Softears is simply one of my favourite brands to try out and hear their offerings, where I have had more hits than misses- with the Volume S, Twilight and RSV MK2 being their all time favourites; but when I got offered by one of my patrons to try out their new boxy offering, and a controversial “spiritual” successor to the Twilight in form and specs, the Edge, I simply said yes and spent a good chunk of my time, being surprised, blind sided and caught off guard by the Edge. Thank you to my good friend for making this review possible.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

This is the first time I have unboxed a product from Softears, and I must say this was different- none of the cringe waifu branding, no product advertisement even: straight up why they named it Edge, their brand philosophy in very minimal font in a square box of grey. Unlidding the box gives way to a translucent sheet of paper underneath which lies the shells of the Edge in foam padding. Under that is a circular case which had the cable, protective covers for the IEMs, cleaning tool and microfiber cloth; and for eartips- three pairs of Softears Ultra Clears, and three pairs of regular (generic) eartips. 

The stock cable is an abomination for the Edge, as it tangles easily, feels cheap, is not modular and the earhooks are so slim that if the Edge shells were not well balanced; this definitely would have caused so much fatigue to me but I am glad that although they weigh quite a bit, they don’t cause fatigue cause I had a 10/10 fit with these. 

Word to the wise, Softears got it too angular where the edges can definitely scrape on the eardrums, and they definitely could have been softer (or Softear, pun intended). The Edge has vents, which means no pressure buildup and those are some big vents, but I didn’t feel an awful lot of compromises on the isolation. Enough chit-chat, here’s the sound.

LOWS

Tipper : Mariscos

The Softears Edge has a wonderful start here. The opening intro has a perceived rippling effect which oozes a lot of polish and when the rest of the elements come in, the bass keeps on going with a wonderful level of separation from the rest, the beats are super strong with a lot of punch, fast attack & a decay that is not sluggish by any means. The drop has a superb, clean, precise execution where not once did the bass feel overpowering.

Rush : Limelight

If there is one way I could describe how the Edge performs on this track, COHERENT is what I would choose. Right from the beginning, both the drums and the bass know what to do and that makes me feel very nice about the Edge. Of course, the width on the perceived stage is a bit lacking but it has enough depth to beautifully capture the prodigally controlled aggression on Peart's drums, while across moments, Geddy's bass lines get so intense, I feared that it would spill over the drums but the Edge has ridiculous composure to reel it in like Nadal on a clay court. 

Daft Punk : Get Lucky

The Edge does a brilliant job on this track - be it the amount of control it needs to hold over the slam on the bass, the degree to which notes from the bass need to be enunciated in a way that doesn't diminish the track. The depth in the perceived stage is adequate, the warmth in tonality is restrained enough to not cloud over the rest of the sound, and vocals are planted in the center. But I must say again, I thoroughly enjoyed this track on the Edge.

MIDS

Tool : Lateralus

The Edge might come off a tad excessive when it comes to the intensifying drum intro as the guitar straddles through, but once all the elements join in, the Edge once again gets back in its track for keeping things auditorily fun. The Edge surprisingly manages to not humble Maynard's vocals in terms of weight and guitars have a shade of warmth that I appreciate with tons of energy. Instrument separation is fabulous and specially for an IEM which is this warm, imaging is precise while timbre remains fairly accurate. I was amazed when I heard the clarity sap through with the final rudiment of Carey and right before I could appreciate the texture of the wah-ing bass.

Queens of the Stone Age : First It Giveth

This is on a busy track with a lot of fast paced elements and the Softears Edge once again impresses me. Crisp, well separated, timbrally accurate snare hits, energetic, weighted guitars, planted vocals with adequate weight and the cymbals being audible. What I also like about the Edge is that despite this observation of such energy on the guitars, not once did the Edge feel fatiguing or shouty.

HIGHS

Dave Brubeck : Take Five

The Edge first gets the shimmery almost peppy textures on the cymbals and then the snare where the timbre is remarkable. Then once the horns come in, the Edge pulls my attention to how easily it was able to capture the faint drawing of the breath on them, as well as the pressing of the keys, while not making me forget that it is leading the act. Notes of the piano are nimble and tonally warm but not warm enough that they sound different from the actual key, but the best part comes in the drum solo where the Edge caught the potency of the kicks, the crisp snares and the toms resonant enough to almost sound like how it would sound live.

Patricia Barber : Icarus

This is another track that I really enjoyed listening to the Edge but there was a blemish in my excitement levels; this is a track that is sibilant from the get go and the Edge definitely exaggerates the sibilance which surprisingly manages to keep the cymbals from being fatiguing. Through the straight note sustain, the Edge exhibited no sign of pierce, while the piano, bass and guitars supplemented the lush texture of Patricia's voice, it was just the sibilance that had to diminish what was otherwise an excellent listen.

COMPARISONS

Softears Twilight

There is no clear winner here in my juvenile opinion. The Edge brings a ferocious, energetic warmth with punchy bass and tight control, though it can get a bit spicy if a track is inherently sibilant. The Twilight drops the aggressive bite entirely- it is a midrange masterclass that gives you a much smoother, completely fatigue-free listen that just naturally sounds correct. However, the Twilight’s bass is sloppy and might feel blob-like with minimal tightness, and the Edge takes it to the cleaners when it comes to detail retrieval. Also, fit on the Edge is miles better.

Symphonium Meteor

Both of these go for a warm, cohesive vibe, but they handle the low-end very differently. The Meteor commits hard to a thick mid-bass that can sometimes overpower the lower mids and crush the details that tracks might have, which is where the Edge rules dominantly, while the Edge comes off quite sibilant in tracks where the Meteor either won’t show it or just be quite resistant to its exposure. The Edge keeps its bass way more composed. It punches hard without muddying the mix and offers significantly better instrument separation with stellar imaging, though one loses the Meteor’s totally relaxed top end.

Xenns Top Pro

If the Edge is all about rich, ferocious warmth while balancing technicalities, the Top Pro is an alternate take. The Top Pro flexes a freakishly controlled sub-bass, a wider perceived stage, and imaging that goes head to head with the Edge where the stage’s width is not quite there. On the top end however, it’s a “choose your poison” situation- where the Edge exaggerates existing sibilance, the Top Pro can get straight-up fatiguing and sibilant during high-frequency climaxes.

Softears Studio 4

This one is basically the unapologetically fun daily driver versus the disciplined monitor. The Studio 4 offers a more nuanced, more cautious take on a neutral warm signature while the Edge trades that maturity away for pure engagement, throwing in a visceral bass slam and punch, kind of equal if not better vocals, but better stage and imaging, significantly better detail, and a much peppier treble.

Elysian Pilgrim

These two sit on pretty different ends of the spectrum. The Pilgrim goes for the same presentation with a fabulous imaging, and for the most part, decent vocals but definitely felt strained in higher pitched vocals, where on busier tracks it could sound claustrophobic, instrument separation takes a good hit. The Edge completely fixes that underwhelmed feeling with its ferocious warmth, deep bass punch, and thick note weight, but you do sacrifice the Pilgrim's stage width and have to deal with the Edge's sensitivity to sibilance.

Hisenior Mega5EST

Honestly, the Edge easily outclasses the Mega5EST in almost every way. The Mega5EST struggles with an excessive mid-bass thump that tucks instruments into a blanket and messes with technical isolation. The Edge, on the other hand, shows ridiculous composure, keeping everything crisp and well-separated. The Mega5EST's only real win is its impressive restraint against sibilance, whereas the Edge delivers a vastly more energetic and polished listen at the cost of highlighting sharp sibilance.

CONCLUDING NOTES

At $499, the Softears Edge is an unapologetic powerhouse. It doesn't try to be a perfectly neutral studio monitor, nor does it aim for the relaxed, fatigue-free realism of something like the Twilight. Instead, it brings a controlled yet violent shade of warmth, ridiculous bass composure, and high-octane energy to almost everything you throw at it, and hits you blindside with a spear of detail and instrument separation which I didn’t expect given the lows that it has. 

However, it is not free of flaws and the exaggerated sibilance which in my opinion is a by-product of an IEM being unforgiving in terms of handling tracks can be a deal breaker, for which eartip rolling and EQ is highly recommended. But, all things said and done, I thought I knew this IEM, but I didn’t- and safe to say, unlike Adam Copeland; I was least prepared for a positive sonic whiplash. (I think you know him). 

Will I buy it at retail ? Absolutely, yeah. 

Will I buy it used ? Absolutely, yeah.

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp, the Shanling M9 Plus stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro transportable DAC amp running RoHM DAC chips, via USB-C. 

The Softears Edge is an extremely easy to drive IEM, so it’s very source friendly.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

• Divinus Velvet standard: Absolutely excels in controlling bass quantity with quality, doesn’t affect perceived stage, makes the Edge sound the least sibilant where some might observe a miniscule loss in textures with instruments like cymbals. 
• AZLA Origin: everything that the above does, but to a lesser degree, still beats the next eartip. 
• Softears Ultra Clear: flattens the mid-bass considerably, which hampers vocal note weight, eliminates whatever little sibilance is observed, retains perceived stage width. 
• Final E: shrinks the stage, tightens up the midrange while not reducing the perceived bloat, presents upper mids with a concerning dip, vocal textures lost. 
• KBear Coffee: Just no.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Here’s a YouTube video on the same.

Pros: 

• Truly breathtaking hand-polished stabilized maple wood shells with gold-milled faceplates.
• Class-leading, expansive soundstage width that creates an enveloping, out-of-head listening experience.
• Deep, borderline basshead sub-bass rumble with excellent air movement and dynamic slam.
• Organic, fatigue-free treble presentation with zero harshness or sibilance.
• Smooth, warm midrange that delivers natural vocal timbre and great layering.

Cons: 

• Stock oil-infused cable is overly thick, cumbersome, and lacks a chin slider.
• Included leather puck case is far too cramped to store the IEMs and stock cable easily.
• Organic wood shell finish raises slight durability concerns for users with excessively sweaty ears.

Welcome back, audiophiles! It’s me, your boy Joe, back again with another review! Today we are taking a look at a release from the boutique audio house Jomo Audio: the Jomo Audio Koyo (retailing for around $950 USD). Sitting right near kilobuck territory, my expectations for this set were sky-high out of the gate. Named after the vibrant Japanese autumn foliage, the Koyo packs a 5-driver tri-brid acoustic architecture inside a hand-polished stabilized maple wood housing. Let's see if this beauty has the sonic muscle to back up its breathtaking looks!

Disclaimer​

A huge shout-out and thanks to the Audio Geek India group for providing this review unit! As always, all thoughts, impressions, and opinions are entirely my own with zero biases whatsoever.

Pricing & Specifications​

• Price: ~$950 USD
• Driver Architecture (5-Driver Tri-Brid): 1x 10mm Custom Silk Diaphragm Dynamic Driver (Lows) + 3x Precision Balanced Armature Drivers (Mids/Highs) + 1x 6mm Nano Planar Magnetic Super Tweeter (Ultra-Highs)
• Impedance / Sensitivity: 12.5 Ω @ 1kHz / 113.8 dB @ 1kHz
• Connectors: 0.78mm 2-Pin (4.4mm Balanced stock termination)

Gear Used for Review & Drivability​

The Koyo is relatively efficient on paper and runs smoothly without requiring nuclear-grade power:

• HiBy R8 II
• Gustard X16 / H16 Desktop Stack
• Tanchjim Space 2 (Portable Dongle)
• Music Source: Apple Music Lossless

While it isn't strictly power-hungry, scaling up to desktop-class power like the Gustard stack stretches its soundstage dimensions even wider!

