ArpegEar Hane Review
ArpegEar Hane Review
Introduction:
Topping Technology has introduced the ArpegEar Hane, an In-Ear Monitor designed with a focus on performance and customization. This IEM aims to accommodate a wide range of audio preferences through its advanced tuning capabilities and ergonomic design.
The Hane features a 3D-printed resin shell and a feather-inspired faceplate design. It includes a 10mm DLC dynamic driver with a Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) diaphragm is designed to minimize distortion for accurate sound reproduction.
One of the notable features of the Hane is its Precision Tone Control (PTC) system. This system includes four independent dip switches, allowing users to fine-tune the sound signature with 16 possible combinations, supporting personalized listening experiences across different musical genres. Additionally, the Hane features feature a 0.78mm 2-pin detachable cable system, allowing for easy upgrades or replacements.
Let’s take a deeper look at the design and sonic performance of the Arpegear Hane.
Disclaimer:
I would like to thank the Shenzhen Audio and Topping for providing me the ArpegEar Hane In-Ear Monitor for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Shenzhen Audio and Topping beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.
Price & Availability:
The ArpegEar Hane is currently available for $129.00 USD. More information’s can be found under the link below;
Package & Accessories:
The ArpegEar Hane’s packaging is sleek and modern, combining black and turquoise colors. The brand name “ArpegEar” is in white on the black side, while “Hane” and “High-Performance In-Ear Monitors” are on the turquoise side. The box is rectangular and compact, designed for easy handling and storage. The overall design is clean and professional.
Inside the box are the following contents/accessories;
- 1 (pair) x ArpegEar Hane In-Ear Monitors
- 1 x 2-Pin detachable cable with 3.5mm headphone jack
- 1 x Carrying Pouch
- 1 x Tunning Tool
- 6 (pairs) x Silicone Ear Tips
- Print material
Design & Build Quality:
The ArpegEar Hane, inspired by the Japanese word “Hane” meaning feather or wing, has a is a sleek and stylish 3D-printed resin shell. The faceplates, inspired by the elegant form of a feather and crafted using traditional Chinese “dian cui” techniques, add an artistic touch that beautifully catches the light.
The design features a complex pattern of lines and curves, enhancing the overall aesthetics. The left faceplate has the ArpegEar branding, while the right has the Hane branding.
Inside, the Hane employs a 10mm Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) composite diaphragm dynamic driver, designed to deliver detailed and precise sound.
The inner surface of the monitors includes a sound nozzle with a filter to dampen sounds and prevent the ingress of foreign particles like dust and earwax, protecting the internal components. Near the sound nozzle, there is a small vent specifically for the 10mm dynamic driver.
The top of each monitor shell features a 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin connector interface, ensuring a secure connection.
The unique PTC dip switch system, located on the rear side of the IEM, offers four independent switches that provide access to 16 distinct tuning combinations, allowing for a customizable listening experience.
The ArpegEar Hane comes with an Oxygen Free Copper (OFC) cable featuring a braided design with a fabric outer layer that provides decent microphonic performance.
The cable is equipped with 2-Pin connectors that have heat shrink ear guides for a more comfortable over-ear fit.
The Y-splitter and chin slider are crafted from metal, enhancing durability.
The 3.5mm single-ended plug has an L-shaped metal housing with a strain relief attached to the headphone plug housing, further reinforcing the cable’s durability.
The build quality and design of both the monitors and the detachable cable are exceptional, meeting high expectations for IEMs in this price range.
Comfort & Isolation:
The ArpegEar Hane’s lightweight nature ensures comfort during extended wear, making it suitable for daily activities or workouts. Its compact size, lightweight materials, and thoughtfully designed inner surface fit perfectly in ears with a moderately sized ear concha. This makes the Hane ideal for extended listening sessions. The included silicone ear tips offer above-average passive noise isolation, sufficient for use in relatively noisy environments like a bus or train.
