NICE HCK NX8 IEM Review

[Herbert Shooler]

God bless you Amir,thankyou!

 

[Robbo99999]

Well, seems like an excellent IEM! We have had ones for a lot lower cost that measure just as well I think though, so yeah people can make their choices. The name of the IEM is interesting - NICEHCK - in gaming terms this makes me think of "nice hack" so these could potentially be aimed at the gaming community as some really good IEM's for gaming use, the idea being superior sound could help you locate your enemies and then people will tell you "nice hack"!

 

[Sebby]

That's impressively good distortion for something using BA drivers.
I've come to expect BA and BA hybrids to measure >= ~0.5% THD in the midrange at <100dBSPL even on units costing many hundreds of dollars.
Can still see signs of elevated third harmonic in the midrange, but at such a low level it doesn't matter.

I'm curious which brand of drivers they are using.

High distortion in the midrange is a characteristic of Sonion drivers.
The others tend to be very clean

 

[Yevhen]

The 3rd hsrmonic is dominant

 

[amirm]

The 3rd hsrmonic is dominant

That is the source frequency meaning the harmonics land at multiples of it in that region.

 

[ehabheikal]

Would these be an audible upgrade over the truthear red?

 

[delta76]

Would these be an audible upgrade over the truthear red?

no

 

[RogerSmith]

If only all IEMs had this level (or lack thereof) of distortion!

Thanks @amirm!

Audible distortion is no issue for the great majority of IEMs.

 

[RogerSmith]

Am I correct that this only has a minimal better distortion than Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED but almost 4 times more expensive? Am I missing something

If distortion is already inaudible, even with EQ and with the loudest acceptable listening level, there is no real benefit in heaving still less distortion, only if you are a nerd engineer or measurement fetichist.

 

[amirm]

Am I correct that this only has a minimal better distortion than Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED but almost 4 times more expensive? Am I missing something

No two IEMs measure identically. There is tonality difference between this and Zero, etc. You may like the stock tuning a bit better with one vs the other.

There is also the usability. I found it so easy to swap tips on the NX8 -- something I don't normally see. It also came with a nice case and such.

Just gives you another option.

 

[Somafunk]

Would these be an audible upgrade over the truthear red?

They’d sound different, whether or not you consider that an upgrade is entirely subjective to yourself

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

I picked up a pair of these based on this review and have been comparing versus my personal reference (Thieaudio Hype 4). I have a couple of different setups, but one of them is a pair of FiiO UTWS5 2025 wireless DAC/amp ear hooks with LDAC that I cannot use with my Hype 4s due to their recessed 2-pin connectors. I've been looking for something that might be close to/comparable to Hype 4 in performance, but does not require recessed connectors, and picked up these NX8s in the hopes that I can use these with the FiiO cordless ear hooks when I don't want to go wired. I also have on hand Meze Alba (which, up until now, I've been using with the FiiO ear hooks) as well as Truthear GATE.

All comparisons were done first with the OEM silicone tips and then a second round was done using Comply foam tips (my preferred tips). It goes without saying that these are subjective and not blind ABX tests because I don't have a testing rig and, well, it's stuff going in and out of my ears).

First off, I have to admit, I haven't been particularly fond of the Truthear GATE primarily because it just...man, it feels so cheap. I just feel like I'm going to break them. The plastic build, the lack of weight. Yeah, they sound decent, but they're not just inexpensive, they're straight-up cheap. Now the Meze Albas, they have a lovely, hefty feel to them, they look pretty in pearl white, and they're tiny, so they're very comfortable in-ear. They're, to me, definitely worth the cost difference over Truthear GATE.

However, the NX8 and the Hype 4 present, at least to my ears, a more balanced sound than Alba. Both of the bigger hybrid IEMs simply have more foundation and bass impact & presence. I am extremely pleased with how well NX8 performs when driven by FiiO UTWS5 2025--this is a wonderful pairing when fed from a source with LDAC support (I am using a Questyle QCC Dongle Pro for this when playing music on my iPhone or else when willing to carry my separate, Android-based DAP, that has LDAC built-in).

All that said, and I wish I could find some sort of measurements to explain or back this up, but I still find the Hype 4 more transparent and natural sounding than NX8. There is more texture in the upper and lower bass, and the high frequencies such as cymbals sound more natural, all of this rendering voices more realistic as well. I will keep the Hype 4 as my wired reference IEMs, and use the NX8 as my new wireless reference attached to the FiiO UTWS5 2025 wireless DAC/amps.

