Are balanced armature (BA) drivers necessary for better sound? Technically no, because a properly designed single dynamic driver is capable of delivering a comparable sound to BA drivers while covering an even wider frequency range.
The Radsone Earstudio HE100 high resolution earphones are a good example of how capable single dynamic driver earphones can be when designers push the envelope of fine tuning.
The Earstudio HE100 are single dynamic driver chifi earphones capable of true high resolution, thanks to an innovative driver redesign that incorporates a ring-shaped neodymium magnet and not one, not two but three three membrane (diaphragm) layers!
With three-layer diaphragm construction, the Earstudio HE100 are able to cover a frequency range between 10,000Hz and 40,000Hz, giving the Earstudio HE100 a very good soundstage and imaging with very low distortion, airy treble and tight bass (non-boomy). The HE100 sound good both with music and also with calls via the inline remote/mic.
With such a wide and balanced sound-stage, instruments and vocal sounds are really easy to separate as they naturally travel in three-dimensional space, making the Earstudio HE100 earphones perfect for ASMR listening.
The Earstudio HE100 have very good sound separation that is coupled with warm sound and high sensitivity (103dB) so, you can crank up the volume to very decent levels, thanks to low impedance resistance (27 ohms).
For some people, wired earphones can be deal-breaker but the good news is that wired earphones can be easily converted to wireless via a bluetooth receiver. The ES100 Bluetooth DAC-AMP compliments the HE100 earphones very well as the ES100 supports aptX, aptX HD, AAC and LDAC codecs.
You can easily convert the Earstudio HE100 to high resolution wireless earphones, which is neat although a 3.5 to 2.5mm adapter isn't included in the box for connection via the ES100 2.5mm balanced output.
The Earstudio HE100 housing is low-profile with a bullet shape, smooth matte black finish and thick strain reliefs to prevent premature cable wear. The cable itself is fixed to the housing; hence the Earstudio HE100 have a non-detachable cable, which is okay since the fabric cable is braided for extra durability.
There is a single button remote inline the 1.2 meter long cable, which also integrates a microphone pinhole on the back of it. The remote/microphone housing is made of plastic, while the button is made of rubber with two tiny bumps for a textured finish.
The single button has a clicky tactile feedback with six functions, including play/pause, skipping to the next track (double press), skipping to the previous track (three presses), voice assistant (hold button for 2 seconds), answer and reject calls.
The remote control supports both android and iOS phones but according to the user guide, it may not work with all versions of Android or iOS. Being a universal remote, the Earstudio HE100 remote control will most likely work with most android phones but some remote functions won't work with iOS devices, which is typically the case with most earphones universal remotes.
A shirt clip and two sets of different size silicone eartips are also included, as well as a drawstring polyester pouch branded with the Earstudio logo.
If you are looking for budget audiophile earphones with a cable down IEM design that is worn straight down without the cabling looping over behind the ears and don't mind a bit of microphonics, the Earstudio HE100 won't disappoint.
The HE100 earphones are extremely lightweight, weighing just 14 grams and because they don't have earhooks they are slightly more comfortable to wear in the ears.
The Earstudio HE100 earphones come with an interesting limited warranty provided by Radsone, which includes a 30-day warranty (free replacement) against manufacturing defects (i.e. faulty unit).
There is also a 1 year warranty against "user error" where a repair option or refurbished replacement will be offered at the buyer's own cost. Buy it on Amazon.