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Uber-fun!- Urbanfun ISS014 Review

Project A³by Project A³0 comments
Sound Review by KZW
Disclaimer: Urbanfun has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views discussed below are a reflection of Project A3's thoughts surrounding the product. The sample has been run-in for at least 50 hours prior to reviewing in order to achieve an accurate representation of the product.





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TL;DR
Not Recommended if you like:
  • Neutral, uncolored signature
  • Explosive bass
  • Bright sound signature
Recommended if you like:
  • A soft v-shape signature
  • Organic midrange
  • A smooth, well-rounded sound



Introduction:
Upon first impressions, the Urban Fun ISS014 shares “fundamental design cues” with the Blon BL01, a budget phenome that has left audiophiles panging for future releases. If they were both placed side by side, both iterations share the exact shame shell-type. And it is oftentimes, easy to mistake one for the other. Apart from the difference in termination (2-pin vs MMCX), both of them share the same heavily polished, chrome shells.

Nevertheless, what it sounds like is what truly matters; Sound is king, not aesthetics. And both earphones start to walk their own path, as the ISS014 houses a “beryllium dynamic driver”, while the Blon BL03 boasts a “diamond-like carbon driver”.

Priced at a $59 USD, a significant margin as compared to the Blon BL03’s measly price of $29, the ISS014 is separating itself from the competition with the large price jump.

Will the Urban Fun ISS014 be another revolutionary earphone in the Chi-fi market? Available at Aliexpress.



ProsCons
  • Lightweight shells
  • Soft and supple, cable
  • Soft V-shape signature
  • Natural and analog mids
  • Slightly enhanced mid-bass
  • Sweet and smooth sounding treble
  • Good detail in the highs
  • Heavily polished shells are easily scratched
  • Highs could be more extended
  • Lacks air and transparency



Specification:
  • Driver Unit: 10 mm Beryllium Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
  • Sensitivity: 20-40000Hz
  • Headphone Plug: 3.5mm Golden Type
  • Weight: 35 grams



Gear Used & Tracklist:
Sony NW-A105|Aune X1S |Periodic Audio Nickel (Ni) |Venture Electronics Odyssey |Google Pixel 2XL |
GenresArtistSongs
Live RecordingsDiana KrallDesperado (Live)

Natalia LafourcadeSoledad y El Mar

Case Lang VeirsAtomic Number

Depeche ModeQuestion of Lust (Live 1998)
InstrumentalsMax RichterOn the Nature of Daylight

Santa EsmeraldaPlease Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Nils FrahmToilet Brushes (Live)
JazzBill EvansA Waltz for Debbie

Chet BakerI'm a Fool to Want You

Sons of KemetYour Queen is Harriet Tubman

Ryo FukuiScenery
RockAvenged SevenfoldNightmare

The StoogesDown On The Street

Avenged SevenfoldUnbound (The Wild Ride)

Guns N’ RosesSweet Child O’ Mine

Ozzy OsbourneCrazy Train

Green Day21 Guns
ClassicalNiccolò PaganiniLa Campanella (From Violin Concerto No.2 In B Minor)

Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyThe Year 1812 Solemn Overture

David ArnoldIndependence Day
PopHu Yang-Lin (胡楊林)Perfume is poisonous (香水有毒)

Fish Leong (梁靜茹)Love Song (情歌)
Western PopAnamanaguchiMEOW

IamamiwhoamiChasing Kites

AlgiersDispossession

New OrderBizzare Love Triangle (Extended Mix)

Marian HillBreathe Into Me

Tyler, The CreatorEARFQUAKE

Tones and INever Seen the Rain

Red Hot Chili PeppersAround the World
ACGSaori Hayamiオレンジミント (Orange Mint)

RADWIMPS前前前世 (Zenzenzenzense)

RADWIMPSスパークル(Sparkle)

DAOKOCinderella Step

Kana Hanazawa恋愛サーキュレーション (Renai Circulation)




Unboxing:
The Urban Fun ISS014 comes in a plain, black box. Upon removing the lid, the contents displayed are as follow; a generic, round IEM case, a tin-case with foam tips inside, several silicone ear-tips and the earphones themselves.

