On my phone in the sound enhancement section I have an option for Hi-Fi Mode. I have multiple USB DAC's at home and I wonder what the setting does?
I know it's not in use if I'm using USB exclusive mode in Poweramp but for Spotify and GMMP what does it change?
I thought the Hidizs My Lin sounded good using a cheapo USB DAC with the stock 3.5mm cable and stock tips. The Hidizs S8 DAC matched with their 4.4mm balanced cable and the Sea Anemone tips make everything sound absolutely amazing. I was considering buying a DAP, but I think I'll hold off for now.
TL;DR
The pure is an excellent iem. Period. It’s one of the best sounding iems I have tried irrespective of price, I think most people who are just chasing sound quality should stop here, the pure does so little wrong sonically it’s frankly absurd it costs so little.
Context
I bought this iem with my own money, I generally prefer iems that are non sibilant with relaxed upper treble and upper mids and raised lower mids that add body to the sound (kinda the opposite of harman ie 2019).
Design, Build, & Comfort
The Sound
The Truthear Pure has a 1 DD + 3 BA driver config, tuned to be a warmer (and arguably more neutral) take on the beloved truthear hexa by listener from headphone show.
Comparisons
Compared to some other popular iems regarded as neutral by the community:
Compared to some popular budget coloured iems:
Conclusion
The pure is lowkey where most people who care about sound quality should stop at imo. We finally get a well done “neutral” set under $100. Excellent bass response, glorious mid range and solid treble. If you could just eq down the resonance peak after a sine sweep, adjust the bloom and pinna gain to your liking this is pretty much as good as iems get irrespective of price. For $90 + $10 for a 5 band parametric eq dac you have achieved endgame iem.
I'm looking for a balanced soundstage , for all kinds of music..
Is it worth it ?
Do I have to buy a DAC for better performance or does it actually need this price segment.. since I'm Using a Motorola edge 60 neop
An headphone which fits at least four roles..Read the review which took at least 3 weeks to finish.
Hello everyone 👋
I'm getting back into audiophile music listening, and I think the missing piece is which EQ makes the most sense and how to get the most out of it.
I have the HD 560S and an iFi HipDac2. I'm using it with my phone (S26 Ultra) and Tidal through USB Audio Player Pro.
In the past, and currently, this already sounds pretty good with no further adjustments...but I read a lot that proper EQ use, even if subtle, can "wake up" passive open back headphones and maximize their potential for greatness.
Is there a separate EQ app I should download and use? Or is the one built into UAPP good enough?
I actually want to upgrade to the HD 660S2, but want to first master using an EQ properly before making the jump.
[mod pre-approved self-promo]
I was too young to have a real opinion back when the grown-ups argued about the Nakamichi Dragon and the Tandberg TCD 3014A, but I remember the machines themselves perfectly. The needles kicking. The clunk of the transport. The way using one felt like poking a hardware beast rather than a background thing. (Big part of why I ended up an electronics engineer.)
I've been chasing that feeling on mobile forever, and after years of buying physical DAPs and DAP apps I found nothing special. Then I had a bad snowboarding accident and used the hospital bed time to build my own.
It's a player for music you already own — FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3 — though honestly the format list is the least interesting part of it. What I actually cared about was making it feel like industrial-grade audio equipment. There's a cassette that actually spins, and the reels wind across in proportion to where you are in the track, so you judge how much is left by how fat the reel is getting, proper retro. VU meters that move properly live and glow that unmistakable burning tungsten, with amber accents. A Nixie tube mechanical counter. A live audio graph. Haptics all over it, mechanical clicks under your thumb. Even a ferrofluid visualiser I spent an absurd amount of time on and would do again.
Cover art runs full bleed, edge to edge — somebody made that artwork and it deserves better than a 60-pixel thumbnail. There's a proper C++ crossfeed kernel, so headphones stop putting the band inside your skull. And a three-band EQ laid out in battle mode, inspired by the Allen & Heath DJ mixers from the golden years of rave. Compression, reverb and distortion if you want them, and a true bypass, so with everything switched off the output signal stays pristine — which is what you want when you're feeding a DAC or a preamp.
