Disclaimer
- The reviewed product is a personal unit. Thus, all opinions are original ideas and all of my own, there was zero influence from any 3rd party or external opinions throughout the review.
- No EQ or filter presets were used during the entire sound evaluation.
- Sound evaluation are kept neutral and does not include 3rd party accessories (ie; eartips, cable, reversible mods)
Overall Rating
Pros |
Cons |
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Introduction
NiceHCK, a brand that is primarily known for their cables and not so much for their IEMs but that cannot be said the same for their flat earbuds which had always been popular, even when I first started my journey into the hobby back in 2019. In fact, they had a great success with the release of their earbuds such as the NiceHCK B40, EB2S which in recent times has relished an update to the EB2S Pro and last but not least the flagship NiceHCK EBX25Ti. Famously worn by a Japanese video game icon Hideo Kojima, also known as the man behind the Metal Gear franchise.
In my review this time however, I’ll review their latest flat earbud release, the NiceHCK B80 which features a 14.8mm dynamic driver with a special diaphragm which NiceHCK refer to as PU TopologyBio Diaphragm. This earbud retails starting from $32.99 for a basic 3.5mm plug without an inline-mic, all the way up to $37.99 which you’ll get the NiceHCK B80 available in 4.4mm balanced plug. With all of the pleasantries done, let us jump into the review!
Unboxing Experience
When we’re in the context of audio products, the first thing that always comes to mind when we expect what to see on the box would be an illustration or 3D rendering of the product itself. But this is not the case with the NiceHCK B80. Instead, a female waifu in white dress is the first thing you’ll see followed by the NiceHCK brand and earbud model. As you inspect a bit closer then you’d realize the waifu actually had the NiceHCK B80 worn on her ears. On the sides of the box, are printed with the name of the earbud and selected plug options. Meanwhile, on the back is printed the specifications for the B80 alongside some details and information in regards to the company and their contacts.
As we open the box, we’ll be greeted with the same waifu except this time it was a display card measured at 13.5 cm in length and 9.4 cm tall with a photo of her printed on glossy paper.
“Perfect bait for an otaku I must say.”
Nevertheless, as we explore further there’s a standard NiceHCK fabric hard case which contains the earbuds, alongside a NiceHCK branded cable organizer and two packs of foam respectively a donut foam and a full foam cover. Last but not least, there are also some paperworks, manual guides and warranty cards included at the bottom of the box.
Specifications
- Driver: 14.8mm PU TopologyBio Diaphragm
- Impedance: 20 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 114dB/SPL
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Cable: 2 core, OFC cable + silver-plated OFC cable (1m)
- Chassis diameter: 14.8-15mm
Build and Comfort
The NiceHCK B80 chassis is made using the same body taken from the YUIN PK2 which was popular and often regarded as comfortable among the flat earbud community. Despite only being available in black, NiceHCK has gone for a glossy paint finish on the body of the B80 with some glitters which looks absolutely stunning when shone under natural lights. Additionally, there are indicators for left and right channels for the earbuds which are printed clearly just below the stem of the body.
Overall, the ergonomics of the earbud were great if you allow it to naturally sit on the conchae of your ear. That said, I’m not a big fan of earbuds generally due to the shape but with the B80 I will usually be able to wear the earbud for a good 1-2 hours before needing a break to relieve the pressure point on my ear. The provided foams are soft and comfortable to wear without causing any skin irritations.
Cable
Being a brand that specializes in cables, NiceHCK did not skip when it comes to the cable for the B80. Truth be told, it puts some cable from their IEM cousins to absolute shame, thankfully enough these two don’t belong in the same category.
Based on the specifications provided by NiceHCK, the cable on B80 features a 2 core, OFC cable + silver-plated OFC cable measured at a roughly 1 meter in length. The aesthetics on the cable was absolutely stunning with its thick polyurethane (PU) shielding which is coloured in black and decorated with gold flakes to increase the visual appeal, meanwhile the plug and Y-splitter is made using metal with the same glossy finish on the earbud. In terms of ergonomics however, the cable was a bit on the stiffer side but still very much manageable and easy to be wrapped for storage. Microphonics are absent during usage when the cable rubs against coarse fabric or rough surfaces. Like I said in the introduction, there are multiple options of termination and cable available for the B80, such as the 3.5mm plug without an inline-mic, a 3.5mm with inline-mic and a 4.4mm balanced without an inline-mic.
