Ear Acustic Audio STA-Hi-End

Specification:

Driver Configuration: 10mm Ultra Clear Analysis Dual Magnetic DLC Diaphragm + 6mm Composite Diaphragm Dynamic Coil Unit

Sensitivity: 110dB

Impedance: 30 ohms

Frequency Response Range: 10-30,000Hz

Wire Specification: 0.78mm Dual Pin Oxygen-Free Copper and Silver-Plated Wire Mixed Weave, 1.20m

Inside the Box:

1 x EarAcoustic Audio STA Hi-End Series

2 sets of wide and normal bore ear tips with 3 pairs each

2 core cable

Hard shell carrying pouch

User Manual

Ear Acoustic audio is TFZ, a company I once was a big fan of.

Opening the rather large box one finds the very nice-looking IEM and a big round case, included like above is the tips and the cable and documentation.

The shape reminds me of the great KBear Diamond from the past. I found it fit my ears well and provided good isolation and comfort.

Sound wise I find it very similar to the other EAA I tested the STA-K, I think this one offers a little finer tuning and details, but both are fun.

The Bass of the Hi-end is well delivered with a nice impact and minimal distortion. I find both Sub and Mid Bass well implemented and akin to a nice set of full range speaker with a sub. The Bass is nicely textured, and Sub is a small distance from the mId making the MidBass stand out in clarity. Speed is average and there is little bloating to me.

The Midrange of the STA is amazing; it has little to no recession despite this being a bass set. Vocals stick out for being well bodied and rich/ smooth like silk. Both Male and Female vocals are very pleasant and sound quite natural.

The Treble of the STA HE is energetic and has a nice crisp presentation with decent air and openness. Instruments a clearly head and it has good separation.

The Technical side of the IEM is presented above average with a moderately wide soundstage and a little more height than depth. imaging and accuracy in general are good.

In a nutshell: The Ear Acoustic Audio (TFZ) is a well-rounded Bass driven IEM with good performance for cost and it looks fancy too!

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Punch Audio Portazo

The punch audio IEMs are synonymous with Bass The Portazo is not unique in this manner rather a further evolution of the gentleman’s Bass cannon. Inside the package is the units with small medium and large tips in a smoke silicon and the same in foam. The case is large and roomy and could fit a small dongle or BT receiver. The cable is very similar to its much more expensive sibling and also modular something I like very much.

Isolation was excellent with the stock tips for me, I prefer the silicone, and the medical grade resin was comfortable for all day use.

Sound-wise, the Punch is similar to the Martilo, but the bass feels better delivered on the new one, with more energy in the upper range.

Sound Impressions:

The Punch Audio Portazo delivers a robust low-end impact thanks to its impressive hybrid internals. The sub-bass is impactful and well-textured, while the mid-bass is punchy with good speed and power, though it slightly trails behind the sub-bass and lacks the ultra-fast response some music genres demand. It shines with classic rock and jazz but struggles a bit with speed metal. Overall, the bass is satisfying for most listeners, though hardcore bass heads seeking deeper, more detailed lows may want more. The midrange is as expected for a set with strong sub-bass: warm, lush lower mids that sound decent but recessed, with male vocals carrying richness and body but lacking energy. Female vocals fare better, with a lift in the upper mids giving them more forwardness and brilliance. Depending on the source, the mids can sound quite good, with minimal bass bleed compared to other bass-heavy IEMs, though some still remains. The treble is smooth yet present, not the most open or airy but offering good detail and a natural, controlled sound. It’s a safe tuning that suits the unit well, though a touch more sparkle would be welcome. The soundstage and technical performance sit slightly above average for a V-ish or U-ish tuning, though imaging and width are just average for the price. Not ideal for gaming, but solid for most music.

In a nutshell:

The Punch Audio Portazo is an enjoyable set with stellar build quality, nice accessories, and a fun, engaging sound.

Ziigaat Arcanis

The ZiiGaat Arcanus is a universal IEM priced at $399.00, featuring a hybrid setup with dual 10mm dynamic drivers and five Knowles balanced armature drivers in a 4-way configuration.