It talks directly enough to Apple's hardware that the whole thing weighs 39 MB — no bloated frameworks, no ad SDKs, nothing phoning home. It still catalogues terabytes of audio in seconds and does its genre sorting offline, on device.
And it looks tough as nails.
It's a one-time purchase. No subscription, no ads, nothing locked behind an upgrade, no account, no telemetry, and it works entirely offline. Updates are free. It's just me building this and I'd like to keep it that way. I oppose enshittification with all my heart.
Fair warnings: it's Apple only, and it plays files you already have — it isn't a streaming app. If your library lives on Spotify, this one isn't for you.
[Octopus on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6762027638?pt=128764606&ct=reddit\_returningretro&mt=8)
Official website: [singularcontinuum.com/octopus](https://singularcontinuum.com/octopus)
Happy to answer anything. And curious to know which one you'd have picked.
KZ Duonic + NiceHCK Black Cat. This is by far, the cheapest IEM and cable combo I've ever bought. Duonic is $7.39 and cable is $5.99 for a grand total of $13.38. I've bought stuff where shipping cost is more expensive. Crazy insane deal and they don't sound half bad! Thank you Aliexpress Bundle Deals.
I want to buy a first ever IEM in my audiophile journey, currently using Nord wired, before I was using Realme Buds 2 earphones. But now I have become an audiophile, so I thought let's try an IEM.
My budget is 2K INR max (still trying to find an IEM around 1.5K). Now suggest some best IEMs which are more long-lasting and durable, especially the cable, under 2K (try 1.5K).
My priority:
Cable should be rough and tough
Could hold sudden jerks 😂
Want it for 4 years — can't afford next time
Listening to electronic music
Under 2K or (1.5K — trying)
In the image, these are three items that I'm considering, but couldn't get confident about my priority list. (Also look for KZ Castor Pro.)
Hisenior had achieved significant name and fame, with one particular set that put them right on the map, and despite having a good chunk of time passed since this release, a friend of mine decided to send me the cult classic in the mega5EST for assessment, and I got to see has the IEM turned into wine or milk after all this time. I have had some good pleasure listening to another set of theirs, the Cano Cristales, and now it was time for me to assess this IEM. So thank you, dear friend for loaning this.
Hisenior has left no stone unturned when it came to the accessories of the Mega5EST; and with the cover out which advertised the product aptly (the one I got was the 7th anniversary edition), taking the lid off gave way to a Pelican-esque carry case which I think is good enough for a few absent minded sit downs and a few missed throws (I wish more brands gave cases like these). The IEMs were right there with the stock cable, which is pleasant and has heft. There was a generous assortment of eartips along with a cleaning tool. The shells had febos written on it in cursive, which meant FEEL THE BEAUTY OF SOUND, which was their previous name.
I got the perfect seal on the Mega5EST with a shallower insertion than most, and thanks to the vents for not allowing any pressure buildup. Despite the large shells, I would say that the contouring contributed to having much less fatigue than usual, and the fatigue happened across the earhook areas, after I had this set for hours on end.
The Mega5EST shows juvenile signs of competence with a good level of cleanliness demonstrated in the opening rippling like intro of this track, and once the rest of the elements catches up, the initial beats that should have been strong come off rather in an anemic fashion, and then the Mega5EST caught me off guard with a deep, borderline grovelling bass hit in the drop which I felt was a bit too excessive with how the beats sustained. Attack seems to be moderately paced and the decay lingers on for slightly longer than usual. The phase-like fuzzy elements in this track didn’t feel as quite polished as some other sets have been in, but still not too shabby. Not too impressive either.
The Mega5EST, through this track shows it can definitely add in the thump that the kicks and toms specially have here, although the kicks have a more prominent presence than the toms. What the Mega5EST does rather poorly here, is that the notes from the bass line in this track seems to evaporate because it emphasises the drums excessively, and the only time the grain from the chaff (bass from the drums) is separated is when the guitar solo comes in here, and as soon as the solo ends, the bass tends to get tucked into the blanket that the drums seems to have created; which indicates that the Mega5EST cannot handle isolation in technically elaborate tracks as this one. Adding on to this, the rudiments towards the end of the track lack the resonance that makes the ending so satisfying on this track.
