Adverts from FiiO:
※ Dual AK4490EN DAC chips for the ultimate in decoding performance
※ XMOS USB Audio to ensure a rock-solid connection
※ Certified by 3 Major Bodies (Hi-Res Audio, MFi and aptX)
※ Interchangeable amp modules, fully compatible with FiiO’s lineup
※ Balanced and single-ended outputs all in the AM3A
※ Audiophile-grade components (OPA1642 + MSP432 + Panasonic film capacitors + NJW1195)
※ State-of-the-art ADC volume control
※ 3800 mAh battery for longer listening
The crunching, grinding harmonic chaos that is an electric guitar with pedals down is just so ….damn…hard to get right. It does not matter the design or driver type, something is always missing. It’s not missing now
That kid is so stoked!
This guy is so stoked!
Why?
The kid?
unfurling the biggest selling pin-up poster girl in history…
and you can see her nipple….for an 11 year old boy that’s like big time stuff.
The Guy?
I think the guy in the 2nd picture and the kid in the 1st are actually… the.. same.. dude!
Same lines that Campfire Audio has become famous for but in “L” size. Absolutely beautiful down to the last detail. Everything is awesome.
Seriously…it is.
“The real cycle you’re working on is a cycle called yourself. The machine that appears to be “out there” and the person that appears to be “in here” are not two separate things. They grow toward Quality or fall away from Quality together.”
― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Respected, smart, dreamer…nails it.
I want some of that.
**Bob Ross voice**
There’s a happy little aluminum cup over there, yeah..
moving up,…what do we have….oh,
it’s a nice yolk connected by a strong pivot section, for you folks watching at home any old brush will do….lets just enjoy, that’s what it’s all about …yeah?
The padding seems really nice and hey…those plush pads , like clouds…happy clouds being warmed by Mr Sun…….those clouds come right off! Lets just use black, it’s a dark color but it is one of my favorite colors because I can make almost aaaaaany other color with a little help from Mr. Black.
Alright then, lets dip our brushes now…just a bit,
Excellent pics and from all angles are at the site where you will buy it:
Moving right the fuck along…..
Closed headphones always have and always will fall short of open backs when it comes to a sense of space around the listener.
That said, Pink Floyd’s On the Run which is fantastic for panning and spacial audio cues sounds great. Using mostly IEM lately and not my MA-900 has sort of conditioned my mind to getting a sense of space from tuning more than actual air coming into my ear in addition to the sound.
The left to right and back pans, and both sides panning to opposite sides simultaneously is well captured as is the woman’s gate and boarding announcement which resides partly in the early mids but is very clear which is not the case with over extending bass.
Tupac Amaru Shakur (beloved god of THUG LIFE)…his favorite song was:
Just a knowledge bomb for ya.
About that bass…
I bought these because having a driver with good mids and great bass is something beryllium drivers are becoming famous for. That and it’s cups being made of a metal along with the reputation of Campfire Audio is mostly why I pulled the trigger.
On 2pac’s Ambitionz az a Ridah’ the bass thump is clean and falls fast. The speed of the driver is preventing an elevated bass from becoming a mid frequency issue. Nothing else is clouded or less resolving because of the bass hit that pins down the entire track. I like bass but I like mids even more. Scooped mids kill. They kill hopes, they kill smiles they ..
I would rather it sound as if the lead singer were standing on my fucking face than sound like he was in another room behind the band. This set makes me not have to deal with either discomfort but if they had thin mids or distant vocals I would be shredding them in a video..I NEVER DO WRITTEN REVIEWS OF GEAR UNLESS IT IS BOSS. Vids are easy. Writing is an A.D.H.D torture event.
AC/DC’s Girls got Rhythm,
I have come to realize how much this track which is a fantastic vinyl rip, throws guitar and vocals a notch or more back whenever there is a dip in the mids. If the 300-2Khz range is warped it will show on tracks like this and Fleetwood Mac’s Gold Dust Woman loud and clear.
Noteworthy to say the least is the ability of this set to play back guitar with distortion pedals in a way, I have not heard on many sets of head gear of any type, be it B.A. , PLANAR , DD..IEM, on-ear or overear.
