OVERALL SCORE: 4.85 / 10

ENJOYMENT SCORE: 4 / 10

PROS:

• Energetic and fun sound
• Superb detail
• Comfortable fit
• Cute color options
• Very capable driver

CONS:

• Sibilance and fatigue prone
• Not the most premium feeling set
• Niche tuning
• Cheap feeling cable

WHO THIS SET IS FOR:

• Trebleheads
• People who love to EQ
• People who need a stage monitor

WHO THIS SET ISN’T FOR:

• Treble sensitives
• People who want a more “normal” tuning
• People who want a premium IEM

RECOMMENDED GENRES:

• Jazz
• Instrumentals

SHORT REVIEW:

The NM20 is hot on the heels of NF Acous rebranding and is a set that embodies what made NF Audio stood out in the first place. Bright, energetic and very comfortable are the best words to describe this NM20, but it can lean too hot on higher listening volumes. The very capable driver shows a lot of potential in the future of NF Acous’ tuning, though!

FULL REVIEW:

Rebranding usually isn’t limited to aesthetic differences. A rebranding often leads to a shift in the overall experience of a product, for better or worse. We don’t see a lot of that in audio, but NF Audio broke free from their old image to become NF Acous. Yet, NF Acous still embodies the same goal of creating high quality monitoring and audiophile gear that they’ve established in NF Audio. So does this rebranding also mean newer, better and improved products? Let’s find out!

THE ACOUS TREATMENT

NF Acous, previously NF Audio, is a brand that has been in the audio space for quite a while. You may not see them a lot, but they’ve had quite a lot of critically well-received products in the past like the NM and NA series of IEMs. I was personally a big fan of the original NM2 with its energetic yet balanced v-shaped tuning that stood the test of time since 2020. 

Upon the reveal of their rebranding, NF Acous wanted to revisit that well-received IEM with a new and improved set called the NM20. This $120 single DD IEM follows its predecessor and stays true to their musician series quality. But do they really? Let’s start with the unboxing!

PRE-UNBOXING THOUGHTS

There’s one thing I really want to address before we head to the unboxing section, I want to talk quickly about their marketing and rebranding.

Out of all the brands I’ve come across in the Chi-Fi space, none have captured my attention with their brand and marketing like NF Acous. As some of you may know, my graduating course is multimedia arts and design, so it’s eventually going to be my job to create marketing and branding like these. NF Acous, by far, has some of the most consistent and aesthetically pleasing branding that I’ve come across and it’s not even close. There are more premium brands that achieve this same thing, but NF Acous is one of the few in the Chi-Fi space that does it in such a way that it can compete with more premium brands. 

Arguably their strongest quality is how well they’ve tackled their target demographic. Professionals and musicians who are looking for affordable but high quality monitoring gear. I’ve seen countless of their posts being endorsed by not only domestic bands but also international bands. It’s amazing how well they’ve captured that market while also catering to the audiophile market. 

Anyways, enough about their marketing and branding. Let’s get to the NM20 itself. 

UNBOXING

As unboxings go, the NM20 isn’t far off from the likes of the older NM and NA series of IEMs. 

Here’s a full list of the unboxing:

• IEMs
• Cable
• Carrying Case
• 3.5mm to 6.35mm Adaptor
• MS42 Eartips
• Paperwork

The stand out inclusions are definitely those MS42 eartips. While they seem like normal silicone eartips at first glance, these are stubby semi medium bore eartips perfect for warmer and brighter IEMs and create a balance of air and seal. It’s not quite S&S levels, but the shorter construction does make it a solid choice for long nozzled IEMs. 

The carrying pouch does deserve a mention due to its improved construction and form compared to the old NF cases. Those small circle cases were horrendous and cannot fit anything other than a single pair of IEMs. 

BUILD & FIT

One aspect of the Nx series that was maintained in the NM20 is the build. Instead of the older resin-style shell, the NM20 features a similarly lightweight but high quality polycarbonate build that is very comfortable in the ear. You have to expect this from an IEM catered for professionals and nothing less. 

