The NF ACOUS NA20 was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links. The price of the NA20 is $118.99 and you can buy it directly from NF ACOUS online shop.
NF ACOUS
NF ACOUS (formerly NF Audio) is a Chinese professional in-ear monitor (IEM) manufacturer, established in 2014 under the name Shenzhen Ningfan Acoustics. It began by crafting custom stage IEMs and evolved into a full-fledged audio brand focusing on universal and custom-fit earphones for a variety of users, ranging from professional performers and studio engineers to gamers and audiophiles. Their product lineup is divided into the Professional Series with earphones like the NM20, the Music Series with earphones like the NA2+, and the Game Series.
NF ACOUS NA20
The newly released NF ACOUS NA20 IEM belongs to the Music Series and comes with a slightly different tuning than its sibling, the NM20 from the Professional Series.
The NA20 is equipped with the MC2L-100M dynamic driver that has a new magnetic structure plus an upgraded beryllium plated diaphragm. A patented technology named SRA (Selective Reflection Adjustment), reduces the reflected sound by employing 5 air pressure controlling damping nets and 2 tuning sponges while it also adjusts the air pressure balance between the front and rear for a fatigue free listening experience.
You can read more about the NF ACOUS NA20 here.
Design and wearing comfort
The outer appearance of the NA20 is identical to that of the NM20 with the only difference being its color scheme. The NA20 has semi-transparent smoky brown (or amber-brown) ear-shells with gold accents around the aluminum decorative edges and a stylized metallic logo at the center of the faceplates.
The compact sized ear-shells are made of high-strength polycarbonate (PC) material with a frosted surface and a semi-custom design that follows the natural curves of the ears. The brand informs us that the nozzle is slightly curved to mimic the shape of the second bend in the ear and a curve is put in place to reduce pressure against the crus helix while a slight protrusion adds support on the concha.
Long story short, the NF ACOUS NA20 earphones are featherweight (4g each) and super comfortable, they fit like a glove and are ideal for extended listening sessions while they isolate pretty well. With so many years of expertise in the professional audio field, NF ACOUS really knows how to make comfortable fitting earphones.
Cable and accessories
The 2-pin detachable cable is made from 6N OFC copper in a four strands braided design with pre-shaped ear hooks that are a little stiff. It is a soft, thin and lightweight cable with low microphonic noise but it gets a little tangled. The 2-pin connectors are QDC type and made of plastic while the cable is terminated with a 3.5mm aluminum plug. This is a decent cable for the price but it is not modular and you don’t have the option to order it with a 4.4mm plug.
The package also includes a small carrying case with a side zipper that can also accommodate a compact sized USB DAC dongle, plus one set of ear-tips in four sizes and a 6.35mm adapter. Some more ear-tips would have made the package more competitive.
Power requirements and associated gear
The impedance of the NF ACOUS NA20 is 32Ω with a rated sensitivity of 109dB/mW so they don’t need much power to reach their full potential. You don’t need something expensive to drive the NA20, simple USB DAC dongles like the BGVP MX1 can easily do the job.
Listening impressions
The NA20 is a more fun sounding and easy listening sibling of the previously reviewed NF ACOUS NM20 that is characterized by its monitor-like approach to the music. The NA20 follows a casual V-shaped tuning but with more prominent bass and a smoother upper mid-range in comparison to the NM20 or other similar earphones.
The low-end is characterized by boosted sub-bass and emphasized bass where the mid-bass gets the most prominent role. The sub-bass has subwoofer intensity and power, while the bass has plenty of quantity to sound fun and thick without overpowering too much the rest of the frequencies.
The NA20 is not a bass-head IEM but you can’t call it tonally correct. As an example, double-basses sound too prominent and out of tune while the cellos have more intensity and color than they should in order to sound realistic. The NA20 would not be my first choice for listening to classical music but it feels at home with most other kinds of music, like modern pop and EDM, genres that sound very exciting and enjoyable with the NA20.
The technical performance is solid but not class-leading. The bass is fast and punchy but also a little loose and stretched. It can’t follow too busy bass lines as it slightly loses control. Still the bass is clean and layered with plenty of definition to avoid sounding one note or hazy.
More listening impressions
The mid-range takes a back seat in comparison with the upper and lower ends of the frequency spectrum but it still sounds rather balanced and tonally correct without feeling too neglected. The timbre is natural and realistic with plenty of harmonic resolution.
The mids are presented in a clean and articulated fashion without getting masked by the prominent lower-end. The NA20 is a little bit more expressive and warmer sounding than the NM20, it is free from sterility and it manages to extract fun and connect the listener with the music.
The NF ACOUS NA20 is also a little smoother and more polite sounding in the treble than the NM20. Brilliance and sharpness are kept under control but still the NA20 is not lacking in treble energy and sparkle. This is not the most analytical IEM but it has good definition and resolution for the category.
The timbre of the higher frequencies is rather natural but the textures are somewhat lacking in refinement and have some kind of metallic artificiality to them. Higher pitched instruments sound a little bit lean and dry but not too harsh or brittle.
The soundstage is not something special to talk about, it is wide enough but still between your ears and without any significant depth. The NA20 images well and can sound spacious and airy enough with simpler music but can’t follow when things get more busy. To be fair though, it should be noted that it can keep up very well with the music that is made to sound good.
Vs the competition and overall value
There are so many earphones at this price point, with all shorts of driver configurations, that it doesn’t make much sense to go into detailed comparisons. You can read my reviews and then reach your own conclusions.
What we can do though is to discuss the value of the NF ACOUS NA20 in comparison with the competition. Let’s stay with single dynamic driver earphones to make things simpler.
For $149 you can buy the FiiO FD15 or throw $10 more for the LETSHUOER DX1. To be fair, they are $30 and $40 more expensive than the NA20, however they come equipped with higher quality cables (even a modular one for the FD15) and a greater variety of ear-tips. All of them are comfortable to wear but the NA20 is more lightweight and fits a little better.
These two earphones don’t necessarily sound better than the NA20 but they slightly surpass it in overall technical performance. However, their tuning is radically different than the NA20 that has its own unique sound signature that a lot of people are going to find more appealing than the other two.
$79.99 buys you the DUNU Titan S2 that is generously accessorized and comes with one of the best modular cables on the market. The NA20 is considerably more lightweight and comfortable than the odd looking Titan S2, but it doesn’t sound two times better to justify the price difference.
So, while $118.99 might be a very reasonable price for the sonic performance and the overall quality of the NF ACOUS NA20, the package needs some reworking to become more competitive.
In the end
The NF ACOUS NA20 might not have something dramatically new to offer from a tuning perspective, but it magically manages to sound unique and different from most similarly tuned earphones. It has an euphonic and easy going nature with plenty of high quality bass and sub-bass to sound really fun and engaging with most kinds of music without causing listening fatigue.
The NA20 is also good looking, featherweight and very comfortable to use so it is the ideal choice for anyone looking for a daily driver that can wear all day long and let forget about anything else except for the music.
Copyright – Petros Laskis 2025.
+ Bass emphasized yet balanced tuning
+ Punchy and impactful bass
+ Euphonic and expressive mid-range
+ Smooth yet not subdued treble
+ Good clarity and resolution for its class
+ Easy to drive and not picky on the source
+ Featherweight and very comfortable
+ Nice appearance and good build quality
+ Detachable cable and hard carrying case
- Not the most technical or defined bass
- The low-end is lacking in tonal accuracy
- Intimate and flat soundstage
- Slightly metallic/artificial treble
- Only one set of ear-tips
- The cable is not modular and you can't order it with a 4.4mm plug
Leave a comment