Disclaimer: I purchased this unit willingly and these thoughts are my own.
PROS:
- Very engaging and exciting sound signature
- Extremely fun, tactile bass that rumbles, slams, punches without bleeding
- Technicalities that solidly outperform competitors in the price bracket
- Treble is airy and sparkly, and surprisingly well extended
- Stage is expansive
- The boutique nature of this IEM – build and quality control are excellent
CONS:
- Spartan accessories compared to something a large company would provide
WHO THIS IS FOR:
- Those looking for a very engaging IEM to get lost in the music with
- Those looking for a very well executed U-shaped IEM
- Those looking for a set with some very satisfying bass while not being too much for basslets!
- Those looking looking for something different from the endless stream of Harman and neutral-with bass-boost IEMs that have flooded the market
- Honestly, anyone with $300 dollars to spend on an IEM
WHO THIS ISN’T FOR:
- Those who prefer very forward mids
- Those who prefer a more intimate listen
- Those looking for an organic timbre
- Those looking for a more smooth and relaxed IEM
Introduction:
In this hobby, it can sometimes seem like there is a hot new release every week and it can be easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of different choices available. At the same time, it can be easy to get caught up in the hype as there always seems to be something new that has captured the attention of the community. Competition is stiff and while more choice can be a great thing, it almost seems like everything is a variation of the same thing – a continuous stream of Haman-tuned or neutral-with-bass-boost tuned IEMs. On one hand, this has resulted in a race to the bottom with well tuned IEMs available at lower and lower prices. But it can be also a bit tiring and repetitive.
Enter the Audio Hekili, an IEM that has flown under the radar since it was released over a year ago. Hekili is built by a freelance engineer from China that has largely been DIY-ing IEMs in small batches for a few years now. It is almost the antithesis of the current trend we are seeing in the hobby. But how does it stack up?
Build, Fit, Accessories:
The Audio Hekili comes in a relatively sparse kit that includes a leather carrying case, cable, generic ear tips, a cleaning tool, and the IEM itself. It is definitely nothing to write home and honestly can seem a bit spartan. It’s an adequate kit, but it does not get any points for presentation.
Where, the kit is lacking, however, the Hekili makes up in build quality. The Hekili is built with a handsome 3D printed shell with a very aesthetically pleasing black and gray design aesthetic. The fittings (like the nozzle, tubing, and vent), scream DIY in the best sense of the word – meticulously built with attention to detail. It is a very solid and well built IEM.
Overall, fit is pretty good. Housing a DD and 7 Balanced Armature drivers on each side, the shell is on the larger side but it’s deeper than it is wide – I can’t see many people not being able to fit it but it may stick out of your ears depending on your own ear shape.
Overall Sound:
Aptly named, “Hekili” means “thunder”, or “passion” in Hawaiian. Hekili is a very engaging and captivating IEM that just sucks you into the music.
The overall sound signature is a bassy (but very clean) U-shaped with excellent extension on both ends and technicalities that perform much better than the price would suggest.
There is something about the Hekili that just keeps me coming back for it, and despite owning a few much more expensive sets that I also love, I do still find myself gravitating to the Hekili fairly often. It’s addictive, and engaging, and a breath of fresh air.
Bass:
Bass on the Hekili is deep and rumbly. It slams and it punches on demand. But at the same time, it is very well controlled and never bleeds into the mids. Bass decay is done very tastefully if on the slightly slow side. Much less, and it might lose some its satisfying rumble, and much more, and it would be too boomy and perhaps lose some of its impact and tactility. While I’m not a basshead, I do appreciate very good bass and the Hekili has some of the best bass I’ve heard on an IEM, regardless of price.
Mids:
In typical U-shaped fashion, mids on the Hekili are laid back, and while they aren’t recessed by any means, they are a bit pulled back in the mix. This, in conjunction with the deep bass and sparkly treble, adds to the sense of space but does mean it isn’t a particularly intimate listen which may be a non-starter for those looking for vocals to be right in your head. Mids are clear with a good amount of resolution.
Treble:
Treble is very well extended with a very good amount of sparkle and air. My litmus tests for treble are violins and cymbals – these two instruments, in my mind, really highlight treble quality and tuning. Both are very well done here. They have just the right amount of bite/crispness to stick out in the mix and but it’s never too harsh.
Technicalities:
Details and Resolution:
Punches above its weight. It competes in details and resolution with IEMs costing much more and well into the mid-fi ($500+) range.
Soundstage and Imaging:
As mentioned previously, soundstage is expansive and this is one of the most interesting characteristics of the Hekili. Stage is wide and deep and almost seems enveloping at times. Imaging is also very good.
Dynamics:
As someone who listens to a lot of classical, jazz, and music with acoustic instruments, dynamics are very important to me. Listening to a violin concerto, for example, dynamics play a huge role in the ability to portray the soloist’s interpretation of the piece. With IEMs that lack dynamics, the soloist can sometimes sound flat and lifeless, and even sometimes blend in with the violin section, while IEMs that do dynamics well are able to not only emphasize the soloist in the mix, but also reproduce the subtle changes in volume on each note that add life to the music, the speed and pressure of the violin bow, etc. Dynamics on the Hekili are excellent.
Timbre:
I struggled to come to a conclusion about timbre for the Hekili. On the one hand, timbre is not completely natural. But on the other, as a self-professed timbre-head, this doesn’t offend me at all. Hekili is an expansive sounding IEM, and one side effect is that the timbre can sometimes sound a bit like things are reverb-ey (this also makes this a phenomenal set for electronic and ambient music). That said, I do like it quite a bit despite it not being completely natural.
Conclusion:
The Audio Hekili lives up to its namesake. Thunderous and passionate, the Hekili is an engaging IEM that is bound to captivate anyone who listens to it with its visceral and yet controlled bass punch and expansive stage, musicality, and technical ability. At $300, it’s not cheap, but the quality of sound that it delivers is much higher than the price would suggest. The Hekili truly is a hidden gem. Being a DIY IEM from a freelance engineer, perhaps there wasn’t a big marketing budget for it, if at all, or maybe it was just overlooked due to the wave of Harman or neutral-with-bass-boost IEM that seemed to pick up steam right around the time of its release. But only having discovered this IEM a year and a half after its release, I find the Hekili to be one of the most compelling choices at $300 and probably even up to the $500-700 range. There is much to be said about taking the path less travelled by and it making all the difference. I’m glad I decided to give a chance to an IEM that wasn’t the flavor of the month and can safely say it’s definitely going to be a permanent fixture in my collection!
