Hidizs has announced the new upcoming IEMs based on Pure Magnesium Diaphragm which claimed to outperform any other IEMs with Aluminum or Lithium Magnesium membranes, especially in transient response, accuracy and frequency range. Here is more data from Hidizs, along with marketing posters, technical specifications and some comparisons:

“The World’s 1st 12 mm Large 91% Pure Magnesium Diaphragm HiFi In-ear Monitors inspired by the immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii), this revolutionary HiFi earphone combines 580 million years of evolution with modern acoustic engineering, offering an incredible audio experience for anyone who appreciates high-end audio gear.

Why MK12 Turris?

• Completely surpasses all Aluminum-Magnesium & Lithium-Magnesium headphones and earphones
• 91% Pure Magnesium Diaphragm Earphones for Next-Level Audio
• 1.5T External Magnet for Enhanced Drive and Accuracy
• Lightweight, High-Performance Design—ditch the costly high-end headphones for a superior in-ear experience.

A New Era in Audio:

• 9 Sound Styles, Triple Tuning: Three pneumatic filters and eartips to tailor sound for Highs, Balanced, and Bass across 9 music genres.
• CNC Machined Integrated Aluminum Alloy Cavity: Designed for clarity, durability, and balanced airflow.
• Detachable 0.78mm 2-Pin Cable: Supports flexible upgrades with 3.5mm & 4.4mm balanced plugs, and includes high-purity oxygen-free copper silver-plated twisted pair wire cable for low resistance and superior fidelity.
• 10Hz-45kHz Wide Frequency Range: delivers deep bass, crisp highs, and balanced sound”

Turris would come along with 3 pairs of tuning filters and sets of diffenent ear tips to tune the sound further.

Hidizs says that this product would soon be launched on Kickstarter with the additional incentives for the early birds. More news about the launch date and prices would be available soon.

It’s been a while since the last review posted on this blog due to extended logistics. Sending items for the review to Ukraine is quite cumbersome lately, thanks God it arrives undamaged. Hidizs has made quite an effort on assuring that their new MS3 IEMs would finally reach in here, even resending the package twice. Anyway, MS3 are with me now and I can acknowledge the audience of this blog with my own impressions.

Last pair of IEMs reviewed by me were quite peculiar and unusual – KZ ZEX with electrostatic driver in its schematics and Dethonray Tender 1 pure planar IEMs. I’ve had enough time to rest from dynamic/armature hybrid combination and Hidizs MS3 would be the first in series after this pause. Most of the time I am using pure 1 dynamic driver IEMs either from Hidizs/Tanchjim or HiBY since it is the most engaging sound for me, especially when driving IEMs with tube amp. Although, armature/dynamic hybrid IEMs have obvious advantages for some genres and in some aspects that build my interest to find out how technically good the new Hidizs product is.

Hidizs MS3 have been released just a month ago and already have generated a positive wave of impressions by the first owners and reviewers. Promising in the declared features, seems that MS3 really have the potential of becoming a great bargain in less expensive niche comparing to its highly ranked MS5 many-driver flagship predecessor. Good formula applied here by Hidizs – consider the buzz around the flagship product, borrow the most important virtues from it and project it on the less expensive product… Let’s see if the new star was born.

Hidizs MS3 IEMs on sale: Official Hidizs store

Hidizs MS3 IEMs on sale: Amazon

Hidizs MS3 IEMs on sale: AliExpress

Here is the declared specs:

Features:

– 10.2mm Dual Magnetic Circuit Dual Cavity Dynamic Driver
– Knowles SWFK-31736 Composite Balanced Armature Driver
– Aviation Aluminum Alloy Integral Molding Shell
– Three Hidizs Pneumatic Tuning Filters
– Oxygen-free Copper Multi-conductor Cable with 192 Ultra-small Wires
– Highly Approaching the H-2019 Target Curve, and HIDIZS Art Styles
– “Shark Fin” 0.78mm/2PIN Cable Plug
– Hidizs Customized Storage Bag
– Hi-Res Certification

Back to the shipping set and build impression before jumping to the sound experience:

As said before, thanks to quite stiff Hidizs box, this package arrived undamaged. Box carries full product information, product image and manufacturer info. Inner compartment consists of three inserts: foam holding IEMs, foam holding all filters and ear tips and the additional box with audio cable and some papers. Truthfully speaking, Hidizs MS3 are one of the best IEMs in terms of set of accessories. 9 pairs of ear tips, 3 pairs of filters, storage bag, cable – can’t imagine what else might have been included to make anyone totally satisfied… Perhaps, IEMs Fortunately, they are also included.

Build quality is great all around. IEMs look and feel perfect, great choice of materials, precise finishing and construction. No gaps between elements, no rattling. Design is quite complex and very neat and beautiful at the same time. Attracting combination of black body with gold edging. Similarly excellent quality of audio cable: unexpectedly thick, consisting of 4 twisted strands, ending with aluminum 3.5SE or 4.4BL plug housing at one side and transparent easy to pull “shark fin design” 0.78 2pin connectors on the other side. This is probably the thickest cable for IEMs I’ve encountered in my reviewing career. Feels durable and makes an impression of being able to last for ages.

Ear tips are all silicone-type but 9 pars divided to 3 sizes and 3 groups of vocal, low and high frequency oriented use. The changes might be subtle depending of its final fit but accompanied by Hidizs special tuning filters that would add more evident changes to the sound. Filters have different types of mesh to cross out / pass some frequencies that would end up in more lows, mіds or treble-tending tonality: silver – more treble, rose – balanced, red – more lows. Here is how Hidizs measured the changes produced by all 3 pairs:

My personal opinion about how effective those filters are: yes, there are audible changes in the sound, especially between red (low) filters + lows-oriented ear tips and silver/rose filters with the respective ear tips. The difference between rose/silver is less obvious due to highly pronounced armature nature in treble/upper mids segment.

The sound:

Consisting of 2 high-quality armature Knowles drivers + single but mighty dynamic driver, MS3 IEMs produce rich and engaging sound. The tonality feels bright which is an outcome of armature driver outstanding capabilities that goes far beyond human perception abilities on treble and some accent placed on upper mids as the consequence. V-shaped tuning is evident, although not distracting since the treble is quite expended, full of nuances and details. On the other side of the range single DD does a good job on mid bass dynamics and presence of lows. The extension of bass is limited but the amount on lows, speed and tightness of mid bass are perfectly enough. Sometimes lows might bleed in and desynchronize with treble and upper mids since it is slower on changes but mostly on such genres as energetic metal/punk rock and only if the quality of the recording/track file is low.

Apart from that, MS3 sound impressive, especially on layering and instrument separation. Every sound is laid out on its shelve, each instrument sounds exposed. Resolution grows with the frequency, treble is the most resolved, upper mids and vocals have great clarity and texturing, whereas the lows are well-exposed but slightly lagging behind in detalization. In overall, MS3 sound great technically. Especially for the slower genres, songs and with high-quality recordings. Musically, it is on the brighter side with excellent overall detalization, layering and mid bass performance but limited on the lowest bass register.

Fit:

MS3 are designed so that it would fit most without any problems. Such shape, pretty long nozzles, over-the-ear hooks and variety of ear tips would allow almost anyone to use it comfortably, even during the active workouts.

Conclusion:

Hidizs MS3 hybrid IEMs posses all the necessary qualities to become a bargain for many audio enthusiasts and even for some demanding audiophiles. Technically MS3 are sounding great – impressive overall resolution and treble extension, great layering and articulation, excellent and tight mid bass. Build quality, feel and especially the possibility of the additional tuning are all exceptional. Musically, MS3 would be great for those who love V-shaped tuning and brighter sound, bass heads would rather stick to some more bass-oriented options. Nevertheless, Hidizs MS3, considering its price, bundle and sound quality, set the bar pretty high for its rivals on the market. Definitely a great option to save some funds and be totally satisfied at the same time. Well done, Hidizs! Anxious to see would be the next product under this brand…

Hidizs MS3 IEMs on sale: Official Hidizs store

Hidizs MS3 IEMs on sale: Amazon

Hidizs MS3 IEMs on sale: AliExpress

Once upon a time, in a very far galaxy I’ve decided to try out the new for the time brand in IEMs – Knowledge Zenith. It happened around 3-4 years ago and the unit was KZ ED16. I was never willing to try anything from this brand since than. Why? KZ ED16 turned out too piercing for me on treble, with highly accented V-shaped signature, holding quite bad against its rivals those days.

Although, time goes by, KZ has grown significantly, right to the point that I can easily purchase most of its products in local audio store of my country (Ukraine). Furthermore, lots of talks about this brand, lots of users and fans, lots of reviews and posts. Heard many good things lately which has inspired me to accept the last call from KZ reps to review their recent product. I also cannot forget the fact that KZ was founded by an engineer that worked for Audio Technica and whose idea was to develop affordable high-quality IEMs for masses. Such initiatives are the main driving force for implementing various technologies that once were unattainable in personal applications and making those much cheaper.

All of that is the reason to give KZ another chance with their new IEMs – ZEX. Another reason for me personally – it would be the first hybrid model in my practice that uses dynamic driver for mids and lows together with electrostatic unit for treble. Tried everything – armature, dynamic, piezo, planar – but never had an opportunity to play with electrostatic drivers yet. Let’s see how it goes…

KZ ZEX specs:

• Model: ZEX
• Drivers: 10mm diaphragm, dual magnetic dynamic unit + 6.8mm low voltage electrostatic unit
• FR Range: 20Hz – 40KHz
• Impedance: 25Ohms
• Sensitivity: 103dB
• Passive noise reduction: 26dB
• Cable: detachable, 2-pin, 0.75mm
• Cable options: mic, no mic
• Plug: 3.5mm
• Materials: zinc alloy + resin
• Colors: rose gold, black, graphite

Note: electrostatic drivers are still quite rare in IEMs for its complexity, power draw and cost. In terms of sound, such drivers are more accurate, producing more details, have very fast transient speed, almost no distortions and inertia. In fact, KZ might be declared a pioneer in the field of mass hybrid IEMs with such type of driver involved.

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Amazon USA:LINK

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Amazon GERMANY:LINK

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Aliexpress:LINK

Packaging and design:

I admire how KZ packs its IEMs. Boxes are small, yet neat, rigid and cute at the same time. Whole packaging consists of outer wrap layer with product graphics, information and logos. Inner box has a transparent cover on the facing side for extra protection. IEMs rest in dedicated cutouts of soft foam layer, all accessories located underneath. This bundle includes:

• KZ ZEX IEMs
• audio cable with 3,5mm SE plug
• 4 pairs of silicone tips
• short user manual

KZ ZEX IEMs shells consist of zinc alloy facing plate cover, transparent resin middle insert and base with output nozzle. Those are the first IEMs ever in my hands which shells consist of three parts. My guess for such structure is the modular approach in KZ design to reach some degree of versality and save R&D cost by sharing same shell parts across different models.

