written by: Ferdz A.
Introduction
For our TuneOut Audio All-In SE review, please click here to view the full text.
Disclosure
I did not receive any form of payment from TuneOut Audio in exchange for this review. The TOA Horizon earbud is on a long-term loan and will be returned once I have finished writing and publishing my reviews.
The rest of the gear that were used in this review are currently owned by me.
About me
Reviewing the Basics
- A Brief History
The TuneOut Audio Horizon earbud that was sent to me is their first version. They have already released version two.
- Packaging/Accessories/Product Features
As with any portable audio gear that I own or have been loaned to me, I make sure that they are stored with silica gel mini-bags, tied with a good leather cable winder, and kept with a dust plug cap to help maintain the plug's condition.
The Horizon used a black Yuin shell with a plastic front cap. I like the shell's smaller form factor because it's just right for my ears. The braided cables are made of pure SPC (silver-plated copper). The set that I received used orange and white cables. It has the same cable quality as the All-In SE; it’s soft, has very little cable memory, and is also non-microphonic. It has the same small silver-alloy bead on the right-side cable, and the short brass-like y-split with the very small protruding hole on its side as the SE’s.
It also has the same thick cable relief made of thick shrink tube as the SE’s. I still have the same opinion as with the SE regarding this part. Basically, it has the same All-In SE cable parts except for the Yuin shell.
The TOA Horizon can be purchased at TuneOut Audio’s brick-and-mortar shop in the heart of Quezon City, Philippines or via their Shopee store at https://shopee.ph/tuneoutaudio for 1,099php or roughly $20 USD —— [edit: the Horizon is now being offered at 599php or approximately $12 USD].
- Tech Specs
Impedance: 32Ω
Headphone sensitivity: —dB
Frequency range: —Hz
Interface: 3.5mm trs
Cable length: 1m
Weight: between —g
- Sonic Review
Note: I always use Heigi donut foams for my personal usage and earbud reviews because I experience hot spots whenever utilizing earbuds without foams. The donut foams also provide me with the seal and stability that I need when wearing this type of driver. I’ve also decided to not use full foams due to its influence with the mids and highs, although it does have some effect with the bass.- Gear used
- TuneOut Audio Horizon earbud (with a total burn-in time of 109 hours & 22 minutes via a mix of casual listening, pink noise, and logarithmic sine wave)
- Pioneer XDP 300R
- Aune M1S
- Zishan Z1 with Burson V5i-D operational amplifier
- XU09 portable amplifier with LM4562NA and OPA2107AP operational amplifiers
- Venture Electronics RunAbout Plus (stock operational amplifiers)
- M3 Customs 4-core Interconnect Cable x 2pcs
- DIY A-B Switch by Daniel dela Cruz Jr.
- Heigi Donut Foams (in black)
- TinGo TC200
- VE Monk Lite 120ohms
- Tracks used (in 16 or 24-bit FLAC)
- Coolio - Gansta’s Paradise
- Naughty Professor - Brain Storm
- Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
- Metallica - The End of the Line
- Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes
- Earth Wind and Fire - In the Stone (Live in Velfarre)
- Saskia Bruin - The Look of Love
- Highs - There was a bit of sibilance with the vocal and instrument parts - this was also evident with the All-In SE - yet quite negligible if you’re just a casual listener. There is some energy to the treble, but it’s not enough that I’d consider it to be bright-sounding. The highs are smooth with a bit of warmth making it comfortable to listen to; imagine there’s a thinly spread veil on the cymbals and high notes. I like very clear and detailed highs, but I still somewhat enjoyed this while listening to my instrumental tracks.
- Mids - The Horizon’s mid section is pretty balanced save for its lower mid section. I like how the trumpets from the Naughty Professor’s Brain Storm were rendered with just enough thickness. Male vocals sound flatter compared to the female parts that were fairly likeable and smoothly rendered. Vocal and Instrument solos weren’t neutrally presented nor were they bumped up. Basically, they’re still close enough to be heard without sounding neglected. The mid section displayed details that are sufficient for a casual listener.
- Lows - The bass is slightly boosted (partly due to the Heigi donut foams). I know it’s only logical to take the donut foams off to take out the extra boost, but I don’t want to use this earbud with both hands tightly clasping each shell onto the sides of my head to prevent it from falling off. The foams contributed to the boomy characteristic that I experienced with all the tracks I used. Due to this, I heard a bit of bleeding into the lower mids making it slightly unclear. The extension is pretty good with a sub bass execution that’s not usually found in Yuin-shell drivers, but still suffers from the usual slow speed performance of low-impedance drivers with soft diaphragms when it comes to fast tracks like Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit and Metallica’s The End of the Line.
