Marcelo evaluations the Punch Audio Portazo, a brand new hybrid twin planar and composite 10mm dynamic driver common IEM priced at $189.00.
Disclaimer: This pattern was despatched to me in change for my trustworthy opinion. Headfonics is an unbiased web site with no affiliate hyperlinks or standing. I thank Linsoul for his or her assist.
Click on right here to learn extra about Linsoul merchandise beforehand examined on Headfonics.
This text follows our newest scoring pointers, which you’ll learn in additional element right here.
Punch Audio Portazo Evaluate
Abstract
The Punch Audio Portazo is a fun-sounding and reasonably priced hybrid IEM, particularly with the suitable music, together with trendy pop, EDM, rap, and different bass-heavy music, and deserves the eye of bass-loving basshead audio fans or music lovers.
Execs
Large bass output.
The midrange and treble have good readability.
Simple to drive even with small dongle DACs.
Cons
The bass might sound distracting on some songs.
Punch Audio, in collaboration with Linsoul Audio, is a brand new audio model that debuted in June 2025 with the discharge of its first IEM mannequin, the Martillo, which is thought for its large bass efficiency.
Although I haven’t reviewed a Punch Audio product earlier than, that is the primary time I’ve had the chance to listen to one. I’ve been listening to lots of good issues about their earlier product, making me excited to assessment the Portazo.
The Portazo is a hybrid IEM and is Punch Audio’s second product. Just like the Martillo, the Portazo is tuned for bassheads or individuals who like excessive bass ranges of their music, with a 15dB increase within the bass.
It needs to be excellent for bass-heavy genres like hip-hop, pop, and EDM, based on their product web page on Linsoul Audio’s web site.
Will the basshead tuning lead to clear, highly effective bass? Or muddy one? And the way will it examine to different Hybrid IEMs, together with the Tipsy M3 and the Kiwi Ears KE4? Let’s discover out.
Options
The Portazo is a hybrid set that includes a custom-made composite driver with liquid silicone and LCP dome diaphragm materials for the lows, and Customized Twin Planar Magnetic Drivers for the highs.
This can be a good mixture of supplies and driver use, however the primary function of the Portazo is its basshead tuning, which guarantees a 15 dB increase within the bass.
All Punch Audio IEMs share the identical shell design and form, product of 3D-printed resin. Nonetheless, the sample on every faceplate is exclusive; no two faceplates share the identical sample. That is as a result of hand-crafting technique, together with the motive force’s mounting on the Portazo shells.
In line with Punch Audio, “Every driver is individually measured and paired to make sure channel matching, whereas a closing meeting measurement ensures high quality for every unit.”
Since I will likely be measuring the Portazo, we’ll see how good the channel steadiness is.
As well as, the Portazo options an efficient pressure-release system that stops stress buildup within the ear canal, which may trigger headache, nausea, and ear ache throughout strolling and working. The Portazo doesn’t have that situation.
Design
I just like the sample on the Portazo faceplate; it appears to be like seemingly random, summary, and pearlescent. A metallic Punch Audio emblem completes the faceplate’s total aesthetic.
I might have appreciated it extra if Portazo have been obtainable in pink or blue, however the inexperienced shade, which is the one shade obtainable, can also be good.
The Portazo makes use of a mesh-style metallic grill for its resin nozzles. There’s a vent gap close to the nozzle that acts because the stress aid vent, and the serial quantity is marked with the Portazo textual content.
Close to the faceplate, there’s a bigger gap coated with a metallic grill that acts because the back-pressure aid for the drivers and the flush-mounted 2-pin connector.
Inventory Cable
It’s good to see that the Portazo features a nice-looking black cable. The cable is a removable 2-pin, 0.78mm cable system with modular plugs, composed of 4 cores of ultra-pure, oxygen-free copper strands.
The cable is terminated with a modular plug system, permitting customers to make use of both 3.5mm unbalanced or 4.4mm balanced connectors for nice compatibility with most sources. All of the onerous elements are product of metallic.
Consolation & Isolation
The mixture of very light-weight shells (4.3 grams every), the ergonomic form, the grippy silicone ear suggestions, and the light-weight cable offered me with a really snug listening expertise throughout my strolling train and residential listening classes.
I seen the Portazo has an excellent sound isolation, which I might charge above common among the many IEMs I’ve examined. Whereas some sound will get in, the music simply masks it at a reasonable quantity.
Packaging & Equipment
The packaging is easy: after eradicating the graphics printed on the black sleeve, the black interior field is delightfully designed, with magnetically closed doorways that open to disclose the pair of Portazo IEMs. I additionally just like the onerous leather-based storage case.
