PUNCH Audio Portazo Review

 

Introduction:

Following the significant impact of the Martilo, PUNCH Audio has quickly expanded its lineup with the Portazo, a hybrid In-Ear Monitor released in late 2025. While the Martilo established the brand as a heavyweight in the sub-bass department, the Portazo is positioned as its faster, more aggressive, and more compact sibling. It targets listeners who crave the slam and energy of a bass-focused tuning but require a more versatile and easily driven package for daily use. Featuring a sophisticated hybrid setup of a dynamic driver and two micro-planar drivers, the Portazo aims to deliver high-octane fun without sacrificing technical clarity.

This review explores the Portazo’s unique “bass with attitude” approach and how it carves its own niche within the PUNCH Audio family.

 

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank Linsoul and PUNCH Audio for providing the Portazo for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Linsoul or PUNCH Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.

 

Price & Availability:

The Punch Audio Portazo is a hybrid-driver IEM with a competitive price in its category at $189.00 USD. It features a 1 dynamic driver + 2 planar driver configuration. Further information can be found at the provided link.

• PUNCH Audio Portazo Hybrid IEM

 

Package & Accessories:

The PUNCH Audio Portazo arrives in a matte black rectangular sleeve featuring a distinctive “shattered glass” graphic and the illustration of the In-Ear Monitors. Removing the outer sleeve reveals a gatefold-style inner box. When opened from the center, the two “doors” reveal the IEM shells securely seated in a protective foam upper tray, while a large, branded carrying case occupies the lower compartment.

Inside the box are the following contents/accessories; 

• 1 pair x PUNCH Audio Portazo In-Ear Monitor
• 1x Detachable Cable with 0.78mm 2-Pin Connector Interface and Interchangeable Plugs
• 1x 3.5 mm Plug Adapter
• 1x 4.4 mm Plug Adapter
• 3 pairs x Silicone Ear Tips
• 3 pairs x Foam Ear Tips
• 2 sets x Nozzle Filters
• 1x Earphone Case

 

 

Design & Build Quality:

The PUNCH Audio Portazo features a faceplate with an emerald green resin finish that has a translucent quality and depth. Internal patterns within the resin become visible under different lighting conditions and viewing angles. Due to the handcrafted production process, these patterns vary between individual units.

The emerald green color is used for the faceplate, and the PUNCH Audio branding is integrated into its design.

The shells are constructed from 3D-printed resin material. The surface is smooth to the touch, with no visible seams or sharp edges. The material has a dense feel while maintaining a lightweight overall weight, suitable for extended wear.

The inner surface of the shells is shaped to follow ear anatomy, incorporating a piano-shell contour that fits against the concha area.

On the upper edge, a flush-mounted 0.78mm 2-pin connector is present, providing a secure connection for cable attachment and removal.

A pressure-relief vent is located at the rear surface of the monitors in order to regulate airflow for the dynamic driver and minimize driver flex.

The nozzle is integrated as an extension of the resin shell and includes a metal mesh filter that protects the drivers from debris and influences high-frequency response. Near the nozzles is a second pressure relief.

The Portazo is equipped with a 4-core braided cable finished in dark brown insulation. It is relatively supple, allowing it to drape easily without significant memory effect. A practical feature of this cable is its modular plug system, which comes with both 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced connectors.

The plugs are housed in metal shells with integrated strain relief for added durability. For easier installation, the 0.78mm 2-pin connectors are color-coded and provide a secure connection to the IEM shells. In daily use, the cable remains relatively quiet, with minimal microphonic noise during movement.

 

Fit, Comfort & Isolation:

In terms of ergonomics, the PUNCH Audio Portazo features a well-contoured shape that fits most ears naturally. The lightweight resin construction helps maintain comfort during longer listening sessions, reducing the physical strain often associated with bulkier hybrids.

The fit is largely dependent on the choice of ear tips; using the included silicone tips generally results in a secure seal and effective passive noise isolation. This level of isolation is sufficient for managing typical ambient sounds like office background noise or moderate transit hum. Overall, the Portazo provides a stable and reliable fit, making it a practical option for daily use and commuting.

 

Technical Specifications:

• Model: Portazo
• Driver Configuration: 1DD + 2 Planar Drivers
• Frequency Response: 20Hz–35kHz
• Distortion: 0.015%
• Sensitivity: 102dB
• Impedance: 10Ω
• Cable Material: 4-Core Silver-Plated Copper
• Connector Type: 0.78mm 2-Pin
• Modular Plugs: 3.5mm, 4.4mm
• Cable Length: approx.. 125cm

  

Drivability & Pairing:

The Punch Audio Portazo has a low impedance of 10 ohms and a high sensitivity of 102 dB, making it highly efficient and one of the easier-to-drive options in its category. It can reach adequate volume levels from most portable sources, including smartphones, without requiring high-power desktop amplification.

