In a spontaneous decision, I attended the 2024 China International Headphone Expo (CIHE) in Beijing this past weekend. I had not prepared for the show and was just informed about the event a few days earlier. So I went on a 1-day-trip to Beijing and was one of the hundred visitors with the same niche hobby.
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Ex-MotT
It feels like it was the first time in ages that I attended an audio show as a visitor. I‘ve been showing up at most places as a member of the trade. But not this time.
Had I introduced myself to the exhibitors, I probably could have gotten away with a bunch of freebies or review units and made a profit from the trip. Yet I decided not to and to remain undercover (except for greeting just a hand full of familiar faces). Starting from this month, I‘m back to „audio as a hobby“ and only check out the products that interest me personally. Let‘s see how that works.
Free Entry – Over 200 Brands to See
Arriving with exceptional German planning skills only 2 minutes before the start at the 亚洲大酒店 (Great Asian Hotel), I was overwhelmed by a long cue that took 3 turns all the way into a restaurant at the same venue. Unlike shows organized by Head-Fi (CanJam) or HighEndSociety (HighEnd Munich), entry is completely free. You probably could have just walked in, but everybody who was standing in line received a goodie bag and automatically entered a raffle.
There were over 200 brands exhibiting or being represented on 2 floors and multiple rooms. Saturday was definitely busy, but it had just the right number of visitors. My guess is 1.000 visitors on day 1 (500 at the same time). A show like that could keep me busy for a week and my socials are dropping interesting products left and right that I missed. My time was only enough to take down notes for 28 products.
Limitations at Shows
Testing Headphones
Talking about shows, I find it extremely difficult to get proper impressions. For full-size headphones, you are usually limited to the source gear at the table (unless you are fortunate enough to carry around a personal Lotoo Mjölnir). All the tables will only play very carefully selected audio tracks with the highest dynamic range available. Personally, I need to push a headphone to its limit to be able to tell the headphone‘s characteristics. Usually, you will always find a track that you are familiar with, but at a show like this, over 90% of the audio is Asian – so I got lucky if I could listen to Thriller or even Hotel California. When prepared well, you can probably use your own digital transport, but even then you will have the show‘s noise floor to deal with.
Testing DAPs
I‘m personally interested in a decent DAP but outside of form factor, there is really not much experience I could win.Output impedance, headroom and noise floor are difficult to compare in a noisy environment. Even more important to me is the UI. Yet not one exhibitor had properly tagged tracks and then the system language is set to Chinese as well. For some reason, iBasso as a hot contender, was not at the show.
Testing IEMs
As for IEM, all of them had S or M tips installed by default. I wear ML-L sized tips and often have issues getting a proper seal. Nobody minded me putting on my own tips, but this can change the sound quite a bit. So I felt a little uncomfortable annoying the exhibitors with finding the right tips for me. Consider my spoken Chinese is rather broken andcommunication takes a bit of effort on both sides. BTW, I only saw one other White person: Noble’s The Wizard (John Moulton) personally.
Long story short, I have gone home with plenty of impressions, but I don‘t feel comfortable sharing all of them as I might be wrong about a few products. I will feature a few memorable products later but first share my thoughts on the scene in general.
Show Impressions
Despite following the scene for more than a decade, I was unfamiliar with several of the brand names. I can‘t say which are local and which are just newcomers. At these shows, prices range from 20 $ to 20.000 $ and there is no easy telling. For example, the poorly decorated room of Hifiman made the Susvara Unveiled look cheaper than many other budget headphones. Anyway, it is very easy to get lost if you are not reading up and keeping track of new releases before attending the shows – and unless it‘s your full-time job, I don‘t think it‘s possible to stay up-to-date with all brands and products.
Best to Import from Asia if you like IEMs
One distributor and ex-partner complained to me that there were too many brands nowadays and the competition was too tough. The IEM branch is becoming less and less attractive as a business. With the rise of Chinese brands, especially German IEMs have lost their ground. We did very well at Rhines in China until I left in 2015 but he claimed even Vision Ears would not perform well in China nowadays. The price to performance ratio is strongly in favor of Asian brands, but Chinese IEM specifically.
