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Eletech Aeneid Review – Unmatched

Posted on by Ryan Soo

Pros –

Market-leading build and artisan design, Ultra-soft insulation, Super snappy bass, Highly refined yet resolving treble, Immersive imaging, Voicing results in versatile synergy

Cons –

Layers aren’t especially well delineated, Not the largest tonal shift for those wanting such

Verdict –

If you have the luxury of purchasing this cable, expect unmatched opulence and a listening experience accomplished in equal measure.  

Introduction –

Eletech has made huge strides in just a short time due to the years of experience carried by their friendly staff, gained from at other leading cable companies. Their product line-up is split into three; the entry-level Virtues series, the reference-grade School of Athens series and the flagship Parnassus series. The Iliad formerly held the position as their lone flagship and has grown to become a well-regarded model. Building atop its success, the Aeneid offers a further refinement of the Eletech flagship experience as their new highest-end model. To ensure it is an all-out upgrade, the team has maximised all aspects of its design, meaning there will be no upgrades in future (ie. 8-wire variant). It sports gold-plated silver conductors and a large gauge wire design that has permit twice the conductors of a regular 26AWG cable.

The Aeneid starts from $2399 USD with pricing depending on termination. You can configure one to your preferences on Eletech’s website.

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Eric from Eletech very much for his quick communication and for providing me with the Aeneid for the purpose of review. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the cable free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Contents –

Behind the Design –

Custom Conductors

The company spent months prototyping configurations to achieve their desired combination of musicality and technicality alongside optimising versatile pairing. They arrived on a 2-type gold-alloy coating; a combination of audiophile-grade gold compound combined with jewellery-grade gold. This alloy was then plated onto an avant-garde silver Litz configuration to opitmise conductivity. The company has addressed every other element of the conducting path too, using Eletech bespoke solder alongside bespoke connectors. Eletech reason this results in a complete profile of maxed out GPS configuration previously unheard of in the industry.

Maximus Efficiency Strand Geometry

Image provided by Eletech

Furthermore, the company maximised the efficiency of the cable’s geometry, assuming a more capable 24AWG jacket with twice the conductors of a 26AWG model. Their maximus efficiency geometry entails the use of multiple strand sizes that cater specifically towards different frequency ranges adopting a hybrid Type-4 Litz geometry. This innovation also allows Eletech to fill dead space within the cable using smaller wires, thereby, increasing the density and maximising the conductivity of the cable whilst retaining an elegant and practical form factor.

Design & Form

Image provided by Eletech

Tactility, luxury and flawless aesthetic design have always been of equally high priority to Eletech and this has been exemplified here. Eric spent months designing and redesigning the Aeneid, and it has been a pleasure seeing his work come together. The company overhauled every aspect of the experience, starting at the unboxing and accessory set. Though their former designs are hard to top, Eletech have done just that with their final cable design that draws inspiration from a timeless Roman Colosseum aesthetic. Topped with their signature FlexiMax insulation, the Aeneid promises to be as ergonomic as it is beautiful.

Unboxing –

Eric tells me Eletech has been wanting to overhaul their packaging for a while now and the Aeneid made for the perfect platform to showcase what they were capable of. While this never struck me as a weakness of their products, the unboxing experience here is truly one of a kind and perfectly befitting of a luxury, flagship product. The outer sleeve is rubberised with cutouts revealing the hard box within, both inscribed with Roman iconography. Opening the magnetic lid showcases the purple hand-stitched leather zipper case as seen on their other School of Athens and Parnassus cables. I love these cases, they feel ultra-premium and have an internal pocket alongside a soft, anti-scratch suede interior. Surrounding is a 3D printed sculpture that gives the impression the buyer has unearthed a lost treasure. A fun addition is a 3D-printed column for the buyer to enjoy. Inside the case is the cable and Pentaconn slider. This is an interesting addition; the slider features an OFC copper construction with silver plating on top. Nippon DICs reasons it aids shielding and its weighted construction reduces microphonic noise transmission.

Design –

If you catch public transport and aren’t versed in hand-to-hand combat, this cable may not suit. The first and lasting impression of the Aeneid is that is feels and looks expensive. The folks at Eletech have always had a knack for premium designs and the Aeneid is an almost unrivalled showcase of expertise, creativity, and opulence. Of course, the new colosseum Y-split draws focus first, it is truly a marvel to behold and the intricacy of the machine work is astounding. All elements showcase a flawless finish, a captivating contrast between smooth gold and brushed black anodized aluminium. Small details such as the ridging beneath the gold outlay are a brilliant display of top-level craftsmanship and design. Eletech’s insulation portrays the stunning gold conductors below. It is one of my favourites, I haven’t found their insulation to harden or haze over time, having used their Prudence cable for about a year now.

