New Name To Bring Back A Classic

Ratings

Pros

• Bass with energy, speed and precision. Great technique.
• Crisp, fine and brilliant treble.
• Analytical sound, very informative, resolute, descriptive, vivid, splashy, clear and transparent.
• Ultra-light capsule weight, very good level of ergonomics.

Cons

• Those looking for a soft sound should look elsewhere.
• Notes across the entire frequency range are thin and fine.
• Micro detail can be hidden behind overwhelming macro detail.
• Cable with no possibility of a balanced plug.

Purchase Link

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005007913108670.html

Link to the Store & WEB

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1103468625
https://www.nfacous.com

Introduction

In the last six months, the famous audio brand NF AUDIO has changed its name to NF ACOUS and the first model to be released under this new name is the NM20. Everyone will remember the NM2 and its specialised version NM2+. The new NM20s move in a wave halfway between those two models, as far as tuning is concerned. Aesthetically, they are more similar to the NM2, as the NM2+ were made of metal. There are hardly any changes in the packaging and accessories, where the CD-style case remains the same. Technology-wise, the NM20s use the updated MC2L-100P dynamic driver, with a circuit with two neodymium magnets. It is equipped with a new cavity structure using interference trap technology and an improved beryllium-plated diaphragm. NF ACOUS has used new techniques, new materials and designs to enhance the advantages of the classic NM2. High-strength transparent polycarbonate and CNC machined anodised aluminium parts have been used to manufacture the capsules. A transparent cable with 5N OFC wires and silver coating is used for the cable. There is a choice of three finishes: blue, pink and grey.
The sound of the NM20s focuses on dynamic transients with a clear sound and detailed resolution. The frequency response is tuned to approximate the diffuse field with slightly enhanced bass to suit noisy stage environments.
The NM20s have a passive isolation of 25dB.

Specifications

• Driver Type: MC2L-100P dual-cavity dynamic driver, dual magnetic circuit and beryllium-plated diaphragm.
• Frequency Response: 9Hz-40kHz.
• Sensitivity: 108dB/mW.
• Impedance: 32Ω.
• Distortion Ratio: <1%.
• Jack Connector: SE 3.5mm with 6.35mm adapter included.
• Capsule Connection Type: 2Pin 0.78mm.
• Maximum SPL: 125dB.
• Cable: OFC 5N.
• Introductory Price: $119.

Packaging

The NF ACOUS NM20 comes in the brand’s classic CD-shaped packaging, whose dimensions are 150x132x83mm. It has a ring for hanging. As the model I am reviewing is the blue one, the packaging has a lot of this colour. On the main side you can see the name of the model from top to bottom, on the left side, in thick silver letters. In the centre is an actual photo of the capsules with the cable. On the back side the name is repeated in the same way, but this time horizontally. This time there is a realistic photo of the capsules without cable, descriptions of the features of the model and a summary of the contents in the right vertical margin.
The box pulls out from the side, is black with the brand logo in silver in the centre. It opens like a book in the middle and shows that foam CD containing the capsules on the right side. The left side contains the user guide. Underneath is the new zippered case. Underneath the CD with the capsules is the cable and a blister pack containing 4 pairs of silicone tips model MS42. In a nutshell:

• The two NM20 capsules.
• One silver-plated 5N cable with gold-plated 3.5mm SE plug.
• One 6.35mm SE adapter.
• One zippered carrying case.
• One user guide.
• Four pairs of silicone tips model MS42, sizes XS*S*M*L.

The inclusion of a new rectangular zipped case is much appreciated. The rest is more than classic.

