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Topping Hane IEM Review

Rate this IEM:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 16 8.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 45 22.8%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 136 69.0%

  • Total voters
    197
Bought a pair based on Amir's review. They came yesterday. I'm very impressed (amazed actually) with the fidelity using only an Apple Lightning dongle DAC. Volume from an iPhone with hte dongle DAC has to be turned up around 80 (out of 100) but still sound great. Will try with an amp/DAC later.
 
Bought a pair based on Amir's review. They came yesterday. I'm very impressed (amazed actually) with the fidelity using only an Apple Lightning dongle DAC. Volume from an iPhone with hte dongle DAC has to be turned up around 80 (out of 100) but still sound great. Will try with an amp/DAC later.
how did you set the switches while listening at 80 with Apple adapter?
 
OKish IEM, but I daresay from, for example, of all the Truthear IEMs, only the Hola/Gate offers less fidelity, and that is $20, the rest (Zero, Zero Red, Hexa, Nova) are better and mostly cheaper.
 
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OKish IEM, but I daresay from, for example, of all the Truthear IEMs, only the Hola/Gate offers less fidelity, and that is $20, the rest (Zero, Zero Red, Hexa, Nova) are better and mostly cheaper.

They all have very similar tonality (on the rig). Which one is better/best depends on the individual's ear canal, preferences, and fit.

1736503060085.png
 
They all have very similar tonality (on the rig). Which one is better/best depends on the individual's ear canal, preferences, and fit.

View attachment 420033
They’re all around target which means they are balanced and are not exotic or excentric or, simply put, strange, but still they can be very much apart: Hexa, for instance, is not Hi Fi at all. It’s a very fun IEM and sounds pretty darn good, with a beautiful timbre, very elegant and smooth. Piano is chocolatey for instance, very pleasurable, but it does not sound like a real piano or like the registration captured it. So fidelity is not achieved. It does not respond well to eq either. ZeroRed on the other hand, apart from a little problem on the highs that can easily be corrected with eq, achieves great fidelity. Moreover as you said you have different fitting, different timbres, different technical choices (eg zerored sports venting ports that make them useless in a windy city like mine, but that can be beneficial to folks who don’t like the suction cup effect), so even if these IEMS seem very similar in a FR graph, they can actually be quite different from each other. What this graph tells us is that they should all be quite balanced and represent all of the audio spectrum well without weird accents, “magnifying lenses” or other extraordinary props that may result in loss of fidelity and in an uneven and unbalanced reproduction.
 
so even if these IEMS seem very similar in a FR graph, they can actually be quite different from each other.

And different to different people...for example "chocolatey piano" on Hexa for you, can sound normal for someone else. My point was that we shouldn't have general statements as if they apply to all people. Also timbre isn't something IEMs have, only musical instruments.
 
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And diffrent to diffrent people...for example "chocolatey piano" on Hexa for you, can sound normal for someone else. My point was that we shouldn't have general statements that apply to all people. Also timbre isn't something IEMs have, only musical instruments.
One can like it or not, but it sounds different from a real piano, call it what you want. This that I brought you is an objective point valid for everyone that know how a piano sounds, it has been said by others than me and an engineer could explain it.

Also it seems strange to me that an IEM shan’t have a timbre, since everything that produces a noise in this world has a timbre, but I honestly wouldn’t know, I rest my case. Timbre is descripted as the resonance fingerprint that everything that vibrates in this world has and it is different for everything. In our head these different resonance peaks, that produce more or less armonious arithmetic combinations of wavelengths at different intensity, produce the different sounds we hear. But this is musical theory 101. In my experience different IEMS all eq’d to Harman have different timbres, so I thought this was due to their innate timbre. Still, this take here is purely subjective so its value is what it is. Also, it’s flawed because my eq is precise to the db and not to the decimal part of the db. So I’d like to know more if you cater to explain or redirect me where this is better explained, thank you very much in case, much appreciated.
 
One can like it or not, but it sounds different from a real piano, call it what you want. This that I brought you is an objective point valid for everyone that know how a piano sounds, it has been said by others than me and an engineer could explain it.

