INTRO

Lately, TWS earphones like the Creative Aurvana Ace 2 have been impressing me more than the budget wired earphones in the same pricing range. With new technology from xMEMS that makes promises to improve our aural experience, the xMEMS technology is better suited for TWS given that it requires a constant voltage to keep the plates charged. While this may add an additional drain on the battery of the TWS, it does not seem to impact it too much.

DESIGN COMMENTARY

The xMEMS are similar flat panel type drivers, they do not have the excursion to reproduce bass frequencies as well without being larger than normal, so it seems better suited for treble duty for the time being. They do have larger models, but I am not aware of any commercial products using them currently.

MEMS have already been used for microphones in some wired models and also smartphones, now they are using it as an actual driver. There were even suggested automotive applications from other technology companies. It is a wide band piezo style silicone based surface mount device.

Seeing new technology making tons of promises is nothing new, the question is does it live up to the hype? So what does xMEMS promise? You can read about it here, or I have summarized my take:

• Semiconductor components that can be surface mounted, good for automated assembly.
• Improved material stiffness, this pushes the breakup mode higher in frequency where it is less audible especially if it can be pushed above 20Khz. They are claiming >10khz, so it must still be in the audible band.
• Phase Coherence
• Near-zero phase shift
• Excellent transient response
• Shock resistant up to huge values
• Easier fabrication (This implies a cost savings somewhere, either for the consumer or the manufacturer, most likely the latter.)
• Better uniformity. I have some experience in what they call binning. The tolerances of products may ultimately be graded and “binned” into lets say A,B,C etc categories. Binning can be used to match tolerances, charge more, provide longer warranties, charge less if they are slightly outside of tolerance, or used in other less demanding applications, etc or a combination of these. With better uniformity and stricter tolerances, then there is better matching from Left to Right channels.

Creative Aurvana Ace 2 is plastered predominantly on the rotating splash page for www.xmems.com They are the first model to use the Cowell/xMEMS coaxial driver so we are not getting all the claimed advantages of their single full range xMEMS model. It is new nonetheless, there are other brands using them too however, I see Noble Audio also has a model available for example.

FEATURES

The Creative Aurvana Ace 2 priced at $149 comes in a familiar earbud styled shell like the Airpod Pro, and charges via USB-C or wireless in a translucent compact case. On the bottom is a pairing button, and the USB-C port.

A new trend I am seeing more and more of is oval shaped nozzles. I know this is supposed to be a better match for our ears, however I seem to have mixed experiences with fitment. The Creative Aurvana Ace 2 shell is longer than the Moondrop Space which also has a similar shape and oval nozzles, and therefore fits better for me and of course others may have a different outcome.

With the Creative App, users can update firmware ( I already updated twice in the span of a month), change EQ presets or modify your own, and change the button controls. Screenshots are below. Additionally there are three sound modes, ANC, Ambient and off. I noticed the off mode keeps wind noises at bay, ANC and Ambient both amplify wind noise. Highly encouraged to use the app, otherwise you will miss out on firmware updates that may be required for proper operation.

Unfortunately, the ANC testing is at the wrong time of year as I have yet to fire up the lawn mower and have no airplane trips scheduled. Best I can do is test in the bathroom with the fan on. Bathroom fan testing reveals a quiet hair dryer sound, it is similar to the Moondrop Space. Sony WF-1000XM3 still reigns supreme for me (I have not tried the XM4/XM5 models).

The ambient mode on the Creative Aurvana Ace 2 was actually more enjoyable than the ANC. Somehow it improves the Ace 2 soundstaging similar to open-back earphones without the loss of bass. On windy days it will boost windnoise, but inside it works out great.

I briefly played with the EQ settings, it reacts strangely in that making changes to a band also makes changes to the surrounding band. You will notice it if you set a band, and then makes changes to the one right next to it, move it up or down and watch the neighboring band also move up or down with it. I have never seen this behavior with other apps, either is a glitch with the APP, or the Q is too wide.

SOUND

Tested with iPhone 13 and LG G8.

I would describe the Creative Aurvana Ace 2 as a V shaped tune if not close to Harman. Bass comes through boisterous and fat on the Creative Aurvana Ace 2, over accentuating say foot stomps that normally only slightly show up causing a jarring sensation.

Given Creative’s heritage in computer based audio for gaming purposes, this is probably a purposeful design goal and not necessarily a negative if primary use is for gaming. There are also soft landings on the bass hits and could use more definition. It slogs along on a Sunday stroll rather than with purpose.

Lower mids sound full and warm, while midrange comes through realistic sounding with plenty of blank spacing around them. This lets the vocalist sound like they are singing in a larger space and not closed in and dull. Woodwinds are soft and delicate sounding.

Creative Aurvana Ace 2 delivers on the quick transient treble response, I do not pickup any coloration. There are some hiccups, horns have trouble sounding continuous. Perhaps there is a crossover between the drivers smearing it making them sound jagged. Sparkle and air tail off in a good way, cymbals and triangles for example have nice shimmer and ringing as required.

Coming back to the bass output on the Creative Aurvana Ace 2, it pulls the wide stage forward with the whole stage between your ears. Timbre is pretty spot on, height is predictable. The KZ VXS Pro sounds less forward and lower midbass provides a tad more definition.

The final feature that I find invaluable is multipoint connection and the Creative Aurvana Ace 2 comes equipped with said feature. It worked flawlessly between my Iphone and LG G8. Initially I had trouble with my Lenovo laptop, but after a firmware update it seemed to rectify the problem of it immediately disconnecting. I did have a hiccup a few times where one earpiece was disconnected, I am not sure if it was user error or on purpose, but sticking them back in the case and then pulling them out made them both start working again.

GOOD TRAITS

Ambient, ANC modes
Multipoint
Wireless Charging
Brightish Treble sounds quick and mostly concise
EQ settings/App
Low Latency toggle in app
Charging case is pocket friendly

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

Computer connection disconnects
Oval nozzles does not always fit well in my experience
Bass is boosted too much and could use more definition
ANC is not at Sony levels.
APTX Lossless and lower codec support
EQ band changes affect surrounding bands, needs work.

FINAL REMARKS

Creative Aurvana Ace 2 is a good choice for TWS if you want accentuated bass and clear upper treble but do not necessarily need top tier ANC. Although it is not a strong contender for ANC performance, the ambient mode is nice and opens them up. The petite case is appreciated, and has wireless charging, battery life seemed middle of the road.

At $149 value is on the low side when you start comparing to the larger market share of Sony, Bose, Apple and Sennheiser for example. You can even find the good models from those brands used for cheaper. I am not completely sold on xMEMS being the end all be all, but for a first go it has better dynamics and timbre than some planars and BA drivers, but there is not a big difference noticed yet.

Disclaimer: I appreciate that Creative sent these free of charge for evaluation, this review as always is influence free, guilt free, and gluten-free.

CREATIVE AURAVANA ACE 2 SPECIFICATIONS

Product Page

CREATIVE APP SCREENSHOTS

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DISCLAIMER

Available for purchase direct from Creative, Amazon and other retailers.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

The post Creative Aurvana Ace 2 TWS Featuring xMEMS IEM Review – Come As You Are appeared first on Music For The Masses.

At-a-glance Card

Full Device Card

Test setup and preliminary notes

Sources: AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt / Chord Mojo / E1DA 9038D, 9038SG3 / Questyle QP1R, QP2R, M15, CMA-400i / Sony WM-1A – Final Type-E silicon tips – Dunu DUW-02S cable – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC + DSD 64/128/256 tracks.

Signature analysis

Tonality

EA1000 are tuned following a wiiide V shape, and feature a replaceable “tuning nozzles” system to offer interesting variations of the tonal balance on top. There is a slight metallic sheen coming up on the high trebles, also depending on the source material.

No matter the nozzle choice the timbre stays more or less unchanged: mid-bodied notes across the board with a sole exception for lean-ish low mids, and a commendable overall organicity.

The various nozzles deliver different sonic nuances vis-a-vis their building materials (Gold ones are made of brass), their length, their front mesh and of course the sponge or cloth they may be filled with. Here’s a description of the differences each one brings to the board.

Red nozzle : midbass is somewhat “bloomy”, its notes tend to “expand” a little bit; highmids and treble are instead near-precisely the tonality I prefer. Too bad for that bass, which is not as organic as it should.

Gold nozzle: midbass is evidently more combed, and I like it better, but so is treble too, while highmids are more forward. Guitars and femaie vocals are probably best expressed here, but stage height is cut off, and air and spatiality take a hit.

Black nozzle: midbass is the same as Gold, while high mids and treble are very similar to Red, with possibly a slight tad more energy on one hand, and a bit less depth on the other.

It’s a toss between Black and Red for my particular tastes, and well… I experimented further and found out that in the end I prefer Red with a -1,5dB Q=1 correction on 90Hz to “clean” those doublebass vibrations off. And yes, I’m a “never happy dog” !

Sub-Bass

Sub bass is extended but not elevated. Rumble is present but not imposing itself, which is perfectly good for my library but may be a point of contempt for other musical tastes.

Mid Bass

Mid bass notes are very well rendered by EA1000, with the Red nozzle adding a bit more butter compared to the other two alternatives.

While such makes them a bit more greasy than they should to be called perfectly organic when it comes to render acoustic bass instruments, the effect is indeed not excessive so not only it is welcome in conjunction with many musical genres, but also not necessarily unwelcome even to hardbop or modal lovers.

It’s quite easy to guess – or hope? – that the high quality of EA1000’s mid bass rendering is also directly dependent on that uncommon “Passive Radiator” device inside the box, and anyhow this is what Simgot’s marketing insists on making us believe.

Mids

Mid frequencies are a bit of a mixed bag here. They are recessed in their central part, and somewhat lean in their lower segment.

High mids however go up in power quite rapidly between 1 and 2KHz which is where they give their best. As a consequence, and simplifying maybe a bit too much, EA1000 render guitars and sax tenors better than pianos, for example.

Male Vocals

Vis-a-vis what I just noted about mids in general, male vocals are a territory where EA1000 don’t fare particularly well: especially baritone and bass voices come out perceivably leaner than real, and that’s a common trait no matter the nozzle installed.

Female Vocals

Opposite of the male case, female vocals benefit from a better tonal situation on EA1000 and in facts come across very naturally colored, bodied, detailed and very pleasing at all times.

Highs

Treble is one of the areas where EA1000 do best, and at the same time one where the 3 different nozzles apply more significant variations.

As I anticipated above, to my tastes Red nozzles nail it, period: “Red” trebles are energetic yet still not excessively so, bodied, very detailed, and they “breath” a lot of air in terms of spatiality. Their sole real downside is that perceivable metallic aftertaste coming up once too often – it’s not too strong, nor too fastidious, but it’s undoubtedly there to make the final result just a bit less than fully positive (what a pity).

Golden nozzles furtherly strengthen highmids and low trebles, while also taking some of that magic air quantity off. Black nozzles are very, very similar to Red up there, juts a tad less airy (but less so compared to Gold).

Technicalities

Soundstage

Width and height are very extented, much beyond what you normally get on similar priced IEMs. Depth is “only” barely above average, always referred to the same category.

Imaging

Macrodynamics are very well executed on EA1000, with always precise instrument positioning on stage.

Details

EA1000 offer very good detail retrieval in the high mids and low treble.

Retrieval is good on midbass too, where the concessions made to drama and musicality just rarely steal something off note contouring. As my few readers know I’m noticing this as I’m biased towards acoustic music.

Instrument separation

Separation, layering and microdynamics are all no doubt EA1000’s excellence points. It’s indeed very uncommon to find better around, not only at this price point, but much higher too.

Driveability

EA1000 are easy to drive in terms of sound pressure output thanks to a good sensitivity (109 dB/mW) paired with a not too low impedance (16 Ohm). Their sound quality scales with amping quality however – I suspect this may have to do with that passive radiator device.

Physicals

Build

EA1000 offer a very convincing feeling of solidity and reliability. Their full metal housings are obviously impervious to reasonable physical damages (and possibly to some unreasonable ones, too).

Faceplates are covered by what are declared as “crystal” (!) glasses. I couldn’t assess whether it’s actually crystal, all I can say is it does not appear to be easily scratched, and when in contact with a metal tip it does not tend to sound “plastic”.

For the benefit of those who pay particular attention to aesthetics it should be noted that the housings’ chrome finish and of the “crystal” faceplates are very well taken care of, and that will help them feel alive in their compulsion to continually wipe every surface clean of fingerprints.

Fit

EA1000’s housings fit me near-perfectly in terms of size & shape. Nozzles are not too short, and they are mounted on a sort of protruded portion of the shell. Eartips of the right size easily get a grasp – even more than a seal – onto my canals’ internal surfaces, with this contributing to a firm seating once properly worn – all this in spite of the earpieces not being precisely “featherweights”.

