My latest acquisition is the Whizzer Kylin HE01, a single DD design retailing for around $79.
Whizzer HE01
This product was supplied for review by Kiwi from Whizzer Official at AliExpress. Product link:
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005001731358565.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&spm=a2g0o.store_home.fansProduct_6000681746940.0&spm=a2g0o.store_home.singleImageText_6000702368471.0
A discount coupon is also current:
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It is also available from Amazon:
The HE01 is the newest model in the Kylin series from Whizzer. “Kylin” is a mythical Chinese creature embodying both the male essence “ky” and female essence “lin”.
The HE01 features a single dynamic driver with a composite metal film/polymer diaphragm 10.2mm in diameter. It is described as a “4th generation” design from the “Bright” series and a flux density of 1.2 Tesla is specified. It also features the HDSS, a tuning system claimed to "improve the sense of sound density and transparency, creating a cleaner and mellow listening atmosphere”. The quoted impedance is 18 ohms and the sensitivity is 112dB/mW and it has “Hi-Res” certification.
The HE01 is attractively presented in a deep, square matt black box embellished with glossy embossed writing. A smart black envelope containing the documentation fits inside the lid and the back of the box features the specifications. The IEMs are displayed in a black tray. Lifting this out reveals the case, in which the supplied eartips are placed in two discs, beside which there is a long black box containing the cable.
The contents comprise:
- Whizzer HE01 IEMs
- 2-pin 4-core 5N OFC detachable cable
- Aluminium carrying case
- Cleaning brush
- 3 pairs silicone eartips “vocal” (S, M, L)
- 3 pairs silicone eartips “reference” (S, M, L)
- Documentation
The build quality is impressive and the appearance very attractive. The earpieces have a silver metal faceplate with a rose gold Whizzer logo in the centre and a rose gold border. The body is formed from a clear resin with the copper-coloured components clearly visible and the nozzle, which has a prominent lip, is also in a matching rose gold colour.
The cable is a 5N OFC 4-core design and is coloured rose gold. The straight 3.5mm plug is finished in a grey metal with a copper accent, as are the chin slider and Y-split. It can be a bit tangly and there was some cable noise. The 2-pin plugs feature a decorative copper ring. A red spot on the right connector matching a similar one on the IEMs, serves as a channel indicator.
The earphones were auditioned using a variety of sources, across a wide selection of musical genres, primarily my Xduoo X20, but also a Huawei smartphone and a CD player. The supplied cable and the medium “reference” tips were used and I obtained a comfortable fit and good isolation. A burn-in period of 100 hours was carried out before evaluation.
First Impressions
The HE01 produced a clean, very transparent sound with excellent detail. The bass was impactful, the mids were clear and forward and the treble was detailed, extended and airy. There was a large, spacious and open soundstage. A notable feature was the “dynamic shading” or ability to display subtle changes in volume. The impression was reminiscent of an all-BA design rather than a single DD, such was the immediacy and speed of the reproduction.
Bass
The bass was deep, resonant and nicely textured with good resolution and possessed a natural tonality and good speed. It was very linear and transitioned into the mids without colouration or bleed.
In Abinoni’s famous “Adagio in G minor” performed by the Guildhall String Ensemble, the organ was very naturally portrayed with a clean and fast delivery and plenty of “air”. It was easy to distinguish the pedal notes from the lower notes of the keyboard when sounding together which resulted in a very authentic performance. The timbre of the solo violin was unaffected by the bass even in the most dynamic passages.
The bass was powerful and immediate with excellent speed and weight. Jason Edward Dudley’s bass-driven “Stargazer” was a perfect example of this with the deep, punchy delivery driving the track along in an entertaining way and the accompanying lead synth and percussive effects remaining clean and precise.
Mids
The midrange possessed excellent timbre, copious detail and an attractive open quality which allowed every detail to come through. Subtle dynamic changes were beautifully rendered, enabling the feeling of the music to be conveyed.
Vocals were very well presented. In “A Great Day for Freedom” from “The Division Bell” by Pink Floyd, David Gilmour’s lead vocal was extremely clear with the studio reverb abundantly evident and the double-tracking later in the song was precise and well separated. The balance between the vocals and the keyboards was perfect and the incisive lead guitar solo cut through the production very effectively.
“Forestland” from the album “Purple Sails” by Japanese synthesist Shiho demonstrated the subtlety of the HE01’s reproduction. The effect depicted by small changes in volume and dynamics allowed all the emotion of the piece to be appreciated and the excellent layering and separation produced a wonderful atmosphere, with the solo voice set against changing chords and nature effects.
Treble
The HE01’s treble was remarkably clean, clear and detailed. There was no trace of harshness and it was very extended, revealing subtle micro-details.
In the conclusion to “Venus” from Holst’s “The Planets”, performed by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Charles Dutoit, a celesta plays descending arpeggios set against rocking string figurations. The clear bell-like tones were perfectly reproduced in perfect balance with the strings and it was even possible to hear the pedal action of the keyboard.
Rossini’s “String Sonata No. 1” is a lively and entertaining piece. In the version by the Age of Enlightenment Orchestra, the HE01 showed excellent transient attack with the leading edges incisive and clean and the details of bowing and pizzicato very authentic, endowing the whole performance with a real sense of being there.
Soundstage
The soundstage was exceptionally spacious with precise imaging, separation and layering. The location of instruments was very clear leading to a very natural perspective.
“Mausoleum at Halicarnassus” is the fourth movement of the “Seven Wonders Suite” by Stuart Mitchell. It features a prominent solo flute which was particularly well rendered, floating over an imaginative orchestral backdrop. The hall ambience was nicely reproduced in the recording by the Prague Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mario Klemens, with the percussion section displaying a believable distance and a natural decay in the timpani strikes towards the end of the piece.
“Elsewhere” by Vangelis, from the album “Direct” was very impressive in its depiction of space and stereo imaging. Various electronic effects spiral around in a figure of eight pattern, percussive elements swell and subside and a noble anthemic theme fills the stage. All these were effectively portrayed by the HE01 in a soundstage of prodigious dimensions with a wonderful sense of ambience.
Comparisons
Tin Hifi T4
The T4 employs a 10mm dynamic driver with a carbon nanotube diaphragm within the familiar “bullet” design and MMCX interface. The tonality follows the traditional Tin Hifi neutral/bright profile but with a more powerful sub bass. The soundstage is very spacious and detail retrieval is high. The HE01 is similarly neutral and matches it in detail, but exceeds it in transparency and has a similar treble. It is perhaps better balanced overall although there is not a lot between them.
KBEAR Diamond
The Diamond uses a dynamic driver 10mm in diameter with a DLC coated PET diaphragm. Its profile is strongly V-shaped with powerful bass, somewhat recessed mids which have good timbre and a more relaxed treble which still has good detail. The HE01 is more balanced and neutral with better detail in the mids and a more open and extended treble.
Smabat NCO
The Smabat NCO features an 8mm Graphene diaphragm driver in a very compact housing. Its USP is the Maze system, a mini transmission line labyrinth which produces a deep and powerful bass. The NCO’s sound is big, bold and cinematic and is U-shaped with excellent impact. It is warmer than the HE01 which is more detailed and cooler in tonality and arguably more accurate.
Conclusion
The HE01 is impressive in all areas. Well made and beautifully presented, it also achieves sonically. It has a fast tight bass, an open and natural midrange and a clean, detailed and extended treble, and endows music with a “live” quality. Add an expansive and spacious soundstage and it is hard to beat. With its superb coherence, it shows what is possible with a single high quality driver. Highly recommended.
