Sivga had me stoked after my wonderful tryst with the SM100 and the M260, and it had raised the bar in terms of what can a brand offer to truly stand out, and after seeing the graphs of this IEM; I just reached out to Sivga, and now I thank them for sending me the Lyrebird. This review was a difficult one, as I couldn’t find my footing with this IEM from the get go, which meant that I am going to either have a good time, or a really bad time.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

No waifu business, no loud advertising- everything is apt with the cover of the Lyrebird, and when I have the cover out of the way; I find the IEM shells which are with a striking wood faceplate, and no two faceplates are identical; which means it’s real wood- so very Dunu DaVinci like. Shells are metal, with seemingly small nozzles. The provided case is excellent and inside the case, was the 4.4mm cable and a case of eartips- three pairs of liquid silicone, and three pairs of normal.

The cable is fantastic- it’s got a spring like sheathing across the termination side, it holds good memory, and is heavy enough to hold the IEMs well through extended listening sessions. It could be a bit stiff for some, but for me; it’s good.

Comfort is also sorted- the nozzles being smaller allowed me to get better seal with larger sizes, and also try out double flanges (more on that later).

Enough pitter patter, here’s the Lyrebird’s sound.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch

The Sivga Lyrebird is a chameleon in setting the bass hold or fold, as it needs extensive tip rolling to get to its best performance possible, and it is properly realized in this track. With the Acoustune AET06 eartips, the way the decay tightened up on the Lyrebird was very satisfying. 

The problem with the Lyrebird (this time it is uniform) in the impact is when it needs to hit deeper, which I chalk it off to a problem in its perceived stage. The attack is moderately paced, doesn’t rush, and separation of the bass hits from the rest of the elements is done well.

Rush: Limelight

This track establishes the tonality of the Lyrebird for me, and it is unapologetically warm (more on that later). The Lyrebird improves upon separation between elements that correspond to the lows from the elements that don't. 

There is a clear demarcation between bits of the blitzing bass lines from the almost mathematical drum work; and even on the double flanges- the Lyrebird does not let go of the resonance of the toms & kicks that the track has, and the bass through the guitar has a great amount of detail and does not play peekaboo with the drums like it does in the other sections of this track.

Rage Against the Machine: Bullet in the Head

The Lyrebird improves further on the fun quota and this track really brings out how engaging this IEM can be. Commerford's bass is heard loud and clear. It doesn't bleed into anything else- be it the guitars or the drums, and especially the vocals where it just lacks right under to propel De La Rocha's vocals. 

Wilk's drums have enough note weight to carry forward in the march, where the snares are crisp and supplement the toms and kicks to not upset the balance. My only gripe is that De La Rocha could have used a little less warmth.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta

This is a "less is more" track - where there are just a handful of elements, but the way the very nuances of the elements are rendered make this track to use for analysis, and the Lyrebird fare very well on this track.

The IEM does not skimp on the finer details- like the resonance of Muddy's vocal as it bounces off the walls with each wailing; the aptly metallic timbre that the slide and the high strings of the guitar have; the way the double bass is enunciated across sections- every single aspect of this track shows up on the Lyrebird in an uncompromisingly detailed way, and I am willing to forgive the faint shoutiness in Muddy's vocals when he sforzandos (musical term where a vocalist emphasises upon a note with a forced or sudden loudness, and then return back to the set normal volume level) across in parts.

Tool: Lateralus

Now here is a complex arrangement of sorts, and once again the Lyrebird has more hits than misses. The separation between the guitar and the crescendoing drums in the intro perfectly lays up for the bass and the vocals to jump right in. Imaging on the Lyrebird is great, which shows up in the rudiments that Carey plays out through and the way the hi-hats are heard.

However, the lack of enough width along with depth on the Lyrebird in the perceived stage wants more breathing room, especially for the cymbals. But the bass is kept in abeyance, and although Maynard has more warmth with his vocals, the note weight doesn't let him exaggerate off the mix.

HIGHS

Arne Domnerus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist)

Here's where things get problematic for the Lyrebird - and it's frilly the timbre on Arne's Saxophone, where there is a strong lack of brassiness, as in the sax just doesn't have that "sparkle", but they do not come off purring, just a slight hint of shoutiness. 

Perceived stage continues to be an issue where the extent of the resonance off the sax is diminished because of the width and the church organs fall underwhelmingly diminished although another problem is not its timbre but its tonality, where it is uncharacteristically warm.

Dave Brubeck: Take Five

In this track, right from the get go the cymbals retain their shimmery texture, where the timbre is not adversely affected, but I cannot say for the timbre on the horns - not brassy enough. Pianos could have used more note weight in perception, while a reduction in its perceived warmth would have elevated the experience.

The way the Lyrebird handles the drum solo is a huge consolation here - as the resonance of the toms and kicks is perfect, supplemented by a woody enough timbre especially on the snares, the separation that the elements have as the channels split on the track - yet being cohesive enough to let the pianos be there despite a diminished note weight was a very nice turnaround by the IEM for me.

COMPARISONS

EPZ P40

The EPZ P40 delivers a noticeably heavier, sub-bass-dominant low end with thunderous punch and deep impact, contrasting with the Sivga Lyrebird’s leaner sub-bass response, which focuses more on agile decay and well-paced attack. In the midrange, the P40 provides a fuller, warmer vocal body across the board, whereas the Lyrebird presents a warm signature that can occasionally lean intimate and exhibit slight upper-mid peaks.

Where they diverge most is in the highs. The P40 pushes far more treble energy, and for some, it is going to be an absolute deal breaker- leaning overly hot and introducing proper sibilance. The Lyrebird takes a much safer approach, keeping them relatively smooth and fatigue-free, though some sparkle couldn’t have hurt to make elements like cymbals shine further. If sibilance bothers you, the P40 will call the ER on your ears, while the Lyrebird effortlessly cruises. 

EPZ P50

While the Sivga Lyrebird relies on tight decay control and fast bass transients, the EPZ P50 takes a more laid-back, softer approach to its low-end. 

Through the midrange and treble, the P50 smooths out potential harshness to ensure a non-fatiguing listen, but the Lyrebird, just by a smidge, performed better. The Lyrebird maintains superior isolation, but the P50 comparatively doesn’t gimp the bass out, from the perspective of the perceived stage. Cannot go wrong with either of them.

Juzear x KOTO Nebula

The Juzear Nebula presents a disciplined, well-controlled low end with faster transients and punchy impact, standing in contrast to the Lyrebird’s heavier bass warmth that can bleed faintly into the lower mids, and while the latter offers a richer, meatier vocal presentation with intimate warmth, the Nebula favors a cleaner, leaner midrange with more detail.

Where the Nebula decisively pulls ahead is in its technical execution: it projects a significantly wider soundstage with sharper separation and refined upper mids, comparatively. The Lyrebird feels considerably more intimate and constrained in stage width and depth, which will make the Nebula sound subjectively exciting. I’d take the Nebula here.

Letshuoer Astralis

The Letshuoer Astralis offers a more engaging low end than the Sivga Lyrebird, but can get a tad too excessive in the mid-bass. While the Lyrebird keeps its bass tight and well-isolated, the Astralis lets the leash on the bass loose.

This gives the Astralis a meatier punch, while not compromising on the stage, where the Lyrebird feels mildly lacking in quantity,but the latter delivers strong midrange textures, despite its narrower, depth-limited soundstage, and doesn’t come off bloated like the Astralis. And fits better.

Tanchjim Fola

The Tanchjim Fola matches the clean impact and controlled bass performance of the Lyrebird, but keeps its low end completely distinct from its midrange without adding extra warmth. Compared to the Lyrebird's warmer, richer vocals, the Fola presents a leaner, highly transparent midrange that favors technical precision over colour all the way.

Through the highs, the Fola operates on a higher tier. It delivers an exceptionally smooth, relaxed treble response paired with outstanding technical cleanliness, effortless air, and a wider soundstage. The Lyrebird, by comparison, feels stage-bound and intimate, suffering from a compressed stage and a more subdued top-end. But one couldn’t go wrong with either.

Simgot SuperMix 4

The Simgot SuperMix 4 beats the Lyrebird in perceived stage width, separation, and imaging, but suffers from a sterile, dry tonality and timbre, and inconsistent note weight. While the Lyrebird offers lush, warm vocals, the SuperMix 4 feels clinical and flat down low, with rapid decay cutting off natural resonance and leaving the midrange feeling lean.

However, the SuperMix 4’s upper mid and treble can lean honky, dry, and fatiguing, while the Lyrebird avoids these harsh peaks with a far smoother, fatigue-free response, though it's tight, intimate stage limits the perceived width and robs the highs of just a hint of extra sparkle.

CONCLUDING NOTES

I had to adjust to the Lyrebird for a few days, because it took me a good time to tip roll and extract the best out of it, as the Lyrebird is a chameleon for finding the right eartip to sing. And if one is not willing to put that effort, maybe it would be a wrong Sivga purchase for them, but if you are a tinkerer, you can extract so much out of this IEM.

Sure, there are more competent IEMs than the Lyrebird, one trick ponies even; but the Lyrebird feels like a coherent canvas, where it’s just open season with its performance- EQ it, tip roll it, and it will make you forget time for a bit with how much it has to offer.

But the other way to look at it is that, it defeats the purpose for a few who might want a near perfect out of the box experience sonically, and I totally get the memo- that’s valid, but the world of IEMs is just so gargantuan; there’s nothing to be mad about it. I appreciate Sivga willing to not play safe and make the Lyrebird an all inclusive package.

Will I buy this new? Ehhhhhhhhhhh, depends. It’s a good offering.

Will I buy this used? Absolutely.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the FiiO KA17 and TRN Blackpearl dongle DAC Amps, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP,  and the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Acoustune AET 06 double flanges: Perfect balance established in the Lyrebird, certain tracks could still make it sound boring. Tightest transients possible, most balance in the perceived stage, sibilance is eliminated, vocal tonality is delightfully colored.

Tanchjim T-500 APB: everything that the does, but to a lesser degree, sibilance is faintly observed, perceived stage widened, transients have a faint slack- especially in the decay, midrange has a slight roll-off.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Standard: Transients tighten up but not to the level of the T-500 APB, perceived stage loses considerably, tonally skews a bit towards recession, upper mids border on being wonky, but restraint on sibilance is held intact.

Final E: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt a bit too unforgiving, sibilant.

KBear Coffee: just washed off textures on the bass, midrange was rolled off uncomfortably, stage felt shrunken, sibilance was restrained and upper mids were kept in check, vocals felt a bit too safe.

DDHifi ST35, KBear 07, Dunu S&S: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Tanchjim has been on a DMT-5 bender as usual, where they have sent me a new DMT-5 creation but I am not elaborating on that for this piece, instead I am covering something that was requested from my Discord server, as well as on Reddit and after playing fetch with Tanchjim for a little while; they sent it out and I am glad they did- it is a hybrid setup which in my opinion has flown under the radar for quite a bit and this IEM needs more to be talked about. Thank you Tanchjim for sending out the Soda, and making this review possible.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Tanchjim doesn’t miss a beat with the waifu branding on some of their boxes and the Soda is no exception- I quickly take the lid off as I don’t want to see the waifu at all; and the unboxing is just too familiar- SODA branded envelope with standard paperwork, and under that, the shells in hard cardboard padding. Underneath the shells lie Tanchjim's T300 APB standard and wide bores (which, by the way, are excellent eartips) and the case with the cable inside there. 

The cable is the best I have found across on all Tanchjims and despite the lack of DSP/type-c plug, it still beats the Defect Audio cable that comes with the Force, and all the other cables that they have; and all Tanchjim needs to do is just do recessed 2 pin instead of their proprietary long 2 pin. It just holds a bit of memory and is sturdy enough to hold the weight of the Sodas.

Fit and comfort have been very good for me, as the Soda shells are small, but playing with eartip sizes is mandatory as the nozzle sizes are big, and I stuck with Ms for my entire experience as the Ls were a bit too much for me. The shells are durable and Tanchjim went for a frost type finish with this IEM which gave it a pleasant look in that shade of blue, but made it a little hard to photograph.

That is all, here’s the sound of the Soda (no fizz).

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch 

Fast and tactile- these are the words/adjectives I would use to describe how the Soda feels through this track. Every bass hit on this IEM shows how well executed the transients are: the attack is shockingly snappy and the decay is executed perfectly, which leads to the sustain coming off quite polished. 

Along with that, the Soda also exudes a level of separation that I have not heard in other Tanchjim IEMs: the bass hits are so well separated from the other elements; one might mistake this as a fault with their assumption of the Soda being anemic in its bass impact.

Rush: Limelight 

As outstanding as my impressions were on the previous track, the Soda doesn't seem to have missed a beat here, pun intended. The way the Soda balances the blitzing, crisp bassline of Geddy with the prodigal drum work of Neil is something not easily believable for its price. 

Note weight on both the bass and the drums is perfect; the perceived stage is wide and deep enough to let the rapid firing notes breathe, and the separation between the toms, the snare and the kick is commendable. Through the guitar solo, where the bass can get rich in texture, the Soda doesn't overemphasise on it, rather has the drums supplement it. Tonally, the Soda doesn't come off that warm, which hugely benefits the guitars and the vocals.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta 

The Soda doesn't fail to impress me further: first, the balance in tonality that the Soda exhibits to me extends to all the elements in this track, especially to complement the timbre that the slide and the guitar has, with enough detail to render the rub off Muddy's haunting, poignant vocals or the grazing of the pick on the guitar strings. 

The Soda also exhibits restraint on the boomy resonance of the low strings of the guitar and the double bass. The stage perceived on the Soda is wide enough to let everything in the track breathe well, where the isolation amidst the elements is unmistakable.

Tool: Lateralus 

The crescendo-ing bubbling toms along with the intensifying guitars, which laid the carpet for the vocal and the guitar to kick-start the engagement, were executed down to a fault by the Soda. 

I needn't comment on the separation and imaging of the Soda as it just plowed through the busiest rudiments from Danny so effortlessly, while not losing focus on Maynard's vocals, which had adequate note weight. Cymbals also share the same benefit where it didn't come close to sounding harsh, fatiguing, or shouty.

HIGHS

Arne Domnérus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist) 

The Tanchjim Soda, through this track, fairly overemphasised the sax over the keys, the degree of which could be a non-issue for some, but it is still a nitpick worth considering. 

Timbre on the sax is accurately brassy and the tonality just rightfully bright. The resonance that both the sax and the keys have on this track was balanced equally by the Soda, with once again the stage being wide enough for the notes and the elements themselves to not be claustrophobic.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart 

From the textures on the snare and the cymbals with the brush hits to the way the double bass glides over on this track, the way the guitar twangs: every single element in this track on its own is an experience with the Soda. 

Timbre on the snare is just rightfully woody and resonant; cymbals are soft in their impact, shimmery in texture, and along with that Carmen's vocals do not exhibit any fatigue, pierce or sibilance. To summarize, the Soda had a flawless performance throughout this track.

COMPARISONS

Tanchjim Force

The Soda comfortably outclasses the Force across speed, separation, imaging, and treble refinement. Where the Soda delivers fast, tactile transients with a snappy attack and complete isolation of bass hits, the Force suffers from a wonky decay that leaves the lows feeling flat and the punch or slam coming off "blob-like", like, devoid of textures/finesse.

On complex tracks, the Soda plows through dense arrangements while maintaining sharp imaging and clean vocal presence whereas the Force struggles with disjointed imaging, washed-out cymbals, and sibilant vocal climaxes, where the Soda remains soft, shimmery, and completely fatigue-free. Soda seems to have avoided the QC issues of the Force, where the unit I had received from the brand seemed to have a bit of channel imbalance while two of my reviewer friends got mint units and the rest had issues of various kinds.

Binary EP321

Both IEMs share a clean, nimble low end with swift attack and controlled decay. The EP321 drops the quantity in its bass presentation, whereas the Soda maintains a leaner, uncolored signature that lets acoustic elements take center stage without lower-mid boominess.

The main divergence occurs in the midrange: the EP321 suffers from a thin, uneven weight distribution that saps life and body from vocals, whereas the Soda retains adequate vocal note weight and clarity even through chaotic passages. Both sets excel in top-end refinement and sibilance control, but on certain tracks the Soda holds back on the sibilance better than the EP321.

Softears Volume S

The Soda prioritizes transient speed and distinct instrument separation over sheer impact, where the Volume S delivers a higher tier of sub-bass depth, note weight, and rumble, alongside a richer, more colored midrange presentation.

In the highs, the Soda maintains a smooth, shimmery treble that avoids fatigue even during peak crescendos. The Volume S offers a much more energetic, non-relaxing treble response that can border on nippy during extended listening sessions on cymbal-heavy tracks.

Hercules Audio Noah

The Soda provides a leaner, faster, and punchier delivery with quick transient turnaround and extreme separation. The Noah offers a weightier low end with slightly more detail retrieval through sustained bass rolls, keeping attack and decay carefully balanced.

In the midrange and treble, both IEMs excel at delivering brightness and detail without crossing into fatigue or sibilance. The Noah retains a touch more midrange body and realism on dense rock/metal tracks, while the Soda offers an airier stage where notes breathe freely.

Letshuoer Cadenza 4

Both the Soda and Cadenza 4 serve as benchmarks for smooth, non-fatiguing top-end extension, demonstrating complete safety against sibilance while preserving shimmery cymbals and natural instrument textures.

The primary difference lies in their tonal weight: the Soda offers a leaner, neutral-to-clean midrange with snappy bass transients, while the Cadenza 4 features tighter mid-bass control paired with a fuller, more emotionally expressive vocal presentation.

Xenns Tea Pro

The Soda soundly beats the Tea Pro in timbre and tonality, the way it consistently rations out detail across any track that you might throw at. The Tea Pro, by comparison, can sound very wonky in treble, it has that dampening metallic timbre to tag along which ruined jazz tracks for me.

Technically, the Soda is much faster through the transients and the Tea Pro could feel relaxed but given how dark the Tea Pro sounded against the Soda, this one isn’t for me anymore.

CONCLUDING NOTES

When I had published my review on the Fola, a few of the commenters had suggested that I was a bit too quick to say that the Fola is Tanchjim’s all time best in my book and I cannot say that until I have heard the Soda, and guess what, they were right. 

I don’t know who hurt Tanchjim this bad but if they had introspected hard on the criticism of the DMT-5 overuse throughout their line-up, and then the Force coming in which I had strongly critiqued; then they were right to feel so. Tanchjim should have marketed this IEM super hard, and I wished I saw the Soda more frequently, because it had everything going right for itself, and the amount of similarities I picked up with the Softears Volume S, if the latter didn’t have my heart, the Soda would have been a permanent member of my stable. 

So far, this is Tanchjim’s all time best and I can only look forward to what they have to offer with the fresh developments (Omphe, Kaiser and the likes).

Will I buy this new? Absolutely.

Will I buy this used? Absolutely.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the FiiO KA17 and TRN Blackpearl dongle DAC Amps, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP,  and the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Tanchjim T-500 APB: Perfect balance established in the Soda, certain tracks and sources can still make it a bit too warm, but in the above mentioned source rotation; none of that has happened. Tightest transients possible, most balance in the perceived stage, sibilance is most restrained.

KBear Coffee: everything that the does, but to a lesser degree, sibilance is faintly observed, perceived stage widened, transients have a faint slack- especially in the decay, midrange has a slight roll-off.

Tanchjim T-300 APB: Transients tighten up but not to the level of the T-500 APB, perceived stage loses faintly on the height but depth and width felt alright, tonally skews a bit towards brightness, upper mids border on being slightly shouty, but restraint on sibilance is held intact.

Spinfit CP100+: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt a bit too unforgiving, sibilant.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet standard: just washed off textures on the bass, midrange was rolled off uncomfortably, stage felt shrunken, sibilance was restrained and upper mids were kept in check, vocals felt a bit too safe.

DDHifi ST35: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Binary and I have had a less than stellar relationship, where I had purchased the Chopin used, and it came delivered to me with fallen off faceplates, and then with my usage developed a nasty channel imbalance, and then with the DynaQuattro, I still felt something was missing. Then, one of my patrons gifted me an almost brand new EP321 and insisted that I have to listen to this IEM, and give my thoughts- that was in April, and now I finally release my take on why the Binary EP321 is a near flawless midranger, and why that one flaw prevents me from keeping it alongside my very top picks. No audio group and its affiliated reviewers have given me this product, nor has Binary/HiFigo; this has been my personal unit, and I simply thank my friend for gifting this to me.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Binary didn’t go overboard with the branding and packaging, and gave it in a very simple MEMS branded lid, which gave way to the IEMs and the cable attached in light foam padding. The Binary Acoustics branded box is great and fits a few accessories alongside the IEMs. A very generic assortment of eartips have been provided, and the stock cable to my disappointment, is very underwhelming. But other than that, the faceplates are strikingly hot and I love how they reflect and have a mirrored tint, while the shells are transparent. 

Despite packing quite the configuration, the EP321 doesn’t weigh a lot but the stock cable can induce fatigue by the ear hook area, so I recommend using a heavier cable to alleviate the fatigue. Also, there were no pressure buildup issues with me, and so with this I hop over to the EP321’s sound where I have a lot to say.

LOWS
The Binary EP321 has a fair bit of warmth, but it doesn't overdo it. The rumble on it is felt, but it doesn't cloud over the rest, the slam is present; but it's not potent enough to knock elements over; in short the EP321 has a commendable temperament in keeping the lows warm enough to keep me engaged, but not enough where I might need a breather.

In tracks like Daft Punk’s Instant Crush and Get Lucky, the EP321 kept the elements that made these tracks just right where they needed to be. This was a study of balance- effortless, easy, nimble rumble with a healthy note of separation through the bass lines, the kicks helped me gauge the swift attack and the bass lines snapping out of its way for the presence to be realised, makes me say that decay is healthy. 

Pharrell’s vocals in Get Lucky had a satisfying perceived note weight, and the admirable point on the bass lines in both tracks, via the EP321 is that, that it doesn't have the aggression, yet the notes feel snappy, and that means that the transients on the EP321 are potent in its class- clean and crisp attack, sharp and snappy decay, with no slack on the sustain.

In tracks like Rush's Limelight, the EP321 brings aggression and an even snappier response, with how clean cut; nimble, and light the bass line felt (which reflects the great transients)- with enough detail where I could easily hear the rumble wave and crash through, note by note. Separation gets even better as the EP321 lets the kicks, toms and snare just come to life without hesitation. 

But from an aspect of tonality, I felt that the warmth leaned more towards the vocals and the toms especially as the track progresses, felt being washed off colour, or flatter. But from the 2:35 mark on this track; the EP321 just lets the bass shine through so well, I almost mistook it for enjoying it on the Volume S instead.

MIDS

The EP321, through the midrange, prioritises some elements over the other; and this is where the division of the EP321 being concerningly thin, or just perfect as it is comes from.

In tracks like Tool’s Lateralus, Schism and Pneuma- the EP321 definitely sapped some life out of the vocals and injected it into everything else possible. This is where I would say that some juice into the vocals would have enormously helped with otherwise how thick guitars and cymbals sounded in comparison. 

I took a second guess with Schism, where it was confirmed for me beyond any doubt that vocals feel underpowered and underweight, and if it were to fight with the guitars, there's no chance the vocals are winning. The consolation is how the bass plays fetch with the rest of the sound- it was like me hearing Justin go at it, no holds barred, and that just coincided and propped up Danny’s busiest of the busy rudiments in this track to a level where I replayed that part before the breakdown a couple  of times.

The EP321 does a fabulous job with imaging and instrument separation, as I could hear every cymbal hit, every stroke across the snares and toms, and there was no intrusion from the guitars.

In tracks like First it Giveth by Queens of the Stone Age, here's where it gets concerning. The snares on this track are devoid of weight, feel properly slammed into pancakes where now the vocals gain life. Guitars remained meaty with a hefty sense of body, no confusion amongst the cymbals, and the perceived stage had no traces of feeling claustrophobic, diminished, or struck. Ttonality felt balanced, but I wouldn’t say it felt skewing towards brightness. Imaging was top-notch where the cymbals tango-ed right alongside Josh Ho

The EP321 being unable to handle weight equally and adequately across the spectrum, as well as guitars feeling a bit too “whole” where some alteration of weight towards the vocals and elements that could use that weight like snares would have done wonders for this. Compared with another super thin IEM to my ears, the Moondrop Blessing 3 however, the EP321 performs far better. But it's no Volume S.

