HiFiheadphones

Expert Earphones and Headphones Reviews

Xiaomi Pistons 2 Review and Competition Offer!

Posted on September 25, 2014 by John

This inevitable creep towards better and better sound from a budget IEM is no surprise, but the quality which the Xiaomi Pistons exude is nothing short of stunning. We’ve come to expect some rough edges from cheaper models along with features we have to lump rather than like; however this new IEM changes (yet again) our view of what’s on offer for our little bit of money.

Thanks to the guys at Merimobiles for sending us this sample for review – they will also supply the Pistons to the four lucky competition winners (details at the bottom of this page).

The packaging and presentation is understated; once past the simple cardboard outer box, the earphones are displayed in a good quality plastic case, nestled in a piece of rubber which acts as a cable winder, although this might be a bit tiring to use every day. The chocolate-coloured rubber, together with the bronzed look of the Pistons makes for a real visual treat; perhaps a gentle lift for the expectations before the Pistons are listened to. It reminds me of novelty erasers which seemed to proliferate when I was at school – it smells like chocolate too!

There are 3 pairs of spare eartips along with those on the Pistons themselves, and a separate clip for the cable which takes a departure from the traditional ‘peg’ design. It’s more like a money clip; to remind us of the money we saved, perhaps?

The earphones themselves have a solid feel about them; this is not painted plastic but real metal. There’s no weight issue however, the Pistons sit still whether the cable is worn over the back of the ear, or straight down.

And the sound? It’s just bright and detailed enough without being harsh, and also smooth and mellow enough without sounding veiled. It’s a perfect balance. Having said that, with this version Xiaomi have elected to go for a vented design which cuts out a lot of internal reflections. It’s not an open design though, very little audible sound leaks out, or in.

Bass is very nicely balanced, it puts weight under kick drums and bass guitar without pumping them up unnecessarily. It stays in its place and leaves the midrange clear to impress with details and decays, while the high frequencies pick up details such as hi-hats and harmonics beautifully.

There is also a mic/control for Android handsets, but be careful not to be rude to whoever interrupts your listening pleasure!

Competition Details

To be in with the chance of winning one of four Xiaomi Pistons all you need to do is send a picture to either our Facebook or Twitter page of your current setup/headphones and explain why you should win a new pair of Pistons – on October 29th we will choose the four people who we feel deserve some new headphones. Be as creative as you want – we will put our favourite pics in our blog!

For more information on the Xiaomi Pistons you can visit the Merimobiles website HERE.

FiiO E18 Kunlun Portable Smartphone Amp/DAC Review

Posted on September 25, 2014 by John

Verdict

We are impressed with the sound quality and power which the Fiio E18 provides; together with the mobile DAC functinality and everything else, nothing gives better value for money. However, it would have been much better (and safer) to have that gain switch recessed, or indeed buried into the side of the unit, rather like the E12. There’s no way we would chance using the E18 with an IEM whilst out and about. Either that prominent gain button should be ripped off or the switch covered up with tape, to save our ears from a possible bashing. Similar with the track/play/pause controls on the side of the unit – these can be swithed and operated all too easily.

Pros

Great Value

Oodles of power

Extra functionality with smartphones

Cons

Gain switch and track select buttons too prominent

The Swiss have enjoyed enormous success with their pocket knives, they are handy and can do a variety of jobs. However if wishing to hack your way through the jungle, a 3-inch blade is going to keep you busy.

Up until recently, portable headphone amps appear to have been aimed at providing a good level of power, or a lot of features. The Fiio E18 changes this, as it can accept a digital signal from a multitude of handsets as well as PC, and amplify enough to power any less-sensitive headphones up to 600 Ohms! Please check the E18 Kunlun page on Fiio’s site (http://www.fiio.cn) for exact details on compatibility.

Key Features

The E18 is a no-nonsense design like the E12, but with a few more tricks up its sleeve. DAC functionality combined with track select controls make this a versatile and useful addition to any portable set-up. Gain and bass boost controls will help get your preferred sound from a vast array of headphone models.

First Impressions

The track skip/back buttons on the side along with play and pause are handy, but it would have been preferable to have seen these recessed – unrequested track skips are an annoyance. Bass boost and gain switches are placed near the volume pot on the top end, and there’s little to prevent accidental operation of the gain switch. Accidental operation of the gain switch could potentially be quite damaging if wearing sensitive IEMs.

There’s a switch on the opposite end to select the source for the DAC (PC or phone) and also there’s the option of using the E18 as a power source itself; this was tried with Fiio X3 and smartphone – they both started accepting a charge, although this smartphone is not compatible with the DAC.

The outward design is not dissimilar to that of the E12 which is an amplifier only. It has been mentioned that the E12 is a little better in terms of amplifier quality, as well as more powerful. But the question everyone wants to know the answer to is ‘will it power my headphones?’ and the answer is very likely to be yes.

The E18 was tried with the AKG K240 DF (600 ohms, 88dB sensitivity) and the dial wasn’t turned all the way up – it was ear splittingly loud with room to spare! The E18 should be able to drive anything the modern world has to offer, within reason. The manuafacturer states an impedance range of 16 – 150 ohms, but there’s nothing like trying these things. So long as your recording is done well (and not extremely quiet), the E18 is enough to really blast it out.

Sound quality

The Fiio E18 was run from a PC to test DAC functionality and quality. It was up against an X3 and E12 together, which seemed like a fair match. A 600 ohm Sennhieser HD540 was used.

The E18 appeared to give better resolution; sounds were relatively flat and dull on the X3/E12 combination. I decoupled the X3/E12 rig and plugged into the X3 alone; predictably, things improved in terms of details due to fewer connections in the chain, but the relative lack of power took some of the wind out of my X3’s sails. Bass and hats were pushed back a little.

Summary

With the wants and needs of the average portable audio fan growing all the time (in part helped along by just this sort of product!) the Fiio E18 tries to tick as many boxes and cover as may bases as it can, and it does a great job of all of them.

Score: 8/10