The ddHiFi TC09BC is a well-made 50/100 cm long USB-C to USB-B Hifi Audio USB cable for connecting your computer to a DAC. Haptic and functionality are premium…and whether it sounds better than ??? (as claimed), well you have to read the whole article...

Introduction

I recently published an article on ddHiFi’s Mfi09S cable. It features a Lightning plug on one end, and a USB-C plug on the other, connecting an iOS device with a DAC. In my writeup I went way beyond my target – characterizing that cable – by reflecting on the general physics evolving around the question whether digital cables can make a sonic difference. After all, ddHiFi claim theirs do.

The answer is not that easy – and not as clear cut as you think. A cable is just one piece in the puzzle – and the best cable you can get is…no cable at all. But whilst there are incredible claims by some cable manufacturers, there are also wild couterclaims of “snake oil”. In reality, one cannot generalize, and the truth is somewhere in between.

I have no issues claiming that analog cables make a difference, that this is not expressed by any measurements (except perhaps impedance), and that there is no link between measurements and audible result by means of a physics equation. Such a link does not exist, although some opinionated claim it does because the measurements are “objective”. And at night it is darker than outside?

The discussion is getting even more polarized when it comes to digital cables. Proponents of the “snake oil” dismissal argue that digital cables only transport zeros and ones, hence there is no difference in quality (because it can’t happen), which also is a circular argument. That’s because none of these can tell you what the zeros and ones actually mean…which shifts the snake oil claims into the territory of the crazy company claims, that is urban myths.

If you belong to one side of the discussion, just enjoy that you save money. And if you belong to the other, enjoy the fact that you have something beautiful in your hands. But please, all of you, don’t lecture the rest of us.

Spoiler alert: bit perfect does not mean perfect data transmission, there can be contaminants in these bits. You better read my Mfi09S article. One thing for sure: a cable cannot improve sound as it cannot clean up a data stream. A cable can can only minimize deterioration of the signal. Whether that’s enough to justify its purchased is in the eye of the beholder.

The TC09BC belongs to the same series as the Mfi09S, both are technically identical, just the plugs are different. and the latter comes in shorter versions. This one is used to connect a computer with a DAC for transferring music (it can also be used as a printer cable, but only if you are a star lawyer, heart surgeon, or oligarch).

The cable comes from ddHiFi, a company y that has been on our Wall of Excellence for their combination of ingenuity and quality.

Specifications ddHiFi TC09BC

Physical Things/Technology

The materials used are in the specs above. Power line and data line are made with different wires that are well shielded against each other. The USB-C connector is rather large, therefore easy to grip, and bother connectors are made of metal and very sturdy. Fit is very snug. You find technical details on ddHiFi’s USB-data cables product page. Overall, this cable is haptically and visually very attractive.

Price wise, the TC09BC is placed between AudioQuest’s Forest and Cinnamon models.

Company Claims

ddHifi claims that the TC09BC offers a “noticeable sound quality improvement“. They fail to specify over what the improvement would be, but it appears obvious that it must be any other such cable. I therefore compare the ddHiFi TC09BC with a well-regarded USB cable.

Physical Theory

I have discussed the theoretic benefits in great detail in my ddHiFi Mfi09S article, which you find repeated behind this spoiler. TL;DR: not all digital cables a equal although they may “sound” the same in some cases…well cables don’t have a sound per se…

Listening Test

Please have a good look at the equipment. I used three different DAPs as sources, the Hidizs and TempoTec connected to the DACs by alternating USB cables (1m ddHiFi TC09BC and 3 m Belkin Gold). The Questyle connected via optical was my reference. I played the same music on all three sources.

The Belkin Gold is a discontinued USB cable that used to be Stereophile’s reference before the fancy USB cables were introduced. Audio pioneer Gordon Rankin confirmed that it is a decent cable. Today, it trades 2nd hand for horrendous prices.

The Questyle/optical combo was my test standard (as it sounded best). I used it to A/B with the other two DAPS. With the Belkin, these Hidizs and TempoTec sounded less dynamic and more subdued compared to the Questyle — independent of the DAC used.

The ddHifi TC09B really made quite a difference — and to the better. Using it, the music sounded crisper with better transparency, which resulted in better resolution and accentuation, but it still could not beat the Questyle/optical combo. In comparison, the Belkin contributed to a less clear, less nuanced sound.

This was evident when flipping (A/B-ing) between USB and optical inputs (my testing standard), which saved me comparing the USB cables against each other from memory (which is inaccurate). The quality difference between optical and ddHiF was simply smaller than with the Belkin. This indirect testing worked well.

A cable (digital or analog) cannot improve sound, it can only minimize signal deterioration.

One has to interpret this with caution, as the sound differences may also rely on other factors such as cable length (maybe the Belkin was too long). Testing the lightning version of the ddHiFi cable, the MFi9S, a while ago, I found zero difference between USB cables. This may relate to the garble/noise, that comes out of the iPhone to begin with, since it has all sorts of clocked non-audio components (cellular, Wifi etc.) — whereas the DAPS are dedicated music players. After all, a cable cannot fix a contaminated signal, it can only minimize signal deterioration.

Concluding Remarks

If you think, USB cables make no difference, then either test them, or just get them from the dollar store — and save your money.

My analysis showed that the ddHiFi TC09BC is a good USB cable that does justice to a >$2000 desktop stack (plus source). With my setup, it does sound better than the popular Belkin Gold cable I tested it against — and I therefore still use it in this application. How it fares with other setups and against really pricey cables, I don’t know. But I would not lose much sleep over it either.

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

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

Gallery

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Since all digital cables are sonically identical (aren’t they?), AudioQuest products protect our health whereas cheapos may lead to premature death. Here‘s why we cannot afford the latter…

Introduction

It is well known that all digital cables sound the same as they only transport zeros and ones. You don’t believe me? You do?

Where I got my information from? I had simply followed the advice of the audioquestsciencereview.com blog. It is the one where the Emir of SINDBAD measures cables and DACs etc.

He always comes to the same conclusions: all cables (digital and analog), DACs, and amps sound the same, as long as they measure the same. And his followers agree.

The pragmatic budget audiophile therefore buys a cheap DAC and gets their cables from the dollar store, saves a lot of money…and laughs at these rich old bearded men who hang out at audio shows. You know, those graveyard blondes who can’t let go of Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, and Toto.

And that’s where my problem started: the dollar store. Spending so little on quality cables left me plenty of funds for junk food: cookies, chips, chocolate, pop, etc.

Unfortunately, my increasing knowledge of budget audiophilia was positively correlated with my blood-sugar levels, which resulted in insulin resistance. I also got fatter. Yep, I was moving steadily towards type 2 diabetes.

While my physical shape kept pace with that of the aging members of Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, and Toto, my doctor gave me the choice between Ozempic injections [what’s Ozempic?] and AudioQuest cables as a last resort. I chose the latter – and lost 14 kg in a few months.

My blood values are now normal and I can wear pants again that had been catching dust in the basement for years. No more danger of type 2 diabetes. No more risk of heart attacks and stroke.

How I did that? I purchased an AudioQuest USB-A to Lightning cable, model “Cinnamon”. Not that cinnamon would be rich in antioxidants, antibacterial properties, or reduce the effects of bad cholesterol (all of which is true)…no, it was simply pricey for a dollar-store customer like me.

AudioQuest, in contrast to audioquestsciencereview.com, promotes the idea that not all (digital and analog) cables sound identical. The company offers a wide variety of product covering the whole market spectrum.

Does the AudioQuest Cinnamon Lightning to USB-A cable make a Difference?

I purchased the 0.75 m AudioQuest Cinnamon USB-A to Lightning cable for personal use (and not for review purposes) from the company and thank them for their discount. You find it in the spice aisle of your local supermarket and on the AudioQuest website.

My first test related to clean power. After charging my iPhone through the AudioQuest Cinnamon cable, Apple’s music player sounded better. Brass instruments and violins emitted rounder notes…and there was lot more transparency.

This was not measurable, but had to do with the cable’s insulation, which absorbed energy. This absorption re-aligned the dilithium crystals in uniform order.

As a side effect, the display of the battery charger appeared brighter and sharper.

Non-Health Aspects: Sound

You may have noticed that the writeup so far has been an April Fools’ Day joke. Getting serious, I plugged my iPhone with the AudioQuest Cinnamon Lightning cable in the Marantz SA8005 SACD player (see title photo) that was connected to a Luxman L-410 amp (via AudioQuest Sydney RCA interconnects) and Heybrook HB1 speakers.

In comparison to my Amazon Basics Lightning cable, the Cinnamon contributes a tad more richness, warmth, and more rounded notes. The question is whether one cares.

Subjectivity vs. Subjectivity

The difference between these digital cables will have different impact on different people with different attitudes. The measurement-guided enthusiast will not bother, the tight-fisted aficionado will not care either, but the more fine spirited soul (with deeper pockets) will.

To me, such nuances add up and will make a substantial cumulative difference over time. I treasure the fact that the sound will be improved with this cable every time I listen to the music.

An example of cumulative benefits: I like the AudioQuest DragonFly Red and Cobalt dongle DACs – and have used them for a couple of years now. I hear a huge difference between the two, the Cobalt is just richer and rounder playing whereas the punchier Red has some shrillness in the upper mids (which can be tamed to some extent with the JitterBug). Therefore, the Cobalt gets way more eartime than the Red.

Measurement-guided analysts Archimago and a friend could not hear a difference between these two dongle DACS that justified their $100 price difference. Sound-guided analyst Steve Guttenberg begged to differ.

In the end all of us are right: each person decides what is good for themselves because it is their ears – and their wallets.

A problem arises when one group mobs those who disagree, backed by “objectivity” claims of measurements. This is invalid as any measurement setup is subjective and no correlation between quantitative measurements (“observation”) and qualitative sound (“interpretation”) has been established. The self-proclaimed objectivity is in reality just “internal consistency”, which is of limited usefulness.

In order to get around this logical fallacy, one has to subscribe to a belief system. Herd mentality is added to boost each other’s confidence resulting in a carnival of bullying know-it-alls.

It is actually grotesque that anybody refuses to use their ears for evaluating sound.

But the world is not black and white. On the other hand, cable companies such as Kimber and AudioQuest also come up with unsubstantiated correlations between physics and sound….the physics may be correct but may not influence the sound at all. Paradoxically, their cables may sound as good as claimed, but for the wrong reasons.

This fallacy is principally not any different from the previously mentioned one and I wonder whether these claims are just defence mechanisms against the “measurement crowd”.

At least, the “quality crowd” keeps to themselves and does not feel the need to impose themselves on others…except perhaps bore us with endless discussions of cable break-ins and the “critical period between hours 150 and 200 on the way to the recommended 500 hours” (yes, I read that).

From my own experience: I once helped tune the KBEAR Diamond earphone. After we got the frequency response (used as a guiding tool to record differences) to our liking, I received the final pre-production prototype. And it sounded offensively bad to my ears. But all the company had done was exchange the cable.

Luckily, the original cable was also in the package – which fixed the sound for my ears. The difference between the two cables? The offensive one had an OCC wire, the preferred one was made of oxygen-free copper.

Both were $15 cables, therefore cost was not an issue. The Diamond yielded the same frequency response graph with either cable.

In summary, the sound of music cannot be characterized by (quantitative) measurements of sine waves. That’s apples and oranges. On top of that, quantity and quality are not correlated in a linear manner. We have to use our ears…and it may take trial and error…which can be pricey.

Concluding Remarks

We at www.audioreviews.org are all keen on trying things out. We principally don’t believe any claims before we have tested and verified them, which includes the use of our ears without prejudice. Our blog offers many examples of dismissing unjustified hype generated by companies and influencers.

We also consult measurements but refrain from overinterpreting them. We use every available line of evidence to arrive at a coherent, meaningful interpretation. And we are open to learning.

We are also aware that quality audio is not black and white, and that there is snake oil out there…but our approach minimizes our risk falling for that. In the end, the controversy does not matter as the quantity crowd stays away from the (pricier) quality, and the quality crowd frowns upon dollar-store Hifi. They simply don’t mix – and only one of them barks up the tree of the other, sadly.

I personally enjoy the Cinnamon and my weight loss (the 14 kg and the pre-diabetes are real). And I can use this cable with generations of iPhones over years to come [unless Apple changes over to USB-C], which makes it a worthwhile acquisition in the long run.

Now let’s get some chips from the dollar store to celebrate the day. Potato chips that is, not DAC chips.

Please check your blood pressure regularly!

Until next time…keep on listening!

The post How An AudioQuest USB Cable Saved My Life appeared first on Music For The Masses.

I purchased some of these cables myself, and later AudioQuest where kind enough to match them with different-length/connectors ones. Thank you very much. You find more information on AudioQuest’s website.

Introduction: digital Christmas in New Orleans

It all started on one Christmas eve, in a hotel in downtown New Orleans, LA. Our first visit to the city, we had just checked in and I was nervously awaiting the delivery of my first AudioQuest (digital) cable at the lobby: Cinnamon, 16-pin for connecting iPod Classic to Marantz SACD8005. It was not available (anymore) back home in Canada – and time was running out. If it was not delivered within the next few hours, the holidays would have started – and we would have left town before the postal service had resumed. Last chance that afternoon. Now or never!

I nervously checked tracking: St. Louis, MO, at noon. We inspected our room…and found a bottle of champagne in a cooler, some fancy strawberry parfait, and a personal note…but not to us. I called the hotel lobby, they told us to consume the goodies anyway and without regret…and also that the cable had arrived.

It was our day in the end. Merry Christmas, New Orleans.

My next Encounter, analog

I don’t believe in snake oil, I am a scientist, but I also have a classical music training. I am aware that ears don’t rely on measurements outside an otolaryngologist’s office (that would shift me towards the engineering corner). And I know about the claims AudioQuest, Kimber, and Co. make about some of their cables.

No, I am pragmatic, use my ears, and try to define value for myself applying criteria exceeding mere sound quality. In the case of the Cinnamon 16-pin cable, it was certainly more than that. I had a beautiful Hifi system, a number of stylish iPods…and a cheap looking, optically and haptically little appealing Apple cable, made by the hundreds of millions. So why not an eye-catching, well-built, and somewhat unique cable…which provides pleasure every time I look at/handle it.

My next encounter with AudioQuest cables happened more recently. And in contrast to the New Orleans event, it was with analog cables. I had ordered a set of Evergreen analog RCA connectors to connect devices to my Magni 2 Uber headphone amp. I had used a sturdy >15 year-old Monster cable – but I really liked the Evergreen’s green colour and braided textile jacket. After all, cables are also jewelry. Don’t call me shallow.

But when I unpacked the light Evergreen interconnects, I wanted to instantly return the cable, as the less fancy Monsters felt much more substantial. This changed when I tried the Evergreens out. I had been listening to Chopin cello suites (cello and piano), and it sounded ok with the Monsters.

But when I plugged the Evergreen connectors in, the effect was sharpening a picture that had been slightly out of focus. The cello and piano became clearer, better contoured, and more natural sounding. With the Monster cables, the sound was washed out in comparison.

This difference was actually rather large. Co-blogger Larry let me know that Monster cables, in his experience, had been known for this lack of focus.

I was truly surprised. And the Evergreens fulfilled another one of my requirements for investing in a cable: it must make a substantial sonic difference (beyond haptic and looks) to fork out good money for an upgrade.

The Problem with Cable Manufacturers/Reviews/Reviewers

Premium cables both digital and analog typically polarize music enthusiasts. Some hear distinct sonic differences, others consider them as being snake oil. The snake oil is based on sometimes esoteric claims by the manufacturers hidden behind fancy cable optics to justify outrageous prices. But optics and sound quality are not correlated. There’s frequently clearly marketing departments spreading misconceptions.

Nevetheless, reviewers taking on cables almost always report universal sonic improvements, independent of the gear these are connected to. Many of these reviewers want to stay on the manufacturers’ gravy train by playing the extension of their marketing departments, or simply to cash in on their affiliate links.

All of these contribute to a terrible reputation of cables for some.

The Problem with Science: Observations vs. Interpretations

As you may have noted by now, there are two kinds of cables: digital and analog. It is well known that digital cables transport bits as ones and zeros – and hence it is argued there is no audible difference between them. But nobody ever bothers what ones and zeros in reality are…they are small voltage fluctuations.

True is that any cable delivers bit-perfect results, but any of these bits may also contain stuff we don’t want – which deteriorates the signal: jitter, timing, and noise. A digital cable cannot fix these contaminations, however a poorly made one can exacerbate these issues and therefore further deteriorate sound.

A good cable minimizes sonic deterioration – and it does not have to be expensive. On the other hand, Gordon Rankin, pioneer of digital audio, reported “bad” expensive USB cables to me. Therefore snake oil does exist, however not every pricier cable is snake oil.

But here we are talking analog cables. There are different wire materials (copper, silver etc.), material purities, and wire structures that cooperate differently with speakers/headphones at the receiving end. Certain cable properties can be measured, for example impedance, but the results are of limited use.

Some analysts, however, conclude from their measurements whether a cable “sounds good” or not. But since most cable measure essentially the same, many followers believe there is no sonic difference between them. And none of these really bothers listening.

In summary, their observations may be correct, but their interpretations are irrelevant. In reality, no scientific link exists between a SINAD (or similar measurements) and sound characteristic. It remains trial and error to find the right sonic fit between electronics and cables.

Physicals of the Evergreen and Golden Gate Interconnects

Both models belong to AudioQuest’s “Bridges and Falls” series and are available with different connectors. Their prices vary with plugs and length, but run broadly between $70 and $140 (0.6 m to 2 m). You find details in AudioQuest’s 2022 North American retail price book.

The lower-priced Evergreen features a “solid long-grain copper structure” and the more premium Golden Gate “solid perfect surface copper”. Bother feature braided jackets and cold-plated gold-plated terminations.

Sound with the Evergreen and Golden Gate Interconnects

I did initially not perform A/B listening tests comparing the Evergreen and Golden Gate (and with other cables) as I could not be bothered. This is difficult anyway as my auditory memory does not hold well over the time it takes to change cables. All I can say is that both cables worked well with my electronics over a long time. Well enough that they are still on there to the present day.

In the end, I did a quick one connecting my Questyle QP1R dap through its dedicated line out to the Burson Funk amp. As described above, I had issues with A/B-ing owing to the time it takes to exchange the cables. This means, the difference between the two is not that obvious (it was a different story for two Burson power supplies – one made a huge difference over the other).

Perhaps the Golden Gate offered a tad more bass, which raises the question which of the cables transfers the low frequencies more authentically – considering all other factors such as headphone cable, operational amp (I used the less bassy Burson V6 classic) etc. You tell me…

Comparing the two AudioQuest cables with a generic one revealed a more obvious sonic difference (to my ears): music through the generic one lacked presence, dynamics and clarity in comparison…though it was still not outright bad. Some may find this difference subtle, others substantial. That’s where the snake oil claims come in as many will not hear any difference at all…or they do not bother.

I belong more to the “substantial” fraction as this difference is cumulative: it is there all the time, whenever music is running.

In summary, the two AudioQuest cables tested were better than the generic one, and you have to decide for yourself whether connecting electronics of value $$$$ is worth the price $$ of a cable. In my case, dap and amp added up to $1800, and the generic cable was $4.

Even $100 would not be extravagant! After all, a cable is a potential bottleneck.

Concluding Remarks

So, am I shilling AudioQuest cables? Hardly, as I have used these for almost two years. The company never asked me to write a review – and I could not be bothered doing sophisticated listening tests telling the world how much better these are (or not). These cables fit my electronics, budget wise, and they work for me sonically, haptically, and optically.

And that’s all I want.

With this experience with AudioQuest products, I recently purchased a Forest USB-B to USB-A cable to connect a DAC to my Mac. Very satisfied with this one, too! Wasn’t dirt cheap but also did not break the bank.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

The post AudioQuest Evergreen vs. Golden Gate Analog Interconnects – A Christmas Carol 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!

Contact us!

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

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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.

Current-hungry DACs drain our DAP/Android Devices fast – and Apple’s current-draw limit frequently just results in an error message. The solution is an external power bank – which is easy in the DAP/Android case, but still problematic with iOS devices. Here’ s how to do it…with the E1DA splitter (2 kinds) and the Apple Camera Adapter.

This article is based on discussions with Alberto and I thank him for his insights…which have cost me lots of sweat in the meantime. Gordon Rankin or Wavelength Audio pointed the Apple restrictions out to me. I purchased all these cables myself. My testing refers to extreme cases. The E1DA splitters work as advertised as they are optimized for their own products.

Introduction

Dongles are little DAC/amps that draw their operating current from the host, which is either a computer, phone, DAP, or tablet. They have the advantage that they do not subscribe to planned obsolescence as they do not rely on an internal battery that dictates their life span. And they are small because of it. That’s why I like them.

There are principally two kinds of dongles, such that limit current draw to preserve the host’s battery, and such that…don’t (I wrote about this here). The first are limited in their performance, and the second drain the host (too) fast. Remember the 36 hours we got out of our iPod Classics?

Apple adds the “fun fact” of limiting current draw to 100 mA for most of their iOS devices. Reason is their fear of dissatisfied customers falsely claiming battery failure on warranty when their phones’s batteries drain “too fast”. If we connect our dongle with a current draw exceeding 100 mA, we get no music but a cryptic error message instead. Not good.

There are exceptions, when the iOS device is fooled to believe the draw is below 100 mA…by means of fudging the descriptor table in the software (according to Gordon Rankin of Wavelength Audio). Hidizs S9 Pro and ifi Go Bar (both around 140 mA), for example, appear to get around the restrictions, as both work with my iPhone SE (1st gen.), Astell & Kern’s PEE51 does not.

Luckily, some third-party Lightning cables exist that trick the iPhone to believe the current draw is lower than 100 mA…which is only a short-term solution, as it does not stop the battery from draining fast. E1DA have published a useful spreadsheet that tells you which Lightning cables work with which iPhones with their 9038SG3 and 9038D DACs (which draw above 130 mA).

Android devices and most DAPs are more forgiving – and work even with the biggest current w**res (excuse my Italian). But not for long in each case before you have to hook your device back up to the charger.

Therefore, in order not to run out of juice prematurely – and to entice Apple devices to play through our monster dongles – we need to use an external power source to drive those – and the readiness of the host to accept them.

The theory is simple: just separate power line and data line in the cable connecting host and dongle. As a result, the dongle draws its power from an external 5V power bank (or out of our 5V wall charger), and its data (“music”) from the phone/DAP/tablet. Computers are exempt in our discussion as they always provide enough power to any dongle (USB 2 up to 500 mA).

Stop! The theory may be easy for Android devices/DAPS, but things can be way more complicated for iOS devices, when the 100 mA current-draw limit needs to be circumvented.

What we need for DAPs/Android devices is a splitter cable (with separate data line and power line), an external battery, and the music host. This also works for iOS devices with <100 mA draw, but the Apple Camera Adapter is needed for anything higher. And that’s not all: you also need an MFI-certified USB-A (or USB-C) Lightning charging cable to make it work. Let’s test all possible cases.

DAPs/Android Devices with external Battery and E1DA Splitter

The easy case first to warm you up for things to come. What we need:

• Music source
• $4.99 E1DA USB-C to USB-C splitter cable
• Power bank
• Dongle (here the current hungry, 280 mA consuming, very powerful Apogee Groove…with micro USB to USB-C adapter
• Headphone

We plug it all in – and it works. The source device is not charged during music play and the Groove receives the required current from the power bank. Easy peasy!

iOS Devices with external Battery and E1DA Splitter vs. Apple Camera Adapter

1. Dongles with a Current Draw <100 mA (or a Software Manipulation pretending it is <100 mA) –> E1DA Splitter and Apple Camera Adapter work

Well, that’s smooth when the connected dongle draws less than 100 mA as it essentially works like the DAPs/Android device above. It just need a different E1DA USB-C to Lightning splitter cable that sets you back $19.99. Just in the case above, your iOS device is not being charged during operation.

2. Dongles with a Current Draw >100 mA (and without Software Manipulation pretending it is <100 mA) –> only Apple Camera Adapter works, E1DA Splitter does not

In this case, the E1DA USB-C to Lightning cable does not work. All you get is an error message. The power bank fuels the Groove properly, but there is no chip telling the iPhone it does actually not have to supply power to the Groove. Hence the iPhone reacts as it would without power bank: it does not want to do it. Thank you, Apple.

We still can drive the Groove but need different equipment to do so. Please fasten your seat belt! We need the following ingredients:

• iOS device
• $49 Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter
• Power bank
• MFI-certifed Lightning charge cable
• Dongle (here again the current hungry, 280 mA consuming, very powerful Apogee Groove)
• Micro USB to USB-A cable
• Headphone

This works beautifully. The power bank funnels current into the Apple Camera Adapter with its controller chip that informs the iPhone that it does not have to supply current to the Groove. And the Groove draws its power from the power bank, which is controlled by the iPhone. On top of that, the iPhone charges while playing.

But there is still another hurdle: the charging cable has to be MFI certified to be able to communicate with the Apple Camera Adapter’s controller chip. Lightning cables by Amazon (Basics), Apple, IKEA, Startech and UGreen worked in my tests, OTG cables by ifi Audio, ddHiFi, and OE Audio did not (they are unidirectional “the wrong way” and not designed for charging). No power through the latter – and the well known error message appears on my iPhone. Bummer!

Concluding Remarks

Driving dongles with DAPS/Android devices and power bank using the E1DA USB-C to USB-C splitter cable works universally.

In contrast, iPhones (tested with SE 1st gen. and 13) do not like to draw zero current when they are not told to do so by a controller chip. As it appears, the Apple Camera Adapter draws some current from the iPhone but also from the power bank. E1DA’s USB-C to Lightning splitter works different from Apple’s Camera Adapter as it talks to the dongle and not to the iPhones’s power management. Therefore, iPhone does not charge while being connected to the E1DA splitter.