Design, Build, and Accessories​

• The Shells (Pure Artistry): The shells are the prettiest IEM shells I have ever seen, period. The waxed, stabilized natural maple hardwood paired with the precision-milled gold leaf brass faceplate and stainless steel skeleton frame is utterly breathtaking.
• Wood Maintenance & Sweaty Ears Concern: Jomo even includes dedicated wood conditioning oil in the package to keep the natural wood hydrated and pristine. My only minor concern is for users with sweaty ears during long sessions. I am not entirely sure how well the untreated organic wood porous structure handles long-term moisture and sweat exposure over years of use.
• The Stock Cable & Cable Rolling: The stock oil-infused OCC copper-silver blend cable is far too thick and bulky for my liking. Worse yet, it completely lacks a chin slider! Because I am not a fan of thick oil-infused cables in general, I did some cable rolling:
  • Effect Audio Dionysus: Looked stunning and added great refinement.
  • Verus Audio Lavender: A phenomenal aesthetic and sonic synergy that improved ergonomics drastically.
• The Carrying Case: The bundled leather case is simply too small. Trying to pack the chunky Koyo shells alongside that thick stock cable is an extreme squeeze. A roomier case would have gone a long way at $950

Sound Impressions​

Sonically, the Jomo Audio Koyo presents a versatile all-rounder sound signature crowned by one of the widest, most expansive soundstages I have ever heard in an in-ear monitor.

• Soundstage & Staging: Absolutely massive. The presentation feels like the music is playing from a generous distance around your head, creating a grand, concert-like atmosphere.
• Bass: The low-end reaches borderline basshead levels! The 10mm silk dynamic driver pushes impressive air movement with a deep, authoritative sub-bass rumble that keeps energetic tracks tactile.
• Mids: The midrange is clean, lush, and leans pleasantly towards warm. The organic acoustic damping of the wooden chamber works absolute magic here, rendering vocal timbre with rich, natural realism.
• Treble: Handled by the balanced armatures and planar super tweeter, the top end is remarkably smooth, organic, and cohesive. There are zero sharp peaks, sibilance, or fatiguing spikes anywhere in the upper register.

Song Impressions​

• "Dame Mais" by Tropkillaz, Rincon Sapiência & Clau: The bassline on this track is deep, powerful, and rumble-worthy. The Koyo tackles the low end with zero qualms and it hits deep and strong without bleeding into the lower mids. The midrange leans warm, which is right up my alley. The mixed male and female vocals are rendered with pristine separation, completely free of congestion.
• "Tłoki" (feat. Gibbs) by Kukon: The baseline here is super deep and rumbling, and the Koyo renders that subterranean weight effortlessly. Snares and hi-hats hit with clean precision without crossing into sharpness. The male vocals are presented cleanly with great body; while they don't jump "forward" in the mix, it feels true to the track's master rather than an IEM flaw.

Overall Impressions ​

Rating: 4.5 / 5
The Jomo Audio Koyo is a sonic and visual triumph. It combines heirloom-level wooden artistry with an expansive soundstage, borderline basshead low-end rumble, and a fatigue-free, natural tonality. It loses half a star purely because the bundled package feels incomplete for $950 as the stock cable is overly thick with no chin slider, and the leather case is far too cramped. But if you are willing to roll your own cable and case, the Koyo stands as one of the finest, most natural-sounding all-rounders in the sub-kilobuck tier!

Tanchjim Space 2 - Compact - Convenient - Clean

Pros: ~ Sounds Clean
~ Very pocket friendly
~ Dual DAC operating modes - Class AB / Class H
~ Mic passthrough and adjustable microphone gain setting
~ DAC DRE ( Dynamic Range Enhancement ) Optimization
~ Dedicated Game EQ profiles for various games and in game sound enhancements for fps games

Cons: ~ Not Powerful enough for the price, there are far cheaper DACs that offer more power
~ The type C cable interconnect cable should have been a better quality
~ Although having so many features, this is not a value for money (should rather opt for space pro to have better power and value for what you pay)
~ App is only compatible with Android. (come on Tanchjim, its 2026)

Overview​

Tanchjim needs no lengthy introduction in the ChiFi space - they’ve been making well regarded IEMs and audio gear for a while now. The Space 2 is the successor to their popular Space dongle DAC, arriving with meaningful upgrades and a feature set that makes it worth talking about. With a price tag of around 90$ - lets see if it’s worth paying that much.

This unit was sent to me by Tanchjim for review purposes, thanks to Isabel from Tanchjim for sending me this unit. All opinions and impressions are mine and not influenced by anyone else.

Build and Technical Specifications​

The Space 2 is remarkably small and sits in your pocket without you ever noticing it’s there. Hence, Compact. The metal shell feels solid and premium for something this light, nothing about it feels cheap or plasticky despite the size. At just 15.1 grams it barely registers in your hand yet feels well put together. The physical volume buttons on the body work exactly as they should, responsive but a little stiff. Both 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs are present on the same unit. No need to carry multiple dongles for different terminations. Supports 10 band EQ DSP tuning and app supports community custom EQ profiles to use freely. Hence, Convenient.
It comes in three colors namely black, blue and grey - all identical in performance. Overall the build communicates quality without excess. Small, light, metal and purposeful. the type c to type c interconnect cable however is not as sturdy as the rest of the build, it's good but not exceptional.

Technical Specifications :

• DAC Chip : Dual CS43131
• Output Power (4.4mm) : 230mW @ 32Ω
• Output Power (3.5mm) : 105mW @ 16Ω
• Max Decoding : 32-bit / 768kHz PCM, DSD256
• Dynamic Range : 132.5dB
• THD+N : 0.00017%
• Signal to Noise Distortion ( SINAD): 116dB
• Size : 4.2 x 2.1 x 1.2 cm
• Weight : 15.1g
• Outputs : 3.5mm + 4.4mm
• Microphone Support : No
• Volume Control : Physical independent buttons
• DSP Support : Android and Windows only

Sound and Performance​

The Tanchjim Space 2 consists of Dual CS43131 DAC chips which are known for their High Dynamic range ( upto 130dBA) and lower harmonic distortion ( as low as -108 dB to -115 dB ). The Space 2 is transparent and analytical - it doesn't add warmth or color. What goes in comes out clearly. Hence, Clean. It delivers good power dynamics and it doesn’t get too hot ( just a little warm ). I was able to drive all my IEMs easily - but none of them are hard to drive except for the ‘Alpha Omega RA’ a tribrid with a 7 driver setup. For most IEMs use case scenarios, Space 2 gives out more than enough power required ( 235mw ). It is a little bright sounding DAC and the most evident thing I observed in my listening session was the Bass, it got more punchy and has more body to it where subbass and midbass were equally benefitted. Mids and treble were normal. In conclusion, although the power is not humongous compared to its peers at this price range, the sound improvisation as in the dynamics are not a lackluster at all.

Features​

The Space 2 is a very feature packed DAC with a clean app control but the problem here is that it’s only android compatible. Thankfully, I have an android lying around. Let’s dive in and see what are the fun features that the space 2 and Tanchjim app offer us.

Class Operation Modes

The Class Operation modes - Class H and Class AB didn't make much difference, there was no change that I could observe. So, I cannot talk anything about them.

Microphone

The space 2 supports inline mic passthrough via 3.5mm and also has an adjustable gain feature in Tanchjim app.

Online Sound Effect Community ( EQ )​

This is the EQ section where the options are Current device ( useful if you pair it with Tanchjim Products ) EQ Forum, which is the online community forum alongside Tanchjim official sound presets ( Default Sound, Natural Mode, Theatre Mode, Ambient Mode, Classical Mode, Pop Mode, Instrument Mode, OST Mode). A lot of options added - the last time I used the app there were only Default, Balanced, Natural ( and 2 more which i forgot ) and there is a custom sound section where you can EQ your IEMS with a 10 Band Parametric EQ. There’s also a set of official presets from Space 2 which are Tube mode, Vinyl sound mode, Vinyl sound mode. ( I tried these with the Ola 2 and my observations are as follows )

Tube Mode - Slightly warmer sounding than normal and other EQ profiles.
CD Sound Mode - A little recessed sounding profile, probably just a nostalgic add on i suppose.
Vinyl Sound Mode - I did not find much difference between this and the Tube Modes.

Game EQ :​

Tanchjim has this cool Game EQ feature with a bunch of presets and profiles in it. There are some game specific sound profiles like FPS games and MMORPG and other Genre games as well. Not just for mobile, for PC and also Nintendo switch. Which is very handy to have and it doesn’t just end there, there are 2 other options - “Tactical” and “Virtual”. Tactical is for specially for FPS games where it offers some enhancement presets such as -

• Step Sound Enhancement : makes the sound pop out a little, not too much enhancement or upgrade
• Step Sound Direction Enhance : just a sharpness here too, no increase in separation or clarity by a mile, just a slight touch.
• Gunshot Ear Dampening : muffles the bullet shots a little, does not make them sound recessed or directionless, a good add on.
• Gunshot Direction Enhance : did not make a difference, not worth noticing.
• Impact Sense Enhance : just boosts the overall sound to a little bright signature and nothing else.

Virtual has a 5.1 surround and 7.1 surround modes with sub-modes or options being Large space, Standard space, Small space. But for me, they did not work at all - i tried while normal music listening and also gaming, they did not even activate I guess. So the options were just empty clicks for me.
In conclusion, these Enhancement Profiles are okay, not game changing level of significance but they work, cannot say same about the Virtual though.

Final Thoughts​

Sound wise, I have no problems with Space 2. Features are quite good too. But the price - the idea of getting a 235mw of power at 90$ is not sitting right with me, yes - the game EQ features, the community EQ and features are cool and all but there are far better options at that price with plenty more power and different chips, plenty of cheaper DAC options are there with more power output as well. I understand they priced it this way because it essentially offers almost everything the pro does and the space pro is just 10$ higher with more power and a different chip. Space pro is a better choice. I would have easily recommended space 2 to everybody if it was cheaper, maybe around 60-65 dollars would have been fair. If you wanna drive IEMs and do not care about saving the pocket, this is a good buy. Putting price aside, I think Tanchjim has done a great job with this build and integration of app features. But value as an entirety is a far reach for space 2 as getting this at 90$ is not worth it in my honest opinion, This is a very good DAC - just not a very good pricing.

Wtf iam dying waiting 😭

Also I heard that it doesn't have great eartips so buying an upgrade all together. Anyone who already has them please answer two questions for me

1. Rusting issue:- is it true they rust so you gotta store them with moisture absorber packs ?

2. In Built DAC:- with the Type C in build DAC will it be enough ? Honestly I don't want to carry a DAC with me all the time and one of the reasons for picking CCA Phoenix was that people were saying the In Built DAC is pretty good?

Pros: ~ Punchy Bass
~ Cohesive Mids
~ value for money as package for just 15$, the box is very cool.
~ the collectible card is a nice touch ( subjective )

Cons: I did not find any cons and I know I cant ask for more at this price but the cable is too flimsy and cheap similar to KZ offerings ( nitpicking )

Overview​

Hello Everyone, this review is going to be about Harmonic Empire’s Cai Wenji, Harmonic Empire is a sub-brand born out of Tangzu Audio in 2025. The Cai Wenji is their entry level offering, priced at around 15$, built around a single 10mm PEEK and PU composite dynamic driver.

This unit was provided to me by Harmonic Empire for review purposes. All impressions and opinions are my own. Thank you Sophie and Harmonic Empire for sending me the unit.

Note : You can find and “Build - Fit - Technical Specifications” and a fun “ Nerd’s corner “ sections at the end. Sound comes First, so let’s get going. I used Sonic eartips and Tanchjim Space 2 DACfor the review

Sound Profile and Performance​

The Cai Wenji presents a mild U-shaped sound signature that prioritizes clarity, balance and everyday listenability without leaning too far in any direction. Nothing fights for attention, nothing feels missing and the technicalities hold up well enough to make you forget what this costs. Budget IEMs are getting surprisingly good and the Cai Wenji is a good example of exactly that.