Construction and Design

It can be said that the shape of the capsules is closely related to that NM2 model. But instead of being completely transparent, a frosted polycarbonate is now used, which is somewhat more diffuse, but still very light and strong, even if it doesn’t look like it. The edge of the outer face is now formed by a piece of aluminium. The logo is visible in the middle in silver ink. The shape is the same as that of the NA2 and NM2, and the two strategic holes are still there. The shape of the capsules is maintained because their design is very advantageous, both ergonomically and musically. The comfort was evident in those previous models and after the new studies carried out by the brand, it continues to rely on it. The 2Pin 0.78mm connection interface is still projected on an 8-shaped piece. One of the holes is on its side. The other is on the slope of the inner side towards the nozzles, which coincides with the centre of the driver. The nozzles are also made of aluminium, with a base, a narrower inner diameter of 5mm and a crown with an outer diameter of 5.8mm. The mouthpiece is protected by a perforated metal plate. The model name is written on the rim of the capsules in silver lettering, as well as the indication L, R for the channel.
The cable is 5N made of oxygen-free, silver-plated copper to improve the skin effect and reduce impedance. It consists of 4 tightly wound strands, resulting in a smooth, shiny, almost white cable, with a very adequate thickness and very manageable, yet not very windable. The sleeve of the plug has not changed with respect to the other models, being cylindrical and grey, except for the flat part where the name of the brand is inscribed, this time NFACOUS. The splitter piece is a triangular black plastic medal, with the logo on one side. The pin is made of metal, with two holes inside. The two-pin connector is covered by a rigid transparent plastic sleeve. The sleeve is angled and has the classic vertical axis spacing. The cables coming out of these connectors are protected by a semi-rigid, transparent sheath, which gives them an over-ear shape. The cable has a Velcro strap with the brand name in white letters.
The NM20s have the same cable as the NM2+, but retain the polycarbonate construction, this time frosted, as in the NA2, and have some aluminium parts on the edge of the outer face, which is also used for the mouthpieces.

Adjustment and Ergonomics

Both the shape and the ergonomics are very similar to those of the NA2 and NM2. The weight is negligible. After testing a number of heavier models, I was very pleased to use such a light IEMS. The classic semi-custom, slightly slimmer shape fits my ears very well. It gives scope to use several sets of tips to find the best fit and the best passive isolation. As usual, the tips used have been the large tips with homemade foam filling. The large amount of foam inside makes the tips expand inside my ear canal. The good diameter of the canal allows a great clarity of sound. This, together with the expansive power of the foam, means that the amount of contact of the surface of the tips with the walls of my ears is the greatest. In this way, the bass is also propagated by this contact effect. The use of these homemade tips is nothing new, as the large diameter of my ear canals is the reason why I had to look for this type of solution. With them, the fit remains durable, with remarkable hold and no discomfort. There is hardly any friction with the parts of the ear. The insertion, which is slightly deeper depending on the tips, increases the level of isolation (according to the manufacturer, up to 25 dB).
Regarding the cable, the connectors have the same shapes and the detail that separates them from the head. The cable is very manageable and there is no noticeable increase in weight.
They are still very comfortable.

Sound

Profile

The NF ACOUS NM20s have an energetic V-profile on the top end, almost reaching an excited W on the last two peaks. Not that the bass is totally light, but there is a higher energy level from 2khz onwards.
Thinking back to the old days, they have an almost identical curve to the NM2s from 30Hz to 2khz. From there that higher amount of power in the NM20s makes this new model more vivid, penetrating and splashy. And this should be taken into account for those sensitive to upper mids and treble.
In the graph you can see a peak at 5khz, which indicates a distinctly high pinna gain. That level of energy does not go unnoticed by my ears and implies some listening fatigue and the choice of warm sources. It also has its advantages, as well as an escape from the current tendency to make profiles too soft and dark. In the NM20s the information capacity is quite pronounced and the contrast with this new batch of IEMS heightens that sense of darkness and heightened quietness, where detail is hard to decipher.

Bass

This time, the subwoofer is not as loud and the frequency response of the NM20s is a little more rounded. But, as is the brand’s tradition, the bass is of a high quality. It is a technical lower range, concise, fast, with a punchy, tight and dry attack. The texture is not as pronounced, which gives it a superior technical ability and a more agile behaviour. Although it has a good amount of energy, in the overall sound the bass presence is a little above neutral, without standing out from the rest of the bands.
In the very low-presence pure tone test, you feel that the sub-bass is not too high. Even so, it feels very sensory, deep, natural and uncoloured. It should be noted that there is no negative undulatory character, but rather a quite realistic behaviour. As the frequencies go up, the power, punch and forcefulness also go up, with a little more texture appearing, but without losing that realistic and natural character that is typical of good dynamic drivers. The translation of this behaviour to music is demonstrated in a bass that is not very elastic, not rubbery either, has a very short decay and does not linger very long in the room. Thus, the sensation of volume is not very high, although the colour feels dark and deep. On the other hand, the high amount of light in the set overcomes any hint of darkness that the bass might generate, something that contributes to a cleaner lower range, if that’s possible.
Finishing with the other classic test of dirty, unfiltered bass, the NM20s demonstrate their technical prowess by delivering very strong, clean bass lines without any loss whatsoever. The clarity of the bass is the usual tonic for these cases, leaving almost anecdotal, that is reproducing very complex bass. In this way, the dirtier notes feel finer than usual, generated with a high level of delicacy, but maintaining a good level of power. The layering of the layers is quite good, but the cleanness of the bass lines means that there is little volume between them and more space, due to the skill and speed it possesses to draw those notes quickly and accurately. It is clear that the NM20’s bass is very resolving, informative and detailed, proving that power and skill can be combined in one piece.

