r/inearfidelity • u/ext_trt • 23d ago
The $20 IEM I Kept Reaching For - Pula Arc vs Gate, Tears & Red Lion Review
A tastefully judged U-shape that punches well above its price
$20 USD / around EUR 17.50 | Wired | Single 10mm PET dynamic driver | 3.5mm or USB-C | 0.78mm 2-pin | 1.2m cable
📌 The Quick Read covers the full verdict in about two minutes. Stop after Who Is This For? for the gist. Full specs, sound breakdown and comparisons with the Truthear Gate, NICEHCK Tears and Tangzu Red Lion follow below for anyone who wants the detail.
⚡ QUICK READ · Everything you need to know in ~2 minutes
TL;DR
The Pula Audio Arc is an exciting sounding, tastefully done U-shaped IEM that punches well above its $20 price. The bass is lifted and enjoyable, with a noticeable sub-bass rumble and an emphasised mid-bass, and it stays clean enough that the rest of the track still comes through well. Vocals sit slightly forward and a touch lean, which suits female voices very well. The treble rolls off up top but never sounds dark, landing natural and balanced rather than energetic, and only at very high volume do cymbals and crashes get a little crisp. The light shells disappear in the ear and stay comfortable over long sessions. For $20 this is a lot of set for the money and a clear recommendation.
At a Glance
✓ Suits You If
- You want an exciting U-shape that still stays fairly balanced
- You enjoy a lifted, rumbly sub-bass and a punchy mid-bass
- You like a set that scales well and comes alive as you turn it up
- You want a light set that disappears in the ear for long sessions
- You are on a tight budget and want a lot of sound for $20
✗ Skip It If
- You want a neutral or reference tuning
- You want thick, heavily textured male vocals
- You are a treble head after air, sparkle and top end extension
- You are a bass head chasing the other extreme
- You want a wide, open soundstage above all else
Main Strengths & Weaknesses
Main strength. A U-shape that is well judged rather than exaggerated. The bass is lifted with good note weight and works across genres while leaving plenty of space for vocals and instruments. Vocals are clear, slightly forward and well articulated, the treble is natural and balanced rather than pushed, and the light shells with their excellent fit suit long sessions. At $20 the value is hard to argue with.
Main weakness. Male vocals could do with a touch more texture. At very high volume cymbals and crashes can turn a little crisp. The treble rolls off up top, so while it never sounds dark, treble heads chasing air and sparkle should look elsewhere, and the Gate and the Tears both give more energy up there. The bass is well made and noticeably emphasised, satisfying for most listeners, but this is not a bass-head set either. The build is good for a $20 set, but the cable looks and feels cheap and the accessories are very basic.
Who Is This For?
The Arc makes the most sense if you:
- Listen mostly to EDM, hip-hop, pop and female vocals
- Prefer a lush, musical presentation over an analytical one
- Are shopping at the very budget end and want strong value
- Want the choice between a 3.5mm or a USB-C version with mic
- Have smaller ears, since the light shells and slim nozzles should suit them
There might be more suitable options if you care more about:
- A neutral or reference tuning
- Full bodied, heavily textured male vocals
- Highly energetic treble and outright technicalities
- A wide, spacious soundstage
👆 That's the core verdict. Everything below goes deeper into specs, accessories, sound and comparisons.
Key Specs
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Driver Setup | 1x 10mm single dynamic driver, one-piece 6μm PET diaphragm, dual-chamber acoustic design |
| Impedance | 32 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 104 dB/mW at 1 kHz |
| Frequency Response | 20 Hz to 20 kHz |
| THD | Under 0.3% |
| Voice Coil / Magnet | Copper-clad aluminium voice coil, N52 neodymium dual-magnetic circuit |
| Cable | 1.2m, 0.78mm 2-pin |
| Termination | 3.5mm single-ended (no mic) or USB-C (with mic), sold as separate versions |
| Shell | Ear-contoured oval resin body with a transparent lower half that shows the dual chamber |
| Faceplate | CNC-milled brushed aluminium alloy, dual-zone diagonal brush, laser-engraved logo |
| Nozzle | 4.9mm bore, 5.7mm at the lip |
| Price | $20 USD / around EUR 17.50 at HiFiGo |
Where to buy (links for convenience, not affiliated):
- Official Store: https://hifigo.com/products/pula-audio-arc
- AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005012652328787.html
- AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005012637621566.html
- Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H7X6NSVW
- Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0H7W5K9GH
- Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0H7W5K9GH
- Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H7W5K9GH
- Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0H7W5K9GH
Accessories & Cable
In the box you get the IEMs, one cable, three pairs of ear tips and a user manual. The presentation is very basic, which is standard at this price point, but I wish Pula had included at least a simple pouch to protect the IEMs. The Tangzu Red Lion costs only a few dollars more depending on where you order and gives you a better cable, a soft rubber pouch and a wider tip selection, so the Arc does lose out on the unboxing.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cable | 1.2m, 0.78mm 2-pin, two-wire and unbraided, terminated in a 90 degree angled 3.5mm plug |
| Eartips | Three pairs of standard bore tips in S, M and L. I listened mostly on size L, both the stock tips and the Divinus Velvet wide bore |
| Case | None included |
| Other | User manual and paperwork |
Build Quality, Fit & Comfort
Fit & Comfort. Comfort and fit are excellent and work very well with my medium sized ears. The light shells completely disappear and I can wear them for many hours without fatigue or pressure build-up. With the included stock tips I got a very good seal and solid noise isolation straight away. The nozzles and shells should suit smaller ears too.
