Reviews by kyuuketsuki

kyuuketsuki

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Superior build quality, great bass extension, complete accessories, fully featured
Cons: Treble roll off, dark sounding almost veiled
First, I need to give a shout out to SGS for including me on the tour. Due to the nature of most reviews here, I'm going to focus on the Reference filters, and give only brief impressions of the other two filters.
 
Set-ups used... Cowon J3 > Arrow 4G > T10i. Nexus 5 > T10i. Sansa Clip Zip (Rockboxed) > T10i. 
 
Accessories: Now because of the nature of my receiving these, I did not receive the entirety of the accessories. However, from pictures, and what I did receive I can safely say that no expense was spared. From the wide array of tips (I only received the 3 main silicon tips) to the different filters to the carrying case. This had the accessories of some much higher end IEMs. The biggest complaint I have about the accessories is actually with the carrying case. As one who tends to keep their IEMs in their pocket I find the case too bulky and cumbersome. I would have liked to see that style of clamshell-esque case come with a pouch as well so that they could be more easily carried with the few accessories that are needed.
 
Build Quality: This is one aspect where I'm simply floored. Aside from the filters which are obviously going to be a weak point (forcing the filters on could damage threading and thus damage the phones themselves). The actual build I'd rank up almost as high as the Aurisonics Rockets, higher even in some respects. Specifically cable reliefs, which the Rockets lack entirely. That said everything else is just prime. The casing is gorgeous stainless steel and tough. The cables themselves are thick and rubbery, perhaps slightly unwieldy, but not in a bad way (unless you count the length, which is the one downside, as it has too much length for my ears to pocket, and I'm a fairly tall guy). Possibly the best part is the strain relief at the plug which uses a spring, which in my experience has the most consistent track record of being fashionable and functional without adding bulk. Even among 90 degree and 45 degree cable types it seems, in my limited experience, that spring supported strain relief actually last better than others. Everything about the build and design are great. The ear guides are some of the best I've seen. They don't use a memory wire, but something else entirely which seems to work well. Though I'm not sure it was necessary considering the cable was very pliable and probably would have stayed in place regardless. I'd say they are a bit heavy for my tastes, but that can be forgiven, and I'm sure given enough time, I'd get used to the weight. 
 
Sound: (I will post impressions of the other filters as an appendix of sound)
 
Bass: Easily the deepest and most powerful sounding bass I've ever heard from an IEM. It is truly quite magnificent. Normally with this sort of bass response you would expect veiling of the rest of the spectrum but I did not find that. Instead I found a masterful progression. Overall the bass was very linear and transitioned into the midrange nicely. To put this into perspective, when I did my comparison to my ASG-2s it was almost like the bass, midrange and treble were all separated. This imparts the illusion of clarity, but can mess with how everything sounds organically. The T10i took a different approach and made the spectrum roll. The midrange didn't seem veiled to my ears, but it was definitely darker skewed. For bass intense music this was fine, but for anything else it could seem almost veiled. The biggest issue is when I listened to music with fast bass, like metal. This is what showed the greatest weakness of the T10i... The bass is painfully slow. I take note to not listen to fast metal music or anything with similar bass speed on my M100s because I know it isn't exceedingly fast, these I'd have to do the same. 
 
Midrange: This is where it gets interesting. These are technically what I would consider "midrange forward" but in comparison to the bass they are pulled back a bit. The mids aren't recessed at all, but they can sometimes seem it if you are listening to a bass heavy song. It took the likes of female vocal jazz to really shine that light on it. The midrange is detailed, but significantly colored. It however cannot hold a candle to the Rockets, or ASG series in terms of sheer realism or weight. In fact, I'd say these aren't very 'real' sounding at all. It, like the bass, didn't have enough bite or speed for my liking. Piano and guitar sometimes felt lacking in the midrange frequencies. Again, while not veiled, it wasn't sharp. I don't feel the bass negatively impacted the midrange because of the warmth, but rather the tuning and speed of the driver just didn't allow notes to have the sort of decay needed for realism. 
 
Treble: This is where it gets sticky.There is definitely roll off, and if anything this is where realism lacks the most. With the reference filter I fail to see how it is reference. The treble is very subdued and isn't very reference like. The only thing I can think of is that the reference filter has the most linear response across the spectrum and that is why it is "reference." The clarity and detail were there despite the warm nature. I didn't miss many details that I would normally have with my Rockets or ASG-2s. Though I would class all three of my main IEMs to be more detail retrieving than the T10is (Rockets ASG-2 and RE400) these were no slouch. I'm actually surprised because I didn't expect such a warm headphone to have such detail. In retrospect, I think these would be a better version of the ASG1.3. Which I technically rated higher, but in retrospect I would lower that one by two stars because it was lacking in detail. Keep in mind these aren't the most detailed I've heard. But they are sufficiently detailed in my opinion. They can't hold a light to BA IEMs or Microdriver IEMs, but they are no slouch. They are more detailed that the Sennheiser IE6 and Shure SE215 by a long shot. I'd say they have some of the best detail of a warm headphone I've heard. The biggest complaint is because of the warm nature of these headphones though the dynamic range for piano is there, there is not enough bite or sharpness. You hear the notes but the notes lack the realism you would expect. While I hear the notes, and details, they do not sound right or accurate to my ears. 
 
