LETSHUOER
I think I must have tested about 7 IEMs in total from LETSHUOER during SIAS 2025, including the Cadenza 12 2024 edition, which Nihal reviewed previously.
Some, as of now, are not yet released, so I cannot talk about them, but I did test their tribrid high-end EJ10, the mid-fi planar-infused hybrid Serenade 6, and the more affordable single planar S12 Ultra.
Both of the higher grade models deliver a fairly balanced and smooth sound, with a pitch between natural to warm depending on the track.
The S12 Ultra was less refined, but it had a zippy sound with more treble fill and a higher level of contrast. Honestly, I enjoyed the S12 Ultra a lot, and it’s astonishing how good affordable IEMs are these days.
Shout out to Sherry from LETSHUOER, who, along with some of the engineers at LETSHUOER, spent well over an hour with me going through their range in some detail and gathering feedback on the unreleased monitors at the same time. That is dedication for you.
AFUL
AFUL were there at SIAS 2025. This is a brand I know about but have not had that much exposure to. In fact, we have only covered the Explorer thus far from their entire lineup.
I think that is going to change from here on, given what I heard from their new Dawn-X flagship IEM, which comes equipped with a single dynamic, 8 BA, 4 EST, and a bone conductor driver and is priced around $1k.
This is another balanced, smooth-sounding, and resolving tuning. The bass is probably a little more elevated than some, so it’s less punch and more sub-bass biased, as the main lift is around 20-50Hz.
The 1-4k pinna gain is good; combined with the rich coloration, the vocal timbre has good body and an inviting tone. The treble is a little more on the relaxed side, from memory.
The gear looks good, also (thanks to Alex of HiFiGO for kindly sticking it in your ear for me to take the picture above).
TRN
TRN has been a long-running Chinese audio brand, but to date, we have only covered their Azure Dragon on Headfonics, and that was last year.
At SIAS 2025, they had two new models on display, and I did manage to spend some decent time with each. Both are aquatically themed and called the Mermaid and the Whale Shark.
The Mermaid consists of a single dynamic driver, a single BA, and 1 planar driver, and from memory, it’s priced around $100, making it a great value offering. The sound is relatively relaxed and nicely balanced with an attractive outer shell to go long with it.
Not all agreed with me on the day, but I preferred the Whale Shark, which I believe is about $150 or thereabouts. It’s a bolder-looking shell design, with a triple dynamic and single planar driver setup.
It’s forward on the bass and with stronger pinna gain. That’s how I like my IEM to sound, and it performed really well with synthwave and bassy tracks.
Both are coming out really soon, and one of our team members will be reviewing them very soon after.
7Hz
The team from 7Hz was also at SIAS 2025, and though they had the new Sonus 2 IEM out, it was this new retro-inspired on-ear headphone that had me absorbed for most of the time I was at the booth.
It’s still at the prototype stage, so there is no name for it yet, but it looked stunning and quite well put together.
I honestly found it very comfortable on the head, but due to the noisy conditions at the show, combined with some very porous foam ear pads, I found myself cranking up the sound a lot.
Foam pads and a relaxed clamp give it a somewhat shallow sound, but luckily, one of the engineers for the headphones was there, so we got talking about the clamp and pads.
My advice was to get some leather options with recessed inner walls to surround the ear and enhance the seal to create a stronger bass response, and for some way to either adjust the clamping or introduce a slightly tighter clamp from the headband.
He seems to understand right away, as he had several foam pad options that matched my description, and they do seem to be working on leather alternatives, so I hope to see that come out in the final product.
Price is yet to be determined at SIAS 2025, but it should be affordable, and I might put my money down on this one regardless.
Unique Melody
I had just published the review of the custom format Mest Jet Black the night before I visited their stall at SIAS 2025, where they had their new flagship, Asahi, on display, priced at a whopping $8299.
It’s a typically sweet-looking design in its universal format, featuring a matching red stock ‘Fantasy’ cable and utilizing the MEST Jet Blacks’ triple bone conduction system, along with 12 BA drivers per side.
I couldn’t directly compare it to the Multiverse Mentor I had with me, as it’s the custom format, and one thing I know about UM IEMs is that their custom versions can sound a little different from the universal alternative.
What I did hear was very smooth-sounding but with excellent clarity and a very expansive soundstage. It’s got a TOTL performance for sure, but I walked away wishing I could have heard this in a custom finish because the MM is one of my favorites to date in terms of imaging.
Questyle
We have reviewed Questyle stuff going back to 2014 with the CMA800R, right up to the latest M18i dongle. Questyle always has a few tricks up its sleeve, and SIAS 2025 was no exception.
Panny of Questyle actually intercepted me on the other side of the massive hall and brought me to their stall to show me their new QCC dongles.
These are little BT transmitters that interface between your phone and the receiving device. Now, why on earth would you need that since all phones have Bluetooth these days? Well, not all BT platforms are created equal, especially in the case of the iPhone, which lacks aptX and LDAC.
These dongles provide those additional codecs at a fair price, with the regular version (white box) capable of delivering up to aptX Lossless for around $59 and the Pro version (black box) throwing in LDAC for $99.
And they work, at least when I tried them with someone’s iPhone and a pair of Sony XM5s hastily grabbed to prove a point.
Now, for Android users, that might not be a big sell; most offer LDAC, but do any offer aptX Lossless except the latest models? Does your PC even offer aptX, never mind LDAC?
Maybe not. This device is tiny at 10mm deep, does not have a battery, so it draws from the source, but I am keen to play with it a bit more back home and see what it can do and how stable or compatible it really is.
Yongse
I saved the strangest and possibly the most “topical” booth from SIAS 2025 until last. This is an IEM cable from Yongse, and it is massive!
Apparently, this cable is very popular in the local Chinese audiophile community, as the price is reasonable (did I hear 1000 CNY?). It has 3 wires inside, I believe SPC, all separated by a frame structure inside, so they are not touching each other. Hence, the very large size.
I wouldn’t say the performance is incredible in terms of clarity, but if you are after a big injection of bass and some additional warmth as well as an eye-opener at meets, then this is an interesting addition to anyone’s cable collection.
Will I review it? You know, I might just for the pics alone.
Final Thoughts On SIAS 2025
SIAS 2025 is a huge show and an important one, at least in terms of putting the best of Chinese portable on display for potential buyers to try out.
I found the energy from the show unlike any other I have been to thus far. Everyone wants to know you, talk to you about their latest creations, and make you feel very welcome.
It’s huge for me to see so many people who are involved in creating the products are there and not just selling them, because you can feel the passion right there at the table when you talk to them about their latest creations.
Themes for SIAS 2025 are very much about retro-styling and bringing older formats back into play. However, a more subtle one was at play, which pleased me.
I found a lot of the IEM models on display at SIAS 2025 to be aiming for a similar, more mature FR curve, one that is closer to the Harman Target.
It can be a good thing. For sure, most of the IEMs sound very refined at all levels now, but sometimes you might also want something that sounds radically different. It depends on your preferences, but it’s fascinating to see how quickly the Chinese audio market learns from community feedback.
I hope I can come back to the 20th SIAS show in 2026, I really do. It’s a highly recommended event organized brilliantly by Tony, Cloris, and the entire team from Shenzhen Audio.
