ND NICE – UNDERDOG GEM !

ND AUDIO INTRODUCTION:

ND Audio, the brand based out of China is a newly established brand currently focussing towards the budget market. The DD3 which we have already reviewed didn’t impress much, that doesn’t mean all their products are the same. The ND Nice being another budget competitor, gave this a chance and below are the observations with it.

ND NICE SPECIFICATIONS:

Driver Unit: 10mm full-range DD+ mid-high frequency BA

Frequency: 7-40000 Hz

Sensitivity: 111dB +3dB

Impedance: 25Ω+15%

Pin Type: 0.75mm 2 Pin

Wire Core: Oxygen-free Copper Silver Plated Cable

ND NICE OVERVIEW:

Driver Configuration: 10mm PET Dome diaphragm DD and a Composite diaphragm BA.

Design: Alloy faceplate with actual vents and a resin outer body.

Sound Profile: This is a fairly balanced, engaging forward presentation with an occasional occurrence of sibilance.

Tone and Timbre: For a hybrid configuration which accompanies a Balanced Armature, they have done quite a great job in delivering a nice dynamic and near to natural tone.

Technical Aspects: Expansive and delivers a nice Holographic staging with impeccable layering and imaging capability. Considering the presence of BA, the detail retrieval is on point with a nice extended treble section.

IN DEPTH ANALYSIS:

BASS:

• A nice clear distinction between the sub and mid bass sections.
• We observed a deeper reach in the sub bass while keeping the mid bass with enough body and fullness without overdoing and under control.
• The attack and decay appears to be precise, providing a nice impact to the kick drums and bass guitar notes.
• Even while replaying complex tracks, the bass separation is kept intact with no sort of distortion.
• The midsection does not see any noticeable bleed of the bass.
• Even the bass heads would appreciate this precise bass and its clarity over quantity.

MID RANGE:

• Due to the addition of the BA, the mid section feels refreshing and vivid.
• That adequately fuller mid bass takes care of the lower mid section nicely, giving male vocals and snare drums impact, tone, and warmth.
• The BA neatly takes care of the upper mid section, providing a nice liveliness to the female vocals and the instruments like piano notes.
• The presence of BA does helps in providing that neat elevation in the upper mid section, delivering a clean and well extended profile.
• The scene appears nice and wide enabling the huge presence of air. This paves the way for that engaging and dynamic presentation.
• Keep the tone natural and present it nicely overall.
• Some female vocal pronunciations can be felt to have an occurrence of slight sibilance in the upper mid section.

TREBLE:

• Evidently, the treble section has been well extended with its impeccable openness and detail retrieval.
• The well-executed BA neatly brings out even the smallest nuances without any issues.
• The extra splashes might disturb the listener initially, but they will get used to the ears with the precise attack and decay of the cymbal crash.
• The vented faceplate helps in expanding the presentation’s scene noticeably allowing a good amount of air to move in the treble section making it sound more lively and open.
• The timbre being natural, the trumpets and the percussion instruments sounds pleasing.

TECHNICALITIES:

• Staging feels holographic and expansive, thanks to the vented faceplate and the coherency between the drivers.
• Imaging and Layering are spot on with its precise placement of the instrument notes and the vocals.
• They consider detail retrieval to be one of the best in this price segment.

VERDICT:

ND Audio has now executed their latest and new offering, Nice, well with its 10mm PET DD and Composite diaphragm BA hybrid configuration, creating a pleasing and refreshing sound profile.

The design is pretty usual in ear type accompanied with a resin body and an alloy faceplate which does incorporate functional vents to improve the sound.

The overall sound feels fairly balanced with an engaging forward presentation where the Bass feels tighter and full which provides the enough warmth. The mid section is now open and lively accompanied with its wide scene along with that treble which extends well allowing a huge presence of air thus paving the way for the little nuances to come out and shine. The nice coherency between the two drivers in spite of the presence of BA keeps the tone natural.

This do have the negative aspects as we observe slight sibilance in the upper mid section, especially with female vocals, in some instances. As an alternative, if you want the same lively sound with less hotter upper mid section then the Tanchjim Zero is a wise option.

Overall, the NICE is an UNDERDOG GEM which should get some recognition in the market. A well executed coherent sounding hybrid product which is pretty rare to see. This should be definitely in your options during purchase if you want a dynamic and lively sound.

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES:

Pros:

1. Macro and Micro Dynamics
2. Technical Aspects (Staging, Imaging)
3. Coherent sound for a Hybrid Configuration
4. Value Option

Cons:

1. Slight peaks in Upper Mid Section (Female Vocals)

DISCLAIMER:

CONCEPTKART provided me with this unit for review purposes, so they are not monetizing me. The whole views are based on my observations with the product hence it might differ from person to person.

Product link: Here!