By Nick Smith, 15th April 2024
How heavily should price influence our expectations?
Recently NiceHCK were kind enough to send me a pair of F1 Pros which I reviewed & liked, along with another set of free earphones… the DB2s.
Upon arrival I was shocked that their extravagant appearance belied their USD $22.99 pricetag, and was surprised to learn they sport a 1xDD 1xBA configuration when single-DDs are the norm at this price.
Putting aside how they can even build them for so little, I pondered a philosophical question – how forgiving should we be of imperfection when price is so constraining?
As someone more used to being wowed by $5000 earphones I knew it wouldn’t be fair to hold the DB2s to the same standards, but they should at least deliver musical enjoyment to be worth buying.
So do they? Glad you asked, because the answer lies ahead.
Packaging
The USD $22.99 NiceHCK DB2s arrive in a small cardboard box, inside are the earphones & cable, three sets of silicone eartips, a small PU carry pouch and of course the all-important waifu card!
The stock 2pin cable is reputedly ‘high purity OFC’ but sadly is available in 3.5mm termination only, which seems like a missed opportunity in a world of DAPs with 4.4mm balanced jacks.
Considering the extremely modest purchase cost the entire package feels more than sufficient, indeed I’m surprised a carry pouch was included which is a nice surprise.
Ergonomics
Physically the DB2s are extremely light and nicely sculpted to fit your canals.
The resin shells are superbly smooth against the skin, and the faceplates are subjectively quite attractive. At a distance the DB2s could easily pass for IEMs worth hundreds dollars.
They’re quite comfortable, and despite their modest weight are sculpted well enough that isolation is impressive. The aluminium nozzles don’t grip eartips terribly well nor am I a fan of their protruding 2pin sockets, but those are minor quibbles.
Page 1 – Introduction, Packaging & Ergonomics
Page 2 – Sound Impressions & Technical Performance
Page 3 – IEM Comparisons
Page 4 – Cable Comparisons
Page 5 – Conclusion
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