Test Equipment
- Local Hi-Res files > Astell&Kern SE100 M.Chat (Linear Phase Fast Roll-off Filter)
- Tidal (Master) + Local Hi-Res files via UAPP > Sony Xperia 1 V + DSEE Ultimate (ON), Dolby Atmos (OFF)
- Tidal (Master) + Local Hi-Res files via UAPP > Sony Xperia 1 V > Venture Electronics Odo (3.5mm)
- Tidal (Master) + Local Hi-Res files via UAPP > Sony Xperia 1 V > Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini (3.5mm)
- Tidal (Master) + Local Hi-Res files via UAPP > Sony Xperia 1 V > MUSEHIFI M3 II (3.5mm)
Power Requirements
The NiceHCK B80 rated at 20 Ohms with a driver sensitivity of 114 dB/SPL, makes the earbud efficient and scales very much easily across various sources in my collection. From small dongles all the way to powerful handheld devices, I was able to power the NiceHCK B80 absolutely fine without any problems. Such as the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini which is considerably a weak small dongle, feeded through my Sony Xperia 1 V. I was able to reach my comfortable listening volume by cranking up the volume to 4-5/30. Meanwhile, on something more powerful such as the Astell&Kern SE100, I only needed to raise the volume wheel up between 35-38/150 to reach my comfortable listening volume. Hence, powering this earbud won’t be a hitch for most people even if you only have an Apple dongle in your arsenal.
Sound Evaluation
The NiceHCK B80 has undergone burn-in phase for at least 48 hours prior to sound evaluation. Throughout the analysis, I paired up the B80 with a neutral source, the A&K SE100 on Linear Phase Fast Roll-off Filter chosen given that it’s the most natural sounding filter compared to default. The provided donut foams are used as default throughout the sound evaluation. Bonus test tracks used can be found down at the end of this review.
NiceHCK has gone for a neutral-warm sort of tuning for the B80 which primarily focuses on the midrange and higher frequencies which can be seen through the frequency response graph. Bass frequencies were less dominant on the B80 due to the roll-off at mid-bass, thus other qualities in the lower-bass area such as sub-bass and rumbles will not stand out as much.
Nevertheless, it does still provide a pleasant warm tint into the midrange and bass punchy bass slams to satisfy your groovy soul. The mids were presented in an upfront forward manner with a smooth, effortless quality despite the accentuated ear gain peak. Treble on the other hand, has a smooth and mellow tone with just enough emphasis for such related elements present in your music rather than gushing large amounts of details and resolution.
Low Frequency (Bass)
Typically with most earbuds due to its design often resulting the bass frequencies being the less dominant feature and that is no difference with the NiceHCK B80. As a result, sub-bass is barely audible especially at the lowest octave when tested through my usual tracks such as Hollow (16 Bit Remix) – Björk, that being said by swapping to full foam and silicone covers does help slightly albeit the difference was subtle.
Mid-bass on the NiceHCK B80 I would describe it as slightly north to neutral, clean, punchy with good responsiveness delivering bass slams rapidly. While it won’t satisfy those who crave those thick bass. The bass impact produced by the large 14.8mm dynamic driver still delivers a slam that resembles a solid “thud” with decent heft with each bass punch. The N52 neodymium magnets used in the driver provide good fast response allowing the B80 to catch up with tracks that have high tempos such as Hunter – Björk without any feeling of sluggishness or causing melding during the process. However, I do hear the bass on the B80 tend to sound slightly hollow. Take it as you’re slapping a thick double corrugated cardboard in with certain elements such as in drums, the sound of a drummer hitting the snares and toms is what I would describe it.
Middle Frequency (Mid)
Midrange is the key strength for the NiceHCK B80, characterized by its forward and smooth presentation which sounded natural and organic. Overall timbre of the midrange is neutral with a slight colouration which gives vocals and stringed instruments a slight warm tone. However, it lacks note weight and definition hence deep or grunty male vocals won’t be as thick or textured as one might anticipate. Upper-mids appear to be safe on the B80 even for someone that is sensitive to accentuated ear gain, plus it can be further reduced by using the full foam. Albeit it does make the B80 sound a tad more recessed for my liking.