HIGHS

The EP321 had a surprising redemption arc through the higher frequencies, and surprisingly so, because I assumed it would be somewhat horrible like the Moondrop Blessing 3, but it was the opposite.

In “atmospheric” tracks where competence in the matters of perceived stage, timbre, and tonality are needed like Arne Domnerus’ Almighty God with Gustaf Sjokvist; the Binary EP321 gave me one of the best listening experiences I could have from an IEM, where the perfect brassy timbre on Arne’s saxophone met the airy, resonant organ keys of Gustaf. What amazed me the most was how “life” like (or natural), the resonance felt from both instruments as they played and hit the walls of the church where the track and the album was recorded- and with the perceived balance in tonality and that perfect timbre, tracks like these would be a breeze with the EP321. 

Instrument separation on this track via the EP321, is once again, one of the best that I have heard from an IEM where I just had to restrain myself from looping this track; the way the notes from both instruments breathed, went apart, and came back throughout was executed so well.

In tracks like Dave Brubeck’s Take Five from the album Time Out, which is a quartet piece recorded in true stereo, and whose recorded quality still edges out albums released decades later, the EP321 just has me surprised through and through- first, it’s the resonant snare with just a sharp, snappy transient that cuts right across the shimmery, weighted cymbals; the restrained double bass and the majestic brassy horns that has my curiosity, and once the horns progressed with a good dose of brightness yet no pierce or honk to be found, the EP321 again had my attention. This IEM knew how to prioritise which elements to be brought forward and which needed to be kept playing second fiddle, and this translated to a commendable sense of imaging.

While I was admiring the textures of the instruments, and the spacing that each of them had; the highlight came in through the drum solo, where the kick displayed a fantastic sense of attack and decay, the snare was just blissfully resonant and aptly woody in timbre, the toms being potent and authoritative in its impact; while not ignoring the piano on the right channel, and the double bass on the left, emphasised enough to not draw away attention from the solo.

Finally, in a track which has sibilance recorded in itself but still is from an album whose work needs to be appreciated- Patricia Barber’s Icarus from Mythologies, the EP321 does a phenomenal job in not letting the already recorded sibilance be exaggerated where EQ, eartips, and/or a wholly different IEM. Timbre on the percussion doesn’t come off dry or metallic, guitars have their tonality intact, the bass doesn’t overpower the mix, and Patricia’s lush textures are preserved as it is.
Once her single note sustain comes in, the EP321 holds back on the fatigue and pierce brilliantly, and the EP321’s prowess reminds me of the legendary Letshuoer Cadenza 4, an IEM that I still own.

COMPARISONS

Softears Volume S

The EP321 delivers an effortless, nimble low end with clean separation and snappy decay. Its bass performance shines so effortlessly that it briefly recalls the presentation of the Softears Volume S. However, the Volume S resides in a different tier of sub-bass mastery.

Where the Volume S truly pulls away is in its vocal handling and technical composure. The EP321 suffers from an uneven weight distribution that saps life out of vocals and flattens snares. The Volume S handles instrument separation like a boss, staying musical and vivid without losing composure. While the EP321 manages a surprising redemption arc in the highs, the Volume S effortlessly sails through vocal climaxes with zero pierce and stunning detail.

Moondrop Blessing 3

The EP321 faces a split in its midrange where weight distribution feels concerningly thin, yet compared to the Moondrop Blessing 3, it performs significantly better. The EP321 maintains a clean, nimble rumble with crisp attack and healthy decay. The Blessing 3 sputters, its low-end wobbly, spilling into neighboring frequencies and smearing finer details.

The gap widens further through the mids and highs. The Blessing 3’s presentation feels thin, strained, and washed with dry, claustrophobic cymbals. While the EP321 also starves vocals, it retains meaty, full-bodied guitars and top-notch imaging. In the highs, where one assumed the EP321 would be horrible like the Blessing 3, it delivers the exact opposite, providing natural saxophone timbre and holding back fatigue brilliantly where the Blessing 3 collapses into thinness during climaxes.

Moondrop Dusk

The EP321 approaches the low end with balance and constraint, delivering a clean, snappy attack and a swift decay that lets note-by-note details crash through clearly while vocals retain satisfying note weight. By comparison, the Moondrop Dusk chooses sub-bass as its primary dominion; while it propels bass with significant grunt on its DSP profile, its sub-bass focus can border on overbearing, missing out on mid-bass health.

In the midrange and highs, the EP321 presents superior timbral consistency and top-end agility. The Dusk’s tonality is repeatedly marred by an inconsistently metallic timbre, and its imaging oscillates confusingly between cymbals. On dramatic climaxes, the Dusk comes as lethargic. The EP321 avoids these entirely, offering precise imaging, sharp transients, and a remarkably airy, natural resonance across acoustic instruments.

Letshuoer Cadenza 4

The EP321’s high-frequency performance serves as its standout redemption arc, demonstrating remarkable control on sibilance-prone passages by holding back fatigue during single-note sustains. This behavior directly echoes the legendary Letshuoer Cadenza 4. The Cadenza 4 exhibits a masterclass in top-end presentation, handling busy arrangements with zero congestion, and soaring through vocals with surgical precision and lush, airy extension. The EP321 mirrors this non-fatiguing top-end prowess with a brassy, lifelike timbre on elements like horns.

In technicalities and overall balance, the Cadenza 4 retains the upper hand. While the EP321’s low end carries more warmth and slam before leaning thin, the Cadenza 4’s lean yet rumbly lows keep mid-bass tightly contained. Furthermore, where the EP321 flattens underwhelmingly across moments, the Cadenza 4 offers one of the best midrange presentations in its class, delivering vocals brimming with life, top-notch instrument separation, and surgical imaging across complex arrangements.

ZiiGaat Horizon

The EP321 presents a clean-cut, warm low-end with swift attack and snappy decay, keeping the rumble controlled and engaging. The ZiiGaat Horizon meets it with a chameleon-like, sub-bass-heavy presentation that establishes a pronounced rumble without bleeding. However, while the Horizon's bass notes carry neat separation, it lacks mid-bass oomph, a region where the EP321’s snappy transients and clean kick-drum attack give it a punchier, more athletic rebound.

In the midrange and treble, the Horizon shows a wider soundstage with excellent guitar tonality. Yet, much like the EP321's tendency to sap life from vocals, the Horizon suffers from inconsistently laid-back vocal energy. Where the two diverge most is in the treble: the EP321 handles single-note sustains with fatigue-free composure, whereas the Horizon lets minute bits of pierce slip through during vocal pitch shifts.

Elysian Pilgrim

The EP321’s low end centers on agility and clean separation, delivering a warm rumble that snaps out of its own way. The Elysian Pilgrim presents a similarly clean sub-bass response, keeping bass rumble natural and controlled. However, the Pilgrim suffers from a thin mid-bass presentation that fails to envelope, leaving its low end feeling somewhat just out there. The EP321 achieves a far more satisfying perceived note weight and physical engagement through its swift kick-drum attack.

In the midrange and upper registers, the Pilgrim requires solid EQing, whereas the EP321 natively offers meaty, full-bodied guitars despite its underweight vocal presentation. Where the EP321 surprisingly outshines the Pilgrim is in treble refinement; the Pilgrim exhibits a subtly audible grain and feels like it runs out of air on high-frequency climbs. The EP321 delivers effortless organ resonance, natural brass timbre, and fatigue-free top-end extension that keeps sibilance strictly in check.

ZiiGaat Crescent

Tuned alongside the JM-1 target, the ZiiGaat Crescent attempts a balanced signature but comes as lifeless in tonality and lean in sub-bass impact. The EP321 easily out muscles the Crescent in low-end engagement, offering a commendable warmth, nimble rumble, and crisp transient attack that keeps the groove alive without feeling thin.

The contrast grows even starker through the midrange and high frequencies. The Crescent exhibits visible confusion in its soundstage, struggling with imaging and instrument separation while delivering a faint pierce on vocal peaks. The EP321, by comparison, operates with top-notch imaging precision and flawless separation, allowing cymbals, snares, and guitars to tango side-by-side without mutual intrusion. Even with its vocal weight imbalance, the EP321's smooth treble extension and natural instrumental timbre leave the Crescent completely outclassed.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Binary EP321 is one of the biggest “what ifs” for me in IEMs, and I mean this in the absolute most positive of ways. It has everything going right for itself, and for the most part I’d say if the demographics had this IEM, a good chunk of them wouldn’t seek out further- in my book, it’s that good; but ‌in this near perfect chase, Binary Acoustics made one stumble in its tuning- the concerningly thin midrange which needs quite a bit of tinkering with EQ and considerable eartip rolling; and the quantity of the bass can be faintly too anemic for some.
But, given my threshold for ‌shortcomings, those complaints become nitpicks for me; and the good of the EP321 weighs more than the bad of the EP321, which is why I shall recommend this set to my heart’s content.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the FiiO KA17 and TRN Blackpearl dongle DAC Amps, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP,  and the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Standard: Showcases the transients of the EP321 at its absolute best, hard hitting lows, best stage possible for this IEM, most restrained highs with no loss of vocal textures, tonality is not as bright as other eartips might make it to be.

Tanchim T-500 APB: everything that the does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures overall- vocals and drums felt flatter depending on the track, tonality was brighter, yet no fatigue or sibilance.

Final Type E: significantly increased the warmth, stage shrinks further, transients tighten up, but the quantity increases a bit excessively, mids feel more recessed, treble has an ugly roll-off.

Tangzu Sancai Balanced: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

Spinfit CP100+: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt too recessed, lows felt anemic, vocals felt concerningly smoothened out.

DDHifi ST35: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

After going through the motions of one of the community favourites from Simgot in the SuperMix 4, I have the chance to opine on another community favourite; once again from Simgot, in the EW300 (non DSP), which has been lent by u/Own-Customer-4866 received from the brand. So, for this, I thank him and Simgot for making the EW300 review possible. I had to get this as I was receiving requests from my Discord server and the local communities on WhatsApp.

I have received only the IEMs and the cable, and thus I won’t be able to comment on the packaging; however, my friend has his EW300 review made where he got the full set , so one can check that out.

I can still comment on the fit and finish and the comfort on the EW300, and once again; this is a reasonably sized IEM with comfortable shells. The finish is chrome, with an X and O embossed on the faceplates. There also seems to be a Torx screw on the faceplate, which means one might access its innards without complications. The cable is another thing I like about it, as it’s made well, doesn’t tangle, and most importantly, supports the heavy shells of the EW300 without fuss. I had no pressure buildup issues on the EW300 because of the vents (?) in the nozzle area.

Anyway, enough rambling here; here’s the sound of the EW300 to my ears.

LOWS

In tracks with deep, hard-hitting bass hits with ‌surprising polish and separation, like Tipper’s Gulch from the album Forward Escape, the EW300 immediately informs that this is an IEM that takes transients seriously, and is going to have a potent shade of V in terms of sound. There is an unmistakable presence of a lot of sub-bass, with the mid-bass following suit, and the EW300’s grip over the sub-bass makes the hits in this track come off with a potency that on first glance will appear to be that of a basshead’s delight.
This doesn’t diminish the EW300, at least through this track, showing off a surprisingly good separation, where the fuzz like elements are not overshadowed by the gob smacking bass.

In tracks where the bass lines camouflage around complex drum arrangements like Rush’s Limelight and The Spirit of Radio, the first nitpick that I have is in how the perceived stage was, which felt shallow and minorly claustrophobic, which affected the separation between the drums and the bass- and this effect didn’t carry out like notes overlapping of one over the other, but where the instruments would have more breathing room with space. 

Transients on the EW300 through these tracks continued to be fantastic, where especially Geddy’s bass lines showed no sign of stagnation or lingering, thanks to the EW300’s fast decay and a very snappy attack. Peart’s drums had a decent impact, but the resonance on the toms and the snare was affected because of the shallow perception of the stage; although the kicks showed the established transients in a clear light.

The EW300 could have improvised upon the imaging, as Geddy’s vocals felt faintly pushed back than usual, which let the instruments come before the vocals, and there were inconsistencies with its note weight. Overall, not a poor start for the EW300 at all.

MIDS

In tracks set in peculiar keys and unorthodox snare setups like First It Giveth from Queens of the Stone Age, the EW300 improves‌ the separation up a notch, with the cymbals and the guitars being easily distinguishable from one another and that is important, because both of the aforementioned elements can be perceived as fused at a first glance, but not with the EW300. Then come the rapid firing strokes of the snare, where the tonality unfortunately is warped. There’s something off about it, and I don’t want to hold the timbre responsible as I feel it’s too early to call on that. 

Guitars have a lot of energy coming through in hot, and bordering on being faintly fatiguing, but the same cannot be said for the cymbals. Josh Homme’s vocals don’t feel as pushed back as I had expected to be, and the imaging now feels improved, with the cymbals being right by the vocals and not have its emphasis stolen through the chorus.
In tracks where the vocals play second fiddle to the instrumentals like Tool’s Lateralus, the EW300 does a brilliant job with the crescendo-ing drums in the intro, while not forgetting to emphasise on the guitars, but once the bass and the vocals come in, the drums come into the foray with a touch of excess in its presence, but doesn’t overpower anything else. 

I was happy to note that the vocals finally don’t feel as pushed back as how it felt in a previous track, and Maynard carries a satisfying level of note weight, and that’s another good thing about the EW300- it doesn’t forget to keep up with the consistency. Once the breakdown of the track arrives after Danny’s busiest rudiment, the resonance of the drums and the detail with which the EW300 presents it with was incredibly satisfying. Guitars once again border on being fatiguing and shouty, but cymbals retain their textures, weight and restraint on shoutiness.

HIGHS

In tracks which demand great to excellent technical grasp over the perceived stage, tonality and timbre, like Arne Domnerus’ Almighty God with Gustaf Sjokvist, from the legendary album Antiphone Blues; the lack of width in the perceived stage is the first thing that hurts this track on the EW300: the manner in which Arne’s sax juxtaposes with Gustaf’s organ keys needs a lot of space to breathe and extend with the resonance that both instruments have as they bounce off the walls of the church in which it was recorded and the EW300 loses the resonance by quite a good margin.

Timbre on the saxophone is accurately brassy with a slight honk when it rises in the registers but there was no pierce in the sax, and likewise, the organ keys have their timbre intact, although I would have wanted a whisker’s length of brightness here. 

In a quartet setup recorded in true stereo, and a recording from an era which still outclasses pieces released decades later- Dave Brubeck’s Take Five from the prodigal album Time Out, the EW300 has the lack of the perceived stage’s width hurting the presentation as the instruments felt congested in their setup; and thus affecting the resonance that the floor toms and the snare has in this track; but the EW300 doesn’t ruin it completely. In fact, through the timbre of the horns, the double bass right at abeyance and not overexerting itself, the pianos bouncing off playfully with no drop in the perceived note weight and being balanced in its tonality surprised me again.

Through the solo, when it’s only the double bass, the drums and the piano; the EW300 lets the drums and the piano precede over the double bass and that is where the resonance of the toms and the snare finally starts shining. Safe to say, that the EW300 once again didn’t let the horns pierce through, nor did the shimmery cymbals in textures get sibilant.

Finally, in Patricia Barber’s Icarus, which is my test track to test the restraint in sibilance, the EW300 demands a lot of eartip rolling to get the sibilance in check, because it doesn’t put up a fight against it. The way Patricia enunciates her Cs and Ss in this track, the EW300 doesn’t hold back on the sibilance with the Tanchjim T300 APBs which were the best suit in my book, but it was far less exaggerated compared to other eartips. 

Timbre through the percussion is rightfully woody, the bass in this track didn’t let me forget it with its equal emphasis alongside the guitars and the pianos, the cymbals not being shouty by any means and their textures preserved, the real moment comes in Patricia’s single note sustain where there was no pierce observed, and the lush textures of her voice were just rightfully preserved.

COMPARISONS

Truthear Pure

Comparing it with the segment champion, the Truthear Pure reveals how close budget sets are to top-tier performance, even if the Pure ultimately retains its crown. The EW300 comes impressively close in pure transient speed and sub-bass grip, delivering a well executed slam where the decay shows up just so right. However, the Pure handles it with a different flavour by itself: a faint slack in decay while the attack remained planted, but the quantity is lesser than the EW300 which may not overwhelm the listener.

Where the Pure truly pulls away is in its midrange and treble presentation. The Pure delivers lush, true-to-life vocals and just a ridiculous polish throughout the entirety of the midrange and the highs with an effortless sense of stage space. The EW300, on the other hand, struggles with a shallower, slightly claustrophobic soundstage that can affect complex, busy compositions. Furthermore, while the Pure keeps its treble extension smooth and non-fatiguing, the EW300’s upper-mids can border on being hot and shouty, requiring eartip rolling to keep sibilance in check.

Truthear Hexa

The Truthear Hexa remains the unbothered old guard of the sub-$100 segment. Where the EW300 leans into a fun, aggressive V-shape with potent sub-bass slam, snappy attack, and fast decay, the Hexa takes a far more analytical, grounded approach. On certain tracks where the authority in the lows is demanded, the Hexa’s bass leans noticeably leaner compared to the EW300’s sub-bass impact, but it compensates with immaculate texture, allowing for a granular analysis.

In terms of technicalities, the Hexa edges out the EW300 in treble refinement. The Hexa soars through peaks and vocal oscillations without an ounce of sibilance or harshness, whereas the EW300’s guitars can push hot and demand eartips + EQ to tame sibilance. But ultimately ‌, preference leads to the better pick; both of them are competent in their own regard.

Pula Unicrom

The EW300 handily outperforms the Pula Unicrom in low-end discipline and transient execution. The Unicrom had one of the weakest showings in the lows, delivering an incoherent, mushy bass presentation while the EW300 is the complete opposite here: its grip over sub-bass is tight and precise, ensuring that heavy bass hits come off with surprising polish and separation without muddying up the rest of the mix.

The Unicrom recovers some ground in the midrange with a pleasantly warm tonality and surprisingly smooth treble. However, both IEMs share a common constraint: a cramped, claustrophobic soundstage. Where the EW300 easily wins out is its far superior transient speed, snappy decay, and better instrument isolation, avoiding the Unicrom's muddy low-end trap.

Tanchjim Fission

The EW300 delivers a much more straightforward and unified tuning than the overcomplicated Tanchjim Fission. The Fission gets bogged down by its multi-nozzle configuration: the copper/gold nozzles leave the bass feeling lean, dry, and sterile, while the titanium nozzle swings to the opposite extreme, making the bass undesirably boomy and causing upper-mid peaks to become noticeably piercing. The EW300 skips all that gadgetry and delivers a cohesive V-shaped signature, offering a better slam, snappier transients, and better vocal presence than the Fission’s leaner nozzles.

While the Fission holds a slight edge over the EW300 in pure micro-detail retrieval and instrument separation when configured right, its dry, clinical presentation and tendency toward upper-mid shoutiness make it a frustrating listen. The EW300 is simply more enjoyable and less pretentious, even if its shallow stage width holds it back from better technicalities.

Tanchjim Nora

The Tanchjim Nora suffers from a noticeably lower note weight across vocals, cymbals, and guitars, making the overall presentation feel dry and hollow. On lean-pitched vocal tracks, the Nora’s lack of body can quickly turn fatiguing, while its bass delivery lacks crispness and punch.

The EW300 provides a far more satisfying and complete listen than the Nora. The EW300 brings heavy, well-textured sub-bass note weight, fast transient attack, and far better vocal authority. While the EW300 can border on hot in the upper-mids on guitar-heavy tracks, it never sounds as thin, dry, or uninspired as the Nora.

Tanchjim Ola 2

Both the EW300 and the Tanchjim Ola 2 share a common Achilles' heel: a shallow perceived stage depth that threatens to blemish an otherwise solid presentation. On the Ola 2, this manifests as noticeable mid-bass bloat and congestion during busy tracks, while the EW300 handles this limitation much better; despite its narrow stage, its tight grip over the sub-bass and snappier decay keep the low end from bleeding into the lower mids to a good extent.

In the midrange, the Ola 2 offers a slightly more centered vocal placement with natural note weight, whereas the EW300 can occasionally push vocals back behind aggressive instrumentals or sound a touch inconsistent in vocal note weight. Still, the EW300 easily edges out the Ola 2 in pure transient speed, dynamic slam, and treble texture, making the Ola 2 feel a bit wobbly and constrained by comparison.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Simgot EW300 is an undeniably fun, high-energy earphone that delivers plenty of punch without losing its composure, and this is what surprised me, because its predecessor, the EW200 was simply, borderline unreasonable because the brightness was high enough to induce hearing damage. Comparing that to the EW300 feels like Simgot took it personally and decided to break every single backboard with the criticism and feedback, and I just look at how well the EW300 feels.

That being said, it isn't flawless, no audio gear can be. The problems I had with its perceived stage, sibilance and fatigue that can come off quite strong depending upon your tracks of choice, the bass that can get a little out of hand when you may not be in the mood for it can totally blemish what otherwise, is still a wonderful attempt from Simgot, to release something that caters to just the concept of fun. EW300 is just a little party done two ways, and I am happy to recommend it. It isn’t boring, it isn’t dry, it isn’t too analytical- it’s fun. Period.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Tanchjim T300 APB: Showcases the transients of the EW300 at its absolute best, hard hitting lows, best stage possible for this IEM, most restrained sibilant highs with no loss of vocal textures, tonality is not as V as other eartips might make it to be.

Tangzu Sancai Balanced: everything that the T-300 APB does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures overall- elements like floor toms and cymbals felt faintly smeared, warmth corresponds to what the graph showed, upper mids could get faintly hot.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Standard: significantly increased the warmth, stage shrinks further, transients tighten up but the quantity increases too resulting in a boomy bass, mids felt more recessed, gets concerningly sibilant.

ZiSin liquid silicones: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

ZhuAudio Bamboo: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt too recessed, lows felt anemic, vocals felt concerningly smoothened out.

KBear 08: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

After going through the motions of one of the community favourites from Simgot in the SuperMix 4, I have the chance to opine on another community favourite; once again from Simgot, in the EW300 (non DSP), which has been lent by u/Own-Customer-4866 received from the brand. So, for this, I thank him and Simgot for making the EW300 review possible. I had to get this as I was receiving requests from my Discord server and the local communities on WhatsApp.

I have received only the IEMs and the cable, and thus I won’t be able to comment on the packaging; however, my friend has his EW300 review made where he got the full set , so one can check that out.

I can still comment on the fit and finish and the comfort on the EW300, and once again; this is a reasonably sized IEM with comfortable shells. The finish is chrome, with an X and O embossed on the faceplates. There also seems to be a Torx screw on the faceplate, which means one might access its innards without complications. The cable is another thing I like about it, as it’s made well, doesn’t tangle, and most importantly, supports the heavy shells of the EW300 without fuss. I had no pressure buildup issues on the EW300 because of the vents (?) in the nozzle area.

Anyway, enough rambling here; here’s the sound of the EW300 to my ears.

LOWS

In tracks with deep, hard-hitting bass hits with ‌surprising polish and separation, like Tipper’s Gulch from the album Forward Escape, the EW300 immediately informs that this is an IEM that takes transients seriously, and is going to have a potent shade of V in terms of sound. There is an unmistakable presence of a lot of sub-bass, with the mid-bass following suit, and the EW300’s grip over the sub-bass makes the hits in this track come off with a potency that on first glance will appear to be that of a basshead’s delight.
This doesn’t diminish the EW300, at least through this track, showing off a surprisingly good separation, where the fuzz like elements are not overshadowed by the gob smacking bass.

In tracks where the bass lines camouflage around complex drum arrangements like Rush’s Limelight and The Spirit of Radio, the first nitpick that I have is in how the perceived stage was, which felt shallow and minorly claustrophobic, which affected the separation between the drums and the bass- and this effect didn’t carry out like notes overlapping of one over the other, but where the instruments would have more breathing room with space. 

Transients on the EW300 through these tracks continued to be fantastic, where especially Geddy’s bass lines showed no sign of stagnation or lingering, thanks to the EW300’s fast decay and a very snappy attack. Peart’s drums had a decent impact, but the resonance on the toms and the snare was affected because of the shallow perception of the stage; although the kicks showed the established transients in a clear light.

