Modularity 2.0

Ratings

Pros

• Low end sonority is still close to that produced by an IEMS.
• Great fit and ergonomics.
• The driver exchange process is getting easier and more efficient. These earbuds are one of a kind.

Cons

• Back to a warmer sound with better bass, the clarity, light, openness and three-dimensionality offered by the M0 suffers.
• The fit/anchoring of the drivers to the capsule is not very strong.

Purchase Link

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005002624547944.html

Link to the Store

https://smabat.es.aliexpress.com/store/5881794

Introduction

As Smabat itself says, the M2s Pro is a second-generation modular headphone. This time, the same exterior design is adopted as for the M2s Pro, but with improved modularity, as was the case with the recent M0. Now, the drivers can be changed in a very simple way, as well as an internal grille, called the «tuning damping» grille. For the driver, the same driver as the ST10s has been used, a 40 Ω dynamic driver with a titanium-plated dome. The interior has also been redesigned to create a new acoustic control unit with a new labyrinth circuit. Attached to it is the tuning grille. Thanks to this new unit, the low end is more powerful, not to mention the mids and highs, which sound clear and natural. We will look at these and other aspects in more detail in the next review.

Specifications

• Driver Type: 15.4mm dynamic 15.4mm driver with three-layer titanium coated dome.
• Frequency Response: 10Hz-22kHz
• Sensitivity: 110 ± 3dB
• Impedance: 40 Ω
• Jack Connector: 3.5mm gold plated
• Cartridge Connection Type: MMCX
• Cable length: 1.2m

Packaging

The Sambat M0s come in a small sliding cover box made of dark grey cardboard. Its dimensions are 102x102x37mm. In the centre of the main face is the M2s Pro Module logo and on the bottom right, the word Smabat, all in white letters. In the lower left corner there is a logo referring to the internal acoustic enclosure. The rear face is still grey and on the bottom, with a clearer background, are the specifications, in Chinese and English. These specifications are very brief and for more information you will have to go to the sales website. Continuing with the description of the packaging, next to the specifications there is more information about the brand, headquarters, address, manufacture and WEB. After removing the cardboard there is a white cover on the top and a grey one on the bottom. In it there is information about the brand, as well as WEB addresses. On the sides of the white box you can read the brand name in large black letters, as well as the slogan in smaller letters. On the back is a bat-shaped logo, constructed from 7 pieces. With the lid removed, the M2s Pro capsules appear disassembled, but connected to their driver. There is also a complete set of foams, a set of donut foams and the MMCX cable. All this is embedded in a white foam mould. There is also a small instruction booklet in Chinese and English, as well as other WEB links in the form of QR. Underneath the mould is the now classic brown, leather-like Smabat case.
In short, the complete contents:

• The 2 M2s Pro capsules.
• The 2 15.4mm dynamic drivers, with a three-layer titanium-coated dome.
• 1 MMCX cable, silver-plated copper mixed braid and 4-strand single crystal.
• 1 pair of complete foams.
• 1 pair of donut foams.
• 1 instruction booklet.
• 1 storage and protection pouch/bag.

The packaging is simple, but distinguishable, containing everything that is strictly necessary. Although Smabat is not very keen on giving away more foam than necessary: only 1 pair of each, it’s still a precarious amount for such a cheap component. Otherwise, it is appreciated that the storage bag is included, even if this type is not one of my favourites. Although this product is more expensive than the M0, the contents and presentation are the same, only the external colours are different.

Construction and Design

The external design is virtually identical to the M2 Pro, with two colour changes: the centre ring is clear grey and the driver rim ring is black. The cable is also different, with a thinner, silver-plated cable. They look like several assembled cylinders of different diameters. They are almost completely made of metal, including the grilles. The driver is detachable and is attached to a small, secure plastic connector. The drivers can be purchased separately here:

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/4001268432243.html

Continuing with the description of the capsule, on the outside, the marking is inscribed on the inside of a polished metal ring. On the underside, there is the MMCX connection, next to the rim. On the other side of the rim, there is a white dot with a letter inside it, indicating the channel of each capsule. On the top face of the top piece, there are two slots.
Most of the capsule is hollow, to house the connector cable. At the bottom of the inside of the capsule is the other innovative module of this generation: the famous dome that provides the peculiar Smabat sound. It has been redesigned for this occasion. This new acoustic cavity has a new labyrinth and is the difference compared to the M0, whose system was simpler. The tuning grille is located in it. There are three types. This is the second module which allows you to tune the sound. They can be purchased here:

