Sunday 17 July 2011

HiFiMAN RE-272 Quick Review

HiFiMAN RE-272 Quick Review


Thanks to Head Direct for the samples.


Brief: HiFiMAN’s flagship of the week.


Price: US$249


Specification: Driver Size: 9 mm Impedance: 20 Ohm Efficiency: 103 dB Frequency: 15 Hz to 22K Hz 30 days refund and 3 year warranty.


Accessories: A heap of tips, 3 cables and a shirt clip.


Build Quality: Nice, certainly I can’t see anything to complain about.


Isolation: Pretty good for a dynamic. It is at the upper end of what a dynamic will do and while I’m quite sure it will be enough to get you hit with a bus because you didn’t hear it, it isn’t challenging the best BA stuff. So as always not what I would picking for daily Tube use or for that trip to New Zealand.


Comfort/Fit: Very good. It’s identical to the 262. I did get a little venting / air pressure issues but nothing major, certainly nothing that I’d call a problem.


Aesthetics: In the photos that I had seen they looked very silvery and very shiny. In front of me they look nothing like that. They are nothing more than a silvery black that while reasonably pretty is mostly non descript. If you’re looking for bling these aren’t it.


Sound: Stellar. Actually brilliant may be the most apt word given both senses hold true. They are incredibly spectacular in their bright, hyper detailed and forward sound. Brilliant really is an ideal word for them as they are so very bright. So long as you want and can deal with their very spectacular and treble happy nature then you will love them. They have arguably the best treble of any IEM even besting its very accomplished siblings. They are quite phenomenal. A word of warning though, I suspect you will want to have a bass boosting amp to drive these. They may not actually need amping (though of course they benefit from it) but I think there is a pretty good chance you will want the extra bass. The other thing about them is they are so detailed I couldn’t help but listen to individual instruments rather than listen to the whole. Not sure I could really call this a fault but for me it did mean I never melted into the music like I can with the RE-262.


Value: Excellent. I know of nowhere you can get this sound for any price let alone this price.


Pro’s: Hyper stupidly crazy detailed. Just amazingly good sounding.


Con’s: Kinda bright and so analytical you may forget to actually enjoy the music you’re listening to. No case.

HiFiMAN RE-272 Review

HiFiMAN RE-272 Review



Thanks to Head Direct for the samples.


First impressions: Ohh the box is fancy, oh hold on once you touch it it’s actually not so much, even less so when you open it. Fancier than the usual HiFiMAN boxes but nothing get all frothy about, not that the box really matters in the grand scheme of things as it’s just going to live in a corner anyway. Looks wise I thought they would be much more silvery than the 262 but they really aren’t. What I am noticing is the selection of cables and that the cable attached to the buds is super short i.e. its intended to be modular which I’m always a fan of. What I’m not a fan of is the length of the extension. Now I think I’m pretty average in height, (6ft) and the first cable I’ve grabbed to try (the white one) is just barely long enough to reach my jacket pocket. The little paper insert too I can’t say smacks of something that belongs with a premium product either, its screams photocopy of a photocopy. I know HiFiMAN is all about representing value for money but it makes a poor first impression (well it would if I was someone who didn’t have experience with the brand) and in a shop it wouldn’t make me want to hand over US$250.


However... the first little listen to them somewhat answers any questions you may have about whether it’s a premium product or not. Frankly it is amazeballs spectacular. Listening to them on the bus ride home I was floored, they are phenomenal. I can’t really tell right now if it’s the presentation at work but these are making me notice things in songs I’ve never noticed before. On getting home I swapped them over for a pair of Etymotic ER-4S and in comparison they sounded so thick and fuzzy. Yes they made the ER4 sound muddy.


Holy carp!


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Source 5G iPod Video line out through a Practical Devices XM5 with LM6171 opp amps


Lows: Right, let’s not beat about the bush about this. There is not a lot of bass and many will find it a deal breaker, personally I find it a bit light too but hey, it’s what the Bass Boost button is for. Once you get used to the idea this is pretty bass light (honestly I pretty much always used the bass boost when listening to it) then you can think about the quality a little. Unsurprisingly it’s of the absolute highest possible quality and what little there is feels like its been carved from marble, it’s so solid, controlled, so unbelievably tight and precise. It’s so incredibly unyielding. It will do what it will, no bloom, no softness, no artificial punch to convince you it’s tighter than it really is. It flawless, faultless is everyway bar the fact there is next to none of it. Even with the bass boost going the rest of the sound signature still isn’t going to make it seem bassy. A direct comparison to the legendary ER4 made the Ety seem bassy in comparison. Sure it didn’t sound like a bass monster but it was pretty clear that the RE-272 is not about the low end even its excellent.