Comfort

As mentioned above EA1000 sit well in my outer ears and prove perfectly comfortable to wear, even for prolonged periods of time.

Isolation

Given the housings’ shapes and calibrated dimensions, EA1000 shells form an important isolation barrier. The multiple vents, and most of all the wide opening corresponding to the passive radiator do of course take steps in the opposite direction but I would say that the overall result is more than satisfactory anyhow.

Cable

EA1000 are sold with a replaceable non-modular-terminated 3.5mm cable. Its aesthetics and haptics are more than ok but I could not conduct my usual comparison tests round-robining amongst my various sources as most of them got balanced outputs. I can’t consequently offer an opinion on the stock cable’s sound performance. For my tests I paired a Dunu DUW-02S cable.

On a more commercial note, given the recent (2-3 years) market evolutions, the fact that an otherwise “premium” package like EA1000’s does not offer a balanced termination cable option – be it in form of available choice at order time or of modular termination system – is to be reported as a negative remark in the general evaluation.

Specifications (declared)

Comparisons

Tanchjim Oxygen (€ 190)

Oxygen feature a bit softer attack, yielding into less punchy bass and overall silkier, more relaxing timbre. Oxygen’s tonality is overall more organic, exquisitely neutral – which may of course be a love-hate thing in some cases. Their midrange is not recessed resulting in much better vocal and guitars rendition. Oxygen’s trebles are less energetic, airy and sparkly.

Stage on Oxygen is a bit narrower, perceivably less high, but much deeper. Lastly, Oxygen are much more demanding in terms of source power.

Intime Miyabi Mk-II (€170 + import costs)

You can find my Miyabi review here. Miyabi Mk-II differ from Miyabi insofar as their mids are less upfront, and their timbre is dryer and clearer, and that’s why I’m taking them as a more appropriate comparison to EA1000 here.

Midbass elevation is similar between Miyabi Mk-II and EA1000, but EA1000 have a cleaner timbre, better punch and sound more resolving there. In a nutshell, bass is technically better on EA1000, very possibly due to their Passive Radiator thing.

Miyabi Mk-II’s mids are way more bodied, and obviously more organic. Trebles are overall better on Miyabi Mk-II, less upfront but more refined. Opposite to bass, while good on EA1000 treble is, that is better on Miyabi, likely consequece of the fantastic deeds of Watanabe-sama’s VST driver,

Miyabi Mk-II cast a slightly narrower stage, same height, but way better depth. They require a bit more power than EA1000 but the difference is not big on this.

Ikko OH1S (€ 150)

The two offer very similar timbre, and similar general tonality. Bass is less forward and less punchy on OH1S (almost ruler-flat, indeed), which also contributes to their mids be felt as less recessed, more “meaningful”, and I’m talking about both low and middle mids.

Trebles are more energetic on EA1000, which is an advantage at times, but a disadvantage when this pairs negatively with some tracks or musical genres. Separation is similar on the two models, layering is a bit better on EA1000 due to better microdynamics. Stage is narrower on OH1S, but deeper.

Final A5000 (€ 299)

A5000’s presentation is more markedly V-shaped compared to EA1000’s. Both offer a dry timbre with little concession to warmth, with A5000 being by a whiff the coldest of the two.

Bass are a tie game, both models offering very significant quality in the region. Mids are also similar, in this case meaning both models choose to let them in second-layer position, accepting sub-organic leanness. Trebles are better on EA1000, with A5000 too often scanting into excess and sibilance, and delivering less air.

Technicalities – all of them – are in favour of A5000, sometimes vastly too. Stage is wider and deeper on A5000, just a bit less high. Layering and separation is macroscopically better on A5000. Ditto for detail retrieval, which is “sensational” on A5000.

Considerations & conclusions

Simgot hit a strike with EA1000, there’s very little doubt about this. Their nice timbre and even more their greatly calibrated tonality are of absolute value. Technicalities are also extremely good, with a particular mention deserved by layering and microdynamics. Their less shiny aspects are in the end very few in comparison.

As you may or may not know I’m quite selective, and that’s why I’m pleased to state that EA1000 fall amongst the very IEMs I find recommendable around the €200 mark. For that, I’m double thankful to Simgot for the review opportunity I’ve been offered.

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The post Simgot EA1000 Review – Hitting A Strike appeared first on Music For The Masses.

We already have had a complete review piece about DragonFly Cobalt for almost three years now at audioreviews.org, and based on shared appreciation within our team we decided to stick it onto our Wall of Excellence. As AudioQuest sent me a sample too, I am now sharing my own take on the device.

Very interestingly, AudioQuest recently repositioned Cobalt’s price to € 199,95 in EU (down from € 299,95) – and I can anticipate this is a KO move vs much of its direct competition. Cobalt is widely distributed, and can be purchased from multiple channels including Amazon and many other online platforms.

At-a-glance Card

Features and description

Externals

DragonFly Cobalt is the size of an old-school “USB pen drive”, with is encasing painted of a nice blue – or well, cobalt – color.

There are no controls, wheels or buttons whatsoever on the structure. Only after plugging it into a host PC (or Mac, or mobile device) one realises that the stylised dragonfly logo on the top side is indeed backlit by a colored LED, which color changes depending on the input stream digital sample rate:

Internals

The DragonFly product range is based on technology developed by a mr Gordon Rankin, a gentleman busy with seriously innovative digital and analog audio technology and products for the past almost 4 decades.

Gordon’s own company Wavelength Audio Ltd still holds the rights to the registered trademarks and of course the intellectual property at the very heart of AudioQuest’s DragonFl(ies), including DragonFly Cobalt of course.

Just for the sake of historical curiosity – and give Caesar his own, of course – StreamLength® is the given name of Gordon’s original setup which for the first time allowed for a plug-in device to take control of USB communication timing, which was normally exclusively managed by the host (the PC) until then. Such flip of perspective is the crux to the nowadays ubiquitous “Asynchronous USB mode”, the very base to start from and achieve adequate control over jitter when it comes to digital audio communications.

Once put the plug-in device in a control position over communications timing, the other step Gordon took was that of giving the device itself a high precision clock generator, which in DragonFly Cobalt case happens by taking it out of the very ESS ES9038Q2M chip at its core. Such setup was originally named “monoClock® technology” by Gordon.

Another fundamental architectural choice taken inside DragonFly Cobalt is to adopt separate chips for digital reconstruction (DAC) and amplification – as opposed to most of the direct competition relying on “all-in-one” chips doing both things on the same piece of silicon and – which is most significant to our discussion – without offering integrators and users any significant flexibility to change, fine tune, let alone customise the overall system behaviour. That’s why DragonFly Cobalt’s voicing, dynamic range and SNR won’t be apriori similar to that of other dongle devices relying on ES9038-line chips’ internal amping features.

Exploiting another feature on ES9038Q2M, DragonFly Cobalt comes with a custom designed minimum-phase slow roll-off FIR filter.

While I have no complaints about such choice, considering the hardware offers support for it I would welcome the chance to apply different filters, via good ol’ firmware flashing or even better via some sort of mobile app. Maybe there’s a chance this would come in the future?

USB communications are carried out via the good deeds of a Microchip’s PIC32MX274 IC, featuring extremely low power needs, also vis-a-vis its programming for support only USB-1on DragonFly Cobalt.

All such choices – the DAC chip, the AMP chip, and the USB processor chip – contribute to DragonFly Cobalt being amongst the lowest-power-demanding dongles on the market when it comes to host supply needs, which is why it is one of the very few to offer full compatibility with iPhone/iPad hosts, notoriously unable to deliver other than very low power off of their Lightning sockets.

Mind you though: free meals not being a part of real life, nor any divinity existing taking care of creating energy from nothing no matter how hard you pray, low input power draw means a few things that you do need to keep in mind to set the correct expectations about DragonFly Cobalt’s performance.

One: the USB-1 protocol drains much less power at the cost of a limited maximum transfer speed, which in terms of digital audio values turns into a 24 bit / 96 KHz digital resolution cap. And… PCM only! No DSD support.

Two: the ESS 9601 amp will prove limited in terms of maximum output power, with particular regards to current . So while it will reliably deliver a nice 2.1 V max swing on high impedance loads, DragonFly Cobalt will not (as it can not) adequately power low(er) sensitivity drivers, especially if featuring low impedances too.

So in practical terms you should not rely on DragonFly Cobalt to properly driver the likes of final E5000, or final B1, or final A3000, let alone pretty much any planar driver. 

And, no surprise should arise when Cobalt will seem to “struggle” (e.g. in terms of loss of treble control) with “mid-hard” loads. All that will be due to the device’s internal power circuitry “running out of current” in some situations, having it apriori been set up not to request more than a certain, very limited power from the host device to begin with.

Input

Like all pure “dongles”, DragonFly Cobalt only accepts USB input.

Very “classically” the device carries a USB-A male plug, so in itself it’s ready to plug onto any common PC or Mac USB port.

A USB-A to USB-C short cable adapter is supplied too, to facilitate connectivity with more recent smartphones. More on the adapter under Package, here below.

Output

DragonFly Cobalt’s sole output is its analog 3.5mm connector, of course accepting any 3.5mm single-ended terminated load.

Those who (also) own balanced-ended sources will most likely have a few or many of their drivers equipped with balanced terminated cables, and will need a balanced-to-single-ended adapter to plug them onto the Cobalt.

Host power requirements

DragonFly Cobalt requires very low power from the host (i.e., the PC, the phone or the dap it is connected to and therefor powered from). I’m talking about just 60mA when idle (i.e. when connected but “doing nothing”), and between 150 and 200mA when playing out on good volume on a mid-impedance driver.

This is of course very good news, but grounds for some caveats too.

Starting on the good side: DragonFly Cobalt will not suck your phone battery dry in no time like so many direct competitors and (!) it will perfectly work with iPhones and iPads, known picky fellas when it comes to the powering requirements of the devices you plug onto them. It will also not more than vaguely warm during operation.

On the flip side there are two important notes to make – which I indeed already mentioned above under “Internals”.

One: DragonFly Cobalt exclusively supports the USB 1 protocol speeds (USB 2 would require more power), which translates into a maximum supported input resolution 24 bit, 96Khz PCM (and no DSD).

Two: DragonFly Cobalt’s maximum output power will be, of course, limited, too: expect it to be good for powering high impedance (300 ohm) dynamic drivers (e.g. Sennheiser HD-series cans) and mid-impedance (20-30 ohm) not particularly demanding IEMs – which are, combined, probably >95% of the drivers out there anyway.

Volume and gain control

DragonFly Cobalt offers no physical control options so there’s no way to set the gain, and the sole way to manage its volume is via the host’s digital volume control.

On such latter front a point, as you may or may not know, the Android operating system divides the USB device volume range in only 40 steps (or even 25 for the latest Android releases…). When operating a device like DragonFly Cobalt this results in the last ticks of the volume control range converting into way too big SPL variations.

So if you are planning on using DragonFly Cobalt on a Android-based host just keep in mind that the way to “fix” this is using a better featured music player app e.g. UAPP or others – which is what you would normally do anyway for a number of other reasons one above all bypassing standard Android audio drivers – re-defining the number of steps Volume control is divided into (up to 250, on UAPP).

Other features

MQA Rendering

I won’t spend a word on what MQA itself is, of course. Google around if you wish and you’ll be overflooded with info.

What matters here is: DragonFly Cobalt is a “MQA Renderer”, so it can fully unfold MQA tracks on its own hardware, which is an upgrade vs the default represented by having the music player host do the unfolding, and only limited to the first 2 folds.

Firmware

For their DragonFly product line AudioQuest offers free software for users to autonomously carry on firmware upgrade operations when needed.

For DragonFly Cobalt no updated firmware version was (yet) ever released, however.

DragonTail

DragonFly Cobalt ships together with two complementary accessories: a leather sleeve, and a USB-A to USB-C short adapter cable – which, as always in AudioQuest’s standards, got its own given name: “DragonTail Extender”.

The DragonTail appear as nothing else than a digital plug format adapter, much needed of course to facilitate connecting the Cobalt to mobile devices like smartphones, or dap/transports. The version bundled with Cobalt is called DragonTail-C as it features a USB-C male plug at its end. AudioQuest also carries a DragonTail-Micro alternative.

What’s probably most interesting about DragonTail is its quality. I won’t take a digital audio cabling detour here, but I think it’s worth to share a very simple experience I had with Cobalt. When I first put it to work I connected Cobalt to my PC, where there’s only a USB-C port available, so I used a “nameless” USB-A to USB-C adapter cable I had laying around on my desk. No surprises: it just worked as I was expecting it to, and Cobalt sounded “right” off the bat.

