BASN Metalen in-ear monitor Review

Pros:
> Superb build quality
> Ergonomic, comfy shaped shell
> Fully accessories
> Fun, warm timbre and tone
> Decent overall clarity
> Superb musicality
> Amazing bass amount and response with a deep bass
> Good sub-bass extension
> Good transparency
> Energetic, airy high range
> Intense, fun treble
> Good overall technicalities
> Good soundstage width and height

Cons:
< Recessed midrange
< Slight BA timbre
< Average resolution
< Needs a good and powerful source matching
< Not a clinical performer
< Not for monitoring
< Cables a little cheap looking
< Competitive market and price segment
< Might be too bassy or too piercing with certain sources

Functions & Specifications​
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the BASN Metalen;

• Drivers: 2 x 10mm dynamic + 2 balanced armatures
• 18 Ohms, 102 dB Sensitivity
• 20 - 20 khz Frequency Response Range
• CNC Precision titanium Alloy
• Lightweight Ergonomic Design
• 2 recessed MMCX silver plated cables (1 x with mic, 1 x 4 core single ended)
• In green or blue colour

Design​
The design is an ergonomic shaped shell that is quite small in size and they fit into the ear concha snugly giving a superb comfort that is suitable to wear for a long listening session. The Metalen is a CNC machined titanium alloy build that is what I would call solid, seamless and feels premium on hands with a slight weight on it. The overall build is impressive to say the least with their brand logo imprinted on the faceplate. BASN also claims that the titanium alloy that they used is also great in controlling the resonance problem to create a clearer overall sound.

The Metalen is equipped with 4 drivers which consist of 2 dynamic drivers along with a dual balanced armature. The dynamic drivers are dual 10 mm drivers that are in charge of the lower frequencies towards the midrange along with 2 balanced armature fixed near the nozzle where 1 driver is in charge of the mid to highs region and another for the high region.

The nozzle is rather large in diameter and they are fitted with a metal mesh for protection. There are 2 vents near the nozzle and another vent at the inside of the body providing a well vented IEM that possesses zero driver flex.

There are a total of 6 pairs of eartips that consist of 3 pairs of black foam tips and 3 pairs of silicone eartips in normal size bore all in small, medium and large sizes.

They come with a silver metallic zippered hard case that is made with some type of fabric that mimics a steel case. They do offer a great protection for the IEM and are practical for everyday usage.

The Metalen has a protruding type of MMCX plugs that is quite different to minimise the swivelling effect of normal MMCX plugs but other 3rd party MMCX can be used without any problems.

There are 2 types of silver plated cable included in the package where 1 straight cable with a 3 button microphone that has a rubbery body and they are quite sticky to the touch and another single ended cable in 3.5mm 4 core braided cable. Both of these cables are fitted with ear guides with memory metal inside to form a better fit on your ears. The cables honestly looked a little on the cheaper side and I would prefer a single good quality cable instead of 2 cheaper ones.

Gears Used for Comparisons​
Shanling M6 Ultra
Fiio Q7
Questyle M15
Hiby FC6
FiiO BTR7
Intime Sho DD
Letshuoer DZ4
Kinera Idun Gold 2.0
Tinhifi P1Max Panda
BQEYZ Wind
Hidizs MD4
Moondrop A8
Unique Melody 3DT
Dunu EST112

Songs list​
Korn - Freak On A Leash
Ning Baizura - Ke Sayup Bintang
Nora En Pure - Thermal
Celine Dion - Power Of Love
Tina Turner - Simply The Best
Louis Armstrong- What A Wonderful World
Eric Clapton - Blue Eyes Blue
Colyn - The Future Is The Past
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
Slipknot - Duality

Tone and Presentation​
The tone of the Metalen is a neutral warm, smooth sound that slightly leans towards a brighter side of the spectrum with a V shaped sound and a healthy dose of bass and treble. Their overall sound is quite clear and energetically fun with a non aggressive yet strong bass and a lively high range. They have a good thick bass and midrange along with a smooth, inoffensive high range that sound unapologetically fun. There is some coloration present here in their midrange that gives music some joyfulness to them but in certain genres like acoustics and classicals, they might sound a tad bit unnatural. Overall technicalities here are solid with a wide dynamic spectrum of sound.