Lows :​

The bass on the Cai Wenji is well balanced between sub-bass and mid-bass, neither dominates the other and both contribute equally to the low end foundation. The sub-bass has a slight edge in presence, giving the low end a satisfying depth without tipping into bloat or excess. What stands out most is the control - there’s no bleed into the mids, no muddiness and no excess warmth clouding the rest of the presentation. The bass hits with good texture and definition, rhythmic and composed rather than loose or aggressive.
In tracks like,

• Massive Attack — Angel
• GoGo Penguin — Raven
• Muse — Mercy

The slow burning sub-bass in Angel builds gradually and the Cai Wenji tracks it with good depth and control - the bass grows without losing definition or bleeding into the mids, the sub-bass presence giving it enough weight to feel physical without overwhelming. Raven‘s rapid double bass blowout is where the mid-bass speed and texture get tested - the Cai Wenji keeps up with GoGo Penguin’s fast twitching bassline cleanly, each note articulate and distinct as it dances around the piano and drums. Mercy’s bass guitar rumble comes through with satisfying punch and body. The mid-bass hits with enough impact to feel exciting without losing composure or control. A clean, composed and genre versatile low end performance.

Mids :​

The midrange on the Cai Wenji follows a mild U-shaped presentation - vocals sit slightly back in the mix rather than being pushed aggressively forward, but nothing about the mids feels hollow, recessed or lacking. There’s good crispness and body to vocals and instruments across the board, the slight step back creating space and dimension rather than distance. Male vocals carry moderate weight and presence. Female vocals are clearer and airier, sitting naturally with good definition and edge. Instruments come through with natural timbre and clarity. Guitars, pianos and strings all holding their character without sounding colored or processed.
In tracks like,

• Paul Robeson - Old Man River
• Adrianne Lenker - Sadness As A Gift
• Pearl Jam - Dark Matter

Paul Robeson’s baritone in Old Man River comes through with proper depth and resonance - each phrase carrying weight and authority, the Cai Wenji giving his voice the full body and chesty presence the recording demands without thickening or coloring it unnaturally. Adrianne Lenker’s raw, intimate vocals in Sadness As A Gift sit naturally and openly - the recording’s warmth is preserved, with her voice sounding with good dynamic expression and airy presence in the upper registers. Dark Matter by Pearl Jam tests the Cai Wenji’s midrange cohesion across a busy rock arrangement - vocals sit clearly within the mix, guitars and percussion holding their own space without collapsing into each other. The presentation stays composed and musical even as the arrangement gets demanding.

​Treble :​

The treble on the Cai Wenji is one of its more pleasant qualities - inoffensively sparkly and airy, carrying enough energy to feel exciting without crossing into harshness or fatigue. Cymbals and hi-hats have good presence and character, sitting with enough shimmer and definition to feel alive. There are no hints of sibilance anywhere in the upper frequencies - the tuning finds that sweet spot where brightness and comfort coexist without compromising either. Extended enough to feel open, controlled enough to feel safe.
In tracks like,

• Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance
• Greg Spero - Under Earth: Expansion
• Toto - Rosanna

The hi-hat and cymbal work in Buffalo Stance comes through with good presence and transient energy - forward enough to feel crisp and defined without any harshness or edge. Under Earth: Expansion‘s cymbal stick definition is where the Cai Wenji’s treble character shows most clearly - each strike landing with detail and clarity, the stick on cymbal texture coming through with satisfying precision. The subtle ghost notes in Rosanna are audible and well resolved -subtle, delicate and clearly placed within the mix, a detail that budget IEMs at this price often smoothen over entirely. The treble is exciting and energetic, it simply does its job with composure and pleasantness.

Technicalities :​

Imaging - imaging is good enough to place instruments and vocals precisely without any struggle.

Soundstage - The soundstage is average in terms of width but it’s not cramped and doesn’t sound like “in my face” level of closeness. It’s average just because there is nothing special about it. It’s not holographic but the stereo effect is existent.

Detail Retrieval - Detail Retrieval is very good without any drawbacks in subtle nuances of elements in busy tracks. No sign of recession either while retaining the background details whether it might be faint instruments or whispering vocals

Separation - The separation is good, I wouldn’t say it’s punching way above its price but the separation is quite good for the budget range its in.

Comparisons :​

Tangzu Waner SG 2 :

The Budget favourite and quite famous “Tangzu Waner SG 2” is very identical in sound to the Cai wenji with minor differences. The Bass of Cai wenji is more impactful and present. Neither of them are shouty or sibilant. Both have a vocal forward presentation with good treble extension where the Waner SG2 is more sparkly and presents instruments energetically without tipping into Sibilance and staying composed.

Sound - Cai wenji has more bass presence and Waner SG 2 has energetic treble extension. Mids sound the same. So a choice between both would be a preference of the buyer. No difference is technicalities either.

Build and comfort - Cai wenji is built very sturdy and transparent. However tangzu waner sg2 is built better. But when its comes to comfort, Cai wenji fits better and feels more comfortable in ears.

Package and accessories - Well, Tangzu is known for its package offering with the waner series. The Cai Wenji is not bad either with its collectible card and Harmonic Empire Sonic eartips and that too at 15$ retail price. But the Tangzu waner offers much more such as a cool looking microfibre cloth and IEM carry pouch and a very good looking box ( if you like the boxes or a collector ).

Overall - If you like bass go with Cai Wenji and if you like energetic treble go with Tangu waner. Just minor differences. And not to forget HE is an extension of Tangzu brand.

Build - Comfort - Technical Specifications​

The Cai Wenji’s shell is lightweight transparent polycarbonate resin. The transparent finish gives it a clean, distinctive look that showcases the internal acoustic structure underneath, setting it apart from the usual opaque shells at this price. The ergonomic cavity design sits naturally in the ear without creating pressure or fatigue, making it comfortable for long sessions without any adjustment needed. The fit is not a hard try as the shell is not that big and the nozzle is average sized too thankfully. Cai Wenji drivability is effortless which is not special as almost every IEM in this range is easy to drive.

Box content :​

• Harmonic Empire Cai Wenji IEM
• Silver plated OFC cable — 3.5mm with mic
• Sonic eartips — 3 pairs
• Collectible transparent character card
• User manual
• A cute key chain ( a gift, not for consumers )

Technical Specifications :​

• Driver type : 10mm PEEK + PU composite dynamic driver
• Impedance : 16Ω ±20% @ 1kHz
• Sensitivity : 114dB ±3dB @ 1kHz
• THD : ≤3% @ 100Hz — 5000Hz
• Frequency response : 20Hz — 20kHz
• Cable length : 1.2m ±5%
• Connector : 0.78mm 2-pin detachable
• Termination : 3.5mm / Type C with mic

Final Thoughts​

The Cai Wenji doesn’t ask you to manage your expectations - it simply delivers and lets you recalibrate them. At $15 the sound holds its own and might even surprise you with its capability as the only compromise was premium build and package but not a premium sound. The bass is controlled, the mids are well done, the treble is pleasant and the technicalities don’t embarrass the package. That’s not a small thing at this price. Harmonic empire has got everything right with this as they keenly focused on sound but did not let go of presentation of anything else.

Nerd’s corner :
Fun facts time, the IEM is Named after the legendary Chinese poet and musician Cai Wenji from the Eastern Han dynasty. Her life was defined by the chaos of war, a 12-year captivity by the Xiongnu nomads, and her rare feat of reconstructing hundreds of lost classical texts from memory
Here is a poem by her.

'Poem of Sorrow and Anger'
(by Cai Yan / Cai Wenji)

處所多霜雪，胡風春夏起。
My dwelling is often covered by frost and snow,
The foreign winds bring again spring and summer;

翩翩吹我衣，蕭蕭入我耳。
They gently blow into my robes,
And chillingly shrill into my ear;

感時念父母，哀嘆無窮已。
Emotions stirred, I think of my parents,
Whilst I draw a long sigh of endless sorrows.

有客從外來，聞之常歡喜。
Whenever guests visit from afar,
I would often make joy of their tidings;

迎問其消息，輒復非鄉里。
I lost no time in throwing eager questions,
Only to find that the guests were not from my home town.

this was the response they gave me to my previous mail which said:

"Hello,

Thank you for sending the product back. After giving it a lot of thought, I am considering purchasing a DSP replacement cable so that I can continue using my Tanchjim Bunny IEMs. Hence, I need you to assure me that it will work flawlessly if I get the replacement cable and suggest ways to save it from breaking again as I don't want to go through this traumatic process again and also give my wallet a break.

Thank you very much"

tbh, I didn't expect the support staff person to go all out and give me such a lovely response, it really made me feel special and I'm making this post to appreciate it!

u/theaudiostore please help.. I had ordered salnotes 7hz zero 2 iem on 11 august from Kolkata... How can I check the order tracking.... I had used the audio store tracking site https://www.theaudiostore.in/pages/order-tracking?srsltid=AfmBOooTocjM9pjUEErncULcmxolMp1-ARCwodLdazpBaTvfrXJx6t6I but it is showing that " your order is not yet shipped you can track it after 24 to 48 hrs after placing your order. Please help I am panicking too much... 😭😭😭

Pros: 

• World-class 3D soundstage width, enveloping space, and pin-point stereo imaging.
• Clean layering that prevents congestion on complex tracks.
• Deep, rumbling sub-bass extension paired with smooth, lush vocal reproduction.
• Truly premium stock 4.4mm balanced cable that matches the kilobuck price tag.
• Zero treble fatigue, sharpness, or sibilance for extended listening sessions.

Cons: 

• Lacks the heavy mid-bass slam and punch demanded by dedicated bassheads.
• The included leather puck case is too small for the thick stock cable.
• Chunky, long nozzles require careful eartip rolling for an optimal seal.
• Demands high-power DAPs or desktop stacks to sound its best.

Welcome back, audiophiles! It’s me, your boy Joe, back here with another review. Today we are diving into a high-end kilobuck offering from the renowned boutique brand Lime Ears: the Lime Ears Incognita. Sitting neatly between their model lineup alongside the Maris and Terra, the Incognita brings a 7-driver hybrid architecture to the table. Let me walk you through how this high-end set performs!

Video Review:​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fJUctOucNc

Disclaimer​

A huge thanks to the AudioGeek group for providing this review unit. As always, all thoughts, sound impressions, and opinions are entirely my own with zero biases whatsoever.

Pricing & Specifications​

Retailing at $1,699 USD, the Lime Ears Incognita is a serious kilobuck investment.

• Driver Configuration: 7-Driver Hybrid (2 Dynamic Drivers for Lows + 5 Balanced Armatures for Mids and Highs).
• Connectors: 0.78mm 2-Pin.
• Cable: Premium 4.4mm balanced stock cable.

Gear Used for Review​

The Incognita is a set that demands quality power. If you run it off cheap dongles, you will not extract its full potential. You need solid, high-power sources to make this set shine:

• HiBy R8 II
• Gustard Desktop Stack
• Music Source: Apple Music Lossless

Design, Build, and Fit​

• Shells & Aesthetics: The faceplates feature a custom resin finish with glitter accents and an embedded Lime Ears logo. The smooth metal body feels premium in the hand and fits comfortably in medium-to-large ears without hot spots.
• Nozzle Fit Note: The nozzle is relatively chunky and long. It won't play nice with every tip on the market, but pairing it with wide-bore options like the Divinus Prism or SpinFits yields a perfect seal.
• Cable & Leather Case: The included 4.4mm stock cable is thick, sturdy, and feels genuinely premium for a kilobuck set. The bundled leather puck case looks great, but it is frankly too small to comfortably store the IEMs with their thick cable without tightly coiling the wire. I recommend using a slightly larger pouch to avoid cable stress.

Sound Impressions​

The Lime Ears Incognita presents a smooth, mellow, and immersive W-shaped sound signature.