Thanks again, @amirm for the excellent review. There are simply way too many IEMs in the market nowadays, and your reviews really help us sort through the market melee.

 

[ParadisDruid]

Very nice. Much like electronics, IEMs look like they are a solved problem.

At least with respect to these things that can easily be measured. I'm still trying to figure out why my Salnotes Zeroes cause so much noise when I put them on. I can hear my blood rushing and pumping, any movement of my jaw, etc. I've tried tips of many sizes. It's not the cable because I get the same thing with the cable disconnected. I don't get this with my Airpod Pros or my Moondrop Space Travels. I'm guessing the wide nozzles press directly against my ear and don't allow the tips to "float." Second possibility is that the unvented design causes issues.

So bringing it back to these earbuds, what do the nozzles look like? And is it vented or fully sealed?

The Salnotes Zero's vents are located by the inside of the iem, by the nozzle.

 

[Dr Schweinsgruber]

NiceHCK is known in China by its Chinese name, Yuandao (原道). To Chinese audiophiles, this brand carries enormous meme energy.

Originally, the company got its start making ultra-budget flathead earbuds (the old-school ones, not IEMs). Some of their most iconic models were sold on Taobao (China's largest e-commerce platform) for the mind-boggling price of just 9.9 CNY (roughly $1.40 USD) with free shipping. These were quite possibly the cheapest earphones on the planet that could be described as anything approaching "Hi-Fi" with a straight face. For countless Chinese students, young workers, and budget-conscious hobbyists, Yuandao's 9.9 CNY earbuds were their very first gateway into the world of audiophile listening. And the astonishing thing was: they didn't sound like garbage. They sounded competent, even pleasant.

This origin story gave birth to one of the most enduring and beloved memes on the Chinese audiophile internet:


Here's how the meme typically plays out: someone on a Chinese audio forum posts about spending $2,000+ on some flagship headphone, expresses mild disappointment, and is immediately met with an avalanche of replies: "If only I'd known sooner, I should have stuck with Yuandao all along."

The joke escalates to absurd heights. Chinese netizens routinely produce satirical "comparison reviews" pitting Yuandao's $1.40 earbuds against Sennheiser HE-1 / HE90. The punchline is always the same: Yuandao wins. Obviously.

At some point, the meme brand decided to grow up. Yuandao (now marketing internationally under the name NiceHCK) began pivoting away from bargain-bin flatheads and into proper IEMs. They started releasing products that weren't just good for the price of a bottle of water, but genuinely competitive against established Hi-Fi brands.

It seems that after years of jokes, the prophecy has finally come true: Yuandao really was the answer all along

How does this translate?

Yuandao = prepare?

原道 = the original way?

Is that correct?

We at audioreviews.org have reviewed 25 NICEHCK iems since 2019. It is a very friendly, responsive company. I am currently testing their Rockies flagship, which are fantastic: very natural sonic reproduction.

The faceplates are interesting: made of handpolished Pietersite from Henan Province (I speculate as the only other location this is found is in Namibia). Pietersite is an intergrowth of chalcedony (microcrystalline quartz) and crocidolite (blue asbestos)...the asbestos does not crumble (and the content is very small) so that it ain't dangerous.

 

[Nango]

Bigger concern than current capability is output impedance I'd say.

Even if the headphone Amp has plenty of grunt, any output impedance higher than 2Ω or so will cause the treble to drop even further below target, making the NX8 sound duller.

Oh no, such a mess. No way mobile devices can deliver such amount of mA without draining out the battery within 2 hours......

 

[tunwen]

How does this translate?

Yuandao = prepare?

原道 = the original way?

Is that correct?

The characters 原道 (Yuán Dào) do translate to something like "The Original Way" or "The Original Path." But the real story behind the name is far more interesting.

The company originally started out making MP4 players about 20 years ago. Their English branding at the time was — wait for it — "Window." Singular. No "s."

Figure 1. MP4 players manufactured by Yuandao 20 years ago, now being sold on Xianyu (China's eBay).

Figure 2. MP4 players manufactured by Yuandao 20 years ago; note the "Window" on the packaging and the Chinese character "原道".

Unsurprisingly, Microsoft eventually came knocking with legal threats, so the company rebranded to "Vido"—which is simply a rough phonetic transliteration of Yuán Dào. It doesn't have any actual meaning in English.