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Mids: Super, hyper open and airy. Spectacularly articulate to the point you will hear every breath, every whisper, every tiny little detail. As astonishingly impressive as it is it’s not the most emotive mid range I’ve ever heard. This really isn’t a complaint or negative, it’s just a tuning choice and HiFiMAN have the 262 if you want a gloriously liquid mid range. What we have here is all about the hyper detailed and analytical. I can honestly say that I have heard and noticed things on the 272 that I never have before. It’s frighteningly articulate and detailed. It’s like when HD came to TV and all the TV presenters suddenly realised you could see what a mess they actually are. It’s a little like that. Everything is so incredibly articulate and hyper transparent that you can’t help but focus on the minutia and honestly I found it detracted from the whole. When I listen to vocals I marvel at the revealing power of the 272 and am floored by that but I never find myself thinking “oh what a beautiful voice XYZ has,” I am listening to the 272 not the vocalist. It’s the 262 that I listen to and find they just melt away leaving me and the music, then never happened once with the 272. For me that’s not what I want, well not all the time anyway, while it’s not a fault it does mean it won’t be loved by all. A gentle, relaxing, creamy midrange these have not. Actually on occasion they can get almost shouty, not that they ever actually do but certain lady’s hitting certain notes make them leap forward a little.


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Highs: This is what the 272 does. It is bright and a mean BRIGHT. Normally this would be the cue for me to have a moan and say it’s too harsh, it’s much etc etc. Okay it is too much but honestly I really don’t mind, it’s the most spectacularly brilliant treble ever in both senses. Its abundance is significant but it’s so incredibly detailed and articulate I can think of nothing I’ve heard like it. As I mentioned I directly compared these to the ER4 and found the ER4 sounded so thick and muddy in comparison. I’m serious. The shimmer and delicacy these can produce is a step up on everything else I’ve heard. Oh my god there is so much detail it’s terrifying, there is soooooooo much I wonder if it’s too much? As I said I find that these are so hyper articulate and detailed that all I do is listen to different instruments and picking out tiny detail from the back ground. Think of the first time you heard something like the ER4 or the RE-0 (both of which are blown away by the 272) that “oh my god” moment where you realise that there was a vast array of things going on you had never heard, even in your favourite song that you have heard a thousand times before. That’s what the treble on the 272 can and will do. It is so unimaginably impressive.


The down side is it is very, very ill suited to bad mastering, low bit rates, rubbish sources etc etc. The other is that the treble is very, very abundant. Seriously people it makes the ER4 and RE-0 sound warm and fuzzy. I suspect this won’t really ever be anyone’s one and only IEM, it’s just too bright for that.


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Soundstage: It doesn’t have the vast scale that the masters have but its sounds enveloping and projects a good sense of scale but not entirely unlike the weird 252 I can’t really place where things are coming from or distance them. Sound just is, like they somehow just will the music into existence rather than creating it on a little speaker. It isn’t really expansive or intimate but yet can turn its hand to both pretty well. Separation is pretty good too but can as integrated as your brain or the song requests.


Comfort: Absolutely fine. Its slightly unusual shape worked fine on the 262 and here it works exactly the same (it is exactly the same.) It lets you wear it up or down and both work fine but I really can’t imagine why you would want to wear them down.


Fit: Fine on the whole, it is a dynamic though so there was a touch of a venting issue and it took a minute or two to balance. It wasn’t what I’d call a problem but it’s a bit annoying if you have to pull them out every 5 min.


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Cable: Oh righty, well you get the cable that is attached to the buds and its super short. That’s fine as I rather like modular cables. The other cables you get are a TRRS to TRRS (grey) cable for balanced amp use. While I really like the idea of including this, who actually has a balanced source/amp? They are rarer than hen’s teeth right now but hopefully they will become more prevalent. The next is a TRRS to TRS (black one) that is the balanced to normal one for normal use and if you’re wearing the buds down to keep the channels the right way round. The last one, TRRS to TRS reversed (white) does the same as the black but it swaps the channels round so you can wear them up and keep the channels the right way round. I personally cant I say I care that much but it’s a nice inclusion I guess. A note of warning though, the cables are pretty short and really stretching the limit of what I could have in use. I’m not a giant either, a pretty average 6ft and it just barely reaches my jacket pocket.