The Beryllium driver coating is clearly cleaning things up via speed and recovery of all the minutia that happens during distorted guitar playback. It is almost like a unicorn for folks who have never heard good audio gear as they have never heard it and literally have no idea what they are missing. Ignorance is not bliss but it helps to not drain the wallet like this hobby does.
The crunching, grinding harmonic chaos that is an electric guitar with pedals down is just so ….damn…hard…to get right. It does not matter the design or driver type, something is always missing. It’s not missing now
Hearing this vinyl rip like this and knowing I can grab this set anytime and hear this kind of replay is worth the price of admission alone.
E.L.O Telephone Line
All kinds of trebles ready to make you want to rip your skin of your face if the driver has spikes in the wrong areas.
Seriously…50Hz tone at 145dB for 20 minutes or
8.5Khz at 145dB for 5 minutes?
Man, I’d get to minute 2 of 8.5Khz and cry before going insane and jumping out a window and impaling myself on something.
The FiiO F9 original version is good for 2 songs in a row and that is it. Game over, fatigue has arrived and annoyance and anger are following close behind. I bought the Beyer T1 and long term listening sessions with that beauty was just impossible.
The Campfire Audio CASCADE is built for long listening. Maybe it’s the basshead in me but this is not a bassy set it is a mid centric one. This is built for full album sessions. I believe this is the first review I wrote while listening to the item reviewed the whole time.
1 = Get these things off my fucking head
10 = Sound so good I forgot something important and…don’t even give a shit. I’m in this hobby for the 10’s brah!
Well…I got an e-mail asking to change a boxing spar session to tomorrow instead of Sunday (J.S.T) and forgot to reply till typing that 1-10 stuff and he has a new baby and I am not gonna mail him at 11:50 P.M and wake his kid and piss off his wife.
My Review of the Campfire Audio CASCADE Headphones. is done. A pretty good video review will soon follow.
A star and a movie from 1977. EPIC,…like these headphones.
**A review will be coming up as well as a video as the launch date approaches so stay tuned**
The FiiO FH1 is a shot at the Beats babies. That is a good shot to take as they are a massive chunk of market.
(x1) Dynamic 10mm Titanium
(x1) Balanced armature drivers. the “Knowles”33518
Specification
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 40KHz
Impedance: 26Ω
Sensitivity: 106dB/mW
Maximum Input: 100mW
Plug Type: 3.5mm + 2.5 mm
Cord Length: 120cm
Single Earbud Weight: 3.65g
FiiO has made a plastic design with an MMCX connect and mesh covered nozzle with a lip for securing the eartips. The interior is lined with plastic to secure the driver and reduce resonance. The nozzle is fitted with a brass tube to control bass resonance and reflection
It feels like a peanut which is cool cuz it sits in your ear like hearing protection. Like all of the Fiio F9, F9 PRO and this FH1, they all fit very good. VERY good.
Foreplay/It’s been such a long Time
From F9 PRO
The FH1 has a slightly more intimate presentation but it is by no means restrictive.I just watched a vid describing this but damned if he mentioned a song…any song. The fuuu?
Using the song above the sense of space was still there but comparing with the F9 PRO it is not as wide..the sense of width anyway but that comes from treble peaks and i would take this over the F9 PRO
Gold Dust Woman
Male and Female vocal Fundamentals are stretched across the entire mid range.
Stevie Nicks and at times Lindsey Buckingham and others sound well balanced and well placed. The mids would be slightly forward or proper. There is no recess detected to my ears. The mid to early treble is one of the strong points of this set. Guitar also sounds very good both electric and acoustic.
If you know where the mids start and finish you will note the almost identical lines so clowns claiming the mids are of less quality than the F9 PRO are just full of shit.
You.. of the broken ears and crippled morals or.. are just too lazy to even mention the music you listened to, to arrive at conclusions with no reflections to point to in measurements c’mon… I have been noting that since Summer 2017 and you folks are kinda messed up. This is music gear. What in the good god fuck did you listen to for fucks sake?
Has HBB gone mad!! Seriously. Sweep the garbage sites away by ignoring them. Ignore this site if the truth makes you queasy and uneasy.
