SENSITIVITY : 100dB @ 1kHz
FREQUENCY RESPONSE : 10Hz-22kHz
IMPEDANCE : 9 Ω @ 1 kHZ
CABLE : 2-Pin 0.78 mm to 3.5mm/4.4mm (modular plugs)
Total Score
Introduction
Greetings to all of you dear Hifitopia readers from the cold winter days. Today I am together with a school I haven’t even passed by for a long time. Are bassheads here? Yes, this is your turn! Here is Punch Audio Martilo! Let’s see what Martilo, which clearly shouts that I am for bass lovers, offers us in its entirety.
The product in my hand was provided to me by Linsoul. I would like to thank Linsoul for their support of high fidelity reviewing. Before writing this review I listened to the Martilo for about 120 hours (excluding burn-in).
Design & Build
What a grand opening! The box slides apart and is magnetized. It opens very cool. Information and slogans on the outside. Here’s the full list of the box contents:
- Martilo’s Shells
- 2-Pin 0.78 mm Cable x1
- 3.5 mm Plug Adapter x1
- 4.4 mm Plug Adapter x1
- Silicone Ear Tips x3 Pairs (S/M/L)
- Foam Ear Tips x3 Pairs (S/M/L)
- Nozzle Filters x2 Sets
- Hard Case x1
Shells & Cable
The shape of the shells and the monolithic resin structure are very robust. The logo is placed on the inside, which is a preference, while the faceplate has the texture of a magma block, which is very nice. The fit of the shells to the ear is very good. Fit and isolation are by far above average.
Martilo’s cable is quite thick, almost like a rope. You can change the jack, it has 3.5mm and 4.4mm jacks. It’s standard equipment, but it’s still nice to see.
Case, Tips & More
It comes with bass-boosting silicone tips and foam foams. The silicone tips are ordinary but the foam tips are colored inside and I think that’s nice. Apart from that, there are spare nozzle grids. The hard case is big and functional while the quality is average.
Synergy
Punch Audio Martilo V-Shape and bass monster headphones. You know the rule of thumb, the V-shape doesn’t go well with a very hot source or a very bright source. It needs a warm source in the neutral, midcentric or light setting. In this sense, I found the most optimal match with the Roseselsa RS9039. The RS9039 offers a lot of technique for little money and not only that, it has a near-neutral tone. It allows me to listen to instrumental tracks with Martilo’s abundant bass. I put In Mourning – Celestial Tear on to test this and apart from a lot of bass, everything is great for the instruments. The added bonus of lots of bass is still with us. When I turn on Santana – Maria Maria I hear a lot of bass and this bass is very satisfying in terms of quality. The physical feel, note weight and volumetric body are just so right.
Of course, the synergy part doesn’t end with the source device this time. The tips that come with the Punch Audio Martilo are bass-boosting, including the silicone ones. If you’re buying the Martilo as a basshead (as you should be) this is very good. But if you’re going to listen to instruments occasionally, I suggest you try the Martilo with the wide-mouth soft silicone tips. It offers a lot of potential.
Ziigaat Horizon ($330) vs Punch Auido Martilo ($330)
This pairing is a bit unfortunate for Martilo, but it also shows how good Martilo is outside of bass. Ziigaat Horizon is a very competitive iem that plays above its price and has a forgiving U-shape sound profile. The Punch Audio Martilo, on the other hand, is an iem made for the taste of bassheads and V-shape lovers and does so with very good balance and correct technique.
Beyond this tonal difference, these are two iems with similar prices and techniques. However, Horizon’s technique is slightly better overall and its tonal consistency is naturally higher. Martilo, on the other hand, has a rare fun factor and crazy bass.
Sound
The Punch Audio Martilo is more than just the “basshead” on the box. Apart from being very bassy, the Martilo has a very well-tuned V-shape profile. Actually, when I first heard the word basshead about this iem, I was expecting an old-school L-shape sound. You know, the rest of the sound is nominal and there’s bass like crazy. But this is not like that. The bass and treble are high but balanced to match the amplitude. In this way, the effect of the difference in intensity of the frequencies has been moved from instrument textures to the effect of front-back positioning. In other words, with the right setting, the sound is bassy but the instruments are correct. Don’t let the “correct” here mislead you, I’m not talking about anything extraordinary, but it’s clearly above my expectations in this regard.
Bass, Mid & Treble
I can say that the bass is balanced in itself, but there is a slight sub dominance. The position is as it should be, neither too close nor too far away. The intensity, as you can imagine, is very high.
The midrange is recessed as expected but not excessively so and the instruments don’t blend into each other. There is some loss of texture but very little. The overall midrange is warm and emotional.
The trebles are as high as the bass. The balance of the upper frequencies within themselves is set in accordance with the dopal sensation, but the air frequencies are slightly ahead. On stage, the highs are clearly ahead of the mids but do not cover them.
Technique
Resolution is slightly above average and detail reproduction is average. Decomposition is generally good, folding is average. Positioning across the spectrum is fair for this price band. Soundstage is nicely wide and deep. Overall imaging capability is good. For a highly V-shaped iem, Martilo produces a very textured and consistent sound. However, this is average for the overall iem market. However, Martilo does this with a huge bass and without distorting anything. This is a clear indication of its talent.
Last Words
The Punch Audio Martilo is an in-ear monitor where it’s quite easy to have the last word. It does everything perfectly for such a bass-heavy, V-shaped in-ear monitor and has a good sound. In terms of consistency and accuracy, it performs as well as any average neutral IEM can. What am I saying? If you love bass, are looking for a fun sound, and listen to hip-hop, pop, or EDM, the Martilo is perfect for you! The way it handles all those bass instruments is commendable.
