Audiophilepure

There’s good detail with good extension. Yet, you shouldn’t expect Zeta to be the ultimate treble performer in this price range. It prioritizes the bass first, then mids, and then you start to realize it has good treble too.  

It doesn’t hide anything from you, but it’s not a very crisp or bright treble response. If you like that kind of sound, Zeta might come a bit polite for your preference. Microdetail retrieval is nice too. The whole presentation is resolving, but again, a bit thicker than neutral. 

The build quality of the Mangird XENNS Top IEMs is quite good. I have experienced various IEMs from Mangird and each one shows impressive elements of craftsmanship. The resin shells are not only visually appealing but also provide a solid, durable construction that can withstand the rigors of daily use. The company states that the resin is imported from Germany and is of medical grade. The build quality deserves praise as all the joints look well-built. I can’t find any imperfections on the shells. Another subtle but nice detail is the use of a sleek piece of aluminum instead of a plastic filter in the DD’s air vent. I love it.

And there are, it turns out, limits to these monitors’ powers of resolution. ‘Girls in Their Summer Clothes’ by Bruce Springsteen [Columbia] is a narrow, congested pea-souper of a recording, with competing elements piled on top of each other – and despite their best efforts, the IE600 can’t open it up or spread it out. The listener can almost sense a power struggle going on, as the monitors attempt to force some distance between the horns, the percussion, the piano and the voice. Still, that’s more about the recording than the Sennheiser IE600.

Having enough money to buy premium in-ear monitors and attach them to a high-quality audio player doesn’t automatically mean you only listen to glossy, high-fidelity recordings, of course. But as long as you’re aware of the limitations of the IE600 where the silk purse/sow’s ear interface is concerned, there’s very little else that should dissuade you from trying them out.

Audeze LCDi4 Review

With the help of the larger transducer, the LCDi4 capably outputs revered bass with both power and finesse. It is a bass which straddles along the lines of neutrality without borrowing warmth from elsewhere. Perhaps some may prefer more voluminous bass akin to the Campfire Audio Atlas or the 64 Audio Nio, however the LCDi4 yields a solid foundation which extends well into sub-bass territory.

Hifiman Svanar Review

But, the real gimmick here doesn’t come from the driver, but from the housing. How? By mimicking a principle seen (and heard) in almost every opera theater: a secondary cavity designed to smooth frequency response intersection. An idea that popped up when the Hifiman team saw the ballet “Swan Lake” at the Moscow State Theater, where they were amazed by the secondary diffusion ceiling design, resulting in an extended soundstage.

Mach 30’s unique polycarbonate shell boasts superior ergonomics compared to anything on the market. With the Linum BaX cable, it is an extremely lightweight and comfortable set that can be easily used anywhere. It’s unfortunate that it lacks the performance leap we saw in the Mach 70 and Mach 80. Still, keep an eye out for discounts. If you can get it in the $300 range, it is an option to consider.

ThieAudio Oracle MKII Review

As I mentioned above, the mid-bass of the MKII is surprisingly linear. And so are the midrange. The Oracle MKII utilizes midrange drivers of the Monarch MKII, which is, in my opinion, ThieAudio’s best IEM to date. The Oracle MKII has a similar, neutral and balanced midrange with great resolution, articulacy, and detail retrieval. The instruments are breathy, clean, and natural. The strings are clear and precise. Due to the enhanced subs, vibrations are a delight to follow. However, things do get complicated around the upper midrange region. The Oracle MKII offers a lot of energy right around here, and the instruments that feed directly from this region – hi-hats, cymbals, crashes – take up a bit more space on stage than I would like. This ultimately hurts the staging and layering, especially as the number of instruments on stage increases. So to all metalheads, rock aficionados out there, make sure you select a good source to pair with the Oracle MKII. My recommendation would be a Mojo 2 or a Topping G5. Avoid analytical sources to achieve the best tonal balance, imo. 

Bowers & Wilkins, founded in the U.K. in 1966, has been at the forefront of high-performance audio technology for more than 50 years. It designs and manufactures precision home speakers, headphones, custom installation and performance car audio products that set new standards for innovation and sound quality, earning countless awards and accolades from the world’s leading recording studios and musicians. Bowers & Wilkins’ reputation is based on the unwavering pursuit of the best possible sound and an unsurpassable music listening experience.