy midbass. The low end is weighty with enough rumble, and the mid bass has a good punch, but both are well dosed and not overwhelming – and rather smooth and subtle. Decay is realistic and there is no bleed into the lower midrange. The bass adds some colour to the mix.

In contrast to its predecessors such as the KPE, the KATOs’s midrange also has some colour which harmonizes much better with the low end. The KATO’s midrange is fuller bodied with well rounded notes and a good weight but also offers great clarity, transparency, and spatial cues.

New is the lack of an upper midrange (and treble) peak which attenuated and sharpened vocals in the Starfield or, to a lesser extent, in the Aria. Nothing aggressive in the KATO. Hurrah, Moondrop finally did it and I can retire my micropore tape I used to stick onto so many Moondrop nozzles to tame the upper midrange.

Treble has better extension than (many) previous Moondrop single DD models but always remains sweet, composed, and well resolving, contibuting to KATO’s overall cohesion.

Staging and imaging are outstanding. Soundstage has good depth and height at average width. There is no congestion, great three-dimensionality, very good separation and layering. Transients are realistic, which adds to the smoothness.

I summary, the Moondrop KATO is one of (if not) the smoothest and most homogenous iems I have tested.

All of the above was determined with the steel nozzle. The brass nozzle adds body to the sound but also removes clarity. I therefore prefer the steel nozzle, which was also used for the comparisons below.

Moondrop KATO compared

Since Moondrop have pursued their VDSF target in their recent single DD models, their frequency responses are all rather similar – but not their sound. The biggest difference is probably between the KATO and the $800 Moondrop Illumination in that the latter has a much more boosted upper midrange, which made it somewhat shouty to my ears. I much prefer the much cheaper KATO.

In comparison, the Moondrop Aria has more bass and a prominent treble peak, which makes it overall more aggressive sounding. The Aria is also leaner, cooler, and edgier sounding with inferior imaging. So yes, the KATO is a worthy upgrade.

The Moondrop Starfield is looser and less measured across the frequency spectrum with earlier treble rolloff and a narrow stage. It is also behind the KATO in terms of technicalities and I even prefer the Aria over the Starfield.

The $250 single DD JVC HA-FDX1 (on our Wall of Exellence “WoE”) have been a very highly regarded standard staple for the last 2 years, mainly because of their rather accurate tonality at a very reasonable price. The JVCs are more neutral and crisper in their attack compared to the warmer, smoother and more immersive KATO, which lack the JVC’s upper midrange glare.

The JVCs have a flatter stage, the perfect bass, they are harder to drive, but they are tonally very accurate and are even cleaner sounding than the KATO. It is a bit silly to compare these as both are superb in their own way.

The IKKO OH10, also on our WoE, has a more pronounced V-shape than the KATO with a thicker, boomier, more impactful/more satisfying bass and more recessed leaner and sharper, that is more energetic midrange. This results in a huge soundstage. Again, the IKKO OH10 are a different beast and not exchangeable for the Kato.

Finally ddHiFi Janus2 (taped) is shouty and thinner (in the midrange) sounding than the KATO. It also has less bass. The Janus2 is not remotely as smooth and cohesive as the KATO.

Concluding Remarks

Moondrop finally got it 100% right. Their KATO is a super smooth performer with a superb overall presentation. It is technically and tonally good enough to please both analytical and recreational listeners. You cannot do better at this price, as simple as that. Just bo and guy it. What…?

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The KATO was kindly provided from Moondrop via their distributor Shenzhenaudio – and I thank them for that.

Get the KATO from SHENZHENAUDIO.

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Cons — Voices rather lean (easily fixable).

Executive Summary

The ddHifi Janus2 (model 2020B) is a moderately warm and technically very capable single DD earphone with a bright tilt in the midrange. It is sonically completely different from the Janus1 (2020A).

Introduction

In the previous article we had a look at ddHifi’s first earphone, the Janus (2020A or Janus1). This is my analysis of the Janus2 (2020B) which replaces it. As it appears, some early adopters of the 2020A may have decried a lack of sub-bass extension so that ddHifi modelled their follow-up according to some frequency response model curve (I speculate).

Janus1 sound(ed) great to me as the tuning is matching the driver. Other examples of great-sounding iems with “unusual” frequency responses are the Dunu Zen, the Final Audio E3000/E5000, and Meze RAI Solo, to name just a few. There are, on the other hand, iems that sound meh because they were squeezed into a model curve. The SeeAudio Yume comes to mind.