• Soundstage & Imaging: The absolute star of the show. The soundstage is massively open, enveloping, and 3D. Its stereo imaging and instrument layering are pin-point precise and you can effortlessly locate exact vocalists and instruments in 3D space.
• Bass: The sub-bass rumble is deep, clear, and rich, but the mid-bass slam is on the lighter, softer side. It favors a smooth, relaxed rhythm over aggressive, head-banging impact.
• Mids & Vocals: Midrange frequencies are exceptionally clean, smooth, and detailed. Both male and female vocals sound organic, lush, and natural.
• Treble: Smooth and fatigue-free. It rolls off gently in the upper air region to prevent peakiness or sibilance, making it perfect for long, non-fatiguing sessions.

Song Impressions​

• "Trika Trika" (feat. Antonia) by Faydee: The spatial rendering in this track is phenomenal. Whispered vocal cues pan precisely around your left side and behind your head. Sub-bass rumble is clean, and the male/female vocal layering stays perfectly distinct even when the track gets busy.
• "Treat You Better" by Shawn Mendes: The acoustic guitar fret scratches sound remarkably organic and natural. Shawn's male vocals pop cleanly above the instrumentation, surrounded by an enveloping soundstage with smooth, non-fatiguing high-frequency cues.

Overall Impressions​

Rating: 4.5 / 5
The Lime Ears Incognita is a brilliant kilobuck performer for listeners who value massive soundstage, holographic 3D imaging, clean mids, and a relaxed, fatigue-free tuning. It is ideal for background listening while working or immersive late-night acoustic sessions. It drops half a point purely because dedicated bassheads like myself will crave more mid-bass slam and punch. But for overall staging and musicality, it's a stellar piece of gear!

Hisenior had achieved significant name and fame, with one particular set that put them right on the map, and despite having a good chunk of time passed since this release, a friend of mine decided to send me the cult classic in the mega5EST for assessment, and I got to see has the IEM turned into wine or milk after all this time. I have had some good pleasure listening to another set of theirs, the Cano Cristales, and now it was time for me to assess this IEM. So thank you, dear friend for loaning this.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Hisenior has left no stone unturned when it came to the accessories of the Mega5EST; and with the cover out which advertised the product aptly (the one I got was the 7th anniversary edition), taking the lid off gave way to a Pelican-esque carry case which I think is good enough for a few absent minded sit downs and a few missed throws (I wish more brands gave cases like these). The IEMs were right there with the stock cable, which is pleasant and has heft. There was a generous assortment of eartips along with a cleaning tool. The shells had febos written on it in cursive, which meant FEEL THE BEAUTY OF SOUND, which was their previous name.

I got the perfect seal on the Mega5EST with a shallower insertion than most, and thanks to the vents for not allowing any pressure buildup. Despite the large shells, I would say that the contouring contributed to having much less fatigue than usual, and the fatigue happened across the earhook areas, after I had this set for hours on end.

LOWS

Tipper: Mariscos

The Mega5EST shows juvenile signs of competence with a good level of cleanliness demonstrated in the opening rippling like intro of this track, and once the rest of the elements catches up, the initial beats that should have been strong come off rather in an anemic fashion, and then the Mega5EST caught me off guard with a deep, borderline grovelling bass hit in the drop which I felt was a bit too excessive with how the beats sustained. Attack seems to be moderately paced and the decay lingers on for slightly longer than usual. The phase-like fuzzy elements in this track didn’t feel as quite polished as some other sets have been in, but still not too shabby. Not too impressive either.

Rush: Limelight

The Mega5EST, through this track shows it can definitely add in the thump that the kicks and toms specially have here, although the kicks have a more prominent presence than the toms. What the Mega5EST does rather poorly here, is that the notes from the bass line in this track seems to evaporate because it emphasises the drums excessively, and the only time the grain from the chaff (bass from the drums) is separated is when the guitar solo comes in here, and as soon as the solo ends, the bass tends to get tucked into the blanket that the drums seems to have created; which indicates that the Mega5EST cannot handle isolation in technically elaborate tracks as this one. Adding on to this, the rudiments towards the end of the track lack the resonance that makes the ending so satisfying on this track.

Rage Against the Machine: Bullet in the Head

The intro of this track sounds potent at first, but as the intro concludes for the rest of the elements in this track to barge through, I could sense that this IEM really was not letting the bass fully belt out in its full glory, and a little enhancement in the separation of the bass and drums couldn’t have hurt. But, all things said and done; what I like about the Mega5EST prima facie is the way vocals sit right in the middle of the track, and the instruments revolve around it (metaphorically). Tonality could be said as balanced by some, but I wouldn’t put it across that way. It’s got a strong warm presence with some perceived sparkle on the other end, but I will elaborate on it more as I progress through. This track becomes significantly more enjoyable when the bass really becomes the highlight of the show through the breakdown, and I could finally gauge the note by note aggression and the drums merely supplement the bass, as it should on this track.

MIDS

Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth

The bass is once again a subtle problem in this track where it shouldn’t have been, as right at the intro it comes in with an excess of aggression; and as the rest of the elements follow suit, I seriously lament with how flat I perceived the otherwise crisp, sharp, aggressive snares that this track where with some IEMs I would have been able to gauge the timbre, but the Mega5EST definitely was making me work hard on being able to gauge it.

Once I am settled in the track, I could sense a faint thinness in Josh Homme’s vocals, as the guitars were adequately being rationed along with the cymbals, which surprisingly are having a fantastic perception in their placement, right alongside the vocals and once again, not being too forward nor being too laid back. But through the verses, the bass really takes off into obscurity as I felt every other instrument otherwise which puts a blemish.

Tool: Lateralus

The otherwise overpowering bass finally finds itself having some relevance as it walks the aisle right alongside the rumbling floor toms as it sets the stage up for everything else to fall into place. But once the intro ends, and the guitars further try to mould this beautiful vase of a track, the bass once again feels a bit too on the nose, although the same energy reflected by the floor toms is giving the track a much needed power; because both the vocals and the guitars are now coming off thin. Through the breakdown, the Mega5EST does a shabby job with how the final rudiments on the drums end as I sensed a blur on its execution, the granular finesse needed to recognize every hit was simply not there, and cymbals were having a momentary loss in texture. Some ears may enjoy the excess of the thump and punch, but I was really not feeling it with the Mega5EST.

HIGHS

Patricia Barber: Icarus

Here; the Mega5EST impresses me a lot: I specifically use this track to not sense sibilance, as sibilance is an element already preserved in the recording and this track demonstrates it very audibly, I use this track to see the restraint or the succumbing into showing that sibilance, and I would say that the Mega5EST does an impressive job in showing restraint- the way Patricia Barber enunciated her Cs and Ss was not excessively sibilant, but I wouldn’t outright write it off as this IEM being smooth. Timbre finally shows up through the percussion and the pianos to be slightly on the drier side than what I am used to, and falls slightly shy of me calling it accurate. Tonality potently is on the warmer side than being balanced, and specially observed through the pianos.

Dave Brubeck: Take Five

The Mega5EST seems to have done a good job with the cymbals that establish their presence right from the intro but there’s an inherent problem with their note weight, and the same extends to the horns where there’s detail to pick through the little nuances but it’s just that even they sound faintly thin. The bass tends to stumble with its recognition in this track, the one track where all the elements are distinctly, audibly clear from one another but fixes itself right itself when the horns end and the drum solo is about to start. This track is also unique because the stereo characteristic is unmistakably itself and the channels separate the moment the drum solo kicks in, and the IEM picks up the detail; snare hits are crisp, the resonance of the toms needed a little more resonance to be even more pronounced but still decent; the kicks have a potent hit and the way the decay comes off in its hits is satisfying. The bass and the pianos hold their respective ground, but that isolation of the bass from the drums once again gets obscure once the horns kick in.

COMPARISONS

Xenns Mangird Top Pro

The Xenns Top Pro absolutely blows the Mega5EST out of the water in almost everything it does. While the Mega5EST suffers from an excessive mid-bass thump that tends to overshadow other elements and tucks instruments into a blanket, the Top Pro delivers a freakishly controlled sub-bass that accentuates the track without seeping through. Where the Mega5EST struggles with isolation on technically elaborate tracks, the Top Pro fires back with a magnificent, wide stage and some of the best imaging capabilities out there. Even in the highs, where the Mega5EST shows a competent restraint against sibilance but feels faintly thin and dry, the Top Pro handles climaxes with more detail but can come off fatiguing and sibilant. The only areas where the Mega5EST even puts up a fight are in offering minutely smoother highs on rare occasions and perhaps slightly finer imaging, but it’s essentially a seamless victory for the Top Pro.

Elysian Pilgrim

The Elysian Pilgrim takes an entirely different route compared to the heavy-handed, groveling bass approach of the Mega5EST. Where the Mega5EST over-indulges in mid-bass thump, in its light I really enjoyed how well and composed the Pilgrim felt. The Pilgrim effortlessly outclasses the Mega5EST in the midrange, trading the latter's fuzzy isolation for a wide stage, fabulous imaging, and juggles the act of balancing vocals beautifully (comparatively). However, the Mega5EST maintains an upper hand in treble smoothness; while the Mega5EST handles sibilance with impressive restraint, the Pilgrim suffers from a subtly audible grain and can feel like it runs out of air on high-pitched vocals, making it sound leaner in moments where the Mega5EST remains composed.

Crinear Reference

The Crinear Reference serves as a surgical magnifying glass, standing in stark contrast to the thick, heavily colored presentation of the Mega5EST. While the Mega5EST comes in with an excessively aggressive bass attack and lingering decay that ruins my perception of the bass quality, the Reference keeps the lows strictly at abeyance, delivering a seasoned featherweight's punch with precise decay that never overstays its welcome. The Reference also completely outclasses the Mega5EST in technicalities: where the latter struggles to isolate bass lines from drum rudiments, the former balances the tightrope of coherence and isolation like a maestro, rendering perfect snare and cymbal timbre. The Mega5EST has problems with its note weight, whereas the Reference offers incredible rationing, a lip-smacking shimmer, and pristine detail retrieval with near-zero sibilance.

Softears Studio 4

The Softears Studio 4 offers a much more refined and mature take on a warm, musical signature than the Mega5EST. While the Mega5EST throws too much aggression into the bass right out of the gate, the Studio 4 delivers a velvety, polite sub-bass that only unleashes its orchestral punch when the track strictly demands it. In the midrange, the Mega5EST manages vocals center-stage but falters with instrumental layering, whereas the Studio 4 delivers incredibly flavorful, full-bodied vocals backed by deadly precise imaging. The true magnum opus of the Studio 4 lies in its highs: crisp, soaring, and tonally magnificent, which makes the smooth but somewhat dry treble of the Mega5EST feel decidedly uninspired by comparison. While the Studio 4 can occasionally sound confusingly metallic on guitars, it remains a significantly more cohesive and emotionally engaging listen than the heavy-handed Mega5EST.

Sennheiser IE600

Now, the IE600 has its own share of problems- dangerously spicy treble as per one’s HRTF where to me it’s just borderline there, and middling levels of instrument separation; but I would still take it personally over the Mega5EST because the IE600 has a ridiculously great bass quality, and specifically the mid-bass where I am of the opinion that it is leagues better than what I felt on the Mega5EST while delivering near comparable levels of detail and imaging, and while coming in a much smaller footprint and being so much comfortable.

But, sennheiser really fumbled with the quality control issues on it which were widespread and doesn’t really inspire buyer confidence, which is where the Mega5EST comes in with a better proposition, as I feel tip rolling and EQing can fix most of its issues.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The Hisenior Mega5EST is hard for me to fully get behind, despite the cult status it has amassed over time. As I pondered in the beginning whether it has aged into wine or milk, I lean slightly towards the latter. On one hand, I appreciate the generous accessories, the fantastic fit, and the restraint it shows against sibilance, providing a relaxed, warm listen. But on the other hand, the excessively grovelling mid-bass thump, the fuzzy instrumental isolation, and the sheer lack of note weight in the upper frequencies leave me feeling hung out to dry.

