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Review of TTPOD T2 3-way hybrid IEM with lots of pics!!!

This is a Review of TTPOD T2 3-way hybrid IEM. http://penonaudio.com/TTPOD-T2
TTPOD’s release of T1E in-ear headphones took a lot of people by surprise because it was a great example of how far you can push the limit with a build quality, design details (though some might argue it resembles IE800), eartip collection, serious bass quantity, and the most important – a budget price. Now TTPOD is back with yet another impressive release, this time pushing boundaries of 3-way hybrid design with a price tag of under $90. Were they able to knock another hit out of the park with their debut hybrid design? Let’s take a closer look to find out.
Not too long ago while looking at T1S after my T1E review, I already noticed a new direction of TTPOD packaging presentation as well as a mysterious card with “T2” included inside of T1S box. Still, I was quite impressed with their packaging box when a review sample of T2 arrived at my doorsteps. It was a rather large box, at least in comparison to T1E, without any cover art and just a rainbow T2 across the top and some basic manufacturer info on the back. Also on the back there was an array of available color combinations (T2 earpieces come in different color pairs) and mentioning of T2 and T2 Pro - suggesting a common packaging for both models. I found T2 unboxing experience to be quite rewarding with a feeling of a premium product when opening the folds of the top cover to reveal a partitioned box with a selection of accessories and T2 headphones inside.
T2 unboxing.
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With everything out of the box, I found a generous selection of accessories which included the following. You get a set of red narrow bore tips (S/M/L sizes), a set of blue medium bore tips (S/M/L sizes), a pair of foam tips (small size), a pair of earhook guides to assist with over ear cable management, a soft material pouch with a metal spring-lock, and a unique set of stickers. Yes, stickers! They are actually pretty cool little silver fun stickers to customize the look of your T2. With a flat part of T2 shell surface, they should fit right in, though I personally was OK with a purity of the original T2 translucent finish.
T2 accessories.
The design of T2 is quite impressive. Starting with a gold plated straight 3.5mm headphone plug, it’s slim and should fit well with any DAP, amp, or smartphone case. Cable from the plug to y-splitter is braided and looks very professional, also taking into consideration TTPOD used higher quality silver-plated wires. There is not much strain relief at the headphone plug, but the nature of the braided inter-weaving helps to relief a strain when you bend the cable. Y-splitter is small, plastic, with a unique look and the same deal without a strain relief, though you can still rely on a braided wire support. After the split, wire is twisted rather than braided since now you're dealing with two wires going to each earpiece. Also, there is no chin slider (cable cinch) which would have been a nice addition. Perhaps they assumed that included earhook guides were sufficient, but I personally prefer a cable cinch to assist in pulling wires together in over-ear cable fitment, the only way to wear T2. On the other hand, cable is soft, flexible, easy to manage, and has minimum microphonics.
When it comes to earpieces, you actually have a short metal strain relief which looks really good and fits the design nicely. The shell itself has a similar fitment philosophy as VSD3/3S and Westone/Shure IEMs, but obviously a different shape. Some people might find a resemblance of T2 shell with VDS3/3S design and their multi-facets surface, but T2 stands out with a thicker, slightly longer shape where facets have a different geometry with sharper angles/edges. Plus, it has a little flat surface where you can place included stickers to customize it. Nozzle is of an average length and has a stopper ring which is great for different eartips where you can slide them on half way or all the way (another way to control the fitment or to fine tune the sound). Furthermore, there are two air vents located around dynamic driver with one pointing toward your ear when earpiece is inserted and the other one at the edge of earpiece.
By the nature of hybrid design, T2 has a mix of three drivers with one 10mm dynamic driver and dual Knowles ED-29689 balanced armature drivers. The included spec for T2 also mentions that T2 Pro will have different Knowles TWFK-30017 BA drivers, considered to be of a higher quality and obviously at a more premium price. Since the shell of T2 is translucent, you get a benefit to see these drivers inside of the earpiece, and it’s quite an impressive view including a little crossover circuit board. As far as I can tell, all T2 models should come in sets of two different colors which helps to distinguish Left from Right pieces, though they still include L/R marking on corresponding sides. Personally, I found the fitment to be very comfortable, but it could vary depending on your ear-shape anatomy. Also, isolation was just average with music on and slightly below average when idle, nothing to complain about. Since I don't take public transportation (bus or subway), it's not a problem for me, plus I use the largest size eartips to achieve the best seal.
T2 design.
Now, with design details out of the way, let's take a closer look at T2 sound performance. I found T2 to have a balanced sound with a slightly mid-forward signature. The sound has a very clean and smooth characteristics, but it's not very detailed. In no way I would consider it to be veiled, just in my opinion the retrieval of details and layering/separation of instruments and vocals was just below average and a bit congested. I also found soundstage to be just average in width and slightly below average in depth which creates a more intimate listening experience. At the same time, it has a great separation of bass and mids/treble, definitely a benefit of the hybrid design with an assistance from crossover partitioning dynamic driver lows and balanced armature driver highs.
In more details after 50+ hrs of burn in (which is ABSOLUTELY A MUST), I found bass to be tight, extending down to sub-bass with a moderate rumble and a nice fast mid-bass punch. The quantity is not overly boosted, well controlled, and without any spillage into lower mids. Mids are bright but not harsh, more toward bright-smooth characteristics and slightly forward but not dominating too much over the rest of the frequency range. Treble is crisp and bright, but not too bright or sibilant, and has a moderate extension.
In a quick comparison, I found next to T2:
- T1E has a lot more sub-bass, mids are more recessed, treble has a bit less extension, upper mids/treble are slightly more detailed, and soundstage is a bit wider.
- VSD3 has more sub-bass and a more aggressive mid-bass punch, upper mids/treble are brighter/crispier and more detailed, treble has more sparkle, and soundstage is wider.
- KC06A has more sub-bass and more mid-bass quantity, upper mids/treble are brighter and more detailed though less organic in tonality, treble has better extension, while soundstage is similar.
- A83 has a tighter bass with more sub-bass, similar mid-bass punch, mids/treble are a lot brighter and crispier, sound is more detailed, and soundstage is a lot wider.
Overall, I don't want people to interpret my review as being not too optimistic. When it comes to hybrid IEMs, it's not an easy task to find a smooth sounding headphones since a lot of them are skewed toward a bright analytical highs. It's easier to tune a bass of a dynamic driver, but apparently balancing it out with smooth higher frequencies of BA drivers is a bit of a challenge. TTPOD T2 accomplished that task quite well, but at the expense of some compromises. I have a feeling that with upcoming T2 Pro and a different set of BA drivers the sound will be brighter and more detailed, though you can never guarantee if it still remains as smooth. If you look at the big picture of this T2 design, you have one great looking set of in-ear headphones with a quality build and an excellent cable. You get a sound with a balanced mix of bass and high frequencies, and overall smooth signature great for an extended non-fatigue listening. If you want a more detailed and brighter sound, I would recommend to wait for T2 Pro, but if you are ok with what T2 has to offer - you will not find another 3-way hybrid IEM at a better price!

you will not find another 3-way hybrid IEM at a better price!
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Do you mean the "same" price? I can find a TON of better 3-way hybrids for a better price. A83, H3, A3, Z5, K3003, DN-2000/1000, Altone200, etc etc.

