ddHIFI E13P Memory IEM Earphones Review – Unusual Contact With Fun Impact
DDHIFI E13P Memory is a $169 USD pair of IEMs In-Ear Monitors with an interesting Hybrid Semi-In-Ear Planar design, a large 13mm ultra-linear planar driver at the core and with built-in DAC and USB Type-C integration. Today we review the new DD HIFI E13 P Memory and also will see how they compare to other IEMS from around the world.
Introduction
ddHIFI is getting bolder and bolder with their designs and E13P is a unique take on the IEM world, as those are semi open hybrid IEMs with huge shell bodies, but silicone eartips. DDHIFI products are known for their high performance, low price and outstanding build quality, usually being referenced as kings in the budget and entry-level segments as well as being the equivalent of SmallRig for cameras, creators of high-end ultra-reliable accessories for audiophiles. ddHIFI products are available on Amazon, Aliexpress, Linsoul and countless other shops including general electronics shops in certain countries.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3LzRo3q
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3NoHeSb
Build Quality And Design
It is always fresh to review something you don’t quite understand, cannot really tell what this is, but still looks and feels fun. Such a product is this new ddHIFI E13P, a pair of earphones IEMs, which at first I believed to be earbuds that you are not supposed to insert inside of your ears. DD HIFI E 13 P Memory is a Semi-In-Ear Hybrid Earphone with a side-firing sound tube and silicone eartips, combining a passive noise noise isolation with open-fit comfort. This one is a collaboration between DD HIFI and Moondrop as the driver at the heart is developed in-house in collaboration with moondrop and delivers 10x the electroacoustic efficiency of conventional planar drivers, maintaining a THD lower than 0.05% across all frequencies.
To create the best sound, ddHIFI did what they do best and integrated a USB Type-C DAC with a CS43198 chip at the core, supporting 32 Bit / 384 kHz lossless decoding on iOS and Android devices, featuring inline microphone and three-button remote for phone calls, voice recording and track navigation. Most components can be purchased separately and I am enthusiastic to see that ddHIFI has a set of small size ST35 Eartips installed on E13P, the storage case is named CZ120, and there are three set of eartips provided by Kiwi Ears, namely the KiwiFlex tips.
Secret to this whole design is that the DAC applies a custom DSP profile and sculpts a vintage-inspired signature with warm mids and promised detailed treble. The cable of the E13P is not detachable, and it is a stripe=-streand braided cable with one strand dedicated to mic controls that runs straight through the remote into the full-metal chambers eliminating solder breaks. There is a tiny LED at the DAC side which shows you that it is working with Blue, Green and RED color coding. A retro transport case with a cassette theme is included with E13P, and this one is a synthetic leather with YKK zippers to protect E13P.
Fit And Subjective Usage
It has been so long since I wore a straight-down pair of earphones, and ddHIFI e13P memory reminded me why, the Y split plug really pulls on the e13p and this is not the most comfortable fit. Keeping this in mind, passive noise isolation is rather low, around 10 dB for most frequencies, but the ST-35 eartips really feel comfortable and like a natural sleeve for my ears, those are still my favorite type of eartips.
Cable quality is top-notch, ddHIFI connector for the Type-C plug is also top notch, and E13P feels super nice for my ears, although the outer mushroom shell is really large and they fit quite snug. The Y split button works as intended, everything feels well made, and the very dim LED light at the type-c connector plug is a really nice addition.
There is no void or driver flex and E13P feels comfortable to wear, it is fun and although they are super large, shells are light, and the part that actually has to go inside of your ear is not quite that big, and actually comfy. While very unusual, the fit is medium and they feel good.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the ddHIFI E13P Memory I have paired them with my desktop computer, and S23 Ultra Smartphone. As this is a USB Type-C DAC powered pair of earphones, it is not possible to test them with other sources like high-end DAPs as they cannot connect to them.