While the package might sound sparse, it is to be expected, given the reasonable price-tag. Nothing is missing, and the usual suspects are provided as per usual





Scalability:
The Urbanfun ISS014 is remarkably easy to drive, and amplification is unnecessary. It is incredibly sensitive, and pairs well with most sources without any distinct or large variations in sound quality.

On the Venture Electronics Odyssey, the Urban Fun ISS014 displayed little to no hiss, and it reached my ideal listening volume at approximately 40% (of the max) on my Google Pixel 2XL.

On my the Aune X1s, the ideal listening volume was reached by turning the volume knob upwards of about a millimetre; as you can tell, the Urban Fun ISS014 was designed for low-power output sources.

Changes are minute, and I could only see a change in resolution with the AUNE X1s, no thanks to its superior DAC/OPamp and grounding.





Fit:
Don’t be fooled by the metallic shells; they may look heavy, but they actually wear really light on the ears. Weighing at a measly 85 grams, the ISS014 sits snugly in my inner ear canal, with little to no discomfort (as I sit here, writing this review). The stem is of adequate length, resulting in a tight fit that doesn’t displace easily from my usual “head-shake test”. There are no sharp or coarse protrusions; the shells are immaculately finished and feel much more premium when compared to its attractive price-tag.

The cables are braided but twisted, resulting in a cable reminiscent of the Campfire Audio Litz cables equipped on their newer offerings, such as the IO. The twisting results in little to no microphonics, and it is supple enough so as to not retain kinks or unwanted bends that make it hard to stow away in the provided case.

I’m usually seated right in front of my fan, and the Urban Fun ISS014 barely picks up any wind-noise. The miniscule vent is played beside the spout of the earphone, and it isolates really well, even in noisier conditions.

Overall, I am duly impressed by both the fit and finish of the ISS014.




Sound Signature


A soft and gentle V-shaped signature, with a mild mid-bass bump  

The Urbanfun ISS014 carries a soft and gentle V-shaped signature, with slightly (just a tinsy bit) boosted mid-bass. The mids, however, carry the unique qualities of being incredibly detailed without losing out on warmth, resulting in a listening experience that retains clarity without being overly harsh on the ears.



Lows
Pros
  • Punchy, pulsating mid-bass
  • Sub-bass rumble is deft and quick, with a short sustain
  • Doesn't bleed into the mids, stays incredibly clean
Cons
  • Lean bass response won't satisfy bassheads
  • Sub-bass lacks depth and body
  • -
Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Tyler the Creator- Earfquake
Desire- Bizarre Love Triangle (Cover) 

The Urbanfun's bass-response is lively, and it digs deep in the mid-bass regions. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm does not carry over into the sub-bass; it doesn't reverberate as expected when listening to trap-heavy beats. A v-shaped signature is tailored to complement music with heavily synthesized production standards. The Urbanfun's laidback response clearly favors harmony (on paper, at least) amongst all the core frequencies. The beryllium, dynamic driver is clearly being put to good work.



Mids
Pros
  • Vivid and lively, with a realistic timbre
  • Ultra smooth, with zero harsh peaks
  • Harmony between the lower and upper-mids
Cons
  • Incredibly safe, neither warm no neutral.
  • Treble energy is lacking
  • Slightly distant
Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Natalia Lafourcade- Soledad Y El Mar
Destroyer- The River  

In admittance, those criticisms stated above were minor nitpicks; I am enamored by the mid-range response of this tiny but mighty earphone. It ticks all the right boxes; it has an accurate timbre, it is neither peaky nor sharp and the interplay between the upper and lower mids is perfectly balanced to my ears. However, vocals might sounds slightly further away; after all, it is still a v-shaped signature.



Highs
Pros
  • Clear and pristine highs
  • Decent-extension and sparkle
  • Well balanced amongst all the characteristic frequencies
Cons

Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Natalia Lafourcade- Nunca Es Sufficiente
John Coltrane-Blues Train 

I found it quite difficult to critique the highs here. My only gripe here is the lack of bite; it doesn't need to be completely smooth. Some forwardness and energy is needed here for it to sound spectacular. It's so close, but it isn't quite there yet.