Mids

The initial part of the mids drags a slight warmth from the bass, but it fades quickly. This gives a minimal base to both the male voices and the instruments based in that range. But then there is a certain lightness in the centre of the body, losing physicality and overall consistency. From here on, the voices are reconstructed on the basis of more exalted and very vivid nuances. Fortunately, there is less of a sense of hollowness, but this character in the profile is perceived in the same way with the male voices, with more accentuated extremes (especially the upper one) and with a more subdued and less represented centre. Even wheezing and breathing are more noticeable than other elements. The response is the recreation of a very detailed and nuanced voice, but without being distant, rather a step away, avoiding the classic sinking of the IEMS in V. One could say that the ornamental and harmonic excitation completes the voices, and even makes them closer, closer and, above all, more explicit.
There is certainly a lot of light, sharpness, clarity and transparency in the midrange of the NM20s. That makes for a very clean sound, with a fairly dark and perceptible bottom end. The notes feel very well defined, with plenty of contrast. They are fine and delicate, with a lot of resolution, definition and informative impression, taking the sound to a more analytical and pure level in this respect. But, it is also true that such finesse sharpens the notes and they become more penetrating and incisive, which is always a double-edged sword when it comes to listening comfort over the hours.
The female voices do not gain as much body and grounding as one might expect, as they are still drawn with a sharp and defined precision. There is a proximity to the major listener, and there is no longer any curve or inflection throughout. But the notes that compose it are maintained with the same finesse and delicacy.
The upper mids are very exposed, pushing the clarity of the mids to the limit, making the whole a very vivid, splashy and energetic system. Macro detail is very clearly revealed. Micro detail depends on where it is. If it is in the background and somewhat deeper, it is relegated to a less noticeable position. The level of layering in the middle ground is more limited and elements tend to be presented much closer and in the foreground. There is an obvious overwhelming level of information that tends to expose details and nuances to the surface, but there are some that are not presented due to the V-profile itself, being more distant or obscured by other notes.
This cooler character favours genres such as metal, where the guitars are sharp and prominent.

Treble

The transition from the upper mids to the first treble begins with a high energy level. As this is not a classic V-profile, the treble drop is just a simple limited control zone. The profile becomes an excited W, thanks to an extra dose of power that stretches the upper zone into the air zone. The result is a very pronounced top end, while maintaining the finesse of the notes and their penetrating, incisive power. The treble is very crisp, exposed and informative, full of energy, brightness and light. It is worth noting that both the timbre and sonority are natural, with very concise, direct and precise notes, as is usual for an analytical driver. This is not the first time that the brand has reached this point, as it has already demonstrated with the NM2+. But here they wanted to add more power in the bass and take the treble to the next level.
The NM20s are sure to delight treble heads.

Soundstage, Separation

Such a clean, bright, transparent and shallow profile often lacks depth. NF ACOUS has given the NM20s more bass to gain depth and a sense of layering. In that respect, the sound is sort of exposed in two terms: you get that sense of depth while many elements feel very close, with few notes remaining in the middle distance. True, the male vocals and some lower-mid based elements can fill that gap that is a step and a half away. But the main axis is not stretched too far. The sound comes across as wider, higher and, above all, more volatile and ethereal. In this way the scene is more oval, with a medium surrounding or immersive feel, but not over the head and more frontal, with a certain gauzy feeling due to the amount of floating detail.
The image is well positioned, with a clear and sharp formation, but with a more limited body.