Beside the design, the Aeneid upholds a familiar experience coming from other Eletech cables, which is a good thing. I applaud that the company were able to achieve this whilst retaining a sound ergonomic experience as the Aeneid isn’t just great to study, it’s a pleasure to use as well. I was surprised, especially given how densely packed the conductors are, how soft the cable is. It has zero memory and minimal microphonic noise transmission too, making it highly tangle resistant and great to live with day to day. While it is thicker than your standard cable, the 24AWG wires are hardly unwieldy. I never felt like the cable was weighing down my IEMs and compromising ergonomics. The ear guides are well-shaped and comfortable, further aiding fit stability. The option to remove the Pentaconn chin slider is welcome, providing the option to increase the weight and decrease cable noise during stationary listening, or lighten the cable for portable use.

Next Page: Sound & Pairings

The post Eletech Aeneid Review – Unmatched first appeared on The Headphone List.

World News

Vision Ears VE7: The Control Room – A Custom In-Ear Monitor Review

Posted on by Deezel

DISCLAIMER: Vision Ears provided me with the VE7 in return for my honest opinion. I am not personally affiliated with the company in any way, nor do I receive any monetary rewards for a positive evaluation. I’d like to thank Vision Ears for their kindness and support. The review is as follows.

Vision Ears is a name many in the industry associate with craftsmanship, precision and finesse, and that’s rightly so. The German brand have consistently produced monitors that look and feel as lavish as they sound, and it’s garnered them a great deal of praise throughout the community. We recently covered their 6-driver EVE20, which, among a sea of hybrid designs and alien driver tech, made the best of balanced armatures through sheer tuning. And, today, Vision Ears aim to repeat that feat with their new VE7: An all-BA, 7-driver IEM that shines solely through coherence, balance and technique.

Vision Ears VE7

  • Driver count: Seven balanced-armature drivers
  • Impedance: 12Ω @ 1kHz
  • Sensitivity: 116dB @ 1mW @ 1kHz
  • Key feature(s) (if any): N/A
  • Available form factor(s): Universal and custom acrylic IEMs
  • Price: €1850
  • Website: www.vision-ears.de

Packaging and Accessories

As far as unboxings go, the VE7’s is as classy and clean as always. Since I last reviewed one of their non-flagship customs, VE have actually updated the packaging to now include this black, cardboard enclosure. It does make the package look a lot more premium, especially with all its details throughout. The metallic VE print on top actually has a holographic effect to it, which glimmers green when hit with light. And, the glossy VE pattern on the side pops stunningly against the matte-black too, while remaining subtle and sleek all the while. As usual, packaging is one instant masterclass from Vision Ears.

The box opens via a magnetic latch, where you’ll continue to find tiny details like Handcrafted in Cologne and a drawing of the cityscape in gloss-black on the inside of the lid; again, gorgeous touches that’ll add to the unboxing. Moving onto the contents, you’ll see a signed, personalised greeting card from Vision Ears thanking you for your purchase. Then, beneath it is the VE7’s included case, as well as a bottle of VE’s cleaning solution. It’s all supported by plain cardboard. Foam likely would’ve looked and felt better for me here. But, in the end, it isn’t necessary, given the padding already inside that case.

This VE7’s metallic case is incredibly rigid, as it always is. And, it’s roomier than your usual puck cases are too, which will allow it to carry the accessories we’ll list later on. VE have actually omitted the metallic clasp and equipped this case with a magnetic sealing system instead. I think either will hold up perfectly well. The finishing on this case isn’t the cleanest in the world, though. The paint job isn’t flawless, and there are a couple glue marks here and there too. But, considering it’s a case that’s going to suffer lots of wear-and-tear anyway, they’re negligible flaws to me. Finally, while mine here is blank, you’re free to engrave whatever artwork you want on your case when you get your VE7. It’s what I did for my VE6XC, and you could even request complex graphics like comic book or manga spreads, which VE have previously done in the past.

The accessories inside the case include the following:

1x VE sticker
1x VE badge
1x 1/4” adapter
1x microfibre cloth
2x sets of desiccant
1x instruction manual
1x in-ear cleaning tool
1x leather carrying pouch

To me, this is about as complete as an accessory set can truly get. VE, as usual, go above-and-beyond for the extras, and they include tons here that a lot of brands should really learn from. I particularly appreciate how well-illustrated and in-depth the manual is, and I love the look and feel of this pouch too. The fact that it seals with a magnetic clasp is a bonus. All in all, VE aced packaging and accessories like they always have, and I’d love to see more efforts like this industry-wide.