Zinc alloy plates look gorgeous, feels like aluminum and contain machined KZ logo and folds as central design elements. This plate have different color options (rose gold, graphite, black) and mine is graphite. Middle resin insert is transparent with blue tint and holds 2-pin cable connector. My opinion, that having such protruding type of connector is more reliable rather than drowned one since it is more convenient to aim and the pins on the cable are protected by outer guiding housings.

Truthfully speaking, middle insert feels a bit odd in this shell compound (tint is a way off), as if it was deposited from another model. Nevertheless, it perfectly fits the shape and exposes the internals which are accurately accomplished. Soldering looks neat, cables moved apart, both drivers sit straight at their places. The only untidiness spotted are the signs of glue that keep shell parts together. It doesn’t worry me much since there is no influence on the sound. Resin base is transparent as well but has brown/gray tint with quite long protruding molded output nozzles which are covered with aluminum mesh. Found single compensational opening between the top zinc cover and middle insert.

KZ ZEX fit is quite comfortable and tight. Guess why the most of KZ IEMs are having similar “custom”-like design… I had around 100 pairs of IEMs by now and can tell you for sure that this shape in a combination with ear hooks is the most universal one. Nothing to worry about here.

Stock cable have two options: mic/no mic and considering the price of ZEX IEMs I would say that mic version is more reasonable – most of the people would use ZEX everyday and it would be more convenient to have the ability to answer calls. Anyway, cable seems to be built pretty well, connectors and plug has the necessary cable protection, claimed to be gold-plated and feels durable. Definitely, not a competitor to expensive thick twisted upgrade cables with lots of mixed silver/copper strands but interchangeable and seems good for this budget, at least.

In overall, the design, even though not having much unique details, didn’t disappoint either. Moreover, I would say that there are some much more expensive IEMs with less accurate crafting and cheaper feel. Therefore, I am giving it 10 out of 10. Shape is perfect, so is the fit, cable looks nice and durable, bundle is regular for any kind of budget and the packaging is one of the most logistics-friendly and optimal for this type of a product. Believe me, when you keep around 100 pairs of IEMs on the shelf – this parameter is vital indeed. I could have stored four times as much if all IEMs packaging were similar.

Sound:

Tested with: Hidizs AP80, HiBy R5, Dethonray Prelude DTR1+ DAPs, xDuoo MT602 tube amp.

Lows and midbass:

Deep bass is large with high amount of textures. Bass amount and presence are quite overwhelming and higly accentuated. Сontouring of midbass is very precise, good layering allows to distinguish different instruments performing in this range. Subbass reaches good depth and have quite good decay speed. Lows remind of full-sized closed-back headphones with slightly congested but powerful presentation. This range has the most weight in overall sound picture. Midbass section is adequately articulated, full-bodied, perfectly detailed and powerful. Drum sections sound pretty natural, creating a good feel of overall dynamics. 

Mids and vocals:

Mids are less upfront than lows. Male vocals sound a bit thin and more distant than female ones which adds more emphasis on clarity and emotional appeal. Resolution is  enough but there is feeling that it is achieved artificially but emphasizing lower-treble. Still voices, strings and blow instruments sound pretty impressive. There is no excessive harshness on upper mids which I didn’t like in KZ ED16, but the sound is still prone to sibilance, especially on female vocals. At the same time, such tuning adds the exceptional clarity to most of the instruments in this range which also brings good layering, instrument separation and stage depth.

Treble:

The most intriguing in ZEX is its treble performance. Twofold impression there. Good are the treble micro dynamics and resolution. Bad is the limited extension and slightly weak emphasis on this range in the entire mix. Treble sounds bright and crisp, but gets shaded by lows and mids in some tracks. The transparency and brightness is highly dependent of the record. The best results were achieved with the brighter source such as AP80 DAP in jazz, rap, blues compositions (low amount of instruments, large spacing). In overall, I can admit that I was expecting more of electrostatic treble driver.

Soundstage:

ZEX show moderate stage width and good stage depth. Instrument separation and layering are good but the lack of transparency on treble and limited extension on both ends makes the stage more congested.

Sound in overall:

KZ ZEX sounds pretty well detailed, with tendency towards lows and dark tonality, emotional and resolving on mids, with impressive mid bass range and crisp but less accented treble.

Compared to…:

Actually, I have nothing to compare ZEX with for now. Most of my IEMs are far more expensive and definitely have more strength in different aspects of the sound. Perhaps, only the Hidizs Seeds that were released quite ago with single dynamic driver and discounted down to the same budget now… Seeds have less comfortable fit, integrated cable and not as resolving and heavy on bass but those are more balanced, have more delicate tuning in overall, thicker mids and more extended and airy treble (even despite it is based on single DD unit).

Conclusion:

Have KZ evolved into more respected products with more mature sound – definitely yes. Do I like it more now than 3 years ago – definitely yes. Now I can state that KZ ZEX IEMs are pretty fine for my liking, although with some rough points that I would still like KZ to polish further. Sibilance effect, emphasized V-shaped tuning, better extensions… At the same time, ZEX are impressive and sound decent on rap, jazz, blues and any other genres with limited amount of instruments. Considering this, I would tell that it is good budget choice for everyday mobile use which is actually the target for this model. Therefore – great bargain. I would still vote for something better for long and calm listening but I would definitely won’t be afraid of having ZEX as main IEMs with fun and juicy sound on the go.

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Amazon USA:LINK

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Amazon GERMANY:LINK

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Aliexpress:LINK

NF Audio – IEM brand that we’ve been eager to try out for a long time but never had a chance… Shenzhen Ningfan Acoustics (NF Audio) has one of the most expensive IEM models (JD24) with 2 electrostatic tweeters + Knowles 4 BA combination and price tag of USD1,800. Electrostatic drivers are still rare among IEMs and we hope to review some models of this type soon. Besides that, NF Audio offers a wide selection of other models for different budgets and we would start our journey with this brand from NM2+ single dynamic driver IEMs (USD169).

As found in the description, NM2+ are revised version of initial NM2 monitor dynamic IEMs. It is now based on MC2L-1OII dual magnetic circuit, dual-cavity dynamic driver, built from different materials, still maintaining comfortable fit. Higher resolution and wider frequency response range are stated among improvements as well. Anyway, we have not tested the predecessor, therefore, taking all improvements for granted and would be examining NM2+ solely, not referring to its previous iteration.

NF Audio NM2+ specs:

• Driver: MC2L-1OII, dual cavity, dual magnetic circuit, polymer composite dynamic driver
• Frequency range: 9 – 40kHz
• Impedance: 18 ohm
• Sensitivity: 108 dB
• Distortion: ﹤1%
• Max SPL: 125 dB
• Passive noise cancelling: 25 dB
• Cable: 5N silver-plated OFC
• Cable connectors: 2pin 0.78mm
• Plug: 3.5mm + 6.35mm adapter
• Net weight: 300g

NF Audio NM2+ IEMs are available at Aoshida Audio store: LINK

Packaging and design:

NM2+ has a unique packaging with some interesting design findings and much of attention paid to details. Grey square-shaped outer cover of the box contains plenty of company information, large silver names and product picture.

Counterfeit protection sticker is present and located at on of the edges. The box itself maintains similar grey appearance with logo imprints and made foldable – consists of two equal parts that opens like a book, retained by several integrated magnets. Left part has the special podium for user manual and compartment for storage case.

On the right – round cutout holds soft IEM podium with compact disc shape with round ear tips holder and cable stored in the compartment underneath. Even the user manual has a special aluminum clip in its binding to slide it out from the compartment. Tips are stored in pairs according to different sizes and types (bass oriented, neutral). Quite interesting design and clever layout. Full list of accessories is as following:

• NM2+ IEMs
• audio cable with 3.5mm plastic cap
• 3 pairs of neutral ear tips
• 3 pairs of bass ear tips
• storage case
• 3.5mm -> 6.35mm adapter
• user manual

NM2+ IEMs shells consist of two aluminum parts. Top cover is precisely aligned with the base, no gap or sharp edges and also features logo cutouts. Main design element – another logo cutout with blue paint is located at front edge near the output nozzle.

Back edge of the base has one more CNC element of design – its model name. Output nozzles are a part of the bases and end up with aluminum filters. Both IEMs have corresponding channel indicators, transparent plastic 2-pin cable connectors and compensational openings.

Despite the chosen material, MN2+ are lightweight and relatively small (we would say mid-sized) IEMs. Output nozzles are reasonably long and in combination with small weight, custom-like shape and flexible ear guides on the cable NM2+ would provide very comfortable fit for the most of the people.

This model also impressed with its stock audio cable. Not only it’s elements are perfectly crafted but also it is thicker than usually included by the competitors in the similar price segment. Another good feature of this cable – it is hard to tangle, thanks to such type of braid.

In overall, NM2+ design and build quality are close to perfect. Lots of elements, excellent crafting, precise alignment, natural shape, comfortable fit. We would prefer other more attractive colors to be available, but it’s definitely not a complain.

Sound quality:

Testing setup: Hidizs AP80 -> xDuoo XD05 Plus -> NF Audio NM2+

Lows:

First of all, NM2+ are definitely not bass-ordiented IEMs. This range doesn’t have any accent and feels linear with mids while both hang behind the treble. Some additional gain by EQ, MSEB or Bass Boost in our case (xDuoo XD05 Plus) would be necessary if you are a bass head. We personally prefer this type of sound more than having to get rid of extra influence of lows on other ranges. Besides, lows are evident, texturized and contoured in high quality tracks which exposure and presence is being perceived more as balanced, monitor-like sound rather than inadequate exposure. Not that we always like such linear performance but at least it gives you a good base for further tuning whenever needed. Mid bass is totally different story – dynamics, power, speed and articulation are all decent.

