AFUL Performer 5+2 — almost a year later
Long-term owner review • first published review • self-purchased
Review at a glance
Product: AFUL Performer 5+2 / Performer 7
Category: 7-driver tribrid IEM
Ownership: Self-purchased
Price paid: €239
Purchase date: 16 September 2025
Listening time: Approx. 100 hours
Main sources: FiiO M21; Moondrop Dawn Pro 2 + smartphone
Connection: 4.4 mm balanced
Tips: SpinFit W1
Playback: Poweramp
Music files: Local lossless audio for critical listening
EQ: Optional AutoEQ; core review based on stock tuning
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Would I buy it again?: Yes
Disclosure
I purchased the AFUL Performer 5+2 myself for €239 on 16 September 2025. This unit was not supplied by a retailer. Nobody has paid for, reviewed or approved this article. Technical specifications were checked against AFUL’s published product information.
Language / AI note: All listening impressions, comparisons, ratings and conclusions are my own. I write my original listening notes and review in German. AI is used only to translate my German notes and review into English.
Reviewer perspective
This is my first published long-form audio review. Writing reviews publicly is new for me; spending a lot of time with music and audio gear is not. I know plenty of people whose headphone world more or less starts with AirPods or other Bluetooth models. That is not a criticism — ANC, microphones and wireless convenience are genuinely useful. I just want to make the other side easier to understand too: what changes when the priority shifts from convenience to sound and you try a good wired IEM with a sensible source.
I also do not want this to become a budget-only project. My plan is to use the same reference tracks, the same disclosure standards and the same basic method from affordable gear through premium and high-end products. A higher price should not buy an easier review; it should need a better explanation of what the extra money actually gives you.
Why that matters here
The Performer 5+2 is a good example of why personal hi-fi does not have to mean a complicated desktop stack. I use it happily from a small Moondrop Dawn Pro 2 connected to a phone; the FiiO M21 is useful, but it is not required just to make this IEM sound good.
A year with the Performer 5+2
The Performer 5+2 has been in my rotation since September 2025, so these are not launch-week impressions. I have roughly 100 hours on it across hip-hop, rock, electronic music, pop, soul and classical recordings. After that amount of time, the things I liked early on still hold up. My main criticism has also stayed very simple: I would like a little more bass.
What it is
AFUL uses two dynamic drivers, four balanced armatures and one micro-planar driver per side. Seven drivers sounds impressive on a spec sheet, but I care more about whether they behave like one earphone. To my ears they do. The tuning is roughly warm-neutral, with real sub-bass reach, clean mids and an open top end. That balance is a big reason the 5+2 works across so much of my library.
Specifications
Driver configuration: 2 dynamic drivers + 4 balanced armatures + 1 micro-planar driver per side
Impedance: 15 Ω ±20%
Sensitivity: 109 dB @ 1 kHz
Frequency response: 10 Hz–35 kHz
Connector: 0.78 mm 2-pin
Cable: 1.2 m; 8-braid, 144-core silver-plated copper
Termination: 3.5 mm or 4.4 mm selected at purchase; not modular
Specification note: the technical values above are taken from AFUL's published information as recorded in my review master.
Packaging and box contents
The unboxing is neat, but it is not trying to feel like jewellery packaging. The green-blue artwork matches the faceplates, the earpieces and accessories are well protected, and everything needed to start listening is there. At €239, I am perfectly happy with a practical box rather than a bulky presentation piece.
In the box
AFUL Performer 5+2 left and right earpieces
1.2 m stock 8-braid, 144-core silver-plated copper cable
0.78 mm 2-pin connectors; my cable terminates in 4.4 mm balanced
Round AFUL carrying case
Three families of silicone ear tips in S / M / L — nine pairs in total
Basic documentation / packaging inserts
There are no foam tips, no cleaning tool and no modular plug system. The round case is light, sturdy and useful rather than luxurious. Nine pairs of silicone tips sounds generous, although the three sets are fairly similar. I ended up on SpinFit W1 and have not felt much need to change since.
Build, cable and fit
The shells are surprisingly manageable for a seven-driver design and the finish still looks good after almost a year of normal use. I do not have small ears, and with SpinFit W1 the fit is secure and genuinely comfortable for long sessions. No pressure points, no shell hotspots — they are simply easy for me to wear.
The stock cable is one of my favourite parts of the package. It is an 8-braid, 144-core silver-plated copper cable, and mine has the fixed 4.4 mm balanced plug. It feels substantial without becoming stiff, falls naturally and stays quiet when I move around. I have owned the IEM for almost a year and still have no reason to replace the cable. I would like a modular 3.5/4.4 mm plug, but that is about convenience, not cable quality.
