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AAW Nebula Two in-ear headphones: long live the hybrid sound pioneers!

Not only wars can be hybrid now, but also headphones. The Singapore-based AAW brand, known for its monitors based on the exact mold of your ear CIEM – CUSTOM IN-EAR MONITOR , is perhaps the first on the market to use a hybrid driver combination for the general public. In one harness were dynamic driver and armature. Competitors have these harnesses, too, but exclusively in the audiophile lineup and at an audiophile price point. So, I’ll be a pioneer again – this time of hybrid sound. Join us today as we listen to the AAW Nebula Two in-channel monitors.

Thanks to Advanced Acoustic Werkes for providing samples for listening

AAW

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AAW Nebula Two natrikanal monitors

Specifications

Type of headphones:

hybrid

Number of emitters:

2 10 mm dynamic + balanced armature tweeter

Frequency Range:

10Hz – 40,000Hz

Impedance:

12 ohm

Sensitivity:

101db SPL @ 1mW

Input power:

3 mW

Cable:

1,2 m

Connector:

3.5mm

Headset:

Remote control to support Android/Apple devices

AAW Nebula Two In-Canal Monitors

Appearance and Set

The headphones came to me in the OEM version which means no packing box. But in the parcel we found a case in the form of a black square. Unzipped the silver zipper and slipped out a white sheet, completely white as an angel’s wing, with black letters – AAW. And just below, the headphones fly apart like two slashing sickles. And it feels like a rising Hail Mary sounded beneath the foggy dome..

Don’t believe in mystical beginnings. What the creator or creators put into their creation of nebula, so it will stupefy you at first sight. Later I realized that these mystical ears come with three pairs of silicone and three pairs of foam tips, adapter-airlines and 3.5/6.3 mm adapter. In general, our brother melomaniac will be packed to the fullest.

The ears themselves simple and at the same time original shape. In appearance – a black ball, soldered to the tablet, of course, also black. The whole construction is supported by those mystic letters – AAW, they are stamped on the back side. It even seemed to me that someone wanted to cut out the logo too much.

Through the oval slot you can see the silver grid, which confirms the partially open construction of the headphone. Acoustic design is half-open. The front side is made of metal, the inside is of plastic, smoothly passing into the aluminum sound tube and the enclosing metal mesh. Isolation from external noise in these headphones is quite in line with the closed models of IEM.

The cable is soft, elastic, brown color, with flexible earcups the shape is adjusted by bending the wire, nicely hidden under the heat shrink . On the right side of the cable is located remote, which can be used to turn up and down the volume. Tested it on his Samsung Galaxy s7 edge – the remote “rooster does not let go. Jack – angle, 3.5 mm. The assembly is of high quality, without backlashes and other “stuff.

Nebula Two is supposed to be used behind the ear. My ears just sat mystically the first time: just like the doctor prescribed it when I was a kid – comfortable and without any upheaval.

AAW Nebula Two In-Canal Monitors

Sound

The listening was done with MyST DAC 1866OCU V.2, Lotoo paw Gold, Sony PCM-D100, Hifiman HM-601, QLS QA-360, Shanling M1 and Samsung galaxy s7 edge smartphone.

All sources of the headphones played at the appropriate level. I should note right away: the sound of Nebula Two headphones directly depends on the sound source. Better source, better sound. The difference can be like between heaven and earth.

If you need a musical “magic wand”, then these headphones will play quite attractive even with a smartphone. In such a pairing they sound quite tolerable, but with a certain amount of “sweetness”, drawing a V-shaped response. But paired with a decent player – the same Lotoo paw Gold or QLS QA-360, but even better – MyST DAC 1866OCU stationary, headphones will matte in front of your eyes! So, for full music reproduction, hybrid headphones need a serious source. By the way, I liked the pairing with Shanling M1. Compositions are delivered tightly, with drive, with clear detail – it’s powerful!

I would describe the sound of AAW Nebula Two as beautiful, melodic, with the proper pressure, good definition of textures, rich in semitones. In general, very musical ears. The bass is massive, the midrange is emotional and smooth at the same time, treble rises with ornate “sparkle”. But on simple sources, like a smartphone, the voluminous sparkle fades, becomes flat and in some places even annoying.

As soon as the “higher ranking” source takes over, the defects are rectified as if on cue. As a result, we get quite a dense, powerful, detailed sound, with a special accent that cuts through mostly in the low and high frequencies. Accents here sound most precise, collected and clear.

Example:

Billy Idol – worlds forgotten boy. The composition sounds massive, engaging, with an expression peculiar to Billy himself. The bass has a decent, solid punch and good control.

The midrange is delivered “wall-to-wall” with incendiary emotionality, but it doesn’t cut your ears off, it flows naturally from one state to another, smoothly and unobtrusively.

High frequencies are highlighted, have though unobtrusive, but clear accent, i.e. “chime”. The sound is a little bit simple and simplifies the whole picture. But I think that many people will be pleased by this exquisite simplicity, because the ears sound really loud.

On a calmer track – sweet sixteen, this “spark”, on the contrary, seems to rock the sound wave, igniting from the depth. It begins to work like a guiding star in a dark velvet sky, beautifully and melodically pointing the way for the melodic wanderer


AAW Nebula Two in-channel monitors

Bottom line

The bass is deep, dense, thick, with a good kick, slightly dominating the whole frequency response. The speed characteristics are quite decent for a dynamic transducer. Bass lines are very well reproduced.

The midrange is very musical, smooth, with a slight pleasant coloration. The delivery is fused, but without loss of detail, with decent separation of instruments. The Nebula Two captures the emotional charge of a song well. Mainly delivers the sound in big strokes. Vocals sound with little coloring, which gives them some expression, but the voices are unobtrusive and do not irritate your ears. Guitar parts are played out smoothly, with the proper energy retained .

The tweeter is very much dependent on the recording and the sound source. In any case, the high frequencies are a little accentuated and have a clear edge. To my taste, they just a little lack of focus and precision. Though, there are a lot of people who will like this kind of pitch, and they will perceive the accent in the sound as an elegant mole on a beautiful face..

Conclusions

Very comfortable and pleasing in every way ears. The sound is for the lovers, maximum pleasant, melodic, with good emotional pressure. The price for the AAW Nebula Two on the manufacturer’s website is $199, I think this price tag is a real bargain for headphones of this level.

Sound, kit, build, the ability to use the headphones as a headset, price.

Demanding recording quality, can be unsuitable for fans of flat monitor sound.

AAW Nebula Two In-Canal Monitors

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John Techno

Greetings, everyone! I am John Techno, and my expedition in the realm of household appliances has been a thrilling adventure spanning over 30 years. What began as a curiosity about the mechanics of these everyday marvels transformed into a fulfilling career journey.

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Comments: 2
  1. Giselle

    These AAW Nebula Two in-ear headphones sound impressive as “hybrid sound pioneers”. Can you elaborate on what exactly makes them pioneers in terms of sound technology?

    Reply
  2. Claire Parker

    These AAW Nebula Two in-ear headphones sound impressive as hybrid sound pioneers. But how do they compare to other popular brands in terms of sound quality, comfort, and durability? Any insights or personal experiences with these headphones would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply
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