Mids:

NM2+ mids get the additional resolution, especially in the upper range. The nature of this resolution is virtual since single dynamic driver is not aided by any additional HF elements and this is the result of gain tuning. Excellent experience on bow and string instruments that show the most amount of micro details and great emotionality of female vocals. Surprisingly, male vocals and lower portion of instruments have managed to maintain adequate thickness and warmth despite the tendency towards emotional appeal. Although, NM2+ are susceptible to whistles and hisses due to its tuning with low quality tracks or cold audio sources. For example, for us, personally, old records (from 1960-70yy) were sounding much worse than most of the tracks from 90s and later. At the same time AP80 DAP own output was significantly worse than xDuoo XD05 Plus DAC/amp with its warmer and more developed sound. But in overall, feeding only high quality records, NM2+ are highly resolving, quite emotional and adequately thick on mids.

Treble:

Of course, with this type of tuning and capable driver unit NM2+ goes all the way up to become one of the best treble performing single dynamic IEMs. Clean, clear and transparent sound with evident accent, great extension and bright overall sound picture. Dynamic IEMs with such performance are quite rare, we can only point out several examples for past 4 years – Kanas Pro, Oxygen and SSP (although, SSPs are less delicate on treble). Here (together with tight and juicy mid bass) you get the full notion of modern fast moving lightweight diaphragm which is used in NM2+ structure.

Soundstage:

One of the most valuable virtues of NM2+ sound is the size of the virtual stage it builds, especially in width. Stereo panorama is very wide, perhaps the largest one that we’ve experienced with IEMs so far. Of course, partially it is a result of high-quality DAC/amp in or setup but even with the simple AP80 SE output NM2+ shows very good stage.

Sound summary:

If to summarize sound of NM2+, we would say that it has colder tonality which further gives the effect of high resolution on upper mids and treble. Treble is accented, clean and crisp while mids and lows are in good balance and retaining good thickness and texturing. Altogether this creates emotional and transparent sound with wide stage and plenty of details. Monitor-like performance on the lower half of the FR range is mostly achieved by the conservative presence of bass portion. Again, NM2+ are definitely track quality / source quality-hungry IEMs and best to be paired with some warmer sources.

Compared to Moondrop Kanas Pro:

Moondrop Kanas Pro also based in single dynamic driver but the tuning is quite different. It is evidently more V-shaped, with much accent added to lower end. Mids are slightly recessed. Soundstage is smaller and fit is not that perfect as with NM2+. But in overall, both models deserve good scores, just the preference in sound should be different. NM2+ more linear while Kanas Pro are obviously V-shaped. Perhaps, NM2+ are even closer to Tanchjim Oxygen but lacking some delicacy and transparency.

Compared to TFZ Secret Garden HD:

Quite similar IEMs in terms of performance on treble and mids, whereas Secret Garden HD have more gain on lows and more suitable for bass heads. Soundstage is not that wide, treble starts to show some minor artifacts at higher volume. Again, both models are close in the resulting sound and most of the difference lies in the amount of bass they produce.

Conclusion:

Our first encounter with NF Audio brand and NM2+ model as its representative went totally positive. “Monitor” label among the declared features is reasonable with the concern of its performance on lows and mids. However, treble portion, despite all of its virtues, is slightly out of this definition. It brings more juice and emotions than mostly inherent for monitor-like delivery. On the other hand, neither we treat it negative, since NM2+ IEMs are nowhere near being dry or anemic. Most of applause go towards its stellar mid bass and treble performance while mids and lows deserve good scores for its accuracy, texturing and resolution. Not less important is the wide soundstage NM2+ are capable of. Definitely a strong contender among single dynamic driver IEMs to play within its price segment and market niche.

NF Audio NM2+ IEMs are available at Aoshida Audio store: LINK

Never had a chance to play with product from TIN HIFI brand before. We’ve seen a lot of positive feedback about various IEMs of this brand on Facebook pages, in posts or comments which have raised our expectations preliminary to the arrival of the today’s topic sample. It is always kind of tricky that the information coming from net builds our perception of a product that we have never seen or touched in a real life. Sometimes such expectations crashing against the wall of reality and sometimes become a proof that masses don’t lie. Anyway, today we would either prove or object that TIN HIFI – quite young but already popular brand – is worth of our attention.

Just a note about the company: yes, TIN HIFI is from China (Zhongshan Dongting Electronics Technology Co. Ltd.) and as declared at official website this company was long involved into OEM/ODM manufacturing of HiFi products before they’ve started own brand in 2017. Product portfolio consist of 9 IEMs and what is the most interesting – couple of those are planar driver-based models with very competitive pricing. Hope that we would grab one of those somewhere in the near future as such offers and technology in IEMs are still rare on the market. But we would review the cheapest of their single beryllium dynamic driver models today – T1 Plus.

T1 Plus specs:

• Driver: 10mm beryllium diaphragm
• Sensitivity: 105dB/mW
• Impedance: 32ohms
• Frequency response: 10Hz – 20kHz
• Jack: 3.5mm
• Cable: 1.2m±3cm, silver-plated, detachable,
• Cable connectors: 2pin/0.78mm
• Weight: 6g (without cable）

Packaging and design:

TIN HIFI T1 Plus IEMs come in relatively small square-shaped white box free of any elements except brand and product name printed at the front and company information – at the back.

Inner box space is split into three compartments: soft insert holding IEMs, audio cable beneath it and separate box for the accessories. Entire set consists of T1 Plus IEMs, 6 pairs of silicone ear tips and audio cable.

IEM shells consist of two parts – base and top plate. The latter can have different color paint which is actually filled from inside, leaving the facing side glossy and the paint protected from scratches.

Base part is totally transparent with all of the construction exposed to the owner. Shell material is not disclosed by the manufacturer but seems to be some kind of mix of plastic and resin. Couple of compensational openings per channel on the base and barely visible brand and model name imprints on the edges.

Sound output nozzles are molded as a part of a shell while protected with very thin nylon sound filter. Very good and durable cable connectors – both protrude from shells to eliminate bending.

On the other hand – such design of cable connectors is not universal and the choice of the spare cables with the best fit would be limited to few.

Stock cable seems to be pretty nice – aluminum elements with gold-plated 3.5mm TRS plug, transparent resin 2pin connector housings, in-built ear guides and channel indicators. It is formed by 28-core 0.05mm silver-plated copper wire.

T1 Plus fit should be good for most of the people due to the combination of quite long nozzles, light weight, ear guides on the cable and small/thin natural profile. 4 people tried and have not faced any issues which makes us believe in T1 Plus versality.

In overall, we like how T1 Plus IEMs are designed and made. Transparent units always caught our attention showing the accuracy of manufacturing and assembling processes. You can even see tiny cables and soldering points from 2pin connectors to dynamic driver unit – everything looks very neat.

Sound quality:

Our testing equipment: Hidizs AP80 DAP + xDuoo XD05 Plus DAC/AMP

Lows:

Seems to be the most accented range in T1 Plus with all consequences it makes further on the sound. Bass is deep, extension is impressive. It is neither too fast or too slow and doesn’t sound detached from the whole sound picture. Although, the resolution and texturing might have been better. Sometimes lows are kind of diffused and might bleed and overshadow mids. The influence of lows on the overall tonality results into fairly warm and dark sound, rich of bass and thickness on mids.  

Midbass is decent — powerful and full-bodied. Great articulation and dynamics, drums do sound engaging. Warmth and thickness of lows result in interesting emphasis on volumetric parameters of soundstage.

Mids:

Instruments and voices in mids sound natural and rich. Appealing thick sound of tube-powered electric guitars rich with different harmonics that make those IEMs a good choice for rock, blues and other similar genres. Male vocals sound slightly more distant while upper mids are more elevated. Female vocals never sound harsh and don’t show any unwanted hisses. Mids are in fairly good balance with lows, enriched by its influence (thickness of notes) but sometimes struggle to stand out and loose the lead. This effect is not too harsh though and mids still make very good impression of warm and velvet timbre.

Treble:

T1 Plus treble range is slightly more powerful than mids, definitely leading in gain and somewhere close to the power of lows. Such slight V-shaped tuning helps T1 Plus sound to have enough air and transparency while not falling into very dark signature. Elevation is very reasonable, treble portion is clear and accurate but not excessive. Extension and resolution are moderate with the most of the potential revealed in music genres saturated with string or bow instruments. Although, treble might sound a bit indistinct and soft when it comes to bass-oriented tracks.

Soundstage:

Some controversial results here. Binaural recordings that are intended to create additional scene depth and width show moderate effect and distance with T1 Plus IEMs. Whereas some regular recordings sound more expanded to sides and show good instrument separation and larger stage.

Sound in overall:

We would say that TIN HIFI T1 Plus are closer to warm or dark signature IEMs with well-developed and accented lows that result in thick and vintage sound on mids. Midbass is decent, while treble might feel a bit soft. In overall, such IEMs are very good for slow vintage music and would suffer from feeding something from modern electronic genres. Also best to be used with high quality neutral or cold sources.

Compared to Hidizs Seeds:

Hidizs has lowered the price for Seeds down to $30 (from 70) which makes those one of the best IEMs in class. Seeds are more transparent and have much more developed treble range despite being based on single dynamic driver as well. Seeds sound more airy, precise and balanced but they are not so good in terms of fit and also don’t feature detachable audio cable.

Compared to Tanchjim Cora:

Core is another representative of single dynamic driver IEMs with bright and transparent sound with very good treble reproduction. Cora also wins over T1 Plus in this but lacks in terms of bass extension and midbass power. But the worst about Cora is very individual fit and non-detachable audio cable

Conclusion:

Budget IEMs with in $30 price range is kind of rare testing equipment for us. During this particular test we have came up with two main conclusions: even such low-priced IEMs as TIN HIFI T1 Plus might outperform more expensive models in some aspects of the sound and that T1 Plus is definitely providing one of the best price to performance ratio in its class. We did not expect such decent build quality in this budget, universal fit, detachable cable feature and what is the most important – sound that is almost on par with certain more expensive models. We are talking mostly about the performance of lows and midbass as well as about its pleasing influence on mids. Nowadays, T1 Plus warm signature with thick sound is encountered much less often than bright and cold V-shaped tuning. Interesting is that among all dark single dynamic driver IEMs T1Plus do sound the most engaging so far, despite being on a budget. Not saying the best since some lack of texturing and extension is evident, but definitely the most interesting – when the dark signature is obvious but the treble is still very adequate. Like!

TIN HIFI T1 Plus available at HiFiGO official store: LINK

It’s been a while since Hidizs last IEM release which was Mermaid MS1 Rainbow single dynamic model, preceded by MS1 and MS4. The latter was and still stays their flagship – first hybrid IEMs by Hidizs, based on the combination of 3 Knowles BA units and 10.2mm polymer diaphragm. Both, MS4 and MS1 variants got warm welcome on the market with very positive customer feedback.

