BASN BmasterX In-ear headphone Review

4stars✨
BASN BmasterX
$139

Pros
1. Very comfortable beautiful shell
2. Great build quality
3. Extensive assessories
4. Spacious leather carry case
5. None fatiguing sound signature
Cons
1. Treble is rolled off significantly
2. Very warm not for lovers of spacious open signatures
3. There are more impressive iems for the money.

Being a reviewer I try to give my subjective opinions on iems, in the hobby at the moment 95% of iems released at the moment are good so the differences between great iems and good iems is all about the nuances. All reviews are based on a single point in time for the reviewer next week an iem can come along and make a mockery of your previous judgement.

I reviewed the BASN BMaster5 last year and it didn't really impress me, the iem shells were really well made with absolutely beautiful gold skulls design they were very comfortable to wear and very easy to drive. The accessories were superb two high quality cables both mmcx 3.5mm terminations one with a microphone one without. A decent supply of eartips. A leatherette carry pouch all inside a very robust Aluminium clasp box. The BASN Bmaster5 were an old school chifi V shaped signature that when they were first released were probably well thought of but in today’s market place they were exposed. Over the last 2 or 3 years chifi has really moved forward with sophisticated sound signatures which are now availble. So 5 stars for assessories 3 stars for sound

The BASN Bmaster X has a different approach still well assessorised just a more standard single cable with 3 connectors , leather carry case and a selection of tips just not the over the top approach as before. The main difference is the Bmaster X is tuning this time we have a balanced more refined signature that plays across genres of music admirably. A six driver configuration one dynamic driver, 3 ba and twin piezo electric tweeters a small for the number of drivers resin shell with a very attractive metal faceplate with a dripping paint effect. Priced at an attractive $139

Bmaster X is still a slight V shaped sound signature that carries excitement and musicality with warmth and body.

The bass is slightly elevated and does impart warmth into the mids which adds a pleasing body to make vocals packing punch into the midbass.The mids are not particularly recessed making vocals feel more prominent and not dominated by the bass. The Upper mids and treble are not particularly dominant a more rolled off approach the Bmaster X is not a detail focused iem more a lay back and relax smooth presentation that can be worn for hours. The Bmaster X is an iem that plays well across my entire music library. I was able to just enjoy the music without any glaring defects. The sound presented is warm and robust the treble is rolled off not peaky or sibilant.

I'd just like to say upfront I believe we are all biased when giving our subjective thoughts about IEMs be it a particular type of signature that works with our music library or how an IEM looks and feels in our ears. On the subject of ears everyone's ear anatomy is different and this effects fit and seal which in turn effects the perception of bass response so I recommend finding the right ear tips that suit your ears to get the best of any IEM.

My review star ratings are linked to the price range of the iem eg a 5 star review of a $100 iem is not equal to one of a $500 I’m and audio enthusiast with a collection of over 400 iems, 40 different sources with a music collection that numbers over 100,000 tracks and 15 flathead buds I share my impressions as a way to share my enthusiasm for the hobby I approach from the premise of music first technology 2nd, what does this mean? For me the technicalities are not of prime importance but does the music move with this particular iem.
I’m a connoisseur of many different sound signatures. The only prerequisite is musicality I’m not a fan of analytical cold playback. My scale of success when it comes to evaluating iems is; do I get goosebumps when they playback my favourite tunes. There are many good iems but do they give me goosebumps? Unfortunately I have a draw full of just good iems.I want the iem that I reach for without thinking because I instinctively know it will bring the thrill I’m 'seeking from my music. The Bmaster X bass is fun with hip hop and 70’s rock music, mids and sprinkling of treble coming from the ba’s is competent but nothing exceptional.
I have always favoured Dynamic Drivers for the tactility and organic natural playback they produce. The BmasterX’s Dynamic Driver gives good sub bass and decent mid bass combining to give a prominant bottom end that drives the music along. The mid bass does bleed into the mids, giving a hint of thickness to male vocals, they are silky smooth and are relatively neutral, with a nice sense of air and layering. There isn’t much in the way of detail and the timbre is a natural enough with both male and female voices having a touch of added note weight presenting slightly recessed. The treble is not prominent but it is there. The leading edge of cymbals are crisp the usual piezo electric tweeter timbre is not evident sounding natural. The upper range of the mids and lower treble do sound smooth but there’s not much sparkle. I was able to enjoy for 5 or 6 hours straight without any fatigue, these are supremely comfortable iems.

Now I know there are those who don’t believe in burn in of iems, all I’m going to say is, I burn in all my iems I noticed a change in the bass opening up slightly and the treble seemed to smooth out.

Disclaimer
BASN was kind enough to send a sample of the BASN BmasterX. I am not affiliated with BASN and of course was not asked for any copy checking before publishing, they are seeing this the same time as you. All pictures taken be me . ALL opinions shared in this review are my subjective thoughts.

The BASN BmasterX is available from their website and Amazon.

https://www.basnaudio.com/collections/bmaster-x

Below is what BASN have to say about the Bmaster X
【Precision Hybrid 6-Driver Earphones】New BmasterX IEMs combines 1 dynamic driver (warm bass), 3 balanced armatures (rich mids), and 2 piezoelectric tweeters (ultra-detailed highs) delivers studio-grade sound, ideal for monitoring, mixing, and audiophile enjoyment
【Noise Isolation Pro IEMs】For musicians and audio professionals, these basn in ear monitors provide crystal-clear sound by blocking background noise and reduce interference and stay comfortable for hours. Ideal for musicians, singer, drummers, dj, audiophiles
【Pro Stage Monitor Earphones】basn bmasterX built for musicians with resin housing and aluminum plate in an ergonomic design and 7 fit-tips for all-day comfort. Professional IEMs with lightweight construction prevents fatigue while delivering pro audio quality
【Durable Detachable Cable】The in ear monitors for musicians upgraded with silver-plated OFC wiring ensure high-fidelity audio durability. Interchangeable Type C/3.5mm/4.4mm plugs ensure flexible device compatibility with phones, audio interfaces, DAPs, and stage mixers
【Complete IEM Accessory Kit】These in ear monitor headphones including a carrying case, multiple fit-tips and maintenance tools for comfort and portability. Designed for touring musicians and audio engineers, the kit organizes all essentials in one package

Make sure to research any iem before you buy!

