Introduction:
Thanks to MEElectronics for sending me A151 to review.
Shortly after my M31 review, I tried to push my luck a bit further i.e., not spending out of pocket for IEMs and asked if MEE could send me any other IEMs for review, especially the A151 and CC51. Well! it worked out well in the end and I got A151 for review.
Photos:
From Left to Right: The Package, Opened packing, IEM, IEM Housing, Accessories, Plug, Y-Split
Specification:
Driver unit: Micro Balanced Armature
Impedance: 27 Ohm
Sensitivity: 111 dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 18Khz
Maximum Power Input: 30mW
Cable Length: 53"
Build Quality, Accessories
The IEM was packed in the cardboard box. Inside is the blister packing containing the IEM and accessories. The Accessories include a clamshell zipper carrying case, 3 pairs of single flange tips and a pair of bi-flange tip.
Out of the packing, A151 impressed me with it’s looks. One of the highlights of A151 is it’s nice braided cable, similar to the one that is found with SM3. The only difference I could make out on examination is that the cables are more tightly intertwined in A151. One of the great advantages of this cable is that it does not produce microphonics, whether worn straight down or over the ear.
There is a cord cinch like the one found in Fischer DBA-02. Unlike many cord cinches which slide away from the intended position, this one stays in place. Y-Split is once again similar in design to SM3, but the angle of the “Y†is narrower than SM3. The termination is in a gold plated straight (or “Iâ€) plug. The cable has absolutely no memory and does not tangle much. Even in the rare instances it tangles, it is much easier to untangle.
The housing looks nice in a silver-black color combination. Though the housing is made of plastic, it feels thick and strong. The nozzle is angled and measures at about 4-5mm. The housings are larger, but without any sharper edges to hurt the ears.
Comfort, Isolation, Microphonics:
A151 is very comfortable to wear for longer hours. But, during my quick A/B with PL50, I found that inserting at odd angles could make the metal portion hurt the ear. This was not an issue when I didn't have to rush insertion of the IEM. But, may be due to the shape of my outer ear, I could not push them in as far as I could with straight barrel shaped IEMs. Isolation was only minimal when no music was playing, but they do provide decent to good isolation when music is played.
As mentioned above, the cable is one of the best you can find in this price range. They neither tangle nor produce any microphonics.
Sound Signature
Being a single driver BA, A151 saved me from burning it in for tens and hundreds of hours. Since there are no crossovers to ‘burn’, my impressions are made of out of the box listening and further listening sessions.
This review is written based on my impressions straight out of Rock-boxed Clip+ at various volume levels (-25 to -29) depending on the recording. I got the best fit with the stock medium single flange. I could not get a proper fit and seal with the bi-flanges.
Ever since news of MEE’s new releases came out, I was expecting A151, their first BA to be very typical – highly detailed, fast, balanced with great treble and lean bass. Since I had not read any reviews prior to completing the draft of this review, A151 defied my expectations from the word go.
In general, bass is the weak point of Balanced Armatures (though there are some notable exceptions). They are faster than dynamics with less texture, better control and shorter decay. While A151 does not deviate too much from that description, it’s bass is well textured especially compared to the likes of DBA-02. Most of the focus is on the mid-bass without a deep extension or punch. It’s bass quantity is what I’d call adequate, better than the RE0/ZERO’s of the world, but not enough to listen to EDM and related music. I’ve heard only two single driver BA IEMs so far – Phonak PFE and Microsonics Epic X. Since I don’t have both at this time, I have to compare from memory (something I hate). Epic X did not have any bass, while PFE had good bass quantity when amped. I’d speculate that A151's bass quantity falls somewhere between un-amped and amped PFE, though I cannot confirm it until I can A/B. To put it in perspective, mid-bass quantity is much better than CK10, but not as good as SM3.
