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Disclaimer: Audiofly provided their AF180 Mk2 to me for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed in this piece are mine and mine alone.
Background: Audiofly is a well-established Australian personal audio company, with a focus on in-ear monitors. The AF180 Mk2 are the second iteration of the popular IEM AF180. They retail for $499 and utilize a quad BA array. Unboxing: The unboxing experience was very smooth. The earpieces were packaged and displayed in foam in the top half of the box, with a hard carrying case packaged in the bottom half. Within that case were all of the accessories, which included eartips, an airplane adapter, and a cleaning tool. Build Quality: Build quality is very good, and reminds me of Shure’s offerings, if a little nicer. The earpieces are made of a sturdy-feeling plastic and the MMCX connections (yay!) feel very secure. The cable is fabric-style and feels very comfortable, in addition to being the perfect length for my use. There’s no moldable plastic at the ear, rather a piece that’s been pre-fitted (as on the FiiO FH5) which I prefer, as it saves me from fiddling with the cable every time I place the pieces in my ears. Comfort & Isolation: These are hands-down the most comfortable in-ear monitors I have ever used. The size of the monitors allows them to sit deep in my ears, and after around an hour of wear, I hardly feel them anymore. As a result of this deep and comfortable fit, isolation is very good, especially with foam tips, and I actually needed to reduce it a little with silicone tips when I used these outside. Overall Tonality: Balanced, with a little bit of warmth and slightly rolled-off treble. These are now my go-to critical listening IEMs, but they strike such a good balance that they’re still fun to listen to. Respond well to EQ. Bass: I’ve heard these described as having a little more bass than Etymotic’s ER4s. I can’t verify that, but I can say that, while definitely lighter on bass than most consumer-tuned IEMs, they provide just enough accurate punch to be engaging. You’re not getting a lot of rumble and your ears aren’t shaking. You’re getting just about the amount of bass in the original mix. Mids: Just incredible. The first thing that struck me while using these is how well they would perform as stage monitors. Mids are forward, making vocals prominent and articulate, and they definitely draw my ear more than anything else in the mix, which I just love. These mids are magical and I keep coming back for more. Treble: A little recessed, but not by a lot. These are good for folks who are treble sensitive, because the treble is still present, but it isn’t going to blow out your eardrums. It takes a backseat to mids and bass, but you’re not necessarily missing any of it. Just a more conservative presentation of the high-end. Soundstage: Surprisingly large. I could easily place sounds in front of me, rather than just in my head. This is, of course, subjective, but I found the soundstage to be very nice. Imaging & Separation: So well done. Each instrument in a mix occupies its own space, and they can be singled out very easily. AF has done a marvelous job with this tuning. Conclusion: These are great mastering and stage monitors, but also fantastic for everyday listening, if you want your music to be accurate but also enjoyable to listen to.
Comments
Disclaimer: Dan Wiggins of Periodic Audio very graciously sent me demo units of all PA IEMs. In exchange, I’ve agreed to provide an unfiltered review of the products. Background: Periodic Audio is a relatively new name to the scene, with a strong emphasis placed by co-founder Dan Wiggins on sonic quality above every other element of the product. Right now, Periodic Audio has produced four models of in-ears: the Mg ($99), Ti ($199), Be ($299), and C ($399). They’ve also released (and sent me) a portable amp (Ni [$299]). They’re all available through https://www.periodicaudio.com/. Unboxing: Their whole line arrived in a blank, white, cardboard box. Inside, I found the earpieces, a wide assortment of eartips (silicone, double-flanged silicone, and foam), along with ¼ inch and airplane adapters. Packaging here is not glitzy, glamorous, or garish. It’s functional. Build Quality: The earpieces are constructed of a lightweight polycarbonate material, with a small metal cap at the end of the unit. This appears to counter the weight of the driver within the piece and create a balanced unit that doesn’t strain the ear. It feels solid. The cable, on the other hand, could use some improvement. I’m not a massive fan of the thin-ness or how prone it is to tangle, and the strain reliefs coming from the earpieces give me some pause when throwing these into my pocket. I baby my tech and I do genuinely worry about these sometimes. However, I feel that this is offset by :the 5 year warranty that PA provides on all of its products. As far as eartips go, the silicone tips are just fine. However, after just a few insertions and rolls of the foam tips, they ripped in my fingers and fell apart in my hands. This is a small gripe, as people tend to use specific types of tips, but I’d advise against using the foams in their current iteration. Comfort & Isolation: These are very comfortable due to their shape, size and shallow insertion depth. They isolate remarkably well and place the music on a different plane than outside noise. I’m satisfied with their isolation. Sound Quality Overall Tonality: To my ears, the Mg are less V-shaped than the Carbon, but more V-shaped than the Beryllium. There’s a big bass hump that accentuates midbass and has the same tactile thump that exists in the Be, with a little more emphasis. The mids are just as recessed as they are on the Beryllium (a decent amount, but still present), and