Inside the box is a simple yet adequate amount of accessories to get started. You get a case, a non-balanced cable, a set of silicon tips in 3 sizes and one set of foam tips and some replacement filters. The Arcanis is a little older and has the old-style case. The build quality is as expected beautiful looking faceplates with a nice rounded medical grade resin body.

I found the comfort to be perfect and the isolation with the stock tips to be excellent. I personally would have liked a balanced option for a flagship.

Equipment used:

I used the SMSL DS20, ifi Gryphon and Valkyrie and the Tempotec March 3m and V3 blaze as well as the NiceHCK Octave dongle.

Specifications:

Driver Type: Dual dynamic driver with 10mm PET diaphragm, 2BA Knowles 29689, 2BA Knowles 32873, 1BA Knowles 33518.

Sensitivity: 106dB.

Impedance: 12Ω

THD: 0.42%.

Jack connector: 3.5mm SE gold-plated.

Capsule connection type: 2Pin 0.78mm.

Starting price: 399$.

Listening now to the Arcanis now for some time. I can say it is far more refined than the Arcadia and has a deeper bass response than the Crescent.

The dual subwoofers produce a amazingly detailed and unique bass profile that is wide and deep but so mature and balanced. Listeding to bass heavy music the Arcanis rumbles well with both control and authority, on faster metal songs the bass speed and fine tuning are apparent.

The Midrange on the Ziigaat is well done, a mild bleed perfectly acescents the lowers giving warmth to male vocals and instrument to create a nature lush sounding presentation while the uppers are slightly boosted to give energy to female vocals keeping thing balanced and natural. Vocal placement is slightly in front and perfectly clear.

The Treble on the Arcanis is almost neutral in its presentation with a mild lift but no spikes or harshness. The energy is well controlled but has good sparkle and air. Cymbals and other instruments sound detailed with enough crispness to be enjoyed.

The technical side of the Arcanis is immersive and accurate, it has a nice open soundstage with great separation and imaging at an almost reference level.

In a nutshell the Ziigaat Arcanis is a proper flagship offering a balance of great performance with high enjoyability, I personally like this one best out of my Ziigaat collection best.

Punch Aidio Martilo

Specifications / Technical Details

DRIVERS : 1 planar driver / 2 balanced armatures (Knowles RDE) plus 2x8mm dynamic drivers

SENSITIVITY : 100dB @ 1kHz

FREQUENCY RESPONSE : 10Hz-22kHz

IMPEDANCE : 9 Ω @ 1 kHZ

CABLE : 2-Pin 0.78 mm to 3.5mm/4.4mm (modular plugs)

1 Micro Planar Driver + 2 Balanced Armatures + 2 Dynamic Drivers,

priced around $329.

Okay let’s start with the packaging. Cool eye-catching graphic here on this first try of a brand I’ve never used before. The soft, smooth feel of the medical grade resin and guitar pick shaped shell are excellent for all day use as is the passive isolation with the provided tips. the case is large and fits everything nicely, while the cable is thick and modular it is coated well and doesn’t tangle easily, honestly one of the best cables I have seen in this price range. The provided tips are adequate and comfortable.

Testing, as always, starts with the same tracks and my go-to devices like the Tempotec V1, V3, V6, and March III, along with the iFi Gryphon, Valkyrie, SMSL DS20, SP200, and my collection of dongles. After the thorough testing phase, I’ll occasionally pair it with other equipment, and over time, I form my thoughts and opinions about the item.

Sound Impressions:

The Punch Audio Martilo presents with a robust lower impact from the wonderous hybrid internals. The Sub-Bass is impactful and well textured. MidBass is punchy and has a good speed and power but slightly falls behind the Sub in most instances and lacks a super-fast response needed for certain types of music. Although it was very good listening to classic rock and jazz its didn’t o so well with speed metal and the like. Still the Bass is good for all but the most decerning Bass Heads looking for a deeper and yet better detailed quality lower end.

