EPZ P40's Review - Well executed tribrid!

 

General Info/Comfort/Build/Packaging

I believe EPZ needs no further introduction, they have had some good releases over the years ranging from entry level to higher tiered model. I have had the EPZ P40 sitting on my desk for a few days. Getting four drivers to work together in this price range is tricky. A lot of sets struggle with driver cohesion. I was genuinely curious to see how EPZ handled the crossover here. I wired it up to my desktop rig as well as several portable dongles to give it a proper listen prior to writing this review.

The resin shells are pretty decent. They have a Star Trails faceplate design. It looks pretty in person. They are very light. Fits my concha snugly. I didn't feel any weird pressure points after a few hours of listening. The cable is a nice Furukawa silver-plated wire with modular plugs. It feels very secure and doesn’t look cheap at all.

You get a nice faux leather storage case, as well as a set of generic eartips. The piezo driver needs a specific insertion depth to sound right in my opinion, The included silicone tips has bore size that is neither too wide nor narrow to complement with the Piezo’s peakiness i supposed, but for those who are sensitive in this range, you may swap the eartips to Final’s Type E eartips to tame this range.

Gears used for this review

• Fiio M33 R2R

• Aune S18 Evo -> Aune BX2 Magnum

• xDuoo Link 3

• Foobar2k Offline DSD Files/Flac, Tidal Streaming

• P40 with Stock Cable and eartips

Sound Impression

I let these drivers run on my burn-in rig for a few days before listening. Planar and piezo drivers are usually stiff at first. After some burn-in, the upper treble harshness calmed down significantly. The tonality is basically a modified Harman curve. They left some nice mid-bass presence there. It makes it sound musical rather than hollow, definitely much better impression compared to when it is straight out from the box, to my ears, burn in definitely helped, in terms of timbre, to my ears, they are actually quite close to natural, occasionally you may spot some piezo/BA timbre only if you try to spot hard enough

Bass

• The 9mm driver handles the sub-bass nicely with some good extension and also good physical rumble

• The secondary 7mm dynamic driver handles the mid-bass and provides a good punch out of it

• Both have fairly good transition from the sub to mid bass

• Slipknot’s double kicks sound tight and it doesn’t bleed into the vocals at all 

Mids

• Mids are a bit lean but highly accurate, male vocals have enough chesty weight and it doesn’t sound lean

• Female vocals push forward just a bit, no annoying shoutiness even at higher volumes , but this ultimately depends on individual’s tolerance

• The instruments in this range doesn’t sound too thin nor overly thick

Treble

• The treble is rather energetic and lively, but it is not offensive, certainly hold its ground at the price point

• The micro-planar and piezo combo works well here in my opinion, the leading edges are sharp with snappy hi-hats and cymbals. The piezo adds a nice layer of spatial air. It makes live acoustic tracks sound expansive. 

• With the wrong tips, it can get slightly sibilant, especially wide bore tips 

Soundstage/Imaging

• Perceived width is good, depth is the real standout here 

• Instrument separation is solid and for the asking price, the 4-way electronic crossover does its job well 

• Instruments can easily being pick apart in busy tracks 

Driveability

• Paired with Aune S18 Evo & BX2 Magnum: Hooking a $150 IEM up to a premium desktop rig is overkill. But it grips the drivers perfectly. The dual AK4497 DACs keep the background pitch black. The tube mode on the Magnum adds a nice touch of organic warmth. It makes the planar treble sound very relaxed

• Paired with FiiO M33 R2R DAP: Using NOS mode warms the lower mids up nicely. It masks any slight planar sheen. It makes the P40 very engaging for long listening sessions in my opinion

• Overall it is not hard to drive and not demanding in terms of power, an entry level or mid range dongle will do just fine

Comparison 

• The Truthear Nova: The Nova follows a much stricter, textbook Harman target with its 1DD+4BA config. Through the midrange, the Nova sounds significantly thinner and colder. Male vocals can come across a bit hollowed out because it lacks mid-bass body. The P40 sounds noticeably thicker and more solid in comparison, giving instruments a more grounded, natural feel. Up top, the Nova has a very distinct metallic BA timbre. The P40's planar and piezo combo feels much faster, snappier, and provides a wider sense of airy space without that unnatural sharp edge.

• The Juzear Defiant: The Defiant runs closer to a traditional, warmer U-shape signature. It presents a much meatier, fuller lower midrange where acoustic guitars and male baritones carry a lot of extra weight. But it sacrifices clarity compared to the P40. The P40 keeps things much cleaner and more open through the mids. It separates fast note transients with greater precision when the track gets busy. The Defiant leans hard into a smooth, rich musicality, whereas the P40 gives you a cleaner, highly technical "funalytical" presentation with better imaging depth.

Final Thoughts

Getting a proper 4-way crossover to work effectively at the $150 price bracket is rare. It successfully captures the speed and resolution of exotic drivers without completely discarding the low-end authority you need for a normal music library. The balance handles complex tracking well. But it is not a set you can just buy and immediately enjoy with whatever accessories are lying around. The source sensitivity means your chain matters. It requires a bit of effort in terms of tip rolling and clean source matching to shine. If you want a dead-flat, warm casual listen, this tuning might lean a bit too analytical for you, but for anyone chasing technical performance and actual spatial air under two hundred dollars, it holds its ground remarkably well.

Recommended? Yes! Definitely!

*a big thanks to EPZ for sending this over for the purpose of this review

Head over to their store if you are interested in getting a pair:

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EPZ P40’s Store Link - Non Affiliated