Listening setup
Primary DAP: FiiO M21
Phone chain: Moondrop Dawn Pro 2 connected to smartphone
Cable: Stock 4.4 mm balanced
Tips: SpinFit W1
Playback: Poweramp
Music files: Local lossless files for critical listening
EQ: Stock tuning for core evaluation; AutoEQ used optionally
Volume: Moderate listening level
Sound
Overall balance
The 5+2 sounds coherent. I get enough low-end lift for modern music, clear mids and enough treble extension to keep things open. It is neither a basshead set nor a dark, deliberately relaxed one. What I like is that I can move from Drake to Vivaldi without feeling that the tuning only really works for one side of my library.
Bass
Bass is close to my taste, but I still want a little more of it. Sub-bass reaches deep and gives a clear rumble without taking over the mix. The lowest notes feel a little rounded and softer-edged to me rather than dry or brutally hard. Mid-bass punch is moderate and, more importantly, stays cleanly separated from the mids. Kicks have definition and vocals do not get covered by the low end. With hip-hop and electronic music I sometimes want a bit more physical weight. Not a different tuning. Just a little more.
Midrange
The mids are clean rather than thick or especially lush. Male vocals, guitars and piano still have enough body, while female vocals and strings come through clearly. I would not call the 5+2 a romantic vocal specialist. It is more of an all-rounder that keeps voices easy to follow without pushing them in front of everything else.
Treble
A lot of the 5+2's open character comes from the top end. There is good extension and enough air to follow cymbal decay, room cues and smaller production details. At my normal listening levels I do not find it generally sibilant, but this is not a dark IEM that hides a bright master. If a recording is sharp, you can still hear that. I prefer that to smoothing everything over.
Stage, imaging, separation and detail
The stage is not huge. I hear it as medium-wide with useful depth. What impresses me more is how well the 5+2 keeps things in place. Imaging is precise, separation is strong for the price and layers stay readable when a track gets busy. It pulls out small details without making me feel that I have to analyse the music instead of listening to it.
Dynamics and transients
Fast material suits the 5+2. B.O.B. and Vivaldi's Summer III: Presto can get messy quickly on a slower set, but the AFUL keeps individual events easy to follow. Big dynamic swings also come through well. The only thing I miss is that last bit of physical bass hit when a track really asks for it.
EQ and source behaviour
Most of this review is about the stock tuning. For critical listening I use Poweramp and local lossless files. I sometimes use AutoEQ on the FiiO M21 or phone chain, and when I change anything it is usually just a small lift down low. I do not think the 5+2 needs EQ to make sense. It also does not need an expensive DAP. The Dawn Pro 2 from a phone is already a perfectly sensible way into this kind of setup.
My fixed 12-track reference playlist
These twelve tracks are my fixed reference set for future IEM, DAC and DAP reviews. They are not an audiophile demo playlist built for show; they come from the music I actually listen to. Keeping the same songs should also make later comparisons more useful, especially when the products move into higher price ranges.
Drake — Nonstop • Scorpion
Test focus: sub-bass rumble, 808 control, kick/vocal separation
This is the clearest example of my one tuning wish. The recurring 808 reaches low and has proper rumble, but the AFUL keeps it under control. Kicks stay separate from Drake's voice. I like it, but this is also the track where I most often think: give me just a little more weight.
Kendrick Lamar — DNA. • DAMN.
Test focus: attack, dynamic contrast, separation in dense modern production
The mix changes density and intensity quickly. The AFUL keeps its shape through those shifts, and the vocal stays clear without the bass turning vague.
OutKast — B.O.B. • Stankonia
Test focus: speed, transients, layering and congestion resistance
This track is fast and crowded on purpose. The 5+2 keeps up. It sounds busy because B.O.B. is busy, not because the IEM turns everything into one layer.
Lana Del Rey — West Coast • Ultraviolence
Test focus: female vocals, atmosphere, bass-to-mid transition
The bass carries the atmosphere without swallowing Lana's voice. Her vocal stays clearly outlined, and the extra air up top helps the production breathe without making it feel thin.
Led Zeppelin — When the Levee Breaks • Led Zeppelin IV
Test focus: drum body, decay, room size and dynamics
Bonham's drums need size, decay and room around them, not just impact. The 5+2 gives them convincing weight and leaves enough space around the kit to hear the recording breathe. It cannot create the scale of an open-back headphone, and I would not expect it to.
Led Zeppelin — Dazed and Confused • Led Zeppelin
Test focus: guitar texture, psychedelic layering, stage depth
The darker, psychedelic layers are a good test of separation and guitar texture. The AFUL stays clear through the middle without trying to fake detail by simply making the track brighter.
Vivaldi / Mutter / Karajan — Winter I. Allegro non molto • The Four Seasons
Test focus: string attack, treble behaviour, orchestral separation
Fast violin attacks can become unpleasant very quickly if an IEM gets the upper range wrong. Here they have enough bite and air to sound alive, while still staying comfortable for me at normal volume. This is an energetic presentation, not a softened one.
