Nostalgia Audio from Hong Kong is an exclusive boutique IEM maker that focuses their products in the upper echelon of the in ear monitors world and they are well known from the serious audiophiles up to the most hardcore audiophiles for their attention to details gothic design, a no compromise high quality parts selection and of course, their legendary, magical sound quality. Needless to say, their premium products are priced steeply suited only for those who have the means and serious enthusiasts to get their products but there is a lid for every pot as their products do look and feel like a work of art.
I have demoed the Nostalgia Audio Camelot a while back and I am thoroughly impressed by their superb implementation of the tribrid setup and they are indeed one of the best tribrid I have tested so far. Willy from Starspicker has given us a rare opportunity to review the latest release of Nostalgia Audio, Durandal and it is a pleasure to have spent some time with this piece of art so a heartfelt gratitude for this opportunity. How will the new Durandal perform with this rather new setup of bone conduction drivers? Will the high price actually be a value for those who seek nothing but the best for your ears? These questions will be tackled here.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Nostalgia Audio Durandal;
Technical Specifications
- 7 Individual Drivers, Tribrid Design
- 1 Dynamic Driver – Bass
- 2 Bone Conduction Vibrator – 2 Mid-Low
- 4 Balanced Armature Drivers – 2 Mid-High, 2 High
- 4-Way Crossover Design
- Spiral Flow Device
- Impedance: 15 Ohms @ 1kHz
- Frequency Response: 12 Hz – 30kHz
- Sensitivity: 115dB @ 1kHz, 1mW
P/s: Durandal, is the sword of Roland, a legendary paladin and partially historical officer of Charlemagne in French epic literature. The sword is famous for its hardness and sharpness.
The Nostalgia Audio Durandal can be purchased from Starspicker soon on their website as well as their amazing retail shop right here in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
https://starspickeraudio.net/?srsltid=AfmBOoqz5cBLE5HjhtN3Zk-71xAfXcAGSiVTthEEmAaB5iY8OsiegI9H
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging is nothing short of spectacular and truly a complete package fit for a king worthy for their asking price. The outer box does look pretty normal but their artwork here is a custom painted middle ages, gothic war theme printed by an artist by the name of Gothic C.Y. Chan and they look creatively cool.
Inside the outer white box, we are greeted with a solid black box with the Nostalgia Audio logo and inside that we will have a leather pad cover that has a Vortex Audio logo and the cable name, Hroudland embossed onto the pad. The Durandal is a collaborative effort with Vortex in producing a high end cable that is made solely for the Durandal along with a matching colour theme. Beneath the cover we will find all the necessities and the IEM itself lavishly packed. The necessities or accessories is top notch with a few collectibles like a custom made necklace for flexing and here are the accessories included;
- Hruodland OCC Silver Cable
- Aluminum Protective Case
- Metal Card
- Exquisite Leather Pad
- Commemorative Ancient Coin and Necklace
- Nylon Mesh Protection Bag
- Nostalgia Audio XWB Ear Tips
- Custom Royal Blue Symbio W Ear Tips
This might be the one of the best unboxing experiences that I have encountered as their design is original and very well thought of.
Design
The design here signature, original design of Nostalgia Audio with their middle age gothic theme with a royal blue resin body and an intricate faceplate that has layers upon layers of artwork and an image of a sword on top of the layers adorned with stainless steel metal inlays with etchings on the sides. On the hands they look even more impressive with their attention to details and it is polished to perfection but the colour scheme is a little too funky for me personally. The size of the IEM is leaning towards a bigger shell type but they do have great ergonomics and fit my ears snugly but I do feel for some with smaller ears might have some fit problem here.