AndroidVageta said:
Do you mean the "same" price? I can find a TON of better 3-way hybrids for a better price. A83, H3, A3, Z5, K3003, DN-2000/1000, Altone200, etc etc.
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Yeah, meant it at a better price than asking $89 (or $75 currently on Mass Drop). But either way, I would personally wait for T2 Pro, better quality BA drivers

Hey V., nice review. Hmm I see the "T2 pro" already on the T2's instruction manual? Any info regarding when will the T2 Pro be coming out? can't wait to snatch a pair.

leprophotography said:
Hey V., nice review. Hmm I see the "T2 pro" already on the T2's instruction manual? Any info regarding when will the T2 Pro be coming out? can't wait to snatch a pair.
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Don't know yet, but that's the one I'm looking forward to as well!!! Not too impressed with T2, but hoping TTPOD will redeem themselves with T2 Pro with higher quality BA drivers

vectron said:
Don't know yet, but that's the one I'm looking forward to as well!!! Not too impressed with T2, but hoping TTPOD will redeem themselves with T2 Pro with higher quality BA drivers
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I'm very tempted just to buy 1 as it is, loves the overall design from the diamond cut, even the twisted cords are beautifully designed. I just can't wait. Lets hope they improve the sound signatures of the pro version. BTW, i saw 1 chinese site already selling the pro version. Too bad their description isnt that clear.
http://h5.m.taobao.com/awp/core/detail.htm?id=43220532509

damn.... I was hoping that the cable was detachable like on the VSD3 or Shure iems Its such a nice piece of engineering it just misses that detail from being absolutely perfect for that price!
I have the T1-E and the cable is starting to break right at the end where the 3,5mm contact is making it cause a short. Not sure if I really want to cut it off and solder a new contact on there or if I'm gonna find something new to replace the T1-E.

SÜPERUSER said:
damn.... I was hoping that the cable was detachable like on the VSD3 or Shure iems Its such a nice piece of engineering it just misses that detail from being absolutely perfect for that price!
I have the T1-E and the cable is starting to break right at the end where the 3,5mm contact is making it cause a short. Not sure if I really want to cut it off and solder a new contact on there or if I'm gonna find something new to replace the T1-E.
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T1-E is dirt cheap, get another pair from DX or place like that
VSonic got out of detachable cable with VSD3/3S new models having attached cable and recently released VSD5 the same with a permanently attached cable.

B&W P5 Wireless Bluetooth BT4.1 w/aptX on-ear headphones w/lots of pics!!!

This is a review of Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless headphones. http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Headphones/Headphones/Headphones/P5-Wireless.html , also available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bowers-Wilkins-Wireless-Headphone-Black/dp/B00Y0Q9LFU/
Today you can find a lot of headphones labeled as "premium", but not all of them could be considered as truly "luxurious". If you narrow it down to what one might consider as premium-luxurious, it still doesn’t guarantee a great sound. And if you prefer a wireless connection - you probably should brace yourself for more compromises and a very limited selection. Out of the blue (at least it caught me by surprise), B&W just released a new Bluetooth Wireless version of their latest P5 Series 2 model with a checkmark next to all of these requirements. Premium and luxurious is already synonymous with Bowers & Wilkins brand name. I reviewed a number of their headphones in the past, and was always impressed with a quality of leather material, sexy wavy curves of chrome frame attached to earcups, concealed cable attachment (clever, but a bit time consuming), and a sound quality which I found to mimic analog tuning of full size speakers. Their first entry into Bluetooth world with T7 speaker was quite impressive as well, thus Bluetooth wireless headphones made sense as the next logical step. Here is what I found after spending over a week testing B&W P5 Wireless (P5W).
Packaging a gear in a black sturdy box has been a common practice with a lot of companies who want to underline premium quality of what to expect inside. Often you are not going to see much on the cover of such "gift" box beside a company/product name, while in this case B&W put a bold picture of their P5W on both the front and the back sides. No marketing hype, no functionality description, no specification list - just an elegant image of their headphones with captivating curves that draw you right in. When you lift a cover, your unboxing experience is rewarded with a "jewelry" display presentation of P5W in its leather, metal, and chrome glory.
Unboxing.
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With headphones out of the way, I was looking at a set of familiar P5 accessories including a quilted soft case and two sets of cables, except this time it was an audio headphone cable and usb charging cable. Since smartphone controls are integrated as part of Bluetooth wireless functionality, you no longer need a cable with in-line remote/mic, thus only an audio cable was included (3.5mm side to your source and proprietary 2.5mm to a hidden jack inside of earcup). Typical of many other wireless headphones, P5W offers both wireless and wired connection if you run out of juice. Just keep in mind that you can get up to 17 hours of listening time from a single charge at moderate volume level.
The case is the same as the one included with P5 S2, except this one has a small inner pocket for cable storage. Personally, I’m still on a fence about it. Using it at home is convenient, though my wife keeps teasing me if she can borrow my “purse”. P5W has a nice fold flat design with earcups rotating 90 degrees, and a soft quilted case with a magnetic flip cover does a good job of cushioning and protecting it. But a soft case doesn’t offer the best protection when you are traveling and want to shelter your headphone investment. I just wish B&W would offer a hard shell storage case, even as an add-on accessory. If they can make their headphones look that good, I can only imagine what they can come up with for a case.
Accessories.
When it comes to a design, as I mentioned before, all B&W headphones stand out with a premium luxury details common across their different models, just scaled up or down depending on over-ear or on-ear design. You will find a genuine perforated leather material covering soft memory foam of earpads, as well as the back of earcups covered in leather around the sides with a black brushed aluminum plate in the middle with an etched “Bowers & Wilkins” name. Earcups are attached on one side to a solid curved chrome metal double wire that waves into the headband. Beside previously mentioned 90 deg rotation mechanism, earcups also have a degree of tilt to adjust to your ears/head shape. Earpads are attached magnetically to earcups, and I will cover more about it later when discussing cable attachment. But I do want to mention that after 20-30 minutes of continuous use, my ears did get warm - it wasn’t too uncomfortable, but still noticeable.
The headband is leather wrapped and has soft foam padding on the inner side. The whole construction felt very solid and lightweight with an evenly distributed 215 grams of weight. Also, headband height adjustment was buttery smooth while still requiring a little bit of force so it doesn't slide out loose. Similar to P5 Series 2, clamping force was a bit tight out of the box and required a short break in period. After a few days it felt more comfortable while still offering an acceptable sound isolation. Regarding sound isolation, you do have to be realistic this is on-ear design which can't be compared to over-ear, thus you should expect to hear outside noise but with a good attenuation while still being aware of surrounding. Also even at full height extension, I think P5W model is more appropriate for small and medium heads, while it could be a bit tight if you got a big one on your shoulders.
