I really enjoyed watching your very detailed review. The only other reviewer that I know of who includes photos of shell and nozzle dimensions is MD Jaques. I thought I would back up some of the things which you said and comment on a few other things which you said since I have the CKLVX D-41 which is the same as the PA02 except for the faceplates and the hardware features on the cable. The D-41 also has cable sockets which rock. This is because the cable sockets are not glued into place inside the IEMs even though the sockets do have slots which allow the IEM shells to internally hold them in place such that they will not pull out. Hot glue could have been used to fix this issue during the manufacturing process. Interestingly, I checked and found that the cable sockets in my Performer 5 and in my Quintet also very slightly rock, yet not as much as on my D-41 and nowhere as much as shown in your video. I am surprised that your PA02 has this much channel imbalance in the bass and the lower midrange. This is not acceptable because channel imbalance in these regions is immediately noticeable. Squiglink graphs for the PA02 and D-41 generally show much less channel imbalance. I think that Myer-Audio needs to up their game in terms of production tolerances and quality control since your set should have never gone out the door. They are nice people and they do seem to pay attention to feedback from their customers. And now for my additional comments about the PA02 and the CKLVX D-41... There is a fairly strong mid bass tuck which is centered at around 150 Hz. If you try to use parametric EQ to remove this bass tuck, then the bass from the dynamic drivers becomes muddy. The dynamic drivers are not as good as the DDs in the Performer 5. The rise for the simulated pinna gain is noticeably early. This results in female vocals sounding more like girl vocals even though this early rise for the simulated pinna gain does increase the perceived presence and the perceived details. Male vocals sound a bit thin due to the strong mid bass tuck. Parametric EQ can be used to remove some of the mid bass tuck, to correct the midrange such that male vocals sound more natural, and to correct for the early rise in the simulated pinna gain so that female vocals sound more natural. The parametric EQ settings which I used are very mild and do fix these issues. At the end of the day and excluding any severe channel imbalance and excluding the use of any EQ, I think that the PA02 and the CKLVX D-41 performance is nice when either of these IEMs are on sale for $150 instead of their normal price which is around $180.
I received the new updated version of the Pula and they fixed the connection! It is really tight now. I am enjoying the sound sig, not offended by high end at all
@@arseniyshapurov the two pin connection was loose. New version fixed that and I seem to be realizing deeper sub base but feeling the high end can be tamer.
Oh, that's nice to hear. The loose 2-pin connector really will be problematic in the long run and shouldn't have been in the IEM at all. Something like this is ok for prototype/pre-production units but not the final release :/
(4th month update, QC issues arise) I wish I could edit my 1st review on the hifigo page to tame the rating because there has been some growing issues with my set. First the metal venting on the left ear fell of, I had to glue it back on and be careful not to block the tubes exit (specially the bass one because its black, small and barely visible). Second issue is the 2pin connector and that's a bigger problem. It got abusively loose over time provoking channel imbalance and almost cable unplugging during use. I think they need to thicken the metal that compose the 2-pin holes to make them sturdier and wear resistant. Those highly stressed pieces deserve more engineering care. It's an easy and cheap problem to fix. Everything I says on the website relative to the tuning still applies. It's a sound expected to be found around the 250-350 price range, better balanced and tonally nice than anything I've listened so far (which includes the blessing2).
Ugh... Very sorry to hear your set is suffering that much... Did you write HifiGo about it? I know sending it back ain't the best choice but with this many issues, I'd personally definitively send it back...
Thank you for the review! I personally love this IEM. Yes, Chopin, Fermat and Quintet are technically a little bit more capable, but especially tonally this would be my top recommendation around 200 bucks right before the Ziigaats and Origin are taking over. But the QC issues…oh man…didn’t know.🤦🏼♂️
I really don't think there are any issues in terms of technicalities here. Sure, bass is a bit slow but that doesn't really matter if you have the tonality nailed. And yeah, the QC issues are the thing that most ChiFi brands seem to face. Some more, some less. Penon for instance also really bad when it comes to QC. On the other side: Thieaudio. I rarely if at all hear anything negative about their QC^^
Try the cklvx d41, maybe it's better. (Same iem, but cheaper). By the way can you compare it with the aful p5? Maybe you'd like it more. Basically the same tuning only without the elevated upper treble.
From what I know, Myer and Pula have the same manufacturer. So I doubt they'll have different QC standards :/ The P5 I had here but it didn't wow me at that time at all. Maybe I need to find it again^^
@@fabianoberlim9636 That could definitively be an issue. Knowles tends to have more consistent BAs compared to some "no name" BAs from what I read. But only a factor, because the main issue for me here is the DD and its incoherence... I assume either they mounted the DD slightly off or the DD they used has bigger tollarances in the production then it should have.
I have both. As soon as I tried the Pula my Performer 5 is now packed up and ready for sale. Pula has more clarity and punch in the low end...and the highs sparkle...no contest IMO.
