Whizzer HE01 Review (2) – Whizz Kid
Pros
Well fitting, light, comfortable. Beautiful looks.
Above average isolation.
Great organic timbre and tonality.
Good soundstage and technicalities. Fast transients.
Easy to drive.
Nice accessories.
Cons
Not the most textured bass.
Rare instances of hot upper mids.
Not all aftermarket 2 pin cables can fit this set, due to the round protruding housing design.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Whizzer HE01 features a warm mild V shaped tuning, and is an all rounder single DD set that scores good marks in tonality, timbre and technicalities. Transients are a particular standout on this set. Accessories and haptics are nice and I would say it is one of the standout sub $100 CHIFI single DDs of 2021.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver configuration: metal composite moving coil unit with high magnetic circuit
- Frequency response: 15 hz – 40 kHz
- Impedance: 18 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 112 dB SPL / MW
- Cable: 2 pin
- Tested at $79.99 USD
- Purchase link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001731358565.html
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, the Whizzer HE01 packaging comes with:
- 5N OFC oxygen free copper cable – well braided, very usable OOTB sonic wise. No microphonics. Only thing to note though is that the 2 pin connector here is round and protruding for the housing. So it may not fit all aftermarket cables.
- Silicone ear tips – I find the narrow bore eartips tend to boost bass, the wider bore ones tend to boost the upper mids/treble, YMMV as we have different ear anatomies.
- Round metal hard case
- Cleaning tool
Accessories wise, this is rather generous for a budget single DD, I’ve definitely seen worse in some more expensive CHIFI “flagships” (cough cough TRN). Everything is rather usable OOTB, so no need to mess with getting aftermarket tips and cables (which can add to costs).
For the purposes of this review, the stock cable and tips were used, so as not to change the sound signature with aftermarket gear. In particular, the narrow bore eartips were used for this review.
BUILD/COMFORT
The Whizzer H01 shell is made of plastic and is very light and well fitting. Comfort is top notch, I’ve used this set for marathon listening sessions without an ounce of discomfort.
I didn’t find any driver flex for myself (but YMMV once more as this is somewhat dependent on ear anatomy and types of ear tips used).
I liked that the Whizzer HE01 uses 2 pin connectors, as I’m not a fan of MMCX connectors in general, as they tend to have shorter longevity especially if cables are swapped too much. Only thing to note though is that the 2 pin connector here is round and protruding for the housing. So it may not fit all aftermarket cables, so just a point to note.
The Whizzer HE01’s shell is also quite beautiful looking, my wife would usually glare at me or nag when a new IEM comes in the mail. But this time, she took a look and was quiet for a few seconds. Then she grudgingly said she “wouldn’t mind trying it” LOL. But of course for us in this hobby, most of us value the sound over the looks, so let’s dive into that below.
ISOLATION
The Whizzer HE01 has above average isolation. Not too bad considering it is vented, though some pure BA type IEMs without vents will beat it in the isolation department.
DRIVABILITY
I tested the Whizzer He01 with a Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp, Sony NW A-55 DAP (DMP-A50 FEv2 Classic Mr Walkman Mod), smartphone, Shanling Q1 DAP, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, ESS ES9280C PRO DAC/AMP, and a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 Amp.
At a sensitivity of 112dB/mW, the Whizzer HE01 is easy to drive, but like most other single DD types, it scales with amping. Amping can increase dynamics, soundstage and perhaps microdetails, but no biggie if you do not have an amp on hand with the Whizzer HE01.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
In a nutshell, the Whizzer HE01 features a warm mild V shaped tuning, and is an all rounder single DD set that scores good marks in tonality, timbre and technicalities.
For the bass department, the Whizzer HE01 is not a basshead set in terms of quantity, but bass is definitely north of neutral with a great punch in the midbass. Midbass is more pronounced than the subbass, but this set can still extend quite well in subbass extension. Bass quality wise, while there isn’t marked midbass bleed, the bass isn’t the most textured and can be one noted at time, but that’s something I can close one eye considering the rest of the tonality is quite good.
Lower mids are midly recessed, not overly so. Upper mids are at the borderline of spiciness for me for some songs, but otherwise, it doesn’t really get into very banshee shouty territory (cough cough Moondrop SSR) unless one jacks up the volume a lot (Fletcher Munson curve), or on some poorly recorded materials. Mids are very clean and transparent.
Treble is well extended, though there’s mild instances of sibilance. Microdetails are well captured and cymbals ain’t splashy or unnatural.
