Introduction
It is no secret that we are a Malaysian based group and we are a proud nation of a harmonious country. While the audio scene here is quite niche, we do have a few custom in-ear makers from the likes of Elysian Audio, Unknown Custom and a few more, but what we do lack is the arena of the custom made earbuds. Recently, one of our friends, Din, has decided to produce his own interpretation of a custom earbuds to cater to us with his own sound signature and a uber low price for us locals to feast on named BuduBuds. Din has kindly sent us a pair of the BuduBuds V1, their debut earbuds for an honest take on these local products and we are truly grateful for the opportunity while also being ultra proud to have the first local custom tuned earbuds. How will they sound for the mere rm70/USD17 alongside other more established name earbuds? We shall find out.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the BuduBuds V1;
- 15.4mm Dynamic Driver.
- OFC cable with 3.5mm SE termination.
- MX plastic shell.
Retail Price & Where to Get
BuduBuds V1 is RM70.00. PM BuduBuds at their facebook pages to purchase.
Packaging & Accessories
As for a small company doing only custom orders and pre-orders, the packaging is rather simple but they are well designed for the budget price. They come in a small box with a carrying case and 3 pairs of foams. For a custom made earbud with that low price, they are rather nice and unique.
Design
The design of the V1 is a MX500 plastic shell that comes in either white or black in colour with a 2 core OFC cable with 3.5mm termination. A 4.4mm balanced connection will possibly be available down the road.
Overall, they are well made and they are quite comfortable as they are a standard MX shell. There is some improvements that can be made with their cable quality but for the asking price, it is just me nitpicking.
Gears Used for Comparisons
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FiiO M11Plus Sabre
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Questyle M12
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FiiO KA3
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Monk GO
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Monk SM
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Toneking TO600
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Smabat M0
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Blur daBass
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the V1 is a neutral bright sound signature with a focus on the high range. They are a very detailed sound with excellent clarity in all of the frequencies. They are quite wide sounding even for an earbuds standard which is great. Thickness in their sound is mildly thin but not to the point of sounding too thin. They do have a mild warmness to their presentation without sounding too sterile. Overall, detail freaks will truly enjoy these earbuds.
Soundstage
Soundstage on the V1 is very wide and open as they are earbuds but they are able to sound above average in this department even for earbuds standards. They have adequate height and width in the presentation making music sound pretty holographic. It is worth noting that they do push out a spacious sound giving users a medium sized headroom.
Separation and Timbre
Separation from earbuds is usually the strong suit and the V1 surely has a good separation as music played is presented without any congestion and they do have above average layering. Timbre sounded average with certain music instruments sounding a little thin but they are very detailed without sounding too intense.
Drivability
At 32ohms around 100dB sensitivity, they are quite easy to drive but they do need a little juice to run to their full potential. They do have sufficient loudness on laptops or straight out a smartphone, but I do feel that their dynamics is being suppressed a tiny bit. They do scale up pretty well with a DAC/amplifier or even a good dongle.
The Bass (Low)
The bass on the V1 is surely not for bass lovers or bassheads out there. They are a true neutral bass response with just enough bass volume to sound soulful enough but the clarity and pureness of the bass is pretty good. They sounded very clear and detailed without any bleed present. Sub-bass is slightly recessed but they still have the presence when called upon. Overall, these V1 are not for users who want an earth shattering performance of the bass instead for those who enjoy clean and clear bass.
The Mids
Midrange approach here is also a neutral type of midrange with a slight focus toward the high range end of the mids giving them a bright sound signature. In terms of their performance, they do occasionally sound a little thin for thick notes or male vocals, but they do excel in female vocals. Details and clarity here is truly top notch and they don’t sound too cold with above average resolution. There is a slight hint of warmness present here giving their midrange a little more emotion and they are actually quite enjoyable for instrumental music.