Too much hype but this one is not suitable for my preference. The treble is too intense and leads it to be a bit metallic. The pin is also quite easy to loose, can't hold it as tight as any other 150$ iems
Absolutely, this one has too much hype, even though I'd say the PA02 is a good IEM overall, minus the issues with the two-pin and the channel imbalance. The, how you described it, too-intense treble and metallic shimmer can definitively be reduced with the right tip or EQ and therefore I wasn't too critical about it in my review. Any very wide outlet/funnel/horn shape tip or any very small outlet tip will do exactly that if EQ is not an option :)
@@don_spektor Totally agree with your opinion It's actually a good iem. But with the current competition that is tighter in the 200$ price range with that qc and treble problem, you will likely move to the other iems after purchase it. And I agreed after I tried to turn the upper treble down in eq, its treble became tamer and more natural. I think pula needs to fix their iem sooner, before people realize their issue
Happy to hear your set is better :-) As another comment here pointed out, possibly there's a second batch where they fixed the loose connector. I, unfortunately, do not have the contact data of Pula to ask them whether that is, in fact, true. But other than that I also think the PA02 is good set :-)
Honestly, Supermix 4 for quite a bit less will be everything you need: yes, it's harman-ish tuned, but sounds very detailed, has capable drivers, is comfortable and with just a bit of EQ (lower treble a bit down and maybe upper treble too, depending on your taste) it's really nice. However, the accessory package is a bit lacking and I'd definitively recommend buying separate tips as the included ones aren't great. For me, Spinfit Omni worked like a charm on them.
I really enjoyed watching your very detailed review. The only other reviewer that I know of who includes photos of shell and nozzle dimensions is MD Jaques. I thought I would back up some of the things which you said and comment on a few other things which you said since I have the CKLVX D-41 which is the same as the PA02 except for the faceplates and the hardware features on the cable.
The D-41 also has cable sockets which rock. This is because the cable sockets are not glued into place inside the IEMs even though the sockets do have slots which allow the IEM shells to internally hold them in place such that they will not pull out. Hot glue could have been used to fix this issue during the manufacturing process. Interestingly, I checked and found that the cable sockets in my Performer 5 and in my Quintet also very slightly rock, yet not as much as on my D-41 and nowhere as much as shown in your video.
I am surprised that your PA02 has this much channel imbalance in the bass and the lower midrange. This is not acceptable because channel imbalance in these regions is immediately noticeable. Squiglink graphs for the PA02 and D-41 generally show much less channel imbalance. I think that Myer-Audio needs to up their game in terms of production tolerances and quality control since your set should have never gone out the door. They are nice people and they do seem to pay attention to feedback from their customers.
And now for my additional comments about the PA02 and the CKLVX D-41...
There is a fairly strong mid bass tuck which is centered at around 150 Hz. If you try to use parametric EQ to remove this bass tuck, then the bass from the dynamic drivers becomes muddy. The dynamic drivers are not as good as the DDs in the Performer 5. The rise for the simulated pinna gain is noticeably early. This results in female vocals sounding more like girl vocals even though this early rise for the simulated pinna gain does increase the perceived presence and the perceived details. Male vocals sound a bit thin due to the strong mid bass tuck. Parametric EQ can be used to remove some of the mid bass tuck, to correct the midrange such that male vocals sound more natural, and to correct for the early rise in the simulated pinna gain so that female vocals sound more natural. The parametric EQ settings which I used are very mild and do fix these issues.
At the end of the day and excluding any severe channel imbalance and excluding the use of any EQ, I think that the PA02 and the CKLVX D-41 performance is nice when either of these IEMs are on sale for $150 instead of their normal price which is around $180.
Nice, thank you very much for your detailed assessment! I'll pin it as it is very informative and useful for all viewers :-)
I sent mine back and was told Pula has remanufactured them with tighter connection. I should have the newer version today
I received the new updated version of the Pula and they fixed the connection! It is really tight now. I am enjoying the sound sig, not offended by high end at all
Can you tell what exactly was wrong? 2 pin cable connection was loosy? Lazy to see whole review.
@@arseniyshapurov the two pin connection was loose. New version fixed that and I seem to be realizing deeper sub base but feeling the high end can be tamer.
@@herbcohenflow7867 So they re-tuned it as well?
Oh, that's nice to hear.
The loose 2-pin connector really will be problematic in the long run and shouldn't have been in the IEM at all. Something like this is ok for prototype/pre-production units but not the final release :/
(4th month update, QC issues arise)
I wish I could edit my 1st review on the hifigo page to tame the rating because there has been some growing issues with my set.
First the metal venting on the left ear fell of, I had to glue it back on and be careful not to block the tubes exit (specially the bass one because its black, small and barely visible).
Second issue is the 2pin connector and that's a bigger problem.
It got abusively loose over time provoking channel imbalance and almost cable unplugging during use.
