HiFiMAN RE-00 Earphone Quick Review by mark2410

HiFiMAN RE-00 Earphone Quick Review by mark2410

Thanks to Massdrop for the loaner.

Brief:  OMFG go buy a pair right now!

Price:  US$35 in the US and US$40 delivered for the rest of the planet.

Specifications:  Driver: 9 mm dynamic, Impedance: 64 ohm, Sensitivity: 106 dB at 1 mW, Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz, Cable length: 53 in (135 cm), Weight: 0.6 oz (17 g)

Accessories:  Err two pairs of tips.

Build Quality:  The buds are nice, the cable is rather less so.  Its tré kinky and not in the good way.

Isolation:  Rather good actually.  Dependant on tips and a good seal but these are totally fine for out and about, on a bus sorta stuff.  Not perhaps Tube or long flight stuff but more than sufficient to make you an impromptu hood ornament if you forget what your eyes are for near traffic!

Comfort/Fit:  I found the big bi-flang tips gave me a very hard seal and it was air pressure issue raising.  However with some tip play I found the big round Comply ones worked great for me.  With them in I was happy to wear all day long.

Aesthetics:  They look alright, nothing super amazing but nice enough.

Sound:  So you may wonder why I said go buy a pair now then have been a little so so about them.  These are in most attributes nothing special, then you come to their audio quality.  Now there will be those who don’t like them because of their neutral sound signature.  People are used to massive amounts of bass and these don’t pander to that crowd. These are for all intents almost perfectly neutral.  Aside from them not being flavoured to suit some preferences the rest is jaw dropping.  The level of audio quality these possess is nothing short of stupendous.  They are near identical to the old RE-0 which was a hair away from the ancient and venerable Etymotic ER4.  These are stunning, simply stunning.  Their price is just so at odds with their audio quality level nothing can touch them.  The detail levels these possess is just mind blowing for the money, these aren’t just excellent for the money but simply excellent.  These are more nuanced than most IEM’s at any price.  The sound quality is just staggering.  Just so flawless, so accurate and detailed it’s incredible.  These are reference grade, quality benchmark setting stuff.

Value:  See Brief. Nothing can touch them.

Pro’s:  The most outstanding sound quality that is beyond imagining at this price.

Con’s:  I don’t love the cable.  The bass level won’t please everyone.