One day for whatever reason I needed a USB-A to USB-C adapter for another application. Where do I have one? Meh… who knows. While watching around I noticed the one hooked to the Cobalt so I just took that one off, leaving the Cobalt disconnected for a while.

A few days later I wanted to use the Cobalt again, and did not want to “undo” the other cabling involving the other adapter. Time to think harder and try to devine where could I have another one – and that’s when I remembered there must have been one left inside the Cobalt box. Took it. Plugged it. It worked (of course). But… Cobalt seemed to be sounding different.

Mmmh – I thought – that’s very likely my wrong memory. So I carried on, for a day or two. Then, I decided to check it. Undid the other cable chain, recuped the “nameless” adapter cable, and organised a quick A/B test. And yes, there is a difference. When using DragonTail to connect it to my PC the Cobalt delivers fuller notes, and a darker background.

As I mentioned en-passant within my article regarding AudioQuest’s JitterBug, a passive cable cannot possibly “improve” a digital signal. However, it can deplete it. So what is actually happening on my case is that DragonTail revealed that the other cable was introducing noise…

DragonFly Cobalt sound

DragonFly Cobalt sounds detailed, dynamic and most of all clean, yet significantly musical.

In terms of cleanness in particular it trades (hard!) blows with the E1DA’s 9038SG3 and 9038D, arguably the “cleanest” – in the sense of most distortion-free – dongle-class devices one can find.

Which leads me right to articulate about the true crucial point of Cobalt’s sound: its stunningly spot-on compromise between resolving power, transparency and musicality.

I can name other more musical (“gracefully colored”) dongles. I can name more transparent ones, too. Very often, if not invariably, auditioning one of either group makes you soon want one from the other. Cobalt is not that. When listening to Cobalt’s clean notes you can’t fail noticing how expressive they also are, and, while going with Cobalt’s musical flow you’ll never feel you are really missing tiny beats, or soft nuances.

Cobalt’s output is masterfully “balanced”, not in the meaning we most commonly give to the word, regarding properly reciprocally calibrating lows mids and highs, rather is the sense of delivering as much of both – transparency and musicality, clean timbre and personal tonality – one can realistically hope to have at the same time.

Considerations & conclusions

DragonFly Cobalt is an absolutely remarkable piece of gear offering high quality reconstruction, reference-level amping transparency and delicious tonality, all near-magically mixed together at a unique mixture spot.

With its minuscule input power demands Cobalt is possibly the easiest in its class to pair with any mobile transport, iPhones and their (in)famous interfacing standards and power-out limitations. And, its single-ended output fully supports all those stock wires you may have a drawer full of, without leaving a balanced alternative to be desired.

Some may consider its modest maximum output power a limitation, and technically right so. However, in practical terms they translate into letting out possibly less than 5% of the IEMs on our Wall of Excellence.

DragonFly Cobalt was stuck onto our Wall of Excellence long ago, when its price was € 299,95. Now it’s been repositioned to € 199,95. Enough said, I guess.

The Editor: I have been using the Cobalt daily for the last three years...despite a drawer full of dongles: sounds great, has low power consumption, is small and light, and easy to use. The (monetary) value is mainly in its DAC part.

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The post AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Review (2) – Knowledge Is Power appeared first on Music For The Masses.

INTRO

The Oladance OWS Sports represents a new category of earphones we have reviewed in the past called Open Wearable Stereo. The OWS concept was first pioneered by the former Bose Team and inspired by the need for user safety and awareness, Oladance OWS Sports adds another product to their lineup of well received products such as the OWS Pro. My fellow co-bloggers had high praises and recommended I try them out since it is a different concept and one that is executed in a most excellent way.

I found them so curiously odd and different that I shared them with friends and everyone over the holidays. Priced at $179 they are a unicorn in a field of crowded options.

BACKGROUND

Oladance is a nod to Leonard Euler, the love of mathematics and invention to achieve something wonderfully new that allows us to enjoy sound while moving throughout the world.

They are quick to point out these are NOT bone conduction (more on that later) and can help those who do not enjoy wearing other types of headphones either for medical reasons and or physical reasons.

In engineering, projects or products should solve a need. The Oladance OWS Sports aims to allow people to enjoy music while staying active, yet be aware of their surroundings and not damage their hearing or nerve endings.

Bone conduction aims to solve this problem, but can also introduce new problems. At the very least avoiding bone conduction can reduce the pressure on the temple and comfort can be improved. There are some claims that long term bone conduction usage can damage nerve endings of which I can neither confirm nor deny. The hearing aid industry would probably be a better source for this information, but the Oladance OWS Sports removes this possibly by using Air Conduction instead.

There is a haptic feel while holding them from the oversized 23mm dual drivers, but since they do not make contact it is mostly the result of the large divers trying to deliver the required output to your ears.

With careful tuning and directing sound towards your ear openings without blocking them, it is like someone whispering in your ear in a clear manner. Due to the fact they are not completely sealed to your ear canal, there is some loss of low end bass similar to PA speakers not covering the bottom end or another closer analogy would be a soundbar for your TV or a small set of 3” bookshelf speakers. It covers the midrange and lower midbass, but the treble and sub-bass are present in lower quantities and not as detailed as in ears.

The Oladance OWS Sports can be used in a wide range of activities although primarily geared to walking, running, and cycling. I found them useful while cleaning out my storage room late at night. They did not fall off while moving around, did not bother my family members and were extremely comfortable. I wear glasses and had no issues with interference from my glasses either. 

I also have a co-worker that primarily uses bone conduction so he still has awareness while working. These would also work excellent in this situation, especially in cases where normal earphones are not allowed. After using them for hours, my ears did not feel fatigued or tired from listening.

Oladance did a phenomenal job of creating a set of earphones with balance and comfort, there are no sharp edges, they are lightweight and the soft materials are very skin friendly. The wrap around strap can be used to quickly hang them off your neck for further attention when needed.

The Oladance OWS Sports are also IPX8 water resistant which means workouts and light rain can be tolerated. IPX8 is supposed to mean it can withstand water immersion of at least 1m/3ft, but time-frame and depth is up to the manufacturer. In this case Oladance states 10 seconds of direct rinsing of the speaker port should not cause damage. Oladance is quick to point out these are NOT for swimming.

For medical purposes, the Oladance brought awareness to me about two key things: Nerve Damage and Vertigo. I had never considered bone conduction can cause nerve damage, and although I have an extended family member that suffers vertigo, I had not realized wearing headphones could cause them trouble. The Oladance OWS Sports offers a solution for those unable to enjoy portable sound.

Personally, I enjoyed the Oladance OWS Sports outside while walking the dog. I can hear vehicles approaching with ease, and also a windy day was a good test. Normal in-ear or even earbuds introduce edges for the wind to catch and then since they are touching inner parts of your ear they tend to amplify the wind noise in unnatural ways.

The Oladance OWS Sports on the other hand with its rounded form factor and floating design combined with noise reduction technology handled it with no sweat. Everything was clear and there was no additional amplification of the wind noise. Bravo.

With the open wearable aspect of the Oladance OWS Sports, it solves the sweaty ears problem of over ears, and the ear insertion and pressure of in-ear, and the falling out problem of earbuds with the wrap around strap. On-ears can be uncomfortable due to extra pressure on the ears, and foam pads get yucky after many uses.

It trumps all categories in terms of situational awareness, even for the noise canceling types that offer transparent modes that sound unnatural. It will not replace noise canceling obviously for that use case, that is not what they were designed for.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Oladance OWS Sports offers multi-point device connections. That means you can have it connected to a music device or your computer for work and a phone at the same time. This comes in handy also for people who might have to carry around two phones, one for work and one for personal use. Switching back and forth was seamless.

EQ presets are Default (best sound), Surging Bass (muffled muted mids and treble), Pure Voice (focus on midrange lo-fi experience), Custom offering access to 5 equalizer bands (160Hz, 440hz, 800Hz, 2.7khz, and 8khz)

Default Button Controls (The Oladance App allows customization)

Battery life is advertised at 15 hours and while I did not keep track of how long before needing a charge, I did not have to charge amongst the on and off nature of testing the last month. It should provide increased battery life over bone conduction since those have to excite the body to make sound, they are rather in-efficient. 

The rather large hard case is flocked with felt/cotton that appears to be water resistant, even the zipper is covered by rubber when zipped. It was easy to use when placing the headphones and cable into it, however my wife was quick to point out it would never fit in her cross-body bag. It is clearly meant to fit into a backpack, work bag, or gym bag. Even medium sized purses would be an issue. It is about half the size of an over-the-ears type case.

While the charging cable utilizes an easy magnetic connection,  I am a little disappointed it does not offer a standard USB-C cable. I can see both sides to this argument however. A USB connection adds bulk to the earphone and may be harder to protect against water intrusion.

The Oladance OWS Sports solution makes the connection shallow and quick. I should point out that the case does not offer wireless charging either, and there is no included charging power supply.

SOUND

So I slapped these on the year end gear list because they offer a unique solution and sound good while doing it. Bass is limited but has a full warm sound, punch is soft due to limited extension and sub-bass is not really present. Treble is soft and yet clear. I liken it to full range speaker treble in that it reproduces the spectrum of sound but ultimate articulation is slightly lost due to the transmission distance from the output to the ear.

Cymbals are extremely smoothed while woodwinds and brass have an environmental airiness given the open nature of the earphones. There is just enough percussion available for Piano sound natural. There is no peakiness or sibilance. Midrange sounds clear and open, rather spacious and wide like listening to speakers in the nearfield up close.

Acoustic guitar has warmth and plucks are easily picked out and defined, but does sound a bit tubby, the best part is that I get a sense of being in a room versus just listening to earphones. It’s such an interesting listening experience that is half nearfield speaker, half open back earphone is the best way to describe it. Depth and width are excellent, the staging presentation is done very well.

WRAPPING UP

Comfort, cannot stand other types of earphones, awareness of surroundings and active lifestyle are all excellent reasons to buy these Oladance OWS Sports. If your focus is on sound quality and full frequency reproduction look elsewhere. The lack of bass would turn off normal users. They are unique and designed purposefully so therefore I can recommend them for specific applications mentioned previously.

Disclaimer: Oladance provided these gratis with only wanting to make sure we understood they were not bone conduction, and the reasons why. Audioreviews extends a thank you for allowing us to experience this new form factor.

SPECIFICATIONS

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DISCLAIMER

Get it from Oladance Shop, the kickstarter recently closed.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

The post Oladance OWS Sports Review – Open Has Never Been More Fun appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The Colorfly CDA-M2 is a powerful dongle with excellent imaging and an organic sound that drives current-hungry low-impedance iems well as well as 300 ohm headphones at the cost of a “healthy” battery draw from the source.

The $159 Colorfly CDA-M2 was provided unsolicited for my review by SHENZHENAUDIO, and I thank them for that. You can purchase it from SHENZHENAUDIO.COM.

Introduction

Ever since audio pioneer Gordon Rankin produced a dongle (“a DAC/amp without battery sourced by the host device”) with a current drain small enough to work with a mobile phone, a plethora of companies has released countless models following this concept. We may remember “Dongle Madness” and other sensationalist (but rather unorderly) ranking lists. /

These dongles can be put into two end member categories: such with power, and such with low battery drain (AudioQuest DragonFly series). The powerful ones drive low-impedance earphones/headphones well but drain your phone’s battery fast (e.g. ifi Audio Go bar). The battery conserving ones may not be used for earphone/headphone with impedances below 24 ohm (bass would be mushy as it needs the most power).

The art is to produce a dongle with the best compromise between the two. A successful example is the $250 Questyle M15. The ColorFly CDA-M2 (another “Fly”) balances this fine line relatively well with lots of power and an acceptable battery drain.

Colorfly is not as new a company as one might think, they are subsidiary of Colorful, the graphic card manufacturer. The founder of Luxury & Precision (Mr Wan) was the former engineer for Colorfly. He designed the very first digital Chi-Fi audio player that is able to decode 24 bit files. He also designed the circuitry of the CDA-M2, which follows the highly acclaimed M1 model.

Specifications Colorfly CDA-M2

Physical Things and Functionality

In the box are the CDA-M2, a ribbon USB-C cable, and the manual. The CNC machined chassis is made of zinc alloy with a glass covered OLED screen (with 10 brightness levels). The device works plug-and-play with Apple, Android, and Windows devices (from version 10; a Windows driver for earlier version can be downloaded from the company site). A lightning cable for iPhone is not included.

The body may be relatively small but I find it slightly heavy at 27 g. Also, I’d like to see a soft case to protect it from crashing with the phone or computer it is attached to.