Design.
Unlike other headphones with a removable cable, P5W (exactly like P5 Series 2) has a proprietary cable with a standard 3.5mm on the side going to your audio source and 2.5mm angled connector hidden inside of the left earcup. It's really a clever design which makes a cable attachment to earcup look like it has a hardwired seamless connection. To get to the connector you need to remove magnetically attached left earpad to access internal 2.5mm plug. Right side earpad is magnetically attached as well for an easy replacement. I do want to comment about being careful if you have sharp nails so you don't damage the leather since these magnets are quite strong. The cable itself feels sturdy yet thin, has a round shape, and feels soft. Also, due to a connection with a removable cable inside of the earcup, I didn't sense any microphonics effect.
Without a doubt, that is one clever way to attach a cable, but it's not as efficient as just being able to plug in a cable directly, and fiddling with earpads is a bit time consuming.
Replacement pads and wired connection.
Before I proceed to sound quality analysis, let me talk about P5W Bluetooth wireless performance and the controls. I have reviewed a lot of wireless headphones in the past, everything from minimalistic controls or touch controls to controls with individual and exotic buttons. In my opinion P5W strikes a perfect balance between all of these with a multi-function spring-loaded power button that turns headphones on when you slide and hold it and goes into pair-up mode when you push it. And everything else is taken care of by 3 other conveniently located buttons. All these operation are accompanied by a pleasant chime tone, the same one used in T7 wireless speaker.
Pair up was easy and seamless, and headphones were connected to phone and media audio without any problem. All the controls were within easy reach on the back of the right earcup, using 3 buttons with volume up/down assigned to the upper and the lower one, and a raised button in the middle for Play/Pause/Call with a single click, Skip Next with a double click, Skip Back with a triple click, and long press to start Google NOW. The location of buttons on the back of earcup was very convenient and easy to ID by sliding a finger to find a button in the middle. The same right earcup has micro-usb charging port at the bottom next to power button, a bi-color led, and two mic pinhole vents contributing to an excellent voice pick up. Sound quality during calls was noted to be excellent.
With a support of the latest BT4.1, wireless performance was quite good covering a stutter free distance of 40 feet in open space. Also, during a testing with my Note 4 in a pocket and while covering earcups with my hands, the wireless connection was still solid. And of course, with a support of apt-X, AAC, and SBC audio codecs – I was able to confirm a really good audio performance as well. If you are using Android based devices, apt-X support is a must. Btw, one interesting thing that I did notice - as soon as you plug in the cable, wireless connection was automatically disabled.
Wireless operation.
When it comes to a sound quality, we are still dealing with a pair of 40mm drivers used in P5 Series 2 with a full dynamic range tuning. As a result, wired performance was very similar to P5 S2, but slightly different in comparison to Wireless which now depends on internal D/A audio decoding of digital stream and analog conversion to pump the drivers. As a matter of fact, I actually enjoyed wireless sound a little more than wired. Wired was close in comparison, but had just a little more depth in soundstage and a little more sub-bass. But retrieval of details wasn't exactly on the same level as wireless. Also due to lower sensitivity in wired mode, it needed a little volume boost. In comparison, Wireless sound was more balanced and with a better separation and layering effect.
In more details, I found Wireless audio performance to be nicely balanced with a full body sound and excellent extension at both ends of frequency spectrum. It had a nice soundstage with slightly above the average width and an average depth with a more intimate feeling. I found layering and separation of instruments and vocals to be just perfect.
Low end has a deep meaty sub-bass extension which adds a nice level of rumble without overpowering the bass, mid-bass punch is fast and well controlled without crossing
lower-mids threshold. The balance between sub-bass and mid-bass quantity was just perfect and also the reason why I preferred wireless sound over wired.
Lower-mids have a nice body without adding extra "weight" to the sound, and upper mids have a great level of smooth clarity with excellent retrieval of details. This is noticeable especially with vocals, male or female, that sound smooth and organic. Overall mids have a perfect balance of smooth and detailed sound.
Treble has a good extension, also with a clear, crisp, and smooth sound. No sibilance or ear fatigue during extended listening. I was actually very pleased with upper mids/treble performance which often gets neglected in wireless headphones.
And speaking of other wireless headphones, here is a comparison with some other on-ear and over-ear models (Meelec Touch, Meelec Matrix 2, Stance S1+, and Momentum 2 Wireless).
P5W vs Touch - Touch has less sub-bass and a touch more aggressive mid-bass, lower mids are a bit thinner and upper mids are a little brighter and a bit more forward, treble is a bit crispier. For 1/4 of the price Touch is a great value, though build/design is not as luxurious, and touch controls could be a bit confusing. Overall, P5W sounds smoother and more organic.
P5W vs M2W - M2W has a wider/deeper soundstage, a bit less sub-bass and a similar mid-bass, also similar lower mids, but upper mids are more recessed, darker, and a little less detailed, treble is also a bit darker and has less quantity in comparison. M2W full size over-ear is more comfortable and added sound isolation of ANC is a plus. P5W controls are straight forward and easier to reach, sound tuning is smoother and more detailed, and Bluetooth performance is more stable.
P5W vs Matrix 2 - M2 has less sub-bass and slower mid-bass, thinner lower-mids and less detailed upper mids (not the same level of clarity), similar treble. P5W controls are more minimalistic and straight forward, and it has a more luxurious build/design.
P5W vs S1+ - S1 has a lot less sub-bass and mid-bass is less aggressive, lower mids are a little thinner and upper mids are a little brighter and slightly more detailed, treble has a better extension and a little brighter and crispier. Soundstage in S1+ is a little wider. Also, S1+ controls are a little more confusing.
Conclusion.
B&W P5 Wireless came out of the blue and knocked one right out of the park! I would be very curious if they ever decide to convert P7 into wireless, or perhaps B&W thinks that wireless is more appropriate when traveling thus P5 footprint is compact enough. But either way, I found P5W to hit the right mark in design quality, selection of premium materials, ergonomics of controls, battery life, and audio performance. Even with a support of BT4.x and apt-X codec you can either get a muddy performance or a sterile clean lifeless sound. Here, B&W was able to tune their drivers on a level of quality wired performance with a nicely balanced sound signature. At the same time, fitment might not be for everyone, and even with my medium size head I had to adjust earcups a bit until I find a sweet spot. In general, on-ear fitment could be a hit or a miss, and as I mentioned before – don’t expect super isolation. But if you are looking for premium luxurious headphones and craving high quality wireless audio performance – P5 Wireless sounds as good as it looks!