Those legendary Yuandao earbuds that spawned the meme weren't originally a standalone product. They were included as a non-sale accessory inside Yuandao's MP4 player boxes.

Figure 3. After rebranding from "window" to "Vido," Yuandao continued marketing MP4 players for several years.

Figure 4. This specific type of earbuds was initially included as a non-sale accessory with Yuandao's MP4 players. It later garnered significant attention among Chinese Hi-Fi enthusiasts.

When smartphones wiped out the portable media player market, the original Yuandao company went under, leaving behind a massive warehouse full of unsold stock — including mountains of those bundled earbuds with no players left to bundle them with. At that point, nobody realized these earbuds were anything special.

That changed when the owner of a small online shop called NiceHCK decided to take a chance on the leftover stock. At the time, NiceHCK didn’t really have its own products — it was basically just a reseller. The shop owner bought up the entire stockpile of these orphaned earbuds and listed them at clearance prices, figuring they might as well try to make a few bucks off what was essentially dead inventory.

What happened next was completely unexpected. The audiophile community discovered them, the meme took off, and the entire stock sold out almost overnight. Realizing they’d accidentally struck gold, the NiceHCK owner tracked down the original manufacturer — a factory called Fulansheng (福兰声) — and commissioned new production runs using the exact same drivers and molds. The legend was reborn.

From that accidental beginning, NiceHCK gradually started developing its own original products — proper IEMs, cables, accessories — eventually growing into the company that makes the NX8 reviewed here. And the original Yuandao earbuds? They’re still on Taobao, still dirt cheap, and still the stuff of legend.

 

[pangcukaipang]

The characters 原道 (Yuán Dào) do translate to something like "The Original Way" or "The Original Path." But the real story behind the name is far more interesting.

The company originally started out making MP4 players about 20 years ago. Their English branding at the time was — wait for it — "Window." Singular. No "s."

View attachment 515768
Figure 1. MP4 players manufactured by Yuandao 20 years ago, now being sold on Xianyu (China's eBay).
View attachment 515769
Figure 2. MP4 players manufactured by Yuandao 20 years ago; note the "Window" on the packaging and the Chinese character "原道".

Unsurprisingly, Microsoft eventually came knocking with legal threats, so the company rebranded to "Vido"—which is simply a rough phonetic transliteration of Yuán Dào. It doesn't have any actual meaning in English.

Those legendary Yuandao earbuds that spawned the meme weren't originally a standalone product. They were included as a non-sale accessory inside Yuandao's MP4 player boxes.

View attachment 515770
Figure 3. After rebranding from "window" to "Vido," Yuandao continued marketing MP4 players for several years.
View attachment 515771
Figure 4. This specific type of earbuds was initially included as a non-sale accessory with Yuandao's MP4 players. It later garnered significant attention among Chinese Hi-Fi enthusiasts.

When smartphones wiped out the portable media player market, the original Yuandao company went under, leaving behind a massive warehouse full of unsold stock — including mountains of those bundled earbuds with no players left to bundle them with. At that point, nobody realized these earbuds were anything special.

That changed when the owner of a small online shop called NiceHCK decided to take a chance on the leftover stock. At the time, NiceHCK didn’t really have its own products — it was basically just a reseller. The shop owner bought up the entire stockpile of these orphaned earbuds and listed them at clearance prices, figuring they might as well try to make a few bucks off what was essentially dead inventory.

What happened next was completely unexpected. The audiophile community discovered them, the meme took off, and the entire stock sold out almost overnight. Realizing they’d accidentally struck gold, the NiceHCK owner tracked down the original manufacturer — a factory called Fulansheng (福兰声) — and commissioned new production runs using the exact same drivers and molds. The legend was reborn.

From that accidental beginning, NiceHCK gradually started developing its own original products — proper IEMs, cables, accessories — eventually growing into the company that makes the NX8 reviewed here. And the original Yuandao earbuds? They’re still on Taobao, still dirt cheap, and still the stuff of legend.

Well, TIL.
Vido is a legendary earbuds here. Still being sold, whether in original packaging or recabled (lol).

 

[macauley86]

I have the flathead NICE HCK EB2S Pro earbuds (not IEMs), and love them. They were like $24. They are very mid-centric (not much bass), but sound very pleasant, better than my Apple EarPods. I'm not a fan of IEMs or big over-the-ear headphones, and I keep my earbuds in a lot for work (meetings, background Spotify music), and the EarPods and EB2S Pro are super comfortable.