The intro of this track sounds potent at first, but as the intro concludes for the rest of the elements in this track to barge through, I could sense that this IEM really was not letting the bass fully belt out in its full glory, and a little enhancement in the separation of the bass and drums couldn’t have hurt. But, all things said and done; what I like about the Mega5EST prima facie is the way vocals sit right in the middle of the track, and the instruments revolve around it (metaphorically). Tonality could be said as balanced by some, but I wouldn’t put it across that way. It’s got a strong warm presence with some perceived sparkle on the other end, but I will elaborate on it more as I progress through. This track becomes significantly more enjoyable when the bass really becomes the highlight of the show through the breakdown, and I could finally gauge the note by note aggression and the drums merely supplement the bass, as it should on this track.
The bass is once again a subtle problem in this track where it shouldn’t have been, as right at the intro it comes in with an excess of aggression; and as the rest of the elements follow suit, I seriously lament with how flat I perceived the otherwise crisp, sharp, aggressive snares that this track where with some IEMs I would have been able to gauge the timbre, but the Mega5EST definitely was making me work hard on being able to gauge it.
Once I am settled in the track, I could sense a faint thinness in Josh Homme’s vocals, as the guitars were adequately being rationed along with the cymbals, which surprisingly are having a fantastic perception in their placement, right alongside the vocals and once again, not being too forward nor being too laid back. But through the verses, the bass really takes off into obscurity as I felt every other instrument otherwise which puts a blemish.
The otherwise overpowering bass finally finds itself having some relevance as it walks the aisle right alongside the rumbling floor toms as it sets the stage up for everything else to fall into place. But once the intro ends, and the guitars further try to mould this beautiful vase of a track, the bass once again feels a bit too on the nose, although the same energy reflected by the floor toms is giving the track a much needed power; because both the vocals and the guitars are now coming off thin. Through the breakdown, the Mega5EST does a shabby job with how the final rudiments on the drums end as I sensed a blur on its execution, the granular finesse needed to recognize every hit was simply not there, and cymbals were having a momentary loss in texture. Some ears may enjoy the excess of the thump and punch, but I was really not feeling it with the Mega5EST.
Here; the Mega5EST impresses me a lot: I specifically use this track to not sense sibilance, as sibilance is an element already preserved in the recording and this track demonstrates it very audibly, I use this track to see the restraint or the succumbing into showing that sibilance, and I would say that the Mega5EST does an impressive job in showing restraint- the way Patricia Barber enunciated her Cs and Ss was not excessively sibilant, but I wouldn’t outright write it off as this IEM being smooth. Timbre finally shows up through the percussion and the pianos to be slightly on the drier side than what I am used to, and falls slightly shy of me calling it accurate. Tonality potently is on the warmer side than being balanced, and specially observed through the pianos.
The Mega5EST seems to have done a good job with the cymbals that establish their presence right from the intro but there’s an inherent problem with their note weight, and the same extends to the horns where there’s detail to pick through the little nuances but it’s just that even they sound faintly thin. The bass tends to stumble with its recognition in this track, the one track where all the elements are distinctly, audibly clear from one another but fixes itself right itself when the horns end and the drum solo is about to start. This track is also unique because the stereo characteristic is unmistakably itself and the channels separate the moment the drum solo kicks in, and the IEM picks up the detail; snare hits are crisp, the resonance of the toms needed a little more resonance to be even more pronounced but still decent; the kicks have a potent hit and the way the decay comes off in its hits is satisfying. The bass and the pianos hold their respective ground, but that isolation of the bass from the drums once again gets obscure once the horns kick in.
The Xenns Top Pro absolutely blows the Mega5EST out of the water in almost everything it does. While the Mega5EST suffers from an excessive mid-bass thump that tends to overshadow other elements and tucks instruments into a blanket, the Top Pro delivers a freakishly controlled sub-bass that accentuates the track without seeping through. Where the Mega5EST struggles with isolation on technically elaborate tracks, the Top Pro fires back with a magnificent, wide stage and some of the best imaging capabilities out there. Even in the highs, where the Mega5EST shows a competent restraint against sibilance but feels faintly thin and dry, the Top Pro handles climaxes with more detail but can come off fatiguing and sibilant. The only areas where the Mega5EST even puts up a fight are in offering minutely smoother highs on rare occasions and perhaps slightly finer imaging, but it’s essentially a seamless victory for the Top Pro.