Customisation, Build and Fit

Vision Ears make customisation a breeze with the their online configurator. It’s in the style of Custom Art or Empire Ears’ designers, which utilise 2D renders, rather than 3D models like JH Audio’s widget, or real-life photography like 64 Audio’s tool. But, it should nevertheless give you a very good representation if what your IEMs will eventually look like. And, they let you upload your own custom artwork onto their previews too. In terms of options, Vision Ears offer quite a selection:

16 transparent shells and faceplates
14 wood faceplates
15 sparkle faceplates
22 special faceplates (which include abalones, carbon fibres, pearls, etc.)
14 mirror faceplates
5 premium faceplates (which includes the VE7’s signature Fire Blaze design)

Beyond those options, you can then engrave your own artwork in an array of colours or add one of Vision Ears’ metallic logos, which come in 5 different shades as well. For my unit, Vision Ears applied this VE7’s signature design, which you’ll see on all the VE7’s universals. I personally love the look a ton. The contrasts between all the oranges, blues and greens are incredibly exciting, and the holography of the faceplate is striking too. To me, the one let-down here is the Fire Blaze faceplate comes at an extra €65-per-side for the custom VE7. It’s meant to be its signature faceplate, so I would’ve loved to see it offered as a free bonus. But, at the same time, it’s a material that likely isn’t cheap on VE’s part, so it is what it is.

The exact same moulds used to build my VE6XC and my ELYSIUM were used to build my VE7, so the fit on this CIEM is as superb as always. The canals on them are also trimmed slightly shorter, which feels more comfortable to me. Vision Ears tend to trim their customs a bit sleeker, so they aren’t as bulky as, say, 64 Audio or JH Audio’s CIEMs, which tend to press outward slightly. These more so just fill your ears, but they do so very smoothly, and very precisely too. In terms of build, Vision Ears, again, continue their flawless streak. The faceplates seal seamlessly, and everything from 2-pin connector to canal is machined just as precisely. Then, finally, lacquerwork on them is perfect too; not a rough edge or blotch in sight.

The post Vision Ears VE7: The Control Room – A Custom In-Ear Monitor Review first appeared on The Headphone List.

World News

SMSL 8s Stack Goes Live at Apos Audio

Posted on by Ryan Soo

SMSL made a great impact with their SX-9 stack which combined clean, high-end audio hardware, modern design and reasonable pricing. The company returns with an update to their very popular SX-8 series in the form of the SX-8s devices. While lacking the feature set of the 9-series, the 8s devices boast a focus on similar audio quality while keeping the usability experience simple to uphold the same legendary value as the original series.

The SH-8s is the update to the SH-8 amplifier, with enhanced 6Wx2 power output, 17.5dB of adjustable gain, high-quality relays and low noise power supply. It implements a very similar chassis to the SH-9 though the colour screen makes way for basic switch-based operation. This is a balanced design supporting RCA and XLR inputs in addition to XLR and 1/4″ outputs.

The SU-8s as expected follows up on the immensely popular SU-8 that was the go-to budget balanced DAC for a long time. It’s utilising ESS’ new ES9068AS DAC chip supporting DSD512 and PCM 32bit/768kHz. In addition, the DAC supports Qualcomm’s aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth codecs for high quality wireless streaming. An XMOS 16-core usb chipset maximises wired codec support to match the powerful DAC inside. It also supports remote operation and it has a colour display much like the higher end SU-9. Interestingly, while the SU-9 has a lower SNR for its balanced output, the SU-8s promises a lower noise from its RCA outputs.

You can read all about the SH-8s here and the SU-8s here (affiliate). For those interested in purchasing both, Apos Audio supports the new 8s stack on their ensemble program offering discounts when both are purchased together.

Look forward to the full review coming to THL soon!

The post SMSL 8s Stack Goes Live at Apos Audio first appeared on The Headphone List.

World News

Product Launch: SMSL SA400 High-Resolution Power Amplifier

Posted on by Ryan Soo

I think most of us are familiar with SMSL at this stage. While the company started life making affordable devices, they’ve since grown tremendously and have started tackling higher price tiers in turn. The SA400 is their latest device, an amplifier for speakers and 2.1 systems. It offers granular bass adjustment in addition to a whopping 230W per channel (4 ohm) from its dual digital amplifier chips. Premium components promise to minimise noise and interference for clean, dynamic power. The SA400 not only supports RCA and 3.5mm inputs but also XLR balanced and BT5.0.

The SA400 retails for $659.99 USD at the time of writing. You can read all about it and treat yourself to a unit on Apos Audio (affiliate)!

