I’ve heard about Whizzer not long ago with their A15 and A15 Pro IEM offerings and was intrigued since the metallic look and its aggressive thunder-like logo easily calls for attention yet that was all I got to with the Whizzer brand, aesthetic peeks.
The aesthetic peeks came to an end when Whizzer’s current audiophile offering came knocking on my door, the Kylin A-HE03, a single dynamic (PEK composite diaphragm, I’ve seen it being said to have Beryllium yet I’m skeptical at its price point) and dual BA (TWFK-30017-000) driver hybrid IEM encased in an Aluminum-Magnesium alloy shell which comes in 3 colorways; Gray, Red, Navy Blue. The Kylin A-HE03 is spec’d out with a 12Hz to 40 KHz Frequency Response, 28 Ohm Impedance, 98dB Sensitivity and a price of $160 from Linsoul Audio’s Amazon site which provided the review unit. Would my inevitable end of Whizzer’s aesthetic admiration be a positive or negative experience now that I’m here to finally hear how it performs? A question begging to be answered by this realview.
Purchase link: Linsoul Amazon Whizzer Kylin A-HE03
Packaging and Build Quality
So far so good, the Whizzer Kylin A-HE03 came in a black box with full foam cut-outs with a white cardboard case with the necessary product information and specifications which was done well. The accessory set included the Kylin A-HE03 IEMs, round snap-on synthetic leather Kylin case lined internally with velvet, a pair of pseudo-comply foam ear tips (T400 and T100) and a set of translucent silicon ear tips (S, M, L) with blue bore nozzles. The IEM housing has a jagged faceplate similar to the recent trend set by the Huawei Mate 20 back surface. The Whizzer logo on the faceplate was in gold and matched all 3 of the colorways being offered and has a vent underneath the 2-pin housing. The underside of the IEM shell features the white L-R markings and another vent along with a distinct gold-plated nozzle with a metal mesh. The overall build was sturdy and caused no noteworthy annoyance when used.
The included stock cable was a pseudo ALO/Kimber-braid 5N OFC/SPC with metallic L-plug housing, Y-split and chin-slider. The strain relief on this cable is excellent and the presence of a clear over-ear memory wire with a gold-plated plastic end was a very exquisite addition which complimented the overall premium aesthetic look of the stock cable, not to mention that the .78mm 2-pin housing was also transparent allowing for the gold-plated contact points to shine through. There was no microphonic noise observed and the storage aspect of the stock cable was slightly bothersome with its fold-retaining braiding.
Tonality
A predominantly warm sounding set of IEMs with a strong emphasis on the low-end frequency. I used its stock M silicon ear tips driven by the xduoo x3ii and the Sony CAS-1 desktop setup off an MSI GF 62 8RE laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4 for the realview. This set of IEMs also underwent the “recommended” 50-hour burn-in process.
Lows
Michael Jackson’s “Baby Be Mine” and “The Girl is Mine” in 16/44 FLAC introduced the low-end performance of the Kylin with a zealous approach. The sub bass impact was powerful and doesn’t shy from being loose with its sub bass control giving it a slow decay impression. The bass is emphasized on this is emphasized, fat as can be. Bass lovers would find this easy to flirt with.
Midrange
ABBA’s “I Have A Dream” in 16/44 FLAC gave the Kylin A-HE03 a laid back midrange performance. The lower midrange benefits from the low-end bleed but leads to a rather less distinct midrange articulation. The feminine vocals had a notable addition of air to them and made it sound less natural. The upper midrange is off timbre. An overall midrange impression of being less engaging and lively is to be argued with the Kylin. It’s almost stellar lower midrange makes the Kylin glued on the user’s ears.
Highs
Amy Winehouse’s “Cupid” in 16/44 FLAC came out slashing and piercing for the higher frequency performance, not much to take it off your ears right off the bat but almost guiding you towards such outcome. It delivers an edgy performance. Sibilance came to the party as well. Don’t get me wrong, I personally love my IEMs bright and treble bites are very enjoyable on this with the lower frequency bleeding being an extra saving grace.
Soundstage and Imaging
Spacious, the vents are doing its job that is. There is great depth and clarity to the various instrumental tones. Panning is observable as well. Imaging has great accuracy to them and had more width and height to its presentation than depth, an aspect that makes the Kylin an admirable soundstage and imaging performer.
Conclusion
Don’t quote me sexist on this but I personally find it that we, the male gender (the females are welcome too) are first and foremost visual individuals and the Whizzer Kylin A-HE03 is a real eye catcher at its price point with its well-thought form figure and design language, heck even the color options presents an already head-cracking choice. The accessory set is complete with that synthetic leather case being a winner, the stock cable looks premium and did a great job of staying on my ears except when it’s time to store them, a trade-off I’m welcome to get all day every day. Conclusions should be short and brief and I’m already dragging sentences here. The Kylin’s sound signature is its weak link, it caters to the low-end and higher frequency lovers leaving midrange fanatics longing if not utterly disregarded but then again at its price point, you could easily say hi to ear tip rolling which the Kylin is very responsive to.