The EW300 could have improvised upon the imaging, as Geddy’s vocals felt faintly pushed back than usual, which let the instruments come before the vocals, and there were inconsistencies with its note weight. Overall, not a poor start for the EW300 at all.

MIDS

In tracks set in peculiar keys and unorthodox snare setups like First It Giveth from Queens of the Stone Age, the EW300 improves‌ the separation up a notch, with the cymbals and the guitars being easily distinguishable from one another and that is important, because both of the aforementioned elements can be perceived as fused at a first glance, but not with the EW300. Then come the rapid firing strokes of the snare, where the tonality unfortunately is warped. There’s something off about it, and I don’t want to hold the timbre responsible as I feel it’s too early to call on that. 

Guitars have a lot of energy coming through in hot, and bordering on being faintly fatiguing, but the same cannot be said for the cymbals. Josh Homme’s vocals don’t feel as pushed back as I had expected to be, and the imaging now feels improved, with the cymbals being right by the vocals and not have its emphasis stolen through the chorus.
In tracks where the vocals play second fiddle to the instrumentals like Tool’s Lateralus, the EW300 does a brilliant job with the crescendo-ing drums in the intro, while not forgetting to emphasise on the guitars, but once the bass and the vocals come in, the drums come into the foray with a touch of excess in its presence, but doesn’t overpower anything else. 

I was happy to note that the vocals finally don’t feel as pushed back as how it felt in a previous track, and Maynard carries a satisfying level of note weight, and that’s another good thing about the EW300- it doesn’t forget to keep up with the consistency. Once the breakdown of the track arrives after Danny’s busiest rudiment, the resonance of the drums and the detail with which the EW300 presents it with was incredibly satisfying. Guitars once again border on being fatiguing and shouty, but cymbals retain their textures, weight and restraint on shoutiness.

HIGHS

In tracks which demand great to excellent technical grasp over the perceived stage, tonality and timbre, like Arne Domnerus’ Almighty God with Gustaf Sjokvist, from the legendary album Antiphone Blues; the lack of width in the perceived stage is the first thing that hurts this track on the EW300: the manner in which Arne’s sax juxtaposes with Gustaf’s organ keys needs a lot of space to breathe and extend with the resonance that both instruments have as they bounce off the walls of the church in which it was recorded and the EW300 loses the resonance by quite a good margin.

Timbre on the saxophone is accurately brassy with a slight honk when it rises in the registers but there was no pierce in the sax, and likewise, the organ keys have their timbre intact, although I would have wanted a whisker’s length of brightness here. 

In a quartet setup recorded in true stereo, and a recording from an era which still outclasses pieces released decades later- Dave Brubeck’s Take Five from the prodigal album Time Out, the EW300 has the lack of the perceived stage’s width hurting the presentation as the instruments felt congested in their setup; and thus affecting the resonance that the floor toms and the snare has in this track; but the EW300 doesn’t ruin it completely. In fact, through the timbre of the horns, the double bass right at abeyance and not overexerting itself, the pianos bouncing off playfully with no drop in the perceived note weight and being balanced in its tonality surprised me again.

Through the solo, when it’s only the double bass, the drums and the piano; the EW300 lets the drums and the piano precede over the double bass and that is where the resonance of the toms and the snare finally starts shining. Safe to say, that the EW300 once again didn’t let the horns pierce through, nor did the shimmery cymbals in textures get sibilant.

Finally, in Patricia Barber’s Icarus, which is my test track to test the restraint in sibilance, the EW300 demands a lot of eartip rolling to get the sibilance in check, because it doesn’t put up a fight against it. The way Patricia enunciates her Cs and Ss in this track, the EW300 doesn’t hold back on the sibilance with the Tanchjim T300 APBs which were the best suit in my book, but it was far less exaggerated compared to other eartips. 

Timbre through the percussion is rightfully woody, the bass in this track didn’t let me forget it with its equal emphasis alongside the guitars and the pianos, the cymbals not being shouty by any means and their textures preserved, the real moment comes in Patricia’s single note sustain where there was no pierce observed, and the lush textures of her voice were just rightfully preserved.

COMPARISONS

Truthear Pure

Comparing it with the segment champion, the Truthear Pure reveals how close budget sets are to top-tier performance, even if the Pure ultimately retains its crown. The EW300 comes impressively close in pure transient speed and sub-bass grip, delivering a well executed slam where the decay shows up just so right. However, the Pure handles it with a different flavour by itself: a faint slack in decay while the attack remained planted, but the quantity is lesser than the EW300 which may not overwhelm the listener.

Where the Pure truly pulls away is in its midrange and treble presentation. The Pure delivers lush, true-to-life vocals and just a ridiculous polish throughout the entirety of the midrange and the highs with an effortless sense of stage space. The EW300, on the other hand, struggles with a shallower, slightly claustrophobic soundstage that can affect complex, busy compositions. Furthermore, while the Pure keeps its treble extension smooth and non-fatiguing, the EW300’s upper-mids can border on being hot and shouty, requiring eartip rolling to keep sibilance in check.

Truthear Hexa

The Truthear Hexa remains the unbothered old guard of the sub-$100 segment. Where the EW300 leans into a fun, aggressive V-shape with potent sub-bass slam, snappy attack, and fast decay, the Hexa takes a far more analytical, grounded approach. On certain tracks where the authority in the lows is demanded, the Hexa’s bass leans noticeably leaner compared to the EW300’s sub-bass impact, but it compensates with immaculate texture, allowing for a granular analysis.

In terms of technicalities, the Hexa edges out the EW300 in treble refinement. The Hexa soars through peaks and vocal oscillations without an ounce of sibilance or harshness, whereas the EW300’s guitars can push hot and demand eartips + EQ to tame sibilance. But ultimately ‌, preference leads to the better pick; both of them are competent in their own regard.

Pula Unicrom

The EW300 handily outperforms the Pula Unicrom in low-end discipline and transient execution. The Unicrom had one of the weakest showings in the lows, delivering an incoherent, mushy bass presentation while the EW300 is the complete opposite here: its grip over sub-bass is tight and precise, ensuring that heavy bass hits come off with surprising polish and separation without muddying up the rest of the mix.

The Unicrom recovers some ground in the midrange with a pleasantly warm tonality and surprisingly smooth treble. However, both IEMs share a common constraint: a cramped, claustrophobic soundstage. Where the EW300 easily wins out is its far superior transient speed, snappy decay, and better instrument isolation, avoiding the Unicrom's muddy low-end trap.

Tanchjim Fission

The EW300 delivers a much more straightforward and unified tuning than the overcomplicated Tanchjim Fission. The Fission gets bogged down by its multi-nozzle configuration: the copper/gold nozzles leave the bass feeling lean, dry, and sterile, while the titanium nozzle swings to the opposite extreme, making the bass undesirably boomy and causing upper-mid peaks to become noticeably piercing. The EW300 skips all that gadgetry and delivers a cohesive V-shaped signature, offering a better slam, snappier transients, and better vocal presence than the Fission’s leaner nozzles.

While the Fission holds a slight edge over the EW300 in pure micro-detail retrieval and instrument separation when configured right, its dry, clinical presentation and tendency toward upper-mid shoutiness make it a frustrating listen. The EW300 is simply more enjoyable and less pretentious, even if its shallow stage width holds it back from better technicalities.

Tanchjim Nora

The Tanchjim Nora suffers from a noticeably lower note weight across vocals, cymbals, and guitars, making the overall presentation feel dry and hollow. On lean-pitched vocal tracks, the Nora’s lack of body can quickly turn fatiguing, while its bass delivery lacks crispness and punch.

The EW300 provides a far more satisfying and complete listen than the Nora. The EW300 brings heavy, well-textured sub-bass note weight, fast transient attack, and far better vocal authority. While the EW300 can border on hot in the upper-mids on guitar-heavy tracks, it never sounds as thin, dry, or uninspired as the Nora.

Tanchjim Ola 2

Both the EW300 and the Tanchjim Ola 2 share a common Achilles' heel: a shallow perceived stage depth that threatens to blemish an otherwise solid presentation. On the Ola 2, this manifests as noticeable mid-bass bloat and congestion during busy tracks, while the EW300 handles this limitation much better; despite its narrow stage, its tight grip over the sub-bass and snappier decay keep the low end from bleeding into the lower mids to a good extent.

In the midrange, the Ola 2 offers a slightly more centered vocal placement with natural note weight, whereas the EW300 can occasionally push vocals back behind aggressive instrumentals or sound a touch inconsistent in vocal note weight. Still, the EW300 easily edges out the Ola 2 in pure transient speed, dynamic slam, and treble texture, making the Ola 2 feel a bit wobbly and constrained by comparison.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Simgot EW300 is an undeniably fun, high-energy earphone that delivers plenty of punch without losing its composure, and this is what surprised me, because its predecessor, the EW200 was simply, borderline unreasonable because the brightness was high enough to induce hearing damage. Comparing that to the EW300 feels like Simgot took it personally and decided to break every single backboard with the criticism and feedback, and I just look at how well the EW300 feels.

That being said, it isn't flawless, no audio gear can be. The problems I had with its perceived stage, sibilance and fatigue that can come off quite strong depending upon your tracks of choice, the bass that can get a little out of hand when you may not be in the mood for it can totally blemish what otherwise, is still a wonderful attempt from Simgot, to release something that caters to just the concept of fun. EW300 is just a little party done two ways, and I am happy to recommend it. It isn’t boring, it isn’t dry, it isn’t too analytical- it’s fun. Period.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Tanchjim T300 APB: Showcases the transients of the EW300 at its absolute best, hard hitting lows, best stage possible for this IEM, most restrained sibilant highs with no loss of vocal textures, tonality is not as V as other eartips might make it to be.

Tangzu Sancai Balanced: everything that the T-300 APB does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures overall- elements like floor toms and cymbals felt faintly smeared, warmth corresponds to what the graph showed, upper mids could get faintly hot.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Standard: significantly increased the warmth, stage shrinks further, transients tighten up but the quantity increases too resulting in a boomy bass, mids felt more recessed, gets concerningly sibilant.

ZiSin liquid silicones: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

ZhuAudio Bamboo: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt too recessed, lows felt anemic, vocals felt concerningly smoothened out.

KBear 08: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

When members of my community server on Discord as well as local groups over on Facebook and WhatsApp started requesting me for a review on one of Simgot’s takes on Harman target tuned IEMs, I had to stave off the growing demand and also finish a steady backlog of reviews I was working on, and when I finally had time, I reached out to Simgot, and asked if one heartthrob of this community could be sent out for my take on it, they said yes, and here you have it, my take on the Simgot SuperMix 4. So, thank you Simgot for promptly sending over the SuperMix 4 for review.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

So, Simgot has a nice graphic of the internals of the SuperMix 4 on the cover and technical specifications on the rear, and sliding the cover off gives way to a leaf-like lid, and underneath that lies the shells. Below the foam padding of the shells, a box named “accessories” was there, which had the carry case and the cable; and underneath the padding was a box labelled “eartips”, which had three generic pairs of eartips provided. Simgot honestly, could do better on the accessories front right there.

The cable holds a bit of memory and comes in 3.5mm, and either a separate 4.4mm option or a modular termination would have been better, but the IEMs themselves were comfortable. There’s appropriate venting, and despite wearing them for extended periods, I didn’t experience any fatigue, but the Supermix4 definitely could have used a beefier cable.

Now, here’s the sound of the SuperMix 4.

LOWS

In tracks with a camouflaging bass line with a mathematical drum work like Rush's Limelight and The Spirit of Radio, the SuperMix 4 needed extensive tip rolling and after finally settling on the KBear 07, the SuperMix 4 didn't instantly awe me, and I had to give it time; but once I was fairly acquainted: I could see why this set was appreciated- both notes from the bass line and the drums demonstrated a seemingly well executed transient response but the decay being cut off too soon on the drums adversely affected the perception of the otherwise wonderful resonance that the drums have. Another nitpick for me was when the guitar solo came in, the bass felt a bit overcrowded by the drums, and then extended to the vocals as well.

In tracks with potent bass drops like Tipper's Gulch and Mariscos, the problem that I observed with the transients on the SuperMix 4 was observed clearer: the attack comes in with a steady pace but the rapidly cut off decay does not really let the hits land with a pronounced impact, where the separation of the hits with the rest of the elements seems to be a consolation. Although, especially in Gulch, the click and ping like hits which preceded the actual bass hits came off quite hollow.

MIDS

In tracks set in peculiar keys with an unearthly snare setup like Queens of the Stone Age's First It Giveth, the SuperMix 4 clearly lacks the bite and the aggressiveness of the rapid firing snares, although the separation in its notes is great. My other qualm here is that the bass has lost its edge, which is why this track felt just flat. SuperMix 4 however, has a redemption curve with how good the imaging is: where the cymbals and vocals are just planted with enough emphasis to have the lasting impression be cohesive.

In tracks where vocals play a supplementing act to the instruments, like Tool's Lateralus, the SuperMix 4 does a decent job. Again, the bass is noticeably flatter in terms of impact, which dampens my mood across the way the toms come off, although rest of the elements like cymbals, vocals and guitars have great separation and fantastic imaging. Another problem with me and the SuperMix 4 is how inconsistent the cymbals are, where the rides and crashes have a full, meatiest shimmer perception, but the hi-hats are just hollow and I cannot determine the note weight on them. Momentarily, the vocals came off thin, but the tonality remained intact.

HIGHS

In atmospheric, regally composed tracks which demand a good chunk of technical competence like Arne Domnérus' Almighty God, the SuperMix 4 has the perceived stage going wide enough to let the sax and organ keys breathe, but the timbre on the sax isn't as brassy as it should have been, and it is slightly over-emphasized over the organ keys. Along with that, a faint bump in the sparkle of the organ keys really wouldn't have hurt. Although the organ keys are relaxed, the sax comes in honky and slightly fatiguing.

There are a few things done right and done wrong by the SuperMix 4 in tracks like Dave Brubeck's Take Five. Cymbals could have used more note weight, but textures are preserved: the kick consistently lacks a more pronounced impact, but the transients are reasonable. The toms and snare have their resonance preserved but could have used more body. The horns continued to be honky, but detail retrieval and timbre especially were done very right by the SuperMix 4.

COMPARISONS

EPZ P40

Where the SuperMix 4 delivers a lean, fast, and disciplined bass presentation that requires careful tip-rolling to settle, the EPZ P40 belts out a far heavier, sub-bass-dominant low end that hits with massive quantity while maintaining precise attack and decay. The P40 offers a warmer, fuller vocal presence compared to the occasionally thin vocal rendition on the SuperMix 4. 

However, the SuperMix 4 is safer and far less fatiguing up top comparatively; while the P40 can lean overly hot and present noticeable upper-range sibilance, the SuperMix 4 avoids harsh peaks. What also happens is that the P40 squeezes in significantly more detail than the SuperMix 4, and that impeccable juggle of quality with quantity in the lows of the P40, makes me recommend this over the SuperMix 4. Not to mention, aftermarket eartips (three sets), a nice carry case, and a modular cable.

EPZ P50

Compared to the SuperMix 4's tight transient response and rapid decay control, the EPZ P50 takes a much softer, more laid-back approach to low-end hits. Through the highs, the P50 effectively smooths out harshness, but it sacrifices instrument crispness, and finer detail retrieval minorly. The SuperMix 4 felt noticeably more agile and technically capable, excelling at keeping instruments distinctly separated across a wide soundstage, but also came off considerably leaner than the P50, with a wonkier grip on tonality and timbre.

Juzear x KOTO Nebula

Both the SuperMix 4 and the Juzear Nebula focus on a disciplined, well-controlled bass presentation with fast transients rather than overwhelming low-end quantity. Both IEMs project an impressively wide soundstage with sharp instrument isolation and precise center-stage vocal placement. 

However, the Nebula provides better consistency in upper-frequency note weight: where the SuperMix 4 suffers from an inconsistent balance of note weight regarding parts of instruments (full rides/crashes vs. hollow hi-hats), the Nebula keeps treble peaks smooth, refined, and uniform without trading off note weight. Also, the Nebula keeps sibilance and fatigue far more in check than the SuperMix 4.

Letshuoer Astralis

The Letshuoer Astralis provides a richer, more atmospheric presentation than the SuperMix 4, building its sound on a weightier low-end foundation that gives vocals a meatier, more authoritative presence. The Astralis also maintains better-integrated note weight in the upper frequencies, ensuring cymbals match the thickness of central vocals. The SuperMix 4 counters with a leaner, faster low end and a wider soundstage, though its low-end impact feels noticeably flatter by comparison.

Letshuoer S12 Ultra

The S12 Ultra edges ahead of the SuperMix 4 in top-end refinement, matches the SuperMix 4 in detail retrieval, and completely sibilance-free highs. Both IEMs present a leaner bass footprint, but the S12 Ultra maintains smoother texture control across central instruments without sacrificing air. But the SuperMix 4 is a class of its own comparatively in transients and imaging.

Additionally, the S12 Ultra offers a superior accessory package, including a modular cable and a dedicated dongle DAC, whereas the SuperMix 4 feels somewhat basic in its stock packaging and accessories.

Tanchjim Fola

The Tanchjim Fola shares a lean midrange perception with the SuperMix 4, but it distinguishes itself with exceptional treble smoothness. Where the SuperMix 4 can occasionally come off honky and slightly fatiguing on saxophone and horn sections, the Fola handles upper-mid transitions smoothly without losing technical cleanliness. The Fola also holds an edge in versatility thanks to its modular nozzle tuning system.

CrinEar Daybreak

The CrinEar Daybreak aims for an aggressive, cohesive sound presentation, but it struggles with transient precision. Fast drum work and rapid bass hits can fumble on the Daybreak, whereas the SuperMix 4 handles complex attack phases and instrument separation seamlessly.

CONCLUDING NOTES

What strikes me most about the SuperMix 4 isn't just how Simgot engineered it, it’s just how it got some fundamentals right, with a driver count that heavy, and in a price segment loaded with tough hitting competitors. And, although there have been sets in my possession which have offered considerably more than what the SuperMix 4 has, my discussions with the local communities, as well as newbies who heard this IEM for the first time in my local meetups, made me tone down the dislike meter once and acknowledge that through all of its shortcomings, it it still a set that will work so well for a select few of the population, and I hope Simgot keeps this set around for a little while.

I think Simgot pushed themselves quite a bit in the matter of transients, instrument separation and imaging, which brings the SuperMix 4 in my de facto recommendation of IEMs that do gaming on a fantastic level as well- because those are some of the most important things that needs to be executed to a fault in gaming; but in the pursuit of that, the dry timbre, the inconsistent management of sibilance and fatigue, and the wonky tonality got in its way; and coupled with accessories that clearly could use a level up, I think Simgot once again got the right size of the boot, and it’s just a matter of lacing the said boot.

Will I buy it new? Yes for music and gaming. Not outright for music. Problem is, it sounds dated for music, and current Harman offerings are better at the same price.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely yes, recent price hikes especially in the indian market make it a choice much better at lower tiers.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Acoustune AET07: Showcases the transients of the SuperMix 4 at its absolute best, no improvement in bass quantity but crispest transients possible, widest stage possible for this IEM, most restraint shown in sibilance through the highs with no loss of vocal textures, tonality comes off slightly more balanced than what the graph showed.

KBear 07: everything that the AET07 does, but to a lesser degree, because clones.

Final E: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, mid-bass felt overly boomy, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, highs felt a bit too rolled off.

Dunu S&S: just ruined the IEM. Obliterated the finer textures in the lows, vocal quality went up for a toss, highs had no grip over themselves.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

When members of my community server on Discord as well as local groups over on Facebook and WhatsApp started requesting me for a review on one of Simgot’s takes on Harman target tuned IEMs, I had to stave off the growing demand and also finish a steady backlog of reviews I was working on, and when I finally had time, I reached out to Simgot, and asked if one heartthrob of this community could be sent out for my take on it, they said yes, and here you have it, my take on the Simgot SuperMix 4. So, thank you Simgot for promptly sending over the SuperMix 4 for review.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

So, Simgot has a nice graphic of the internals of the SuperMix 4 on the cover and technical specifications on the rear, and sliding the cover off gives way to a leaf-like lid, and underneath that lies the shells. Below the foam padding of the shells, a box named “accessories” was there, which had the carry case and the cable; and underneath the padding was a box labelled “eartips”, which had three generic pairs of eartips provided. Simgot honestly, could do better on the accessories front right there.

The cable holds a bit of memory and comes in 3.5mm, and either a separate 4.4mm option or a modular termination would have been better, but the IEMs themselves were comfortable. There’s appropriate venting, and despite wearing them for extended periods, I didn’t experience any fatigue, but the Supermix4 definitely could have used a beefier cable.

Now, here’s the sound of the SuperMix 4.

LOWS

In tracks with a camouflaging bass line with a mathematical drum work like Rush's Limelight and The Spirit of Radio, the SuperMix 4 needed extensive tip rolling and after finally settling on the KBear 07, the SuperMix 4 didn't instantly awe me, and I had to give it time; but once I was fairly acquainted: I could see why this set was appreciated- both notes from the bass line and the drums demonstrated a seemingly well executed transient response but the decay being cut off too soon on the drums adversely affected the perception of the otherwise wonderful resonance that the drums have. Another nitpick for me was when the guitar solo came in, the bass felt a bit overcrowded by the drums, and then extended to the vocals as well.

In tracks with potent bass drops like Tipper's Gulch and Mariscos, the problem that I observed with the transients on the SuperMix 4 was observed clearer: the attack comes in with a steady pace but the rapidly cut off decay does not really let the hits land with a pronounced impact, where the separation of the hits with the rest of the elements seems to be a consolation. Although, especially in Gulch, the click and ping like hits which preceded the actual bass hits came off quite hollow.

MIDS

In tracks set in peculiar keys with an unearthly snare setup like Queens of the Stone Age's First It Giveth, the SuperMix 4 clearly lacks the bite and the aggressiveness of the rapid firing snares, although the separation in its notes is great. My other qualm here is that the bass has lost its edge, which is why this track felt just flat. SuperMix 4 however, has a redemption curve with how good the imaging is: where the cymbals and vocals are just planted with enough emphasis to have the lasting impression be cohesive.

In tracks where vocals play a supplementing act to the instruments, like Tool's Lateralus, the SuperMix 4 does a decent job. Again, the bass is noticeably flatter in terms of impact, which dampens my mood across the way the toms come off, although rest of the elements like cymbals, vocals and guitars have great separation and fantastic imaging. Another problem with me and the SuperMix 4 is how inconsistent the cymbals are, where the rides and crashes have a full, meatiest shimmer perception, but the hi-hats are just hollow and I cannot determine the note weight on them. Momentarily, the vocals came off thin, but the tonality remained intact.

HIGHS

In atmospheric, regally composed tracks which demand a good chunk of technical competence like Arne Domnérus' Almighty God, the SuperMix 4 has the perceived stage going wide enough to let the sax and organ keys breathe, but the timbre on the sax isn't as brassy as it should have been, and it is slightly over-emphasized over the organ keys. Along with that, a faint bump in the sparkle of the organ keys really wouldn't have hurt. Although the organ keys are relaxed, the sax comes in honky and slightly fatiguing.

There are a few things done right and done wrong by the SuperMix 4 in tracks like Dave Brubeck's Take Five. Cymbals could have used more note weight, but textures are preserved: the kick consistently lacks a more pronounced impact, but the transients are reasonable. The toms and snare have their resonance preserved but could have used more body. The horns continued to be honky, but detail retrieval and timbre especially were done very right by the SuperMix 4.

COMPARISONS

EPZ P40

Where the SuperMix 4 delivers a lean, fast, and disciplined bass presentation that requires careful tip-rolling to settle, the EPZ P40 belts out a far heavier, sub-bass-dominant low end that hits with massive quantity while maintaining precise attack and decay. The P40 offers a warmer, fuller vocal presence compared to the occasionally thin vocal rendition on the SuperMix 4. 

However, the SuperMix 4 is safer and far less fatiguing up top comparatively; while the P40 can lean overly hot and present noticeable upper-range sibilance, the SuperMix 4 avoids harsh peaks. What also happens is that the P40 squeezes in significantly more detail than the SuperMix 4, and that impeccable juggle of quality with quantity in the lows of the P40, makes me recommend this over the SuperMix 4. Not to mention, aftermarket eartips (three sets), a nice carry case, and a modular cable.