Fine, but are there any IEMs or headphones that can sound like a real piano? I think we are not there yet. Anyway, let's not derail the review thread anymore.

Also it seems strange to me that an IEM shan’t have a timbre, since everything that produces a noise in this world has a timbre, but I honestly wouldn’t know, I rest my case. Timbre is descripted as the resonance fingerprint that everything that vibrates in this world has and it is different for everything. In our head these different resonance peaks, that produce more or less armonious arithmetic combinations of wavelengths at different intensity, produce the different sounds we hear. But this is musical theory 101. In my experience different IEMS all eq’d to Harman have different timbres, so I thought this was due to their innate timbre. Still, this take here is purely subjective so its value is what it is. Also, it’s flawed because my eq is precise to the db and not to the decimal part of the db. So I’d like to know more if you cater to explain or redirect me where this is better explained, thank you very much in case, much appreciated.

You are in luck:

 
They’re all around target which means they are balanced and are not exotic or excentric or, simply put, strange, but still they can be very much apart: Hexa, for instance, is not Hi Fi at all. It’s a very fun IEM and sounds pretty darn good, with a beautiful timbre, very elegant and smooth. Piano is chocolatey for instance, very pleasurable, but it does not sound like a real piano or like the registration captured it. So fidelity is not achieved. It does not respond well to eq either. ZeroRed on the other hand, apart from a little problem on the highs that can easily be corrected with eq, achieves great fidelity. Moreover as you said you have different fitting, different timbres, different technical choices (eg zerored sports venting ports that make them useless in a windy city like mine, but that can be beneficial to folks who don’t like the suction cup effect), so even if these IEMS seem very similar in a FR graph, they can actually be quite different from each other. What this graph tells us is that they should all be quite balanced and represent all of the audio spectrum well without weird accents, “magnifying lenses” or other extraordinary props that may result in loss of fidelity and in an uneven and unbalanced reproduction.
I avoid fixating on individual instruments like the piano when evaluating IEMs. I understand that most recordings are not trying to convey a real event but are instead deliberately processed. Therefore, if something sounds more "real," it might be misleading.

My preference for one IEM over another for everyday listening is better explained by how they handle densely produced songs. Do all the elements of the song come through coherently, or do they seem to clash? Does turning up the volume introduce harshness and rumble? I find genres like industrial rock and death metal more helpful for this evaluation. Genres like soft rock, acoustic music, and even hip hop can be more forgiving due to their sparser arrangements and frequency content.
 
Got my set today. Very comfy.. Small compared to the likes of the Blessing 2 style, Thieaudio etc. Dont like fabric cables and already know the tips arent for me. I think a sturdy case should be included for anything over $100- this is a fabric pouch and so effectively useless for carrying or storing.

The switch settings are well described on various squigs so wont go into that. I have currently got 1010 which has the effect of a slight downward tilt over 0000. Lets call this a palate cleansing IEM. Pinna gain is a touch too hot for me as switch 3 only starts shelving after 3k- I could have done with that starting to slope around 1.5k to get to my tastes. Engaging switch 2 would likely sort that out for tonal balance but I dont want these to be a bassy set. I have plenty of those. Not sure why anyone would want to engage switch 4 and boost the treble.

Not sure I could honestly recommend these as offering anything over and above some of the oft referred sub $50 bangers we see here and elsewhere except they are a very universal build and dare I say "reference" tuning (close enough to Harman with the scope for preference permutations you can make with the switches).

If they go on sale for $80 or 90 I would definitely say worth a punt.
 
Today I received my pair of Arpegear Hane and wanted to share my experience with you all. I am still listening with it as I am typing right now.

Arpegear Hane presents itself as a really beautiful and refined object. The 3D printed feathers motive seems more deep and reliefed than what it probably is thanks to the convex transparent lacquer finish. The colour of the feathers is iridescent as it is green-blue when faced upfront, but it becomes violet if you incline it. Very beautiful. I purchased an after market orange cable for these IEMS that I think matches very well with the colour of the shell.

