Hypersense HEX02 review
HYPERSENSE HEX02
1. Introduction:
Hypersense is a brand of the company LinDo Technology Co. Ltd. that is located in Dongguan, a Industrial City in mainland China. The Hypersense HEX02 is the first In-Ear Monitor (IEM) of this Company in the audio market.
Hypersense HEX02 is an IEM with a 9mm composite (PET + Ti) diver.
2. Disclaimer:
The Hypersense HEX02 was provided to me by the Hypersense via Penon Audio for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with Hypersense or Penon Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.
3. Price:
The MSRP price for the Hypersense HEX02 is 25.00 USD.
Purchase Link: https://penonaudio.com/hypersense-hex02.html
4.Package and Accessories:
The Hypersense HEX02 comes in a blue/black colored small card box.
This box includes the following contents;
- 1 x Hypersense HEX02
- 1 x Storage Bag
- 1 pair of Earhook
- 1 pair per size S, M, L Silicone Tips
Storage bag that comes in the box is made of fabric material and the silicone eartips are soft and comfortable. There is also 1 pair of Ear-hook / Ear-Guide.
5. Specifications:
- Impendence : 16Ω
- Driver diameter : 9mm
- Diaphragm material : PET / Ti composite material
- Rated power : 10mW
- Sensitivity : ≥95dB (@ 1kHz)
- Frequency Response : 20 ~ 40kHZ
- Wire material : 1.35m environmental TPE
- Receiver : condenser microphone
- Remote control : three buttons (volume and pause)
- System compatibility : Android and iOS compatible
- Plug : 3,5mm 4 Pole Gold Plated Plug
6. Design, Fit and Build Quality:
The HEX02 has a bell like design and is made of stainless steel that is according to Hypersense made with a special “super-hard alloy knife processing” technology. There is also a black plastic part on the shell that serves as strain relief and on the back side of is the nice looking Hypersense Logo.
There are also two holes on the bottom of which one should serve as a bass vent.
The HEX02 is a quite small IEM that is pretty comfortable in my ears and should be ideal for those who are looking for a comfortable earphone. The Isolation of this In-Ear Monitor is above average and should be quite suitable for outdoor usage.
The cable of the HEX02 is not removable and has a built in microphone. The cable has a black TPU coating that is soft and a little bit prone to microphonic effects.
There is a small metal Y splitter but no chin slider.
The built in microphone has a quite good voice transmission performance and is compatible with Android and iOS devices. The straight headphone plug is made of stainless steel material in a conical form that is quite easy to plug and remove.
7. Albums & tracks used for this review:
- Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
- Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
- George Michael – Older Album (Apple Music)
- LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
- Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
- Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
- Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
- Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
- Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
- Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (DSF)
8. Sources used for this review:
- IEM : Hypersense HEX02, Sennheiser CX 3.00, Dunu DN12
- DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Aune M2Pro, Chord Mojo, Zishan Z2
9. The Sound:
I believe in burn-in and this review is written after a burn-in process of approx. 100 hours. I have used the stock silicone ear tips that are included to the package.
Tonality:
The HEX02 is an IEM with a warm tonality, bright top end, strong bass response and a clean overall sound.
Frequencies:
The sub-bass performance for depth, clarity and extension is considering the price of $ 25 pretty good. This means that the sub-bass performances will satisfy most users who are looking for an entry level Hi-Fi IEM.
The Hypersense HEX02 is able to produce strong mid-bass and punchy sub-bass tones. One big plus for the HEX02 is the mid-bass performance, which is well controlled and not overshadowing the midrange.
Although the HEX02 is a bass-focused IEM, a slight extension of the bass pulls it to a stable point and that’s why the bass sounds sound very controlled even in bass intensive music genres.
The bass performance of the Hypersense HEX02 will satisfy users who are listening to genres like trance, edm, etc. and who want bass pressure, extension, amount and vibration.
The Hypersense HEX02 has a warm and slightly colored sounding midrange.
Male vocals sounding stronger and reaching better to the upper midrange register. This means that male vocals sounding in general better than female vocals. There is missing only a bit of transparency for female vocals, which is otherwise quite good in performance for this price range.
The HEX02 has a good instrument separation in songs with low instrument density and performs better with bold sounding instruments than thinner ones, because of the missing of some naturalness.
The HEX02 sounds a bit harsh and bright in the upper register, compared to the warmer lower end and midrange. The treble presentation is in general more suitable for music types like edm or trance, than for metal music.
10. Comparison:
Vs. Sennheiser CX 3.00 :
The Sennheiser CX 3.00 is an IEM with V shaped sound signature. The Hypersense HEX02 on the other hand has a warmer sound signature with a relative brighter top end.
The CX 3.00 has more depth and quantity in the lower frequency area, with more bass presence and rumble. The HEX02 on the other hand, is better in speed with a tighter and more natural bass response. As result, the HEX02 sounds more balanced and mature in the lower register.
Both IEM’s have a different vocal presentation. The HEX02 sounds better with male vocals, while the Sennheiser CX 3.00 is superior in female vocal presentation.
The midrange of the HEX02 has a more forward oriented presentation. The HEX02 has also a brighter and more detailed midrange presentation, compared to the darker and overshadowed tuning of the CX 3.00.
The instrument clarity, separation and detail level of the HEX02 is superior compared to those of the CX 3.00.
The treble presentation Sennheiser CX 3.00 sounds more recessed and darker then those of the Hypersense HEX02. The treble of the HEX02 is brighter and more upfront compared to those of CX 3.00. The treble overall detail level and extension of the HEX02 is superior. The good thing about the treble range of the CX 3.00 is that it’s not tiring your ears and makes it suitable for listening to long periods.
The Hypersense HEX02 has an airier and wider soundstage presentation in both directions.
Vs. Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD
Both IEM’s sharing nearly identical sub-bass and bass performances. The Hypersense HEX02 has a bit more bass quantity then than Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD, which has the better overall control in this frequency region.
The midrange of the HEX02 soundS warmer and more emotional compared to the brighter and a bit too harsh sounding Hybrid Pro HD. The upper midrange of the Hybrid Pro HD sounds a bit too over boasted and somewhat unnatural compared to the warmer and more realistic tuning of the HEX02.
The Hybrid Pro HD sounds smoother and brighter in the treble range, while the Hypersense HEX02 has more the upper hand for treble definition. Both IEM’s have a bright top end and some sibilance problems.
Both IEMs are quite good in soundstage realism and wideness for both directions. The Hybrid Pro HD has a little more depth, while the HEX02 has the upper hand for separation, which is in complex passages noticeable.
11. Conclusion:
The Hypersense HEX02 is a good looking IEM with nice build quality, that has a nice warm sound with strong bass response and a clean overall sound that are nice features for a entry level product.
12. Summary (plus and minus):
+ Build quality
+ Nice warm sound with strong bass response
+ Comfortable fit
+ Build-in microphone
– Missing of some transparency
– No detachable cable