Mids are the meat of A151’s presentation, especially the lower mids. When I ran a frequency sweep, the emphasis seems to be around the 500-2500Hz region, but tapers off after that. The mids are not recessed, but are not forward either. The midrange remains vastly smooth, slightly warmer in tone and well textured. It neither sounds thick nor thin, but just carries adequate body.
Treble certainly takes a backseat with the A151. It remains detailed, but like the bass lacking punch, lacks the sparkle.
Vocals are clear without any hint of sibilance due to the de-stressed upper mids and treble. Even after EQ-ing in a slight V-shape to increase bass and treble with a boost to upper mids, sibilance was not present with my regular offending tracks.
Presentation:
The Sound stage is adequate, neither narrow nor wide, somewhere in the region of RE-ZERO than CK10. Imaging and separation are good, but not great.
A151 is clearly aimed at someone expecting hours of smooth, clear, fatigue free listening. It does not spit out every detail there is, but enough to keep you interested. It can be characterized as a dark sounding, laid-back IEM without excesses.
Personally, there are several reasons I should not have liked A151 – dark sounding, not much bass, no sparkle, not too detailed, not crisp sounding, normal sound stage. But, looking back, I’ve used the word ‘adequate’ in the title to point out the fact that overall, A151 provides a much satisfactory sound overall than the sum of it’s parts.The main difference maker for me is that they are not boring over longer periods of listening as 'cold sounding' IEMs tend to be. While I won't say it is anywhere close to a giant killer, I won't deny it's a good IEM for the price.
Comparison to SoundMagic PL-50:
One of the reasons this review was incomplete was that it was devoid of comparisons. I did not want to compare A151 to other dynamics. I could have waited till I got back PFE and compared A151 against it. But, that would be unfair - I don't even expect a contest from A151 against one of my favorite BAs to date. I was looking for something within the price range as well. Thanks to haraakiri for arranging the PL-50 loaner.
While I did not get the whole pack, PL50 does not seem any lesser when it comes to accessories. For $25 less, PL50 offers a good cable terminated in a right angled L plug, though A151 looks classier. The plug housing of A151 looks beefy in comparison to the slimmer, but better strain relieved one on PL50. The build quality of the shells is much better with the A151 as PL50 seems to be made of thinner plastic. Despite that, I like two things about PL50's housing. Firstly, they are smaller as well as light-weight and hence more comfortable to wear. Second would be the color coding of the Left and Right ear pieces. While this may appear minor fact to many, it actually makes life easier for predominantly night users like me (who don't want to switch on more than the lower wattage lighting just to wear IEMs).
The thickness of note in PL50 is typical armature like - crisp and nice. A151 as mentioned in the beginning, is very unlike a typical BA - thick, textured and filled. While thickness usually results in cutting out micro-details, while on the other hand texture makes the note a bit more fuller.
While they are not hugely different in terms of bass quantity, A151 has better texture and is a bit more filled out than the shorter decaying PL50. A151 also carries a slight bit more impact. PL50, on the other hand, extends a bit more and can produce a bit of a rumble, at least a hint of it. I'd say neither of them are greatly satisfying in the bass department. The midrange of PL50 is a bit more forward, slight bit better detailed, but a tad drier in comparison. A151 sounds warm, smooth and textured and are a bit more engaging due to the smooth vocals and slightly better clarity. Secondly, lesser emphasis on upper midrange in A151 tends to show through every now and then, though on longer listening sessions I find it hardly distracting. With treble, there's absolutely no contest. PL50 is more crisper, clearer, detailed and more in balance with the rest of the spectrum even though it too does not have much sparkle.
PL50 impresses in two more departments - Sound stage of PL50 is a bit wider and deeper than that of A151. I have been constantly complaining about imaging with many sub-$100 IEMs (may be a bit too much, but I come from a $80 Panasonic HJE900 as reference). With PL50, I have no complaints. Separation is also better with PL50 than A151 with more airiness. For bands like Isis, whose music could use some wider sound stage and holographic imaging, this is definitely a positive.