And I wished E1DA added a chip (as in Apple’s Camera Adapter) to make their Lightning splitter universally usable (Apple apparently makes this impossible for audio designers without an MFI license – and E1DA are probably not an accredited MFI contract manufacturer). E1DA’s USB-C to Lightning splitter is therefore of limited use for third-party dongles – but it works as intended with E1DA’s own DACs. This cable is not MFI certified.

As a rule of thumb, E1DA’s USB-C to Lightning splitter will only work with dongles that iPhone believes are drawing less than 100 mA current. And Apple’s Camera Adapter only works with MFI-certified charge cables. Nothing is perfect.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

The post Driving Power-Hungry Dongles With DAPs/Android Devices and iPhone (E1DA Splitter and Apple Camera Adapter Review) appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Introduction

Burson are a company out of Melbourne, Australia, which are well known and liked for their innovative opamps, DACs, amps, DAC/amps combos. I have analyzed the Burson Funk and the V6 Vivid & V6 Classic opamps.

Their DACs and amps come with their proprietary Maximum Current Power Supply “MCPS” , an ultrafast switching power supply that minimizes noise riding on the signal – and it lowers resistance and speeds up performance.

With the Super Charger, Burson are going a step further in reducing DC noise which and therefore increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. This should improve (micro-)dynamics and sonic detail. The company claims that the Super Charger doubles the the charging frequency to power capacitors inside the audio amplifier, which results in a more impactful sound with a bigger and deeper soundstage.

I tested this, but before I report my results, let’s first talk about the power-supply technology and common issues with mains power.

Power Supplies and Noise

Power supplies are highly underrated components and frequently put in the snake oil corner. That’s partly because they are external somewhere on the floor or optically unspectacular as “wall warts”…but mainly as they – strictly speaking – do not contribute anything to the sound of a device.

What? Surprised? On the contrary, good power supplies serve the purpose of preserving the signal from deterioration through…NOISE. Therefore, sound is “passively” improved by preservation and not by addition.

Three kinds of noise exist that can contaminate and deteriorate the audio signal: electromagnetic interference (RMI), radio-frequency (RFI) interference, and switching noise (which is usually just above the human hearing threshold). RMI and RFI may be transmitted by both USB ports and external power supplies.

What we call noise are not discrete sounds but impurities superimposed on the signal, like dirt mixed in our bathwater. Dirty bathwater does not clean well, and an impure signal compromises sound quality. I speculate that lack of understanding of “noise” in this context contributes to the snake-oil dogma with some listeners.

The electricity that comes out of our mains contains RMI and RFI, the amount of which depends on our living environment. It will be worse in a dense city environment than in the sparsely populated countryside.

All electronic circuits work at low voltage/direct current whereas the grid provides high voltage/alternative current.

A power supply is a transformer that connects the AC grid with the low voltage circuit of a device, let’s say a DAC or amp. There are two kinds of power supplies, switching mode power supplies (SMPS) and linear power supplies (LPS). Both kinds principally work with our audio devices.

A good-quality LPS contains a big transformer which makes them bulky, but it has a great price to performance ratio. The power supplies that come with our phones or notebook computers are SMPS. These are generally more compact and cheaper than LPS but noisier – unless sophisticated filtering is used. Basic SMPS will deteriorate the audio signal but a high-quality SMPS is superior to an LPS.

In an SMPS, the incoming AC is first converted to DC by a rectifier, followed by a filter, and then sent to a transformer. An integrated circuit switches voltage on and off at a very high frequency. An SMPS only needs a small transformer as the flow-through currents are generally small. The resulting DC is not very clean as the voltage is not as stable as with a good LPS. But the small devices travel well to hotel rooms (think Apple’s tiny 5V iPhone charger).

In their Super Charger, Burson tackle specifically the switching noise by raising the switching frequency higher above the human hearing threshold. Simple and clever? But, will it work?

USB Noise

I described USB noise in my analyses of the Allo Nirvana and Allo Shanti 5V power supplies review:

“Another cause of noise/signal deterioration is our streamer/computer/phone source. The various computer internals are inherently noisy. If our DAC is powered through the USB port, the computer delivers both noisy power and a poorly timed data stream (“jitter”) caused by RMI and FMI, through VBUS and data line, respectively, to the DAC.

Both jitter and noisy power contribute to the deterioration of the audio signal. And if both are transferred into the DAC via an inferior USB cable, there is additional interference between power and data lines…which exacerbates the problem. That’s why you need a well-made, well-shielded, well-isolating USB cable, too.

Using an external PS or a battery eliminates the VBUS problem. When testing the “purity” of the Super Charger (as well as for everyday use), I eliminated the USB noise altogether by using a quasi noise-less source.”

OK, let’s have a look at the Super Charger.

Compatiblity

The Super Charger 3/5A is compatible with almost all current Burson DACs and amps…but also with third-party devices, if they fulfill the specs below.

To find out its compatibility with other products, please follow the steps below:

• Is your current PSU 24Volt with the same amp or less? (eg 3A or less)
• Does it have a 2.5mm DC barrel plug?
• Does it have a centre positive polarity?

If the answer is YES to all three, then the Super Charger is compatible.

Physicals

In the box is the device and three slide-in adapters to fit all power outlets around the world. The design is a simple wall wart without button of switches. Its case is made of some kind of polyethylene (“hard plastic”) like most other such devices. A white LED indicates it is connected to the mains.

The Super Charger is slim (leaves space for adjacent power supplies) but sticks out quite a bit – which should not matter too much as it is likely hidden somewhere behind your desk (the stock power supply is on your desk). The chord – against claims in the blogosphere – is NOT detachable (I asked Burson), although the connector rotates.

What Changes are expected?

Improvements depend on the noise contamination. No noise, no improvement. Noise is not only introduced by the ac grid but also by the other electrical components in the chain such as computers and phones. In the worst-case scenario, the benefits of the power supply to the amplifier may be levelled by the other components so that the net improvement is…zero. I experience such as case during the ifi Audio iPower X testing when using a computer as source. We also have to consider permanent fluctuations of the ac grid according to usage and location.

Testimonies of the benefits of power supplies by audioreviews.org writers range from a “cleaner signal, better details, better transients” to improved stereo image and bass, better vocals quality” on the blogosphere. Co-blogger Biodegraded, reports better textured and more extended bass and a quieter background throughout in his headphone amp with the ifi Audio iPower. KopiOkaya owns and tested several LPS and also reports differences in dynamics. Some cheap PS sound “uninspired” in his analyses. Co-Blogger Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir tested the ifi Audio Zen Can and had to purchase an iPower X to get the sonic results he expected from it.

Test Setup

For my listening test, I used a low-noise source, one that does not suffer from contamination from non-audio components (computer of phone), and one that does not rely on a power supply connected to the mains. I therefore deployed the Questyle QP1R dap, that runs on constant power/current supplied by its built-in battery. It also has a dedicated line-out. This source obviously avoids USB noise and mains noise. The Super Charger was attached to the Burson Funk via an AudioQuest Golden Gate 3.5 mm to 2 RCA interconnect.

My complete test setup was:

• Source: Questyle QP1R dap
• AudioQuest Golden Gate 3.5 mm to 2 RCA Interconnects
• Super Charger 3/5A connected to Burson Funk amp.

Test Results

Wowsa! I was stunned! The sonic difference between the stock power supply and the Super Charger is substantial (in my setup). We are not talking nuances, the whole sonic character changes quite a bit…and to the better. Burson claims better detail and better dynamics…which is true. My impressions – from the first minute – have been: much better transparency, much better note definition, better accentuation. Imaging is improved, there was much better control and organization, which I first recorded in the bass. In summary, the signal is much cleaner and crisper, and more true to a Class A amp than with the stock power supply.

The stock power supply delivers a less orderly, much less controlled sound that I first detected on the more loose low end.

I am actually really surprised that the difference is so big. Quite frankly, I enjoy the sound with the Super Charger so much more that I don’t want to go back to the stock supply.

Value: should I…?

The question is: is it worth purchasing the Super Charger as it is not quite cheap? Answer: it depends! First, how much is its acquisition relative to the amp (and the DAC) you use it with? The more expensive the amp, the more worth is it to invest in a good power supply. At $2500, the Super Charger is only a 10% cost addition (how much did you pay for your rubber phone case?).

Second, how “clean” is your chain of electronic devices? If you have a noisy computer or phone and a DAC with a cheap power supply in front of your amp, the Super Charger may not make much or any difference. After all, the golden rule is: garbage in, garbage out.

Some experts are of the opinion that an amplifier benefits more from clean power than a DAC. And they further claim that clean power contributes 70% to an amp’s sound quality. And when you compare the price of the Super Charger against a good linear power supply ($500 plus), it does not look that bad.

In the end, the pleasure you will get out of your power supply will define its value.

Concluding Remarks

To say it in simple terms: when used “properly”, the Super Charger changes the sound of your amplifier notably, to a point that surprised me. It upgrades my Burson Funk to a real Class A amp. I am just confused why Burson includes a – probably also pricey – stock power supply, which you then abandon for the Super Charger.

Wouldn’t it save cost and be better for the environment to give the buyer the choice of picking a power supply upon checkout? Which would bring the total buying price down.

In summary, the Burson Super Charger is for listeners who don’t want to make compromises and who are smart enough to implement it properly into their electronic chain.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

The Burson Super Charger was supplied by Burson Audio for my review and I thank them for that. You can get it directly from the manufacturer.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

The post Burson Super Charger 3A Review – Superman’s Big Sister appeared first on Music For The Masses.

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!

Contact us!

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

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

Gallery

The post ddHiFi MFi06 and TC03 Digital Cables Review – Unplugged appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Gear of the Year: 2021 marks the blog’s third year and the second with 8 contributors. We collectively published almost 200 articles, mainly product reviews, but also technical information. Apart from receiving review units from manufacturers and sellers, we also purchased a lot…and we borrowed from audiophile friends and colleagues.

We are a heterogeneous bunch not pressed into templates by commercialism. Each of us enjoys maximum freedom. None of us gets paid. And it is this variety that makes this blog interesting. Two of us, Baskingshark and Kazi, have been drafted to also write for Headphonesty, which gives them more exposure and also access to very interesting gear.

Our main focus has traditionally been on earphones – we have reviewed almost 300 – but particularly DACs and amps also caught our attention this year.

As at the end of the previous years, we list our our personal favourites of 2021 – the portable audio we personally enjoyed most. There are no rules, we just tell you what we like. After all, the gear we use most is our best. And we attached some of this gear to our newly created Wall of Excellence, which averages all our opinions.

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

We thank

Most of our reviews would have not been possible without our 2021 cooperating partners. We thank:

ADV, Allo, Apos Audio, Astell & Kern, AudioQuest, Azla, Blon, BQEYZ, Burson Audio, Campfire Audio, Cayin, CCA, Dekoni, Dunu, ddHiFi, EarMen, Easy Earphones, Fiil, Helm Audio, Hidizs, HifiGo, ifi Audio, IKKO Audio, KBEAR/TRI Audio, Keephifi, Khadas, Knowledge Zenith, Meze, Moondrop, Musicteck, NiceHCK, OneOdio, Penon Official Store, Pergear, Sennheiser, Shanling, Shenzhenaudio, Smabat, Snake Oil Sound, SpinFit, Tempotec, Tin Hifi, TRN Official Store, Unique Melody, Venture Electronics, Whizzer Official Store, Yaotiger Hifi Audio Store. Don’tkillusifweforgotyoujustsendusanotandwefixit. 

For the companies: you can check for your products/yourself in the search field on the right-hand side.

We also thank the private sources that supplied us with loaners.

And here we go…that’s what we enjoyed in 2021…

Alberto Pittaluga…Bologna, ITALY

I’ve come accross quite a few interesting pieces of gear in 2021, mixed / hidden amongst piles of shameful crap. Nothing new, is it ? I’ll try to make a succint list of the most significant stuff I auditioned here. Most of these devices are also now part of my operative audio gear.

IEMS

Dunu ZEN (discountinued, was $ 699,00) : beyond spectacular microdynamics, resolution, layering and technicalities in general. A masterpiece.

iBasso IT07 ($899) : the sole real “direct upgrade” to Ikko OH10 I encountered as of yet. Same presentation, twice the refinement, at more than four times the price.

Oriolus Isabellae ($ 599) : somewhat “more V-shaped” alternative to Zen, delivering very similar technical prowess.

Ikko OH1S ($143) : a potential new join into the our World of Excellence roster as a sub-200$ allrounder

Headphones

Final Sonorous-II  (€ 300) : arguably by far the best neutral-tuned closebacks in their price category, staging and imaging easily compete with many lower tier openback alternatives.

Sennheiser HD600 (€ 310) : not a novelty for anybody but me, I’m sure. Quite simply: I got my first HD600 pair in 2021 and that’s why I’m listing it here. I presume no one needs a description. Do you?

Earbuds

Rose Mojito ($259) : superbly neutral-tuned high end earbuds with strong bilateral extention, beyond spectacular mids and vivid, refined highs in a fully holographic stage, with plenty of resolution and dynamics.

K’s Earphone Bell-LBS (€ 59,25) : mid centric buds delivering superbly organic vocals – both male and female – and very good trebles

K’s Earphone K300 (€ 28,59) : unreal sub-bass extension for an earbud, they deliver a very nice V shaped presentation while drawing an incredibly sizeable 3D stage. Presentation remembers a bit Ikko OH10, but in earbud form.

DAC/AMPs

Ifi Micro iDSD Signature (€ 749) : top sub-$1K mobile dac-amp. Very high quality DAC reconstruction paired with superbly transparent amping stage with power to spare for the most demanding planars and power deflation options to optimise low impedance IEM biasing. Truly a full step ahead of the competitors’ pack.

DAPs

Cowon Plenue 2 MK-I (€ 835) : hopped on this recently when I found a impossible to turndown openbox deal. Starting from my direct experience proving that there’s pretty much no game between proprietary-OS DAPs vs commercial-OS (read Android) DAPs, the former being in by far better position to achieve superior output sound quality, Plenue 2 represents a great companion to my QP1R offering a different / alternative optimal pairing opportunity for a few of my preferred IEM drivers.

DAC/AMP Dongles

This year’s experience proved to me that exclusively higher-tier (and price) dongles are able to deliver sound qualities worth the comparison with battery-equipped alternatives. Simply put: pretty much nothing until an Apogee Groove ($200) is really worth the price difference compared to the super-cheap Apple Dongle ($9), and even on the Groove some caveats apply (power needs, amp stage competibility).  That said, I really had pick one device “in the midfield” I’d pick the :

Questyle M12 ($139,99): while still not worth an inclusion on our Wall of Excellence, yet M12 runs circles around pretty much all similar or lower priced competitors I assessed in terms of extension, note weight, clarity and technicalities.

Biodegraded…Vancouver, CANADA

Doesn’t have anything to report this year.

Durwood…Chicago, USA

Shozy Form 1.4 has still been my go to earphone due to it’s warm inviting nature, great technical abilities and it feels great in my ears.

7Hz Timeless is another good buy late in the year for me, it’s a little more sub-bass plus analytical counterpart to the Shozy that has nudged the BQEYZ Spring 2 out of the way. A more detailed review is coming.

I rediscovered the Senfer UES for a quick throw around set, was hoping the Senfer DT9 was a slight improvement, but alas the Senfer UES sticks around instead. Sony MH755 is also perfect for quick on the go usage where I don’t need the universal fit in-ears.

Tempotec impressed me enough to consider the Sonata E35 for when good phone DAP’s are finally dead. Other than that, dongles are not my thing, and I have issues with some of Sony’s GUI decisions on the NW-A55 mainly related to playlist creation and long text support.

Lastly, the Questyle CMA Twelve would be an awesome DAC/amp combo to have, but my needs are more mobile. Perhaps when life slows down, but there are other bucket list items such as the Burson Playmate 2, RebelAmp, the Ruebert Neve RNHP, or RME ADI-2 that look interesting as well. Maybe someone will loan me one in 2022?

Jürgen Kraus…Calgary, CANADA

Earphones have traditionally been our main trade and there’s not many that stuck with me this year. First and foremost, I was impressed by the immersive and engaging sound of the single DD Dunu Zen that further excel in microdynamics. They are still very popular within our team.

Moondrop finally got it right with their tuning in the smooth and very pleasant sounding Moondrop KATO single dynamic driver. This model is generally well received. The JVC HA-FDX1 are still my standard iems for equipment testing, and an honourable mention goes to the Unique Melody 3DT for the clean implementation of 3 (!) dynamic drivers.

Another iem that fascinated me is the Japanese Final E5000. On the market since 2018, and very source demanding, this iem can produce a bass texture beyond belief. I have become a bit of a Final fanboy, as their products are unpretentious and natural sounding…and they fit my ears very well. I also purchased the Final E1000, E3000, and A3000…which get a lot of usage. No surprise that our Wall of Excellence is decorated like a Christmas tree by quite a few of these Japanese earphones and headphones.

Expanding my horizon into other devices, the Sony NW-A55 is a user-friendly digital audio player with great sonic characteristics and signature-altering 3rd party firmware options. But, most of all, it updates its music library within a minute or two. For the ultimate portable enjoyment, I discovered the Questyle QP1R dap...sounds simply amazing with the Final E5000. Found the dap on Canuck Audio Mart.

Dongles, battery-less headphone DAC/amps that turn any cheap phone into a decent music player, were big in 2021. Around since 2016, the market caught on to these devices. But out of the mass of dongles tested, the 2019 AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt was the most musical to my ears. I also like the AudioQuest DragonFly Red and the EarMen Eagle (replacing the EarMen Sparrow which I sent to Biodegraded). For earphone testing (and bigger cans), I still use the excellent Earstudio HUD100.

For my full-sized headphone needs with my notebook, I discovered the powerful Apogee Groove, a current-hungry dongle DAC/amp that has been around since 2015. I am even portable around the house. As to headphones themselves, I am still happy with the Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 25, but also with the Koss Porta Pro.

For my desktop setup, I identified the EarMen Tradutto as being a fantastic DAC in combination with the Burson Funk amp. Currently testing the Tradutto with my big stereo system.

In summary, I learnt a lot in 2021…

My Take Home this Year

• The latest is barely the greatest…many old brooms get better into the corners
• Influencers are not always right (…to say it nicely)
• Measurements are overrated
• Timbre (degree of naturalness of sound) is underrated
• Source is super important and also underrated
• Group pressure through hype may become a sobering experience
• That groomed YouTube stuff is boring

Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir…Munich, GERMANY

This year was very educational for me when it came to audiophilia. I got the chance to try out truly summit-fi setups and realized how good a system can sound. This also resulted in a sense of yearning where you keep comparing the gears you own with the ones you cannot own, at least not yet. Nonetheless, without further ado.

Headphones: The one headphone that has stuck with me throughout the year is the Hifiman Susvara. They won’t flatter anyone with the build quality but when paired with the right amp they sound astonishing. One of the most natural sounding headphones out there with exceptional timbre. A must listen.

Honorable mention goes to the Final D8000. Supreme bass that’s pretty much unmatched. On the budget side, I really liked the Final Sonorous-III. They are underrated and under-appreciated.

IEMs: When it comes to in-ear monitors, I have a hard time picking any single one of them as all of them fall short in one area or another. Nonetheless, the one IEM I’ve used the most throughout the year is the Dunu Zen. There is something truly addicting about their sound that makes me come back to them time and again.

However, the Zen is not the best IEM that I have heard throughout the year. That would probably be the Sony IER-Z1R or the 64Audio U12t. In the relatively budget realm, the 7Hz Timeless took me by surprise with their planar speed and excellent bass slam.

Source: Instead of going with separate sections for amps, DACs and such, I will just consolidate them into one.

Best desktop amp I’ve tried: Accuphase E380. One of those rare speaker amps that sound great with headphones.

Best portable amp I’ve tried: Cayin C9. It is the only review loaner in the past year that I have wanted to buy with my own money. I probably will, soon, budget permitting.

Best DAP: Lotoo PAW 6000, even though it can’t power difficult loads.

Best dongle: L&P W2. The only dongle that I found to be good enough to replace some DAPs.

Best DAC: Holo May L2. The price is extremely high but so is the sound quality. Exceptionally natural and neutral tuning. Another must listen.

And that’s a wrap. Have a great Christmas, and see you on the other side!

KopiOkaya…SINGAPORE

Too many lists…I focus on eartips…

Best EARTIPS of 2021

Most versatile eartips: SpinFit CP-100+
Best budget eartips: Audiosense S400
Best eartips for bass: FAudio “Instrument” Premium Silicone Earphone Tips
Best eartips for vocal: Azla SednaEarFit Crystal (Standard)
Best eartips for treble: BGVP S01
Best eartips for soundstage: Whizzer Easytips SS20
Most comfortable eartips: EarrBond New Hybrid Design

Loomis Johnson…Chicago, USA

Gear of the Year (and other Favorite Things)

SMSL SU-9 DAC/Preamp—one of those pieces that makes you seriously question why anyone would spend more. A seriously good DAC which is even better as digital preamp.

Hidisz S3 Pro DAC/Dongle—lacks the juice to power challenging loads, but has an uncanny knack for enlivening and improving more efficient phones. Very refined, with impeccable bass control.

Cambridge Melomania TWS—ancient by TWS standards, and its rivals have more features and tech, but this may still be the best-sounding TWS you can buy.

Shozy Rouge IEM—like a really hot girl you get smitten by the beauty before you even delve into the substance. Properly driven, however, these sound just as good as they look, with estimable staging and clarity.

The Beatles, “Get Back” Documentary—as probably the only person on earth who hasn’t seen Lord of the Rings I was gobsmacked by how brilliant this film looked and sounded. The real surprise for me, however, was how natural  a musician John was—unburdened by technique, but soulful and  exploratory.  Poor George invokes your pity—a good writer forced to compete with two great ones– while Ringo wins the award for Best Attitude.

Bob Dylan, “Desolation Row”—I always found the lyrics impenetrable and a bit sophomoric, but the Spanish-influenced lead guitar part is incredible, with scarcely a phrase repeated throughout the full 11 minutes. I’d always assumed it was Mike Bloomfield, but it’s actually the harmonica virtuoso Charlie McCoy, who also plays the trumpet part of “Rainy Day Women”.

Reds, Pinks and Purples, “Uncommon Weather” In hope of finding something genuinely fresh I dutifully listened to the most-touted 2021 releases before fixating on this one, which (predictably) sounds exactly like 80s Flying Nun and Sarah bands.

And This Was The Previous Year:

The post Gear Of The Year 2021 – Our Personal Favourites appeared first on Music For The Masses.

This article has had 151,367 views as of 2023-12-28.

The eartips are listed in alphabetical order.

Latest Additions

March 2024 additions: SoundMAGIC Silicone Eartips (Pumpkin-shape), ICE CLEAR Earphone Plug, Azla SednaEarfit XELASTEC II, Azla SednaEarfit Max ASMR (Standard), Azla SednaEarfit Foamax (Standard), INfiter Variety Dot IE45 Short for TWS (Dow Corning silicone and graphene), INfiter Variety Dot IE45 Short for TWS (Dow Corning silicone), Nfiter Variety Dot IE45Pro Short for TWS (Black), Nfiter Variety Dot IE45Pro Short for TWS (Clear), INfiter WS38 for TWS (Clear white), INfiter WS43 for TWS (Clear blue).

February 2024 additions: Azla SednaEarfit ORIGIN for In-Ear Monitor & TWS, Jomo Audio ONYX Double Flanges Premium Silicone Eartips (For IEMs), Penon Audio Liqueur Silicone Eartips (Black), Penon Audio Liqueur Silicone Eartips (Orange).

January 2024 addition: Z Reviews Render Eartips.

Testing Parameters and Disclaimer

The following tests of silicone eartips are based on my evaluations and listening observations. All test are conducted in a quiet listening environment. Fit is ensured such that eartips are properly inserted and seated into the ear canal with good seal. I have to elaborate, your experiences may vary.

Associated equipment list: Sources – Luxury & Precision W4, Questyle M15 and Sony WM-A105. IEMs – 7Hz Timeless, 7Hz Salnotes Zero, 7Hz Sonus, Tanchjim Oxygen and Moondrop Blessing 2.

Disclaimer: All scores are subjected to change without notice. I may update or add new scores every few months when I acquire new eartips.

NOTE: I don’t have favorite eartips but if I want neutrality, SpinFits CP-145 is my first pick usually. For IEM tuning, I always use reversed KZ Starline, follow by stock eartips from the manufacturer. 

A

Acoustune AEX07

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.00

For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange. The AEX07 sounds closer to AET07a than AET07. Improved overall tonal texture and clarity over the latter. Note weight is is denser than AET07a however it sounds less congested than AET07. A good middle-ground between its two predecessors. My new favorite Acoustune eartip.

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AET06
Bore size: double flange, regular
Stem length: extremely short
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 5.0
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 5
Similar to AET08 in many ways but with an even tighter bass punch. Vocal is bodied and three-dimensional
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AET06a (Enhanced comfort)
Bore size: double flange, regular
Stem length: extremely short
Feel: firm and pliable (slightly softer than AET06a)
Bass: 4.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 5
Virtually identical to AET06 with a hair bit cleaner and more sparkling upper-midrange and treble. Feels softer than AET06 thus less pressure inside the ears.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AET07
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4
For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange. Similar to SpinFit CP-145 in many ways but with better bass texture and vocal presence.
Purchased from Japan through a friend

Acoustune AET07a
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
Slight improvement over Acoustune AET07 in texture, detail, tonal purity and vocal clarity.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Acoustune AET08
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 5
For vocal, midrange and solid bass
Purchased from Japan through a friend

Acoustune AEX07

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.00

For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange. The AEX07 sounds closer to AET07a than AET07. Improved overall tonal texture and clarity over the latter. Note weight is is denser than AET07a however it sounds less congested than AET07. A good middle-ground between its two predecessors. My new favorite Acoustune eartip.