Microphonics: Like so many others, wear it up none, wear it down you do. There is a chin slider so you can cure it but I don’t see why you wouldn’t just wear them up to begin with.


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Amped/Unamped: looking at the spec of these, 20 ohms impedance. That’s pretty low so you should be able to get plenty of volume out of anything. Plugging it into my little shuffles I can tell you they can run the 272 effortlessly but they do at times hiss a bit. Other than that I’m pretty stunned at how good they sound out the shuffles, I know they are little marvels but holy carp, the 272 clearly doesn’t demand a top end source. It does show up in the treble though that they can’t quite keep up and things get a touch edgy on the ear. Very bright. Flicking over to the HM-601 things get a little more genteel, or more accurately, less abrasive. The 601 is a warm player and that works pretty well with the cool brightness of the 272 making for a more rich, organic sounding combo. It’s still pretty trebly and detailed but compared to the almost bright shuffle 1G and the more even ipod 5G / XM5 combo it does make for a comparatively laid back sound. By comparative I mean compared to the sources, most certainly not to other IEM’s. Still, they go together very well.


Overall the 272 don’t really need an amp. They may not be their best without one but they are easily driven so if you really, really don’t want to use an amp then it’s a pretty good option for this performance level. Let’s face it, if you have bought a pair of these you’re going to buy an amp. Maybe not the same week but I promise you, you will.


Isolation: Like its siblings, it’s really rather good for a dynamic but it’s not going to beat the most isolating BA stuff out there. Still it’s nothing to complain about it and I was perfectly happy using them for normal day to day stuff, on buses etc etc. Of course it’s not what I’d grab if I was going to be on the Tube all day or visiting New Zealand but for the unaccustomed it’s still enough to get you run over.


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Build Quality: Once more, like its siblings it very good. Everything feels well made and solid but given this a US$250 it may not wow everyone. It does exude class and wealth like some things can but I can find nothing to actually make me complain about. You’re paying for the noise they make, not for pretty boxes and cables.


Accessories: As I mentioned before you get the 3 cables and in addition you get a bunch of tips, some filters and a shirt clip. It’s a reasonably Spartan affair for something so high end (in sound if not cost.) I really do feel that there ought to be a case included. In previous models the box they came in was small so could double as a case but the 272 comes in a pretty big box. It may not make any difference as to whether I think anyone won’t buy it because of a lack of a case I can see no reason why it doesn’t have one. If other manufacturers can include a little case with US$30 IEM’s then I can think of no reason why this doesn’t. Please rectify this. In the mean time I'd strongly suggest looking on ebay and picking one you like.


Value: Today they are sitting at US$250 (but so were the 262 and they have been heaved down to US$150) and at that price yes, easily worth it. At that price they have no competition bar its own siblings the 252 and 262, maybe even the 0 or ZERO. Is it worth almost 3 times the RE-0? Arguably no, even if it clearly sounds better, diminishing returns and all that. Is it worth US$100 more than the 262? Probably not. But then I just adore the sound signature of the 262 and it’s a huge price difference for what is a stunningly superb IEM. (did someone accidently add a 0 to the 262 order and they need to shift millions of them?) If we ignore the absurdly low price for the 262 for a moment because it just skews everything. Looking outside the company the only thing I can think of that comes close is erm, nothing. Seriously.


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Conclusion: HiFiMAN now have a triumvirate of top tier IEM’s, the 252, 262 and here the 272. The 262 is warm and lush, the 252 the paragon of perfect neutrality and the 272 is the hyper analytical, bright one. In term of value they pretty much kick the snot of everyone else and in absolute terms I think the 272 is the one that may have taken top tier to a new level. I honestly can’t decide if it’s down to its sound signature but the 272 is revealing in a way I’ve never heard before.


The down side is I cannot ever say I found myself listening to the music as a coherent whole and falling in love with it or the music. The 262 does that effortlessly, it makes a truly beautiful sound if a little coloured. The 272 is coloured the other way and just hurls the most insignificant and microscopic detail at you that I find all I do is listen to the detail and end up largely missing the whole. I cannot deny that it’s a truly incredible level of detail being offered to you and perhaps it’s that until I’m more use I’d to this new level that’s all ill do. Maybe over time I’d learn to listen to the whole again? I don’t know.


