NiceHCK EP35 Review – The Different Beast
Pros — Airy presentation with surprisingly intimate and natural vocals (not the typical V-shape of this price range); accurate soundstage; detachable high quality cable (rare for a single DD) and high-quality case; very classy looks and feel.
Cons — Sound can get congested when instrumentation is busy; bass may be not beefy enough for some; the presentation is a bit polite and may deserve more dynamic expression; the short, angled nozzles may provide fit issues for some.
The NiceHCK EP35 is a relatively neutral sounding dynamic driver (DD) earphone with a lean and airy presentation and a good bass extension, of great build with a detachable quality MMCX cable and with the best case around included…and hit-and-miss ergonomics.
Jim NiceHCK speculated I would love he EP35 and I agreed to take him on via this review. The main reason I did this is because the iem’s elegant looks were appealing to me and because of the generally positive impressions of NiceHCK products found here on Head-Fi. I purchased the EP35 for $0.10. There was no financial incentive other than another iem added to my rather congested collection of >130 (I look forward to the day when I will review a $4000 earphone I can keep while claiming there was no financial incentive involved). And whereas most reviewers claim to have been asked to write an honest review, strangely enough nobody has ever asked me anything. Good, because “honest” is a stretchable term.
- Product Name: NiceHCK EP35 in-ear earphone metal earphone
- Brand: NiceEHCK
- Model: EP35
- Price: $32.99 (at the time of this review)
- Color: Black
- Type: In-ear
- Impedance: 32Ω±15% Ω
- Sensitivity: 103db/mW
- Frequency Range: 40-40000Hz
- Earphone Plug: 3.5mm plug
- Cable Material: Silver plated
- Cable Length: 1.2m±5cm
- Earphone Plug Type: Line type
- Connector Type: MMCX
- Drive Unit: Single 13.5mm dynamic drive unit Product Link: HERE!
PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES
The brown cardboard box contains a sturdy, NiceHCK-branded high-quality case that hosts the earphone and accessories: cable, three pairs of narrow-bore tips (S/M/L) and another two pairs of wide-bore tips (S/M)…I speculate a third L pair was missing. These tips appear unusually small to me and you may need a third party pair to achieve a good seal.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY
The earpieces are mainly made of metal, only the inner faceplate with the attached nozzle is made of plastic. The nozzle is angled and rather short and has an unusual elliptical cross section which does not appear to cause problems for the eartips. The pearly-white helix-type braided cable is sturdy and has no remote and microphone. The MMCX connectors and the 3.5 mm plug are made of the same metal as the housings and are colour matched. In summary, the build of both housings and cables is as impressive as it can get and much superior over many much more expensive iems such as my $399 (list price) UE900S.
ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT
I have to admit that my large German-made ears were and sometimes are still struggling with this kind of form factor: a short, angled nozzle as also seen on the Xiaomi HD Pro or the Phiaton PS 210 BTNC. I could not get a seal with the included tips and initially never had the feeling I got the earpieces deep enough into my ear canals, which turned out not to be true. After triple-flange tips had also failed to produce a seal and foams had removed too much life from the sound, I succeeded with extra-wide rubber tips. This technically works but feels rather unusual. I sometimes still get the desire to shove the earpieces deeper down which is hampered by the large round inner faceplate. Isolation is therefore average.
SOURCE
I used the iPhone 5S with and without audioquest dragonfly dac/amp. The EP35 can be driven well with a phone but they require more juice than, let’s say, the KZ AS10.
TONALITY
When it comes to sound, the EP35 does NOT offer the classic V-shape with a boomy bass, buried mids and emphasized treble. No, you would never know it sported a 13.5 mm DD driver but rather a BA as its tonality goes very much towards neutral.
The bass is a bit of an understatement: minimal, very focused with a reasonably fast attack, and it is unexpectedly well extended into the sub-bass…yes, there is rumble at the very low end. Some wished the bass had a bit more impact, particularly the crowd that is taping off the bass vents on the Tinaudio T2. I speculate that bass mileage varies with ear shape and how the bass vents are covered.
Voices in the midrange are surprisingly intimate and certainly not recessed, naturally reproduced with a nice clarity, and there is a great sense of space. The treble is not piercing and clear but could deserve a bit more sheen. I noticed no sibilance.
Soundstage is astonishingly accurate and big as in real life, layering and resolution are very good but separation lacks a tad in comparison. This apparent contradiction translates to scenarios where sparsely instrumented tracks give you a great, realistic image but a busy instrumentation causes congestion particularly in the upper midrange, where your ears sometimes perceive a gooey wall of sound. At higher volumes, this congestion can be accompanied by harshness. But hey, this is a $30 earphone and it does most things much better than expected.
Overall, the sound is lean and some would like it a bit fuller bodied. What I would appreciate was a bit more of a dynamic expression (“punch”). The EP35 are very polite and certainly more for the classic and jazz crowd than for the grunge fan. And they work best at low to medium volumes.
SELECT COMPARISONS
(all are single DDs with the exception of the single BA Brainwavz B100…and they are all very enjoyable)
Hifi Walker A1, unmodded ($50): warmer sounding, more punch, and, a rather boomy bass and more to over-emphasized treble indicative of a V-shaped frequency response curve.
Tinaudio T1 (~38): somewhat warmer with a beefier bass and a less airy presentation. The resolution of the EP35 is a tinge better and so is its soundstage and overall clarity. Also superior are the solid metal cable connectors vs. the T1’s flimsy strain reliefs. The T1’s sound is fuller bodied, more enclosed, and it is much easier to drive.
Tinaudio T2 (~$50): its overall tonality is very similar to the EP35 but slightly more analytical with superior resolution and separation, more intimate vocals and better treble extension. The EP35 has the more focused and leaner bass (the way my ears seal the bass vents). Current archetype of a neutral tonality in the low-price segment.
Fostex TE-02 ($35-70; discontinued): is even more neutral sounding than the EP35 and T2 which may appear boring and sterile to some. Still the reference for a neutral tonality in the low-price segment (although not too many know it) but sadly discontinued. Is its own breed and hard to compare.
Frequency responses TE-02 and EP35.
Fidue A65 (~$60): has a much darker, warm and fuzzy tonality and an unparalleled resolution and separation, and a more prominent bass. Also beats the whole lot listed here in terms of natural voice reproduction. Needs similar power levels to be driven as the EP35 and is similarly polite.
Brainswavz B100 (~$50): a single BA leading the low-price segment in the category of “fluid and homogenous” presentation. Also sports a very focused however more authoritative bass and a similar vocals reproduction. Super fit as small and with over-ear cable but questionable build in comparison to the EP35.
Frequency responses B100 and EP35.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
NiceHCK earphones have never disappointed, always been interesting and of great value – and the EP35 continues this trend. The EP35 entices by its looks and feel – and by its sound that is unusual for a single DD at this price. Build and (detachable) cables are stellar and the included case is the sturdiest around. Sound wise it goes strongly towards neutral with a nice and airy presentation that could be a bit less polite. Bassheads and metalheads will stay away from it but audiophiles will be delighted, despite some tonal shortcomings. In summary, the EP35 constitutes an overall great and interesting package alike.
You can buy this earphone exclusively at the NiceHCK Audio Store: HERE!