Notes about Treble and Bass filter: The bass filter is pretty much unusable to me. All my notes about clarity and detail essentially go out the window. It is almost like turning up the dial on the ASG-2s What was once somewhat controlled bass becomes overbearing and encompassing of the entire spectrum. I'm sure there are people and genres that this would work for. But for the few songs I listed to with these filters on, I found them unlistenable. 

The treble filter on the other hand was quite nice. It made the T10is more balanced overall. They were still warm, but the issues surrounding them became less prevalent. Details seemed clearer, and the 'veil' was lifted to a pretty significant degree. The treble became peakier and more reminiscent of the M-100s.  This would honestly be my preferable filter overall. 
 
Conclusion: As time progressed I've become less interested in bassy headphones. This may be due to the fact that I fell in love with the RE400s and the Rockets which are a warmer tone of neutral, and that seems to work best for me. However I still find it beneficial to having bassy headphones. This would honestly be the ones for me. Though my review sounded rather negative, that is because the reference filter subdued a lot of the positives that I would have normally stated because the highs and midrange were more subdued from the reference filter. Again, everything felt more linear, but the balance was more skewed to warm. The treble filter was less linear but more balanced. I overall enjoyed my time with the T10i, and would consider owning them as a cheaper repleacement for my current bassy IEMs the ASG-2s and make the ASG-2s into ASG-1 Plus. I could use the SE215 for that purpose and just take the plunge, but the SE215 are less detailed and honestly less bassy for a "bassy" headphone. If I could get these for a similar price as the MA750is I'd do so in a heartbeat and take the plunge. These are a great sub-300 bassy headphone and if that is the sound you are looking for then look no further, just keep in mind that these are not the most accurate or realistic sounding IEMs, but they do have powerful visceral bass.
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I agree with most if not everything said here.  In a world of limitless money I could see owning these.  For now, I'm interested in what RHA puts out next for the less bass-craving crowd. 

kyuuketsuki

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Great midrange, fantastic imaging and soundstage, superior comfort and great natural timbre
Cons: Rolled off treble, long burn-in period, lacking detail
I quite literally took a shot with these after the NY Meet. It was between these and the UE900s and I'm rather content with the decision, from the cable to the build, to the fit. Everything works. These are clearly stage monitors tuned so you can ear voices clearly and exact positioning of instruments. Because of this they have a great and slightly forward midrange. However for what they do they do fantastically. I was considering giving them 4.5 stars but I really couldn't think of any reason to shave off that 0.5 star at the price point of $300. I probably would have if they hadn't burned in though. The sound was rather warm and lacking in extreme detail especially in bass. It was punchy but overall unimpressive at $300 price point. These need to be burned in for over 100hrs. I personally did 150 and they really opened up in so many ways. To note they are still a bit on the warm side, but they are more balances with a slight midrange bump.
 
Setups used: Primarily Cowon J3 > ASG-1. Also tested with D2 > ASG-1, HP computer > NFB-11 > ASG-1, Sansa Clip+ (rockboxed) > ASG-1 and Samsung Galaxy Nexus (alternating between Neutron and Play Music) > ASG-1.
 
Format used is from lJokerl. 
 
Accessories: (4/5) - For me the most important accessories are the tips. I can do without extra cables I don't need and all that is really needed is cleaning tools, a case or pouch and a 1/4 inch adapter. This has 2/3 things that I wanted, all it lacked was the adapter. Which really isn't a big deal. The tip selection is magnificent though. 2 sets of bi-flange tips, and 3 sets of single flange tips. And they are well chosen too.
 
 
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Build Quality (4.5/5) - The housing is plastic, but rather thick with removable silver coated copper braided cable. The housing isn't as strong as say my former HJE900s, but overall, I feel these are better built. The recessed CIEM (or Westone as I've heard it referred to as) two pin cable port really lends to a solid and stable connection, which will prevent damage to both the housing and the pins if anything gets caught, or if you tug on them. Naturally the case it comes in is a tank, it is a clear water resistant (proof? but I never say that, because it probably isn't 100%, but good enough so that if it somehow reaches water your IEMs will be protected) Otter Box case. Also, according to Dale, the IEMs have been treated with a coating to protect against UV damage and discolouration. Which is a big plus especially since I've heard that these can discolour. However even after 80 hours of usage and 70 hours of pure burn-in, there has been no noticeable discolouration. Overall these are really solidly built IEMs. The housing is light but strong. It is a two part system with a cover screwed on with Torx screws. (Probably to make easier for servicing if the need ever arises)
 