High Frequency (Treble)
Laid-back, butter smooth are the words best to describe the treble on the NiceHCK B80. Although the treble presence is not that strong and lively, while some might consider it dark. Nevertheless, the tuning for the treble does make everything sound very pleasant, tolerable even for those who are sensitive and furthermore overpower the other frequencies. However, the smooth tuning does lead to the B80 sounding a tad splashy, perhaps if the treble was slightly more crisp then it would’ve been perfect for me.
Additionally, the B80 does not accentuate sibilant notes when played through sibilant tracks such as Underwater Love – Soulperfreesia despite the slight peak at 5kHz. That said, I’m particularly impressed with the treble extension on the B80 as it adds air and reduces the speed of transients. Allowing the subtle notes in the treble region to linger slightly longer before it gradually fades. Such as high notes produced by a violin or the tail coming from hi-hats and crashes after being hit.
Technicality
First thing that I immediately noticed on the NiceHCK B80 was the large soundstage that this earbud could render. Albeit it was not immersive or holographic as I would want, the B80 still has a great sense of width from both front/back and left/right as well. Spatial imaging (localization) was between decent and mediocre in my opinion, while it does well rendering sound coming from cardinal directions. I find the B80 struggles to render sound coming from intermediate directions, let alone pinpointing how far was the object/element.
Detail retrieval was average in my book, the B80 does pick up high-level details quite easily but it does fall short when rendering low-level details, subtle nuances in tracks or when used for gaming. However, in terms of resolution the B80 was able to score only up to mediocre based on my testing. For example, the creaking sound at the background in Motherboard – Daft Punk has a subtle, groovy texture that follows the sound, which was absent through the B80. Layering and separation was average as well, the B80 can get congested and cause melding when played with busy tracks. Plus, despite the huge soundstage the B80 can’t make use of it due to the poor layering since most of the elements in tracks are placed in a single spot rather than individually spaced out from each other.
Lastly, the dynamic range test for the NiceHCK B80 is rated at average. Utilizing the Ultimate Headphone Test – ABYSS Headphone dynamic range test as a reference. In short, a sample sound of a drum and a bell are played simultaneously as much as 7 counts, but only the sound of the bells will become quieter. Hence, from a scale of 7 counts, the B80 was able to produce an audible 5 out of 7 counts.
Comparison(s)
Due to my lack of knowledge in flat earbuds, I was not able to provide any comparisons with other earbuds in the market. Deepest apologies for any inconvenience caused and to those who might be interested to know how does the B80 perform against other earbud models within the same price category.
Purchasing Links and Where to Get?
NiceHCK Official Website (non-affiliated)
https://nicehck.com/products/b80
Conclusion
To conclude the review, NiceHCK has made a flat earbud that is not only visually appealing but it sure does deliver a pleasant sound as well. Despite some shortcomings mainly in regards to the technicalities, I thoroughly enjoyed the sort of tuning presented by the B80 and this flat earbud has been a regular addition into my rotation list across various source in my collection. Although that being said, my interest is more towards IEMs and headphones.
The familiar build of the PK2 which is utilized for the B80 does allow audiophiles to be confident that this earbud would present a similar feel and comfort that they recognize with any other flat earbuds in the market. Hence, whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer to flat earbuds and wish to try a mid-centric sound signature that focuses on delivering pure musical experience then you might want to check out the NiceHCK B80. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoyed the review for the NiceHCK B80, thus that marks the end and I’ll be seeing you in my next review!
Additional Test Tracks
Kau Kekasihku – Siti Nurhaliza 44.1kHz
Money For Nothing (Explicit) – Dire Straits 44.1kHz
A Poem Titled You – TAEYEON 44.1kHz
Anesthetize (Live) – Porcupine Tree DSD256
Vermilion – Slipknot 44.1kHz
Kanade – SUKIMASWITCH 44.1kHz
La vaguelette (Original Game Soundtrack) – HOYO-MiX 44.1kHz
Rhythm – Jamey Haddad, Lenny White; Mark Sherman 44.1kHz
Kimigatame (When Suara Meets DSD 11.2Mhz) – Suara DSD11.2MHz
Don’t Speak – No Doubt 192kHz
Automatic – Hikaru Utada 44.1kHz
In My Room – Hikaru Utada 44.1kHz
Colors (Live in Studio) – Black Pumas 192kHz
Timbres – Yosi Horikawa 44.1kHz
Misguided Ghosts – Paramore 44.1kHz