Dazed and Confused
Now this is where the real difference occurs. The bass is impactful and authoritative without EQ yet it does not bother the mids at all. This is easily my favorite “F” series IEM done by FiiO. Texture? Cmon man, 35Hz is 35Hz. It (the driver) moves with enough speed to play bass guitar solo’s with all 4 strings doing their thing and you hear it clearly. All music sounds great but, Reggae like Bob Marley – “Natural Mystic” sound dope. Nice punchy bass with Bob Marley and the Wailers coming in loud and clear
Shorty Wanna be a Thug
The treble of the FH1 is not as airy or rough as the F9’s. Both of those sets are not comfortable for me listening to whole albums or sides of albums. The FH1 gets all the detail of this track with a slightly less sense of space due to treble peak position. It is an easy compromise for me as i like detail but not so much it limits my listening marathons.
Did FiiO do what they set out to do?
I dunno?
What were they trying to do with the colors….hmmmm bass and colors…sounds like…yup!
About time. That is a big market and they should make lots of these and hopefully sell them all. I LOVE THE FIIO FH1!! They finally got it right if 80% of the market means anything and damn…son….it sure as fu does!
Buy it here:
I knew about The Walkman before I knew about the ipod.
Somewhere along the way the teacher (Sony), became the student of Apple. The ipod was simple and snappy and small. Sony was all over the map with new ideas every year and proprietary devices, systems and connectors. The must have made more money from folks trying to enjoy and integrate their devices with non Sony than they ever made of the devices themselves.
It was tiring and often not good.
However for every for every 5 FAILS there were some wins. The Sony EX1000 is considered by many to be the apex form of the single dynamic driver IEM design. I like mine so much I spent more decorating it than the item itself.
I also found the MA-900 t be to my liking enough to do the same for them.
I had not realized that Sony had dug their way back into my life until they were there. They had not broken back into the player realm though.
It was hot garbage. It favored Sony’s own file type…of course. I would rather learn a new version of Android than walk through that mess.
Then somebody tapped me on the virtual shoulder and thought i should have another look and I did..
Like an ipod on steroids with a nice weight and size. build quality supreme.
The interface is a series of panels that sit around the main screen that you can reach by swiping up/down/left/right. If you are in direct mode it’s that simple. ipod like in it’s ease.
If you switch direct off you get another level of DSP options including a nice 10 band EQ with another couple of options to satisfy the tweaker that lives in most gear geeks.
Sounds a tad south of Neutral. I hate Neutral. Has a tint of warmth and body to the music. Sounds real. Vocals and guitars sound clear and have good texture and transients. The note has a full life from the moment a bass guitar string is pulled until the harmonic extension has died away. This captures that perfectly.
Music will usually be whatever your earphones or headphones are tuned for. Good music players really should not be notable …just kinda get the fu out of the way and maybe leave a small sonic reminder they are there. The Sony NW ZX300 leaves a nice residue of musicality that is well received by the ex1000 or Unique Melody ME.1 (planar) or the 64 Audio U12 (Balanced Armature) or the NCM “Bella” (Hybrid).
Balanced output is where this thing shines the brightest. Believing in balanced benefits aside the power output is better and thus dynamics improve. There is always that.
NW-ZX300 – Key Features:
They seem to by luck or …nah…by luck, to have nailed it.
This is what they have done
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkman
Just reading that makes me remember why it took so long to return. Like they were trying to keep me away and kill their own market…and now they are on their way back to taking what was theirs. Do they even realize that? Who cares. This unit is awesome. This review is about that and it is in fact excellent.
Get it in Asia
http://www.accessoryjack.com/sony-nw-zx300-walkman-with-high-resolution-audio-black.html
Get it in America
The Hiby R6 is the world’s most advanced HiFi music player, it comes with not one, but dual ES9028Q2M DAC chips, coupled with a HiFi discrete amplification architecture after the dual DACs comprising 5 separate chips, including high quality OPA1612 LPF and TPA6120 amplification chips for high power output (up to 300mW under a 32Ω）
R6 supports all high-resolution audio formats, equipped with WiFi and DNLA Bluetooth 4.0 aptX, ensuring flawless wireless communication.
Even the cables are awesome
Hiby has it’s own steroid enhanced version of Viper for Android and boy is it a winner.
