HIDIZS MP145: Pulsating Response
Cetaceans are order of aquatic mammal family consists of dolphins, porpoise and whales. These creatures known to have a distinctive streamline physiological features that were adaptive on their environment, carnivorous diet, high intelligence in animal world and magnificently enormous sizes that makes them one of the most fascinating critters out there. Blue whales are the largest living animal in existence while the pod of the Orcas are one of the successful hunters in animal kingdom for their complex hunting tactics.
This is HIDIZS MP145, this is HIDIZS' effort for collaboration project with a conservation group that specifically taking care of these magnificent aquatic mammals and their habitat. Some of its initiatives will be donated and proceeds towards Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC).
HIDIZS MP145 is actually HIDIZS' first attempt on planar magnetic configuration on their latest line-up. As I mentioned that about its driver configuration, we in the audio enthusiast community already knows the capabilities of planar magnetics particularly on tonal performance and technical competency that only some few hybrids IEMs will able to match its resolution capabilities but at the expense of better current output to amplify these type of transducers.
HIDIZS MP145 have a new generation, 14.5mm planar magnetic driver. The composition of the driver are made of multi- layers of high quality N52 neodymium magnets which also have thin flat diaphragm with etched wirings on it that are precisely match to have a better sensitivity for faster transient response, better power efficiency of its magnetic circuitry with low distortion rating to deliver a crisper and rich detail with better technical performance.
These well-engineered drivers were enclosured into a solidly constructed metal alloy shell. The shape and an its overall aesthetics of the shell chassis were inspired by some physiological features of a whale like the tail at center with ventral grooves of bottom part of rorquals whales like Finbacks and Blue Whales. It also has cleverly-placed ventilation ports for better bass response and at the same time, an escape hole for excess air pressure generated by its high performance driver. Like all current HIDIZS models, it takes a feature from its recently released Mermaid series with its innovative detachable tuning filter system, The "HIDIZS Pneumatic Sound Tuning Filters". These feature will became a staple feature of all current HIDIZS sets as it offers three types of sonic profiles for better tonal preferences.
Like all HIDIZS IEMs, it uses a proven and sturdy 2-pin connector as its detachable mechanism along with a high quality, 4-core, high purity single crystal, oxygen-free silver-plated copper cable to ensure better flow of signal output. HIDIZS offers two option for its termination plug, either its a 3.5mm SE and a 4.4mm balanced.
Despite of its heft and size, MP145 still offers a good comfortable wear as it rest well into my lugholes even in a long listening. Its contours also gives a better sealing and a good passive noise isolation as it able to blocks some external noises from the outside surroundings.
In product packaging, HIDIZS is one of the few audio companies that gives a good product presentation on their products with its well-organised placements of contents and other accessories that gives a pleasant unboxing experience.
Here are the contents inside of its packaging box:
■ a pair of HIDIZS MP143 IEMs.
■ a 4-core stock cable.
■ a miniature transparent box for HIDIZS Pneumatic Tuning Filters sets.
■ 3 pairs of "vocal" ear tips in different standard sizes.
■ 3 pairs of "balanced" ear tips in different standard sizes.
■ 3 pairs of "bass" ear tips in different standard sizes.
■ an IEM storage case with magnetic clasps.
■ Some paperwork like instruction manual and warranty.
Like all planar magnetic sets, MP145 needs a better current output to amplify it properly and to deliver a very vivid and full range sound. But to my surprise, MP145 is one of the few IEMs with planar magnetic that easy to drive especially on my LG phones in normal gain mode at decent amplitude level (around 60-75% of its volume level) but you will still find it lacking of its dynamics knowing the inherent principle of magnetic planar.
Since it has a tuning filters, HIDIZS MP145 offers 3 kinds of sonic profiles with its colour-coded tuning filters. Here are some sound signatures that MP145 has to offer:
ROSE GOLD - it offers a mild U-shaped sound signature. It has slight accentuated lows and highs with a neutral midrange to give a balanced presentation.
RED - it focuses more on low frequency while there is a noticeable attenuation between midrange to the presence part of the treble to give a more L-shaped sound.
SILVER - it gives a brighter U-shaped response due to some noticeable boosts on the presence part to the brilliance part of the treble region.
Here are some of my observations on its sound characteristics.
