Greetings, Dunu’s snazzy new Zen was unexpectedly sent over for review and arrived today. Decided to unbox it on video for you. Wasn’t planning on making more vids and sold my main video camera, so please excuse the quality. Sound impressions to come. Will likely be posted to the FB group. Feel free to join if you haven’t already; https://www.facebook.com/groups/thecontraptionist Specifications: Driver: Dynamic with Magnesium … Continue reading Dunu Zen: Unboxing Video
**IGNORE THIS EARPHONE. Get the DQ6 instead. You’re welcome.** Greetings! Today we’re checking out another new release from KZ, the ZSN Pro X. This newest lineup of releases from the brand finally seems intent on somewhat unifying the sporadic naming schemes of old, adding an X somewhere in the name; ZST X, ZSN Pro X, EDX, ZAX, etc. I’m all for this, especially if it … Continue reading KZ ZSN Pro X: Misled
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of Moondrop’s most affordable products, the micro-dynamic equipped Spaceship. Moondrop is a brand that has skyrocketed in popularity among forum goers thanks to their excellent performance per dollar products and unique Anime girl packaging. The Spaceship was my first experience with one of their products and immediately cemented them as a brand worth following. After all, not many brands … Continue reading Moondrop Spaceship: Long Term Review
Greetings! Today we’re checking out a new planar magnetic headphone from a brand that specializes in the technology, the Hifiman DEVA. While Hifiman has released plenty of relatively inexpensive planar headphones over the years, the DEVA represents Hifiman’s recent shift towards affordably addressing the wireless market. Previous models to address this audience were the full-sized Ananda BT, and their true wireless in ear monitors, the … Continue reading Hifiman DEVA: Versatile and Capable
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of Shozy’s newest, the Form 1.4. The Form 1.4 builds on the Form 1.1 released last year (which I’ll be reviewing in a couple weeks time), adding an additional three balanced armatures to the hybrid configuration. Inside are five drivers, one dynamic driver and four balanced armatures (hence 1.4), as well as a three-way crossover to keep it all … Continue reading Shozy Form 1.4: Emotional Technology
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the Model 3 BA2 from ADV. Four years ago (has it really been that long!!??), ADV released the Model 3, a 6mm micro driver equipped earphone with MMCX removable cables. It had a stylish, low profile shell similar in style to products from Weston and Shure. Depending on which version you ordered (Live or Mobile) it came with either a … Continue reading ADV Model 3 BA2: Purposeful
Greetings! Today we’re checking out Kinera’s entry into the competitive micro-driver segment, the Tyr. Kinera has been around for quite a while now and is no stranger to the Chinese hifi scene. Unlike a number of other brands, they aren’t prone to pumping out release after release, instead taking their time to craft something unique and interesting every time. Maybe not something that appeals to … Continue reading Kinera Tyr: Mini Yet Monsterous
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the Kinera Sif, the Yang to Kinera’s Yin (SEED). Back in 2018 Kinera released the SEED (Yin), one of a two part iems series (Yin and Yang). It was a budget friendly hybrid earphone originally intended to be a replacement for the BD005, though they had completely different signatures and seemed to coexist for a while. I liked the SEED … Continue reading Kinera Sif: Welcome To The Other Side
Greetings, Today we’re checking out one of Moondrop’s more recent releases, the Starfield. Moondrop is a Chinese company out of Chengdu and has rapidly risen to fame within the audiophile community. They are known for earphones and earbuds that follow the Harman tuning curve, but with a spin here and there to give each product a unique sound, at an affordable price and with stellar … Continue reading Moondrop Starfield: A New Benchmark
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of Dunu’s most recent releases, the DM-480. Dunu is far from new to the audio world, having been an OEM/ODM prior to firing up their own earphone brand in 2006. Around the time I was jumping feet first into the hobby, they were delivering some pretty groundbreaking products like the Titan 1, 3, 5, and the DN-2000. The Titan … Continue reading Dunu DM-480: Twins Basil!
Greetings! Today we’re checking out an older release from Hifiman, the RE600s. While this brand is probably still best known for their planar headphones, their iem lineup has received it’s fair share of accolades over the years. The RE600s is one of them, though it has largely become overlooked in what is a shockingly fast moving industry. New releases are forgotten within the month, and … Continue reading Hifiman RE600s: Timely Classic
Greetings, Just a little picture dump to show you what you get with the new Dunu DM-480. Case is really nice with a grippy, textured fabric and contrasting stitching. Inside there is plenty of room for the iems, cable, and spare tips, and it’s slender enough to comfortably fit in the average pocket. The included tips are excellent, especially the blue cored set. They remind … Continue reading Dunu DM-480 Unboxing
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of the more inexpensive earphones in Pioneer’s stable, the CH3. Micro drivers 6mm and smaller hold a special place in this hobby for me. One of my first unabashed loves, the HA-FXH30 from JVC, mounts single titanium-coated 6mm dynamics in each nozzle and to this day remains one of my favourite products because it balances detail, clarity, control, sound … Continue reading Pioneer CH3: Big Up Yourself
Greetings, Today we’re checking out the new HEX from Brainwavz. When I first saw this product announced, there were a few things that drew my attention. The first of course was the design. The hexagonal, honeycomb pattern adorning the face plate immediately grabbed my eye as it gave the 3D printed HEX a unique look, especially in their now familiar ‘Stay Frosty’ color scheme. Second … Continue reading Brainwavz HEX: Bewitched
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the Andromeda from Campfire Audio. Does this thing really need an introduction? For the sake of writing a complete review, sure, but I’ll keep it brief. The Andromeda first appeared on the market in 2016 and took the portable audio community by storm thanks to a balanced tune that does pretty much everything right. Over the years it has continued … Continue reading Campfire Audio Andromeda: As Expected
The Contraptionist 