Marcelo evaluations the Tipsy M5, a brand new hybrid IEM that includes a single 8mm dynamic driver, 2 BA drivers, a planar, and bone conduction drivers. It’s presently priced at $399 and as a result of be launched on Nov eleventh, 2025.
Disclaimer: This pattern was despatched to me in alternate for my trustworthy opinion. Headfonics is an unbiased web site with no affiliate hyperlinks. I thank Tipsy Audio for his or her assist.
You possibly can examine earlier Tipsy merchandise beforehand reviewed on Headfonics right here.
This text follows our newest scoring tips, which you’ll be able to learn right here.
Tipsy M5 Evaluate
Abstract
The Tipsy M5 is among the least colored-sounding multi-driver IEMs I’ve heard. Tipsy actually fulfilled its promise of getting a reference degree, monitoring IEM within the M5, and I shall be utilizing it as my reference monitor when evaluating songs and different IEMs for comparability.
Execs
Dynamic and interesting sound.
Wonderful sub-bass and higher treble extension.
Bone conduction drivers add natural-sounding density to the midbass and decrease midrange.
Cons
Want cautious supply pairing to stop it from sounding vivid.
Tipsy Audio was established in 2016, serving the skilled market, and aiming to recreate a studio-quality sound impressed by the Shenzhen Live performance Corridor.
Following on from my not too long ago reviewed hybrid V-shaped M3 IEM, I now have the brand new $399 Tipsy M5, launching in a matter of days.
It is a new five-unit hybrid with 4 driver applied sciences, tuned as a reference-level monitoring earphone with bone-conduction enhancement.
Will the Tipsy M5 actually ship on its promise? Or how will it evaluate to extra consumer-oriented hybrid IEMs resembling Kiwi Ears Astral and Kinera NOTT Phantom? Let’s discover out.
Options
The Tipsy M5 is an excitingly configured IEM with its quadbrid configuration consisting of 1 x 10mm bone conduction driver, 1 x 8mm PU+DLC composite dynamic driver, 2 x customized balanced armature drivers, and 1 x planar speaker unit.
The tuning model is reference degree monitoring sort, which suggests the perceived frequency response is flat and the tonality is impartial. Audio frequencies are divided by a four-way crossover, and sensitivity is rated at 109 dB/mW with an impedance of 20Ω.
The M5 additionally incorporates a stress aid system to alleviate stress build-up within the ear canal, which might trigger ache within the ears, nausea, and complications.
Design
All these drivers and crossover elements are housed in a black 3D printed resin shell, which is medium in dimension however very gentle in weight at solely 5.3 grams. The M5 face plate has a fancy, deep orange sample that’s obscure however lovely to take a look at.
The nozzle is metallic and appears good; sadly, there isn’t a lip on the surface, making some ear suggestions simple to lose. There are three vent holes on the aspect close to the QDC model 2-pin connector.
Inventory Cable
The Tipsy M5’s included cable is skinny sufficient for simple portability however thick sufficient to not tangle simply. It’s a grey-colored 4-core cable with a 1.1mm thickness per wire, terminated in a hard and fast 3.5mm plug and QDC-style IEM connectors.
Consolation & Isolation
Due to its ergonomic form, reasonable dimension, and lightweight weight, plus the efficient stress aid system, the M5 could be very comfy to put on, even throughout lengthy listening periods, anytime, anyplace, with none stress build-up or discomfort as a result of weight.
Isolation is similar as any IEMs with a stress aid system; some sound will get in, however they’re simply masked by the music being performed at a reasonable quantity degree.
Packaging & Equipment
My Tipsy M5 overview pattern didn’t include official packaging, as it is a pre-release product.
I used to be despatched a tender copy of the tech specs and a listing of included equipment, which consists of the 1.2m 3.5mm cable, one pair of sluggish rebound reminiscence foam ear suggestions, three pairs of liquid silicone ear suggestions, three pairs of black silicone steadiness ear suggestions, and a inexperienced suede leather-based storage case.
Sound Impressions
I did my customary 24-hour burn-in, however nonetheless felt it wanted extra burn-in because it was lean-sounding at first, so I left it burning in for one more 24 hours or extra. This resulted in a denser and extra energetic bass, smoother treble, and coherent sound.