The post Product Launch: SMSL SA400 High-Resolution Power Amplifier first appeared on The Headphone List.

World News

Lotoo PAW 6000: Trickling Gold – A Digital Audio Player Review

Posted on by Deezel

DISCLAIMER: Lotoo provided me with the PAW 6000 in return for my honest opinion. I am not personally affiliated with the company in any way, nor do I receive any monetary rewards for a positive evaluation. I’d like to thank Lotoo for their kindness and support. The review is as follows.

Lotoo is an Asia-based audio manufacturer; world-renowned for their high-performing digital audio players and sources. Though they initially broke onto the scene with the explosive-sounding, button-rich PAW 5000 DAP, Lotoo hit an all-new high just recently with the flagship PAW Gold Touch; a DAP acclaimed for its clean aesthetics, rugged build, blazing-swift OS and reference-grade sound. It found favours among enthusiasts and professionals alike, especially those seeking for as colourless a sound as possible. But, at the end of the day, it was still a flagship product with a flagship price, ultimately limiting its accessibility to a certain type of consumer. Thankfully, Lotoo are not ones to rest on their laurels. What we’ve got here is their PAW 6000 DAP: A $1300, scaled-down LPGT with equal class and a musical, yet balanced tone of its own.

Image courtesy of Lotoo.cn

Lotoo PAW 6000

  • DAC chip: AKM 4493EQ
  • Output power: 300mW @ 32 Ω
  • Audio I/O: 4.4mm balanced (also line out), 3.5mm single-ended (also line out)
  • Sample rate support: Up to PCM 768kHz and DSD256
  • Key feature(s) (if any): LTOS, PMEQ II and ATE sound-shaping
  • Price: $1300
  • Website: www.lotoo.cn

Page 1: Introduction, Unboxing and Accessories, Build and Physical Controls
Page 2: GUI and Presentation, Navigation, Connectivity and Storage, Battery Life
Page 3: Sound Impressions, EFX, Noise Floor and Power
Page 4: Select Comparisons, Verdict

Unboxing and Accessories

Lotoo has always excelled at packaging, and their latest effort is no different. The PAW 6000 comes in a sleek, matte-grey box with – emulating the player itself – a pseudo-anodised finish and gold, metallic accents throughout. The image of the volume knob even has the same, cross-hatched texture as the one on the actual device; an incredibly clever detail. All in all, it’s a great effort from Lotoo with a clean look, a textured, shimmery finish and excellent accents all screaming luxury.

Inside, you’ll find the same packaging layout as Lotoo’s flagship PAW Gold Touch; really convenient and clean. At the very top is the player itself sat within foam, and underneath are its accessories divided between three smaller boxes. The first contains a truly in-depth, multilingual user manual, a warranty card and two, tempered-glass screen protectors. A part of me wishes they’d have one pre-applied, but it’s a no-issue. Installation is easy enough, and a pair should suffice for most.

In the second box, you’ll find the PAW 6000’s Type-C cable. Again, as with the Touch, I love the look-and-feel of this cable; wrapped in smooth, braided paracord, then finished with Lotoo branding and gold-plated plugs on both ends. So far, the build of it is solid too, but time will tell whether or not that’ll hold up in the long run. For reference, the black capsule that says Lotoo has now loosened on the cable that came with my Touch. Though it doesn’t hurt functionality at all, it is a ding towards user experience. So, hopefully, it won’t occur with the 6000’s cable here and ruin what’s otherwise a great extra.

And, in the third and final box, we have the PAW 6000’s gorgeous leather case. I’ve talked ad nauseam about what extras like these can do for a product’s sense of value and completeness, especially in the $1000-and-up bracket. So, it’s a huge joy to see brands like Lotoo delivering here on a consistent basis. Then, on top of that, it looks like they’ve addressed the couple issues I brought up on my Touch review as well. This case no longer has a slick, oily feel to it; now drier, smoother and more akin to tumbled leather. This has also made it tighter – more firm – to the grip. And, lastly, they’ve widened the gap at the bottom of the case, which means easy access to the player’s microSD card slot. Again, massive, massive kudos to Lotoo for not only continuing to provide these extras, but listening to feedback and improving them over time as well.

Visually, the different (or differently-treated) material has also given this leather a new texture. It’s not as granular as the Touch’s, and the finish is more matte as well, which I think gives it a more aged, artisan sort of look. The indentations for the buttons have also been brilliantly refined; now three-dimensional and clean-cut compared to the Touch’s, which isn’t as sophisticated. On the back, you’ll find the same gold stitching lining the border of the case, which – again – beautifully accents the gold on the DAP. Now, the one gripe I have – a subjective one – with this case is Lotoo have swapped out the almost-tribal-looking PAW Gold logo on the back with a cleaner PAW 6000 one instead. I preferred the former, because of how much attitude it had. But, again, it’s subjective, and I can see a lot of people preferring the understated look instead.

