Juzear Harrier VS ThieAudio Hype 4 MKII

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The Juzear Harrier is a $329 collaboration between Juzear and Mark Ryan that aims less at chasing a specific target and more at delivering a balanced all-rounder in the $300 segment. Build and accessories feel distinctly premium, with a 3D-printed semi-custom shell, genuine blue tiger's eye faceplate, modular cable with 3.5 and 4.4 terminations, and a practical semi-hard case that ties the whole aesthetic together. Comfort is excellent thanks to the light shells, secure fit and solid tip selection, leaving little to complain about in daily use.

Sonically, the Harrier follows an F-neutral foundation with a moderate bass boost, coming across as essentially neutral with extra low-end support. Bass emphasis is focused in the sub-bass, providing satisfying rumble and dynamics while keeping mid-bass in check to avoid bleed and maintain a very clean midrange. Vocals and instruments through the mids sound natural and slightly forward, with just enough warmth and weight to keep things engaging, while the treble brings good detail and air yet stays smooth, never crossing into sharpness or harshness.

Technical performance is a major strength: detail retrieval is among the best at this price, the soundstage offers above-average width with convincing depth and layering, and imaging and focus lock vocals and instruments firmly in place. In direct comparisons, the Harrier offers cleaner bass and lower mids than many peers, a more balanced tonality than bassier sets like Da Vinci, and a smoother, fuller presentation than brighter options or leaner, more vocal-forward tunings such as Dunu 242. Overall, it sits right alongside standouts like Volume S as one of the most compelling, broadly appealing IEMs in its price bracket, with a tuning and technical package that will suit a wide audience.

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Juzear Harrier is a tribrid (1DD + 6BA + 2 micro-planars) tuned with Squiglink, packaged with a soft modular cable (3.5/4.4), 11 pairs of tips, and a compact leatherette case. Build is smooth and well finished with average-sized shells and a secure, pressure-free fit. The kit feels cohesive and practical rather than flashy.

Tonally it aims for a neutral mid-range with a sub-bass focus and a smooth, airy treble, staying balanced, natural and engaging without harshness. Bass is tight and textured with satisfying rumble yet moderate in level; vocals are lifelike and never shouty; clarity and extension up top remain fatigue-free across genres. Technical performance is great for the class with good detail and cohesion, positioning the Harrier as a versatile all-rounder—but it does not suit bassheads or fans of very bright tunings.

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The Juzear Harrier comes in as the bigger, pricier troublemaker to Defiant, packing a DD + 6BA + 2 planar setup and a tuning cooked up with Squiglink, all buried under pages of graphs and preference curves that ultimately don’t matter once the music starts. On paper it’s all “DF neutral plus bass boost” and fancy “composite carbon diaphragm” marketing, but in practice Harrier is about how it feels and places sound, not what the spec sheet says. At around $300, this isn’t trying to be some $100 miracle; it sits comfortably as the more serious, more refined sibling to Defiant, trading pure party energy for something a little more technical and a lot more focused.

What makes Harrier special is its obsession with vocals. It behaves like a two-channel rig where someone sneaks in, installs a center channel, and pushes the singer a few feet closer than everything else. Even rough recordings – like crunchy Bob Marley tracks that usually sound like garbage – suddenly snap into place, with the vocal line peeled out, planted dead center, and all the mess pushed politely into the background. There’s a slight bass boost, enough to give weight and punch without going full Defiant “good time only” mode, while the treble stays sharp and exciting without turning into a glass shard launcher, even on brutal test tracks. Stage and imaging are a trip: effects and ambience weave left to right, and it can feel like footsteps and voices are threading straight through the skull.

Tonally, Harrier doesn’t scream “mid-forward monster” on a graph, yet everything in the vocal range still comes across more forward and immediate, as if the nine converging tubes and driver mix are nudging timing and air in just the right way. Build-wise it’s more stately than flashy: translucent shells in “blue” or “yellow” that look more mature than Defiant, loads of included ear tips, a solid case, and an upgraded Valencia cable with interchangeable plugs that clearly expects a proper DAP, not a random phone jack. It reacts to different sources with small but noticeable shifts, but stays consistently enjoyable across them. Overall, Harrier is a positioning-focused IEM with a tastefully boosted low end, controlled top, and a freaky-good way of yanking singers out of the mix and putting them right in front of the listener – easily justifying its price for anyone obsessed with vocals and spatial trickery.

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Thieaudio Hype 4 MKII comes as part of the renewed Hype lineup and immediately feels like a big upgrade in presentation. The flip open box separates the earphones and case from the ear tips and paperwork, while the broken mother of pearl style faceplates and smoothly machined aluminum shells look luxurious and sit in the ears with a very comfortable, moderate size that does not create pressure build up. The new textured matte case, modular 3.5 and 4.4 terminations on the copper and silver hybrid cable, and the dedicated ear tip box with both proprietary silicone tips and memory foam sets make the whole package feel thoughtful and premium, showing that the brand is really listening to user feedback.

In terms of tuning, the Hype 4 MKII delivers a bass response that extends deep, giving bass guitars and kick drums a strong, satisfying punch while staying cleanly separated from the rest of the mix thanks to a controlled bass shelf and a sharp cut around the midbass. The lower mids have a subtle lush bump that adds body to cellos and warmth to vocals without muddying the overall transparency, leading into a midrange where vocals sound airy yet focused and instruments like guitars carry more texture, cleaner lines and a wider sense of space than the first generation. Upper mids follow a classic peak that is balanced with the bass level so they do not feel shouty, and the treble is described as very airy, bright and clear with excellent extension and resolution, giving more soundstage, ambience and atmosphere, though with a slightly more noticeable sibilance region compared to the original that still stays within an acceptable range without harshness.

Technical performance on the Hype 4 MKII is strong, with very good resolution, separation and sensitivity that make it easy to drive and reveal fine details in cymbals, triangles and electronic effects, while the stage feels more open and expanded than before. Compared to the original Hype 4, the MKII keeps a warm and punchy character but cleans up the separation between bass and mids, pulls the extremely forward vocals slightly back into a more natural blend with instruments, and upgrades treble detail so that the older tuning can sound flatter and a bit rough by comparison. Against Moondrop Blessing 3, it offers clearly higher resolution and a more dynamic, lively presentation with less bass lean, and overall comes across as a more coherent evolution of the Hype 4 that combines warm punchy bass, enhanced upper mids and treble, richer ambience and better soundstage to earn a solid 8.5 out of 10 recommendation around its 399 USD price.