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005002654579713.html

The driver that comes standard with the M2s Pro is a 15.4m, three-layer titanium-coated dome. It is 40Ω. It has a black outer rim and a metal grille. In theory, it is the same driver as the ST10s.
The cable is 4-stranded, consisting of a mixed braid of silver-plated copper and single crystal. It is slightly thinner than the M2 Pro version, but also more manageable. The 3.5mm jack plug is gold-plated and its housing is angled and covered with a small silver cylinder. The cable outlet is protected by a plastic spring. The splitter piece is another small silver cylinder. This time, there is a pin, which is a tiny silver metallic cylinder. Finally, the MMCX connectors are mounted on silver cylinders, of course, which have the channel lettering written on them in slightly darker grey ink. Despite their size, the contrast of the ink is not the best.
The second-generation modular system makes it much easier to replace the drivers. I still think that the anchoring could be tighter, firmer and more secure, because it seems to me simply sufficient. Another thing is the replacement of the tuning grid, an operation that seems tricky, more so with the tools that come in the upgrade package. The external design is unchanged from previous models, so it has its good points.

Adjustment and Ergonomics

The adjustment can be made with the cable over the ear or in the traditional way, downwards. The asymmetrical capsule gives it a disadvantage compared to the M0 model, limiting the total freedom that this model offered. Even so, the size and diameter of the capsules, like the rim of the drivers, still provide one of the best fits seen in earbuds.

Sound

Profile

I find the sound of the M2s Pro to be a step backwards in the line exhibited by the M0. Back to a powerful bass, a midrange that hides behind it and a treble that is less present. There is less clarity and the mids are muddied. It is clear that the balance of the sound falls back to the low end and the first half of the mids. The result is a warmer, more classical sound, where the power of the Smabat bass is once again latent.
It should be noted that the impressions described here were taken with the standard configuration and donut foams. In this way, the profile becomes more like a warm V, with a higher incidence in the low end.

Bass

Smabat has achieved a good sound in the sub-bass area, which is the most successful point of the new acoustic system of this new model. Thanks to it, he has managed to boost them a little and to gain in depth. On the other hand, the notes are heavy, the bass is slightly dark and dense, quite compact, but with a good power and noticeability, even more than desired. Admittedly, my opinion of the bass in the earbuds has changed over the years. In the past, I would have liked the M2s Pro a lot. But now, I miss those other things that are lost because of the bass on display. Continuing with the description of the range, the bass is relatively thick, which limits its definition and its speed is average, leaving some aftertaste and being slower in its pickup. All this limits the level of detail and the recreation of layers. The bass has a binding and smoothing power throughout the entire range and thus throughout the sound. It is true that with donut-type foams the zone improves in its perception, even gaining in speed and definition, relaxing the presence and the incidence of its influence on the rest of the sound. In this way, by the grace of Smabat, the sonority, timbre, presence and power of the bass are closer to those produced by IEMS. And this is another of the great advantages of the earbuds manufactured by this brand.

Mids

With such a presence of bass, the M2s Pro inevitably have a warm midrange, which lags behind the lower range. As a result, vocals lag behind the representation of the lower notes. For this reason, the potential that this model could have in the middle range is lost. As I say, the timbre of the voices is warm, but without losing their naturalness. Due to the distance, descriptiveness suffers slightly, but even so, it retains a good level of detail and a very appetising colour. With donuts the clarity emerges, the range gains in light and detail. The higher speed obtained with these foams favours a more marked and detailed texture, without the area being exceptional. Despite all these efforts, the mid-range is still weighed down by the darkness and the greater emphasis on the first half, which gives it a murky look that affects it negatively. This nuance is not only felt in the vocals, but also in all the instrumentation. This is how the performance obtained is somewhat thicker, less delicate, with more body, but without reaching a smoothness that makes the sound opaque and unpolished. In general, I don’t find too much revolution in this midrange and, coming from the M0 and some good reviews about this model, I expected something superior, excellent. And my feeling is that it stays in the «B», not beating the darkness, not offering a better separation, definition, level of detail and balance.

Treble

The treble is perceived as a little thin, even with donut-like foam, the high notes are not fully extended, although it is true that they gain in presence and development. It is, therefore, a treble-safe tuning: there is a level of brightness that stops at the moment of being more explicit. Thus, the treble feels rounded and not very extended. All of this contributes to a loss in the sense of air, definition, nuance and level of detail. Micro nuances are lost in that soft semi-darkness and where they are expected, they don’t appear. Therefore, the M2s Pro are not the best earbuds for critical and analytical listening, quite the opposite. They are suitable for long, relaxed listening, as long as the bass level doesn’t get to the point of dazing.

