I’ve always wanted to check out 64 Audio stuff for years. I was most interested when the N8 came out since that sounded right up my alley. While I didn’t have luck getting in contact with anyone before to get something to try out, I’ve always kept my eye on the 64 Audio releases. I have some reviewer acquaintances that I hold to high regards such as @precog who preaches the good word of house 64 Audio :p. I took a shot at seeing if the Bloom Audio family would be willing to send something to check out. To my luck they had a Nio on hand I could check out! I jumped at the chance to review it. The Nio is a 9 driver hybrid consisting of one 9mm dynamic driver and 8 BA drivers. It comes in at $1699 here in the states.
This will be mostly a full review but I only got the IEMs, the M15 module and newer 64 audio branded stock cable/upgrade cable. So I won’t have a full unboxing or info on the sound differences between the module plugs.
Quick shoutout to Andrew and Matthew(for the super nice letter) for sending the Nio out to borrow and review. While I always appreciate the chance to test and review products sent in from manufacturers or dealers, it never affects the rating of my reviews.
Gear Used
IPhone 14 Pro Max with headphone adapter, Shanling M3X, Topping G5 and SMSL SU-9 feeding the SP400 amp.
Looks and fit
The Nio is a good example of an industrial style shell design that can also be beautiful to the eyes. The shell is a slightly bigger and bulkier design that is a simple black shell with a silver faceplate. What makes this design unique to me is the nice blue abalone insert that they have in the faceplate. It’s rather striking and I’m very impressed by the way it looks against the silver faceplate. They also have their Apex module on the faceplate which can be swapped out for more or less pressure. If it isn’t obvious, I love the way this looks and I was able to get a comfy fit with some Spinfit CP100+ tips on my first try and I can easily listen to the Nio for longer sessions with no problems. I did end up using the W1 which is my current favorite set of tips from Spinfit, when I can get them to fit.
Isolation and sound leakage
While I only have the M15 module on hand, it does well at passive isolation and leaks less sound than I thought it would. I would still recommend lower volumes for quiet public areas.
Packaging and accessories
Like I said above. I didn’t get the entire Nio box or accessories but I did want to mention the Bloom Audio extras and the nice letter I received from the Bloom Audio team. I was surprised to see they still sent candy with their orders and I got a bag of skittles with the IEMs. I only received the stock M15 module, IEM shells and both a newer stock black cable as well as the 64 Audio branded silver upgrade cable. I also got a really nice letter from Matthew sending some nice words about a prior review I did a long time back so I appreciated the kind gesture!
Sound(overall)
These final impressions were done off the SMSL SU-9 connected to the SMSL SP400. These impressions are what the Nio sounded like to my ears. This was also using the W1 eartips from Spinfit. Things like ear tip selection and DAC/amp selection will produce different results and impressions vs what my ears hear on my specific gear.
I wasn’t sure what to expect but the Nio seemed to have a tuning in line with what I personally like and I can confirm it was absolutely turned the way I wanted it. Starting with the bass, It hits pretty hard and while super full sounding, it doesn't sound bloated and manages to blend well into the lower mids. It still sounds really strong so this gets a little more into bass head territory. The mids sound fairly detailed and a little more relaxed overall. It doesn’t suffer from any veiling and I enjoy the instrument presentation overall. The mids sound fast which gives it a sense of speed even if it’s somewhat relaxed/sweet sounding. The vocals are a little recessed(which I prefer) and blend into the rest of the music but I feel there is some good quality here. There is enough sharpness to female vocals that it feels more natural sounding. The treble is tame but still has good detail retrieval. I can still hear some sharpness and the decay is a little slower on things like cymbal hits. I would say this is a smoother sounding IEM with a thumpy bass overall and I quite like it.
Soundstage/Imaging
Staging is above average with a good sense of space for an IEM. It could be due to the venting module system but I feel like things have more air all throughout the frequency range. There’s better IEMs in the staging department but this is pretty good overall. Imaging is really good if you’re not listening to anything too bass heavy. Hard hitting bass is distracting to me and I have a harder time listening for details when I get good bass thumps. I was able to pick out details and when things were located easily on normal non EDM music.
Sensitivity/Drivability
The Nio isn’t super hard to drive but will require higher volume levels on lower power dongles. I think most modern dongles will power the Nio just fine though. Especially when running balanced.
