AFUL Performer 5 first impressions

AFUL Performer 5 first impressions:

Purchased a pre-international release unit for myself to test the waters, and these are my thoughts on the Performer 5. Faceplate design should be in a different colour for the international release but the sound qualities remain the same according to AFUL.

Lows
- Subbass rumble is real, well extended
- Full, impactful but never overpowering
- Decay is fairly standard, nothing too special which means crowded tracks can make the P5 struggle in the subbass region (e.g. Gate OP 1)
- Texture and detail are above average, with clear separation of sub-midbass, and with no midbass tuck
- Overall, satisfying level of detail and rumble with minor flaws

Mids
- Nothing much to fault tonally
- Neutral-warm, with midrange sounding much fuller than other sets that faithfully follow harman
- No shoutiness in vocals, not vocal-forward
- Well separated from bass region, with above average clarity
- Equal representation of male and female vocals in the mix
- Overall, full and somewhat clear midrange, with my only nitpick being I wished the vocals were just a tad more forward since they don't sound thin

Upper midrange
- One of the few IEMs in this price bracket that does not force the 3khz/4khz peak
- Full bodied cymbals and high hats, minus the sibilance (makes Acacia by Bump of Chicken actually listenable)

Treble
- Neutral with some added spice for harmonics
- Non-fatiguing listen
- BA implementation for this region is impressive even without taking into account price point (beats 80% of the blunt EST ones)
- Detailed and clear

Technical performance
- Average soundstage, putting it behind the B2, but ahead of the Lokahi
- Accurate imaging, no issue with handling orchestral tracks
- Coherency is good for a hybrid set, though as with all other 1DD + nBA sets, the DD is somewhat slower than the BAs
- Detail retrieval is good, especially in the upper midrange and lower treble

Conclusion
The Performer 5 excels in tonal balance, detail level, dynamics, imaging at this price range. While the sound leans neutral-warm in general, there is little sacrifice in the technical performance. If you want a balanced beast at USD220, the Performer 5 should get consideration. Yes it's pretty AwFUL naming sense, but this gets a solid recommendation at the price.

Rating: B+ 

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