Review of Lotoo PAW Gold Reference quality Digital Audio Player (DAP) w/lots of pics!

This is a Review of Lotoo PAW Gold Reference quality Digital Audio Player (DAP). http://www.lotoo.cn/page/default_en.asp?pageID=97, and also available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014P7Q8MC/
In my recent review of Lotoo PAW 5000 (PAW5k), I made quite a few references to its price relative to their flagship Lotoo PAW Gold (LPG). As part of our human nature, we often look at the price trying to justify if it’s worth it. For many, justification is based on the comparison to other products in the same category to see how they stack up against each other. Just like in all of my reviews, I will definitely get to that before I reach my conclusion, but I have to warn you ahead of time with absolutely zero hype – LPG is the most neutral and the most detailed DAP I had a chance to listen to so far. Regardless of how much I enjoy and hold in high regards other DAPs (I have quite a few favorites), to my ears LPG is in a class of its own. Is it worth $2k asking price? I would be able to answer this question if I would have another DAP that cost less and sounds the same. Is it justified to be called “reference” quality? Absolutely, because in my opinion it reached the perfection of neutral sound quality, a benchmark reference for other DAPs comparison. I usually don’t start my review with so many praises, but I decided to go ahead here in order to set a tone for my write up. Now, let’s take a closer look at Lotoo PAW Gold.
Unboxing and Accessories.
When so many budget DAPs get a treatment of a unique premium packaging, where does this leave a real premium DAP? The bar has been raised, and Lotoo answered the "packaging" challenge with a rather original solution. From outside, you have a shiny silver box, very minimalistic in looks and with a basic outline print of LPG. The surprise comes when you unwrap this fortune cookie to discover inside of it a sturdy thick gift box with an "open here" invitation. When you flip open the magnetic thick cardboard cover with a nice soft protection foam lining, you reveal the jewelry of this gift box - LPG inside of a form fitted top tray, shinning with its gold-plated treasure wheel.
At this point, after taking LPG out of the box (its aluminum housing and 280g of heft felt very solid in my hand), I was a bit puzzled what to do next since the box had plenty of height to it and I've only "scratched" the surface when revealed a top shallow tray with LPG. Like a caveman I was shaking it, pulling on the sides, and even tried "open sesame" which didn't help, until I pulled the front of the box out toward me to reveal a three tier box design with two additional trays underneath of the top one. They swung open revealing included accessories and documentation. I was glad I exercised my patience which paid off with a rewarding unboxing experience.
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Inside of these trays, I found a high quality flat USB3.0 cable (with an extended micro-usb connector, though LPG is also backward compatible to use a regular 2.0 micro-usb cable), a draw-string felt pouch (nice soft quality), a very detailed quick start and user guide (among the most comprehensive English manuals I've ever seen), and AC adapter with a selection of international power plugs. I was a little disappointed to see a dedicated AC adapter instead of a typical usb connector. LPG design requires 12V/1A charging, and you will need to carry with you a separate AC adapter when away on a trip, though the good news this is not a proprietary charger. It uses a common DC tip, and I would recommend getting a spare charger (from eBay or Amazon) to keep one at home and another one when away. I did confirm that USB3.0 connector is for data transfer only, not charging.
Also I was a bit surprised a screen protector was not included, until I touched the glass of the display to realize how thick and solid it felt, and later learned Lotoo used a hardened sapphire glass! Another comment is about draw string pouch. It's great for scratch protection, but not a substitute for a real case. At the price of LPG, I would have expected Lotoo to provide a form fitted leather case and maybe even a carry case. The design of LPG is not slippery and has fantastic ergonomics to fit comfortably in your hand, not too mention that cold aluminum feels damn good! But I do have some expectations when looking at a premium product and felt that LPG falls a bit short in this regard [of accessories].
Design.
I already brought up a reference to PAW5k, and want to mention it again in relationship to LPG design. A lot of manufacturers recently introduced a scaled down versions of their popular flagship DAPs, often noticeably smaller in size. When I received PAW5k, I was very surprised by its compact footprint, but didn't expect LPG to be just a little bigger. Measuring 104mm x 60mm x 25.4mm, LPG is a little bit wider and taller (especially due to a volume knob) and about 1/3 thicker, and of course weight difference is noticeable, but overall it felt very similar in my hand, even down to controls layout relative to the display. I actually find this to be very impressive considering LPG has a more advanced amp section with more discrete filtering components, as well as stepping up from uSD to full size SD card support.
According to Lotoo website, the chassis of LPG is machined from a solid piece of aircraft grade duralumin, which is an alloy of aluminum and copper with magnesium to improve the strength of the metal. You can definitely feel the quality of the material in your hand, no flex what so ever. Non-slippery sandblasted finish with appropriate side grooves also makes a handling of LPG feel secure, though I would still prefer a leather case for an extra enhancement of the grip due to its weight.
The front of the DAP has 1.8" Color OLED display at the top half (under a sapphire glass panel), 5 plastic control buttons (high quality solid material, no rattling, and a nice tactile response), a gold plated power button with optional "glow" light ring around it, and the centerpiece of the front panel - a gold plated D-Pad control with another control button in the center. Unlike PAW5k where the control is a plastic scroll wheel, here it's a directional control pad with Plays/Pause at the top, Stop at the bottom, and Skip Next/Prev and fast forward/back on the right/left. The middle button is Enter/Select key (in the Setup menu) while in the main Playback screen can be customized to function as either Play/Pause or Screen mode switch.
The right side has a reset pinhole at the bottom, the left side has USB3.0 connector for high speed data transfer (not charging), also backward compatible with any regular micro-usb cable. Below that is 12V/1A DC port for a power adapter to charge LPG. At the bottom you will find a full size SD card with a tight plastic dust cover - excellent idea since it allows access to a higher capacity and cheaper full size SD cards. The top of the DAP features a separate Headphone and Line Out ports, and from what I gathered there is no SPDIF or optical outputs. Coincidentally, due to a lower quality DAC/amp section, PAW5k offers both SPDIF and optical output for a connection to an external DAC/amp. With LPG, Lotoo had enough confidence to omit that.
Above HO and LO, you can find a Gain (high/low) switch and a hold (to prevent accidental button push) switch. Switches itself are not easy to slide which is good to prevent an accidental gain change, but also when headphone jack is in - it makes access to a gain switch a bit harder due to a close proximity to the headphone port. It wasn't a show stopper for me because I kept it permanently in low gain even with my most demanding headphones - LPG got a lot of power. Analog Volume knob is gold platted and protected from the left/right/top sides, leaving it only exposed on the front and the back for a quick access to adjust volume with a thumb only (or index finger from the back). Volume knob has an acceptable resistance, not too loose or too tight, and you can feel adjustment with a very subtle click as you turn it. Also, as part of a custom configuration, you can change volume adjustment to be either clockwise or counter-clockwise. I ended up selecting a volume knob adjustment direction to align visually with a horizontal on-screen adjustment - counter-clockwise to increase the volume.
Overall, the design is a bit minimalistic but also straight forward and efficient for one handed operation. I don't have big hands, thus the ergonomics of using a DAP by only moving my thumb without readjusting the hand is very important to me. The layout of controls is efficient and works perfectly for either left or right hand operation where my thumb can easily reach D-pad control and other buttons surrounding it, while my index finger has a clear access to volume knob from the back. I'm sure a lot of people might have a question which control is better, the wheel of PAW5k or the D-pad of LPG? It might come as a surprise, but I actually found D-pad to give me a better control of using just a thumb without moving to other buttons. LPG D-pad has a nice tactile response with a good feedback and a large round surface for a thumb to comfortably glide around. One thing to keep in mind, if you are dealing with a big list of songs or folders, scrolling wheel has an advantage. I personally don't have a large organized library of songs, thus usually deal with a smaller list of test tracks partitioned in directories.
At the same time, 280g of weight packed in a small brick is not going to be exactly pocket friendly for everybody. YMMV, but I would probably prefer to use it at home or in the office at work rather than carrying it with me in the pocket while walking or using public transportation or while exercising (though you can exercise with it as an add-on weight ). Don't get me wrong, despite its extra weight - LPG compact size is very easy to grip. Also, you can probably get one of these compact camera cases you clip on your belt if you choose to carry it with you on the go.
The only gripe I have is the same one as with PAW5k, where with a screen off there is no way to control playback until you turn the screen back on. Actually, with PAW5k you are able to skip tracks by holding down volume up/down buttons, but play/pause wasn't available either. Here, LPG has no way to skip or play/pause when screen is off. To preserve a battery life, even considering a phenomenal 11+ hrs of endurance I was getting with such a powerful DAP, you still want to keep your screen off. Volume control is already easily accessible, but in order to Skip to the next/prev track or simply to pause playback you have to turn the unit on first (power button is also screen on/off with a short press) and then proceed to playback control. If there is a concern about pressing buttons accidentally while in your pocket, you already have Hold button to prevent this. I really hope that Lotoo in their future fw updates will consider allowing the use of D-pad or maybe combination of other buttons to enable playback control with a screen off.