The Highs
The high range is where the V1 truly shines as they are a little strong but manage to sound smooth without any harshness, shout or peakiness present. They have a forwardness to their high range but still manage to blend in well with the other frequencies with great synergy and they sound rather pleasant for treble heads like myself. Details here are full and sounded quite natural without any edginess or any metallic sound present while sounding quite energetically fun. They have a mediocre crisp sound but they do have a great sparkle making music livelier. Hissing is not present even on high powered amplifiers and though they are a touch aggressive here, they do not incur any fatigue in my usage.
Comparisons
VS Smabat M0 with M2S driver.
The M0 from Smabat is their entry level modular earbuds that gives you the freedom to change the drivers and tune them via dampers. They do cost almost double the price of the V1 partly due to their modular nature. My set of M0 has been upgraded to the M2S driver that has a better low end extension.
The High region on V1 sounded smoother and extended better while details were on the same level. Extension on the high region is better on the V1.
Midrange of the M0 is thicker and more balanced. Details and resolution is better on the V1 and they sound clearer overall.
Bass quantity and quality is rather same here but the slam on the V1 sounds tighter. Details on the bass of the V1 has a slight edge while the sub-bass of the M0 extends deeper.
Soundstage on the V1 sounded more spacious while width and depth was almost the same.
VS Venture Electronics Monk SM
One of the more recent releases from VE has a metal PK style shell and they are true bright sounding earbuds with a decent soundstage.
Highs on the Monk SM have a bigger presence but they might be a little too much for treble sensitive users while the V1 is more forgiving in this region. Details on the Monk SM are better by a small margin.
Mids on the Monk SM sounded more energetic with better resolution but might sound thin. V1 midrange is thicker and sounds more lush.
Bass on the V1 sounded bigger a tad bit and they have a better bass presence than the thin bass on the Monk SM. Monk SM bass sounded clearer overall but lacked body.
Soundstage of the V1 sounded a little wider but height sounded almost the same including their headroom size.
Synergy
FiiO M11Plus Sabre
The new M11Plus that was meant to replace the now discontinued LTD that houses a pair of ES9068AS with the usual THX AAA 78 amplification that sounded clean and clearer than the LTD. High range on the V1 with this pairing is rather good with a smoother, more polished high range along with a more extended response. Treble sounded more natural and accurate. Midrange has more body onto it giving out a more pleasant performance especially with vocals. Resolution sounded better but by a small margin. Bass has a faster paced presence and they sound more impactful but still lacks the sub-bass extension. Soundstage has increased by quite a lot making the V1 sounds superb in their soundstage. Overall, this is a truly good pairing surpassing my expectations.
Questyle M12
The M12 is a MQA certified dongle that is small in size but has a big performance to go with it. They are a Sabre ESS9281AC with Questyle’s signature current amplification module embedded in it and they sounded really superb all in a miniscule body. High range sounded crisper and had better sparkle in their decay. Midrange sounded more forward and balanced with all their details intact. Resolution has increased and they sounded sublime in this region. Bass on the other hand sounded mostly the same but I do feel that they sounded smoother especially on their bass slam. Sub-bass also remains mostly the same here. Soundstage has a bigger room feel to it making them wider and higher but in a small margin. Overall, a great portable companion for the V1 with my smartphone.
Who Is It For?
The V1 is a treat for those who want a clean, clear, detailed sound signature on an earbuds form. For those earbuds enthusiasts out there, their neutral signature at this price range is surely a treat for them as they do sound phenomenal. They do sound like true earbuds as they are spacious, wide and tall sounding even by earbuds standards. For bassheads out there, you might want to skip this as they are not tuned for a big bass performance but for those detail freaks out there, this V1 might be the one for you.
Final words
Din from BuduBuds has surely impressed me and other early buyers of this V1. As their first product, the V1 surely has the recipe for success as they managed to sound pure along with a great sound performance that hits the spot for audiophiles out there. Though their design may look simple to mainstream users out there, they do possess great audio ability that punches above their asking price. Soundwise, I do feel they lack some sub-bass extension and body on their midrange, but with their clear bass, clean mids and amazing high range capabilities, they are surely a must try for those who are able to get a pair. Well done Din from BuduBuds and I am surely looking forward to their next release. Malaysia Boleh!
I would rate this product a solid 4 and a half stars out of 5 stars for this amazing product.