The device is hardware controlled by its three buttons. You will have to set the output on your host device to near 100% (I usually do 80%). You can adjust volume, gain, L and R balance, you have the choice between 5 digital filters (make essentially no difference), and you can switch on an overvoltage suppression (useful when accidentally disconnecting the device).

You can select screen brightness, rotate the display, and select the time it switches itself off. You also have the option to toggle a voltage overflow protection on/off, check the current voltage, and run the CDA-M2 in gaming mode (with presumably lower latency).

As to the technology under the hood, you find a lot of information in the specs above. The core is a dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chip that tells you absolutely nothing about the sound quality – in contrary to the internet’s echo chamber. All it indicatesis that a dual DAC may have a better channel separation and cross talk than a single one. But, rest assured, the chips are well implemented so that resulting sound quality is actually very good. Details below.

Amplification and Power Management

The CDA-M2 provides enough current to drive the notorious thirsty final E5000 earphones – not many dongles can do that. It also handles 300 ohm headphones such as my Sennheiser HD 600 well. Providing a relatively high current comes at a price: it drains your source faster than, let’s say, the even more powerful Questyle M15.

The CDA-M2 is accepted even by older iPhones, despite Apple’s limitation to a current draw of 100 mA. The Colorfly engineers must have found a way to circumvent this barrier.

This may not play a role with a computer source or a modern phone, but will be a challenge for an older model with a smaller battery. The champions in terms of power management are still the AudioQuest DragonFlys, which, as a downside, don’t drive current-hungry, that is low-impedance earphones well (<24 ohm).

If you want to read up on these particularities around “Ohm’s Law”, I can offer this article as a guide.

Sound

After having tested umpteen dongles, the CDA-M2 blew me somewhat out of my socks. Sound quality is incredible (considering its $159 price tag). It can be characterized as neutral, possibly with the corners rounded a bit by the slightest temperature, but very agreeable (“musical”) and not analytical like the ifi Audio Go Bar, for example. Very appealing to my ears.

Imaging is absolutely outstanding, beating even my beloved Questyle QP1R ($950 in 2015). I started testing with the easy-to-drive final Sonorous III closed-back headphones and the very difficult-to-drive final E5000 earphones. The CDA-M2 mastered both with ease: luscious, crisp, transparent yet rich. Wonderful dynamics. Biiiiiiig staging. Everything so homogenous and organic.

I am increasingly wondering why we need desktop stacks, at least for transducers that do not need excessive current.

In comparison, the $250 Questyle M15 is slightly more powerful [better for 300 ohm headphones] and has less current draw. While is also handles the notorious final E5000, it drains your phone slower than the CDA-M2. In terms of sound, the CDA-2 may sound a bit crisper and forward, and the M15 a bit thicker and laid back. But these differences are small – both devices are excellent. The most important differences are in power and price.

Concluding Remarks

Not only did the Colorfly CDA-M2 surprise me, it also completely convinced me: tons of features, super sound. What a great dongle that raises the bar in the $150 region.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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The post Colorfly CDA-M2 Review – With Flying Colors appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — The Truthear Nova have thin-sounding lower-mids
– Upper-midrange glare in tracks with low sub-bass
– BA timbre
– Microdynamics are not so evident

INTRODUCTION

Truthear has garnered a certain cult following, thanks to a fairly “solid” series of IEMs, albeit all of them in the <USD$100 range. The brand’s latest release, Nova, aim to change the strictly “budget” outlook of the brand. At $150, the Nova are the most expensive product Truthear has released so far.

With higher price comes loftier expectations. Time to see how well the Nova can manage that weight.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Heartfelt thanks to Shenzhenaudio for sending the Truthear Nova in for evaluation.

Sources used: Cayin RU7, Questyle CMA Twelve Master
Price, while reviewed: $150. Can be bought from Shenzhenaudio.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

Truthear remains true to its “waifu art” packaging. You can even order an acrylic cutout of the “waifu” during the purchase process. Well, I am not the intended audience for this but I guess there is a demand out there for such “perks”.

The packaging is quite large but there is a lot of wasted space for the sake of a more appealing arrangement of the accessories. I mean, one can easily just bundle the tips in small zip-lock bags, but I digress.

Other than the silicone and foam tips, you also get a PU leather carry case that doesn’t offer a lot of protection but looks cool nonetheless. The stock cable has a visually striking black and blue color scheme, but the length is longer than your standard 1.2m cables, resulting in a more cumbersome experience while walking around.

BUILD QUALITY

The Nova have similar glossy, slippery, and fingerprint-attracting black shells as the Truthear Zero. Other than the faceplate design, the overall aesthetics have many similarities with the budget model.

This is somewhat perplexing as I assumed Truthear would go for a more premium build or at least a different finish for the resin shell. Nonetheless, “premium” is not a word I can associate with the Nova’s overall build. It’s serviceable, decent even – but not something noteworthy.

There are three different sound-bores, with each of them channeling sound from separate driver arrays. The 2-pin port is, thankfully, recessed and there are 4 vents on the side to alleviate pressure and also allow the dynamic driver to have additional air to move around.

COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

Despite the nozzle being on the thicker side, the Nova have very good fit and comfort. Isolation is good with the supplied foam tips, but not class-leading.

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

At a sensitivity of 108 dB/mW into 15 ohms, the Truthear Nova are fairly easy to drive. Do note that the crossover circuit is prone to impedance mismatch, so a source with low output impedance is recommended. For this review, I used stock tips and cable, and the Cayin RU7 dongle.

DRIVER SETUP

The Nova utilize a 1DD + 4BA setup, with the DD being in charge of the sub-bass and the mid-bass, while the BA drivers handle the mids and highs. The BA drivers are dual-BAs, so they occupy less space inside the shells. Each driver has a separate acoustic tube/wave-guide attached to channel the sound into the bores.

Finally, there are dampers placed in the nozzle for attenuating resonant frequencies and aberrant peaks. A fairly competent driver setup and kudos to Truthear for nailing down the basics and then some.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

The Truthear Nova are Harman-neutral (2019 V2), apart from some subtle deviations. They are perhaps the most “true Harman” IEMs you can get under USD$200, so if you love Harman tuning and religiously abide by it – skip the rest of the review and grab a pair right now.

For those who have their reservations about Harman – there is more to the story than meets the eye.

The tell-tale sub-bass shelf is here to stay, with a sudden rise from about 300Hz downward. Understandably, the upper-mids need to be pushed upward to counter-balance the sub-bass dominance and to ensure that vocals have enough clarity and forwardness.

I strongly believe that a pair of IEMs’ bass response is only as good as the driver allows it to be. With a subpar or under-performing driver, the bass will lack authority, slam, and texture. No amount of EQ shenanigans can compensate for high distortion characteristics. Fortunately, the Nova have a pretty decent dynamic driver for the “woofer”.

Bass has good slam and rumble and doesn’t break up or distort even at higher volumes. Bass texture is lacking, but some of that can be attributed to the mid-bass thinness which is a point of contention about the Harman target itself. Either way, bass is satisfyingly deep and punchy for the most part, and can provide the “macrodynamism” one expects from sudden bass drops, for example.

The lower-mids can come across as “thin” at times, especially if you are accustomed to the sound of certain old speakers, or reference headphones like Sennheiser HD 650. Baritone vocals lack the heft while snare hits can sound anemic, lacking in density.

Upper-mids, meanwhile, take the center stage with female vocals being noticeably more forward than the male vocals. This forwardness can be engaging if there is enough bass in the recording to balance things out. In acoustic tracks with low or no sub-bass , the balance gets skewed towards the upper-midrange instead, resulting in shout and shrillness. if your library rarely consists of such tracks, this should not be an issue. Otherwise, take note.

The treble is quite dark past 7kHz. There is a steep roll-off with not much upper-treble to add air into the mix. Treble can at times exhibit BA timbre, with cymbals and hi-hats lacking the note weight one expects. Due to the lack of airiness, cymbals abruptly stop “ringing” and the decay is unnaturally fast. This also limits the perceived “wideness” of the soundstage, even though the Nova do not sound closed-in.

Imaging is precise, with only ordinal directions being somewhat difficult to pinpoint. Instrument separation is another strong area of the Nova, as even in busy tracks it is easy to figure things out individually.

Microdynamics (subtle shifts in volume) are not so evident on the Truthear Nova, resulting in somewhat of a flat representation of music.

SELECT COMPARISONS

Truthear Nova vs Simgot EM6L

Simgot EM6L are noticeably cheaper than the Truthear Nova and come with a less flashy design and arguably worse accessories. Comfort is similar on both, while isolation is slightly better on the Simgot IEMs. Ironically, both these IEMs share the same driver configuration: 1DD + 4BA, though Simgot utilizes a smaller 8mm dynamic driver compared to the 10mm driver on Nova.

As for the sound, EM6L also closely follow the Harman 2019 V2 with a distinct deviation near the mid-bass where Simgot decided to fill up the “suck-out” around 250Hz. This noticeably improves male vocals and the rendition of percussion instruments. Upper treble is slightly more pronounced on the EM6L compared to the Nova (and Harman IE target), resulting in better perceived airiness, albeit the differences are minimal.

Imaging is about similar on both of these IEMs, though EM6L render microdynamics more convincingly.

In the end, I prefer the EM6L overall, not only because it offers similar performance for significantly less, but also because the tuning “fixes” aligns them closer to my preferences.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Truthear Nova are competent IEMs. Tonal preferences aside, there are no glaring flaws in the overall package, be it technicalities or build/accessories. It’s just that the competition is offering the same, if not more, for less. And that’s where things get tricky.

The current IEM market is a race to the bottom: a frenzied hustle to give the customers the “best” for the “least”. Truthear built its reputation based on that very mission statement but competition has not only caught up, rather they’ve turned the whole game on its head by driving prices down further.

So, while the Nova indeed hit their target: a mid-tier Harman-abiding pair of IEMs with decent technicalities, they find themselves late to the party. Unless you are really afraid of mid-bass, there are better options out there. But if it’s Harman you want in its pure, unadulterated form – the Nova will have your back.

MY VERDICT

3.5/5

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

The post Truthear Nova Review – Hitting the Mark appeared first on Music For The Masses.

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

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

Introduction

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

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

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

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

Specifications ddHiFi E2023 Janus3

Physical Things and Usability

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

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

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

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

The Janus3 are easily driven with a phone.

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

Tonality and Technicalities

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

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

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

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

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

Concluding Remarks

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

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

Until next time…keep on listening!

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

Haptic and UI on the OpenRock Pro are a bit of a mixed bag—on the one hand, despite their bulk the Pro are very comfortable and adjustable ear hooks provide for stable fit. Likewise, battery life of 19h is outstanding, although the clamnshell charging case (which gives you another 27 hr) is a bit large for pocketability.

On the other hand, the small physical control buttons, which sit under the headset and atop your tragus, are hard to access and somewhat unreliable. Most critically, maximum volume on these is too low, and they get  overwhelmed in nosier environments,

The OpenRock Pro present a very V-shaped, warm signature with a prominent low end which misses the lowest octaves but is full-sounding, fast, and very well-sculpted. High end is nicely detailed and unexpectedly sparkly; drums and percussion have some snap. Midrange is the Achilles heel here—it’s recessed and muted, and female vox in particular and a distant, veiled quality. (These would really benefit from EQ, but there’s no app).

Soundstage is narrow—these OpenRock Pro lack the openness of good buds—but quite three dimensional and imaging is capable; you can place performers accurately on the stage. Tonality is actually quite natural-sounding—there’s none of the metallic shrillness of cheap TWS, though again the hollowed-out mids are conspicuous by their absence and preclude a smooth transition between the higher and lower frequencies.

The OpenRock Pro does sound better than any of the bone conduction models I’ve heard—bassier and more-resolving. However, The similar-looking, comparably-priced open-ear Oladance Wearable Stereo is louder, fuller-sounding and more coherent than the Pro, with a much more expansive stage; the OpenRock Pro has tighter bass and the more extended treble. Most folks would find the Oladance to be the much better phone. Likewise, the Samsung Galaxy Live trumps the Pro with a better-balanced tuning and more stereo spread.

There’s much to admire with the OpenRock Pro—build, battery life and bass quality are all class-leading, and they mostly nail the technicalities. However, these needed a little more output and more time in the lab to eliminate that conspicuous midrange dip and to bring vocals forward. I enjoyed auditioning ‘em, but I would not be a buyer at the current SRP. The future bears watching, however—they’re an ambitious gang—and I suspect the next iteration of these will be a real contender. 

Disclaimer: review freebie; you can purchase from OneOdio.