The Nostalgia Audio Durandal is equipped with a total of 7 drivers with 3 different types of drivers. The low end or bass and sub-bass is driven by a single custom-designed 9.2mm dynamic driver with a custom made stainless steel sound chamber engineered and tuned by Nostalgia Audio’s R&D. The lower midrange is done by dual membrane Sonion bone conduction drivers and they utilise bone conduction to directly transmit sound vibrations, bypassing external interference and delivering a clearer, more authentic reproduction of vocals and mid-range. The rest of the higher range is completed by four balanced armature drivers where 2 drivers for the mid-high range, while the other 2 provide extra clarity and detail in the high frequencies. A rather new setup that includes a bone conduction driver and they are tuned with a passive 4 way crossover.
The nozzle is made from titanium and they are rather short with an outer around 6mm. There aren’t any vents on these IEMs which is rather weird as there is a dynamic driver that needs some venting and there is some driver flex when the IEM is being inserted and it does have a mild pressure build up. On the other hand, they are isolated very well and don’t sound boxy at all. The insides of the sound tubes has spiral grooves that is Nostalgia Audio’s own innovative design named SFD or Spiral Flow Device that is a helical formation incorporated as a ridge serves to induce a spiral pattern of flow which Nostalgia Audio claim it to be reducing loss caused by the curvature of the nozzle
There are a total of 6 pairs of eartips of various sizes that consist of 3 custom made Symbio W eartips in royal blue and 3 pairs of Nostalgia Audio XWB silicone eartips encased in a plastic box.
They come with a solid aluminium circular case in black and with their gothic theme on the top. Very solid casing with rubbers innards to protect it from bumps.
The Nostalgia Audio has a standard 0.78mm connection that is slightly recessed similar to Softears or Moondrop recent IEMs.
Nostalgia Audio this time has joined hands with Vortex Audio, a premium high end cable maker which is also from Hongkong to produce a flagship cable to complement the Durandal. The cable here is a 2 core coaxial cable named Hroudland. The cable features a unique four-color scheme (pink, purple, black and blue) that uses a single-crystal silver conductor for enhanced conductivity and signal transmission, and is tuned to the Durandal’s characteristics, ensuring seamless compatibility and synergy between the headphones. It utilizes a proprietary Ultra Twins Pair design, which builds upon the foundational Shielded Twins Pair structure incorporates the latest Litz Type 9 design principle, where the total AWG ( wire thickness) of the conductors and the total AWG (wire thickness)of the shielding layer are matched and Vortex claims these Ultra Twins Pair construction not only delivers superior EMI shielding performance, but also further optimizes the conductivity and signal transmission quality, resulting in a purer and more refined sonic presentation. Vortex uses the technique of “air-injection” to create the insulation layer’s outer skin using polyethylene. As 25% of the insulating material is air, the insulation layer even has a lower dielectric constant than PTFE, further reducing the accumulation of microcharges in the insulation material and making the high-frequency signal more accurate. On top of the insulation, they have also added a damping layer for the first time to counteract external vibrations and take the already quiet background to the next level. Here are the full specifications of the Hruodland cable;
Metal Vortex logo Y-splitter
- 2 Strands 21.3 AWG 4N OCC Silver and Silver Plated 5N LC-OFC Copper Shielding
- S-Z Stands with Shielding Twined pair design
- Customized flexible nylon wrapping
- Gold plated high quality 4.4 mm balanced termination
Gears Used for Comparisons
Fiio Q7
Qudelix T71
Hiby FC6
FiiO BTR7
Intime Sho DD
Letshuoer S15
Letshuoer EJ09
MIM Dark Magician
Hiby Lasya
Moji Monica Alpha
Moondrop A8
Dunu Luna
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the Nostalgia Audio Durandal is a neutral sound with a boosted bass response that has a velvety smooth sound with a slightly warm tone that possesses top notch technicalities. It is tuned to focus the sound on the lower end making it a basshead dream IEM and not your usual Harman tuning but instead an authoritative, impactful low end with an overall thick sound that has all the details and clarity intact across the whole frequencies. The Durandal is indeed an uber fun sound signature that is easy to enjoy and envelopes you into the music rather than listening to the product itself. They have an intimate sound but are wide in their dynamics and have a very well tuned sound that is very cohesive and full sounding. Timbre here is an organic sound that is inoffensive yet bold in their presentation producing a lively, energetic sound signature.