For the sources, I used my iBasso DC-Elite, MUSE HiFi M5 Extremely DAC amplifiers, utilizing my Android telephone, OnePlus 13, because the music transport, and the FiiO M15S DAP, utilizing both UAPP or Poweramp music participant App.
I used the clear silicone ear suggestions as a result of I discover them to be essentially the most open-sounding and have essentially the most spectacular soundstage. I discover the black-silicone ear suggestions barely dark-sounding, and I don’t like utilizing foam suggestions, no matter sound high quality.
I used a third-party 4.4mm balanced cable with QDC connectors to get essentially the most energy from the sources and for equality throughout sound comparability with different IEMs.
Measurements
My Tipsy Audio M5 measurement reveals a wonderful left and proper channel matching, indicating a excessive degree of producing high quality.
There’s a reasonable enhance in response within the sub-bass and higher midrange, and the higher treble could be very prolonged, indicating a reference-level monitoring sort tuning.
The grasses between 100Hz and 200Hz are brought on by the bone conduction drivers interacting with the shell, ear suggestions, and measuring software, and there’s no audible anomaly in that frequency vary throughout listening.
The 8 kHz peak is a measurement artifact as nicely and isn’t perceived as such.
Abstract
Some may assume that attaining a flat perceived, reference-level monitoring response goal is simple.
Nonetheless, it’s truly more difficult than finishing a V-shape, U-shape, or W-shape, because it requires extra exact changes of the drivers to attain it, which can be the explanation why many IEMs declare to take action however hardly ever obtain it.
That stated, I can vouch for Tipsy’s declare of reference-level monitoring tuning for the M5, as I discover its bass, decrease mids, higher mids, highs, and ultra-highs to be equally and precisely represented.
Bass is tight, deep, and quick, with good density and element, due to Tipsy’s exemplary implementation of bone conduction drivers, which add a natural-sounding density to the bass and decrease mids with out introducing any coloration or slowing down the sound.
Midrange and higher midrange are completely balanced by having each presence and physique or observe weight on the vocals and devices.
Treble is open-sounding with loads of particulars but by no means sounding harsh or piercing, and the higher treble could be very ethereal and prolonged with gentleness in expression that I affiliate with good planar implementation.
Coloration
The M5 is among the least coloured IEMs I’ve tried, as there isn’t a warming or thinning of sound, no shoutiness within the higher midrange, and no peakiness or synthetic sharpness within the treble.
Even the bone conduction drivers don’t add coloration; I solely hear the enhancement they create to the sound. Nonetheless, I’ve by no means tried an IEM that has completely no coloration, and though the M5 is clear, it’s no exception.
I can hear a slight extra in power above 10 kHz, and the delicate peak at 5.5 kHz, which additionally exhibits up within the measurement.
Nonetheless, these excesses are benign; they solely add pleasure and liveliness to the sound, which prevents M5’s impartial, reference-level monitoring tuning from sounding boring.
Soundstage
Due to M5’s excellent bass and treble extension, balanced midrange, and clear background decay, Soundstage could be very spacious with a pure, wide-open feeling.
Soundstage form is barely wider than it’s deep, with exceptional top. There’s glorious lateral broadness the place the left and proper pictures are coming from, and the lateral panning is seamless and by no means loses definition as they transfer alongside.
The separation between the devices is sweet as the sides of the pictures are nicely outlined.
Entrance-to-back layering is sweet as nicely, and I can clearly hear the primary vocalist in entrance with the well-separated background devices behind the singer; there’s additionally good atmosphere rendition behind my head.
Dynamics
There’s by no means a boring second with the M5. It bubbles with power and enthusiasm from sub-bass to the ultra-high frequencies.
The M5 is energetic whether or not listening at low, medium, or excessive volumes. It’s simple to drive, so even low-powered small dongle DACs can drive it to excessive quantity ranges, albeit not preferrred as a result of sound high quality limitations of such DACs.
The M5 dynamics are excellent and might take loads of energy from the supply. It might probably go to deafeningly loud quantity ranges with out distorting or going into dynamic compression.
The M5 by no means prompted any noise in all of the sources I paired it with; the cable picked up no radio frequency interference, and the M5 just isn’t delicate sufficient for me to listen to the noise flooring of the sources getting used.
Click on on web page 2 beneath for my beneficial pairings and chosen comparisons.