The Elysian Pilgrim takes an entirely different route compared to the heavy-handed, groveling bass approach of the Mega5EST. Where the Mega5EST over-indulges in mid-bass thump, in its light I really enjoyed how well and composed the Pilgrim felt. The Pilgrim effortlessly outclasses the Mega5EST in the midrange, trading the latter's fuzzy isolation for a wide stage, fabulous imaging, and juggles the act of balancing vocals beautifully (comparatively). However, the Mega5EST maintains an upper hand in treble smoothness; while the Mega5EST handles sibilance with impressive restraint, the Pilgrim suffers from a subtly audible grain and can feel like it runs out of air on high-pitched vocals, making it sound leaner in moments where the Mega5EST remains composed.
The Crinear Reference serves as a surgical magnifying glass, standing in stark contrast to the thick, heavily colored presentation of the Mega5EST. While the Mega5EST comes in with an excessively aggressive bass attack and lingering decay that ruins my perception of the bass quality, the Reference keeps the lows strictly at abeyance, delivering a seasoned featherweight's punch with precise decay that never overstays its welcome. The Reference also completely outclasses the Mega5EST in technicalities: where the latter struggles to isolate bass lines from drum rudiments, the former balances the tightrope of coherence and isolation like a maestro, rendering perfect snare and cymbal timbre. The Mega5EST has problems with its note weight, whereas the Reference offers incredible rationing, a lip-smacking shimmer, and pristine detail retrieval with near-zero sibilance.
The Softears Studio 4 offers a much more refined and mature take on a warm, musical signature than the Mega5EST. While the Mega5EST throws too much aggression into the bass right out of the gate, the Studio 4 delivers a velvety, polite sub-bass that only unleashes its orchestral punch when the track strictly demands it. In the midrange, the Mega5EST manages vocals center-stage but falters with instrumental layering, whereas the Studio 4 delivers incredibly flavorful, full-bodied vocals backed by deadly precise imaging. The true magnum opus of the Studio 4 lies in its highs: crisp, soaring, and tonally magnificent, which makes the smooth but somewhat dry treble of the Mega5EST feel decidedly uninspired by comparison. While the Studio 4 can occasionally sound confusingly metallic on guitars, it remains a significantly more cohesive and emotionally engaging listen than the heavy-handed Mega5EST.
Now, the IE600 has its own share of problems- dangerously spicy treble as per one’s HRTF where to me it’s just borderline there, and middling levels of instrument separation; but I would still take it personally over the Mega5EST because the IE600 has a ridiculously great bass quality, and specifically the mid-bass where I am of the opinion that it is leagues better than what I felt on the Mega5EST while delivering near comparable levels of detail and imaging, and while coming in a much smaller footprint and being so much comfortable.
But, sennheiser really fumbled with the quality control issues on it which were widespread and doesn’t really inspire buyer confidence, which is where the Mega5EST comes in with a better proposition, as I feel tip rolling and EQing can fix most of its issues.
The Hisenior Mega5EST is hard for me to fully get behind, despite the cult status it has amassed over time. As I pondered in the beginning whether it has aged into wine or milk, I lean slightly towards the latter. On one hand, I appreciate the generous accessories, the fantastic fit, and the restraint it shows against sibilance, providing a relaxed, warm listen. But on the other hand, the excessively grovelling mid-bass thump, the fuzzy instrumental isolation, and the sheer lack of note weight in the upper frequencies leave me feeling hung out to dry.
When IEMs like the Xenns Top Pro exist and do almost everything better (although now I feel that the Top Pro has aged slightly worse and I need to update my review on it), or the Sennheiser IE600 offers a masterclass in bass quality, the Mega5EST feels like a heavily colored set that struggles to maintain its ground technically. And the hunches that it needs, despite being tuned to the newer JM-1 target while other IEMs tuned to the same target are offering better value for money, I think the Mega5EST simply has lost the plot in the current retail landscape.