Under the hood.
Similar to PAW5k, the heart of LPG is a powerful ADI Blackfin 514 DSP which handles different audio formats and processes digital audio to condition it for DAC input. Here you get a support of most lossy and lossless formats, including native DSD and SACD ISO support, covering everything from ISO, DFF, DSF, FLAC, WAV, MP3, ALAC, OGG, CUE, APE and M4A, and sample rates 8kHz-384kHz (PCM) and 2.8MHz/5.6MHz (DSD).
With so many manufacturers jumping on the latest DAC bandwagon, here we find a good old PCM1792 DAC paired up with a powerful LME49600 headphones amp driver, not necessary the latest but still highly regarded. In reality it doesn't matter what's inside of the "black box", and this is another example which demonstrates that it all comes down to how you implement the design and not necessary the latest "buzz" component selection. It's all about design architecture, proper layout, isolation of digital and analog domains, and power filtering. At the end, I only care about the sound, regardless of what's inside of the box. Here, sound results speak louder (500mW @ 32ohm per channel loud!) than any marketing hype.
What's "under the hood" will definitely give you a performance boost, but not necessary will make your ride as enjoyable. So, let's take a closer look at the GUI, Setup, and the whole Interface.
GUI and Setup.
From the moment you power LPG up (very fast start up, thanks to a custom optimized OS) you are greeted by an efficient all-in-one color display layout with everything on a single screen. Starting with a status bar, you get a repeat mode icon in the left corner and battery icon in the right corner with either % or the remaining time indicator (customized in the setup). Bellow that you can see which DSP effect or PMEQ preset is being applied and a horizontal bar graph with L/R channel level, assuming it's calibrated by Red Book standards from -50dB to 0dB. You also get song’s time duration and current play position, a file info with a file number within a folder, and a file format with an exact sampling rate.
Below that you can see a scrolling file name. While playing you can fast forward or skip the song with corresponding D-pad click, and you can do the same in Pause or Stop. I'm so used to Play/Pause only, it was refreshing to see a Stop button (the bottom of D-pad). The center button of D-pad could be customized to either function as Play/Pause (always easy to access it), or to switch between display views to show a dynamic Spectrum Analyzer of currently played track and with another click to show an album art. Not every album artwork was displayed, so I assume the firmware is a little picky about embedded artwork, and the one it did display was rather pixilated. With low 160x128 resolution of the display, I had no high expectation for it, and for me personally artwork display is not the highest priority anyway, just a bonus.
Above the D-pad, you have File and List buttons to help you view, select, and manage your songs. Pressing File button brings up a folder view of your files on a flash card. This is usually my preferred way of browsing since I have a few album folders and the rest are various tracks in the root directory. Keep in mind, when you have a lot of albums and files - partitioning into folders will be the best way to speed up browsing since you don't have a scrolling wheel for a faster navigation. Pressing and holding up/down D-pad will enable a faster scrolling through the list. And speaking of the List, the button next to File, in there you will find a Play List selection that will list all the files within a current folder or if you are in the root. Next, you have 3 custom List1/2/3 playlists where you can easily add files by tagging any song when browsing (click the D-pad right and select which custom playlist you want to add the song to). The last choice in the List is "ALL" which lists every single song on your flash card, probably the best place to scroll through when you are tagging files for custom playlists.
Setup button is in the corner, and provides you the access to Play settings, System settings, and Custom settings. Play settings allows you to select Repeat mode (sequence, single repeat, repeat all, and random), Time display (current playback back time or the remaining song time), DSD gain (in increments of 6dB from -12dB to +12dB), Lineout level switch (to adjust or keep fixed LO level, think of it as an adjustable pre-amp gain), and Channel Balance (L/R balance adjustment). Custom setting is a unique way to customize some of the settings. You get a chance to assign a specific functionality to FN key (a button located above Power), I usually assign it to Mute. Also, customize Center key (inside of D-pad) for either Plays/Pause or screen change, as I mentioned before. Furthermore, you can change Volume knob direction between CW and CCW, and Lock volume enable when "hold" is activated.
In System setting under Setup you get Power off time (w/timer switch and power off timer), Auto power off (time), Language selection, Display extinction (timeout), Breathing LED (light ring around power button, enable/disable to save power), Battery display (choice between remaining time or percent indicator), Brightness level (low, mid, high), Battery info (battery level in % and remaining time), Database update (refreshing song list), SD info (showing total capacity, and free and used space), SD speed test (pass/fail to make sure flash card meets 3Mbps requirement), Format (for Fat32 format of flash card), Factory settings (to reset to factory defaults), System info (fw, hw, loader, and boot version, and S/N), and Firmware update option.
Just like with PAW5k, before I get into sound analysis of LPG, there are two more important features I would like to discuss - Parametric EQ (PMEQ) and Acoustic Timbre Embellisher (ATE), accessible from a dedicated ATE/PMEQ button located between Setup and FN.
I have tested a lot of DAPs, some without any EQ and others with Graphic EQ where you have certain amount of bands each at a fixed center frequency and fixed bandwidth. With a graphic EQ you get a nice "graphic" representation with a visual feedback of which band you are adjusting and the amount of the adjustment, but you have no control over selection of a specific frequency or the bandwidth of that frequency. Parametric EQ gives you all these controls where you can customize F0 (center frequency), Gain (level adjustment), Type (Low Shelf, High Shelf, or Band Pass filter), and Q (bandwidth of the filter band). I'm glad that Lotoo recognized importance of PMEQ where you get 8 quality presets covering different music styles and 6 Custom User presets where you can dial in your own settings. Each custom setting gives you an access to modify F0, Gain, Type, and Q, and you can also export and import PMEQ presets to share with others.
Also under the same menu selection, in addition to PMEQ you have ATE digital effects giving you a selection of 7 distinct DSP effects to customize your sound. I actually found some of these ATE effects to be quite usable, especially "Brighter" which works great with warm/dark headphones and "Sweet" to warm up a sound of bright headphones. One thing to note, you can only select one specific ATE effect or one PMEQ preset, but not both at the same time. Depending on your ATE or PMEQ selection, the main playback screen will display the choice right below status bar.
Sound analysis.
I started my review with a very bold statement of LPG being the most neutral and detailed DAP I heard so far, and this is an honest truth. LPG has a very neutral and transparent sound with a high resolution where you get an excellent retrieval of details and smoother reference tonality (very revealing but not harsh or grainy). The sound has a great layering effect with an excellent separation of instruments. Also, it has a great soundstage with nearly holographic effect with above the average width, depth, and height expansion.
In more details, Low end performance brings up the best in bass with a nicely layered sub-bass texture and fast mid-bass punch where low end is tight and well controlled. Lower mids are clean and on a leaner side, still with plenty of body but not as much warmth. Upper mids are very detailed, revealing, more of analytical quality but not grainy. Vocals sound great, but missing a little bit of the natural organic smoothness. Treble is crisp, extended, well defined, and airy, but not harsh or fatigue.