Specifications OneOdio Openrock Pro

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64 Bluetooth & TWS Devices

The post OneOdio OpenRock Pro Open-Ear Air Conduction Headphones Review – On the Rocky Road To Enlightenment appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $112 KZ AS24 is a well executed 12-driver-a-side earphone that impresses by its cohesive, vivid presentation. Yes, finally a KZ that impresses.

The KZ AS24 was sent to me unsolicited by the manufacturer for my analysis. I thank them for that, You can buy them from KZ Official Store.

Introduction

This is a review of the non-tunable version of the KZ AS24 earphone (a version if tuning switches is also available). I was a KZ buyer of (almost) the first hour…and started loading up back in 2017. You could get single-dynamic-driver models for $5-7 CAD packaged in plain blue boxes. At that time, the price of balanced-armature drivers fell dramatically so that KZ started experimenting with this technology as one of the first in the budget segment. The older ChiFi aficionados may remember the famous KZ ZS5 and ZS6, which sold for less than $30 USD.

KZ started releasing different models on an assembly line, and most if not all of these had the same characteristics, not well liked by the western ears: a strong V-shape with buried vocals and an elevated upper midrange, which many of us perceived as shouty. And the number of drivers appeared to increase from model to model.

For me, this driver craze ended with the ASX, which offered 10 BA per side…but very little music. It also made me quit silly YouTube videos and focus on the written word.

While KZ continue flooding the market with increasingly more models, their AS 24 (yes, this one) is finally a good earphone, offered at a decent price…which makes for great value. Good that I can still experience this in my lifetime. There are two versions available, one as is (for a lazy guy like me), and the other with 8 tuning switches, for the tinkerer.

Specifications KZ AS24 (Standard Version)

Physical Things and Usability

The unboxing may be disappointing for some: despite being their flagship, KZ stick to their no-frills presentation of no storage case, a rather “simple” cable, their standard eartips (SM/L plus a pair of foams), and their paperwork.

The large earpieces follow the same recipe as most previous KZ models with their standard translucent resin material. Although each shell hosts 12 drivers it is not bigger than, for example the Moondrop Blessing 2 or the TempoTec IM5. The cable, although not spectacular in appearance, works well in terms of pliability.

Comfort and fit are good for me, and so it isolation. But I have to use SpinFit CP145 eartips, as the stock ones are too small for me.

Tonality and Technicalities

Don’t forget, I have the standard edition without switches, which is somewhat on the bassy side (with the SpinFits), at least when compared to the vocals in the lower midrange. Despite the many drivers, there is no issue with cohesion and the sound does not exhibit the usual BA timbre, but is reasonable natural.

Star is the bass: super deep digging, thumpy, driving, energetic, lively, well composed. If I had switch, I’d dial it back a tad. It conflicts a bit with the more recessed male/female voices of the lower midrange. Midrange resolution, transparency, and clarity are quite good.

Compared to earlier KZ models and also to the frequency response graph, the recession is actually acceptable and not a dealbreaker. It adds to the soundstage and imaging. Vocals are articulate and well placed in 3D space. There is no shoutiness whatsoever as the frequency starts dropping off at 3 kHz.

This leads to a safe, middle-of-the-road treble response. Cymbals and high notes are well resolving but a bit in the background. This combination leads to a soundstage of lower average width with very good depth, and to great spatial cues. The 12 drivers do an excellent job in terms of imaging, separation, and layering. That’s where your money is.

In comparison, the $150 Sennheiser IE 200 with their single dynamic driver have a flatter tuning with a wider stage lacking the AS24’s depth. While the AS24 are technically superior, the IE 200 are more fluid with a wider but shallower stage. Another big difference is the size of the earpieces…after all, 12 drivers need a lot of space.

The Tempotec IM05 with their 5 drivers have similarly bulky shells and feature a similar V-shaped tuning as the AS24, but with a peakier upper midrange. That’s where the AS24 gets the upper hand. Both have an elevated bass compared to neutral.

Concluding Remarks

KZ have finally produced an iem that, in my opinion, can be considered as very good for its class. For your $112, you get an iem that had cost $200 a couple of years ago. The AS24’s dominant features are its deep digging, thumpy bass and its immersive, holographic stage with very good imaging, which contribute to its lively, dynamic sonic reproduction. Its shortcomings are maybe KZ’s continued recessed midrange, which is not a big deal in this case. But they have eliminated shoutiness and glare.

Yep, KZ are finally starting to rock…after so many tens of models. Congrats. If you want to try a KZ earphone, start with their flagship. Think Big!

Until next time…keep on listening!

The post KZ AS24 (Standard Version) Review – Steamy Flagship appeared first on Music For The Masses.

BEGIN HERE

SIVGA Nightingale launched at the same time as the Kefine Klanar a planar based IEM from another mother. SIVGA has been around in the circles for quite some time with my experience seeing them mentioned as great options for over-ears “budget” busters.

Their signature wood ear cups carry through a vast majority of their lineup. The Sivga Nightingale is no exception with wood representation on the faceplate. A unique tuning that dares to be a different creation highlighting a bullish tight midbass, a dark and chesty midrange, finished with a pointed exacting treble.

Given that Sigva sent me both the Nightingale and the Kefine Klanar, and the diameter of the diaphragm has the same dimension it is easy to hypothesize  they are most likely sourcing the same planar driver.

How they tuned them is entirely different and it is abundantly clear these are two separate earphones for sure. The premium price tag of $229 plants them firmly in the upper level of what I classify mid-level IEMs, it is a direct competitor the 7Hz Timeless at that price.

SOUND

Sigva Nightingale makes the upper bass lower midrange the focus of the show, with at times exuding a tunnel or highly reverberant spacious representation. I would not call it bass bleed because the whole lower end is lifted and thunderous, a combo of mildly boomy and boxy that just doesn’t stop.

Subass is available, but it slowly fades out while the snappier 60-100Hz band exudes more confidence and sets the pace. Transients are speedy and clean when you dig through the muddle. Vocals sound chesty, colored, opaque at times. Since the pinna gain is fairly flat, it is absent the usual forwardness and has a natural laidback posture.

Shimmering treble dominates the treble region, but it is clear and articulated with plenty of air. Its a bit magnified as it comes really forward in the mix. While it might be unnatural to have it brought so prominently focused in the mix, it does not sound sibilant or tizzy at all. If you like super clean and articulate cymbals this will not disappoint. It bests the Timeless in treble production even with the Timeless over highlighting it.

Technically, the saturated low to mid region weighs down the highly articulate nature of the treble. The Sivga Nightingale is an odd bird in that respect because everything feels quick and nimble except the low to mids. The Sivga Nightingale sounds wide and closed in, but depth in staging is good. Timbre is ruined only through the low-mid. I am having flashbacks to Brainwavz B400 tuning? I also think it might close to Pioneer CH3 turning, or perhaps something from Final Audio.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

Shell design of the Sigva Nightingale shares similar curves and shapes as the 7hz X Crinacle Salnotes planar. It fits smoothly and isolates well. The cable has an outer gummy texture and remains flexible, with an easy to use chin slider. The only connection option is 4.4mm balanced, 3.5mm users find yourself a dongle, consider a replacement cable, or look elsewhere.

The Sivga Nightingale ear-tip selection has a basic set of medium bore style, and then a more sticky smaller bore that resembles what comes with the Final Audio earphones. The smaller bore are of thicker material and harder to get on the nozzles of the Sigva Nightingale. The diameter might be slightly too small for the nozzle size, challenging me to change them out.

The attractive hard case is rather large , but fits the ear-tip carrying case with the earphones inside. The carbon fiber appearance cloth stitching sets it apart from generic cases with their brand name molded to it.

FINAL REMARKS

The Sigva Nightingale has all the ingredients to be great and it is in certain ways. I am happy to hear a different tuning because not everyone likes Harman, or diffuse, or neutral. Not everything needs to be the same. I like the Nightingale with caveats not worth repeating, but it’s not going to be for everyone. It only comes in 4.4mm balanced as well.

Disclaimer: Many thanks to Sigva for providing these free of charge for a no-nonsense review and without whispering in my ear.

Get it from these Stores:

amazon.com

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805845717815.html

SPECIFICATIONS Sigva Nightingale

Style: In-ear
Driver type: 14.5mm Planar diaphragm
Frequency response: 20 Hz – 40K Hz
Sensitivity: 100 dB +/- 3 dB
Impedance: 16Ω+/-15%
Cable length: 1.2 M +/-0.2 M
Plug size: 4.4 mm
Weight: 15g

GRAPH

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DISCLAIMER

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About my measurements.

The post Sivga Nightingale Planar IEM Review – A Lonesome Walk Down A Dark Tunnel appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $199 Moondrop DISCDREAM is a very-good sounding (trans)portable CD/SD-card player that drives even demanding headphones like my 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600 well and also works as a DAC /amp for your computer. Whilst it features a dedicated line out, it sadly lacks digital outputs.

The Moondrop DISCDREAM was kindly supplied by SHENZHENAUDIO for my review – and I think them for that. You can purchase it here.

Introduction

The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony, and first released in Japan back in 1982. CDs were very expensive in the mid 1980s in my native West Germany — more than twice the cost of an LP (how times have changed!). My friends, professional classical musicians, were fascinated by the detail retrieval compared to analog sources at the time.

CDs buyers frequently purchased this digital format for experiencing the sound quality — and not necessarily for the content. I once ended up with a 1907 (!) recording by Enrique Caruso, which sounded…terrible.

When it comes to vinyl I had issues as, in Germany, customers could play records in stores, then put them back on the shelf. I frequently purchased “new” albums with fingerprints and scratches. The CD came to the rescue.

I started acquiring digital in 1988 and have accumulated >3000 CDs since. Thanks to the Apple Airport Express, I started ripping my CDs as early as 2003, but the physical copies remained…cluttering our house up. Ask my wife.

In the meantime, CD prices have come down considerably, whereas vinyl has skyrocketed during its recent comeback. Hipsters have embraced analog technology and vintage Hifi stores’ sales soar. And, in analog…y to the mid 1980s, just inversely, they purchase vinyl for the sound experience and not so much for the music.

How else would anybody fork out >$50 for an obscure Jethro Tull album or Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits…when you can pick up CD versions in a thrift store for a couple of bucks? I also don’t see the need for purchasing post 1982 recordings that have been produced for digital media.

Been there, done that. It sometimes pays to be old. And as history repeats itself, hipsters are increasingly picking up CDs, whereas serious equipment reviewers like Steve Guttenberg have always relied on this medium. I belong to the latter and have never given up on CDs (while dusting off my old Thorens TD147 record player occasionally).

Was the race on for old vinyl, so has this hunt changed for original CD recordings, as many if not most recent remasters suffer from dynamic compression: sound great in your car stereo but not on your $$$$$ home system.

Today, decent, affordable CD players and transports have become rare, as not many companies produce drive mechanisms, possibly for the lack of customer demand. Strictly speaking, any moving medium has become obsolete with the advent of SSDs.

But since the world typically rotates in cycles, the CD is currently experiencing a comeback – and some manufacturers have discovered it: Shanling and SMSL have released HiFi CD Players recently.

Moondrop, the company out of my Chinese Alma Mater Chengdu, Sichuan, have expanded lately, from originally mainly earphones into headphones, dongle DACs, and now a portable CD Player. Their DISCDREAM is the product of Moondrop’s cooperation with a senior developer who had been involved in Sony’s Discman concept more than 30 years ago.

The company wanted to supply all these guys with a portable CD player, who cannot find a working vintage one, thereby integrating the latest technology such as modern DAC chips and amplification. The DISCDREAM also has functionalities the old Discmen lacked. It looks like this, bigger than the old portables:

In a companion article, I will compare old and new CD player generations.

Specifications Moondrop DISCDREAM

Physical Things

In the box are: the player, a USB-C charging cable and poster-sized manuals in English, Chinese, and Japanese…and the QC card.

The player’s shell is made of metal with a lid mainly of glass, which makes for an attractive visual effect watching the spinning CD. But it is also a fingerprint magnet and prone to scratching. Have your Windex ready. There are 4 rather grippy rubber feet on the bottom. A protective bag of soft fabric would have been good but is not included.

The design is reminiscent of the wall-mounted Nakamachi CD changers you found in 1990s record stores. I remember auditioining music with these at MusicPlex on Portage and Main in Winnipeg, MB, and at HMB on Catherine St. in Montreal, PQ.

Check the product page for further details.

Functionality and Operation

The DISCDREAM does

• play CDs and SACDs gaplessly
• play music from a micro SD card
• act as DAC and amp for a computer source [and for DAPs, too]
• feature a dedicated line out
• offer a 3..5 mm headphone jack

It does not

• have digital outputs
• rip CDs
• have a balanced circuit
• have Bluetooth capabilities
• have a remote

Interface

Front Panel

…features six buttons for the usual operation and also a crisp display.