EPZ P50

Compared to the SuperMix 4's tight transient response and rapid decay control, the EPZ P50 takes a much softer, more laid-back approach to low-end hits. Through the highs, the P50 effectively smooths out harshness, but it sacrifices instrument crispness, and finer detail retrieval minorly. The SuperMix 4 felt noticeably more agile and technically capable, excelling at keeping instruments distinctly separated across a wide soundstage, but also came off considerably leaner than the P50, with a wonkier grip on tonality and timbre.

Juzear x KOTO Nebula

Both the SuperMix 4 and the Juzear Nebula focus on a disciplined, well-controlled bass presentation with fast transients rather than overwhelming low-end quantity. Both IEMs project an impressively wide soundstage with sharp instrument isolation and precise center-stage vocal placement. 

However, the Nebula provides better consistency in upper-frequency note weight: where the SuperMix 4 suffers from an inconsistent balance of note weight regarding parts of instruments (full rides/crashes vs. hollow hi-hats), the Nebula keeps treble peaks smooth, refined, and uniform without trading off note weight. Also, the Nebula keeps sibilance and fatigue far more in check than the SuperMix 4.

Letshuoer Astralis

The Letshuoer Astralis provides a richer, more atmospheric presentation than the SuperMix 4, building its sound on a weightier low-end foundation that gives vocals a meatier, more authoritative presence. The Astralis also maintains better-integrated note weight in the upper frequencies, ensuring cymbals match the thickness of central vocals. The SuperMix 4 counters with a leaner, faster low end and a wider soundstage, though its low-end impact feels noticeably flatter by comparison.

Letshuoer S12 Ultra

The S12 Ultra edges ahead of the SuperMix 4 in top-end refinement, matches the SuperMix 4 in detail retrieval, and completely sibilance-free highs. Both IEMs present a leaner bass footprint, but the S12 Ultra maintains smoother texture control across central instruments without sacrificing air. But the SuperMix 4 is a class of its own comparatively in transients and imaging.

Additionally, the S12 Ultra offers a superior accessory package, including a modular cable and a dedicated dongle DAC, whereas the SuperMix 4 feels somewhat basic in its stock packaging and accessories.

Tanchjim Fola

The Tanchjim Fola shares a lean midrange perception with the SuperMix 4, but it distinguishes itself with exceptional treble smoothness. Where the SuperMix 4 can occasionally come off honky and slightly fatiguing on saxophone and horn sections, the Fola handles upper-mid transitions smoothly without losing technical cleanliness. The Fola also holds an edge in versatility thanks to its modular nozzle tuning system.

CrinEar Daybreak

The CrinEar Daybreak aims for an aggressive, cohesive sound presentation, but it struggles with transient precision. Fast drum work and rapid bass hits can fumble on the Daybreak, whereas the SuperMix 4 handles complex attack phases and instrument separation seamlessly.

CONCLUDING NOTES

What strikes me most about the SuperMix 4 isn't just how Simgot engineered it, it’s just how it got some fundamentals right, with a driver count that heavy, and in a price segment loaded with tough hitting competitors. And, although there have been sets in my possession which have offered considerably more than what the SuperMix 4 has, my discussions with the local communities, as well as newbies who heard this IEM for the first time in my local meetups, made me tone down the dislike meter once and acknowledge that through all of its shortcomings, it it still a set that will work so well for a select few of the population, and I hope Simgot keeps this set around for a little while.

I think Simgot pushed themselves quite a bit in the matter of transients, instrument separation and imaging, which brings the SuperMix 4 in my de facto recommendation of IEMs that do gaming on a fantastic level as well- because those are some of the most important things that needs to be executed to a fault in gaming; but in the pursuit of that, the dry timbre, the inconsistent management of sibilance and fatigue, and the wonky tonality got in its way; and coupled with accessories that clearly could use a level up, I think Simgot once again got the right size of the boot, and it’s just a matter of lacing the said boot.

Will I buy it new? Yes for music and gaming. Not outright for music. Problem is, it sounds dated for music, and current Harman offerings are better at the same price.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely yes, recent price hikes especially in the indian market make it a choice much better at lower tiers.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Acoustune AET07: Showcases the transients of the SuperMix 4 at its absolute best, no improvement in bass quantity but crispest transients possible, widest stage possible for this IEM, most restraint shown in sibilance through the highs with no loss of vocal textures, tonality comes off slightly more balanced than what the graph showed.

KBear 07: everything that the AET07 does, but to a lesser degree, because clones.

Final E: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, mid-bass felt overly boomy, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, highs felt a bit too rolled off.

Dunu S&S: just ruined the IEM. Obliterated the finer textures in the lows, vocal quality went up for a toss, highs had no grip over themselves.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Juzear and I have had a potentially strong start with the Dragonfly 81T, and I have been seeing them put out a lot of new releases lately. So, me being me, I reached out to HiFiGo, and by the time I caught up on my backlog of reviews, they proposed to me the new Nebula, which is a collaboration with Koto; and there’s a lot of good to speak about the Nebula. So, HiFiGo, thank you for sending out this version of the Nebula.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Juzear had the graphics of the Nebula laid out on the box lid vividly, and the specifications on the bottom. Removing the cover ‌, and taking the lid off gave way to a translucent sheet of paper with the Nebula graphics, underneath which the IEMs were in foam padding, and with the cable attached. Under the padding, there was a cleaning cloth, and an orange hued leather pouch with three sets of colored wide bores, three sets of regular silicone, and foam eartips. Not sure if they are available with HiFiGo as an aftermarket option, but the tip choices were ample. 

The cable is built well, but holds memory; the shells feel well built with enough venting and nozzles that won’t fall off even with consistent eartip rolling, and the cable is modular. 

In my unit, there was a quirk with the cable which, when plugged in correctly, faintly distorted the lows a bit, so I had to swap the left and right sides and the Nebula sounded correct. I have used the Nebula extensively, and even took it to my community meetups, where a bunch of enthusiasts tried it, and there was no reported pressure buildup; so that’s good to know.

Now, here’s the sound of the Nebula.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch
The Nebula surprisingly has a fantastic approach towards the bass hits that this track has, and that shows up in its transients where the attack and decay are fast, letting the curtain be enunciated in a way which makes the presentation quite vivid. 

Rest of the elements are isolated well from the beats and demonstrate a commendable instrument separation. Another thing that I really appreciate about the Nebula is that the quantity of the bass is just kept at abeyance which makes the entire presentation all the better.

Rush: Limelight
Here, the Nebula once again strikes a proper balance from a quality to quantity aspect: where the quantity ensures that Geddy's bass line engages in with Peart's surgical drum work & not once do both of them clash: the transients are once again competent with a fantastic separation between the bass and the drums; and especially through the solo, where Geddy cranks up the intensity of the bass; and the Nebula is practically competent enough to balance that with the crisp snares and the potent, minimally resonant tone with the kick drum showing an excellent control over the decay.

 Prima facie, the Nebula also doesn't seem to disregard the imaging as Geddy's vocals were planted right in the center and tonally unaltered to just keep the warmth from adversely affecting it.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home Is in the Delta
The Nebula here shows some of its limits in terms of capabilities, but before that, I must definitely appreciate how wide the perceived soundstage was on this track, along with a good sense of depth. 

Timbre on the slide and guitar did not feel overly metallic, although I would not say that it is close to being accurate. Muddy's haunting, mournful vocals extend as high as it can get, but across sections where he wails out the verses louder than usual, the Nebula can be a little fatiguing. The low strings on the guitar in this track lose their polish by coming off unusually boomy, but nothing that EQ cannot fix.

Tool: Lateralus
As the crescendo-ing, bubbling tones meet the guitars to set the stage for the bass and the vocals come in, the perceived boom which I had anticipated after noting in the aforementioned track was very restrained but present, nonetheless. 

Another nitpick for me with the Nebula is that the perceived note weight between the vocals and cymbals was not at the same plane: vocals did not appear to be thin and anemic, but cymbals came off thin, faintly grainy in texture, and mildly shouty towards the track. Imaging continued to be precise and separation was near flawless.

HIGHS

Arne Domnérus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
The Nebula supremely impressed me first with how brassy the timbre came off on the sax, with the resonance being just right to not be uncomfortably honky or shouty. 

At least on this track, the warm tonality on the Nebula did not feel bothersome, contrary to what I had expected, and the organ keys complemented the sax in a way where I could just stop commenting on the separation because the Nebula establishes that to be one of its strongest points. The perceived wide stage let both the sax and keys breathe sufficiently, with the isolation among the notes being near perfect.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
The Nebula just has one problem in this track, and it is just the double bass on this track having an attenuation in its decay, but everything else was handled so well. The timbre in the snares was just appropriately woody and had a beautiful resonance, the twang of the guitars being perfect and having enough shimmer to cut through the cymbals, where soft impact with a lingering presence lingering around and supplementing Carmen's sensuous, hush vocals was the cherry on top. Perceived note weight was unaltered, and nowhere did Carmen sound sibilant, and the same can be said for the cymbals.

COMPARISONS

EPZ P40

The Nebula approaches low-end quantity with noticeable restraint, to deliver a well controlled and commendable transient response, and separation through and through with elements that correspond to it. In contrast, the EPZ P40 belts out a much heavier, sub-bass-dominant low end that hits with near mid-fi level of finesse. While the P40 keeps its thunderous sub-bass surprisingly well-isolated without muddying the mix, the Nebula’s comparatively leaner, more disciplined bass tuning provides a cleaner pathway for percussion to stand out without fatigue.

In the mids and highs, the P40 presents a fuller, warmer vocal body across the board, whereas the Nebula gets close to sounding rich, but across moments can appear faintly thin. 

However, the Nebula easily takes the lead in treble refinement and tonal safety, as the P40 can lean overly hot and exhibit noticeable sibilance or upper-range spice on certain tracks, the Nebula keeps the peaks smooth, and fatigue-free.

EPZ P50

Compared to the Nebula's disciplined and punchy low-end transients, the EPZ P50 offers a more laid-back bass presentation. It doesn’t skimp out on the low-end potency, but it lacks both the massive sub-bass impact of the P40 and the tight, fast decay control of the Nebula. The Nebula feels noticeably more agile and technically capable, whereas the P50 takes a warmer, softer approach to low-end hits.

Through the mids and highs, the P50 smooths out potential harshness, but it sacrifices fine detail retrieval and vocal crispness. Complex breakdowns can sound a bit hazier on the P50, while the Nebula excels at keeping instruments distinctly separated across a wide soundstage. While the P50 effectively avoids sibilance, the Nebula offers a superior sense of instrument isolation, dynamic brass timbre, and air without sounding dull or overly safe. But ‌you cannot go wrong with either of them.

Letshuoer Astralis

The Letshuoer Astralis delivers a noticeably richer, more atmospheric presentation than the Nebula, offering a fuller low-end foundation that fills out the soundstage with greater warmth and body. Where the Nebula keeps its bass tightly controlled and held in abeyance, the Astralis relies on a weightier low end that gives male vocals a meatier, more authoritative presence.

In the upper-mids and the rest of the highs, the Astralis provides better-integrated note weight, ensuring cymbals and high-frequency hits match the thickness of central vocals. The Nebula, by comparison, projects a wider, airier soundstage with sharper instrument separation and faster transient speed, though it occasionally trade-offs note weight consistency between cymbals and vocals. The Nebula also fits better, and the lows from the Astralis can get overwhelming from a quantity standpoint.

Tanchjim Fola

The Tanchjim Fola shares a similarly thin midrange perception with the Fission when compared against the Nebula’s fuller vocal presentation. However, the Fola distinguishes itself by delivering an exceptionally smooth, relaxed treble response that makes the Nebula sound spicier and more fatiguing by comparison. The level of technical cleanliness that ‌Fola maintains simply cannot be matched.

In the low end, the Fola offers great bass performance with clean impact, which the Nebula matches closely. The Fola’s modular nozzle system gives it a tuning flexibility edge, with Tanchjim’s both versions of the T300AP silicone eartips and a sturdy case, where the Nebula can definitely feel slightly lacking in accessories.

CrinEar Daybreak 

The CrinEar Daybreak focuses heavily on a cohesive and aggressive presentation but fumbles the transients, which the Nebula handles seamlessly. 

The Nebula, in contrast, is all about spatial awareness and precise isolation. It creates a distinctly wider perceived soundstage with far better room for instruments to breathe, making complex acoustic tracks, saxophones, and organ keys feel significantly more open. While the Daybreak is better if an aggressive sound is the need of the hour, the Nebula dominates for better transients, separation, and imaging.

ZiiGaat Lush

The ZiiGaat Lush presents a more mature, cohesive, and laid-back package that excels at smooth, fatigue-free listening without harshness or unwanted spice. While the Juzear Nebula leans into a wider, highly transparent soundstage with better transients and better instrument separation, the Lush pulls back to deliver a warmer, richer, and more immersive musical presentation.

In the low end, the Nebula keeps bass quantity strictly in check to prioritize rapid attack and tight decay, whereas the Lush delivers a cleaner, highly natural body that never feels overbearing or boomy. Where the Nebula showcases incredible technical agility on complex tracks, the Lush counters with effortless vocal textures and a supremely forgiving top end, making it the more relaxed, all-day-wearing companion compared to the Nebula's sharper, more analytical engagement.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Juzear x KOTO Nebula stands out as a very solid offering from Juzear, proving that the brand is continuing to improvise, adapt, and overcome. I have seen quite a few posts on the Defiant with significant issues in its quality control, and Juzear (HiFiGo) basically taking accountability for it and fixing it. But, in my time spent with the Nebula, I feel that Juzear has worked out considerably on the shortcomings, and this was confirmed across the multiple listening sessions that this IEM went through.

Coming to the sound, the Nebula is a fantastic all rounder, that does everything that one might ask for to a good extent, although it is not a specialist, or to put it bluntly, a one-trick pony. But if it were me, my first preference would be the Tanchjim Fola, but the Nebula gives everything else a tough run for its money (could do better on what it comes with though). Like, if I didn’t listen to the Fola, I would have definitely bought the Nebula. The highs on this IEM just have the right amount of brightness to my ears, and although some tinkering might be needed for vocals, and a faint touch down on the bass; rest is sorted with the Nebula.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Tanchjim T-500 APB liquid silicones: Showcases the transients of the Nebula at its absolute best, hard hitting clean lows, deepest stage possible for this IEM, sibilant free highs with no loss of vocal textures, tonality comes off more balanced than what the graph showed.

Divinus Velvet Narrow Bores: everything that the T-500 APB does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the lows- elements like floor toms felt like they could have used more power, warmth corresponds to what the graph showed, upper mids could get faintly bothersome.

Stock Silicones: Everything felt fine, but the above two eartips significantly bumped up the performance.

KBear Coffees: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

Stock Wide Bores: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt uncomfortable, lows felt anemic, vocals felt fizzled out.

Tangzu Sancai Balanced: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Juzear and I have had a potentially strong start with the Dragonfly 81T, and I have been seeing them put out a lot of new releases lately. So, me being me, I reached out to HiFiGo, and by the time I caught up on my backlog of reviews, they proposed to me the new Nebula, which is a collaboration with Koto; and there’s a lot of good to speak about the Nebula. So, HiFiGo, thank you for sending out this version of the Nebula.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Juzear had the graphics of the Nebula laid out on the box lid vividly, and the specifications on the bottom. Removing the cover ‌, and taking the lid off gave way to a translucent sheet of paper with the Nebula graphics, underneath which the IEMs were in foam padding, and with the cable attached. Under the padding, there was a cleaning cloth, and an orange hued leather pouch with three sets of colored wide bores, three sets of regular silicone, and foam eartips. Not sure if they are available with HiFiGo as an aftermarket option, but the tip choices were ample. 

The cable is built well, but holds memory; the shells feel well built with enough venting and nozzles that won’t fall off even with consistent eartip rolling, and the cable is modular. 

In my unit, there was a quirk with the cable which, when plugged in correctly, faintly distorted the lows a bit, so I had to swap the left and right sides and the Nebula sounded correct. I have used the Nebula extensively, and even took it to my community meetups, where a bunch of enthusiasts tried it, and there was no reported pressure buildup; so that’s good to know.

Now, here’s the sound of the Nebula.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch
The Nebula surprisingly has a fantastic approach towards the bass hits that this track has, and that shows up in its transients where the attack and decay are fast, letting the curtain be enunciated in a way which makes the presentation quite vivid. 

Rest of the elements are isolated well from the beats and demonstrate a commendable instrument separation. Another thing that I really appreciate about the Nebula is that the quantity of the bass is just kept at abeyance which makes the entire presentation all the better.

Rush: Limelight
Here, the Nebula once again strikes a proper balance from a quality to quantity aspect: where the quantity ensures that Geddy's bass line engages in with Peart's surgical drum work & not once do both of them clash: the transients are once again competent with a fantastic separation between the bass and the drums; and especially through the solo, where Geddy cranks up the intensity of the bass; and the Nebula is practically competent enough to balance that with the crisp snares and the potent, minimally resonant tone with the kick drum showing an excellent control over the decay.

 Prima facie, the Nebula also doesn't seem to disregard the imaging as Geddy's vocals were planted right in the center and tonally unaltered to just keep the warmth from adversely affecting it.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home Is in the Delta
The Nebula here shows some of its limits in terms of capabilities, but before that, I must definitely appreciate how wide the perceived soundstage was on this track, along with a good sense of depth. 

Timbre on the slide and guitar did not feel overly metallic, although I would not say that it is close to being accurate. Muddy's haunting, mournful vocals extend as high as it can get, but across sections where he wails out the verses louder than usual, the Nebula can be a little fatiguing. The low strings on the guitar in this track lose their polish by coming off unusually boomy, but nothing that EQ cannot fix.

Tool: Lateralus
As the crescendo-ing, bubbling tones meet the guitars to set the stage for the bass and the vocals come in, the perceived boom which I had anticipated after noting in the aforementioned track was very restrained but present, nonetheless. 

Another nitpick for me with the Nebula is that the perceived note weight between the vocals and cymbals was not at the same plane: vocals did not appear to be thin and anemic, but cymbals came off thin, faintly grainy in texture, and mildly shouty towards the track. Imaging continued to be precise and separation was near flawless.

HIGHS

Arne Domnérus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
The Nebula supremely impressed me first with how brassy the timbre came off on the sax, with the resonance being just right to not be uncomfortably honky or shouty. 

At least on this track, the warm tonality on the Nebula did not feel bothersome, contrary to what I had expected, and the organ keys complemented the sax in a way where I could just stop commenting on the separation because the Nebula establishes that to be one of its strongest points. The perceived wide stage let both the sax and keys breathe sufficiently, with the isolation among the notes being near perfect.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
The Nebula just has one problem in this track, and it is just the double bass on this track having an attenuation in its decay, but everything else was handled so well. The timbre in the snares was just appropriately woody and had a beautiful resonance, the twang of the guitars being perfect and having enough shimmer to cut through the cymbals, where soft impact with a lingering presence lingering around and supplementing Carmen's sensuous, hush vocals was the cherry on top. Perceived note weight was unaltered, and nowhere did Carmen sound sibilant, and the same can be said for the cymbals.

COMPARISONS

EPZ P40

The Nebula approaches low-end quantity with noticeable restraint, to deliver a well controlled and commendable transient response, and separation through and through with elements that correspond to it. In contrast, the EPZ P40 belts out a much heavier, sub-bass-dominant low end that hits with near mid-fi level of finesse. While the P40 keeps its thunderous sub-bass surprisingly well-isolated without muddying the mix, the Nebula’s comparatively leaner, more disciplined bass tuning provides a cleaner pathway for percussion to stand out without fatigue.

In the mids and highs, the P40 presents a fuller, warmer vocal body across the board, whereas the Nebula gets close to sounding rich, but across moments can appear faintly thin. 

However, the Nebula easily takes the lead in treble refinement and tonal safety, as the P40 can lean overly hot and exhibit noticeable sibilance or upper-range spice on certain tracks, the Nebula keeps the peaks smooth, and fatigue-free.

EPZ P50

Compared to the Nebula's disciplined and punchy low-end transients, the EPZ P50 offers a more laid-back bass presentation. It doesn’t skimp out on the low-end potency, but it lacks both the massive sub-bass impact of the P40 and the tight, fast decay control of the Nebula. The Nebula feels noticeably more agile and technically capable, whereas the P50 takes a warmer, softer approach to low-end hits.

Through the mids and highs, the P50 smooths out potential harshness, but it sacrifices fine detail retrieval and vocal crispness. Complex breakdowns can sound a bit hazier on the P50, while the Nebula excels at keeping instruments distinctly separated across a wide soundstage. While the P50 effectively avoids sibilance, the Nebula offers a superior sense of instrument isolation, dynamic brass timbre, and air without sounding dull or overly safe. But ‌you cannot go wrong with either of them.

Letshuoer Astralis

The Letshuoer Astralis delivers a noticeably richer, more atmospheric presentation than the Nebula, offering a fuller low-end foundation that fills out the soundstage with greater warmth and body. Where the Nebula keeps its bass tightly controlled and held in abeyance, the Astralis relies on a weightier low end that gives male vocals a meatier, more authoritative presence.

In the upper-mids and the rest of the highs, the Astralis provides better-integrated note weight, ensuring cymbals and high-frequency hits match the thickness of central vocals. The Nebula, by comparison, projects a wider, airier soundstage with sharper instrument separation and faster transient speed, though it occasionally trade-offs note weight consistency between cymbals and vocals. The Nebula also fits better, and the lows from the Astralis can get overwhelming from a quantity standpoint.

Tanchjim Fola

The Tanchjim Fola shares a similarly thin midrange perception with the Fission when compared against the Nebula’s fuller vocal presentation. However, the Fola distinguishes itself by delivering an exceptionally smooth, relaxed treble response that makes the Nebula sound spicier and more fatiguing by comparison. The level of technical cleanliness that ‌Fola maintains simply cannot be matched.

In the low end, the Fola offers great bass performance with clean impact, which the Nebula matches closely. The Fola’s modular nozzle system gives it a tuning flexibility edge, with Tanchjim’s both versions of the T300AP silicone eartips and a sturdy case, where the Nebula can definitely feel slightly lacking in accessories.

CrinEar Daybreak 

The CrinEar Daybreak focuses heavily on a cohesive and aggressive presentation but fumbles the transients, which the Nebula handles seamlessly. 

The Nebula, in contrast, is all about spatial awareness and precise isolation. It creates a distinctly wider perceived soundstage with far better room for instruments to breathe, making complex acoustic tracks, saxophones, and organ keys feel significantly more open. While the Daybreak is better if an aggressive sound is the need of the hour, the Nebula dominates for better transients, separation, and imaging.

ZiiGaat Lush

The ZiiGaat Lush presents a more mature, cohesive, and laid-back package that excels at smooth, fatigue-free listening without harshness or unwanted spice. While the Juzear Nebula leans into a wider, highly transparent soundstage with better transients and better instrument separation, the Lush pulls back to deliver a warmer, richer, and more immersive musical presentation.

In the low end, the Nebula keeps bass quantity strictly in check to prioritize rapid attack and tight decay, whereas the Lush delivers a cleaner, highly natural body that never feels overbearing or boomy. Where the Nebula showcases incredible technical agility on complex tracks, the Lush counters with effortless vocal textures and a supremely forgiving top end, making it the more relaxed, all-day-wearing companion compared to the Nebula's sharper, more analytical engagement.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Juzear x KOTO Nebula stands out as a very solid offering from Juzear, proving that the brand is continuing to improvise, adapt, and overcome. I have seen quite a few posts on the Defiant with significant issues in its quality control, and Juzear (HiFiGo) basically taking accountability for it and fixing it. But, in my time spent with the Nebula, I feel that Juzear has worked out considerably on the shortcomings, and this was confirmed across the multiple listening sessions that this IEM went through.

Coming to the sound, the Nebula is a fantastic all rounder, that does everything that one might ask for to a good extent, although it is not a specialist, or to put it bluntly, a one-trick pony. But if it were me, my first preference would be the Tanchjim Fola, but the Nebula gives everything else a tough run for its money (could do better on what it comes with though). Like, if I didn’t listen to the Fola, I would have definitely bought the Nebula. The highs on this IEM just have the right amount of brightness to my ears, and although some tinkering might be needed for vocals, and a faint touch down on the bass; rest is sorted with the Nebula.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Tanchjim T-500 APB liquid silicones: Showcases the transients of the Nebula at its absolute best, hard hitting clean lows, deepest stage possible for this IEM, sibilant free highs with no loss of vocal textures, tonality comes off more balanced than what the graph showed.