Personally, we have tested all models and still have all in the possession. Can’t insist that either MS4 or MS1 is the best ever bargain for now since those were released quite long ago, but definitely both still hold very strong and competitive position towards their price rivals.

Topic of our review today – Hidizs MS2 – is the new attempt to spread hybrid design in IEMs further to masses. This model is only half the price of the flagship MS4 and takes the best of the both worlds: a dual diaphragm already proven in MS1/MS4 models and unquestionable performance of BA unit from Knowles. The full specs are as following:

• BA driver: Knowles RAD 33518-P183
• Dynamic driver: 10.2mm, dual voice coils, dual chamber, dual diaphragm
• AVX tantalum capacitors
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz
• Sensitivity: 112dB
• Impedance: 18ohms
• Cable: a combination of 2xhigh purity silver + 2xOFC wires (60 strains each)
• Connectors: 2-pin, 0.78mm
• Audio jack: 3.5mm (4.4mm or 2.5mm balanced cable is available from Hidizs)
• Weight: 10g (no cable)
• Hi-Res certified

Such combination of sensitivity and impedance tells us that MS2 would be pretty easy to drive which makes this model quite universal for different audio sources, even a smartphone.

Packaging and design:

Hidizs MS2 comes in pretty thick square shaped box with product picture and shiny silver logos (MS2, Knowles, Hi-Res) at the front and product description on the back side. Box walls are very stiff, no worries about the possible damage during the transportation.

Inner compartment reveals two levels: upper holds soft insert with IEMs resting in dedicated cutouts and the second (bottom) level has another insert for the case. All other accessories are located in the case itself.

Among the accessories you’d find the following:

• Audio cable with plastic protection cap for 3.5mm jack
• 6 pairs of ear tips
• case
• warranty and short user manual

Not much. Still hoping that brands would include different cables / connectors and more types of ear tips one day… (We have see several brilliant options of multi-plug type cables on the market recently. One cable that is suitable for 2.5TRRS/3.5/4.4TRRS outputs with a swipe of a plug. Excellent accessory that should be provided with all IEMs)…

MS2 shells are made of two parts of semi-transparent resin with shiny particles added to the composition of the top cover. This creates beautiful and strong fluorescence effect when all particles shimmer in the light with different colors. Facing side also contains Hidizs logo and name while channel indicators and Hidizs link imprints are located in the shell base.

Output nozzles protrude quite much, made of aluminum and protected with the aluminum filters. One compensational opening for dynamic driver is located near nozzle base.

2-pin female connectors have a special transparent ledge that secures mating plugs from unwanted bending.

In overall, MS2 design looks very attractive and neatly crafted. No gaps between shell parts, accurate prints and tight fit of connections.

Stock cable is a masterpiece – pretty thick braid of 120 strains combined from OFC and silver wires with nice looking mixture of copper/aluminum elements of Y-splitter and 3.5mm jack design. This cable also features flexible ear guides and transparent resin 2-pin connector housings.

Fit:

Since Hidizs MS2 shape is what we call “custom-like” – there are no problems with the fit whatsoever. This type of shape in combination with long nozzles is the most universal and comfortable for most of the people. MS2 IEMs are not the exception – excellent fit for any activity – workout or leisure.

Sound quality:

Testing equipment: Hidizs AP80Pro DAP -> xDuoo XD-05Plus AMP -> MS2 IEMs

Lows:

The presence of lows is in significant amount. It has volumetric feel, moderate extension but perfectly defined boarders. It might bleed in and mix a bit in fast music genres but mostly stays under control. It fits organically into the mix despite slightly overpowered exposure. Texture here is evident and reveal the additional details.

Midbass has good articulation and speed together with necessary volume of air to play drum sections naturally. It exhibits bit more brighter details compared to dynamic IEMs but never goes to extremes that would create the disturbance. Seems that 10.2mm dynamic driver in combination with good design of shell cavities do a great the job for midbass reproduction. Engaging and powerful sound here.

Mids:

In contrary to lows, mids and vocals exhibit more details and tend to involve hybrid combination of drivers. On one hand there is a good warmth and intimate timbre of male voices and on the other — higher clarity and more sharpness on female vocals. Mids in overall are slightly recessed and skewed towards emotional bloom by adding slight emphasis on upper portion. Voices have good clarity, feel natural but little bit thin. Although, not susceptible to hisses. Virtual resolution on voices and leading instruments is high but not harsh or excessively sharp. BA influence on sound is obvious whilst the tuning is on the softer and gentle side.

Treble:

Is the most accented and resolving range of MS2. Good BA driver results in accurate performance on treble. Quite airy, gentle and soft treble that still creates a specific colder signature. It is in good proportion with lows, so – no that crisp or cold is it might have been if there were no dynamic unit on board. It is delicately and carefully tuned – provides larger amount of details and clear reproduction of tiniest sounds, bleeds in to mids, not producing sibilants.

Soundstage:

With our testing rig, MS2 sound impressively wide. With the slow genres MS2 show decent instrument separation, layering and soundstage capabilities. Good dimensional effect in both vertical or horizontal planes. Binaural recordings show even more distance between instruments.

Sound in overall:

Sound of Hidizs MS2 can be described as V-shaped, with more accent on lows and treble and recessed mids. Gain in treble results in colder tonality and thinner mids. Although, this effect is not that heavy. Since the BA unit is very capable and tuned well – it adds the resolution and clarity, makes MS2 sounding interesting but does not produce sibilants or hisses. Bass is deep, mids are detailed, accurate and emotional, treble is clear and delicate. Easy and smooth to listen. Especially good with slower genres and limited amount of instruments.

Compared to Moondrop SSP:

SSP are the latest and highly appreciated units with lower budget but similar V-shaped tuning. Since it doesn’t feature BA driver – treble is not that detailed and extended as in MS2 but still impressive for dynamic IEMs. Signature is quite close to MS2, both are fun to listen. MS2 have a significant lead in mids and treble resolution, clarity and instrument separation.

Compared to iKKO OH1:

iKKO OH1 once were great IEMs, almost the first to offer very good V-tuning for reasonable price. MS2 proves that similar accurate tuning with less susceptibility to hisses, less screaming notes and better fit can be achieved at much lower price point. Hidizs definitely wins this comparison since it sounds more accurate and delicate, maintaining similar V-shaped signature.

Conclusion:

Currently, there are a lot of hybrid IEMs on the market offered at different price points but only few models deserve and get the attention of masses. Having this experience, we can conclude that only those models and brands that incorporate high-quality components and invest much efforts in careful tuning eventually win. We had enough of “no name” BA / dynamic drivers and shell designs to stay off such test and purchases in future, giving a chance and close look to something trusted instead. Hidizs is not a beginner, neither uses crappy stuff. MS2 are high-quality, reasonably priced, fun-sounding V-shaped IEMs which quality is revealed not only by tuning or sound but with all the rest – packaging, design, fit and crafting. Excellent performer and very strong competitor in hybrid class IEMs.

Hidizs MS2 IEMs available at: LINK

10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

Hidizs official store: LINK

This would be the first sample of IEMs from the respected and popular brand Shanling that ever got to our hands. Not only the first for us, but also new to the market. Shanling (Shenzhen Shanling Electronics Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China) was founded 33 years ago and all that time stays active, building up the experience, growing, diversifying product range and expanding to the new markets. Judging from brand history and current lineup, for the past 10 years, their focus has shifted from stationary music DACs, amplifiers and players to HiRes portable audio. First DAP was introduced long ago, in 2014, while the first IEMs – ME100 – were introduced only four years after, in 2018. Now, Shanling, on mass market, is mostly known and respected for their modern and sophisticated high quality / high resolution “M”-series portable audio players which collected various industry nominations and awards along with lots of positive feedback from the customers.

Now, back to IEMs. Since 2018 and first ME100 model, Shanling has released a full bunch of dynamic or hybrid IEMs with “ME” prefix in name and one pure armature model AE3. Most of “ME” models are based on similar proprietary “water droplet” design principle, while only 2 models incorporate very familiar so-called “custom” design shape. Currently, “ME” series consists of the following models: ME100 (dynamic), ME200 (hybrid), ME500 (hybrid), ME500 Platinum Edition (hybrid), ME700 (hybrid). But there is one new single dynamic driver model – ME80 which is a topic of our review today. Shanling ME80 has been introduced few weeks ago, intended as the youngest in the lineup, targets the lower budget and might be considered as a successor to the ME100.

Why a successor? ME80 is also based on similar size single DD unit, shares most of specs and based in the similar design. So, the specs are as following:

• Driver: single DD, 10mm, dual magnet, PU + PEEK composite diaphragm (proprietary, 3rd gen.)
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz
• Sensitivity: 111 +/-3dB
• Impedance: 16Ohms
• Cable: 1,3m, silver-plated copper, detachable, MMCX connectors
• Plug: 3.5mm SE
• Weight: 5.7g

As stated at the official Shanling website – ME80 have been certified by JAS (Japan Audio Society) as Hi-Res audio device due to extended frequency response range, reaching up to 40kHz.

Packaging, design and fit:

Shanling ME80 is shipped in beautiful but not logistics-friendly box. It is quite big for the products of this size which, in its turn, allows to create very positive initial impression. First goes the outer colorful box cover with glossy product picture, name, logo and HiRes certification imprints at the front and product details at the back. Followed by the box itself – stiff black matt carboard with glossy Shanling logo embossed right at the center of the facing side.

Box is equipped with wall hanger and special strap for the ease of opening. The insides disclose perfectly secured IEM units and accessories resting in special cutouts made in very thick soft foamy insert. Every piece of this bundle has its own dedicated place, furthermore, some even have the additional labels and specifications located on the insert (our guess that those are made by a laser).

Very neat, perfectly organized and appealing packaging, especially for the perfectionists. So, the box contents are:

• IEMs (facing parts are additionally protected from the scratches by pre-applied adhesives)
• 7 pairs of silicone eartips
  • 1 pair (size M) is fitted to IEMs
  • 3 pairs (size S, M, L) of vocal-oriented eartips
  • 3 pairs (size S, M, L) of balance-oriented eartips
• Audio cable with plastic protection cap for 3,5mm SE plug
• Leather storage case
• Small brush for cleaning
• User Manual

Nice and rich contents indeed. Having cleaning brush, plastic cap and this amount of eartips included is not very regular. There were lots of IEMs of other brands passing through our hands and we can tell for sure that this is one of the best in terms of design and amount of accessories.

One of the main accessory – the leather case – is decent. It is large enough to store IEMs together with couple of cables, all eartips and cleaning brush. Its inner part is fully covered with soft cloth to prevent any damages and scratches to the contents while the locking is achieved by using pretty strong inbuilt magnet. And it also features Shanling logo embossment.

