Audiophilepure

And FiiO clearly paid attention to the details this time. On the side of my AKM version sits a discreet VERITA logo, while both headphone outputs, 3.5mm and 4.4mm, are outlined by a golden ring. Even the power button got a makeover, now surrounded by a backlit ring. Small things, but the kind that make a device feel special, right?

Sadly, the volume wheel of the M15S didn’t make the cut. In its place, you get classic physical buttons on the edge, like the M33 R2R. A bit sad, I’ll admit, but they still did the job well, with the D.MODE and HOLD switches sitting right next to the playback controls.

The most important thing about an IEM, to me, is its sound quality and performance. I am sure most people agree. So, in this segment we will focus on Zencarb’s strengths and weaknesses regarding its sound.

During my review-time of the past weeks, I mainly used the Zencarb with my Astell&Kern SP3000M and the SP4000T on the go, while reaching for my Lotoo PAW Gold Touch 2 and my LAiV Crescendo Verse in the office and at home.

Zencarb is a well-balanced IEM with a tilt towards lows and highs. Bass has good body, density and impact, while the midrange is held mostly neutral in positioning and weight. Treble, however, is an area where I can see some conflicts, as it is brighter and forward placed in the signature. In technicalities Zencarb will find its fans, as it provides a revealing and detailed nature. Instead of smoothing over harsh edges, Zencarb presents music with rawness, which can sound unapologetic.