Lotoo calls it a Reference Audio Player, and that's exactly how I hear it with a perfect combination of digital reference quality and analog smoothness. Though LPG is among the most neutral DAPs I heard to date, it could go both ways when it comes to headphones pair up. It pairs up great with warmer and neutral sig headphones, allowing them to improve in detail retrieval without making sound bright or harsh, and even with some bright headphones it pushes detail retrieval and analytical quality to the next level. But it could also raise the energy of upper mids and treble to the level where it's overwhelming and crosses sibilance threshold, thus making headphones not as enjoyable during extended listening period.
Here how it pairs up with some of my headphones.
ES60 - very transparent expanded sound, with a great low end punch and a nice sub-bass layer extension, clear detailed smooth mids, and crisp airy treble. Excellent 3D soundstage.
W60 - smooth lush sound with a deep sub-bass and punchy mids-bass, thicker warm lower mids, and detailed smooth upper mids, smooth well defined treble.
UM Pro 50 - great punchy sound, excellent balance of sub-bass and fast mid-bass, smooth detailed mids which also have plenty of brightness to balance out smoothness, treble has a nice sparkle and airiness. Soundstage has above average width, almost on a level of W60/ES60, and a more intimate average depth.
Savant - amazing pair up, sound is very transparent, fast and detailed, closer to analytical quality, yet still smooth enough without crossing sibilance threshold. Bass is tight and punchy, sub-bass quantity is lagging just a bit, but quality is on high level. Mids are lean, detailed, a little more on a brighter side, but without any harshness. Treble is airy, crisp, and with a nice extension.
ZEN - plenty of power to drive these 320 ohm earbuds with authority, though closer to max level of low gain. Sound is very tight, transparent, but I felt like it lost a little bit of musicality, though gained a whole new level if detail retrieval. Low end is tight and well controlled, mids are clean, detailed, with a perfect mix of brightness and smoothness, treble is bright, well defined, with a little bit of airiness.
PM-3 - drives them with super authority! Punchy bass with a nice sub-bass crunch, bass is well controlled, no spillage into lower mids, lower mids have a nice tight body, upper mids are detailed and smooth, the best retrieval of details from PM-3 I heard so far, treble is crisp, airy, detailed, but not sibilant or harsh. PM-3 is more on a warmer smoother side and can get congested with some sources, but not here. Pair up with LPG is Epic!
EL-8C - great pair up, sound is bright and transparent, nice tight bass, lean bright analytical quality mids, but absolutely no metallic sheen or grainy texture, crisp/airy bright treble without a hint of sibilance. EL-8C is sensitive to bright sources, while here sound sig is still bright but well controlled.
R70x - drives these 470 ohm open back cans with authority but closer to max level of volume in low gain, very transparent and detailed sound, never heard these with so much details before. Nice tight textured bass, smooth detailed musical mids, crisp airy treble, and 3D soundstage.
With plenty of power to drive even demanding headphones, I don't see a need for any external amp (unless you want to change the tonality), though I did try it with a few of my portable amps connected to LO. I found DAC output to be very clean and to pair up nicely with E12A and C5 portable amps. But it also demonstrated a more analytical reference quality of LPG internal amp, since with other amps sound lost some of the details and became a little smoother. In my opinion, if you want to warm up the sound, instead of using external amp, try ATE effects or Parametric EQ presets.
Comparison to other DAPs.
Considering a summit-fi status of LPG, I was curious to see how it stacks up against other higher end DAPs I have in my review collection (LP5 Gold, L5 Pro, AK120ii, and QA360).
LPG vs LP5G - very similar tonality with LPG being slightly more transparent and neutral, while LP5G being a little smoother and having slightly more body, LPG has a little more staging width while LP5G has a little more depth, but overall soundstage expansion is very similar. Low end has a similar extension with a very similar sub-bass texture, and mid-bass quantity, though LPG is a little tighter. LPG lower mids have slightly leaner more neutral body, upper mids are very similar, and the same with treble.
LPG vs L5Pro - same as with LP5G, LPG tonality is more transparent and neutral, while L5Pro is smoother and a little warmer, similar retrieval of details, soundstage of LPG is slightly wider, while the depth/height is similar, LPG low end is tighter and has a little more control. L5Pro mids are a little smoother and warmer, while LPG mids have a slightly better retrieval of details and upper mids are a touch brighter. Treble is very similar, but LPG has a little more airiness.
LPG vs AK120ii - similar tonality with a similar transparency, but a slightly different retrieval of details (LPG advantage), also AK is smoother while LPG is a little crispier. LPG low end is a little tighter and sub-bass texture is more layered. Lower mids have a similar body, and upper mids in LPG have a slightly better retrieval of details while AK is a little smoother. Treble in LPG has a little more airiness.
LPG vs QA360 - LPG has a more neutral tonality with more transparency and a little crispier sound in comparison to smooth and warmer QA. Both have a similar sub-bass texture and similar mid-bass punch, but LPG bass feels tighter. LPG lower mids are a little leaner and upper mids are more analytical, while QA mids are smoother and more musical. LPG treble has more airiness and a little more crispy, while QA is smoother.
Next comparison of PAW Gold vs PAW 5000 is just for the reference to see how they stack up against each other.
Gold vs 5k - 5k has a warmer tonality with a sound being flatter in comparison to a more neutral, transparent, and dynamic sound of Gold. Gold soundstage is wider while 5k is a little deeper. Gold bass is tighter and better controlled, while 5k is looser. Gold lower mids are leaner and upper mids have a better retrieval of details while 5k lower mids are thicker and upper mids are smoother. Also, Gold has more airiness and better definition in treble where 5k is smoother while still having a decent definition.
Conclusion.
In my opinion, any evaluation of a sound is based heavily on a relative comparison. What we hear as a warm, bright, or neutral should be relative to some baseline sound. But how do we know for sure the headphones sound warm and it's not the boosted lows of your source, or the other way around where headphones have too much treble energy which could be contributed by a thin bright source? Lotoo PAW Gold takes all this uncertainty out of the equation by providing what I hear as a perfect neutral reference quality source with a high level of transparency and resolution and enough power to drive even demanding headphones. So is this the end-game TOTL DAP? I'm sure it could be for a lot of people, but not for everybody. If you have a collection of bright analytical headphones, the revealing "truth" of LPG can push it over the limit, or if you take a pride in a large collection of songs and albums accumulated over the years - scrolling through a sizeable list of songs could be frustrating where you might prefer a touch screen or some other mechanical scrolling interface. And of course, if you have a large collection of your songs stored in the cloud or a frequent user of streaming services - this won't cut it for you either. But if you fancy the reference quality neutral sound with the top notch transparency and retrieval of details, with an efficient minimalistic all in one display, with top quality DSP effects and access to professional Parametric EQ, a very impressive 11+ hrs battery performance even with high power output, customizable keys, and the bulletproof build quality (aircraft grade duralumin, sapphire glass, gold plated components) - this DAP is definitely Golden and in my opinion worth every penny!