LOW/BASS:
The low frequencies of MP145 are absolutely elevated and well-emphasised especially on red tuning filter mode. It is quite punchy, tactual and considerably clean given that it has a well-textured mid-bass that gives more body on bass instruments and a certain type of male vocal. All tuning filter modes have similar bass response characteristics. If you want to focus more on bass quantity, try the combination of red colour tuning filter with bass ear tips to give a more fuller and authority but don't expect that this is basshead's bass quantity.
It has a good sub-bass quality as I clearly hear those reverberations and rumble from octabasses, synthesisers, low toned bass guitars and drum machines from orchestra, hip-hop and synth-pop tracks. Mid-bass is quite well-textured that it gives more note weight on instruments like bass kick drums, bass guitars, cellos and also on bass-baritones vocals. Bass kick drums have a thudding and sustaining sound as it can handles some fast double bass kicks from extreme metal tracks while bass guitar have good weight and resonant tone from them on any plucking techniques from Steve Digiorgio's masterful fretless to Les Claypool's distinctive strumming and slapping. Then on cellos, it has this sonorous, full and open sound (on red filter and bass ear tips, it sounds more weighty and power). On bass-baritone, this is probably one of the best rendition on how it projects its tonal quality in a quite natural way in the realm of planar IEM sets as it has this wool-like and dark timbre with good depth as I listen to some singers with this kind of male vocal type like Andrew Eldritch, Louis Armstrong, Peter Steele and Barry White.
MIDRANGE:
The midrange was presented in a more neutral and somehow a tad notch especially on rose gold filter and silver filter. But due to the intrinsic nature of planar magnetic, it has quite detail, clean sounding sounding and somehow it has an ample warmth to give some dense on note weight for vocals and instrument to sound more natural. I'll divide my observations regarding the tonal qualities of vocals and instruments for each tuning filters:
RED COLOUR FILTER - This setting seems to make all types of vocals either from male and female more balanced and neutral. It also observe that it lessens a bit the pitches of sopranos particularly on lyric and coloratura types but it gives more emphasis on baritones, tenors and contralto. Same with instruments especially on strings and woodwinds that it diminishes the shimmering and crispness a bit. Baritones have a rich, authoritative and lush tone especially on noble baritones, verdi and kavalierbariton. Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix and Dmitri Hvorostovsky were few examples of baritone singers that they sound great on this setting. Tenors have a clear and dazzling sound as I listen to spinto types like Luciano Pavarotti which has more dark and heft on his vocals and lyric baritones like Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras. I also enjoy some modern contemporaries like Freddie Mercury, Lenny Kravitz and Prince. On instruments, it appears that some brasses and percussions benefited more on this type tuning. Trumpets have fuller and warm tone while horns have ponderous, full and sonorous sound from them, and trombones have powerful sound and brassy tone. Field drums and tom drums have warmer, sonorous and sombre sound from them while timpanis have a heavy and thunderous sound which quite blend well with other bass-focused instruments on orchestral tracks in unison.
ROSE GOLD FILTER - This give a brighter and more open sounding on female vocals and gives more bite and attack on strings and woodwind instruments. It gives more brimming and spiceness on some vocals particular on modern contemporaries genres like Robert Plant, Dio, Klaus Meine and Justin Timberlake. Countertenors seems to have that agile, "golden" and velvety on which it happens that it share similar characteristics with mezzo-sopranos vocals. Contraltos have a natural tone as I listen to Toni Braxton and Tracy Chapman as they have that particular husky sound, sufficient weight and dark timbre from their low chesty tone. On mezzo-sopranos, I'm enjoying to listen the vocal qualities of Ella Fitzgerald, Andrea Corr and Sharon Den Adel on contemporaries, and on operatic ones like Simone Simons and Cecilia Bartoli. Sopranos looks to be have these more energetic, vivid and spacious sounding that leaves me a captivating as they have a shining and crystalline quality of their tone as I'm enjoying listen to Alison Krauss and Tarja Turunen. Strings instruments like acoustic and electric guitars have a sparkle, balance and lingering tone as I enjoy either acoustic or solo guitar lines, while on violins, it does have a vibrant, clear and sweet sound from them. On woodwinds, flutes have brilliant and silvery sound from as I enjoy flute lines on Jethro Tull and some military marches like Ottoman Mehters. Saxophones and clarinets have these forceful, reedy and mild tone. Pianos have rather brighter tone as they sound clean with brilliance.
SILVER COLOUR FILTER - this particular setting will give more intensity and expressiveness to vocals and instruments at some point that they might sound a bit overstated from its supposely natural and correct tone. It gives more range and strength on lyric and coloratura sopranos as they sound more shimmering and brimming with velocity as l listen to Diana Damrau and Olga Pereyatko that leaves me into euphonic and hypnotic state. It seems that it gives more crisp and brighter tone on acoustic guitars, a more metallic and shrill on violins,
A more sharper and brighter tone on snares drums. And a tad brighter and brilliant sound on picollos in which might be too extreme to some listener who are quite sensitive on this frequency spectrum.
HIGHS/TREBLE:
Due to constitutive quality of planar magnetics, MP145 is definitely a bright sounding set that it has crisp, gleam and excellent delineation on details. It is also noted that it has very airy and sparkling with sufficient amount of harmonics. Different tuning filters somehow influences the quantity of treble response.
RED COLOUR FILTER - Somehow it attenuates a bit the emphasis on upper-mids and presence treble region but it still retain a good attack and definition while it lessens the possible occurrences of sibilant and stridency. Hi-hats seems to have a good shortened buzzing sound while celestas have lustrous and ethereal sound. Cymbals have a lustrous to glistening tone yet quite sizzling.
ROSE GOLD FILTER - compare to the red colour filter, it has tad more boost and intensity on the upper midrange towards presence treble to give a more "balanced" sound. It sharpens the attack and precision on vocals and instruments to have more presence ane intensity while it has more clarity and crisp on the presence part of the the treble region. It gives a brighter and resonating sound on celestas while a cymbals have a bright and glistening tone.
SILVER COLOUR FILTER - it has similar tuning alignment with Rose Gold filter albeit it has noticeable more boost that some treble-sensitive folk might find it unpleasant. The particular boost gives more emphasis on consonants that might gives some instances of being sibilant while a tad shrilly and piercing sound in high-pitched female vocals. Its gives more metallic and piercing sound on cymbals while a strident and shrill on glockenspiel.
SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:
Depending on the ear tips that will be used on MP145, It varies as it gives an above average to reasonably spacious sound field dimensions. It has an above average lateral wingspan, good height ceiling and pretty immersive depth that gives me a moderately spacious head room within my aural sense.
As for its imaging projection, It seems that it presents a rather concave-like sound field as I was able to pinpoint and panning the position of instruments and vocals in a spatial stereo. It has good separation and layering as I was able to perceive a fairly arranged frequency and tonal layers of each instrument and vocals in a sonic canvas, so playing a more complex multi-instrumental is not an issue for MP145 at all.
Coherency of the planar magnetic is unmatched when it comes to speed and precision that it will be able execute an envelopment of sound. It still has that "planar sheen" timbre but to a lesser degree compared to some planar sets that I have tested before
Resolution capability of MP145 is perfectly rendered on both macro-dynamics and micro-dynamics as it was able to deliver a solid and astounding dynamic sound while it has sharper detail retrieval as it is able to gain some nuances of info from an audio track.
PEER COMPARISONS:
MUSEHIFI POWER
● Product presentation-wise and quantity amount of inclusions, both products are on par. They even have quality accessories, from cables to storage cases. While MP145 is an all metal build with detachable tuning filters, POWER has a high quality medical grade resin as its prime material of its shell chassis. Both have rather chunky shell sizes but MP145 has a better fitting in my opinion.
● As for tonality, POWER is a U-shaped sound signature that has punchy bass but not the most authoritative unlike MP145's bass response. Midrange has an ample warmth to give a texture but on tonal and timbre on vocals and instruments, it sounds less natural to overboost that affects the tonal qualities. Treble response of POWER was less refined and needed some polish as it has observable jarring and sibilant sound and it was also less airy to compare to MP145.
● On technicalities, they are quite similar but POWER appears to have more "planar sheen" characteristic to give that buzzing, tinny and jingling sound that most planar has. Also, POWER is more power demanding than MP145.
TANGZU AUDIO ZETIAN WU HEYDAY
● Both have excellent product presentation and quality accessories. Like MP145, HEYDAY's shell chassis is also made of metal, in particular aluminium alloy. Both of their shell designs are contrasting as HEYDAY takes some inspiration from the curved geometrical pattern from the Tang dynasty era. Although HEYDAY's stock cable is a modular one to make it more versatile to most known device sources. And also HEYDAY was more expensive when the time of its release.
● HEYDAY has a warmer U-shaped which is quite similar to the rose gold tuning filter mode of MP145 albeit it is less warmer. Both have solid midbass response but HEYDAY is less brighter, less crisper and even less airier compared to MP145's rose gold and silver colour tuning filter mode due to HEYDAY's safe and smoother treble quality.
● It seems that HEYDAY and MP145 are alike when it comes to technical performance. Both of them have less "planar sheen". But HEYDAY is more power demanding than MP145 as it needs more power current to drive it properly.
LETSHUOER S12 PRO
● Again, S12 PRO's shell chassis are made of metal alloy that undergoes a CNC-milling process. It has smooth finished surface and more rounded contours unlike MP145's edgy and groove aesthetics . It has a similar price tag with MP145 but the difference that it has a modular cable to make it more versatile to all types of headphone jacks from DAPs to desktop amplifiers.
● As for tonality, it has more U-shaped which is more comparable to MP145's silver tuning mode as both sounds quite bright and energetic, S12 PRO has more sub-bass focus and a less textured midbass compared to MP145. Midrange of S12 PRO is quite leaner and noticeably more recessed compare to MP145 but both have similar vocal and instruments rendering to have crisper and brighter tone especially on strings and woodwinds. S12 PRO's treble response have similar qualities with MP145's silver tuning filter as both have boost on the upper mids and airy response albeit occurences of sibilance are quite present.
● Both S12 PRO and MP145 are eerily similar it come to technical capabilities but S12 PRO has a tad wider sound/speaker stage and more height ceiling. And its seems that S12 PRO has more noticeable "Planar Sheen" compare to MP145 as the latter device has more characteristics of a high performance dynamic driver rather than a magnetic planar.
Before I end my review on HIDIZS MP145, Let me share some of my previous insights and impressions regarding planar magnetic IEMs. To be honest, I'm quite very sceptical on the implementation of planar magnetic drivers on IEM transducers due my animosity on the first generation of planar IEMs for being power hungry as it needs more power output from its source which should be desktop-grade DAC/Amp. That excessive power demanding nature of Planar IEMs really kills off the portability and mobility function of a portable audio stuff.
But as time goes by and some improvements of miniaturise planar technology. It became less power demanding that a competent smartphone with high quality Hi-Fi grade DAC or a portable USB Hi-Fi DAC/Amp dongle able to drive them decently. And HIDIZS MP145 is one of the refinement product that it able to execute an amazing performance with remarkable sound quality and competent technical performance.
I also noticed that HIDIZS is quite adaptive and even persistent on refining its product in every next release which makes them very commendable audio companies out there. If you want a planar IEM which very capable on both technical and tonal performance at a very reasonable price, then MP145 is for you.
HIDIZS MP145 will be available for pre-order at KICKSTARTER. It will be also available on LINSOUL in the future, so check out the links down below.
★★HIDIZS MP145 - KICKSTARTER★★
★★HIDIZS MP145 - LINSOUL★★
There's also a limited edition of HIDIZS MP145.
Here are my other reviews of other HIDIZS products:
SPECIFICATION:
MODEL: HIDIZS MP145
IMPEDANCE: 30Ω
SENSITIVITY: 104dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 40KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR (0.78MM)
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (2) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVERS
PROS:
△ Metal alloy shell that ensures durability.
△ Unique grooves design on its faceplate
△ Working detachable tuning filter system, three tuning filters to choose from.
△ Remarkable product presentation.
△ Inclusion of high quality stock cable.
△ Variety of ear tips to choose.
△ Three types of sound signatures, could even have some slight deviation if you interchanged it with ear tips.
△ Authoritative and tactual bass response
△ Sufficiently warm just give texture and dynamic on vocals and instruments to sound more natural.
△ An all-rounder set for vocal tracking, whether on male or female, it sounds clear and natural.
△ Shimmering, crisp and airy treble.
△ Excellent resolution capability.
△ Competent technical capabilities.
△ One of the few planar IEMs that can be driven decently by a phone (At least for LG or other phones with built-in good quality Hi-Fi DACs.)
△ Very minimal amount of "Planar Sheen".
CONS:
▽ Shell size might not for everyone's prefer size.
▽ As a planar set, it needs more power output to have that optimum sound quality from it.
▽ Treble-sensitive folk should pay attention on rose gold and silver-coloured tuning filters.
▽ Not the most widest sound/speaker stage that I have perceived on a planar IEM.
Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)
Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*
Type O Negative - Black No.1 *
Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **
Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma *
Mercyful Fate - Witches' Dance *
P.S.
I am not affiliated to HIDIZS nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.
Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to ZOIE HELLO of HIDIZS for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.
Comments
Post a Comment