Aesthetically, I think the frosted shell looks and feels a LOT more premium than the older resin-style design. But I think it’s important not to expect the NM20 to be a “premium” feeling IEM like the Nx+ variants. Those are full metal IEMs with arguably some of the best feeling shells that NF Acous has created. Granted, the ergonomics is not as good as the NM20, but I’d argue that you can attribute that to their better mold choice over the years. 

Unfortunately, the cable is largely the same as the older NF IEMs with how thin and cheap feeling they are. They did update the interface to be a little bit more premium feeling, but it’s not much of an upgrade. One thing is for certain, however. This cable will not get in your way if you’re performing live. It hooks unto your ear comfortably enough and paired with the solid fit of the IEM, this ain’t going anywhere. 

SOUND:

Sound Signature

The NM20 features a very very bright V-Shaped sound signature with some of the spiciest treble I’ve heard in modern times. The treble energy is genuinely so off the table that this is one of the few IEMs that I have to say is exclusively made for low volume listeners who like a LOT of treble. 

Source Pairing

This is also one of the few IEMs that, regardless where you throw it at, it’s going to sound fine. From cheap sources to expensive sources, you’re getting a relatively similar listening experience with the NM20. Once again, a great feature for professional musicians

Volume Scaling

Low volume. That’s it. Go anything higher than medium volume and it’s just sibilance city. 

Listening Experience

Audiophiles and musicians have two different “needs” when it comes to their monitors. Audiophiles usually want a more “detailed” and “revealing” sound while professionals warm a warmer and more rich tone. At least, that’s what my friend INM Audio told me on why he made the Vanila and Stage series of IEMs. 

NF Acous flipped the switch by making the NM20 a rather bright and energetic sounding IEM. Actually, a VERY bright IEM. I haven’t heard of an IEM this bright in a long time with how common “normal” tuned IEMs have become. This is both its strength and weakness as an IEM this bright and detailed is hard to come by, but also makes it an extremely specialized IEM. 

One of the things that makes the NM20 such a special IEM is how it’s one of the few IEMs that I can confidently call a “pure low volume IEM”. This is, despite being an audiophile, I find the treble to be too much at even medium volume. However, this makes the NM20 a fantastic IEM to use when you want to specifically focus on treble details and clarity. This might seem a little unintuitive, especially since a lot of people like to “feel” the music. But as I’ve learned from not only myself but other people who love the sparkle of treble, having an IEM that forces you to focus on that without the need of EQ is rare and something to cherish. 

I usually throw in specific music that I found to be enjoyable with the NM20, but the NM20 honestly fit any song that I threw in low volumes. I’m never going to feel the bass and the mids are going to be distant, but that treble is going to be my focus for my entire listening session. 

If you were to ask me specific tracks/albums that I did end up enjoying more at lower listening volumes, Laufey’s Bewitched Goddess Edition and Samara Joy’s Linger Awhile are two of the albums that fit this insanely bright listening experience. This is because both albums have somewhat strong low to mid presence and tamed treble that’ll allow even brighter IEMs to sound pretty normal. Add to the fact that their vocals are mezzo soprano and it makes the somewhat tucked midrange a benefit. 

With this level of detail, you have to expect a very clean and very technical sound. This is an analytical IEM through and through and you get an insane level of separation, stage and imaging. Nothing that’ll throw you too much treble, otherwise you’d just be overwhelmed. But for tracks with complex low end and not a lot of top end, something like SOS’ Good Company, and you get a superb technical performer. 

But let me be brutally honest for a second. This IEM is one of the most specialized IEMs I’ve heard of. But to some people, this is going to sound like absolute garbage. I can already imagine bass and neutral heads denouncing the NM20 as the “worst IEM ever” because of how overcooked the treble is. And to some degree, it’s true. If I were to be brutally honest, the NM20 is an IEM with a highly capable driver but untuned. It’s like a raw driver that they developed and put into a new shell to fit in with their rebranding. Whether or not this is true, I can’t say. What I can say is that for most people, the tuning of the NM20 is way too bright and way too thin to be “listenable”. But for low volume listeners and even trebleheads, the NM20 is one of a kind. 