It performs well with various portable devices, delivering impactful bass and airy treble even at moderate volumes. When paired with cleaner or more technical sources, such as the Questyle SIGMA or Cayin RU3, it can exhibit improved transient response and overall refinement. The Portazo provides consistent performance whether used with basic smartphone setups or dedicated portable DAC/Amplifiers.

 

Equipment’s used for this review:

• IEM’s              : PUNCH Audio Portazo, PUNCH Audio Martilo, HIDIZS MK12 x DucBloke
• DAP&DAC’s  : Questyle SIGMA, Cayin RU3

 

Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Norah Jones – Come Away With Me (Apple Music Lossless)
• Adele – My Little Love (Apple Music Lossless)
• 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” (Apple Music Lossless)
• Radiohead – Pyramid Song (Apple Music Lossless)
• 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 (Apple Music Lossless)
• Hans Zimmer – The Dark Knight OST (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• 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” (Apple Music Lossless)
• Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Apple Music Lossless)
• 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 Punch Audio Martilo delivers a sound signature with a pronounced emphasis on bass, while maintaining an overall character that leans toward the warm side of neutral. This balance ensures the bass doesn’t overpower the soundstage, allowing other frequencies to remain audible and distinct when needed. After a 50-hour burn-in period using the medium silicone ear tips and the 4.4mm cable, paired with the Questyle SIGMA and Cayin RU3, its audio profile stabilized, enabling a detailed assessment across a wide range of musical styles.

 

Bass

The low-end of the Portazo is authoritative, powerful, and intentionally designed to act as the undeniable heartbeat of your music. It features a massive sub-bass boost that provides a physical foundation felt as much as it is heard, creating a sense of immersion that places the listener right in front of a high-end subwoofer system. The key to this visceral performance lies in its next-generation composite dynamic driver, which pairs a liquid silicone suspension ring with a specialized Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) dome. This dual-material approach allows the Portazo to achieve a perfect synergy between deep, atmospheric rumble and high-speed mid-bass slam.

In bass-heavy tracks, the sub-bass delivers a sustained, textured vibration that feels remarkably grounded and stable. However, unlike its predecessor the Martilo, which leans into a slower and more seismic subterranean depth, the Portazo focuses on an aggressive, agile, and “snappy” attack. Kick drums carry a visceral punch that starts and stops with exceptional precision, ensuring that the sheer volume of bass never turns into the one-note bloat often found in other bass-dominant sets. The transition from the deepest sub-bass to the punchy mid-bass is seamless, providing a meaty and multi-dimensional low-end that manages to preserve the fine texture of instruments like bass guitars and synthesisers. While the emphasis is undeniably bold, the driver’s control ensures that the bass remains a high-definition experience that prioritizes impact and rhythm.

 

Midrange:

Despite the powerful and dominant bass shelf, the Portazo’s midrange is engineered with impressive care to ensure it maintains its own distinct territory within the soundstage. The tuning is strategically handled to prevent the low-end from bleeding upward, which effectively stops the bass from overshadowing the vital middle frequencies. This creates a surprisingly clean separation; male vocals benefit from a rich, full-bodied presence, sounding authoritative and grounded with a touch of warmth that adds to their musicality.

The upper midrange is tuned to provide a clear path for female vocals, ensuring they remain articulate and possess a satisfying presence that cuts through the mix without ever crossing into harsh or fatiguing territory. Instruments such as acoustic guitars, pianos, and snare drums are rendered with natural accuracy and a pleasant weight. It is important to note that due to the energetic V-shaped character of the Portazo, the midrange sits in a slightly more relaxed position relative to the aggressive bass and sparkling treble. This gives the music a grander, more cinematic feel rather than an intimate vocal experience. While it prioritizes a sense of atmosphere and rhythmic energy, the Portazo still manages to deliver a lushness that is rare for such a high-impact monitor.

 

Treble:

The treble performance is handled by dual custom micro-planar magnetic tweeters, and it serves as the Portazo’s most impressive technical achievement. These drivers provide a high-frequency response that is exceptionally fast, crisp, and extended, offering a level of precision that traditional drivers often struggle to match. This top-end extension is vital for the overall balance of the IEM, as it provides the necessary “air” and headspace to counterbalance the massive bass impact. Cymbals, hi-hats, and orchestral triangles shimmer with a realistic metallic texture and a rapid transient response.

The planar drivers excel at retrieving fine micro-details, adding a layer of sophisticated sparkle that brings out the nuance in high-frequency instruments. You can easily hear the faint trailing edges of notes and the subtle acoustic reflections of the recording room, which adds a professional, high-definition feel to the listening experience. Most importantly, the treble manages to be energetic and bright without crossing the line into sibilance or inducing listener fatigue. It provides a crisp edge to the sound that enhances the exciting character of the Portazo, making it feel lively and modern.

