IEM Comparisons
I’ve compared the H20s to IEMs with similar prices to judge their competitiveness, using Spinfit W1 tips on all earphones for fairer comparisons.
CCA Trio – 3xDD (USD $36)
Tested with tuning switches in stock positions, the Trios sport a much leaner, more v-shaped sound with bass that feels more sluggish – indeed those 3 DDs have trouble keeping up with fast music at times.
Dynamics are flatter, as is the soundstage despite being quite wide, and I find the midrange is less engaging and treble is lower quality too.
Resolution is similar, and although imaging isn’t as sharp discerning tiny details can be easier simply because the tuning isn’t as full-bodied which obscures them less.
ISN Neo1 – 1xDD (USD $39)
Neo1 tonality is again leaner (you’ll be hearing that a lot in these comparisons) and treble is also more prominent. Bass doesn’t go quite as deep and bass texture feels mushier too.
The Neo1’s upper midrange is a bit more prominent which delivers a greater impression of clarity at times despite overall resolution being lower. With just a single driver they’re even more cohesive, but their lack of technical ability is obvious with a smaller stage in all directions.
The Neo1s feel more aggressive, the H20s are smoother & more refined, particularly in the midrange.
Kbear KB02 – 1xDD 1xBCD (USD $50)
As with previous comparisons KB02 sounds much thinner & leaner with appreciably lower note weight.
However KB02’s soundstage is blacker, slightly wider & more holographic thanks to its’ BCD driver. There’s far less midbass & overall bass quantity so they’re much more neutral.
The H20 midrange is immeasurably more full with far more presence however, so I don’t find the technical improvements necessarily worth the tradeoff though larger staging is nice.
NiceHCK F1 Pro – 1xPlanar (USD $99)
The F1 Pros are infinitely brighter, almost the polar opposite of the H20’s warm & bassy tuning. Surprisingly their stage is around the same size, though considerably flatter.
F1 Pro bass is far lower in both quantity & quality, and as expected their tonality is vastly leaner despite a marginally blacker background.
The F1 Pros suit classical music well, but are enormously more analytical and I find them much less musically involving.
Kiwi Ears Quartet – 2xDD 2xBA (USD $109)
It’s hard to believe the Quartets are more expensive than the H20s as they sound far more compressed & lower in overall resolution.
Grainy treble really lacks refinement and sticks out rather badly from the rest of the frequency spectrum. There’s less bass quantity and it sounds mushier.
The Quartets aren’t as dynamic with a slightly wider but almost completely flat stage, and tonally they’re rather dull & boring.
Page 1 – Introduction, Packaging & Ergonomics
Page 2 – Sound Impressions & Technical Performance
Page 3 – IEM Comparisons
Page 4 – Conclusion
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