What I can say however is that the 272 is unlike anything else I’ve heard. I may not find myself loving it but I have constantly found myself listening in awe of it. It is just simply amazeballs brilliant. It’s the most articulate, textured, brilliant, gleaming sound ever. It has an unparalleled hyper transparency and clarity to it that I’ve never heard before. For god sake it makes the RE-0 and ER4 sound muddy and thick in comparison. I’m not sure I would want to live with its brightness every day, I’d be much happier living long term with the 262 but there is absolutely no denying that the RE-272 is absolutely phenomenal, just absolutely phenomenal.

Saturday 16 July 2011

Sunrise Audio Xcited Quick Review

Sunrise Audio Xcited Quick Review


Thanks to Frogbeats for the sample


Brief: A new name for a new product.


Price: £44.50 pre discounts (Head-fi’ers 10% students 20%)


Specification: Impedance 32 Ohm Cable Length 1.2 meters Sensitivity 116dB +/- 3dB Frequency Range 16Hz - 24,000Hz Driver 9mm Neodynium Magnet


Accessories: 3 Silicone Ear Tips (S/M/L), Storage Case, Warranty Card, Shirt Clip


Build Quality: Very nice, both looks and feels very solid. Everything feels very well put together and to be of a pretty high quality too.


Isolation: Reasonable. It is a dynamic driver based IEM so it’s not the sort of thing I would recommend for flights to New Zealand but it’s still pretty good. If you’re not used to it then I’m sure it would still be enough to get you run over by a bus you never heard coming. Isolation isn’t its selling point tough.


Comfort/Fit: Good on both fronts. I don’t know why (I suspect sound signature) but these sat more happily in my ears all day than their siblings. Their apparently physically identical siblings. Potentially it was hay fever influenced but these gave me no trouble.


Aesthetics: You know given the only thing differentiating these from the Impressive Edition physically is their colour but I think the silver here looks far nicer. Not of course that I think it matters at all but for me, these are the pretty ones.


Sound: A bit of this, a dash of that and a pinch of something else. The Xcape’s sound like a bit of a mix of things. They have a grand sense of scale but nothing too grand like the IE. They have the same air and distance to them but again not to the same extent. They aren’t so warm and thick either but neither would I deign to think of them as light and airy. I never really felt like they could really be pinned down to an accurate description they just did a bit of everything plus scale. While I never found them once pulling at my heart strings I did actually prefer these over their more costly siblings. They didn’t irritate me or push my limits in anyway and as such were a much more inoffensive listen. Realistically my head is telling me they are accomplished and impressive but imp just not feeling the love. Very capable all rounder’s but not the most exciting things in the world. However I think they would make a good first step into the world of higher end audio.


Value: Excellent, there is little that comes close to this level of ability and for this price. It’s not to say its unbeatable but it is up there with the best.


Pro’s: Scale, distance and a fairly even handed ability to do a bit of everything.


Con’s: Its scale sacrifices clarity and intimacy.

Sunrise Audio Xcited Review

Sunrise Audio Xcited Review


Thanks to Frogbeats for the sample


First Impressions: Well it’s been a long time coming, I’ve waited a while to hear this (its sibling too, the Xcape Impressive Edition) since the headphone world had a hissy fit at the Xcape becoming the Xcape v2. If you’re unfamiliar with it, in short they changed the sound significantly and people didn’t realise they bought it. It all stemmed from a big hoo haa about sound signatures and their differing popularity in the East and the West. Turns out that the West prefers a cleaner, lighter sound and the East a more Sony esq, thicker, warmer sound. I’m telling you this because its why we have the Xcited. Sunrise wanted something to appeal to those wishing a clean and crisp sound.


Visually there is nothing terribly note worthy about the Xcited’s, the buds are a very pretty silver though. The case is rather nice too. Listening to them though is where these come alive; I can tell right off these are step up on the old Xcape. Their names however are giving me a head ache.


