Hisoundaudio Flamenco Review

Hisoundaudio Flamenco Review

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

First Impressions:  Looking at them in the box they do look rather nice.  I don’t know why but the hooker red cable just goes well with the little wooden buds, they are so dinky too.  Visually it’s a set that I do like but it’s not like you can see them when you’re wearing them and given there are so tiny I bet they will disappear into your ear anyway.  I must confess that I forgot to write my first listening impressions at the time and they have had much burn in (I have been busy) so I can only comment on how they sound with a couple of hundred hours on them.

So, with that said on shoving them in my ears I like them.  Fun and lively with a good low end but not skull crushing like its Popo siblings.  I think Hisoundoudio may be on to a bit of a winner here.

Source 1G iPod Shuffle with a 75 ohm adapter added

Lows:  Fabulous! Okay so I could pick fault with it, like there a is a bit much, not uber tight or uber clean but seeing as I can see this going for £20 its nothing you can complain about.  It’s fun, lively, powerful and pretty punchy too.  It doesn’t go super deep and it’s a bit humpy but it matches where musical bass lines want to sit anyway so that’s actually pretty good.  It sounds so powerful down there but it’s never too soft or overwhelming.   It’s just gets on with it, does its thing and never has any trouble doing so.  For the price its pretty nimble which is I’m sure helped by its tiny driver size.  I really I’m finding this a pleasure to hear as its just capable of doing a nice smooth soft low and with the next song kicking it up and getting its punch on.  Lol, the song “Americano” just popped on and its bass is not only smile but giddy smirk inducing.  You could not possibly ask for better than that.

Mids:  Great stuff.  I can’t say this is middy but they are of an excellent quality and clarity for something so cheap.  If I had to say, I’d say they are behind the bass a touch but nothing to the extent they ever get lost.  If you want to sit and listen to Norah Jones then you’ll be quite happy.  You’ll of course be happier still if you go with Jack Johnson as he does throw in rather a lot of bouncy fun bass.  I would neither say there were dry or liquid and tonally they are close to dead even.  Clarity wise they aren’t earth shatteringly PL-50 good but frankly no one buys anything at this price for that sort of sound anyway.  They buy this thing to go mental with bouncy cheesy pop (the shuffle has just served up some Geri Halliwell, Bag It Up) and I must confess she is not the best vocalist in the world.  But I care not a jot she is clearly audible and it all goes together with great vim and gusto.

Highs:  Okay so here I’m going to get a bit less positive as it’s always the hardest thing to get right.  Now sure these are no RE-0 beaters or really even on the same planet but they are smart enough to know their capabilities.  They don’t try to go edgy and stand out with just exposes shortcomings.  They strike a balance that keeps them pretty much at the same level as the mid range but their lack of crispiness is actually a grand thing.  They can do their little dance and have a bit of shimmer but never offend me.  For a bargain product this is really all you could want from it.  Extension wise they do tail off nicely and gently but they never are jump out anyway.   These are more suited to pop and its lack (on the whole) of fidelity and dynamic range, more about getting up on that dance floor and having fun rather than nailing every move just right.  You’ll be enjoying yourself too much to notice anyway.

Soundstage:  Well they aren’t so hot on the being directional or doing distance so well either.  They are however nicely impressive in their sense of scale which I’m sure is due to their lovely low end capabilities.  They can do a big powerful sound.

Comfort:  Grand.  They are dinky little doo dahs that amongst the smallest of things you can get.  They weigh near nothing and I can’t imagine anyone would have any issue with them.

Fit:  They are dynamics and they are sealed so I was concerned id have fit trouble but I didn’t really.  I did have a few min of one side sounding imbalanced but it balances itself.  As always YMMV but given I usually have more issue than most with venting I can’t see many having any bother.

Microphonics:  If you wear them down they are utter suckage for it.  I don’t like wearing things down so I’m the usual up position it was absolutely fine.  I note there is no chin slider so if you are wedded to wearing them down be warned.

Cable:  Loveliness.  I’m surprised I like the hooker red but I do and its pretty soft and flexible.  Possibly a touch bouncy though.

Build Quality:  Fab.  These could easily pass for being significantly more expensive.  The jack is premium rubbery feeling and the Y splitter feels super solid too.  The buds are just lovely and seem very well crafted.

Isolation:  Rather good.  They aren’t up with their with stuff I’d use on a long flight but they are more than cable of sufficing for on a bus or out and about.

Value:  Great if not fantastic value.  These sound super fun and playful all the while looking top notch.  For £20 I really can’t fault them

Conclusion:  I like these very much, they are a crazy little bundle of bounciness.  I do realise I probable ought to have been have more technically critical but I think that’s just silly in something of this price.  Come on anyone spending £20 on a pair of IEM’s isn’t going to really give much of a toss about transient response and what not.  These are not about that sort of thing and accordingly neither has this review.  These are about fun and just plain old having a good time.  They aren’t about critically assessing the music and the mastering of it.  These are about sitting on a bus and trying to stop yourself dancing in the seat.  These could be the very definition of cheap and cheerful as they utterly nail both yet still look really nice and feel solid. 

I said at the start I thought Hisoundoauido may have a winner with these and now I’m quite convinced of it.  These could be about the most musical fun you can have for 20 quid and still be clothed and sober.