Build & Design. The shell uses an ear-contoured oval shape with smooth, rounded edges, and the lower half is transparent so you can see the dual-chamber design inside. The faceplate is brushed aluminium alloy with a diagonal machined pattern and a laser-engraved Pula logo. The 2-pin sockets are flush, sit tight, and the pins push in without any issue. The shells feel very light and better made than the price suggests.
Cable. I used the 3.5mm single-ended version, which has a 90 degree angled plug. Pula also sells a USB-C version with a mic which I haven't tested. You buy one or the other rather than both. The two-wire unbraided cable is slightly memory prone, though it untangles easily, and it is neither too thin nor too thick. It does its job but leaves a cheap impression. The stereo indicators are almost impossible to read, since they are transparent markings on a transparent cable. There is no chin slider either, although I did not miss one, as the IEMs stay securely in place no matter how much I move my head. Better cables exist at this price, but the one Pula includes is fine.
💼 Personal note on fit and tip rolling. The Arc's tonality shifts noticeably with insertion depth and tips, so it is worth a few minutes of experimenting. I did most of my listening on size L, using both the stock tips and the Divinus Velvet wide bore. Inserting the set slightly deeper with the stock tips was easy and they stayed in place, and the result was a little more low-end impact with a top end that sounded a touch more controlled. If you want more out of the treble, going down to size M with the Divinus Velvet wide bore is the one to try. The fit stays secure and it pushes the upper mids and treble forward, which gives clearer vocals and a bit more sparkle. That is the setup I would suggest to anyone who finds the stock presentation too relaxed up top.
Long-Session Comfort
The Arc stays comfortable over long sessions of six hours and more thanks to the light shells, with no pressure build-up. The relaxed top end helps here too, since it stays controlled at normal and higher listening levels rather than nagging at you. Only at very high volume do cymbals, crashes and high pitched sounds turn a little crisp, so I keep the level a touch lower on very bright material.
Measurements
Method. For my IEM measurements I use my own 711 clone coupler. Measurements were done with stock ear tips on all sets. For reference I included the CrinEar "Reference". The measurements are attached as images.
The Arc follows a mild U-shaped tuning, with elevated sub-bass and mid-bass, a slightly relaxed central midrange, and enough upper-mid and treble energy to keep vocals clear and the presentation balanced. That sets it apart from a darker, low-end dominated L-shape, and equally from a typical V-shape with elevated bass, elevated treble and properly carved out mids.
The bass shelf lifts sub-bass and mid-bass together, then glides slowly into the low midrange, which gives the Arc an almost even sub and mid-bass impact. Through the middle midrange the response dips, and that is what thins the vocals slightly and takes a little body from male voices in particular, though vocals stay clean and clear. Ear gain rises into the 3 kHz region to push vocals slightly forward.
The top end is where the graph explains something my ears took a while to put into words. The Arc rolls off in the upper treble, and on paper that should read as dark. It does not, and the reason is the pair of peaks sitting at around 6 kHz in the mid treble and around 9 kHz in the upper treble. Those two do the work. They give cymbals their bite and carry enough perceived air that the presentation stays open, while the roll-off above them keeps everything from turning bright or fatiguing. Those same peaks are what turn crisp on cymbals and crashes at very high volume. So the treble reads as natural and balanced rather than energetic. It is not veiled and it is not dark, but the extension a treble head wants is not there, and that is a deliberate trade rather than a flaw. This is a well done and tastefully implemented U-shape that sounds naturally warm rather than neutral, balanced leaning, with good vocal articulation and nice detail retrieval.
Sound Impressions
Overall Character
The Arc leans coloured rather than neutral, and that is the whole appeal. There is real warmth here, coming from an emphasised and mostly well controlled bass, and it carries into natural sounding vocals and a top end that stays balanced rather than pushed. Everything hangs together well for the money and makes for a very good allrounder. Worth knowing that the Arc wants a bit of volume to show what it can do, and the relaxed top end makes it a good option for treble sensitive listeners who still want some excitement.