What this tells us is that quantity (“frequency responses”) does not always translate to quality (“sound”). In fact, it never really does, but some frequency responses may ring alarm bells.

One thing up front, the newly designed Janus2 has sonically little in common with the Janus1: it is bassier, brighter, and faster. Whether this means is it more balanced than the Janus1, we will work out as follows.

Optically, not much has changed, there is more steel (and less “transparency”) in the earpieces, but there is a new, “faster” driver with high-speed tweeter inside.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the two earpieces, the C80A PU leather storage case ($25) with magnetic lock, the BC110A silver plated ofc cable with MMCX connectors ($46) and the C10A magnetic cable clip ($8), 2 sets of silicone eartips (red-stemmed “bass type” bulbous narrow-bores, and black-stemmed “treble type” short wide-bores), 10 MMCX hole dust covers, and the usual paperwork. As you see, you can purchase some of the included accessories individually, and they add up to almost $80.

The earpieces preserve the Janus1′ innovative shape and still feature the dual connectors (2 pin, 0.78 mm and MMCX).

The cable’s wires are a combination of OFC (oxygen-free copper, for grounding) and silver-plated OFC (for data transmission) that comes with MMCX connectors and a 3.5 mm plug. The MMCX connection is the tighest fitting I have experienced. Cable’s outer material is medium hard PVC, which gives the cable just the right elasticity and keeps it free from microphonics.

The cable is devoid of (constricting) earhooks so that the earpieces can be worn over and under ear. In summary, an excellent one.

The case is still stain and fading resistant, lined with microfibre, and with a magnetic lock, but the material is now PU leather, which is smoother than the Janus1’s cowhide leather (but lacks that natural smell).

The reversible magnetic cable clips is strong enough to hold the Janus2 on the fridge door (a first step to our Wall of Excellence?) and on my jacket.

And like the Janus1, the Janus2 are very comfortable whilst isolation is soso. The included wide-bores worked again best for me. With its higher sensitivity, the Janus2 is easier to drive than the Janus1.

As with the Janus1, the whole assembly, that is earpieces and cable, is extremely light and small, and fit in the smallest shirt pocket.

Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: MacBook Air, iPhone SE (1st gen.); AudioQuest Dragonfly Red/Earstudio HUD100 w. JitterBug FMJ, AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, EarMen Eagle; Astell & Kern PEE51; both sets of stock tips (red-stemmed “bass type” bulbous narrow-bore, and black-stemmed “treble type” short wide-bores); 200 hours of break in.

ddHifi have tuned the new 10 mm high-speed driver of the Janus2 completely differently compared to the original Janus1 by adding bass and upper midrange (for balance) but the treble (rolloff) remains approximately the same.

In the big picture, this results in a well-tempered DD sound, big staging, lushious spatial cues, good dynamics and excellent note definition, but a leaner midrange (compared to the Janus1) with grain at higher volumes and the occasional sibilance. In my testing, the Janus2 sounded best with a warm, organic source such as the two DragonFlys or the slightly cooler EarMen Eagle.

Sub-bass extension is (now) adequate, you get a good rumble at the low end, but it is still not record breaking deeply rooted. Mid bass is punchy and dynamic with a satisfying kick. There is good speed and texturing…it is on the faster side of the dynamic drivers I have tested. And yes, there are more than enough bass and impact, way more than in the Janus1.

Male and female are natural and well sculptured, with very good note definition and articulation, but they are also lean and frequently sharp, which can get fatiguing. A bit more body would have done them well. Read on…

That boosted upper midrange may help with the perceived technicalities and provide for a clean and transparent midrange, but it makes the lower midrange thin and breathy. And yes, the midrange is shouty at higher volumes and high violin notes can be grainy, but it is well resolving and clean at lower volumes. But…

As always with peaky iems, I put a strip of micropore tape over the nozzles (80-90% of the screens covered), which calms the upper midrange down (results vary between earphones). In this case, it removes most of the shoutiness and adds body to the vocals – and brings the bass out.

After this reversible fix, voices are not aggressive anymore and the richness of the vocals are now acceptable. Problem solved. ddHifi should have not boosted the 4-6 kHz that much, and they should have implemented the pinna gain between 1 and 2 kHz (instead of 3 kHz).