Divinus Velvet Narrow Bores: everything that the T-500 APB does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the lows- elements like floor toms felt like they could have used more power, warmth corresponds to what the graph showed, upper mids could get faintly bothersome.

Stock Silicones: Everything felt fine, but the above two eartips significantly bumped up the performance.

KBear Coffees: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

Stock Wide Bores: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt uncomfortable, lows felt anemic, vocals felt fizzled out.

Tangzu Sancai Balanced: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Juzear and I have had a potentially strong start with the Dragonfly 81T, and I have been seeing them put out a lot of new releases lately. So, me being me, I reached out to HiFiGo, and by the time I caught up on my backlog of reviews, they proposed to me the new Nebula, which is a collaboration with Koto; and there’s a lot of good to speak about the Nebula. So, HiFiGo, thank you for sending out this version of the Nebula.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Juzear had the graphics of the Nebula laid out on the box lid vividly, and the specifications on the bottom. Removing the cover ‌, and taking the lid off gave way to a translucent sheet of paper with the Nebula graphics, underneath which the IEMs were in foam padding, and with the cable attached. Under the padding, there was a cleaning cloth, and an orange hued leather pouch with three sets of colored wide bores, three sets of regular silicone, and foam eartips. Not sure if they are available with HiFiGo as an aftermarket option, but the tip choices were ample. 

The cable is built well, but holds memory; the shells feel well built with enough venting and nozzles that won’t fall off even with consistent eartip rolling, and the cable is modular. 

In my unit, there was a quirk with the cable which, when plugged in correctly, faintly distorted the lows a bit, so I had to swap the left and right sides and the Nebula sounded correct. I have used the Nebula extensively, and even took it to my community meetups, where a bunch of enthusiasts tried it, and there was no reported pressure buildup; so that’s good to know.

Now, here’s the sound of the Nebula.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch
The Nebula surprisingly has a fantastic approach towards the bass hits that this track has, and that shows up in its transients where the attack and decay are fast, letting the curtain be enunciated in a way which makes the presentation quite vivid. 

Rest of the elements are isolated well from the beats and demonstrate a commendable instrument separation. Another thing that I really appreciate about the Nebula is that the quantity of the bass is just kept at abeyance which makes the entire presentation all the better.

Rush: Limelight
Here, the Nebula once again strikes a proper balance from a quality to quantity aspect: where the quantity ensures that Geddy's bass line engages in with Peart's surgical drum work & not once do both of them clash: the transients are once again competent with a fantastic separation between the bass and the drums; and especially through the solo, where Geddy cranks up the intensity of the bass; and the Nebula is practically competent enough to balance that with the crisp snares and the potent, minimally resonant tone with the kick drum showing an excellent control over the decay.

 Prima facie, the Nebula also doesn't seem to disregard the imaging as Geddy's vocals were planted right in the center and tonally unaltered to just keep the warmth from adversely affecting it.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home Is in the Delta
The Nebula here shows some of its limits in terms of capabilities, but before that, I must definitely appreciate how wide the perceived soundstage was on this track, along with a good sense of depth. 

Timbre on the slide and guitar did not feel overly metallic, although I would not say that it is close to being accurate. Muddy's haunting, mournful vocals extend as high as it can get, but across sections where he wails out the verses louder than usual, the Nebula can be a little fatiguing. The low strings on the guitar in this track lose their polish by coming off unusually boomy, but nothing that EQ cannot fix.

Tool: Lateralus
As the crescendo-ing, bubbling tones meet the guitars to set the stage for the bass and the vocals come in, the perceived boom which I had anticipated after noting in the aforementioned track was very restrained but present, nonetheless. 

Another nitpick for me with the Nebula is that the perceived note weight between the vocals and cymbals was not at the same plane: vocals did not appear to be thin and anemic, but cymbals came off thin, faintly grainy in texture, and mildly shouty towards the track. Imaging continued to be precise and separation was near flawless.

HIGHS

Arne Domnérus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
The Nebula supremely impressed me first with how brassy the timbre came off on the sax, with the resonance being just right to not be uncomfortably honky or shouty. 

At least on this track, the warm tonality on the Nebula did not feel bothersome, contrary to what I had expected, and the organ keys complemented the sax in a way where I could just stop commenting on the separation because the Nebula establishes that to be one of its strongest points. The perceived wide stage let both the sax and keys breathe sufficiently, with the isolation among the notes being near perfect.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
The Nebula just has one problem in this track, and it is just the double bass on this track having an attenuation in its decay, but everything else was handled so well. The timbre in the snares was just appropriately woody and had a beautiful resonance, the twang of the guitars being perfect and having enough shimmer to cut through the cymbals, where soft impact with a lingering presence lingering around and supplementing Carmen's sensuous, hush vocals was the cherry on top. Perceived note weight was unaltered, and nowhere did Carmen sound sibilant, and the same can be said for the cymbals.

COMPARISONS

EPZ P40

The Nebula approaches low-end quantity with noticeable restraint, to deliver a well controlled and commendable transient response, and separation through and through with elements that correspond to it. In contrast, the EPZ P40 belts out a much heavier, sub-bass-dominant low end that hits with near mid-fi level of finesse. While the P40 keeps its thunderous sub-bass surprisingly well-isolated without muddying the mix, the Nebula’s comparatively leaner, more disciplined bass tuning provides a cleaner pathway for percussion to stand out without fatigue.

In the mids and highs, the P40 presents a fuller, warmer vocal body across the board, whereas the Nebula gets close to sounding rich, but across moments can appear faintly thin. 

However, the Nebula easily takes the lead in treble refinement and tonal safety, as the P40 can lean overly hot and exhibit noticeable sibilance or upper-range spice on certain tracks, the Nebula keeps the peaks smooth, and fatigue-free.

EPZ P50

Compared to the Nebula's disciplined and punchy low-end transients, the EPZ P50 offers a more laid-back bass presentation. It doesn’t skimp out on the low-end potency, but it lacks both the massive sub-bass impact of the P40 and the tight, fast decay control of the Nebula. The Nebula feels noticeably more agile and technically capable, whereas the P50 takes a warmer, softer approach to low-end hits.

Through the mids and highs, the P50 smooths out potential harshness, but it sacrifices fine detail retrieval and vocal crispness. Complex breakdowns can sound a bit hazier on the P50, while the Nebula excels at keeping instruments distinctly separated across a wide soundstage. While the P50 effectively avoids sibilance, the Nebula offers a superior sense of instrument isolation, dynamic brass timbre, and air without sounding dull or overly safe. But ‌you cannot go wrong with either of them.

Letshuoer Astralis

The Letshuoer Astralis delivers a noticeably richer, more atmospheric presentation than the Nebula, offering a fuller low-end foundation that fills out the soundstage with greater warmth and body. Where the Nebula keeps its bass tightly controlled and held in abeyance, the Astralis relies on a weightier low end that gives male vocals a meatier, more authoritative presence.

In the upper-mids and the rest of the highs, the Astralis provides better-integrated note weight, ensuring cymbals and high-frequency hits match the thickness of central vocals. The Nebula, by comparison, projects a wider, airier soundstage with sharper instrument separation and faster transient speed, though it occasionally trade-offs note weight consistency between cymbals and vocals. The Nebula also fits better, and the lows from the Astralis can get overwhelming from a quantity standpoint.

Tanchjim Fola

The Tanchjim Fola shares a similarly thin midrange perception with the Fission when compared against the Nebula’s fuller vocal presentation. However, the Fola distinguishes itself by delivering an exceptionally smooth, relaxed treble response that makes the Nebula sound spicier and more fatiguing by comparison. The level of technical cleanliness that ‌Fola maintains simply cannot be matched.

In the low end, the Fola offers great bass performance with clean impact, which the Nebula matches closely. The Fola’s modular nozzle system gives it a tuning flexibility edge, with Tanchjim’s both versions of the T300AP silicone eartips and a sturdy case, where the Nebula can definitely feel slightly lacking in accessories.

CrinEar Daybreak 

The CrinEar Daybreak focuses heavily on a cohesive and aggressive presentation but fumbles the transients, which the Nebula handles seamlessly. 

The Nebula, in contrast, is all about spatial awareness and precise isolation. It creates a distinctly wider perceived soundstage with far better room for instruments to breathe, making complex acoustic tracks, saxophones, and organ keys feel significantly more open. While the Daybreak is better if an aggressive sound is the need of the hour, the Nebula dominates for better transients, separation, and imaging.

ZiiGaat Lush

The ZiiGaat Lush presents a more mature, cohesive, and laid-back package that excels at smooth, fatigue-free listening without harshness or unwanted spice. While the Juzear Nebula leans into a wider, highly transparent soundstage with better transients and better instrument separation, the Lush pulls back to deliver a warmer, richer, and more immersive musical presentation.

In the low end, the Nebula keeps bass quantity strictly in check to prioritize rapid attack and tight decay, whereas the Lush delivers a cleaner, highly natural body that never feels overbearing or boomy. Where the Nebula showcases incredible technical agility on complex tracks, the Lush counters with effortless vocal textures and a supremely forgiving top end, making it the more relaxed, all-day-wearing companion compared to the Nebula's sharper, more analytical engagement.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Juzear x KOTO Nebula stands out as a very solid offering from Juzear, proving that the brand is continuing to improvise, adapt, and overcome. I have seen quite a few posts on the Defiant with significant issues in its quality control, and Juzear (HiFiGo) basically taking accountability for it and fixing it. But, in my time spent with the Nebula, I feel that Juzear has worked out considerably on the shortcomings, and this was confirmed across the multiple listening sessions that this IEM went through.

Coming to the sound, the Nebula is a fantastic all rounder, that does everything that one might ask for to a good extent, although it is not a specialist, or to put it bluntly, a one-trick pony. But if it were me, my first preference would be the Tanchjim Fola, but the Nebula gives everything else a tough run for its money (could do better on what it comes with though). Like, if I didn’t listen to the Fola, I would have definitely bought the Nebula. The highs on this IEM just have the right amount of brightness to my ears, and although some tinkering might be needed for vocals, and a faint touch down on the bass; rest is sorted with the Nebula.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Tanchjim T-500 APB liquid silicones: Showcases the transients of the Nebula at its absolute best, hard hitting clean lows, deepest stage possible for this IEM, sibilant free highs with no loss of vocal textures, tonality comes off more balanced than what the graph showed.

Divinus Velvet Narrow Bores: everything that the T-500 APB does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the lows- elements like floor toms felt like they could have used more power, warmth corresponds to what the graph showed, upper mids could get faintly bothersome.

Stock Silicones: Everything felt fine, but the above two eartips significantly bumped up the performance.

KBear Coffees: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

Stock Wide Bores: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt uncomfortable, lows felt anemic, vocals felt fizzled out.

Tangzu Sancai Balanced: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Juzear and I have had a potentially strong start with the Dragonfly 81T, and I have been seeing them put out a lot of new releases lately. So, me being me, I reached out to HiFiGo, and by the time I caught up on my backlog of reviews, they proposed to me the new Nebula, which is a collaboration with Koto; and there’s a lot of good to speak about the Nebula. So, HiFiGo, thank you for sending out this version of the Nebula.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Juzear had the graphics of the Nebula laid out on the box lid vividly, and the specifications on the bottom. Removing the cover ‌, and taking the lid off gave way to a translucent sheet of paper with the Nebula graphics, underneath which the IEMs were in foam padding, and with the cable attached. Under the padding, there was a cleaning cloth, and an orange hued leather pouch with three sets of colored wide bores, three sets of regular silicone, and foam eartips. Not sure if they are available with HiFiGo as an aftermarket option, but the tip choices were ample. 

The cable is built well, but holds memory; the shells feel well built with enough venting and nozzles that won’t fall off even with consistent eartip rolling, and the cable is modular. 

In my unit, there was a quirk with the cable which, when plugged in correctly, faintly distorted the lows a bit, so I had to swap the left and right sides and the Nebula sounded correct. I have used the Nebula extensively, and even took it to my community meetups, where a bunch of enthusiasts tried it, and there was no reported pressure buildup; so that’s good to know.

Now, here’s the sound of the Nebula.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch
The Nebula surprisingly has a fantastic approach towards the bass hits that this track has, and that shows up in its transients where the attack and decay are fast, letting the curtain be enunciated in a way which makes the presentation quite vivid. 

Rest of the elements are isolated well from the beats and demonstrate a commendable instrument separation. Another thing that I really appreciate about the Nebula is that the quantity of the bass is just kept at abeyance which makes the entire presentation all the better.

Rush: Limelight
Here, the Nebula once again strikes a proper balance from a quality to quantity aspect: where the quantity ensures that Geddy's bass line engages in with Peart's surgical drum work & not once do both of them clash: the transients are once again competent with a fantastic separation between the bass and the drums; and especially through the solo, where Geddy cranks up the intensity of the bass; and the Nebula is practically competent enough to balance that with the crisp snares and the potent, minimally resonant tone with the kick drum showing an excellent control over the decay.

 Prima facie, the Nebula also doesn't seem to disregard the imaging as Geddy's vocals were planted right in the center and tonally unaltered to just keep the warmth from adversely affecting it.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home Is in the Delta
The Nebula here shows some of its limits in terms of capabilities, but before that, I must definitely appreciate how wide the perceived soundstage was on this track, along with a good sense of depth. 

Timbre on the slide and guitar did not feel overly metallic, although I would not say that it is close to being accurate. Muddy's haunting, mournful vocals extend as high as it can get, but across sections where he wails out the verses louder than usual, the Nebula can be a little fatiguing. The low strings on the guitar in this track lose their polish by coming off unusually boomy, but nothing that EQ cannot fix.

Tool: Lateralus
As the crescendo-ing, bubbling tones meet the guitars to set the stage for the bass and the vocals come in, the perceived boom which I had anticipated after noting in the aforementioned track was very restrained but present, nonetheless. 

Another nitpick for me with the Nebula is that the perceived note weight between the vocals and cymbals was not at the same plane: vocals did not appear to be thin and anemic, but cymbals came off thin, faintly grainy in texture, and mildly shouty towards the track. Imaging continued to be precise and separation was near flawless.

HIGHS

Arne Domnérus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
The Nebula supremely impressed me first with how brassy the timbre came off on the sax, with the resonance being just right to not be uncomfortably honky or shouty. 

At least on this track, the warm tonality on the Nebula did not feel bothersome, contrary to what I had expected, and the organ keys complemented the sax in a way where I could just stop commenting on the separation because the Nebula establishes that to be one of its strongest points. The perceived wide stage let both the sax and keys breathe sufficiently, with the isolation among the notes being near perfect.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
The Nebula just has one problem in this track, and it is just the double bass on this track having an attenuation in its decay, but everything else was handled so well. The timbre in the snares was just appropriately woody and had a beautiful resonance, the twang of the guitars being perfect and having enough shimmer to cut through the cymbals, where soft impact with a lingering presence lingering around and supplementing Carmen's sensuous, hush vocals was the cherry on top. Perceived note weight was unaltered, and nowhere did Carmen sound sibilant, and the same can be said for the cymbals.

COMPARISONS

EPZ P40

The Nebula approaches low-end quantity with noticeable restraint, to deliver a well controlled and commendable transient response, and separation through and through with elements that correspond to it. In contrast, the EPZ P40 belts out a much heavier, sub-bass-dominant low end that hits with near mid-fi level of finesse. While the P40 keeps its thunderous sub-bass surprisingly well-isolated without muddying the mix, the Nebula’s comparatively leaner, more disciplined bass tuning provides a cleaner pathway for percussion to stand out without fatigue.

In the mids and highs, the P40 presents a fuller, warmer vocal body across the board, whereas the Nebula gets close to sounding rich, but across moments can appear faintly thin. 

However, the Nebula easily takes the lead in treble refinement and tonal safety, as the P40 can lean overly hot and exhibit noticeable sibilance or upper-range spice on certain tracks, the Nebula keeps the peaks smooth, and fatigue-free.

EPZ P50

Compared to the Nebula's disciplined and punchy low-end transients, the EPZ P50 offers a more laid-back bass presentation. It doesn’t skimp out on the low-end potency, but it lacks both the massive sub-bass impact of the P40 and the tight, fast decay control of the Nebula. The Nebula feels noticeably more agile and technically capable, whereas the P50 takes a warmer, softer approach to low-end hits.

Through the mids and highs, the P50 smooths out potential harshness, but it sacrifices fine detail retrieval and vocal crispness. Complex breakdowns can sound a bit hazier on the P50, while the Nebula excels at keeping instruments distinctly separated across a wide soundstage. While the P50 effectively avoids sibilance, the Nebula offers a superior sense of instrument isolation, dynamic brass timbre, and air without sounding dull or overly safe. But ‌you cannot go wrong with either of them.

Letshuoer Astralis

The Letshuoer Astralis delivers a noticeably richer, more atmospheric presentation than the Nebula, offering a fuller low-end foundation that fills out the soundstage with greater warmth and body. Where the Nebula keeps its bass tightly controlled and held in abeyance, the Astralis relies on a weightier low end that gives male vocals a meatier, more authoritative presence.

In the upper-mids and the rest of the highs, the Astralis provides better-integrated note weight, ensuring cymbals and high-frequency hits match the thickness of central vocals. The Nebula, by comparison, projects a wider, airier soundstage with sharper instrument separation and faster transient speed, though it occasionally trade-offs note weight consistency between cymbals and vocals. The Nebula also fits better, and the lows from the Astralis can get overwhelming from a quantity standpoint.

Tanchjim Fola

The Tanchjim Fola shares a similarly thin midrange perception with the Fission when compared against the Nebula’s fuller vocal presentation. However, the Fola distinguishes itself by delivering an exceptionally smooth, relaxed treble response that makes the Nebula sound spicier and more fatiguing by comparison. The level of technical cleanliness that ‌Fola maintains simply cannot be matched.

In the low end, the Fola offers great bass performance with clean impact, which the Nebula matches closely. The Fola’s modular nozzle system gives it a tuning flexibility edge, with Tanchjim’s both versions of the T300AP silicone eartips and a sturdy case, where the Nebula can definitely feel slightly lacking in accessories.

CrinEar Daybreak 

The CrinEar Daybreak focuses heavily on a cohesive and aggressive presentation but fumbles the transients, which the Nebula handles seamlessly. 

The Nebula, in contrast, is all about spatial awareness and precise isolation. It creates a distinctly wider perceived soundstage with far better room for instruments to breathe, making complex acoustic tracks, saxophones, and organ keys feel significantly more open. While the Daybreak is better if an aggressive sound is the need of the hour, the Nebula dominates for better transients, separation, and imaging.

ZiiGaat Lush

The ZiiGaat Lush presents a more mature, cohesive, and laid-back package that excels at smooth, fatigue-free listening without harshness or unwanted spice. While the Juzear Nebula leans into a wider, highly transparent soundstage with better transients and better instrument separation, the Lush pulls back to deliver a warmer, richer, and more immersive musical presentation.

In the low end, the Nebula keeps bass quantity strictly in check to prioritize rapid attack and tight decay, whereas the Lush delivers a cleaner, highly natural body that never feels overbearing or boomy. Where the Nebula showcases incredible technical agility on complex tracks, the Lush counters with effortless vocal textures and a supremely forgiving top end, making it the more relaxed, all-day-wearing companion compared to the Nebula's sharper, more analytical engagement.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Juzear x KOTO Nebula stands out as a very solid offering from Juzear, proving that the brand is continuing to improvise, adapt, and overcome. I have seen quite a few posts on the Defiant with significant issues in its quality control, and Juzear (HiFiGo) basically taking accountability for it and fixing it. But, in my time spent with the Nebula, I feel that Juzear has worked out considerably on the shortcomings, and this was confirmed across the multiple listening sessions that this IEM went through.

Coming to the sound, the Nebula is a fantastic all rounder, that does everything that one might ask for to a good extent, although it is not a specialist, or to put it bluntly, a one-trick pony. But if it were me, my first preference would be the Tanchjim Fola, but the Nebula gives everything else a tough run for its money (could do better on what it comes with though). Like, if I didn’t listen to the Fola, I would have definitely bought the Nebula. The highs on this IEM just have the right amount of brightness to my ears, and although some tinkering might be needed for vocals, and a faint touch down on the bass; rest is sorted with the Nebula.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Tanchjim T-500 APB liquid silicones: Showcases the transients of the Nebula at its absolute best, hard hitting clean lows, deepest stage possible for this IEM, sibilant free highs with no loss of vocal textures, tonality comes off more balanced than what the graph showed.

Divinus Velvet Narrow Bores: everything that the T-500 APB does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the lows- elements like floor toms felt like they could have used more power, warmth corresponds to what the graph showed, upper mids could get faintly bothersome.

Stock Silicones: Everything felt fine, but the above two eartips significantly bumped up the performance.

KBear Coffees: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

Stock Wide Bores: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt uncomfortable, lows felt anemic, vocals felt fizzled out.

Tangzu Sancai Balanced: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

This is a relatively much newer brand, amongst the brands that compete in its price segment; and they might look eerily similar to a plethora of IEMs that have been tuned this way, but when I had the chance to reach out to the brand, the head honcho himself reached back and decided to let me have a shot at this IEM which is priced modest, and despite what the graphs showed- gave me quite a different experience, so the HRTF lottery is real.

Here is the Cozoy D1, which was availed at the support of Tony Liu, head of Cozoy and The Audio Store, Pune India. So, I thank both of them for making the Cozoy D1 review possible, and for my tour group; with two units.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Cozoy definitely kept things “professional” with the unboxing: minimal branding on top, technical specifications on the bottom. Sliding the cover out and taking the lid off reveals the IEMs with the cable attached underneath a translucent sheet of paper with a branded ribbon attached to the foam pad. The eartips, which are three sets of stubby, narrow bore-esque short tips, and three sets of double flanges, piqued my interest because this IEM gave me a good excuse to try out my double flanges.

Comfort is top-notch, probably one of the best I have experienced with a proper locked-in fit, and the IEMs practically vanished when I had them in my ears (who needs an IE200 again in the big 2026), and the way the shells are moulded scream semi custom, so the contouring really sits across a wide set of ears. Isolation isn’t something to write home about, so let me leave it at that.

Now, here’s the sound.

LOWS

If a deep, visceral, impactful bass was the expectation from the Cozoy D1, then their expectations were a miss as the D1 intends to take its view on a well done bright tuning, which can be easily felt in tracks like Tipper’s Gulch; where the quantity was considerably lacking, even when compared to the Kefine Delci, but the surprisingly well executed transients: moderately paced attack with a very snappy decay keeps things exciting. The D1 has a better done separation, at least here with comparison alongside the OoopusX OP22. Tonally, of course, it unmistakably leans towards bright, but prima facie did not fatigue me.

In technically potent tracks like Rush's Limelight, I definitely missed the bass quantity as the impact of Geddy's blitzing bassline along with Peart's prodigal drum work just fell flat and this however reminded me of the Truthear Hexa a lot- but I don't see this as a negative as the D1 simply does not express the desire to compromise on the rest of the elements- a well-executed imaging via the cymbals and vocals, tonally balanced vocals with adequate note weight and enough grunt in the toms to make Peart's final rudiment alive.

MIDS

With an unorthodox snare setup, a hard key to unlock tonally and considerably busy in terms of instrument separation like Queens of the Stone Age's First It Giveth, the Cozoy D1 of course lacks the impact or the bite the snare needs, but didn't color the timbre like some other sets, nor added any unwanted resonance. Adding on to it, the way guitars and cymbals were separated while having the vocals right at the center shows that the Cozoy D1 takes technicalities seriously.

Another technically complex track in this order is Tool's Lateralus and even here, the Cozoy D1 gets most of the things right: audible separation between the elements, no compromise on the note weight of Maynard's vocals, the accuracy of the tonality in Adam's guitars with a balanced energy and no harshness in pitch. What is not right is that the D1 doesn't seem to consistently deliver the energy on the cymbals where it disappointingly oscillates between being shouty or just being shy of shouty.

HIGHS

In “atmospheric”, regally composed, airy tracks like Arne Domnérus and Gustaf Sjökvist’s Almighty God from the album Antiphone Blues, a phenomenally mastered album with just tons of sonic goodness, the Cozoy D1 did a phenomenal, nearly flawless job and this can be easily realized with how well established the timbre on Arne's sax was: brassy, with a beautiful, engaging resonance which was supplemented by Gustaf's equally resonant organ keys. 