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AEX50

Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular 
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 1.50
Midrange: 2.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 3.50

Acoustune AEX50

Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular 
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 1.50
Midrange: 2.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 3.50

What was Acoustune thinking when they came out these?! 

These eartips are “directional” (meaning you must wear them in a certain way) and a pain in the butt to put on. You need lots of patience and time to get them to sit well inside the ears. Getting the proper “ear seal” is nearly impossible. There is literally zero isolation. The design adopts a WW2 helmet-like umbrella shape with double “wings” design. The wide wing is to face the inner-part of the entrance to the ear canal, and the narrow wing facing out (see attached photos). 

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get them to fit in my ears properly not matter how hard I tried. Although made of soft memory polymer, they become uncomfortable, irritating and warm inside my ears after a while.

Sound-wise, these eartips thin the sound so much that they make your TOTL IEMs sound like 1950s transistor radio. Everything sounds distant, lean and sibilance. 

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

Acoustune AEX70
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 4.00

Another addition to the new Acoustune AEX family. To me, these sound the most open and airy among the AEX members. Tonality and note weight are lighter than AEX07, as well as the older AET07. Overall, the AEX70 sounds cleaner and clearer than both AEX07 and AET07.

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong.

ADV Eartune Fidelity U Elliptical Silicone Eartips (horizontal fit)
Bore size: small (4mm)
Stem length: short
Feel: flexible, soft and pliable
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 2.5
Vocal presence: 3.5
An interesting elliptical eartip which fits two ways and can affect sound. The not so interesting part is it projects a smaller soundstage and vocals get thrown backwards. In both fittings, I experienced quite significant treble roll-off and details lost. Isolation is NOT GOOD!
Sample from ADVSound, courtesy of co-blogger Baskingshark.

ADV Eartune Fidelity U Elliptical Silicone Eartips (vertical fit)
Bore size: small (4mm)
Stem length: short
Feel: flexible, soft and pliable
Bass: 3.0
Midrange: 3.5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 2.5
Vocal presence: 3.5
An interesting elliptical eartip which fits two ways and can affect sound. The not so interesting part is it projects a smaller soundstage and vocals get thrown backwards. In both fittings, I experienced quite significant treble roll-off and details lost. Isolation is NOT GOOD!
Sample from ADVSound, courtesy of co-blogger Baskingshark.

AKG Anti-allergenic Sleeves for K3003
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 5.0
Yes, it is called “anti-allergenic sleeves”. If you can find these at your local earphone stores, GET IT! These sound extremely close to Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC but at half the cost. If you are not used to the grippiness or tackiness of the XELASTEC, AKG is the best alternative. Vocal is forward with very good dimension and ambience. 3D. Best of all it doesn’t affect bass and treble.
Purchase from a friend who bought from AKG outlet in Germany

ALPEX Hi-Unit HSE-A1000
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.25
These wide bore eartips bear an uncanny resemblance to JVC Spiral Dot in look but they don’t sound alike. The HSE-A1000 is brighter, more open and livelier. Midrange has more sparkle and life. The bass is cleaner, tighter and more textured. Best of all, they cost only a fraction of the JVC. I am surprised how good these are. What a hidden gem!
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Audiosense S400 Soft Silicone Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: flexible and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.5
Both Baskingshark and Vannak Pech are fans of this eartip. It adds “round-meatiness” (a.k.a smoothness and body) to the music without clouding the low-mids. Vocals can be a tad forward but still very pleasant. I would rank its sonic signatures between SpinFit CP-145 and Final Audio Type E eartips. Similar to SpinFits, it has a pivoting cap design.
Purchased from Audiosense Official Store on AliExpress

Audio-Technica FineFit ER-CKM55M
Bore size: small
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flrm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3
Vocal presence: 4
Bassy eartips that accentuates on vocal. Soundstage is smaller than most tips.
Purchased from Stereo Electronics (Singapore)

Azla SednaEarFit Crystal (Standard)

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 5.0

Another pricey eartip offering from Azla. Feels just like XELASTEC. Both XELASTEC and Crystal excel in the midrange and vocals. Their most obvious differences are in the upper-mids and mid-bass range where Crystal adds a touch more instrument presence, separation and space. Mid-bass is cleaner and clearer than XELASTEC yet doesn’t sacrifice warmth and body. It is good to note that Crystal does not have the upper-midrange “ringing” that plagues XELASTEC.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Azla SednaEarfit Crystal (for TWS)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 5.0

Another pricey eartip offering from Azla. Feels similar to XELASTEC but with a shallower in-ear fit. Both XELASTEC and Crystal excel in the midrange and vocals. Their most obvious differences are in the upper-mids and mid-bass range where Crystal adds a touch more instrument presence, separation and space. Mid-bass is cleaner and clearer than XELASTEC yet doesn’t sacrifice warmth and body. It is good to note that Crystal does not have the upper-midrange “ringing” that plagues XELASTEC. Can be used for both IEM and TWS.

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Azla SednaEarfit Foamax (Standard)
Bore size: wide bore with Waxguard.
Stem length: regular
Feel: medium density firmness and spongy

Bass: 4.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 5.00

I came across the SednaEarfit Foamax ear tips and was intrigued by users who claimed they were a superior alternative to the significantly more expensive Sony EP-NI1000M. If these claims hold true, Azla could have a major success on their hands.

In terms of sound quality, the SednaEarfit Foamax offers a crisper and clearer soundscape compared to the Sony. Vocals are more prominent and detailed, and the treble boasts a touch more vibrancy. However, the bass performance and soundstage are largely comparable between the two.

The SednaEarfit Foamax feels softer and plusher than the Sony, thanks to its slow rebound foam that regains its shape completely within 30 seconds. Additionally, the built-in mesh avoids causing any discomfort to the ear canal, unlike the Comply’s own Waxguard.

So, is the SednaEarfit Foamax better than the Sony EP-NI1000M? While I believe they offer a compelling alternative at a significantly lower price point, I personally favor the Sony’s more balanced sound signature. Nevertheless, considering they cost slightly more than half the price of the Sony, SednaEarfit Foamax is definitely worth considering.

Purchased from Amazon Japan

Azla SednaEarfit Max ASMR (Standard)
Bore size: narrow bore with Waxguard, short cap
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and flexible

Bass: 4.50
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 3.50
Soundstage: 3.25
Vocal presence: 5.00

This eartip, the narrow bore version of the SednaEarFit Max, offers a distinct variation within the family. Compared to its sibling, SednaEarFit Max ASMR tightens the sound, resulting in a smaller perceived soundstage. However, it compensates with a more precise and focused sonic image. Additionally, it delivers superior tonal density, improved textural clarity, and richer vocals. As the name suggests, vocals are emphasized and brought forward in the mix, creating a sense of intimacy. However, there is a trade-off in the form of reduced treble extension and a lack of high-frequency sparkle. This translates to a smoother and more natural but potentially less detailed listening experience overall.

Purchased from Amazon Japan

Azla SednaEarfit ORIGIN for In-Ear Monitor & TWS
Bore size: regular, tapered to a wide opening
Stem length: long
Feel: firm and flexible

Bass: 5.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 3.50
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 4.75

The ORIGIN eartips are, without a doubt, the most bass-forward I’ve ever encountered. But fear not, bassheads, because this is a good thing! They deliver a satisfying low-end rumble that’s surprisingly free from bloat and muddiness. While they might not pack the same punchy, dynamic punch as the Penon Audio Liqueur black eartips, the ORIGIN compensates with a smooth, fluid presentation for vocals, offering a truly captivating listening experience. However, there’s a catch. While the lower frequencies are a feast, the upper treble frequencies exhibit a slight roll-off, meaning they lack some sparkle and airiness. So, if you crave razor-sharp highs, these might not be your best bet. Overall, if you’re a bass aficionado who values smooth vocals, the ORIGIN eartips are definitely worth considering. They excel at creating a rich and immersive listening experience, but may not be the ideal choice for those seeking a more analytical or balanced sound signature. Perfect eartips pairing for Simgot IEMs especially with EA1000.

Purchased from Amazon Japan.

Azla Sedna EarFit (Regular)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: long
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5
For long nozzle good midrange
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Azla SednaEarFit Short

Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.50

Imagine the SednaEarFit Regular but with the stem chopped down a bit. These shorter SednaEarFits bring the music closer to your ears, making everything sound crisper, clearer and a bit more forward. They offer a similar experience to the SednaEarFit Light Short but with a delicate overall sound.

Purchased from Amazon Japan.

Azla Sedna EarFit (Light)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: long
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.25
A “lighter” version of the regular Sedna EarFit. More balanced-sounding overall.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Azla SednaEarFit (Light) Short
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5
A “short-stem” version of SednaEarFitLight. Both nozzles are brought closer to the eardrums thus enhancement in overall clarity and vocal presence, which means stereo image and presentation are slightly more forward.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Azla SednaEarFit Max (Standard)

Bore size: wide (with waxguard)
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm

Bass: 4.50
Midrange: 3.50
Treble: 3.50
Soundstage: 3.00
Vocal presence: 3.50

Another highly-requested eartips from the audiophile community. However, just like its TWS sibling, these are not my favorite! First of all, their fitting is awful. It is too short for my ear canal. Second, I am not a fan of having waxguard inside the nozzle. And finally, why people like these are the main reasons for my dislikes. They introduce too much bass and mid-bass boost. The treble clarity and extension are suppressed and restricted. Vocals have a thick nasally undertone and are pushed forward. Overall, these present an average tonality that is surpassed by many cheaper eartips. If you haven’t purchased these, save your money. Azla SednaEarFit (Light) Short is better. It is another déjà vu moment for me with SednaEarfit Max series.

Purchased from Amazon, Singapore.

Azla SednaEarFit Max (for TWS)

Bore size: wide (with waxguard)
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.50
Midrange: 3.50
Treble: 3.50
Soundstage: 3.00
Vocal presence: 4.00

I was “urged” to review these eartips and I can understand why so many people like it. However, these are not my favorite! First of all, their fitting is awful. It is too short for my ear canal. Second, I am not a fan of having waxguard inside the nozzle. And finally, why people like these are the main reasons for my dislikes. They introduce too much bass and mid-bass boost. The treble clarity and extension are suppressed as well. Vocals have a thick nasally undertone and are pushed forward. Overall, these present an average tonality that is surpassed by many cheaper eartips. If you haven’t purchased these, save your money. Azla SednaEarFit (Light) Short is better in my opinion.

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Azla SednaEarFit Vivid Edition

Bore size: narrow 
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.75

At first glance, these look like colourful version of SednaEarFitLight Short. Upon close examination, they are very different in looks, feel and sound. SednaEarFit Vivid Edition feels softer and plusher. It has a narrower bore and sounds livelier than SednaEarFit Light Short. Bass is punchier, better texture and definition. Vocals sound cleaner, clearer and slightly forward. Upper-registers are brighter and slightly more extended than SednaEarFitLight Short. This eartips definitely deserve the “Vivid Edition” title. Not suitable for bright or shouty IEMs. 

Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 5.0

The most expensive eartip in my collection. Isolation is impeccable. If you love vocals, THIS IS IT! Vocal presence is extremely 3D. Best of all it doesn’t affect bass and treble. Projects soundstage a bit narrower than regular SednaEarFit.

Azla SednaEarfit XELASTEC II
Bore size: regular, with Waxguard
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and grippy

Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 5.00

Compared to its predecessor, XELASTEC II offers a less sticky, dust-resistant surface. The flexible Waxguard improves the sound with smoother treble and reduced upper-midrange glare, all while preserving the core strengths of the original. For fans of the original XELASTEC who prefer a less sticky feel, XELASTEC II is the perfect choice.

Purchased from Amazon JP

B

BGVP A07 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
Suspiciously similar to Acoustune AET07. Heck… It sounds closer to AET07a than AET07. Neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange and top-end sparkle. I find this eartip to have better bass texture, dynamics and vocal presence than SpinFit CP100 and CP145. The A07 is often labeled as “vocal” eartip for most stock tips offering.Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BGVP A08 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 5
Suspiciously similar to Acoustune AET08, this eartip adds thickness to bass and midrange. However, unlike Acoustune AET08, I find it a speck bright. The A08 is often labeled as “bass” eartip for most stock tips offering.Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BGVP Electric Blue “ArtMagic VG4” Silicone Vocal Eartip
Bore size: regular 
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.0This eartip comes stock with BGVP ArtMagic VG4, ArtMagic V12 and DH3, labeled under “vocal” eartip. Highly-praised by Singaporean audiophile Reza Emmanuel as his standard reference, I must say this eartip is extremely comfortable, literally fatigue-free for long listening sessions.

Sound is clean, tight and very well-textured. Bass and low-mids are detailed, punchy and dynamic. Midrange is clear with excellent separation. Upper-mids and treble are smooth and extended with good amount of air and spacial cues. Vocal position is ‘just nice” – that is neither too forward nor too laid-back. Soundstage is realistically wide without sounding too spread-out. Similar to SpinFit, this eartip comes with a pivoting umbrella/cap.
Specially-ordered from BGVP Taobao Official Store as they do not sell this eartip individually. 

BGVP E01 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4
Looks identical to Final Audio Type E eartips it has a balanced sound that tames harshness. I find it lacks the smoothness of original Final Audio Type E eartips. This style of eartip is often labeled as “balance” eartip for most stock tips offering.Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BGVP S01 Eartips
Bore size: Very wide with narrow opening
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 3.0
Vocal presence: 3.0
A very interesting eartip with an exceptionally wide nozzle and narrow opening. Treble is vastly emphasize with a hint of bass and midrange. Works very well for dull-sounding earphones but make sure you can fit it 6.5mm diameter bore.
Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BVGP W01 Eartips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short and stubby
Feel: short and flexible
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5Short stem and wide bore brings nozzle closer to the eardrums thus enhancement in overall clarity and vocal presence, which means stereo image and presentation are slightly more forward. A slight boost in mid-bass is noticeable. 
Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

BGVP Y01 Eartips
Bore size: Very wide with narrow opening
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 3.0
Vocal presence: 3.0
A very interesting eartip with an exceptionally wide nozzle and narrow opening. Similar to BGVP S01 but with a smidgen more bass. Works well for dull-sounding earphones but make sure you can fit it 6.5mm diameter bore.
Purchased from BGVP Taobao store

C

Canal Works CW Dual Nozzle (CWU-DECM)
Bore size: wide / short cap
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 3.75
For neutral tonality with slight bass reduction and laid-back vocal compared to SpinFit CP-145. Otherwise both sound quite similar.
Purchased from Japan through a friend

Canal Works CW Dual Nozzle 《肉球》”Nikukyuu” (CWU-GDECM)

Bore size: wide / short cap
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 3.75

This eartip is basically Canal Works CW-DECM with silicone “gel” infused to the inner-cavity of the cap. For neutral tonality with improved bass weight, otherwise both the “gel” and “non-gel” versions sound quite similar.

Purchased from Amazon, Japan

Canal Works CW Single Nozzle (CWU-ECM)
Bore size: small
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.25
Eerily similar to Radius Deep Mount but with slightly less vocal presence and less transparent. Not suitable for bright earphones.
Purchased from Japan through a friend

Canal Works CW Single Nozzle 《肉球》”Nikukyuu” (CWU-GECM)

Bore size: narrow
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.75
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 4.50

This eartip is basically Canal Works CWU-ECM with silicone “gel” infused to the inner-cavity of the cap. Improved bass and lower-midrange over the “non-gel” version. Not suitable for bright-sounding earphones.

Purchased from Amazon, Japan

Canyon Silikon-Eartips ET400 (Bass)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 3.25
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 3.0
Canyon is a German company however these eartips are made in China. Interestingly, I find these eartips very pleasing, especially in staging. The ET400 is laid back yet retains imaging scale and focus very well. Although the packaging says “bass”, the ET400 isn’t bassy or rumbly. I would classify it as balanced with a touch of midrange warmth.
Purchased from Canyon Official Taobao Store.

CleanPiece Anti-bacteria Silicone Eartip
Bore size: narrow
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 3.0
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 3.0
An interesting audiophile’s “sanitary” product from Japan, and made in Japan. How true is the anti-bacteria, anti-microbial and anti-virus properties I don’t know (it comes in a plastic “petri dish”) but I do know these eartips roll-off treble and thicken bass and mid-bass. You lose clarity but gain body and smoothness. Recommended for bright and harsh sounding IEMs.
Purchased from Amazon.jp

D

ddHiFi ST35 Silicone Eartips (Standard)

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4.75
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 3.50
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 5.00

A slightly more bassy version of Acoustune AET08. The ST35 has solid and punchy bass, full-bodied midrange and good vocal presence. Nonetheless, it has a slightly rolled-off treble. Similar to the AET08, soundstage and stereo imaging are average. Instruments and voices are tad front forward but non-offensive. It has a pivoting umbrella just like SpinFits. Comes in a nice plastic storage case with 3 pairs of your chosen size.

Purchased from ddHiFi Official Taobao Store

Divinus MOCHI TIP (for IEM/TWS)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: very short
Feel: soft, elastic and pliable
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 4.50

These eartips have an extremely shallow fit due to their noticeably short stem. They produce a very midrange-forward sound with suppressed mid-bass and forward vocals. The soundstage is open and airy. They remind me of Moondrop Spring Tips with a sturdier cap and shorter stem. Vocals can sound sibilant and piercing when matched with bright earphones, so be very careful with your pairings.

Purchased from Audion Shopee Store (Indonesia)

Divinus Velvet Eartips (Standard)
Bore size: tapered, narrow to wide
Stem length: short
Feel: smooth and soft
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 4.50

If you don’t look closely, this eartip looks almost identical to Radius Deep Mount. It has the Beefeater bearskin shape which is wide on top and narrow at the bottom. Quite a transparent sounding eartip I must say. Sounds brighter than Deep Mount with slightly less bass. Korean Radius Deep Mount? Not suitable piercing or lean sounding IEMs.

Purchased from e*earphone, Japan

Divinus Velvet Eartips (for TWS)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: very short
Feel: smooth and soft
Bass: 3.00.
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 5.00

A shorter version of standard Divinus Velvet Eartips with very noticeable bass and low-mids reduction. Comfortable but unsuitable for earphones or TWS with short nozzle.

Purchased from e*earphone, Japan.

Dunu Candy Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 3.50

I am neither impressed by its lightweight nor its relaxed presentation. Vocal is a tad too recessed for my liking. Nevertheless, stage is spacious and airy. Goes well with forward-sounding IEM.

Purchased from Dunu Official Taobao Store

Dunu S&S Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: rubbery and elastic
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 4.00

The first time I tried these eartips was when I auditioned the Dunu Talos. The S&S eartips was part of their stock accessories. I immediately fell in love with these eartips. It presents clean yet balanced sound signature with a large soundstage, both width and depth, and good imaging. Perfect match for planar IEMs (these are attached permanently to my Timeless and Timeless AE). My only complain is they have an awkward fit and can be uncomfortable for some people. Comes in a plastic storage case with 3 pairs of your chosen size. Good stuff!

Purchased from Dunu Official Taobao Store

E

EarrBond Barreleye Blue 
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft with sturdy core
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 4.0
Different from EarrBond New Hybrid series, Barreleye eartips use a sturdy silicone core which give an surprisingly good seal without the squishy feel of foam. Similar to the New Hybrid series, sound is laid back. Barreleye Blue has better clarity, instrument separation, treble extension, stage depth and layering than Barreleye Green and New Hybrid.

However due to its emphasis in the upper-midrange and treble regions, Barreleye Blue isn’t suitable for bright, sibilant or harsh sounding earphones. Group member Vannak Pech described the sound as if “when you apply contrast filter to your image…”.
Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

EarrBond Barreleye Green
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft with firm core
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
Different from EarrBond New Hybrid series, Barreleye eartips use a firm silicone core which gives an surprisingly good seal without the squishy feel of foam. Similar to the New Hybrid series, sound is laid back. Barreleye Green adds body and bass punch but it lacks the clarity, instrument separation, treble extension, stage depth and layering of Barreleye Blue. 
Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

EarrBond EBT New Hybrid Design Eartips with Metal Core (CU) Copper

Bore size: regular, with copper insert
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft with semi-firm core

Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 4.25

At US$50 for two pairs (mimimum order quantity is 2 pairs), these hybrid eartips are one of the most expensive eartips in my collection. Equally as comfortable as original EarrBond EBT eartips and feels softer than Pentaconn COREIR Brass eartips. Isolation is exceptional. Are they worth US$25 a pair? Frankly, no! Performance is on par with silicone eartips such as Final Type E and Divinus Velvet. However, if you are looking for foam-level isolation with upper-midrange clarity, look no further. The difference between copper and stainless steel is copper eartips sound warmer and fuller. The vocals are more intimate also.

Safety concerns: Since the metal cores are inserted halfway into the nozzle. It may accidentally slipped out and leave inside the ear canal… Let’s say I am paranoid.

Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

EarrBond EBT New Hybrid Design Eartips with Metal Core (SS) Stainless Steel

Bore size: regular, with stainless steel insert
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft with semi-firm core

Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 4.50

At US$50 for two (mimimum order quantity is 2 pairs), these hybrid eartips are one of the most expensive eartips in my collection. Equally as comfortable as normal EarrBond EBT eartips and feels softer than Pentaconn COREIR Brass eartips. Isolation is exceptional. Are they worth US$25 a pair? Frankly, no! Performance is on par with silicone eartips such as Radius Deep Mount and Acoustune AET08. However, if you are looking for foam-level isolation with upper-midrange clarity, look no further. The difference between copper and stainless steel is the latter sounds brighter and has a more sparkly top-end. Vocal sounds livelier as well.

Safety concerns: Since the metal cores are inserted halfway into the nozzle. It may accidentally slip out and leave inside the ear canal… Let’s say I am paranoid

Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

EarrBond New Hybrid Design
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and spongy
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.25
EarrBond is softer and more squishy compared to other hybrid eartips, thus more comfortable for long-listening sessions. The moment you put them on, they simply disappear into your ear canals. Furthermore, they isolate well too. Sound-wise these are a bit too laid back for my taste. Also, I could detect some sibilance on a some female vocal tracks. In term of wearing comfort and isolation, this win hands down.
Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

Elecom Spare Ear Cap (EHP-CAP10)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 4.25
The brand Elecom is relatively unknown outside of Asia. These eartips surprised me with their exceptionally good sound and budget-friendly price. For ￥250 or US$2.50, you’ll get 4 pairs of eartips consist of X-Small, Small, Medium and Large sizes. Sound-wise, it is neutral tonality with emphasis in upper-bass and midrange regions (which adds body) as well as in vocals. I rank these higher than SpinFit CP-145 and on-par with Final Audio Type-E (black) eartips. Everybody should get these eartips if they ever come across it.
Purchased from Amazon.jp

Elecom Spare Ear Cap (EHP-CAP20)
Bore size: narrow
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm

Bass: 4.50
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 4.50

I will like to thank Jeremy Phua for bringing this eartips to my attention. Japanese consumer electronics brand Elecom is relatively unknown outside of Asia. But even in Singapore (where I live), Elecom products are uncommon.

Some online rumours claimed that Tanchjim includes this as the stock eartips with some of their IEMs. I have the stock eartips from Tanchjim Tanya. After comparing both, my conclusions are they look “quite” similar but sound different.

Nonetheless, this eartip sounds energetic but balanced overall. My only gripe is that vocals can sound a bit strident and nasally. Not as refined as Acoustune AET07 or SpinFit CP-100.

Purchased from Amazon.jp

Eletech Baroque Luxury Hi-Fi Eartips

Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: smooth and soft

Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 4.75

These eartips are so soft and smooth, they feel like luxury! The texture is similar to Divinus Velvet eartips. They suppress the mid-bass and bring the midrange and upper midrange forward, making them perfect for warm or muddy sounding IEMs. The soundstage is wide, deep, and tall, giving a sense of space around every instrument and artist.

My only gripe is that the silicone material feels thin, which affects the ear seal and isolation.

Compared to Azla SednaEarFit (Light) Short eartips, the Azlas have better low-end punch, vocal clarity, and airiness. The Baroque eartips sound smoother overall.

Compared to Moondrop Spring Tips eartips, the Spring Tips have more vocal presence and are clearer and cleaner. However, the Baroque eartips sound more organic, have better tonal weight, and are less fatiguing.

Overall, the Baroque is a great addition to any eartip collection.

Purchased from Element Technology (Singapore)

Epro Horn-shaped Tips
Bore size: cone-shaped, tempered (4mm nozzle end, 5mm bell end)
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4 25
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.25
Made of graphene and unlike most eartips, Epro has a cone-shaped tempered bore of 4mm at nozzle end to 5mm at the bell. It adds warmth, body and texture to vocals It tames harsh and peaky treble exceptionally well too. It DOESN’T roll-off highs and kills the air and ambient like some other foam tips. What I really enjoy about the Epro is that it adds a buttery smooth to the overall sound which make harsh-sounding earphones, such as the KZ ZS6, listenable again.
Purchased from Treoo Singapore

Epro Horn-shaped Tips (EP01)
Bore size: a cone-shaped tempered super widebore (5mm nozzle end, 8mm bell end)
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 4.50

Epro Horn-shaped Tips EP01 has a cone-shaped tempered bore of 5mm at nozzle end to 8mm at the bell. These eartips have the widest bore I have seen. But unlike conventional wide bore eartips, which usually makes everything sound thin and clear, EP01 adds body and texture to the overall sound. Just like its sibling the EP00, these eartips tame sibilance and peaky treble exceptionally well. However, it DOESN’T roll-off highs and kills the air and ambience like some other foam tips. Epro EP01 adds smoothness to the overall sound which tames harsh-sounding earphones. The best eartips to have if you want clarity, smoothness and note weight at the same time.

