A Punch To Remember

Punch Audio, a brainchild of the team of Linsoul and despite launching as recently as 2025, has already made a significant impact on the audio scene with its debut model, the Martilo. Positioning itself as a brand for bass enthusiasts, Punch Audio prioritizes musicality and listening joy without compromising on sound quality. Today, we turn our attention to their second release, the Portazo, which arrived at the close of 2025. This new model features a unique hybrid driver configuration with a single dynamic driver paired with two micro planars, designed to deliver a powerful, elevated bass response with deep sub-bass extension and rapid transients, catering specifically to bass lovers. We extend our sincere gratitude to the team at Linsoul and to Rosie for providing a sample of the Punch Audio Portazo for this honest evaluation. The question remains, how will Portazo perform in the niche realm of basshead audiophilia? Let’s find out.

As always, we are not affiliated with Linsoul, have received no monetary compensation, and our assessment will reflect our honest, opinionated perspective.

Functions & Specifications

Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Punch Audio Portazo taken from Linsoul’s site;

• Driver Configuration: 1DD + 2 Planar Drivers
• Shell: 3D Printed Medical Grade Resin
• Sensitivity: 102dB
• Impedance: 10Ω
• Distortion: 0.015%
• Frequency Response: 20Hz–35kHz

The Punch Audio Portazo can be purchased through Linsoul’s website or any other platform worldwide.

Punch Audio Portazo

Packaging & Accessories

The packaging here has a fun, modern take and has a green theme that is the main colouration of the Portazo. It is simple yet professionally packaged and upon unboxing, they have a book styled unboxing that feels premium. The accessories included are high in quality sharing similarities with ZiiGaat’s offerings. Nothing over the top and the accessories included are worthy of their asking price.

Here’s the list of accessories included;

• 1x Punch Audio Portazo
• 1x Leather Case
• 3.5mm and 4.4mm adapters
• 4x Metal filter meshes
• 6x Pairs of Ear Tips (3 liquid silicone, 3 foams)
• 1x User Manual

Design

The design of the Portazo is reminiscent of the build from ZiiGaat and they are a well made 3D printed medical grade resin with a CIEM style fit that is ergonomic and lightweight. Each pair of IEM is serialized, making each pair unique. The faceplate has a green iridescent, glossy design that has some 3D depth to them and they are actually beautiful on hands with a solid feel. Their branding is placed in the middle of the faceplates and made from metal. The inner part of the shell is in solid black and they are polished well with a superb finishing showcasing a professional hand finished product.

The Portazo is a rather new type of hybrid that consists of a single dynamic driver that drives the bass and 2 micro planars for the mids and highs. The dynamic drivers use a new dual material build that has a composite diaphragm with a suspension ring made from liquid silicone and a separate liquid crystal polymer (LCP) dome allowing the perfect mix in rumble and clarity. The difference in responsiveness across the two surface membranes allows separation in tonal characteristics to present itself across the frequency spectrum. With implementation of a new generation of micro planar tweeters, the Portazo pushes out pristine highs with lightning fast transients. These planar tweeters effectively extend the ultra-high treble range to 35kHz that actually mimics an electrostatic driver signature.

The nozzle here is slightly big with a maximum of 6mm diameter and has a rather short stem with a matte feel to them that holds eartips in place. They are fitted with metal mesh and the Portazo has also included 2 extra pairs of mesh.

There are 2 vents present here where one vent is situated below the IEM connector for the back venting of the dynamic driver and they have a metal mesh to prevent dust or moisture from entering. Another pinhole vent situated near the nozzle is in charge for pressure relief and gladly no driver flex is present in the Portazo which indicates a well vented pair of IEM.

The connectors used are the standard flush 2 pin 0.78mm that is slightly tight.

The cable included is an all black, oxygen free copper twisted braid in 4 cores and they are a modular type of cable that includes a 3.5mm and 4.4mm head. The cable looks great and feels very well made sharing similarities with the cables from ZiiGaat. All metal parts are used here and the cable is soft, making them a good cable even for outdoor usage.

Gears Used for Comparisons

Songs list

Tone and Presentation

The tone of the Portazo is a slightly bright, mild V shaped sound that has boosted lows and highs as advertised. The bass here is indeed dominant but gladly doesn’t overpowers the other frequencies and it is very well controlled. Midrange is relatively neutral flat without any recessiveness and they have their presence even though having a dominant bass alongside a strong, sparkly high range. These IEMs have a superb musical sound that is highly enjoyable and isn’t tuned for critical listeners that yearn for neutrality and surprisingly, the tuning here is amazing as the sound is full and cohesive without being bloated or congested.