Build and Physical Controls

As we’ve come to expect from Lotoo, the PAW 6000 is an impeccably-built audio player. Like the Touch before it, it sports a CNC-milled, aluminium-alloy body, finished in an anodised matte-black without a jag, nor a bump, nor a wiggle in sight; truly outstanding. In the hand, the 6000, despite its robustness, is also impressively lightweight. At 225 grams, it’s barely any heavier than my daily-driver iPhone 11 Pro (with case). Then, a combination of thin bezels, tight bends and a levelled top all contribute towards the player’s wonderfully sleek silhouette, as well as its deeply modern, sophisticated aesthetic.

Furthering that motif is the 6000’s slightly altered contour, which does away with the Touch’s inward grooves in favour of smooth, outward curves; particularly, along the sides. This not only gives the DAP a more uniform silhouette throughout, it also prevents it from compromising grip at the same time. The 6000’s slight convexity makes it easy to wrap your digits around, compared to the more blocky outlines we’ve seen from DAPs in the past. Then, lastly, around the back, you’ll see a lavish, dark-mirror finish. It lends an aura of luxury to the 6000, and contrasts the matte nicely. Though I can also see it becoming a potential debris magnet over time, this shouldn’t be an issue, especially if you decide to use the leather case.

Button-wise, the PAW 6000 features the standard four: Power, Play/Pause, Previous and Next, along with a small indent on Play/Pause for easy navigation. I would’ve preferred the Touch’s layout of two bumps on the first two buttons, but, in use, I’ve truly had no issues with either. The buttons, again, are precisely milled and depress with a solid, satisfying click; a tad more than the Touch’s even. Then again, I’ve also had the latter for over a year, so that may be the difference. Lastly, you may also flip Previous and Next in software if you’ve perhaps already accustomed yourself to another brand’s orientation.

And, finally, topping off the PAW 6000’s shell is a Lotoo classic: The golden volume wheel. It’s been their calling card since the original, aptly-named PAW Gold, and I’m glad to see its continual inclusion and refinement with each new player. The 6000’s iteration has been sized down quite a tad from the Touch’s, owing to its smaller stature and its now-level top. As a result, it isn’t as easy to get to as the Touch’s, and it’s a bit more difficult to turn too. I’ve found if my thumb were right up against the case, I’d just catch the edge of the wheel with the tip. So, I probably would’ve liked the wheel just a hair wider.

The post Lotoo PAW 6000: Trickling Gold – A Digital Audio Player Review first appeared on The Headphone List.

World News

DUNU SA6 review : Make way for the mid range king

Posted on by Suman Sourav Meher

DUNU as a brand has been making some excellent earphones since their inception. Their DN-1000 and DN2000/J in 2012-13 were the IEMs to get and were considered some of the best earphones one can buy. They were succeeded by the DK-2002 and 3001. The 3001 was excellent when it comes to sound. In the mean time Titan series were the flag bearer at the lower mid range. They held back for few years and have been introducing earphones in every bracket since last couple of years.

They tried a single BA earphone back in 2013/14 but it was not much popular and DUNU concentrated on hybrid and dynamic driver earphones. But later last year they came up with an all BA “STUDIO” lineup with SA3 (3BA) and SA6 (6BA) earphones with semi custom shells. Both saw a change in ergonomics compared to DUNU’s mainstream design language.

SA6 leads this series with 6BA drivers per earpiece. Priced at $549 it comes in 3 color choices for back plates, Red, Blue and Yellow but the smoked shells is unchanged. Unlike any other DUNU earphone SA6 houses a tuning switch (we will talk about this later). It faces tough competition from plenty of BA based earphones in this price range like Fibae 3, BGVP DM8, UM mini MEST and TSMR 5 pro.

Get one for yourself from these places:

https://penonaudio.com/dunu-studio-sa6.html

DUNU Studio SA6

https://www.dunu-topsound.com/product-page/studio-sa6

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:-

DUNU SA6 comes in a small and tidy retail box with a simple packaging. It does not have any trickiness to it leading into a fairly simple unboxing experience. The paper cover has an appealing color scheme, maybe DUNU tried to give it a similar color scheme as the earphones back plate. First accessory that greets us is the zipper carry case, it is of semi hard type (I wonder what happened to the hard cases DUNU used to provide). The IEM and cables are placed inside this case. All the accessories are placed inside a paper box placed under the case. There are 3 set of of silicone tips in S/M/L sizes (Blue core smoked body, white core transparent body and all blue) but it is hard to distinguish their bore sizes. Two additional quick-switch plugs, cleaning tool, quarter inch adapter and couple of documents end the list of things out of the box.

