By Nick Smith, 19h February 2024
Tonality vs Technicality – which camp are you in?
Is it really a binary equation though? Sure, some listeners swear by transducers with supremely natural tonality even if technical performance is poor, and of course you’ll find others who feel the opposite.
However I suspect most of us fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, perhaps preferring IEMs that sound natural but accepting of those that don’t if the technical performance tradeoff feels worth it.
Which brings me to the F1 Pros NiceHCK sent in exchange for a review – equipped with a single 14.2mm planar driver my thoughts immediately race back to the other planar IEMs I’ve tried, which frequently offer superb technical performance at the cost of lousy tonality.
It’ll be fascinating to see if the F1 Pros sound similar… but hang on, don’t NiceHCK make cables??
Their cables tend to be great bang for buck, but I didn’t even know they made IEMs.
This one could get interesting… or ugly. You’ve been warned!
Packaging
The F1 Pros arrive in a small cardboard box containing a leather carry case that’s small enough to be practical, a warranty card, three sets of silicone eartips and the IEMs & stock cable.
You can order the F1 Pros with your choice of 3.5mm or 4.4mm-terminated 2pin stock cable which boasts OCC copper & silver-plated copper conductors, feels pleasantly supple & looks quite premium.
In my cable tests the stock cable actually performs surprisingly well, but given NiceHCK’s audio cable heritage perhaps that’s no surprise!
Ergonomics
The F1 Pros’ small aluminium alloy shells are extremely light, and thanks to their smoothly sculpted form are extremely comfortable in the ear – IEMs I can wear for hours with no discomfort.
Fully vented for pressure relief, they’re beautifully machined and feel very smooth to the touch. Indeed their finish & aesthetic qualities are such I wouldn’t baulk if their price were considerably higher.
Isolation levels are decent, but suffer because there isn’t a lot of mass blocking the ear canal compared to larger, multi-driver IEMs. They’re OK for noisy public transport trips, just not ideal.
The stock cable aids comfort by being extremely pliable & light. I’m a big fan of two-wire cables which look neater than braided alternatives, visually I find that minimalism so appealing.
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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