Will I buy the Mega5EST at retail ? Absolutely not.
Will I buy the Mega5EST used ? Only if it can be found for US$250 or under (Approximately 25,000 INR or under).
SOURCES USED
Primarily used with the Shanling M9 Plus DAP stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro running RoHM DAC chips, SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp.
TL;DR
The Aful MagicOne is a discontinued iem that uses a single BA along with a bunch of other tech to produce the full frequency spectrum. It is a very pretty looking and comfortable iem but it sounds kinda mediocre imo, especially compared to other iems around it’s price range such as the explorer and pure. It’s bright, the mid bass is blunt and there is barely any subbass rumble.
· Sound: 5.5/10
· Build quality: 8.5/10
· Comfort: 9/10
· Value: 7/10 (msrp was $139)
Context
This iem was kindly loaned to me by the goat u/mournfulmonk for review. I generally prefer iems that are non sibilant with relaxed upper treble and upper mids and raised lower mids that add body to the sound (kinda the opposite of harman ie 2019).
Aesthetics & Build: The shells are made of 3d printed transparent resin. The shells feel very good quality in the hand, you can view all the acoustic chambers and ba driver through the resin which is super cool, the faceplates have a pretty silver snowflake pattern with a white background. Aful always cooks with their designs and the MagicOne is no exception.
Fit, Comfort and Isolation: These iems are what I would call medium-small, the shells are semi custom with great ergonomics. The MagicOne does suffer from significant pressure build up issues even tho it has a vent. So if you’re sensitive to the feeling of pressure against your eardrums do not get these!
Isolation however is excellent, partly due to the pressure buildup.
Cable & Accessories: The cable is fine, it looks good with it’s white and silvery braid (matches the iems well) but it is stiff and rubbery feeling, also little memory prone. The cable comes with 4.4 mm and 3.5 mm variants, I have the 4.4 here. The chin slider is super tight and does it’s job very (almost too well, it’s hard to move it lol).
The Sound
The iem has a single BA driver doing all the work, while these seem to graph like a neutral-warm set they sound kinda bright to me, the low end leaves a lot to be desired.
Bass (20 hz to 300 hz): Bass is the weakest part of this iem, the sub bass is anemic, bass guitars don't have that bite to them and while the mid bass has decent quantity it does not have quality, the mid bass is blunt with not a lot of texture or tactility.
Mids (300 hz to 6000 hz): These have new meta esque lower mids (linear rise from 1k to 300 hz) but they do not sound warm to me like they are usually described, I am guessing this is due to the mid treble rise. The upper mids are also a little too forward to my liking, sounds kinda nasal and even a bit shouty.
There are much better iems around it’s price range if a warm mid range is what you’re looking for, such as the pure.
Mid Treble (6000hz to 10000hz): There is a decent amount of mid treble on this iem and I hear a pretty big peak around 6.5-7 khz, mid treble elevation usually doesn't bother me but sudden peaks do, and unfortunately this iem is not smooth here. I think this skews the overall tonality towards bright for me.
Upper Treble (10000hz to 20000hz): The aful magicone is smooth in the upper treble, this is a relief as i hate upper treble spikes, the treble is reasonably well extended for a single BA iem. No complaints here.
Technicalities: Not a lot of bass tactility like i said before, mid bass is kinda soft and theres barely any texturing in the subbass. Mids are well layered and the mid treble gives it a good amount of bite and clarity. The lack of big upper treble spikes could sound low res to you if you’re one of people who associate air with detail.
Comparisons
Compared to some other “warm” iems I own below:
Truthear Pure: The pure wipes the floor with magicone, much better mid bass tactility, actually warm sounding midrange with some of the best vocals i have heard in an iem. MagicOne is much more comfortable tho.
Aful Explorer: The explorer is more dark than warm tbh, it still has much better subbass rumble, better mid bass punch and no mid treble spikes for me (something which both the pure and magicone have). Vocals do sound fuller on the magicone, since the explorer has a 3k dip.
Conclusion
The magicone is an impressive iem for what it is, a single ba that sounds reasonably good across the entire frequency range but thats about it, If you want a warm neutral iem there are much better options such as the pure and if you want something comfortable you could listen to for hours there's the explorer from the same brand. I wouldn't really recommend this iem unless you want good isolation and comfort and are okay with the pressure build up.