Purchased from Amazon US.

Epro Horn-shaped Tips Truly Wireless (for TWS)
Bore size: cone-shaped, tempered (4mm nozzle end, 5mm bell end)
Stem length: Short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.50
Made of graphene and unlike most eartips, Epro has a cone-shaped tempered bore of 4mm at nozzle end to 5mm at the bell. It adds warmth, body and texture to vocals, It tames harsh and peaky treble exceptionally well too. It DOESN’T roll-off highs and kills the air and ambient like some other foam tips. What I really enjoy about the Epro is that it adds a buttery smooth to the overall sound which make harsh-sounding earphones listenable again. This short nozzle version has more vocal presence and less mid-bass bloom than regular Epro Horn-shaped Tips.

Purchased from Treoo Singapore

EPZ Eartips (double flange)
Bore size: narrow
Stem length: very short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 3.00
Vocal presence: 4.00

Do take note that these eartips fit smaller than normal (I am wearing Large instead of my usual Medium). Extremely short and narrow nozzle that I have tough time trying to put them on. Although double-flanged, they did not fit inside my ears properly. Nonetheless, a comfortable set of eartips if they fit you. I find the soundstage narrow and compressed.

Purchased from EPZ Taobao Store

EPZ Eartips (short cap)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 4.50

Do take note that these eartips fit smaller than normal (I am wearing Large instead of my usual Medium). Neutral tonality with a clean and clear overall presentation. My only gripe is the short cap which makes this eartip unsuitable for earphones with short nozzles.

Purchased from EPZ Taobao Store

F

FAudio “Vocal” Premium Silicone Earphone Tips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 5
Accentuates on vocal and midrange but it also makes sibilance more noticeable. My favorite vocal eartip is still the SednaEarFit XELASTEC.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

FAudio “Instrument” Premium Silicone Earphone Tips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 5
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.25
Very punchy, fun, musical-sounding eartips. Sub-bass is exceptional. Vocal and mids are laid-back. Soundstage is average.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

Fender SureSeal Tips
Bore size: tapered widebore
Stem length: short
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5
Vastly similar to Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC, Fender SureSeal offers a more laid-back presentation with balanced sound. Mid-bass is a tad fuller. Soundstage slightly wider than XELASTEC but imaging is less precise. SureSeal does not suffer from the upper-midrange ring that plagues XELASTEC especially with DD-based earphones. Expect dust-magnet. All thermoplastic elastomer eartips require regular washing and sanitizing to prevent ears infection.
Purchased from Amazon.jp.

Feaulle Latex H570 For General Earplugs
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: plush and grippy

Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 5.0
Soundstage: 4.75
Vocal presence: 5.0

These “latex” eartips remind me of TRI Clarion. So, if you enjoy TRI Clarion, you will definitely love these. Overall tone is bright and lean. Vocals are sibilant but give very good enunciation. Stage and imaging are quite good. Resolves very well. Fit and comfort are good. These don’t feel sticky or attract dust like Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC.

Purchased from Feaulle Taobao Store.

FiiO Silicone (Balanced Ear tips)
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.25
Nice sounding eartips with a toned down bass and treble.
Purchased from FiiO store on Taobao (Mainland China)

FiiO Silicone (Bass Eartips)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 3.5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4
This is similar to many stock tips like those from TRN.
Purchased from FiiO store on Taobao (Mainland China)

FiiO Silicone (Vocal Eartips)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 2.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 5
These tips cut bass drastically!
Purchased from FiiO store on Taobao (Mainland China)

Filter H270 TPE Eartips
Bore size: regular with grille
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 5.0

Is this US$7 per pair Chinese-made TPE eartip comparable to Azla SednaEarFits XELASTEC and Fender SureSeal? I am sorry to say the H270 eartip doesn’t feel and wear like a TPE eartip. Thus, I do suspect it isn’t made of TPE at all. Probably made of silicone at best. Nonetheless, H270 is a very lively-sounding eartip. Bass is quite punchy.

Sub-bass rumble is good. Midrange is crisp and clear. Treble extension is very good. Soundstage and imaging are good. If you can overlook the fact that this isn’t made of TPE like they claimed, this is a pretty decent eartip. In terms of sound, it is closer to SureSeal than XELASTEC. Both eartips have accentuated upper-mids and treble.
Purchased from Filter Taobao official store

Filter H370 Latex Eartips
Bore size: elliptical-shaped, regular with grille
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 2.0
Midrange: 3.75
Treble: 3.0
Soundstage: 3.0
Vocal presence: 3.5

This Chinese Filter H370 does remind me a bit of ADV Eartune Fidelity U Elliptical eartip but performs far worse… Yup, in my encyclopedia of eartips this one is pretty bad. First thing you will notice is how boomy and wooly the bass is. It is so bad that it bleeds into the mids. Upper treble is rolled-off, thus lacking a sense of space and openness. All-in-all, the H370 is a dark-sounding eartip with poor technicalities. Comfort-wise is quite good though. What a pity!
Purchased from Filter Taobao official store

Final Audio Type A
Bore size: narrow
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 4. 8
Vocal presence: 4
Less common than Type E. Let’s call this Type E with a slightly boosted treble and thus lesser bass. As a whole it gives better clarity. The overall tonality remains quite balanced.
Purchased from Amazon.jp.

Final Audio Type B
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and plush
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4
Less common than Type E. Let’s call this Type E with a slightly boosted bass. Overall sound is more round robust as well. My favorite eartips for diffused-field oriented earphones
Purchased from Amazon.jp

Final Audio Type E
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4
For balance sound. Tame harsh earphones
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

Final Audio Type E (Clear, Clear/Red) 2020 Edition)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4 25
Vocal presence: 4.5
Sounds cleaner, clearer, brighter and tighter bass than conventional black Final Audio Type E eartip. Improved vocal lucidity. Tonally more accurate as well.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Final Audio Type E (Canjam Singapore 2023 Edition)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4 25
Vocal presence: 4.50

It comes in various colours, as well as glow-in-the-dark green. Sounds cleaner, clearer, brighter, and tighter bass than conventional black Final Audio Type E eartip. Improved vocal lucidity. Tonally more accurate as well.

Raffled from Project Perfect Pte Ltd (DITA) booth at Canjam Singapore

Final Audio Type E (for TWS)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.75
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 5.00

Quite the opposite of regular Final Type E eartips sonic-wise, These tips intensify upper-mids and treble, which unfortunately, introduces sibilance to female vocals and makes cymbals sound tinny. This can be unpleasant especially when used with bright earphones. Staging and ambience are better than regular Type E. Use with caution!

Purchased from Final Audio Official Taobao Store

Final Type E Silicon Eartips for True Wireless (clear)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 5
Vocal presence: 4
Overall, similar to Final Type E True Wireless (black) but with slightly less bass.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

FiiO HS18 Silicone Ear Tips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and light
Bass: 4.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 4.50

The FiiO HS18 is extremely thin and I was afraid this might affect its seal and isolation… Well, I worried too much. The HS18 is soft, lightweight and comfortable. Seal and isolation are good. Neutral tonality with very “bouncy” bass. Midrange is smooth and laid-back. Treble is crisp and sparkly however its presence is not emphasized (which is a good thing in general). Soundstage is very open and airy. One of the better eartips I have tested in 2022. Yes, the FiiO HS18 can rival some of the pricier offerings from SpinFit, Acoustune and Azla. For the record, I hardly, almost rarely, praise a FiiO product.

Purchased from FiiO Taobao Official Store

I

ICE CLEAR Earphone Plug
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: grippy but firm
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 5.00

These eartips, likely made by TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), offer surprising competition to the Azla SednaFit Crystal eartips. At only $10 for three pairs, they deliver performance that rivals the Crystal’s, with just a slight decrease in the emphasis of bass and sub-bass notes. However, the true strength of these TPE eartips lies in their exceptional clarity, resolution, and ability to create a wide soundstage. My one complaint is that the material feels a bit too rigid and produces a cracking noise whenever I move my jaw

Purchased from 德海基业数码专营店 (Dehaijiyeshuma) Taobao store

INfilter Variety Dot Ear Tip
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: pliable and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 3.75
Treble: 3.00
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.00

A JVC Spiral Dot clone but more bassy and a tad smoother. Midrange details are a little smeared, resolution lacking. Unfortunately, this still can’t replace the good ol’ Spiral Dot.

Purchased from Focus Audio Taobao Store

INfilter Variety Dot Pro Ear Tip
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: pliable and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.00
Treble: 3.50
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.00

A JVC Spiral Dot clone. Sounds almost identical to the Variety Dot but with cleaner and more open upper-registers. Personally, I will choose this over the original Variety Dot.

Purchased from Focus Audio Taobao Store

INfiter Variety Dot IE45 Short for TWS (Dow Corning silicone and graphene)
Bore size: wide with short cap
Stem length: very short
Feel: pliable and firm

Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 4.50

The Infiter IE45 eartips are designed primarily for True Wireless earbuds, but they can also be used with traditional In-Ear Monitors. They are known for their smooth, balanced sound signature that prioritizes clarity. The IE45 eartips deliver a smooth and balanced sound experience that is pleasing to the listener. They avoid harshness or excessive emphasis on any particular frequency range. These eartips prioritize clarity, ensuring that vocals and instruments are well-defined and easy to distinguish within the mix. The graphene-infused version of the IE45 eartips further enhances the smoothness and reduces listener fatigue. This is achieved through the unique properties of graphene, a material known for its excellent damping properties. The IE45 eartips offer good value for the price. They provide a significant improvement in sound quality for both TWS earbuds and IEMs, without breaking the bank.

Purchased from INfiter Taobao Store

INfiter Variety Dot IE45 Short for TWS (Dow Corning silicone)
Bore size: wide with short cap
Stem length: very short
Feel: pliable and firm

Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 4.50

Originally designed for True Wireless earbuds, the Infiter IE45 eartips are also compatible with In-Ear Monitors. Known for their smooth, balanced sound, these eartips prioritize clarity, making them ideal for listeners who prefer a clean and accurate listening experience. Vocals are clear and well-defined, making it easy to understand lyrics or dialogue. The smooth, non-harsh treble ensures a pleasant listening experience without any fatiguing sharpness. The Clear version offers an open and airy soundstage, creating a wider and more immersive listening experience. They provide a decent overall sound, with a focus on clarity and comfort, making them a suitable option for value-conscious listeners who prioritize comfort.

Purchased from INfiter Taobao Store

INfiter Variety Dot IE45Pro Short for TWS (Black)
Bore size: wide with short cap
Stem length: very short
Feel: pliable and firm

Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.20
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 5.00

Originally designed for True Wireless earbuds, the Infiter IE45Pro eartips can also be used with In-Ear Monitors. They are known for their smooth, balanced sound signature that prioritizes clarity, making them a good choice for listeners who prefer a clean and accurate listening experience. The Black version is made from a soft, comfortable material that allows for extended wear without fatigue. Vocals sound clear and well-defined, making it easy to understand the lyrics or dialogue in your audio. The treble is also smooth and free of harshness, ensuring a pleasant listening experience without any fatiguing sharpness. The soundstage offered by the Black version is open and airy, creating a wider and more immersive listening experience. They provide a decent overall sound experience with a focus on clarity and comfort, making them a suitable option for listeners who prioritize comfort and good value.

Purchased from INfiter Taobao Store

INfiter Variety Dot IE45Pro Short for TWS (Clear)
Bore size: wide with short cap
Stem length: very short
Feel: pliable and firm

Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.00
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 4.25

While primarily advertised for TWS earbuds, the Infiter IE45Pro eartips can also be used with traditional IEMs. They offer a smooth and balanced sound signature that prioritizes clarity. The Clear version delivers a smooth and non-fatiguing sound profile. However, certain listeners might find that vocals, especially female vocals, can take on a slightly nasal quality. The treble range lacks a bit of sparkle and vibrancy, which can make the sound feel a bit dull or veiled. The soundstage feels somewhat compressed, meaning the instruments may not seem as spacious or separated as with other eartips. Despite the mentioned limitations, IE45Pro Clear offers good value for the price. They provide a decent overall sound experience.

Purchased from INfiter Taobao Store

InFiter TPE Eartips (PT37-TWS)
Bore size: wide bore
Stem length: short
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 3.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 5.00

Although these are stated for TWS, they can be used on normal IEMs but with a caveat. This eartip is a fine example of why TWS eartips aren’t so appealing for high-fidelity use. Because of their short stem, many TWS eartips have the tendency to push vocals and upper midrange too forward, making them shouty. Sub-bass, bass and mid-bass take a back seat. Good match for muddy-sounding earphones. Do take note that TPE eartips are dust and dirt magnet. They will deform and lose its shape over time.

Purchased from InFiter Taobao Store.

InFiter TPE Eartips (PW-10)
Bore size: wide bore
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 5.00

A leaner-sounding version of Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC. Bass is less impactful. However, midrange preserves most of the characteristics of XELASTEC. Soundstage seems wider and more open as well. Nonetheless finishing is nowhere close to Azla’s.

Purchased from InFiter Taobao Store.

InFiter TPE Eartips (PW-20)
Bore size: 7mm superwide bore
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 4.75
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 5.00

A clearer version of Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC. You’ll get 70% of XELASTEC performance at a fraction of the cost. Is it worth a try? Sure… But take note these are TPE eartips (just like XELASTEC) thus they are dust and dirt magnet. They will deform and lose its shape over time. Finishing-wise not as beautiful and smooth as Azla’s. Great value for money if you don’t want to pay the XELASTEC price.

Purchased from InFiter Taobao Store

INfiter WS38 for TWS (Clear white)
Bore size: wide with short cap
Stem length: very short
Feel: thin and soft

Bass: 3.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 5.00

These eartips are constructed from very thin and soft silicone and unfortunately these contribute to a poor fit. They struggle to stay securely in place and are prone to flipping over during use, compromising both comfort and sound quality. The thin material significantly impacts the sound signature. The overall sound comes across as bright and lacking in body. Bass frequencies are noticeably suppressed, resulting in a weak and underwhelming low-end experience. The lack of “punch” and “noteweight” refers to the absence of impact and definition in the bass notes, leaving the sound overall thin and hollow. Not recommended.

Purchased from INfiter Taobao Store

INfiter WS43 for TWS (Clear blue)
Bore size: wide with short cap
Stem length: very short
Feel: thin and soft

Bass: 3.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 5.00

These eartips are identical to the INfiter W38 model but come in a light blue color. While constructed from soft, thin silicone for comfort, this material unfortunately contributes to a poor fit in the ear. They struggle to stay secure and tend to flip out during use, negatively impacting both comfort and sound quality. The thinness of the material also significantly impacts the sound signature. The overall sound becomes bright and lacks body, with noticeably suppressed bass frequencies. Overall, due to the poor fit and compromised sound quality, these eartips are not recommended.

Purchased from INfiter Taobao Store

Intime iReep 01
Bore size: wide (reversed cap)
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 4.00

An incredibly unique eartip that resembles a whiskey barrel with the entire stem fully concealed within the reversed cap, which forms a dome. It is extremely comfortable, isolates and seals very well. Because sound is reflected into the dome, it has an echo (reverb) effect. This presents a wide soundstage with particularly good height and depth. Unfortunately, this echo effect causes vocals, female voices especially, to sound nasally and wheezy. As if the singer is singing with his or her nose pinched. Without a doubt, the iReep 01 is the most unusual eartip in my collection.

Purchased from e*earphone, Japan

J

Jomo Audio ONYX Double Flanges Premium Silicone Eartips (For IEMs)
Bore size: double flange, very wide
Stem length: extremely short
Feel: soft, thin, and springy

Bass: 3.00
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 5.00
Double-flange eartips with wide bores are a rarity. The Acoustune AET06 series is another example of such eartips that I’ve reviewed. In comparison, the ONYX double-flange eartips deliver a brighter, clearer, and more open sound signature. However, they also significantly reduce low and mid-bass frequencies, sacrificing dynamics in the process. While this is ideal for those seeking to reduce bass bloat or muddiness, it makes them less suitable for bright or lean-sounding IEMs. The thin flange material tends to curl upwards when removed from the ears.

Purchased from Let’s Go Audio Online Store, Hong Kong

JVC Spiral Dot (Regular)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 4
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4
For balance sound. Tame harsh earphones
Purchased from Japan through a friend

JVC Spiral Dot SF (Short Flange / Shallow Fit)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short (shallow fit)
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
These eartips are meant for true wireless earpieces. These have more bass and vocal presence than SpinFit CP-350 and CP-360. Comparable to Final Type E True Wireless (black) but sound less open and less treble extension.
Purchased from Amazon.jp

JVC Spiral Dot++ (EP-FX10)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: supple and grippy
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 3.75
Treble: 3
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4
For balance sound. Tames harsh earphones. Cleaner but lesser bass and midrange compared to regular Spiral Dot. Very comfortable for long listening sessions.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

JVC/Victor EP-FX2 (Poor men’s Spiral Dot)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and grippy
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
You get 80% performance of Spiral Dot at 30% of its price. Comfortable for long listening. Good value for money.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

K

KB EAR 10 Silicone Eartips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 3.75
Treble: 3 5
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4
For balance sound. Tames bass-heavy earphones. Smooth tonality suitable for long listening sessions.Purchased from KB EAR Taobao store

KB EAR A07 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
Suspiciously similar to Acoustune AET07. Heck… It sounds closer to AET07a than AET07. Neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange and top-end sparkle. I find this eartip to have better bass texture, dynamics and vocal presence than SpinFit CP100 and CP145. The A07 is often labeled as “vocal” eartip for most stock tips offering.Purchased from BGVP Taobao storePurchased from KB EAR Taobao store

KB EAR A08 Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 5
Suspiciously similar to Acoustune AET08, this eartip adds thickness to bass and midrange. However, unlike Acoustune AET08, I find it a speck bright. The A08 is often labeled as “bass” eartip for most stock tips offering.
Purchased from KB EAR Taobao store

KB EAR “Columbia” Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
This eartip is worthy of the title “Sony clone”. Sounds virtually identical to Sony EP-EX11M eartip, which my sensitive ears couldn’t tell them apart. For neutral tonality with slight treble roll-off.
Purchased from KB EAR Taobao store

KZ Starline
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 3.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3
Vocal presence: 2.75
Purchased from KZ store on Taobao (Mainland China)

These stock KZ eartips come in two versions. The older version was included with KZ ZS3 and KZ ZS5, etc, were no longer available. They are softer and more pliable compare to current ones. Sound-wise, co-blogger Slater prefers the former. They give smoother midrange and cleaner treble. The ones tested here are the current/ new version.

KZ Starline (reverse)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: long
Feel: soft and grippy
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 3.5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4*
Vocal presence: 3
For bright, clear and crisp sound
*soundstage has more depth and height than width
Purchased from KZ store on Taobao (Mainland China)

KZ Whirlwind Silicone Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 2.0
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.50
Similar to Tennmak Whirlwind, these eartips reduce bass and mid-bass significantly. Projects vocals forward with good presence.
Purchased from KZ Official Store on Taobao

L

LIZER LAB JIJUFIN Earpiece
Bore size: regular
Stem length: not applicable
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.75
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 4.75

The most unique and unusual eartips in my entire collection. From the Land of the Rising Sun, LIZER LAB eartips feature a patented metal phase-plug which promise to “reposition” your music to sound as if music is coming from the front, rather than from inside and above your head. LIZER LAB claimed their eartips to give the listener an “out-of-head localization” concert and live performance experience. Is this snake oil or real? Does it works? My conclusion is it depends. The effects on some earphones are prominent while others are not as outstanding.

Nonetheless, vocal is extremely clean. Bass is slightly recessed (compared to conventional silicone eartips such has Final Audio Type E), nonetheless still sounds full and weighty. Treble extension is good. Soundstage and stereo imaging are exceptional. Pairs well with neutral-warm sounding earphones.

LIZER LAB JIJUFIN eartips don’t come cheap. A pair will set you back 3,880 Japanese Yen or around US$28. Nonetheless, it gives the listener a unique experience and definitely a conversation piece among audiophile friends.

Purchased from Amazon Japan

LIZER LAB JIJU-JET Earpiece
Bore size: regular
Stem length: not applicable
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.75
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 4.75

The most unique and unusual eartips I have used. From Japan, LIZER LAB eartips feature a patented metal phase-plug which promise to “reposition” your music to sound as if music is coming from the front, rather than from inside and above your head. LIZER LAB advertised their eartips to give the listener an “out-of-head localization” concert and live performance experience. Is this snake oil? Does it works? My conclusion is it depends. The effects on some earphones are prominent, while some are not as outstanding.

Nonetheless, vocal is extremely clean. Bass is suppressed but not rolled-off. Treble extension is good. Soundstage and stereo imaging are the stars of the show. Compared to JIJUFIN, JIJU-JET sounds leaner and crispier. Dynamics and impact are snappier and sharper. Pairs well with dark-sounding earphones.

LIZER LAB JIJU-JET eartips don’t come cheap. A pair will set you back 3,680 Japanese Yen or around US$26. Nonetheless, it will give the listener a unique experience and definitely a conversation piece among audiophile friends.

Purchased from Amazon Japan

LIZER LAB JIJU-JET2 Earpiece
Bore size: regular
Stem length: not applicable
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 5.00

The most unique and unusual eartips I have seen. From Japan, LIZER LAB eartips feature a patented metal phase-plug which promise to “reposition” your music to sound as if music is coming from the front, rather than from inside and above your head. LIZER LAB advertised their eartips to give the listener an “out-of-head localization” concert and live performance experience. Is this snake oil or real? Does it works? My conclusion is it depends. The effects on some earphones are prominent, while some are not as outstanding.

JIJU-JET2 is the revised version of original JIJU-JET. Vocal projection is brought forward creating a better 3D-effect on human voices. Soundstage has better depth and instruments have more breathing space around them. Similar to its predecessor, bass is suppressed but not rolled-off. Treble extension is excellent. However, I do notice a slight metallic timbre which makes female voices sound a tad cold and steely. Pairs well with dark-sounding earphones.

LIZER LAB JIJU-JET2 eartips don’t come cheap. A pair will set you back 3,780 Japanese Yen or around US$27. Nonetheless, it will give the listener a unique experience and definitely a conversation piece among audiophile friends.

Purchased from Amazon Japan

M

Marunana 七福神 silicone eartips
Bore size: narrow
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4Vocal presence: 4.25
Marunana eartips is recommended by a friend who discovered it from a native Japanese audio enthusiast. These eartips are surprisingly affordable (880¥ for 12 pairs!). Great midrange texture and vocal presence. My only nitpick is they tend to cloud the mid-bass a little but it adds body to lean earphones.
Purchased from Amazon Japan

Moondrop Spring Tips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft with pliable stem
Bass: 2.50
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 5.0
These originally come stock with Moondrop KATO. First impression is how suppressed the bass and mid-bass are, which thins the overall note-weight and body. Midrange is textured with good details. Vocal is forward with very good presence.

Treble has good sparkle and crisp, however it lacks that last bit of extension and airiness. Great match for earphones with too much mid-bass or has bleeding mid-bass. The caps are too soft in my opinion. They flap over every time I remove them from my ears, which is very annoying.
Purchased from Moondrop Taobao Official Store

N

New Bee Olive Replacement Earbud Tips
Bore size: semi-wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: Firm and stiff
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 5.00

These eartips rival most “vocal” eartips I have tried for under US$10. Very good bass punch and dynamics as well. My only gripe is they feel a bit too stiff for my ears.

Purchased from Yongse Taobao Official Store

NF Audio MS42 IEM Silicone Ear Tips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and supple
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 3.50
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 3.75

These are probably the smoothest eartips I have tried. Its relaxed and delicate sound is neither harsh nor strident. Low-end has good body and punch. Midrange has that silky “tube-like” tonality. Upper-registers are fluid and gentle. Soundstage and imaging are average. Boy… It feels like I am having a head massage every time I listen to these. Very comfortable both in sound and in fitment. Highly recommended!

Purchased from NF Audio Official Taobao Store

Nostalgia Audio Extra Wide Bore XWB Eartips
Bore size: very wide
Stem length: short
Feel: flexible but firm

Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 4.00

Hailing from the vibrant city of Hong Kong, Nostalgia Audio is an IEM brand that has quietly carved its niche in the audiophile world. Their XWB eartips mark their debut in the realm of eartips, and let me tell you, these little wonders are a pure delight for any audio enthusiast seeking a touch of extra sparkle in their upper registers without compromising the depth and richness of the low end.

Compared to the Eletech Baroque eartips, the XWB eartips stand out with their sturdier and more substantial cap material, offering a sense of reassurance and durability. And when pitted against the Divinus Velvet eartips, the XWB eartips emerge victorious with their ability to inject a dash of extra zing into the treble, resulting in a livelier and more energetic listening experience.

In a world of eartips, the XWB eartips shine as a star of their own, offering a unique blend of clarity and vibrancy that elevates your music listening experience to new heights. If you’re seeking a touch of extra sparkle without sacrificing the fullness of your sound, the XWB eartips are your perfect companion.

Purchased from Super King (Hong Kong)

Nuarl Block Ear+ Antibacterial Silicon Earpiece
Bore size: wide (5mm)
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.25

If you like the comfort of JVC Spiral Dot++, you will enjoy this. A crispier and more sparkly version of Spiral Dot++. Not suitable for bright-sounding earphones. Comes in multiple sizes of Small, Medium-small, Medium, and Large.

Purchased from Amazon Japan

Nuarl Block Ear+ 6 Antibacterial Silicon Earpiece (for 6mm bore)
Bore size: wide (6mm)
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 4.00

A firmer version of Nural Block Ear+. Slightly bass-boosted and mid-bass feels more thumpy than Nuarl Block Ear+. Smoother treble and more luscious midrange. Comes in multiple sizes of Small, Medium-small, Medium, and Large.