the treble is brighter than both the Beryllium and Carbon. There’s a lot of sparkle. Bass: The Mg rock hard. A large midbass accent gives these a lot of authority when handling drum-led genres like rock. The bass here follows the Periodic trend I’ve noticed of keeping the signature natural. It’s not flat at all. It sounds much closer to how music sounds live. The bass is quality and there’s a lot of it here, but I don’t find it intrusive into the rest of the signature. Mids: Mids are veiled but possibly a bit less than on the Beryllium. The Mg gives me a little more clarity, specifically on tracks like Swain’s Negative Space. The guitars do overshadow the vocals but I can still pick out the vocal line and most of the words from the chaos of the guitars. Good mids presentation, but I could still do with more mids in general from Periodic Audio. Treble: Treble is like the Fourth of July in the American south. It’s bright (but less humid and a little more tolerant, I’d say.) Like Periodic’s other IEMs, the treble isn’t going to murder your ears, but it’s the most present on the Mg compared to its three siblings. This pair felt the most right to me on my bus commute in the morning, where the whirrings of the road can easily cause bass to overwhelm and treble to roll off, but that extra bit of sparkle made these the Goldilocks pair for traveling. Soundstage: Solidly the smallest soundstage I perceived out of any Periodic IEMs. Quite intimate. Imaging & Separation: Standard Periodic Audio fare right here. Precise imaging and separation, which I’ve found in every pair of Periodic IEMs, are both present here and in full force. This is definitely their most shining characteristic. Conclusion: As Periodic Audio’s cheapest entry in the line, they’re a no-brainer for someone who enjoys a strong V-shape, high quality overall sound, and precise imaging. Just be careful when you shove them in your pocket. Disclaimer: Dan Wiggins of Periodic Audio very graciously sent me demo units of all PA IEMs. In exchange, I’ve agreed to provide an unfiltered review of the products. Background: Periodic Audio is a relatively new name to the scene, with a strong emphasis placed by co-founder Dan Wiggins on sonic quality above every other element of the product. Right now, Periodic Audio has produced four models of in-ears: the Mg ($99), Ti ($199), Be ($299), and C ($399). They’ve also released (and sent me) a portable amp (Ni [$299]). They’re all available through https://www.periodicaudio.com/. Now, the meat of the review. Unboxing: Their whole line arrived in a blank, white, cardboard box. Inside, I found the earpieces, a wide assortment of eartips (silicone, double-flanged silicone, and foam), along with ¼ inch and airplane adapters. Packaging here is not glitzy, glamorous, or garish. It’s functional. Build Quality: The earpieces are constructed of a lightweight polycarbonate material, with a small metal cap at the end of the unit. This appears to counter the weight of the driver within the piece and create a balanced unit that doesn’t strain the ear. It feels solid. The cable, on the other hand, could use some improvement. I’m not a massive fan of the thin-ness or how prone it is to tangle, and the strain reliefs coming from the earpieces give me some pause when throwing these into my pocket. I baby my tech and I do genuinely worry about these sometimes. However, I feel that this is offset by the 5 year warranty that PA provides on all of its products. As far as eartips go, the silicone tips are just fine. However, after just a few insertions and rolls of the foam tips, they ripped in my fingers and fell apart in my hands. This is a small gripe, as people tend to use specific types of tips, but I’d advise against using the foams in their current iteration. Comfort & Isolation: These are very comfortable due to their shape, size and shallow insertion depth. They isolate remarkably well and place the music on a different plane than outside noise. I’m satisfied with their isolation. Sound Quality Overall Tonality: These are smoooooooth. I love how they present bass. It’s not overpowering or ever-present, but boy does it shine. The bass coming out of these drivers is a stuff certain people would like to inject directly into their veins. I’m a big fan of how natural they sound, but I could do with a tiny bit more mid-presence. Overall, it’s great and a nice, relaxed (but detailed) sound sig. Bass: It’s big and bold but not boisterous. I enjoy the clarity in this portion of the signature, and I particularly enjoy that it doesn’t fall victim to the bass bleed of its bigger brother. (I’m sorry, I’ll stop with the alliteration.) I’ve heard others describe it as anaemic but I don’t find it that lacking. It sits, in my view, right where it should in a natural presentation like this. Mids: A little veiled, if I’m being honest. Again, just a little boost in the mids would make me a very happy boy. They’re already great but I could use just a little more presence in this region to clear up vocals. Then again, you’d be sacrificing the nature (natural-ness? Naturitiy?) of the sound signature, and I’m not sure how I’d feel about that. In any case, mids are good, if a little behind bass and treble. Treble: Oh, is there sparkle. There are so many sparks flying here you’d be hard pressed to think you’re not in a soap opera! Very nice sparkle and treble presence overall, but like the Carbon, there is no searing peak here. It’s very comfortable to listen to, actually, and I’d say otherwise if my ears were being stabbed, but they’re really not. The mild V this set presents is nice and natural and is really completed by the treble presentation. Soundstage: As much of a myth as soundstage is, people do perceive it differently, so here’s what I feel from these: the Be have the largest perceived