Aful is also releasing a successor to the MagicOne, called MiracleOne soon however that seems to be a single dd instead of single ba.
Thinking about trying these out. Should I get the 3.5mm version or the 4.4mm. Most likely will be using them with Fiio BTR17.
Edit : The other flatheads on my radar are the Aful Polarnight. Almost half the price. How do they compare.
I'm waiting for my first IEMs (Hidisz ST2 pro nebula) to arrive in the post, and I'm very excited. I'm trying to figure out how best to get lossless audio on android. Some sources say the in built DAC will let me listen to lossless through Apple music on android and some say it will still be resampled by android. Can anyone tell me from experience if it will or won't?
I love the M500 Miku. It's better than ever now with DTA support being added in the latest firmware update. Using the Yume x Miku IEMs and think they sound great. They're not for critical listening, but they're very fun and make artists like Underscores, Jane Remover, Frost Children, and Nanajirachi shine. Highly recommend to any Miku fan.
Hey everyone,
Artpical recently released the Raphael, a single-DD set priced at around $149.
I liked some of their previous designs, but shied away from buying one as they were priced from above $400 up to around $1,500, and their frequency-response graphs weren't really to my liking.
The Raphael is much more reasonably priced, and I liked the design, so I ordered one myself (paid full price) in the black/gold colourway, which to me looks more like grey/gold.
The shell is made of transparent resin and shows a kind of wing-like design inside. Yeah, it can come across as kitschy as well ;-)
Fit & comfort
Fit and comfort are good for my mid-sized ears after around two hours of listening, although the fairly large shells might be challenging for smaller ears.
So far, I haven't experienced any pressure build-up or discomfort.
Unboxing experience
The unboxing experience is good. It comes with a nice cable which, unfortunately, is a little stubborn/stiff in handling.
Three connectors are included for the interchangeable plug: USB-C, 3.5mm and 4.4mm.
The carrying case is nice, and there are two different sets of tips included: one wide-bore set and one more conventional bore.
Listening experience
I used the included short wide bore tips for listening and my Questyle Sigma Pro as source.
The Raphael sounds fairly balanced overall to me.
Bass is elevated but moderate, with enough impact for most genres I've tried so far. It sounds controlled and pretty tight rather than particularly bass-heavy.
Vocals are slightly forward and clear, but not shouty.
Treble is nicely elevated with good detail retrieval. It's slightly on the brighter side, but tastefully done so far. I haven't found it piercing or overly sharp, even at the medium-to-higher listening volumes I tend to use.
For you graph sniffers, I've also included my own measurement. Channel matching looks pretty good, too.
Short summary
Let me know if you have an eye on this set, too or even bought it and how your impressions are.
guys recently im liking the design of soundcore r50i... it is also in my budget..... so please help me whether i should buy it or not... it is around BDT 1600. what about the sound quality? i mainly focus on metal and rock genres.. so i want it good vocal and detailed instrumental>>
I’ve owned the Punch Audio Martilo for around a year, so this is based on long-term use rather than a honeymoon-period listen. I bought it myself, as with all of my current gear, and nearly sent it back.
For context, I’m a musician and electronic music producer. My listening naturally includes plenty of trance, techno and progressive house, alongside liquid DnB, wave, new wave, industrial, nu-metal and plenty in between.
One of my main references when testing new equipment is Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, usually played from beginning to end. It covers practically everything I want to hear: atmosphere, movement, imaging, vocals, dynamics, bass control and whether a setup can make an album feel like one continuous experience.
More importantly, I know it well enough to notice when something sounds different without having to concentrate on audiophile terminology.
Where is the legendary bass?
I bought the Martilo after reading and watching countless reviews describing it as an incredible basshead IEM and a must-own. Coming from the Simgot SuperMix 4, I expected to press play and immediately be flattened by an enormous wall of sub-bass.
That did not happen, to my dismay.
The bass was clearly there, but it wasn’t the thunderous upgrade I had imagined based on the countless reviews. My first impression was that the Martilo sounded slightly bloomy and boomy, while vocals had lost some of the sparkle and immediacy I enjoyed from the SuperMix 4. Some tracks sounded fantastic, but others felt strangely distant.