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Review of Superlux HD668B headphones - studio quality on a budget!

This is a review of Superlux HD668B studio semi-open headphones. Manufacturer website: Superlux. Seems that the best prices for these are on Mod Edit: Affiliate referral sales link removed. where you can find it on sale between $30-$35.
It has been awhile since I posted my audio reviews in android communities. But I finally have a new discovery to share with everybody. Even so I have been focusing lately on testing and reviewing flagship IEMs and CIEMs, majority of which cost north of $1k, in this write-up I’m going back to my roots and will talk about sone of the cheapest pairs of headphones I’ve tested to date. Keep in mind these are full size semi-open cans, not another budget pair of in-ears or earbuds where I have seen even lower prices ($5 Monk being the prime example). But still, at $35 or sometime even down to $30, I haven’t heard full size headphones that cheap with a sound that good! Don’t mistake this level of excitement for “OMG, this kills any $500-$1k pair of headphones”, let’s be realistic. But I have no problem saying these $30-$35 headphones have a build quality of other $60-$70 pairs and sound quality that can go head-to-head with a number of full size cans up to $200.
3+ years ago when I started writing my audio gear reviews, my focus was solely on budget earphones, trying to find the next Giant Killer. But you can’t judge something to be a “giant killer” without experience of testing more expensive mid-tier and flagship “giants”. Now, I made a full circle which gives me a more objective point of reference for comparison. I also made an interesting observation about this HD668B model while reading various impressions since its release in 2011. Many of the negative comments I read about it are no longer applicable to this 2016 version, which makes me wonder if Superlux already implemented some of the fixes and improvements based on the received feedback.
The ironic part of this write-up is that I wasn’t even planning to review these headphones and was asked to take a listen to them in addition to something else I requested to review from Gearbest. I probably would have dismissed them just on the basis of how much they cost, expecting the usual of “you get what you paid for”. But I was proven wrong, and now would like to share with you about my experience with Superlux HD668B after spending the last few weeks testing them.
Unboxing and accessories.
Unboxing experience of HD668B didn’t feel at all like I was dealing with a cheap pair of budget headphones. A sturdy cardboard box with a nice cover image, a very detailed spec and a description of the design, and a complete list of accessories with corresponding pictures – the packaging box exterior already carried a message of the product being too good to be true for $35 price tag. But as you know, the writing on the box could be just a part of the overhyped marketing, so without further hesitation I proceeded to lift the cover.
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I was greeted with a set of full size cans neatly packed inside of a cardboard insert and other accessories around it. With everything out, I was looking at a generous size soft nylon carrying pouch/bag, two extension cables, 6.3mm adapter, a peculiar cable clip, and a printed manual/guide. The nylon pouch felt neat and durable, branded with Superlux name. I consider adapter to be a filler, but it could come handy with full size headphones when used in a desktop setup. The clip made sense once I attached the cable to HD668B, realizing it does a great job securing the joint if you pull on the wires.
Regarding the cable, it was actually an extension cord. First of all, the whole idea of a removable cable in $35 pair of full size headphones is impressive. But it’s not a traditional cable with 3.5mm male plug on each side. To keep HD668B earcups slim, Superlux brought out the connector to the outside with a male 3.5mm plug and a very short extension cable. As a result, you attach the provided “extension” cable to this external connector. Included was 1m short cable, perfect for a portable use, and 3m long cable for other applications. You can also combine them together to form 4m extra long cable to give you more traveling room around the desk.
This "extension" cable idea was quite unique, though it would not be easy to find an extension cable with in-line remote if you need to. But you can also argue that majority of people would prefer not to carry a phone conversation with these on. With connector placed on outside, the earcup housing was definitely slimmer. Also, the attached earcup connector cable is very short with a heavy duty shielding and impressive strain relief. Not 100% sure if the cable clip was really necessary since the mating of the cable was already secure, but it never hurts to add another level of protection.
Design & build.
The first look at HD668B brought back the memory of my recent review of ATH-A2000Z with a similar wire-headband design and 3D-wings. Honestly, I was expecting a flimsy plastic construction, but surprisingly found it to be not bad at all. Starting with a headband, you have minimalistic design with a support of 2 steel spring-wires, assuming one carries a cable going to the connector on the left side. I have an average size head, and it was a bit tight at first but loosened up after a short time of being stretched over the soccer ball.
There is no height adjustment like in traditional full size headphones, and instead you have soft foam “wings” on a spring metal wire which self-adjusts as you put headphones on. This could be hit-or-miss with some people who have big head or curly hair (the last comment actually came from my wife). For me personally, it works quite well since I’m already accustomed to ATH-R70x and ATH-A2000Z, both of which have a similar “wings” headband support.
HD668B next to ATH-A2000Z
Though the headband spring-wire felt solid, these wings felt a bit flimsy in comparison, especially a thinner wire attachment - just have to be more careful when taking these headphones off you head. Closer to earcups, the headband wires are held together with a plastic joint piece on each side, kind of reminding me of “y-splitter”. These pieces look to be replaceable, if needed, and made of a solid plastic material. I found HD668B to be relatively comfortable to wear, and with evenly distributed 220g of weight it felt feather light.
Moving on to earcups, here Superlux took a page right out of AKG240. I have no doubt that Superlux engineers were inspired by AKG design, even bringing the connector to outside, though keeping a standard 3.5mm TRS plug for “extension” cable attachment. The back of earcups also has a similar to AKG circular vents, intended for a semi-open back performance. The inner middle part of earcups does pivots to adjust around your head, and it works quite well. The pleather earpads are easy to remove and to replace, especially if you want something softer. Since the earpads look universal and stretch over the top of earcups, I’m sure replacement alternatives won’t be hard to find.
The included original pleather pads are OK, but they do get a little hot after extended use. It definitely makes sense to experiment with different earpads to hear how they affect the sound. Just like eartips of in-ear monitors, you can fine tune the level of low end extension and impact as well as being able to control the top end. In addition, once you remove the earpads, you can also experiment with different dampening foam materials to figure out how it affects the sound. Here you will find plenty of room for modding experiments.
The fit.
Sound analysis.
Before jumping into sound analysis, I left HD668B on burn in for about 100hrs, making sure their dynamic drivers are properly conditioned. Honestly, I didn’t have too high expectations for these, still being a bit skeptical due to the low price. As a result, my surprise was more shocking when I discovered HD668B to be tuned with a tasteful V-shaped full body sound signature and warm detailed tonality.
In more details, I hear a deep low end impact, down to a textured sub-bass rumble and a tight mid-bass which has a bit of a hollow punch. The bass is rather well controlled, articulate, and there is no spillage into lower mids. The lower mids have a nice full body, but there is no muddiness or congestion, while upper mids are clear and detailed with an organic presentation of vocals - not too much upfront, just pushed a little back due to an elevated low end. Treble is surprisingly crisp and detailed, with a good extension, and some nice airiness which helps with layering and separation of instruments and vocals and contributes to higher resolution of the sound. If I have to nitpick, perhaps upper frequencies have a little shade of metallic sheen, but it wasn’t that bad especially when you pair up with different sources.
Soundstage has a good expansion in width, not super wide but definitely way above the average. The depth is not too far out, but you still feel like a few rows in front of the stage, giving a soundstage perception of spreading left/right around you without going too deep. Layering and separation was surprisingly good due to well controlled low end which keeps the sound clean from muddiness without spilling into mids and extra sparkle in treble which adds some air between the layers of the sound.
If you are looking for a good isolation, these are definitely not the best for listening on the bus or in the library, after all - this is a semi-open design. But it wasn’t leaking as bad when you step away 2-3ft. I’m sure some will find this semi-open design even beneficial since it could raise the surround awareness without losing too much of the sound details.
Sound comparison.
Considering 98dB sensitivity and 56 ohm impedance, I found HD668B to be a little less efficient in comparison to my other headphones, and as a result I had to push the volume a little higher. Also, it’s clear that more expensive headphones have an edge in build quality and material selection.
HD668B vs ATH-MSR7 - HD soundstage is wider, while MSR7 has more depth. HD has a deeper sub-bass and a little stronger mid-bass, while MSR7 has a more balanced low end. I also noticed that HD has a little faster attack of the mid-bass while MSR7 is a tad slower. Lower mids are similar, while MSR7 upper mids are more forward, balanced, and a little brighter in comparison to HD. I hear treble as being similarly crisp and well defined, though MSR7 has a little more airiness and a better extension. Overall, the biggest difference here is a more balanced signature of MSR7 versus lifted low end and slightly recessed mids of HD.
HD668B vs ATH-M50x - HD soundstage is wider, while M50x has more depth. HD has a deeper sub-bass while mid-bass is similar, perhaps with HD having a bit stronger impact. Mid-bass speed is also similar. Lower mids are very similar, while upper mids in M50x are more balanced and more forward in comparison. Also, M50x upper mids are a little smoother and a touch warmer. HD treble is crispier and has more airiness in comparison to a smoother M50x treble. While I enjoy M50x comfortable fit for extended listening on my laptop, here I actually preferred the sound of HD.
HD668B vs SoundMagic HP150 - HP150 soundstage comes closer to HD width, but not quite there, and HP150 has a little more depth. Also, HP150 sub-bass reaches deeper to the same level as HD, but a little shy of HD quantity, and mid-bass in HP150 is a bit lower in quantity as well. HP150 lower mids are leaner and upper mids are a little more upfront and brighter with an advantage of slightly improved retrieval of details. Treble is rather similar, being crisp, bright, snappy, and with enough extension and airiness to make the sound more resolving and layered. Actually, after closer listening I hear HP150 being a little brighter in upper mids/treble.
HD668B vs Oppo PM3 - HD has more width and both have a similar depth. HD has a deeper sub-bass extension and faster mid-bass punch with more impact. PM3 mids sound more congested in comparison to HD, though they are more forward in presentation. Actually HD upper mids are brighter and more detailed and the treble is crisper, better defined, and with more airiness. PM3 has a very smooth laid back sound while HD has a faster punchier brighter and more detailed sound.
Conclusion.
I’m starting to notice a pattern where many of my “giant killer” discoveries happen by accident, when I’m not even looking for another budget pair of headphones and instead just asked to try something new for fun. Did I get spoiled by flagships? It’s hard not to, and I’m being honest about it. But sometime it’s refreshing to take a step back and to listen to these amazing gems that cost so little. From $5 Monks to $10 KZs and now $35 HD668B – these are all amazing discoveries that show you how creative a manufacture can get by challenging themselves to squeeze every ounce of performance and sound tuning on such a small budget. HD668B is a real deal Giant Killer, and either if you are on a budget or just want to humor yourself with another budget discovery – I have no problem recommending these semi-open full size headphones because they don’t just look cool and ready for modding, but they also sound great!

