[Listening test] Punch Audio Portazo e Simgot Supermix 5

Product: Punch Audio Portazo - hybrid IEM earphones
Prodict: Simgot Supermix 5 - hybrid IEM earphones
Manufacturer: Simgot and Punch Audio - China
Distributed by: Linsoul - China
Approximate price: ±€162 (Portazo) - ±€189 (Supermix 5)
Reviewer: Piero Canova - TNT‑Audio Italy
Reviewed: April, 2026

Foreword

I believe this review concerns a product that, in the collective imagination of Hi‑Fi enthusiasts, sits about as far as possible from what they would normally consider. Many of us use earphones with our phones, but even those who wear them for hours each day tend to see them as tools for communication rather than quality transducers - and for typical phone earphones, that's undeniably true. If a Hi‑Fi enthusiast wants high‑quality headphone listening, they will almost certainly choose an on‑ear system.
So you can imagine my reaction when Linsoul contacted us to review two different models of their in‑ear monitors. I was skeptical, of course, but also intrigued by the terminology they used: monitors, planar drivers, dynamic drivers, bone conduction, and so on. Armed with a handful of adapters, I began listening.

Before getting into the product description, it's worth taking a moment to look at the IEM market and the manufacturer behind these units. A few weeks ago, ads for IEMs began appearing on the websites of major Italian newspapers. The message was clear: high‑quality sound reproduction, but also an attractive, wearable product that conveys a sense of status. In a global market where it's increasingly difficult to stand out, if they manage to turn IEMs into status symbols, we may soon start seeing them everywhere.

The manufacturers are Punch Audio and Simgot, but they rely on Linsoul for sales and marketing. And Linsoul is not just a distributor - they also produce a small portion of their vast IEM catalogue. The company was founded in 2016 by a group of audiophiles in Shenzhen, China, who originally gathered under the name Crazy Hi‑Fi. Over time, they began distributing products from other brands as well as developing their own, eventually building today's catalogue of 388 IEM models, with prices ranging from €15 to over €1,700. It's a new business model in which the distributor acts as a facilitator for individual manufacturers, who can avoid building their own websites and managing all marketing and sales activities themselves.

A closer look

At first glance, these earphones make quite an impression. The outer shell is decorated with patterns or finishes reminiscent of semi‑precious stones.

The earphones connect to the source via a high‑quality silver‑plated monocrystalline oxygen‑free copper (OFC) cable, terminated with a gold‑plated 3.5 mm stereo jack. At the other end are two small gold‑plated connectors that plug into the earphones themselves. They look excellent, but you do need to be careful when inserting them to avoid damaging the contacts. Below you can see both models ready for use.

The package includes a selection of ear tips to help you find the right fit for your ear canal. Inside these earphones, there's truly a lot going on. The Simgot Supermix 5 features five drivers (one 8 mm dynamic driver, one bone‑conduction driver for the bass, two balanced‑armature drivers for the mids, and one micro planar driver for the highs), a four‑way crossover, and a multi‑path acoustic damping system using chambers created through 3D‑printed resins and CNC machining. It's hard to imagine fitting more into such a small enclosure. The Portazo uses three drivers: one 10 mm dynamic driver and two planar drivers for mids and highs. With all this technology packed inside, I was eager to hear how they performed - so I started listening right away.

How do they sound?

I began with the Supermix 5, testing it with every source I had available: phone, computer, DAC with streaming and CD, and analog. My first impression was: “Something's off with the sound - but it's something I've heard before.” Regardless of the source, the bass was excessive. The highs were very forward and sharp, while the mids felt somewhat lost in between. Fortunately, the back of the Supermix 5 packaging includes a frequency‑response graph, shown below.

Simgot proudly states that its response curve closely matches the Harman IE 2019 v2 target or something similar. This curve features a boost of over 10 dB below 80 Hz and a second peak of similar amplitude around 3 kHz. In theory, this should produce full, impactful bass and clear, brilliant highs. I don't know about you, but to me it all recalls the infamous “loudness” button from years past. The highs are somewhat sharp and aggressive; if there are cymbals, they become overly prominent. That said, there's also a lot to appreciate: the highs show no sibilance issues, instrument placement is razor‑precise, and the transient response is genuinely impressive. The Portazo model is even more coloured in the low end, with an emphasis exceeding 15 dB.

At this point, one might be tempted to conclude that these are simply not Hi‑Fi products - but I didn't want to abandon the review halfway. I searched online for an equalizer capable of applying an inverse correction to the IE 2019 curve and tried listening to the Supermix 5 again. Of course, there are limitations: I don't know how accurate the equalizer is, I'm using a laptop or phone sound card, and I can't be sure how precise my correction was. But the results were surprisingly interesting.

It felt like listening to a pair of electrostatic speakers - except here the bass is fast and controlled, and the mids and highs follow suit. The speed across the entire spectrum is phenomenal, and the precision of instrument placement is almost holographic. The highs remain a bit dry and sharp, and the mids (now finally audible) are present but somewhat cold and anaemic. The overall sound strongly recalls a pair of studio monitors: extremely accurate, but not particularly pleasant for casual listening.

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Punch Audio Portazo e Simgot Supermix 5 - hybrid IEM earphones

A different way to listen to music?

Foreword

A closer look

How do they sound?