Intro:
My first encounter with the AliExpress store NiceHCK was probably when I bought my MrZ Tomahawk from them. The experience was great (Jim is a very friendly store owner and great communication partner), and so fast forward some years, he recommended I’d try their in-house EB2 earbuds (in fact I didn’t actually know what they were/what I received, because back when I placed the order on the discounted item, it was only listed as “lucky bag”), so here we go with a little review.
Accessories, Design, Build & Stuff…:
Accessories are good for the price, especially the spacious storage bag.
Strain relief on the flexible cable with integrated chin-slider is implemented well.
The shells are made of aluminium and surprisingly light. Even though I personally prefer Sennheiser MX- or Yuin-styled earbud shells in terms of aesthetics, I managed to appreciate the design of the EB2 that is somewhat of a reminiscent of Motorola earbuds (well, maybe, maybe not – at least they have some retro touch to them). The side indicators, mildly coloured rings, are subtle but well-integrated.
Fit etc.:
A highly subjective topic, isn’t it?
To me comfort is good and the EB2 fit well, but for some reason sometimes they are a little more picky than most of my other earbuds/the ones I have on hand when it comes to placement: if I don’t insert them right, there is immediate frequency response imbalance.
Sound:
No foam covers were used; I don’t like those things.
The perceived sound (especially amount of bass) might depend on individual ear shape.
Tuning:
If I push the EB2 in too tightly, they are very warm and thumpy in the lows, to a degree of being “mumbly” in the bass, however without spilling the mids much. Speaking of them, they are natural with just a hint of darkness, and highs that are evenly slightly in the back without being dull. So a nice midrange and treble but the bass isn’t to my taste like that.
Inserting the EB2 normally without “forcing” them to seal but avoiding a loose fit and seal, the sound is just right up my alley – very even and natural, without any immediate dips, peaks or that stuff. “Mild” and “coherent” might be terms I would come up with. Very pleasant and great for long-term listening? Yup. Close to neutral actually, with just a little more upper bass kick and just slightly recessed lower and lower central treble while the upper highs are mostly flat, just like the lower and central mids. Just at the edge of the starting super treble, the highs gain some momentum and add some more cymbal sparkle than what would be flat (thankfully not much wherefore sharpness is clearly avoided). And those who find the lows to be too neutral may use some of the included foam covers.
Bass extension is not all that remarkable though (roughly +/- 90 Hz), but the fact that those are earbuds and have a very even, highly realistic and natural tuning definitely makes up for that, at least for me. I just pop the EB2 in and don’t worry about unnaturalness, thickness or sudden peaks and inclines that are usually rather common for earbuds in this price range.
So yeah, NiceHCK really did a “Nice” job when it comes to the tuning.
My first encounter with the AliExpress store NiceHCK was probably when I bought my MrZ Tomahawk from them. The experience was great (Jim is a very friendly store owner and great communication partner), and so fast forward some years, he recommended I’d try their in-house EB2 earbuds (in fact I didn’t actually know what they were/what I received, because back when I placed the order on the discounted item, it was only listed as “lucky bag”), so here we go with a little review.
Accessories, Design, Build & Stuff…:
Accessories are good for the price, especially the spacious storage bag.
Strain relief on the flexible cable with integrated chin-slider is implemented well.
The shells are made of aluminium and surprisingly light. Even though I personally prefer Sennheiser MX- or Yuin-styled earbud shells in terms of aesthetics, I managed to appreciate the design of the EB2 that is somewhat of a reminiscent of Motorola earbuds (well, maybe, maybe not – at least they have some retro touch to them). The side indicators, mildly coloured rings, are subtle but well-integrated.
Fit etc.:
A highly subjective topic, isn’t it?
To me comfort is good and the EB2 fit well, but for some reason sometimes they are a little more picky than most of my other earbuds/the ones I have on hand when it comes to placement: if I don’t insert them right, there is immediate frequency response imbalance.
Sound:
No foam covers were used; I don’t like those things.
The perceived sound (especially amount of bass) might depend on individual ear shape.