HOW IS THE CABLE:-

Most of the Chinese brands have been shipping their earphones with good cables these days, both aesthetically and functionally. DUNU SA6 takes it even further with an excellent stock cable. SA6 ships with a classy looking 8 Core, High-Purity, Monocrystalline, Silver-Plated Copper cable with patented dunu quick-switch modular plug system. The 8 core cable looks strong and can withstand some abuse. It has a skin friendly layer of TPU on each core which is fairly supple but is bouncy and a bit on the stiffer side, it does not generate a lot of microphonics but is slightly on the higher side compared to other cables. The biggest USP of this cable are the additional quick-switch plugs and unlike the cheaper models. Both 4.4mm and 2.5mm balanced plugs come out of the box.

All in all a good stock cable which is ready to be used with a variety of sources.

BUILD AND FIT :-

DUNU has been using metal housings for their premium earphones but the SA lineup has gone with a semi custom resin shell which gives it a nice and sturdy still a very ergonomically feel inside the ear. The ergonomically designed wing provides nice traction inside the ear. Ergonomically it is fairly comfortable but can get a bit difficult to keep inside the ear after a few hours. The resin shell is strong enough. It will not survive drops on marble or concrete floors though. Aesthetical highlight of the SA6 is its stabilized wooden back plate. It’s precisely cut and dyed separately giving each plate its unique pattern and color.

Thanks to the resin shell SA6 are very light and stays inside the ear without any problem. The shell is made with hand-poured uv acrylic resin from Germany using 3D printing technology. The shell is not as big as DM7 or even the SA3 and will fit most ears without much problem. There is a single pressure releasing vent for the lower end drivers.

Even though it has a three bore design the nozzle is not very wide and one can fit t200 to t400 size tips easily. Tips out of the box are good but a wide bore tips do give it more flavor. Sound isolation is very good with stock tips. It blocks out a lot of ambient noise.

The post DUNU SA6 review : Make way for the mid range king first appeared on The Headphone List.

World News

MMR Gáe Bolg: Get It On – An In-Ear Monitor Review

Posted on by Deezel

DISCLAIMER: Metal Magic Research provided me with the Gáe Bolg in return for my honest opinion. I am not personally affiliated with the company in any way, nor do I receive any monetary rewards for a positive evaluation. I’d like to thank Metal Magic Research for their kindness and support. The review is as follows.

Metal Magic Research has made waves throughout the in-ear industry as one of the youngest, most promising, high-end brands in recent memory. This Singaporean team have carved quite a niche with their exotic aesthetics, their whimsical, alchemical marketing and – surely – their acclaimed sonics as well. A major, major contributor to the latter is MMR’s lead designer, Joseph Mou of Jomo Audio fame. He’s taken his know-how and merged it with the company’s fittingly-forged in-ear monitors. And, now, with their latest release, they’ve paired this with a slightly more digestible price point too. MMR’s new-and-improved Gáe Bolg is a fresh contender in this $1000 bracket with its big, intimate and, yet, well-layered sound.

MMR Gáe Bolg

  • Driver count: Five balanced-armature drivers
  • Impedance: 25Ω @ 1kHz
  • Sensitivity: N/A
  • Key feature(s) (if any): 4-way MMR EFD crossover system, GBAC (Gáe Bolg Acoustic Chamber)
  • Available form factor(s): Universal aluminium IEMs
  • Price: $1199, $1399 (packaged with an Eletech Prudence upgrade cable; online exclusive)
  • Website: www.metalmagic.co

Packaging and Accessories

Unfortunately, MMR weren’t able to ship us the Gáe Bolg’s retail packaging in time for this review. But, based on the pics they’ve sent us, it looks nothing short of quality.  They’ve kept that old-time-y aesthetic throughout both the exterior and interior. While I wish they’d have included a bit more branding on the top cover, I do love the intrigue that the sole spear exudes. And, I adore that the illustrations inside make sense as well; almost reminiscent of the DITA Dream XLS’s interior in this way. Finally, the two-tone colour scheme fits these monitors too. Obviously, I cannot speak for the materials MMR have used for the packaging, or what the unboxing experience itself is like. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do so in the future.