Technical Specifications:
- Model Name : Hane
- Driver Type : 10mm DLC composite diaphragm dynamic driver
- THD : <0.05% (@94dB SPL)
- Impedance : 80Ω ±15% (@1kHz)
- Sensitivity : 115dB/Vrms (@1kHz)
- Frequency Response : 5Hz-35kHz
- Cable : 1.5m OFC
- Socket : 0.78mm-2pin
- Headphone Plug : 3.5mm Single-Ended
Paring & Drivability:
The ArpegEar Hane is a relative demanding In-Ear Monitor with an 80Ω impedance and a sensitivity of 115dB, which means it requires more power than average to reach its full potential. Unlike easier-to-drive models, the Hane pairs best with dedicated audio equipment such as DAP’s, Portable DAC/AMP’s or at least a UBS Dongle rather than typical smartphones or tablets.
Equipment’s used for this review:
- IEM’s : ArpegEar Hane, Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
- DAP&DAC’s : FiiO M23, Questyle CMA18P, ONIX Alpha XI1
Albums & tracks used for this review:
- Norah Jones – Come Away With Me (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Adele – My Little Love (Deezer HiFi)
- Sarah McLachlan – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Sertap Erener – Aşk (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
- Aretha Franklin – I Say A Little Payer (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- George Michael – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- David Bowie – Heroes (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Elton John – Rocket Man ((Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Barry White – Just The Way You Are (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Isaac Hayes – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sting – Englishman in New York – (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Dave Gahan – Kingdom (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Radiohead – Live in Berlin “Album” (Deezer HiFi)
- Radiohead – Pyramid Song (Deezer HiFi)
- U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Muse – Hysteria (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Nobody Weird Like Me (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Bear McCreary’s – Valkyries (Deezer HiFi)
- Bro Safari, UFO! – Drama (Deezer HiFi)
- Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Daft Punk – Instant Crush (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Daft Punk – Doin’ it Right (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Toutant – Rebirth (Deezer HiFi)
- Gogo Penguin – Raven (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Gogo Penguin – Murmuration (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Portishead – It Could Be Sweet (Spotify)
- Max Richter – On the Nature of Daylight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Charly Antolini – Duwadjuwandadu (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 5 (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Ferit Odman – Look, Stop & Listen (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Clair de Lune – Claude Debussy (Spotify)
- Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Deezer HiFi)
- Miles Davis – So What (Deezer HiFi)
- Otto Liebert& Luna Negra – The River (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Lunatic Soul – The Passage (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Deftones – My Own Summer (Shove it) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Metallica – Dyers Eve (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Opeth – Windowpane (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Rush’s – Tom Sawyer (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Slayer – Angel of Death (Spotify)
- Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
- Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Spotify)
The Sound:
The ArpegEar Hane delivers a balanced and versatile sound profile, thanks to its four-position dip switch system. It offers a deep, controlled bass with quick decay and excellent speed, a clear and detailed midrange with smooth upper midrange extension, and precise, airy treble with impressive extension. The soundstage is wide and well-organized, providing realistic depth and excellent instrument separation, enhancing both music and gaming experiences. The ability to customize the bass and treble ensures that listeners can tailor the sound to their preferences, making the Hane a versatile and engaging choice for various listening styles.
Four-Position Dip Switch Tuning:
The ArpegEar Hane features a Precision Tone Control (PTC) dip switch system with four independent switches, offering up to 16 tuning combinations. This allows users to customize their listening experience to suit various preferences.
Bass and Treble Adjustments:
- Toggle 1: Increases bass by 2dB, providing a fuller sound without overwhelming other frequencies.
- Toggle 2: Boosts bass by 4dB, making the bass more prominent and offering a richer, deeper experience.
- Toggle 1 & 2: Provides the highest bass boost of 6dB, significantly enhancing the low frequencies for a powerful, dominant bass, ideal for bass-heavy genres like hip-hop and EDM.
- Toggle 3: Reduces treble harshness by attenuating frequencies between 3 kHz and 7 kHz, resulting in a smoother high-end.
- Toggle 4: Enhances treble clarity and brightness, making high frequencies more pronounced and detailed.
- Toggle 3 & 4: Balances treble frequencies, combining the effects of both toggles to provide a refined treble response and effectively attenuating the 6kHz region for an optimized audio experience.