 

Soundstage & Imaging:

The soundstage and imaging of the Portazo are significantly enhanced by the speed of its micro-planar drivers. Rather than a closed-in sensation, the Portazo offers an impressively open 3D soundstage with ample headroom. The width allows instruments to feel spread out and well-separated. Imaging is precise and stable; even in dense, bass-heavy tracks, you can accurately visualize the placement of the drummer or the backing vocalists. This spatial layering prevents a “wall of sound” effect, ensuring the music remains atmospheric and immersive rather than just loud.

 

 

Comparison:

PUNCH Audio Portazo versus PUNCH Audio Martilo:

The comparison between the PUNCH Audio Portazo and the PUNCH Audio Martilo highlights two different tiers of performance within the brand’s lineup. As the flagship model, the Martilo remains the technical benchmark for PUNCH Audio, utilizing a complex tribrid array (2DD+2BA+1Planar) to achieve a level of refinement and holographic scale. The Portazo is a more streamlined hybrid that successfuly distills the brand’s high-energy DNA into a more efficient package.

In terms of bass, the Martilo showcases its flagship status through its specialized dual-dynamic driver system, offering a subterranean rumble and seismic depth that feels very natural and “analog.” It provides a sense of authority and scale expected from a top-tier model. However, the Portazo performs impressively for its position. While it may not reach the same subterranean depths, its mid-bass slam is more explosive and immediate, trading some of that specialized sub-bass focus for a more modern, “snappy” attack.

Regarding the midrange and treble, the Martilo maintains a lead in absolute transparency and vocal realism due to its dedicated balanced armatures. The Portazo, being more V-shaped, places the midrange in a more relaxed position. However, the Portazo’s dual micro-planars are highly capable, delivering a surprising amount of high-frequency sparkle and micro-detail that rivals the flagship in terms of sheer perceived clarity. While the Martilo is tuned for a more cohesive and non-fatiguing experience, the Portazo offers an energetic top-end that provides great definition.

Ultimately, the Martilo remains the premier choice in the lineup for its broader holographic stage and organic timbre. However, the Portazo stands as a highly capable alternative that delivers a significant portion of that flagship-level excitement and technicality at a more competitive price point.

 

PUNCH Audio Portazo versus. HIDIZS MK12 x DucBloke:

The comparison between the PUNCH Audio Portazo and the HIDIZS MK12 x DucBloke highlights two different approaches to high-impact sound. The HIDIZS MK12 x DucBloke is built around a single, massive 12mm dynamic driver featuring a unique magnesium diaphragm. This driver results in a cohesive, single-driver sound where everything feels unified and organic. In contrast, the Portazo is a hybrid, which separates the labor: the dynamic driver handles the grunt work of the bass while the planars handle the high-frequency finesse.

In terms of bass performance, the MK12 x DucBloke offers a deep and authoritative rumble that feels very natural and analog. However, the Portazo feels more modern and explosive. The Portazo’s mid-bass slam is significantly more aggressive than the MK12’s. While the MK12 flows with a smooth warmth, the Portazo hits with more immediate physical force.

Regarding the midrange and treble, the MK12 x DucBloke shines in its naturalness, giving vocals a realistic weight. The Portazo, being more V-shaped, places the midrange in a slightly more recessed position. However, the Portazo’s micro-planars take the lead in technicalities and high-frequency extension. The Portazo delivers more sparkle and micro-detail, whereas the MK12 is tuned to be smoother and more non-fatiguing. While the MK12 x DucBloke features a premium metal shell, the Portazo provides better 3D depth and layering due to its hybrid configuration, creating more air between instruments.

 

Conclusion:

The PUNCH Audio Portazo is a bold and successful expansion of the brand’s identity. It manages to balance a massive, high-energy low-end with the technical precision of micro-planar technology, creating a “best of both worlds” scenario for listeners who refuse to choose between impact and clarity. While its sibling, the Martilo, provides a darker and more seismic experience, the Portazo is the choice for the modern listener who demands speed, punchy mid-bass slam, and a sparkling, airy top-end. With its gorgeous emerald green resin build and its ability to be powered easily by high-quality portable gear, it stands as a top-tier contender for anyone seeking a “fun-first” audiophile experience.

 

Pros & Cons:

• + Powerful and well-controlled bass performance with decent level of slam
• + Clear and detailed midrange with a surprising sense of air
• + Precise treble with excellent extension due to dual planar drivers
• + Atmospheric Soundstage atmosphere
• + Sturdy, lightweight, and comfortable 3D-printed resin shell
• + Includes a high-quality modular cable with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm connectors

 

• – Midrange is clear but relaxed, lacking “front-row” vocal intimacy
• – Not intended as a reference-grade or neutral IEM
• – Limited ear tips selection

 

Thank you for the Read!