I think they need to thicken the metal that compose the 2-pin holes to make them sturdier and wear resistant.
Those highly stressed pieces deserve more engineering care. It's an easy and cheap problem to fix.
Everything I says on the website relative to the tuning still applies.
It's a sound expected to be found around the 250-350 price range, better balanced and tonally nice than anything I've listened so far (which includes the blessing2).
Ugh... Very sorry to hear your set is suffering that much...
Did you write HifiGo about it? I know sending it back ain't the best choice but with this many issues, I'd personally definitively send it back...
i have this IEM and I love it, great set, good review, thanks
Thank you for the review! I personally love this IEM. Yes, Chopin, Fermat and Quintet are technically a little bit more capable, but especially tonally this would be my top recommendation around 200 bucks right before the Ziigaats and Origin are taking over.
But the QC issues…oh man…didn’t know.🤦🏼♂️
I really don't think there are any issues in terms of technicalities here. Sure, bass is a bit slow but that doesn't really matter if you have the tonality nailed.
And yeah, the QC issues are the thing that most ChiFi brands seem to face. Some more, some less. Penon for instance also really bad when it comes to QC. On the other side: Thieaudio. I rarely if at all hear anything negative about their QC^^
About the sound and build Quality, which Better pula pa02 or Soundrhyme Sr 5 😊 ?
Hey,
Sorry, I do not have the Soundrhyme SR5 so I can't answer your question...
Try the cklvx d41, maybe it's better. (Same iem, but cheaper). By the way can you compare it with the aful p5? Maybe you'd like it more. Basically the same tuning only without the elevated upper treble.
The cklvx also have poor quality BAs
The Sliivo sl41 uses 2 knowles BAs
Maybe that can solve the BA timber. But i never heard it
From what I know, Myer and Pula have the same manufacturer. So I doubt they'll have different QC standards :/
The P5 I had here but it didn't wow me at that time at all. Maybe I need to find it again^^
@@don_spektor The Sliivo says it uses 2 Knowles BAs and 2 BAs is not described
Pula and CKLVX doesn’t give the BA brand
Maybe. Maybe not
@@fabianoberlim9636 That could definitively be an issue. Knowles tends to have more consistent BAs compared to some "no name" BAs from what I read. But only a factor, because the main issue for me here is the DD and its incoherence...
I assume either they mounted the DD slightly off or the DD they used has bigger tollarances in the production then it should have.
I have both. As soon as I tried the Pula my Performer 5 is now packed up and ready for sale. Pula has more clarity and punch in the low end...and the highs sparkle...no contest IMO.
Too much hype but this one is not suitable for my preference. The treble is too intense and leads it to be a bit metallic. The pin is also quite easy to loose, can't hold it as tight as any other 150$ iems
Absolutely, this one has too much hype, even though I'd say the PA02 is a good IEM overall, minus the issues with the two-pin and the channel imbalance.
The, how you described it, too-intense treble and metallic shimmer can definitively be reduced with the right tip or EQ and therefore I wasn't too critical about it in my review. Any very wide outlet/funnel/horn shape tip or any very small outlet tip will do exactly that if EQ is not an option :)
@@don_spektor Totally agree with your opinion
It's actually a good iem. But with the current competition that is tighter in the 200$ price range with that qc and treble problem, you will likely move to the other iems after purchase it.
And I agreed after I tried to turn the upper treble down in eq, its treble became tamer and more natural.
I think pula needs to fix their iem sooner, before people realize their issue
i'm sorry for your set, mine is great, it doesn't have the issues, except fot the 10k peak, otherwise great set, love my pula pa02
Happy to hear your set is better :-)
As another comment here pointed out, possibly there's a second batch where they fixed the loose connector. I, unfortunately, do not have the contact data of Pula to ask them whether that is, in fact, true. But other than that I also think the PA02 is good set :-)
@@don_spektor yeah, they released a new batch of set after the first complains, mine is that, good review
Your accent sounds like a car engine, subtitles would be great.
Ouch. A bit more polite would be nice.
I haven't looked into subtitles yet. Would need to check how they work here. But thank you, I'll check it out.
@@don_spektor I am just messing with you, great video! Very enjoyable. Looking forward to more content like this!
But a german car engine. 😜 (Mir gefällt‘s und ich hör mich auch so an😅)
Subtitles would be nice though….English is also my second language and accents are a bit of a challenge.
@@buenahora001 I'll see what I can do :-)
u seem like a reliable guy whats ur recommendation for an iem for around 200 dollars?
Honestly, Supermix 4 for quite a bit less will be everything you need: yes, it's harman-ish tuned, but sounds very detailed, has capable drivers, is comfortable and with just a bit of EQ (lower treble a bit down and maybe upper treble too, depending on your taste) it's really nice.
However, the accessory package is a bit lacking and I'd definitively recommend buying separate tips as the included ones aren't great. For me, Spinfit Omni worked like a charm on them.