Comparisons

Hidizs MS3 Balanced (Rose Gold)

The current price of the Hidizs MS3 is $119, the same as the starting price of the NF ACOUS MN20.
Both models have a capsule with a very similar semi-custom shape on the outside contour. The MS3s are slightly slimmer at the apex, while the capsule of the NM20s is subtly smaller. The Hidizs are made of metal while the NM20s use polycarbonate. It is clear that the ergonomics of both are very similar, but the weight is different, the NM20s are ultra-light.
The MS3’s cable is better, consisting of four strands of thick, dark copper, and has a balanced plug option.
The Hidizs come with three sets of silicone tips and three pairs of interchangeable mouthpieces for fine-tuning the sound. On the other hand, they come with a leatherette pouch underneath the zippered case of the NM20s. The NFs, however, only come with one set of silicone tips, even though they come in four sizes, plus a silver-plated cable with four much thinner strands.
The NM20s are more difficult to move, while the MS3s need less power to achieve the same sound pressure level.
To begin with, the NM20s are more luminous and brighter, while the MS3s are comparatively darker. Both have a profile that moves between the V and the excited W from midrange onwards. However, this excitation is more pronounced in the NM20s, especially in the upper mids and first treble.
There are many similarities from the audible low end down to 1000Hz between the two models. However, there is slightly more energy in the transition from sub-bass to mid-bass in the NM20s. The result of the graphs does not correspond to the audible reality because the MS3s give a bass feeling with more power, density and darkness. The NM20’s bass is more technical, precise, concise and tight. There is a little more rubberiness and elasticity in the MS3s, which gives it a little more texture. There is a distinct difference in the feeling of volume and darkness in the lower range, which is more abundant in the Hidizs. Both models perform very similarly in the very low frequency pure tone test, both sounding very natural, with physical tendency and no colouration, attesting to the high class of both drivers. The bass enthusiast will enjoy the MS3s more, while those looking for more technicality and a more accurate and faster bass will go for the NM20s.
The mids of the MS3s are denser and warmer. In the NM20s you feel that greater clarity and transparency, that distance between thinner and sharper notes. The macro detail jumps out, emphasising them, but without losing sight of the base. The MS3s are more musical and smoother, more focused on the base, with a fuller upper body and more lushness and thickness in the male voices, something that makes them sound fuller, but less nuanced.
In the upper mids of the MS3s there is still that more cohesive, dense and warm feel that keeps the female voices from feeling projected. In this same range the NM20s continue to sound thinner, more delicate, crisp and spaced out. Female vocals are thinner, less full-bodied, without warmth. However, the amount of detail and nuance feels more prominent in the NFs, giving a splashier, brighter feel, with many more sparkles and elements flooding the ears. However, the sound in this part can become more incisive and penetrating, while the MS3s are quieter.
The differences in the treble are great. While the NM20s have very thin, sharp, excited, energetic, projected high notes, generating a really crisp, bright and sparkling area, the MS3s have a quieter treble, but very much in keeping with the sound of the whole ensemble. There is distinctly more thickness in the high end of the MS3s, something that gives them a more analogue, musical, less forced and smoother feel. On the other hand, the NM20s have more overall energy, more delicacy and also a little more air.
The soundstage is wider and deeper on the MS3s, while it is louder, gauzier and more volatile on the NM20s.
Micro detail is very good in both models. But there is a clear emphasis on macro detail in the NM20s, while micro detail can be somewhat obscured due to the overwhelming analytical and informative capabilities they possess. The reduced sense of layering and depth can cause such detail to overlap. In MS3s, despite their density, there is space at the bottom and more layers all the way down to the bottom. That allows you to house deep detail in a more specific location. They may not sound as defined, but they are there.

Conclusion

The new NF ACOUS NM20s are a further twist to the profile of the brand’s own NM saga. It started with a clear V-profile with the NM2s. It excited brightness in the NM2+, while softening the bass. And now, with the new name, the brand is looking for the best of both models: the bass of the NM2 and the high end of the NM2+, but with a stronger punch from the upper mids onwards. It is clear that even more emphasis has been placed on clarity, on sharpness, on a product with more analytical, informative and vivid capabilities. But backed up by a more powerful, but very technical and fast bass area. The NM20s are delicate, very fine, but also cooler and more penetrating. Both extremes of great quality: the level of precision in the lower range is high, while the treble is full of brilliance, vitality, edge and energy. The new model from the renowned NF ACOUS bucks the current trend for warmer, softer and darker IEMS with a model full of energy, brightness, clarity and transparency, to persist with the idea that dynamic drivers are capable of offering a high level of description in this price range.

Sources Used During the Analysis

• EPZ TP50.
• iFi GO bar Kensei.
• Tempotec V3.
• Aune M1p.
• Burson Audio Playmate 2.
• Aune X8 XVIII Magic DAC + EarMen ST-Amp.
• S.M.S.L Sanskrit 10th MKII + iFi ZEN CAN.