Introduction :
Just when I had planned to shift my spotlight from entry level IEMs to mid range and budget audiophile grade IEMs,I won these Hippo Boom for participating in the Independence day Contest held on Jaben forums.So thanks to Uncle Wilson's generosity,here I am with yet another review of a fun sounding budget IEMs-The Hippo Boom !!
Similar to the Crossroads,Hippo is an additional brand introduced by the famous audio gear store in Singapore -The Jaben Store.While the Crossroads are bit expensive the Hippos seem to be value for money and on the affordable side.Boom is one of their cheaper and entry level earphones and the IEMs are as much fun sounding as their name suggests.So here's a detailed Review .
[BREAK=Specifications]
Specifications :
Dynamic Driver : 9mm Mylar speaker
Sensitivity : 102 +/- 4dB/mW.
Impedance : 32 Ohm
Frequency Response : 20-22 KHz
Rated Power : 2 mW
Max Input Power : 10mW
plug : 3.5mm L shaped.
[BREAK=Packaging and Accessories .]
Packaging and Accessories :
The Hippo Boom comes well packed in a midsized Hard paper box .The packaging is neither fancy nor contemptible.It's better than most cheaper IEMs. Once you slide out the inner box you will find two asymmetrical partitions -one containing the earphones fitted in a small thermacol mould to avoid any damage and the other partition contains a soft fold-able square shaped pouch.
The pouch is of high-quality, sort of attractive and well manufactured. I really like it as it even fits in my Sansa Clip+ and Fiio E5.As you can see from the snaps the pouch opens up to form a Plus sign and has got 3 Velcro patches to secure it.Once you unfold it ,you will find the different eartips .The Boom comes pre-fitted with the medium sized silicon tip and the pouch contains additional 4 tips - Large,Small,very small and the Bi-Flanges.So that makes it a total of 5 silicon tips.The silcon tips are soft and quite comfortable and provide good isolation as well.
The downside is that the list of accessories ends over here.There's no cable winder,foam tips etc. and the shirt clip is permanently fixed to the cable.
My rating for the packaging and Accessories would be 3/5. A few more foam tips and other small bells and whistles would have been a great addition to the package.
[BREAK=Design and Build Quality.]
Design :
Like the majority of other entry level IEMs the Hippo Boom's dynamic driver is built-in a simple housing.Nothing fancy like the Shures ,Ultimate ears etc.(Of course these brands even cost a premium)
The cylindrical driver housing resembles the beakers I used in Chemistry Labs during school days.The difference being a smaller size and the construction material being metal(aluminum) and not glass
The housing has a black matt finish with Boom engraved on it which looks elegant.There's no sign of plastic,which is really impressive for a earphone under 50$ since most other earphones of similar pricing,I've used have elements of plastic in the construction which looks a bit cheap and fragile .The Boom doesn't have any paper or metallic filters,instead the eartip nozzle is covered with a type of soft material up to the brim of the nozzle.
Build Quality:
The build quality is rock-solid and you can sense it the instant you hold the earphones.Saying that the housing is actually built like a tank wouldn't be exaggerating.The strain relief for the cable entering the driver housing is of rubber and holds the cable firmly.The cable is of respectable quality and it also has a strain relief where the channels split up.There's no indication of microphonics as such so one need not use a shirt clip.
Comfort and Isolation :
The Hippo's slide into the ears effortlessly and one can be unperturbed for 3-4 hrs of listening.With the 5 different sizes of eartips getting a good seal is easy.It's isolation is average and on par with most other earphones I have tried.They obstruct the surrounding noise very well and can be used while commuting in trains,buses moving through heavy traffic and maybe even on a flight .(Haven't tried the last one ).The bi-flange tip provides better isolation and fitting ,in my ears and I would recommend other to try them as well.
The design might not be exquisite , which is actually favorable in my opinion cause there are less chances of someone flicking the earphones .The build quality on the other hand is nothing short of astonishing and the best I have seen till date.(in this segment).
I Would rate the Design and Build Quality as 4/5.
[BREAK=Sound Quality.]
Testing Methodology
I used the Hippo Booms over a period of 3-4 weeks with various sources and genres of music to be able to provide a fair and honest opinion and eliminate any possibility of intervention in SQ caused by source.
Sources used :
·Asus XONAR DX ( PC)
·Sansa Clip+ stock and with the Fiio E5.