Stock interchangeable cable seems to be a good pair for the IEMs, although we always willing to find balanced version among the accessories which almost never happens. Anyway, this cable is 1.3 meters silver-plated copper strands packed to semi-transparent silicone braid, ending with MMCX connectors at one side and 3.5mm SE plug at the other. Furthermore, cable is equipped with aluminum Y-splitter, limiter and plug housing, plastic IEM connector housings and springy pre-shaped ear guides. Left and right channel connectors have the corresponding blue and red aluminum ring indicators. Cable is also protected from bending next to the plug by a special silicone tube.

Concerning the selection of different eartips – we are not ready to declare that there is evident influence of balanced or vocal-oriented eartips on the resulting sound. The change is subtle and only perceptible during the A|B tests. What definitely makes the effect on the sound is the size of the eartips and how well do they fit to your ears. Slightly less deep and tight – and there is almost no lows which are affected at the first place. Therefore, we would say that instead of different pairs of eartips for different sound signatures, we would prefer to have other types and materials, like memory foam, flanged, etc., in order to find the most comfortable pair.

Now, back to ME80 IEMs. As Shanling states, ME80 shells are made of 6000 series aluminum alloy. Shells consist of two parts, perfectly aligned together. Surface finish is smooth but matt. Color reminds of a titanium. The central design elements and what dedicates the most to the overall beauty of these IEMs are Shanling logos covered with transparent droplet-like glass inserts. The tandem looks gorgeous especially when catching some light reflections. We also like that cable connector bases have red and blue ring indicators for the cable.

Output nozzles make one piece with the base part of the shell and protected with the aluminum filter grills. One compensational opening is located near the nozzle base and the other one is on the backside edge of the shell.

In overall, the design is pretty attractive, tidy and appealing while the size of the shells is compact. IEMs are smaller than regular “custom” shaped units or many single dynamic driver models.

What about the fit? Not much to say here. Despite that the output nozzles look kind of short – in real life it doesn’t cause any troubles for us. Shells are small and convex, allowing nozzles to utilize its full length and sit pretty deep. Ear guides help a lot to fix the construction in place, even during active movements. Therefore, ME80 are quite universal and should be comfortable for the most of the people, but we would recommend prior tests if there is such possibility.

Sound tests:

Our sound tests were conducted with the following setup: HiBy R5 Sabre DAP, 4.4mm MMCX BL cable by Penon Audio + Shanling ME80 IEMs. We should mention here that ME80 are irregularly easy to drive dynamic IEMs, since the impedance is only 16Ohms and the sensitivity is quite high (111 +/-3 dB). Such IEMs would be perfect choice for any audio source with limited output power and even for a smartphone. It is kind of rare now that dynamic model possess such specs mostly common to armature or hybrid models. On the other hand, ME80 is more susceptible to higher noise floor and very dependent of the track recording quality. The best combination is using it with high quality DAPs or DACs, SE connection (or BL if it has very good circuit design) and high quality tracks. Otherwise, ME80 would retrieve and reflect all discrepancies in sound.

Lows: similarly to most of the single dynamic IEMs, despite its cost, the performance of lows would depend of the amount instruments on stage. Slow genres with low instrument saturation result in decent bass extension, contouring and texturing. Moreover, under the same circumstances this range is perfectly controlled, not overemphasized and accurately delivered. We would say that it is even impressive for 1DD model with 10mm diaphragm. Although, when more instruments step in, or with fast genres – lows become more blurred and start to bleed in, not quite keeping up with the overall dynamics. This effect is not crucial, rather quite regular for such types of IEMs, therefore, reducing the first excitement. Nevertheless, the overall performance of lows and midbass in ME80 is compelling and on level with similarly priced rivals.

Mids: despite being slightly recessed in comparison to lows or treble, ME80 mids has managed to retain the best characteristics of modern dynamic drivers – thick and full-bodied presentation decorated with high amount of details resulting from the decent lower treble and virtual resolution. Such approach provides more air and separation to the dense and thick sound, at the same time avoiding extra peaks or sibilance on female vocals. We like the clarity of mids together with smooth and even delivery of this range. Kind of velvet presentation, good layering and defined boundaries of every single sound even at high volume level. In overall, mids do sound little warm even despite the influence from lower treble.

Treble: this the most impressive part of ME80 performance. Surprisingly crisp and clear, with decent extension and vast amount of tiny details. Such performance is mostly common to armature drivers and rarely met among dynamic models. Furthermore, it is slightly elevated in gain in comparison to other ranges, therefore accented and emphasized. Not too much, though. Again, it only creates the additional virtual resolution as it was said before and does not produce any negative results. Another slight emphasis on lows perfectly balances such treble tuning, shifting the perception to almost balanced and linear feel.

Soundstage: ME80 are quite moderate and not revealing in this respect. Instruments do not tend to mix, all have defined locations but the stage feels quite narrow in both vertical and horizontal dimensions. Only the binaural recordings sound wide, with lots if air and distant placement.

Sound in overall: Shanling ME80 sound can be described as slightly V-shaped, tending to colder, brighter coloration – with slight accent on lows and more emphasis on treble which is the most impressive here. Lows have very good performance in slow music genres, with good extension and texturing, mids always stay perfectly detailed, quite thick and smooth while treble is a stunning part indeed. Concerning its single dynamic driver nature – the best result would still be with the slow music genres and small amount of instruments. Blues, rock ballads, jazz, pop, rap, hip-hop… Not very good for speed metal, hard rock or orchestra.

Compared to Anew U1: Perhaps, the closest match for the comparison. Anew U1 and Shanling ME80 are almost similarly priced and both deserve the admiration. Most of the sound characteristics are very close, although ME80 are little bit more V-shaped and tuned towards treble, showing more musicality and exhibiting its virtue this way. Moreover, ME80 have a strong advantage of being free of unpleasing peaks on female vocals that were spotted in Anew U1 performance. But again, both models are impressively good for a single dynamic driver IEMs and the main difference is that Anew U1 is more balanced and strict while Shanling ME80 are more V-shaped and amusing.

Compared to TFZ No.3: The differences here are much more pronounced. TFZ No.3 sound much darker, with much more emphasis on lows. Treble portion here is not that capable as in ME80 and not sufficient to balance such accent on lows. Dark, warm and thick sound with lack of clarity as the result. Shanling ME80 perceived much more balanced afterwards, sound is more accurate, saturated with lots of detail and textures.

Conclusion:

Shanling ME80 is a good contender for the price from any standpoint. Rich bundle contents, high build quality, universal fit and, what is the most important – appealing sound with some impressive characteristics. ME80 price is justified by more accurate delivery compared to cheaper models and at the same time are tuned to stay off the dry or analytical sound. Its non-tiring musicality is free of negative effects which proves Shanling’s mature experience in this field. The virtues are extraordinary good treble, not expected from dynamic IEMs, smooth, velvet mids and deep, textured bass. Excellent option for the fans of dynamic technology, especially with HiRes audio sources and tracks in possession.

Shanling ME80 official page: LINK

Where to buy Shanling ME80: LINK

Shanling official website: LINK

Stay tuned, more reviews to come…

Moondrop — one of my favorite brands in dynamic IEMs since the first try on their popular Kanas Pro model that has received a very warm welcome on the market. This was a very close match to Tanchjim Oxygen — my «end game» in the same category among all single dynamic driver IEMs, additionally having significantly lower price tag and better fit. Kanas Pro sound lacks a touch of delicacy in this comparison but the overall quality and satisfaction from listening is really close to the leader…

Anyway, high standards for Moondrop IEMs has already been set in the minds of the followers and the expectations about the future products derive from that. Considering today’s topic — Moondrop SSP — price is more than adequate and the declared specs are impressive, at least on the paper. We have received our sample from SHENZHEN AUDIO store and ready to share the experience.

Moondrop SSP is produced by Moondrop Technology Co. Ltd located in China. Company was founded in 2015, starting its way with high quality earbuds and later developing such respected IEM series as «Kanas», «Blessing» and «Reference». Currently, the company is focused only at this market, investing all knowledge, experience and resources to developing new remarkable products.

SSP (Super Spaceship Pulse) IEMs have another relative product named SSR (Super Spaceship Reference). Both have similar design, structure and diaphragm but tuned slightly different by the means of damper selection. Pulse are more V-shaped whereas Reference are more linear.

Moondrop SSP specifications: 

• Type: single dynamic driver IEMs
• Diaphragm: Beryllium-Coated Dome+PU Suspension Ring
• Coil: 0.035mm-CCAW (Daikoku)
• Magnet: N52-Neodymium High Density Magnetic Circuit
• Acoustic Fiter: Patented Anti-blocking Filter
• Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz (IEC60318-4)
• Frequency Response Range: 20-40000Hz (1/4 Inch Free field Mic)
• Impedance: 16Ω@1kHz
• Sensitivity: 112dB/Vrms@1kHz
• THD: <=1%
• Housing Material: Amorphous Metal Alloy Housing
• Cable: Silver Plated 4N-Litz OFC
• Connectors: 0.78mm, 2pin
• Jack: 3,5mm single-ended

Impedance | sensitivity figures here are showing that SSP is pretty versatile model and should be easy to drive to an appropriate level even with a regular smarphone audio output.

Packaging and design:

Not sure how Moondrop is involved into anime drawings but the main theme used on both SSR and SSP boxes are exhibiting such images. As well as most of the rest IEMs and earbuds in their lineup. Perhaps, someone in the company has a talent and hobby to draw such, or there is a corresponding colaboration with anime artists which results not only in such package design, but also promotes this movement through the official website.

In either case, the customer receives small rigid box, with anime artwork at front and sticker with the product details on the back side. IEMs are neatly packed inside and held at place by a special foam insert while the rest of the accessories are stored in a separate box in compartment below.

This box seems very familiar to us — almost the same packaging with slightly different dimensions is used in Tanchjim Cora IEMs. This is not a surprise that different brands might be using OEM/ODM packaging from other suppliers.

SSP IEMs come with the next list of accessories:

• 2pin, 0.78mm audio cable with 3.5mm SE terminal
• 3 pairs of silicone eartips
• soft pouch
• couple of leaflets

Is it only us, or most of the manufacturers start to include less amount of eartips? We remember the times when there were 10-12 pairs included, along with a couple more pairs of the memory foam eartips… Anyway, 3 pairs with L, M, S size should be enough to find the best fit and would last long with the appropriate cleaning and treatment.