Soundstage, Separation

With a big, thick bass, which has a great level of sub-bass for earbuds, the soundstage feels tight. The semi-darkness of the set, coupled with the relative lack of clarity and air, doesn’t allow for a very large soundstage to be recreated. The level of separation is not very high and together with the sense of compactness of the elements, which acts as a magnet for the musical notes, means that little escapes from the core of the sound. Nor is there a very dark background, nor is there enough distance between the silences to do so. It is not a closed, congested, occlusive or completely intimate sound, but the expansive capacity is limited, for earbuds. Thus, the three-dimensional recreation is simply good; the width is average, the depth is somewhat greater, and the sense of height is average. But at no point is there a sense of escape or a feeling of music outside the head as there is, for example, in the M0.

Comparisons

Smabat M0

Both Smabat models correspond to this second generation of modular headphones. The M0 is the smaller and cheaper sibling, with a 20Ω driver as opposed to the 40Ω of the M2s Pro. I already talked specifically about this model in a previous review and I must repeat that I liked it a lot, more than the model I am currently reviewing. The reason is its profile, the M0 has a more balanced profile, it gains its greater clarity and amount of treble. That makes it possess more detail, more air and scene, even separation. The three-dimensional recreation is also more obvious and perceptible. The mids on the M2s Pro are more distant and appear muddier, even with donuts. In the M0s, after removing the damping grille, bass is improved, without reaching the level of the M2s Pro. But there is no need for that either, if the result is a darker and warmer sound. It is clear that the low end is better in the M2s Pro, more forceful, mature, powerful and in that line that is closer to the sound provided by the IEMS. Another thing would be to swap the drivers to see if the new M2s Pro acoustic unit still improves the sound of the M0 driver or if it is the whole that is superior. And by doing the experiment, I am right: the acoustic cavity of the M2s Pro has a lot to do with the sound. This unit boosts the bass of the driver and after the change, the sound between the two is more similar, but the great clarity of the initial M0 is lost. Although they are still there, but not at the quasi-crystalline level of the original M0. However, the mids gain and it opens a new earbud to enjoy. To continue to mess around, I bought the 150Ω gold driver, the one with the yellow dot on its packaging. Placed in the M2s Pro, suitably rolled and with donut foams, it really is a qualitative leap in all segments, but, above all, in the midrange. Compared to the M0, the M2s Pro’s mids with the gold driver sound more complete, with great presence, great body and more richness. Compared to the M0, the sound of the lower model with the stock driver is thinner in the midrange and that greater emphasis of the upper treble can be improved in some places, but becomes a weak point where musicality is lost. Overall, the M2s Pro with the gold driver still doesn’t reach the level of clarity of the M0s, but it does have a more balanced and richer sound in the bass and midrange, and even more detailed treble, enough to feel a clear improvement over the stock driver.
In any case, experimenting with drivers and grilles, interchanging all these elements with each other and adding the other accessories that can be purchased on the web, is a really enjoyable experience and is perhaps the great attraction, along with the sound, of course, of this new generation of Smabat.

Conclusion

Smabat continues to innovate and build a great reputation in the world of earbuds. It is a pioneer and clear exponent of modular earbuds and has hit the sweet spot when it comes to changing drivers. The same can’t be said about the damping grilles, but that’s to be expected. I think there will be a third generation where these grilles will be easier to replace and, who knows, it may be possible to replace the internal acoustic units in the future. Then modularity would be complete. But back to the M2s Pro, this is a new redesign of the M2 Pro, adapting it to the second generation of modularity. Actually, their sound follows the Smabat line, where the bass wants to sound like an IEMS, at the cost of losing the clarity offered by the M0s. This is not generally a bad thing and many fans will be delighted with the sound offered, but it is true that certain advantages offered by the earbuds are also lost: a sense of openness, stage and three-dimensionality. Actually, I’m being hard on the M2s Pro, because coming from the M0, I was expecting an improved version of this one, that new line of light and expansion. And it hasn’t been, hence my disappointment. But the best thing about modularity is that the M2s Pro are not going to end up in the drawer, but they are a testing ground in which to change grilles and drivers in search of the desired sound. And just by changing the gold driver I’ve already found a superior point. Isn’t it great?

Sources Used During the Analysis

• E1DA #9038D.
• Hidizs S9 Pro.
• Tempotec Sonata E44.
• Earmen Sparrow.
• S.M.S.L Sanskrit 10th MKII + iFi ZEN CAN.
• Burson Audio Playmate.
• Zishan Z4.