NuForce NE6 \ NE7-M REVIEW .
Introduction :
NuForce is a California-US based company dedicated to the production and development of some quality audio products - aimed at the audiophile community. Started in 2005 , currently Nuforce has an exceptionally fine lineup of stereo and multi-channel amplifier , DACs ,loudspeakers, earphones, accessories etc. Today we will be having a look at the NE6 and NE7-M IEMs belonging to a highly competitive mid-end segment of dynamic in-ears earphones. The NE6 and NE7-M share the same dynamic driver,housing and ofcourse the sound characteristics but NE-7M has a microphone for iPhone and other compatible mobile devices. So let's see how these fair sonically and if they can keep up with some of the best options already existing in the market.
Specifications :
Earphone
· Cable length : 1.2m
· Driver Size : 9mm
· Frequency Response : 20Hz-22KHz
· Sensitivity : 100+/-3 dB/mW @ 1KHz
· Rated Power : 2mW
· Max Power : 20mW
· Plug : 3.5mm (iPhone compatible)
· Weight : 12 gm
Microphone (NE7-M only)
· Frequency : 20Hz - 16KHz
· Sensitivity : 58 dB +/- 2dB
· Direction : Omni directional
Packaging and Accessories :
The NE6 and NE7-M ship in simple softboard boxes embracing the plastic trays which hold the earphones and accessories. The square shaped NE-7M box is a little bigger than the compact NE6 rectangular box. On the front there's the NuForce logo along with the respective earphone labeling .The backside of the box is listed with various salient features of the earphone and technical specs.
The white background makes the box look simple and sober but at the same time can get bit dirty due to longtime storage in the store or warehouse. Maybe a black or dark colour background would've made the box more stylish and added some bling at the same time. Anyways its the earphones we are more interested in so the packaging shouldn't be really important .Infact I would be glad if manufacturers save money on cheaper and compact boxes without compromising on safety and in turn return the savings to customers in terms of better pricing and sound.
Also the NE-7M box has a pop-up window with velcro on the front which lets you have a look at the actual earphone inside whereas the NE6 box front has a small transparent component. This can be really helpful to examine the earphones on delivery or to check for damage without opening the box .
Once you open the sealed box and slide out the plastic tray , you will find a pair of nice shiny earphones staring at you beside the small carry pouch and eartip. (In the NE-6 box , the eartips are inside the pouch).Moreover there's a small folded paper manual with information on Safe listening levels , Tips on wearing the IEMs,warranty etc. I found the insertion tips on IEM really helpful and highly recommend first time IEM users to go through it to avoid issues with proper seal and fit.
The carry pouch is made of rubber and has a retractable ribbon for opening & closing the pouch.Not the best case Ive seen but should be good enough to keep the earphones safe when not in use.
The complete list of accessories is as follows-
carry pouch
4 eartips - small , medium ,large and bi-flanges.
NuForce could be a little more generous with the accessories by providing foam tips ,cable winder ,ear gliders etc which are part of standard accessories with most IEMs these days.
The packaging and accessories deserves a 3.5/5 from me.
Design and Build Quality:
The first things that came to my mind when I saw the NE6 was , these looks so familiar. It's because NE6 /NE7-M use a very tried and tested, generic IEM housing for the drivers. If you have ever come cross the old Crossroads Mylarone X3 or even the PL-11 from SoundMagic you will notice that all these IEMs use the similar housing. Its made up of black hard plastic coating with another layer of different colour band on it. The NE6 comes in blue while the headset version ie-NE7-M wears a golden band .
The cables are routed through the solid black rubber strain relief which extends at the back of the housing .The strain relief has a small nu logo as well as markings for the left and right channel.
The cables not very thick nor extremely thin and feels nice to hold .The build quality is on-par with the soft cables on the SoundMagic IEMs and feels very similar too .There are no signs of any compromise on the overall build as well. The cable split is supported but a tough strain relief which has a Nuforce logo and just below that there's a movable shirt clip again with the logo.
The 3.5mm connector used is a right angled one and fits into an iPhone recessed jack as well.Its more solid and thicker than most flexible straight plugs on earphones.
Comfort and Isolation :
The earphones are pretty light weight, have an average size and should easily fit most users with the proper tips. They can be worn straight down as well as over the ears. The cable doesn't have any microphonic issues so wearing it over the ear is not really required but the ones who are used to it might feel the need. The fit with the medium / small tips might needs a little adjustment to the depth of insertion , incase you feel the sound isn't balanced but with the bi-flange the seal is perfect.
Isolation with the medium tip is decent but improves when the bi-flange tips are used.With the bi-flanges the background noise is cut-off almost by 80% and you wont hear anything unless someone literally shouts in your ears.
Overall I would give a 4/5 for the top notch build quality ,looks and the comfort.
Sound Quality :
As always tested these using my usual collection of Electronica ,A.R. Rahman , some alternative rock and new age music. All in 320 or FLACs.
Used a rockboxed Sansa Fuze as source with flat EQ. Head Direct RE-0 was used as benchmark for neutrality and detailing and a Brainwavz M2 was used for comparison as well.
