I really love good music and have been starting this journey since about 14 years ago when I was in secondary school - that was when my baby steps into the audiophile world bloomed with the Westone UM1 which cost about $199 back then. Looking at where I am right now, I have spent thousands on a pair of earphones and still seeking new excitement for what music can mean to me through different earphones. Just remember, expensive don't always mean that it is good.
I will talk about the Mi In-ear Pistons 2 today which I have to shamelessly borrow from my girlfriend - a gift for her during the Valentine's day and now it is with me for this review. I better get this done and over with before she starts nagging on missing her earphones, trust me she loves it. Specs will be mostly skipped since it doesn't tell you how they were tuned. Just for a quick note, its running at around 16 ohms of impedance and has a sensitivity of 97dB. - Please take note that this is the Crystal Pink Pistons 2 version so some of the specs might slightly vary.
I've tested it fully from my Mi Note and running the headphones and audio effects on MIUI to match the Mi Pistons 2.
It sounded very good and strikes the right balanced being much hissing and distortion. Do note that this is before burning in and will improve the earphones after around 150 hours of burn in. Soundstaging is good and has a slightly laid back sound - creating a U-shaped like sound signature. Due to the U-shaped sound, it gives a good sense of perceived depth which you can sense distance and directions.
This was the first song I've tested on as its something I'm real familar with. Initially, it feels that the bass is overwhelming but it is not. The different low frequencies can be heard and it does not bleed into the mids/vocals.
Since Yoga Lin did not cover the higher vocal range much, I will rely on this song next. Very stable higher vocal range by this singer and the piano keys on the end are well presented - similar to listening to an actual piano playing live. Listening to the constantly changing tonality is so pleasant - the Mi Pistons 2 managed to catch with the pace really quickly.
This rendition by Shanghai Divas give a very good sense for depth and soundstaging - and also great instrument separation. I feel that this needs you to pay more attention to the minor details. Like the hi-hats of the drums and other drum beats, it is easy to miss out if you do not know this song well. This is a good showcase of the Mi Pistons 2's power and I would recommend the song to test out on most earphones. This track also includes a saxophone solo halfway through the song.
Time for some rock music next! This still sounds great, but the laidback vocal is slightly affecting them here. The drums beat are still pretty precise but if you use a low-res version. It will sound slightly annoying. The bass guitar seems to suffer a little here - just a minor flaw if you ask me. When most of the instruments cut at one part of the song, it is still a great pair of earphones!
There's so much love for K-Pop so let's end this with a Big Bang! I chose this song because it would mash together dance and hip hop, and as I've figured out the Pistons 2 suit this type of genre really well. This is the only time I find myself pushing up the volume to almost 90% when I was all along at 70%. I really enjoy the flow here and everything goes well together. Once again, I have to emphasis that the burning really helps with the bass control here - this is where I can really feel it shaking in my ears.
Conclusion
- Comfortable fit, good isolation
- Great sound at its price and build factor
- Durable Kevlar reinforced cables
- Stays in the ears without feeling uncomfortable with the air tight feel
- Bass performance is great when it is fully burned in
- Can be used on most genres as tested above
- Slightly sibilant if playing from YouTube or on low-res tracks
- Love to see a detachable cable version in future for possible upgrades
- Would be nice if it comes with a L-shaped audio jack option
I hope everyone enjoys reading this review and to be honest, if I was blindfolded and listening to this - I would put it at the price of $70-80. This is something I would not hear from brands in the market currently at less than $50.
I will talk about the Mi In-ear Pistons 2 today which I have to shamelessly borrow from my girlfriend - a gift for her during the Valentine's day and now it is with me for this review. I better get this done and over with before she starts nagging on missing her earphones, trust me she loves it. Specs will be mostly skipped since it doesn't tell you how they were tuned. Just for a quick note, its running at around 16 ohms of impedance and has a sensitivity of 97dB. - Please take note that this is the Crystal Pink Pistons 2 version so some of the specs might slightly vary.
I've tested it fully from my Mi Note and running the headphones and audio effects on MIUI to match the Mi Pistons 2.
It sounded very good and strikes the right balanced being much hissing and distortion. Do note that this is before burning in and will improve the earphones after around 150 hours of burn in. Soundstaging is good and has a slightly laid back sound - creating a U-shaped like sound signature. Due to the U-shaped sound, it gives a good sense of perceived depth which you can sense distance and directions.
This was the first song I've tested on as its something I'm real familar with. Initially, it feels that the bass is overwhelming but it is not. The different low frequencies can be heard and it does not bleed into the mids/vocals.
Since Yoga Lin did not cover the higher vocal range much, I will rely on this song next. Very stable higher vocal range by this singer and the piano keys on the end are well presented - similar to listening to an actual piano playing live. Listening to the constantly changing tonality is so pleasant - the Mi Pistons 2 managed to catch with the pace really quickly.
This rendition by Shanghai Divas give a very good sense for depth and soundstaging - and also great instrument separation. I feel that this needs you to pay more attention to the minor details. Like the hi-hats of the drums and other drum beats, it is easy to miss out if you do not know this song well. This is a good showcase of the Mi Pistons 2's power and I would recommend the song to test out on most earphones. This track also includes a saxophone solo halfway through the song.
Time for some rock music next! This still sounds great, but the laidback vocal is slightly affecting them here. The drums beat are still pretty precise but if you use a low-res version. It will sound slightly annoying. The bass guitar seems to suffer a little here - just a minor flaw if you ask me. When most of the instruments cut at one part of the song, it is still a great pair of earphones!
There's so much love for K-Pop so let's end this with a Big Bang! I chose this song because it would mash together dance and hip hop, and as I've figured out the Pistons 2 suit this type of genre really well. This is the only time I find myself pushing up the volume to almost 90% when I was all along at 70%. I really enjoy the flow here and everything goes well together. Once again, I have to emphasis that the burning really helps with the bass control here - this is where I can really feel it shaking in my ears.
Conclusion
- Comfortable fit, good isolation
- Great sound at its price and build factor
- Durable Kevlar reinforced cables
- Stays in the ears without feeling uncomfortable with the air tight feel
- Bass performance is great when it is fully burned in
- Can be used on most genres as tested above
- Slightly sibilant if playing from YouTube or on low-res tracks
- Love to see a detachable cable version in future for possible upgrades
- Would be nice if it comes with a L-shaped audio jack option
I hope everyone enjoys reading this review and to be honest, if I was blindfolded and listening to this - I would put it at the price of $70-80. This is something I would not hear from brands in the market currently at less than $50.
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