Image courtesy of Metal Magic Research

As far as accessories go, it looks like they’ve included a zipper case to go with these IEMs. Again, I adore both its imagery and colour scheme, which pair with the monitors perfectly. It also looks roomy enough to fit either an extra set of cables, an addition pair of IEMs or a portable source there too. MMR have also included a well-carved, premium-looking owner’s card. Again, I’d need it in-hand to examine its quality and finish. Lastly, the in-ears themselves are well-nestled in the top-left corner. They’ll come packaged with a generic, OFC cable if you choose to purchase the Lite version. But, if you opt for the Complete version, it’ll include Eletech’s Prudence instead, which MMR say the Gáe Bolg was tuned with. That option is online-exclusive and costs an extra $200. With the Prudence’s $249 price, it’ll save you $50 versus purchasing separately.

Image courtesy of Metal Magic Research

Ergonomics and Build

MMR’s commitments to metallurgy and precision-engineering have given their monitors a premium look and feel on par with some of the best in the market today, and this Gáe Bolg is no exception. It’s a robust, substantial-feeling IEM that, at the same time, doesn’t feel heavy; luxuries of an all-aluminium chassis. The machining on both the shells and faceplates deserve huge plaudits for all the smooth curves MMR have seamlessly incorporated, as well as the absence of any sharp edges throughout. Similarly, the join between this Gáe Bolg’s two halves is spotless too. Then, there’s the anodised finish across both the red and silver areas, which further cements this monitor’s classy, cutting-edge, and yet refined aesthetic.

Speaking of aesthetics, despite the Gáe Bolg’s less out-there silhouette compared to MMR’s previous releases, they surely haven’t held back when it comes to design. Taking inspiration from the monitor’s namesake, the faceplate features these intricate patterns, which evoke ancient weaponry or stone carvings. At the same time, they’re splendid displays of MMR’s precision-engineering, once again. I love that there’s almost an outer and inner layer to the plate, which gives off a three-dimensional effect. It’s certainly not the best for keeping dust away, but it’s nothing a little wipe and a blow can’t fix. That pattern finds its way on the back of the monitor too for a good bit of symmetry. Again, it’s a very stylised look that not all will particularly appreciate or gravitate towards. But, it’s very well-executed at the end of the day, and that’s what counts.

Further down the back of the shell, it’s clear MMR’s precision isn’t solely reserved for aesthetics, but function as well, i.e., the Gáe Bolg’s nozzle design. It sports that groove I’ve always asked for on universals, so ear tips won’t slip off with every wear. In addition, MMR have even added a couple small ringlets for better grip too. Then, a horn-like shape connects the nozzle to the chassis, which prevents tips from going too far up the barrel. This “locks” the ear tip in place and minimises variations in insertion depth, so you should get a more consistent, as-intended sound at all times. It may also reduce the potential for tone-shaping through tip placement. But, I reckon most users would rather take that extra security anyway.

Now, my only concern with this nozzle is protection against debris, considering the size of the bore and the lack of a wax guard. Speaking with Joseph Mou himself, he assured that the size of the bore will, in fact, prevent wax from clogging up the nozzle, and that any dirt that does make it in won’t make it past the in-ear’s 3D-printed acoustic chamber. Though, he also does recommend getting an in-ear vacuum (like FiR Audio’s Headphone VAC) for the best results when cleaning. For me, personally, I’d rather have had the Gáe Bolg come with a wax guard built-in, if only for peace-of-mind. But, for now, I will have to take its designer’s word for it, and only time will tell whether or not MMR’s choice there ends up panning out.

Finally, we have the 2-pin connectors. Personally, I love this design choice of giving them their own housings, rather than simply cutting out holes on the sides of the shells. They’ve been installed seamlessly flush with no traces of glue as well. Unfortunately, the joint between this housing and the chassis is where MMR haven’t been as surgical. Looking very, very closely with the cables off, I can spot the tiniest bits of metal that weren’t polished to perfection. To be honest, they’re so minuscule that calling them nitpicks would probably be an understatement. But, at the end of the day, if I am gonna laud their precision, the tiniest warts must be noted too. Nevertheless, those near-inconsequential flaws won’t hurt this in-ear one bit. It’ll just mean, despite being better-built than most in its price tier, it isn’t absolutely flawless (on my unit, at least).

As mentioned, the Gáe Bolg’s silhouette takes a slight departure from MMR’s typically-zanier designs. They’ve opted for a more traditional teardrop shape, and, although it’s been quite some time since I last tried their other universals, I can still safely say that this is their most ergonomic design to date. The long nozzle allows for a deep insert without having to jam the entire shell into my concha, which was a common complaint with the Homunculus. And, again, the lack of any pointy edges throughout the monitor aids comfort tremendously as well. My only complaint would be the same one I’ve lobbed towards DITA, 64 Audio and FiR Audio’s UIEMs, which is the shell’s flat rear. There isn’t a protrusion or lip to grip onto the cymba with, so the in-ear’s almost left dangling, simply holding on via the tip in your ear canal. Still, though, it’s more of a could’ve than it is a should’ve. This Gáe Bolg still grips just fine, and it ultimately remains a comfortable monitor without it.

