Audiofly AF180 Quick Review

Audiofly AF180 Quick Review

Thanks to www.hifiheadphones.co.uk for the loaner.

Brief:  Looks so meh, sounds so Wow!

Price:  £370 or about US$594

Specification:  Driver Type4x BA’s, Frequency Range15-25kHz, Cable Length1.6m / 64”, Plug Type3.5mm gold plated, right-angle, Impedance18Ω, Sensitivity108dB at 1kHz

Accessories:  3 Comply Foam Tips (S/M/L), 3 Single-flange silicon eartips (S/M/L), 3 Tri-flange silicon eartips (S/M/L), Audioflex SL twisted audio cable, Storage wallet, 6.35mm Jack adaptor, Flight adaptor, Shirt clip, Cleaning tool

Build Quality:  It would seem to be quite excellent.

Isolation:  Very good.  It’s an all BA IEM so it isolates just like you expect.  Very easily enough to make you a road stain or that 300 hour flight to New Zealand.

Comfort/Fit:  Comfort was excellent.  Fit was mostly pretty good.  I can’t say I loved the ear guides but they mostly didn’t get in the way.  These did seem to give a bit of an issue in the right ear but nothing major.

Aesthetics:  Visually these are so astoundingly meh.  Look at them, as high end IEM’s go these have got to be the least visually interesting.  Not that they are terrible, just all of the boring.  Cable looks kinda nice though.

Sound:  This is the bit that matters and these sound just as excellent as their price tag suggests they should.  They are a quite balanced with a bit of a slant to the bassy/middy side.  The bass is refined, smooth, uninteresting until you command it not to be.  You slap on some big assed thumping bass and it will roar to life.  Sure is not a big dynamic but the quantity is sizable and its tonality and agility are all BA, it moves like lightning on steroids.  Its articulation is epically skilled. Its mids are slightly skewed to the sumptuous and liquidy side.  Again though its quality, tonality and its nuance are supremely detailed.  Sure it’s not hurling the detain in your face but oh god its excellent.  The treble is a hair on the muted side.  It’s slightly softened to be gentle on the ear but once more it’s the detail level that save it.  Everything is in there and the level of treble refinement, that delicate detail and ability to shimmer are phenomenally good.  Sure sound would like the detail more in your face and the bass while epic isn’t going to explode like a big dynamic can, of course if that is what your looking for.  If you want a monitor esq, fractionally tonally warm monitor then oh god this it. 

Value:  It costs a heap but in return it sounds amazing.  If you want the best you have to pay for it.

Pro’s:   Sumptuously astoundingly good. A truly beauteous and smooth presentation.

Con’s:  Its treble and bass are not “enhanced” in the way some would want.