After some tests I found that my optimal setup, regarding switches, is:
Switch 1 (light bass boost) OFF
Switch 2 (bass boost) ON
Switch 3 (treble attenuation) ON
Switch 4 (treble boost) OFF
In this configuration I found it to sound the most natural and effortless, being that classical music or excellently produced folk music. Being a classical guitarist I can say that guitar is just spot on. Voices are natural, cymbals have a natural, shiny and beautiful decay all without sounding weak or dim. Soundstage reconstruction is very good, separated and almost balanced: bass (the region of the bass notes) is a little bit forward, not a deal breaker, it’s still one of the best things I ever heard. The kick of the drums is perfect, it’s just the bass that is a little bit forward. I tried to adjust this with the switches, but this was the best setup I found: when switch 2 (that is responsible for getting bass a little bit too much upfront) is not on, the treble region arises and becomes unnatural and scratchy. All in all, a very beautiful sounding IEM, very elegant and refined in sound, very classy. I like it a lot. With this setup it still sounds better, more natural and even cleaner than Moondrop Chu II tuned to Harman with Autoeq or Truthear Zero Red tuned to Harman with Autoeq. Both of these models tuned to Harman show some minor problems in the treble region that Arpegear Hane doesn’t have. The other differences are the kick of the drums which are a little bit weaker on Hane, but more similar to a real kick (so I don’t complain; also, they are still fun and engaging and the kick pumps a little more than what a real kick would do even if a little less than standard Harman) and the bass which is a little forward, but this one is a nitpick and not a deal breaker.

I am using a JCally JM20 (reviewed before by amirm) powered from my iPhone to listen with my Hane. With Jcally JM20 with the switch configuration said before the volume I use is around 3/4 for an engaging listening, 4/5 for a loud listening, 2/3 for a relaxed listening. Jcally runs a little bit warm. I couldn’t reach max volume as it would be too loud for me and it would hurt. Already at 4/5 it’s very loud for me and I don’t listen at that volume, but that’s just as far as I could go without starting to hurt.

All in all a very beautiful experience, warmly recommended. I am very happy with my purchase. If you are an iPhone user like me and wanted to ditch your bluetooth amp with PEQ for something even more portable on the go, these Hane might be your cup of tea and solve your problem. They at least solved mine.

89/100 highly recommended, fun, enjoyable, natural and realistic. Very good.
 
Today I received my pair of Arpegear Hane and wanted to share my experience with you all. I am still listening with it as I am typing right now.

Arpegear Hane presents itself as a really beautiful and refined object. The 3D printed feathers motive seems more deep and reliefed than what it probably is thanks to the convex transparent lacquer finish. The colour of the feathers is iridescent as it is green-blue when faced upfront, but it becomes violet if you incline it. Very beautiful. I purchased an after market orange cable for these IEMS that I think matches very well with the colour of the shell.

After some tests I found that my optimal setup, regarding switches, is:
Switch 1 (light bass boost) OFF
Switch 2 (bass boost) ON
Switch 3 (treble attenuation) ON
Switch 4 (treble boost) OFF
In this configuration I found it to sound the most natural and effortless, being that classical music or excellently produced folk music. Being a classical guitarist I can say that guitar is just spot on. Voices are natural, cymbals have a natural, shiny and beautiful decay all without sounding weak or dim. Soundstage reconstruction is very good, separated and almost balanced: bass (the region of the bass notes) is a little bit forward, not a deal breaker, it’s still one of the best things I ever heard. The kick of the drums is perfect, it’s just the bass that is a little bit forward. I tried to adjust this with the switches, but this was the best setup I found: when switch 2 (that is responsible for getting bass a little bit too much upfront) is not on, the treble region arises and becomes unnatural and scratchy. All in all, a very beautiful sounding IEM, very elegant and refined in sound, very classy. I like it a lot. With this setup it still sounds better, more natural and even cleaner than Moondrop Chu II tuned to Harman with Autoeq or Truthear Zero Red tuned to Harman with Autoeq. Both of these models tuned to Harman show some minor problems in the treble region that Arpegear Hane doesn’t have. The other differences are the kick of the drums which are a little bit weaker on Hane, but more similar to a real kick (so I don’t complain; also, they are still fun and engaging and the kick pumps a little more than what a real kick would do even if a little less than standard Harman) and the bass which is a little forward, but this one is a nitpick and not a deal breaker.