Out of the box the NE7-M was a bit too boomy , so I let burn-in for about ~50 hrs. After the burn-in the bass did actually settle down . Here are the post-burn in impressions :
To start with the Bass is truly amazing and extends so low that it can actually result in small vibrations at times . Its not like one of the muddy boomy bass but its quality textured bass with unmatched speed for the price. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I say the bass on these is the one of the best Ive heard till date.Its ofcourse not as accurate as the Ultimate Ears TF10 or my RE-252 but it has a nice punch to it which makes you go wow every time a drumbeat hits you or bass synth follows in a trance track. Yes the bass is a little bit on the heavier side and packs in lot more punch than most IEMs do but it really is one the essence of the NE6.If you listen to lot of classical music or prefer bass shy IEMs than this one's not for you since you might find the bass overpowering.
To give you an idea, there are IEMs like PL-30,RE-2, RE-0 and a few others which are usually described as bass shy.There are IEMs like EP-630,Hippo Boom ,Monster Turbines and to an extent the Kilpsch S4 which are usually portrayed as basshead's IEMs. The bass on the NE-6/NE7-M lies somewhere exactly between these two groups. Its definitely not normal balanced bass and it can't even be classified as boomy bass owing to its amazing speed and accuracy.
Moving over to the midrange, the lower spectrum of the midrange frequencies is similar to the bass .Its extremely engaging , fun and pleasant sounding .Not as detailed as the Brainwavz M2 but the instruments are clear and fast. As a result of this the vocals and higher midrange sound slightly recessed. The bass and instruments take centre stage while the vocals support more of like background noise. A little EQing in the rockbox helps bring out the vocals and make it more balanced. The bass and midrange combination is best for electronica, hip-hop or any music with lot of instruments and less vocals.
Highs are crisp and detailed extend fairly well till the end of spectrum but lack the fine detailing of higher end IEMs like M2,RE-0 etc. They are not as good as the bass or midrange but not disappointing as well. There is no sign of sibilance or any sharpness. The treble is clear and smooth with most genres other than complex classical pieces where you can notice slight treble roll off. The treble detailing on the Brainwavz M2 and Head-Direct RE2 is lot better in comparison .
The soundstage and imaging has a very good depth and a equally good width.Its slightly warm and airy and gives you a lounge like feel.Its not as wide as the PL-50 or the more expensive RE-1, RE252 etc but it's as good as the RE-2 and the Brainwavz M2. As mentioned already the the bass and instruments are bang in the centre whereas the treble and fine detailing appears to come from far.
Need of an amp ?
The NE6/NE7-M is very easy to drive and I didn't need to go boost up the volume above 70-80% even in crowded places .Just to get an idea I did try it out with a few amps.
With Fiio E5, the sound didn’t improve but infact was degraded by slightly muddy midrange and midbass hump .The overall clarity suffered as well.
With the Fiio E1 connected to the iPhone, the bass gets a little more tighter and the vocals get a slight boost. Also there's a little sparkle in the treble detailing.This could be due to the amplification of clean line out signal from the iPhone.
I also got to try it with BF1983s Ibasso P3+ for a very brief period , and found that the overall detailing and soundstage was noticeable better than without amp . The bass had very good authority and sounded bliss .
The only major noticeable improvement was with a 200$ + amp so I don't think its worth the returns.Ofcourse if you already have one you can pair it with it otherwise one really doesn’t need any sort of amping for these. A good clean source is all that you need.
Overall the best way I could describe the sound on NE6/NE7M is lively and fun .Don’t get me wrong on the fun part cause some might mistaken it as it not being detailed or accurate. Its pretty accurate without having a dry \neutral or balanced sound . The amazing bass and lower midrange coupled with the relaxed soundstage will set you foot tapping everytime you listen to your music. It’s the kind of sound which majority of casual non-audiophile listeners will love . Especially the ones who complain about the lack of bass in their IEMs.
The NE6/NE7-M deserves a 4/5 for the sound.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion:
So as I always say , there's no single IEM which can be termed as best or better than the other ,especially with such competitive market its even more difficult to recommend a particular product as the best in its range. Currently the RE-2 would be the main competitor to the NE6 , infact both have equally good detailing but differ in their sound signatures. RE-2 is lot more balanced and open spaced compared to NE6.It's bass is not as good but the midrange especially the vocals are superior.
Some say the NE6 is what a RE-2 coupled with E5 sounds like , in my opinion it is not so .Both have a very distinct sound , wherein RE-2 is more suited for rock , classical type of music or someone looking for more neutral approach .
The NE6 is best suited for Drum n Bass,Hip hop , Electronica type of music or anyone who cares more about punchy bass and fun sound then extreme detailing , neutrality etc.
I really don't think one can go wrong with these. Infact before completing the review itself few of my friends bought the NE6 and NE7-M for their iPhones on my recommendation and each one was left amazed by its bass and sound quality.
At a price of Rs.2500 for NE6 and Rs.2950 for NE7-M they are a tad bit expensive than its international pricing but its still one of the best options in this range. If ever in the future there are any discounts or better deals , the NE6 would be a steal at that price.As for the NE-7M there's no competition as such and its the best IEM headset an iPhone or a mobile user can get for the price
.Pros :
Incredible bass
Good midrange
Fun and engaging sound signature
fine build quality
Cons :
Limited Accessories
Bass might be overpowering for the one's looking for very neutral sound.
Price point.
Overall rating : 4.3/5.
I would like to thank Buygamingstuff for providing me with the review sample and let me write the review at my convenience .
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