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Source 1G iPod Shuffle with a 75 ohm adapter added


Lows: The low end here is all about the clean and articulate. It has a nice even balance between the ability to hold a low note and the force behind a quick hitting punch. It’s not going to do either in the quantity that some will want given peoples proclivity for massive amounts of over inflated bass but what’s here is close to exactly what amount there should be. Listening to Shakira’s “Something” the low end holds itself with great composure. It’s very well mannered and polite and suits the song well, in fact it really suits anything that isn’t bass centric or at least where the bass isn’t supposed to be overwhelming. It’s funny I realise its technically extremely proficient but it’s not the most dramatic low end ever and it may be a touch on the too polite, too composed too evenly handed. It’s like driving along a motorway, as opposed to taking the old and winding road that runs parallel. The motorway is technically superior in every way but sometimes the less controlled option is a little more fun.


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Mids: Rather lice the low end these are all about the clean and articulate, faultless really. Once more I find myself not being wowed by the drama but I am quietly impressed by the technical ability of them. Everything sounds very, very good and so perfectly composed. These still just aren’t exciting me or making me fall in love with them like I may want but I cannot actually find anything they fail to do. They are arguably faultless for their price but I find myself yearning for more drama, more emotion, perhaps any drama or emotion. It’s actually quite reminiscent to me of Spendor speakers, all technical skill but not really pulling at the heart strings.


Tonally they sit bang in the middle; neither dry nor liquid, cold nor warm etc etc. They are just so middlingly middle. I cannot really fault anything they do (trust me that’s actually a huge compliment) but I can’t seem to provoke an emotive response with them either.


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Highs: For the money extremely impressive in their technical ability. Stuff in this kinda price range has no right to be this good. A few years ago it would have cost vastly more but the flood of things from the Far East has meant sound quality has rocketed while price has plummeted. The result is that the treble clarity here is fantastic, while not the best in the class it’s still a bit of a stunner. Its clean and crisp edgy treble stands out well, if I’m honest a little too well in very treble happy songs, otherwise it’s very close to spot on. I might prefer a touch less forwardness and a little more gentility but part of that is I’m using an arguably brighter and edgy source and I’m a touch treble sensitive. The treble is a touch out in front from the mids and the bass, just a smidgen though; on the whole it’s pretty evenly balanced. Assuming your fine with the quantity then there is nothing more you can ask for, certainly not as this price.


Soundstage: Very good. They have a grand sense of space and air and the instrument separation is impressively good too. It’s quite noticeable on well recorded stuff but on things less so well done things get a little mushed up together.


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Comfort: Absolutely fine for my ears. Naturally YMMV but I could have them in my ears all day long and have nothing to complain about.


Fit: Absolutely fine too. I actually expected to have a little bother with venting or the lack there of but no. I don’t really know what Sunrise did as they didn’t strike me as being super open but whatever it was I approve. I could just stick them in my ears and that was that, perfect fit every time.


Cable: Very nice. Nothing I’d say you’re going to write home about but it’s perfectly functional, looks nice, feels sturdy as do the Y splitter and the plug. It’s all very nice.


Microphonics: Well it largely depends on how you wear them, up you get none, down you will get plenty. A lack of a chin slider ensures that but you do get a shirt clip to help with the issue.


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Amped/Unamped: Given the price these go for (as opposed to the quality) they aren’t really all that likely to see big grown up amps in the wild. Still if you do they do get noticeably better. Not different planet, omg you must buy an amp sort of difference but enough that you’ll benefit if and when you get one. Actually where you’ll benefit most is using the line out into the amp as that usually cleans up big time the treble and with these being a touch treble happy any clean up there will be most noticeable. I’m particularly thinking about my Ipod 5G, its headphone out has awful treble, its line out is vastly better in that front.


Isolation: Given that they gave me no venting issues I expected they would be much more open and accordingly isolate much less. They don’t. I don’t know how they did it but they did. Still, these aren’t Ety challengers so you may not buy a pair for that flight to the Antipodes but it’s still enough for normal use. Fine for on the bus etc and probably enough to get you run over by that same bus because you didn’t hear it behind you.


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Build Quality: Very good. Nothing here that’s OMG wow amazing but everything is nicely put together and both look and feels very solid. I should expect them to survive very successfully out and about.


Accessories: As I have already mentioned there is the shirt clip and the case, along with the obligatory variety of tips. So nothing amazing but I would like to praise the case, it’s changed since my last pair of Sunrise’s and I greatly approve. It looks great and feels very nice in the hand. Cases are wonderful things and these are a nice example.


Value: Crazy good. There isn’t any way you could actually argue anything else. Now these aren’t the be all and end all of everything but they do everything very well. That I can presently see these for sale for £44.50 is a little mad. A handful of years ago you could have easily tripled that and they would have still been a bargain. There is simply no way anyone can say these aren’t fantastic value for money.