I am using a JCally JM20 (reviewed before by amirm) powered from my iPhone to listen with my Hane. With Jcally JM20 with the switch configuration said before the volume I use is around 3/4 for an engaging listening, 4/5 for a loud listening, 2/3 for a relaxed listening. Jcally runs a little bit warm. I couldn’t reach max volume as it would be too loud for me and it would hurt. Already at 4/5 it’s very loud for me and I don’t listen at that volume, but that’s just as far as I could go without starting to hurt.

All in all a very beautiful experience, warmly recommended. I am very happy with my purchase. If you are an iPhone user like me and wanted to ditch your bluetooth amp with PEQ for something even more portable on the go, these Hane might be your cup of tea and solve your problem. They at least solved mine.

89/100 highly recommended, fun, enjoyable, natural and realistic. Very good.
Nice that you like it, I am just wondering if it is not worth it to spend a little bit more and get e.g. the Truther Nova, which has in comparison a very even and extended upper frequency range above 4 kHZ and a bit more of a Harman lower midrange.
FR Arpegear Hane DUUD vs Truthear Nova.png
 
Nice that you like it, I am just wondering if it is not worth it to spend a little bit more and get e.g. the Truther Nova,
I’m very much aligned with @Jimbob54 and @LeShog take on Hane. It’s a very nice & refined IEM—the best word I could come up with! :D
I also have a Nova, and it’s a great IEM as well.
But IMHO, neither one is really better than one of these cheaper, but excellent IEMs (pick one that is comfortable & visually appealing) + PEQ…
 
Is the cable's termination balanced or unbalanced? Or both? Wonder why they aren't listed in Topping's website/product lineup?
 
Is the cable's termination balanced or unbalanced? Or both? Wonder why they aren't listed in Topping's website/product lineup?
Arpegear is a sub-brand of Topping. If they introduce more products under that brand, I assume it’ll have its own website at some point.
 
Thanks Amir for another interesting review, but I guess I must be lucky that both the zero reds and the tanchjim ones fit my ears consistently with little effort with out of the box tips (unlike my Dunu EST 112). So it doesn't seem likely that these Hanes would be worth the extra ££. I use the Ones and the Reds daily and am still impressed every time I connect them up to my old LGV30. Tbh I can't decide which I prefer of the two so it's whichever is nearest to hand. Although I've set up EQ for both, I often don't bother as the standard tuning works fine for me. I'm looking forward to the day that a full size open back phone is equally close to target so that I don't need to use DSP on them either. Imagine if the LCD-X were like this!

Has anyone done a listening test between this and the Zero 2? I bought the Zero Red and liked it a lot. Then I bought the Zero 2 and like it even more. Curious about these now.
However this is intriguing. I'm curious about the Zero 2!
 
Thanks Amir for another interesting review, but I guess I must be lucky that both the zero reds and the tanchjim ones fit my ears consistently with little effort with out of the box tips (unlike my Dunu EST 112). So it doesn't seem likely that these Hanes would be worth the extra ££. I use the Ones and the Reds daily and am still impressed every time I connect them up to my old LGV30. Tbh I can't decide which I prefer of the two so it's whichever is nearest to hand. Although I've set up EQ for both, I often don't bother as the standard tuning works fine for me. I'm looking forward to the day that a full size open back phone is equally close to target so that I don't need to use DSP on them either. Imagine if the LCD-X were like this!


However this is intriguing. I'm curious about the Zero 2!
There are OE headphones around target, namely Dan Clark Stealth, Expanse and E3 that I know of. Of course the first 2 cost 4’000 shmeckles and the third one 2’000 shmeckles, but there are. Though I also dreamt of an LCD-X in target, it’s my favourite headphone period based on aesthetics. I own an LCD-2C which is very similar, but has plastic rings instead of metal ones. I have to say that is a very good plastic, so good that I discovered it was actually plastic after two years that I got them. But still it’s plastic, a less noble material if one looks into these sort of things.. The pro though being that it’s lighter: I heard complaints about LCD-X users saying that it’s very heavy, not so much with LCD-2C that I find very comfortable.
 
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