The Hype 4 arrives in quite a large ThieAudio box. The unboxing experience is quite nice, with the IEM’s nicely presented when you open the box. The included cable is a SE 3.5mm which feels quite nice. You also get a spacious case, some tips (Silicone and Foam), and a cleaning cloth. The tips pair up quite well and I had no issue using the stock silicone ones for my listening time with the Hype 4.
The Hype series has three different options, with Hype 4 being the middle child. It’s driver config is 2xDD (in an isobaric design) and 4xBA (Sonion, 26A and E50). There are three different shell designs too, Black, White, and Blue. I went with the Blue one however they all look pretty stunning and would have been happy with any of them.
I listened to the Hype 4 as my main IEM for around two weeks, during this two weeks I had a few new DAPs arrive so it had a decent workout helping me try the new sources. For the first few days it was primarily driven out of my LP W4 dongle, then moved onto the Cayin N6iii using the R2R card, then onto the A&K SP4000 (and tried out with the Cayin C9ii too). It certainly scales with better sources with a noticeable jump moving from the dongle, to the N6iii, to the Sp4k, however it didn’t really benefit from the additional amplification through the C9ii. Given its price point my impressions are based on the LP W4 dongle, you get more than enough power out of the dongle to drive these sufficiently.
I listened to many different genres over the last two weeks; they sound great with everything and perhaps favour tracks where bass is important more so than others. On to the sound impressions:
Bass
Sub-bass is deep and has good physicality to it. Tracks that lean that way work really well with the Hype 4, you’re never left wanting. It’s well controlled, has great texture, and doesn’t bleed much (source can play a role here – I did briefly try these off some cheaper dongles and had some bleed, however I’ll chalk that up to the source given I didn’t experience it with the three main sources I used). Mid bass is tight and satisfying. It makes itself known, I wouldn’t go as far saying that it’s over the top, but it’s certainly more present than on some more neutral sets.
All up the bass is extremely well done and very satisfying. Not in bass head territory for me but definitely for those that like for the bass to have a spotlight on it. I hadn’t listed to Marilyn Mansons – Golden Age of Grotesque for many years however one of the tracks came up in a track radio from something else and I decided to pop the whole album on, the Hype 4 gels extremely well with this kind of music, with the bass heavy, textured, and impactful moving the music forward.
Mids
A little mixed, instruments overall sound really great, natural with the right amount of weight behind them. I really enjoyed listening to instrumental tracks on these and ended up going from instrumental to instrumental quite a few times during my time with the Hype 4. Vocals are a little recessed and don’t quite have the normal amount of weight behind them. It’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but worth calling out. As a note this criticism is pretty much resolved with a better source and found the mids to be near perfect when listening on the SP4000, just not sure if it’s the IEM or the source doing the heavy lifting. Strong four stars out of the dongle for its price point.
Treble
Engaging but not the star. I really have no issues to talk about when it comes to the Treble. Listening to tracks which can bug me when treble isn’t well controlled perform perfectly fine on the Hype 4, and likewise my treble test tracks (for good treble) all sound good to great. Not for a true treble head, for everyone else you won’t have an issue. It works extremely well with the rest of the tuning on the Hype 4.
Technical Performance
Soundstage & Imaging
Width isn’t massive, generally contained within my head with only some parts of music occasionally appearing a little further out. There is more depth here, extending out in front of me quite well. You don’t generally get depth without width so it’s a little different to normal but works well. Imaging within the stage is decent, not pinpoint but perfect for the tuning and the musical presentation that they’re going for.
Detail & Resolution
It isn’t a detail monster but sufficient for the price point, there are more detailed sets around the price point but you’d be forgoing the overall musical presentation that you get with the Hype 4.
Subjective thoughts:
As I was writing these impressions I was wondering what it was exactly that makes me enjoy these so much. While the bass is great nothing else really stands out too much. I guess the saying ‘The whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ applies here. Although it’s been out for a while the Hype 4 still deserves a look in at $399. Everything comes together extremely well and it delivers a musical experience which is hard to beat at this price point. If you’re after a niche IEM (bass head, treble head, detail monster etc.) this isn’t it, but if you’re after an IEM that you can throw anything at and it’ll deliver an enjoyable listen, this is absolutely worth a look.
The more I listened the more I got swept up in the Hype 4. My wife, who generally isn’t that impressed by IEM’s, had a listen and said ‘Oh, different headphones really do make a difference!’ and now wants a pair too.
Overall:
While they’ve been out for a while the Hype 4 still compete at their price point and deliver an extremely enjoyable listen. Recommended for someone looking for an allrounder that they can throw anything at.
Scorecard at $399:
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | 4.5/5 | Strong impact, great texture, very satisfying |
| Mids | 4/5 | Instruments natural, vocals a touch recessed |
| Treble | 4/5 | Well controlled, lively, just not for treble heads |
| Technicalities | 4/5 | Good imaging & depth, average width, decent resolution |
| Build/Design | 4.5/5 | Gorgeous shells, solid build. |
| Value | 4/5 | Very competitive at $399 |
| Overall | 4.3/5 | A versatile, fun, and musical IEM that prioritises enjoyment over clinical precision. |
Aussie Audiophile 
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