~::I originally published this on THL. Now I wish to share it with my Head-Fi fellows. Enjoy::~
::Disclaimer::
No disclaimer. I bought this ****er. hehe
64Audio tia Fourté sells for $3,599
www.64Audio.com
Specs:
10 Ohms @ 1Khz
4-Way Crossover
1x tia High
1X High-Mid
1X tia Mid
1X Dynamic Low
Internal APEX M20
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So… Pinky was not searching for a new IEM. I don’t know what I was looking for—maybe nothing—but seeing as I found myself on the Head-Fi Classifieds I imagine a shrink might claim otherwise. The demon was at it again, driving me to the rhythm of insatiable lust. This culminated in a feargasm the likes of which the Earth has never seen when I stumbled upon an ad, selling a B-Stock tia Fourté for $2300.
I knew in my heart I would pay it. Yet dignity demanded that I at least ask for $2000. As I waited for a response, I began the psychological rigmarole of deescalating my hysteria, consoling myself with the reality that these IEMs were almost certainly sold. The price is too good, and Fourté is a goddamn hotcake. No way a deal hasn’t already been struck.
Then I heard back from him. $2000 was too low, but could I do $2200? I hemmed and hawed and said you bet your ****ing ass I can!
It turns out I was right; this was a hot-ticket item. Folk were offering him much more than his asking price. But it also turns out he knew me and liked my reviews. Though I suspect what really synched the deal was the most serendipitous aspect of it all: We both live in Kansas City. In fact, we made the hand-off in the parking lot where I work, mere moments after I clocked out for the day.
Words cannot express how unlikely all this is. The Mid-West is a dry-zone for audiophiles. There are no high-end stores in which to audition prospective buys. Indeed, this was the first time ever I got to listen to something before I sent payment.
It took less than five minutes of Fourté in my ears before I said, “**** yes! I’ll buy it!”
And here we are. I’ve enjoyed tia Fourté for over a month now… maybe two. Hard to keep track. My impressions of it have changed some over that time, but for the most part, it is as I originally knew it. But we mustn’t get into all that just now. Let’s talk about build, first.
You could be forgiven for thinking Fourté is ugly. It looks particularly bad in the photos. In person, I find it less offensive. Part of that is due to the obvious quality of its construction. Solid black aluminum housing, and textured faceplates. Color scheme aside, it’s a fine piece and looks and feels upscale.
The only thing that makes these B-Stock is a subtle double-stamp of the name on the inside shell. And for that, I saved $1,400.
These are fairly large IEMs. Not JHAudio large, but still. They’re certainly bigger than my U12, which is hilarious, considering how many more drivers U12 contains. But I’m not complaining. The acoustic chambers Fourté uses may take up space, but the sound they deliver is well worth the sacrifice. I may not feel that way if they were much bigger. As it stands, these monitors fit rather comfortably, and don’t stick out much. Actually, it’s only on my left side they stick out at all. Nice and flush on the right. They isolate quite well, given the APEX tech and the Dynamic venting port. I’d say they’re about as good at blocking out environmental noise as most universal multi BA IEMs.
tia Fourté showcases two tia drivers. One for the upper frequencies, which 64Audio is calling the tia High Driver, and incorporated into their A18 co-flagship. What the A18 does not have, however, is Fourté’s tia Mid Driver. Just wait till you hear that crap! Fourté is also unique among 64’s lineup due to the Dynamic Driver dedicated to bass response. Then, just for kicks, they threw in a single traditional Balanced Armature for the High-Mid crossover. So let’s recap: That’s a 4-Way driver config, but a 3-Way hybrid. A mother****ing hybrid using three different driver technologies.
This is officially the Frankenstein IEM.
As is my twisted habit, I refused to even look at the included ear tips. JVC Spiral Dots worked great, as always. But it was the MandarinEs Symbio W that won a permanent position on these lordly earphones. They simply stay in better than all others, and make a more lasting, complete seal.
If you’re familiar with the traditional 2-pin stock cable that comes with most high-end IEMs, Fourté’s cable is a step up. It’s sturdier, thicker, and has an altogether nicer feel. But even that wasn’t enough for me. The moment I got home with this baby, off went the stock cable and on went one of my custom jobbies. I have a number of nicer cords terminated for 2.5mm TRRS, so I can use the balanced output on my DAPs. I shall include a cable-pairing section towards the end of the article, to give you some sweet options.
It comes with a carry case and tips, cleaners, and other random accessories, blah, blah, blah… NO ONE CARES! Let’s move on to sound. Next page, please.
The 64Audio tia Fourté is heaven on earth. To say these are airy doesn’t cover it by half. The emphasis on upper treble, combined with the sheer audacity of its extension, blows the roof wide open, letting in unimaginable air and height. Reference seems the aim here, with a rather flat line of superb tuning. This is not usually to my tastes, as I’m more of a warmth fiend. Fourté, however, won me the **** over. In spite of an abundance of clarity and treble, Fourté renders a remarkably smooth signature. It doesn’t hit you with harsh spikes; it progresses upward with a linear stroll that seems to go on for hours with nothing but a gentle hump at the higher frequencies for that little extra magic.
That’s right, tia Fourté is magical. Not to mention, energetic. They give the impression of a perpetual explosion of sorcerous power somehow contained by older and wiser spellwork. Every note releases like a solar flare from the sun’s fusion furnaces and vanishes just as quick. If that containment field were to weaken, we’d all die instantly. Details are presented with excitement and a level of resolution that will slake anyone’s hunger for technical brilliance. Yet there is a restraint at play which keeps things from getting too aggressive or violent. It’s an artful balance.
64Audio’s tia High technology is one of those things you know you’re hearing from the first few notes of whatever song you play. It doesn’t sound like anything else. The closest contemporary it has is Campfire Audio’s TAEC system, and even that fails to match the grandeur of Fourté’s treble. TAEC sounds big, but also queerly sweet and thick. It can come off rather unnatural. tia, however, is airy, thin, and ethereal, and shimmers in a most free and effortless manner. Of course, to be considered truly natural, I believe treble ought to possess a good measure of warmth. Fourté’s upper range does not contain any real warmth. I wouldn’t call it cold, however. There’s far too much life in there for such a cadaverous description. No, it’s just bright. The overall signature is not bright, but the treble certainly is. No way around it. While this is not, strictly speaking, a natural tone, it is where most of Fourté’s magic comes from. The tia High driver brings every instrument into vivid relief, and produces more of those overtones than we usually get to hear in IEMs… or even headphones, for that matter.
tia’s improbable extension also fills the stage with class-leading air and atmosphere. This adds an organic touch to the proceedings which invokes a naturalness the tuning alone fails to capture. It’s a give and take which culminates in a thoroughly engaging, hyper-real experience. “Hyper-real” meaning “more than real.” tia Fourté is a fantasy. It aims for reference, yet overshoots, landing in Narnia. Its ability to reveal and expose goes beyond great. We’re approaching HD800 territory here, with nearly the same penchant for resolving an image. Beware, though! If you’re shy of treble, these may put you off.
Clarity and transparency of the highest order are the defining traits of Fourté’s mid-range. It is a cliché to talk about how a new headphone makes it sound like the artist is in the same room with you… but sweet Jesus these do sound like that. These are the best IEM’s I’ve come across at removing the veils between you and the music. It just sounds so… naked. Fourté comes dangerously close to HD800’s level of transparency. It’s so good at this some may come away from an audition feeling the mids were thin. I think that’s the wrong term. While vocals may not seem thick or particularly warm, they are not really thin. Freakishly clear, yes, but not thin.
Perhaps part of the reason they avoid weakness is the sheer power and dynamism on display. They transcend the normal pitfalls of super clear tuning. Fourté’s vocals possess weight and authority without the orthodoxy of thickness and warmth. Could this be a characteristic of the tia-Mid Driver? Don’t know. What I can say is I don’t crave the lusher tuning of my old favorites.
tia Fourté’s mids are crazy neutral. I would not say there is any inherent warmth in them, nor any coldness. Both male and female voices sound vivacious and alive. Melissa Menago sings her songs with a warm, sweet, and airy tonality. Warmth exists because she brings it. Patricia Barber, however, sounds thinner, airier, with a very natural brightness. When David Draiman sings The Sound of Silence, you get all the depth and richness of his lower key opening, and when the song shifts upward, he sounds smooth and angelic. Fourté recreates it all truthfully. No range suffers or sounds anything less than… real.
The hyper-realism is helped along to greater heights by Fourté’s stellar resolution. Again I’m reminded of the HD800 here. You can hear the subtlest of breaths, and the wetness of a singer’s tongue. The precise location of each guitar string… hell, even the individual vibrations of the string off the frets. Okay, I might exaggerate some, but not by much. tia Fourté is the best I’ve found at rendering these things.
My review so far probably reads like rotten hype. So let’s talk about Fourté’s weakest feature: Bass. And really, the “weakness” I speak of is just about personal preference. You see, I like a demon in my sonic basement. I want to feel a little overwhelmed by that darkenss. Fourté fails to accomplish this. Which is a damn shame, as it’s packing the perfect weapon for the job; a Dynamic Driver can kill a man with awesome. And in fact, I can Equalize Fourté to do just that. Which goes to show how under-utilized it currently is.
Fourté’s low-end is not really tuned light. From a certain perspective, it’s quite appropriate. Very neutral. I’m sure a great many purists want it just the way it is. Sub-bass is raised over mid-bass, making for a clean, tight presentation. That sub-bass delves to some exquisite lows, too, rumbling where you feel it more than hear it. Kicks land with decisive impact, visceral and honest. The amount of detail and texture Fourté conveys is right up there with the best of them.
Bass notes sound organic, but a little dry. By its nature, bass is a warm tone, yet Fourté fights to keep that under control. Undoubtedly this aids Fourté’s technical brilliance, but it also robs you of a little musicality. A major benefit of this profile, and the splendid treble extension, is how much air imbues even the lows. They are more a part of the stage than is often the case, existing beside the other instruments, instead of merely permeating the atmosphere. Again, we see that give and take. The result manages to give me a cohesive, satisfying experience, in spite of how my bias leans towards that bassier sound.
Speaking of cohesive… that’s a great way to describe the soundstage. It’s massive, but in every direction. tia Fourté creates a cube to live in, but a very big cube whose boundaries lie beyond the head. The elements on this stage are fairly large as well. Voices are front and center and in your face. Instruments are placed all around the singer in a spacious manner, though not exaggeratedly stretched-out. The musicians are arrayed naturally, not forced to opposite ends of a super wide stage. It feels so… cohesive. Imaging is utterly without fault, both horizontally and in terms of depth. Fourté is the king of holographic earphones, illustrating the space between layers better than anyone else. It’s so bloody good, this might just be its most impressive skill.
Pitting this against my old favorite, the 64Audio U12 ($1,599, Review HERE), the first thing which stands out is the loss of vibrancy and clarity. The U12 is much warmer, and thicker, but this comes at a cost. Fourté’s mids are phenomenally transparent, with a level of detail and resolution that U12 pales before. You feel that immediately. There’s a wooly impression when comparing against such clarity. U12 is one of the warmest IEMs in the TOTL category, and while Fourté is nowhere near as warm, it does not come off cold or analytical. But there is so much weight in U12’s mid range, that Fourté can feel light. This is really only felt when switching from one to the other. After just a few short minutes of listening to tia Fourté, you hear there really is nothing thin or hollow about it’s mids. Vocals are utterly naked with Fourté, and they seem to be quite clothed with U12. The U12 is lush, and sinfully smooth. Fourté renders as though they are literally there in the same room as you. Frightfully realistic.
The U12’s bass is hard to beat. It’s hands-down the closest I’ve heard any Balanced Armature setup come to mimicking a good dynamic driver. Sadly for U12, tia Fourté packs just such a weapon for its low-end. Fourté’s bass delves deeper and strikes with more visceral impact… in spite of U12’s greater quantity. Indeed, U12 has significantly more bass, a sort of ever-present bass that enriches everything, adding tremendous warmth. Its mid-bass, especially, is good and fat. But this carries with it the consequence of bass-bleed, which clouds the vocals. Fourté wields a much cleaner sub-section, with no noticeable bleed. It’s also shockingly quick and articulate, which is more commonly the province of good BA drivers. U12 actually sounds slower and looser in comparison. And Fourté, somehow, manages better resolution and texturing. I know! It’s bizarre!
Nothing quite separates these two IEMs more than their take on treble. Yet oddly enough, they both execute their highs in such a manner that you may need some time to adjust to it before you fall for them completely. They come at it from opposite extremes, though. U12 is hushed in the high frequencies, mixing them lower in volume than any other part of the spectrum. Whereas tia Fourté is rather aggressive up top. I haven’t seen a graph, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the treble is given a little more volume than the rest. Certainly parts of it must. U12 possesses profoundly smooth, non-fatiguing treble. It’s warm and laid-back, with no real sparkle to speak of. tia Fourté sparkles better than any IEM out there. There’s nothing laid-back about it, either; it has serious energy that makes everything pop. Yet both earphones do share nice extension, though Fourté reaches much higher. The tia drivers kill U12 with detail, which doesn’t utilize its standard BAs as wisely as other TOTLs. U12 lacks a lot of air when listened against Fourté, who sounds so big and open, and has such great light up top that every note is under its own spotlight.
Soundstage goes to Fourté: It’s a little wider, much taller, and unfair in its representation of depth. And since U12 is one of the very best in this category, what Fourté accomplishes is no mean feat. Both are very, very good at imaging, but Fourté has superior separation and layering. It renders the space between elements so much better than U12. The major contributing factor to this is tia Fourté’s impossibly high resolution. It’s quite a few steps above the U12. As is transparency. Fourté is simply so far ahead of the game in this regard the comparison feels like a sham.
Noble Audio Kaiser Encore ($1,850, Review HERE) is a kindred spirit to Fourté. In fact, I think of tia Fourté as Encore Ultra. Everything Encore does, Fourté does better. Encore’s mids are super detailed, wildly transparent, and anything but thick. Fourté has greater detail, is more transparent, and even airier. They’re both vivid and remarkably natural, but Fourté explodes with superior energy, sounding more vibrant. Encore has a little extra note weight and feels more grounded because of it. Whereas Fourté seems unable to do anything but soar through the heavens. While this is glorious, it does lack a certain tangibility.
Bass is tuned the same between these two, with leaner mid-bass and good, deep sub-bass. Encore is fast, detailed and textured… and so is Fourté. However, Fourté owns the Dynamic Driver, and therefore the more impactful, natural quality. In truth, due to the way it’s tuned, Fourté’s Dynamic Drive is more like a Balanced Armature than most hybrids I’ve heard. So the difference between these two IEMs is less than one might expect.
Treble is again tuned the same. It gives brightness, air, and great detail. The linear extension is very much alike. Both are capable of irritating those who fear treble, but are not inherently harsh. The main difference is found in Fourté’s tia-High Driver. That crap takes what Encore is doing and goes ****ing pro. Those highs open up and breathe like no other IEM; they shimmer and decay in a freer, more effervescent fashion. It’s like being led, floor by floor, to the top of a grand building by the eccentric owner. The madcap display thus far has thoroughly wowed you, only to learn you have yet to see the penthouse. Indeed, the frivolities have only just begun.
As for soundstage, Encore is one of the widest performers on the market. Its depth is pretty good, but height is not a goal here. Fourté is a little wider, significantly deeper, and oh so very tall. The resulting sound is just bigger… bigger in every way. Imaging is about the same, both possessing serious gift. Yet because of Fourté’s depth, you can place an object with even greater accuracy along that axis. Resolution… Encore is really ****ing good. Fourté is a step above. The same is true for transparency. Encore was the most transparent earphone I’d experienced, until Fourté blew it out of the water. Again, I’m exaggerating. They are quite close. But there’s no denying which is better.
I’m borrowing the Empire Ears Zeus XR ($2,399) from a friend. subguy812 over on Head-Fi was kind enough to loan his universals to me for the purpose of this comparison.
Right off the bat, I’m struck by how little bass these have. And I thought Encore and Fourté were a little light down below for my tastes. Even using the X setting, which is the warmer, more vibrant configuration, Zeus’s bass fails to bring a smile to my face. When listening to Black Sabbath’s fist album, the bass is jacked up to a quantity that sounds pretty good, yet still doesn’t do anything truly special. This is that unapologetic Balanced Armature Bass: Fast and textured, but soft, and lacking visceral attack. The exact opposite of Fourté’s Dynamic. To my ears, I’m hearing more mid-bass than sub-bass. In fact, I’m hearing very little sub-bass. It’s there… a bit. Enough to get some low rumbles. But I’m not feeling it like I should.
Zeus is known for its mid-forward “special” vocals. I can understand why. They have remarkable note weight and definition, though aren’t enormous on the stage. Maybe that’s because the stage itself is more intimate than any of the other IEMs mentioned in this review. Zeus’s vocals are warmer than Fourté’s, and less transparent. Zeus sounds more physical, while Fourté tends towards the ethereal. It’s like Zeus brings the music to you, while Fourté lifts you up into the heavens. They both feel like you’re there, just through vastly different philosophies. Zeus has good air in the mids, but Fourté outdoes it with ease.
Zeus’s treble is warmer than Fourté’s. There’s very little brightness to it. It’s rather natural. Extension is most excellent, though not quite on tia level. There’s great air and realistic sparkle and decay. Fourté is brighter, more energetic, but less organic. Zeus is detailed and revealing, but Fourté pops more and has better vibrancy. The highs on Zeus give you a darker, warmer presentation. Oddly enough, this makes for less blackness in the background compared to Fourté.
Soundstage is quite a bit smaller on all axes, staying well within the bounds of your human head. More intimate, less grand. Imaging, like in all the TOTL IEM’s I’ve talked about, is the very example of perfection. Resolution and transparency are indeed wonderful, but I would give the edge to Encore, with Fourté outpacing them both. Where Zeus really gives Fourté a run for its money is layering and dimensionality. Zeus renders a marvelous 3D image, better than just about any other… except Fourté, who honestly takes it that extra mile further.
As promised, here are some cable options to pair with tia Fourté.
plusSound X-Series GPC Litz: The most naked, transparent cable I’ve found. This is what I use when I am comparing IEMs, as it gives what I consider to be the truest, most natural tone. There’s a touch of warmth and a little extra body. The treble is warmed ever so slightly, which is very nice for the likes of Encore and Fourté.
Effect Audio Thor Silver II: The unusual silver. This one smoothes out the highs and attenuates them to some extent. It creates a bizarre liquidity, flowing around you in a dizzying three-dimensional display. The power of Fourté only amplifies this, taking you into Wonderland territory. When you finally gain your feet, it’s like listening to whole new gear. Fourté seems to mimic the traits of the LCD-2 with this cable.
Effect Audio Leonidas: Take the liquidity and 3D holographic qualities of Thor II, increase transparency and treble clarity, thicken the bass and warm the mids, and you’ll have some idea what Leo is about. But you won’t be prepared for the apocalyptic musicality. If Fourté is a fantasy, Leonidas twists it into a fever dream. This is my favorite way to listen to these earphones.
Ordinarily I would suggest pairing a brighter monitor with a warmer source. And I guess I still do. But I’ll be honest with you, nothing I’ve thrown at Fourté has sounded bad. On the contrary, it’s all sounded so very, very good.
My main DAP is the Opus#2 by theBit ($1,149, Review HERE). With neutral-warm tuning, immense soundstage, and the ability to resolve at the highest level, Opus reveals the truth of the transducer like none other. Fourté is at its most transparent and realistic here. Dimensionality deepens, and layers become more observable. Notes take on extra weight, feeling properly tangible, and the background is pitch black. No hissing whatsoever. In simple terms, Opus#2 pushes tia Fourté to its limits.
I’ve been testing out a preproduction unit of Cayin’s soon-to-be-released N5 2nd Gen, the N5II. This player sounds so good with everything, and Fourté is no exception. It’s maybe a little less warm than the Opus#2, but still organic and musical. Clarity and resolution is top shelf, and soundstage is quite big. The N5II is dynamic, vivid, and refined to a fabulous degree. Even though it nudges Fourté a little more into the bright category, it remains free of all harshness or fatiguing elements. This device also gives off no audible hiss. After many days of sessions that lasted hours, I can say the N5II>tia Fourté is sonically flawless and a system anyone should feel proud to own.
If you’re looking for something a little closer to the budget-range—and after buying these IEMs, I can understand why—I can recommend the Shanling M3s. Tuning wise, it’s more like the N5II than the Opus#2. A slightly brighter sound, though not really bright per say, and definitely not cold. The M3s has leaner notes than the others and a slightly smaller soundstage. Like the N5II, it is clean and astonishingly smooth. Compared to the other DAPs, Fourté lacks just the barest amount of depth and resolution on the M3s, but the final result is like supreme honey on the ears.
Prior to Fourté, my favorite IEM was the 64Audio U12. I bought that one used as well. It fed my spirit better than any other IEM or headphone. Even the technically superior Encore couldn’t fully steal my heart from the bassy lushness of the U12. So when I tell you I sold the U12 after a couple of weeks with Fourté, try and understand what that means. Despite my sonic preference leaning towards the U12’s tuning, tia Fourté so outclasses it, I simply had no use for the U12 any longer. Whenever I put them in, I felt like I was listening through a blanket and missing out on all the details. I just couldn’t go back, even for a single prolonged session. So I sold my beloved U12, to help pay down the charges incurred by this insane purchase.
Do I miss it? Yes. But there are other ventures on the horizon. And Fourté’s magic is such that one must surely forget past loves whilst enthralled by this new pinnacle of personal audio. I should never have imagined parting ways with the U12 before tia Fourté came along and raised the bar so very high. Now, I can hardly imagine going back. tia Fourté defies preference and taste and simply decimates you with pure awesome. It dwells somewhere between the Audeze LCD-2 and the Sennheiser HD800, as a sort of best of both worlds paradigm. If that sounds like biased hyperbole, you’re probably right. Pinky has been compromised. I don’t know how to talk about these IEMs without going too far. That’s what happens when you find your new ultimate favorite audio gear. Restraint, objectivity, and measured sentiment, go out the bloody window. You are in love, and only the poets can guide you from here.
-~::Pinky_Powers::~-