Tech Inside

In creating the Gáe Bolg and shaping the sound, MMR have employed electric and acoustic “tricks” to ensure the monitor delivers a coherent tuning and clean, organised imaging; tricks that may not seem too alien to those familiar with Joseph Mou’s previous efforts. First is a crossover system, which MMR call the 4-way EFD (Electro-Frequency Division). Paired with specially-tuned RLC filters, the system separates the monitor’s 5 drivers into their respective, intended frequency ranges.

Image courtesy of Metal Magic Research

But, with the inclusion of these components, MMR now must solve the issue of phase cancellation. So, sound from those drivers meet the ear canal at the same time and form a tidy image. To that end, MMR have implemented something akin (in practice) to the Cross-Sync Uniphase system Joseph developed for his Jomo IEMs. This time, he’s put a large majority of the Gáe Bolg’s R&D into developing an in-house acoustic chamber to achieve those results. The resulting GBAC (Gáe Bolg Acoustic Chamber) solves the earphone’s phase issue and tunes those balanced-armature drivers at the same time. MMR credit much of this IEM’s sound to it, and it’s a joy to see brands continue to create bespoke solutions for their products.

The post MMR Gáe Bolg: Get It On – An In-Ear Monitor Review first appeared on The Headphone List.

World News

Deal Alert: New Meze Bundles and Limited Ed Release!

Posted on by Ryan Soo

Romanian audio manufacturer, Meze audio has stormed the market in recent years with their immensely impressive portable 99-series headphones and flagship Empyrean. They’ve also had numerous successful IEM launches, the Rai Penta being especially coveted for its superbly natural and balanced sound, we took a look at the latter here and came away very impressed.

Rai Penta Bundle

Starting this week, customers who purchase a Rai Penta IEM will receive a free balanced SPC upgrade cable worth $149 USD in their choice of 4.4mm or 2.5mm connector. As with the stock 3.5mm cable, the Meze balanced cable employs a high 160 strand count for an ergonomic and pure sonic experience, in addition to hard-wearing and corrosion-resistant Rhodium plugs.

The Rai Penta retails for $1099 USD. You can read more about Meze’s upgrade cable here and purchase the bundle with Rai Penta here (affiliate).

Limited Edition 99 Classics

Anyone interested in portable headphones would surely have heard of the 99 Classics. If you’ve been on the fence, now may be the time to buy as Meze have just released a new limited-edition Maple Silver model. These portable headphones were designed to balance all-day comfort with a portable and isolating design. Furthermore, it features gorgeous aesthetics with genuine wooden cups and a completely modular construction that makes them easy to maintain and repair. This is an impressive sounding headphone intended to last a life-time.

First LE units will ship on Dec 11th (may be subject to change). You can read our full review here and secure a unit for yourself on Apos Audio (affiliate).

The post Deal Alert: New Meze Bundles and Limited Ed Release! first appeared on The Headphone List.

World News

Product Launch: Topping A50s Balanced Headphone Amplifier!

Posted on by Ryan Soo

Topping has been hitting it out of the park with their latest releases that piggybacked on their very impressive NFCA amp modules that enable excellent measurable performance. Most impressively perhaps is that the company has transplanted this technology into their affordable offerings; we recently took a look at the entry-level L30 and found it to be one of the most competitive designs on the market in its price point. What it lacked was balanced output, input flexibility and, to some extent, soundstage expansion.

The new A50s look to address this, the successor to the A50 and, as one would expect, an all-around improvement at the same price point. It brings a higher 143dB SNR as opposed to the A50’s 123dB, and THD of just 0.0007% down from 0.004%. Implementing Topping’s renowned NFCA amp modules as seen on the flagship A90 and more recent L30, the A50s offers 3.5W x2 into a 32-ohm load, leaving plenty of headroom for high-impedance headphones.

In addition, it offers the same 0.1-ohm impedance and < 0.3uVrms noise floor of the L30, promising a black background and linear signature on even the most sensitive low-impedance multi-driver earphones. The A50s is also a balanced design with 4.4mm output in addition to a traditional 1/4″ single-ended output. It doesn’t support XLR in any manifestation, however.

The A50s is shaping up to be another promising offering from the company and will be available soon at $199 USD from Apos Audio. As always, look forward to a full in-depth review on THL soon!