The medium-sized field, measuring 172 x 132 x 67 mm, accommodates one pair of Punch Audio Portazo IEMs, one leather-based case, 3.5 and 4.4mm adapters, 4 filter meshes, six pairs of ear suggestions, and one handbook.
Sound Impressions
I did my commonplace 24-hour burn-in routine for IEM reviewing by letting it play constantly with a DAP at reasonable quantity whereas checking in sometimes.
For the sources, I used my iBasso DC-Elite and Muse HiFi M6 Double DAC amplifiers, with my OnePlus 13 Android telephone and Sony DAP because the music supply, and the FiiO M15S DAP, utilizing both UAPP or PowerAmp music participant Apps.
Portazo contains two sorts of ear suggestions: black silicone and foam. I used the black silicone ear suggestions for this assessment as a result of I’m not snug utilizing the froth ear suggestions.
Measurements
Simply as Punch Audio marketed, my measurement of the Portazo reveals a superb left and proper channel matching. Indicating a excessive stage of producing high quality, and the 15 dB increase within the bass.
The midrange is just not recessed in any respect; it’s impartial, and the pinna acquire or the higher midrange increase could be very reasonable, with solely 9 dB elevation at 3 kHz.
The presence of a peak at 8 kHz is attributable to a resonance throughout the measuring instrument, and its frequency shifts with the insertion depth. It’s audible in precise listening, however not as peaky-sounding because the graph suggests. The height at 14 kHz provides air to the sound.
The general response curve appears to be like like one thing that bassheads or individuals who like lots of bass within the music would get pleasure from.
Abstract
It’s good to see an audio firm that basically delivers on its guarantees of wonderful channel steadiness, 15 dB bass increase, a impartial midrange, and detailed, prolonged treble.
I’ve loved the Portazo throughout my strolling workouts, ingesting espresso in a café, and important listening at house for its large bass output with out burying the midrange with muddiness, not like lesser basshead IEMs I’ve heard.
The bass is actually deep-sounding and highly effective, with a larger-than-life presentation that jogs my memory of the previous days of automotive audio competitions, the place the bass is all the time boosted to impress the gang, however Portazo’s is just not boomy.
I like how the bass is speedy sufficient to maintain up with the music and presents the scaling decently, like that of the bass guitarist. There’s all the time a pressure within the subbass, making the sound extra visceral.
I additionally just like the neutrally offered midrange, which has good heat and be aware weight, stopping the vocals from sounding skinny. The treble is barely boosted, detailed, ethereal, and prolonged, but by no means fatiguing.
Coloration
On rap, EDM, and a few pop songs, the Portazo bass increase could be very welcome and fulfilling, by no means distracting; it enhances these genres very effectively.
It’s not all roses and peaches. The large bass increase provides coloration to the general music, particularly on songs that don’t want a bass increase to sound good, together with tracks with nice vocals and lyrics I need to sing alongside to; the boosted bass sound is distracting.
Some songs, like Rick Peterson’s Dwelling it up, or a model of Redbone’s Come and get your love, to offer a few examples, as I take heed to the lyrics, the bass is looking an excessive amount of to itself, making it sound distracting.
I had an opportunity to take heed to numerous IEMs, together with a number of the greatest high-end basshead IEMs obtainable, after I was in Japan and at CanJam Singapore.
They’ve a tender, elastic bass texture that sounds very deep, however with the Portazo, there’s a slight hardness to the bass on some songs, which, to me, detracts from the rhythm and colours the sound.
Soundstage
Upon studying that the Portazo is a basshead set, I used to be anticipating an intimate, closed-in soundstage with a darkish ambiance.
To my delight, the Portazo is just not like that in any respect. I used to be stunned by the deep soundstage, with good width and obvious top. I speculate that the 2 planar high-frequency drivers and the clean-sounding dynamic driver are accountable for the nice soundstage.
I additionally seen a great imaging efficiency. I like how the middle picture has good edge definition and is effectively separated from the aspect and again devices and vocals, portray a sound that’s divided and layered.
Dynamics
There’s by no means a uninteresting second with the Portazo; the sound is partaking, particularly when the music options bass. Nonetheless, I discover the higher midrange impartial in liveliness; there is no such thing as a lethargy, nevertheless it lacks the snap that matches the bass affect.
Portazo can take lots of energy with out distorting, compressing, or dropping composure. I attempted listening at greater volumes, and my listening to appears to be the one to surrender.
Click on on web page 2 under for my really helpful pairings and chosen comparisons.
