Hisoundaudio Hiphone-1 Review

Hisoundaudio Hiphone-1 Review

Thanks to Advanced Headphones www.advancedheadphones.co.uk for the samples (AMP3’s sister site)

First Impressions: Is it me or is the first bud I’ve seen with a phone mic and button on it? It could well be me as it’s not something I would have ever looked for as I pretty much hate buds and I never use my phone for music. I guess there probably is a market out there for it though and it seems weird I’ve not seen or noticed at least this before. A quick listen and the remind me of the PAA-1 Pro. That’s not really a shocker sine they look almost exactly the same. These aren’t as a good though.

Source: HiFiMAN HM-601 predominantly

Lows: These really do put up a valiant effort but I’m not sure if it’s that I can’t help but compare these to the PAA-1 Pro or that it’s just they are buds. Buds can’t go low and these don’t. They aren’t terrible though, they put a good effort for a bud but I think the PAA-1 Pro spoiled me a bit on that front in showing me what could be done. It a bit soft and it rolls off early then goes into freefall but like I said it’s a bud and that’s what they do. Its not great on impact either, not terrible but not great.

Mids: These are not bad, they are somewhat veiled and fuzzy but they come through pretty clearly and standout with ease from the laws and highs. So long as you aren’t expecting the highest levels of detail, every breath and every quiver then you’ll be fine. It’s been a long time since I had an ibud but they were terrible and these aren’t. I’d be lying if said they were “good” though, they are fairly reasonable and they are dirt cheap so I can’t honestly say I’d expect more of them. They are pretty pleasant on the ear and don’t really do anything wrong but they aren’t excelling at anything either.

Highs: Sensibly these are a little rolled of as they just don’t have the clarity to do highs with any abundance and do them well. It’s a wise decision and so long as you’re not looking to be showered with endless shimmering treble then these are pretty fair. There’s enough information and detail retrieval to let you know what’s going on and its always pretty easy on the ear. For an open bud it would be really easy to get carried away with the top end and thankfully Hisoundaudio have gone for a much more restrained and listenable experience.

Soundstage: It’s pretty good, not so much about great positioning but just a grandish sense of scale and distance.

Fit: Either works or it doesn’t.

Comfort: I have never gotten along with buds and this one is no different. Uncomfortable and I want them out of my ears. However I’m sure you know if buds work for you and as buds go these are light and amongst the least unpleasant as they are super light.

Cable: It’s nice, nothing exceptional but nothing wrong with it either.

Microphonics: None.

Amped/Unamped: A slight difference but really not worth the bother. You would lose the mic facility too.

Isolation: None

Accessories: A spare set of bud covers and a shirt clip.

Value: I can’t say I’d buy them but given I’m told these will be circa US$20 that’s pretty damn cheap. Sure they don’t sound amazing but they aren’t bad, pretty pleasant a sound signature for a bud in fact. Plus the killer is that they came with the phone button and mic. If you want that I’m not sure of a cheaper way to get them than these.

Conclusion: I don’t like buds, I don’t find them comfortable. These therefore I can’t say I like on sound alone but I really didn’t hate them. They do a fair job of trying to sound balanced and given their very low cost I think they do a pretty reasonable job of it too. As I mentioned I can’t think of any other bud maker that does a phone button and mic (not that I’ve ever looked) and if you need that then these are cheerful and cheap way to get there. I feel I must note though that the mic constantly kept catching on my collar and that’s very annoying. Buds never sit very secure at the best of time and that is not helping. So with all those caveats in mind these have a role to fulfil and they do a fine job of it at a very low price.