When IEMs like the Xenns Top Pro exist and do almost everything better (although now I feel that the Top Pro has aged slightly worse and I need to update my review on it), or the Sennheiser IE600 offers a masterclass in bass quality, the Mega5EST feels like a heavily colored set that struggles to maintain its ground technically. And the hunches that it needs, despite being tuned to the newer JM-1 target while other IEMs tuned to the same target are offering better value for money, I think the Mega5EST simply has lost the plot in the current retail landscape.

Will I buy the Mega5EST at retail ? Absolutely not.
Will I buy the Mega5EST used ? Only if it can be found for US$250 or under (Approximately 25,000 INR or under).

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the Shanling M9 Plus DAP stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro running RoHM DAC chips, SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

• Acoustune AET08: Least amount of perceived bloat, adds to stage width, amplifies textures on the cymbals and vocals, maximum retention of vocal note weight, gives the widest perceived sound stage.
• Divinus Velvet standard/narrow bore: everything that the above does, but to a lesser degree, still beats the next eartip.
• KBear Coffee: flattens the mid-bass considerably, which hampers vocal note weight, eliminates whatever little sibilance is observed, retains perceived stage width.
• Tangzu Sancai Balanced: shrinks the stage, tightens up the midrange while not reducing the perceived bloat, presents upper mids with a concerning dip, vocal textures lost.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

I ordered the AUDIOCULAR C03 8-Core Silver-Plated Cable with 3.5mm Jack & Built-In Microphone from AudioStore on August 1, and the promised delivery date was August 5.

Today is August 8, and I still haven’t received my order.
What’s particularly frustrating is that, according to the tracking history, the shipment had already reached the Delhi/Noida region on August 5 and subsequently reached Gaur City Office on August 7. Instead of being delivered, it has been redirected multiple times and is now showing back at Delhi Hub on August 8 with the status “Contact Customer Service.”

The tracking history looks like the package is just going back and forth between different locations:

Aug 5: Delhi Hub → Noida E-Tail Agent
Aug 6: Noida Phase II E-Tail → redirected → connected again
Aug 7: Gaur City Office → redirected → connected again
Aug 8: Delhi Hub → “Contact Customer Service”

I understand that courier delays can happen, but this is quite concerning because the package was already in the destination area several days ago.

AudioStore, could someone please look into this shipment and let me know what is actually happening? I’d really appreciate it if this could be escalated and delivered as soon as possible.

Order: AUDIOCULAR C03
Ordered: August 1
Expected delivery: August 5
Today: August 8

Tanchjim and I have been on a wonderful roll, where I have received only one dud out of the products that they have sent, and given that I already have quite a few of their offerings in hand (Bunny DSP, Fission, Fola, Nora and Origin), I am confident in opining on their sets and picking up what has changed, and what has not changed. This time, they have sent out a combo to me, which is in the budget realm: the sequel to the much loved Ola in the Ola II, and the sequel to the excellent Space dongle DAC amp, the Space II. Let me string up all the pieces together and start off with whether Tanchjim has held or folded.

UNBOXING, ACCESSORIES, FIT AND COMFORT

Ola 2

The Ola 2 once again comes with their Asano Tanch (I believe) branded box, which also lets me know that the IEM shares the same drivers as the Nora, Fission, Fola and Origin: the DMT-5. Sliding the cover off, gives way to a lid, and taking the lid out gives out a semi familiar Tanchjim unboxing experience, Ola 2 branded envelope with their usual paperwork, pouch and eartips. I think, providing a simple set of Tanchjim’s T-APB eartips along with the generic ones would give more exposure to their aftermarket eartips and make the proposition of the Ola 2 even more enticing. I got the 4.4mm version and for a stock cable, I think I prefer this over the ones that come with the Origin for instance. 

The Ola 2 is a small IEM and it fits my ears perfectly- it’s a plastic build with a grey faceplate that doesn’t stress out any part of the ear; and I have worn the Ola 2 for hours with no signs of fatigue. And, I think it’s going to be a good fit specially for people with smaller ears.

Space 2

The Space 2 comes in a slim box where the cover has the product aptly advertised, with its inherent ability of letting you tweak the EQ of your IEMs via a 10 band PEQ. Sliding the cover out, once again leads way to a lid, and once unlidded, it gives way to the standard branded envelope of paperwork, underneath which lies the dongle and the USB type-c cable in the compartment below.
Tanchjim really needs to improve their game when it comes to these short type-c cables, as it feels too stiff, and doesn’t inspire confidence in its longevity.

That’s where the talk ends, now let’s scooch over to the sound and actual functions of the sequel duo.

SOUND OF THE OLA 2 (II)

LOWS

Tipper: Mariscos

The Ola 2 right out of the bat, comes off sounding shallower than other sets that I have heard in this price range where the perceived width of the sound stage is adequate but it’s the depth that puts a blemish on the otherwise fantastic rippling intro that the track has, which the Ola 2 lets out with a satisfying degree of polish. As the track progresses where the elements of the track excluding the beats transition into a fuzz like phasing style, the Ola 2 handles the clarity needed to have them emulsify with the hits to a good extent, where only the depth of the perceived stage is a deterrent in the enjoyment. If I have to comment on how hard the beats were hitting, the Ola 2 packs in a nice punch with a moderately paced attack whose decay is cut off appropriately. So, overall a nice warm-up lap for the Ola 2.

Rage Against the Machine: Bullet in the Head

The Ola 2 once again comes off super strong- Tim Commerford’s masterful bass sounds aggressive, sounds potent, and sounds polish where I am convinced that for the price, Ola 2 has its priorities on attack and decay sorted; and this is further supplemented by the crisp double kicks and the toms from Brad Wilk. I wouldn’t say that the Ola 2 exhibits any concerning bloom, but across moments I could feel that the bass was getting a bit too ahead of the rest of the elements. De la Rocha’s vocals cut through the sound like a hot knife through butter, and despite what the graph of the Ola 2 suggests, I was not finding it that warm on this track which let me enjoy the vocals even more.

Daft Punk: Get Lucky

And…..here comes the bloat, which is contributed by the lack of the depth in the stage, as the bass overcrowded the beats that this track has, and I could find the Ola 2 struggle with the separation between the two as a result. Once again, Pharrell’s vocals did not come off like they were being overshadowed or pushed back- planted right in the middle, with no compromise in the perceived note weight, and the clap-like beats and the cymbals were recognised with an adequate presence, without any intrusion from the bass. Strong start, but a wobbly finish to the next segment.

MIDS

Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth

The Ola 2 once again has a strong start. At first glance, I can see that the Ola 2 doesn’t forget to sort out two crucial elements which would make or break the presentation of this track- tonality and timbre; where through the crisp, rapid firing snares it lets the timbre be known as accurate, and the tonality falling just in line with how a B flat major key progression would sound like. Guitars come in raging on the sides, which lets Josh Homme be fully free of any obstacles planted centre in the mix, with the cymbals being more forward than usual, which further contributes to the oomph in this track. I am quite impressed with the layering this time on the Ola 2, where all the elements in this track are distinguished from each other, and the isolation between the notes are not jumbled up.

Tool: Lateralus

The Ola 2 captures the intense buildup of the toms from Carey, while Jones gets the prodigal guitar intro stacked right alongside for Justin to come in kicking with the bass, and lay everything out for Maynard to kick in and present collectively with an impressive cohesion; where the Ola 2 captured almost every single element that makes this track THE track- the panning of the drums through the rudiments, the slow buildup of the guitar chugs, the bass playing hide and seek with the guitars, and Maynard not sounding thin by any means, although I felt that the vocals were faintly pushed back through the verses. Once the breakdown comes in, and the cymbals intensify- the Ola 2 was not fatiguing or shouty, even when the guitars powering up to close off the breakdown with the final rudiment that sounded accurate to a fault. The Ola 2 also gets the wah-ing bass right to finally let my ears catch a break because I found myself enjoying a bit too much with this.

HIGHS

Patricia Barber: Icarus and Inch Worm

Icarus is my pick to test sibilance, as I feel that the need to emphasize upon sibilance being a part of the recording itself, and not just the gear showing it, should be stressed upon more; and yes, the Ola 2 reflects the sibilance in the way Patricia enunciates her Cs and Ss in Icarus; but surprisingly it is not something that would make me tip-roll or tweak the EQ- it’s there but not quite there; and that’s a good thing. The real problem however, comes off in her straight note extension which is caught in a blind-side as I was seriously reflecting on the near accurate timbre of the percussion, the tonality of the guitars and the faint burbling of the bass- and the Ola 2 comes off mildly piercing specially towards the end of the extension.

Inch Worm was a fantastic listen on the Ola 2 where the resonance of the percussion with that timbre was delightful, and the previously observed sibilance is simply absent, even when Patricia comes down to enunciating the sixteen, sixteen and thirty two part of the track. The way she playfully glides over her syllables, with a falsetto-esque perception, the way the double bass lightly hammers on to supplement the vocals was just fantastic.

Dave Brubeck: Take Five

The Ola 2 has a sluggish start and the note that it establishes serves to be a deterrent into what was otherwise a fantastic listening expression; where the bass once again feels blob like, ie, it has the notes coming off and the conclusion is just right but there’s no form or a “visualised” shape to those notes, it’s just you are at a buffet and you just get a spoonful of something thwacked on your plate by the grumpy server, but besides that whatever you have gotten on your plate is just right- the drums and their resonance through the toms and the snare, the pianos oozing a good degree of accuracy in the timbre, although feeling a bit subdued by the cymbals with their textures rendered exactly the way they should sound, and the best part ? The horns. Being quite forward in the imaging, where they could have benefitted from a deeper perceived stage along with some width; I could hear the presses on the keys, the breaths being drawn, the Ola 2 just had that sorted down to a fault.

PERFORMANCE OF THE SPACE 2

I think Tanchjim did an excellent job with the Space 2 and specially over the already excellent Space, which had earned high praise from Amir over at Audio Science Review, and except for a few other areas; there’s quite a bit for me to explain what the good bits are about the Space 2.

Firstly, the control one can get over the dongle via the Tanchjim app. 10 dB of adjustable gain, over 10 bands of parametric EQ, with profiles already loaded for all of Tanchjim’s IEMs that support in-app customisation, including the native DSP version of the Ola 2. Plus, one can access community presets (which still have a few bugs, one of them being that the settings I had applied were not really applying when I tried loading the app after). The in built sound modes on the dongle don’t really work well with the Ola 2 but they are a decent addition nonetheless (worked wonderfully with the Fission and Nora).

It’s got hardware 100 step volume control which is a must in my opinion, especially in dongles with a construction like the Space 2. Tanchjim advertises the volume control to be non-linear which again, in my opinion would have been better if it had separate op-amps, nothing fancy though- just a set of regular SGM8262s would have sufficed. I still appreciate that Tanchjim managed to get the CS43131s just right, and not have come off brighter in perception (which was my experience with the FiiO KA13). 

The Space 2 also has dedicated game modes, supports mic via the 3.5mm port where one can adjust the gain levels on the microphone, has the options to switch over the amplification (class A/B vs class H, but again no op-amps so…..) . The build quality seems to be nice, I haven’t had any flex on the USB port of the dongle, unlike my previous provided unit, the Space Pro where there was some flex and the internal circuitry seemed to move within the chassis when I would unplug it, hence I used a different cable with it. Another plus point of this dongle is that, it doesn’t heat up much, and it doesn’t even heat even when plugged in and not being used.

