HIDIZS MK12 Turris Review

Shopping for new IEMs can be overwhelming. There are so many choices out there, especially in the budget-to-midrange category. Whether you’re just getting into the world of in-ear monitors or you’re looking for something fresh to add to your collection, finding the right balance of sound quality, comfort, and price isn’t always easy. That’s where the HIDIZS MK12 Turris IEMs come in. With a unique design, a durable build, and a customizable sound profile thanks to swappable tuning nozzles, the MK12 promises a lot for its price. In this review, I’ll walk you through the design, fit, and most importantly, how these actually sound, so you can decide if the MK12 should be your next everyday pair.

What You Get

• 1 x MK12 Turris IEMs
• 1 x Pouch Bag
• 1 x 3.5mm or 4.4mm Earphone Cable
• 9 Pairs x Ear Tips
• 3 x HIDIZS Pneumatic Sound Tuning Filters
• 1 x Warranty Card
• 1 x User Manual

Look & Feel

At a glance, the Hidizs MK12 has very strange-looking shells that don’t look like the most appealing thing to stick in your ear. To me, they look like an alien shell, which is quite a unique design choice for a pair of IEMs, but the style is really inspired by the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish. I always like when IEM designs have a theme in mind, and the MK12 fits that well. What’s most impressive is its material, as the shells are made from CNC-machined aluminum alloy, giving the MK12 a super durable build quality. It should seem like they have some weight to them, but they do not. They also don’t feel completely hollow either, striking this impressive compromise between hardness and weightlessness.

What utterly shocked me, though, was how well these IEMs fit in my ear. From the outside, the MK12 looks like it will be a very cumbersome fit. While I can’t speak for everyone, the MK12 lined up with my concha perfectly. They felt completely secure and weightless while wearing them for hours of listening.

Design

The MK12 uses a 12mm dynamic driver with an m-shaped dome diaphragm made from pure magnesium. They are not terribly hard to drive IEMs, but if you get the version that terminates to 4.4mm, you’ll want a good DAC adapter that can do it justice. I used Hidzis own S9 Pro Plus DAC amp for this review.

Soundstage

This is about as good a soundstage as you can ask for in this price range. I’ve heard a lot of impressive ones recently for relatively inexpensive IEMs, and the MK12 fits nicely with that bunch. The MK12 is very wide and features a ton of separation. While it doesn’t have the craziest amount of depth, the soundstage appears like it’s in a U-shape, slightly hovering around the hard panned ends of the left and right channels. Everything else flattens out in between while still showcasing open space and specific positioning that puts your head in the middle of the music. There’s a strict accuracy with the MK12 that only slightly hovers, but it captures the imaging with grace and properly immerses you in the mix. Layers of sound fold over each other but never congeal, even with the MK12’s limited interior headspace.

Low End

I switched between the gold and red nozzles to properly asses the bass performance on the MK12. The red is supposed to be the nozzle that enhances low frequencies, which I put against the balanced gold nozzle. Starting with the rose gold nozzle, the bass was already very prominent, carrying an impactful tone that provided a level of slam that was tight but dominant. It’s a mid-bass tone that is just aggressive enough to fit how fast these low frequencies respond. You’ll get a clean timbre that is energetic but separated from the rest of the sound signature. Switching to the red nozzle, I didn’t know what to expect. I played a track from the new Yeule album, and I was immediately met with a stronger foundation of tone thanks to more sub-bass frequency distribution. It provided more weight to the low end, giving that punch a bit more ground to stand on.

Mids

Like the bass, the midrange has a defined energy that helps instruments feel lively. It features a similar amount of finesse that enhances the velocity of notes being hit. The upper-midrange has a significant amount of accentuation that is consistent with all three nozzle combinations. It heightens vocals and adds an emphasis on string plucks and keys. It’s not a very lush response, but enough room and identity is gained from these mids due to their impressive drive, even when sliding a bit underneath the sound signature.

Highs

There are certain tones of treble that I like, and the MK12 has a lot of them, especially depending on what nozzle you use. The silent silver is the set dedicated to high frequencies, so I switched between those and the rose gold ones. With the rose gold nozzles, I actually found the highs to be quite sharp at times. They’re never fatiguing, but sometimes they hit a peak that borders on the edge of discomfort. The silver nozzle calms that tone down a bit, offering smoother brightness while maintaining presence and detail.

Summary

At the end of the day, the HIDIZS MK12 is a fun and refreshing surprise. They look a little wild, but they fit great, sound even better, and let you play around with the tuning thanks to the included nozzle filters. The soundstage is wide, the bass hits hard (especially with the red filter), and the highs can be dialed in to your liking. If you want something that sounds great and stands out from the crowd, the MK12 is an awesome pick, especially for the price. Whether you’re upgrading your everyday IEMs or just want to try something new, these are definitely worth checking out.

The Hidizs MK12 Turris is available here.