Even when we have a lot of brands fighting for air in the audiophile scene there are some brands that made their mark with some highly appreciated products. One of them is ISN audio and they have been making a handful of good products at mid to entry level price points. ISN audio has a very impressive track record with their critically acclaimed H40, which has found love from both consumers and reviewers. It houses a single 9.2mm dynamic driver and three BA drivers in a 3 way cross-over. The H40 is priced at $195 and is available in only one color, black, which can look a bit purplish under the sun and kind of brownish under artificial light. It faces tough competition from earphones like BQEYZ Spring 2, Penon ORB and many more.
Product page: https://isnaudio.com/iems/isn-h40/
You can get one for yourself from here:-
https://penonaudio.com/isn-audio-h40.html?sort=p.price&order=DESC
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000419377698.html
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:-
My unit came with the newer updated package. Compared to the older one the newer package is bigger and spacious. A zipper carry case which was part of the older package is nothing like the newer premium looking faux leather clasp case. The older package comes with a karabiner but the newer set gives that a miss and adds a cable clip.
What remains the same are the set of tips and the cleaning too. Here is the unboxing video.
BUILD AND COMFORT:-
The H40’s shell is made out of resin and it feels fairly solid to the hand. Few layers of resin over the back plate give it a uni-body kind of feel. The semi custom type shell design give is an ergonomical feel inside the ear. The longer than usual nozzle plays a role of giving it a secure feel. The 9.2mm dynamic driver has a breathing vent just aside the MMCX port.
The H40 is very comfortable inside the ear, there isn’t a single bothering attribute to it. It can be worn for hours without any discomfort but the slightly larger size can be a problem for those with smaller ears.
HOW IS THE CABLE:-
These days there most of the brands are trying to provide better cables with their IEMs and ISN has one of the best cable for under $200. With S8 printed on the cable slider I would like to assume that this stock cable uses a slightly less premium components with the exact wire. The cable has similar aesthetic to the BQEYZ Spring 2 cable. It has little to no memory problem but is slightly on the stiffer side.
The most remarkable feature about the cable is its lack of cable guides, big relief, what cant other brands do this? The 3.5mm jack, MMCX pins and cable splitter barely has any stress reliever. What’s interesting is the body of the cable splitter can be moved out of its place with a bit of effort, exposing a simpler rubber tube at work. The cable slider is fairly smooth but stays in its place without sliding down on its own.