Purchased from Amazon Japan

Nuarl Block Ear+ 7 Antibacterial Silicon Earpiece (for 7mm bore)
Bore size: wide (7mm)
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 4.50

Same as Nural Block Ear+6 but with a 7mm bore diameter. The bigger opening presents a more forward midrange and vocals. Comes in multiple sizes of Small, Medium-small, Medium, and Large.

Purchased from Amazon Japan

O

Openaudio Studio 003 Earfits
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: very soft and rubbery
Bass: 3.00
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 4.50

Do take note that these eartips fit smaller than normal (I am wearing Large instead of my usual Medium). The “003” on the case does remind me of something that is also rubbery and made of latex. Nonetheless, this eartip has a clear and sparkly presentation especially in the upper-mids and treble. Bass and midbass are attenuated. Unsuitable for bright and lean sounding earphones.

Purchased from Openaudio Studio Taobao Store

Ostry OS100 Tuning Eartips (Blue)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.25
Vocal presence: 3.5
Sounds 90% identical to SpinFit CP145 but with a touch more bass and narrower soundstage.
Purchased from Ostry Official Store on Taobao (Mainland China)

Ostry OS200 Tuning Eartips (Red)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.25
Soundstage: 3
Vocal presence: 3.5
Similar to Ostry OS100 but with a tad more bass and less crisp in the treble. Quite a balance-sounding eartip. Narrows soundstage.
Purchased from Ostry Official Store on Taobao (Mainland China)

Ostry OS300 Tuning Eartips (Black)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: firm and sturdy
Bass: 5
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 2.5
Soundstage: 2.5
Vocal presence: 3.5
The most bass-heavy Ostry tuning eartips of all. Also rolls-off treble the most. It adds tightness and punchiness to the overall sound. However, I find them a bit too forward for my taste.
Purchased from Ostry Official Store on Taobao (Mainland China)

Ortofon silicone eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: very soft and pliable
Bass: 2.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
For good midrange, best female vocal, tames bass and brightens treble
Purchased from Ortofon direct (Denmark)

P

Penon Audio Liqueur Silicone Eartips (Black)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: grippy and rubbery

Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 4.00

Penon Audio Liqueur eartips stand out from typical TPE options like the SednaEarFit XELASTEC due to their dust and lint resistance. This unique property, stemming from their non-stickiness, makes them a practical choice. The Black version offers a cleaner, clearer, and brighter sound signature compared to the Orange version. However, it sacrifices some punchy bass in favor of increased clarity and transparency.

Purchased from Penon Audio Online Store

Penon Audio Liqueur Silicone Eartips (Orange)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: grippy and rubbery

Bass: 4.75
Midrange: 4.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 3.50

Penon Audio Liqueur eartips stand out from typical TPE options like the SednaEarFit XELASTEC due to their dust and lint resistance. This unique property, stemming from their non-stickiness, makes them a practical choice.
In terms of sound presentation, these vibrant orange eartips deliver the most dynamic and punchy performance I’ve encountered thus far. The bass extension, elasticity, and textural detail are truly exceptional, exceeding any other eartips I’ve tried.

However, it’s important to note that vocal clarity and treble extension suffer slightly compared to the Black version of the Liqueur eartips. Despite this, the overall sound remains fun and engaging, making them a compelling option for listeners who prioritize bass impact and energy.

Purchased from Penon Audio Online Store

Pentaconn COREIR Nickel-plated Brass core Eartip (PTM01) 

Bore size: wide 
Stem length: long
Feel: firm, sturdy and gripy

Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 4.75

At 3,850 Japanese Yen (US$35) for 2 pairs of eartips, the COREIR is currently the second most expensive eartip in my collection right now (most expensive is the Sony EP-NI1000M). However, is it worth the high-price it is asking for? Personally, I say “no” and here are the reasons… 

I find the COREIR eartip only suitable for certain types of IEM, particularly those with a very warm, very fully low-end and a recessed midrange, such as the Acoustune HS1650.

When used on Harman-tuned IEMs such as the Tanchjim Oxygen, Salnotes Zero or TangZu Wan’er, the COREIR thins midbass, pushes the midrange and vocals a tad too forward to my liking. Also, occasionally it can sound shouty and nasally especially on female vocal tracks. 

Because of its forward presentation, I find the soundstage a bit narrow. Air and separation around the instruments isn’t as spacious  or as defined as I expected.

Comfort-wise, COREIR falls in between Moondrop Spring Tips and Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC, although not as grippy as the latter. However, because of the brass core, having the correct fit is crucial… More than ordinary silicone eartips in fact. Just like many TPE eartips, these can heat up the inner-ear and cause discomfort. 

I was disappointed to be honest… But some of you may find good use with the COREIR. I know quite a few reviewers like it. 

Purchased from Fujiya-Avic, Japan. 

Q

Queen Lab Hybrid Silicone Memory
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5 
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4 5
Exceptionally good vocal presentations for hybrid. Tighter bass and clearer midrange compared to Symbio W. My favorite hybrid eartip. 
Purchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

R

Radius Deep Mount
Bore size: small
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
Just like the company’s slogan – Pure Comes True, Deep Mount is the most transparent of all eartips I have tested. Not suitable if your earphone is already bright.
Purchased from Bic Camera (Osaka, Japan)

Radius Deep Mount Clear (Antibacterial)
Bore size: small
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and gripy

Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 4.75

Thank you Jeremy Phua for bringing this eartips to my attention. I didn’t notice Radius came out with a clear version of their ever popular Deep Mount until he mentioned it.

These sound a smidgen cleaner and clearer than the regular black version. Soundstage is a bit better. I could hear more air and separations around the vocals and every instruments.

Regardless of colours, Radius Deep Mount still remain as one of the most transparent eartips I have tested.

Purchased from Amazon.jp

Raptgo Adaptive Ear Tips

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: pliable and firm
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.25

These eartips from Raptgo come with pivoting cap design similar to that in SpinFit. They add “round-meatiness” (a.k.a smoothness and body) to the music without clouding the lower-midrange. The vocals are forward but still very pleasant. I would rank its sonic signatures between SpinFit CP-145 and Final Audio Type E eartips. Same as Audiosense S400.

Purchased from Raptgo Official Taobao Store

RHA dual density silicone eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.5
These eartips enhance details and stereo imaging extremely well. Tighten bass. Projects midrange and treble frequencies more than some eartips. Not recommended for bright earphones.
Purchased from RHA in UK

Rose Technics QT Series Eartips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.00
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 4.25

A very typical wide bore eartips. Nothing special or unique I find. It is a very comfortable set of eartips nonetheless.

Purchased from Rose Technics Taobao Official Store

S

Sennheiser Momentum Eartips
Bore size: regular with “sound beam”
Stem length: very short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 3. 5
Vocal presence: 3.5
This is the stock eartip from Sennheiser Momentum series of earphones. It has a bold, thick and robust sound signature with buttery-smoooth upper-midrange and treble. Can sound overly warm and muddy when used on dark-sound earphones. Clarity, soundstage, imaging, and details are average.
Purchased from Sennheiser Singapore

Simphonio Diamond Earfit
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 2.50
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 5.0
Vocal presence: 5.0
This eartip has rhombus patterns stamped around the cap (or umbrella) thus the name “diamond” Earfit. This eartip bears some resemblance to Moondrop Spring Tip, however Diamond Earfit is a bit shorter height-wise. Vocal is forward with very good presence. Midrange and treble feels more open and livelier than Spring Tips. Just like Spring Tips, Diamond Earfit thins bass and mid-bass, reduces note-weight. Skip if you prefer bassier eartip.
Purchased from RoadRunner Taobao Store

Softears Liquid Silicone Ear TipsBore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and grippy
Bass: 3.0Midrange: 5.0Treble: 4.50Soundstage: 5.0Vocal presence: 5.0
Very pricey eartips from Softears. Appearance and texture feel just like SednaEarfit XELASTEC, although it says “Liquid Silicone”. Frankly, I have no clue what liquid silicone is other than those used in aesthetics surgery.

However, I find these eartips sound very much cleaner, clearer and airier than both XELASTEC and Crystal. Midrange and vocal presentation are outstanding. Softears Liquid Silicone does not have the upper-midrange “ringing” that plagues the original XELASTEC eartips. Unfortunately, these eartips attracts dirt and dust just like XELASTEC, so clean them regularly if you decide to try.
Purchased from Softears Taobao Official Store

SonicMemory Cup Tips
Bore size: cone-shaped, tempered (4mm nozzle end, 5mm bell end)
Stem length: short
Feel: medium soft and pliable
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 3.75
An alternative to Epro Horn-shaped Tips. It has an overall softer yet balanced tonality. Bass not as impactful and robust. Vocals don’t stand out as much. Nonetheless, I do enjoy the “air” it gives to the sound. Also, these eartips present slightly wider soundstage and more spacious than Epro. Comes with antibacterial properties added, which is a good thing if you don’t have sensitive skin.
Purchased from SonicMemory Taobao Official Store

SonicMemory Fungus Tips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft with a sturdy stem
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 3.50
These eartips look like little pink champignon mushrooms thus the name “fungus” tips. A balanced-sounding eartip with emphasis in bass and low-midrange. Vocals sound slightly nasally and laid-back. Treble lacks air and extension. Soundstage is of average width. If you prefer an open and airy sound with wide-staging, do consider its sibling the SonicMemory Cup Tips. Infused with antibacterial properties.
Purchased from SonicMemory Official Store on Taobao

Sony Clear White
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: pliable and soft
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.5
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 4.5
I consider the Clear White an improvement over Sony Triple Comfort. This enhances overall clarity and vocal presence without sounding overly bright or harsh. Top-end sounds more airy. Bass texture improved as well. My only gripe is it isn’t as smooth as I would prefer but this is a small trade off in my opinion.
Purchased from Amazon.jp

Sony EP-NI1000M Noise Isolation Earbud Tips

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: spongy and sturdy
Bass: 5.0
Midrange: 4. 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 5.0

This is the most expensive eartips in my collection as of October 2021. These tips retail for US$20 A PAIR! Yes, you hear that right… Two Hamiltons for a pair of eartips!

Deemed to be a replacement for Sony Triple Comfort (EP-TC50), these are eartips with an attitude. They sound like silicone but seal and isolate like a good pair of foam tips. Extremely comfortable and stable fit.

Are they better than XELASTEC? All I can say is both are very different. If you are always a “foam person”, the EP-NI1000 sounds more lively and open than, say, Comply or Dekoni.

Heard from a friend that these eartips don’t last long, so it is better to keep them dry and away from heat. Purchased from Amazon, Japan

Sony Spare Earbuds EP-EX10A / EP-EX11

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5

Neutral tonality with warm mid-bass and slight treble roll-off. Midrange is smooth and laid-back. Ideal choice for bright and lean sounding earphones.
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

Sony Triple Comfort
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: spongy and sturdy
Bass: 5
Midrange: 4
Treble: 3.25
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.25
For similar to Sony Hybrids but with boosted bass
Purchased from Bic Camera (Osaka, Japan)

Sony Hybrid (discontinued)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
For neutral tonality with treble roll-off
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SoundMAGIC Silicone Eartips (Bowl-shape)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: firm and supple
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 4.25

These wide-bore eartips unlike many do not introduce and add glare or brightness. They remind me of JVC Spiral Dot but with a slightly more forward vocal presentation and wider staging. Good stuff if you love JVC Spirial Dot but hate its high price.

Purchased from SoundMAGIC Official Taobao Store

SoundMAGIC Silicone Eartips (For Sports)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: firm and supple
Bass: 2.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 4.00

Similar to TFZ “Pumpkin”, these eartips are shaped like jack-o’-lanterns. They suppress bass and sub-bass like nobody’s business. Their “enhanced” upper-midrange and treble are the two main reasons why people would buy them. Then again, these look more like Halloween novelty items than proper audio products. The soundstage is open and airy but lacks depth and dimension. Great eartips to sabotage your basshead friend.

Purchased from SoundMAGIC Official Taobao Store

SoundMAGIC Silicone Eartips (Bullet-shape)
Bore size: very narrow
Stem length: short
Feel: firm and supple
Bass: 3.00
Midrange: 3.00
Treble: 3.50
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 3.50

Very mediocre eartips. They congest bass and low-midrange so much, making the lower-registers sound murky and blurry. On a positive note, they feel comfortable and seal well in my ears.

Purchased from SoundMAGIC Official Taobao Store

SoundMAGIC Silicone Eartips (Pumpkin-shape)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and pliable

Bass: 2.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 4.50

These pumpkin-shaped eartips dramatically reduce bass and sub-bass frequencies. Their emphasis on upper-midrange and treble frequencies is the primary selling point. While their unique design might suggest a novelty item, they offer a surprisingly open and airy soundstage, though lacking some depth. Overall, their sound transparency is excellent.

Purchased from SoundMAGIC Official Taobao Store

SPEAR Labs nFORM XTR SERIES 500
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: spongy and sturdy
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 3.25
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4.25
An alternative to Sony Hybrids (EP-TC50M). Compared to the Sony, nFORM has a clearer and tighter bass, with forward midrange. Human voice can sound nasally (a common problem with foam-based eartips). Soundstage is narrow and stereo imaging less distinctive and precise. Nonetheless, nFORM is extremely comfortable for long listening sessions. Suitable for bright and lean sounding earphones.
Purchased from MTMT Audio, Hong Kong

SpinFit CP100
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.25
For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange.
Purchased from Stereo Electronics (Singapore)

SpinFit CP100+
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 4.0
Vocal presence: 3.75
Slight improvement over the original CP-100 especially in the midrange and upper-midrange. However, I feel the top-end is less airy than CP-100. Bass also lacks a bit of punch and dynamics. The “plus” addendum probably comes from the better portrayal of the human voice. True enough, vocals sound slightly more forward and crispier.

Imaging, focusing, instrument and vocal separation definitely improved over its predecessor. Personally, CP-145 is still my most favourite SpinFit.
Purchased from Amazon.sg (Singapore)

SpinFit CP145
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.5
For neutral tonality with emphasis in midrange and vocal
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SpinFit CP155
Bore size: regular
Stem length: long
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 3.5
Vocal presence: 4.25
1 mm longer than CP-100 and CP-145, the additional length and bullet-shaped caps of the CP-155 allow deeper insertion to bring more bass and fuller vocal. 
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SpinFit CP220
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular (double flange)
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4
For neutral tonality with emphasis in bass, midrange and vocal. For clarity and bigger soundstage, choose CP-240.
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SpinFit CP240
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular (double flange)
Feel: soft and sturdy
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 4
Exceptional clarity with good treble extension. Soundstage is one of the biggest I have heard. Vocal presentation is forward. Can get sibilant when matched with bright earphones.
Purchased from Stereo Electronics (Singapore)

SpinFit CP350
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short (shallow fit)
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 2.0
Midrange: 5
Treble: 5
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.5
These eartips are originally meant for TWS wireless earpieces but a friend of mine suggested they are very good at cutting down bass and midbass. Indeed, these are the “Diffuse Field Target-equivalent” of eartips. They clean up the bass.

Reduces mid-bass bloat or muddiness. Upper-midrange is sparkly and treble extension is one of the best I have heard among universal eartips. Vocal is forward with good clarity. NOTE: SpinFit CP-350 has a very shallow fit. Make sure the earphone nozzle length is at least 5mm in order to fit securely.
Purchased from Stereo Electronics (Singapore)

SpinFit CP360
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.0
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4.75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence’ 5
These eartips are meant for true wireless earpieces. If you find SpinFit CP-350 too short, this one fits between regular CP-145 and CP-350. Bass and low-mids are stronger than CP-350. Vocal is forward with good clarity.
Purchased from ConnectIT (Singapore)

SpinFit CP500
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 4.25
Midrange: 5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.0
A lesser known SpinFit model. CP-500 gives tighter, punchier bass, better vocal presentation than the popular (and common) CP-100 and CP-145. May add sibilance and harshness to bright-sounding earphonesPurchased from MTMT Audio (Hong Kong)

SpinFit OMNI
Bore size: tampered, narrow to wide
Stem length: regular, with dual layered core design
Feel: soft and flexible
Bass: 3.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 5.00
SpinFit OMNI is the direct successor to the CP-360, with a longer nozzle stem and the distinction of being the first SpinFit product to offer “in-between” sizes, which are common among eartip brands such as JVC Spiral Dot and Azla SednaEarFit.

Compared to the CP-360, the OMNI delivers a thumpier bass response with heavier note weight, forward vocals with good clarity, and treble extension that is slightly less pronounced.

Compared to the W1, the OMNI has a shallower fit and does not provide as good of an ear seal. The low end of the W1 is also more substantial. However, the OMNI offers better vocal clarity, cleaner and crispier highs, and a slightly deeper soundstage.

TAKE NOTE: OMNI will not fit nozzle diameter larger than 5.5mm.

Purchased from Amazon (Singapore)

SpinFit W1
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and grippy

Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.75
Vocal presence: 4.50

The SpinFit W1 is probably the most anticipated silicone eartip release from the Taiwanese company in recent years, and they certainly deliver. If you like Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC but dislike its “dust magnet” and tacky properties, SpinFit has answered your prayers with the W1. A hybrid between XELASTEC and Moondrop Spring Tips, SpinFit W1 gives superb clarity, improves soundstage and stereo imaging and cleans up bass and mid-bass. However, I find it unsuitable for bright or harsh-sounding earphones. May exaggerates metallic timbre if and when implemented incorrectly.

Purchased from Amazon US.

Symbio Orange Peel
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 4
Midrange: 3
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4.25
Vocal presence: 3.5
Good midrange. Punchier bass, better treble extension and more open-sounding compare to Symbio W.
Purchased from Symbio direct (Hungary)

Symbio W
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 3 75
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.5
For good midrange, slight treble roll-off
Purchased from Symbio direct (Hungary)

Symbio Eartips Wa
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 3 75
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 3.50

This is Symbio W with a softer stem. Because of this, I feel that Symbio Wa doesn’t put as much pressure in the ear can thus slightly more comfortable than other oranges. Sonic-wise, both are similar.

Purchased from Symbio direct (Hungary)

Symbio Eartips Wn
Bore size: regular
Stem length: short
Feel: sturdy and very firm
Bass: 3.25
Midrange: 4.75
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 3.75

Barely 1mm taller than Symbio W, the Wn sounds a bit more vocal forward otherwise it is identical to the W in every aspect.

Purchased from Symbio direct (Hungary)

T

Tanchjim T-APB Air Pressure Balance Silicone Eartips T300T (Treble Enhancing)
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.5
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4.5 
Soundstage: 3.75
Vocal presence: 4What’s is T-APB? Simply put it, a hexagonal-shaped internal wall of the nozzle that Tanchjim claims “enhance the comfortness (is there such a word?) by evenly balancing the air pressure inside the ear canal, thus to prevent swelling of the ear canal caused by prolonged use of earphone”

… Marketing aside, the T300T (Treble Enhancing) eartip does pushes some high frequency through but it causes the entire bass spectrum and low-mids to “muddle up”, resulting in a loss of texture and low-end details. Does not go well with “thick-sounding” IEMs but good match for leaner-sounding ones BUT be very careful as it might brighten sound too much. 
Purchased from Hifigo

Tanchjim T-APB Air Pressure Balance Silicone Eartips T300B (Bass Enhancing)
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 3.75What’s is T-APB? Simply put it, a hexagonal-shaped internal wall of the nozzle that Tanchjim claims “enhance the comfortness (is there such a word?) by evenly balancing the air pressure inside the ear canal, thus to prevent swelling of the ear canal caused by prolonged use of earphone”

… Marketing aside, the T300T (Treble Enhancing) eartip is surprisingly neutral despite the “Treble Enhancing” name tag. I find the vocal slightly laid-back and lower-mids a tad muffled. Otherwise, a good choice for IEMs with diffused-field tuning, such as those from Tanchjim and Moondrop.
Purchased from Hifigo

TangZu Tang Sancai (唐三彩) Advanced Eartips (Wide Bore)

Bore size: extra wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and pliable

Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.75
Vocal presence: 4.50

Tang Sancai (唐三彩), known as “Tang Dynasty three-color ware,” refers to a type of glazed ceramic pottery that originated in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The term “Sancai” (三彩) translates to “three colors” in Chinese, which refers to the typical color palette used in this type of pottery. Characterized by its distinctive tricolor glaze, Tang Sancai pottery consists of a combination of yellow, green, blue, and white colors, which explains why these eartips come in yellow (Small), green (Medium), and blue (Large).

These eartips are upper midrange forward with a sense of clarity and space, without sacrificing tonal weight. I prefer this to Tang Sancai balanced eartips. Compared to my reference – the SpinFit CP-145, Tang Sancai wide bore sounds cleaner, clearer and has more texture. Treble extension is much better, providing more space around the instruments.

Compared to the crowd favorite – TRI Clarion, Tang Sancai wide bore sounds less open and not as crisp. Soundstage is a tinge narrower as well. However, it has a heavier note weight than Clarion.

The final comparison is with Moondrop Spring Tips. Here is where both eartips share more similarities. Both eartips are upper-mid forward but Tang Sancai wide bore sounds a tad smoother and less sibilant. It also seals better in my ears but fit is subjective.

Do take note that my audiophile buddy broke one of his Tang Sancai wide bore eartips while trying them the first time. Be very careful when swapping tips.

Purchased from Angelears AliExpress Store.

TangZu Tang Sancai (唐三彩) Advanced Eartips (Balanced)

Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: firm and pliable
Bass: 4.50
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 4.50

Tang Sancai (唐三彩), known as “Tang Dynasty three-color ware,” refers to a type of glazed ceramic pottery that originated in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The term “Sancai” (三彩) translates to “three colors” in Chinese, which refers to the typical color palette used in this type of pottery. Characterized by its distinctive tricolor glaze, Tang Sancai pottery consists of a combination of yellow, green, blue, and white colors, which explains why these eartips come in yellow (Small), green (Medium), and blue (Large).

These eartips are vocal forward, full-bodied, and bass-heavy, with an average soundstage projection and a slight top-end congestion. Compared to my usual reference, the SpinFit CP-145, Tang Sancai sounds bassier, more robust, and fuller. Vocals are pushed forward with a bit of nasal undertone, especially on husky female vocals, such as Patricia Barber. Treble extension is much better on the CP-145, providing more space for instruments to breathe.

When compared to Acoustune AET07 and its 07 variants, both eartips become more similar. However, to my ears, AET07 sounds cleaner and clearer. On the other hand, Tang Sancai sounds bolder, with thumpier bass and smoother overall sound.

The last comparison is with Final Audio Type-E. To me, Final Type-E is like a glass of smooth, rich, and creamy oak-aged whiskey. Tang Sancai’s full-bodied presentation can’t match Type-E’s. However, Tang Sancai excels in vocal projection, has slightly better treble extension, and delivers a snappier mid-bass thump. In terms of soundstage, Final Type-E is better but not by much.

Purchased from Angelears AliExpress Store.

Tennmak Whirlwind
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: sturdy and firm
Bass: 2
Midrange: 4.5
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 4
Vocal presence: 4.5
Reduces bass and mid-bass significantly. Let vocal shines through.
Purchased from Tennmak Store on AliExpress

TFZ “Pumpkin” Silicone Ear Tips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 2.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.50
Vocal presence: 4.50

Shaped like a white pumpkin, these eartips suppress bass and sub-bass like nobody’s business. Their “enhanced” upper-midrange and treble are the two main reasons why people would buy them. Then again, these look more like Halloween novelty items than proper audio products. Soundstage is open and airy but lacks depth. Overall, sound transparency is surprisingly good. Great eartips to sabotage your basshead friend.

Purchased from TFZ Taobao Official Store

TRI Clarion
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.00
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 5.00

These are probably the most sibilant eartips I have tested so far thus avoid using them on earphones that sound bright and tizzy. These eartips reduce mid-bass and sub-bass to the point whereby there is very little bass rumble. Vocals are pushed forward. Of all the traits, what impresses me most is the huge soundstage they project.

Purchased from KB EAR / TRI AliExpress Official Store

TRN Silicone Eartips
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: flexible with firm stem
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 3.25
Treble: 3.0
Soundstage: 2.50
Vocal presence: 3.0
Listening to these eartips is like having a thick veil covers the entire frequency spectrum. They simply muffle sound! Bass is clumpy, lacks texture and details. Midrange and upper-registers cover by a layer of haze. Vocal is lackluster and lifeless. Staging is flat and narrow. Imagining is fuzzy. One of the worst eartips I have tested so far.
Purchased from TRN Official Store on AliExpress

TRN T-Ear Tips

Bore size: regular
Stem length: very short
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4.50
Treble: 4.50
Soundstage: 4.75
Vocal presence: 5.00

These onion-shaped eartips fit smaller and shorter than, say, SpinFit. Overall tonality is upper-midrange and treble emphasis, with a hint of boosted bass. Vocal presence is good but forward and sibilant, so be careful when pairing with bright-sounding IEMs. Soundstage is spacious with good depth and height.

Review sample from TRN.

U

Unique Melody Liquid Silicone Ear Tips (Standard)
Bore size: wide bore
Stem length: extremely short
Feel: soft and grippy
Bass: 3.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 5.00

Made of the same transparent liquid silicone material as Softears UC eartips but at a lower cost. I find these tulip-shaped eartips sound clean, clear and airy. Midrange, vocal presentation, and soundstage are outstanding. Bass and mid-bass are on the lean side. Unfortunately, these eartips attract dirt and dust, so clean them regularly if you use them frequently.

WARNING: Due to its EXTREMELY short stem, DO NOT use earphones with short nozzle.

Purchased from Unique Melody Official Store

Unique Melody Liquid Silicone Ear Tips (Vented)
Bore size: wide bore
Stem length: extremely short
Feel: soft and grippy
Bass: 0.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 5.00
Vocal presence: 5.00 (SHOUTY!!!)

