I'm surprised the other two people who reviewed the DaVincis here so far both said that they were a little too bassy for their tastes. Different strokes for different folks and all that, but I don't find them to be overly bassy AT ALL. They only have a 3 to 4 dB lift in the bass above target. And if you compare them to the Thieaudio Hype 4, you'll see on the graph that the two are tuned very similarly, but the Hype 4 is actually a tiny bit more bass-lifted than the DaVincis. I own the Hype 4 as well, and I can tell you that I don't find either of them to be overly bassy at all. They actually both come pretty dang close to hitting the "new meta" target, just with added bass emphasis. So I would characterize them both as really more "neutral-warm" than V-shaped. Both are pretty dang close to my own personal idea of "perfect" tuning.
In short, I quite like how both the Hype 4 and the DaVincis handle bass. But if you're a treblehead or just bass-allergic, well, yeah, maybe look elsewhere. Again, I am NOT knocking anyone else's taste, we all have different ears and like different things. I'm only saying this because I think these are GREAT IEMs and I would hate for someone to look at the reviews here for the DaVinci and immediately write them off as "too bassy." The DaVincis just get so much RIGHT, and I honestly think the vast majority of people would really like their warm tuning anyway. Plus they could easily be EQ'd to lower the bass shelf if you really cared - it's really not that much of a shelf.
I would characterize their overall sound as "warm-leaning, easy to listen to, and just plain PLEASANT." The bass never seems overwhelming or muddy to my ears, and there's a clear separation between bass and low mids. Treble is also nicely handled - it's clear and detailed without being shouty or piercing. I despise shouty treble, and to my ears, the DaVincis really nail that. I think the DaVincis are excellent all-rounders. I have a lot of IEMs that I really like, but they tend to shine with certain genres more than others. The DaVincis sound great with pretty much every genre I've thrown at them so far: jazz, metal, progressive rock, yacht rock, rap, pop, electronic, etc.
My one tuning complaint, and it's a VERY MINOR nitpick, would probably be re: the mids. They're not bad by any means, not at all - very warm and forward for the most part - but vocals can come across as slightly recessed, depending on the song. Not unclear or muddy in any way, just a little quieter and less "forward" than I might otherwise prefer. But we're talking a difference of like, 5 dB MAX. If I REALLY cared, I could definitely EQ these to emphasize vocals a bit more. I don't care that much.
One area these really excel in is imaging. The DaVincis handle imaging excellently - individual instruments and voices are so clearly distinct from one another that it really makes "critical listening" a breeze with the DaVincis. But their warmer tuning makes them excellent for "casual" listening as well. Good all-rounders in that regard. I've noticed some hybrid IEMs can have imaging that's maybe TOO distinct. I think because of the multiple different driver types handling different frequency ranges, there can sometimes be a bit too much "distance" between individual instruments and voices. The DaVincis on the other hand manage to strike a nice balance between "cohesive" and "distinct" that so many other hybrids can't really get quite right. They may be the best hybrid IEMs I've ever heard in that regard, honestly. Even the Hype 4 don't hit that balance quite as well, although they do a dang good job of it too.
Build quality is quite nice as well. Resin shells so nothing really special there, but the faceplates ARE genuinely really nice looking, and they're all unique! The wood grain on my DaVincis looks nothing like the picture shown here in the product listing. I think that's neat. Gives them more of a boutique feel. The cable's really excellent too!
In short, I really, REALLY like the DaVincis. They are just very easy to listen to. They're crystal clear, spacious... just great.
Worth a blind buy? I don't know. My gut says yes, but not everyone likes the same tunings, so you might want to try these out first if you can. I bough them blind, though, and I pretty much instantly fell in love with them. So, idk, I say go for it if they seem interesting to you. You (probably) won't regret it, unless you just despise warm-leaning tunings haha
You might be wondering: should you get these, or drop another $100 on the Hype 4? Well, that's tough to say. I really doubt anyone would be truly disappointed with either, and I am glad to own both. But the DaVincis do fit in my ears a bit better for what it's worth. Idk man, they're both great options and I think they're both worth their respective prices. But I have a feeling that I'll be reaching for the DaVincis more than the Hype 4s, at least for the conceivable future. Make of that wha...
Measurements by Hangout.Audio
