TAI NGHE XIAOMI PISTON IRON 4, TAI NGHE XIAOMI MI PISTON IRON PRO HD

Last updated on February 7th, 2018

Disclaimer: the sample I received does not need to be returned. You can buy yours from Gear
Best.com, who was so kind to send me the pair I reviewed.

TL;DR: recap

Pros:

Cons:

Rating: 8/10

Packaging & Accessories

Although simple, packaging is nothing short of premium and far beyond what I’d expect to lớn see below 60$.

Design và Comfort

The xiaomi mi Piston Pro are an evolution of the Hybrid Earphones launched during 2015, both in terms of design and sound (which we’ll talk about later). The Piston Pro are very similar lớn the Hybrid: same aluminium housing, same đen plastic strain reliefs, similar overall design with minor differences (tapering curve radius, aluminium/plastic ratio, strain relief position). There are a few differences, though: the cable is now covered in rubberized plastic, with fabric nowhere to lớn be found, và remote buttons which are now aluminium instead of plastic.

The overall thiết kế is very simple yet refined. The aluminium certainly has a big impact on the general feel of these earphones. The contrast between the black plastic and cable và the silver aluminium parts makes it polished và nice to lớn see. The shiny finish of the plastic is aesthetically pleasing, but it also means it is a fingerprint magnet. Channel letters (R/L) are a bit hard to lớn see at first, but choosing this position xiaomi kept a clean design.

Although I am not very picky when it comes to in-ear headphones comfort, I have khổng lồ say these earphones are absolutely fantastic. I used them several hours a day to lớn watch recordings of the math class from university và I never felt any fatigue, nor in the ear canal nor in the pinnae. This may not apply to everyone, of course, but I feel safe saying xiaomi has done a fantastic work here. They are among the most comfortable in-ear headphones I have ever tried!

Despite being in-ear headphones, the xiaomi mi Piston Pro bởi not offer good isolation; this is true regardless of the earplugs used, as I got similar results even using Comply isolation tips và double-flanged RHA tips. Using them to lớn watch recorded math classes I noticed they aren’t good at excluding sound efficiently: I could easily hear what happened “outside”. That’s especially true with quiet music and video clip content, but it is less noticeable with “louder” music. Using them on public transport you can definitely hear most of the noise, while they are in fact able to block out most of the ambient noise in more silent environments.

The 1.25-m cable has a bit of microphonics, however it is not too distracting & it can be avoided using a clip.

The aforementioned remote hosts three buttons (vol+, play/pause, vol-) and a microphone. The buttons work perfectly on apk devices, while the only one working on i
OS devices is the “play/pause” button. The microphone is good & I could always be easily heard by the person I was on the phone with.

Sound và Specs

I burned in the xiaomi Piston Pro for ~100 hours using an MP3 player with various songs on it. I then plugged them to a Zorloo Zuper
DAC (connected to a PC) when listening khổng lồ them at home, and to a Lenovo Vibe Shot while out and about.

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The xiaomi mi Piston Pro follows the footsteps of last year’s Hybrid Earphones by offering a multi-driver cài đặt made by two dynamic drivers and one balanced armature. One dynamic driver is dedicated lớn bass, the other one produces midrange sounds and the balanced armature takes care of treble. This allows Xiaomi lớn reap the benefits of both driver types: crip, detailed treble from balanced armatures và warm, full lows from dynamic drivers.

The company claims the diaphragm of the dual dynamic driver is made of graphene, but that seems highly improbable – graphene is still confined in high-tech labs và it seems very unlikely that the company would be able to lớn use it in low-cost headphones as a “world’s first”. Research on the matter is still ongoing và we are years away from a widespread commercial release.

Instrument separation is among the biggest features of these earphones, as it is incredible in this price range. Soundstage is not very wide & this also influences the stereo imaging; if I had khổng lồ say which elements reveal these are low-end earphones, I would point at these two.

Bass is tight and well controlled, with very nice texture và decay. It is just shy of neutral, with just a bit of emphasis on the mid-lows that adds a bit of warmth lớn the sound. It lacks depth, as the deepest notes are just hinted at without being thoroughly portrayed. It is otherwise pleasing listen lớn it, thanks lớn the fact it is smooth as silk & it sits in just the right spot when it comes to lớn quantity – khổng lồ my ears, of course!

Midrange is relatively upfront & it blends with bass & treble while retaining its own space. It has very well separated low-mids, that bởi vì not mess with lows; this results in a decently open sound. There is some emphasis on the upper range, so vocals are bright & vivid – female voices are better portrayed than male voices – and mids are generally bright & sparkling. Details are somewhat lacking and tonality is on the warm side.

Treble is extremely articulated, while also being moderately emphasised và with a great extension. The xiaomi mi Piston Pro can be defined “bright” without any doubt, up to the point of being sharp, but this means it also offers lots of details in the upper frequency range. This creates a sound signatures that takes a bit of time khổng lồ grow on you, but it turns out to lớn be extremely rewarding in my opinion. Treble-sensitive people may find it excessive and fatiguing, especially during longer listening sessions.

In short, I would say that the Piston Pro have an analytical treble. This also means that it is well separated from the rest of the sound, allowing you khổng lồ better focus on it and catch every nuance. While detail is not extreme, it is well beyond what most sub-$100 in-ear headphones offer. Higher frequencies are often overshadowed by mids and lows in consumer headphones, so I think it is especially nice khổng lồ be able khổng lồ clearly hear them in the forefront using the Piston Pro. That is up khổng lồ one’s taste, of course, but this is a different take on music than what most headphones offer.

While most people describe these as having a V-shaped sound signature, I think bass is not emphasized, even when compared lớn slightly V-shaped headphones such as the 1More EO323 or the Meze 11 Neo. If there is emphasis, then it is very slight. Of course this may be because of differences in how each person perceives sounds, but if this is V-shaped, then it’s very high quality.

I found the xiaomi Piston Pro pleasing when listening khổng lồ jazz, folk/celtic music (i.e. Empyrium, Ulver, Vàli, Nest, Faun…), electronic music và rock. Truth be told, I did not find any genre they were not capable of playing with discrete results, as even modern genres sound nice. Those wishing for a more impactful sound may prefer V-shaped sound signatures, though.

Comparison with the Hybrid Earphones is inevitable & yields unexpected results. 2015’s model is in fact less balanced and has way more bass, but it also offers more spatiality and better stereo imaging. The Piston Pro are better at delivering high frequencies và are generally better at resolution & instrument separation. Midrange is also more relaxed and natural. I may say the Piston Pro are more balanced and they can better adapt lớn different genres, while the Hybrid Earphones cater to people who prefer a V-shaped sound signature (with all subsequent pros và cons).

Other earphones I can compare the mi Piston Pro lớn are:

Final Thoughts

The title may seem overstated, but I really think that xiaomi has nailed it with the Piston Pro. I would expect in-ear headphones to sound this good in the $100-150 price range, not in the sub-$50 range. Not only that, but their balance, their resolution & – last but not least – their comfort is well above what I’d think possible in this price range.

I am usually not in for superlatives and exaggerations in describing audio products, but this time it’s different. Và it is because you can have a glimpse of what “superior” audio means spending just $40. That’s why I heartily recommend buying these earphones if you are on the market for a cheap albeit good-sounding product. You won’t regret it.