Archeer WJ-C1 Review – Not Quite A Star

Introduction –
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Archeer return with another astonishingly affordable Bluetooth speaker whose approachable aesthetic caters towards the younger buyers out there. And yet again, Archeer persist with overly complex designations; WJ-C1 doesn’t roll off the tongue with ease, I would like to see some creative product names in the future. What does impress is the speaker’s surprisingly rich feature list and intuitive controls, both culminating to create quite an appealing package. Of course physical design aside, the function of a Bluetooth speaker remains to playback audio and despite the WJ-C1’s very economical $9.99 USD asking price on Amazon, I would still expect a modest performance. Let’s see if Archeer’s latest speaker honours the impressive performance offered by their other budget speakers.
Disclaimer -
I would like to thank Archeer very much for providing me with a review sample of the QJ-C1 in exchange for my honest opinion. There is no monetary incentive for a positive review and despite receiving the product free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible.
Accessories –
The WJ-C1 comes packaged within a small cardboard box with a render of the speaker on the front, specs on the side and operating instructions on the rear.
I wish Archeer would have included a dedicated manual with the speaker, as the controls are a hard to navigate at first, but deciphering the rear is a simple affair.
Opening up the box reveals the speaker within a plastic bag, a micro-b charging cable and matching colour lanyard to hang the speaker and prevent drops.
The overall unboxing experience is unremarkable on a whole and pretty similar to Archeer’s other products, I wouldn’t expect more for the price.
Design –
The WJ-C1 has a simple design that will no doubt appeal to the younger buyers out there, in-line with the similarly modest price tag.
The star shaped, smoothly formed design is pleasing to the eye as is the soft-touch matte finish to the hand. The main housing is an inviting white which glows in the hue of the RGB LEDs housed within.
Unfortunately the plastic used feels a little brittle and the moulding of the main housing is a slightly off with a small and inconsistent seam that runs through the middle. It doesn’t quite match Archeer’s own A106 rugged speaker, but for the price and intended market, the design and build quality is more than adequate.
In the centre is the grill protecting the upwards firing 40mm speaker driver. It’s a more solid plastic than the rest of the chassis and is perfectly formed in a pastel blue, at present no other colours are offered. Perforations line the grill in ascending size from the centre granting a nice visual effect. Quite a strange choice, a “W” logo adorns the centre, perhaps indicative of the model number rather than the Archeer brand? I’m not too sure. One thing to note is that the speaker is quite light, hopefully indicative of resistance to drops.
Running over the physical features of the speaker, the right side reveals the micro sd card slot whilst the top left corner is outfit with a slot for the installation of a hand strap. The sd slot is spring loaded for easy removal but the plastic surrounding the slot was malformed on my unit.
The speaker has a rubber base that provides some grip and stability when seated on a surface, it also prevents the speaker from rattling when playing at higher volumes. The base doubles as a control pad, containing the various controls arranged in a simple grid. Of note, the buttons don’t protrude to prevent accidental presses. Each button has a double function, the first activated by a regular press and the second by holding the button. Having the buttons on the bottom of the speaker is a little inconvenient but keeps the look more consistent, especially with the internal lighting, most aspects can simply be controlled by the source device anyway. A conventional micro-b charging port lies in the centre next to the charging LED.
The WJ-C1 is a nice, fun speaker that definitely holds appeal to certain audiences. Kids will love the simple look and pastel colour scheme along with features such as the glowing body. The small dimensions are ideal for portability as is the ability to attach a wrist strap. The inclusion of a micro sd slot is pretty neat for younger children who might not have a Bluetooth enabled device. Archeer have told me that he $9.99 price is temporary and whilst the original price is listed at $40, I suspect the speaker will rise to around $20. At that price the flaws in the build quality are small enough to be excused and the added features over other similarly priced speakers may justify the price. Personally, I find the build quality to be very disappointing given that Archeer’s own A106 had an essentially flawless build for just $22 even if it lacked coloured LEDs and a micro sd card slot.
Usage –
The RGB LED system in the WJ-C1 is no doubt one of it’s most defining features. From power on, the speaker illuminates with a soft glow that radiates very evenly across the white body, it’s a nice effect. The speaker automatically cycles through the colour palette but can be manually set to a certain colour using the secondary function of the play/pause button. The lights aren’t super bright, they won’t act as a room light for instance, but I could see the speaker acting as a suitable night or atmosphere light.
Onto the controls, the buttons have no definition besides the printed icons on the rubber base but they have a clicky press and work reliably enough. On the bottom is the power/mode button and at the top is a play/pause button that can be held to toggle the light function should you want to save some battery. The left and right buttons skip tracks but can be held to adjust the internal volume of the speaker.
The Bluetooth function is pretty standard but only remembers one device, if you want to pair another you’ll have to reset the speaker. Archeer don’t specify the Bluetooth protocol but connection was reliable during my testing even if range was pretty average, stretching across just 1 room (double brick walls) before audio became intermittent. The controls worked reliably too with skip functionality working with my HTC, iPod Touch and Windows laptop using Foobar. The same applies when using the speaker for micro sd playback. I didn’t detect any difference in sound quality and controls were similarly responsive. Upon inserting a card, the speaker automatically switched to SD playback but can be toggled using the mode button. Through the micro sd slot, I tested the following files:
-MP3 (320kbps)
-FLAC (16 bit 44.1khz)
-M4a (256kbps)
-WAV (1411 kbps)
The speaker played the WAV and MP3 fine but didn’t recognize the FLAC or M4a. It’s a little disappointing that the M4a didn’t play but I suppose basic MP3 and WAV support is fine.
Sound –
The sound quality aspect is definitely a lot more polarizing and it’s pretty clear that tonality and quality weren’t given too much thought during the design process. From perusing the spec sheet, I wouldn’t expect the 3w 40mm speaker in the WJ-C1 to sound particularly stellar and like the aforementioned A106, the WJ-C1 has a pretty lean sound with minimal bass and a generally brighter tonal balance. However with no rugged features, and no waterproofing, the WJ-C1 doesn’t have as much excuse to sound this mediocre, in fact my HTC 10, albeit above average for a smartphone, sounds almost as good quality wise. I’ve attached some audio recordings from the WJ-C1, HTC 10 and Envaya Mini from my Blue Snowball so you can compare.
Now from my more subjective listening, I can’t recommend the WJ-C1 for any discerning listener. The WJ-C1 essentially sounds like a decent laptop speaker with just a little more low end and treble detail but a similar lack of bass body and midrange warmth. Sub-bass and mid-bass are mostly non-existant whilst upper bass sits behind the lower midrange. Mids are better and generally well portrayed with decent balance. Lower mids are clear if slightly thin whilst upper mids have above average clarity without being harsh, sibilant or hollow. Vocals sound pleasing as do certain kinds of music and the richer mastering of modern pop is well suited towards the WJ-C1’s lean lower end response. The treble response is also pretty good just rolling off at the top. Otherwise quantity is neutral and high notes don’t sound too raspy. Detail retrieval is also better than anything you would fine built into a laptop or smartphone.
Being a mono speaker, there’s no soundstage and minimal instrument separation. Only adding fuel to the fire, maximum volume is very poor for a Bluetooth speaker, the WJ-C1 gets perhaps 10% louder than my 14″ ultrabook which is unsatisfactory for outdoor use but enough for almost any home environment; it’s louder than just about any smartphone. The A106, although offering a sound that is just slightly better, at least offered a lot more volume which I could vouch for; the WJ-C1’s sound really doesn’t have any redeeming features besides vocal discern-ability which is above average on account of the clear midrange.
Verdict –
As you can probably tell already, the WJ-C1 is quite a disappointing product. The design is nice as is the implementation of a few other features uncommon on even premium speakers. But mediocre build quality in addition to below average sound quality paint a grim picture for Archeer’s newest portable speaker. The fun features and looks are thoughtful and I understand that the speaker isn’t intended for the highly critical audiophile audience, but rather something for parents to stuff their children’s stocking with in the upcoming holidays. But even then, just marketing a product towards a less critical crowd doesn’t make the speaker’s physical and sonic shortcomings acceptable.
Accessories – 7/10, Enough for the price, quality of accessories is good.
Design – 7/10, Pleasing design with a lot of features for the price. LEDs are well implemented and lighting effects look great. Controls work well, sd slot functions simply and supports majority of popular codecs. Bluetooth is reliable but range is poor. Build quality still leaves a lot to be desired.
Bass – 2/10, Essentially non-existant, what is there is barely more extended than the in-built speakers on most portable devices.
Mids – 4.5/10, Clear, slightly bright mids, lower midrange is too thin for my liking. Fine for vocals but doesn’t flatter many genres of music.
Highs – 4/10, Reasonably extended with average detailing and shimmer. Rolled off at the top and slightly thinner body can sound raspy with certain songs.
Value – 7/10, At the current $10 asking price, the speaker is still a decent buy on the lighting and micro sd support alone, it’s also hard to find a Bluetooth speaker for such a low price. At any high price, say $20, these features start to become more prevalent and competitors offer superior audio quality as well.
Overall – 4.5/10, I can’t discount the fact that products like this still hold a place in the portable speaker market but it certainly has no place on my recommendation list. Your $20 is best spent on Archeer’s own A106 or Xiaomi’s brilliant Bluetooth speaker, which offers much more volume and far more low end kick for just $10 more. The WJ-C1 favours features and design over both build and audio quality, it's a great speaker at the current $10 asking price but for upwards of $20, the market is too saturated with more competitive offerings.