They Are Among Us
Anime girls – as drawings on products, but also a few otaku female visitors – have become an important part of the headphone culture. Back in 2018, I asked MoonDrop why they put a manga girl on the packaging of their earphones. I argued they would sell better in an all-black tech design. Well, I was very wrong about that! It helped them stand out and I was unaware of the fetish(?) that many audiophiles share with drawings of underage girls in short skirts. Now there are many brands taking on this path and I think it is time to give the anime girls a Porta-Fi sub-category: How about Pedo-Fi… Just a suggestion.
The Future Belongs to the Young
Though I was told that Beijing has more older participants than the shows in other Chinese cities and Shenzhen specifically, the average age was definitely younger than at any show I have visited in Europe. So the passion for high-quality audio is saved for at least 1-2 more generations, though the importance of portability increases.
Recommendations
Despite the limitations earlier, there were a few products that left an impression on me and that I hope to check out further.
DUNU Arashi
DUNU is well known for their IEMs and I like to recommend their Blanche Silver Cable (which is sadly not available anymore – DUNU said at the show that the parts have become too expensive). What was unexpected for me to see, though, was a full-sized Planar Magnetic headphone. The headband and hinge are heavily inspired by Hifiman, which I found to be working well but also not very original. Most of the headphone is made of metal, so the Arashi is quite heavy. I am guessing around 600g – I have not seen the specs anywhere yet. Tonally, I had absolutely no complaints. For me, this headphone sounded the best of everything I heard that day. Natural, full-bodied and detailed. I will give this one another shot!
Letshuoer S12 2024 Edition
The S12 is a well-known IEM with a planar magnetic driver. It was a resounding success in the community. Just shortly before CIHE started, influencers on Chinese socials were praising this new edition left and right. It is supposed to be brighter than the original model but it is still warm and full-sounding to me. I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially the punchy bass, though I noticed a peak around 5kHz that might be the source for a slightly scratchy treble timbre, but for now, I consider it to be only a tiny flaw. I like it more than the S15.
NiceHCK Himalaya
This is a brand I did not expect to see at the show. The name is familiar to me because a friend used to be deep into budget Chi-Fi. I would not have considered their past quality to leave an impression among „the big guys“, but that was 5-6 years ago. It was the only stand that saw me and actually invited me to take a listen. I would have walked past them otherwise. Their new Himalaya IEM uses a single DD (I think) but was otherwise excellent with the exception of a noticeable 7kHz peak. The peak might be controlled with the use of different ear tips (or exchangeable nozzles), so I will give a careful recommendation for now. NiceHCK also had some very beautiful cables on display that I noticed another Chinese IEM manufacturer was using.
Smooth Audio BC-1891
At the TempoTec booth, the V3-D digital audio transport (basically a DAP without an amplifier) was shown in a combo with an iFi Hip DAC and a (to me unknown) IEM. The exhibitor said he made the IEM himself. If I got the configuration right, it‘s a tribrid with DD+2BA+2EST. A combination I have heard too often now and should be quite boring; except that it isn‘t. The IEM sounds as smooth and coherent as a single full-range driver with an exceptional soundstage. Severely impressed, I asked to use my own source and also did a sine sweep. The treble range is broadly reduced with the lowest point at 6 kHz, but it sounds absolutely smooth without any peaks and dips. I asked the exhibitor if it would be expensive and he nodded. I left it at that. Doing some research later, I found out that the price is „only“ 5.600 CNY (less than 800 USD). However, that price does not include a cable – at this point, you should have plenty of 2-pin cables anyway. So for that price, I need to recommend it. (Sorry, I forgot to take a photo.)
xDuuo XD-05 T
Despite showing the XD-05 Pro in the photo, the new T version is what caught the most attention. (I can’t find the specs, sadly – adding a T to a previous model is not very SEO.) This iteration of the XD-05 is using a tube amplifier. I am absolutely no fan of tubes yet I was positively surprised. The amp is very musical and engaging, but compared to the XD-05 Pro, the upper mids sounded a bit harsher. I know many of you love tubes, so I am mentioning this amp here.
