audiosplitz: December 2015

Bang & Olufsen

Noise Canceling Immersion - A 3-Part Series

December 29, 2015

aptX

Earin - Wireless Earbuds Launched

December 28, 2015

Beats

2015 Holiday Gift Guide - Portable Audio

December 20, 2015

As Christmas beckons and 2015 comes to an end, let's take a look at some great portable audio gear you can gift for your loved ones. Not sure what to get? Fret not! We break down a few choices for each persona.

Merry X'mas folks!

Fashionistas
1. Beats Solo 2 Wireless (SGD 490)
This model is a head turner with the variants like the Active Collection (for sports lovers), and Luxe Editions (for a more premium look) being recently released.

2. Sennheiser MOMENTUM On Ear (M2) (SGD 319)
The MOMENTUM series is helluva looker and why change a proven formula? And they haven't, given its design has been around since 2013.

3. Master & Dynamic MH30 (SGD 549)
This New York company is certainly going places with its premium design. Want something novel? It ain't seen very much in Singapore (yet).

No Cables Please (Wireless)
1. Bose SoundLink on-ear Bluetooth (SGD 379)
The OE SoundLink is one of the best in the wireless on-ears category for sound delivery. The price is very decent too.

2. Sennheiser URBANITE XL Wireless (SGD 419)
They are great headphones for street wear and high quality sound over Bluetooth makes for good icing on the cake.

3. Sony MDR-1ABT (SGD 499)
A good choice for a multitude of reasons - It's comfortable, it supports aptX and LDAC codecs and it's a Sony.

Sports Lovers
1. Jaybird X2 Wireless (SGD 259)
These rank right up there for sports earbuds. They are highly customizable and the Comply foam tips offer great noise isolation and fit.

2. LG Tone Active (SGD 189)
The space-age looking TONE series has been a killer product for LG. What better way to improve it than to make a sports variant?

3. Jabra Sport Coach (SGD 248)
It's pretty hard to find an effective product that gives an integrated software and hardware fitness solution.

Users On-The-Go (Noise Canceling)
1. Bose QuietComfort 25 (SGD 529)
The QC25 blocks off sound to the extent that you feel you're in a world of your own.

2. Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H8 (SGD 699)
This is a premium looking pair to be seen with. Oh, and it's great to use on an airplane where the engine hum is just taken away.

3. Sony h.ear in NC (MDR-EX750NA)
This really light pair of in-ears works wonders on the train. Once you flick the switch on, the train grinding sounds are magically reduced.

Audiophiles
1. Klipsch Reference X20i (SGD 999)
These are certainly pricey but the sound delivery will certainly appeal to purists.

2. Grado SR60e
The SR60e is their entry level headphones and despite that, the quality of the music is simply amazing for its price.

Audio Quality

Klipsch Reference X20i - New In-Ear Flagship

December 19, 2015

The Klipsch Reference X20i was launched in mid-November 2015 along with 3 other in-ear products. This unit now replaces its previous flagship earphones, the X11i, as Klipsch's top-of-the-line unit. Boasting a dual-armature design and retailing at SGD 999, we dive in to review the unit.

Design
Let's take a glimpse at the unboxing. The box is a solidly crafted wooden container with a black sleeve that boldly announces the product.

On sliding off the sleeve, we are greeted with a deboss of the Klipsch logo on the wooden front.

Removing the lid unveils a premium looking leather pouch that contains the X20i in-ear monitor (IEM). A closer inspection of the box reveals there are small magnets at the top and bottom that hold the lid firmly shut, a nice touch that gives assurance that its contents won't fall out very easily.

Once you remove the pouch and underlying user guide, you'll find a tray containing 5 sets of silicon ear tip sizes and a tie bar for clipping to earphones to your shirt.

The full packaging contents are as follows:
- Klipsch Reference X20i
- 6 Super Slim Ear Tips (1 set which is on the earphones)
- Carrying pouch
- Owner's manual

The Klipsch Reference X20i comes in a single color variant - a black finish. At 22g, the chassis is relatively light considering it is forged from 'surgical-grade' stainless steel, promising a certain level of durability. They are designed not to fit perpendicular into your ear hole but to rest at a comfortable incline.

One big plus is the 1.2m cable is tangle-free and it proves to be the case after stashing and taking it out on a few occasions. The cable itself is quite an eye-catcher, with its translucent nature revealing the copper wires concealed within.

The carrying case is made of genuine leather and resembles a coin pouch, complete with a magnetic clasp, with sufficient space to slot the earphones within.

Features
The cables of the Reference X20i are interchangeable. What this means is both the left and right sides come with screw-type coaxial SSMCX connectors to allow for a convenient exchange of cables should the need arise through wear and tear over the years. It's worth noting that the Jays q-JAYS implemented similar connectors but were placed right at the base of the ear piece.