SSP shells consist of two metal alloy parts with matt rough finish. The design and shape is kind of irregular with some interesting details and findings. For example, a single golden screw not only holds top cover and base together, but also plays a role of central design element and ends up with the additional compensation opening on the base.

Another compensation opening is located on the body of the output nozzle. Good combination of blue shells and golden screws. By the way, output nozzles are pretty long which should lead to a good wearing comfort.

Both channels have corresponding side indication (L & R notches), aluminum filters and 2pin, 0.78mm gold-plated female connectors. Moondrop insists that the filters are specially designed to allow the best performance and changing to other might result in significant deviation from the original tuning. Spare filters are available for purchase (we hope that one day every brand would design their IEMs so that any filter would be easily removable for cleaning or replacing. Make it magnetic, for instance, but do not glue it at place  ).

In overall, SSP IEMs are small, light, with long output nozzles and look beautiful. 2pin cable connectors sit tight.

Stock cable is silver-plated OFC equipped with resin L-shaped terminal housing, plastic Y-splitter, springy ear guides and channel indication in a form of red plastic ring on the right channel. Since it is detachable, there are plenty of options to replace the cable or switch to balanced connection if necessary.

Sound: 

We have decided to conduct both tests: with stock SE cable and Hidizs 2.5mm BL cable. Hidizs AP80 (SE connection), AP80Pro (2.5mm BL connection) and HiBy R5 (4.4mm BL connection with iBasso CA-02 BL 4.4mm -> BL 2.5mm) were chosen as a source hardware. Since Moondrop SSP are low impedance | high sensitivity IEMs — any of those DAPs can drive it easily. As for HiBy R5 — it has 1040mW@16Ω per channel on BL output. Not sure if SSP can withstand such power but interesting to understand how it would behave when driven to maximum 

Moondrop SSP are V-shaped IEMs with slight gain elevation on lows (40 — 100Hz), significant gain peak on treble (4-6kHz). According to the graph, volume difference between mids and lows reach ~7dB while mids to treble — ~17dB. The resulting sound would depend of the quality of IEMs, diaphragm material, damping, fine tuning, mechanical and electrical capabilities. Many low-quality models would suffer of harsh distortions and nasty high peaks even with less apparent V-shaped curve. But we can assure you that SSP is not the case… Moondrop SSP are surprisingly accurate, clean and free of unwanted peaks or distortions even with this type of tuning.

First that we have noticed is a presence of lows in significant amounts, with good volumetric feel, more than average extension and perfectly defined boarders. Bass doesn’t disturb other ranges and fits organically into entire mix despite its overpowered exposure. Midbass feels powerful, tight and very fast. The dynamics and articulation are perfect for a single driver unit that does a lot of job in parallel. The only less impressive aspect of lower range is a moderate amount of details it resolves.

The feel of high resolving potential and large amount of tiny nuances step in on mids and treble. This perception is derived from a specific tuning approach that creates such «virtual» resolution feel by raising gain in lower treble range. Again, SSP does it quite accurately, really adding some sharpness to mids and sparks to treble with no further negative effect. Yes, mids do sound a bit thin and laied back but the emotions and expression are over the edge. No whistling or screaming notes, though.

Treble section here reminds of armature drivers by clean and detailed delivery. Extension is not that great, of course, but the picture in overall is bright, sparkling, airy and detailed. Again, heavy treble elevation is not that frightening in real life as it may seem from the graph. Just adding extra sharpness and brightness.

Another revealing feature of SSP is a width of the soundstage it produces. Impressively wide, with precise instrument placement and good separation at low to mid volume levels. Higher volume levels (closer to maximum) leads to audible blending of instruments and some loss of details.

Sound in overall:

Moondrop SSP sound is impressive in many aspects. Signature is bright but not so cold as with armature units, large amount of accurate lows, excellent performance on midbass,  high resolution on mids and treble, emotional delivery on vocals with no negative peaks, wide soundstage… And at the same time, all of this feels less cold, more collected and full-bodied than its close hybrid or armature rivals. SSP still shows the best behavior of dynamic IEMs while brought very close to armature | hybrid sound by its delivery. Not saying that SSP are the best dynamic IEMs ever — still have to learn from such monsters as Tanchjim Oxygen how to sound more delicate and rich — but definitely the leader with this price tag.

One more word about the difference with sources and types of connection. The difference between BL and SE connection with HiBy R5 is hardly perceptible. Perhaps, only the scene width and slightly better instrument separation. But the difference between Hidizs AP80 and HiBy R5 is more obvious. AP80 sound colder that accents SSP brightness even further. Seems that R5 is a better source of SSP after all, as it slightly balances the nature of V-shaped IEMs. Additionally, the resolution of R5 is higher that helps SSP IEMs to sound very impressive.

Compared to: BQEYZ KB100

As a matter of fact, for us, the closest rival to Moondrop SSP excellent performance is the hybrid BQEYZ KB100 IEMs. Similarly impressive in many aspects, both models resemble each other in signature. KB100 are better in treble extension and overall resolution, while SSP are definitely more capable on lows and handle this range better. Soundstage is also better in SSP, while KB100 are not that susceptible to blending at high volume levels.

Compared to: LZ HIFI A6Mini

Another good hybrid rival with double the price and piezo-electric driver. A6Mini have great bass performance and higher resolution in overall. Better lows and treble extension. Where SSP perform better is on mids — not that thin and not that heavily bright, while staying close in the dynamics, amount of bass and clarity. Soundstage is on par.

Conclusion:     

Really impressed with Moondrop SSP performance. Rare example when every single technology or feature declared on paper gets finally revealed in the real product. Single dynamic driver that feels as if there are couple additional balanced armature units — large diaphragm for lows and high quality armature for mids and treble. Not blending, not bleeding. Clean, detailed and engaging sound that should satisfy the most demanding ones if V-shaped tuning is the preference. Highly recommended for all types of sources, most of the music genres as well as for everyone who is tired of dry and academic delivery.

Moondrop SSP are available at SHENZHENAUDIO store: LINK 

Thank you for reading.

Stay tuned, more articles to come!

Always wanted to have portable HiRes audio setup from a respected brand in which each of the components would be wisely designed and developed, fitting each other in the best possible way, while still staying perfectly usable in standalone applications. Having everything designed by a single brand usually means better integration of the most complicated functions, which creates a synergy that people would often call brand «ecosystem». HiBy has travelled a long way since creating very first parts of such synergy and can already bear some fruits by providing different hardware components run by HiBy OS, music application and with the help of HiBy protocols.

Today we would like to review the latest HiBy portable HiRes audio stack that consists of three perfectly fitting components (sold separately, should become available as a bundle later), at more than affordable price and featuring some groundbreaking functions out of the box.

• HiBy R2 — budget HiRes DAP with WiFi, Tidal (+Qobuz) (MQA support)
• HiBy FD1 — DAC&AMP with SE & Balanced output, 2 USB modes
• HiBy BEANS — perfectly crafted, dynamic IEMs

So, this review would not be a regular one. Instead of splitting it to three parts, we would review the whole bundle, going through each device one by one.

HiBy R2 technical specifications:

• Operating System: HiBy OS
• SoC: Ingenic X1000E
• DAC: ES9218
• PCM: 32bit/384kHz / DSD: 128 (native)
• MSEB, HiBy Link support
• MQA support, 4x unfold, Tidal, Qobuz support
• Dual microphones for voice recording
• Ebook reader function
• Internet radio function
• Output power: 70mW+70mW
• THD+N: <0.001%
• Display size: 2.45”, IPS, touchscreen
• Display resolution: 480*360
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0 (aptX, LDAC, UAT)
• WiFi bands: 2.4GHz, 5GHz
• Battery size: 1000mAh
• Storage: MicroSD card, up to 2TB
• USB Type-C USB2.0 port
• Play time: 15 hours continuous
• Standby: 20 days
• Dimensions: 61*61*12 mm
• Weight: 85g

HiBy FD1 technical specifications:

• Chipset: SA2000
• DAC: 2 X ES9118
• 2 X crystal oscillators (44.1 & 48)
• DSD decoding: Native (SA2000), 128
• Buttons: Play/pause, volume+, volume-
• Status display: Tri-colour LED
• USB port Type-C
• Single ended output: 3.5mm (supports wired remote)
• SE output power: 25mW + 25mW
• Balanced output: 2.5mm
• Balanced output power: 75mW + 75mW
• Dimensions: 61.5*61.5*9.5mm
• Weight: 71.5g

HiBy Beans technical specifications: 

• Earphone type: In-ear monitors
• Diver type: dynamic driver with carbon nanotube (CNT) diaphragms
• Driver diameter: 10mm
• Frequency response: 20-20000Hz
• Sensitivity: 109dB
• Impedance: 32Ω
• Cable: silver-plated oxygen-free copper
• Cable length: 1.2m
• Connectors: 0.78mm, 2-pin connector (3.5mm terminated cable included)

Packaging and design:

R2:

This little DAP comes in a relatively small black box with colorful graphics, trademark information and company contacts. Box is pretty stiff, does a perfect job of protecting this gadget during the transportation. Inner compartment is split to three sections: top soft insert holds R2 at place, some accessories located underneath and one more little box contains USB cable. Full list of accessories is as following:

• R2 DAP
• plastic case
• USB type-C -> USB A cable
• user manual + leaflets

Moreover, R2 screen and back glass panel are both covered with a protective films out of the box. You would only need to peel off the extra protection layer.

This DAP is a small unit but still a little bit larger than its main rival — Hidizs AP80Pro. Chassis are made of zinc alloy with dark edge toning, beautiful glass back panel and large screen at the front.

Сontrol elements have сomfortable size, tight and well pronounced actuation. This, in overall, creates a feel of holding tough and durable device.

Two buttons (Volume + / -) are located at the left edge while three more buttons (Play/pause, Previous / Next) are placed on the opposite side. There is another beautifully designed element at the top — power button — that is encircled by the multicolor LED facing that shows different states and also synchronized to the sampling rate of the currently playing track.

Since R2 is capable of recording audio — it features two microphones that can do stereo recording and cancel out some significant noise. By the way, this function works perfectly, also allowing to choose the audio quality of the recording and the resulting file format.

Screen is definitely a virtue of R2 — 2.45 inches, IPS, vivid colors, good factory calibration, having snappy response and precise touch sensor positioning. Maximum brightness level is totally enough for outdoor use in a shade and little beat weak for sunny areas. Crispness and screen density are perfect for such physical size.