The Midrange of the Martilo is as expected with a heavy and wide Sub response, warm and lush lower mids fall behind the music and sound decent but recessed, male vocals have body and a richness but lack energy. Female vocals sound a little better due to a lift in the upper midrange and sound more forward and brilliant. Depending on the source the midrange can sound pretty good as there is little bass bless compared to other heavy bass IEM but there is still some there.

The treble comes in smooth but not lacking, while not the most open and airy sounding extension there is a good amount of details there and things sound natural and tame. Its a safe tuning but works good for this unit, still I would have liked more sparkle up top.

Soundstage and overall technical performance is slightly above average for a V-ish maybe U-ish tuning but in this price-range, perhaps just average in overall imaging and width. Definity not good for gaming but decent for most music.

In a nutshell:

The Punch Audio Martilo is a enjoyable set with stellar build, good quality accessories and its very fun!

Ziigaat Odyssey2

Specifications:

Driver Type: 10mm second-generation bio-cellulose diaphragm dynamic driver, 2 Knowles 32873 balanced armature drivers, 1 Knowles 33518 balanced armature driver.

Frequency Response: 20Hz–25kHz.

Sensitivity: 105dB.

Impedance: 20Ω.

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.19%.

Jack Connector: interchangeable 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL.

Capsule Connection Type: 2Pin 0.78mm.

Starting Price: $249.

Let me start by saying Ziigaat is a company that recently caught my eye, my first IEM from them was the Cinno a warm and slightly dark sounding IEM with unique and natural tunning. They’ve gone from great budget offerings to major flagships in just a short time. The company has been on of my new favorites for a short time now with brands like KiwiEars, Dunu and Punch Audio. The Box is adorned with satisfactory information and graphics. Inside is the OD2 , a very large case, the nice but thin modular cable, tips of various sizes and the 3.5mm- 4.4mm connectors. I would say the accessories are more than adequate.

The build is stellar with its metal shell and beautifully made faceplate. Comfort is as expected from a flagship and should fit almost everyone nicely. I found the passive isolation very good with the stock tips included.

Sound wise:

The lower end of the Odyssey-2 is profoundly delivered to my ears with precision and speed. The SubBass hits just right with a nice mix of texture and control, MidBass has the punchy vibe i am looking for without sacrificing the overall quality of the details. In short this is not a Bass cannon but rather the technical sniper shooting each hit to my eardrums with accuracy.

The Midrange on the odyssey starts with warmth and a gradual lift to upper brightness but don’t let this scare you, you won’t find any harsh shouty vocals getting in the way of enjoyment here at all. What this does is give you all the richness needed for male vocals to shine and the vivid female vocals to enjoy in one unit. It makes the mids have a nice tonal balanced feeling and keeps them natural and grounded.

The Treble of the Ziigaat is more towards relaxed and smooth with adequate air and sparkle, enough so to make you think there is more to it until it reaches the fast roll off. This makes it very safe for treble sensitive people and keeps your ears from harsh spikes and brighter equipment is still enjoyable with the OD2.

Technicals on the Ziigaat Odyssey 2 are impressive to say the least, well placed instruments with good details and separation, vocals in front of the instruments and a wide and immersive soundstage with great imaging top off the list of my likes.

The Ziigaat OD2 is a more mature V-shaped IEM than the Bass heavy original, very competent and safe tunning that doesn’t bore me is a hard task but its accomplished well here and I like almost everything about this one.

KiwiEars Serene

We will skip the unboxing, its sparse with just the unit and cable included.

The build of the Serene is decent; there is a metal reinforcement behind the headband that extends to the adjustment and swivel point. The pads are plush with a soft pillow-like quality and internally are oval shaped with enough room for average ears, those with larger ears will probably be touching the inner sides. The headband has minor padding, and the cloth covered cable is adequate but prone to kinks. no major creeks or rattles heard with just the headband making a pop each time i put it on. It’s not mad as well as my others for Kiwi for sure, I think it’s akin to oneodio honestly in build.

It should be noted unlike the other reviews that had the early release model this is on the new larger driver gone is the 57.5mm x 51mm Planar Driver and now is replaced by a much larger new scaled-down/proprietary 72mm x 89mm driver.

