Thieaudio Hype 4 Review: The Hype is Real

mmorpg.com:

Thieaudio just released the next entry in its Hype line-up and the hype is real. The Thieaudio Hype 4 builds upon the Hype 2 ( reviewed here ) with more drivers and an even more striking design. Sonically, it’s a wholesale improvement and builds on the series’ impressive debut. For gaming or music, it’s a fantastic choice and is one of the most competitive IEMs in its price bracket.

The Thieaudio Hype 4 is the second release in the company’s new Hype line-up. Hype is an acronym for Hybrid Performance and describes the design of this series. In the audio world, the term “hybrid” indicates that there are two different types of drivers being used. Most often, it designates the presence of at least one dynamic driver and one or more balanced armatures.

This combination of drivers has proven to be very popular over the years and it’s easy to see why. Dynamic drivers, conical drivers similar to what you’ll see in full-size speakers, tend to excel in the lows and mids. Balanced armatures, on the other hand, are much smaller drivers that excel in the mids, highs, and ultra highs. These drivers are popular in hearing aids for their exceptional detail and resolution but tend to focus on comparatively narrow frequency bands when implemented in IEMs. Including both types of drivers in a single pair of IEMs allows the designers to allow each to focus on their respective strengths, transitioning between each across the frequency band to create a unique and high resolution sound. 

The Hype 4 uses a total of six drivers in each ear piece. There are two 10mm dynamic drivers, both positioned in an isobaric chamber. One driver acts as a dedicated subwoofer to lend the earphones deep reach into the lows and kick and punch through tracks.