It’s been a little while since my last Periodic Audio review. Let’s have a listen to these V3’s and see how they fair…

Disclaimer:
Periodic Audio have not paid or sponsored me for this review.
The views and opinions in this piece are unbiased and my own.

My thanks to Dan, Sue and the team at Periodic for being kind enough to send me out the Carbon V3 IEM.

The Carbon V3 is priced at $299.00 at the time of this review.

You can have a look and purchase by following the link below:

https://periodicaudio.com/products/carbon

Review gear & software:
Periodic Audio Carbon V3 IEM.
Astell & Kern AK70.
Audioquest Dragonfly Black V1.5.
iPad Pro.
iPhone XS Max.
Qobuz Studio Premier.
Apple Music.
MixCloud.

Music:
A plethora of Hi-Res music on Qobuz and Apple Music.
Mainly FLAC files on the AK70.

What’s in the box:
1.2 meter long cable single 3.5mm TRS to dual 2.5mm TS jack and metal shells.
Single Flange Tips – Small, Medium, Large.
Dual Flange Tips – Small, Medium, Large.
Memory Foam Tips – Small, Medium, Large.
Protective Travel Case.
Gold Plated ¼” TRS Adapter Jack.
Gold Plated Dual Mono Airplane Adapter.

I love these little tins that Periodic Audio ship their IEM’s in!
They’re just the right size, robust and store away easily.

Spec:
Frequency Response 12 Hz to 38 kHz.
Impedance 32 Ohms nominal.
Sensitivity 98 dB SPL at 1mW in ear.
Power Handling 200 mW continuous.
Peak SPL 121 dB.
THD Less than 0.2% THD at 1mW.
Cable length 1.2m.

Build & finish:
The first thing I noticed was the cable. Periodic Audio have listened to their customers and reviewers it would seem and given the cable a substantial upgrade.
They have made the cable to be more robust with a neat and hard wearing sleeve, and they’ve also made the cable detachable, allowing for greater flexibility for end users, using either an upgrade cable from Periodic themselves or maybe opting for a custom made cable.
The IEM’s themselves are built to the highest standard & like previous models, are both tough & lightweight.
Massive points then to Periodic Audio before I even get down to listening to them!

Comfort:
I find the Carbon V3 very comfortable. I was able to wear them for a prolonged period of time with no discomfort or fatigue.
However, and this is due to my ear shape more than anything… I do find these kind of IEM’s difficult to wear as they tilt downward and tend to come out easily. I do have this issue with other brands as well so this isn’t a problem on Periodic Audio’s side.
The point I’m driving towards is I would love to see the team design an IEM with all of the Periodic Audio greatness, with an over ear wire. I believe they could produce a truly outstanding IEM! ( Not that these aren’t outstanding. )

Sound:
I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to the original Carbon IEM’s, however I have spent a lot of time with the Beryllium & the Titanium. Both of which are stellar IEM’s and received positive reviews when I wrote them.

In comparison the Carbon V3 have a far tighter & refined tonality.

The bass is accurate, punchy, digs deep and is all together quite lively.

Mids are really smooth with neutrality and an organic airiness.

And the highs are fast and precise. Just the right amount of sparkle and crystal clarity.

NOTE: Periodic Audio also shipped a second cable along with the Carbon V3’s. A silver cable, the “Ag”.
Using the Ag cable, adds more definition and volume to the top end with crisper highs.
This was my favoured cable of the two, but please bear in mind that each person prefers differing sound signatures.

Summary:
At $499 the Carbon V3 are more expensive than the Be & Ti that I previously reviewed, so I would expect some improvements in sound and possibly build.
As far as build goes, Periodic Audio make fantastic products and I’ve seen the highest finish and craftsmanship across all of the products I’ve been lucky enough to review from differing ends of the price spectrum, so from that aspect at least, there really isn’t any difference. However I have to consider the new cable design, which is a vast improvement over the Be & Ti IEM’s with a far more robust build and they’re now detachable, which to me at least, is a massive plus as I can use all kinds of cables now, including the balanced kind!
As for sound, the Carbon V3’s take an already fabulous sound & take it to a totally new level.
In comparison to my Meze Audio Rai-Solo & RHA T20 ( roughly in the same ball park price wise. ) they perform admirably and
certainly give them a run for the money.

Do I recommend them? Yes. Aside from the improvements mentioned above, they’re a brilliant pair of IEM’s in their own right and worth every dollar!

NOTE: Please be aware that Periodic Audio have reviewed the price and brought it down to $299.

Thanks:
As always, thank you to all of my readers, please don’t forget to like, follow, share etc.
And a massive thanks to my sponsors, partners and contributors for keeping these review samples flowing.
Without any of you, there would be no blog!

