Bonus: EarMen Colibri (€299)
Contents
Unpacking the EarMen devices sent to us by importer Music2, we see another small package; a portable DAC/headphone amplifier, aptly named Colibri. This 51-gram lightweight box is meant to connect to your mobile phone. That’s why EarMen supplies a USB-C and a Lightning cable with it. There is a separate USB-C connection to charge the Colibri. Handy. There are two headphone outputs; a balanced Pentaconn 4.4mm and a standard 3.5mm stereo output. Volume control is on the side of the device and there is a button for bass boost.
We tested the Colibri on an Android and on an iPhone and on both systems it works smoothly. The DAC is immediately recognised as a headphone output and we can listen to music. What is particularly striking is how good the match is with in-ear monitors. We haven’t heard some in-ears perform as nicely as on the Colibri. Even earphones that are modest in price go singing through the Colibri. When we connect the Hifiman Sundara (planar) to it, we notice that the amplifier has more trouble controlling it. Dynamic headphones like the Meze 99 Classics, easy to drive, sound a lot better.
The Colibri is a valuable accessory for those who want to enjoy high-resolution music on the move. Take a good in-ear set with you and you’ll never want wireless again.
