By Nick Smith, 6th July 2025
Is subjectivity less valuable than objectivity because feelings are harder to convey, or that the appreciation of facts is more universal?
Often we know immediately if something tickles our fancy. Describing why is much harder.
It’s very comforting and a lot less confronting when you can back up your feelings with numbers, facts, or anything objective you know others can’t disagree with.
Spoiler alert though – recently ISN sent me a pair of their H20s in exchange for my thoughts and from the very first instant I’ve been smitten by them.
So now I feel compelled to spend the rest of this review looking for objective justifications to explain away how they make me feel…
…almost like I’ve fallen in love with music all over again. Stay tuned to lean why.
Packaging
The USD $69 ISN H20s arrive in a cardboard case, inside is a large & flat fabric carry case, two sets of silicone eartips in 3 sizes, the IEMs themselves & stock cable in your choice of 3.5 or 4.4mm termination.
Unlike many others, these new-style ISN carry cases are genuinely useful. Extremely light, thin enough to slide into a jacket pocket, yet reinforced enough to feel extremely durable.
The silver-plated single crystal copper cable deserves mention – it feels supple, the hardware looks deceptively expensive, and sonically it performs far beyond my expectations for an IEM of this price.
Ergonomics
With just two drivers, ergonomically the H20s are a breath of fresh air compared to most recent hybrids.
They’re supremely tiny & small, the resin shells are smooth and they weigh almost nothing.
Don’t get me wrong, I find most hybrid IEMs these days fairly comfortable. The difference they typically stick out quite far, whereas the H20s nestle inside my canals more leaving proportionally less bulk sticking out, and the lack of weight for multi-hour listening sessions is just a joy.
Page 1 – Introduction, Packaging & Ergonomics
Page 2 – Sound Impressions & Technical Performance
Page 3 – IEM Comparisons
Page 4 – Conclusion
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