All my thanks, Paul.

Support the blog:
If you would like to support the blog, I would really appreciate any donations, big or small.
Whatever comes my way is used to upgrade camera and lighting gear, and on occasion, audio products that are essential to keeping my reviews current, unbiased and interesting.
Currently I’m trying to raise funds to purchase an up to date portable audio player that provides 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs, as well as running the latest software.

Another item from Soundcore, but this time it’s not an IEM! Let’s see how much boom this box has…

Disclaimer:
Soundcore have not paid or sponsored me for this review.
Lorna & Soundcore have been kind enough to ship this out to me.
The views and opinions in this review are my own honest and unbiased thoughts and experiences.
You can find the Soundcore Motion Boom by following the link below:

https://uk.soundcore.com/products/motion-boom

It currently retails for £94.99

Review equipment & software:
Soundcore Motion Boom.
Soundcore companion app.
iPhone XS Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+.
Qobuz Studio Premier.
Apple Music.
SoundCloud Premium.

Music:
Various albums, playlists and gapless DJ mixes, mostly in Hi Res.

What’s in the box:
Soundcore Motion Boom.
3ft USB A to USB type C cable.
Manual.

The packaging was a simple but sturdy affair.
The contents as you can see above are minimal, however, as like many brands, it’s good to see that they haven’t included a wall charger, which I know sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s better for the environment so that’s that.

Spec:

Build & finish:
As I’ve come to expect from any product from the Anker group, the Soundcore Motion Boom is built to a high standard. Everything is marked clearly and easy to understand without having a detrimental effect on aesthetics.
It is robust without looking ugly.
I already own a JBL Boombox that I love, but haven’t written a review of yet and it’s the epitome of rugged outdoor audio that retains stylish looks to match earth shattering and great audio.
It’s a lot to live up to in my opinion, yet this little boom box from Soundcore, although not as powerful, is built just as well as the JBL, so that earns Soundcore some serious kudos in my book.
Soundcore state a 24 hour battery run time which in my experience was precise.

Software & functionality:
I’ve already written about the Soundcore companion app in previous reviews so I won’t go in to great detail, however, I will say that the Motion Boom paired with my devices easily and retained a steady Bluetooth connection. The settings in the app are basic but offer everything you need to get the sound tailored to your liking.

The Motion Boom on first appearance is a pretty simple device with just a few buttons on the top and a small water tight port around the back.
But looks can be deceiving as is often the case these days.
We have a “Bass Up” button which does what it says. There’s also a corresponding control for this in the companion app.
There’s the obvious Bluetooth button which is used to pair the device.
In the centre we have volume up and down & buttons either side of a multi-function “Soundcore” button which handles play/pause, track skipping, in-call controls and Siri or other voice assistant activation.
To the right of the device we have the power on/off button and a “TWS” or True Wireless Stereo button.
The TWS button is used to pair the Motion Boom with a matching speaker, creating a stereo pair.

Around the back we open the waterproof “plug” to reveal a USB A for charging other devices & a USB type C to charge the Motion Boom.

Everything is laid out simply and is very straightforward to use.

Sound:
The Motion Boom obviously isn’t a high end hifi or “audiophile” product, so I won’t go into soundstage, or too much into definition, and bear in mind that this is from my experience of a single Motion Boom, a stereo pair may offer different results. But I will say this:
The bass is punchy and when the “bass-up” function is engaged it gets a decent boost, & has no problems reaching low.
Mids are quite present here and can make the sound a touch “boomy”, however using the EQ in the app can rectify this easily.
Highs are clear and not too bright.
The over all sound is lively and I found it suited more to EDM & Metal, though it plays other genres well enough.
Using it outdoors was a great experience and it projects into a decent sized garden well enough, without the need to have it at full volume.

Final thoughts:
At under £100 the Motion Boom is a capable and feature packed Bluetooth speaker/boom box that would be ideal for outdoor use, whether it be a picnic, bbq, beach day or similar.
Indoor use is also great and I can see it being the perfect speaker for use in a kitchen, the bathroom, maybe in the garage while you work on your latest project…
It packs a punch with a lively sound, is built to withstand the outdoors and has no connection issues.
It also benefits from it’s compact size, easily fitting into a medium or large back pack.

A big thanks to all of my readers, my sponsors, partners and contributors! Please be sure to like, subscribe, share, follow and maybe donate.


Many thanks, as always.

Paul.

This is the second review to go out on Appetite For Tech.

Link to review:

https://appetitefortech.wordpress.com/2022/08/01/anker-powercore-solar-20000/

Please be sure to head over there and drop a like, share and follow etc.