The only arguable part of this gorgeous screen is a quite large width of upper and lower frames. While it seems that frames are almost absent in power off state (borderless) — everything becomes clear when the screen becomes lit. Sides are almost touching the edges while upper and lower frames are unexpectedly wide.

Bottom edge contains USB type-C port, 3.5mm SE output and microSD card slot that supports up to 2TB capacity.

Semi transparent plastic case is a great accessory that protects R2 from physical damage. Moreover, it looks pretty elegant and gives an easy access to all control elements.

FD1:

HiBy FD1 is shipped in a small white box with shiny silver device outlines and company data imprints. Box is not that thick and holds only 1 layer consisting of soft insert for FD1 and small compartment with the accessories below. Full list of accessories are:

• FD1 DAC&AMP
• soft adhesive insert
• L-shaped USB type-C -> USB type-C cable
• straight short  USB type-C -> USB type-C cable
• long USB type-C -> USB A cable

Logically for the bundle, HiBy FD1 DAC&AMP has similar physical size and even the thickness comparing to R2. It resembles its shape but made of aluminum. One of the design elements is a beautiful recessed imprint of HiBy logo at the facing side.

Moreover, FD1 features its own controls — Play/Pause, Vol UP and DOWN buttons at the left edge, plus the additional USB 2.0 / USB 1.0 slider on the right that changes the connection mode and allows to run FD1 in Windows environment with or without a driver.

There is also a multi color LED that would show the running state and sampling rate of the track. Furthermore, when bundled together, R2 and FD1 LED colors would be synchronized.

Both 3.5mm SE and 2.5mm balanced output are located at the lower edge together with the USB type-C port.

FD1 is also equipped with small silicon standoffs at the bottom to make it less slippery on surface. Wise!

Beans:

Even though R2 and FD1 are more complicated devices, true delight of design admiration comes from IEMs side…

Anyway, the design of the box reminds of R2, has similar matt black appearance with gold outlines and white imprints. When opened — huh, perfect first impression.

Not only BEeans catch a sight with its excellent gold/silver/black color combination but also the case looks very attractive. Perhaps, Beans are the best looking IEMs so far that have gone through my hands.

Full list of accessories:

• BEANS IEMs
• 2-pin, 0.78mm cable
• case
• 3 pairs of memory foam eartips

Beans are made of two aluminum parts — silver body with perpendicular rough notches and top golden glossy cover, all formed to a bullet-like shape.

HiBy / Beans text is present in black color and cute font on both channels, as well as both channels have the corresponding indicators (left and right) represented by the blue and red dots on the transparent acrylic 2-pin cable connector bases. Output nozzles are protected with the aluminum grills.

Stock cable looks pretty good, declared to be OFC, features transparent resin connector housings with polarity indication, aluminum limiter and aluminum housing of the SE plug. Hopefully, HiBy would also include 2.5mm balanced cable version to Beans as an option and as a mandatory accessory when it would be sold with R2 + FD1 as a bundle. It would allow to disclose its full potential.

The case deserves some additional words regarding its design. The material chosen is great — feels like a fabric and looks expensive. The cover is securely held with the help of a magnet. Such case would not only fit IEMs, but also all of the accessories and couple of additional cables if necessary.

HiBy R2 in use:

Of course, R2 is a complete all-in-one DAP, packed with lots of modern features. When sold as a bundle with FD1 — it would only generate more power and allow 2.5mm balanced IEMs to be plugged in. The rest of the features are provided by R2 itself.

R2 uses X1000E CPU which is familiar from the previous experience with Hidizs AP80 family products. HiBy OS and UI are running smooth with no UI freezes or visible glitches. Touch screen is responsive, interaction feels linear and adequate. Screen size is completely enough for the DAP in all applications except such a rudiment function as E-reader which is present here on board. The text in this application is very small that limits its use.

Despite being positioned as entry-level DAP and priced so low, R2 still inherits some outstanding HiBy functions initially presented in their flagship / middle segment models:

• MSEB (MageSound 8ball, equalizer for the true audiophiles)
• HiBy Link (full remote control from a smartphone over Bluetooth)
• UAT (supreme Bluetooth codec, better than LDAC quality)

Besides that, R2also features:

• Bluetooth 5.0
• Bluetooth audio: SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC, UAT
• Dual band WiFi: 2.4/5.0Ghz
• Paired mic with noise cancelling function
• Dedicated application to record stereo sound (only from inbuilt microphones, no support for external mic)
• Streaming audio: Tidal application (Qobuz should come to R2 a bit later)
• MQA 4x unfold (2x unfold when FD1 is connected)
• USB DAC
• Bluetooth Bi-directional DAC
• HiRes + HiRes Wireless standards approval

Pretty damn full-packed tiny little monster. What other entry-level DAP would feature and offer that much for the price? None…

Let’s get back to the user experience. R2 accepts up to 2TB microSD card and doesn’t have any storage on board. For those who already owned other HiBy players or even DAPs from Hidizs or other vendors that use HiBy OS — most of the UI functions and logics would be very familiar. Home screen consists of the application icons, controlled with slide gestures and has a couple of additional function to quickly go to playing now screen or see wireless connection toggles, time and state. Full application/shortcuts list is as following:

• Music (HiBy Music app)
• Recorder (sound recording)
• Tidal
• Books
• HiBy Link (remote control setup)
• MSEB
• Equalizer
• Import music via WiFi
• Update database
• Wireless settings
• Play settings
• System settings

Settings worth to be mentioned here:

• Import music via WiFi
  • opens the web access to this DAP over WiFi (shows IP address and port) to transfer songs from other devices
• Wireless settings
  • Bluetooth
    • toggles Bluetooth and allows to search and pair with other devices. Also gives the possibility to control which audio codec is used
  • WiFi
    • toggles WiFi and allows to search and connect to WiFi networks. Also gives the possibility to check network state, current IP and setup DNS
  • DLNA
    • just a toggle. Probably should be used to connect to DLNA server or setup DLNA server. Couldn’t find more information yet and hope that this function would be finalized in the nearest updates.

The rest of the settings are self-explanatory, all vital and regular functions are provided.

The only not very user-friendly UI function is a keyboard that pops up when there is a prompt option. Virtual keyboard buttons are very small and sometimes it gets quite hard to press it.

Main application is HiBy Music that handles all types of LQ and HQ audio formats, sorts files by favorites, recent, albums, artists, genres, formats and file names. It also supports playlists and can do the search. Main player screen shows album art, audio format, track time, amount of songs in current list, file properties, lyrics, gives the access to EQ and provides such functions as: seeking through track, adding to favorites, adding to playlist, deleting the file and changing play mode (shuffle, all, repeat 1, repeat all).  Unlike in Android version, audio settings on R2 are called not directly from HiBy Music app but are represented by a separate Audio settings shortcut from one of the main screens.

Audio streaming is provided by Tidal application which requires WiFi internet connection and asks for the login and password right after the initial launch. HiBy has announced adding Qobuz a bit later. My personal preference is Deezer which would probably not appear on this device. Nevertheless, Tidal HIFI account now acts as MQA provider for R2 which can do 4X unfold on its turn. What is peculiar, that even when connected to FD1, R2 would still support MQA unfold but would be limited to 2X only. Still its a good news for the fans who want to have HiRes sandwich and use Tidal or Qobuz applications. BTW, WiFi reception is quite strong and no interference coming in to the sound.

This DAP is able to work in USB DAC mode with either native Windows 10 driver or with the dedicated ASIO driver that would hopefully be released soon by HiBy. One of the drawback of Windows native driver is the maximum of 24bit/48kHz that it can process. Again, hopefully, dedicated ASIO driver would handle all modes in future.

One more strong side of R2 is its battery. Continuous play consisting mostly of the HiRes formats can reach 12-13 hours which is much longer compared to middle and upper class DAPs based on Android OS. Of course, using WiFi, streaming services and Bluetooth would put much more load on the battery. R2 would also get a bit warmer under such circumstances.

Our device is running on 1.0 FW version and there were no FW updates yet for this DAP. There are two option to update: using microSD card or doing OTA update over WiFi.

Anyway, as a summary: even though there are a couple of negative points in R2 user experience (control buttons rattle a bit, couple of functions are not yet fully developed) — it is a strong performer with groundbreaking functionality. UI is fluid, interactions are logic and smooth, battery is long lasting. Plenty of features packed into such a small device.

HiBy FD1 in use:

First of all, FD1 is designed to be used with any source, not only R2 DAP. It perfectly functions when connected to either PC or a smartphone. But concerning its physical shape and software capabilities — R2 seems to be the best pair for this DAC&AMP. We assume that the main idea was to allow R2 users to expand the functionality of their DAPs by adding balanced circuit and squeezing out more power for the end gear…

Since FD1 is not equipped with its own battery — it fully relies on USB power and drains the battery of the source. Ideal situation when you don’t have to worry about the battery level but the drawback is a limited output power. For instance, R2 produces 70mW/channel on its own, while FD1 would produce just a fraction more — 75mW/channel on balanced terminal. SE output is limited to 25mW/channel which is almost similar to any regular smartphone. Despite that, FD1, as a stack component, is able to improve the sound is many aspects which we would review in sound quality section.

FD1 doesn’t get hot during operation and the only sign of life is represented by LED light. Since the shape is similar to R2 — it perfectly fits this DAP underneath and the provided soft adhesive layer does the job in sandwich construction. Unfortunately, HiBy has not provided rubber bands or special plastic case to hold both devices together. Hopefully, they got the point of this complaint and would develop such accessory in future.

On the other hand, HiBy included three types of cables that would make the life easier. L-shaped type-C -> type-C cable perfectly fits sandwich setup, whereas other two straight cables are better to be used for smartphone or PC. All cables have aluminum connector housings and all seems to be durable. This is important because all cables have host and slave side and couldn’t be easily exchanged if lost or damaged.

FD1 is also equipped with its own Play|Pause, Vol UP / DOWN buttons that allows to avoid waking up the screen of a smartphone or DAP.

The situation with the drivers is similar to R2 — native driver support in Windows environment can be expanded to Windows 7/8/10 by switching to USB 1.0 using a special slider button. Although, to be able to play DSD — USB should be set to 2.0 and special driver is required. This driver has not yet been released.

Sound quality: 

Tested with Xiaomi Redmi Note 8Pro, Lenovo Y500, Hidizs Seeds SE and Hidizs Seeds Balanced versions of IEMs.

R2:

HiBy R2 sound makes the impression of a pretty neutral DAP with a slight tendency towards the warmth. Lows, mids and highs, in overall, are in a good balance making this DAP universal for any kind of music genres.