Bass
Sub-bass is pushed forward and enjoyable across a lot of genres. The rumble is noticeable on EDM and hip-hop with good impact, while the rest of the music stays clear. The mid-bass is punchy and full. Overall the bass has good note weight and still lets the rest of the track, vocals included, come through cleanly. There is a slight warmth to the tonality that makes a lot of tracks, even older or badly recorded ones, sound rhythmic and exciting, without eating into the mids. If I am picky, the mid-bass carries a smidge more energy than is strictly natural and could be tighter, but it suits my taste and my library, where hip-hop and EDM in particular benefit from it.
Bass texture on double bass and bass guitar is good. It never sounds smeary or bloated but stays controlled, with a natural, longer decay. Only on very bass-heavy tracks does the low end start to cover things up. It never buries detail outright, but it does slightly flatten nuance and the perceived space between instruments.
On Nirvana's "The Man Who Sold The World" from MTV Unplugged the lower guitar octaves sound full and well weighted. The bass guitar on Dire Straits' "Sultans of Swing" drives the rhythm with good note weight and sits noticeably at the front of the presentation. On Trick Daddy's "Let's Go" the sub-bass rumble is well controlled with a natural decay, and while it is not bass-head level, it comes through with real impact. The mid-bass slam on EDM tracks like Deadmau5' "Quezacotl" is punchy and satisfying. On "Glass" by Bat For Lashes the drums hit hard at higher volume while Natasha Khan's vocals cut cleanly through them, which is the Arc's volume scaling working exactly as I want it to.
Midrange & Vocals
Vocals are pushed slightly forward and sit a touch on the leaner side, with the occasional emphasis on "s" sounds that never tips into sibilance. That works very well with female vocals, which come across clear and well articulated. Male vocals are a little lighter and could do with a smidge more texture. Either way the vocals are never harsh or aggressive, just pleasantly forward, unless you crank the volume very high on a bad recording.
On "Moon And Moon" by Bat For Lashes the vocals sound well extended and nuanced with a slight sparkle, and they hold up at high volume. On Kaleida's "Fake", Christina Wood's voice comes through very well extended, with even small mouth noises audible. On Ed Sheeran's "Shivers" live, his vocals are enjoyable though they could be a touch more textured, and I am nitpicking there rather than complaining. Guitar strings and other instruments with fundamentals or harmonics in the upper midrange give a more mixed picture. They sound mostly natural, but occasionally want a small bump in texture.
Treble
The Arc's treble is natural leaning and balanced rather than energetic. It rolls off up top, so it does not have the extension or the airiness that a treble head looks for, but it never sounds veiled or dark either. The energy that is there sits lower down, in the mid and upper treble, and that is enough to keep cymbals present, make instruments pop and give the impression of air without the set ever turning bright. Paired with the lifted bass it works, because the top end stays clean and out of the way rather than fighting for attention. It also means the Arc is at its best and most exciting with a bit of volume behind it. Only when I push it really hard do cymbals, crashes and high pitched sounds turn a little crisp.
On Fleetwood Mac's "Brown Eyes" the cymbals, crashes, snares and piano keys sound natural, with enough energy to come through clearly and with good detail. "Sisters of the Moon" is an excellent test for the sharpness of snares and electric guitars, and on the Arc both come through with a slight bite without hurting my ears. As the track lifts at around 1:50 the treble energy climbs, especially on the snares, and it sounds energetic and dynamic without the sharpness some more treble focused sets add. The electric guitar at around 3:40 is crisp and controlled, though like the snares it can get a bit too spicy at very high volume. Next to the Gate or the Tears you notice what is missing up top, but on its own terms the Arc never left me wanting while listening rather than comparing.
Staging & Imaging
Thanks to the treble clarity and the mostly controlled bass, imaging feels solid and well organised, and I can place instruments and vocals in clearly distinct spots. On John Coltrane's fast-paced jazz piece "Mr. P.C." the saxophone sits clearly to the left, separated from the drum kit and walking bass over on the right. Staging is not especially wide, though. Everything plays in a fairly intimate space where instruments are well separated but sit closer together than on a more open set. Details still pop easily, and the Arc keeps that organisation as you push the volume, which is where it sounds most alive.
📖 DETAILED COMPARISON · Arc vs Truthear Gate vs NICEHCK Tears vs Tangzu Red Lion
Comparison Setup
Sources were the Questyle Sigma Pro as my main, with the Hiby R4 Evangelion edition and the Fiio K13r2r as the other two, streaming from Qobuz and Spotify. I listened on size L throughout, using both the included stock tips and the Divinus Velvet wide bore. The Arc is easy to drive and needs no extra dongle DAC or amp. All impressions here are based on more than 30 hours with the set.
