Yvain
Thematically, Yvain is a curious addition to HiBy’s IEM lineup, and is positioned as a mid-tier offering between the moderately-priced Crystal II ($349) and entry-level Hela and Beans ($99 and $69 respectively). The flagship tribrid, Zeta is more than $1,000 pricier.
I’m not sure where the whole Yvain concept came from, but it’s based on the story of Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, a character in the 12th-century book of the same name by Chrétien de Troyes.
Apparently, Yvain (the character) sets off to explore the meaning of life within the constraints of his obligations as a knight, and Yvain (the IEM) is tuned to mirror his quest, giving users a rich sonic palette with which to explore their own musical landscapes. Make of this what you will.
Here’s a breakdown of Yvain’s specs for reference:
- Drivers: Quad balanced armature (Knowles bass/treble, 2x Sonion mid)
- Crossover: Three-way electronic crossover
- Earpieces: 3D-printed fully enclosed shell with CNC-machined faceplate
- Cable: High-purity OCC copper cable, modular plugs, 2-pin
- Impedance: 23Ω
- Sensitivity: 116dB/mW
Packaging, accessories and design
Yvain’s styling, true to the theme, is quite bold and more than a little adventurous, especially at this price point.
It all starts with the packaging, which comprises a rather large elongated all-black box with clear and silver foiling, and a die-cut white sleeve with an impressive, embossed lion head logo. It’s all rather fancy for a ~$200 IEM. Inside the box you’re greeted by a full-length carboard information card, an excerpt from ‘The Knight of the Lion’ on one side, and a list of specs on the other.
The earpieces are quite a sight, encased in foam cutouts, with their CNC’d faceplates looking rather fancy. These have to be some of the best-looking designs I’ve seen on an IEM, certainly at this price point. The shells themselves aren’t too big, with a smooth, glossy body and matte metallic plates seamlessly blending into each other. The shafts aren’t too long and quite slender, capped with what looks like perforated stainless-steel nozzles.
Another standout is the cable, reminiscent of the excellent stock cable I received with the FIR Audio Radon 6, in a dark brown semi-gloss PET finish and probably the best implementation of a modular system I’ve seen to date. Unlike some systems that attach with friction only, the L-shaped connectors attach and lock, so they’ll never come loose in use. The Y-splitter and 2-pin connectors look to be made from a similar metal as the faceplates, although they could just be very high-quality painted plastic.
HiBy includes a few other accessories in the box. For starters there’s a clear plastic case with two sets of eartips: one wide-bore clear silicone, the other black foam. Neither fit me particularly well, so you may want to have some third-party tips on hand.
Also included is a hard square-ish case finished in a black material, and large enough to house the IEMs, cable, and accessories to spare. Inside the case you’ll also find a cleaning brush and snap hook for clipping the case into a belt or backpack, and best of all, at a squeeze you can even fit the R3 II inside – although if the case was a touch larger it would almost be made for it.
Overall, the build quality, design, fit (they’re very comfortable), and attention to detail with the included package and accessories makes Yvain feel like it’s worth more than just the sum of its parts. The litmus test, as always, is how it performs, and that’s coming up next.
Continue to sound impressions…