Overall Signature – It’s been a while since I reviewed something unusual and my last 20 reviews have all been engaging, vivid and V-Shaped sounding IEMs, so it is refreshing to hear something different, with E13P sounding really warm, atmospheric, big, bloomy, warm and vintage in the tuning. This is absolutely unique, and nothing I reviewed to date sounds this way, they render music with an insane dynamic range and depth, details are rendered as if you’re living in a simulation, not just listening to music, E13P is insane for staging and size, although they do scatter sound a bit, and have an atmospheric blending rather than cutting-edge instrument separation.
Bass – At the bottom, e13P has a good extension, but bass has most strength and presence around mid bass, where it is warm, but not overly so. Even with EDM and Pop, Dubstep or rap, E13P has most presence of bass starting with 55 Hz, and it gets strong around 70 Hz to have presence up to 130 Hz, creating a bloomy and warm signature, in a vintage style, rather than truly deep. This being said, they can create one of the widest and most spacious bass sounds I’ve ever heard.
Midrange – Voicing is vintage, warm, pleasing and wide. Everything about E13P is wide and big, and instrumtnals are also rendered this way, super big and impressive. It has a similar presence and quality for both male and female voices, and E13P sounds good for pop, EDM, and most music really. It is just an interesting way of experiencing your music. If anything, voices will sound velvety, a bit thick, warm and lower midrange with a big of extra oomph over the upper midrange. Laid-back, smooth and relaxed are also good ways to describe the kind of sound that E13P produces
Treble – At the top end, ddHIFI E13P is sharp and crisp, airy, but still smooth enough to be considered laid-back and lush. It has a fair extension up to 18 kHz, and it sounds silky and velvety, but there’s a certain range between 9 kHz and 11 kHz where E 13P has a bit of extra bite and tinge in the treble.
Dynamics And Textures – With a relaxed, silky voicing, a bit of extra bite and attack here and there, ddHIFI E13 P sounds pretty natural, dynamic range is compressed quite a bit, so most details and information will have the same volume, but due to the distance from the listener and width of sound, you never notice this, and to be fair it is for the better, as it creates the feeling of resolution and details. As you never run into clipping or overdrive, I consider E13P to be perfectly balanced for casual listening and fun.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – You can count on E13p to be fun at all volume levels, it is great quiet, great at modest volumes and it is excellent when taken loud. Versatile, it has no extra THD even if pushed above 100 dB, but it stays wide and holographic even if quiet. At loud volumes, dynamic range is more compressed, while at low volumes it is more relaxed.
Soundstage – It feels like E13P is made for soundstage, everything about this presentation is unique. It is hands-down bigger than any of the IEMS and Earphones I tested to date, just huge, wide and holographic. It can render certain details, background instruments and voices that you simply don’t hear with anything else. While this is interesting for experiencing your music once, it is an atmospheric, extended, wide, holographic sound that you really appreciate once you hear it once. It has a higher than usual blend and scattering effect, but it works well with all music styles, a perfect blend of holographic and still musical and warm enough to be fun.
Value and Conclusion
ddHIFI kept their promise of delivering excellent sonic performance for affordable prices, and E13P Memory hits hard in the value department, offering a new take on the earphone industry, fresh fit, fresh sound, Type-C DAc embedded in the IEMS, high-quality cable, nice transport case, the whole package having a good value.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a holographic, wide and atmospheric, if a bit vague sounding pair of earphones that renders music in a cassette, vintage style, you will love E13P and the effort DDHIFI put into making those sound, look and feel as vintage as possible.
PROs
- Interesting fit and design
- Comfortable despite large outer shell
- High-end cable and DAC at the type-c connector end
- LED ring around the type-c connector
- Exceptionally big, airy and atmospheric soundstage
- Natural and vintage sounding voicing
- Warm and big bass
- Handles both low and high volumes really well
- Detailed while relaxed and laid-back
- Smooth and vintage sounding
Cons
- Can sound a bit scattered and too vague
- Only straight-down wearing style which means the Y Plug always pulls them down
- Cable is not detachable
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3LzRo3q
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3NoHeSb
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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