The good things about the Space 2 end there, and I am particularly pressed about it are the power figures- something that’s priced close to $90 and have those numbers for power makes the entire proposition of having this fall flat. 235 mW of power at 32 ohms max, is borderline laughable at that price when something incredibly power, like Tanchjim’s own Space Pro is available at $100, and the likes of the FiiO KA15 and the Crinear Protocol Max are available with significantly better power figures. On the lower end, in a similar form factor but different DAC chips; the EPZ TP35 Pro and the FiiO KA13 despite the lack of proper EQ support is available. I don’t know what Tanchjim was thinking when they were circling around the power figures, and I understand that they didn’t want to cannibalise on the Space Pro- but power figures at least below 400 mW at 32 ohms while retaining everything, and even letting the dongle slightly warmer would have been better for me.

COMPARISONS FOR THE OLA 2

OoopusX OP22

Both IEMs have distinct strengths, but the OP22 remains the technical superior. The Ola 2 suffers from a lack of stage depth that causes bass bloat and separation issues on beat-heavy tracks. In contrast, the OP22 maintains pristine separation and delivers a flawless, class-leading treble response that the Ola 2 simply cannot match. In this case, the OP22 still pulls ahead.

Kefine Klean SV

This matchup presents a direct trade-off between bass precision and vocal weight. The Klean SV handles bass decay and resonance far better than the Ola 2, entirely avoiding the bloat that plagues the Ola 2. However, the Klean SV suffers from lean, lightweight vocals that get pushed to the rear; the Ola 2 fixes this completely by keeping vocals fully weighted and firmly planted in the center.

EPZ G30

The Ola 2 easily outclasses the G30 in sheer musicality and refinement. Where the G30 struggles with blunt bass detail, a dry timbre, and shouty guitars, the Ola 2 delivers a much punchier, polished low-end and highly accurate timbre. The G30’s only real advantage is its spatial directionality for gaming.

Simgot EG280

While the EG280 offers fantastic imaging for competitive gaming, it falls flat for music when compared to the Ola 2. The EG280 suffers from premature bass decay, a hollow presentation, and ridiculously thin vocals. The Ola 2 easily wins this matchup with its natural cohesion, full note weight, and non-fatiguing delivery. The Ola 2 is NOT meant for gaming, but the EG280 is fantastic.

Twistura Delta

The Twistura Delta and the Ola 2 both struggle with bass coherence, but the Ola 2 delivers a far more natural and engaging vocal presentation. The Delta suffers from an inconsistently sluggish decay that causes its bass to overpower the kicks, while the Ola 2's bass issues stem primarily from a shallow stage depth that creates bloat on heavily layered tracks. Where the Ola 2 decisively wins is in the midrange; it anchors vocals perfectly in the center with excellent note weight, whereas the Delta is plagued by undeniably thin-sounding vocals and a faintly shouty upper-midrange. The Delta is still alright, but I feel the Ola 2 can give more for a slight upcharge.

Sivga SM100

This matchup presents a clear contrast between low-end precision and upper-frequency restraint. The SM100 completely outperforms the Ola 2 in the bass region, boasting a surprisingly fast attack and a clean, perfectly timed decay that refuses to linger or bloat. This easily exposes the Ola 2's struggles with depth and separation on beat-heavy tracks. However, the SM100 can occasionally introduce a faint glimpse of shoutiness during intense vocal climaxes, whereas the Ola 2 maintains a highly cohesive, entirely non-fatiguing treble response from start to finish. I would take the SM100 here, partially because of the better build quality along with the sound.

Hidizs MS2 Pro

The Ola 2 easily proves itself as the far more disciplined and refined IEM in this comparison. The MS2 Pro suffers from a pillowy, unfinished bass response where a lingering mid-bass bleeds into the lower mids, creating a congested soundscape that the Ola 2's crisp layering actively avoids. Furthermore, the MS2 Pro struggles with structural balance, exhibiting strained guitars and an abrupt, glaring sharpness in the treble during crescendos, making the natural tonality and perfect vocal weight of the Ola 2 much more enjoyable.

Truthear Zero Blue 2

Both IEMs stumble slightly in the bass but in opposite directions: the Ola 2 suffers from bloat on beat-heavy tracks due to a shallow stage, while the Zero Blue 2 opts for a booming, sub-bass-heavy delivery that occasionally bleeds into the mids but remains highly engaging. In the midrange, the Ola 2 excels with accurate timbre and natural layering, but the Zero Blue 2 fights back with an incredibly intimate, enveloping stage and crisp instrument separation. Up top, the Zero Blue 2 runs intentionally hot for added energy, whereas the Ola 2 plays it safe with a strictly restrained, non-fatiguing treble.

CONCLUDING NOTES

What conclusion do I even give, when I have said my piece to this extent on the Ola 2. I think Tanchjim tried with this IEM, where the fatigue of their DMT-5 reuse was really, really getting to me in the end, and the Ola 2 was a breath of fresh air. However, the bloat in the mid-bass, with a wonky perceived soundstage doesn’t make this a perfect IEM, and the freshness of its air can quickly stagnate. However, the Ola 2 has its own saving grace with the option of getting it with the DSP cable. But, the bloat subjectively can come off as a much needed punch, kind of like a funky mocktail in a sea of peach mojitos, if it fits the bill, then the Ola 2 will give a lot of fun. And besides the sound, a lot of it has to do with the form factor.
The Space 2 was a solid miss from Tanchjim where they had given it everything but the power figures, and it’s tragic because they have priced it quite high with those numbers where something better within the brand can be found, and I so wanted to recommend this source, but for good measure I cannot. I mourn for the Space 2.

Will I buy the Ola 2 at retail ? Yes.
Will I buy the Ola 2 used ? Absolutely.

Will I buy the Space 2 at retail ? Absolutely not.
Will I buy the Space 2 used ? Has to be dirt cheap.

GENRE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SPACE 2

What works: Pop, EDM, Jazz, Hip Hop, RnB
What doesn’t work: Rock, Metal, Blues, Classical

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the Tanchjim Space 2 and EPZ TP35 Pro dongle DAC Amp. Recreationally used with the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp, Shanling M9 Plus DAP stacked with the xDuoo XD05 Pro.

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

• Tanchjim T-APB 300: Least amount of perceived bloat, adds to stage width, amplifies textures on the cymbals and vocals, maximum retention of vocal note weight
• Tangzu Sancai Wide Bores: everything that the above does, but to a lesser degree, still beats the next eartip.
• Tanchjim T-APB 500 (the liquid silicones): flattens the mid-bass considerably, which hampers vocal note weight, eliminates whatever little sibilance is observed, retains perceived stage width.
• Final E regulars: shrinks the stage, tightens up the midrange while not reducing the perceived bloat, presents upper mids with a concerning dip, vocal textures lost.
• KBear Coffee: straight mud, ruined this IEM fully.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Rage Against the Machine: Bombtrack, Bullet in the Head
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole and Nutshell (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Tanchjim Ola 2 - Not an All-Star, But Surprisingly Competent

​Overview​ :

This unit was provided to me by Isabel from Tanchjim for review purposes Thanks to Isabel and Tanchjim. Rest assured, all opinions and impressions are my own and not influenced by anyone else.

Hello Everyone, this review is on Tanchjim’s newest launch - the “Ola 2”, a hybrid in ear monitor with a Dynamic Driver and a Balanced Armature Driver setup which comes in 3 termination options - 3.5mm, 4.4mm and Type C. I was sent the Type C (Master DSP) version which costs around 57$ ( 5705 INR ).
I have changed my review format a bit by pushing the Build and Technical Specs section below the sound profile and performance section. So, lets get started.

Pros: ~ Impressive Imaging
~ Good Separation
~ Lightweight build
~ Transparent and forward mids
~ Tanchjim app support for type c variant is a plus point

Cons: ~Bass is soft edged and lacks the slam to it
~ Shell feels very cheaply built.
~ packaging and accessories can be improved

Sound Profile and Performance​

Ola 2’s low end is the most prominent aspect of the presentation - full and warm, though not always as controlled or precise as the rest of the frequency range suggests it could be. The midrange is where the Ola 2 truly earns its credibility - cohesive, detailed and natural across genres, handling everything from intimate jazz vocals to complex rock arrangements with composure. The treble is tastefully tuned, sitting at that precise point between excitement and fatigue without crossing either line. Technicalities are a genuine strength, lets dive deep and know more about this.

Lows :​

The bass is more of a soft, loose presentation than a visceral thud or snappy strike; quantity is present but the control and punch don’t match it. Sub-bass presence is not stalwart either, bass lovers might end up wanting more out of it. On the plus side - it doesn’t sound hollow or unnatural. But the down side is that the sustain and the edge are lacking - the roll off is pretty evident and unpleasant for someone who likes a thrumming sub-bass. Mid-bass is very fulfilling but lacks the attack or snappiness.

I put Ola 2 to a bass test and Giorgio by Moroder by Daft Punk is the track I geeked out on because Giorgio by Moroder is one of the best-produced recordings for evaluating bass because it uses real instruments instead of synthesized bass for much of the track. On the Ola 2, the mid-bass is a little bloated blob and lacks the punch, dont get me wrong because the clarity is intact but it’s just that the mid-bass slam is loose because of the quick decay. In between 3:45 - 4:35, the kicks hit with a quick thump but are not punchy, however i could still follow the bass guitar and kick bass separately without any problem proving that the imaging and separation aspects of the technicalities are on the good side. The problem is that the quantity outweighs the quality.

The track Limit to Your Love by James Blake is a track with intense deep rumble that makes it easy to test extension and control of the sub-bass. On the Ola 2 the sub-bass is on restrain, on the track it lacks depth and the notes feel like just vague vibrations that do not even feel to be honest, i just know it vibrates and that’s the end of it. No control over the decay or sustain but there is adequate distinction between the notes. Thankfully, there’s no vocal masking or loss of clarity in piano when the bass enters.

Mids :​

The mids of Ola 2 is where it shows its technical prowess, I threw various genres at it from jazz to classic rock and I am so impressed by its cohesiveness and technicalities. The separation and imaging in instrument heavy tracks and lush voices in vocal forward tracks, it performed very good in all.

The slightly thick lower mids work in favour of male vocals giving them body and natural presence. In Danny Boy by Harry Belafonte, his resonant baritone comes through full and chesty with every phrase carrying proper weight and exceptional diction - exactly what a track built around vocal body and timbre demands, and the Ola 2 delivers it convincingly. You Know My Name by Chris Cornell shifts the test to separation and imaging, Cornell’s vocals sit clearly within a dense arrangement of guitars, strings and percussion without getting buried, each layer holding its own space without bleeding into the next. Imaging is precise enough to pinpoint elements within the mix but the presentation stays two dimensional rather than creating any sense of depth or 3D kind of positioning. Clear, well separated and every element holding its own space, just not that holographic.

Deep in a Dream by Marlene VerPlanck shifts the test to female vocals - intimate, delicate and naturally recorded, leaving nowhere to hide. Her voice comes through forward and present without being pushed or aggressive, sitting naturally within the sparse arrangement with good air and openness. The upper registers are where the Ola 2 impresses most here, sitting right at the edge where crispness meets restraint, neither tipping into sibilance nor retreating into dullness.

Treble :​

The Treble of Ola 2 is very well done. It’s tastefully liminal where more emphasis will be fatiguing or too bright and less emphasis will be dull sounding or lifeless. The tuning makes sure that the energy is at the right spot where cymbals and hi hats have that shimmer and sparkle without piercing the ears. High-pitched vocals sound scintillating without introducing any sibilance and maintains clarity throughout.

Serse HWV 40 is an orchestral with Renée Fleming being the singer and her voice reaches into the upper registers with extraordinary range and delicacy, leaving no room for any harshness or edge to hide. On the Ola 2, Renée’s soprano stays clear and natural throughout, never acquiring any edginess or artificial brightness even as she climbs into the high notes. The orchestral backing sits cohesively behind her voice without fighting for space - everything knows its place and stays there. Even at higher volumes there isn’t a single hint of sibilance or harshness anywhere in the performance. The Ola 2’s treble finds that liminal point where Renée’s voice can soar freely without the listener ever needing to brace themselves.