Summary:
- Toggle 1: Provides a subtle bass boost.
- Toggle 2: Offers a moderate bass boost.
- Toggle 1 & 2: Delivers a strong, impactful bass boost.
- Toggle 3: Reduces treble harshness.
- Toggle 4: Enhances treble clarity and brightness.
- Toggle 3 & 4: Balances treble frequencies for a refined sound.
The ArpegEar Hane review has been written after a burn-in period of about 75 – 80 hours. I have used the stock Silicon Ear Tips and the detachable cable included in the package and have paired the IEM with sources like the FiiO M23 (DAP) and Questyle CMA18P (Portable DAC/AMP) and ONIX Alpha XI1 (DAC/AMP dongle).
Bass:
The ArpegEar Hane delivers a well-controlled bass performance, offering a deep and clear low-end. The bass response is extended and firm, maintaining clarity without muddiness. Bass decay is quick and natural, ensuring that notes are tight and well-defined. The bass speed and control are impressive, providing a dynamic listening experience. The four-position dip switch system allows for bass customization. Toggle 1 enhances the bass, adding fullness, while Toggle 2 increases its prominence, making it richer and more substantial. Engaging both Toggle 1 and 2 results in a strong bass boost, ideal for genres like hip-hop and EDM. This adjustable feature offers flexibility in achieving either a subtle or pronounced bass, adapting to various preferences. Even with reduced bass settings, the low frequencies retain their depth and richness, supporting a balanced sound across different music genres. The ability to fine-tune the bass makes the Hane versatile, catering to audiophiles who appreciate both subtle and pronounced bass responses. Overall, the bass performance of the ArpegEar Hane is commendable, providing a deep and satisfying low-end with excellent control and versatility.
Midrange:
The midrange of the ArpegEar Hane is clear and detailed, consistently offering smooth and refined audio. The dip switch system allows for adjustments, ranging from a forward vocal presentation to a more spacious sound. This flexibility ensures that users can tailor the midrange to fit various genres and preferences. Whether a closer, more intimate vocal experience or a broader, more spacious soundstage is preferred, the Hane accommodates these preferences effectively. The upper midrange extension enhances the overall clarity, providing a vivid and engaging listening experience. The midrange consistently provides coherent and detailed sound, capturing musical nuances accurately. The ability to adjust vocal prominence and spatial perception enhances the Hane’s versatility. The midrange performance highlights the Hane’s capability to deliver high-quality sound with precision and clarity, making it a valuable choice in its price range.
Treble:
The treble performance of the ArpegEar Hane is notable for its clarity and precision. The slightly enhanced core and upper treble add definition and airiness to the sound. The dip switch system allows for treble adjustments. Toggle 3 reduces harshness, providing a smoother high-end, while Toggle 4 increases brightness and detail. Using both Toggle 3 and 4 results in a balanced treble response, optimizing the audio experience. The treble extension is impressive, providing an open and spacious sound that enhances the overall listening experience. This ensures that the treble remains detailed without excessive brightness, suitable for various musical styles. The ability to customize the treble response provides a balanced and clear high-frequency performance, enhancing the overall versatility of the Hane. The treble performance is well-executed, offering both precision and versatility, making it an excellent performer for its price.
Soundstage & Imaging:
The soundstage of the ArpegEar Hane is wide and well-organized, offering good dimensions overall. It provides excellent instrument separation and detailed presentation, enhancing the listening experience. The soundstage remains spacious, delivering a realistic sense of depth and positioning. The ability to retrieve details is particularly effective when the bass is less prominent, allowing for clear and nuanced audio. This aspect benefits both music and gaming, where precise sound placement is important. The Hane’s soundstage performance contributes to an immersive audio experience, making it a strong choice for those seeking detailed and expansive sound. The overall performance in clarity, resolution, and technical ability offers solid value.
Comparison:
ArpegEar Hane versus Kinera Celest Phoenixcall:
ArpegEar Hane (Reference Mode: All Toggles Down)
The ArpegEar Hane delivers a well-controlled bass performance that is deep and clear, maintaining clarity without muddiness. Its quick and natural bass decay ensures that notes are tight and well-defined. In contrast, the Kinera Celest Phoenixcall provides a similarly deep and controlled bass response, yet the Hane achieves tighter and more precise notes due to its superior decay and control.