Soundstage

The soundstage here is wide and expansive with a good height to them and even though having an intimate, free field type of sound that mimics a near field monitor, they still have the ability to sound wide and airy on both ends of the spectrum. They have a great extensive sound on the lows and highs that gives the Portazo a slightly big headroom size that is free of any boxiness. The spatial positioning is accurate and possesses superb immersion, making the Portazo a suitable pair of IEM even for gaming and movies.

Separation and Timbre

Separation is superb with a decent stereo separation that is wide with no crosstalk issue and with a 4.4mm balanced setup, they do scale up great here producing a wider separation. Timbre here is organic, warm, rich and punchy producing a highly musical sound experience that is uniquely enjoyable. Cohesion here is average but no major incoherency present but there is some minor gap present from the bass and the midrange on some bassy tracks.

Drivability

Rated at only 10 ohms with a 102db sensitivity, they are easily driven by any source, providing ample loudness even on basic dongles. Scalability here is average as with better sources and bigger driving power, improvements are rather there but minor. They are not a high sensitivity IEM and they do not pick up noise but a clean source will actually benefit the Portazo by giving a clearer overall sound. They aren’t a picky type of IEMs but a well mastered track and also high bitrates track will provide better listening experience as expected.

The Bass (Low)

As advertised, the bass is indeed dominant with a boosted, north of neutral type signature that has a meaty, authoritative bass and surprisingly well controlled. The healthy mid-bass lift gives a punchy, tight bass slam and they are quite textured with a highly resolving bass, capable of giving a clean and clear bass that is free of bloat. Bass transparency is acceptable but isn’t the main takeaway here but they do manage to sound natural without sounding superficial. Details here are great with a nimble, elastic bass that keeps up with fast tracks easily. The bass does manage to have no bleed into the midrange and they transition well into the lower midrange. The sub-bass has the dominance and it boasts a whopping 15db boost and it blends well to the overall bass to sound full with an immersive sound. The rumble here reaches very deep and they do possess a superb, refined rumble that gives an airy, big room feel that simulates a true sub-woofer type of sub-bass. These IEMs are a true delicacy for bassheads and for audiophiles that seek for something unique apart from the meta tuning.

The Mids

Midrange is neutral with a slightly forward, warm mids that has a slightly thick body that gives an intimate sound that is highly enjoyable. The mids here are balanced with a mild focus from the lower mids and decent peak to the upper mids that gives a full sounding midrange. The details here are great that focus on the macro and a decent micro detail retrieval capabilities. Clarity here is great with a clean midrange delivery that has no hazyness or recessiveness. Space here is average due to their mild forwardness, intimate sound but still having adequate room to have an airy mids that has the spatial accuracy. The resolving capabilities here are superb and they do have a vivid midrange with a dash of colouration that produce a rather fun overall signature without any major alteration in their naturalness but transparency here is rather mediocre. Vocals sound lush and sweet with balanced vocals that suit females and males vocals well as they possess a good depth alongside a good brilliance at the upper mids region. Instruments like percussions, strings and woodwinds have an enjoyable presentation but on some strings like guitar they tend to sound a little too thick.

The Highs

The high here is boosted tastefully with a lively presentation that has a peak at around the 10khz region and above, producing an energetic high range that has a good amount of air. The high range here does have a good presence with a strong bite and they are piercing while still able to steer away from being sibilant but in loud volume, fatigue does set in quickly. The sparkle that the high range possesses is lustrous and they do possess a crisp decay making the high range even more enjoyable. Timbre here is good for a breathy, brassy sound and they do have the accuracy but on certain bright sources, they tend to have some metallic sheen but in a very small margin. The high range extends well with a slow roll off that gives lingering shimmering highs that increase the overall airiness of the Portazo. The strength and energy here is on the higher side and they actually blend well with the overall energetic presentation without harshness. The treble here has a good amount of  intensity that pushes the overall clarity a step further but they aren’t a treble that is suited for those who want a relaxed, laid-back sound type.

Comparisons

VS FatFreq Deuce (250USD)

The unapologetic basshead IEM from Singapore and with help from HBB for the tuning. They are considered to be an ultimate basshead IEM with 2 dynamic drivers pushing out a powerful bass response and included is an impedance adapter that adds even more sub-bass. It is priced slightly higher than the Portazo but the packaging is rather basic. Cable on the Deuce does look better but build and design is on the Portazo. Side by side, tonality is quite similar but for me, the bass does sound overwhelming and it does incur some bleed into the mids.

High range is stronger on the Portazo is stronger with a livelier of sparkle and an extra crispness with slightly better details while the Deuce sounded more natural and more suited for treble sensitive users. The Portazo does have bigger energy here while still managing to sway off being sibilant while the Deuce has a more forgiving treble that is smoother.

