Hypersense HEX02 featured

Hypersense HEX02 Review. A spell or a curse?

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Hypersense is a new Chinese brand that has joined the IEM manufacturer market recently. They’re located in Dongguan, China and are a subsidiary of LinDo Technology CO., Ltd. Today we’re looking at their first product release; the Hypersense HEX02. Should you be getting hyped about it? Let’s take a look.

At the time of writing, the Hypersense HEX02 is listed at $25 and available from Penon Audio here.

This product was provided for the purpose of an honest review. I’m not affiliated with the company and all observations and opinions here are my own.

Available at:

Buy from Penon Audio

Pros
  • Clear sound with big bass
  • Solid build quality with good attention to detail
  • Price
Cons
  • Bass will be heavy for some
  • Some cable noise (microphonics)
Specifications
  • Impendence: 16Ω
  • Driver diameter: 9mm
  • Diaphragm material: PET / Ti composite material
  • Rated power: 10mW
  • Sensitivity: ≥95dB (@ 1kHz)
  • Frequency response range: 20 ~ 40kHZ
  • Wire material: 1.35m environmental TPE

Package and Accessories

Hypersense HEX02 box front

Hypersense HEX02 box back

  • Hypersense Hex02 earphone
  • 3x pairs of silicone eartips (S, M, L)
  • 1x pair of silicone earhooks
  • Drawstring pouch

The Hypersense Hex02 comes in a small black box with blue highlights. Inside, the first thing you see is a black envelope, containing the drawstring pouch. While I don’t find these pouches all that useful, it’s still nice to see them included.

Sitting in a piece of circular black foam with cutouts is the earphone, along with the spare eartips. It’s a great looking presentation, made even more impressive by the tiny size of the box. The cable is wound around the foam which is an excellent idea, as it means there are no kinks in it when you first take it out of the box.

Under the foam is a small plastic bag containing the earhooks. Overall, it’s a really solid bundle considering the build quality (details below) and the price.

Hypersense HEX02 box open Hypersense HEX02 foam insertHypersense HEX02 accessories

 

Build Quality and Design

Starting with the super-hard alloy shells, it’s immediately apparent that the HEX02 is a well-constructed IEM. The main body of the shells is a standard cylindrical shape until you get to the back, where it flares out into a flat disc shape.

On the back end of the shells is the Hypersense logo in blue, black and silver colours. And what’s interesting here is there’s a layer of crystal or glass – similar to the face of a wristwatch or glass back found on some mobile phones. It’s super smooth and looks really classy.

A black, stiff rubber band wraps around the rear of the housing and extends down to form a strain relief. The HEX02’s shells are lightweight but feel very robust and durable. On the front end, there is a straight nozzle that has a well-defined lip that holds your eartips securely in place.

There is a tiny vent near the base of the nozzle and another one near the cable entry point. They’re really small but must be effective because I did not experience any driver flex during testing. Last but not least, the nozzles have a metal mesh grill to keep out debris and earwax.

Hypersense HEX02 shell glass back

Hypersense HEX02 closeup

Cable

Following on from the quality of the IEM shells, the HEX02’s cable is also high quality (for the price). The black rubberized sheath is smooth, supple and free of any kinks or unruly bounciness.

On the right side of the cable is the three-button remote and microphone which is made from black plastic. The buttons have a nice tactile click and worked perfectly with my Android smartphone for adjusting volume, play/pause and skipping or rewinding tracks. The middle button is recessed, making it super easy to find the right button by feel; little details like this make a positive difference.

I would have liked to see some strain relief at either end of the inline control, as that seems the most likely point of possible failure down the road. There’s a cylindrical metal Y-split and the cable terminates with a straight metal 3.5 mm plug.

Hypersense HEX02 control and mic Hypersense HEX02 cable and pouch

Comfort and Noise Isolation

Thanks to being lightweight and ergonomically sound, the Hypersense HEX02 is a very comfortable earphone. It’s something I could keep in my ears all day, were life to grant me that luxury. I didn’t feel any pressure buildup or discomfort at any stage during use.