MageSound 8-Ball
That’s the name of their main DSP or should I say full suite of DSP’s
It’s called 8-ball but has 10 setting bars
Each of the 10 sliders has an effect of counter effect that can be adjusted in increasing amounts of range
![Screenshot_20171226-210245[1]](https://badguygoodaudioreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/screenshot_20171226-2102451.png?w=840)
Other DSP include a Parametric EQ which is really what most folks like myself want. It is a work in progress as I have a pre-release device and pre-release firmware. It should be epic when complete.
Has a standard Graphic EQ with some pre-sets.
Digital music players do not have sound characteristics like:
speakers/transducers/drivers <<<all names for the same thing which are your headphones or earbuds and everything in between.
Calling a Music player “U” shaped (Bass up, mids down, Treble up) is a symptom of the internet allowing anyone with a website…(looks in mirror) to make pronouncements about shit they know nothing about. George D. (Figure it out) is a guy who loves everything and drops the collective I.Q. of the entire hobby by about 20pts. He’s a hype man who thinks he reviews stuff.
No, I’m a hype man. I hype what I love and you don’t see stuff I don’t like. You see an un-box and then nothing ever again. What happened to that thing?
Short version?
kinda sucked, not gonna advise anyone spend anything on it. That’s it.
These devices with help from filters have very subtle nuances that make one or the other more preferable to any given individual.
You got it? Your fucking headphones exert more influence on the final sound you hear and anyone who implies otherwise is a fucking con man plain and simple.
First DAP manufacturer to come right out and claim bit-perfect without any qualifiers about this mode or that setting. It has what they call DTA (Direct Transport Audio)
Mobile version of high quality DAC x2
This is where shit get real. 3 gigs. What is the difference between a DAP with 1 gig or 2? Who cares…They both don’t have 3. The Hiby R6 has 3 and this device is very fucking fast son
Very nice screen, lie the Dx200 without ghosting and pedestrian ipod audio quality.
Almost the latest and very stable. no glitches even on my demo model
![20171211_225143[1]](https://badguygoodaudioreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171211_2251431.jpg?w=840)
Speed.
Blazing 3Gig of RAM…hold my phone wait… no that’s my DAP ..kinda speed that is going to be the industry standard within months of this post for top shelf items running robust droid platforms.
The R6 has the fastest, most intuitive user interface of any droid based DAP I have ever touched. It’s insane.
This is done with a mind toward speed and was not a cost saving thing on the part of Hiby…knowing that and understanding that makes it O.K., but…….I want the whole world in my hand
I want the whole world in my hand
I want the whole… world… in… my…. haaaaaaaaaand!!
Ever read music player compares and the dude never even mentioned the songs played when the conclusions were made? Kinda boggles the mind.
I got you bruh!
Before I started messin’ with DSP the sound had a sense of impact that is not going to show in a graph. Aside from that every trait assigned to this device by others in the future will be them talking about their IEM/Headphones.
Bass, wide stage, mids/treble are driver traits.
They have a audiophile bass but can be EQ’d. Before doing so, the bass on these seemed stout and defined with impact when using the Hiby R6 in balanced mode. The filters and power stage on this device must be real good.
If you want to ask about the R6 compared to another it will be using the Sony EX1000 or Unique Melody ME.1 and it will be a song from the albums above so if you don’t have those IEM or listen to that music it is a waste of time. Sorry but welcome to the real world. With different gear and music the result will be different. That is self explanatory.
Yeah, I think it is the fastest best sounding most tweakable DAP on the market at any price range and the build quality is outstanding. They built this to punch the market in the mouth and they broke some teeth…they really built an amazing device.
Joe Bloggs and team kicked some ass.
That’s my Hiby R6 review….beechuz
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hiby-r6-worlds-most-advanced-android-hi-fi-player-music
Trust me. Or another dude you never met who never talks about what they listened to while judging audio gear…
The “Bella” is an absolutely gorgeous set of IEM which bridges the Audiophile/Basshead gap quite nicely
(x1) Dynamic 10mm driver
(x8) Balanced armature drivers.