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Conclusion: As I sit listening to these and swap over to the Brainwavz M3 (its prime competition if you ask me) and I look at what I’ve written about them both I find myself a little confused. I really loved the M3 and all it could do and comparing them the Xcited sounds so very much bigger and more expansive. Its lows sound more enveloping and its highs sizzle and shine so much more. Its mids sound fuller too. However I find the in theory bigger and usually more dramatic sounding Xcited to not be capturing my attention. Is it that in comparison its mids tend to sit a touch behind where the M3 tend to sit that bit forward. I think for me personally the M3 is clearly what I prefer but that’s really down to personal preference rather than anything being really that much better than the other. The M3 is but it’s also proportionally quite a chunk more costly too. It’s funny really; a few of years ago either could have come to the market and at this price been so head and shoulders above everything else. Now there are so many truly excellent IEM’s out there and this is one of them.


What differentiates it a little is that the Xcape feels so much larger sounding and is more capable at portraying distance. Things like the M3 or PL-50 are far more close in and intimate. Listening to Susan Wongs “I Wish You Love” the Xcited really fill out the stage and give the impression that the instruments are physically separate and all around you but the M3 brings everything so much more upfront and close to you. For me and that song I think intimate works better but frankly it’s not like it sounds bad, just not what I want. It’s like wanting an Earl Gray and getting a Black Coffee. I may like them both but they are not the same.


I feel I’ve been a little hard on the Xcited as it’s not playing to what I love but I cannot deny it is excellent at what it does. It can turn its hand to anything and do it well so long as you like a large sound field and crispy highs.

Sunrise Xcape Impressive Edition Quick Review

Sunrise Xcape Impressive Edition Quick Review


Thanks to Frogbeats for the sample


Brief: What, no “Confusing Edition?”


Price: £55 pre discounts (Head-fi’ers 10% students 20%)


Specification: Impedance 32 ohm Cable Length 1.2 meters Sensitivity 118dB +/- 3dB Frequency Range 16Hz - 24,000Hz Driver 9mm neodymium magnet


Accessories: 3 Silicone Ear Tips (S/M/L), Storage Case, Warranty Card, Shirt Clip


Build Quality: Very nice, both looks and feels very solid. Everything feels very well put together and to be of a pretty high quality too.


Isolation: Reasonable. It is a dynamic driver based IEM so it’s not the sort of thing I would recommend for flights to New Zealand but it’s still pretty good. If you’re not used to it then I’m sure it would still be enough to get you run over by a bus you never heard coming. Isolation isn’t its selling point tough.


Comfort/Fit: Good, nether aspect really gave me any trouble. I did find them somewhat tiring with prolonged use but since its siblings didn’t I may put that down to my ears just being particularly sensitive that day. Its hay fever season you know.


Aesthetics: Pleasing to the eye but these are fairly non descript. While I found the buds, jack and Y splitter to be both reasonably pretty it’s not like any of them actually caught my eye and made me pay attention. Still as they are earphones and not ear rings I don’t see the problem.


Sound: Big. If had to encapsulate their overall sound and style that would be the word, or maybe expansive, same difference anyway. The Impressive Edition more than anything aim to project a vast sense of scale in the musical portrayal and I know some are going to love that. I found it a little strange to have so focused on something that doesn’t always work with everything. For example if you’re a big fan of close up, intimate sounding music then the sense of depth and distance added sounds weird. I’m not saying it sounds bad because it doesn’t, it’s just odd. That aside its vastness and large expansive low end works pretty well in shifting a lot of air and a lot of people will just love that. It’s got a big and powerful low end that can really rumble while just refraining from taking over. Mids are reasonable so long as you like a lot of distance to them, lots of air. Highs are good too with an added edge to make them cut through the warm airiness. I found it a little too edgy but again I know a ton of people will love the hardness of it where a I prefer things delicate up top.


Value: I wonder if could get away with saying impressively so? These aren’t the hands down best the money will get you in terms of refinement but when it comes to scale and an arguably very populist sound signature they sit near the top of a short list. I’m sure if Sunrise Audio could get these into the ears of ordinary folk then they will have a big seller on their hands.


Pro’s: Soundstage, scale and rich epic vastness.


Con’s: Lacks any real ability to do intimate, not the best clarity and detail for the money.