Tanchjim Origin
This is not a new model, it might already be past its hype. I found the tuning to be excellent and just in line with recent MoonDrop models. The prominent use of anime girls made me wonder if they might even be related somehow, otherwise, I regard it as a love letter to MoonDrop. It‘s not an expensive IEM, so I will be easy on the technical performance. Playing some more demanding and faster tracks did result in a boomy and washed-up sound, though.
Sony MDR-M1
I love Sony – we all do! We grew up with a Walkman and Sony was the ultimate brand in portable audio. For years I have been forcing myself to continue to love them, but they keep disappointing in 99% of the time. (I know the DAPs are popular and the IEM get some love in the community, but I think they the praise is heavily due to love for the brand.) So hey, here is a new headphone! Officially, the new follow-up to MDR-7506, a studio classic. Again, people are praising it immediately and the headphones were extremely hyped up at the show. The sub-bass is boosted and the treble has several dips and peaks – it can tonally sound off at times. But overall, hey, it’s a good headphone and it carries the Sony logo. When I quit this hobby, I might be able to close the circle and end where I started…
Noble FoKus Apollo
I have been following Noble since 2013 when I joined Rhines. The Wizard (John Moulton) made some of the most beautiful CIEMs at the time and was a great inspiration and motivation. The turn to consumer products is unexpected and not an easy step when you mostly sell handmade 4.000 USD earphones. Clearly, the FoKus TWS and Apollo headphones are OEM or at least outsourced. I will personally stick to Apple for my consumer products but I can see audiophiles rooting for Noble, even if the Apollo is more expensive than the AirPods Max. The Apollo didn‘t quite win me as a fan as I found the treble to sound quite hollow, but I have to admit that the bass is very tight. So as a consumer product, I guess it can work.
Then again, just next to it, Noble was displaying a limited edition IEM in a red-brown wood that comes with a matching pen. The local representative told me that it was „very expensive“ and „already sold out“. I think FoKus products deserve a separate booth. It would be more coherent.
Products Summary
Sadly, I did not find a new best IEM ever, but I am also getting more and more demanding. Or maybe I didn‘t look hard enough. I feel like the performance is getting better overall, but also less diverse. To stand out now, I think you should consider breaking the formula of the same ear tips, slightly thicker cable, yet one more driver added, etc. I claim it‘s time to think outside the box. Kudos to those who can sell out an expensive pen along with their limited IEM, but I wouldn‘t recommend it to anyone to try to do the same. What did we say when MEMS will take over? I wouldn’t mind at least a few new designs at this point…
Payments Locked
After the show, there were a few things I wanted to purchase, but it was simply not possible. Nobody (that I know of) was selling at the show and all recommended that I buy online. I did get a Chinese SIM and was able to log into all apps and services (a local phone number is almost always required), including Taobao and T-Mall, but I was simply not able to make any payments. This is a post-Covid issue I noticed already. International credit cards are not being accepted as payment method nearly anywhere anymore. You will die hungry on the street if you don‘t bring cash! No supermarket or luxury store will accept your Visa or Mastercard if you‘re registered in Germany. (At least that is the case in a 2nd tier city like Tianjin. First-tier cities might be different, especially in hotels.) Likewise, Apple Pay only works with Chinese bank cards. Even if I would let local friends make the online order for me, then there is no way for me to repay them – they cannot receive Euros. Even a normal wire transfer will have their bank hold the money and request them for an interview. (On the B2B level, all international transactions are accompanied by a formal sales contract that is handed to the bank for review.) It is really sad, but „buying cheap in China“ (especially for big events like 11/11) is no option anymore. That is reallydisappointing and makes it difficult to even recommend a trip. If you think „Hey, I also want to attend CIHE“, maybe consider a show in Singapore or Hong Kong instead.