These can be worn cable down or over-ear. I prefer to wear them cable down but if I’m on the move it’s great to have the option of going over-ear as it almost eliminates any microphonics (cable noise).

Passive noise isolation is above average. I often didn’t hear people talking to me, even when I was listening at a relatively low volume. The HEX02 is perfect for noisy environments and public transport etc.

Sound

Full-bodied with an emphasis on bass and mid-bass in particular,  the HEX02 has a warm, V-shaped signature. A clear but slightly recessed midrange followed by upper midrange and lower treble peaks at 3.7kHz and 7kHz respectively round out the sound.

Hypersense HEX02 frequency response

Gear used for testing
  • Acoustic Research AR-M20
  • Benjie T6
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The HEX02 is easy to drive, being well-suited to use with a smartphone or low-powered DAP. Due to its already warm signature, I prefer a neutral or brighter source for pairing.

Bass

Reaching towards basshead levels, the HEX02’s low end is exaggerated and somewhat dominant. Bass notes are thick with a fairly slow decay. The soft edges of kick drums result in a heavy, weighted impact. There is some bass bleed into the midrange that adds a fair amount of extra body to it.

Sub-bass sits a little behind the mid-bass and has decent extension but falls off moderately quickly below 30kHz. The 808 bass in NWA’s “She Swallowed It” has significant rumble but lacks true depth.

Mids

Despite the heavy emphasis on bass, the HEX02’s midrange is surprisingly clear and detailed. Vocals are rich and have decent tonality but are somewhat distant in the upper registers. The HEX02’s resolving ability is quite good but you might not notice so much on bass-heavy tracks as the bass tends to overshadow the presentation. The upper midrange boost adds some much-needed clarity that helps to balance the boosted low frequencies.

Treble

The treble is fairly neutral and non-offensive., making the HEX02 good for extended listening. There’s no sibilance despite the 7kHz peak, plus it adds a hint of sparkle and airiness. After the 7kHz peak, it starts to fall off quite rapidly though, so it ends up sounding a little flat and sacrifices some of the finer details in favour of maintaining smoothness.

Soundstage

The soundstage holds up well considering the amount of bass that the HEX02 delivers. It favours width more than depth, keeping vocals (in particular male vocals) fairly dense and intimate. Imaging is actually quite solid and instrument separation is admirable for a $25 IEM but things can get muddled in busy tracks.

Comparisons

Lipertek MEVI

What I really like about the MEVI is its bass; it’s balanced and has a nice combination of weight and texture. The MEVI has a more forward midrange that sounds more natural in the lower registers. It has a crisp treble with sharper definition but is a little unruly. Unlike the HEX02, the MEVI does get edgy in the lower treble, which at times can cause some discomfort.

Both of these IEMs have an original and unique styling and quality construction that belies their modest prices.

If I could take the bass and midrange of the MEVI and pair it with the HEX02’s treble it would be a killer IEM.

Tin Audio T1

The T1 (review here) is a rare beast. It’s unusual to find such a well-balanced IEM in the sub $40 range. The T1’s bass is very tame compared to the HEX02 but it has much more texture and definition. Thanks to its balanced nature, the T1’s midrange is more forward and it also doesn’t need that lower treble peak to give it clarity. The T1’s presentation is effortless where the HEX02 feels as though it’s trying to prove something with its exaggerated low end.

When it comes to build quality, both these IEMs really nailed it. They both boast metal shells that are robust and lightweight but the glass back on the HEX02 really adds a touch of class and gives it a premium feel.

Hypersense HEX02 rear shell

Hypersense HEX02 Conclusion

The Hypersense HEX02 is a fun IEM that leans towards a fun sound rather than tonal accuracy, which is quite common for budget earphones. What I find most appealing about it is its unique styling, comfort and aesthetics.

It’s a fairly typical consumer-oriented sound that is nothing extraordinary but it’s certainly not bad, and with the high level of build quality taken into consideration, I think it offers pretty good value. So if you’re looking for a competent low-price earphone with a focus on bass, you should check out the Hypersense HEX02.

You can buy the HEX02 from Penon Audio HERE.

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