NiceHCK X49 Review – Fukubukuro 福袋 2020
Pros — Surprisingly good tonal accuracy; superb low end.
Cons — Small headroom through low soundstage (typical for cylindrical budget earphones); 3.5 kHz peak may be not for everybody.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The NiceHCK X49 is a bright-neutral earphone with a wide but low soundstage, however a decent tonality – a rare find in this class. Great for people who want to experience a more neutral tonality at a small cost.
INTRODUCTION
Fukubukuro (福袋) is Japanese and means lucky bag. It stands for a Japanese New Year custom in which merchants make grab bags filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial discount. NiceHCK have adapted this tradition for the Chinese new year – and their 福袋 attracts curious buyers who hope for a positive surprise in their lucky bag. I am sure the company has sold tons of these NiceHCK X49 on spec. The question is: are the X49 as good as claimed by the company, according to which 20 audiophiles had been selected as testers – who in turn climbed the X49 are as good as a $70 earphone. Well, we find out in the following.
SPECIFICATIONS
Drivers: single balanced armature
Impedance: 22 Ω
Sensitivity: 110dB/mW
Frequency Range: 20 – 20,000 Hz
Cable: fixed
Tested at: $17
Purchase Link: NiceHCK Store
PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY
The box contains the bare minimum: the earphones with a velcro band, 3 sets of tips, a shirt clip, and the paperwork. The cable is not detachable and the left strand is marked by a little slider (visible at the centre left top of the photo). The cylindrical shells are made of metal and the haptic is quite good. Comfort, isolation, and seal are standard for this shape. The largest tips worked for me. Considering the low price, I assumed the NiceHCK X49 are meant to work with a plain phone – I used them with my iPhone SE (2016).
TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES
My tonal preference and testing practice
The tonality of the NiceHCK X49 is neutral- bright.
I did not expect wonders of the sound but was kind of surprised who well the low end performed. It is realistic in that it does not over-extend into the sub-bass (in fact the extension is probably below average compared to its peers), it is articulate and tight….reminiscent of the JVC HA-FDX1, one of my all time favourites. Typical BA driver with not too much extension. So, not for bass lovers however for, hmmm, audiophiles…although audiophiles are people with deep pockets who listen to gear and not to music…ok, the X49 are for people who love music, then. To me, the low end is more linear and flatter than shown on the graph…either my measurements are inaccurate or that 3.5 kHz balances the low end (the human ear hears the whole frequency spectrum in context).
The lower midrange/vocals department is slightly recessed but voices appear to be well sculptured. They are not the richest and appear a bit breathy or nasal at times, but that’s still acceptable. It is that 3.5 kHz peak that attenuates them a bit. The vocals department could do with a bit more body. That 3.5 kHz upper midrange peak can make things a bit harsh at higher volumes – however it adds clarity to the midrange. Both midrange and bass are on the bright neutral side. There is a distinct rolloff in the uppermost midrange and brilliance area and a climb in the lower treble. Cymbals can be a bit splashy.
Treble appears well extended and the high notes resolve reasonably well but cymbals can be a bit splashy.
Stage is reasonably wide, not very deep, and not the tallest. Spatial cues is good. The stage is exactly what you expect from the shape of the shells. Staging (instrument separation/placement and layering) was again surprisingly good. Dynamics is another particularity of this earphone: the punch sounds a bit analog as if the music came from a record player. Timbre/tonal accuracy is another positive surprise but things can get a bit harsh at higher volumes – as mentioned before. This is an earphone for moderate volumes.
NiceHCK X49 COMPARED
You find reviews of all of the iems mentioned below here.
Difficult task. Even the $23 KBEAR KS2 is 50% more expensive – and totally different: comparatively bassy and V-shaped. And any vintage <$20 earphone such as the Urbanfun Hifi or Einsear T2 are also V-shaped with a boomy bass. It will be tough to find such a clean tonality in this price range.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
NiceHCK attempted to offer an audiophile-tuned earphone at a very low price – and they succeeded imo. Anything neutral sounding below $50 is a rarity, and the NiceHCK X49 are cheap enough to act as a stocking stuffer…for yourself. Having enough of V-shaped? Try this one and see whether (diffuse-field) neutral is right for you.
Until next time…keep on listening!
You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.
DISCLAIMER
The X49 were sent to me unsolicited by Jim NiceHCK and I think him for that.
Get the NiceHCK X49 from the NiceHCK Store
Our generic standard disclaimer.
You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.