The ArpegEar Hane offers a midrange that is clear, detailed, and smooth, delivering a balanced and coherent sound that captures musical nuances effectively. The Kinera Celest Phoenixcall also presents a clear and detailed midrange but lacks the same level of refinement and balance, making the Hane slightly more engaging for a broader range of music genres.
With all toggles down, the ArpegEar Hane’s treble is notable for its clarity and precision, providing an open and spacious sound without harshness. The Kinera Celest Phoenixcall also delivers clear and precise treble but does not achieve the same level of extension and airiness. The Hane’s treble remains more refined and spacious, enhancing the overall listening experience.
The ArpegEar Hane features a wide and well-organized soundstage, with excellent instrument separation and realistic depth. The Kinera Celest Phoenixcall offers a spacious and organized soundstage, yet the Hane provides a more immersive and detailed experience, particularly in terms of depth and instrument separation.
ArpegEar Hane (Toggles Adjusted for Bass and Treble)
Engaging Toggle 1 and 2, the ArpegEar Hane offers a strong bass boost, providing a powerful and dominant low-end ideal for bass-heavy genres. The Kinera Celest Phoenixcall, while delivering a robust bass response, does not reach the same level of adjustability and impact that the Hane’s bass customization offers. The Hane ensures a more pronounced and dynamic low-end with its adjustable bass.
Even with bass and treble toggles engaged, the ArpegEar Hane’s midrange remains clear and detailed, with the upper midrange extension providing enhanced clarity. The Kinera Celest Phoenixcall maintains a clear and detailed midrange but lacks the same level of flexibility. The Hane’s midrange tuning allows for a more tailored listening experience, ensuring vocal prominence and spatial perception can be adjusted to preference.
With Toggle 3 and 4 engaged, the ArpegEar Hane’s treble becomes more pronounced and detailed, enhancing brightness and clarity. The Kinera Celest Phoenixcall provides clear and airy treble but does not match the Hane’s level of customization. The Hane’s adjustable treble ensures listeners can achieve a bright and detailed high-end without harshness, making it more versatile across different musical styles.
Adjusting the toggles for bass and treble does not compromise the soundstage and imaging of the ArpegEar Hane. It remains wide, well-organized, and immersive, with excellent instrument separation. The Kinera Celest Phoenixcall maintains a commendable soundstage and imaging, yet the Hane’s ability to retain these qualities even with adjustments gives it an edge. The Hane’s soundstage continues to be spacious and detailed, enhancing the overall listening experience.
Conclusion:
The ArpegEar Hane excels as a versatile and in-ear monitor. Its standout feature, the four-position dip switch system, allows for customizable bass and treble, ensuring adaptability across various musical genres. The bass is deep and controlled with quick decay, while the midrange remains clear and smooth. The treble is precise and airy, providing impressive extension without harshness.
The wide and well-organized soundstage offers realistic depth and excellent instrument separation, beneficial for both music and gaming. Additionally, the Hane’s 3D-printed resin shell and ergonomic design ensure a comfortable fit for extended wear. The elegant faceplates, crafted using traditional Chinese “dian cui” techniques, add a touch of sophistication. Overall, the ArpegEar Hane combines solid sound performance, customizable features, and stylish design, making it an excellent choice for discerning audiophiles
Pros & Cons:
- + Balanced and versatile sound signature suitable for various genres
- + Deep, controlled bass with quick decay and excellent speed
- + Clear and detailed midrange with smooth upper midrange extension
- + Precise, airy treble with impressive extension
- + Customizable sound profile with four-position dip switch system
- + Wide and well-organized soundstage with excellent instrument separation
- + Comfortable fit for extended wear due to ergonomic design
- + Elegant design with 3D-printed resin shell and traditional Chinese “dian cui” techniques
- – Requires a relative powerful audio source to reach full potential
- – The toggles are a bit small and may overwhelming for some users
- – Not a big fan of cables with fabric outer layer
Thank you for the Read!
