AFUL Performer 5 Review - Unleashing Acoustic Brilliance!

Sorry for the long delays, I have been very busy at work, and I really don't have time to write a review. I also wanted to keep this simple for now as I don't have enough energy to do some editing. I wanted to clear all my review backlogs, so I am going to review the AFUL Performer 5. 

These are the first pair I received from this particular company, and from looks alone, the Performer 5 looks like a very decent IEM. However, this one is sold around the $200 mark; will it be a true performer within this price range?

DISCLAIMER

• I am not affiliated with AFUL and received no monetary compensation during or after this review. This unit is provided by AFUL in exchange for  an honest and unbiased review.
• I am not a professional reviewer and would only coin simple terms for most beginners, and experts in the hobby to understand.
• Words taken from this review should be taken with a grain of salt. It's  still the best experience to try out the unit when you get the opportunity.

PACKAGING 

Let's get straight to the packaging. To be honest, for $200, the packaging can do much more. It doesn't feel $200, and the inclusions don't look $200. It feels like I only paid for the IEM itself. Nevertheless, I'm not going to complain further. Despite its cheap inclusions, I admire its simplicity, and the absence of anime gimmicks is something that makes the packaging stand out above the rest.
These are the following inclusions from Performer 5:

AFUL Performer 5 IEM
The IEM is made of resin, it looks glossy, feels lightweight, doesn't feel bulky to wear, and is very comfortable to wear. It also has the Performer 5 label on the IEM and the brand AFUL on the faceplate.

8-core 3.5mm cable
The cable looks good; it has a nice touch of gray, a metallic material used on the pin, splitter, and jack for added durability but with a possibility to rust overtime. The jacks are not modular, unlike some modern Chi-Fi IEMs.

Photo by Auricular Remedy because I'm a klutz who got a messy gallery and lost some of my pics

Round-shaped IEM case

The case included is good, nothing to say here, it's a good inclusion to have and fits well in your pockets.

3 pairs of narrow-bored ear tips  and 3 pairs of wide-bored ear tips 
The tips are very cheap, have an uncomfortable feeling for those who have sensitive skin like me, and I personally would refrain from using them. It's just something you can find on cheaper $30-$50 Chi-fi IEMs.

Some paperworks
Nahh, just some warranty stuff and QR codes you might not even use unless something is totally wrong with your unit.

SOUND

BASS
The bass leaves quite an impact on the ears, but it is not the most powerful one around, that's for sure. The balance between the sub-bass and midbass has good distribution in the lower region. It might be lacking for those who want powerful bass. I, for one, feel like it needs a bit more of that impactful bass to make it truly stand out and sound fun.

MIDS
The mids have good resolution and clarity. It can be described as flexible and balanced when it comes to midrange because it can be very perfect in any type of vocal. However, I find it rather thin and splashy at times on the upper mids.

TREBLE
The treble is crisp and has a good amount of air. It has decent detail retrieval, and small details can be heard in a song that you won't definitely hear on cheaper sets. However, I don't like how the overall sound from the treble sounds very cheap and unresolving. As I mentioned earlier, it sometimes sounds unnatural and jarring to the ears. As a result, you might hate this pair after longer periods of listening. Despite this flaw, it doesn't have a hint of sibilance, and it's not overly bright, but I hate how a $200 IEM's treble would sound so cheap compared to other competitors on the market.

SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING

For $200, the soundstage is on the average side, and while it doesn't fail to deliver, it also doesn't give an overwhelming amount of headroom for those expecting this to have a wide variety of stages and let the sound roam freely in your head. Yeah, no, sorry to disappoint, but it is what it is. For the imaging, I'd say it's not that bad, thanks to the treble's decent detail retrieval and the overall balanced sound of the IEM, instruments and vocals can still be pinpointed around the stage. It's not accurate at times, but it doesn't struggle to deliver sound at its proper locations and does not roam around in a chaotic manner.

Pros:

• Overall balanced sound
• Lightweight and comfortable to wear
• Mids has good clarity and is very flexible
• Imaging has decent retrieval

Cons:

• Just one actually, the treble and upper mid timbre, that unnatural and metallic sound is something that prevents this gem to truly be loved by me

In conclusion, I can't say anything exemplary or unworthy of Performer 5. I'd say that they could've done it better with the treble because, believe me, that doesn't sound like a $200 treble. As for the rest, I can say that it did not fail to deliver a balanced and clean sounding IEM. I could recommend this if not for my awful nitpick on the treble. I won't recommend that you blindly buy these pairs because listening to them may require something that you might call an acquired taste. You may not fall in love with it the moment you listen to these two, but given a chance and a decently warm source, it might change your thoughts about it.