Avara Neo IEMs – Mini Becomes Maxi
Avara Neo is a really pocket-friendly entry-level IEM priced at 40 USD, making it one of the least expensive IEMs I ever reviewed on Audiophile-Heaven. The company has some nifty features for this price though, at just for a few extra USD you can customise your own Neo, making it an attractive choice for those on a budget. They will get compared to Jade Audio EA3 and Flares Jet 2.
It will also get paired with Hiby R3 PRO, and HIDIZS AP80 PRO.
Introduction
Avara Custom, the company making the neo, is actually really interesting and makes universal IEMs, as well as customs. You can customise the outer shell of the NEO, and for 40 USD it is most probably the most affordable such IEM in the entire world. The company is quick to communicate, speaks english well, and supportive, making the whole purchase experience sweet and pleasing.
That being said, it should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Avara Custom. I’d like to thank Avara Custom for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Avara Neo find their next music companion.
Product Link
You can purchase Avara Neo from here: https://www.avara-custom.com/products/earphone/avara-neo/
Packaging
First things first, let’s get the packaging out of the way:
The package of the Neo is probably the best entry-level package I have ever seen. You get the IEMs, some tips, a carrying case, and a personal card with your purchase.
There are expensive Custom IEMs out there that don’t ship in a package as good looking as the NEO does, so it scores many extra points for it.
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
The build quality is excellent. The IEMs are a hybrid of two drivers, one dynamic driver IEM, and a BA driver, with a proper crossover. The cable is of a good quality, with flexible ear guides, and feels as good as most competition has around 50 USD. They come with detachable cables, based on the 2-Pin connectors, which is a nice choice for an extra affordable IEM.
The wearing comfort is good, but they present a bit of driver flex for me, making them about half-half to recommend. There is no microphonic noise, and the IEMs are really ergonomic and designed with the human ear in mind, so they sit nicely even for many hours of usage.
They provide good overall isolation, and they are among my favorites for recommending budget monitors for those who need a cheap but good monitor. This is actually a funny thing, because I know at least one artist who said he’d get one after hearing my unit, because he loved the sound and overall design for the price.
The IEMs are made in Indonesia, a country that I love and respect from the bottom of my heart, as some of the best artists I know are from there.
Sound Quality
The sound of the Avara neo is warm, with a good detail, dynamics and clarity. The sound is mildly U-Shaped, with sub-bass emphasis, and some treble emphasis. The treble can be a bit sharp at times.
The bass is deep, clear and fun. The sub-bass has more emphasis than the mid bass and the upper bass, making the whole sound a bit hollow at times. At the same time, instruments have excellent overall body and the presentation is fun without being too thick. I like how EDM, Pop and Electronic music is presented in general, and they are a delight when listening to impactful music.
The midrange is clean, crisp and recessed. I appreciate the good soundstage, given the price point. It has a room-sized stage, with good overall definition of each instrument, and the tonality is overall correct. There’s a tiny bit of grain in the mids, especially with metal, but it works well for Jazz, Rock and slower music.
The treble is clean, emphasized, and can get a bit hot at times. It has good overall resolution and extension, but it can be a touch sharp, especially if you’re listening to laid-back music and want to relax.
Comparisons
The main competitors for Avara Neo are Jade Audio Ea3 and Flares Jet 2. There are tons and tons of IEMs in this price range, and I reviewed countless on Youtube.
I tried to avoid writing reviews for IEMs below a certain price threshold, as I am doing a better job with my video reviews. This being said, if a model is more interesting, provides something worthy to mention over the years, I will be doing the occasional full written review about it too.
Avara Neo vs Jade Audio EA3 (40 USD vs 40 USD) – Jade Ea3 also has a tiny bit of driver flex sometimes, so it is ok to call the comfort of the two comparable. The overall design is different, but good for both. You can customise the Neo for a few extra USD, while that is not an option at all with Jade EA3. The overall sound is more clear and has better detail on Avara neo, but they are also more sensitive to hiss. Jade Ea3 is warmer and thicker, with more bass. Either makes a good, compelling option, but I like the package and presentation of Neo a bit more, plus you’d be helping a hard working company from Indonesia if going with their products.
Avara Neo vs Flares Jet 2 (40 USD vs 80 USD) – Jet 2 is almost twice the price of Avara Neo at the moment of making this written review, but the comfort is better on Neo, and the sound is also more natural. Jet2 has a really unique tuning that I could never really grasp and understand, where Neo has a really normal, natural sound, with some extra warmth and sweetness, just perfect for both light monitoring and music listening. Jet2 is extremely colorful, and while not bad, they are hard to recommend unless you know well that you want their specific signature.
Pairing
The pairing will be with Hiby R3 PRO, and HIDIZS AP80 PRO. There are no DAPs worthy to mention in the same price range, and the cheapest you can get, while still getting a decent audio quality, is about 80-150 USD. A good example is FiiO M3 PRO which is beautifully detailed, and also makes a good pair with Avara Neo.
Avara Neo + Hiby R3 PRO (40 USD + 180 USD) – R3 PRO has more than enough power to drive the Neo, and I’m happy I went for this combo. Since the V-Shaped siggy can be a bit aggressive on Neo, and since they can be a bit too warm, I can cancel some of that away using the MSEB feature. Those 8-Ball Magic EQ settings apply a more complex EQ algorithm to sound to change certain parts of its character, making Hiby DAPs the best for EQ, if you don’t fancy doing PMEQ. The R3PRO is practical, has a nice ergonomic design, and is in the midrange range, a bit like where FiiO X5-2 used to be back in the day.
Avara Neo + HIDIZS AP80 PRO (40 USD + 180 USD) – Sometimes even I think I’m a bit lame for spending so much time reminiscing about DAPs of the past, but I loved X5-2. I also loved Hidizs AP80, which was a classic for me, when it comes to mini DAPs. The PRO improved upon everything the original was. I actually like the PRO even more, thanks to its improved dynamics, punch and driving power, more than enough to deal a blow with Avara Neo. The best part is that the overall pairing has excellent detail, ergonomics, but also makes sense while you’re out and about.
Value and Conclusion
The value of Avara Neo can be said to be excellent, it is a high-class IEM with a nice warm sound, but a really affordable price. They also provide good quality, and customizability options, being probably the only IEM on the market to offer all of those at this price point.
Starting with the package, we received something much better than expected, and much better than the usual, with the Avara Neo. A smol carrying case is always welcome, and the way everything is packaged is really nice, considering the really pocket-friendly price point.
There’s also the sound, which is delightfully Warm, bassy, and if you can go beyond the driver flex, you’ll have a tiny affordable IEM to enjoy for years.
At the end of today’s review, Indonesia has proven once again to be an awesome place for many things, including Audio. I always loved Indonesian artist’s works, they are some of the best in the entire world, but if you ever wondered how they do music, they do it really well too.
Product Link
You can purchase Avara Neo from here: https://www.avara-custom.com/products/earphone/avara-neo/
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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