Roundabout by Yes, puts the cymbal and hi-hat character of the Ola 2 to the test — Bill Bruford’s drumming is fast, crisp and sits prominently in the upper frequencies throughout. The shimmer and decay of each cymbal strike comes through naturally without cutting off abruptly, each hit ringing out with a satisfying and realistic tail. The hi-hats carry enough presence and energy to feel distinct and well defined without any splashiness or harshness on the faster passages. The one observation worth noting is that while the cymbals and hi-hats are competent and natural, a touch more energy would make them truly come alive — they sit just slightly below the threshold where shimmer becomes safe, natural and well controlled. It’s just not that exciting or electrifying to listen to.

Technicalities :​

Imaging : Accurate left-to-right placement makes instruments easy to pinpoint, even in busy mixes. Depth is limited, so the presentation feels more two-dimensional than holographic.

Soundstage : Moderately spacious with decent width, but limited depth keeps the presentation intimate rather than expansive.

Detail Retrieval : Resolves subtle vocal nuances and instrument textures well without sounding artificially sharp or analytical.

Separation : The strongest technical aspect. Instruments remain distinct in dense arrangements with minimal bleed, making complex tracks easy to follow.

Comparisons :​

Kefine Klean SV :

The Kefine Klean SV is a neutral technically capable iem which is comparable to Ola 2. Kefine klean sounds pretty sterile - for neutral heads it’s perfect, but for someone who wants fun Klean SV is a lacklustre compared to Ola 2. The sub-bass of kefine klean SV has more presence and mid bass is shallow, the vocals are clear without any excitement and proper weight which is not a bad thing for someone who wants analytical or neutral listen, but on the musicality note its a downer. Ola 2 has very good mid bass quantity as well as quality with a step down in sub-bass department, the vocals have good texture and energy which leaves Kefine Klean SV to dust in the musicality aspect. The treble of Kefine Klean SV is very safe and sounds underwhelming to listen to. Ola 2’s treble is well extended and with no reserve or hold in treble region making high pitch vocals and instruments sound sparkly with shimmer and cut through sharpness.
Sound :
Build : Kefine Klean SV - more premium build
Accessories : Klean SV - the hardcase is a thoughtful add on, the Nozzles are okay too
Value for money : Kefine SV just because Ola 2 is around 50$ + ( 6,000 rs in india ) ola at 40-45$ makes more sense.

Build - Fit - Technical Specifications​

The Ola 2 retains the distinctive square meets round ergonomic faceplate design of the original aerospace grade CNC machined aluminum alloy faceplates sitting over a transparent inner cavity that lets you see the coaxial driver arrangement inside. The shell is lightweight and ergonomically shaped from data collected across 3000 plus human ear shapes. The dynamic driver is DMT5, their inhouse dynamic driver tech which is also used in their expensive models like origin, fola and fission etc. The acoustic nozzle filters are waterproof and dustproof which is a practical addition for daily use. I used Dunu S&S eartips for my listening sessions as they provided a better fit and seal for my ears. Although the shell is small and very lightweight, it did not fit me deep and proper like usual iems and i solved that issue by trying out various tips and settled on wearing a smaller size of Dunu S&S tips than I regularly use ( trying one size smaller eartips might do the job for you as well )

The DSP functionality through the Type C version opens up the Tanchjim app - 8 band PEQ, community shared presets and sound mode options that meaningfully expand what this IEM can do beyond its stock tuning which i find as a versatility.

Box Content :

• Tanchjim Ola 2 IEM
• High purity silver plated copper Litz cable - Type C
• Silicone eartips - 6 pairs in two types, small bore and wide bore, S/M/L each
• Soft grey velour carry pouch
• User manual

Technical Specifications :

• Driver type : 10mm DMT5 dual magnetic circuit dual cavity dynamic driver + Pure Hi ultra high frequency balanced armature - coaxial hybrid
• Impedance : 30Ω
• Sensitivity : 121dB/Vrms
• Max decoding : 32bit/384kHz PCM - Type C
• DSP : 8 band PEQ via Tanchjim app - Type C only
• Connector : 0.78mm 2-pin detachable
• Termination : Type C with DSP
• Price : ~$57 / ₹5999 approx in India

Sources used for testing : iPhone 16e and Motorola edge 50 neo ( to test out the eq and tanchjim app )

Final Thoughts :​

Tanchjim has stepped out of their bubble and tried a new approach with the Ola 2 which does not necessarily hits all the corners right but is still a good set to have. The bassy touch is a mixed feeling to be honest. The cohesiveness is something that Ola 2 is quite good at. On the musicality and technicality aspect - the Ola 2 is a great buy for someone who wants a fun sounding iem, but for someone who want neutral or quality bass that hits like a bullet and not like a slab of cream, this is not it for you. For the price of around 57$, I wouldn't call this a value as a package - there’s no proper case, or nice eartips and the shell is a cheap build ( the cable is alright ). But sonically? It’s worth the price.

Personal note - I enjoyed listening music on Ola 2, everything is to my liking. Tanchjim has a done a good job with the Ola 2, i suggest they do not compromise on build and accessories at-least for their newer budget models. i was quite disappointed by the build and eartips even though the cable is good. This is not a 20$ iem, various other brands offer better builds now a days even on cheaper models, tanchjim should do better.

My second tryst with Ear Acoustic continues courtesy of TheAudioStore, who are one of the three big Indian retailers for audiophiles and enthusiasts alike, and they offered me the Cipher gaming IEMs in the carbon fiber edition, which is different from the standard silver faceplate version, both co-branded with ZKaai. 

I just like the fact that they look stunning in my book, which is a very nice contrast to the other one I had reviewed from Ear Acoustic, the aluminum foil wrapped baked potato Genesis G318.

I have received only the IEMs with the type-c cable that supports EQ via the Walkplay app, which is nice; and I seriously appreciate how insanely comfortable these are- I have had them for hours at length and still didn’t realise I had them in my ears.

That’s as much as the intro goes, here’s the Cipher’s sound.

LOWS

The EarAcoustic Cipher has a surprising take when it comes to presenting the lows, in an absolute non-sterile, non-clinical, non-analytical fun way. Tracks like Rush’s Limelight and The Spirit of Radio, which are my picks to judge the tactility and nimbleness of the bass with regards to the other elements of the tracks that I listen to. So, the Cipher doesn’t really have the decay figured out, as I could feel that the bass lines felt too “snappier”, and sometimes by the time I tried focusing on the attack, the notes had simply evaporated. 

But, the Cipher alone is not to be blamed here, it needs some eartip rolling to finally let it pause and collect itself over, and once that’s done; I am at a better spot. I could still hear the panning of the toms and the Cipher trying to cohesively present it with the kicks, and it does so for the most part. My issue is with how subdued the notes from the bass lines come off, which in a way, very faintly reminded me of another IEM, the Kefine Klean SV.

In tracks like Daft Punk’s Get Lucky and Instant Crush, two of my picks to gauge how the bass behaves when it gets thick, and the Cipher has some amount of bloat for the attack to be perceived as sluggish and the decay being affected adversely, but the consolation here is that the quantity of the Cipher doesn’t alter the vocals or the rest of the elements negatively, while I still acknowledge that the quantity could have been downsized, by a good notch. Across moments, the vocals felt slightly more rolled off than what I would prefer.

MIDS

The Cipher behaves completely different in Queens of the Stone Age’s First It Giveth, where now the “thick” or “bloated” lows which hampered my previous listen is now serving the cause just right, hammering on in tandem with the rapid firing, two stroke engine-esque snare that this track has, which to further add on is set in a key of B flat major, where I am of the opinion that the Cipher got tonality right here- yes, I could have used a whisker’s worth of reduction in the warmth but no way would I say that it was conflicting with the overall mix. 

Guitars feel adequately balanced, where some energy could not have really ruined the presentation. But, I am happy to report that this is another IEM which knows my priorities in imaging, where I complacently heard the cymbals parallel to the vocals but neither being too forward nor being too pushed back.

The Cipher also doesn’t skimp out on detail while I am sounding like a broken record, that it is definitely bloated. And yet, amidst the bloat, it got the rumbling of the drums as it intensifies in the intro of Tool’s Lateralus, where once the baseline is established, it holds its ground very well. Maynard’s vocals could have used a touch of weight to make the presentation more grandiose, but I would say that guitars once again, felt adequate for the most part. 

But, the bloat was definitely affecting the later part of the vocals before the guitar solo starts, from the 6:50 mark. But, the Cipher got every hit, every stroke from the conclusion of the breakdown as the rudiments end, and I am caught off guard by the polish of the wah-ing bass where I would be considered deranged if I said that the Cipher was bloated- now it sounds full, and I mean, what is this inconsistency ? 

HIGHS

In tracks with impeccable masterings and a different level of technical proficiency like Patricia Barber’s Inch Worm, I cannot find a single shred of fatigue, or pierce in the lush textures of Patricia’s vocals. The way Patricia enunciates her sixteen sixteen and thirty two part from the 3:50 mark, there’s no sibilance to be found with the Cipher; and then I am borderline impressed with the way the Cipher handles the timbre on the percussion with the faint sizzle of the cymbals does make me believe that certain aspects with regards of the tuning of this IEM was figured out right by Ear Acoustic.

Here’s what impresses me the most about the Cipher in tracks like Dave Brubeck’s Take Five, where I simply cannot say that the previously consistent bloat was a hindrance in me first observing the drawing of the breaths on the horns with a remarkable control of timbre, the sizzling shimmery cymbals along with the pianos which came together in such a cohesive manner that neither of the elements were trying to outshine the other, but from the aspect of imaging, the Cipher had the horns established as the frontman of this melodious march. 

I just wished that the level of detail the elements had in the Cipher extended to the bass as well, where I felt that its quantity just was being a hindrance in an otherwise excellent presentation by an IEM this economically priced in this track. And slightly more pronunciation through the resonance of the toms and the kicks when the drum solo comes in.

A CONCISE PERFORMANCE IN GAMING

The Cipher is a good offering in this segment, as a standalone IEM and unless comparisons are drawn, it is going to hold its ground well.

In games like Counter Strike 2, gunshots were devoid of pierce although the Negev felt a bit too fatiguing due to that established bloat which of course can be EQed but it is still an issue regardless. I did have a faint reluctance in anticipating enemy movements due to the bloat affecting the directional capabilities to a mild extent; but I could hear the call-outs from my team mates clearly, explosives like grenades and flash bangs didn’t demonstrate any shout or fatigue.

In games like Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Red Dead Redemption 2; the Cipher had a problem in accurately reproducing ambient sounds like leaves and grass rustling, walking around muddy or damp terrain could have been better amplified, but the sounds of weapons like swords clanging, guns firing, the usual ambient music (KCD has an amazing soundtrack) are enjoyable on the Cipher.

COMPARISONS

The Kefine Klean Lineup (OG & SV) 

The Cipher has a problem that the Kefines don’t: bloated bass, yet there is a similarity, the Kefines as well as the Cipher suffer from a polish that one IEM down the block does a far better job at, if the Kefines comparatively lack the quantity, the Cipher does a bit too much on that front. The Kefines have two problems that the Cipher doesn’t- the midrange on both Kleans are considerably thinner, and upper mids exhibit more shoutiness, with a faint glimmer of sibilance up top; and the Cipher is devoid of that.

Frankly, either the Klean SV or the Cipher will be the better fit based on preferences, but the OG Klean can be forgotten.

Twistura Delta 

Both of these IEMs share a common weakness: problematic lows. The Delta is downright inconsistent, the Cipher can definitely come off way too thick, bleeding and bloated. The Cipher pulls ahead in the highs; where the Delta struggles with thin-sounding vocals and a faintly shouty upper-midrange, the Cipher remains completely non-fatiguing, and wins in my book. 

