A Voyage Through The Looking Glass
Equipment:
Ifi Hip-Dac (Balanced Out)
Topping a50s Amp
SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK2 DAC
Final Audio E Tips (Original Model)
NiceHCK 16core HPC Cable 4.4mm Balanced
Music: Flac file from my personal collection
Specs:
Driver type: Single 10mm Carbon Nanometer DD
Impedance: 32Ω
Sensitivity: 106
Cable Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Notes:
The HZSound Heart-Mirror, like many emerging earphones, will only sound it’s best when properly amped. In particular imaging suffers and the presentation becomes thin on the Heart-Mirror when not adequately amped. This is not to say that they are hard to drive in the absolute sense. Just that sound quality differences are clearly apparent when listening via a good amplifier compared your basic DAP or phone.
Build Quality & Fit:
HZSounds may not be known to many and I would be one of them. Their Heart-Mirror houses a single DD (Dynamic Driver) in a beautifully made shiny metal reflective shell. Construction is of apparent high quality as well. One of the things that sets the HZSound product apart from other competitors in it’s price range, apart from the sound, is the very impressive set of addons that come with it. 2 full 3 size sets of eartips and a set of foam tips thrown in for good measure as well. Replacement nozzle filters are also included. The included cable appears to be of good quality. Fit is very good, with its compact size lending itself to long & comfortable listening sessions.
Sound:
Bass: The Heart-Mirror is not a “bass-heads” earphone but that doesn’t mean it is lacking in that department. Instead of over-prominent bass, the Heart-Mirror low end is of more neutral presentation with a slight elevation in the deep sub-bass. Bass speed, articulation and clarity are very impressive with no mid-bass bleed noted. On Wayman Tisdale’s track “Circumstance” for example, the bass line is not only clearly heard, but the texture also shines through. This speed and clarity is a common characteristic throughout the frequency range. The Heart-Mirror also takes kindly to eq, but I never felt it was necessary. The Heart-Mirror also plays deep with impressive levels of speed, clarity and detail retrieval, if sometimes being less impactful than optimum. Massive Attacks’ “Angel” sounds clear and articulate , but the bass impact was lacking on a track where the bass line drives the song forward. The xBass feature on the Hip-Dac really improved the Heart-Mirror’s bass impact on many tracks. Switching over to the Topping/SMSL stack was interesting as I found it less necessary to play with any bass eq. Sill not as impactful as warranted at times but, fast and with good clarity & detail.
Mids
Mids on the Heart Mirror have great speed, clarity and impressive detail retrieval while being slightly recessed. The presentation is a Bright/Neutral one so the Heart-Mirror is not overly warm but manages to strike a musical balance without sounding too cold or analytical. I did not find any shoutiness nor excessive sibilance, although when pushed very hard its tone can harden.. On Massive Attack’s “Protection” Tracey Thorn’s soothing vocals are clear and very engaging. “Love You To The Letter” by Anita Baker has incredible vocals and a great arrangement. The Heart-Mirror allowed me to get lost in this great music. Ronny Jordan’s “Vanston Place 00am” has lots going on even though this track is so smooth and soothing. The Hear-Mirror was impressive here as well, keeping each element in it’s place. Timbre is class leading by the way. Natural is the word of the day here.
Highs
The high end is clear and distinct with good extension. Sibilance is thankfully kept to a minimum and with well recorded music was never an issue. What really stands out here is the detail and clarity. I Previously felt that the BQEYZ KC2 was tops in my collection for this. The Heart-Mirror definitely improves on the KC2 while sounding more natural in the process. Cymbals sound more natural, although at times the trailing edge was noted to be more prominent the leading edge leading to a slightly unbalanced feel. Detail retrieval is also very good and due to it’s generally more natural presentation, beats out my previous champs the KC2 and TRN BA5. Ronny Jordan’s “Vanston Place 00am” has lots of great cymbal work for example, and the tone and texture of the different elements really were pleasingly distinct. Imaging, when amped, is also nicely done with spatial cues easy to place and follow. Overall the treble on the Heart-Mirror is detailed, fast and coherent but at times can suffer slightly from the overemphasis of the trailing edge of transients. Still very impressive.
Imaging and Soundstage
The Heart Mirror is capable of good imaging with easy to follow spatial cues and proper placement. One main caveat of the HZSound Heart-Mirror is that it really needs an amp to shine. This is very apparent with it’s below average imaging, light note weight and general incoherence when underpowered. It is not hard to drive but that extra power really does wonders. Tip selection and cable choice also play an important role with respect to the sound. In particular I found that tip selection was very crucial to get the best balance out of this earphone.
Strengths & Weaknesses
The Heart Mirror’s strength lays in it’s natural tone, detail retrieval, clarity and speed. For the asking price it really is at the top of it’s game.
With respect to it’s weaknesses, overall it’s lack of absolute bass weight and occasional upper treble over-emphasis can make some tracks sound somewhat thin when compared to other earphones such as the KBear BElieve or even the Lark. The BElieve though is over 3x the price of the Heart-Mirror, and worth it imho, while the Lark while punchy, lacks the speed and overall clarity of the Heart-Mirror.
Versus
-KBear lark
The Lark (Retuned Version) has a more punchy and fuller sound than the Heart-Mirror. It also has notably stronger bass. Clarity on the Lark is also very good with great imaging as well. The Heart Mirror climbs on top when it comes to detail retrieval, speed and instrument separation. The treble on the HM is also more detailed and textured. The Lark though has a critical advantage as it is easier to drive than the Heart-Mirror and can be used with great success on a wider range of sources.
-KBear BElieve
Some will say this isn’t a fair comparison given the price delta. I say the Heart Mirror hits well above it’s asking price so “fair is fair”. The BElieve though presents a more organic and mature sonic fingerprint than the Heart Mirror. With respect to absolute detail retrieval the Heart-Mirror may actually have the edge, but the ability of the BElieve to separate the layers of the music is just in another world. Imaging is another point where the price difference doesn’t mean much here as both present a plausible and satisfying if not 3D picture of the music. Overll although it’s a strong vote for the BElieve over the Heart Mirror all things being considered.
-BQEYZ KC2
Very similar to the Heart Mirror in overall all sonic fingerprint but less natural in tone. The KC2 has very good detail retrieval but with respect to timbre is bested by the Heart Mirror. Neither is a bass cannon but the lower end on the Heart Mirror is more textured as well and as responds better to eq. In my opinion the Heart Mirror is generally superior sonically to the KC2. One advantage of the KC2 is it doesn’t really need an amp to shine.
Conclusion
I consider the Heart Mirror one of the best in my small but growing collection of earphones that I actually own. At it’s price point, it is an outstanding value and can easily compete with products costing a few times more than it's overly reasonable asking price. Give it adequate clean power combined with some quality time tip rolling and the Heart Mirror will reward the listener with a satisfying audio experience.
The best thing I can say about the HZSound Heart-Mirror is that I have found an ear
phone and setup that allows me to get lost in the music. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
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