Soundstage
The Durandal possesses a wide expansive soundstage along with a good height but for their top of the line price tag, they are actually pretty average especially with their height. It is still a good soundstage that has a unique width that projects sound inwards into your head partly due to the bone conduction and that gives a wider frequency that has a superb 3D holographic presentation with an accurate placement of sound which may even suit usage like gaming or movies. They have decent air in their presentation that provides an immersive sound experience and they extend well in the lower region but not so much on the higher range. They also do have a good sized headroom but aren’t the biggest in there and they might sound a little closed in on certain sources probably from their lack of vents.
Separation and Timbre
Separation is one of the main strengths in the Durandal as it is truly exceptional here and the drivers seem to work harmoniously without any cohesion problem that typically plagues multi driver IEMs and they have a ultra wide left and right separation that gives an amazing wide frequency extension. The bone conduction drivers here are implemented perfectly to contribute to this amazing separation and they are very well textured along with top class imaging as every single nuance is presented in a clean manner. Timbre here is thick, rich, velvety and slightly mellow while still possessing a clear overall sound that has superb overall technicalities as they are quite accurate sounding without any sterileness but rather a lively entertaining sound. Also, there isn’t any metallic timbre present here partly due to the high quality balanced armatures being used here but there isn’t much information on the types of armatures being used
Drivability
The Durandal is rated at 15 ohms at 115 dB sensitivity which indicates that they are not too sensitive to pick up noise but they do need some power for them to perform to their best. A simple good setup will suffice but a better source that is well amplified along with a good source will give the Durandal some control in the low end along with some high range brilliance. Source sound matching leaning towards bright signature based source to match with their mellow tone and indeed they do perform superbly with brighter digital audio players. The Durandal isn’t a revealing set naturally as they will not show minor flaws in recordings but feeding them with some well mastered tracks will increase their overall performance especially in their overall transparency and resolution.
The Bass (Low)
The bass that the Durandal here is the star of the show and the most obvious frequency that has a boosted yet neutral performance. It has a rather big mid bass lift but isn’t too overpowering but it certainly has the authority and they deliver the bass with finesse. The amount of bass here do mean that the Durandal isn’t for those who seek a reference sound but instead for those who are a basshead that yearns for a high quality bass that has a well defined, textured bass that has zero bleed. The implementation of the bone conduction here is pretty obvious especially towards the midrange as they are able to have a projected bass that goes inwards that gives a wide spacious feel. I have auditioned a few high end bone conduction based IEM and I dare to say that the Durandal certainly has one the best implementations of a bone conduction driver as you can really feel the drivers doing its job pretty obviously. Details and clarity here is top notch as the low frequency is also being supported by a 9.2mm dynamic driver that gives a great amount of clean yet meaty bass response. Resolution here is also superb but transparency here is rather average for their rather big amount of bass that will sound a little too strong for them to be a natural, accurate sounding set. Sub-bass here dives deep and they match the mid bass lift tremendously. The sub-bass bass rumble is strong but very well controlled without being too loose or boomy and they are a uber fun set to listen to especially with EDM, jazz, hip-hop and classicals.
The Mids
Midrange is neutral with a rather warm, slightly bright tone that blends well with the lower region. It has a thickish body that has a great amount of details that focuses more towards the macro details with a good micro details retrieval capabilities. Clarity here is good but they are not an analytical set of IEM but rather a smooth, lush and intimate midrange that goes well with most genres producing a musical, immersive midrange. Vocals here surprisingly sound great despite the large amount of low end and they tend to sound best with male vocals for their depth and the spacious midrange while female vocals do sound decent, they tend to lack upper end brilliance. Resolution here is superb as the Durandal has a vivid sound that has a touch of coloration that produces a lush, intimate sound without any major altercation in their naturalness of sound. Transparency here is decent but rather average partly due to the minor coloration and on some acoustic recordings, they tend to be over saturated though marginally.
