AEAR A-029

ø10mm Dynamic Driver

$5~$10
4.0/5.0

The unknown brand AEAR has produced only one model that I know of. This model was rebranded a few times (by LEVA, for example), and sometimes even sold for many times the original price, which is less than $10.

These earphones are amazing. They might look like cheap earphones from a distance, but from a close inspection you will notice how well they were built: the components are made of metal (not plastic like some think), and the housings have a wooden part as well. Also, the strain reliefs are flexible and well made, and they protect the cable joints around the housings, the Y-split and the plug. Finally, the braided cable is sturdy and feels indestructible.

What about the sound? It was a great surprise. The sound shares similar characteristics with VJJB K4, but with an even more powerful bass, but less brightness and clarity in the mids and highs. These are true bassheads' earphones.

Pros

  • Unbelievable bass response. Very deep and pounding. A very immersive listening experience.
  • Insanely loud without requiring any amplification.
  • The build quality and use of materials on these earphones is genious. Mainly metallic construction with plenty of strain reliefs and a robust braided cable, that is very easy to straighten.

Cons

  • The bass is more prominent than the mids, but it's not that drastic.
  • The cable retains bends and gets twisted quite easily (but is also very easy to straighten).
  • A poor package, with nothing in it besides the basics. Still, fair for the price I guess.

Package & Accessories

Package:

Hard paperboard

Ear Tips - Single-Flange:

S+M+L, pointed, black, ø4mm bores

Build & Materials

Housings*:

Metal + wood, ø6mm nozzles (ø5mm bores), soft strain reliefs

Remote:

Metal, single-button

Y-Split:

Metal, soft strain relief

Cable:

Fabric, 115cm, soft, straight

Plug:

Metal, straight, short, soft strain relief

Comfort & Fit

The included pointed tips might fit some people, and might not fit other. They didn't fit me very well, so I replaced them with generic translucent grey tips.

Lows / Bass

Massive bass response with a powerful sub-bass. Quite surprising, considering how simple these earphone look at first. But soon enough, your view of them will change and you'll get hooked on this bass experience. I found the mid-bass to be a bit too emphasized, and on some sources you might get muddy sound.

Mids / Vocals

Gentle and pleasant, in a great proportion to the highs. No extraordinary detail here, but no colorization either. They are warm and balanced, and are very exciting.

Highs / Treble

Very gentle and pleasant, but not very bright or detailed. Still, you can be sure that there won't be any sibilance bothering you with these, and if you're an electronic music fan, these highs will more than suffice.

Frequency Response

Published on 2016-03-19 20:56:58 (GMT)
A-029