Specs: Updated
Driver Information

72mm x 89mm Planar Magnetic Driver
Impedance

50ohms±15% at 1kHz (DC)

F0 / Lowest Resonant Frequency

130Hz±20%

Sensitivity

102dB±3dB (at 1kHz, Test Voltage: 0.179V)

Rated Power

10mW

Maximum Power

20mW

Test Frequency Range

20Hz–20kHz

Voltage

0.57V

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

Less than 3%

Sonically the Serene is highly enjoyable and yet predictable.

The warm lush lower end fills ones ears with Bass and texture. Although the Sub-Bass hits its rumble is short lived and falls behind the Mid-Bass punch and speed. The Bass is well implemented and offers good control if properly fed.

The Midrange on the Kiwi is warm and lush with good body and sounds natural, with just a minor recession in the upper midrange. both male and female vocals sounded good. They had enough energy and clarity to be enjoyed.

The treble on the Serene is smooth and dark, like a rich cup of coffee. It’s not for treble enthusiasts, but it offers just a hint of sparkle and air—enough to be noticed without any harsh spikes. The soundstage and imaging are fair; the Serene has average width but good depth, with solid placement and decent detail.

In a nutshell:

The Kiwi Ears Serene is a warm rich mixture of safe and pleasant but dark tuning that could be listened to all day. It is made well and comfortable for most.

Twistura D-minor

https://aoshida-audio.com/products/twistura-d-minor

Let’s start with the unboxing, it was a nice experience indeed to find everything that comes with this sub $40 IEM.

Inside is a nice leather like pouch, two sets of tips in different sizes, a cable, the IEM, a set of different tuning nozzles and even a USB-C dongle. The shells are a unique U-shaped design with short nozzles, while it should be comfortable for most larger tips or using foam ones may help with isolation and fit issues. Its built well and was comfortable for me as is.

Specs:
Brand: TWISTURA

Model: D-MINOR

Type: Replaceable Cable HiFi IEM

Driver Unit: 10mm Dual-Magnetic Dynamic Driver

Diaphragm Material: LCP Dome Composite Diaphragm

Impedance: 30Ω ± 3 (@1kHz)

Sensitivity: 108dB/Vrms (@1kHz)

Frequency Response: 15Hz-37kHz

Connector: 0.78mm 2-Pin

Cable Plug: 3.5mm Stereo Single-Ended Plug

Sonically the D-minor is a highly enjoyable and yet competent beyond its price point.

The lower end delivers both power and precision, with the sub-bass offering a satisfying rumble and texture, even if it’s not aimed at bass heads. Mid-Bass presents with speed and a tight punchy response and has very minimal bleed into the midrange if any.

The Midrange on the D-minor is of median weight and has a wonderful color and tone. Both Male and Female vocals are well represented here with a rich and perfect placement in front of the instruments. Separation and clarity are far better than expected.

The Treble is perfectly controlled with a vivid extension that gives one all the air and sparkle without overextending itself. I found the highs to be just right and natural sounding.

Soundstage on the D-minor is wide and spacious with good height and depth, spot on accuracy with well-done imaging makes this even more amazing.

In a nutshell:

The Twistura D-Minor is a uniquely designed IEM and easily one of the best-sounding options under $40 I’ve heard in a long time. It offers great value and could easily be a daily driver for any music lover.

Baseus XP1

Baseus inspire XP1 x sound by Bose

A quick assessment of these enjoyable TWS buds.

Inside the simple box, you’ll find the XP1 earbuds, a tip, and a charging cable. The earbuds have a chunky pod-style design that should fit comfortably in most ears.

The Baseus Inspire XP1 earbuds are impressive, featuring Sound by Bose technology and Dolby Audio for exceptional sound quality. They offer hybrid adaptive ANC with up to -50 dB noise reduction, and their battery life is remarkable—45 hours in total, with 8 hours of playback on a single charge when ANC is off, making them perfect for extended listening sessions.

The Six microphones are perfect for phone calls and casual video shooting.