Tuning:
If I push the EB2 in too tightly, they are very warm and thumpy in the lows, to a degree of being “mumbly” in the bass, however without spilling the mids much. Speaking of them, they are natural with just a hint of darkness, and highs that are evenly slightly in the back without being dull. So a nice midrange and treble but the bass isn’t to my taste like that.
Inserting the EB2 normally without “forcing” them to seal but avoiding a loose fit and seal, the sound is just right up my alley – very even and natural, without any immediate dips, peaks or that stuff. “Mild” and “coherent” might be terms I would come up with. Very pleasant and great for long-term listening? Yup. Close to neutral actually, with just a little more upper bass kick and just slightly recessed lower and lower central treble while the upper highs are mostly flat, just like the lower and central mids. Just at the edge of the starting super treble, the highs gain some momentum and add some more cymbal sparkle than what would be flat (thankfully not much wherefore sharpness is clearly avoided). And those who find the lows to be too neutral may use some of the included foam covers.
Bass extension is not all that remarkable though (roughly +/- 90 Hz), but the fact that those are earbuds and have a very even, highly realistic and natural tuning definitely makes up for that, at least for me. I just pop the EB2 in and don’t worry about unnaturalness, thickness or sudden peaks and inclines that are usually rather common for earbuds in this price range.
So yeah, NiceHCK really did a “Nice” job when it comes to the tuning.
Resolution:
The EB2 are neither hard nor soft sounding earbuds but fall somewhere in-between. Separation is on normal levels for earbuds in this price range, maybe even a little on the better side despite not fully reaching the snappiness and precision of my MrZ Tomahawk (that have a bit more bass + fullness and lower treble energy compared to the EB2 if anyone is wondering).
Bass definition is slightly on the softer side compared to the mids and highs, but just slightly.
Soundstage:
… is neither outstandingly open nor cramped; it just slightly leaves the base of my head. It is three-dimensional though with front and high/low projection reaching about 70% of the width.
Instrument separation and placement are relatively average/normal for the price, maybe slightly leaning towards the softer side.
Conclusion:
What really stands out about the NiceHCK EB2 is their natural, very even tuning that heads into the neutral direction, interpreting it as slightly more relaxed in the lower and lower central highs and therefore avoiding fatigue and stridency without sounding dull or lacking anything. And it is nice to see that the bass (that is quite neutral in quantity (just circa 2 dB more than an Etymotic ER4SR) doesn’t spill into the low mids but leaves the neutral. And for those who wish more bass heft, there are various included foam covers, even though extension towards the mid- and sub-bass might still be lacking for some listeners.
The very well-done tuning is accompanied by good accessories (me gusta that storage case) and technical performance that match the price.
So yeah, the EB2 definitely deserve the “Nice” in “NiceHCK”.
The EB2 are neither hard nor soft sounding earbuds but fall somewhere in-between. Separation is on normal levels for earbuds in this price range, maybe even a little on the better side despite not fully reaching the snappiness and precision of my MrZ Tomahawk (that have a bit more bass + fullness and lower treble energy compared to the EB2 if anyone is wondering).
Bass definition is slightly on the softer side compared to the mids and highs, but just slightly.
Soundstage:
… is neither outstandingly open nor cramped; it just slightly leaves the base of my head. It is three-dimensional though with front and high/low projection reaching about 70% of the width.
Instrument separation and placement are relatively average/normal for the price, maybe slightly leaning towards the softer side.
Conclusion:
What really stands out about the NiceHCK EB2 is their natural, very even tuning that heads into the neutral direction, interpreting it as slightly more relaxed in the lower and lower central highs and therefore avoiding fatigue and stridency without sounding dull or lacking anything. And it is nice to see that the bass (that is quite neutral in quantity (just circa 2 dB more than an Etymotic ER4SR) doesn’t spill into the low mids but leaves the neutral. And for those who wish more bass heft, there are various included foam covers, even though extension towards the mid- and sub-bass might still be lacking for some listeners.
The very well-done tuning is accompanied by good accessories (me gusta that storage case) and technical performance that match the price.
So yeah, the EB2 definitely deserve the “Nice” in “NiceHCK”.