A CAPABLE DRIVER

A quality of the NM20 I want to talk about that I don’t usually talk about in IEMs is EQ-ability. Normally, I don’t bother with EQ as it changes the tuning of the IEM I’m using to a level that I don’t enjoy quite as much. 90% of IEMs I’ve tried is like this, and it’s also partially because the drivers can’t handle the level of EQ. The NM20 is an exception that blew me away as I used the Fosi K7’s EQ function. 

I was testing around and found that -3 on treble and +6 on the bass was the sweet spot. It took bass energy up and treble energy down to make it a far less fatiguing and yet still very techically capable sound. Maybe if the treble was easier to fine tune, the NM20 would have been the “go-to” EQ set, but big changes and anything that doesn’t tackle post 6k EQ shows what kind of driver the NM20 really has.

COMPARISONS

vs NF Acous NM2+

The NM2+ was the “upgrade” to the original NM2 which was a very well-received IEM. The already began to show the direction that the NM and even NA series were heading as far back as 2021. The NM2+ is a bright, vocal forward and bass shy set with a focus on musicality and technical prowess. The separation is some of the best under $200 at the time and the vocal energy is, and still is, unlike anything I’ve heard outside of NF Acous themselves. This exact quality is what makes it both stand out as a great single DD set but also an abrasive set for anyone that’s not a treblehead. The NM20 takes that bright neutral tuning and cranks the treble and a bit of the bass up. The NM20 is even brighter, even more v-shaped and yet more refined. That’s a bit odd to hear, but the MC2L-100 is indeed an improvement from the MC2L-10 II as the grain is far less pronounced on the NM20 compared to the NM2+. However, I still think the NM2+ is the more balanced and more versatile sounding IEM between the two, plus that shell feels so much more premium despite fitting far worse than the NM20. The NM20 is the more technical and more “refined” sounding set between the two while the NM2+ is the more balanced and more versatile sounding set. 

vs Simgot EA500LM

Quite an interesting comparison with the price difference being over $50, but there’s not a lot of competent “bright” single DDs in the market and the EA500LM is still one of the best single DDs if you’re looking specifically for a refined bright u-shaped tuning. The EA500LM is, expectedly, the more balanced and smoother sounding set. There’s no doubt that more people would probably prefer the EA500LM’s tuning. However, the NM20 is the more technically capable set, despite not having the same level of dynamics on stock tuning. It’s not a massive difference, mind you, but it’s one that goes to show the raw techs of the NM20. 

vs Simgot EA1000

Another Simgot, another technically superb set for the price. The NM20 has a harder time trying to compete with the EA1000, but is a little closer in terms of note weight and energy. The NM20 is essentially the +6 option on both the bass and treble from the K7 when plugging the EA1000 in. Tonally and technically, the EA1000 is superior to the NM20, but once again the NM20 is the far more “specialized” sounding set with the EA1000 being more versatile, but still vocal focused

vs Rose Technics QT9 MK3

An IEM with far more in common tonally and technically, the QT9 MK3 has a crazily vocal and technical focused sound that initially reminded me of the NM20. However, the NM20 is still brighter and, interestingly, more consistent with its sound thanks to the single DD providing a coherent sound over the hybrid QT9 MK3. Technically, I’d say they’re about on par with the QT9 MK3 being slightly ahead by defining the bass as well as the treble. NM20 does define the bass nicely, despite lacking body, but the QT9 MK3 is a set that is exceptional in this regard. 

CONCLUSION

Every time I review a product, I try to keep an open mind on the people who will be using this and not those who won’t. I made this review specifically tackling it as a treblehead and analytical IEM. Not a balanced IEM, not a versatile or even neutral sounding set because it isn’t that. And yet, the NM20 still baffled me with how specific its tuning is. 

It’s so bright that even a treblehead like me feels like I’ll lose my hearing if I listen to this on high volumes for any longer than a minute. And yet, the low listening volume sessions were unlike anything I’ve heard. It’s such a focused sound that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Is this set for everyone? No, not even close. Hell, I don’t want to blindly recommend this to anyone who isn’t a professional musician in need of an in-ear monitor with emphasis on the high frequencies. But for those who like that sparkle that tickles you ear at safe volumes, the NM20 is a set to get. 

Thank you for reading my review on the NF Acous NM20. 

Official website: https://www.nfacous.com

Aliexpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1103468625