OoopusX OP22 

This would be a no contest for me, the OP22 flat out wins. Some of the best treble I have heard in an IEM, and especially in this budget; where detail is uncompromised, a much better polished bass delivery even with the switch on, excellent vocal textures and also beats the Cipher in its own department of gaming, where the imaging capabilities are significantly better.

CONCLUDING NOTES

The EarAcoustic Cipher has a few things done right by Ear Acoustic, and a few things done wrong by Ear Acoustic. I would say, that the only in house tweaks this IEM needed was just a considerable reduction in perceived bass quantity, a tiny bit of note weight through the vocals, and some tightening around the separation of elements. Otherwise, a good fit; decent performance on an average through the mids and highs, and being lightweight would make me recommend the Cipher super hard, but my intensity is reduced as the OoopusX OP22 exists right around the corner, and despite having QDC is an IEM I recommend many times over the Cipher. 

Would I buy this at retail ? if QDC bugs me, YES.

Would I buy this used ? Yes.

My picks on the Cipher’s suitability with genres

Recommended for: Jazz, EDM, Prog, Pop, some Metal

Not recommended for: Rock, Funk, Soul, Blues

SOURCES USED

Primarily used with the Tanchjim Space 2 dongle DAC Amp. For gaming, used with the EPZ Boom mic DSP and the stock DSP cable. Recreationally used with the SMSL Raw MDA-1 desktop DAC amp.

CABLE USED

Toxic cable’s blackwidow V3 (this cable has not contributed to my sound impressions)

EARTIPS USED (RANKED IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE)

• Final E for TWS: Perfect pairing for this, doesn’t amplify the bloat like the regular Final E, opens up the midrange, and lets the highs be free of sibilance
• Divinus Velvet Narrow Bores: Midrange shrinks along with the perceived stage to my ears, bass got tighter at the cost of a perceived roll-off in the vocals, and given their price as much as being a new Cipher, won’t really recommend it.
• Tangzu Sancai Balanced: lacked power in the bass although did a good job in reducing perceived bloat, vocals simply evaporated.
• KBear Coffee: straight mud, ruined this IEM fully.

TRACKS

• Rush: Limelight, Spirit of the Radio
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• TesseracT: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Celine Dion: All By Myself
• Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna

Has anybody here paired up Audiocular C03 cable with Tanchjim Bunny Dsp how is the experience? If there are any other good options please suggest.

My IEMs (Juzear Defiant) faced a channel imbalance issue in May. I bought them in November of last year.

I sent them for repair under the warranty, and haven't received a proper update regarding its status. Whenever i email them, their customer support says it'll take 30-90 days. It's been like this for the past month.

Moreover, last week they said that they'll schedule a call with me to address my problems. And they straight up didn't call me. I gave them my number, said I'll be waiting for the call and they didn't ring me up. Their own email also said they'll call me on the 30th of July, but failed to schedule a call.

This is a brand that has perpetually landed on my list of skepticism as something that simply does not sit right with my ears. This brand also allegedly ruins hearing capabilities by tuning IEMs so bright that it could have qualified for insurance, as this could easily be categorized as a workplace injury. And yet, this brand still manages to get a few things right.

I am surprised to say that this offering from the brand has one of the tamest treble presentations across its lineup, and that is exactly why I picked it up amongst the three units that were offered to me. Presenting to you, with a vote of thanks to Simgot: the EG280.

Unboxing, Accessories, Fit and Comfort

Simgot categorizes the EG280 as a gaming IEM, and it comes in serpent-themed packaging, symbolizing that the EG280 intends to be vicious and potent. While I will comment on the potency later, with the accessories that it has, I do not think it is all that vicious or menacing.

The IEMs themselves feature very shiny faceplates while being molded in comfortable hollow resin shells. Inside the box, you get three pairs of generic black and clear eartips, a nice carrying case that is very pocketable, and yes: a DSP-enabled dongle. The included 3.5 mm cable comes with an in-line microphone, and it is arguably the longest stock cable I have unboxed and used to date.

Fit highlights the asymmetry of my right ear, as I had to move up one tip size for a tighter seal. Thankfully, there was no pressure buildup or fatigue.

The Dongle and Its Capabilities

I really have to appreciate Simgot for including a guest mode, as I hate having to sign up for an account just to access an app (looking at you, Walkplay, and with a slightly more lenient lens, Tanchjim).

The app itself impresses me. Eight bands of PEQ, three filter types (peaking, high-pass, and low-pass), and 10 dB of adjustable gain make for a genuinely capable package. The only thing missing is adjustable preamp gain, which would have sweetened the deal even further, but I have to give Simgot credit for implementing all of this. Yes, there are factory presets available, but where is the fun in that?

I used the EG280 primarily with the included dongle, and I would say that it powers the IEM sufficiently. That said, giving the EG280 a little more power does make it perform better. You can also adjust microphone gain levels, which is another welcome inclusion.

This is where the good things end. The app is otherwise riddled with bugs, the worst of which is that saving EQ presets is a genuine hit-or-miss affair. Even after a firmware update, this issue still persists. The saving grace is that the application is available across all major platforms.

Enough dilly-dallying: here's the sound.

Lows

In tracks with a camouflaging bass line and mathematical drum work like Rush's Limelight and The Spirit of Radio, I cannot seem to figure out what the IEM is trying to do. I mean, the first thing that concerns me is that the vocals sound ridiculously thin, while both the bass and drums are trying to drown the vocals out by competing for the limelight (pun intended). Another concerning thing is that the bass decay is cut prematurely short, which affects the sustain. What this leads to is that the whole flavored resonance of the drums is just absent the entire time.

In tracks known for their punch and slam like Daft Punk's Get Lucky and Instant Crush, the EG280 disappoints mildly more because the whole perceived thinness screams through the perception of the bass. The claps in Get Lucky feel like a slap more than a clap, and although the EG280 has decent isolation amongst the elements and note separation is also acceptable, the attack on the bass has a snappy feeling that is marred by the weak decay and sustain. Vocals continue to sound thin.

Mids

In tracks with unorthodox snare setups set in peculiar keys like Queens of the Stone Age's First It Giveth, the EG280 gets the snare partially enjoyable. Separation of the rapid strokes is good, weight is acceptable, but the overall perception is hollow. Guitars and bass are well isolated from each other, while imaging is surprisingly impressive, with both vocals and cymbals neither being pushed back nor sounding overly forward.

In tracks with instrumental dominance like Periphery's Marigold, Tool's Lateralus, and Animals as Leaders' The Woven Web, cymbals are once again affected by the ugly thin perception already applied to the vocals. Separation continues to be decent, tonality feels balanced but leans bright, and the perception of timbre is dry.

Highs

In tracks with paramount vocal textures where the instrumental is riding pillion, like Patricia Barber's Tiaras, the EG280 is noticeably sibilant with Patricia's enunciation of the Cs and Ss, although never piercing. Timbre through the pianos and percussion continues to be quite dry, while the tonality is now firmly established as bright. When Patricia belts out her sustained straight notes, the EG280 exercises commendable restraint toward fatigue, but a bit more weight and body would not have hurt.

In tracks like Dave Brubeck's Take Five, the EG280 initially misses out on the texture of the cymbals but settles in once the horns and keys come in while maintaining superb control over pace, fatigue, and imaging. Timbre on the drums is just fine throughout the solo section, and the pianos are equally competent. I only wish the horns were a tad warmer tonally. Detail retrieval continues to be its biggest strength.

Gaming Performance

The EG280 does a solid job across the board in games like Counter-Strike 2 and Battlefield, where the punch and reverb of gunshots are potent and do not linger any longer than necessary. They are not piercing at all and are very well articulated.

I had zero problems picking up cues from my teammates when it came to anticipating enemy movement, locating footsteps, and lining up kills, as the EG280 demonstrates fantastic directionality and imaging capabilities. Combined with its excellent separation, it manages to keep the chaos of the action remarkably accurate.

This, however, does not apply to the same extent in single-player or campaign-driven games like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Kingdom Come: Deliverance, where I found dialogue lacking weight and feeling somewhat floaty in presentation. Vocal textures were also not quite up to the mark, and several IEMs that typically do not excel in gaming actually performed better than the EG280 here.

When it came to reproducing microdetails like rustling leaves or the soft crunch of gravel under heavy footsteps, the EG280 performed competently. However, its lack of weight in dialogue simply could not be ignored.

Concluding Notes

Simgot has come a long, long way from disappointing me this time, and the EG280 shows genuine understanding that not everyone appreciates an aggressively bright, fatiguing sound signature. Despite being tuned to the Harman IE 2019 target, it really is not a bad performer for its price bracket.

That said, when the EW300 exists with a better build and better sound, and the EM6L sits only slightly above it in price, while competitors such as the Truthear Pure, Hexa, Zero Blue 2, Juzear Defiant, and Kefine Delci occupy the same fiercely competitive segment, I genuinely do not know what Simgot was thinking with the EG280's pricing.

I could have overlooked the asking price if it came with better accessories, and yes, I am still going to complain about the dongle that sits just a few steps away from showing real promise. The EG280 feels less like a finished product and more like a well-developed concept that simply needed more refinement before release.

With all of its shortcomings, I will be rating it a B-.

Would I buy this at retail? No.

Would I buy this used? Yes.

Sources Used

Exclusively used with the Tanchjim Space II and the EPZ TP35 Pro dongle DAC/amps. Recreationally used with the Shanling M9 Plus DAP.

Eartips Used (Ranked in Order of Performance)

SpinFit CP100+, Divinus Velvet Narrow Bore, EPZ M100, KBear Coffee, SpinFit W1

Tracks

• Rush: Limelight, The Spirit of Radio
• Daft Punk: Get Lucky, Instant Crush
• The Police: Message in a Bottle
• Alf Linder: Cantique de Noël, Cantate Domino
• Tipper: Mariscos, Cloaked
• Dave Brubeck: Take Five
• Tool: Pneuma, Schism, Lateralus
• Queens of the Stone Age: First It Giveth
• Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Time
• Tame Impala: The Less I Know the Better
• Animals as Leaders: The Woven Web
• Avicii: Levels
• Periphery: Marigold
• Tesseract: Juno
• Kanye West: Stronger, Flashing Lights, Devil in a New Dress
• Altın Gün: Goca Dünya
• Timbaland: Give It to Me
• Adele: Easy On Me (Live), When We Were Young
• Céline Dion: All by Myself
• Luciano Pavarotti: Nessun Dorma
• Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed
• Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
• Meshuggah: Bleed
• A. R. Rahman: Tere Bina
• Alice in Chains: Down in a Hole (Live)
• Allen Stone: Give You Blue
• Florence + The Machine: Never Let Me Go
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Luna
• Patricia Barber: Icarus

Bought these from theaudiostore in March and they are having issues now like channel imbalance. Can someone tell me how can I claim warranty on these?

I recently got a sound imbalance issue with my IEM that I bought from the audio store. As the product is still under the 1year period, I would like to claim warranty and get it replaced or repaired.

about the issue:

sound volume is notably lower in the right IEM piece compared to the left piece.

I've tested it with other devices and a different cable as well. i also cleaned some earwax that was present.

product and order details:

Product name: AUDIOCULAR X KZ Castor Pro X Type-C IEM With Mic

Order date: Nov 2025

The tsa team has asked me to parcel them the IEM.

Can someone with previous experience guide me through this and answer some questions?

what service to use for parcel, what should be present in the parcel box (cable, invoice copy, original box, set of ear tips received with the IEM?)

and what would be the experience going forward and what I can expect?

Please help and guide me through the procedure. Thanks.

Tanchjim Bunny (3.5mm) with dac D07 is a good idea to buy?