Stock cable
The stock cable is garbage to put it nicely. While I can’t comment on cables included with newer 64 Audio IEMs, these are the old school black skinny cables. They feel like $10 cables and have the very old school “American” IEM cable look and feel that most US made IEMs come with. I also received the upgraded silver cable which I did most of the review with. It too sucks in terms of looks and feel and has an obnoxiously large 2 pin connector but it works well. It also looks like poor quality for $200 that they sold these for. Minus my complaints, I would leave these cables alone if you want utility and function over looks. They work fine and while I can’t comment on the long term durability of these or my confidence in them, I would say maybe keep a backup pair of decent quality cables on hand from another brand.
IEM comparisons
THIEAUDIO V16 Divinity
The V16 and Nio take similar approaches in tuning with different strengths. The Nio does low end impact/slam better than the V16 but the V16 manages the bass better and while it too can hit hard, it just sounds better controlled and less exciting. The mids are smooth on both IEMs but the vocals did sound forward and more detailed on the V16 over the Nio. Nio let more instruments come through with a slightly recessed vocal presence. Both feel fast in the mids. The treble is tame on both IEMs but the Nio sounds a little more exciting than the V16 and is a little brighter sounding to my ears. It however doesn’t quite have the same control or refinement that the V16 has. The V16 sounds more detailed and while it doesn’t quite have the same sharpness or decay as the Nio, I hear instruments with better detail and enjoyment overall. I also think the Staging and imaging is better on the V16. It has a wider stage with more precision overall. I like both and while I wouldn’t personally own both at the same time due to the similar tuning, I would keep one on hand for sure when it comes to smooth and detailed IEMs on hand that have a bass focus. If I had to choose personally, I would go for the V16 Divinity since it has a better all rounder performance.
Campfire Solaris
The OG Solaris is newer to me but it’s been out for quite a few years at this point. It’s my daily driver however since I do enjoy using it at work. Both IEMs are designed in the US but both go for very different tunings. The bass hits much harder on the Nio and the Solaris goes for a somewhat relaxed bass that lets impact and slam come through when called for. The mids are more crisp and sharper on the Solaris but I find vocals are more forward sounding on the Solaris over the Nio. I think the Nio has a more natural/neutral sounding vocals which results in the Solaris sounding sibilant when I A/B test them. The upper mids and lower treble have a pretty sharp peak somewhere that makes the Solaris a little harsh and bright sounding where the Nio has a good balance of brighter sound with less roughness. The rest of the treble is pretty tame on both IEMs and I think both pull in about the same amount of details with the Nio sounding warmer overall and the OG Solaris sounding brighter. The staging on the Solaris is much better and I feel like it has one of the wider if not the widest soundstage I’ve heard in a bit on an IEM. Imaging is great on both but I think the imaging falls into the “holographic” type of imaging on the OG Solaris while the Nio sounds more like a standard IEM with good standard imaging. I like both but I think I would pick the Nio as it aligns closer to my personal preferences.
Amping Combinations
Topping G5
The G5 is my daily driver lately and I use it alot at the office where I do a good chunk of reviewing and typing. The G5 is a favorite due to it sounding like a much bigger amp than it is. The bass thumps nice and hard via the G5 and keeps things clean but fun sounding. The mids from this pairing is a little more forward and the vocals have a better presence over the rest of the performance. The treble is very clear and adds a little extra sharpness to the Nio that I enjoy. Staging sounds a little more intimate and I feel the Nio had a wider sounding stage via my desktop amp but it’s close. A great pairing to my ears.
SMSL SU-9/SP400
As with all my reviews, this is the setup I do my sound impressions from. I don’t think the Nio needs a desktop setup to sound its best and I achieved comfortable volumes around 30-34/99 on high gain so not bad. I do believe the big difference with this pairing was the slightly recessed vocals and the wider sounding stage.
Overall thoughts
I always wanted to try the 64 Audio stuff and having a lot more experience with many IEMs over the past few years, I can really appreciate the Nio. I think it’s fair to say I’m a “believer” and I can highly recommend the Nio for new and experienced IEM users who like strong bass, sweet yet fast mids and detailed, yet smooth highs! Those hunting a detail monster with intense and sharp highs will want to look elsewhere however. I have quite the interest in checking out other 64 Audio IEMs in the future and look forward to seeing what they come out with down the road. Thanks for reading!!
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