Technicalities are very good for a budget single DD, soundstage is definitely above average to good in height, depth and width. Clarity, imaging, instrument separation and details are really quite good considering it is a single DD set. One thing that stands out immediately are the very fast transients. Music never sounded congested on the Whizzer HE01 even with complex pieces.
Timbral accuracy is good as per its single DD roots, no complains for this department, it would do well with acoustic instruments and vocals in terms of timbre.
COMPARISONS
Here are some comparisons with some well regarded single DD types below. As hybrids/multi BA have their own strengths and weaknesses compared to single DD types, they were left out of the comparisons.
BLON BL-03 ($25 USD)
The legendary BLON BL-03 is a harmanish set with a midbass bump, boasting superb tonality and timbre at the sub $30 USD region. Compared to the Whizzer HE01, the BLON BL-03 is more analoguish with a thicker note weight and a more nebulous and boomy midbass.
In terms of timbre, the BLON BL-03 shades it a bit, but the Whizzer HE01 beats the BLON BL-03 in accessories, fit, isolation, soundstage, transients, imaging, instrument separation, clarity and details. Basically the Whizzer HE01 is a few levels above the BLON BL-03.
I know they are at different price brackets, but the BLON BL-03 is sort of a milestone CHIFI single DD which many folks have, and I’m sure some would ask for A/B comparisons. But actually, the BLON BL-03 may be closer to $40 – 50 USD if aftermarket tips/cables are factored in to secure a better fit for the BLON BL-03’s atrocious fit with the stock accessories, whereas the Whizzer HE01 is ready to go OOTB, no need to mess around with aftermarket gear for it.
BLON BL-05S ($39 USD)
The BLON BL-05S is a U shaped set. Unfortunately, it comes in a gaudy green colour, which may be a dealbreaker for some (in fact, I got stared at when I tried using it on the subway, so it stays at home nowadays). I’ve had some audiophile friends who refused to buy it, cause of the colour, and also cause they were burnt by the not so stellar BLON BL-05 (non S), which was quite shouty in the upper mids.
Comparing the 2 sets, the BLON BL-05s has worse accessories. The BLON BL-05S is slightly shoutier in the upper mids than the Whizzer HE01. In terms of technical performance the Whizzer HE01 is slightly better, in terms of soundstage, clarity, details, imaging and instrument separation. Once again, they are at different price brackets, and the law of diminishing return kicks in, so the Whizzer HE01 is not 2 times better as the price would suggest, but it is still a slight upgrade over the BLON BL-05S.
iBasso IT00 ($60 USD)
Like the Whizzer HE01, the iBasso IT00 comes with nice accessories, and features a mild V shaped tuning. The iBasso IT00 has very bad driver flex though, so that’s one thing to note as it can be a dealbreaker for some. In terms of tonality, the iBasso IT00 has more subbass rumble/quantity but lesser higher treble extension.
In terms of technical performance, the Whizzer HE01 is better, featuring better clarity, detials, imaging and instrument separation. Transients are also faster on the Whizzer HE01.
HZSound Heart Mirror ($49 USD)
The HZSound Heart Mirror is a neutralish bright set, and has a more compressed soundstage than the Whizzer HE01. The HZSound Heart Mirror is also more difficult to drive and has a more neutral bass compared to the iBasso IT00. The HZSound Heart Mirror has a thinner note weight too. Accessories wise, they are both very good.
In terms of timbral accuracy, the HZSound Heart Mirror is a tinge better. In terms of technicalities, they are very close.
Though if one does not have an amp, I would suggest to look elsewhere from the HZSound Heart Mirror, as it sounds meh with a low powered source, with a compressed soundstage, thin note weight and lack of dynamics. The Whizzer HE01 on the other hand, sounds good even from lower powered gear.
I would see these 2 sets as sidegrades, both sets have good transients and technicalities. The HZSound Heart Mirror is more suited for those wanting a neutralish technical and analytical tuning, while the Whizzer HE01 is for those that want a more fun V shaped sound. The Whizzer HE01 by virtue of having more bass quantity, may be more suited for bass forward music genres too, but both are good sets to get, depending on your sonic preferences and usual music genres you listen to.
CONCLUSIONS
The Whizzer HE01 features a warm mild V shaped tuning, and is an all rounder single DD set that scores good marks in tonality, timbre and technicalities. Transients are a particular standout on this set. Accessories and haptics are nice and I would say it is one of the standout sub $100 CHIFI single DDs of 2021.
Definitely recommended for those who are wanting to dive deeper into the rabbithole from the sub $30 USD single DD segment!
You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank Whizzer for providing this review unit. It can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001731358565.html
Our generic standard disclaimer.
You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.