So, PL50 is ahead in details, crispness, sound stage, imaging and comfort. Does that mean A151 sucks completely since it costs $25 more? I would not say so. Complex, layered music is better on PL50, while softer songs with vocals are better with A151. PL50 does not have an engaging signature overall, though it does wonderfully well in so many areas. I would put PL50 somewhere around Brainwavz M1 in terms of appeal. Since I don't have M1 for comparison, I'd place PL50 slightly ahead of M1 till such time I can get both as loaners at the same time.
In short, for someone who wants to hear a BA, I'd recommend PL50 over A151. With A151, I like it's bland, not-so-typical-armature-like sound slightly better than PL50. They are not far apart from each other in my SQ ratings, though a slight bit apart in ranking. As of this writing, I have all of my mid-tier IEMs on loan and hence consider both rankings to be in a state of flux.
Value for Money:
I find A151 to be falling somewhere around $50-60 in terms of sound. It’s good build quality, especially the cable makes it worth a $10 more at least. But, at the going price of $50, A151 has an even better price to performance ratio.
Is it for ME?
- Not for you
- A151 suits you just fine.
Ranking in my list:
A151 ranks 22 out of 46 in my list. Tier-wise, it is bunched with IEMs like Brainwavz M3, Xears TDIII, Eterna, Silver Bullet. To put it in proper perspective, it is better than some mid-tier IEMs, but not closer to the top-tiers which start from #14 onwards + I also like many IEMs better than the A151. For the complete ranking list, check out the link in my signature.
Conclusion:
A151 provides a smooth, clear, non-fatiguing signature with a good build quality to go with it. It is not meant for those who seek "more", but would suit those who don't like "too much" of anything.
Thanks to MEElectronics for sending me A151 to review.
Shortly after my M31 review, I tried to push my luck a bit further i.e., not spending out of pocket for IEMs and asked if MEE could send me any other IEMs for review, especially the A151 and CC51. Well! it worked out well in the end and I got A151 for review.
Photos:
From Left to Right: The Package, Opened packing, IEM, IEM Housing, Accessories, Plug, Y-Split
Specification:
Driver unit: Micro Balanced Armature
Impedance: 27 Ohm
Sensitivity: 111 dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 18Khz
Maximum Power Input: 30mW
Cable Length: 53"
Build Quality, Accessories
The IEM was packed in the cardboard box. Inside is the blister packing containing the IEM and accessories. The Accessories include a clamshell zipper carrying case, 3 pairs of single flange tips and a pair of bi-flange tip.
Out of the packing, A151 impressed me with it’s looks. One of the highlights of A151 is it’s nice braided cable, similar to the one that is found with SM3. The only difference I could make out on examination is that the cables are more tightly intertwined in A151. One of the great advantages of this cable is that it does not produce microphonics, whether worn straight down or over the ear.
There is a cord cinch like the one found in Fischer DBA-02. Unlike many cord cinches which slide away from the intended position, this one stays in place. Y-Split is once again similar in design to SM3, but the angle of the “Y†is narrower than SM3. The termination is in a gold plated straight (or “Iâ€) plug. The cable has absolutely no memory and does not tangle much. Even in the rare instances it tangles, it is much easier to untangle.
The housing looks nice in a silver-black color combination. Though the housing is made of plastic, it feels thick and strong. The nozzle is angled and measures at about 4-5mm. The housings are larger, but without any sharper edges to hurt the ears.
Comfort, Isolation, Microphonics:
A151 is very comfortable to wear for longer hours. But, during my quick A/B with PL50, I found that inserting at odd angles could make the metal portion hurt the ear. This was not an issue when I didn't have to rush insertion of the IEM. But, may be due to the shape of my outer ear, I could not push them in as far as I could with straight barrel shaped IEMs. Isolation was only minimal when no music was playing, but they do provide decent to good isolation when music is played.
As mentioned above, the cable is one of the best you can find in this price range. They neither tangle nor produce any microphonics.