See here for operational details

[collapse]

Side Panels

The right panel features an SC-card slot (for music), a dedicated line out, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The left panel is blank.

Back Panel

You find the on/off switch, a pinhead LED (green when charging), and a USB-C port for charging and connecting to a computer.

Playing Music from CD, SD Card, and PC

You can switch between these three different sources with the button next to the display.

Playing CDs is straight forward…you lift up the lid and mount your CD, just like on your record player…and push the start button. The drive starts swiftly and operates quietly. Track changes (forward-backward) are smooth. If you wish, you can leave the lid up, just like on your turntable.

Operating music from an SD card is a different story as the small display is much simpler than that of a DAP. The system ignores folder hierarchies and labels songs from 1 to X. You therefore can never be quite sure what song is playing and what album will be next. An error sign appears when the music organization on the SD card is too complex for the system to handle.

As to USB: works for my Mac with the included USB-C to USB-A cable. Since both DISCDREAM and current MacBooks use USB-C ports, I had to dig out an adapter. Unfortunately, the USB-C port is NOT a digital out – I tested it with an external DAC: it does not work.

Outside the specs: I also connected my iPhone and the Hidizs AP80 Pro-X DAP to the DISCDREAM’s USB-C port. As expected, iPhone “did not support this accessory” and the DAP worked well…but with a caveat: since the USB-C port is also used for charging, the DISCDREAM started “milking” the DAP.

Amplification and Power

The DISCDREAM has a volume scale up to 50 (check the specs above for detailed numbers). I run the 32 ohm Beyerdynamic Custom Pro at 7-8 and the hungry 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600 on 19-20, at leisurely listening. On quiet recordings, and craving some oomph, I crank the dial just above 30 with the Senns. Plenty of power for most headphones.

Sound

The DISCDREAM sounds like a classic mid-tier CD player. Very clean, very good separation, very transparent image, very good resolution. Very “widescreen” with the HD 600. Excellent note definition with well rounded notes. I am surprised how good it sounds.

Let’s put it like that: I Iistened to Dire Straits’ “Brother ins Arms” album, the complete Freischütz opera by Carl M. von Weber, and Pink Floyd’s “Echoes”. Could not stop.

In an unfair but useful comparison, my $1300 Marantz SA8005 with integrated headphone amp sounds grittier, deeper, fuller, more organic, with more bass rumble, but it also has a narrower stage. The Moondrop sounds a bit more subtle, more polished, finer, and wider. But the differences are not earth shattering. I’d tie them in terms of overall technicalities.

My 23 year-old TOTL Panasonic SL-CT780 portable player also manages the HD 600 (to my surprise). It sounds narrower, duller, and is technically much less refined than the DISCDREAM, particularly in terms of imaging, resolution, and upper extension.

Last but not least did I compare the DISCDREAM by itself vs. plugged into the EarMen CH-Amp. Again, the differences were not huge (unless you are in dire need for excess power). The CH-Amp delivered a slightly more relaxed, deeper image, the Moondrop’s built-in amp was a bit more forward. This means that the DISCDREAM is a mature device by itself.

Real-Life Use

The DISCDREAM is kind of an oddball in that it is of desktop size (with a footprint even larger than the EarMen stack) but comes with a battery and no digital out for connecting it to a DAC. On the other hand, it is too large for use on the bus or when walking downtown. Call it transportable rather than portable. And no-one would carry their CDs to a hotel room either.

So yes, you can use it with your phone’s 5V power supply (or the ifi iPowerX or Allo Nirvana) and you can plug it into an amp, if necessary, but this defies its purpose.

For me, it comes down to use within the house, being on the sofa or in bed. The DISCDREAM is kind of its own movable desktop stack. Finally…as I really hate my desk.

Concluding Remarks

The Moondrop DISCREAM fills a niché occupied by mainly older listeners who are still sitting on their prehistoric CD collection – and hipsters who are newly discovering this medium. It plays my CDs satisfyingly well, and does justice even to demanding headphones. I finally pick up these stashes again after having ignored them for the last 30 years. A very engaging listening experience that is also optically appealing…when the disc spins.

What a very good idea you had, Moondrop.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Gallery

The post Moondrop DISCDREAM Review – Discotheque appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — Nozzle is on the thicker side
– Treble can exhibit BA timbre
– Stock cable could be better
– Needs to be paired with a warm-ish source for best results

INTRODUCTION

Hisenior audio has been in the industry for years, mostly catering to the custom monitor market. While I have always wanted to try one of its IEMs, I never got around to it, until the release of Okavango that is.

The driver configuration of the Okavango is quite comprehensive for their price tag: 1 Bio-cellulose DD + 6 BA drivers with true 4-way crossover are nothing to scoff at. Add to that the tuning switches and things certainly look interesting to say the least.

This isn’t a numbers game though, so the driver count barely matters as long as the sound is competitive. At the asking price, there are several well-established competitors, which leaves little room for mistake on Hisenior’s part. No pressure, I guess.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. I purchased the Okavango and Whitewhale cable at a discount.

Sources used: Cayin RU7, Lotoo PAW Gold Touch, Questyle CMA Twelve Master
Price, while reviewed: $300. Can be bought from Hisenior’s official website.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The highlight of the packaging is definitely the Pelican-like hard-shell carry case. The case is waterproof, crush-proof, and has lined mesh pockets along with foam padding. I’d pay $50 for a case like this and here you get one for free. Not bad at all.

The stock cable is less of a standout. It’s a generic cloth-braided cable. I also purchased the WhiteWhale cable in 4.4mm termination. This is a great cable in terms of ergonomics and overall aesthetics. The 6N SP-OCC material is radiates a certain sheen that catches the eye.

There are also 10 pairs of tips inside the package. I ended up using Spinfit CP-100+ for this review, but the stock tips were pretty decent as well. Finally, you get a SIM-card tool for engaging the switches, and a cleaning brush.

BUILD QUALITY

Okavango use a pseudo-custom resin shell. The faceplate design and even the shell color can be customized on the Okavango Custom-design variant, at a price-premium. I liked the look of the stock shell and just invested the extra bucks into the cable.

The faceplate seems to be stabilized wood on the upper portion. On the side, there are the tuning switches and a large vent to alleviate pressure buildup and allow airflow into the chamber for the dynamic driver.

The nozzle is on the thicker side, though I did not find it to be uncomfortable. There is a metal mesh on top of the nozzle but underneath it should be individual sound bores. The switches are rather small and needs a small, pointy object to be engaged. I ended up using the tip of a ballpoint pen most of the times.

Overall, the typically “solid” build quality one should expect at the asking price.

COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

Comfort is fairly good on the Okavango, other than the nozzle which can feel substantial when worn, albeit it was not uncomfortable for me. Isolation is above average with silicone tips and good with foam tips.

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

I primarily used the Okavango with the Cayin RU7 that helped with the BA timbre in the highs. The Okavango are not power hungry at all and should be easily driven by most dongles in the market.

DRIVER SETUP

The Hisenior Okavango are 7-driver hybrids, with a four way crossover splitting the driver setup into low, mids, highs, and ultra-highs. The single DD is used for bass frequencies only, whereas the rest of the frequencies are handled by the 6BA drivers. Hisenior does not divulge further information about specific driver types used in construction.

Moreover, there are two tuning switches, resulting in four different combination of the switches (00, 01, 10, 11). These switches can noticeably alter the overall presentation.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

As the Okavango have four different tuning choices, It is hard to generalize the sound signature. However, all the tunings are somewhat V-shaped, and the degree of the “steepness” of the curve on either side depends on the tuning mode selected.

Many dynamic + BA hybrids tend to focus less on the performance of the BA driver which results in a slow bass that is highly incoherent against the rest of the (ultra-fast) BA driver array.

Hisenior mostly solves this issue by choosing a dynamic driver with fast transients, so bass notes do not linger or lag behind even in relatively complex tracks. Moreover, there is a physicality to the bass that further enhances the sense of engagement, as can be heard on John Mayer’s Clarity. Mid-bass texture is well-rendered, with heavy snare hits having adequate body.

Mids are tuned in a crowd-pleasing manner. None of the tuning modes offer much upper-midrange prominence, resulting in a slightly laid-back, smooth vocal rendition. Male vocals can sound recessed in bass-heavy tracks, Acoustic guitars and strings do not lose the sharpness of the leading edge, neither do heavy guitar riffs, thanks to the peak near 4kHz.

This peak alone would be problematic if the treble rolled-off from thereon, but the mid-treble peak around 7kHz balances out the forwardness in lower-treble. However, this leads to the tuning coming across as “analytical” in certain source pairings and switch configurations. The bass configuration (first switch up, second one down) aids in this regard and mellows out the signature considerably.

One notable issue is the dry BA timbre that hi-hats or cymbal hits can exhibit. Pairing to a slightly warmer source like Cayin RU7 takes care of the issue to a degree, but the “brittleness” of treble notes remain. I guess it’s one of those concessions you have to make at this price point.

Staging is the widest in the brightest configuration, while imaging is also the most precise when treble mode is engaged. The other three modes either narrow the stage, or add some haziness to the staging. Considering the competition, the staging and imaging on the Okavango range from above-average (bass config) to very good (bright config).

Macrodynamics are rendered exceptionally well, with sudden bass drops or orchestral rises having the “drama” you expect. Microdynamics or subtle shifts in volume are less obvious, which seems to be a case for most hybrid IEMs that I’ve come across.

Overall, really competent tuning and good technicalities result in IEMs that stand out amidst a sea of competition.

SELECT COMPARISONS

vs Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite

The Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite are priced slightly lower than the Okavango and have an all-BA setup, with 8 BA drivers taking care of everything. Build is similar between both, but the Orchestra Lite go for a transparent inner-shell which looks better IMO.

Comfort is similar on both, while isolation is better on Orchestra Lite.

When it comes to sound, the Okavango have far superior bass response, there really is no contest here. Bass slam, depth, mid-bass texture – all put the vented BAs on the Orchestra Lite to shame. Mids are slightly smoother on the Orchestra Lite, so is the treble. Okavango have more focus in mid and lower-treble while the upper-treble airiness can be better than the Orchestra Lite in the treble configuration.

Staging is wider on the Okavango, while imaging is similar between both. Dynamics are also superior on the Hisenior IEMs, resulting in a near slam-dunk of the Okavango over the Orchestra Lite.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Hisenior quietly released one of the best hybrid IEMs around the USD $300 mark. The tuning switches work well, all four tunings have their place depending on one’s playlist and mood, and the general build and finish is as competitive as anything in this price range.

If I had to improve something, it would be the overall timbre. The timbral mismatch between the bass and treble is quite noticeable.

Then again, if all those things happened, the Okavango would likely be priced considerably higher. There is always a catch after all.

MY VERDICT

4.25/5

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

The post Hisenior Okavango Review – Tuning Switches That Work appeared first on Music For The Masses.

ORIGIN STORY

I suddenly found myself overloaded with many new audio gadgets to review in the midst of a home remodel to make it more interesting, and the Kefine Klanar stands out amongst the noise. Kefine is a new brand that aims to jump in the Planar realm with an oddly similar planar driver size. I think they hit the mark and delivered a more forward sounding Timeless with less sizzle in the top, and for nearly half the price at an easy to digest price of $119.

As a newcomer, Kefine is named after the founder Ke, and mashed together with Refine hoping to provide refined audio products for music lovers with affordable price and the best value-that’s their tagline. Klanar is word play on Planar from what I can tell. One quibble was the box was hard to open, but it only added to the suspense of what was inside. Seriously though, I appreciate an easy to open box please.

PHYSICAL FORMALITIES

The eartips included with the Kefine Klanar are no big thing, your basic set of small bores with two pairs of medium one of which comes preinstalled and then a set of S/M/L wide bore. I suggest aftermarket replacements as the outer portion is rather flimsy and easy to deform. The nozzle stem is thick which sometimes helps with bass control.

The black matte anodized aluminum CNC shell of the Kefine Klanar is smooth and free of any uncomfortable edges. Kefine understands that CNC shells need not be heavy monstrosities that wear heavily on your ears after long listening sessions.

The emblazoned logo might not be everyone’s idea of a nice design, however simplicity is a statement since it is the only thing to look at. Being a first time product, this is probably a wise choice. Understated, unobtrusive and fits well is a good combination in my book. Keep in mind the nozzles are the typical larger diameter, I have not seen smaller nozzle designs for quite some time.