·Iphone 2G + Fiio E1 amp (works on line out )
·Ipod Nano 3G
Being a trance fanatic,most of the time I spent time listening to EDM,House ,Progressive music but also tried Indian music from the A.R. Rahman discography and some Rock/Alternative/Hip-Hop etc. (Metallica,3 Doors Down, Breaking Benjamin,Greenday,Best of Micheal Jackson,Enrique and very little of Akon).
As always I burn- in the earphones for approx. 70-100 hrs before noting down the final sound notes.Incase you have gone through my previous review's you would observe that I have a separate segment for First Impressions (out of the box) and post burn-in sound.The Hippo Boom's sound great out of the box and there isn't any major noticeable alteration in sound after the burn-in . So here are the details on the sound notes.
The sound Signature :
The second you insert these earphones you realize why they have been named as Boom! It's the massive amount of Bass that surrounds you.The bass is enormous and it's not muddy,wild bass but well controlled quality Bass.
More on the Bass :
There's plenty of bass.Its sort of textured and upfront.Deep punchy bass in large quantity,which does get boomy some times(once in a blue moon) but on an average doesn't really influence the midrange to a great extent which other bass heavy earphones like CX 400,EP-630 do.
The Midrange :
The midrange is decent not as smooth and liquid as the PL-30 ,RE2 etc . The midrange is good enough for an average listener who craves for bass more than detailing of instruments etc.The lower midrange and instruments like guitar notes sound fine while the vocals feel slightly recessed and artificial.
The Highs :
Nothing much to talk about,the highs do get supersede by the lows to an extent so don't expect a lot of detailing in the treble department.The sparkle is missing but doesn't make the tracks sound bad.I can say that the treble is acceptable.
The soundstage :
The soundstage isn't very spacious.The instruments feel locked into each other and the sound is not airy as the PL-30s.The soundstage is better than most other entry level IEMs but not as good as the PL-30 if compared.The whole focus is mainly on the bass and that's where you can notice different textured bass lines.
Need of an Amp ?
The Hippo boom has an impedance of 32 Ω and even the sensitivity is adequate,so driving them with any decent source should be easy.Volume is fairly high as well.
I did try the Hippo Boom with the Fiio E5 coupled to the Sansa Clip+ that I purchased recently and there wasn't much enhancement in Sound Quality . Somewhat noticeable changes in midrange and soundstage but nothing extravagant.Lowering the bass by EQ and then using the bass boost on E5 made the overall bass better but that's just me experimenting.If truth be told one really doesn't need an amp for the Hippo Boom unless their source can't drive them at respectable listening level.
Incase your source is a ipod or iphone,you can invest in a Fiio E1 as it does improve the SQ to some extent as it amplifies the line out signal from the ipod and the internal amp of the device is eliminated.
Short Summary on the Sound Quality.
To sum it up,the sound is slightly warm and more on the dark side. Lots of bass, good midrange and a slightly recessed but acceptable treble.The sound signature is what would appeal to most individuals.The benefit of such a sonic signature is that the sound isn't bright and there isn't any sibilance at all.So chances of fatigue,head-ache due to long listening sessions are less,unless the heavy bass causes problems for you.
For those who have used a Sound magic PL-30 I can tell you that this one's completely opposite of the PL-30 .So if you are one of those who didn't really find the PL-30 to go well with your tastes,this one might be for you.
My rating for the Sound is 3.8/5.
[BREAK=Final Conclusion]
Final Conclusion :
Pros :
[FONT="] *[/FONT] Bass heads best bet
* Bass doesn't get uncontrolled or overshadow other frequencies.
* Average mids.
* High Build quality.
Cons :
*Very few accessories
*Recessed treble .
*Soundstage is just average -could be better.
Taking the above points and price into consideration the Hippo Boom deserves a "3.9 / 5 " from my side.Definitely recommended if you are a basshead.
Of all the IEMs I've reviewed till date these rank a level or two below the Head Direct RE-2 and are on par with the Sound Magic PL-30s & Betabrainwavz .You can make your choice depending on what suits your sonic taste.This one's especially for the EP-630 lovers who want to upgrade to something better without missing out on the bass and for those who didn't like the PL-30.
" Special thanks to Uncle Wilson at Jaben for hosting an exclusive Contest for Indian Jabenites and Moshel for the co-operation and prompt delivery of Jaben products. "
You can buy the Hippo Boom from the Jaben Online Store or get it for Rs.1650 (with free Fiio E3 amp) from Moshel on TechEnclave who is an official reseller of Jaben Products in India.