Sound Signature
Being a single driver BA, A151 saved me from burning it in for tens and hundreds of hours. Since there are no crossovers to ‘burn’, my impressions are made of out of the box listening and further listening sessions.
This review is written based on my impressions straight out of Rock-boxed Clip+ at various volume levels (-25 to -29) depending on the recording. I got the best fit with the stock medium single flange. I could not get a proper fit and seal with the bi-flanges.
Ever since news of MEE’s new releases came out, I was expecting A151, their first BA to be very typical – highly detailed, fast, balanced with great treble and lean bass. Since I had not read any reviews prior to completing the draft of this review, A151 defied my expectations from the word go.
In general, bass is the weak point of Balanced Armatures (though there are some notable exceptions). They are faster than dynamics with less texture, better control and shorter decay. While A151 does not deviate too much from that description, it’s bass is well textured especially compared to the likes of DBA-02. Most of the focus is on the mid-bass without a deep extension or punch. It’s bass quantity is what I’d call adequate, better than the RE0/ZERO’s of the world, but not enough to listen to EDM and related music. I’ve heard only two single driver BA IEMs so far – Phonak PFE and Microsonics Epic X. Since I don’t have both at this time, I have to compare from memory (something I hate). Epic X did not have any bass, while PFE had good bass quantity when amped. I’d speculate that A151's bass quantity falls somewhere between un-amped and amped PFE, though I cannot confirm it until I can A/B. To put it in perspective, mid-bass quantity is much better than CK10, but not as good as SM3.
Mids are the meat of A151’s presentation, especially the lower mids. When I ran a frequency sweep, the emphasis seems to be around the 500-2500Hz region, but tapers off after that. The mids are not recessed, but are not forward either. The midrange remains vastly smooth, slightly warmer in tone and well textured. It neither sounds thick nor thin, but just carries adequate body.
Treble certainly takes a backseat with the A151. It remains detailed, but like the bass lacking punch, lacks the sparkle.
Vocals are clear without any hint of sibilance due to the de-stressed upper mids and treble. Even after EQ-ing in a slight V-shape to increase bass and treble with a boost to upper mids, sibilance was not present with my regular offending tracks.
Presentation:
The Sound stage is adequate, neither narrow nor wide, somewhere in the region of RE-ZERO than CK10. Imaging and separation are good, but not great.
A151 is clearly aimed at someone expecting hours of smooth, clear, fatigue free listening. It does not spit out every detail there is, but enough to keep you interested. It can be characterized as a dark sounding, laid-back IEM without excesses.
Personally, there are several reasons I should not have liked A151 – dark sounding, not much bass, no sparkle, not too detailed, not crisp sounding, normal sound stage. But, looking back, I’ve used the word ‘adequate’ in the title to point out the fact that overall, A151 provides a much satisfactory sound overall than the sum of it’s parts.The main difference maker for me is that they are not boring over longer periods of listening as 'cold sounding' IEMs tend to be. While I won't say it is anywhere close to a giant killer, I won't deny it's a good IEM for the price.
Comparison to SoundMagic PL-50:
One of the reasons this review was incomplete was that it was devoid of comparisons. I did not want to compare A151 to other dynamics. I could have waited till I got back PFE and compared A151 against it. But, that would be unfair - I don't even expect a contest from A151 against one of my favorite BAs to date. I was looking for something within the price range as well. Thanks to haraakiri for arranging the PL-50 loaner.
While I did not get the whole pack, PL50 does not seem any lesser when it comes to accessories. For $25 less, PL50 offers a good cable terminated in a right angled L plug, though A151 looks classier. The plug housing of A151 looks beefy in comparison to the slimmer, but better strain relieved one on PL50. The build quality of the shells is much better with the A151 as PL50 seems to be made of thinner plastic. Despite that, I like two things about PL50's housing. Firstly, they are smaller as well as light-weight and hence more comfortable to wear. Second would be the color coding of the Left and Right ear pieces. While this may appear minor fact to many, it actually makes life easier for predominantly night users like me (who don't want to switch on more than the lower wattage lighting just to wear IEMs).
