NICEHCK NX7 Pro 7 Driver IEM Review

TESTED AT $99

WHERE TO BUY

Do you like being able to customize your gear? Along with more (and more)Bluetooth products, I think customization will be another trend in 2020 and the subject of today’s review is a prime example. Enter the NICEHCK NX7 Pro, a hybrid 7-driver earphone with customizable faceplates and tuning filters. The price is right but how does it perform? Let’s take a closer look.

This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product.

NICEHCK NX7 Pro Review

Pros

Customizalbe faceplates

3 different tuning options
Good quality 16-core detachable cable
Very lightweight and comfortable

Value for money

Cons

Treble might be too forward for some

Package and Accessories

The NX7 comes in a small but high-quality black box with a clear image of the earphones on the front and a list of specifications on the back. As you open the box, you find the earphones seated in a black foam insert and another small box laden with accessories. There’s a lot of stuff packed in here so let’s break it down into a list:

NICEHCK NX7 Pro earphones
3 sets of faceplates (red, silver, blue)

3 pairs of tuning filters (red, silver, blue)
Screwdriver tool for changing faceplates
Spare screws

16-core braided pure copper 2-pin cable
3 pairs of white silicone eartips
1 pair of grey silicone eartips

1 pair of double-flange silicone eartips
Zipper carry case
Velcro cable strap

User manual/warranty card

That’s a great bundle for the price if you ask me. My only wish here would be for more variety in the eartip sizes. It’s nice to have 3 different types of tips but they’re all fairly similar in size and all of them are too small for my ears.

Build Quality and Design

In the midst of all the current obsession with metal shells, it’s actually kind of refreshing to see a nice acrylic IEM. Well, the faceplates are aluminium but that’s a good thing because you can actually customize the NX7 Pro. You get 3 sets of faceplates in the pack (silver, red and blue) and you can easily change them using the included screwdriver. Pretty cool hey? By default, they come with the silver ones attached but I swapped them out for red on the right and blue on the left.

NICEHCK NX7 Pro with red and blue faceplates

These earphones are extremely lightweight and with their transparent shells, I think they look really nice. Like the faceplates, the nozzle filters are interchangeable and there are 3 options to choose from. Blue is for enhanced bass, silver is neutral or balanced and red accentuates the upper mids and high frequencies. The filters are nicely machined and thread tidily into the nozzles.

When ordering the NX7 Pro, you can choose any of the standard cable terminations, including 3.5mm single-ended, 3.5mm balanced or 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced. Overall, the NX7 Pro has an outstanding build quality that really surprised me considering the low price and amount of accessories that come in the bundle.

Changing the faceplates on the NICEHCK NX7 Pro

Comfort and Noise Isolation

Transparent inner shell and internals of the NICEHCK NX7 Pro

As I said above, the shells are very lightweight. They’re also narrower than they look so they have a low profile in your ears. The surface of the inner shells is smooth with rounded edges and curves so there are no hotspots. These are extremely comfortable, at least to my ears and I can happily wear them for hours at a time.

Noise isolation is about average for this style of in-ear monitor, meaning their great for normal everyday environments and block out a solid amount of external noise. There’s no noticeable noise leak either, so you don’t need to be concerned about disturbing others with your music.

Cable

Included with the NICEHCK NX7 Pro is a high-quality 16-core pure copper cable. It’s really supple, especially if you take its considerable girth into account. There are no kinks or memory and it handles very nicely with no noticeable cable noise.

It has transparent plastic 2-pin connector housings at the top followed by very soft and comfortable preformed ear guides. The Y-split is a polished metal alloy with a matching metal chin slider. The polished metal plug matches the Y-split and you can choose your preferred termination when ordering: I went with the 2.5mm balanced option.

Sound

Sources used for testing include the Shanling Q1, FiiO M6 and Yulong Canary II. The NX7 Pro is relatively easy to drive and doesn’t require additional amplification. However, it does scale to some extent with better DAPs/DACs.

Filters

There are 3 sets of tuning filters (red, silver and blue) included in the package. The silver filters are installed by default and have the most balanced sound. The red filters increase the upper midrange and treble, while the blue reduces the midrange and to a lesser extent, the treble and produce a darker, warmer sound.

NICEHCK NX7 Pro frequency response — ***NICHCK NX7 Pro filters (red, silver, blue)***

The silver filters suit my preferences best (and are installed by default), so that is what I used for the majority of my listening and testing. With the silver filters in place, the NX7 pro has a warm but very resolving and smooth V-shaped sound.

Bass

The bass has good extension with a healthy dose of controlled sub-bass rumble. Levels are boosted north of neutral but are not excessive or overblown. The same can be said of the mid-bass which has that healthy, dynamic driver realism and naturalness.

Attack and decay speeds are medium, which gives bass notes some thickness and weight without sluggishness or bloat. It’s a bass that naturally adjusts well to each individual recording: it can be big and bold or it can be fairly nimble depending on the song.

In Kino’s “Holding On“, the bass feels snappy and clean while still delivering a satisfying punch. However, when I play Hilltop Hoods’ “I Love It (feat. Sia)” the NX7 delivers the driving bassline with thumping gusto.

Mids

The midrange sits behind the bass and treble and feels a little recessed at times but the tone is natural and resolution is outstanding. It has a great balance of body and clarity, making it warm and inviting but at the same time clean and articulated.

The mids have some really nice texture, good density and a great sense of space and separation between instruments. Playing Daft Punk’s “Giorgio By Moroder” showcases the NX7 Pro’s resolving capability, richness and texture in the guitars, synths and voiceover. The technical ability is something I usually don’t get from an entry-level IEM like this.

Treble

With the silver filters in place, the treble quality is quite outstanding. Despite its forwardness in the mix, there’s no harshness or sibilance, nor does it make the overall tonality bright. There’s an abundance of detail and precision here but it remains smooth at all times despite its upfront presentation.

The mix of piezo and balanced armature divers produces very high-quality treble that sparkles and is brimming with delicious detail. What surprises me the most is the quality of the treble timbre which is particularly exceptional for something in this price range.

Soundstage

The soundstage is average in size which is unusual considering the forwardness of the treble. Having said that, the stage is rather wide but doesn’t have as much depth as I would hope for. However, the instrument separation is excellent and space between instruments is palpable due to the NX7 Pro’s superb resolution. Stereo imaging is also very good but due to the limited depth of the stage, there isn’t a great deal of layering.

Conclusion

I have to admit that the NICEHCK NX7 Pro really surprised me. First of all, the overall package is generous with the additional faceplates, tuning filters and high-quality cable. But what was really unexpected was the resolving and detailed nature of the sound while still being smooth and full-bodied. Despite being slightly V-shaped, the sound signature is mature and genuinely technically adept.

Other strong points are the great build quality and above-average comfort of this earphone. Overall, I think if you’re looking for something around the $100 price point with great technical performance and customization options, you should definitely check out the NX7 Pro.