Vivaldi / Mutter / Karajan — Summer III. Presto • The Four Seasons
Test focus: transient stress test, speed and complex layering
This is my stress test. As the orchestra accelerates and more layers arrive, separation and speed matter more than having the widest possible stage. The 5+2 stays impressively easy to follow.
Depeche Mode — Enjoy the Silence • Violator
Test focus: synth layering, centre imaging, treble cleanliness
The synth layers stay distinct and the vocal remains firmly centred. There is enough air to keep the electronic textures open without making them brittle.
Michael Jackson — Billie Jean • Thriller
Test focus: bass timing, kick, percussion and tonal balance
That bass line needs timing and grip more than sheer quantity. The AFUL keeps the groove tight, and the percussion sits cleanly around the vocal.
Santana — Soul Sacrifice • Santana
Test focus: live percussion, guitar texture, venue space and dynamics
This recording can turn into a wall of percussion and guitar. The 5+2 keeps enough space between the parts that I can follow the performance, not just the energy of it.
Joe Cocker — With a Little Help from My Friends • With a Little Help from My Friends
Test focus: raspy male vocal texture, upper mids, live-rock density
Cocker's rough vocal is a useful check for upper-mid aggression. The 5+2 keeps the rasp and intensity intact without sanding it down, but it does not need extra brightness to make the voice sound detailed either.
Comparisons from my own collection
7Hz Legato
The Legato is my obvious bass reference. It gives me much more bass quantity and a much stronger subwoofer-like effect. The 5+2 is the one I choose when I want the whole recording to stay in better proportion. This is also a good reminder that “more bass” and “better bass for every track” are not the same thing.
KEFINE Klean SV
The Klean SV is my lower-price checkpoint. It matters because a good review at €239 should also explain what the extra money buys over a much cheaper IEM, not just compare against more expensive gear. My current impression is that the AFUL becomes more convincing as arrangements get dense, especially in separation and layering. I will keep using this comparison in future reviews rather than pretending the cheaper set becomes irrelevant.
KZ ZS10 Pro 2
The KZ is another useful budget hybrid reference. It can sound lively and detailed, which makes it a good reality check against the idea that spending more automatically wins. The 5+2 is the more coherent long-session listen for me and stays better organised when several things happen at once.
XENNS Mangird Tea Pro
The Tea Pro is the most important step-up comparison in my current IEM collection. It is the set I use when I want to ask a harder question: what does spending more actually buy? My current impression is a richer, more immersive presentation from the Tea Pro, while the AFUL stays cleaner and lighter on its feet. I do not see that as a simple winner-and-loser comparison. The 5+2 is still remarkably complete for the €239 I paid.
AKG K702
The K702 is not a direct competitor. I keep it in the chain as an open-back spatial reference. It gives me a broader, airier frame; the AFUL gives me far more isolation and low-end weight. The useful question is not which one wins, but whether the 5+2 keeps positions and layers believable inside the naturally smaller IEM space.
What I would change
A little more bass. That is still the main change I would make. I do not want to turn the 5+2 into a Legato-style basshead IEM because its balance is exactly why I use it so often. I would just add a touch more low-end authority for hip-hop and electronic music. After that, a modular cable plug would be nice. The bass matters more to me.
For someone coming from AirPods or mainstream Bluetooth
If your current reference is AirPods or another good TWS set, I would not describe the 5+2 as “the same thing, only better”. It is a different trade. You give up wireless freedom, ANC, built-in microphones and some everyday convenience. In return, the listening experience becomes more focused: instruments separate more cleanly, bass texture is easier to hear, small details stand out more naturally and dense recordings stay better organised.
The nice part is that the jump does not need a complicated stack. A phone, a competent USB DAC and the IEM are enough. A dedicated DAP can come later if you actually want one.
Who this is for
Listeners who want a versatile wired IEM with real sub-bass, strong separation, a good stock cable and long-session comfort. Bassheads who want maximum physical impact may still want more low-end or a small EQ lift.
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
Versatile warm-neutral balance with genuine sub-bass extension
Very good imaging, separation and layering for the price
Comfortable fit for my ears over long sessions
Excellent stock cable
Strong value at the €239 I paid
Trade-offs
I would personally like a little more bass quantity and physical authority
Carrying case is practical rather than premium
Fixed 3.5/4.4 mm termination instead of a modular plug
Energetic top end means bright recordings are not disguised
Value and verdict
At the €239 I paid, the Performer 5+2 still makes a lot of sense to me after almost a year. It is comfortable, well made, comes with a cable I genuinely like and moves from Drake and OutKast to Vivaldi, Led Zeppelin and Santana without feeling out of place.
4.5 / 5
Would I buy it again at €239? Yes.
SteveListens | Personal Audio Review | Germany