Shock proof case
Soft carrying pouch
Cleaning tool and cloth
OFC ultra soft removeable cable
Typical Universal IEM using the bump for resting on the inner ear to hold the DD. They actually have made the smallest 1DD 8 BA hybrid I have seen and it is smaller than the Kumitate Labs KL-REF which is a DD BA hybrid but has less BA
NCM has stuffed a lot of stuff into a shell the size of 64 Audio’s U12 sized frame
The “Bella” is smaller or identical to U12 and smaller than ME.1
![20171220_221648[1]](https://badguygoodaudioreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171220_2216481.jpg?w=840)
![20171220_221743[1]](https://badguygoodaudioreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171220_2217431.jpg?w=840)
Going Back to Cali
Hit that play button!!
The Bella slams on this classic track. Without EQ it hits hard and with an amp and EQ it is among the heaviest hitters I have tried. NOTHING beats a Dynamic Driver for bass impact. The 8 BA drivers assure that the rest of the frequency does not disappear.
This is a set that goes from polite to slamming pretty easy.
Git some of that low end baby!
My go to track for panning cues and the Bella has a massive virtual stage. The 8BA are doing good work and the tuning lends itself to present big stages in a big way. I hate compact deliveries and this does not do that. Having lots of bass and lots of stage is a hard find and Bella does it well. The left to right and back panning cues on this classic Floyd track are all there and very clear. I was expecting a bass monster with no mids and a limited stage and got a shit ton of space and sparkle.
Gold Dust Woman
Because of the male and female vocals through this track and the quality of the mastering it is a great track to judge vocals and any sense of them being pushed back or forward. The mids are a tad forward but it is actually a nice listen and the graph shows a smooth transition from bass thru mids to treble. they sound a bit forward (vocals) bit recessed is unacceptable to me and a touch forward is what I prefer.
This is where the “Bella” really really shines. See that graph above again. The treble is bumped right in the sweet spot and not spiking at 7.5-9khz. It is falling but no sense of roll off. The details in this awesome track on this fucking awesome album…..Mike got weird but this lbum was an epic masterpiece of mixing by Quincy Jones and others.
For a set that was focused on bass when sent to me…I imagine? The Treble steals the show. Absolutely tuned perfect for my ears. I played through and loved this whole fucking album on Bella….absolutely fuckingdope!
This is sparkle. Slam and sparkle with no scoop…2017 ladies and gents…good times!! The Hybrid sets are getting better and better
I had no idea who NCM was and they contacted me…and I am glad they did. Thomas was polite and did everything he was going to do when he said he would do it.
I would rec the company anytime. I have no incentive to kiss ass. I wouldn’t anyway but I got none. The dudes from Vietnam are cool very cool and the gear they make is fanfuckingtastic!
I highly rec the “Bella”. Never assume but……gotta imagine they make some more good shit over at NCM.
Big Thanks to Thomas!
Their website is here
Their Facebook is here
https://www.facebook.com/nguyencustomsmonitors/
Their Instagram is here
https://www.instagram.com/nguyencustom/
Listened to this just before my review…good shit!
VIDEO REVIEW ON YOUTUBE IN ABOUT 1 WEEK
O.G. Audio community member CasperTFG/PETEREK, has been modding gear for a long time. Terminations, paint jobs, wood covers…you name it. He is not nutzo crazy about price either.
Best modder in the hobby, PETEREK, Check him out!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThePETEREK?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
He turned my MA-900 into balanced mini xlr multi termination beasts
Highly rec this dude!
Check him out for your custom needz!
![20171205_124130_001[1]](https://badguygoodaudioreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171205_124130_0011.jpg?w=840)
Review coming in a while. Will re-post once review is complete
![20171205_011540[1]](https://badguygoodaudioreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171205_0115401.jpg?w=840)
Lets put a spotlight on what’s not right
If you want to share stories send them to me and I will keep your identity secret.
This will be updated and completed over time. Submit stories to me via e-mail 😉
No real names will be used. This is not about the people…it’s about the problems…caused by people.
UPDATE 12/9/2017
See a lot of folks checking this. No worry musicday your fraud will be explained as will Echobox and LH Labs and Trinity Audio and others. The folks that scam each other via shady transaction and companies that commit mass fraud.
Musicday..
Favorite song?
It’s not really gonna be a Music day?
Going to be a omg dude!!! wtf??? day.
If you wanna share private stories without names feel free. or with names so long as not naming forums or sites.
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