The Highs
High range has a flat tone with a mellow high range with a slow roll off at the end producing a very well extended range with an airy presentation. The highs here is being driven by custom made balanced armatures that Nostalgia Audio didn’t specify but they sound quality here is actually great as they do not possess any dry balanced armature timbre but rather a natural high range that has the clean, fast yet highly resolving criteria of a balanced armature setup. The details here are amazing with every high range nuances well displayed without any sibilance nor shout present, instead, they are a smooth high range that is inoffensive yet clean and highly detailed. The sparkle here is good with a mild crisp decay but the high range here isn’t for treble heads that seek a strong sparkle but they are for those who seek for an accurate amount of high range that is smooth yet isn’t muted. The high range does have a good resolving sound that has great imaging and transparency here is great with a natural, breathy high range. Treble here has great extension and they do have a slightly low intensity that suits for a more laid-back high range. The highs here coupled with the thick mids and boosted lows actually blend harmoniously to give a fun, bold yet relaxed sound that is unique and uber fun to listen to if this sound profile fits you.
Comparisons
VS Nostalgia Audio Camelot
The Camelot is the big brother in the Nostalgia Audio line up and they are the IEM that actually brought fame to them as their implementation of the electrostatic drivers is being touted as one of the best by some. They are priced slightly more than the Durandal with the same amazing build but the design of the Durandal seems more intricate and the inclusion of the Vortex Hruodland is a big plus. Personally, I do prefer the colour scheme of the Camelot but at the end of the day, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. The Camelot is a different type of tribrid with 2 dynamic drivers, 4 balanced armatures and 4 electrostatic drivers. The Camelot does have a more referenced, balanced sound signature versus the bass oriented Durandal.
High range
Highs on the Camelot have the edge in their volume, brilliance with a livelier, energetic presence along with a crisper, sparkly high range while the Durandal have a smoother, laid-back, more forgiving high range. Details and clarity is better on the Camelot with better extension with more air present.
Midrange
The Durandal has a thicker, warmer with a touch wider while the Camelot has a more balanced midrange that possesses better transparency. Resolution wise are similar but the Durandal sounds sweeter with their mild colouration. Vocals on the Camelot are more towards an all rounder for their added electrostatic brilliance while the Durandal is more suited for male vocals for their warmer, deeper midrange.
Bass
Bass on Durandal has the edge in their bigger presence along with a more authoritative impact that sounds more spacious versus the more accurate, natural balanced bass of the Camelot . Sub-bass on both dives deep but the amount of rumble on the Durandal is more evident. Details and clarity on both are excellent but the addition of a bone conduction driver on the Durandal seems to sound fuller and more immersive.
Soundstage
The soundstage on the Camelot does sound wider and deeper but the Durandal has a unique soundstage that projects sound inwards making sound that is perceived deeper in an unique way.
VS Dunu Luna
The Dunu Luna is the flagship single dynamic and they are equipped with a pure beryllium dynamic driver. They are priced around 25 percent cheaper than the Durandal with a more premium packaging that is packed to the teeth. Size is way smaller on the Luna but the Durandal does have a better seal. The Luna has a neutral reference signature that has a lean yet dead accurate sound but has a rather boring overall sound for their clinicality.
High region
The highs of both of these units have a similar amount but the Luna does sound more accurate with a mild edge on the Duradal of being more sparkly, more agile and livelier. The Luna sounded smoother with a more natural presentation. Details and clarity on the Durandal sounded better but in a small margin. Extension and air goes to the Luna with their pure dynamic sound.