Midbass is powerful, fast and punchy, its expression and dynamics are impressive. Lows are well pronounced, moderately outlined and have a slight touch of lift that adds a bit of warmth and some extra body to the sound.

Clarity and crispness on higher frequencies are moderate, their presence is not overwhelming or irritating. Just enough for a good balance and shows good amount of micro details. Mids are naturally sounding with reach vocals and weighted presence in the entire mix. Female vocals are neither screaming, nor too thin.

Again, R2 signature is a bit on the darker side by very slightly emphasizing lows, no tube-like performance, no cattle effect. Do not forget about MSEB feature that gives the additional control over such aspects of the sound as:

• sound temperature
• bass extension
• bass texture
• note thickness
• vocals
• female overtones
• sibilance LF
• sibilance HF
• impulse response
• air

Channel separation and entire scene are moderate, neither revealing, nor disappointing. Let’s say that it is pretty similar to other entry-level DAPs.

Further sound improvement is achieved when FD1 is connected to R2. And here we have some contradictory feelings. As a matter of fact, we did like SE output of R2 more than when paired to FD1 and its SE output is used. R2 SE output seems to be more detailed, clean (regarding mixing of instruments), highs have better extension and resolution. Sound is more balanced. FD1 SE output makes the sound brighter, puts an accent on highs and sound less intimate and holistic. But this is the case of direct comparison. By itself, FD1 SE output stays significantly better than a regular smartphone or laptop sound in terms of overall dynamics, resolution, instrument separation and power output.

In contrary to FD1 SE output, when Balanced port is used — sound improves in many aspects, leaving R2 behind. First, the signature looses aforemended warmth and becomes a bit brighter but with no further negative effect. Other aspects affected: textures and details get more evident, midbass gets more dynamics and drive, highs are treated better as well — more extended and accurate. Stage also spreads to sides and creates a feeling of larger room.

R2 V/S Hidizs AP80Pro:

For us, the main competitor in terms of audio quality as well as the functionality is the latest Hidizs DAP — AP80Pro. It has quite different philosophy, shows some pros and cons in the direct comparison but stays close to R2 in its nature. R2 is packed with lots of features unavailable for AP80Pro but requires the additional device to manage balanced output. Whereas AP80Pro is not that sophisticated in terms of function list but has balanced circuit on board that is able to drive higher loads due to more output power (190mW/channel).

Concerning the sound — R2 and AP80Pro are pretty close with SE outputs. The slight difference is obvious in the signatures — R2 sounds bit more warm and thick, while AP80Pro doesn’t make any accent on lows. This difference is only fractional, gets evident during A/B tests. The rest of the sound characteristics feel to be similar. AP80Pro Balanced V/S R2 + FD1 Balanced output literally removes the difference even in signatures and the devices get even closer (still AP80Pro balanced output is much more powerful). Therefore, AP80Pro is the main rival indeed, but the decision would be tough since the usage scenarios and philosophy are completely different.

Beans:

Similar to the first positive impression about Beans design, sound quality is most revealing out of three components of this HiBy bundle. Being priced as low as $59 — Beans are the best bullet-like shaped dynamic IEMs so far. Slight and engaging V-tuning serves a good role here, instead of irritating with overly bright highs and overemphasized lows. Everything is smooth, accurate and delightful. Good extensions on both extremes, impressive clarity of highs for single dynamic model, excellent control with clear instrument outlines, more than moderate texturing and resolution.

Beans can easily compete with more expensive dynamic IEMs from Periodic Audio, DUNU, TFZ and other brands. Furthermore, the fit is surprisingly comfortable as for the bullet-like IEMs. Achieved by the combination of weight and stock memory foam tips.

One recommendation: if you like R2 + FD1 + Beans bundle — consider getting 2.5mm balanced cable for Beans. This would significantly improve sound quality resulting from FD1.

Conclusion: 

HiBy released three HiRes components at once, each one represents a great performer, either used as a bundle or separately. R2 is a groundbreaking entry level DAP, packed with lots of modern functions typical for flagship models and delivers audiophile-grade sound quality. FD1 is handy little DAC&AMP that equally improves the sound from a smartphone, PC or even R2 DAP while expanding the functionality by adding balanced output. Beans IEMs make a perfect match to this capable bundle, especially with 2.5mm balanced connection. All three are underpriced judging by the offered features and performance level in comparison to the corresponding rivals. Therefore, this HiRes sandwich or its separate ingredients are all tasty and highly recommended.

HiBy R2 official store and page: LINK

HiBy FD1 official store and page: LINK

HiBy Beans official store and page: LINK

Thank you for reading.

Stay tuned, more reviews to come!

One more TFZ IEMs model on my testing bench — My Love Edition which is derived from the famous King Pro series. As the name alludes, this model is positioned by TFZ as a souvenir product. Moreover, color options and use of bijouterie elements in the design tells us that it is aimed towards the female audience. Not sure why exactly this model was chosen to satisfy women taste from the standpoint of the sound, but it definitely won’t be popular among guys. Anyway, the variations of TFZ King Pro is so numerous now that anyone would find something appealing to his or her personal taste.

TFZ My Love Edition technical specifications:

• Type: single dynamic driver IEMs
• Driver: 12mm, double magnetic circuit
• Diaphragm: graphene
• Impedance: 55Ω
• Sensitivity: 108dB/mW
• Frequency response range: 5Hz — 40kHz
• Cable: 1,2m, silver plated
• Cable connectors: 2pin, 0.78mm

TFZ My Love Edition available at PenonAudio store

Packaging, design and build quality:

Love this beatifull white packaging of the King series when IEMs are exposed in the top part of the box. Shiny metallic color of brand logo and name, color choice at the back and additional box inside for the acessories.

In the box you’d find a set of items standard for most of the TFZ lineup:

• TFZ My Love Edition IEMs
• 2pin, 0.78mm audio cable
• cable clip
• 7 pairs of silicone eartips
• soft pouch
• short user manual

Silicone eartips come in two different designs (small and large sound opening) and three size options. One extra (7th pair) has smaller opening and M-size.

Shells are totally made of plastic with pearl-like paint (small shiny particles added to the paint) which adds the depth to any color option. My set is a combination of cyan bases and white top covers.

Alignment of those two parts is perfect with no visible gap between the elements. Moreover, besides the brand logos, top covers are given one extra design element that looks like a gemstone that addresses the female audience and makes the overall design more expressive.

Channel indicators and model names are printed on the inner sides of the bases and seem to be protected by the varnish layer (as well as other printed elements).

Two compensational openings per channel: one of the top cover and another one close to the output nozzle which are protected with aluminum grills.

There is one thing that I would call an imperfection — bases are also consisting of two molded parts which are glued together. Junction of parts is not polished and you can see a thin line under the layer of lacquer.

Stock cable is made of silver plated copper wires packed into soft silicone braid. Equipped with aluminum Y-splitter / audio jack housing and transparent plastic connectors with channel indicators. Mic effect is almost absent.

Fit: 

Considering that My Love model belongs to custom-like shaped IEMs — there should be absolutely no problems with the fit for most of the people. Flexible earguides and quite long output nozzles would also help to maintain the best position and the most comfortable feel.

Sound quality:

Tested with HiBy R6Pro DAP

Lows and midbass:

What My Love IEMs worth the attention for is their bass appeal. The sound of this model is constructed around deep and wide lows with more than average bass detalization. It flows to the sides, fills the space and widens the stage. The accent on lows is evident which also results in dark signature of the entire sounding and sometimes even overtakes and shadows the other ranges. Not dramatically, though. Such elevation of the lower portion makes this IEMs sound quite thick and warm. Midbass has also gained from the bass influence and highlights lower portion more than medium or small toms. Although, the last two still capable of revealing the full potential through very tight and springy hits necessary to expose drums naturally and engaging.

Mids and vocals:

Mids do sound thick and dense with a slight feel of being congested in the instrument section. Voices are pretty close to the listener, female vocals are smoothed out with the overall warmth and also given the full-bodied perception. More resolution is perceptible on the instruments of the higher mids but the detalization can be defined as only slightly better than just a moderate. Can’t say that the instrument sepration is perfect as they tend to mix and show some lack of space inbetween. But the overall performance on mids is pretty smooth and is polishing out all roughness and sparkling notes of screaming vocals or inappropriate recording.

Treble:

Treble gets the least of attention in the sound of My Love Edition IEMs. Don’t get it wrong — it is normally exposed and doesn’t sound scarce. It is about the extension, airy representation and transparency that are all quite moderate. On the other hand, the missing delicacy is compensated by the balanced presence, absence of sibilants and sufficient clarity. It manages to keep the appropriate integrity of the sound spreading its influence to raise the perceptible resolution.

Soundstage:

The imaginary soundstage of TFZ My Love Edition is moderate. Good stage width defined by the volumetric presence of lows but the depth is lacking the space and layering between the instruments and ranges. No reveals here.

Sound in overall:

The sound of TFZ My Love Edition IEMs could be described as pretty dark with evident accent on lows, good bass extension and texturing, tight and engaging midbass, thick and warm mids, simplified but sufficient treble. Good for slow music genres with small amount of instruments and where the dense sound is a preference.

Compared to BQEYZ KB100:

BQEYZ KB100 are much brighter with more spacious and emotional sound. Its bass is not as deep, wide and filling as TFZ My Love Edition but the treble is much more detailed and extended. TFZ My Love, on its turn, generate more warm and thick sound, giving more body to each instrument or voice. Fit is also more comfortable.

Compared to LZ HiFI Z05A:

Z05A and TFZ My Love are pretty close in terms of thickness and density of the sound. Although, Z05A pereceives as more balanced since the lows are not that accented. Deep bass reach is less impressive while the treble is similarly clear but simplified. TFZ My Love have much better fit and sound darker.

Compared to PaiAudio DR2:

Both models have dark tonality with warm timbre, thick mids and simplified treble. Both have very good fit. The main advantage of TFZ My Love is higher resolution throughout all ranges and more dense sound. DR2 is producing larger soundtage with better layering and instrument separation.

Conclusion:

TFZ My Love Edition definitely belongs to dark sounding bassy IEMs with less emotional but more dense sound picture. If to consider that this model addresses mostly the female audience with its design — she should be quite experienced in listening with a mature taste in sound. Unpretentious and light compositions should pass by as not the intended material. This model is worth to consider if the representative of the beautiful half of humanity has clearly defined her preference — slow genre / high quality music. In this case, the visual aesthetics would be the additional bonus and IEMs would really turn into perfect present.

TFZ My Love Edition available at PenonAudio store