Whizzer Kylin HE03D Review (2) – Quick Hit
The Whizzer Kylin HE03D were almost unlistenable with the wide-bore “soundstage” tips—wholly lacking in subbass, with an overbright, piercing, artificial sounding high-end. Changing to the narrower “reference” tips (and eventually to foams) massively transformed these to a mid-bassy/Harmanish presentation with a slightly warm, but still sparkly high end.
As so tipped, the subbass presents good rumble, if not the lowest octaves, and note texture gains considerable weight. Mids are forward, full-bodied and clear, especially when amped, and high end is quite detailed, though lacking some of the subtleties of more analytical sets.
HE03D Specifications
- Frequency Range: 20-40Khz
- 5th Gen 12mm Density DLC Dynamic Driver
- 1.2m 6N OCC 3.5mm cable
- 35 ohm Impedance
- Sensitivity: 112db @ 1khz
- Distortion: 1% @ 101db
- Rated Max Power: 10mW
A few thoughts-at-large:
1. in contrast to Durwood, and likely due to our different tip preferences, I found the HE03D’s reproduction of hi-hats and cymbals to be excellent, with estimable snap and quick transients;
2. soundstage in any formulation is fairly narrow, and these tend to work very well with solo performers or small ensembles and less well with fuller arrangements, where instrument placement gets imprecise; and
3. aesthetics and build are commensurate with the $200 SRP, however the heavy shells do compromise long-term comfort.
I wouldn’t choose the Kylin HE03D as my daily driver—their open-air design and lack of isolation limit their utility, and their more intimate presentation make them less optimal for brain-bleeding rock. However, at least when carefully paired with tips and source they show the coherence and tonal accuracy you’d expect at this price point. Well-tuned and worth a listen overall.
Disclaimer
Borrowed from Durwood.
Get it from the official Aliexpress Store, or various distributors of your liking.
Our generic standard disclaimer.