Note definition is very good across the midrange right into the well-resolving lower treble: high piano notes are well defined with cymbals, although somewhat back, are crisp. The recession in the lower midrange from 6 kHz progresses right into the upper midrange above 10 kHz which moves the vocals ahead of the high notes.

Some of the very high notes are tizzy, probably related to the 15 kHz spike, which definitely adds fake resolution, air, and sparkle to the midrange. The lower treble is largely similar to the Janus1’s, that is sweet and polite – and therefore pleasant on the ear.

Soundstage is rather wide with decent depth and height. Imagining, spatial cues, and 3D transparency are very good and so is separation. All better than in Janus1. The driver speed makes this possible and is also responsible for the excellent dynamics and attack. There is no smearing going on.

Timbre is organic with that bit of brightness added. Get yourself some micropore tape and make it darker…

Janus2 Compared

The $199 IKKO Gems OH1S 1 DD +1 BA has a much lesser bass and treble extension and is therefore less V-shaped. OH1S’s vocals are more forward and richer, but also with a tendency toward brightness.

The original Janus1 lacks the low-end extension, and vocals sound thicker owing to the more contained upper midrange. To me the Janus1 has a tad too little upper midrange and the Janus2 has too much. This also results in a narrower stage in the Janus1. The midrange of the Janus1 is somewhat reminiscent of the Sennheiser IE 500 PRO. It can also not compete with Janus2 in terms of dynamics.

The frequency responses of the Janus2 and the very well resolving NF NM2+ look similar, but the latter is much hotter in my perception – and way more analytical. Too hot to handle for me.

Concluding Remarks

ddHifi have produced a very good sophomore iem, but with a caveat: 2 steps forward and 1 step back. They implemented a faster dynamic driver and tuned it according a model curve as it seems. Out came a more dynamic, better resolving, better imaging, better staging iem (than Janus1 2020A).

However, the Janus2 falls short in the vocals department by an overdone upper midrange boost. Luckily, this can be fixed by very simple means. If ddHifi had tuned it slightly better, the Janus2 could be considered being fantastic.

If you own the Janus1, should you…? Erm…I don’t know but the Janus2 is a completely different beast.

The Janus2 is as innovative and classy as the rest of ddHifi’s offerings, it truly is a good sounding work of art and deserves a design award.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

All Our 280 Earphone and Earbud Reviews (with Links)

Disclaimer

The Janus2 was provided by ddHifi for my analysis. Thank you very much.

Get the ddHifi from the DD Official Store

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

Gallery

The post ddHiFi Janus2 (E2020B) Review – Second Coming appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — Poor bottom end extension.

Executive Summary

The ddHifi Janus (also referred to as Janus1 or E2020A) is a well-accessorized, mid-centric, articulate iem that is very well suited for listening just with a phone. It has been superseded by Janus2.

Introduction

ddHiFi have been bringing us innovation + functionality + design since 2017. Their products work well, look good, and it is no surprise that the whole company made it onto our Wall of Excellence. Most recently, the company added a new category to their portfolio: earphones. And the Janus is their first iem release. As you can see from the images, the Janus follows the design ideas of some of the ddHifi adapters, which makes it optically distinct from any other iem on the market.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the earpieces and accessories worth >$90 when purchased individually: the $60 BC120A (Forest) Air Series Earphone Cable, the $25 C80B Genuine Leather Storage Case, an $8 C10B Magnetic Cable Clip, 2 sets of eartips (red-stemmed “bass type” bulbous narrower-bore, and black-stemmed “treble type” short widebores), and 10 MMCX port covers. The whole assembly, that is earpieces and cable, are extremely light and small, and fit in the smallest shirt pocket.

The earpieces contain a flexible printed circuit board that contributes to their lightweight. They feature two different connectors on opposite ends, one 2pin/0.78mm, and an MMCX. That’s the reference to Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings…an obviously very flexible deity. He is commonly represented by a double-faced head (frequently on antique coins).

The very light Forest cable comes with with MMCX connectors and a 2.5 mm balanced CNC machined alloy plug. It contains 4 conductors made of 6N OCC copper (that is 99.9999% purity) mixed with kevlar fibre. The outer material is interesting as it looks and feels waxy (= dirt resistant) like Twizzler candy, made of thermoelastic elastomer. The cable is free of microphonics. A truly superb cable.

