This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of the Topping Hane IEM. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $129.
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I like the minimalistic "bling" of the Hane. It was also very comfortable to wear for me with the include silicone tips (two different sets are provided). A differentiating feature over some of its competitors is four dip switches to tailor the bass and treble response. As usual, they are tiny and difficult to toggle. Topping has wisely included one of those "sim tools" to aid in this which made the job easier.
The nozzles are on the larger side but I was relieved that it was not much of a chore to slide the tips over them. On some IEMs, it is a multi-minute struggle.
The cable is soft and supple and a bit longer than most IEMs which I appreciated. I find the typical cord to be a few inches too short to give me enough freedom while listening at desk. Hane's cord was just the right length.
If you are not familiar with my headphone/IEM measurements, please watch this tutorial first:
Topping Hane IEM Measurements
The IEM is shipped with all dip switches set to off. It was challenging to toggle the switches without disturbing the seal of the IEM in my GRAS 45CA fixture. So I only tried the few options that got me the closest to our target:
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At first, I thought there was something wrong with the IEM as toggling the bass increase caused a large drop in level. It was then that I realized that it is "boosting" bass by reducing the energy above that region. So I recalibrated the levels by increasing the volume on the headphone amp to get the same reference at 425 Hz. This means that you lose fair bit of sensitivity which you will see at the end of this section and reflected in the labels at top right. From here on, normal testing commenced with the switch 2 set to on:
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As you see, Hane essentially hugs our target curve. Where it deviates is not material as the curve is not that precise and at any rate, music production lacks any standards. I don't expect to need EQ but here is the deviation from target:
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As you see, it is pretty flat below 10 kHz.
I was worried that distortion would be increased due to attenuation caused by SW 2 but such a worry was unwarranted as Hane turned in superbly low distortion numbers:
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As you see, the blue line essentially hugs the zero line producing a SINAD of 84 dB where our hearing is most sensitive. Distortion in this measurement is mathematically derived from a noisy measurement (relative to electronics) so likely won't get any better than this. Even at 114 dBSPL, Hane is cruising with no obvious signs of break up.
Here is the absolute graph:
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I expect clean group delay from IEMs due to lack of pinna interactions and that is what we get:
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The messy region from 100 to 200 Hz is likely due to rocking mode of the IEM. You can see that slight kink in the frequency response. It is a common thing and nothing of worry.
Impedance is not flat, likely due to turning on SW2:
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Sensitivity as noted, is quite low, actually matching the average full size headphone than an IEM!
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So best to use a headphone amplifier to drive it. I used my everyday RME ADI-2 Pro. Comfortable listening was at -25 dB and loud was around -19 or so.
Topping Hane Listening Tests
My first track that is a female vocal with light instrumentation had the familiar neutrality but with a delightful springing of bass that you don't normally think is there due to most speakers not going that low. I cycled then to my spatial track and I was surprised that there was good instrument separation. Sound stage was behind my ears a bit so different than headphone sound.
I then proceeded to listen to my full range and bass heavy tracks. Hane produced a level of fidelity that at times was jaw dropping. The bass is deep and so smooth. The highs linger in the air so nicely. I wondered how many people have a million dollar (speaker) system yet have never experienced what is possible with a well implemented IEM such as Hane. The clarity in bass and overall balanced response is heart meltingly good.
I felt no need to mess with the switches or EQ.
Conclusions
We have been gifted audio research that has led to some incredibly good sounding IEMs that are frankly, transformative. IEMs exist at less than half the price of Hane which get us there but Hane justifies its added cost in customizability and more reserved look. It also has class leading low distortion.
If you are sitting on the sidelines of IEM revaluation, I implore you to try excellent offerings such as Hane. Even if you decide you don't like IEMs in your ear, you owe it to yourself to experience once, the level of fidelity that music playback can bring.
It is my pleasure to recommend Topping Hane IEM.
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