It isn’t a typo error. The bass score is 0.00, meaning ZERO bass. Vented means no seal. Without a good ear-seal, bass disappears. There is no noise isolation as well. Other than vent holes on the cap, it is the same eartip as standard Unique Melody Liquid Silicone Ear Tips with SHOUTY upper registers!

WARNING: Due to its EXTREMELY short stem, DO NOT use earphones with short nozzle.

Purchased from Unique Melody Official Store

Whizzer Easytips ET100 (natural)

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 3.75
Midrange: 4.0
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 4.5
Vocal presence: 3.5

W

A very interesting eartip that looks like a toilet plunger. The shape may be odd but the sound isn’t. Balanced, clean and clear tonality that is neither too bright nor too bassy. Seals and isolates well too.
Purchased from OperaFactory Taobao Official Store

Whizzer Easytips SS20 (soundstage)

Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and pliable
Bass: 3.5
Midrange: 4.25
Treble: 4.25
Soundstage: 5.0
Vocal presence: 3.5

As the title implies, this eartip improves soundstage, and this isn’t a gimmick. It really adds dimension to sound, giving it a more spacious presentation.
Purchased from OperaFactory Taobao Official Store

Whizzer Easytips VC20 (vocal)

Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft and firm
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 3.75
Treble: 4.0
Soundstage: 2.5
Vocal presence: 2.5

Not very good. This eartip clouds midrange and boosts low-mid a bit too much for my taste. Resolution is poor as well. Everything just sounds stuffy and dull. Perfect for bright-sounding IEMs though.
Purchased from OperaFactory Taobao Official Store

Z

ZhuAudio (竹林鸟) Bamboo Rhyme (竹韵) Latex Bamboo Tips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: regular
Feel: plush and grippy
Bass: 4.00
Midrange: 5.00
Treble: 5.00
Soundstage: 4.75
Vocal presence: 5.00

These latex eartips remind me of FEAULLE H570 latex eartips but cost a fraction less and come in 3 size-pairs per box. Overall tonality is bright and lively. Bass is girthier than H570 with a good thump. Vocals are sibilant but give particularly good enunciation. Stage and imaging are quite good. Resolves nuances very well. Fit and comfort are good. These don’t feel sticky or attract dust like Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC.

Purchased from ZhuAudio Taobao Store.

Z Reviews Render Eartips
Bore size: wide
Stem length: short
Feel: soft and spongy

Bass: 4.75
Midrange: 4.00
Treble: 4.00
Soundstage: 4.00
Vocal presence: 4.50

Zeo’s Render hybrid eartips offer a compelling combination of comfort and exceptional isolation, surpassing the softness of Symbio W tips. Their bass performance takes center stage, delivering a punchy and satisfying low-end without the mid-bass bloat common in many foam eartips. In terms of sound signature, they closely resemble the very expensive Sony EP-N1000M, albeit with a slight compromise in upper-midrange clarity. Compared to Zeo’s other favorite, the Dekoni Bulletz foam tips, the Render eartips offer a significant boost in clarity, vocal presence, and bass impact.

Purchased from HiFiGo Online Store.

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The post Tweaking Tips – A Simplified Guide To IEM Silicone Eartips UPDATED 2024-03-30 appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — Fixed cable.

Executive Summary

The Helm Bolt is a very small and light MQA certified portable DAC/amp that excels in terms of its organic/natural reproduction.

Introduction

The source-operated dongle dac-amp has experienced a huge upsurge recently. Originally designed in 2012 to convert your phone into a high-quality digital analog player (dap) and first able to do so in 2016, the market is currently flooded with tens to hundreds of such devices – which makes it is essentially impossible for a single person to keep the overview.

Prices range from a handful of dollars to $400 with a crowding in the $80 to $150 range. The Helm Bolt fits into this sweet spot.

Helm is a young British-American company that specializes in portable devices from headphones/earphones to amplification.

The Bolt is the company’s sole portable DAC/amp that works with a phone, either alone or in combination with the Helm DB12 AAAMP amp. It appears to be a popular item as it is always sold out. Many favourable reviews of the unit exist already, so I would like to put it to my ultimate test.

Specifications

Visit mqa.co.uk for more information.

Physical Things and Usability

The box/s content is rather spartan: Helm Bold, USB-A adapter, and pleather storage case.

The dongle comes with a fixed USB-C cable, which is great for connecting to an Android device or a newer Mac, and, with the USB-A adapter, to a Windows computer. But using the Bolt with an iPhone requires the Apple camera adapter, which doubles the “snake” in length. Since the enclosure of this 8 g dongle is very small, the whole construct is effectively just an extension of the earphone/headphone cable.

The housing is made of metal and feels premium. The cable is cotton-shielded against outside interference and the strain reliefs on both ends could be a bit longer and sturdier.

The Bolt has no physical controls and is operated through its host device. It is completely plug-n-play, and does not even need a Windows driver.

The enclosure features a small LED that changes colour with playback rate/type: Blue SD Audio <= 48kHz – Red HD Audio > 48kHz – Magenta For MQA.

Headphone output level automatically detects headphone impedance and sets level accordingly: 1V for < 150 ohms, 2V for >= 150 ohms, which corresponds to low gain and high gain. The device is plug and play, there are no Windows 10 drivers needed. 

Amplification and Power Consumption

The Helm Bolt drives all iems I have thrown at it, but it reached its limits with the 300 Ω  Sennheiser HD 600. For large cans, Helm offers the Helm DB12 amp [product page],which can be used in series with the Bolt. The DB12 adds a constant 12 dB gain, and a 6 dB bass boost (if selected).

I my 3h battery drain test of several dongles, the Dragonfly Black and Red had the lowest consumption on my iPhone 5S, the Helmo Bolt consumed about a third more, which placed it in the midfield. But it could have done far worse than that….see the detailed results. I would call the Bolt’s battery consumption ok but not outstanding.

Power Consumption Test: Parameters and Raw Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3 h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

[collapse]

Sound

Equipment used: Macbook Air/iPhone SE first generation; Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, Meze Rai Solo, JVC HA-FDX1; Sennheiser HD 600.

The Helm Bolt has an organic sound with a good tonal colour. It is not warm and not neutral, that is not dark and not analytical, but it strikes a balance between the them. The presentation is clean and lean (in a positive way), think of slimline – as opposed to fat and congested.

The Bolt is not the bassiest dongle, which keeps the vocals up front. Midrange is clean and clear with a tinge of warmth. One of its biggest qualities is the very pleasant, well-rounded, smooth, appealing top end. It works well with most earphone/headphone signatures and, in particular, helps taming shouty ones.

Compared to the $10 Apple audio adapter or the $10 VE Odyssey HD, the Bolt sounds much more refined and it is more powerful. The $50 Shanling UA1 features the same SoC and almost identical specs. Both therefore feature principally the same sound signature with one big difference at the top end: the Shanling is much scratchier/grainier in the upper midrange and lower treble. Helm must have applied effective filtering.

The Shanling UA1 is also a tad bassier which pushes the vocals back. The Bolt’s bass is tighter and cleaner, it has a more open sound with a wider stage, and it is a tad more dynamic.

Scaling up to the $200 AudioQuest DragonFly Red. The Red is punchier, bassier, fuller bodied with bigger staging and more midrange clarity and depth. Bolt is more relaxed, softer on the attack and has the lesser separation, but is sweeter in the treble.

Using the Bolt as a preamp and adding the Helm DB12 as an amp opens up the stage substantially, however takes away from the note weight. The sound is fluffier, bigger, “inflated” like a balloon. But since both devices have fixed cables, this combination can create some cable chaos in your pocket.

Concluding Remarks

The Helm Bolt is a fine sounding dongle which I like a lot. It may not have the strongest amplification but it has a very refined sound. It sticks out of the crowd by its small size and weight and convinces by its natural sonic reproduction. The Bolt has played any iem well for me I had thrown at it. It is a quality product and I am not surprised it is always sold out. It is a serious contender in the $100 segment.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The Helm Bolt was supplied by Helm Audio for my review – and I thank them for that.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

Gallery

The post Helm Bolt DAC/Amp Review – Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Of course, there are other solutions, such as USB galvanic isolators (either electrical or optical) and analog devices such as ADUM-chip based isolators but we are not going there… we shall focus on both iSilencer+ and JitterBug FMJ in this discussion. 

DISCLAIMER: I bought both devices AT FULL RETAIL PRICE with my own money. Thus, my verdicts are not affected or influenced by their manufacturers in any way.

Many folks approach this type of accessory with utmost skepticism. There are a few technical forums that have tested these devices with precision audio analysers proving they do nothing, thus labeling them “snake oil”… We are not going to debate that either.

To me, without actual listening, measurements, diagrams, and graphs tell us nothing about sound. Superior technical performance does not equate to musicality.

Both devices do what they advertised… That is to clean up noise and improve sound.

We shall focus mainly on their SONIC PERFORMANCE. 

Equipment used:

• AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt
• AudioQuest DragonFly Red
• E1DA 9038S G3
• Asus Xonar Essence STU DAC
• Topping E30/L30 stack
• KBEAR BElieve
• Etymotic ER4SR
• TRN MT1 (modded)
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon + Foobar2000
• Self-assembled Intel i7/Asus-based desktop PC + Foobar2000
• Redmi Note 9 Pro + UAPP
• Raspberry Pi 4 Model B + Volumio

Both devices are connected at the host end. As Gordon Rankin, designer of JitterBug FMJ, puts it:

“I put the JitterBug at the host side because I want all that EMI/RFI and other BS that the computer is spitting out to stay there and not get to the endpoint.” 

iFi iSilencer+

When I bought the iSilencer+, it was US$10 cheaper than JitterBug FMJ but this has changed since July 2021. Both are priced at US$59.95 now.

iSilencer+ has a plastic housing with a layer of soft rubber-coating. During installation and removal, this housing slides back and forth, which some folks may find annoying.

Compared to JitterBug FMJ, iSilencer+:

• sounds crisp with upper-midrange glare
• more open and airy
• mid-forward but rest of the frequency spectrum are thrown backward
• less bass impact, drab dynamics
• soundstage is one-dimensional
• USB noise reduction not as thorough (just a bit)

AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ

FMJ is the latest JitterBug from AudioQuest. The original had the same circuitry but no shielded enclosure. JitterBug FMJ housing is made of aluminium, feels solid and sturdy. Nothing is loose or wobbly. Size-wise, JitterBug FMJ is thicker and a slightly longer than iSilencer+.

Compared to iSilencer, JitterBug FMJ:

• overall sounds fuller and more 3D
• better dynamics and bass punch
• better depth and instrument separation
• better sense of PRAT
• cleaner, darker background

Out of curiosity and fun, I piggybacked both devices to create the “ultimate USB decrapifier”…

Host > (iSilencer+ / JitterBug FMJ) > Endpoint

Guess what happened? It actually made the sound worse. Everything sounded constricted and bone dry. I also detected slightly lowered volume gain.

So which one do I choose? Well, it depends. Ultimately, it all boils down to synergy. If your equipment is bright and cool-neutral, I suggest you go for JitterBug FMJ. If you own iFi gears, iSilencer+ does improve clarity and make the “iFi sound” less warm (or wooly).

JitterBug FMJ sounds more 3D in comparison, thus instruments and vocals are more distinctive and bodied. iSliencer+ sounds flatter in comparison. Ironically, AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt matches the iSilencer+ better to me. Both devices filter USB VBUS/GND noise. JitterBug FMJ does it more thoroughly than iSilencer+.

Verdict

Since both devices are priced the same, it depends on availability. To many of us living in Southeast Asia, iFi products are more common and widely available. Those living in North America may find AudioQuest products easier to access.

If I have to rate both devices, I will give iFi iSilencer+ a 7 out of 10 and JitterBug FMJ an 8 out of 10. I prefer the synergy JitterBug FMJ gives to my audio gears.

USB filters are nothing new. Both iFi and AudioQuest have been making them for years. Some may find this kind of accessory unnecessary… To me, these are good to have… They DO affect sound and enhance music enjoyment to some extent. Whether or not you believe in their effects, I will leave it up to you to decide.

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The post iSilencer+ And JitterBug FMJ Review/Comparison – Silence Of The Jitterbug appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — No balanced circuit; limited Hi Res decoding; no “DragonTail” adapter included. 

Executive Summary

The AudioQuest DragonFly Red is a dynamic and natural sounding miniature headphone amp (dac/pre-amp). As the more vivid sibling of the relaxed DragonFly Cobalt, it is sourced by phones or computers with minimal battery drain.

Introduction

AudioQuest is primarily a cable company, established in 1980, but they also invented this type of small, source-powered portable dac-amp. The concept goes back to a meeting at the 2010 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest between DragonFly’s designer Gordon Rankin, Joe Harley (AQ’s former Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Development), Steve Silberman (AQ’s former VP of Marketing), and Bill Low (AQ’s founder and CEO). Steve had asked to create a USB cable with an in-line converter with RCA cables coming out of one end.

Looking at a USB stick, Gordon said, “You know, we can make it like this. It could have a USB-A plug at one end and a 3.5mm output jack at the other.” Gordon Rankin had a lot of experience to offer. He had designed his first dac (the Cosecant) in 2003 and simultaneously started working on asynchronous code. He is one of the pioneers of computer audio.

In 2012, the first DragonFly was released, with the “Red” following in 2016. My analysis of the DragonFly Red obviously comes 5 years late so that there has been ample time for reviewers and audio enthusiasts to establish its place in the audio community.

What was new as of 2016, is that all DragonFlys had small enough power consumption to be operated by a phone’s battery. Not having a battery of their own increases their lifespan quasi infinitely over the bulkier transportable dac-amps with non-serviceable batteries (facing planned obsolescence).

I only received the “Red” recently, but had purchased the $99 DragonFly Black v1.5 back in 2016, which has been my goto until now. And I recently reviewed the $299 DragonFly Cobalt, released in 2019, that features very similar (but not quite the same) specs as the “Red” (which can be a bit confusing for the potential buyer).

In the last 2-3 years, Gordon Rankin’s idea of small portable dac-amps has been adapted by many manufacturers, mainly from the Far East, who are currently flooding the market with countless models priced between $10 and $400, with the sweet spot between $80 and $150.

Two main questions arise and will be addressed in this review. First, how do the DragonFlys Red and Cobalt compare? Second, is the 2016 DragonFly Red still current or have the competitors overtaken Gordon Rankin’s innovation?

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

Just like the other DragonFly models, the “Red” comes with AudioQuest’s obligatory storage sheath and the “flight manual“. And, like the Cobalt, the Red is lacquered with car varnish. Guess its colour!

The DragonFly Red has a nominal output of 2.1 V (like the DragonFly Cobalt). This is no more than average in its category. Hobbyist Archimago measured a very low output impedance of 0.53 Ω. You find other detailed measurements by Stereophile and ASR (beware of overinterpretations).

Measurements, even if performed unbiased and correctly, cannot characterize a dac-amp sufficiently. They only give us half the story as there is no linear correlation between graphs and musical enjoyment/listening pleasure, sonic character/appeal, synergy, soundstage, separation, timbre, sense of ease etc. A correlation between electromagnetic and acoustic waves does not exist in physics. We need to deploy our ears for the ultimate test. There are plenty of examples where a “well-measuring device” does not impress sonically. Measurements are more important for product design than for practical testing. Alarm bells may only go up if measurements are “really bad”.

The DragonFly Red streams Tidal masters (MQA) and Qobuz, and works with all the non-audiophile streaming services such as Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud etc. And it is firmware upgradeable.

For DragonFly Red, the status indicator produces the following colors: standby (Red), 44.1kHz (Green), 48kHz (Blue), 88.2kHz (Amber), 96kHz (Magenta), MQA (Purple).

All DragonFlys can be sourced by a computer (no Windows driver required) or Android/iOS devices…and used as dac-amp with headphones/earphones, or as pre-amp with a dedicated amplifier. Their functionality is described in detail in my Cobalt review.

Amplification and Power Management

There is enough power to drive my 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 headphone. The Red also operated all my iems and the mid-sized 70 Ω Sennheiser HD 25 or 60 Ω Koss Porta Pro with ease.

In my 3h battery drain test of several dongles, the DragonFly Red (and Black) had the lowest consumption on my iPhone 5S, the DragonFly Cobalt consumed about a third more, which placed it in the midfield. All DragonFlys stayed pretty cool during operation. But it could have done far worse than that….see the detailed results. In this respect, the DragonFly Red/Black are the clear winners and therefore most useful on the road.

Power Consumption Test: Parameters and Raw Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3 h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

[collapse]

Sound Comparisons

Equipment used: Macbook Air/iPhone SE first generation; Sennheiser HD 600, Sennheiser HD 25, Koss Porta Pro; Cayin Fantasy, JVA HA-FDX1, Sennheiser IE 300, Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, BQEYZ Summer, Meze RAI Solo, Moondrop Aria, Shozy Form 1.4.

The AudioQuest DragonFly Red’s sonic qualities have been known for the last 5 years. But how does it hold up against its competition today?

In my perception, the DragonFly Red offers a rather vivid, organic sound with good extensions at both ends resulting in a marginally warm, immersive listening being off strictly linear. The slightly elevated bass contributes to a good depth but takes a bit away from the stage width, which results in a good three-dimensionality.

The Red is the most dynamic dongle I have tested. It has superb separation of good note weight, and is a bit edgy at the top end. The presentation is rather musical (as opposed to analytical) with good PRAT.

The DragonFlys are musical… The rest just gives you sound. Co-blogger and Red/Cobalt owner KopiOkaya.

The DragonFly Red is ahead of its immediate (external) competition listed here in terms of dynamics, microdynamics, and microdetail.

The equally priced and also natural sounding EarMen Sparrow offers an additional balanced circuit. The Sparrow is flatter, less vivid and less (micro)detailed than the DragonFly Red with a shallower but wider and taller soundstage (balanced circuit only). It is more powerful, and has a much higher battery draw.

The $129 EarMen Eagle was hailed by some reviewers to best the DragonFly Red. Eagle is more linear, less bassy, has a wider but flatter stage. Most importantly, it is leaner sounding not quite reaching the Red’s midrange body, dynamics, and resolution. But it has the DragonFly’s USB-A plug.

The $119 Earstudio HUD100 is the flattest/most linear of the lot, and also the least lively, which qualifies it for earphone testing and for use with very thick sounding (bassy) iems. The $119 Hizids S9 PRO is sonically almost indistinguishable from the HUD100. The $85 Shanling UA2 has rather warm and bassy signature. These three models lack midrange body and note weight, and vocals are rather thin compared to the Red.

DragonFly Red’s real challenger is the $299 DragonFly Cobalt. Most specs are identical between the two models. But the Cobalt has a more expensive dac chip, a different receiver chip, and some JitterBug USB-cleaning technology.

Both have different sonic signatures that broadly correspond to their shapes and colour: smoothly rounded in subtle blue vs. edgier in the louder red.

It is the exuberance and the lively treble that distinguishes the DragonFly Red from the smoother, more relaxed sounding, more composed and mature Cobalt. The Cobalt’s notes are more rounded and weightier, vocals have an unparalleled richness, smoothness, and naturalness in the dongle world.

The Red is more spectacular, more forward into your face/ears especially at the top end, where the Cobalt is easing off a bit. The Red’s liveliness works particularly well with powerful music such as rock, pop, EDM, anything that needs a good punch. The Cobalt plays its strength out in acoustic and jazzy music with emphasis on detail, microdynamics, and timbre.

You experience the principal differences between the two models best when having hightened sensitivity be it through a cold or hangover, or simply early in the morning.

JitterBug FMJ adds body and depth to the Red’s presentation, and it rounds the top off. Separate review of the “Bug” is here.

Is the DragonFly Red still relevant?

This question is frequently discussed in audio forums. The Red is very relevant to me. It depends how you look at it.

The present trends are: maxed out Hi RES (PCM: support up to 768kHz/32Bit; DSD: native DSD64/128/256/512), swappable sound profiles, maximum power, an additional balanced circuit, and perfect measurements. All that at a low price. If that’s what you are after, all DragonFlys are outdated.

If you don’t want to handle Windows drivers, they are not. And if you judge by sound quality, the Red has yet to find a challenger (beside the Cobalt).

The competing devices I have tested do not match the Red in terms of note weight, dynamics, and detail resolution. You may get more sound but not more musicality from the competition. There is still catching up to do with dac chip implementation, which is particularly evident in lean vocals reproduction and timbre.

So, what is the point of decoding super HI RES with a mediocre dac – and/or pairing it with a premium earphone?

The DragonFly Red also clearly leads the pack in power management: its low battery drain results an always cool (as opposed to hot) device.

And whereas the Red has had a long shelf life without any necessary re-issues (though it is software upgradable), the competition keeps pushing improved “Pro” versions of their products.

Another advantage of all DragonFlys is the USB-A plug, which makes it equally practical for Android and iOS devices. The new dongle generations mainly feature USB-C plugs or fixed USB-C cables, which result in cumbersome snakes when combined with the Apple camera adapter.

Sure, there are third-party lightning cables to connect to a USB-C socket, but their MFI chips are not optimized for Apple’s power management, which results in unreasonably high additional battery drains.

There are a few products that incorporate such ingenuity that they remain current and relevant over many years. Other examples are the Apogee Groove and Chord Mojo dac-amps, both unmatched since 2015. Gordon Rankin’s experience must have made this sustained difference in the DragonFlys’ case.

Vorsprung durch Technik?

What I use

Ok ok, everybody has different preferences. I am a phone guy who does not want to carry a second device (“dap”) around – and who wants to use the dac-amp between different devices. I don’t listen on my desktop computer so that my stack is catching dust. And my Shanling M0 dap, too.

Since 2016, my go-to has been the DragonFly Black, but in the last 4-5 months, it has been replaced by: the DragonFly Cobalt for acoustic/classical/jazzy music, the DragonFly Red for Rock/Pop and for on the road (low battery drain), and the EarMen Eagle for thick sounding/bassy earphones and headphones. And I am very happy with this.

On top of that, I am having a lot of fun experimenting with the AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ (I also had purchased the original JitterBug upon its release in 2016) and the ifi Audio iSilencer. More about these USB cleaners is coming soon.

Concluding Remarks

Considering its organic timbre and its rich midrange, the Red could be the best-sounding portable dac-amp I have tested. But it is not as the DragonFly Cobalt is one step ahead and takes over the title “Lord of the Flies” (apologies to William Golding). The DragonFly Red comes in second best, but it is also $100 cheaper.

My investigations have shown that the external competitors (I have tested) have yet to match the DragonFly Red in terms of sound quality, which, quite frankly, surprises me, too. They may impress with added features, balanced circuits, and amplification, but there is obviously still some room to catch up with the experience in asynchronous coding and the other nitty gritty that make your earphone/headphone sound “good”.

So, yes, the old “Lady in Red” is sonically still on top of the $200 class imo.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The DragonFly Red was kindly provided by AudioQuest up my request and I thank them for that.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

Gallery

The post AudioQuest DragonFly Red USB DAC + Preamp + Headphone Amp Review – Still Lord Of The Flies? appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — No storage case.

Executive Summary

The $129 EarMen Eagle is a rather refined sounding dac & amp that beats it immediate peers in terms of sound quality. It is the lowest priced dongle offering premium sound quality (of all the ones I have tested) imo.

Introduction

EarMen may be a rather young company that released their first products in 2020, but they have the very experienced premium manufacturer Auris Audio behind them. They are registered in Chicago but produce in Serbia, so you get an American-European product. Their first releases into the world of combined dac-amps were the excellent $199 Sparrow dongle and the $249 TR-amp, both receiving undeservedly little attention by consumers on our YouTube channel (You find the Sparrow video here and the TR-amp video there). But both products received high praises by reviewers.

The Sparrow is special in that it features a balanced circuit on top of the single-ended one, which appears to put the Eagle in its shadow, but undeservedly so, as we will find out. EarMen asked me to compare their Eagle to the AudioQuest DragonFly Red – which some reviewers have done already.

In this review, I will demonstrate that a comparison with the DragonFly Red is somewhat irrelevant and why I prefer the Eagle over the Sparrow. The Eagle simply has its very own merits and deserves to fly high above the radar of the dongle universe.

As mentioned before, I have written an extensive review of the EarMen Sparrow and both are overlapping in terms of functionality. I will therefore focus on my new findings with my experience in “dongle-itis” gained and rather focus on how the EarMen Eagle fits into the big picture.

Specifications

Download Manual: EarMen Eagle

Purchase Link: EarMen Shop

Tested at: $129

Visit mqa.co.uk for more information.

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the EarMen Eagle, the warranty card, and a USB-A female to USB-C male adapter cable. This allows the Eagle to connect to Apple and Android phones/tablets, and any Windows/Mac computers. It features the ESS Sabre ESS ES9280 C PRO dac chip – which is well implemented.

As you may be well aware, the chip does not matter much for the sound as it is only one of many components. More important are its implementation (including filtering), the analog output stage, as well as the amp design and amp implementation. Therefore, devices with the same das chip may sound totally differently. One ingredient does not make a great meal, experienced chefs are needed. Luckily, they have good cooks at EarMen.

In contrast to its Sparrow sibling, the Eagle features a USB-A connector, a rarity outside the AudioQuest models. The EarMen Eagle therefore works with iOS devices (but requires the Apple Camera Adapter) without creating a “monster dongle snake”. And that’s why I prefer the Eagle over the Sparrow.

The actual EarMen Eagle is as sturdy and filigree CnC machined aluminium construction with top and bottom covered by glass…although I wished it had come with a sheath to protect it from being scratched. It has the same build and dimensions as the Sparrow.