Midrange
Midrange on the Durandal has a thicker, warmer and more forward presentation versus the flat mids of the Luna. Both have a spacious midrange but the Duradal does sound deeper in the lower mids with their bone conduction driver. Resolution on the Durandal is better while transparency on the Luna is cleaner with a more accurate, natural sound.
Bass
The amount of bass on the Durandal has an obvious bigger presence due to their boosted mid bass lift producing a more fun sound but at a sacrifice of a more accurate bass. The Luna has a more accurate and organic bass and they have better details retrieving capabilities. Clarity on both is superb but the texturing on Luna is clearer. Sub-bass amount is bigger on the Duradal but the Luna has a more correct amount of bass.
Soundstage
Soundstage height is similar but depth is better on the Durandal for their unique bone conduction assist and both have a good air presence.
Synergy
The bass focused sound signature of the Durandal does warrant a good matching for them to perform at their best. A bright source does give better balance to their bass boosted signature and I do find sources with the likes of Sabre based chipset takes the Durandal to another level of sound enjoyment while sources like AKM does makes the bass a little bloated but these examples are only for certain sources, not the majority. The Durandal doesn’t need any major power to drive it to ample volume and they do not pick up noise as easily so they are easy to drive but with some extra juice, the lower end does gain some advantage of being more controlled.
Good pairing
- Hidizs S8PRO, FiiO Q7, FiiO BTR7, Qudelix T71, Moondrop MIAD01, FiiO KA3, EPZ TP30, Dunu DTC100, Questyle M15
Not so good pairing
- EPZ TP35, Hiby FC6, Cayin RU6
Who Is It For?
The Nostalgia Audio Durandal is for flagship audio connoisseurs and users who want an intricately designed, high end audio product that doesn’t skip on anything, be it the packaging, build, design and all the way to the big, bold sound. The sound here is actually tuned more towards musicality than technicalities but the Durandal technicalities are no slouch as well. It has a superb big bass that is suitable for bassheads that want nothing but the best bass focused IEM. The Durandal aren’t for those who seek a clinical, analytic sound signature as they do lack in this aspect mainly for their bass amount. It is also for those who want to try out a bone conduction based set that is superbly implemented. For genres matching, I do find that Durandal handles EDM, pop. Hip-hop, jazz and classicals well while acoustics, metal and rock may be lacking for their lack of top end brilliance and bite.
Final words
Well the main question here is does the Durandal warrants the premium asking price? It depends on what you are looking for and who is looking for. It is certainly an ultra premium set of in ear monitors that has intricate design with a more than complete set with over the top accessories like the flagship Vortex Audio Hruodland, custom made Symbio eartips, a solid aluminium case and the custom made necklace that made this set fit for a king. The sound here is actually very decent especially in the lower region that has a well implemented bone conduction driver that is unique yet highly technical and they are a very musical set to listen to but they do fall short on clinicality versus the other brands in this price range and their big brother the Camelot. That being said, if you have the means and you are someone who loves bass, the Camelot might be the one for you.
I would rate this product 3 and a half stars over 5 stars
Pros
- Flagship build quality
- Ergonomic shell
- Top of the line accessories
- High end Vortex Cable
- Wide frequency range with superb cohesion and separation
- Warm, organic timbre
- Decent overall clarity and great imaging
- Superb musicality
- Good detail retrieval
- Big, wide, deep and impactful bass suitable for bassheads
- Textured low end
- Superb sub-bass depth
- Thick, lush midrange
- Good resolution
- Smooth, inoffensive high range
- Laid-back treble with crisp sparkle
- Good overall technicalities for the price
- Wide soundstage width with a unique bone conduction depth
Cons
- Weird colour scheme (preference)
- Treble too lean for some (subjective)
- High range brilliance a little lacking
- Bass a little strong to be a reference set
- Technically not strong at this price range
- Lacking vents, pressure build up
- Driver flex
- Average transparency
- Not for critical listening
- Lack air in the higher region
- Price versus performance index