The thickness of note in PL50 is typical armature like - crisp and nice. A151 as mentioned in the beginning, is very unlike a typical BA - thick, textured and filled. While thickness usually results in cutting out micro-details, while on the other hand texture makes the note a bit more fuller.
While they are not hugely different in terms of bass quantity, A151 has better texture and is a bit more filled out than the shorter decaying PL50. A151 also carries a slight bit more impact. PL50, on the other hand, extends a bit more and can produce a bit of a rumble, at least a hint of it. I'd say neither of them are greatly satisfying in the bass department. The midrange of PL50 is a bit more forward, slight bit better detailed, but a tad drier in comparison. A151 sounds warm, smooth and textured and are a bit more engaging due to the smooth vocals and slightly better clarity. Secondly, lesser emphasis on upper midrange in A151 tends to show through every now and then, though on longer listening sessions I find it hardly distracting. With treble, there's absolutely no contest. PL50 is more crisper, clearer, detailed and more in balance with the rest of the spectrum even though it too does not have much sparkle.
PL50 impresses in two more departments - Sound stage of PL50 is a bit wider and deeper than that of A151. I have been constantly complaining about imaging with many sub-$100 IEMs (may be a bit too much, but I come from a $80 Panasonic HJE900 as reference). With PL50, I have no complaints. Separation is also better with PL50 than A151 with more airiness. For bands like Isis, whose music could use some wider sound stage and holographic imaging, this is definitely a positive.
So, PL50 is ahead in details, crispness, sound stage, imaging and comfort. Does that mean A151 sucks completely since it costs $25 more? I would not say so. Complex, layered music is better on PL50, while softer songs with vocals are better with A151. PL50 does not have an engaging signature overall, though it does wonderfully well in so many areas. I would put PL50 somewhere around Brainwavz M1 in terms of appeal. Since I don't have M1 for comparison, I'd place PL50 slightly ahead of M1 till such time I can get both as loaners at the same time.
In short, for someone who wants to hear a BA, I'd recommend PL50 over A151. With A151, I like it's bland, not-so-typical-armature-like sound slightly better than PL50. They are not far apart from each other in my SQ ratings, though a slight bit apart in ranking. As of this writing, I have all of my mid-tier IEMs on loan and hence consider both rankings to be in a state of flux.
Value for Money:
I find A151 to be falling somewhere around $50-60 in terms of sound. It’s good build quality, especially the cable makes it worth a $10 more at least. But, at the going price of $50, A151 has an even better price to performance ratio.
Is it for ME?
- I need bass which is punchy, deep and extremely detailed
- I like treble / I like IEMs that are brighter in nature
- I like lush, forward mids
- I am an analytical listener / I love details
- I want a larger sound stage
- I like an euphonic / musical IEM
- Not for you
- I like an IEM that provides good build quality with a cable that is not microphonic and not a mess every time I take it out of the case.
- It should be good enough for hours of fatigue free listening. I don't mind a slightly bland and laid-back sound signature, but it should not be dry.
- I am not keen on having emphasis on bass or treble. I don't mind if I hear less details.
- A151 suits you just fine.
Ranking in my list:
A151 ranks 22 out of 46 in my list. Tier-wise, it is bunched with IEMs like Brainwavz M3, Xears TDIII, Eterna, Silver Bullet. To put it in proper perspective, it is better than some mid-tier IEMs, but not closer to the top-tiers which start from #14 onwards + I also like many IEMs better than the A151. For the complete ranking list, check out the link in my signature.
Conclusion:
A151 provides a smooth, clear, non-fatiguing signature with a good build quality to go with it. It is not meant for those who seek "more", but would suit those who don't like "too much" of anything.
(still behind Faheem by 31 