I checked the seal, tried several tips and seriously considered returning it for the Xenns Top Pro or Tea Pro. You can see the full confusion and eventual U-turn in my original post: Punch Audio Martilo not worth the “upgrade” in bass over the SuperMix 4.
Then my Tangzu Sancai Noble Stainless tips arrived, and something clicked.
What changed?
The new tips improved the fit and presentation, but the biggest change was resetting my expectations.
The Martilo doesn’t add huge bass to every track simply to remind you that it’s a bass-focused IEM. It drives home the bass that is already in the recording.
Give it properly engineered sub-bass, a powerful kick or a weighty bassline, and it delivers with real authority. Play something naturally bass-light, and it won’t artificially turn it into a nightclub.
That initially disappointed me, but it’s now one of the things I appreciate most about it.
After a few days of working through my library, I had to update my original Reddit post with: “I take it all back 😂”
Whether you call it acclimatisation or brain burn-in, the Martilo went from being packed for return to becoming the IEM I reached for every day.
How does it sound?
The simplest description is warm, weighty, smooth and highly musical.
The bass reaches deep and gives electronic music the scale and physical substance I want. Kick drums land with convincing weight, and basslines feel properly grounded, but the Martilo is more versatile than its “basshead IEM” label suggests. It also works surprisingly well with rock, industrial, new wave and more vocal-led material.
The midrange is warmer and less forward than the SuperMix 4. Vocals don’t jump out with the same brightness, especially when switching directly between the two. Initially, I thought the Martilo had lost too much sparkle. Once I adjusted, I found it more cohesive and much easier to listen to over long sessions.
Treble is smooth and non-fatiguing rather than aggressively detailed. There’s enough clarity that I don’t consider it dark, but it doesn’t constantly push every tiny detail towards the front of the mix.
The Martilo isn’t what I’d choose to dissect a recording. It’s what I choose when I want to stop thinking about the equipment and enjoy the music.
Martilo versus SuperMix 4
The SuperMix 4 sounds cleaner, brighter and more immediately detailed. Vocals cut through more clearly, and it separates busy mixes better to my ears. It’s also still my preferred IEM for competitive FPS gaming because positional information is easier to identify.
The Martilo sounds fuller, warmer, smoother and more substantial. Its bass has greater authority, and its relaxed presentation is less fatiguing.
It isn’t simply a SuperMix 4 with a subwoofer attached, which was essentially what I expected. It’s a different flavour entirely.
For critical listening and competitive gaming, I’d take the SuperMix 4. For musical enjoyment and immersive gaming, I’d take the Martilo.
Fit, tips and cable
The shells are smaller and lighter than photographs suggest, and I can wear them comfortably for hours. Their lightweight construction does transmit a sharp sound if you accidentally knock them, though, which has made me wince a few times.
The stock silicone tips were comfortable, but the supplied foam tips irritated my ears after about an hour. The Sancai Noble Stainless tips were the first to make the Martilo click, while the Tangzu Sancai Brass tips have since become my preferred pairing.
The modular stock cable is genuinely nice, but I found it slightly microphonic, and the large ear hooks didn’t work brilliantly with the arms of my glasses.
My favourite combination is currently:
Martilo + Tangzu Sancai Brass tips + original VE Devastator dongle
That pairing gives me the thick, luxurious and engaging sound I now associate with the Martilo. It also pairs very well with my Apos Gremlin when I want a more characterful desktop session.
Final thoughts
The Martilo won’t suit everyone. If you want very forward vocals, bright treble or maximum analytical detail, there are better options. It’s also not guaranteed to deliver the comical, earth-shattering bass experience that some reviews may lead you to expect.
What it does deliver is deep, authoritative bass when the recording calls for it, combined with warmth, smoothness and a presentation I can enjoy for hours.
I nearly returned it because I judged it against an imaginary version created by the hype. Once I stopped waiting for that imaginary IEM and listened to what the Martilo was actually doing, it became my favourite musical set.
A year later, I still use it almost every day. That probably says more than any score I could give it.