The midrange on the Deuce sounded fuller and slightly thicker but it is slightly overpowered by the low range. The Portazo has more space with better details and clarity. The Portazo also has a more resolving, transparent midrange while the Deuce has better intimacy.

Bass quantity on the Deuce does have a bigger amount with a bigger mid-bass impact alongside a more evident sub-bass rumble but they aren’t as natural as on the Portazo. Details on the bass of the Portazo is better with a more textured presentation but the depth on sub-bass is deeper on the Deuce.

Verdict: Portazo does sound better overall as the bass blends well into the other frequencies and is priced slightly lower while the Deuce is mainly for serious, hardcore bassheads which makes them special for those preferences.

VS ZiiGaat Arete 2 (279USD)

The ZiiGaat Arete 2 is a more conventional hybrid that consists of a single dynamic and 4 balanced armatures tuned to be an immersive, gaming IEM and has a smooth overall sound with a healthy bass boost that is inoffensive and highly enjoyable. They are priced rather slightly higher and the higher range driver count alongside Knowles balanced armatures do justify their price for the Arete 2. Both builds are very similar, probably coming from the same producer but personally I do prefer a 3D printed medical grade resin like the Portazo. The addition of a bass boost switch on Arete 2 does give more flexibility for users.

Highs on the Portazo do sound a little brighter and crisper with slightly better details but similar clarity. In my opinion, this new generation of micro planar is one of the best in producing high quality highs that is similar to electrostatic drivers. Sparkles on both of these sets are similar but the Portazo does sound a little crisper and a tad livelier. Transparency on the high range does go to the Lush but timbre on the T6 does sound a tad more natural marginally.

The midrange of the Arete 2 does sound more accurate with less coloration and has better transparency while the Portazo with their thicker mids has better intimacy. Details are similar with each other but the Arete 2 has better clarity in the micro details.

The bass amount of both sets are pretty similar when the bass switch on the Arete 2 is on but the Portazo does have a more evident impact with a tighter slam. The mid bass lift on the Portazo is more evident while the Arete 2 overall bass is more natural albeit still strong. Sub-bass on both are deep reaching but the Portazo’s sub-bass does sound a tad more rumbly.

Soundstage on Arete 2 does sound wider in a small margin while having a similar amount of air.

Verdict – The value does go to the Portazo and they are indeed more energetic while the Arete 2 seems more neutral and suited for a wider range of users especially with the bass switch.

Synergy

The Portazo doesn’t need much power to be driven to ample loudness and the scalability here is rather average but they do sound better with good sources in their timbre and giving better overall refinements. Preferably, I would prefer a neutral balanced to a warm setup as some bassy or bright sources will be a little too fatiguing.

Good synergy

FiiO BTR7, Hidizs S8 Pro, Questyle M15, Time Ear BTE9 , Qudelix T71, 7HZ Artemis39, Hidizs S8 Pro

Not so good synergy

FiiO Q15, FiiO Q7, EPZ TP35, EPZ TP30, Cayin RU7

Who Is It For?

Suitable for – Electronic/EDM, instrumentals, rock, modern pop, hip-hop, casual listening, gaming, drummers

Not really suitable – acoustics, instrumentals, metal, ACG, monitoring, critical listening

Final words

I didn’t expect much from a basshead IEM, and I’m certainly not one myself, but surprisingly, the Punch Audio Portazo has completely won me over with its superb energy and controlled bass, delivering a refreshingly fun sound experience. With proven dual micro-planar drivers handling the highs and a dual-density dynamic driver for the lows, the Portazo brings an energizing punch to its sound that I’ve grown genuinely fond of. Yes, it’s not a neutral monitor built for surgical accuracy, instead, it is a unique pair of IEMs that reminds you what listening is really about, enjoyment. Can’t wait to see what Punch Audio brings in 2026. Two thumbs up.

I would rate this product a 4½ over 5 stars.

Pros

• Superb build, premium, eye-catching design and great ergonomics
• One of the best technical bassheads IEMs around
• Perfect for EDM/electronic
• Mature V shaped tuning that is highly energetic
• Rich, brassy, piercy timbre
• Decent airy, soundstage
• Superb overall details and clarity
• Decent cohesion
• Textured, meaty, authoritative bass
• Full-bodied, warm, resolving midrange
• Superb energetic high range with lively, crisp sparkle
• Extended, energetic treble that is highly detailed
• Good accessories

Cons

• Average transparency (nit-pick)
• Not monitoring or clinical listeners
• Not for treble sensitive users
• Might be too energetic/fatiguing
• Mild colouration present (nit-pick)
• Midrange can be a little behind the bass and high range (nit-pick)