Synergy
Efficiency
With an impedance of 32Ω and a sensitivity of 108dB/mW, the Lasya is quite easy to drive for portable use allowing casual listeners to use it with cellphones if that is their preference. However, pairing it with a dedicated setup or DAP still cleaned up the sound profile.
Lucky for desktop users, the Lasya did not produce a noticeable amount of noise when listening at normal volume on the Burson Funk. This setup only needed me to turn the chunky volume wheel to 8 o’clock, while plugging into the iBasso DX150 w/ AMP6 module at low gain stopped at 62.
Pairings
Most of my listening was done using the Chord Qutest and Burson Funk combo which allowed the Lasya to sing to its potential. It revealed a natural and flowy character that performs well for detail retrieval and texture.
With DAPs, I used the iBasso DX150 w/ AMP6 module and found a similar detail in the midrange though less formed and refined. The lows are more pleasing with good support for the mids but are now more capable of shining in the spotlight when asked. Violins are a touch sweeter in tonality but less dynamic in quality.
Listening through the Sony NW-ZX507 on the other hand has the better refinement on the highs showcasing Lasya’s clarity sounding fuller and more euphonic overall.
Select Comparisons
IKKO Audio Gems OH1S
$199.00
Technical
IKKO paired the 10mm deposited carbon nano dynamic coil driver of the OH1S with a Knowles 33518 balanced armature driver for a more specialized approach to treble extension. The Lasya stays with a single dynamic driver design for a simpler and focused approach to vocal tuning.
While looking more traditional in the UIEM space, the housing of the OH1S employs a patented SVAS technology that is meant to control volume, reflections, and diffusions angles in such a small space.
Design
Having mixed materials and an almost triangular face, the design of the OH1S is like an unpolished marble transitioning into a glistening gem. Yet surprisingly, the smaller footprint of the OH1S is heavier at 5g versus only 4.3g per earpiece with Lasya.
While it is undeniably universal when compared to Lasya, the OH1S is still designed for comfort generally following the human ear. A nice feature for added comfort is the oval nozzles that fit the ear a bit better.
Performance
Right off the bat, the OH1S is the more energetic IEM of the two with an obvious favor on the higher frequencies but with an overall thinner sounding note weight.
Both punch equally but the OH1S does not extend as well making it less expansive staging-wise. Although it keeps up in detail with sustained bass notes it is more neutral in its midrange imaging.
Coming from the Lasya, the OH1S is akin to taking the sugar out from your favorite soda as it loses the lush and engaging body of the vocals favoring faithfulness and a turning that is slightly towards the thinner side.
Detail reproduction in the meantime is pleasantly clear and airy painting a more relaxed picture with key presses on the piano capturing some nice reverb but sounding somewhat lighter.
Worth comparing however is the nicely spread stage and imaging of the midrange as it is less crowded giving the OH1S an edge for busy tracks.
Curiously for cymbals, while it gets a lift in presence, it is of a softer quality compared to the crisp sound of the Lasya. Symphonies of violin and woodwinds on the other hand are more attention-grabbing with the OH1S and slightly less shouty which could be a result of having that additional driver.
Tuned very differently, the OH1S has one trick up its sleeve and that is staging capability. With more width, depth, and height, it allows claps and voices to disperse better only lagging in image tightness and placement.
7Hz Timeless
$219.99
Technical
When the Timeless was introduced the main attraction that caught the eye of many enthusiasts was the 14.2mm planar drivers rated at 14.8Ω and 104dB sensitivity easy enough to drive through most mobile devices.
Its diaphragm was developed to an impressively thin 2mm fitted with double-sided neodymium magnets ideally for a faster response and wider dynamic range. Compared to the Lasya, Timeless has a wider frequency range going as low as 5Hz and climbing up to 40kHz which is well past perceptible but still nice to know.
Design
This tightly packed IEM is 5.5g and is noticeably heavier than the Lasya. And while it looks big it is not clumsy to wear with only the minor difference of having less ear contact.
The simple black housing of the Timeless is made with a more durable but less form-fitting CNC’d aluminum. With a reflective circular disc as the lone feature, the two IEMs cannot be farther apart in character.
Performance
As expected of a V-shaped and planar IEM, the Timeless is quite immense sounding in hitting deeper notes while staying tight and textured. It has the more energetic and punchier mid-bass which is delightfully surprising but at times heavy if playing thicker kicks.
With its midrange having less vigor than the rest of the frequency range, both piano and vocals are less forced carrying with it a hollower timbre than Lasya’s stronger character. It can however dance with the bass on certain songs and handle brighter singers with as much finesse.
Treble extension is a trait where the Timeless outperforms the Lasya with an effectively clearer picture and tighter composition. Violins are more pronounced outshining the body of the piano with its thin and airy depth.
The wider soundstage of the Timeless gave it a more realistic approach to room reproduction, although imaging can get a bit crowded on the lower end of the spectrum. Placing the notes of a piano on the other hand is more exacting on the Lasya.
Hidizs Mermaid MM2
$79
Technical
The Hidizs MM2 is a hybrid IEM consisting of a 10.2mm dynamic driver fine-tuned for mid-bass response and a 6mm low-voltage magneto-static balanced membrane in charge of the treble.
But, handing the final stage of customization to end-users regarding tuning, it comes bundled with three removable output filters for bass, balance, and treble which do change the character of the IEM a lot.
Design
The shell of the MM2 is not as intricate as the Lasya but it does have decent amounts of ear contact. Both IEMs have a see-through body but the one available on the Lasya is clearer and of a higher quality.
Taking some points in creativity, MM2 has a matte lozenge-cut face that is disturbed by a protruding centerpiece that is removable to change the tuning. The removable filters catch the light well and add some pop against its flatter background.
Performance
The MM2 will present itself with a warm bass that is not as punchy but fuller-bodied letting out a dispersed and lingering extension for effect. Even though layering and texture are less performing, the slow decay of bass guitars and the attention-grabbing low-end create a bit more PRaT and drive than the neater priority of Lasya.
Despite the heftier bass region, the MM2 is still a great IEM for vocals, especially when listening mostly to calmer tracks. Where it gets outmatched is in its technicalities blunting breathiness and micro-detail.
The MM2 strings are pluckier and thinner introducing a pronounced and edged quality to guitars. Listening to fast-paced piano also did not reach the same weight and life as it got a drearier flavor.
Treble presence is not lacking with the MM2 only appearing less airy and textured when compared as it compresses the complexity of a cymbal crash to a flatter splash. However, it does offer a wider soundstage and additional height, so it can be used to judge the distance of farther images a bit better.
Our Verdict
HiBy didn’t hold back when it packaged the Lasya in a CIEM-style shell and a sound signature from that single dynamic driver delivering on the objective of a well-tuned midrange.
With technicalities to match its peers in the $200 space, it is refreshing that HiBy opted to take a swerve away from the complexities of a multiple-driver configuration. If there’s anything to be discerned before making the plunge is the soundstage which is both its greatest asset for vocals and a noteworthy constraint for anything else.
HiBy Lasya Specifications
- Type: Single Dynamic Driver
- Weight: 4.3g
- Size: 10mm Carbon Nanotubes Dynamic Driver
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Sensitivity: 108db/mW
- Max Input Power: 50mW
- Impedance: 32
- Cable Material: Ohno Continuous Cast Copper
- Cable Length: 120cm
- Terminations: 3.5mm gold-plated, 4.4mm gold-plated