The D1 also presented the track with a fantastic perception of the stage, which had enough width to not adversely affect the layering between the sax and the organ, and letting the notes breathe. And despite being brighter than its peers, the sax never felt honky or piercing.

In another technical masterclass of separation, imaging, and composition in Dave Brubeck’s Take Five from the album Time Out, the D1 reveals one chink in its armor in this track where the double bass came off soft in its impact and anemic in its note weight, but the horns had the same impression carried forward from the previous track, the pianos coming off tonally balanced and the cymbals not being fatiguing or shouty, but appropriately retaining their shimmery texture. 

During the solo and when the channels split, the snare and the toms never really lost their note weight, which cannot be said for the hi-hats. Separation and imaging remained accurate without alteration.

COMPARISONS

Kefine Klean & Klean SV

Compared to the Cozoy D1, the regular Kefine Klean presents a noticeably heavier and more blunt low-end that can cross into bloat, while the Klean SV opts for a leaner bass delivery that improves upon the precise transients, unlike the Klean but the D1 just does it better. While both Klean variants feature interchangeable nozzles for mild tuning adjustments, neither matches the D1’s natural separation through the low-to-mid transition, which is what I have been consistently saying- nozzles are not needed when the fundamental tuning is right from the get go.

Through the mids and highs, the Klean and Klean SV suffer from a significantly thinner vocal weight that sounds noticeably more sibilant and shouty across tracks where sibilance is least needed, at least the Klean keeps it restrained to an extent but the SV really can get painfully sibilant. In contrast, the D1 maintains a far more solid note weight on vocals and handles instruments like saxophones and pianos with superior control on timbre and zero harshness.

OoopusX OP22

The OoopusX OP22 takes a different approach to tuning by utilizing functional switches that offer a more prominent, fun bass boost mode. In comparison, the Cozoy D1 delivers a leaner, brighter tuning with a comparable transient attack and a snappier decay, making the D1 feel equally technically precise despite lacking the OP22's raw low-end impact.

In the mids and highs, the OP22 provides a ridiculously smooth, yet very detailed performance devoid of sibilance. The D1, however, pushes brightness and cymbal energy further; while this gives instrument separation and stage width an added sense of air and detail, it leaves the D1 occasionally edging towards fatigue on aggressive tracks where the OP22 stays effortlessly controlled.

Tangzu Red Lion

The Tangzu Red Lion exhibits a heavy, mid-bass-focused low end with noticeable bloat and a thick sub-bass extension. The Cozoy D1 stands in stark contrast with its light, highly controlled bass presentation that trades note weight and body for much faster transient attack, snappier decay, and significantly cleaner separation.

Moving to the highs, the Red Lion struggles with severe sibilance and piercing synths despite having an acceptable timbre. The D1 resoundingly beats the Red Lion in technicalities, providing superior instrument layering, accurate imaging, and a bright yet non-fatiguing top end that preserves critical textures of instruments without breaking into irregularities.

Twistura Delta

The Twistura Delta leans toward a warmer, more laid-back approach, though it suffers from an inconsistent, sluggish bass decay that can muddy perceived transients on drums. The D1 counters with a much brighter, leaner low end that strictly prioritizes rapid attack speed and snappy decay over sub-bass rumble.

In the mids and highs, the Delta delivers great stage depth and somewhat detailed instrument separation, but it can occasionally push cymbals too forward or display minor decay mismanagement on vocal holds. The D1 offers a more precise imaging and superior timbral accuracy.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Cozoy D1 is an IEM that has its priorities right. In a budget landscape increasingly crowded with too similar options, the Cozoy D1 is anomalous in its approach, where on the graphs, it shows up unapologetically harman, but seems to have fixed most of the qualms with how harman tuned IEMs end up coming off. It is a shade of leaning bright, done right to my ears, and although it still is flawed, the flaws are outweighed by its strengths that make me wholeheartedly recommend this IEM.

Just a little note weight on the lows, would have just made it so much better, but that’s only for some, not for me.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Blind buy.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Acoustune AET06 double flange: Showcases the transients of the D1 at its absolute best, ridiculously clean bass, widest stage possible for this IEM, sibilant free highs with no loss of vocal textures.

Tanchjim T-300 APB: everything that the AET06 does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the lows- elements like kicks felt like they could have used more power. 

Stock double flanges: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

KBear Coffee: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt uncomfortable, lows felt anemic, vocals felt slightly blunt.

KBear 07: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

This is a relatively much newer brand, amongst the brands that compete in its price segment; and they might look eerily similar to a plethora of IEMs that have been tuned this way, but when I had the chance to reach out to the brand, the head honcho himself reached back and decided to let me have a shot at this IEM which is priced modest, and despite what the graphs showed- gave me quite a different experience, so the HRTF lottery is real.

Here is the Cozoy D1, which was availed at the support of Tony Liu, head of Cozoy and The Audio Store, Pune India. So, I thank both of them for making the Cozoy D1 review possible, and for my tour group; with two units.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Cozoy definitely kept things “professional” with the unboxing: minimal branding on top, technical specifications on the bottom. Sliding the cover out and taking the lid off reveals the IEMs with the cable attached underneath a translucent sheet of paper with a branded ribbon attached to the foam pad. The eartips, which are three sets of stubby, narrow bore-esque short tips, and three sets of double flanges, piqued my interest because this IEM gave me a good excuse to try out my double flanges.

Comfort is top-notch, probably one of the best I have experienced with a proper locked-in fit, and the IEMs practically vanished when I had them in my ears (who needs an IE200 again in the big 2026), and the way the shells are moulded scream semi custom, so the contouring really sits across a wide set of ears. Isolation isn’t something to write home about, so let me leave it at that.

Now, here’s the sound.

LOWS

If a deep, visceral, impactful bass was the expectation from the Cozoy D1, then their expectations were a miss as the D1 intends to take its view on a well done bright tuning, which can be easily felt in tracks like Tipper’s Gulch; where the quantity was considerably lacking, even when compared to the Kefine Delci, but the surprisingly well executed transients: moderately paced attack with a very snappy decay keeps things exciting. The D1 has a better done separation, at least here with comparison alongside the OoopusX OP22. Tonally, of course, it unmistakably leans towards bright, but prima facie did not fatigue me.

In technically potent tracks like Rush's Limelight, I definitely missed the bass quantity as the impact of Geddy's blitzing bassline along with Peart's prodigal drum work just fell flat and this however reminded me of the Truthear Hexa a lot- but I don't see this as a negative as the D1 simply does not express the desire to compromise on the rest of the elements- a well-executed imaging via the cymbals and vocals, tonally balanced vocals with adequate note weight and enough grunt in the toms to make Peart's final rudiment alive.

MIDS

With an unorthodox snare setup, a hard key to unlock tonally and considerably busy in terms of instrument separation like Queens of the Stone Age's First It Giveth, the Cozoy D1 of course lacks the impact or the bite the snare needs, but didn't color the timbre like some other sets, nor added any unwanted resonance. Adding on to it, the way guitars and cymbals were separated while having the vocals right at the center shows that the Cozoy D1 takes technicalities seriously.

Another technically complex track in this order is Tool's Lateralus and even here, the Cozoy D1 gets most of the things right: audible separation between the elements, no compromise on the note weight of Maynard's vocals, the accuracy of the tonality in Adam's guitars with a balanced energy and no harshness in pitch. What is not right is that the D1 doesn't seem to consistently deliver the energy on the cymbals where it disappointingly oscillates between being shouty or just being shy of shouty.

HIGHS

In “atmospheric”, regally composed, airy tracks like Arne Domnérus and Gustaf Sjökvist’s Almighty God from the album Antiphone Blues, a phenomenally mastered album with just tons of sonic goodness, the Cozoy D1 did a phenomenal, nearly flawless job and this can be easily realized with how well established the timbre on Arne's sax was: brassy, with a beautiful, engaging resonance which was supplemented by Gustaf's equally resonant organ keys. 

The D1 also presented the track with a fantastic perception of the stage, which had enough width to not adversely affect the layering between the sax and the organ, and letting the notes breathe. And despite being brighter than its peers, the sax never felt honky or piercing.

In another technical masterclass of separation, imaging, and composition in Dave Brubeck’s Take Five from the album Time Out, the D1 reveals one chink in its armor in this track where the double bass came off soft in its impact and anemic in its note weight, but the horns had the same impression carried forward from the previous track, the pianos coming off tonally balanced and the cymbals not being fatiguing or shouty, but appropriately retaining their shimmery texture. 

During the solo and when the channels split, the snare and the toms never really lost their note weight, which cannot be said for the hi-hats. Separation and imaging remained accurate without alteration.

COMPARISONS

Kefine Klean & Klean SV

Compared to the Cozoy D1, the regular Kefine Klean presents a noticeably heavier and more blunt low-end that can cross into bloat, while the Klean SV opts for a leaner bass delivery that improves upon the precise transients, unlike the Klean but the D1 just does it better. While both Klean variants feature interchangeable nozzles for mild tuning adjustments, neither matches the D1’s natural separation through the low-to-mid transition, which is what I have been consistently saying- nozzles are not needed when the fundamental tuning is right from the get go.

Through the mids and highs, the Klean and Klean SV suffer from a significantly thinner vocal weight that sounds noticeably more sibilant and shouty across tracks where sibilance is least needed, at least the Klean keeps it restrained to an extent but the SV really can get painfully sibilant. In contrast, the D1 maintains a far more solid note weight on vocals and handles instruments like saxophones and pianos with superior control on timbre and zero harshness.

OoopusX OP22

The OoopusX OP22 takes a different approach to tuning by utilizing functional switches that offer a more prominent, fun bass boost mode. In comparison, the Cozoy D1 delivers a leaner, brighter tuning with a comparable transient attack and a snappier decay, making the D1 feel equally technically precise despite lacking the OP22's raw low-end impact.

In the mids and highs, the OP22 provides a ridiculously smooth, yet very detailed performance devoid of sibilance. The D1, however, pushes brightness and cymbal energy further; while this gives instrument separation and stage width an added sense of air and detail, it leaves the D1 occasionally edging towards fatigue on aggressive tracks where the OP22 stays effortlessly controlled.

Tangzu Red Lion

The Tangzu Red Lion exhibits a heavy, mid-bass-focused low end with noticeable bloat and a thick sub-bass extension. The Cozoy D1 stands in stark contrast with its light, highly controlled bass presentation that trades note weight and body for much faster transient attack, snappier decay, and significantly cleaner separation.

Moving to the highs, the Red Lion struggles with severe sibilance and piercing synths despite having an acceptable timbre. The D1 resoundingly beats the Red Lion in technicalities, providing superior instrument layering, accurate imaging, and a bright yet non-fatiguing top end that preserves critical textures of instruments without breaking into irregularities.

Twistura Delta

The Twistura Delta leans toward a warmer, more laid-back approach, though it suffers from an inconsistent, sluggish bass decay that can muddy perceived transients on drums. The D1 counters with a much brighter, leaner low end that strictly prioritizes rapid attack speed and snappy decay over sub-bass rumble.

In the mids and highs, the Delta delivers great stage depth and somewhat detailed instrument separation, but it can occasionally push cymbals too forward or display minor decay mismanagement on vocal holds. The D1 offers a more precise imaging and superior timbral accuracy.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Cozoy D1 is an IEM that has its priorities right. In a budget landscape increasingly crowded with too similar options, the Cozoy D1 is anomalous in its approach, where on the graphs, it shows up unapologetically harman, but seems to have fixed most of the qualms with how harman tuned IEMs end up coming off. It is a shade of leaning bright, done right to my ears, and although it still is flawed, the flaws are outweighed by its strengths that make me wholeheartedly recommend this IEM.

Just a little note weight on the lows, would have just made it so much better, but that’s only for some, not for me.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Blind buy.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Acoustune AET06 double flange: Showcases the transients of the D1 at its absolute best, ridiculously clean bass, widest stage possible for this IEM, sibilant free highs with no loss of vocal textures.

Tanchjim T-300 APB: everything that the AET06 does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the lows- elements like kicks felt like they could have used more power. 

Stock double flanges: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

KBear Coffee: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt uncomfortable, lows felt anemic, vocals felt slightly blunt.

KBear 07: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

This is a relatively much newer brand, amongst the brands that compete in its price segment; and they might look eerily similar to a plethora of IEMs that have been tuned this way, but when I had the chance to reach out to the brand, the head honcho himself reached back and decided to let me have a shot at this IEM which is priced modest, and despite what the graphs showed- gave me quite a different experience, so the HRTF lottery is real.

Here is the Cozoy D1, which was availed at the support of Tony Liu, head of Cozoy and The Audio Store, Pune India. So, I thank both of them for making the Cozoy D1 review possible, and for my tour group; with two units.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Cozoy definitely kept things “professional” with the unboxing: minimal branding on top, technical specifications on the bottom. Sliding the cover out and taking the lid off reveals the IEMs with the cable attached underneath a translucent sheet of paper with a branded ribbon attached to the foam pad. The eartips, which are three sets of stubby, narrow bore-esque short tips, and three sets of double flanges, piqued my interest because this IEM gave me a good excuse to try out my double flanges.

Comfort is top-notch, probably one of the best I have experienced with a proper locked-in fit, and the IEMs practically vanished when I had them in my ears (who needs an IE200 again in the big 2026), and the way the shells are moulded scream semi custom, so the contouring really sits across a wide set of ears. Isolation isn’t something to write home about, so let me leave it at that.

Now, here’s the sound.

LOWS

If a deep, visceral, impactful bass was the expectation from the Cozoy D1, then their expectations were a miss as the D1 intends to take its view on a well done bright tuning, which can be easily felt in tracks like Tipper’s Gulch; where the quantity was considerably lacking, even when compared to the Kefine Delci, but the surprisingly well executed transients: moderately paced attack with a very snappy decay keeps things exciting. The D1 has a better done separation, at least here with comparison alongside the OoopusX OP22. Tonally, of course, it unmistakably leans towards bright, but prima facie did not fatigue me.

In technically potent tracks like Rush's Limelight, I definitely missed the bass quantity as the impact of Geddy's blitzing bassline along with Peart's prodigal drum work just fell flat and this however reminded me of the Truthear Hexa a lot- but I don't see this as a negative as the D1 simply does not express the desire to compromise on the rest of the elements- a well-executed imaging via the cymbals and vocals, tonally balanced vocals with adequate note weight and enough grunt in the toms to make Peart's final rudiment alive.

MIDS

With an unorthodox snare setup, a hard key to unlock tonally and considerably busy in terms of instrument separation like Queens of the Stone Age's First It Giveth, the Cozoy D1 of course lacks the impact or the bite the snare needs, but didn't color the timbre like some other sets, nor added any unwanted resonance. Adding on to it, the way guitars and cymbals were separated while having the vocals right at the center shows that the Cozoy D1 takes technicalities seriously.

Another technically complex track in this order is Tool's Lateralus and even here, the Cozoy D1 gets most of the things right: audible separation between the elements, no compromise on the note weight of Maynard's vocals, the accuracy of the tonality in Adam's guitars with a balanced energy and no harshness in pitch. What is not right is that the D1 doesn't seem to consistently deliver the energy on the cymbals where it disappointingly oscillates between being shouty or just being shy of shouty.

HIGHS

In “atmospheric”, regally composed, airy tracks like Arne Domnérus and Gustaf Sjökvist’s Almighty God from the album Antiphone Blues, a phenomenally mastered album with just tons of sonic goodness, the Cozoy D1 did a phenomenal, nearly flawless job and this can be easily realized with how well established the timbre on Arne's sax was: brassy, with a beautiful, engaging resonance which was supplemented by Gustaf's equally resonant organ keys. 

The D1 also presented the track with a fantastic perception of the stage, which had enough width to not adversely affect the layering between the sax and the organ, and letting the notes breathe. And despite being brighter than its peers, the sax never felt honky or piercing.

In another technical masterclass of separation, imaging, and composition in Dave Brubeck’s Take Five from the album Time Out, the D1 reveals one chink in its armor in this track where the double bass came off soft in its impact and anemic in its note weight, but the horns had the same impression carried forward from the previous track, the pianos coming off tonally balanced and the cymbals not being fatiguing or shouty, but appropriately retaining their shimmery texture. 

During the solo and when the channels split, the snare and the toms never really lost their note weight, which cannot be said for the hi-hats. Separation and imaging remained accurate without alteration.

COMPARISONS

Kefine Klean & Klean SV

Compared to the Cozoy D1, the regular Kefine Klean presents a noticeably heavier and more blunt low-end that can cross into bloat, while the Klean SV opts for a leaner bass delivery that improves upon the precise transients, unlike the Klean but the D1 just does it better. While both Klean variants feature interchangeable nozzles for mild tuning adjustments, neither matches the D1’s natural separation through the low-to-mid transition, which is what I have been consistently saying- nozzles are not needed when the fundamental tuning is right from the get go.

Through the mids and highs, the Klean and Klean SV suffer from a significantly thinner vocal weight that sounds noticeably more sibilant and shouty across tracks where sibilance is least needed, at least the Klean keeps it restrained to an extent but the SV really can get painfully sibilant. In contrast, the D1 maintains a far more solid note weight on vocals and handles instruments like saxophones and pianos with superior control on timbre and zero harshness.

OoopusX OP22

The OoopusX OP22 takes a different approach to tuning by utilizing functional switches that offer a more prominent, fun bass boost mode. In comparison, the Cozoy D1 delivers a leaner, brighter tuning with a comparable transient attack and a snappier decay, making the D1 feel equally technically precise despite lacking the OP22's raw low-end impact.

In the mids and highs, the OP22 provides a ridiculously smooth, yet very detailed performance devoid of sibilance. The D1, however, pushes brightness and cymbal energy further; while this gives instrument separation and stage width an added sense of air and detail, it leaves the D1 occasionally edging towards fatigue on aggressive tracks where the OP22 stays effortlessly controlled.

Tangzu Red Lion

The Tangzu Red Lion exhibits a heavy, mid-bass-focused low end with noticeable bloat and a thick sub-bass extension. The Cozoy D1 stands in stark contrast with its light, highly controlled bass presentation that trades note weight and body for much faster transient attack, snappier decay, and significantly cleaner separation.

Moving to the highs, the Red Lion struggles with severe sibilance and piercing synths despite having an acceptable timbre. The D1 resoundingly beats the Red Lion in technicalities, providing superior instrument layering, accurate imaging, and a bright yet non-fatiguing top end that preserves critical textures of instruments without breaking into irregularities.

Twistura Delta

The Twistura Delta leans toward a warmer, more laid-back approach, though it suffers from an inconsistent, sluggish bass decay that can muddy perceived transients on drums. The D1 counters with a much brighter, leaner low end that strictly prioritizes rapid attack speed and snappy decay over sub-bass rumble.

In the mids and highs, the Delta delivers great stage depth and somewhat detailed instrument separation, but it can occasionally push cymbals too forward or display minor decay mismanagement on vocal holds. The D1 offers a more precise imaging and superior timbral accuracy.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Cozoy D1 is an IEM that has its priorities right. In a budget landscape increasingly crowded with too similar options, the Cozoy D1 is anomalous in its approach, where on the graphs, it shows up unapologetically harman, but seems to have fixed most of the qualms with how harman tuned IEMs end up coming off. It is a shade of leaning bright, done right to my ears, and although it still is flawed, the flaws are outweighed by its strengths that make me wholeheartedly recommend this IEM.

Just a little note weight on the lows, would have just made it so much better, but that’s only for some, not for me.

Will I buy it new? Absolutely.
Will I buy it used? Blind buy.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the xDuoo Link3 on low gain, the Shanling M9 Plus DAP, and the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro dongle DAC Amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Acoustune AET06 double flange: Showcases the transients of the D1 at its absolute best, ridiculously clean bass, widest stage possible for this IEM, sibilant free highs with no loss of vocal textures.

Tanchjim T-300 APB: everything that the AET06 does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the lows- elements like kicks felt like they could have used more power. 

Stock double flanges: textures on the lows felt wonky along with some irregularity in the perceived decay, stage was unaltered, vocal textures felt enjoyable, mildly sibilant.

KBear Coffee: perceived stage was held intact in terms of depth and height, treble felt uncomfortable, lows felt anemic, vocals felt slightly blunt.

KBear 07: just ruined the IEM.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

64 Audio is a brand that has pushed the boundaries on what can be achieved when pricing is a concern to be talked over a cup of coffee, and making products that have stood the test of time to such an extent, that a refresh of that product comes years after its release. Given how much the Volur had impressed me, it was time to lay my eyes on that one IEM from them which upon close observation doesn’t seem to have grey hair, wrinkles, or rheumatic pain- the U12T. I thank my good friend, who had previously loaned me the Final A8000 for making this review possible.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

64 Audio definitely didn’t skimp on the idea of the accessories that were here with the U12T: the retail box is big, and advertises the product aptly; which then has a note from the CEO regarding the product; and then in the circular puck style carry case, there were the shells encased in hard foam, and under the written flap, I had the Apex modules waiting for me. On the other side, I found the cleaning tool and a 3.5mm 2 pin cable, which by far is the worst stock cable I have found supplied with an IEM that costs USD 1000+. Like, it’s cheap feeling, it’s easily tangly, and the braiding felt similar to my TRN A3 cable, something that at max costs like USD 5. The eartips supplied are generous, with a mix of silicone and foam; where the provided holder can definitely come off trypophobic, but I like it.

A note about the connectors on the U12T is that they were designed to be loose and not too tight, so if anyone might wonder if the cable would fall off the U12T due to its loose connectors, it comes out right out of the box that way.

Comfort on the U12T have been the same like their other offerings- immensely comfortable due to the shell design and the super small nozzles are a massive boon, although with certain eartips like the Divinus/Eloit Velvet standards; the asymmetry on my right ear showed up, so I had to bump a size up on the right side; but with eartips like the AZLA Mithryl or the Origin, it was not an issue.

Anyway, here’s the sound.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch 

I thought the bass on the U12T would be anemic here, as this track commands a robust delivery, and the U12T doesn't skip a beat, pun intended. What amazes me is that the transients in this IEM are well executed, and putting it that way is a slight generalization. 

The way the beats are enunciated, especially when it juxtaposes with the other elements, has no room for ‌further ‌separation. My nitpick here would be that the decay was perceived to be a bit too rapidly, which dampened the sustain it needed for a curtains closed performance. There was remarkable control over tonality, where the U12T was well rationed in its efforts.

Daft Punk: Veridis Quo 

The way the U12T lets each note of the synths/keys take their time to space out indicates commendable separation between the notes and once the crescendo-esque beats come into the foray, the transients are executed very well with an excellent degree of cleanliness. I have no complaints about the rapid decay intruding upon the sustain in this track because it was simply perfect; and the concluding cherry being the balance of tonality where the minor key was a minor.

Rage Against the Machine: Bullet in the Head 

The enunciation of the bass in the intro of the track was audible and adequate in its impact, but some might say it lacks punch - well the U12T is not that IEM and rightfully so. For me, the punch that it had elevated my experience of listening by making me acknowledge the beauty in the balance of the rest of the elements of this track - be it Morello's guitars that intertwine with Commerford's bass in the breakdown, be it Wilk's drums where the U12T had excellent control over how crisp the kick sounded with the snare and cymbals, or be it De La Rocha's vocals which supplemented and led the bass ‌with commendable imaging.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta 

This is quite a challenging track because of the elements that make this track and album so mythical and at least now I wouldn't say that the U12T is balanced or more neutral - it's not and the way the bass is enunciated here is enough to not be neutral but enough to not be dry or sterile by any means. There's a slight loss of polish through the lower strings of the guitar, but there is no adverse impact spotted elsewhere. 

The U12T lets all the elements breathe and exist harmoniously like members of an ideal commune, where the imaging through Muddy's haunting vocals stays commendably planted in the center and doesn't falter even for a single bit. The impact of the slide and the guitar twanging through the track felt mildly flatter than what I would have liked; and I cannot put a finger on the timbre yet. Muddy's vocals resonating off the recording as he mournfully waits are rendered effortlessly, perhaps with a slight overindulgence that could be bothersome for some.