soundstage of any Periodic IEM. To my ears and my ears alone, it’s a very large stage. Your mileage my vary. Imaging and Separation: Natural and precise. I can pick out just about anything with these, and it’s great fun when listening to more complicated tracks. These are a joy to explore a stage with. Conclusion: These are natural and enjoyable, with a little bit of masking in the mids. I happen to like this sig the most out of the PA line due to its laid-back presentation and precise imaging. Great job, Periodic! Introduction Periodic Audio is a relatively new company founded in 2016, with a mission to create high-quality audio over all else. The Carbon is the latest and most expensive model in Periodic’s lineup, clocking it at $499. The other models in the lineup are Magnesium ($99), Titanium ($199) and Beryllium ($299). You can find them at periodicaudio.com. Disclaimer This set of Carbon IEMs was sent to me, very graciously, by Dan Wiggins on Periodic Audio, in exchange for an honest review, which I intend to provide. Dan also sent me the Nickel amplifier, which I’ll be reviewing soon. Both units are cosmetically blemished. Unboxing The Carbon IEMs arrived in an unmarked cardboard box, which flipped open to reveal the pieces, as well as a small, presumably aluminum tin for storage. The packaging here isn’t anything spectacular, but it protects its contents well and presents them nicely enough. The packaging, much in the vein of everything else Periodic strives to do, is incredibly functional. I have no problem with this, as long as the audio performance can justify it.  Build Quality The build quality of the Carbon is similar to its packaging. Extremely functional and utilitarian. The shells are constructed from a sturdy-seeming polycarbonate, and the cable (while regrettably not detachable), is perfectly adequate. Fancy, braided, silver-plated cable this is not. But it gets the job done. My only qualm is the fact that the strain relief coming off of the earpiece looks a little worrying. I’m not thinking it will fail anytime soon, but it’s the only part of the product which I’m legitimately concerned about in terms of longevity. Comfort The Carbon is very comfortable, provided you find the right tips. I know this goes without saying, but tips are crucial not only in terms of sound, but also for comfort. I eventually settled on the small, double flanged tips, but may swap them out for foams later. The light polycarbonate shells sit nicely in the outer ear and do not place unnecessary pressure on any ear feature. I have worn these for several hours at a time and never felt fatigue. Isolation The isolation provided by the Carbon is above average. It is nowhere near Shure levels of isolation. But much of that is to do with nozzle length and a deeper insertion. Conversely, the Carbon has a much larger nozzle, but with the right tips, isolation still outperforms much of the competition. I took these on a short flight and forgot about engine noise for as long as I had them in. These are great travel earphones, and I am very happy with their isolation performance.  Sound Quality Overall, the sound of the Carbon is moderately V-shaped with slightly recessed mids and a clear, transparent-sounding tonality across the entire range. Bass Definitely prominent in every mix. Although the bass is incredibly prominent, I’m not feeling too many issues with it becoming bloomy. Perhaps that has something to do with the material of the diaphragm? Overall, the bass response feels tight and accurate, with enough punch to satisfy most people. Very realistic sounding bass, with easily identifiable instruments. Listening to Kendrick Lamar’s King Kunta, the bass, while emphasized, does not overshadow Lamar’s vocals, and I find him to still be easily intelligible. This song is carried by its bass, and the C presents it with lots of energy and enthusiasm. Mids Recessed. They’re not horribly back in the mix, but they definitely play second fiddle to the low- and high-end. Despite this, there is a high level of detail and articulation present here. Guitar slides sound great, as well as just straight-up guitars anywhere. Oodles upon oodles of detail here. Despite the elevated bass, mids stay crisp, clear, and very resolving. I would prefer them to be a little more forward, but they’re quite good as they are. Treble The treble on the C is not peaky AT ALL. I can comfortably say that my treble tests did not make me wince, cry, or curl up in pain. Ever-so-slightly rolled off, they sit right where they should in the mix when fun is prioritized. Mainly because I would not consider getting stabbed in the ear to be a fun experience. These portray really satisfying cymbals and do a good job of representing even more difficult-at-times high-frequency sounds.  Soundstage and Imaging
Yes, of course there has to be somewhere that the Carbon falls short. The soundstage, while providing a decent sense of space and accurately placing and imaging instruments and vocals, is very small. The closed-in nature of these makes much of a lot of songs quite intimate. For some people, this may be a dealbreaker, but the imaging and separation present in the C are very good. Soundstage is small. Conclusion Fun. Fun. Fun. These little IEMs are fun. They’re light and comfortable, they’re bassy and unapologetic, they’re incredibly in-your-face, and I happen to like them quite a lot. Many reviewers are making the build quality seem worse than it is. Even if it is as bad as they make it out to be (which it really is not), Periodic has a 5 year warranty policy, which, in my mind, negates that altogether. The C is an incredibly fun earphone that I can find myself coming back to again and again for its big, boomy bass and clarity throughout its range. If you’re looking for fun, the C has you covered. |