The EarMen logo is illuminated depending on input:

• White – Connected
• Green – PCM/DXD/DSD
• Magenta – MQA
• Red – Not Connected

Functionality and Operation

A Summary Of What It Does

• Can be connected to Windows/Mac computers or Android/iOS sources
• USB-A connector works well with iPhone and Android alike (with included OTG cable)
• Works as a pre-amplifier or dac when connected to a dedicated headphone amplifier
• Drives small loudspeakers through its 3.5 mm output

AND Of What It Does Not

• …has no physical controls
• …needs no battery; draws power from source…and lots of it
• …is not driverless: needs a USB driver for Window computer
• …needs an Apple camera adapter or other third-party lightning cable for connecting to an iOS device
• …does not like driving power-hungry headphones, let’s say my 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600, is pushing it

Well, the first fail of most dongle manufacturers (imo) is the choice of a USB-C connector, be it a socket or a fixed cable. While this is mildly beneficial for Android users, it adds inconvenience to iOS users as they need to chain two cables together: an OTG one and the Apple Camera adapter, which results in a cumbersome “snake”. Yes, you can get third party lightning cables to connect to a USB-C socket, but their MFI chips are not optimized for Apple’s power management, which results in unreasonably high additional battery drains.

The EarMen Eagle contains no battery and is powered by the source device. It works plug ‘n’ play with computers, tablets, and phones (Windows/Mac/Android/iOS). And it requires adjusting the respective sound panel settings in Mac and Windows computers (and a Windows driver).

Volume is controlled from the source device – there are no buttons on the EarMen Sparrow. It is as easy as that. The EarMen Eagle decodes all 32bit/384kHz formats: PCM, DoP, DSD64, DSD128 and MQA. 

Amplification and Power Consumption

You have to give it to EarMen that they disclose detailed power ratings (see specifications above). The Eagle drives any iem and mid-sized headphone such as the 70 Ω Sennheiser HD 25 very well, but starts losing heft at the more power-hungry, full-sized cans such as the 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600.

In my 3h battery drain test of several dongles, the Dragonfly Black and Red had the lowest consumption on my iPhone 5S, the EarMen consumed about a third more, which placed it in the midfield. But it could have done far worse than that….see the detailed results. I would call the Eagle’s battery consumption acceptable but not outstanding.

Power Consumption Test: Parameters and Raw Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3 h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

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Sound

Equipment used: MaBook Air/iPhone Se (1st gen.); Sennheiser HD 25; Cayin Fantasy, Sennheiser IE 300, Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, Moondrop Aria, Shozy Form 1.4.

The EarMen Eagle sounds essentially like the single-ended circuit of its sibling EarMen Sparrow. It is marginally off neutral with a bit of warmth added. Warm enough to work well with natural earphones, and neutral enough to work with warm sounding earphones. This makes it flexible with earphone/headphone pairings. It has a rather wide soundstage and a very pleasant, natural timbre, without any harshness or grain.

Voices are smooth, the imaging has some sense of ease, timbre is organic, transparency and clarity are good. The overall presentation is very musical, nothing is analytical or sterile. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Eagle, sonically, but rather everything right.

EarMen Eagle Compared

With tens of dongles on the market, it has become impossible for a single reviewer to keep the overview. As a rule of thumb, pricier models do NOT have necessarily more amplification but a better dac (implementation) in my experience, which translates to better sound. The Eagle’s money is not so much in the amplification but in the sound quality.

“Better sound” in this context means richer/fuller, with better microdynamics (“the small things”) and macrodynamics. It also means more organic/natural as opposed to digital. These improvements result in better musicality. This is not different with your desktop stacks.

I was asked to compare the EarMen Eagle with the $199 AudioQuest DragonFly Red. And the Red shows the Eagle’s limits, which is no surprise as it is 50% more expensive. The Red is bassier, punchier, and more agile & dynamic, it has more note weight and better note definition, and better detail retrieval. It is a bit fuller, richer, and smoother sounding. Vocals are more forward.

The Eagle has a wider but flatter stage. It is overall leaner sounding than the Red but also a bit clearer in the midrange. The Eagle is overall more polite. These differences are only obvious when A/B-ing. What plays into the Eagle’s hands is its more linear signature: the Red does not pair as well with thick sounding/bassy earphones, that’s where the Eagle excels.

Compared to the $85 Shanling UA2 and $109 Hidizs S9 PRO, the Eagle is ahead in terms of timbre. It sounds more natural and even, and it is fuller in the midrange. UA2 is the bassiest and warmest of the three. The UA2/S9 PRO feature an additional balanced circuit and more power. You have the choice: features or sound quality. Quantity vs. quality.

The Eagle’s closest competitor, sound wise, could be the $119 Earstudio HUD100, which is less dynamic but more linear than the Eagle. I prefer the HUD100 for earphone analyses and the Eagle for recreational listening.

In summary, I would draw a line in the sand and claim that the Eagle is the lowest-priced dongle with true premium sound. This is, of course, subjective.

Concluding Remarks

The EarMen Eagle (and the Sparrow) are the company’s first foray into source-powered portable amp/DACs. And it is a very good one. The Eagle sounds great without any major weakness, has excellent build, and it is practical with its USB-A connector. And that’s why I personally prefer it over the more expensive Sparrow. Of all the dongles I have tested, the Eagle is the lowest-priced one that offers premium sound quality imo, and it is worth pairing with the most expensive iems.

In the meantime, I have mailed the EarMen Sparrow to Biodegraded for a second opinion/review.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The EarMen Eagle was provided by EarMen for my review and I thank them for that. You can get the Eagle at the EarMen shop.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post EarMen Eagle Review – Most Affordable Premium Sound appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Introduction

The world of portable music changed forever with the arrival of the first iPod in 2001. But it took earphone manufacturers beyond the 2008 release of the first iPhone to offer some premium alternatives to the stock buds at a grand scale. And where are we today in terms of iems? Yes, more or less saturated.

With the advent of the AudioQuest DragonFly Black v1.5 portable headphone amp/dac in 2016, any smartphone could be upgraded to a premium music player (albeit some dap fans may disagree). v1.5 was the first “dongle” to draw so little current that it could be sourced by a phone’s battery (and it still leads the pack in this respect, jointly with the Dragonfly Red).

Again, it took a while for manufacturers catch on, but the market is currently flooded with tens of models so that it is difficult to keep the overview.

Purpose of this Guide

This writeup is foremost a small encyclopedia for my own comparison purposes and will always be work in progress. Feel free to bookmark this page and come back from time to time. I do not claim that it offers complete information – and it is highly subjective as it caters to my personal preferences.

In the future, I will not only add more models but also update and refine the individual entries. I hope it will grow into a representative database with time.

In Q1 2020, mostly by coincidence, I started having a closer look at dongles – and analyzed some. I focused on listening while ignoring tech specs and chip models as manufacturers report amplification power inconsistently…and not always correctly. All of the models tested work even with my power hungry 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 headphones, so the details are irrelevant for my daily usage.

In this guide, I also do not worry about special features offered in the individual models, build, drivers, digital filters, Hi Res decoding, or operation…which is your homework. All I focus on in my descriptions is perceived sound quality. But I care about battery consumption – we don’t want to run out of “juice” on the road – which is listed independently below.

Note: when looking at a dongle, don’t forget one of its main purposes: preserving portability. Fixed cables (typically with USB-c connector) can be awkward for use with iPhones and may result in cable snakes. And good adapters are pricey and cumbersome. I am hesitant with dongles featuring fixed cables – and for good reasons.

If you have tested these models and arrive at a different opinion, please drop a line in the comments section.

Spoiler alert: I identified clear trends in my results that are not surprising:

• The pricier models sound better, sorry for the lack of fantasy. No, they may not have stronger amplification or better features but they sound better.
• It is the other way round with value: the cheaper models offer better bang for the buck.

But to keep you happy: all of the models currently tested are very good in their own way and and each one of them is worthy to be used even with premium iems. Yep, I am mainly evaluating these dongles with iems (and not headphones): both are most portable.

When it comes to value, I intuitively compare to what you get in terms of iem for your money…and feel the dongles fare generally better. Nevertheless do many believe, a good dongle should not cost more than $100.

Equipment used: MacBook Air; BQEYZ Summer (32 Ω), Sennnheiser IE300/400 (16Ω)…this list will also grow to consolidate my findings.

The Lineup

I have no humour and arrange my list according to price from high to low.

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt ($300)

US design. The smoothie of the dongle world and the dongle with the best sound quality by a long shot. Has simply the biggest note weight, most natural/organic sonic reproduction, and best musicality. It is not its power or resolution or staging that puts it ahead (by $100), it just sounds better. Voices are richer and fuller compared to the other models below.

For people who do not want to make compromises. Received criticism for being overpriced by people looking at the specs/measurements only. You pay for the sound quality, not sound quantity. Output is the same as in the DragonFly Red. Review.

AudioQuest DragonFly Red ($200)

Is somewhat more dynamic and edgier than the Cobalt. In fact, it is the most dynamic dongle I have tested. The most visceral of this lineup. Both DragonFlys have a slight bass boost compared to the other models. Vocals are still richer and fuller than in the Sparrow and HUD 100, but not as smooth as in the Cobalt, which is simply richer sounding. Has by far the smallest battery draw of the lineup. Review.

EarMen Sparrow ($200)

European design. Features two circuits (3.5 mm single ended and 2.5 mm balanced) of which the balanced excels and offers the widest staging and biggest headroom of the competition, beating both DragonFlys in this respect (you need a balanced cable to use this circuit). But the midrange reproduction is not quite a rich as in the DragonFly Red…though pretty impressive. Natural sound.

The Sparrow is more linear, less bassy, and less punchy than the Red and cleaner through the whole frequency range. Review.

EarMen Eagle ($130)

Features essentially the same sound as the Sparrow’s single-ended circuit. Less bassy and with slightly leaner vocals department than the DragonFly Red. Comes close to the “Red” in terms of sound quality, but has a substantially higher battery drain. Natural sound. The lowest-price premium sounding dongle imo. Review.

Earstudio HUD100 ($120)

Korean design. Offers two single-ended circuits with different output powers and three digital filters (I used the “bypass” filter for testing). A bit less dynamic than the Sparrow but very linear with no elevations and a nice wide, stage.

The HUD100 is the most polite of the lot, which is a good thing for taming punchy iems. Received a lot of flack on drop.com for being overpriced, which is simply not warranted. It is the best deal of this selection and worth every penny imo.

Gains richness and depth with the AudioQuest Jitterbug FMJ. HUD100 Review.

This is only a start. There are some upscale favourites that were highly recommended to me such as the Luxury & Precision W2 and the Lotoo Paw S1…but I have yet to get my hands on these. Co-blogger KopiOkaya auditioned these and let me know that they sound technically good but not musically good , and that the DragonFly Cobalt (he bought one in Q1 2021) sounds more natural.

Power Consumption

This is an important aspect when using the dongle on the go. The DragonFly Red wins the “power saving” contest comfortably.

Power Consumption Test: Parameters and Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3 h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

[collapse]

Sneak Peak into the <$100 Realm

That’s where the biggest crowding is, currently, although it appears to shift toward the $150 – $200 category with the recent releases by interesting companies (Astell & Kern, Razer…). Of the sub-$100 dongles I can really only offer the Shanling UA2 right now, which is not any less powerful than the >$100 models listed above, sounds natural, features a second balanced circuit and the same dac chip as the DragonFly Cobalt (and even more power).

But where it falls short in comparison even to the (admittedly much pricier) Earstudio HUD 100 is its less linear response, particularly its leaner, sharper midrange and elevated bass.

This is in line with my observations that the more expensive models offer a richer, thicker, fuller, smoother sound. That said the Shanling UA2 offers tremendous value alone for its natural sound. Review.

Concluding Remarks

My preliminary observations (based on the few available data points) appear to correlate somewhat with desktop equipment: more money buys you a better sounding dac. But where it does not compare well is the amp part, at least in terms of power. You can get a lot for less in this respect. Your choice will depend on your budget and personal preference.

Oh, and the EarMen Eagle is about to arrive for analysis. And the Helm Bolt is also somewhere in limbo.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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The post A Simplified Personal Guide To Small Portable Headphone DAC/Amps ($100-300) v0.9 appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — Effect depending on individual system setup: requires trial and error; additional USB line-cleaning may be needed to show positive effects; inconsistently priced (cost prohibitive in Canada); fixed cable; no on-off switch.

Executive Summary

The $49 iPower and the $99 iPower X are low-noise switching mode power (SMPS) supplies that filter out electromagnetic and radio-frequency noise which deteriorate sound quality. In my rigorous tests, the ifi Power X delivered better sonic results than the iPower, which was approximately on par with my budget linear power supply; and all of them were far superior over two generic power supplies.

Introduction

You are in for an interesting read. When I signed up for this experiment, that is testing these “audiophile” power supplies against snake oil claims by others, I didn’t know what I was getting into. At the time, I was not considering that the audio signal can be deteriorated by SEVERAL noise sources, including power supply and computer USB. I had to isolate the effect of the power supply. Improving the digital-audio signal through the power supply alone is insufficient.

Before offering fixes, we will have to talk about the noise sources individually.

Kinds Of Power Supplies

A power supply is a transformer that connects the AC grid with the low voltage circuit of a device, let’s say a dac or an amp. The electricity coming out of your mains contains electromagnetic interference (RMI) and radio-frequency (RFI) interference, the amount of which depends on where you live. It will be worse in a city apartment building than in a house in the country.

There are two kinds of power supplies, switching more power supplies (SMPS) and linear power supplies (LPS). Both kinds principally work with your audio device.

The power supplies that come with your phone or notebook computer are SMPS. These are generally cheaper and (be it directly or indirectly) “noisier” than LPS in that they switch on and off very fast, which causes serious noise in the audio band – unless sophisticated filtering is used. Basic SPS will deteriorate the audio signal.

An LPS is typically less noisy as it provides constant signal and voltage power. However, bigger transformers are better than smaller ones (although they may measure the same), and they can be very expensive (and bulky). Such big LPS are probably only economic for very expensive gear.

That said, not all LPS are better than an SMPS. A “Maserati” SPS will be performing better than a “Fiat” LPS. ifi Audio claims to have produced “low noise” SMPS in their $49 iPower and their even “quieter” $99 iPower X. Although these devices appear expensive, their pricing is small compared to a big LPS, and they are a relatively cheap solution for power-line noise. Sonic improvements depend on the connected audio device. It appears that quality improvements are also correlated with price. And you can spend $$$$ on a good LPS.

USB Noise Explained

Let’s assume for a moment, your dac is powered by your computer’s USB port. The computer delivers “noisy power” and a poorly timed data stream (“jitter”; a dac wants well-timed data stream) caused by EMI and RFI through its VBUS and data line, respectively. A computer’s power supply is not designed with noise reduction in mind and the various computer internals are noisy, for example a hard drive (SSD is quieter).

Both jitter and noisy power contribute to the deterioration of the audio signal. And if both are transferred into the dac via an inferior USB cable, there is additional interference between power and data lines…which exacerbates the problem. That’s why you need a well-made, well-shielded, well-isolating USB cable, too.

A dongle dac-amp is exposed to all these noises whereas most designated dacs have the option of a separate power supply. Separating power and data lines improve dac behaviour and there is no need to clean the computer’s VBUS noise.

In any case should be dac’s power cable be as far away from interconnects as possible. Because of its relative high voltage, it creates a stray electromagnetic field that is picked up by the lower-voltage interconnects and audio cables, which can also effect sound adversely.

The data line can be cleaned by using an asynchronous audio transport: the data packets from the computer are timed/clocked in the dac. As a rule of thumb, the more powerful a computer is (that is the more internal components is has) the more noise it will make. Simpler computers will be quieter. On the other hand, if you already have a clean LPS, you only have to clean the USB data line. For this purpose, I have the Audioquest Jitterbug. Co-blogger Alberto Pittaluga uses the ifi Audio nano iUSB 3.0 and reports good success.

In the end, the amount to noise and therefore the amount of required cleaning depends on the device. Some may not need much cleaning at all.

What Improvements Are Expected?

As a rule of thumb – call it a hypothesis for us to test: a headphone amplifier is more affected by the power supply (some claim 70% of sound quality depends on it) and a dac more by the data-line quality. Consequently, an amp benefits from a good PS whereas a dac benefits more from a clean USB source (but clean power is also important for proper clock detection). The effects of a high-quality power supply can be “overwritten” by a dac’s distortion (poor dejittering/resyncing/rebalancing).

This is a bit unfortunate for my testing as the borrowed iPower/iPower X supplies are laid out for 5 V and therefore for my dacs (integrated dac-amps), whereas my dedicated headphone amps need 12V.

Testimonies of the benefits of power supplies range from a “cleaner signal, better details, better transients” to improved stereo image and bass, better vocals quality” on the blogosphere. Co-blogger Biodegraded, reports better textured and more extended bass and a quieter background throughout in his headphone amp. Co-blogger KopiOkaya owns and tested several LPS and also reports differences in dynamics. Some cheap PS sound “uninspired”. Co-Blogger Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir tested the ifi Audio Zen can and had to purchase an iPower X to get the sonic results he expected from it.

The credibility of real listening experience [I believe my co-bloggers] is unfortunately contaminated by “expectation bias” and the usual bla bla by some YouTube “reviewers”, as well as by some “objectivists” who dismiss such devices on the grounds of measurements that are unrelated to sonic performance. Some people even report sound deterioration using clean-power supplies. Others describe dc leakage contamination when the iPower X shares mains with other devices – or perceive the sound change, but not necessarily to the better.

In summary, you really need to have patience and apply trial and error. If you are a black-and-white kind of person, dabbling in power supplies and usb cleaners is not for you.

Physicalities Of The ifi Audio Power Supplies

Both supplies are wall warts, the iPower more so an ordinary looking one than the fancier, illuminated iPower X. The Power X comes with all possible accessories (including worldwide adapters), as you see on the photo, whereas you have to purchase some of these for the iPower X. In both cases, the connecting cable is fixed to the body – and cannot be replaced.

What ifi Audio Claims

ifi Audio give little details on the technology of their two power supplies. It is claimed that the iPower X cancels all EMI and FMI coming in from the mains. Mid- to low-frequency noise is removed in the fashion of a noise cancelling headphone: it is countered with out-of-phase electrical noise so that both cancel each other out. High frequency noise is removed with passive filters.

The iPower is considered to be 20 times quieter than audiophile linear power supplies.

You may want to visit the respective product pages for further information:

Test Setup

In order to test the iPower and iPower X supplies effectively, the power supply noise has to be isolated from other noise sources. For this purpose a music source without significant or no USB noise is used. This can be a CD player (through the S/PDIF output), and to a lesser extent, my computer with a rudimentary USB data-line cleaner. My test setup was:

• Different 5V power supplies: iPower, iPower X, BRZHifi LPS, Apple 12V SMPS (from 2012 iPad), generic Baseus charger SMPS, Tzumi power bank (battery)
• Source NAD CD player with S/PDF connection
• Integrated dac/amp 1: Kadhas Tone2 Pro [S/PDIF input used]
• Receiving end: Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk:crinacle and Anew X One

This setup delivered uncompressed CD data and, obviously, zero USB noise.

Test Results

To take it away, the iPower X delivered the best results by far. Differences to the other power supplies were not only just audible or nuances, no the iPower X was way ahead of the pack.

I started with the Apple SMPS, a 12 V charger for my 2012 iPad. Apple power supplies have a very good reputation, but they do not regulate mains noise, but, to my knowledge there’s some filter inside – Apple are tight lipped about the details. After all, it is designed to charge and power gear. In terms of sound, there was lots of harshness and lack of coordination in the Moondrop. Spatial organization was all over the place. It sounded unruly and edgy and the sound did not do justice to the Khadas T2P and Crinacle’s impeccable tuning of the Moondrop.

The iPower X, in comparison, provided a true eye/ear-opening experience…and the difference to the Apple PS was BIIIIIG. The sonic image was much more organized, more balanced, not sharp anymore. The corners were rounded, the sound was smoother, more relaxed, more contained and rather homogenous. Bass kick was better, too, and so was spatial cues. Holistically speaking, the listening experience was much nicer and rounder sounding. Much nicer…

I then tested the BRZHiFi, a $40 LPS I had bought from China. The edges were not as round anymore as with the iPower X and homogeneity was not quite as good. But the listening experience was still decent and more than acceptable. And it beat the Apple SPS.

Moving to the regular iPower, there was not much difference to the BRZHifi, but it was not even close to the iPower X in terms of control and organization. Well, half price…iPower is a compromise.

I then connected a generic $14 Baseus “Frankenstein” charger, and it did full justice to this attribute. The sound was thin, dark, dull, and lifeless. Can’t help it. No filtering…you pay the price for not paying the price.

Last but not least, I ran the Khadas on the Tzumi 10,000 mAh powerbank – and it sounded quite good. I’d put it quality wise on one level with the iPower and BRZHifi. So, if you are on a budget, use your powerbank. It supplies constant linear power and does not suffer from RMI/RFI. Try it!

In summary, the iPower X helped generate the best sound by far in this test.

But…No Audible Difference Found With A Computer…

In my recent analysis of the Khadas Tone2 Pro, I used my MacBook Air as music source (instead of the CD player). I reported no sonic differences between the Apple and the two ifi power supplies, and the computer’s USB power source. Why? Well the simplest explanation is that the computer’s USB data noise was masking the benefits of the power supplies.

Generally, there are a plethora of reasons why one may not hear a difference with the iPower and iPower X supplies, principally because other sources cause even bigger pollution.

• The improvement of the PS of the low- noise power is masked by poor data quality (jitter)
• The equipment is not of the highest quality
• The test setup was not optimal (use sensible iems and high-quality headphones)

In this case, the whole setup needs improving.

Value

A contentious topic. In our internal blog discussion round, some found the ifi Power X totally overpriced, whereas others pointed to the fact that a decent LPS can offset you by hundreds of dollars. So the iPower X is probably worth its $99. The $49 iPower is a bit of a half-baked compromise with the advantage that it comes with all thinkable accessories, and it compares price wise with my cheap LPS.

I would generally assign a better value to the iPower X but also note the difference in pricing between US and Canada (way more expensive north of 64), which makes it cost prohibitive for me. ifi Audio should reconsider their local pricing variations, especially when it comes for free with the $229 drop.com version of their Zen Can.

Am I A Snake-Oil Merchant?

Going into this test, I was very skeptical of the sonic benefits of “audiophile” power supplies, galvanic isolators, line cleaners etc. After all, the Audio Science Forum keeps telling us that there cannot be any improvements because they would crystallize out in their measurements. This is a reverse argument and there is no reason whatsoever refusing to listen to the gear that’s right there on the measurement rig – and without expectation bias.

The question is whether these measurements are capable of characterizing perceived sound. As far as I know, there is no physical relationship (“formula”) between them. “Objectivists” equate quantity with quality, and not only that: their quantity of one thing (“some measurement”) is directly correlated with the quality of another (“sound”). So, in order to match them up, religious beliefs are required. Beliefs are handy as they don’t have to be proven. And that’s what objectivists refer to as science.

As to selling you snake oil, I only borrowed these two ifi power supplies – and would be extremely happy, if my own BRZHiFi LPS was better. It is not, unfortunately.

One point of this exercise is that my results are not 1:1 transferable to you as they apply only to my testing parameters. But you get the message. You have to find sonic progress by trial and error when dealing with so many unknowns simultaneously. And if you are not prepared to do so, then better leave your fingers of it.

Concluding Remarks

“Audiophile” power supplies such as the iPower and iPower X are no snake oil, although results vary with setup. I experienced major sonic improvements in my testing, particularly with the iPower X, against unfiltered power from generic supplies. This, unfortunately, opens a can of worms, as I would like to now tackle USB data-line noise with devices such as the iUSB 3.0, which can be expensive. I put a lot of effort into this exercise and learnt a lot by doing.

If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can’t be done – PETER USTINOV

The stubborn claims of self-acclaimed “objectivists” that there cannot be a sonic difference because the measurements do not indicate it, make as much sense as dismissing the necessity of elections on the grounds that we already have democracy.

In the end, you have to trust your ears.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

The two power supplies were loaned to me for 60 days by ifi Audio upon my request. I thank them for that. I also thank my co-bloggers for intense discussion of this topic.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post ifi Audio iPower & iPower X Review – Noise Annoys appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Pros — Cheapest snake oil in audio; excellent build, haptic, and looks; rugged and attractive looking; reasonable price and shipping.

Cons — Shipping cost only calculated upon checkout.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Snake Oil Taipan are sturdy RCA connectors made from German Sommer cable and American premium Amphenol connectors, and they are assembled in the USA.

INTRODUCTION

We love snake oil. If you search our blog for these keywords, you get…just try it:

https://www.audioreviews.org/?s=snake+oil

Snake Oil Sound is a 2-men startup out of a garage in San Jose, CA. 2 guys? Garage? California? Sounds familiar?

That’s how he world’s most valuable company started. But whereas Apple have never had any self irony, Snake Oil have. The company specializes in after-market accessories for Schiit products (cables, connectors, even a streamer), and they certainly have come up with some good ideas. Check out their catalogue.

I came across Snake Oil when looking for RCA interconnects for the Khadas Tone2 Pro/Topping L30. There are tons of quality cables out there, which were either too pricey for me – or the extraordinary shipping cost higher than the product itself made them cost prohibitive.

Snake Oil sell directly without middlemen. They offer international shipping at cost – per USPS, which is about $12 to Canada. They obviously understand their customers. Unfortunately (for them) I had already submitted an order to some Chinese budget cables. And fortunately – for them – these were too short for my purposes, so that we agreed on me reviewing one of their cables. I opted for the Snake Oil Taipan, their TOTL model, which retail at a reasonable $33 per footlong pair.