Tool: Lateralus 

The U12T absolutely does not skimp over the intensely bubbling, crescendo-ing drums that accompany the equally intensifying guitars, and once everything else comes into the Ouroboros of cohesion, the U12T does a mighty fine job of that. The nitpick starts and ends with Maynard's vocals fading too crowded by the rest of the elements while being a bit too light on its note weight, but that cannot be said for anything else: the perceived wide stage benefits the isolation that the elements need in this track, so much so that Danny's hi-hats are so pronounced along with the rest of the cymbals. 

When Danny's final rudiment carries across to the breakdown and Justin's wah-ing bass comes in roaring, the U12T establishes for me beyond all doubt that it is one of the best to execute the detail needed, with the only faint blemish being the cymbals being shyly fatiguing.

HIGHS

Anne Domnerus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist) 

The U12T gets the mythical sax of Arne perfectly seasoned in timbre with just the right amount of brass needed, and the detail through each breath drawn and the resonance which is unaffected even if I ramped up the volume was impressing me further. 

Another delectable aspect was that the perception of the sax was just not honky and the tonality on the organ keys being just bright enough, which also had an equally appreciated resonance. Neither of them was piercing nor undermining each other, and that's the best part.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart 

Here, I noted that the U12T was faintly over emphasizing the electronic romantically potent double bass, but every other element was just rightfully planted, and that led me to appreciate the way the snare was coming off with the soft resonance with each brush hit, supplemented by the sizzling, sparkly cymbals.

The U12T had the twang of the guitar not undercut Carmen's just as lush, sensual vocals had the whole performance lead through with sibilance nowhere to be seen; with the final compliment being the perfectly wet, adequately boomy toms that give away the snare to have a finish so good; you might be making your way to conclude your night in a prodigally tailored tuxedo.

CONCLUDING NOTES

What amazes me the most about the U12T is its longevity - it has been out there since 2017 and in a landscape where a month long release fades into consumerist obscurity, 64 Audio erected a pillar with the U12T where it made me not want to seek more, but look inward for complacency.

However, it is not free of flaws - the U12T has no desire to compromise on detail which can definitely tire out some, the vocals giving up ground to let the instruments precede, and the faint over-statement it can reveal with elements at the higher registers could be deterrents. The supplied Apex modules could have done a lot more but they only bring changes so subtle; I just decided to stick to the stock black MX and forget about them; but for me these are grain-like nitpicks, where I just appreciated what I had in hand and not seek further into the bush. 

The U12T knows what it wants to do, and whatever it knows, it does that near flawlessly; and that might have been the reason why it has managed to survive so long since its first inception in 2017. Sometimes, the legacy of a brand is not how many products it can sell with each generation, sometimes it’s how relevant their products have been since its launch, and the U12T is a moniker of that.

Will I buy it new? Can see a point in buying this new, but won’t really outright recommend it for a blind buy.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp, the Shanling M9 Plus stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro transportable DAC amp running RoHM DAC chips and Burson V7 Vivid Op-Amps, via USB-C. Recreationally used with the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro and TRN Blackpearl dongle DAC amps.

The 64 Audio U12T is one of the easiest IEMs to run, hence even something as light as a JCally JM12 or the Apple Dongle is enough for this IEM. 

CABLE USED

Toxic cable Blackwidow V3, this was done only to not use the stock cable, and my impressions sonically have not been impacted by this cable in any way, since I don’t believe cables change sound.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Spinfit Omni: Showcases the transients of the U12T at its absolute best, ridiculously clean bass, widest stage possible for this IEM, beautiful textured highs, detail is at its absolute best.

AZLA Origin: Performs very close to the Omni, but the Omni provides for a subtly better bass impact and coherence, and a faintly wider perception in the stage.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Standard: everything that the Origin does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the highs- elements like Cymbals felt like they could have used more shimmer. Perceived stage depth and width were faintly impacted negatively.

AZLA Mithryl: perceived stage was held intact in terms of width and height, treble felt a bit too safe, sub bass felt anemic, vocals felt slightly blunt.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Wide Bores: neuters this IEM to a good degree, widens the perceived stage significantly, but that adversely impacted the otherwise excellent cohesion when it comes to handling instrument layering and note by note separation.

KBear Coffees: U12T isn’t made for shortwide eartips like this.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

64 Audio is a brand that has pushed the boundaries on what can be achieved when pricing is a concern to be talked over a cup of coffee, and making products that have stood the test of time to such an extent, that a refresh of that product comes years after its release. Given how much the Volur had impressed me, it was time to lay my eyes on that one IEM from them which upon close observation doesn’t seem to have grey hair, wrinkles, or rheumatic pain- the U12T. I thank my good friend, who had previously loaned me the Final A8000 for making this review possible.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

64 Audio definitely didn’t skimp on the idea of the accessories that were here with the U12T: the retail box is big, and advertises the product aptly; which then has a note from the CEO regarding the product; and then in the circular puck style carry case, there were the shells encased in hard foam, and under the written flap, I had the Apex modules waiting for me. On the other side, I found the cleaning tool and a 3.5mm 2 pin cable, which by far is the worst stock cable I have found supplied with an IEM that costs USD 1000+. Like, it’s cheap feeling, it’s easily tangly, and the braiding felt similar to my TRN A3 cable, something that at max costs like USD 5. The eartips supplied are generous, with a mix of silicone and foam; where the provided holder can definitely come off trypophobic, but I like it.

A note about the connectors on the U12T is that they were designed to be loose and not too tight, so if anyone might wonder if the cable would fall off the U12T due to its loose connectors, it comes out right out of the box that way.

Comfort on the U12T have been the same like their other offerings- immensely comfortable due to the shell design and the super small nozzles are a massive boon, although with certain eartips like the Divinus/Eloit Velvet standards; the asymmetry on my right ear showed up, so I had to bump a size up on the right side; but with eartips like the AZLA Mithryl or the Origin, it was not an issue.

Anyway, here’s the sound.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch 

I thought the bass on the U12T would be anemic here, as this track commands a robust delivery, and the U12T doesn't skip a beat, pun intended. What amazes me is that the transients in this IEM are well executed, and putting it that way is a slight generalization. 

The way the beats are enunciated, especially when it juxtaposes with the other elements, has no room for ‌further ‌separation. My nitpick here would be that the decay was perceived to be a bit too rapidly, which dampened the sustain it needed for a curtains closed performance. There was remarkable control over tonality, where the U12T was well rationed in its efforts.

Daft Punk: Veridis Quo 

The way the U12T lets each note of the synths/keys take their time to space out indicates commendable separation between the notes and once the crescendo-esque beats come into the foray, the transients are executed very well with an excellent degree of cleanliness. I have no complaints about the rapid decay intruding upon the sustain in this track because it was simply perfect; and the concluding cherry being the balance of tonality where the minor key was a minor.

Rage Against the Machine: Bullet in the Head 

The enunciation of the bass in the intro of the track was audible and adequate in its impact, but some might say it lacks punch - well the U12T is not that IEM and rightfully so. For me, the punch that it had elevated my experience of listening by making me acknowledge the beauty in the balance of the rest of the elements of this track - be it Morello's guitars that intertwine with Commerford's bass in the breakdown, be it Wilk's drums where the U12T had excellent control over how crisp the kick sounded with the snare and cymbals, or be it De La Rocha's vocals which supplemented and led the bass ‌with commendable imaging.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta 

This is quite a challenging track because of the elements that make this track and album so mythical and at least now I wouldn't say that the U12T is balanced or more neutral - it's not and the way the bass is enunciated here is enough to not be neutral but enough to not be dry or sterile by any means. There's a slight loss of polish through the lower strings of the guitar, but there is no adverse impact spotted elsewhere. 

The U12T lets all the elements breathe and exist harmoniously like members of an ideal commune, where the imaging through Muddy's haunting vocals stays commendably planted in the center and doesn't falter even for a single bit. The impact of the slide and the guitar twanging through the track felt mildly flatter than what I would have liked; and I cannot put a finger on the timbre yet. Muddy's vocals resonating off the recording as he mournfully waits are rendered effortlessly, perhaps with a slight overindulgence that could be bothersome for some.

Tool: Lateralus 

The U12T absolutely does not skimp over the intensely bubbling, crescendo-ing drums that accompany the equally intensifying guitars, and once everything else comes into the Ouroboros of cohesion, the U12T does a mighty fine job of that. The nitpick starts and ends with Maynard's vocals fading too crowded by the rest of the elements while being a bit too light on its note weight, but that cannot be said for anything else: the perceived wide stage benefits the isolation that the elements need in this track, so much so that Danny's hi-hats are so pronounced along with the rest of the cymbals. 

When Danny's final rudiment carries across to the breakdown and Justin's wah-ing bass comes in roaring, the U12T establishes for me beyond all doubt that it is one of the best to execute the detail needed, with the only faint blemish being the cymbals being shyly fatiguing.

HIGHS

Anne Domnerus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist) 

The U12T gets the mythical sax of Arne perfectly seasoned in timbre with just the right amount of brass needed, and the detail through each breath drawn and the resonance which is unaffected even if I ramped up the volume was impressing me further. 

Another delectable aspect was that the perception of the sax was just not honky and the tonality on the organ keys being just bright enough, which also had an equally appreciated resonance. Neither of them was piercing nor undermining each other, and that's the best part.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart 

Here, I noted that the U12T was faintly over emphasizing the electronic romantically potent double bass, but every other element was just rightfully planted, and that led me to appreciate the way the snare was coming off with the soft resonance with each brush hit, supplemented by the sizzling, sparkly cymbals.

The U12T had the twang of the guitar not undercut Carmen's just as lush, sensual vocals had the whole performance lead through with sibilance nowhere to be seen; with the final compliment being the perfectly wet, adequately boomy toms that give away the snare to have a finish so good; you might be making your way to conclude your night in a prodigally tailored tuxedo.

CONCLUDING NOTES

What amazes me the most about the U12T is its longevity - it has been out there since 2017 and in a landscape where a month long release fades into consumerist obscurity, 64 Audio erected a pillar with the U12T where it made me not want to seek more, but look inward for complacency.

However, it is not free of flaws - the U12T has no desire to compromise on detail which can definitely tire out some, the vocals giving up ground to let the instruments precede, and the faint over-statement it can reveal with elements at the higher registers could be deterrents. The supplied Apex modules could have done a lot more but they only bring changes so subtle; I just decided to stick to the stock black MX and forget about them; but for me these are grain-like nitpicks, where I just appreciated what I had in hand and not seek further into the bush. 

The U12T knows what it wants to do, and whatever it knows, it does that near flawlessly; and that might have been the reason why it has managed to survive so long since its first inception in 2017. Sometimes, the legacy of a brand is not how many products it can sell with each generation, sometimes it’s how relevant their products have been since its launch, and the U12T is a moniker of that.

Will I buy it new? Can see a point in buying this new, but won’t really outright recommend it for a blind buy.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp, the Shanling M9 Plus stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro transportable DAC amp running RoHM DAC chips and Burson V7 Vivid Op-Amps, via USB-C. Recreationally used with the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro and TRN Blackpearl dongle DAC amps.

The 64 Audio U12T is one of the easiest IEMs to run, hence even something as light as a JCally JM12 or the Apple Dongle is enough for this IEM. 

CABLE USED

Toxic cable Blackwidow V3, this was done only to not use the stock cable, and my impressions sonically have not been impacted by this cable in any way, since I don’t believe cables change sound.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Spinfit Omni: Showcases the transients of the U12T at its absolute best, ridiculously clean bass, widest stage possible for this IEM, beautiful textured highs, detail is at its absolute best.

AZLA Origin: Performs very close to the Omni, but the Omni provides for a subtly better bass impact and coherence, and a faintly wider perception in the stage.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Standard: everything that the Origin does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the highs- elements like Cymbals felt like they could have used more shimmer. Perceived stage depth and width were faintly impacted negatively.

AZLA Mithryl: perceived stage was held intact in terms of width and height, treble felt a bit too safe, sub bass felt anemic, vocals felt slightly blunt.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Wide Bores: neuters this IEM to a good degree, widens the perceived stage significantly, but that adversely impacted the otherwise excellent cohesion when it comes to handling instrument layering and note by note separation.

KBear Coffees: U12T isn’t made for shortwide eartips like this.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

64 Audio is a brand that has pushed the boundaries on what can be achieved when pricing is a concern to be talked over a cup of coffee, and making products that have stood the test of time to such an extent, that a refresh of that product comes years after its release. Given how much the Volur had impressed me, it was time to lay my eyes on that one IEM from them which upon close observation doesn’t seem to have grey hair, wrinkles, or rheumatic pain- the U12T. I thank my good friend, who had previously loaned me the Final A8000 for making this review possible.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

64 Audio definitely didn’t skimp on the idea of the accessories that were here with the U12T: the retail box is big, and advertises the product aptly; which then has a note from the CEO regarding the product; and then in the circular puck style carry case, there were the shells encased in hard foam, and under the written flap, I had the Apex modules waiting for me. On the other side, I found the cleaning tool and a 3.5mm 2 pin cable, which by far is the worst stock cable I have found supplied with an IEM that costs USD 1000+. Like, it’s cheap feeling, it’s easily tangly, and the braiding felt similar to my TRN A3 cable, something that at max costs like USD 5. The eartips supplied are generous, with a mix of silicone and foam; where the provided holder can definitely come off trypophobic, but I like it.

A note about the connectors on the U12T is that they were designed to be loose and not too tight, so if anyone might wonder if the cable would fall off the U12T due to its loose connectors, it comes out right out of the box that way.

Comfort on the U12T have been the same like their other offerings- immensely comfortable due to the shell design and the super small nozzles are a massive boon, although with certain eartips like the Divinus/Eloit Velvet standards; the asymmetry on my right ear showed up, so I had to bump a size up on the right side; but with eartips like the AZLA Mithryl or the Origin, it was not an issue.

Anyway, here’s the sound.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch 

I thought the bass on the U12T would be anemic here, as this track commands a robust delivery, and the U12T doesn't skip a beat, pun intended. What amazes me is that the transients in this IEM are well executed, and putting it that way is a slight generalization. 

The way the beats are enunciated, especially when it juxtaposes with the other elements, has no room for ‌further ‌separation. My nitpick here would be that the decay was perceived to be a bit too rapidly, which dampened the sustain it needed for a curtains closed performance. There was remarkable control over tonality, where the U12T was well rationed in its efforts.

Daft Punk: Veridis Quo 

The way the U12T lets each note of the synths/keys take their time to space out indicates commendable separation between the notes and once the crescendo-esque beats come into the foray, the transients are executed very well with an excellent degree of cleanliness. I have no complaints about the rapid decay intruding upon the sustain in this track because it was simply perfect; and the concluding cherry being the balance of tonality where the minor key was a minor.

Rage Against the Machine: Bullet in the Head 

The enunciation of the bass in the intro of the track was audible and adequate in its impact, but some might say it lacks punch - well the U12T is not that IEM and rightfully so. For me, the punch that it had elevated my experience of listening by making me acknowledge the beauty in the balance of the rest of the elements of this track - be it Morello's guitars that intertwine with Commerford's bass in the breakdown, be it Wilk's drums where the U12T had excellent control over how crisp the kick sounded with the snare and cymbals, or be it De La Rocha's vocals which supplemented and led the bass ‌with commendable imaging.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta 

This is quite a challenging track because of the elements that make this track and album so mythical and at least now I wouldn't say that the U12T is balanced or more neutral - it's not and the way the bass is enunciated here is enough to not be neutral but enough to not be dry or sterile by any means. There's a slight loss of polish through the lower strings of the guitar, but there is no adverse impact spotted elsewhere. 

The U12T lets all the elements breathe and exist harmoniously like members of an ideal commune, where the imaging through Muddy's haunting vocals stays commendably planted in the center and doesn't falter even for a single bit. The impact of the slide and the guitar twanging through the track felt mildly flatter than what I would have liked; and I cannot put a finger on the timbre yet. Muddy's vocals resonating off the recording as he mournfully waits are rendered effortlessly, perhaps with a slight overindulgence that could be bothersome for some.

Tool: Lateralus 

The U12T absolutely does not skimp over the intensely bubbling, crescendo-ing drums that accompany the equally intensifying guitars, and once everything else comes into the Ouroboros of cohesion, the U12T does a mighty fine job of that. The nitpick starts and ends with Maynard's vocals fading too crowded by the rest of the elements while being a bit too light on its note weight, but that cannot be said for anything else: the perceived wide stage benefits the isolation that the elements need in this track, so much so that Danny's hi-hats are so pronounced along with the rest of the cymbals. 

When Danny's final rudiment carries across to the breakdown and Justin's wah-ing bass comes in roaring, the U12T establishes for me beyond all doubt that it is one of the best to execute the detail needed, with the only faint blemish being the cymbals being shyly fatiguing.

HIGHS

Anne Domnerus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist) 

The U12T gets the mythical sax of Arne perfectly seasoned in timbre with just the right amount of brass needed, and the detail through each breath drawn and the resonance which is unaffected even if I ramped up the volume was impressing me further. 

Another delectable aspect was that the perception of the sax was just not honky and the tonality on the organ keys being just bright enough, which also had an equally appreciated resonance. Neither of them was piercing nor undermining each other, and that's the best part.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart 

Here, I noted that the U12T was faintly over emphasizing the electronic romantically potent double bass, but every other element was just rightfully planted, and that led me to appreciate the way the snare was coming off with the soft resonance with each brush hit, supplemented by the sizzling, sparkly cymbals.

The U12T had the twang of the guitar not undercut Carmen's just as lush, sensual vocals had the whole performance lead through with sibilance nowhere to be seen; with the final compliment being the perfectly wet, adequately boomy toms that give away the snare to have a finish so good; you might be making your way to conclude your night in a prodigally tailored tuxedo.

CONCLUDING NOTES

What amazes me the most about the U12T is its longevity - it has been out there since 2017 and in a landscape where a month long release fades into consumerist obscurity, 64 Audio erected a pillar with the U12T where it made me not want to seek more, but look inward for complacency.

However, it is not free of flaws - the U12T has no desire to compromise on detail which can definitely tire out some, the vocals giving up ground to let the instruments precede, and the faint over-statement it can reveal with elements at the higher registers could be deterrents. The supplied Apex modules could have done a lot more but they only bring changes so subtle; I just decided to stick to the stock black MX and forget about them; but for me these are grain-like nitpicks, where I just appreciated what I had in hand and not seek further into the bush. 

The U12T knows what it wants to do, and whatever it knows, it does that near flawlessly; and that might have been the reason why it has managed to survive so long since its first inception in 2017. Sometimes, the legacy of a brand is not how many products it can sell with each generation, sometimes it’s how relevant their products have been since its launch, and the U12T is a moniker of that.

Will I buy it new? Can see a point in buying this new, but won’t really outright recommend it for a blind buy.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp, the Shanling M9 Plus stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro transportable DAC amp running RoHM DAC chips and Burson V7 Vivid Op-Amps, via USB-C. Recreationally used with the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro and TRN Blackpearl dongle DAC amps.

The 64 Audio U12T is one of the easiest IEMs to run, hence even something as light as a JCally JM12 or the Apple Dongle is enough for this IEM. 

CABLE USED

Toxic cable Blackwidow V3, this was done only to not use the stock cable, and my impressions sonically have not been impacted by this cable in any way, since I don’t believe cables change sound.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Spinfit Omni: Showcases the transients of the U12T at its absolute best, ridiculously clean bass, widest stage possible for this IEM, beautiful textured highs, detail is at its absolute best.

AZLA Origin: Performs very close to the Omni, but the Omni provides for a subtly better bass impact and coherence, and a faintly wider perception in the stage.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Standard: everything that the Origin does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the highs- elements like Cymbals felt like they could have used more shimmer. Perceived stage depth and width were faintly impacted negatively.

AZLA Mithryl: perceived stage was held intact in terms of width and height, treble felt a bit too safe, sub bass felt anemic, vocals felt slightly blunt.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Wide Bores: neuters this IEM to a good degree, widens the perceived stage significantly, but that adversely impacted the otherwise excellent cohesion when it comes to handling instrument layering and note by note separation.

KBear Coffees: U12T isn’t made for shortwide eartips like this.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

64 Audio is a brand that has pushed the boundaries on what can be achieved when pricing is a concern to be talked over a cup of coffee, and making products that have stood the test of time to such an extent, that a refresh of that product comes years after its release. Given how much the Volur had impressed me, it was time to lay my eyes on that one IEM from them which upon close observation doesn’t seem to have grey hair, wrinkles, or rheumatic pain- the U12T. I thank my good friend, who had previously loaned me the Final A8000 for making this review possible.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

64 Audio definitely didn’t skimp on the idea of the accessories that were here with the U12T: the retail box is big, and advertises the product aptly; which then has a note from the CEO regarding the product; and then in the circular puck style carry case, there were the shells encased in hard foam, and under the written flap, I had the Apex modules waiting for me. On the other side, I found the cleaning tool and a 3.5mm 2 pin cable, which by far is the worst stock cable I have found supplied with an IEM that costs USD 1000+. Like, it’s cheap feeling, it’s easily tangly, and the braiding felt similar to my TRN A3 cable, something that at max costs like USD 5. The eartips supplied are generous, with a mix of silicone and foam; where the provided holder can definitely come off trypophobic, but I like it.

A note about the connectors on the U12T is that they were designed to be loose and not too tight, so if anyone might wonder if the cable would fall off the U12T due to its loose connectors, it comes out right out of the box that way.

Comfort on the U12T have been the same like their other offerings- immensely comfortable due to the shell design and the super small nozzles are a massive boon, although with certain eartips like the Divinus/Eloit Velvet standards; the asymmetry on my right ear showed up, so I had to bump a size up on the right side; but with eartips like the AZLA Mithryl or the Origin, it was not an issue.

Anyway, here’s the sound.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch 

I thought the bass on the U12T would be anemic here, as this track commands a robust delivery, and the U12T doesn't skip a beat, pun intended. What amazes me is that the transients in this IEM are well executed, and putting it that way is a slight generalization. 

The way the beats are enunciated, especially when it juxtaposes with the other elements, has no room for ‌further ‌separation. My nitpick here would be that the decay was perceived to be a bit too rapidly, which dampened the sustain it needed for a curtains closed performance. There was remarkable control over tonality, where the U12T was well rationed in its efforts.

Daft Punk: Veridis Quo 

The way the U12T lets each note of the synths/keys take their time to space out indicates commendable separation between the notes and once the crescendo-esque beats come into the foray, the transients are executed very well with an excellent degree of cleanliness. I have no complaints about the rapid decay intruding upon the sustain in this track because it was simply perfect; and the concluding cherry being the balance of tonality where the minor key was a minor.

Rage Against the Machine: Bullet in the Head 

The enunciation of the bass in the intro of the track was audible and adequate in its impact, but some might say it lacks punch - well the U12T is not that IEM and rightfully so. For me, the punch that it had elevated my experience of listening by making me acknowledge the beauty in the balance of the rest of the elements of this track - be it Morello's guitars that intertwine with Commerford's bass in the breakdown, be it Wilk's drums where the U12T had excellent control over how crisp the kick sounded with the snare and cymbals, or be it De La Rocha's vocals which supplemented and led the bass ‌with commendable imaging.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta 

This is quite a challenging track because of the elements that make this track and album so mythical and at least now I wouldn't say that the U12T is balanced or more neutral - it's not and the way the bass is enunciated here is enough to not be neutral but enough to not be dry or sterile by any means. There's a slight loss of polish through the lower strings of the guitar, but there is no adverse impact spotted elsewhere. 

The U12T lets all the elements breathe and exist harmoniously like members of an ideal commune, where the imaging through Muddy's haunting vocals stays commendably planted in the center and doesn't falter even for a single bit. The impact of the slide and the guitar twanging through the track felt mildly flatter than what I would have liked; and I cannot put a finger on the timbre yet. Muddy's vocals resonating off the recording as he mournfully waits are rendered effortlessly, perhaps with a slight overindulgence that could be bothersome for some.

Tool: Lateralus 

The U12T absolutely does not skimp over the intensely bubbling, crescendo-ing drums that accompany the equally intensifying guitars, and once everything else comes into the Ouroboros of cohesion, the U12T does a mighty fine job of that. The nitpick starts and ends with Maynard's vocals fading too crowded by the rest of the elements while being a bit too light on its note weight, but that cannot be said for anything else: the perceived wide stage benefits the isolation that the elements need in this track, so much so that Danny's hi-hats are so pronounced along with the rest of the cymbals. 