- Soundstage and Instrument Separation - The Horizon’s stage width is a notch or two above average for an earbud, however it still has an averagely presented stage height and depth. Due to its boomy characteristic, parts at the back of the stage aren’t clear enough to be heard. What I mean is I can hear it, but just not clearly. Layering is the same as the All-In SE’s with a somewhat ambiguous third layer.
- Other observations - The Horizon is also more of a balanced-sounding earbud rather than a neutral or analytical one. It is not detailed enough to be considered analytical, nor is it flat enough to be considered neutral. These characteristics are more often reserved for higher-impedance buds due to the firmer diaphragm attribute.
Comparisons
- with the TinGo TC200 - The Horizon’s frequency range is flatter compared to the TC200. This is evident with the TC200’s more energetic high frequency, as well as its tighter (but still slightly boomy character) and more detailed low end. The mids is more upfront with further details presented. However, the stage width is the Horizon’s territory; it’s got a wider berth. Although, compared to the TC200, it still has average stage height and depth. Layering is also more well-defined with the TC200.
- with the VE Monk Lite 120 ohms (utilized the VE RunAbout Plus) - The Monk Lite has a more forward and detailed mid section than the Horizon. The low end is also tighter, faster, and more defined on the Monk Lite. In spite of those mark ups on the Monk Lite, the Horizon has a smoother and more extended treble section which allows for longer use. The Horizon gets points for a wider stage with a higher ceiling, but I’ll have to award the stage depth to the Monk Lite. The Monk Lite also gets additional points for having a much better layered exhibition of instruments due to a finer and clearer representation of the tracks' details.
Pairings (impressions from budget, entry, to mid-fi gear)
- with the Zishan Z1 (with Burson V5i-D) - By using the Burson V5i-D as the Zishan Z1’s operational amplifier, I was able to get a neutral-leaning-to-bright signature (with a slight boost in details). The All-In SE’s performance with the Z1 can be regarded as already acceptable by a casual-but-budget-limited user. You may just refer to the presented review information above about the SE’s pairing with the Z1.
- with the XU09 portable amplifier (with TI LM4562NA as the low-pass filter, and BB OPA2107AP as the main operational amplifier) - Using the LM4562 and OPA2107 operational amplifiers with the XU09, the Horizon’s low end became tighter and more detailed with faster decay. The mids was slightly more forward with a cleaner and more defined presentation. The treble section’s warmth was reduced giving it a bit of energy and some clarity. The overall staging and layering remained the same.
- with the Venture Electronics RunAbout Plus portable amplifier (all stock) - With the RA Plus, the Horizon was given more energy on the high end. The bass became thumpier and with a slightly reduced boomy character. The mid section also sounded cleaner, clearer and more detailed. The layering was slightly enhanced as well, which means that the third layer was something I can now moderately hear better. The overall staging was still the same.
- with the Aune M1s - In regards to the All-In SE, the Horizon produced a marginally thicker sound across the frequency range when used with the M1s. The stage depth also improved, but still retained the width’s and height’s proportions. Layering has also improved a notch.
- with the Pioneer XDP 300r - The Horizon showed a tighter and more detailed low end with the 300r than with the Z1 and M1s. The mids and highs were also presented more naturally with more definition, detail, and energy without losing much of its smoothness. Its staging and layering remained the same.
Summary and Recommendations
The Horizon is what I consider to be TuneOut Audio’s “polite” earbud. It may not be as polite as the Moondrop Nameless, but the more confident sound it brings makes it a better choice for those who prefer a relaxing alternative without feeling sleepy too quickly. The sound is balanced, and can possibly be used with any slow-to-average paced, acoustic-based, or non-bass heavy tracks. Metalheads may be able to enjoy this if they had a bright-sounding DAP or a decent neutral-to-bright portable amplifier. Bassheads should look elsewhere.
For the most part, this is an acceptable option for beginner enthusiasts or the non-critical casual listener. It’ll work fine with most budget DAPs as long as the signature is neutral or something that’s leaning to bright. Using a budget DAP with a warm signature may make everything sound too veiled. Entry level DAPs are what I consider to be the bare minimum for the Horizon (and even the SE). Low-to-mid power portable amplifiers can help improve the overall resulting sound of this earbud, however portable amplifier usage will always be a matter of preference when it comes to low-impedance drivers.
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