The medium sized zippered gray cloth hard case is appreciated. It will protect them nicely and fit the ear-tips with ease. The cable is a bit plastic feeling, but is of above entry level grade quality. First comparison, the 7HZ Timeless cable is nicer feeling, but the Kefine Klanar is better equipped with 0.78mm two pin. I prefer 2 pin for longevity over MMCX which instead offers pivoting capability for the ear-hooks. The Kefine Klanar is offered in 3.5mm single ended or 4.4mm balanced connection when you order.

SOUND

Every time I see another planar launched, I automatically assume it has to be similar to the 7Hz Timeless, and so far the Kefine Klanar is the one that has come close. Bass sounds deep when needed with a good haptic rumble. When compared to the Timeless, they feel equal in technical abilities. Articulate, transiently quick and rumble when you need it. 

Despite measuring the Kefine Klanar at a higher level in the bass region, the balance between the bass and mid-range pinna gain, has it sounding similar in quantity to the Timeless. Timeless sounds plump and fatter while the Kefine Klanar adds a touch of warmth and slap. Even double kick drums on Symphony X – King of Terrors rips quick with defined bass notes, I remember how disappointed I was in the HIDIZS MP145 in this regard.

Mid-range does come forward on the Kefine Klanar, but oddly not overbearing. I think it has to do with the lowest valley is not at 1Khz, but rather even lower in the mid-range around 600Hz. At 1khz, we are talking a 10db rise, but at 600hz it comes closer to 13dB.

This again is that balancing act. Vocals sound clean and absence of added rasp. Instruments have good depth and space around them. The Timeless sounds a touch wider given the less forwardness of the vocals. I have to agree Kefine has tuned the Klanar to work well with acoustic music. Snare drums are subdued as mid treble is dialed back to provide a more fatigue free listening session over energetic.

Timbre comes off more digital than analog despite the warmer lower end, to me this is a byproduct of exacting nature of a properly implemented planar driver. Overall it sounds proper and nothing sticks out as off.

The Kefine Klanar treble is where the balance shifts in its favor. The Timeless was known for it’s U shaped signature with a rather over the top treble shimmer and air that can be almost too much at times. The Kefine Klanar has gone easier on us and yet still presents excellent shimmer and clarity with quick transient dynamics. I like the balance of it, others may prefer the extra air of the Timeless.

Easily driven by my LG G8 smartphone or simple dongle despite the lower than average sensitivity, the Kefine Klanar is a few more decibels louder or more sensitive than the Timeless. Power of course is always appreciated. The response through the treble is more consistent and tracks between left and right properly, my Timeless is not nearly as matched left to right.

FINAL REMARKS

Deep down I was hoping this planar would deliver, but had low expectations. I am proud to say Kefine Klanar surprised me and gave us a nicely designed earphone that can compete with the Timeless if you felt more mid-range presence was needed or the treble shimmer was a tad much. The typical universal shaped shell design might also be more appealing, that circular face-plates found on the TImeless.

Given the diffuse field curve with enough low end bass boost and upper treble at a good level, a prominent recommendation for anyone shopping for a new IEM, put it on your short list and consider getting some better ear tips to do them justice. Jazz and acoustic mate well, as does Rock and Pop a close second. I am going to revisit these before year end against the HIDIZS MS3 and Moondrop Starfield 2 and decide who comes out on top at the $120 price point.

DISCLAIMER

Provided Free of charge from Sivga who also sent me their iteration Nightingale yet to be received, I appreciate the opportunity and these will probably get a second look from the man, the legend Loomis. Purchase links below that provide no monetary incentive for us. Check them out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kefine.audio

USA:
Audio 46: https://audio46.com/products/kefine-klanar
Hifigo: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKZ71VP3/kefine+klanar/

AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.us/w/wholesale-kefine-klanar.html?spm=a2g0o.home.search.0

International:
Linsoul: https://www.linsoul.com/products/kefine-klanar
Hifigo: https://hifigo.com/products/kefine-klanar

SPECIFICATIONS

Style In-ear
Driver size 14.5 mm Planar
Frequency response 20 Hz – 40K Hz
Sensitivity 105 dB +/- 3 dB
Impedance 16 Ω +/-15%
Cable length 1.2 M +/-0.2 M
Plug size 3.5mm SE or 4.4 mm BA
Weight 12.6 g

GRAPHS

• Left vs Right
• Kefine Klanar vs 7HZ Timeless
• Kefine Klanar vs Moondrop Starfield 2 vs HIDIZS MS3

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About my measurements.

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The $230 Oladance OWS Pro is an open-ear wearable stereo device that impresses by its natural, open presentation. Something completely different compared to the usual fare…and very well executed.

The Oladance OWS Pro was kindly and unsolicited provided by the company for my analysis – and I thank them for that. As always, no affiliate links and no kickback. And no silly YouTube videos either. Wir können auch anders.

Introduction

In 1726, Swiss mathematician Leonard Euler published his doctorate “dissertatio physica de sono” (physical dissertation on sound). In 1739 he followed up with the “tentamen novae theoriae musicae” (attempt at a new theory of music), hoping to eventually incorporate musical theory as part of mathematics. You may remember the Euler’s number from your math class: the mathematical constant e, approximately equal to 2.71828, which is the base of natural logarithms.

Oladance obviously adapted some of Euler’s sonic ideas. Their first syllable is based on the Cantonese pronunciation of his name. The company was established in the US in 2019, where the product and software designs are located.. Their goal is to bring the physical and digital world together with innovative audio products. They also have offices in Hong Kong and Shenzhen to target their biggest expansion markets. Their first-generation product was launched in 2021, but global sales only commenced in 2022.

OWS is short for “Open Wearable Stereo”. This concept, according to the company, stands for open and natural, comfort and health (avoidance of hearing damage), and stereo sound quality (through software innovations and hardware innovations). I have to admit, there is lots of interesting and innovative technology in these wearables.

Specifications Oladance OWS Pro

Physicals

In the box are the earpieces, a storage/charge case, a USB-C charge cable and the manual/other paperwork. These earpieces are made of titanium and skin-friendly silicone, the case of polycarbonate-polyacrylonitrile alloy. Both are “Chrome de la Chrome”, reminiscent of the Terminator II movie. Excellent haptic, a premium product…and a fingerprint magnet.

Battery life is up to 16 h per charge and 58 h for the case for continuous playback. Charge times are 2 h for the earpiece and 3 h for the case.

Comfort and Fit

Comfort is amazing. The earpieces feel weightless…you really think you are sitting in a concert hall or recording studio. There appears to be a good balance between the battery in the back and the speaker module in the front that avoids any pulling. After a long listening session, I could not find the buds…they were still sitting on my ears.

Fit is another issue. The company relies on “on-size-fits-all” shape, but human ears differ in shape. The speakers have to somewhat aligned properly on the ear. While fit is good for most, people with very big or very small ears may have issues: the sound may be tinny and the maximum volume rather low.

This issue could be avoided if Oladance had made the earpieces bendable so that people could adapt them to their ear shapes. But, then they would not fit into the charging case easily anymore…unless it was flexible, too ;).

On the good side: glasses are no problem, I tried different ones with different temple geometries. Furthermore, these wearables sit secure like rocks. You can shake your head as you want, and bow in all directions…they do not move. Excellent!

Now you definitely know the difference between comfort and fit.

Features and Operation

The OWS Pro incorporates a lot of innovative ideas and technologies such as virtual bass and dynamic EQ. The virtual bass uses the ear as resonance and the dynamic IQ adapts automatically to the ambient noise (indoor, outdoor). Six microphones aim to cancel external wind sounds…which works actually very well for me in the Canadian fall.

The free app, available from Google Play and App Store, allows for selecting different sound profiles and offers even a basic customize eq.

Since an open wearable does not seal well, the app offers something similar to ANC, called “Focus Mode” (also displayed as “Zen Mode”), which works soso, depending on ambient noise. Since the wearables invite for lengthy listening sessions, a patented anti-hearing algorithm can be used to avoid hearing damage.

The OWS Pro are operated with one button on each earpiece (and also sport an on/off switch). The button is clickable and also swipeable, depending on functionality. Gestures can be customized in the app. I found these difficult to handle initially, but got used to them quickly.

Bluetooth Functionality/Performance

The OWS Pro deploys the latest Bluetooth version 5.3, but the older SBC codec. You may not hear much of a difference between lossy and lossless. Multipoint is supported: you can connect the OWS Pro up to two devices. The earpieces work within a distance of 20 m.

Tonality and Technicalities

While one size-fits-all accounts for the earpieces, it does not for the sound. Depending on how the earpieces are aligned in one’s ear, you get a different sound perception. And this varies as no ear is the same. But what’s in common for everybody is the polished and balanced, sparkly, clean, transparent, NATURAL quality of the reproduction and the fantastic soundstage (wide and tall, but limited in depth). You think you are sitting in the recording studio or a concert hall. A truly open sound.

If a V-shaped iem was a heavy French Bordeaux wine, the Oladance OWS Pro are like a bubbly fine champagne.

Some users and Oladance itself perceive a similarity to Bose earphones, but I would rather compare the their sonic qualities to Bang & Olufsen products. The sound goes perfectly with the wearing comfort.

Since on-ears are never very bassy (they may dig deep but do not have that punch of in-ears), you get a rather balanced, coherent sonic image. And yes, the OWS Pro has that good sub-bass extension, and midbass has this golden, full, soothing feel.

Treble is sweet and nicely extended (for a Bluetooth device) with a lot of pearly sparkle. Midrange is present and silky, voices are sculptured 3-dimensionally, they are reasonably forward and of natural richness (not too thick or too lean). Just as it should be.

Note definition is excellent, imaging and soundstage are marvellous and so are separation and layering…but I am repeating myself. Resolution and microdetail are also outstanding for the class. I was admiring the sound of my big stereo system until I realized the music actually came from the wearables. If NAD’s Paul Barton had designed the OWS Pro, one would speak of “room feel”.

The overall listening experience is cohesive, relaxed, ORGANIC, and laid back but also very disciplined and composed (no smearing notes). When turning the volume up high, the upper mids can get a bit grainy (but never shouty). The OWS Pro work best with (complex) natural sounds…but are a mixed bag when the music becomes more aggressive (because of the limited bass punch).

Phone/Microphone Quality

Listen yourself. Here is a sound sample recorded with the 6 built-in microphones:

Value

At $230, the Olandance OWS Pro don’t come cheap but fit with the pricing of comparable iems and in accordance with their (expensive) technology. They really are a quality product in terms of both haptic and sound.

Why Would We Want It (or Not)?

The main purpose of having these is relaxed, non-fatiguing, natural, home-theater-like listening over a longer period of time. For example, while writing some of this, I listened to a lengthy Vladimir Horowitz piano recital. And/or you want to be able to hear the ambient noise when on the job or in traffic…hey don’t do that. You can also enjoy these in the gym or doing sweaty outdoor sporting activities (IPX4 water resistance)…or simple when walking around in a hot, humid climate.

“Yes they [Oladance] have their shit together.” Loomis Johnson (famous audio blogger).

Concluding Remarks

The Oladance OWS Pro are a completely new and interesting concept with their perfect marriage between extreme comfort and relaxed, natural listening experience. They offer a balanced, cohesive sound with great note definition and accuracy and give you a realistic live experience. You can listen to them all day without fatigue and without running out of battery (while your phone does…)

Due to their nature as on-ears, they don’t have that driving, authoritative bass and are less suited for the more aggressive music. They target the more mature, discerned listener. I love these for piano, orchestral, and jazz…but also enjoyed listening to rock music like Queen, Dire Straits, and Pink Floyd.

The OWS Pro are truly fine dining. Oladance are a young and coming company that will make it big, I’m sure.

Leonard Euler would be pleased.

Until next time…keep on listening!

The post Oladance OWS Pro Review – Aural Sculptures appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — The Quintet can exhibit some incoherence during the transition from mids to treble
– Mid-bass texture could be better
– Lower-mids get veiled by the sub-bass
– Slight “zing” in the upper-treble

INTRODUCTION

A few months back, I reviewed the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite. They seemed to have a safe, no-frills tuning that veered towards “too smooth” at times.

Nonetheless, what stood out about them was the driver configuration given the price point. Similar themes re-appear with the Kiwi Ears Quintet that sport a quad-hybrid (also known as Quadbrid) setup for midrange pricing. In recent years, such driver setup has been exclusive to the TOTL or kilobuck IEMs, so the Quintet have already won the spec-sheet war.

Sound quality is not proportional to the driver count though, so the Quintet have a lot to live up to if they want to carve a spot in this hyper-competitive market.

Note: Thanks to Linsoul for sending the Kiwi Ears Quintet for evaluation.