The case is made from cowhide leather and coated to be stain and fading resistent. It smells nice. The interior is lined with microfibre and the lock is magnetic. Also interesting is the double-sided magnetic cable clip that adheres to the case, if not needed, but can also be used to attach the cable to a coat or bag when used on the road. See the Gallery section at the end.

The earpieces are extremely comfortable and can be worn over and under ear as the cable does not have any earhooks. The wide-bore tips worked best for me. The Janus are reasonably easy to drive (despite their 93 DB sensitivity) and some rare earphones that do not substantially benefit from amplifying. They sound great with my iPhone.

Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: MacBook Air, iPhone SE (1st gen.); AudioQuest Dragonfly Red/Earstudio HUD100 w. JitterBug FMJ, AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, both sets of stock tips (red-stemmed bass type, and black-stemmed treble type); 200 hours of break in.

O dear, that graph looks more like of an earbud than of an iem, some “graphologists” may say. The low end is already rolling off in the lower midrange and the upper midrange is rolled back. One would expect the Janus1 is vocal centric with a wide stage and no congestions by a bass bleeding into the lower midrange. And yes, that’s right. And the obvious absence of a 2-4 kHz peak could mean it is not shouty and fatiguing. Yes, you are right.

But, most of all, the Janus1 does actually sounds darn good to my ears. So good that I have used it a lot in the last few weeks, particularly before going to sleep. As said, it sounds great just with my iPhone, no amplification needed. Another case of tuning that fits the driver (and not the other way round)?

The overal sonic signature is marginally warm with the smallest tinge of brightness. Presentation is relaxed, cohesive, and imo well suited for chilling.

Now from graphology to the cumbersome listening business: you think there is no bass extension? Actually not quite. The extension is principally there, it is just “a bit hesitant” and not very strong and the rumble is very subtle. But the (relatively) nimble driver makes somewhat up for the lack of quantity. The lowest frequencies remain well composed and are not fuzzy. Bass remains subtle and relatively tight. Punch and dynamics are there, too, but also subtle.

Vocals, male and female, are intimate and forward, which is probably the Janus1′ biggest asset. They are natural, of medium weight, and with good (note) definition and excellent articulation. There is no sharpness, rather the notes appear to be coated by a thin film of silk. Very pleasant and relaxed on my ears. The subtle bass also keeps the midrange transparent and clean. All this makes for great speech intelligibility.

The Janus1 has therefore become my go-to for listening to talk radio as it brings out voices without congestion (from the low end). If you think most iems are good for talk radio, think again.

Lower treble is back, and treble below 15 kHz is sweet and polite. No hint of stridency, just pleasant. Cymbals are lined up behind the vocals, but, like the vocals they are well defined. No smearing. The downside is limited air and sparkle, which again benefits the voice reproduction. Can’t have it all.

Stage is wide but not deep. Nevertheless, spatial cues and placement on stage are good, however the stage can get crowded. Dynamics are good to my ears and there is decent articulation. Yes, there is enough slam for me, but it may be too polite for others. What did I say, chilling? Timbre is excellent, spot on realistic.

The Janus1 is so unique in its design, sonic signature, and accessories, that it is pointless to compare it to other iems. And even more so as it has been discontinued.

Fun Fact: Other examples of great-sounding iems with “unusual” frequency responses are the Dunu Zen, the Final Audio E3000/E5000, and Meze RAI Solo, to name just a few. 

Concluding Remarks

In summary, the Janus1 (2020a) is a vocal-centric, organic sounding earphone with an extra portion of silk, giving a relaxed presentation, which makes for a chilling and civilized listening sensation. It is not an adrenaline pump or a bass canon, but rather a well measured set that even works well with a simple source such as a phone.

Once you get your ears into its sonic signature, you can’t let go for hours. The Janus1, just like so many other product by ddHifi, are from the category “and now something completely different”.

The Janus1 has been discontinued and replaced by the Janus2, which is a totally different beast. You will find the Janus2 review (with Janus1 comparison) in this article.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

All Our Earphone and Earbud Reviews (with Links)

Disclaimer

The Janus1 was provided by ddHifi for my analysis. I thank them very much.

Get it from wherever it is still available.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

Gallery

The post ddHiFi Janus1 (E2020A) Review – The Silky Way 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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