Soundstage
Pros
  • Decent lateral width between L-R Channel
  • Above-average staging properties
  • Incredibly coherent
Cons
  • Nothing spectacular
  • Doesn't differentiate itself much from the competition
  • -
Reference Tracks / Remarks:
John Frusciante- Murderers 

Like all other earphones in the sub-$100 market, it doesn't do a bad job at recreating a cohesive soundscape. But, it isn't a standout feature for sure. It hits all the right markers, but it fails to surpass them.



Separation
Pros
  • Great separation, instruments and vocals are easily distinguished
  • Balanced signature allows the stage to remain clear
  • Manages well with slightly busier tracks
Cons
  • Not quite at the level of "balanced armature" separation
  • -
  • -
Reference Tracks / Remarks:
Santa Esmeralda- Please don't let me be Misunderstood  

The Urbanears are no slouch when it comes to positional cues. The placement of each vocal or instrumental cue is easily differentiated with little effort. However, don't expect "balanced armature" like separation; it lacks that "faux", multi-driver split characteristic. What we have here, is a coherent iem that manages crowded tracks decently well (this is no top-of-the-line, flagship).



Musicality
Pros
  • Pairs well with most genres, smoothening out any rough edges
  • Organic midrange lends itself well to acoustic and classical instrumentation
  • Synthesizer-driven tracks sound amazing
Cons
  • Kickdrums are slightly hollowed out from the lack of sub-bass
  • Plays it safe with most genres, being a master of none
  • -
Reference Tracks / Remarks:
New Order- The Perfect Kiss
Townes Van Zandt- Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel  

To surmise this section, the mid-range has a tonality that pairs well with many genres of music, from Americana (with that luscious twang of an acoustic guitar) to New-wave (think New Order and waterline synths). However, it is a jack of all trades that aims to satisfy most tastes. It excels in everything, but doesn't specialize in anything. Take of that what you will.




Comparison Chart
How we compare: We chose other similarly priced earphones or similar offerings from the same brand that Project A3 has reviewed in the past, to ensure that we remain as impartial as possible in our comparisons.
Urbanfun ISS014Hidizs MS1Tin Audio T4
Suggested Retail Price$59.99 USD$69.99 USD$79 USD
Driver Configuration10mm beryllium dynamic driverBio-dynamic driver1 Carbon Nanotube Dynamic driver
ScalabilityMobile/Dongle FriendlyMobile/Dongle FriendlyMobile/Dongle Friendly
FittingSnug and lightweightSnug and lightweightSnug and lightweight
ComfortVery GoodVery GoodExcellent
Sound SignatureSoft-V shape, with an organic midrangeAggressive V-shape signature, with a shouty upper-midrangeFairly Linear, slight bass lift
LowsEnergetic, boosted mid-bassDeep sub-bass rumble, but doesn't bleed into the midsSpeedy mid-bass, faint sub bass. Overall linear bass response
MidsOrganic mids, incredibly coherent and dynamicLower-mids are recessed, with the upper-mids taking centre stageClear and Neutral, zero emphasis on either lower or upper mids.
HighsSmooth and fatigue-free highsGreat sparkle, average extensionPristine highs, good extension with little colouration
SoundstageGreat lateral width between L-R ChannelsGood lateral width between L-R ChannelsAbove average horizontal width
SeparationGreat imaging, manages to decipher messier tracks Above-average imaging, manages busier tracks Above average imaging, easy to distinguish between vocals and instruments
RemarksGreat for all-genre listeningGreat for consumers who enjoy an exciting signature that emphasizes vocal performance. Perfect for a flat/reference signature or as an “everyday carry” IEM.





Conclusion:
The Urbanfun's, as its namesake suggests, is boatloads of fun to listen to with a multitude of genres, both old and modern. By sound-merit alone, the ISS014 could stand vis-a-vis, against its pricier counterparts. I foresee myself placing the Urbanfun ISS014 in my current circulation of daily drivers.

Be sure to follow Project A3 on Facebook for more reviews*.




*All ratings are accurate as of date of publication. Changes in price, newer models may affect Project A3's views on the performance and value of the reviewed product.




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Project A³
Project A³ is a collection of individuals that are passionate and dedicated to consumer and enthusiast audiophile products. Originating from various countries and involved in different fields what they all have in common is an appreciation for listening to music in the best way possible.
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