HeartField Deer Gem Review

The first IEM from Heartfield Acoustic brand is called Deer which symbolizes the eternity of love in the ancient Chinese wedding ceremony, while it also means happiness and success. In a word, Deer is one of the beloved symbols of wonderful things in China.

Heartfield Deer adopts 198 pieces of gem-like crystals for the faceplate. Heartfield experienced artisan inlay the crystals one by one and two custom made screws are screwed in the faceplate.  It is an earphone made with ultra-high standards, the same as making jewellery.

HeartField Deer comes with a 6.8mm custom composite dynamic driver.

For cavity, HeartField selects brass-coated platinum material which is usually used for high-class jewellery. The cavity is made based on ergonomics as well.

Deer features a detachable cable with a universal 3.5mm plug and 0.78mm 2Pin connector. It is silver-plated copper material.

The nozzle has no filters and its diameter has been made smaller with a silicone layer. And there is no hole on the shell for air to come out, so all pressure flows into your ears. The shells are very ergonomic, to be honest, and fit very well.

SPECS

Yes, the box content is weak for an IEM that costs 169$. We have seen many models around this price range with much richer accessories. You basically get just the IEM, a cable (a good one) and nothing special 3 pairs of silicone ear tips. A carrying box would have been very nice, these are gems after all.

Sound

HeartField Deer is warm and the clarity and detail are good, but everything’s just a little bit smoother than usual. On top of that – or maybe underneath that – is a strong physical bass presence.

In terms of the overall tuning, the bass is definitely a highlight, with a huge in-your-face quality, but there’s an interesting quality to the bass which is warm and deep but is balanced in such a way that it doesn’t feel dark or heavy. There’s a mid-bass focus that provides a strong impact but doesn’t step on the rest of the mix too much.

There’s some light smearing moving from the bass into the lower mids, but never enough that it causes the IEMs to feel muddy. The mids are slightly pulled back, but overall well-constructed. And the treble is present but largely smooth.

The soundstage and imaging give an intimate feel with a 3D image that’s well constructed but on the small side. The imaging and definition feel stronger in the quieter moments, but get lost in bigger or more dynamic passages. There’s somewhat of an “either-or” situation, where the layering and definition feel strong when things are softer, and in louder, bigger passages HeartField Deer sounds powerful and physical without the same level of definition.

HeartField Deer is perfectly suited to electronic music. The synth sounds are well-layered and detailed, but just a little bit smoothed out at the top. The vocals feel up close and personal. When the chorus hits with the bass, you get a healthy dose of impact along with some of the tighter layering giving way to a huge wall of sound.

On instrumental tracks, like Jazz and Blues, the HeartField Deer delivers the low, deep droning bass in all of its glory, deep into your ear canals. The impact from the fast syncopated drum work blends nicely with the bassline. The crisp hi-hats and smooth guitar balance out the deep punctuation of the bass and drums. While the parts are well layered, there’s a bit of warmth in the mix already causing some parts to lack strong definition.

The vocals are clear and emotional, HeartField Deer provides a strong sense of dynamic shift. The guitars are crisp and a little crunchy, but the drums and pulsating bassline take centre stage. The verses are somewhat busy instrumentally creating a hint of congestion, but the key parts of the performance always stand out, and the dynamic shifts are delivered really well.

The drums have a strong, palpable impact. The low-end impact pushes the other percussion a bit more into the background, but there’s still a lot of detail in the upper registers of the percussion. The bass and kick drum are clearly the prominent elements, but again, the vocals, organ, guitar, and vocals are all clear and well layered. Everything is presented with good quality to it, it’s just that the bass is presented with a bit more quantity. The slight warmth of the HeartField Deer also nicely complements the more acoustic and analogue instrument choices.

Sum-Up

At the $169 price point, the HeartField Deer delivers an incredible performance that gives you thick, powerful bass and a warm sound signature coupled with impressive all-around performance. The gem also takes that strong low-end performance and wraps it up with a somewhat laid back presentation. So if you’re looking for chill vibes and deep bass, HeartField Deer has just what you need. Despite the weak accessory set, the IEM itself justifies its price in my opinion. Definitely a very special IEM in both the look and the sound.