I want to really enjoy my music. Something that releases the full scope of what the artist created in the studio. The BmasterX is more coloured than I normally like but this is personal taste you might love this sound signature. The BmasterX is a warm signature, bass is not as textured as some in this price range for example the Juzear 61t has more texture and detail with more dynamics and layering. The mids of the BmasterX are slightly warm and coloured the vocals have a little extra body to males vocals, female vocals are recessed with a little husk to them the mids in general have a generally natural timbre. The vocals with the bass and drums pushing forward. I must qualify this is in terms of the small differences we hear on iems this is not overly exaggerated its just in comparison with the Juzear 61tThe Transition from upper mids to lower treble is boosted slightly but still sibilance free, even with songs that have sibilance bult into the recording. The little bump in this region just edges them into excitement in this area. To be totally honest the BmasterX is very tip reliant I found with wide bore tips there was a much more pleasing treble and a more open sound in general with narrow bore tips the whole signature became a bit warm and thickened up. I settled on large TangzuTangSanCai wide bore tips these gave me the perfect balance of warmth and treble extension. On the subject of tips while BmasterX give a generous selection of tips I couldn’t get a good seal with any of them, I have very big ear canals.When I'm evaluating IEMs I have a play list of roughly 100 songs of mixed genres. With the BMasterX, I found i could happily use them for extended listening sessions.

Some of the songs I used to evaluate the Bmaster X

a-ha - Take on me the bass was full and clean with the crisp drums and clear keyboards . Morten Harket’s soaring tenor vocals sounding full with no thinness the layering in this 80s classic synth-pop song was produced with enjoyable vigour.

Steely Dan's – Black Cow, one of the best produced albums in my opinion was played with good dynamics, drums, keyboards, vocals , hi-hats and cymbals were natural with good decay space and staging with some height, depth and width enabling me to pick out instruments in the mix, there was a little warmth in this song but it still felt open and airy with the layering of the instruments presented well an enjoyable listen.

Led Zepplin – Since I’ve been loving youThe lead guitar intro is perfectly presented well the drums with that slow heavy rhythm, then as the song builds with the keyboards Plants unmistakeable vocals reaching for the sky as the song builds in intensity slightly recessed in the mix comes Plant with his high pitched vocals . The Bmaster5 presents the Zepplin vocals slightley overpowered by the drums and guitar.

The Hu – This Mogul (with William DVall) –The dynamics of this track are huge with drums guitars and Mongolian instruments, the Horsehead fiddle, Tovashuur, Tumar Khuur, Tsuurare and Mongol throat singing with a special guest William DuVall of Alice in Chains. The power of this dense, complex and rhythmic masterpiece is reproduced with reasonably well the weight the driving rhythms are dynamic and punchy, unfortunately there was a little congestion in the instrumentation due to the density of this track. The vocals of William DuVall didn’t stand out against against the wall of instruments as they can do on more expensive sets and were slightley veiled but still good headbanging fun. The Bmasterx felt a little exposed with faster tracks with instruments in the same frequency range not being given space to be heard due to the sight congestion.

The BmasterX is an easy to drive iem I had no issues using them with my phone, Daps, Dongles in getting loud enough, the dynamics and open sound was present with all sources the texture and layering they are capable of was available for all to some degree.They sounded better with neutral sources. This is an iem that doesn’t need a powerful source but it does scale with extra power there was a difference in the dynamics and staging when using the 4.4mm termination and feeding more power.

I'm not a fan of analytical sounding IEMs that force details into your ears like a photograph with HDR and sharpening set at max a decidedly digital representation. I'm more Vinyl on a turntable, Leica manual focus, sumptuous colours on kodak colour gold film, kinda guy, where if you look really close all the details are there but it's the whole image you appreciate rather than just how sharp it is.

Sources used:
IBasso DX340 with amp17
Shanling m5ultra
HiBy RS6
HiBy R4 EVA
Sony nw-a306
Sony Xperia V Penon tail dac /amp
Cayin N6iii
ASTELL AND KERN KHAN Alpha

When using my different sources I did favour the more powerful ones the extra dynamics and layering and technical presentation was apparent but the overall musical signature didn’t change my favourite source was with the Astell&Kern Khan Alpha

Conclusion
The up to $150 range is full of great sounding even exceptional sounding iems.The BASN BmasterX is an iem aimed in my opinion at the general public looking for an upgrade to their TWS and in this it is hugely successful when compared to more audiophile releases it falls into the competent category not exceptional. So if you are looking to upgrade to your first set of wired iems the BASN BmasterX is a good choice if you are in the hobby and looking for the next giant killer set maybe give these a miss. It all depends on what your favourite sound signature is if you like a balanced slightly V approach and want an iem that plays your music back in a smooth none fatiguing way with a complete set of accessories that sounds the same from your phone, dongle or DAP then the Bmaster X could be for you.

Article written by Andy Pickard
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