The ANC is one of the best I’ve used so far, besting even the most expensive units including Bose themselves. I found the Shape and oval tips to fit perfectly in my ears, and the comfort and passive isolation was very good too.

The sound on the XP1 will of course be richly tuned and my opinions are not important because with the app they can virtually be anything you want. The default Bose tuning is very enjoyable with rich lush Bass, warm yet neutral midrange and safely extended highs with air and sparkle. The Soundstage is good, but use of the Dolby sends it to another level entirely.

With the app you can tune the XP1 to be Bass head, Neutral head, Treble Head or something in-between they really are my favorite.

In a nutshell: The Baseus Xp1 are a great sounding set of wireless earbuds with a lot of functionality and features. Honestly, I’m thinking of just getting rid of my other TWS they are no longer needed and it should be noted I am not a fan of wireless to begin with.

CCZ CZ10 TianGong

Opening the Box is fairly straight forward and simple, inside is the CZ10 a cable and tips.

The design of the CZ10 is a typical guitar pick shaped shell with a transparent window that shows off gears. The dark color of the shell does hinder this nice feature to a point. I found the comfort of the shells good, and no hot points were felt, the shell is heavy but not uncomfortably so. Th isolation was average, and fit was as expected. The tips are weird to me but adequate and the cable was as well but reminded me of KZ cables and both are not impressive to say the least.

The sound on the CCZ was balanced with a nice controlled lower end and deep bass that had low distortion.

both speedy and textured enough for most types of music it was a nice surprise.

The Midrange was more towards Ballanced with a mild warmth in the lows and clean and well-placed vocals made it sound organic and enjoyable. The mids have a medium amount of body and separation giving them natural and mildly musical presentation.

The Treble of the Tiangong is well extended and has a good amount of sparkle and air with a rich smooth number of details here, it is safe but not boring.

Soundstage is wide and has less height and depth but still is very good. very decent imaging and clarity make it well suited for casual gaming and movies as well as music.

In a Nutshell:

The new CCZ CZ10 TianGong is a well-made IEM with a fun, balanced, and natural sound. It could easily be your all arounder or primary budget IEM.

CCA Phoenix

When opening this I was thinking, wow this looks much different than most CCA openings. This is of course due to the fact CCA is now under the ND audio flag. Unboxing was impressive, with a nice cable and accessories considering the low cost of this IEM. The Build quality also far exceeds my expectations of most competitors in this price range. Inside one gets a nice cable, tips and even a leather like pouch with plenty of room. The comfort and isolation for this IEM was above average and for me I found it very good all day in my ears.

Lets talk about gears used, I test with a large variety of different things. From CD to DAP and many different kinds of portable and desktop amps/ DAC combos. On this particular testing it was the TempoTec V3, V1 and The ifi Gryphon and SMSL DS20, with the Fiio KA13, Questyle M15, and Burson Funk and Tempotec MarchV also.

Let’s talk about my impressions of the sound.

The CCA Phoenix is a uniquely tuned IEM, coming from a sea of Vshaped clones. It presents with a warm Neutral tone that is both gentle and organic.

Bass on the Phoenix is relatively lean with good speed and enough presence to not be anemic, it’s there when needed but is very polite.

Midrange on the Phoenix is well placed in front of the instruments but not right in your face. The Mids has an ever so slightly warm tone in the lowers and are brighter more vibrant in the uppers. Male vocals sound good but are not as full-bodied as I would like. Female vocals sound vibrant and not harsh at all. The separation and clarity are refreshing and enjoyable.

Treble on the Phoenix is quite open and well detailed although it is bright it never over does the amount of crispy details I’m hearing here.

The Soundstage is excellent on this IEM with a wide and deep field; imaging is superb and I can hear things placed what seemed to be very accurate.

In a nutshell:

The New CCA Phoenix is the first of this company under a new banner and I can tell they really tried to make a product unique from the past CCA cookie cutter clones of KZ. The Phoenix is well made Neutral IEM that can best most others when it comes to technical and detailed abilities for this price range.