Light But Punchy – NF Acous NM20 IEMs
NF Acous NM20 is a $119 USD Entry-Level IEM or In-Ear Monitor with a Dynamic Driver at the core, Tailored for both studio and live usage for the professional music maker on a budget. Today we will review the NM20 and see how it fits in the picture of today’s crowded market, as well as how well it fits for our usual suite of musical styles.
Introduction
NF Acous is a recent rebranding of the original NF Audio, which was rather popular within the entry-level and Chifi markets. They are doing their best to market their own products, being present at high-end and hifi listening events, allowing people to try on their products, and so far they have provided a good experience for their customers, making reliable and comfortable earphones.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to Nf Acous for providing us with the sample for this review.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4h8THVB
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_omOjvrK
Build Quality / Aesthetics
NFAcous NM20 is a full upgrade from the company’s NM2 IEMs, and the new variant comes with a MC2L-100P Dynamic Driver, using a high-precision integrated tuning PCB, and as NF Audio solid over 100.000 units of the NM2 globally, they wanted to make the upgrade worthwhile.
One of the tricks the company is using is the Clutter Trap, a Patented tech that reduces the reflected sound, using damping nets and 2 tuning sponges. NF Acous goes for a monitoring signature, with a slightly enhanced presence of the sub-bass, below 100 Hz. NM 20 also comes with transparent housing, metallic parts visible inside and outside, for decorative purposes, and with a new 0.78mm 2-Pin QDC cable connector between the IEMs and the cable.
We get a natural impedance of 32 OHMs, a promised passive sound isolation of 25 OHMs, and a SPL of 108 dB. The THD is promised to be <1%, and we have a maximum SPL of 125 dB. Sadly, the cable included is single ended only, but happily there is a nice storage / transport case included in the package.
Fit / Subjective Usage
NF Acous NM20 feels really nice in my ears, and the default eartips work well, but it is incredibly sensitive to source hissing / background noise, and the cable it uses is very thin, very flexible, but it feels really fragile. It offers around 20 dB of passive noise isolation, also it leaks quite a bit, but it does not have any kind of driver flex or void.
In general, I feel like NM20 is well-made, it feels like one of the lightest IEMS on the market, and my comfort is excellent in general. The passive noise isolation is much better than I expected and as there is no comfort downside, it is incredibly good for playing music / production / live presentation. The thin cable is a bonus too in that situation, as it is easy to hide away.
Sound Quality
Pairings – I’ve combined the NF Audio NM20 with Shanling EC Smart CD Player, FiiO BTR17, Creative Sound Blaster G8, Dethonray Listening M1, iBasso DC07 PRO, Astell&Kern Activo P1, and Hiby R6 PRO II. All of those sources are more than enough to drive the NM20, and it is extremely sensitive to hissing and background noise, showing background noise with sources that typically do not have it.
Overall Signature – NFAcous NM20 is a neutral sounding IEM with an emphasis on the sub-bass, a high impact, and a strong instrument separation, excellent imaging, and strong technicalities for its price range. With a bright and brilliant treble, NM20 is exceptionally revealing and engaging, delivering a dynamic and colorful sound. We generally name this kind of tuning U-Shaped, NM20 being extremely U-Shaped, relative to the vast majority of IEMs.
Bass – We start from below the bass, at the sub, which is extra powerful, having a reach as down as 20 Hz, and a rather slow decay, full presentation, and sloppy, satisfying presentation. There’s quite a bit of extra punch and kick, the sub-bass having a presence of around 10 db extra above the lower midrange, but the upper midrange also has around 15 dB of extra energy, so the lower midrange is the most recessed part in the sound of the NM20.
Midrange – We get a fairly sharp, colored midrange that emphasizes more with female voices, and dampens male voices, as there is almost 15 dB of a difference in the presence of the lower midrange and the upper midrange. Between 1 kHz and 3 kHz, you will see a sharp increase in the presence, energy and life of female voices, and this affects all instruments too, high pitched guitars, pianos and even certain special effects are much more evident and more forward than low-tuned effects and sounds.
Treble – At the top end, we have a sharp, brilliant treble, but it also bears some coloration, as it peaks at 15 kHz, with a rather strong peak, as present as the upper midrange, after which it sharply falls off, creating air, but also a bit of a specific tuning.
PRaT / Textures – We have sloppy and slow decay speed in the bass and sub-bass, but also a natural, and somewhat slow decay in the midrange, and the main reason this tuning is enjoyable despite the odd coloration in the sound, is that NM20 has a wet character to its sound, which makes it incredibly fun and enjoyable, in the same way Sennheiser Ie900 is, sharp, revealing and detailed.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – NM-20 changes its sound relative to the volume you’re listening to, it gets sharper, more aggressive, more dynamic and more detailed at higher volumes, but it gets smoother, fuller and more relaxed sounding at lower volumes. The THD is not higher at higher volumes, but as it is quite sensitive to source noise, you will not be able to increase the volume with absolutely every source.
Soundstage – One of the highlights of NM 20 is its impressive resolution, detail, clarity and imaging, plus the excellent stereo separation. Although I didn’t get to speak that much about it, it has a wide, holographic and impressive staging.
Value and Conclusion
With an entry-level price point, NF Acous NM20 has a performance much higher than its price point would show and has excellent value, but it also has a nice transport case, high quality eartips in the package, and looks awesome, being lightweight and having a strong passive noise isolation, all excellent things.
At the end of the day, NF Acous delivers an even better experience than all of our previous experiences with them, the company is evolving and with over 100.000 units sold globally, it is a huge player in the audio world, NM20 being one of the easiest to recommend IEMS for an extreme U-Shaped tuning.
PROs
- Vivid, detailed sound
- Excellent comfort
- Nice design
- Thin and flexible cable
- Transport case included
- High quality eartips included in the package
- Clear and crisp voicing
- Wet sonic character that stays fatigue-free
Cons
- Colored tuning won’t work for everyone universally well
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4h8THVB
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_omOjvrK
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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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