Just when I had planned to shift my spotlight from entry level IEMs to mid range and budget audiophile grade IEMs,I won these Hippo Boom for participating in the Independence day Contest held on Jaben forums.So thanks to Uncle Wilson's generosity,here I am with yet another review of a fun sounding budget IEMs-The Hippo Boom !!
Similar to the Crossroads,Hippo is an additional brand introduced by the famous audio gear store in Singapore -The Jaben Store.While the Crossroads are bit expensive the Hippos seem to be value for money and on the affordable side.Boom is one of their cheaper and entry level earphones and the IEMs are as much fun sounding as their name suggests.So here's a detailed Review .
[BREAK=Specifications]
Specifications :
Dynamic Driver : 9mm Mylar speaker
Sensitivity : 102 +/- 4dB/mW.
Impedance : 32 Ohm
Frequency Response : 20-22 KHz
Rated Power : 2 mW
Max Input Power : 10mW
plug : 3.5mm L shaped.
[BREAK=Packaging and Accessories .]
Packaging and Accessories :
The Hippo Boom comes well packed in a midsized Hard paper box .The packaging is neither fancy nor contemptible.It's better than most cheaper IEMs. Once you slide out the inner box you will find two asymmetrical partitions -one containing the earphones fitted in a small thermacol mould to avoid any damage and the other partition contains a soft fold-able square shaped pouch.
The pouch is of high-quality, sort of attractive and well manufactured. I really like it as it even fits in my Sansa Clip+ and Fiio E5.As you can see from the snaps the pouch opens up to form a Plus sign and has got 3 Velcro patches to secure it.Once you unfold it ,you will find the different eartips .The Boom comes pre-fitted with the medium sized silicon tip and the pouch contains additional 4 tips - Large,Small,very small and the Bi-Flanges.So that makes it a total of 5 silicon tips.The silcon tips are soft and quite comfortable and provide good isolation as well.
The downside is that the list of accessories ends over here.There's no cable winder,foam tips etc. and the shirt clip is permanently fixed to the cable.
My rating for the packaging and Accessories would be 3/5. A few more foam tips and other small bells and whistles would have been a great addition to the package.
[BREAK=Design and Build Quality.]
Design :
Like the majority of other entry level IEMs the Hippo Boom's dynamic driver is built-in a simple housing.Nothing fancy like the Shures ,Ultimate ears etc.(Of course these brands even cost a premium)
The cylindrical driver housing resembles the beakers I used in Chemistry Labs during school days.The difference being a smaller size and the construction material being metal(aluminum) and not glass
The housing has a black matt finish with Boom engraved on it which looks elegant.There's no sign of plastic,which is really impressive for a earphone under 50$ since most other earphones of similar pricing,I've used have elements of plastic in the construction which looks a bit cheap and fragile .The Boom doesn't have any paper or metallic filters,instead the eartip nozzle is covered with a type of soft material up to the brim of the nozzle.
Build Quality:
The build quality is rock-solid and you can sense it the instant you hold the earphones.Saying that the housing is actually built like a tank wouldn't be exaggerating.The strain relief for the cable entering the driver housing is of rubber and holds the cable firmly.The cable is of respectable quality and it also has a strain relief where the channels split up.There's no indication of microphonics as such so one need not use a shirt clip.
Comfort and Isolation :
The Hippo's slide into the ears effortlessly and one can be unperturbed for 3-4 hrs of listening.With the 5 different sizes of eartips getting a good seal is easy.It's isolation is average and on par with most other earphones I have tried.They obstruct the surrounding noise very well and can be used while commuting in trains,buses moving through heavy traffic and maybe even on a flight .(Haven't tried the last one ).The bi-flange tip provides better isolation and fitting ,in my ears and I would recommend other to try them as well.
The design might not be exquisite , which is actually favorable in my opinion cause there are less chances of someone flicking the earphones .The build quality on the other hand is nothing short of astonishing and the best I have seen till date.(in this segment).
I Would rate the Design and Build Quality as 4/5.
[BREAK=Sound Quality.]
Testing Methodology
I used the Hippo Booms over a period of 3-4 weeks with various sources and genres of music to be able to provide a fair and honest opinion and eliminate any possibility of intervention in SQ caused by source.
Sources used :
·Asus XONAR DX ( PC)
·Sansa Clip+ stock and with the Fiio E5.