Soundstage​
The Metalen possesses a good, expansive soundstage that is wide but has a mediocre height for their price range. Soundstage here has a good 3D holographic presentation with an accurate placement of sound which may suit a wider audience like gaming or movies. They possess a good air in their presentation that provides an immersive sound especially in the bass region. They also do have a good sized headroom that actually gives a medium sized room feel even for earphones without any boxy feel.

Separation and Timbre​
Separation is great honestly for a hybrid driver and I can't detect any major cohesion problem as the drivers work together harmoniously with no crosstalk issues while producing a great left and right separation that gives music a wider range. Layering is also great as well as no gaps are present in the whole frequency range and they do sound full overall. Timbre here is slightly intense and aggressive while being a little mellow at times but they do have some balanced armature timbre here where the high range does sound a little metallic and unnatural.

Drivability​
The wind is rated at 18 ohms at 102 dB sensitivity which means they aren't as sensitive to pick up noise but they do need some power to perform to their full potential, not much but a little will go a long way. A simple good dongle will suffice but a better source that is well amplified will give the Metalen some extra resolution along with some high range refinements. Source sound matching isn't really a problem as they are quite neutral in their tone but I would prefer a warm source for them as they will sound more intimate. The Metalen is actually quite revealing in nature as they will show flaws in music evidently, so feeding them with good, well mastered tracks will increase their overall performance.

The Bass (Low)​
The bass that the Metalen produces is actually quite good partly due to the dual dynamic setup and they are able to give a deep, meaty, fast bass response that has a lift in the mid bass. It is a boosted warm type of bass that has a slight tightness to their presentation. Details here are good with a bass response that is clean and clear without muddiness, haziness or bleed present here. Bass amount is big but quite well balanced and they are not suitable for bassheads as they are tuned more towards a more natural dynamic bass amount that is fun to listen to. Sub-bass amount here is good and they extend quite deep giving an airy overall bass presentation. The Metalen bass has a more prominent mid bass presentation that gives an immersive bass and they do perform when called upon which make them very suited for EDM, hip-hop hip-hop and jazz genres. Overall, the bass response genre is actually good as they provide a deep and dynamic bass that is accurate and fun to listen to.

The Mids​
Midrange is a warm type of mids that has good intimacy in their sound while giving a clean and clear midrange. They have a rather recessed midrange partly due to their strong bass and highs but the recessed mids do sound a little behind the overall sound of the Metallen which might not suit some vocals driven genres. The midrange does sound intimately warm and there is a sense of space in the presentation. Details here are great with a good macro sound while having a great micro details retrieval with minute sound present without any hitch. Their overall clarity here is also great as their transparency is actually good with a crystal clear sound along with a strong resolution that provides a vivid sound presentation. Vocals here have a brilliance that is great for female driven vocals as they are crisp and snappy while male vocals are acceptable but they do lack a mellow, deep sound due to their recessed nature. There is some coloration here present in the midrange that gives music some lushness and provides a more fun sound but in return, they might sacrifice some naturalness in the music but it is a minor setback.

The Highs​
High range has a forward sound signature that is bright but is smooth sounding enough while being able to keep a good presence and it sounds rather lively. It has great details and clarity that is typical of a balanced armature driven highs. Resolution and transparency here is superb with its high range sounding clean and accurate without any veil. While the Metalen high range has the superb resolving capabilities, they do possess a metallic timbre that is quite typical of a balanced armature driver which can affect the natural state of certain high range but in return, their high range does sound crisp and they certainly has a great sparkly decay that sound energetic and lively. There is a slight bump in the 8 to 10 kHz region that makes the overall high range a little piercing but the amount is just enough for my ears and they are not sibilant nor harsh sounding. Treble is definitely intense here as they are a slightly strong overall high range and this intensity brings a more fun, energetic sound to music but there is a caveat of it being a little fatigue on higher volume on longer periods of listening. Extension here is superb as they have a slow roll off sound that has a good air in their presentation that makes music livelier with a sense of space.

Comparisons​

• VS Kinera Idun Gold 2.0