SPECIFICATIONS

Product Name: Snake Oil Taipan
Length: 6 in to 1000 ft
Wire Material/Conductor: 0.5 mm² German SOMMER cable
RCA connectors: Premium Amphenol
Tested at: $33 for1 ft/pair
Purchase Link: Snake Oil Sound

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

There is really not much to say. The cables were hand assembled upon ordering and arrived in a simple plastic bag. The amphenol premium connectors are well known to and appreciated by audiophiles. They are sturdy and sit as snug in place as it gets. The rugged cable part is imported from Sommer Cable in Germany. Two quality items, brought together in California.

The overall construct is highly functional and therefore rather substantial and very sturdy. The cable is reasonably supple and rebranded with the Snake Oil label. And it is this visible irony that makes this product unique.

SOUND: REFINING SNAKE OIL

I have reviewed quite a few earphone cables in my life – but never dared to make broad statements that one cable sounded universally better than another. Differences in sound rely on a lot of factors and are always tied to the properties of the electronics the cable is used with, the source and the amp.

Now I have finally arrived at the Snake Oil itself. And yes, the Snake Oil Taipan sounds good. So good that I use it to connect the Khadas Tone Pro to the Schiit Magni 2 Uber and Topping L30. Yep, it works well, it connects well, and it looks good. And that’s all I need. I compared the Taipan with some well-made but older Radio Shack cables. The Taipan delivered a fuller sound at the bottom end, the Radio shack sound was less bassy and visceral – which only applies to this particulate setup. This does not mean it sounds better than the Radio Shack cable, it only means it transfers more of the lower frequencies. Depends which signature you prefer.

Snake Oil Taipan – The Movie

CONCLUDING REMARKS

I had done a few cable reviews before – and had mentioned the term “snake oil” in each of them. Yes, any two cables can sound different (with the same electronics), but this has, in many cases, little to do with price (or optics). A well-constructed, well-shielded cable with good connectors is all you need for decent sound transfer.

The Snake Oil Taipan incorporates German and American quality parts and does the job – and it does it well. It is assembled in the USA and affordable. I really liked the company’s “at a cost shipping” to Canada.

What else do you want?

You can have never enough Snake Oil in your audio…which is typically highly overpriced! But not in this case.

Oh, and I append a few images below that give you some idea of the Taipan’s physicalities – and an accompanying video is in the works.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

I received the Taipan cable from Snake Oil Sound for my review – and I thank them for that.

Get the Taipan directly from Snake Oil Sound.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

Gallery

The post Snake Oil Taipan RCA Cable Review – Sonic Poison Attack appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — No gain switch; rather big; non-serviceable battery.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The EarMen TR-Amp is a powerful neutral but not sterile of generic sounding integrated headphone amp (dac/pre-amp) that drives headphones up to 300 Ω) with ease. Made in Europe.

INTRODUCTION

EarMen recently appeared big on our radar out of nowhere, with their two models the TR-Amp (“transportable amp”) and the Sparrow dongle. The company is a subdivision of premium manufacturer  Auris Audio. Earmen is registered in the US, where most of its stakeholders are from. The new Chicago warehouse has its focus on the North American market. The production is currently in Krusavec, Serbia [video of production facilities]. EarMen is “Made in Europe”.

I have used the EarMen TR-amp for 4-5 months, mainly with the 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 headphones. This worked so well and the TR-amp so so easy to operate that I had real problems writing an actual review other than telling you that it “works well and is really good”.

I apologize to EarMen that it took me so long to write this article.

SPECIFICATIONS

ES9038Q2M SABRE dac chip

Inputs: USB C (DATA & charge)
Outputs: 6.3 mm/3.5mm (stereo)

Headphone Amp with Texas Instruments TPA6120 chip:
THD+N: (2.7V, 32R) <0.005% SNR: >114dB
Dynamic Range: >107 dB
Power: >2.5V/400 mW (16 Ω); >3.4V/350 mW (32 Ω)

Output Impedance: <1 Ω

Manual: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/1758/1634/files/TR-Amp_1_2_3_4.pdf?v=1593165092

Tested at: $249

Product page: https://earmen-shop.com/products/tr-amp

PHYSICAL THINGS

In the box are:

• TR-amp
• USB-C to USB-A cable, 1 m
• rubber ring (for strapping TR-amp to phone)
• storage meshbag
• manual/warranty card

The case is of sturdy aluminum, knob and switch are metal, there is nothing plastic. Rubber feet on the bottom prevent the metal chassis from being scratched/scratching the underlying surface such as a smartphone. The build is so sturdy that you can probably use it in self-defence – and it will still work thereafter.

The EarMen TR-amp features the TOTL ES9038Q2M SABRE dac chip and the Texas Instruments TPA6120 headphone amplifier chip. 

FUNCTIONALITY

The EarMen TR-amp connects to smartphones vial plug ‘n’ play, it needs a driver for Windows (download) and none for the Mac.

WHAT IT DOES

• Can be connected to phone or Windows/Mac computers or Android/iOS sources
• Works as a pre-amplifier or dac when connected to a dedicated headphone amplifier
• Plays two earphones/headphones simultaneously through its two outputs (3.5 mm/6.3 mm)
• Drives small loudspeakers through its RCA outputs
• Plays and charges simultaneously through its two USB-C ports (5V power supply/charger)
• …Or runs on its built-in 3700 mAh battery
• Handles even power-hungry headphones well, imo up to 300 Ω

WHAT IT DOES NOT

• There is no choice of different digital filters
• It has no gain switch
• The output impedance is fixed
• Cannot be used as an amp only as it has no analog inputs

The EarMen TR-amp is a rather large for use on the road – I’d store it in my pocket rather than strapping it onto my phone. I like using it in bed with my phone, where size does not matter…at least amp size does not.

OPERATION

Operation is straight forward. “The music plays” – as they say – in the front and back panels…

Front Panel

The front panel of the EarMen TR-Amp features 2 outputs: a 3.5 mm and a 6.3 mm, which points to its particular suitability for full-sized headphones. The “On-Off/Volume” is nicely protruding out and therefore convenient to handle. That little LED serves mainly as an audio format indicator, and less so than a battery indicator: EarMen TR-amp is on (“white”), connected/PCM (“green”), MQA (“magenta”), DSD (cyan), charging (“flashing blue”), and low battery (“flashing red”). It is well visible while inconspicuous.

Rear Panel

The back panel sports two USB-C ports, a Pre Out/Direct switch, and RCA outputs.

One of the UBS-C outputs is used for charging, the other for data transfer. Both can be deployed simultaneously. When the EarMen TR-amp is connected to a computer, it is running on battery by default. You have to connect the other USB-C port to a USB-charger or external battery pack for charging.

The EarMen TR-amp’s amplifier function can be bypassed when connecting it to a (more powerful desktop) amplifier through the 2 RCA outputs. The switch serves the purpose of specifying the volume control. in the “Direct” position, the EarMen TR-amp’s volume knob is being disabled and the full-strength signal is being transferred through the”Line Out” into the external amp, which requires its own volume control. In the “Pre Out” position, the TR-amp’s volume control is activated.

Independent of the switch position both headphone outputs are always operative and two people can listen simultaneously.

AMPLIFICATION

The EarMen TR-amp works well with the Sennheiser HD 300 Ω impedance headphone (and therefore most on the market), but its 350 mW into 32 Ω would probably not drive more exotic 600 Ω headphones well. Power details in the specs above.

POWER CONSUMPTION/PLAY TIME

Ear Men claims up to 10 hrs of play time but does not give you specifics on the setup. I tested with the power-hungry Sennheiser HD 600 and iPhone 5S at a “normal” but pretty healthy volume level. After 6 h and 15 minutes, the indicator light started blinking, which means the the battery level and dropped below 20%. This points to 7-8 h playtime with this setting.

I value this as being in line with the manufacturer’s claims.

SOUND

My tonal preference and testing practice

My test tracks explained

Equipment used: EarMen TR-amp; Macbook Air, iPhone SE 1st gen.; Apple camera adapter, ddHifi TC28i adapter; Schiit Magni 2U headphone amplifier with Audioquest Forest and Snake Oil Taipan RCA interconnects; 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 headphone, 16 Ω Sennheiser IE 300 earphone.

The “ingredients” of the EarMen TR-amp are top notch, but how good is the “cooked meal”? Such a device works well with your phone on the go (if you like strapping it around it), but it can also be deployed as a desktop amp, and it can also be used as pre-amp or dac, when connected to a “bigger” dedicated headphone amplifier.

I tested the TR-amp in these scenarios:

1. …as dac-amp with MacBook plus headphones/earphones
2. …as dac-amp with phone
3. …as dac AND pre-amp with Schiit Magni 2 Uber, sourced by MacBook

The EarMen TR-amp, just like the Sparrow, produces a neutral sound with a tinge of warmth added to spare us from a clinical, lifeless, or overwhelming sonic reproduction. Straddling that thin line, it allows for harmonizing with both, neutral and warm headphones/earphones.

Extension towards both ends is very good and so are headroom, sense of space, and dynamics. The punch is natural and works with electronic, rock, and acoustic music such as symphony or jazz. The image has a good volume and body, it does neither sound lean or syrupy thick. The TR-amp preserves the music’s midrange clarity and brings vocals out intimately.

I also could never hear any noticeable hiss, not even with the sensitive 16 Ω Sennheiser IE 300. But it brought out the bassy side of these naturally bassy iems without muddying or congesting the sound.

It is really boring to report the sound of an amp that does not alter music and reproduces it as should be. The EarMen TR-amp simply works and has been for quite some time for me.

Using the EarMen TR-amp with as a pre-amp (“Pre-Out”) and dac (“Direct”) with the warmer Schiit amp adds a bit of colour and results in added power and heft. This is only valid for this particular setup . Sonic results will vary with different amps connected.

What I’d like to see is a gain switch for easier volume fine adjustments with sensitive earphones.

EARMEN TR-AMP COMPARED

I can only offer the $199 British nano iDSD Black Label (“BL”), which is a bit smaller and less powerful (285 mW vs. 350 mW @ 32Ω) – both feature a 3700 mAh battery. The BL does not drive the Sennheiser HD 600 as well as the TR-amp, but it has two 3.5 mm outputs, one of which (“IE Match“) offers increased output impedance for sensitive iems. The more powerful TR-amp is rather designed towards full-sized cans with its 6.3 mm output – whereas the BL caters more to the less power hungry peripherals…although both play both well.

The BL is warmer sounding and therefore more limited to the more neutral headphones/earphones, it may sound muffled with warm earphones/headphones. The EarMen TR-amp is more versatile in this respect. The BL has the choice of two audio filters, the TR-Amp does not. And the BL has a pseudo 3.5 mm balanced circuit.

In terms of connectivity, the EarMen TR-amp has a L and R line out, the BL has a single 3.5 mm line out. Both can be used as dacs, and only the EarMen as pre-amp. The TR-amp, with its separate UBC-C ports for charging and data can be charged while playing, the BL with its USB-A port can draw power from the source (“computer”) or run on battery, but it cannot play and charge simultaneously.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Earmen TR-amp has been playing everything I threw at it in the last few months, from sensitive iems to the 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600. And it played them all very well. It is a robust classic design that feels and sounds good, that is powerful enough for almost anything, and that is reasonably priced. It simply works for me and don’t want to miss it.

What else can I say?

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

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

DISCLAIMER

The Earmen TR-amp was provided by Earmen upon my request. I thank them and also the Audiofool who had established the contact. The Audiofool has reviewed the Earmen TR-amp here.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

GALLERY

The post EarMen (By Auris) TR-Amp DAC + Pre-Amp + Headphone Amp Review – Work Horse appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — No (affordable) linear power supply offered as add-on; learning curve; awkward operation with 2 hands; bluetooth module not yet implemented.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Khadas Tone2 Pro is an innovative miniature desktop dac with integrated headphone amplifier that offers a ton of functionality qualifying it as a competent “Jack of All Trades”.

INTRODUCTION

Khadas is a Shenzen company run by a team of audio enthusiasts. Their first release was the infamous “Toneboard”, a $99 dac/amp that came “naked” without housing. Much of the company’s inventory caters to electronics junkies with soldering skills.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE KHADAS TONE2 PRO

The Khadas Ton2 ProPro is a miniature integrated dac-amp that works with Window and Mac computers as well as with Android and iOS devices. It shares certain features with traditional dongles such as the EarMen Sparrow or DragonFly Cobalt in that it is connected to a phone or computer via USB. But a dongle relies entirely on the power of its source and only outputs into 2.5 mm/3.5 mm/4.4 mm audio. The Khadas Tone2 Pro can be powered by its audio source or independently, and has more output options/possibilities than a dongle. It shows, however, less flexibility when connected to a phone because it needs an external power supply in this setup.

The Khadas Tone2 Pro’s distinctive features are:

• Unique encoder knob
• Flexible power supply options (source device or linear power supply)
• Balanced RCA connectors (cable available from Khadas; backwards compatible for connecting a single-ended headphone amp)
• Reversible S/PDIF coaxial input/output (for connecting a CD player or use as USB to coax converter)
• 4.4 mm balanced headphone socket (plus single-ended 3.5 mm socket)
• Add-on bluetooth module (still being developed)

SPECIFICATIONS

Khadas lists the Tone2 Pro’s full specs in every detail; they can be downloaded here. The most important ones are:

DAC chipset: ESS ES9038Q2M 32-Bit Stereo Mobile Audio DAC
Amplifier chipsets: I/V Stage: TI OPA1612 x2, LPF Stage: TI OPA1612 x2, Buffer Stage: RT6863D x3
Output Impedance: <0.3 Ω
SNR: 119-121 dB (depending on output)
Up to 32bit 384KHz sample rate, bit-perfect DSD512, and -118dB THD+N (line-out).
MQA decoding
Compatibility: Windows/Mac, Android, iOS

Maximum output, single-ended circuit (3.5 mm socket):

• 35.3 mW @ 150 Ω (2.0 Vrms)
• 125 mW @ 32 Ω (2.3 Vrms)
• 114 mW @ 16 Ω (1.35 Vrms)

Maximum output, balanced circuit (4.4 mm socket):

• 83 mW @ 300 Ω (5.0 Vrms)
• 167 mW @ 150 Ω (5.0 Vrms)
• 211 mW @ 32 Ω (2.6 Vrms)
• 123 mW @ 16 Ω (1.4 Vrms)

Full Specifications: https://dl.khadas.com/products/tone2/specs/Khadas_Tone2_Pro_Specs.pdf
Product Page: https://www.khadas.com/tone2pro
Purchase Links: hifigo or amazon
Tested at $199.90

PHYSICAL THINGS AND FUNCTIONALITY

In the box are the actual device, a USB-C to USB-C cable, and the manual. The very small Khadas Tone2 Pro ‘s enclosure and the encoder knob are made of aircraft grade aluminium, with a polycarbonate bottom cover on a soft silicone pad – in order not to scratch the underlying surface.

The manual is pretty confusing when it comes to setup with a computer (Mac is not mentioned at all but it worked just upon plugin), firmware update, and operation, but there are excellent videos available that offer all necessary solutions.

User Manual: https://dl.khadas.com/products/tone2/manual/tone2pro_user_manual.pdf

Firmware Upgrade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRswdL1HPZU

Balanced RCA: https://www.khadas.com/balanced-rca

Khadas Discussion Forum: https://forum.khadas.com

Khadas Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/khadas.official

CONNECTIVITY: THE SKY’S YOUR LIMIT

The Khadas Tone2 Pro offers a variety of connections – and therefore a variety of usages.

Inputs: USB-C (computer/phone/raspberry-type single-board computer), I2S (linear power supply, bluetooth module), coaxial (CD-player).

Outputs: 3.5 mm and .4 mm “balanced” headphone sockets (can be used simultaneously), balanced RCA (backward compatible), and the coaxial can be reversed with a firmware change.

INTRODUCING BALANCED RCA

Khadas developed “balanced” RCA connectors which they implemented in their Tone2 Pro. You can connect balanced RCA cables and stream to a balanced amp. While this is a great idea, such cables do not exist yet, and other manufacturers have yet to embrace the balanced RCA technology (but Kadhas sell you a $40 balanced RCA to XLR adapter). No third-party amp with balanced RCA connectors exists presently. Good that these connectors are backward compatible – you can use your old RCA cables.

However, balance amps exist and in order to connete them with the Tone2 Pro, Khadas are selling RCA to XLR adapter. Problem solved…for now. But other manufacturers will have to embrace the balanced RCA technology for the technology to survive.

THE CRAZY VOLUME KNOB IS ALSO A JOYSTICK

Khadas introduce a hybrid digital/analog volume control knob that works like both a normal rotary knob and joystick.

You can turn it like a standard volume knob but also push it sideways…but you need to hold the light device with the other hand during operation…awkward when it is sitting on an amp. Typically each two lateral pushes cycle you through the different modes from volume through track forward/backward, gain, input selection, and digital filter. Here the overview of all modes (from the user manual):

In each mode, you rotate the knob to change the functions as indicated in this graphic. Any setting is visualized by a colour combination in the RGB ring light at the base of the knob. While it is painful to read is, you just watch these two videos to get the details:

PRACTICAL USE OF THE KHADAS TONE2 PRO

In real life, you can use the Khadas Tone2 Pro as follows, for example:

CD player/streamer/computer/tablet/phone –> Khadas Tone2 Pro –> headphone

CD player/streamer/computer/tablet/phone –> Khadas Tone2 Pro –> headphone amp –> headphone

CD player/streamer/computer/table/phone –> Khadas Tone2 Pro –> stereo amp –> loudspeakers

To give you some idea: I first connected the Khadas Tone2 Pro to my computer via USB-C and also used the computer as power source. This was just fine for listening to iems and even the 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600. I then added power by connecting the Schiit Magni 2 Uber headphone amp via RCA cables. The Khadas Tone2 Pro now served as pre-amp.

I then moved to my stereo system and connected the Khadas Tone2 Pro to my CD player via coaxial RCA. I also connected my phone to the Khadas Tone2 Pro’s USB-C port…and had two music input sources to choose from. I switched between the sources using the rotary function of the dial after having it set to “Input” mode….and listened to CDs with my Sennheiser HD 600 connected to the Khadas Tone2 Pro 3.5 mm socket. I now had to option to use the RCA out to connect the Khadas Tone2 Pro either to a headphone amp or to the stereo’s power amp.

Streaming music from your phone to the Khadas Tone2 Pro via Bluetooth would be an interesting asset. This functionality has not been implemented yet – a add-on Bluetooth module is presently being developed.

SUPPLIED POWER VS POWER SUPPLY

The Khadas Tone2 Pro is driven from the USB-port of your computer without problems. I was told that a notebook is an electrical firestorm and that there is some electrical noise associated with Mains power at 20, 60, and 180 Hz on laptop USB.

The Khadas Tone2 Pro features a second USB-C port (labelled I2S), designed for input from a Linear [Voltage] Power Supply (“LPS”). An LPS supplies a constant current, which minimizes electrical noise and generates ultra-clean signal-to-noise ratios. But I was warned that the “wrong” LPS could make the Khadas Tone2 Pro (and similare devices) “dull and uninspiring” sounding. When in use, I2S prioritizes the LPS over the USB source. Separating data flow and power, and supplying power from a “clean” LPS serves the purpose of improving sound quality. This is particularly important when the Khadas Tone2 Pro is used as dac. Any distortion/impurity in the signal will be exaggerated by the attached power amplifier.

And while an LPS may feed the Khadas Tone2 Pro with “clean” power, this also opens a can or worms.

First, an LPS is expensive. At a minimum, you spend 40% of the Khadas Tone2 Pro’s purchasing price – when you live in North America. In Europe, a quality LPS sets you back 120 EUR. And even if you convert your old microwave into an LPS, it takes $50 in parts. This is cost prohibitive.

Second, these LPS are bulky and heavy, which is contradicting the idea of the Khadas Tone2 Pro’s lightweight and small dimensions. This is less of an issue when don’t locate the LPS on your desk but use it as a kick plate underneath.

Third, the music coming out of the computer’s USB port will still carry impurities.

Khadas failed to design an affordable LPS as an add-on, which I consider a flaw considering all the good ideas that went into the Tone2 Pro. After all, the buyer wants a perfectly functional device out of the box.

So, what are the alternatives? After all, any dac or amp comes with its own power supply – and you don’t have to worry about it – and therefore not pay extra through your nose. I tested a $15 powerbank (stable power supply), Apple stock 5 V chargers for iPhone and ipad (all switched-mode power supplies but of good quality), and two low-noise power supplies provided by ifi Audio (for a separate review). The potential issue with switching currents is electrical noise being introduced to the signal.

First of all, all of the above principally powered the Khadas Tone2 Pro. So the question is whether LPSs are overkill. We will answer this question below.

SOUND IN DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS

My tonal preference and testing practice

My test tracks explained

Equipment used: MacBook Air, iPhone SE (first generation), Marantz SACD8005; Khadas Tone2 Pro, Schiit Magni 2U; KBEAR TRI I3, Shozy Form 1.4, Sennheiser HD 25 and HD 600; ddHifi adapters DJ35AG/DJ44AG; diverse power supplies (ifi Audio iPower & iPower X, Apple iPad 12 W switching power supply, Tzumi 10,000 mAh power bank); Snake Oil Taipan and Radio Shack RCA interconnects; Amazon basics coaxial RCA cable.

Setup 1: Khadas Tone2 Pro with MacBook Air and TRI3 and Shozy Form 1.4 earphones with DJ35AG/DJ44AG adapters

This test served the purpose of comparing the single-ended and balanced circuits using 2.5 mm balanced cables and the DJ35AG/DJ44AG adapters. I used the easily driven Shozy Form 1.4 and the harder-to-drive planar magnetic TRI3 earphones, both on low gain.

The balanced circuit was much superior over the single-ended one in that the sonic experience was much more three dimensional and atmospheric, with a much better spatial cues, more note weight…and it was simply louder. The technicalities were all quite good with one downside: the timbre was rather digital and a bit edgy for the cello sonatas I had started my test off with…and the sound was lively and crisp with rock music, though the bass could have been a bit meatier.

I mentioned it above: both outputs work simultaneously…two can listen.

Setup 2: MacBookAir with Khadas Tone2 Pro and Sennheiser HD 600 headphones

I could only test the “weaker” 3.5 mm single-ended output with the 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 headphones…and I was pushing the Khadas Tone2 PRO’s limits (on high gain). I achieved an astounding headroom considering this small device, although the dynamics stayed on the “polite” side. This combination principally worked, but it had reached its limit. I would not push any harder-to-drive headphones.

Setup 3: Marantz SACD8005 with Khadas Tone2 Pro and Sennheiser HD 600 headphone

This experiment served testing the coaxial input from the CD player with uncompressed music. I used a $12 CAD amazon basics coaxial cable that is surprisingly well made. The SACD has its own integrated headphone amplifier so I could A/B from the same source.

This combination sounded quite impressive with lots of headroom and transparency. In comparison, the integrated Marantz headphone amplifier (with unknown but probably high output impedance) sounded somewhat muffled with less extension.

Setup 4: MacBook Air with Khadas Pro into Schiit Magni 2 Uber and Sennheiser HD 600/HD25 headphones

In this setup, the Khadas Tone2 Pro was only used as a dac, with the Schiit as the amp. And it literally rocked. The punch returned to the Senns and so did naturalness. Yes, this combination sounded more natural than the Khadas’s integrated amplifier. Switching from the 300 Ω HD 600 to the 70 Ω HD 25 added some lightness and ease…but this probably has to do with the Schiit’s limited output rather than the T2 Pro.

I also played with cables and compared the sturdy Snake Oil Taipan interconnects (with their German Sommer wire) with some 20-year-old Radio Shack ones. And, compared to the Radio Shack ones, the Snake Oil added…no, not snake oil, but bass, as if a subwoofer had been added. Which one is better comes down to personal taste.

I then replaced the Khadas Tone2 Pro with the Dragonfly Cobalt as dac, which also sounded great but slightly less substantial. This probably lies in the quality of Khadas’s dedicated RCA outputs.

And what did the different power supplies contribute?

I tested the Khadas Pro with the different power supplies (ifi Audio iPower/iPower X, Apple iPad 12W switching supply, Tzumi power bank, Macbook’s USB power), musically sourced by the MacBook. Since the Khadas prioritizes the I2P port (it switches automatically when an external power source is connected), A/B-ing was easy.

What did I expect between Mac power and external power? From discussions and company advertisements/claims, the electric noises should should have been decreased – and the sonic impact should have increased with an external low-noise supply.

What differences did I hear? Absolutely none, zero, zilch. This relates to the Mac as the music source while using the Khadas as amp and as dac in combination with the Schiit amp. I would have expected this for integrated amp, but additionally amplifying the signal with the Schiit should also have further amplified the noise.

I also alternated the external power supplies when playing music from the Marantz SACD player…and could also not hear any differences between them. But I noticed an excellent clarity and headroom, which probably reflected the uncompressed nature of the music compared to the compressed formats on the Mac.

In the end, there were too many unknowns to allow for a conclusive answer on the LPS question other than that an external power supply likely does not make the world or a difference. The cheap compromise would be the power bank.

Talking to audio engineer Amir from Audio Science Reviews (who had also reviewed the Khadas Tone2 Pro), he told me that different power supplies can make a small measurable difference, which are not significant enough to justify their purchase. The Khadas Tone2 Pro’s performance is superb without.

I don’t object.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Khadas Tone2 Pro is not only a “Jack of all trades”, it is also a master of many. It incorporates a lot interesting concepts and innovations – and it works by itself or in combination with essentially anything. It has come a long way from the original “naked” Toneboard for the DIY person to this turnkey device that will provide users with lots of fun…after an initial learning curve. A unique product that is uniquely good.

Recommended.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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DISCLAIMER

The Khadas Tone2 Pro was kindly provided by hifigo for my review. Thank you very much.

You can get the Khadas Tone2 Pro from hifigo or amazon.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

GALLERY

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