When Danny's final rudiment carries across to the breakdown and Justin's wah-ing bass comes in roaring, the U12T establishes for me beyond all doubt that it is one of the best to execute the detail needed, with the only faint blemish being the cymbals being shyly fatiguing.

HIGHS

Anne Domnerus: Almighty God (with Gustaf Sjökvist) 

The U12T gets the mythical sax of Arne perfectly seasoned in timbre with just the right amount of brass needed, and the detail through each breath drawn and the resonance which is unaffected even if I ramped up the volume was impressing me further. 

Another delectable aspect was that the perception of the sax was just not honky and the tonality on the organ keys being just bright enough, which also had an equally appreciated resonance. Neither of them was piercing nor undermining each other, and that's the best part.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart 

Here, I noted that the U12T was faintly over emphasizing the electronic romantically potent double bass, but every other element was just rightfully planted, and that led me to appreciate the way the snare was coming off with the soft resonance with each brush hit, supplemented by the sizzling, sparkly cymbals.

The U12T had the twang of the guitar not undercut Carmen's just as lush, sensual vocals had the whole performance lead through with sibilance nowhere to be seen; with the final compliment being the perfectly wet, adequately boomy toms that give away the snare to have a finish so good; you might be making your way to conclude your night in a prodigally tailored tuxedo.

CONCLUDING NOTES

What amazes me the most about the U12T is its longevity - it has been out there since 2017 and in a landscape where a month long release fades into consumerist obscurity, 64 Audio erected a pillar with the U12T where it made me not want to seek more, but look inward for complacency.

However, it is not free of flaws - the U12T has no desire to compromise on detail which can definitely tire out some, the vocals giving up ground to let the instruments precede, and the faint over-statement it can reveal with elements at the higher registers could be deterrents. The supplied Apex modules could have done a lot more but they only bring changes so subtle; I just decided to stick to the stock black MX and forget about them; but for me these are grain-like nitpicks, where I just appreciated what I had in hand and not seek further into the bush. 

The U12T knows what it wants to do, and whatever it knows, it does that near flawlessly; and that might have been the reason why it has managed to survive so long since its first inception in 2017. Sometimes, the legacy of a brand is not how many products it can sell with each generation, sometimes it’s how relevant their products have been since its launch, and the U12T is a moniker of that.

Will I buy it new? Can see a point in buying this new, but won’t really outright recommend it for a blind buy.
Will I buy it used? Absolutely.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp, the Shanling M9 Plus stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro transportable DAC amp running RoHM DAC chips and Burson V7 Vivid Op-Amps, via USB-C. Recreationally used with the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro and TRN Blackpearl dongle DAC amps.

The 64 Audio U12T is one of the easiest IEMs to run, hence even something as light as a JCally JM12 or the Apple Dongle is enough for this IEM. 

CABLE USED

Toxic cable Blackwidow V3, this was done only to not use the stock cable, and my impressions sonically have not been impacted by this cable in any way, since I don’t believe cables change sound.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

Spinfit Omni: Showcases the transients of the U12T at its absolute best, ridiculously clean bass, widest stage possible for this IEM, beautiful textured highs, detail is at its absolute best.

AZLA Origin: Performs very close to the Omni, but the Omni provides for a subtly better bass impact and coherence, and a faintly wider perception in the stage.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Standard: everything that the Origin does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the textures of the highs- elements like Cymbals felt like they could have used more shimmer. Perceived stage depth and width were faintly impacted negatively.

AZLA Mithryl: perceived stage was held intact in terms of width and height, treble felt a bit too safe, sub bass felt anemic, vocals felt slightly blunt.

Divinus/Eloit Velvet Wide Bores: neuters this IEM to a good degree, widens the perceived stage significantly, but that adversely impacted the otherwise excellent cohesion when it comes to handling instrument layering and note by note separation.

KBear Coffees: U12T isn’t made for shortwide eartips like this.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Consumers and also enthusiasts deep into the hobby are getting better offerings day by day where they are getting more performance for the money that they are paying, but every now and then, there are a few sets in this silly little hobby of portable audiophilia that cross a certain comfortable threshold in price, where the actual specs on paper raise more eyebrows than its actual sonic performance, and this is also where the Nightjar Acoustics Singularity with a single dynamic driver comes with a reasonable price tag of US$1300, the same Nightjar that collaborated with Symphonium Audio and produced a stunning little set called the Meteor. 

Now, I don’t believe in driver counts trumping over tunings, but I certainly was skeptical of this $1300 single DD IEM being praised so much, so much so, that I asked my boss who’s another audio nut to loan me his Singularity for a few days, and so I did. That’s it for the preamble. This has not been supplied by any retailer, nor any audio group of reviewers. This is a personally owned unit.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

I didn’t get the full set, just the IEMs, cable, the carry case, and the warranty card. The cable is the Nightjar Vanguard 2W which is modular and that’s a nice thing, but it is so tangly that I just used two cable ties to have the IEMs secured. The shells are metal, and are heavy; which may raise a few eyebrows on weight management, but I had the Singularity for extensive periods and except for slight discomfort, there was nothing that would make me seek workarounds.

The highlight for me was the little treasure chest of a case with just that adorable logo of Nightjar Acoustics, and unboxing the IEMs for the first time felt like Santa Claus decided to take a summer-ish detour at my place. 

That’s all for everything except for the sound, and here comes the sound.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch

The Nightjar Singularity is not an IEM that I can use on my typical track list so I had to think outside the confines for this one. r/audiophile led me to find the album Forward Escape by Tipper and went with Gulch and the Singularity got to brass tacks without wasting a second and I was stupefied with the punch and slam that this was having. 

Apart from the humongous bass quantity that it was showing with each hit, not once did the Singularity even remotely come close to sounding muddy. Rest of the elements in this track had excellent separation and no haze over the detail which makes me think twice over typecasting an IEM just because it measures a certain way on the FR.

Daft Punk: Veridis Quo

The Nightjar Singularity establishes on the first foot with the tonality being warm, which meant that the pitched up keys in the intro of this track were coming off warmer than usual while being a minor key. 

Once the beats come in, the Singularity shows beautiful restraint in not overwhelming the entire tone of sound. Note weight of the beats is quite thick while not crowding over the synths, and the attack and decay of the Singularity was snappy enough to remind me of another IEM, the Final A8000.

Rage Against the Machine: Bullet in the Head

The Singularity here shows a minuscule stutter that shows up in its otherwise regal performance by having the perceived stage shrink in height but keeping that aside, Commerford's bass in this realm sounds like the fiercest lion of the savannah with how it roars even with the rest of the elements: the attack is crisp, decay is shockingly fast and the decay just evaporates before someone might smell it to be sluggish. 

I really have to appreciate the Singularity with not forgetting to overlook on the rest of the elements where along with Commerford, Wilk's drums, De La Rocha's vocals, and especially the aggression in the tone of Morello's guitars through the breakdown where the Singularity presents it with no compromise‌, and noting so with its hardware being limited to just a single dynamic driver.

Kanye West: Devil in a New Dress

The Singularity was polished enough to let me briefly hyper fixate upon the slight audible grain & pop that shows up while the beats go on driving the force that this track has, where the drums in a way felt electric but the cymbals cut right through the mix. 

Before Rick Ross' prodigal verse comes up, there's a brief electric guitar section and when the beats come back in, the Singularity maintains a clear distinction between the elements and when Ross starts spitting his bars off; the Singularity lets the beats tuck right under Rick's vocals while the cymbals continue to be the exact filler that this part needed, making the entire listening experience be as cohesive as it can get.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta

I thought on an album where "less is more", the Singularity would struggle to pace through the little nitty grittys. This IEM just delivered the exact opposite. From the album Folk Singer, the Singularity, except for an excess quantity and energy in the kicks towards the end of the track, everything else was more of an experience than a listen. 

Muddy Waters' haunting vocals and the modulations that he does throughout; from the vibrato through the lower registers to the reverberation that his vocals have when he wails "don't say I don't love you"; from the perfectly indulged metallic timbre on the slide to the guitar having enough detail to pick up even the grazing of the pick; like I said, everything here through the Singularity is an experience.

Tool: Lateralus

Once again, the prowess of the Singularity makes this track an experience rather than a listen. Starting from the intro where the bubbling drums feel ever so uneasy and bouncy at the same time, where the guitars come off warmer than usual, but it is not a deterrent because once the rest of the elements of the track come in, except for the timbre on the drums & guitars on which I simply cannot put a finger on yet, it was an auditory spectacle- I become a boy who just heard the cold start of a Harley in a winter. 

Be it the bass which is potent but non intrusive, the cymbals which are sparkly but not shouty, be it the vocals around which the instruments unite and the imaging is just so accurate, and despite the chaos in a masterful control amidst the elements, the Singularity excels in separation and nail every single hit through Carey's final rudiment right before the wah-ing bass which is so polished starts the breakdown.

Steely Dan: Gaucho

The Singularity once again excels to impress me while having an "on-paper" tuning which prima facie doesn't make sense. The presentation definitely would have benefited more from a wider stage but still for an IEM it does alright. 

I was having a hard time not noticing how quickly the decay cut off on the growling bass that the track had, and how the tonality has moved out from the nitpicks. The piano here tangos with the bass as to not suffocate the vocals and the backing choir and there is an audible distinction between the both except for moments where they intentionally camouflaged, and there is no skimping on detail.

HIGHS

Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)

From the legendary jazz album Antiphone Blues, the same named track has just two elements: a saxophone and a church organ, which was recorded in a church and for the gear to be doing justice to a phenomenal job with the details that make this piece THE PIECE, it has to nail timbre, resonance and tonality right and the Singularity delivers. 

Domnérus' sax does not come off overly honky or shouty by any means, rather it has an accurately perceived brassy timbre with an incredible resonance because of the way it bounces off the stone walls of the church being recorded in. It just immersed me in the listening while not once did it make me forget the equally resonant organ keys of Gustaf Sjökvist while being so tonally accurate that the key shift to a B flat major did not come as warmer than it should. The immersion with Singularity was so strong that I did not choose to play something else for an hour.

Dave Brubeck: Take Five

Four members, one masterpiece: this is an elegant yet simple track, and the simplicities have the complexion within them. I expected the Singularity to behave in a rash, undignified manner, yet it surprised me. Except for once again, a tad of an excess in the bass quantity of this IEM through here, the grip that it otherwise had on the rest of the elements seemed detailed, but it was true. 

First, the textures of the cymbals being appropriately sparkly without being fatiguing, the timbre on the horns being just rightfully brassy without pierce, the resonance of the floor and hi-toms during the solo as the channels split yet the imaging stayed intact, note weight on the pianos: everything was rationed by the Singularity in ways only a few barebones IEMs would do not for namesake.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart

When your audio gear can make you forget that you are supposed to assess how it sounds with the music that you are playing, it makes you quickly sit comfortably and just listen; then the gear has won and the Singularity proved it through this track from her legendary one mic recording album "Don't You Cry." 

First was the drums in this track, where the timbre on the snare was not dry at all; perfectly resonant and just had the amount of rasp from the brush; the cymbals were just so inexplicably crisp where I am at a loss of adjectives, the guitar just at abeyance to not drown out that double bass. The cherry on top is Carmen Gomes' sensual and lush vocal textures exuding in a way that I was reminded of what it means to be an audiophile; using music to listen to equipment; not the other way around- the Singularity did just that, and it’s enough.

CONCLUDING NOTES

There comes a time, in a person’s life; where he is just about to settle into a life of modest comfort and a proper respectable baseline set; and he’s just about to ride off into the sunset of chasing with the other shoe that has fallen onto his floor, and he slides the foot in, wiggles into the shoe, and realises that it’s a size too small for him, and once again he has to relegate everything else. He has to go out, grind, run, do whatever it takes to get another pair where his feet can slide in and that’s it. 

Just when I had thought that I am in a comfortable spot with what I want in terms of my personal belongings in portable audio, the Nightjar Acoustics Singularity is exactly that moment where the descended pair of shoes just don’t fit. I resent myself for even willing to try this IEM, because I had just rebuilt myself from being ruined by the likes of the Crinear Reference and the Elysian Apostle 2026; and here comes the Singularity straddling in like a boxer who knows that whoever comes in front of him is getting slept before he even feels fatigue; and just treated me like a withered old man knocking me out with a gust of wind. 

I rue the entire time I spent underestimating this IEM just by looking at the spec sheet, and viewing every praise made for this IEM with a lens of skepticism, but I think the silver lining is that, my skepticism let me seek this spectacle out, try it for myself and then thank my morbid curiosity for pushing myself to try it, cause I didn’t think these levels of performance were sonically comprehensible, and with this my curiosity killed my skeptic cat, and Nightjar Acoustics, you owe me one life out of the eight for this slayed cat.

Will I buy it new? Blind buy.
Will I buy it used? Blind buy.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp, the Shanling M9 Plus stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro transportable DAC amp running RoHM DAC chips and Burson V7 Vivid Op-Amps, via USB-C. Recreationally used with the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro and TRN Blackpearl dongle DAC amps.

But honestly, the Singularity doesn’t need a lot of power to run, just have a clean measuring source with an added bonus for a balanced port and that’s it.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

AZLA Mithryl: Showcases the transients of the Singularity at its absolute best, cleanest midbass slam I have heard till date, widest stage possible for this IEM, beautiful textured highs, detail is at its absolute best.

Divinus Velvet Narrow Bores: everything that the Mithryl does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the vocals- felt a bit too flat.

AZLA Origin: perceived stage shrunk in terms of width and height, treble felt a bit too safe, mid bass had a very faint bleed, vocals felt slightly recessed.

Divinus Velvet Wide Bores: neuters this IEM to a good degree, but a good thing if one feels the bass might be a bit too overpowering (but at that point just EQ it).

KBear Coffees: just because it is possible doesn’t mean it’s good- vocal textures ruined, mid bass felt pillowy, sub-bass got out of hand, treble is nothing to write home about in terms of textures.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Consumers and also enthusiasts deep into the hobby are getting better offerings day by day where they are getting more performance for the money that they are paying, but every now and then, there are a few sets in this silly little hobby of portable audiophilia that cross a certain comfortable threshold in price, where the actual specs on paper raise more eyebrows than its actual sonic performance, and this is also where the Nightjar Acoustics Singularity with a single dynamic driver comes with a reasonable price tag of US$1300, the same Nightjar that collaborated with Symphonium Audio and produced a stunning little set called the Meteor. 

Now, I don’t believe in driver counts trumping over tunings, but I certainly was skeptical of this $1300 single DD IEM being praised so much, so much so, that I asked my boss who’s another audio nut to loan me his Singularity for a few days, and so I did. That’s it for the preamble. This has not been supplied by any retailer, nor any audio group of reviewers. This is a personally owned unit.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

I didn’t get the full set, just the IEMs, cable, the carry case, and the warranty card. The cable is the Nightjar Vanguard 2W which is modular and that’s a nice thing, but it is so tangly that I just used two cable ties to have the IEMs secured. The shells are metal, and are heavy; which may raise a few eyebrows on weight management, but I had the Singularity for extensive periods and except for slight discomfort, there was nothing that would make me seek workarounds.

The highlight for me was the little treasure chest of a case with just that adorable logo of Nightjar Acoustics, and unboxing the IEMs for the first time felt like Santa Claus decided to take a summer-ish detour at my place. 

That’s all for everything except for the sound, and here comes the sound.

LOWS

Tipper: Gulch

The Nightjar Singularity is not an IEM that I can use on my typical track list so I had to think outside the confines for this one. r/audiophile led me to find the album Forward Escape by Tipper and went with Gulch and the Singularity got to brass tacks without wasting a second and I was stupefied with the punch and slam that this was having. 

Apart from the humongous bass quantity that it was showing with each hit, not once did the Singularity even remotely come close to sounding muddy. Rest of the elements in this track had excellent separation and no haze over the detail which makes me think twice over typecasting an IEM just because it measures a certain way on the FR.

Daft Punk: Veridis Quo

The Nightjar Singularity establishes on the first foot with the tonality being warm, which meant that the pitched up keys in the intro of this track were coming off warmer than usual while being a minor key. 

Once the beats come in, the Singularity shows beautiful restraint in not overwhelming the entire tone of sound. Note weight of the beats is quite thick while not crowding over the synths, and the attack and decay of the Singularity was snappy enough to remind me of another IEM, the Final A8000.

Rage Against the Machine: Bullet in the Head

The Singularity here shows a minuscule stutter that shows up in its otherwise regal performance by having the perceived stage shrink in height but keeping that aside, Commerford's bass in this realm sounds like the fiercest lion of the savannah with how it roars even with the rest of the elements: the attack is crisp, decay is shockingly fast and the decay just evaporates before someone might smell it to be sluggish. 

I really have to appreciate the Singularity with not forgetting to overlook on the rest of the elements where along with Commerford, Wilk's drums, De La Rocha's vocals, and especially the aggression in the tone of Morello's guitars through the breakdown where the Singularity presents it with no compromise‌, and noting so with its hardware being limited to just a single dynamic driver.

Kanye West: Devil in a New Dress

The Singularity was polished enough to let me briefly hyper fixate upon the slight audible grain & pop that shows up while the beats go on driving the force that this track has, where the drums in a way felt electric but the cymbals cut right through the mix. 

Before Rick Ross' prodigal verse comes up, there's a brief electric guitar section and when the beats come back in, the Singularity maintains a clear distinction between the elements and when Ross starts spitting his bars off; the Singularity lets the beats tuck right under Rick's vocals while the cymbals continue to be the exact filler that this part needed, making the entire listening experience be as cohesive as it can get.

MIDS

Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta

I thought on an album where "less is more", the Singularity would struggle to pace through the little nitty grittys. This IEM just delivered the exact opposite. From the album Folk Singer, the Singularity, except for an excess quantity and energy in the kicks towards the end of the track, everything else was more of an experience than a listen. 

Muddy Waters' haunting vocals and the modulations that he does throughout; from the vibrato through the lower registers to the reverberation that his vocals have when he wails "don't say I don't love you"; from the perfectly indulged metallic timbre on the slide to the guitar having enough detail to pick up even the grazing of the pick; like I said, everything here through the Singularity is an experience.

Tool: Lateralus

Once again, the prowess of the Singularity makes this track an experience rather than a listen. Starting from the intro where the bubbling drums feel ever so uneasy and bouncy at the same time, where the guitars come off warmer than usual, but it is not a deterrent because once the rest of the elements of the track come in, except for the timbre on the drums & guitars on which I simply cannot put a finger on yet, it was an auditory spectacle- I become a boy who just heard the cold start of a Harley in a winter. 

Be it the bass which is potent but non intrusive, the cymbals which are sparkly but not shouty, be it the vocals around which the instruments unite and the imaging is just so accurate, and despite the chaos in a masterful control amidst the elements, the Singularity excels in separation and nail every single hit through Carey's final rudiment right before the wah-ing bass which is so polished starts the breakdown.

Steely Dan: Gaucho

The Singularity once again excels to impress me while having an "on-paper" tuning which prima facie doesn't make sense. The presentation definitely would have benefited more from a wider stage but still for an IEM it does alright. 

I was having a hard time not noticing how quickly the decay cut off on the growling bass that the track had, and how the tonality has moved out from the nitpicks. The piano here tangos with the bass as to not suffocate the vocals and the backing choir and there is an audible distinction between the both except for moments where they intentionally camouflaged, and there is no skimping on detail.

HIGHS

Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)

From the legendary jazz album Antiphone Blues, the same named track has just two elements: a saxophone and a church organ, which was recorded in a church and for the gear to be doing justice to a phenomenal job with the details that make this piece THE PIECE, it has to nail timbre, resonance and tonality right and the Singularity delivers. 

Domnérus' sax does not come off overly honky or shouty by any means, rather it has an accurately perceived brassy timbre with an incredible resonance because of the way it bounces off the stone walls of the church being recorded in. It just immersed me in the listening while not once did it make me forget the equally resonant organ keys of Gustaf Sjökvist while being so tonally accurate that the key shift to a B flat major did not come as warmer than it should. The immersion with Singularity was so strong that I did not choose to play something else for an hour.

Dave Brubeck: Take Five

Four members, one masterpiece: this is an elegant yet simple track, and the simplicities have the complexion within them. I expected the Singularity to behave in a rash, undignified manner, yet it surprised me. Except for once again, a tad of an excess in the bass quantity of this IEM through here, the grip that it otherwise had on the rest of the elements seemed detailed, but it was true. 

First, the textures of the cymbals being appropriately sparkly without being fatiguing, the timbre on the horns being just rightfully brassy without pierce, the resonance of the floor and hi-toms during the solo as the channels split yet the imaging stayed intact, note weight on the pianos: everything was rationed by the Singularity in ways only a few barebones IEMs would do not for namesake.

Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart

When your audio gear can make you forget that you are supposed to assess how it sounds with the music that you are playing, it makes you quickly sit comfortably and just listen; then the gear has won and the Singularity proved it through this track from her legendary one mic recording album "Don't You Cry." 

First was the drums in this track, where the timbre on the snare was not dry at all; perfectly resonant and just had the amount of rasp from the brush; the cymbals were just so inexplicably crisp where I am at a loss of adjectives, the guitar just at abeyance to not drown out that double bass. The cherry on top is Carmen Gomes' sensual and lush vocal textures exuding in a way that I was reminded of what it means to be an audiophile; using music to listen to equipment; not the other way around- the Singularity did just that, and it’s enough.

CONCLUDING NOTES

There comes a time, in a person’s life; where he is just about to settle into a life of modest comfort and a proper respectable baseline set; and he’s just about to ride off into the sunset of chasing with the other shoe that has fallen onto his floor, and he slides the foot in, wiggles into the shoe, and realises that it’s a size too small for him, and once again he has to relegate everything else. He has to go out, grind, run, do whatever it takes to get another pair where his feet can slide in and that’s it. 

Just when I had thought that I am in a comfortable spot with what I want in terms of my personal belongings in portable audio, the Nightjar Acoustics Singularity is exactly that moment where the descended pair of shoes just don’t fit. I resent myself for even willing to try this IEM, because I had just rebuilt myself from being ruined by the likes of the Crinear Reference and the Elysian Apostle 2026; and here comes the Singularity straddling in like a boxer who knows that whoever comes in front of him is getting slept before he even feels fatigue; and just treated me like a withered old man knocking me out with a gust of wind. 

I rue the entire time I spent underestimating this IEM just by looking at the spec sheet, and viewing every praise made for this IEM with a lens of skepticism, but I think the silver lining is that, my skepticism let me seek this spectacle out, try it for myself and then thank my morbid curiosity for pushing myself to try it, cause I didn’t think these levels of performance were sonically comprehensible, and with this my curiosity killed my skeptic cat, and Nightjar Acoustics, you owe me one life out of the eight for this slayed cat.

Will I buy it new? Blind buy.
Will I buy it used? Blind buy.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp, the Shanling M9 Plus stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro transportable DAC amp running RoHM DAC chips and Burson V7 Vivid Op-Amps, via USB-C. Recreationally used with the Venture Electronics Abigail Pro and TRN Blackpearl dongle DAC amps.

But honestly, the Singularity doesn’t need a lot of power to run, just have a clean measuring source with an added bonus for a balanced port and that’s it.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

AZLA Mithryl: Showcases the transients of the Singularity at its absolute best, cleanest midbass slam I have heard till date, widest stage possible for this IEM, beautiful textured highs, detail is at its absolute best.

Divinus Velvet Narrow Bores: everything that the Mithryl does, but to a lesser degree, and there was something missing in the vocals- felt a bit too flat.

AZLA Origin: perceived stage shrunk in terms of width and height, treble felt a bit too safe, mid bass had a very faint bleed, vocals felt slightly recessed.

Divinus Velvet Wide Bores: neuters this IEM to a good degree, but a good thing if one feels the bass might be a bit too overpowering (but at that point just EQ it).

KBear Coffees: just because it is possible doesn’t mean it’s good- vocal textures ruined, mid bass felt pillowy, sub-bass got out of hand, treble is nothing to write home about in terms of textures.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Steely Dan: Gaucho
• Carmen Gomes: Unchain My Heart
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush, Veridis Quo
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked, Gulch
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Arne Domnérus: Antiphone Blues (with Gustaf Sjökvist)
• Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna