Night Oblivion Butastur

Night Oblivion Butastur Universal IEM
Redcarmoose Labs May 12th, 2024


Build:
10BA per side
-Sonion AcuPass Vented Woofer (2BA)
-Knowles HODTEC (2BA)
-Knowles GR31653 x 2 (4BA)
-Knowles TWFK (2BA)

Basic Spec:
107db 30ohms
10BA per side

https://penonaudio.com/Night-Oblivion-Butastur.html
$599.00

Butastur
Yep it’s 10BAs a side, oh..and they are all name brand. But a few other brands offer 10BA a side IEMs for less money, but they are not all name brand drivers and they haven’t been tuned and orchestrated by a master craftsman. Actually two masters are involved with this project, one Jinny Tan and one Head-fi member AmericanSpirt. Where AmericanSpirt came up with tuning ideas and Jinny Tan made such things a reality. Yet we can’t forget Penon too, as they are the ones who put up the money which in fact brought this whole project to fruition!

You see I have been following the Night Oblivion Butastur closely since even before it was released. More out of pure curiosity, I never actually thought that I would get a chance to hear it, but here we are!



Results: TOTL Performance at a mid range price!
I hate to say this, but I could be with this single IEM and get give away or sell the rest of my stuff, yep I identify with the sound that much! Plus I have heard my share of IEMs! It is all down to creating evenness, completeness and correctness. Sure there are other TOTL IEMs that may exaggerate some part of the frequency response, but that was not their goal here. Quite simply they wanted to offer something that never existed before in the IEM world, an IEM that was easy to drive and offered Flagship performance at a value price bracket. I mean I would call the frequency response almost exactly perfect. While in technicalities, sure I have heard the stage be a little bigger, but the way the Butastur does imaging far exceeds any need for a larger stage. The stage is medium large.

Now some (other folks) have questioned the bass authority for genres like Rock or EDM? You see this tune is so incredibly careful, but more than that the Butastur is one, if not the most transparent transducer to source personality I have ever heard, ever. Part of this bass personality is in regards to bass creation. Sure DDs put out the physicality of bass well, but they leave out the inner details. BAs will do the opposite, meaning you want to hear the inside realm of the bass notes, the actual inner texture and close-by reverberations, and the BAs will give you that. On the other hand DDs push air and illustrate the outer reverberations, sounds that actually cover-up some details as a trade-off for (maybe) a more real bass texture? Yet, everyone knows this, hence the introduction of 2X isobaric DDs in unison, trying to increase the speed of DD bass response and achieve the power of a 16mm driver with 2X 8mm……holding the added 2X surface area. Regardless of IEM construction BA bass is its own deal, its own style of bass and will never be replicated by DDs in any combo, at least in the foreseeable future.

So what I learned was that due to this Butastur source transparency I could (with-out EQ) control this offered bass character. Yep, from the midrange focused WM1A to the heavy bass physicality of the WM1Z. And you know I waited, and played with the Butastur, only later unleashing the amazing combo of WM1Z and Butastur. You see, the cleanliness and the pace response of the Butastur is really my preferred way to go......the extra BAs and the way those BAs perform treble and midrange itemizations. And finally the correct placement of instruments into the stage. Yep, probably one of the most important things about the response, that with 10 BAs in action and all BAs in action together, we don’t find the segmented or dissociated DD bass wandering outside into the stage. Nope. Here is a facet of replay I never ever talk about, mainly because I overlook it and it is not all that important to me personally. Yet maybe to you it holds an extreme value as in placement of objects in the stage, is a major technicality held by some IEMs. I mean typically I regard Hybrids as my favorite, yet they are (none of them) never as cohesive as the Butastur is on a daily basis.

Yet the initial 10 Butasturs (shipped 07/25/23) had a sonic surprise in-store for listeners. Sure those few early adopters may have read about the theory of low-frequency control, but there is nothing like hearing it in action for the first time.

The Butastur BRAS System is real.
As such it takes up one of the 4 nozzle openings (holes) seen in pictures here. It also adds a level of safety by maintaining a balanced sound level only up to 110dB.



1) Prevents resonance from high frequencies
2) Discharges certain frequencies
3) Eliminates chance of high frequency ear-damage
4) Long-term wear without pressure build-up
5) Enhances lower mids and bass response though air pressure reserve



Reality:
As such we see the completion of a dream. A dream to offer the masses a TOTL performing IEM that can deliver the goods at 1/2 or 1/4 of the cost. Does this mean the Butastur is close to perfect? Answer, yes and no. No IEM is perfect, also some still feel the Butastur is better at certain music genres than others. Now the bass heavy genres are actually my favorite, so in order to kind-of defend the Butastur, I will go ahead with music demonstrations. Also for some who tried the Butastur I will go so far to say, they may have not found the optimal source or cable, as again it can’t be understated that this Butastur IEM goes forward to delineate exactly what you feed it from file quality, to source……to cable……and finally the exact ear-tip chosen. With each component here holding its own level of character and control over the end tone. You see IEMs come in many forms of well-roundedness and the Butastur is still one of them. The Butastur is well rounded because even if your set-up is close to perfect for you, it is still a wildly entertaining IEM. Then once your set-up is dialed-in the Butastur moves forward to exclaim its dominance over any and all music genres……….it just doesn’t deliver them the best out of every device you have on hand. IMO

Music Tests:
Here I’m using the Sony WM1Z with the Penon OSG cable and Tangzu Tang Sancai Wide Bore ear-tips.

Here I’m not trying to find bass heavy music, it is just the music I know and like, so I’m using it because it’s enjoyable! Now the crazy part is that after 5 days of listening I went through the small task of music to demonstrate the Butastur’s strong points and weaknesses. But in the end, I could really choose any album and it would come-out really good. This one thing, may be the most important sentence in the review? The maybe second most important thing I write could very well be this next paragraph.



Yello
Point
The Vanishing Of Peter Strong
48kHz - 24bit
The amazing thing is I could have chosen any Yello song. In fact this review took way, way longer than it should have. I have 13 different Yello albums on my Sony WM1Z…….and all of them sound fresh and new with the Butastur. I want to tell you about many of them………but that would be crazy right? No wrong, that would not be crazy, it would actually be what this whole Head-Fi journey is about. The details……….and the finding of them like seashells on the seashore. So this song will have to do for now, for the sake of saving space. And it is as good as any to do justification and tell the tale about what is before us here. At 00:00 the bass kicks in………only due to BA detail we right away learn of a new form of musicality here. Where if it is fully deep enough our mind then wanders off, learning about song ideas and creative structure. You see this bass is a cyclical rhythm finding the end attached to the beginning. That in fact they are using at least two synths to proclaim an outside circle and a mono inside expression of bass tones. The outside first, then the bass question answered by the inside. At around 00:06 another kind of sample accent is introduced farther outside the stage. The fact that this is all so clear is beautiful and what Yello is about. They are about new sonics and the discovery of sounds. I will disclose my relationship with Yello starting in 1983.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Gotta_Say_Yes_to_Another_Excess

Really the band never went mainstream until “Oh Yeah” which became famous after being showcased in the movie Ferris Buller’s Day Off.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferris_Bueller%27s_Day_Off

And in so very many ways Yello represents the 1980s audiophile sound. Gone for many were the floor-stander speakers, replaced by faster smaller bookshelf transducers. This fast and accurate treble made its way even into how songs were mixed. Lending this tone to inspire the very first CD pressings. You see, analogue was out of fashion and this new faster digital “tone” was the in-thing. As listeners we can almost figure out what musical era is represented by some tonal mixes. Many of us kept an entry level turntable for years, until we were able to afford a nice turntable, only to discover the Eurythmics sounded no better with our new turntable, being the bass was never there in the first place.

Lucky things have changed for the better and the album Point being Yello’s latest adventure. That said, the album is an audiophile's (wet) dream, full of every tonal idea imagined and many found for the first time.

“Oh Yeah”

• Dieter Meier – lead and background vocals
• Boris Blank – Fairlight CMI, ARP Odyssey, background vocals

And you know I wasn’t going to introduce another Yello album here, except this is a perfect example of why these IEMs are special. Simply to give you a freshly cleaned window into the sonic luxury to be discovered. One reason this review took so long to write is I constantly was side-tracked, just in awe of how well the Butastur did electronic music. And the point is the Butastur does all electronic music well. In fact there are a few folks that only listen to electronic, and after fully realizing what we have here, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Butastur for electronic, just buy it you won’t be sorry……I promise. Just make sure your source is not on the thin side, because again, every part of the signal chain is to be revealed.

A recommendation:
The way this decision to recommend the Butastur happened was I kept going back, like the Butastur kept luring me back to electronic………so you discover old favorites and continue to become enlightened by your old favorites, until you realize, this IEM is really very good! And better than good, great in the end!

So to recommend another Yello song is simply par for the course here.

Par
What is normal or expected in any given circumstances.



Yello
Pocket Universe
Monolith
44.1kHz - 16bit



The timestamps only relevant to the digital file, not the video.

Now you may be questioning why I didn’t go further into the last song? It may be because of the style (of audiophile) many of us are, that you have all this power of immersion in your hands………..it’s actually scary. So you scan onto another file, a file that will become so entrancing that you listen to the whole file……..you know when you get the chills. I’m sorry I get emotional about music, then my dogs come to visit to wonder what is up! Here the deep background synth takes the mood at 00:08. Yet very quickly there is the introduction into the stage of midrange additives. This 00:11 device……….which turns into a flute at 00:13. This whole time there are abstract drums channeled into a festival on both sides of right and left…..panning. Boris Blank is always up to something, recording and reversing normal drum sound then reversing them again to make backwards reverbs. Here it is safe to say Yello is always alert to the sonic canvas they are painting on, making the results never too dark, or too bright. We are at once with what sounds like a juxtaposition of Protestant Choir and something middle eastern? Then the flute makes its main entrance. Right at this point in time (if you asked) I would tell you the Butastur has one of the biggest soundstages I have ever laid hands on?

At 02:11 the Timpani hits, and somehow my dogs are back with me? They don’t hear the drum-hit, they only feel my emotion fall-off here. You see I don’t necessarily have favorite IEMs, what I have are favorite IEM experiences, where it all comes together……….and this is one of them.



The Fifth Element OST (ESCA 6748)
Eric Serra
44.1kHz - 16bit
Look I probably don’t have to tell anyone reading this that BAs do fabulous strings…….right? At 16:00 it is all but a string wonderland into when those woody warm passages of sound take place. Just the fact that all the positioning and those low cello notes that you were not expecting come about like gifts from above. I will say it again…………..if you are into stings and want all that $599.00 can bring you, so far in my journey I have not found better. Just any soundtrack recorded will be a gift here. This happy feeling segues into drums around 20:20. When science fiction takes hold of reality, and distorts it. I’m pretty sure this is the part of the movie when they visit Bruce in his apartment pod.



Anyways the point is you can watch this movie a number of times, but the OST you can listen to for the rest of your life, and especially with the Butastur doing its thing. At 40:21 the Timpani (Kettle Drum) is adding those lows that are just moving, I mean when I say this is the only IEM I need, I’m dead serious, it is. Probably (as you know) it probably does OSTs slightly better than even electronic (and not because of the way the low are) because of how well it does stings and other instruments happened to found alive inside OSTs?

They call this luster I guess, but the OST drums are fast and showing detail left-out by DDs. At 41:08 there is a saxophone and we are encompassed by atmosphere. They are using a Roland R8 “Human Rhythm Composer” which came out in 1989. And the funny thing is I always wonder if some of these drum effects are thought of as real sounding back in 97 when this movie came out……..they are about as synthetic as drums can be, which is actually cool sounding now. Going back there is the part where the “Diva Dance” scene takes place. Where the singing progresses into the dance beat at 35:40. Yet before that we are witness to great female vocals and strings, if you have seen the movie I think most do not expect a beat to be added which takes the whole movie scene to the next level. To describe this beat, it is fast and holding the transient response we have come to know from BAs. That while no it doesn’t contain the pure physicality offered by DDs……..there is this beautiful warm woody character to the strings, and a spacial reverberation which DDs never do, that lets you understand string placement. The lows are still there, and just enough to enable the Butastur to still complete the song in all of its satisfying glory. Though the total charm is the beginning before the drums start…….if that makes any sense. Then the atmosphere and stings to follow inside the next song. The deepness that the cellos bring and the striations of warmth and different levels of detail. Where there is a blossoming which is at its core becomes the soul of the music, those ebbs and flows that only a good BA set-up can do. The Timpani at 39:34 takes the cake here……just the speed and clean transient response, making a show that has you ask yourself……what more would I even want? And of course that was AmericanSprit’s and Jinny Tan’s dream, to offer Flagship level TOTL performance at a mid-price-cost-value. And I must confess hearing is believing, because anyone can brag about their IEMs performance, but to have it really happen, well that’s something to write about, and that is why you’re reading this.



Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch
Blade Runner 2049 OST
Wallace
44.1kHz - 16bit
Look, this is better recorded and more vibrant than the last whole album. Maybe recording technology advanced, but whatever it is I have purposely positioned this album into a sequence of order. It makes a point that while the 5th Element OST was good, and still enjoyable, the stage and instruments inside that stage are like 30% bigger with the song “Wallace” and the Butastur knows this. Part of the magic to this review has been the sequence of events leading up to this final music section. You can play with cables and different DAPs all day long, and the Butastur still entertaining and rewarding………..but get it something (for it) to chew on, and prepare to be literally blown away. Bigger ambiance, bigger synths, broader effects and panning farther out into the stage……….bigger bass drops…….the works.

Wow, chills again…….I don’t think I have ever had three sets of the chills in a review before? I don’t need to explain myself anymore, you get the idea, get the Butastur the file, the source and the cable and be prepared to be entertained……..there is no other word for the experience.

Oh, again……the soundstage is huge right now, bigger than I ever thought was possible from this little IEM?

Wait……..you want ROCK? Metal?
OK, one more.

Inter Arma
New Heaven
Endless Grey
48kHz - 24Bit





Reminds you a little of Brian May huh? There is nothing like dueling leads to end a music section. And in ending here this whole album was a treat with the Butastur. The atmosphere that this crazy band puts out. Where they can be almost psychedelic at times, they defy genre pigeonholing. Here we are given a background atmosphere at the very start, in addition to the basic drums. The drums are heavy and full of that………a…….drum sound?

The difference here is we are hearing inside of the drum hit, and nothing is ever over blown with DD textures. The drums while holding enough (deepness of) tone, are also fast and imaged well. The added spice is the opening snare hit right at 00:00 seemingly coming out of nowhere and falling off into the outskirts of the stage. At 00:12 the twin guitars take over, after a slight multi note accent. And what is the beautiful thing here? It is the fact that we can easily dissect the fact that way off to the right is one guitar, way off to the left is another………with a clean bass riding out in the middle, just above the drum beats. The realization that in reality the bass transforms into a dirty character…….yep taking us hostage with its filth. But yet, that is OK, we expected to get soiled during this venture. That in fact the very wind-up at the start most likely had bass too? Ahhhhh perfect. At times each instrument is doing its own job, and as the song progresses the bass becomes that of a virtuoso player……..imagine that bass player taking all the attention? But in the end it works, it works for me anyways?



Construction:
Where the Butastur comes into its own is size. Most 10BA IEMs are not this small. Really I find it to be the perfect balance of weight and size. At only 5 grams a piece the Bustastur sports some of the best IEM feeling to boot. The use of DREVE paint takes the comfort to the next level. Owning a 3-way crossover, you also have the option of activation of the two DIP-Switches. While sporting 3 nozzle holes, the fourth nozzle opening is the BRAS pressure equalization system. As such once or twice I accidentally had the volume way too loud and I fully guesstimate I could hear the BRAS system in action, making the tones not so loud and an overused volume and not so contrasty? The two vents in unison make the air-system performance unique to the Butastur. Such included regular side vent becomes seen as allowing air-pressure to become relived, as well as injunction with the single nozzle vent.





DIP-Swiches and ear-tips:
The Butastur comes with both switches in the off (down) position. This could be looked at as a suggested balanced tone. The number one switch when switched-up adds bass, and the number two switch pushed up adds treble. Where I spent 5 days listening with both switches off, then tried a handful of ear-tip choices with the switches in the sequence of 1 up then 2 up and finally both 1 and 2 up. Somehow this subject leads me to an ear-tip explanation. Meaning yes (just like the graphs read, there were small yet adequate changes) and I tried to dial the changes further in by changing ear-tips. This may sound confusing, yet I had already tried many ear-tips and it was of good results (especially) to try the donut wide-bore tips (my biggest soundstage and least bass) with the extra bass setting. Another super surprising feature were the DIVINUS VELVET ear-tip results. The Velvets seemed to expand the treble in the nicest of ways, and seemed to promote bass authority. In all I tried 9 pairs of ear-tips and surprisingly found none of them needed to put out any fires……same as the DIP-Switches, that in ways the treble was more drastic than what could be accomplished by ear-tips……none of the switches were ever needed to correct any style of off tone…….as every Dip-Switch and every ear-tip were acceptable. Though I returned to one of my regular wide-bore tips and flipped the DIP-Switches back off, as it is a mid-range paradise here, a paradise I didn’t want to mess with. Maybe I used the Butastur too long before going to the switches, maybe not? I can say somehow it looks like AmericanSpirt likes the mids too (by the graph naming) and is offering the switches just for added flexibility? I mean this IEM has addictive treble and (enough) bass, but it is a revelation in midrange, and somehow the switch added bass or added treble seemed unnatural to me?


Typically I will use the generic purple center wide-bore silicone ear-tips. Though the new (red) 7Hz wide-bores are nice. As well as the (blue) Tangzu Tang Sancai Wide Bore! The long silicone wide-bore I will use as back-up for a few IEMs, namely the Encore to help with fitment.



Included Cable:
The cable is truly nice and can be purchased separately for $49.90 here.

https://penonaudio.com/Night-Oblivion-Butastur-IEM-Cable

Night Oblivion Butastur 2Pin 0.78mm 4 Shares OCC HiFi Audiophile IEMs Cable wth 3-in-1 Modular Plugs
Description
Materials: 6N single crystal copper Litz cable
Core: 4 strands , single strand is 36* 0.05 *7
Wire diameter:1.55mm
Interface: 2Pin 0.78mm with earhook
Plug: 3-in-1 3.5mm audio/2.5mm balanced /4.4mm balanced modular straight plug
Length: 1.20m-1.25m

Probably besides the sound the redeeming factor here was just how stable the 3-in-1 system worked. Where once the plug slides into place, the friction keeps it on forever until ample force is used to release the plug, I liked that. There are also a number of little details which show nice……like a laser engraved symbol on the cable splitter.

The ear hooks are very fluid and never uncomfortable in use. The 2Pins are color coded, and the ergonomics are wonderful, coiling and going where you want it. Another extra feature to the cable is exactly how they sculpted the plug. Whereupon first investigating this feature may seem trivial but it’s not, where the separation point sits at the rear of the plug and remains parallel and almost hidden from touch feeling. This means the plug ends like not a regular 3-in-1 modular plug, but becomes a fixed plug in daily use. That and the fact that it seriously doesn’t come off easily, makes it super nice in daily use.




Cable rolls:
After using my Sony WM1A for the first few days with various cables, I then switched to the Sony WM1Z. As such the 1Z physicality of the bass was unarguable…..and it remained in place for the rest of the review process. Though I did at times go back to other devices, resulting from paranoia to wondering if what I was hearing was truly so good. Mid review I rotated the HiBy R3 II and while even using the Penon OSG cable, it was a world of difference, differences in the wrong direction. Don’t get me wrong, many songs were good with the R3, it was just the Butastur has this uncanny ability to reveal all of your source personality, and after a few days of the 1Z you become used to the tone. Where the R3 was M shaped in response which offered a thinner and less lush midrange and stage expansion, with less bass and less treble stage interplay. There are many ways I parallel the included cable output to the same tone. Meaning while the included cable is great, it offered a brighter but almost tinny sounding replay as in comparison to the lushness of the Penon OSG. Though bass from the included cable was the most profound out of the three cables I tested.

Below Penon OSG Cable



Included cable

1) Included cable in 4.4mm
2) Penon OSG cable in 4.4mm
3) ISN Solar cable in 4.4mm


ISN Solar cable

So you would think the ISN Solar would be the winner here? And while it may be some peoples favorites, I should have probably tested it with the Sony WM1A as I’m sure it would have been a better match. Though you have to realize, this review is convoluted and long enough, I can’t test everything, even though curiosity calls for it. SO to try and keep this simple, the Solar and OSG were both better cables than the included cable. Yet for most there was nothing strange or out of the ordinary in what the included cable did. It was just that the Solar added this lush lower midrange stage expansion, yet the Butastur was transparent enough to also allow the 1Z treble push though…….yep, it was too bright, the Solar was too intense with this combo. And that my friends allowed me to get to the Penon OSG secret sauce! The OSG allowed its inherent Graphene to somehow expand the midrange, it smoothed it out and the mids were found even larger. This smoothing added note-weight to the treble and midrange, counteracting any natural BA character. The bass was left still boosted (due to the 1Z) but this (new) sculpturing was adding detail and 3D dimension, clarity to the low-end. There comes a time when you seem to have it all, and I was not even curious as to the effects of other cables. Of course before I tried numerous cables including the ASOS+ which was great but not as great as the OSG. It is probably this rare density that just seemed to work with the OSG and Butastur, that the OSG was going and including this smoothed out yet dense and separated tone in the end………..more inviting and thicker, bigger staged and better sculpted.


Left to right:
7Hz Aurora, Night Oblivion Butastur and Noble Audio K-10 Encore

Side-by-sides:
Here I’m still using the set-up of OSG, Sony WM1Z and the various other IEMs placed into rotation. The only difference is the longer wide-bore tips which allow better fitment with the Noble Encore. Regular wide-bore donuts are used for the 7Hz Aurora and Butastur. You may be wondering why I chose these three to become side-by-sides? The answer is the three share some of the three tonal characteristics. So much in-fact that they go in memory to remind me of each other. When that happens side-by-sides will further delineate the true differences and contrasting abilities, because the three are both birds-of-a-feather and different. Some folks may ask why I’m using the OSG cable on all three……..and my answer is due to all three having a portion of the same personality…….it works.



Noble Audio K-10 Encore v Butastur:
Look, the Encore is not as easily accessible (to the masses) as the Butastur. Nope, the Encore has extensions starting at 5kHz and ending at 8kHz. This noticeable shelf…….even if the measurements are blurred by the 8kHz testing resonance, confirm a way more intense listen. This combined with the relatively flat Encore midrange and neutral bass, means the balance of mental focus is shifted to focus on the 5kHz to 8kHz treble shelf. Coincidentally both the Encore K-10 and Butastur are 10 BA devices. Yet this Butastur lower bass activity both balances the Butastur better and adds thickness. You could say both the Butastur and the K-10 are upper mid-range masters, and I like that……as that is where a good portion of the musical information lies.



Encore V Butastur:
The Encore is noticeably way way louder at the same volume. This volume increase only goes to emphasize the stage positioning and forward aspects of the tune, even (after) when the volume is equalized. Vocals are more forward, imaging is bigger and little birds are chirping farther out scattering among the many more layers. The vibrancy of the Encore is real and impossible to fight against. Is this fair? Well the Encore was $1850.00 when it was introduced at the end of 2016. On the used market they fetch exactly $599.00. I mean if anything this battle showed me why I keep the Encore around. The OSG does the same imaging magic trick with the Encore as the Butastur, only a bigger stage means farther out Encore fireworks. This is insane….really…the Encore showing its vibrancy in response. But there is a crack in the reality here………….yep, the dimensional clarity has a small fissure……it has to do with BA timbre and tone. This spectacle of Encore imaging has its issues too, mainly because stuff is even clearer and more itemized in the stage........so more closely examined for quality!

Number one the Butastur doesn’t ever produce that air of off timbre the Encore seems to capitalize on? And while amazingly bass is very equal.........there is a Butastur lower midrange thickness that is both soft and inviting like a bed blanket…….this character then travels up into the warmer midrange and at that point merges with a more mainstream accessible treble.

Where vocals being airy and vibrant have been a center of the Butastur sound goals from the start. We came face to face with these vocal abilities in the music test section with Diva Plavalaguna singing the Diva Dance!

The issue is the Encore is over the top, it is out-to-lunch crazy…….and not for every set of ears, or every listening run. Sure both IEMs can exist in a collection and offer different ideas into which we interpret sound. Where even though bass is the same between the two, that Encore 5kHz to 8kHz makes that same bass less noticeable. And finally the Butastur comes off softer, more inviting and smoother, enabling longer listens at louder volumes. Sure I will take the Encore to the grave, but that doesn’t mean there is not room for a more accessible and friendly style of entertainment? Oh, and by the way, the Butastur is 2X more comfortable to wear. The Encore has never been exactly friendly in fitment, and the Butastur is the most friendly in how it feels. Nothing was more noticeable than switching between the two, as when the Butastur made it in there was a profound pleasure to fitment.



The 7Hz Aurora v the Butastur:
Look, I get a lot of IEMs in the mail, half the time they are good and some are way better than just good. Yet nothing is perfect, nothing……and some IEMs show that imperfection more than others…..in being boring or uneven listens.........also the ones missing technicalities.

Here the Aurora is offering a bigger stage and amazingly has some of that vibrancy like the Encore. As such that vibrancy is coated slightly with Planar timbre, yet this is totally lovable and fun.

There is this bigger than life Aurora imaging taking place, yet once again, it is not quite as coherent as what the Butastur does on a daily basis. Farther out imaging and with the slight planar timbre in an airiness........and a tad bit of thinness that the Butastur goes and fills in. Also the Butastur becomes more cohesive with the effect of all BAs at once. Where the 7Hz Aurora is the quintessential Hybrid, and due to such separations and scattering of images becomes slightly both bigger in entertainment and less real……almost surrealistic.

The missing added warmth the Butastur contains, if (that warmth) was added to the 7Hz……well then we would really have something.

The surprising thing was I would have never guessed the Encore and 7Hz Aurora would share the same big stage image positioning? Yet neither the 7Hz Aurora or the Encore provide that down-home and down-to-earth warm-friendly feeling that the Butastur just naturally offers…….all the time. It is this Butastur smoothness and maturity of tone that I always knew existed inside what the Butastur offers, yet during these side-by-sides became even more vivid and pure. I can tell you I will be matching the 7hz with more cables and changing DAPs to continue to find a way in…..as the 7Hz Aurora is incredible for what it is.

Packaging:

Conclusion:
Well there you have it, another one in the books. When I exclaimed that the Butastur could be my only IEM, I meant it. Why? The Night Oblivion Butastur is well-rounded that’s why. Yes, you need to match it to a more bass heavy source......as if you only offer it thinness going in, a slight style of thinness is what (will) come out. Yet again all this is with-in reason. Reasonable is probably the very best word I have to describe the Butastur.

Reasonable
This occurs as a reality due to the Butastur evenness, the completeness and finally the correctness encountered with every DAP, every cable, every ear-tip and every genre of music. With that said maybe, just maybe the The Night Oblivion Butastur does OSTs better than ROCK? I mean really it could go either way……..except those darn violins, those cellos and that stand-up bass replay……oh and the transients and reverbs associated with them!

Call me smitten, but the way the Butastur does OSTs had me rifle though a larger section of my OST collection than any IEM in here at Redcarmoose Labs. And when this review is over, you can bet your sweet behind I will continue the investigation of OSTs……..mainly just because it is so much fun. Fun is a strange word to use, but that’s all we really want here, we like to somehow take this whole process apart like a car, so it can’t run any longer….we do that….to figure out what parts the car is made of. But the reality is when an IEM like the Butastur is in your ears you're more preoccupied by the beautiful hidden bass creations, these sounds which startle you with excitement. That and because the Butastur sounds real...........we are more emotionally involved with the file played. Just ask my dogs, as I was emotional during this review, they will verify such reactions from the legendary Butastur.

"Really all BA IEMs, they still try to make those?"

The Butastur is a classic and one IEM that will never go out of style, as realism never fails to produce reactions. This project is a dream of a few……..one AmericanSpirit, one Jinny Tan and the financial support and retail procurement by Penon Audio. There is always a risk that when new IEM ideas are built upon that the results may be just average, that is the laws of chance. Yet here the results are true and real, just as real as the sound playback………the fact that (they did) somehow arrange to make a TOTL Flagship sounding IEM that not only sounds the part but bucks the system already in place. This system is occupied by retail IEMs from old seasoned manufactures that don’t want to see this new invention creep into their profit centers. Yet the Butastur lives and it is not going away anytime soon……..nope it is here to stay. The Night Oblivion is expensive, sure to use all name brand BAs and to include 20 of the suckers in a purchase cost money. And sure anyone can put together an IEM, but few have the understanding of what they want to accomplish...........and the methods at hand to pull-it-off. I know part of AmericanSpirit’s inspiration came from the qdc Anole VX. And in fact I have heard the VX, and even though it was a while ago, I truly think qdc could learn a few things by studying this particular Butastur tune. No disrespect given, it is just that in the IEM business ideas are always improved upon. IEMs made later in production will often move one step further into an area of perfection. There is better timbre than what the qdc VX accomplished, the Butastur is really the opposite of steely. And while both IEMs offer 10 BAs, the Butastur is tuned better than the VX, and a fraction of the price. It is what it is! We are all truly lucky that times change (technology moves forward) thus we get a taste of a world we would normally never get a chance to afford/inhabit.

$599.00
https://penonaudio.com/Night-Oblivion-Butastur.html

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the Night Oblivion Butastur review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03 4.4mm balanced
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP 4.4mm balanced
ifi GO bar Dongle in 4.4mm balanced
Samsung Phone 3.5mm

Wait hold your horses, the darn review isn’t over yet, as if you thought it wasn't already long enough?

Phone use:
Curiosity skinned the cat. No wait, that isn’t how it goes, cursory killed the cat, and there are more ways than one to skin-a-cat. That to me means that maybe you can drive the Butastur due to it being insanely easy to drive in the end?

Phone use:
Hooked-up to the included cable with 3.5mm modular plug I simply attached it to my regular 3.5mm Samsung phone. I always travel with a list of about 32GB of my latest favorite songs to play, though often that means attached to Dongles or Bluetooth. Here we just want to know how well they can sound off the regular phone amplifier.

Wow!
What a way to end this review. I mean this is way, way better than expected the Butastur to sound? Where right off the guitars holds harmonics and the fullness of the stage. Deep thorough expansions of harmonic details? There are little embellishments of cymbal strikes and nice reverberations. I hate to say this...........but there is a way with the included cable (and a phone) that sounds even more correct. Smooth yet clear woody nature with authority in the bass. In fact.........I’m even hearing the bass better separated and deeper here? Of course the overall size is just slightly smaller, but way less of a difference from DAP playback than I was expecting?

Well, whatever……this is a full and satisfying phone playback that is great! You have to hear it to believe it. All this means is there is way more potential to the Butastur, that to try this IEM with even more source combinations means more chances for success. The deepness of the bass and the sculpturing of bass detail has me amazed, you will see!

Penon Solar Cable use with the Sony WM1A and Butastur!
OK, so I’m obsessive and curious, a combination that warrants research and script to back-up and document that research. Does anyone really care? Sure these results are subjective, and subject to change of opinion, but it is all we really have. So far there are no machines or AI that can quantify these faint results……..so it is onward to testing. Does anyone really care? If you have the Solar cable you care as that was a chunk of change, and the WM1A is many a favorite DAP, even all these years later.

The results:
Oh Gawd!
I mean of course you knew that if you take good ingredients they often go together. And while pickles and ice-cream don’t always go together, they do go together if your wife is pregnant……something about rare nutrients needed during pregnancy. And that’s the thing…….instincts are real. I had an instinct that even though the treble was too bright with the laser etching of the WM1Z...........the WM1A with its slightly more down to earth treble could be a choice. And the results..........perrrrrrefect. Yep, these lower midrange thrusters I was talking about earlier with the Solar cable became a spectacle of added thickness to the Butastur! Then the stage size, really this is all I need, really all I want. And once again that elusive stage size has me perplexed, as it is really dependent on a number of things? Starting with the way the file was recorded, then transferred to the source, then modified and enhanced or non-enhanced by the cable to the Butastur. I’m supposed to get a grip on reality as to the Butastur, yet as far as stage size……..well it is always big, but at times the Butastur stage size is as big as I have almost ever heard with an IEM, like right now? Go figure?

But man-o-man if you could witness this try out……it’s the bee's knees! The total soul of what the Butastur has on offer………simply amazing!

ISN Solar cable

Night Oblivion Audio is a new brand exclusively distributed by Penon Audio. Their first born product is an earphone named Butastur. Butastur is a genus of prey birds that consists of four species. One of their main habitats is North and South China so that might explain the naming of the earphone. The Butastur is a collaboration between Night Oblivion Audio and a community member who contributed in the final tuning.



Technical stuff

The Butastur is a full balanced armature earphone with 10 drivers per side with the following configuration: 2 Sonion drivers for the low, 2 Knowles for mid-low, 4 Knowles for mid-high and 2 Knowles for ultra-high frequencies. Further information regarding the specific type of each driver is not available.

The drivers are combined together with the aid of a three-way crossover that has two tuning switches. The first switch increases the low frequencies and the second increases the high frequencies. You can set both switches to ON position to increase bass and treble simultaneously.

The Penon website also informs us that the Night Oblivion Butastur is using a 110dB air-pressure balancing vent system that prevents resonance and protects against stimulation caused by high frequencies. Furthermore it serves to discharge certain frequencies, protecting ears from hearing damage, offering long term wearing comfort without pressure-build up while it serves as natural air pressure reserve to deliver natural lower-mid and bass resonance.



Non Audio stuff

The ear-shells of the Butastur are made from skin-friendly resin material using 3D printing technology and they have a glossy faceplate with an attractive black and white, wavy pattern. They are anatomically shaped while they are surprisingly compact and lightweight, considering that they house 10 drivers each.

The earphones are actually very comfortable and offer great wearing experience, suitable for long term listening while passive noise attenuation is good, as long as you fit them snugly. What you should know though, is that the sound nozzle is relatively short in length so people with deep ear cavities might have some trouble achieving a stable fit. Thankfully, double-flange ear-tips are included but triple-flange would be even better.



Cable etc.

The Butastur comes with a 1.2m long, 2-pin detachable cable that has an interchangeable plug system. Three high quality aluminum (2.5mm, 4.4mm and 3.5mm) straight plugs are included in the package. This is a 4 strands, 6N single crystal copper LITZ cable that is of high quality. It is sturdy and well made, with very low microphonic noise and it doesn't get tangled but it is a little heavier and thicker than the usual. The cable is actually so good that it doesn't come as a surprise that Penon Audio is selling it separately for $49.90.

https://penonaudio.com/Night-Oblivion-Butastur-IEM-Cable.html

The package also includes two types of silicone and one set of double flange ear-tips in three sizes each plus a luxurious carrying case with a magnetic lid. Some extra ear-tips would be much welcomed.



Drivability

The Night Oblivion Butastur is rated at 30Ω of impedance with 107dB of sensitivity so it is pretty easy to drive and additionally not that sensitive to source noise. Further testing of the Butastur with various sources revealed that it scales quite well, so the better the source you are going to use, the better the performance is going to be. Most of the time, I used the FiiO M15S and iBasso DX260.

Audio stuff

The most notable characteristics of the Night Oblivion Butastur, that leave the deepest impressions upon first listening, are the excellent integration between the ten drivers and the speaker-like quality of the sound presentation. The Butastur is refined and resolving, it has supreme sound cohesiveness and great tonal balance with a mostly natural timbre, sonic qualities that let you immerse into the music to a non stop listening experience. The overall sonic performance is class leading and definitely better than the price would suggest, the Butastur outperforms much of the competition and easily compares with more expensive earphones.

The overall tuning is mostly balanced with just a touch of mid-bass emphasis that adds some cozy warmth without leading into any severe tonal inaccuracies. The bass is not, strictly speaking, neutral and critical but you can't call it out of tune and insufficient for listening to classical music. The overall balance of the low-end is suitable for listening to a wide range of music without doing anything too wrong or heavily emphasizing over the rest of the frequencies. Sub-bass extension is very satisfying and you also have the option to increase its amplitude a little more by using the first switch of the crossover. This action will also add a touch of extra bass and mid-bass, making the Butastur more appealing to bass lovers while respecting the rest of the frequencies.

Technicalities are great, the bass is tight and controlled, fast paced and well defined with crystalline clarity. Layering is also very good, despite the mild mid-bass emphasis, and the listener can easily focus on various bass instruments or listen to the faintest of the notes, no matter how populated the bass line. The Butastur is a good choice for listening to large scale classical music despite its non critical tuning. The low-end textures are not that weighty and visceral, the bass can't sound as full and impactful as it would do with a good dynamic driver. Thus said, the physical impact and the dynamic behavior are surprisingly well done for an earphone that uses two Sonion drivers for the low frequencies. An extra point worth of noting is that the bass is reproduced without any unwanted resonances or excessive reverb.



The mid-range is masterfully tuned as it manages to sound extremely natural, musical and engaging, effectively reaching into the emotional depths of your favorite tunes. Not subdued or forward, it is balanced and smooth without any upper mid-range glare. The sound is full of fluidity, colorful harmonies and rich overtones, voices and instruments alike are reproduced with plenty of naturalness and speaker-like qualities. The Butastur is lively and lifelike while at the same time smooth and polite. The mid-range is resolving, lush, articulate and well defined with weighty and finely shaped notes, this is an earphone made to touch your heart.

The stock tuning of the treble is easy going and forgiving with a somewhat restrained extension. Still, it is not that lacking in energy and excitement albeit not that luminous and sparkling as some would like. Thankfully you can use the second switch to add a generous boost at the presence and brilliance areas and energize the overall tuning by giving more energy and extension up top to counterbalance the warmer sound signature of the stock position. Boosting or not the treble will not affect the texture of the higher frequencies which is liquid and lush without any hints of metallic or the so-called, balanced armature timbre. The treble region of the Butastur is natural and effortless, the notes have substance and weight, so do expect cymbals, high huts and bells to sound as anticipated and not like paper-thin, fake counterfeits. The timbre is still realistic and organic, instruments sound like real instruments without any metallic sheen, coarseness or dryness. Detail retrieval is great as long as you are not interested in analytical or monitor-like listening style. The details here are to serve the whole picture rather than standing out for their own sake.

The soundstage of the Butastur is not that expanded, not that deep and wide but it has plenty of air and spaciousness as not sound congested even with dense material. The soundstage might be lacking in wideness and depth layering but it compensates with its rather impressive imaging and the ability to convey a holographic sensation.



Further tuning

There is also a fourth tuning option with both switches of the crossover set to ON. This way you get both the mild bass boost and the generous treble emphasis while keeping intact the balanced mid-range tuning without making it lose its presence. Thus you can enjoy the magnificently engaging mid-range of the Night Oblivion Butastur with a touch of extra bass and treble sizzle.

Conclusion

The Night Oblivion Butastur has a mature tuning that might not appeal to people who like glowing, but short lived pyrotechnics. The Butastur is addressed to more trained ears that value timbre realism and musicality over casual or “exotic” tunings. This is an earphone for listeners who like to relax and immerse themselves in the music, getting carried away by their favorite tunes without compromising on overall technicalities.

The Butastur is a worthy addition to an already heavily saturated market, with an interesting tuning that bravely departs from the beaten track. An earphone that balances technicalities with musicality and sounds as comfortably as it fits. An excellent first effort for the Night Oblivion Audio brand that I wish should not stop here.

The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The price of the Night Oblivion Butastur is $599 and is exclusively available from Penon Audio.

TONALITY: 8.8/10
TECHNICALITIES: 9/10
TIMBRE: 8.8/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8/10
IMAGING: 8.5/10
MUSICALITY (subjective): 8.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.5/10
ACCESSORIES: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 9/10

INTRO

Not much to say about Night Oblivion company, it's a very mysteriou ''One-Man'' high end IEM maker from China. The Butastur is a special project lead by tuning collaborator American Spirit which have a vision to offer TOTL IEM at affordable price for audiophiloe that don't earn 1M a year.
This is something I tremondesly respect and have big resonance with my personal sound value quest that I pursue for 10 years now.
The Butastur isn't an X Collab for hype like HBB and Crin do, it's way more serious and mature than that and will appeal the audiophile that are connoisseur of tone and timbre rightness, not only those that listen to J pop or Aerosmith.

If you want full info of this project, give a read here:
https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/night-oblivion-discussions/39359

Priced 600$, the Night Oblivion Butastur use 10 high end balanced armature, use 3 way crossover and have 2 switch for a total of 4 tuning balance choice.

It use a 110db air-pressure balancing vent system to avoid hearing fatigue and damage too, as well as pressure built up.

All this is very promsing, but it does put the bar high too in term of expectation so let see in this review if Butastur do achieve it's goal of offering high sound value to all of us, non rich humble people.

But look at this specs if you want to salivate in expectation like me before putting these in my ears!
Specification

Brand: Night Oblivion Audio

Model: Butastur

Driver configuration:

2 Sonion for low frequency

2 Knowles for mid-low frequency

4 Knowles for mid-high frequency

2 Knowles for ultra-high frequency



CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES



The Butastur is made of 3D printed resin, the shell is quite small for a 10BA too. The finish is smooth and the shape is ergonomicThe 2pin female connector on top of body isn’t recessed or secured which mean connecting 2pin cable can be a bit clumsy, so be cautious to aligned well when connecting since it can be a bit risky to bend the pins.The nozzle is short but thick, its not thinked for deep fit but shallow fit.At the side of housing we have the 2 tuning switch and a venting port above it, which mean their some sound leakage but it’s not loud, passive Isolation I quite good though so I can so this being use on stage.



About those 2 switch, its the same used with most IEM, Im not sure to approve the design since we need a tool to turn it, while I find the switch of Oriveti OH700VB too long, I think just adding 1 or 2mm length would permit to turn the swithc with our nail, which will be a blessing when on the go.
The small size and smooth medical grade plastic finish make the Butastur very comfotable.



Then the cable quality is quite incredible and perhaps the best i've never seen included with any IEMs at any price range.
Firstly, just the fact it's a modular is a big plus to me, having all 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single ended plug permit ultimate versatility of use, which is mandatory with me since I own alot of diversify dac-amp, daps and dongle.
It's a 4 shares OCC braided modular cable using single 6n crystal copper litz material. The shares are thick, smooth and flexible. The plug hold well. It feel very sturdy and well built. In term of signal transmission, it keep it lean and dont boost anything, dont had brightness, noise or warmth bump. Butastur are sensitive to cable so depending of your need, this one should be enough.
You can in fact order it now, for 50$, here: https://penonaudio.com/Night-Oblivion-Butastur-IEM-Cable.html



In term of packaging, it's minimalist in presentation and i'm ok with that because what i care about is the accessories number and quality. In that regard, its very good. As noted the cable is a Big Plus, then we have 9 pairs of ear tips in different model and a nice carrying case. all good but I don't use stock ear tips and wonder why their no short wide bore since im not a fan of double flanged wide bore.




SOUND IMPRESSIONS



While their 2 switch that offer 4 tuning choice, it’s not night and day difference and you know you listen to the same IEM, with just a hint extra warmth or treble sharpness to spice up your overall warm neutral tonality.

Yes warm neutral with slight bass boost, since we need this boost for this lower mids density but we can say it’s a balanced L shape with natural balance that tend to favor mid range presence and fullness. It’s a smooth and relaxed musicality that aim for naturalness and lushness of vocal and instrument and use the bass part for extra weight in dynamic rendering. It’s a safe tuning too, not an energic WoW effect machine.

‘’Jack of all trade, master of none’’ then? Not really, since it excell in timbre and mids as well as an holographic intimacy with effortless organic sound layering. Simply put: this isn’t an IEM that sound technical, and you’ll be hard pressed to find the 10 BA role in there since they all act in a liquid cohesion. Nothing really feel detached, yet, you can extract all instrument you feel like to, that’s the magic of this IEM, but the spell might not work for everyone since it’s maturely tuned too, even if sligthly bassy I would never consider Oblivion as fun sounding.

The Oblivion are not for: basshead, treble head, those who love their bright instrument to jump in their face, those who need clean air and sparkle on top, those who dislike switch choice anxiety.

The Oblivion might please: those who dislike harsh BA timbre, those who love mid centric IEM, those who love piano-vocal-saxo sweet way, those who want to get immerse for long time in their music without getting hearing fatigue, those who dislike bright and thin presence representation fo their instrument or vocal, those who listen variend music style and seek for a versatile tonality, those who love lively imaging that isnt static or monitoring like.

So back to the switch:
1up1down will be warmest-darkest rendering, but it doesn’t mean it go dull or overly dark, the excellent layering is preserve mostly and I don’t struggle to find percussions because of this.
2UP is most lively and dynamic rendering, we get some upper treble boost from 6khz and above, we got sharper percussions, we got that hazy warmth that stick macro dynamic togheter when bass occur too.
1Down2up is cleanest crispiest rendering but the bass act a bit leaner way, the punch is less tactil while bass line a clearer, its perhaps most plain neutral choice.
2Down is leanest tuning choice, mids are clean but thinner, it’s my least favorite switch choice so ill avoid my mind to absord impressions of this one.

At they end, 2up or 1up2down are only switch I use, which make me conclude 1 switch would be enough. Or none. Since again: this is quite subtle.

Oblivion mean ‘’the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening. ‘’, we can say its about getting lost in music without any sound imbalance that will make us aware we listen to an IEM. I think its a very well choosen word for this IEM musicality. Think about IEM like Final E4000 or 64audio U18T kind of natural tonal balance with lush bass and mids, it’s like a cocoon we hide in and can forget the time pass, depending of the mood your in, youll be able to focus on different aspect of song and discover it’s richness in a contemplative way that you are part off, it’s the type of IEM that can give me the envy to look at right or left seeking an instrument presence that cuddle my ears, while the vocal are always near me, in front of me, non shouty way.



The bass is more about dense tactility than edgy resolution with over textured presence, it got punch but don’t fatigue you with hard thumping, it’s the opposite of a thin resonant bass presentation.
Whatever the switch choice, their will be hint of warmth in bass response, and since it’s balanced armature we do have limitation in flexibility of transient response which will be only problematic for sub bass extension, like the double bass attack release that will feel shorten and not very clean.
The low end favor tone and timbre sweetness, it colored to avoid harsh texture bite or unwanted grain.
The kick drum is round and weighty, but not sharply define since it feel a bit creamy.
The cello is lush, dense, not very vibrant but fully bodied and extremly addictive since it’s superbly layered and you can follow it’s line easily, their no edgy peak, all is buttery here. Unlike with IEM that lack bass or lower mids, the cello can't be confound with violin since its not thin nor too boosted in texture, it's among best tone-timbre I heard from a multi-BA IEM for this instrument.

We have zero unwanted invasive resonance from bass impact, the slam have limited headroom and is thick, it’s a bit opaque and the separation with mids is not sharp or very clean, it do embrace the lower nmid range by the back but never veil whole mid range.
While round, the punch is hazy in edge, this isn’t the most impressive bass performance or tuning I’ve heard for sure, and we have the common sub bass roll off that explain this lack of flexibility.
It seem it’s tune to sweeten mids and add lower harmonic so the tone and timbre feel natural, and my guess is that the small housing for 10BAs inflict on proper spacing of kick and bass line.
For me, the bass is most colored part of spectrum, and while not boomy, we know its a BA woofer. The rendering is mellow and forgiving, with the no1 switch up, you get extre note weight and impact but nothing head banging since it'S all fatigue free here from low to highs.
So, it does excell with instrumental like classical and jazz, and the layering capacity is very good, i just wish slam headroom was a bit wider and midbass punch better define. This qualm is more about dynamic rendering than any tonal issue.

The mid range is the highlight of the show here, it’s so rich and captivating that depending of track you listen to, you’ll often find yourself feeling your right in the middle of your music.
And what is incredible, it’s that nothing is forced at the listener, everything flow smoothly with effortless layering and rich but never edgy resolution.
This is anti shouty mids but I would not call them plain dark, lean or dull at all, while you can get lost in music easily due to lack of spike that will trigger psychoacoustic ‘’defense reaction’’, the 10BAs subtle technical prowess permit a very articulate macro dynamic that extract all instrument presence softly.

The piano sound marvelous, rich and full in tone, not too edgy in definition yet tactile and weight in note impact, the BA speed is there without hard hitting loudness, its musical before being technical yet enough resolved if you want to monitor different instrument in classical or jazz track. Only perhaps the fine details of release pedal can be warm when bass occur since it’s not what I would call cleanest crispest mid range due to dense multi layering when it come to complex music with lot of instruments.

Then both male and female vocal are beautifull, intimate yet not widen or opaquely textured to the point it will mask other instrument, it’s forward with a rounded presence that permit it’s layering to be well articulated with other, timbre is among most natural I’ve heard from a balanced armature, lush, velvety, breathy without overly boosted texture.

The saxophone are very similar, it’s polished without going dark, superbly layered and slightly densify with low harmonic, it’s not thin sounding plasticky saxo like a lot of multi BA that are too bright or bass light. Natural timbre then? Absolutely!

To some extend, I would call mids as ‘’romantic monitor’’ in the sens it’s easy to track instrument even if presence is smoothed a bit and not very abrasive in texture.
It’s evident the tuner of these give a lot of care to acoustic instrument because these shine with classical and jazz as well as all range of vocal.

Then the treble is a bit like the bass for me, it’s very good but whatever the number used, we have some BA compromise especially in term of crisp sparkle and brilliance, as well, it’s not very open sounding and will not add extra air a lot to spatiality.

Their some instance I find the percussions over focused, it happen with no2 switch up, not really with both up or not at all with no1switch up. Yet this mean it’s not a boring or lifeless or too lean treble too, it’s lively and very very generous with soud info, though not in the way plain treble or analytical head will think. As well, it's never splashy or trebly, i just go intensely nit picking here, within the 10 BAs used, their perhaps one more edgy than the rest, but it doesn't affect timbre cohesion nor balance.

Firstly, apart the sparkle, it’s near perfect treble to me, in the sens I don’t feel percussions or instrument are ‘’half cook’’, even with EST this can happen that it sound overly metallic and thin, lacking the air withint the release which is natural with these, just a bit scooped and warmed in release especially crash cybals and highly vibrating instrument.

In fact, their 2 Butastur to my ears: the one with slight bass warmth that blur noise floor and the one without which goes cleaner, more neutral and more resolved. This explain why I enjoy more these with instrumental or bass light music than electronic, pop, soul, R&B and Rap.
But overall treble is smoothly balanced still, rather safe from lower to upper highs.

Back to percussions, hit hats can sound very good, snappy and tight and full, not fuzzy, then the tabla too is super round and natural, well controlled, very well layered. Complex percussions with multiple layering are effortlessly extracted and fast in attack without going piercing. It’s not super spacious and I miss a bit of stereo wideness. But it’s rare I find myself being impress by percussions timbre, which is the case here.
Even if I complaint about slight lack of brilliance, it’s not a real concern for the acoustic guitar unless you want it’s metallic string super textured and resonant. Here it’s well balanced and full sounding, it don’t lack low harmonic yet don’t dominate or blur the body of instrument, sure the string pulling isn’t sharpess but timbre, tone and balance is excellent as well as layering of instrument in folk or rock song.
For harpsichord, we would need more metallic brilliance, but unlike a lot of IEM, this instrument don’t sound distant nor plain wonky, just lacking this sharp brilliance.

All in all, its a safe, mature and refined treble that extend in a lean way, doesnt sound thin or BA metallic and can extract micro details effortlessly without forcing the listener to look at it. It's not analytical, don't extend up to 20khz in a boosted way nor add alot of air on top.


The Soundstage is only downside of this IEM I can nitpick, it does sound a bit stock in your head with minimal stereo openess. It’s very focus on center stage presentation. Its taller than wider and deeper. It’s not airy nor crisp. By some miracle it avoid to be muddy in macro dynamic and layering, but I would never suggest those to big soundstage lover.

Oddly enough, the imaging is very good even if not boosted in definition edge of instrument. This is due to excellent layering of each instrument that are fully extracted and positioned in an effortless way. This positioning is better with bass switch OFF, as well, it's not very edgy or brighten in definition in presence so lazy ears might struggle more. I would never say it's best IEM imaging i've heard though.




SIDE NOTE

At 30ohm of impedance and 107db of sensitivity, the Butastur benefit of clean powerfull source but don't need crazy amping, a min of 100mW@32ohm would be suggested. I find it to sound cleaner with low impedance source, but again, it's not the most sensitive and will not get bass distortion or hissing with source that have lower than 2ohm of impedance. Ill suggest lower than 1ohm though.

Then, they are capricious about ear tips, since the nozzle is wide and have 4 holes in it, it need a wide bore to don't compress it's loudness release and permit a more open spatiality which is much needed.

Then the stock cable is excellent and don't force the consumer for urgent upgrade, yet, I can't hide the fact it pair extremely well with Simgot LC7 cable, this was quite a revealation how it clean spatiality, deepen soundstage, slightly improve imaging and resolution while keeping core dynamic balance. This and stock Butastur a my 2 fav cable to use for this IEM, and I own about 50 good cables.



COMPARISONS



VS Penon Turbo (5BAs+4switch-550$)

Even without big bass boost ON, the Turbo is bassier, its more U shape too with greater focus on sub bass boost and less round and controlled impact than more neutral to L shape sounding Butastur.
So, it’s warmer too, the bass move more air, have wider slam headroom and darker overall resolution. In fact, Butastur sub bass feel roll off in release even before this comparison, so Turbo sure offer more rumble and fun overall, bass line are better layered and extract too, less lean and prompt to be over shdow with mids and treble multi layering. Butastur has rounder mid bass and better kick and bass line layering, in leaner way.

The the mids are warmer and lusher with Turbo, smoother too and presence feel more wide open, less centered and compressed in middle stage. Resolution is superior with Butastur as well as transparency, layering and proper definition of instrument. Vocal are a bit more edgy and prompt to minimal sibilance with the Butastur, so while mids are darker with the Turbo, tone is thicker and more natural with greater lower mids coloring. Overall mids are more laid back, have more note weight and density with Turbo.

Treble is brighter and more generous with sound info micro details with Butastur, percussions are better resolved and faster and more controlled in attack. Instrument gain extra definition edge in macro resolution too. So, Turbo is overall darker and more colored with warmth.

Soundstage is where the Turbo is undoubtly superior in out of your head, wide and tall spatiality, making Butastur feel quite intimate and close to your head.

Imaging is clearly superior with Butastur even of sound layering is more spacious with Turbo here the fact it use 2 times less BA’s sure limit it’s resolution and imaging sharpness potential. The Butastur is good enough to be use as monitor IEM, I would never say this for Turbo.

All in all, the Butastur sound more technical and less fun than Turbo, but it’s technical performance is superior in everything but soundstage size, which is surely due to a too small housing used to properly implement 10BAs…


VS BGVP DM9 (1DD+4BAs+4EST-650$)

The DM9 are more W shape, analytical and agressively crisp.

The bass has more sub bass extension and rumble, wider headroom, less mid bass roundness, it feel more flexible and less one tone than Butastur BA woofer too, thanks for dynamic driver.

Mids are sharper, edgier, brighter and crisper, it’s more open sounding and airy. Vocal and instrument are more transparent and thinner too. Presence is wider again less compressed in middle stage. Presence is more boosted too. Butastur have more natural and dense mids, less textured, lusher, more upfront too without going as loud in upper mids.

Treble is notably crispe, more sparkly, brilliant and airy with DM9, underlining again that BA can’t produce proper sparkle. Yet, highs are more cohesive and balanced with Butastur and don’t distract as much when it come to percussions, it’s fuller leaner sounding, thicker and it’s less spicy than DM9. Its less clean and airy on top too as well as less extended, percussions aren’t as sharply snappy, don’t release natural resonance as much nor have well define clean attack.

Soundstage is again superior with DM9, now wider, taller and deeper. Cleaner too.

Imaging is about on par but the Butastur feel more neutral.

All in all, apart both bass and treble extension as well as soundstage, Butastur is superior on technical performance and tonal balance is more natural and cohesive.

VS Kinera Skuld (5BAs-500$)

Skuld are notably more mid centric with both bass and treble being more roll off.

The bass is thinner, have less impact and near zero sub bass body compared to lusher, chunkier and more impactfull one of Butastur, the separation is less bleedy, kick drum is a bit more texture but not as dense and its harder to feel it’s note weight. It can feel a bit detached too, not as cohesive and balanced as the Butastur, in other word it feel distant in the mix but more boosted in texture presence.

The mids are more forwards and bright but less bodied, it seem all about female vocal which are better resolve and more focused, more plain upfront than slightly leaner darker mids of the Butastur. Vocal presence is wider too and a bit more open, surely because upper mids are more boosted and lower mids leaner. Female vocal captivate me more with the Skuld, even if I have no choice but focus on them. To note, male vocal are thinner even if brighter with the Skuld too.

The treble of Butastur dig slightly more sound info, which translate in fuller music restitution as well as more numerous amount of sound layer, Skuld seem to lost some sound info in the mix, like percussions of other range in very busy music but it’s not that much darker, in fact highs are more edgy and dynamic, but guitar will not have as much brillance. Both these IEM don’t blow my mind with their treble and Butastur being leaner and more refined, it attrack less attention and feel evern more understated than Skuld even if we have more micro details, you must give listening effort to find them. Lower treble is more boosted and brighter with Skuld and while for Butastur its the bass the can cream highs sharpness, for Skuld its upper mids, vocal, saxo that will shadow some details.

Soundstage of both these IEM isnt impressive, so I would say on par here.

Imaging is better with Butastur due to super multi layering of each instrument, but for vocal staging I will go Skuld.

All in all, their no doubt Butastur is super in both tonal balance and technical performance, Skuld is more nichely tuned and only suggested for female vocal enjoyment which is more focus and lively than Butastur.


CONCLUSION



In 600$ price bracket, it’s near impossible to find an IEM using 10 high end balanced armature, for this you’ll need to climb up to something like 64audio U12T that offer similar performance with a more U shape tonal balance as well as bigger soundstage.

Just in term of plain price value, the Butastur is incredible, but as if it wasn’t enough it deliver a mature, smooth and gently bassy tonality that is very versatile for wide range of music as well as fatigue free for long listening session.

If you’r afraid of thin mids or bad BA timbre, don’t be with the Butastur which is all about naturalness of tone and balance, free of distracting unbalance spike.

With the right ear tips, source and cable, the Butastur can deliver TOTL audio experience which is holographic, warm, highly captivating in number of effortless sound layers that surround the listener in a cozzy intimacy.

The switch permit to use the Butastur as monitor or fun relaxed listening IEM that can go, add that to it's versatile tonality and you'r in for long term value that will grow more and more on you.


All in all, the Butastur is a fabulous IEM and one of my fav discovery of 2023, which is a year i've heard 64audio U12t and U18T too, which I don't feel like keeping, unlike the Butastur.

Yet, my overwhelming enthusiasm is subjective and I feel some people need more unbalanced tonality with more agressive treble, bass or mids, this mean the Butastur will mostly appeal those that are fan of Final E4000, 64audio U18T, Aroma Thunder smooth but rich slightly bassy tonality that don't overly favor bass or highs to the detriment of mids presence and fullness.

For those the Butastur are:

Very Highly recommended!!!







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PS: I want to thanks Penon for sending me this review sample after I manifest them my intense curiosity about Butastur. As always, this is my subjectivist point of view which can't be biased. As well, i'm not participating to any form of affiliation program or $ earning tactic with Penon or any audio companies.

You can order the Night Oblivion butastur for 599$ here:
https://penonaudio.com/Night-Oblivion-Butastur.html