Starting from one end of the cable, you get the 3.5mm straight jack which provides a sturdy connection to your music device.

Moving further up, there's the cylindrical Y-connector with the Klipsch logo printed on it. The in-line remote lies on the left cable and comes with a multi-function button meant for playback (single press), track changing (double or triple press), taking calls and is flanked with 2 volume buttons.

Performance
You really have to test out each pair of silicon ear tips for the best level of comfort. Klipsch emphasizes that these are super-slim oval ear tips that are more elliptical than previous efforts making for a more comfortable experience. Out of the 4 single- and 2 double-flange tips, I found that the Large double-flange suited best and they did just fine when used in excess of an hour.

From the audio quality perspective, I was rather underwhelmed initially as the sound delivery appeared muffled somewhat. I decided to put the earphones through the paces with a (meagre) 50 hours of continuous playback to 'break-in' the X20i.

We took them out for a spin after the break-in period. A listen of In The Dark provided a well balanced delivery of Sarah Cracknell's vocals against a dreamy backdrop of acoustic playback. Joe Hisaishi's One Summer's Day piano buildup is never blindingly crisp but the combined orchestration from the 04:00 mark convinces of the X20i's ability to separate instruments.

I felt that the emphasis was not on the clarity but more on the overall delivery of the sound. While this is a rather flat sounding pair of IEMs, which audiophiles would love, there is a slight hint bass which made the music more engaging and this worked for me.

Noise isolation is quite decent. When tested on a bus (and when fitted nicely), the X20i is able to block off a reasonable level of ambient sound and engine revs.

Overall
The Klipsch Reference X20i is undoubtedly a good pair of in-ears though its price point may cause some concern. If the question is whether other in-ears can deliver a comparable sound, there are definitely cheaper options out there. If the question is whether this is a good IEM to invest in, the well balanced sound, comfortable fit and the nature of the interchangeable cables make this a good choice for the long haul.

Where To Buy

If you like what you have read on the product, do feel free to support me by buying from Amazon via this affiliate link. The price start from USD 439 and is bundled with some additional goodies!

Audio Sources
One Summer's Day (Spirited Away OST) - Joe Hisaishi (Tidal 1411kbps FLAC) on iPhone 6S
In The Dark - Sarah Cracknell (960kbps FLAC) on Sony NW-ZX100 Walkman

Credit to Tat Chuan Acoustic for an evaluation unit.

Apple

iPhone 7 - Impact of Ditching the Audio Port

December 14, 2015

The iPhone 7, the next version of Apple's overwhelmingly popular phone, to be unveiled in 2016 is rumored to have a design overhaul. The big news from the audio perspective is the universal 3.5mm audio port may actually be removed (gasp!) to accomodate the thinner industrial design.

Philips Fidelio NC1L

This should shake the living daylights of the major headphone manufacturers out there. Granted that many have migrated to sell wireless Bluetooth units but quite a few have clearly not done so. Let's take a look at the impact.

What are the Implications?

1. Increase in Wireless Headphones

A no brainer. Many audio manufacturers have wired and wireless offerings. If the removal of the audio jack comes to fruition, those that don't already have wireless earphones will have to ramp up their efforts to get a Bluetooth offering before the iPhone 7 launch. There are actually quite a few folks such as RHA and Grado that may need to put in some R&D effort straight away.

2. What About the Top Brands?

Among the top brands by revenue in 2014 according to The NPDGroup, most of them have wireless offerings in the over-ears, on-ears and sports categories. While Bose and Sennheiser have wireless over-ears and on-ears offerings, both these brands are conspicuously absent in the sports wireless segment. You can expect these big players to upgrade their sports arsenal of products very soon.

3. Rise of Lightning Earphones?

While you may scoff at the idea of earphones with a Lightning jack, let's take a step back to reflect. If you remember, in 1998, on Steve Jobs' second coming, he removed the floppy drive from the iMac. Many baulked at this insane move but as you know, the rest is history. In 2009, the major handphone manufacturers were persuaded by the European Union to move to the near universal micro-USB standard for charging. Only Apple chose to use something else - their Lightning connector.

Only a company like Apple would have the balls to do something different from the other manufacturers out there. As such, Lightning earphones may very well take off. Philips and JBL have already launched such products for close to a year with benefits such as a direct digital connection and a lighter profile for noise-canceling (no battery needed) as power is drawn from the iPhone. Just last week, Audeze released the EL-8 Titanium headphones (USD 799.95) with (*drum roll*) a Lightning connector. Expect quite a few more to follow.