Sources used: Questyle CMA Twelve Master, Cayin RU7
Price, while reviewed: $220. Can be bought from Linsoul.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The packaging is minimal, while the accessories are fairly good. The stock tips were good enough for me, and the stock cable seems fine so I assume a replacement will not be essential. The sheathing is a bit on the stiffer side but it also adds some durability, so a fair trade-off.

BUILD QUALITY

Kiwi Ears opts for a pseudo-custom shell design, with 3D-printed resin on the inner shell while a metal faceplate adorns the outer part. There are two vents beside the (flush) 2-pin port. The nozzle is on the thicker side, so third-party eartips might need some compatibility check.

Overall, a no-frills design that’s practical without being a highlight.

COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

Despite the thicker-than-average nozzle, the Quintet are comfortable for me even during long listening sessions. I did not notice any driver flex. Isolation is average, likely due to the dual vents.

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

For this review, I used the stock narrow-bore eartips and the stock cable. Cayin RU7 was used as the source while on-the-go, and the Questyle CMA Twelve Master was the source when using on the desk.

KIWI EARS QUINTET DRIVER SETUP

Driver configuration is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Quintet. They have a grand total of five drivers (apt model naming) of four different types: 1 DD (DLC-coated diaphragm), 2 BAs (dual-BA configuration), 1 micro-planar, and 1 piezo-electric bone-conduction (BC) driver.

The BC driver is placed atop the dynamic driver, whereas the other four drivers are placed in various parts of the shell. There is also a damper in front of the Knowles driver to keep resonances in check.

All in all, a very interesting driver configuration and perhaps the Quintet are only “quadbrid” IEMs under the USD$300 mark.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

The tuning of the Kiwi Ears Quintet is close to that of the Harman 2019 target, but with a subjectively better bass shelf and more extended treble.

Kiwi Ears’ take on the Harman target has its perks: the mid-bass is not as “hollow”, resulting in superior and more realistic rendition of percussive hits. Moreover, the added brilliance in the upper-treble makes the perceived stage wider, due to the added airiness, alongside increasing resolved details.

All is not fine, however, as the sub-bass is still too overzealous at times and can cast a shade over the lower-midrange, making male vocals sound hazy and lacking articulation in bassy tracks.

Moreover, the upper-mids are pulled back lower than the sub-bass shelf, resulting in certain female vocals being pushed back in the mix. This might be a boon for those who prefer their vocals pulled back and are allergic to shout. On the other hand, those looking for every minute detail in vocals and string instruments will be left wanting.

I found the treble tuning right up my alley. There is a distinct change in timbre when moving from the mid-treble to upper-treble, as the piezo driver adds a distinct “sheen” to the trailing end of notes in hi-hats and cymbal hits. However, I found the coloration mostly inoffensive and the added sense of air and resolution far outweighed the con of incoherence for me.

Finally, staging is better than average, while imaging was mostly accurate despite having some issues in locating instruments that are placed in ordinal directions. Microdynamics could be better to further highlight subtle shifts in volume, while macrodynamic punch is well rendered.

SELECT COMPARISONS

The Sennheiser IE 200 are single dynamic driver IEMs, and so loses immediately in terms of driver count. Also, the stock accessories are plain better on the Quintet.

However, the IE 200 gain back points due to their more natural timbre and excellent coherency. I also found the bass and mids to be better tuned on the IE 200, with bass notes having superior texture.

In the end, the choice is between a more natural and balanced midrange and bass tuning (IE 200) vs a more resolving pair of IEMs with better treble extension (Quintet). The listener’s preferences will determine the ultimate winner.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

For me, the Quintet are the most well-rounded product Kiwi Ears has launched so far. While the Orchestra Lite had their merit, and the budget IEMs are competitively priced and mostly well-tuned, they all lack the “X-factor” that makes a product stand out.

The Quintet have that X-factor in the form of class-leading upper-treble extension. They also significantly lower the barrier of entry for a pair of quadbrid IEMs.

These days, most releases fall by the wayside, failing to capture even the slightest attention and ending up as flavor-of-the-month at best. The KiwiEars Quintet are genuinely interesting for a change, and I can wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone pining for good treble and an otherwise inoffensive tuning.

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The post Kiwi Ears Quintet Review – Lowering The Barrier appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The €199.00/$300 CAD Tangent CD II is an elegant looking, small CD Player that offers adequate sound but lacks standard features such as continuous playback or a display. Its enormous jitter makes it a poor transport as it does not work with all DACs.

I purchased the Tangent CD II at full price from Electronics For Less Canada.

Introduction

Tangent are a Danish audio company that had been established in 1996. They are known for their radios, loudspeakers, and Hifi components. Their designs follow these distinguished Scandinavian concepts we know from Bang & Olufsen or IKEA: simple and pragmatic, always with clear lines.

I purchased the Tangent CD II because I needed a small CD transport to work with a similarly sized desktop DAC/amp combo. After all, I have 3000-4000 CDs. Sure most of them have been ripped, but there is still the odd classical CD I had ignored in the past.

Specifications Tangent CD II

The most important specifications are not given (marked with “?”). When reading on, you may get an idea why.

Physicals, Functionality, and Operation

The Tangent CD II’s biggest asset is its small size: it is a square box, hardly exceeding the footprint of a CD. There is no display. The only indication that the player is on is a pinhead LED (white when on, red when on standby). The front panel is made of brushed steel with a row of buttons (with good mechanisms). the CDs are slot loaded, which works well. Good haptic and attractive design.

The back panel features the on/off switch, the power outlet, analog RCA line outs and S/PDIF (optical). A coaxial out is sadly missed.

The remote is a universal one to be also used for the company’s fitting amp and streamer. What is lacking is the ability to select ANY track on the CD…you are out of luck above #6 (!!!).

The drive is quiet during operation and responsive to the remote.

Listening/Sound

In my testing, I used the Tangent CD II as transport only and as full CD Player. The same music was used with all sources. I listened with the easily driven final Sonorous III headphones.

Setup I: CD II as Transport

I connected the Tangent CD II via its optical line out with the EarMen Tradutto and SMSL DO200 MK II DACs. The DACs were connected to the EarMen CH-Amp via balanced and RCA interconnects. In this setup, the CD II was used as a transport only — bypassing its own DAC. I compared the CD II with my iPhone connected via USB to the DACs.

Using the Tangent CD II as transport only worked with the Tradutto DAC. The CD II / SMSL DAC combo produced regular music dropouts every few seconds. I tried several Toslink cables — no difference. All alternative sources connected optically with the SMSL worked fine, hence the CD II must be the culprit. The problem is most likely timing errors (jitter) from the CD II.

The more expensive and technically more sophisticated Tradutto appears to have a rather high jitter tolerance. Tangent should have added a coaxial line out as it is less prone to jitter than optical.

Setup II: CD II as CD Player

I also wired the Tangent CD II directly into the CH-Amp via the RCA line outs, thereby bypassing the external DACs. In a comparison test, I replaced the CD II with a vintage Panasonic Portable CD Player (with a dedicated 3.5 mm line out).

Results/Interpretation

iPhone via USB vs. CD II via optical into external DAC: the USB signal was stronger/louder and richer. I had to turn the amp much higher up to get the same volume with the CD II. The CD II has more rounded notes (Toslink effect) and sounded flatter than iPhone/USB. The CD II’s sound quality was acceptable to my ears: nothing harsh sounding. But the CD II needed so much more amp power, which may become an issue with hungrier cans.

CD II through external Tradutto DAC revealed a better sound quality compared to using its own DAC. The CD II’s integrated DAC delivered the lowest signal volume of the testing.

Through its own DAC, the CD II played “better” than the Panasonic. Both had approximately the same low output volume level.

In summary, the iPhone transport via USB delivered the best results.

Criticism

Unfortunately, the Tangent CD II has severe technical and operational shortcomings. First, it does not work well as a CD transport because of its jitter — you may get dropouts in your DAC. Optical connections are prone to jitter, which could be mitigated by a coaxial output that the CD II lacks. I presume Tangent use cheap parts.

Another real bummer is the lack of continuous play: when listening to a Live album, you get gaps between tracks…which is really annoying….and, frankly, substandard.

Also amateurish is the limited functionality of the remote: you can only access tracks 1-6 directly. If you’d like to, for example, go to Variation #26 of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, you are out of luck. Sure, you can forward one by one, but the lack of a display makes your navigation much guesswork.

And then there is the low output level…

Summa summarum, it is no surprise that Tangent does not include the crucial specs in their manual.

Concluding Remarks

The Tangent CD II offers adequate performance as a CD Player, provided you listen to albums and don’t want to jump between tracks. As a CD transport, it is a tricky option as it may not work with all DACs because of its enormous timing errors through its optical line out. Several operational misses described above complete the list of plunders.

On the positive side, Its biggest assets are its attractive design and its small footprint.

I regret having purchased it as it simply does not do its job for me (as a CD transport) — and I find it overpriced. As it seems, it features the simplest technology available in an attractive box.

Tangent Danmark’s marketing obviously relies on the popularity of stylish Danish design in general and the potential customer may have subconsciously Bang & Olufsen in mind. But, under the hood, the CD II does not offer enough substance to warrant its purchase in my opinion as it lacks too many basics.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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The post Tangent CD II Review (1) – Jitter Assault appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The original Moondrop Starfield (my review here) was one of the best $100 IEMs I’ve heard—rich-sounding, smooth and immersive—and I was surprised at how much they changed the tuning for the Starfield II. As with the original, the II has a dialed-down bass and pronounced emphasis on the upper mids. but the II has a leaner, brighter tone with much more high-end detail and sparkle—it actually sounds more like a hybrid BA than a DD.

Technicalities (imaging, transient speed) are very good on the Starfield II even if electric guitars or saxes can sound a little edgy or sharp on some material, and most folks would find the II to be the more refined, better-resolving  piece. I prefer the original, which is less analytical and has a more analogue tone but both are worthy. Moondrop’s forays into TWS have been hit-or-miss, but in the wired world they dominate this price point.

SPECIFICATIONS Moondrop Starfield II

Disclaimer

Borrowed from Durwood.

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About my measurements.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd is a discontinued budget dynamic-driver earphone with a mainstream V-shaped tuning and middling technicalities that excels by its form factor – and lives up when amped. A great example of how an underdog can get a lot of attention. You can still get its successor, the Blue Byrd ANC (2nd gen.).

Beyerdynamic are a company out of Heidelberg, Germany. They were founded in 1920 in Berlin by Eugen Beyer, producing mainly headphones and microphones. Together with Sennheiser, they currently hold the German flag in these categories high up.

The Beyerdynamic DT 48 were the world’s first dynamic headphones, introduced in 1937 and produced in various evolutions until 2013. The DT 100, introduced in the 1960s, are still the industry’s standard headphones for studio monitoring. You can see it on the heads of BBC radio DJs since then.

Today, Beyerdynamic are known for their DT 770 and DT 990 headphones. On the earphone side, Beyerdynamic produced only a handful models, the $1000 Xelento being their most famous. In the budget category, the company offered the Byron and Soul Byrd.

I purchased the Soul Byrd in 2020 on sale (I paid $58.53 CAD; regular $110 CAD). It was a purchase “for the team” after somebody had recommended them in our Facebook group.

The Soul Byrd are haptically nothing special. The cable is not detachable, they don’t have fancy faceplates or anything, the material is cheapish plastic. Alone the carrying case is great as it is flat like a pancake with a nice orang lining. Very handy.

In terms of technical capabilities, the Soul Byrd plays at the bottom of its category: detail retrieval is meh, it lacks punch, is hard to drive at 18 ohm impedance and 103 dB sensitivity, and micro detail is not there at all. It could have more life. So why bother?

Sonically, the Soul Byrd has excellent timbre, so typical for German headphones, and a middle-of-the road V-shape. And adding a reasonably potent source as little powerful as the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt or Red unleashes its spirit…at least to some extent.

So why is this risky dinky little iem one of my most used over more than three years? It is the comfort and fit: I use it in bed. The little earpieces with the proprietary earplugs are our genius for this purpose. I can lie on the side with these, the earpieces don’t stick out but sit flush in the ear. This also works under bike helmets but I would not recommend it for safety reasons.

Back to my bed: I listen to live talk radio but also to music files…and for long periods of time. The Soul Byrd are so comfy both physically and sonically.

You have to give it to the Germans since Bach and Beethoven that they know what sounds natural. The Soul Byrd may not be the last word in sophistication, but they are highly pragmatic. On top of all this, the Soul Byrd feature a three-button control with microphone for phone calls. A set of proprietary tips in 5 sizes is included.

You won’t find anything like the Soul Byrd…which have now been replaced by the Blue Byrd ANC (2nd generation).

Until next time…keep on listening!

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