·Iphone 2G + Fiio E1 amp (works on line out )
·Ipod Nano 3G
Being a trance fanatic,most of the time I spent time listening to EDM,House ,Progressive music but also tried Indian music from the A.R. Rahman discography and some Rock/Alternative/Hip-Hop etc. (Metallica,3 Doors Down, Breaking Benjamin,Greenday,Best of Micheal Jackson,Enrique and very little of Akon).
As always I burn- in the earphones for approx. 70-100 hrs before noting down the final sound notes.Incase you have gone through my previous review's you would observe that I have a separate segment for First Impressions (out of the box) and post burn-in sound.The Hippo Boom's sound great out of the box and there isn't any major noticeable alteration in sound after the burn-in . So here are the details on the sound notes.
The sound Signature :
The second you insert these earphones you realize why they have been named as Boom! It's the massive amount of Bass that surrounds you.The bass is enormous and it's not muddy,wild bass but well controlled quality Bass.
More on the Bass :
There's plenty of bass.Its sort of textured and upfront.Deep punchy bass in large quantity,which does get boomy some times(once in a blue moon) but on an average doesn't really influence the midrange to a great extent which other bass heavy earphones like CX 400,EP-630 do.
The Midrange :
The midrange is decent not as smooth and liquid as the PL-30 ,RE2 etc . The midrange is good enough for an average listener who craves for bass more than detailing of instruments etc.The lower midrange and instruments like guitar notes sound fine while the vocals feel slightly recessed and artificial.
The Highs :
Nothing much to talk about,the highs do get supersede by the lows to an extent so don't expect a lot of detailing in the treble department.The sparkle is missing but doesn't make the tracks sound bad.I can say that the treble is acceptable.
The soundstage :
The soundstage isn't very spacious.The instruments feel locked into each other and the sound is not airy as the PL-30s.The soundstage is better than most other entry level IEMs but not as good as the PL-30 if compared.The whole focus is mainly on the bass and that's where you can notice different textured bass lines.
Need of an Amp ?
The Hippo boom has an impedance of 32 Ω and even the sensitivity is adequate,so driving them with any decent source should be easy.Volume is fairly high as well.
I did try the Hippo Boom with the Fiio E5 coupled to the Sansa Clip+ that I purchased recently and there wasn't much enhancement in Sound Quality . Somewhat noticeable changes in midrange and soundstage but nothing extravagant.Lowering the bass by EQ and then using the bass boost on E5 made the overall bass better but that's just me experimenting.If truth be told one really doesn't need an amp for the Hippo Boom unless their source can't drive them at respectable listening level.
Incase your source is a ipod or iphone,you can invest in a Fiio E1 as it does improve the SQ to some extent as it amplifies the line out signal from the ipod and the internal amp of the device is eliminated.
Short Summary on the Sound Quality.
To sum it up,the sound is slightly warm and more on the dark side. Lots of bass, good midrange and a slightly recessed but acceptable treble.The sound signature is what would appeal to most individuals.The benefit of such a sonic signature is that the sound isn't bright and there isn't any sibilance at all.So chances of fatigue,head-ache due to long listening sessions are less,unless the heavy bass causes problems for you.
For those who have used a Sound magic PL-30 I can tell you that this one's completely opposite of the PL-30 .So if you are one of those who didn't really find the PL-30 to go well with your tastes,this one might be for you.
My rating for the Sound is 3.8/5.
[BREAK=Final Conclusion]
Final Conclusion :
Pros :
[FONT="] *[/FONT] Bass heads best bet
* Bass doesn't get uncontrolled or overshadow other frequencies.
* Average mids.
* High Build quality.
Cons :
*Very few accessories
*Recessed treble .
*Soundstage is just average -could be better.
Taking the above points and price into consideration the Hippo Boom deserves a "3.9 / 5 " from my side.Definitely recommended if you are a basshead.
Of all the IEMs I've reviewed till date these rank a level or two below the Head Direct RE-2 and are on par with the Sound Magic PL-30s & Betabrainwavz .You can make your choice depending on what suits your sonic taste.This one's especially for the EP-630 lovers who want to upgrade to something better without missing out on the bass and for those who didn't like the PL-30.
" Special thanks to Uncle Wilson at Jaben for hosting an exclusive Contest for Indian Jabenites and Moshel for the co-operation and prompt delivery of Jaben products. "
You can buy the Hippo Boom from the Jaben Online Store or get it for Rs.1650 (with free Fiio E3 amp) from Moshel on TechEnclave who is an official reseller of Jaben Products in India.