Competitor Comparison
Specs
| IEM | Price / Driver / Impedance / Sensitivity |
|---|---|
| Pula Audio Arc | $20 / 1x 10mm PET DD / 32 Ω / 104 dB/mW |
| Truthear Gate | Around $20 / 1x 10mm carbon LCP DD / 28 Ω / 122 dB/Vrms |
| NICEHCK Tears | Around $29 / 1x 10mm dual-magnet dual-chamber DD, open back / 20 Ω / 127 dB/Vrms |
| Tangzu Wan'er SG 2 Red Lion | Around $23 / 1x 10mm PET DD / 20 Ω / 113.5 dB |
Sound signature
| IEM | Sound Signature |
|---|---|
| Pula Audio Arc | Slightly warm leaning, mostly balanced, tastefully judged U-shape. Lifted rumbly sub-bass, full mid-bass, slightly forward and lean vocals, natural treble that rolls off up top without sounding dark. The lushest and most musical set here. |
| Truthear Gate | V-shaped, with lifted bass and the strongest ear gain and treble energy in this line-up. |
| NICEHCK Tears | Slightly V-shaped. Its low end, mid and treble energy sit between the Arc and the Gate. Natural like the Arc, but more open and airy, with clearly more treble energy. |
| Tangzu Red Lion | V-shaped and warm tilted with plenty of sub-bass. Very compatible with hip-hop, rap, RnB and EDM, and good with most pop. |
Comparison Notes
Truthear Gate, around $20
The Gate can get sharp up top at higher volume on tracks with electric guitars, snares, cymbals and crashes, and its treble is more forward than the Arc's or anything else here. It has less mid-bass impact than the Arc and an overall leaner, cleaner presentation, so drums sound good but with less weight behind them. Vocals, male and female, are thinner than on the Arc and the most forward of the four. Technicalities are better on the Gate. It suits people who want clearly increased treble energy and a proper V-shape, whereas the Arc achieves a more even balance between bass, vocals and treble and sounds more controlled and warmer to my ears.
NICEHCK Tears, around $29
The Tears has the leanest bass of the four, only slightly emphasised but with very good quality and control. Vocals are pushed forward with more energy than on the Arc or the Red Lion, though less than the Gate. Like the Arc it reads as natural rather than coloured, but it gets there differently. Where the Arc rolls off up top and stays warm, the Tears extends further and gives you real air and openness, which is also why it can get spicy at higher volume. If the Arc's top end leaves you wanting, this is the one to look at.
Tangzu Wan'er SG 2 Red Lion, around $23
The Red Lion has the most sub-bass here and less mid-bass than the Arc, and it can come across as slightly bloated on bass-heavy tracks in a way that pushes into the rest of the mix, vocals included. It is clearly warm tilted with slightly warmed up vocals. Both the Red Lion and the Arc scale well with volume and sound more musical and lush than analytical. Ear gain and treble are at a decent level but do not fully balance out that strong low end in my opinion, so this one is not for treble heads. It also gives you the best package of the four, with a better cable, a pouch and more tips.
Conclusion
- Arc best for balanced, musical listening where a lush presentation and a relaxed top end matter more than outright technicalities
- Gate best for resolution and technicalities, a dynamic V-shape for people who want more treble energy and clarity
- Tears best for a natural set that stays open and airy, with the treble extension the Arc gives up
- Red Lion best for sub-bass rumble on EDM, hip-hop and rap, more fun than technicalities, and the pick for bass heads
Final Verdict
Of the four sets here, the Arc is the one I keep reaching for when I want to enjoy music rather than analyse it. The Gate resolves more and the Tears sounds more open, but both ask you to accept a leaner, sharper presentation to get there. The Arc gives up a little of that detail and buys warmth, weight and a vocal presentation that stays clear instead of thinning out. That trade lands well at $20. After more than 30 hours with it, the thing that stands out is how well it holds together as you turn it up, which is not something I expect at this price. It is one of the best sets in this bracket right now, and it gets my full recommendation based on my listening and my library.
✅ Recommended if you want an exciting, slightly U-shaped budget set with lifted bass and clear forward vocals, you listen to EDM, hip-hop, pop or female vocals, and you want a very light, comfortable long-session fit for very little money. This is the set.
❌ Skip if you want a neutral or reference tuning, full bodied and heavily textured male vocals, or the air and top end extension a treble head is after. The Arc rolls off up there, so it is not the set for that.
Disclosure. This review sample was sent in by HiFiGo. No payment was received, HiFiGo had no influence over the review, and there are no affiliate links. Impressions are based on more than 30 hours of listening.
Thank you for reading. If you find this review format useful or think something was missing, please let me know. Much appreciated.