Many thanks, as always.

Paul! 🙂

This time around Edifier send me their pro True Wireless IEM. Let’s see what I make of them…

Disclaimer:
Edifier have not paid or sponsored me for this review.
Kathryn and Edifier have been kind enough to ship these out to me.
The views and opinions in this review are my own honest and unbiased thoughts and experiences.
You can find the Edifier NeoBuds Pro by following the link below:

https://mall.edifier.com/products/neobuds-pro

They currently retail for $109.99

Review equipment & software:
Edifier NeoBuds Pro.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+.
IPhone XS Max.
Qobuz Studio Premier.
Apple Music ( Includes the app for Android )

Music:
Various lossless music on Apple Music and Qobuz Studio Premier.

What’s in the box:

Edifier NeoBuds Pro True Wireless IEM’s.
Charging case.
USB Type C fast charging cable.
Storage bag.
7 Pairs of “Antibacterial” ear tips in various sizes.

As with other products I have received from Edifier, STAX, & Airpulse, the contents were well packaged and neatly presented.
This isn’t something that all consumers care about, however I like when a brand goes the extra mile for the customer! It says a lot about said brand and their consideration of the end user.

Spec:
Bluetooth version: V5.0 
Bluetooth protocol: A2DP、AVRCP、HFP 
Audio Decoding: LHDC、LDAC、AAC、SBC 
Effective distance: 10m 
Playback time: 5h+15h (ANC ON) / 6h+18h (ANC OFF)
Charging time: 1h+1h (Fast charging Supported) 
Input: 5V⎓60mA (Earbuds) 5V⎓1A (Charging Case) 
Frequency response: 20Hz-40KHz 
Sound pressure level: 94±3dBSPL(A) 
Impedance: 24Ω

Build & finish:
Edifier have produced an excellent product.
The IEM’s and charging case are built to a high standard and the accessories are all equally well constructed.
The soft pouch is a really nice addition and something I’d like to see other True Wireless brands take note of.
The magnets in the charging case hold the IEM’s in place very securely, so they pass the shaky shaky casey test with ease!
The one complaint that I do have however, is the lack of wireless charging.
At this point in the game I’d expect it as standard so I’d like to think this is something Edifier will look at in the next iteration.

Software & functionality:
Edifier offers a companion app which is available on iOS & Android.
Initial bluetooth pairing is straightforward on both operating systems and remains stable once connected.
The app itself is relatively user friendly and offers plenty of options from EQ settings to mapping the touch controls to your preference.
I did notice something interesting here which I’ve not yet seen from other brands and that is ”Game” mode. However, as I don’t currently game on my smart phones or tablets I can’t comment on this.
The built in ANC ( active noise cancelling ) is exceptional and is one of the better examples I’ve tried out to date.

Comfort:
Once you find the right fit, the NeoBuds Pro are a lightweight and comfortable IEM.
They stay in place during vigorous shaking of ones head and thus I would imagine being suitable for gym use.
The ear tips are super soft and comfortable.
I was able to wear the NeoBuds Pro for up to four hours with no discomfort or fatigue.

Sound:
When listened to with the EQ off, the NeoBuds Pro sound pretty flat, if a little bit toward the bright side.
The soundstage is wide and spacious with plenty of depth.
When the EQ is engaged the bass hits hard, if you want it to and dips low.
Midrange is full bodied, yet not overwhelming or harsh.
The highs are crisp and fast paced with plenty of sparkle.

Final thoughts:
At $109.99 / £91.67, I think the NeoBuds Pro are a fantastic deal and have a lot to offer that you would normally find in a more expensive True Wireless IEM.
Wireless charging is unfortunately missing here, but that shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for most consumers.
They come with plenty of accessories and a nice soft carry pouch which isn’t something that I’ve seen with other True Wireless IEM’s. Not yet anyway.

If this is your first pair of True Wireless and you’re after something that won’t break the bank, but offers stellar sound quality, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better candidate than the NeoBuds Pro!

Many thanks as always to my readers, contributors, sponsors and partners.
Please be sure to follow, share, subscribe and like.

If you would like to help support a small independent blog, please consider making a donation.
And proceeds are used to buy better equipment, upgrades to the blog account and whatever else I see as being beneficial to The Audiophile Cafe.
Any help is greatly appreciated!

Warmest regards,
Paul.

Each time I write a review as Appetite For Tech I’ll make a post with a link here on The Audiophile Cafe.

Soundcore Frame review is now live.
Please follow the link below and have a read.

https://appetitefortech.wordpress.com/2022/07/03/soundcore-frame-cafe/

Many thanks.
Paul.