 
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Isolation (4.5/5) - Better than most other IEMs I've heard, even with single flange tips. The 4.5 is with double though, but there is some comfort issues, but the single flange tips do an amazing job while not being totally invasive. Certainly the best I've heard (or rather not heard). This was previously held by UE Super.Fi 4. The only IEMs that I've heard in generics that could beat these are the HF2/3/5 from Etymotic. But those are incredibly invasive. I'm sure I can get equal isolation with other tips, but currently with the tips they give you it is pretty fantastic. I'm not sure how other tips like the Sony Hybrids would fair, but I've already tried the Hifi Man large bi-flange tips, and they didn't work at all well with these IEMs, even though they probably would have lended well to higher isolation. The tips are quite well chosen, and a far cry from the poor tips that I've heard about in older revies (rev 1.0,1.1 mostly)
 
Microphonics (5/5) - There is barely any. Seems to me that over the ear fits tend to fair better here. Unless the cable is rubbing on a zipper or something I can't hear it. And even then it is minimal. And if you wear them around the back, like I've been shown by Ultimate Ears at the meet-ups, this is nonexistent. I have tried to get microphonics to occur, by rubbing the wire against zippers clothes and even themselves. While there is some, it isn't much. And if I'm not trying I don't hear anything. It gets even better when I use the Moon Audio Silver Dragon cable, as that is smoother and eliminates even intentional microphonics. 
 
Comfort (5/5) - First set of universals I've ever had that I literally have zero comfort issues. Dale has stated that he has designed these after analyzing 1000s of ear mold impressions and creating a size and fit that works for most ears. And I believe him. The tips are soft, and the fit is light and I can forget they are in my ears. And the fact that they sit in the ear, allows me to sleep with them. I've never really been comfortable with sleeping with IEMs before, so this is a first. The only time I had comfort issues was when I was wearing 180s ear muffs over them. However that was more due to the fact of uneven pressure especially on the back of the IEM, which not only messed with the seal but also applied pressure to my ear. It wasn't wholly uncomfortable, but more annoying. 
 
(Obligatory in ear shot?)
 
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Sound (9.3/10) -
 
Bass: Initially I felt the bass was too close to the midrange, and not enough highs to compensate, leading to a rather warm sounding IEM. After extensive burn in this changed. The bass became tighter and more controlled. I can't say for certain that it became less or more, I'd say it more or less stayed the same. The bass is still leaning to warm even after burn in, but it isn't nearly as bad. After burn in, the signature doesn't change, but it becomes more balanced with itself. I'm pretty certain if I looked at the FR graph it wouldn't change shape, but amplitude. 
 
In terms of what the bass is like, it is accurate, and punchy. It has a bit of a decay, but it is about the same as many other dynamic driver IEMs I've heard. If anything I'd say this has the least decay of most others I've listened to in the past. Though the decay allows for a natural sounding timbre that is rather musical. And that is really what these IEMs are about overall is musicality. I stated in my thread that it is perfect for a "fun" IEM. And I still stand by that, if the curve was more V or U shaped, it would be. 
 
The ASG-1s have an uncanny ability to work really well with bass amount and reach very low subbass, but mainly be focused in the midbass. Basically, the lows reflect the highs. The subbass is just not as forward as the midbass is, and the midbass is almost linear with the midrange (to my ears). Again, this lended to the warmth I heard when in my initial review. 
 
Midrange: This is some of the best midrange I've heard from an IEM ever. It is slightly forward (it was more so before burn in). I feel like some midrange peaks were shaved off after burn in creating a smoother response. These were designed as stage monitors so a slightly forward midrange makes sense for the ideal of hearing voices. And voice-centric music is phenomenal on these. It gets to the point where I can distinctly identify each voice, despite these not being Balanced Armerature IEMs. As stated they were initially more forward, but I feel like burn-in pulled them back somewhat and shaved any peaks off allowing for other frequencies to shine, especially the treble, which being already rolled off, having midrange that overshadowed it, hurt the overall spectrum. However, if you are looking for a dynamic driver with a fantastic midrange these are it. 
 
Treble: This is where it gets tricky, because the treble is good but not without fault. The treble has roll off so that is nonfatiguing. This was done intentionally for the purposes of being stage monitors, so it is understandable. The treble is very smooth and only gets more smooth with burn in. When the midrange gets pulled back the treble can shine. The extension is fantastic, and these really sing with the right kind of music, like jazz and classical or even EDM and Chiptunes. For music that requires a bit more sharpness to it, like rock, these leave something to be desired (that can be fixed through EQ). That isn't saying they sound bad with those genres, but they don't wow either. But this is the price you pay for nonfatiguing treble. And honestly, in some ways it is better. you can EQ more treble, but you can't magically EQ smoothness into treble. The benefits far out weigh the cons of this tuning. While EQ might help, it is not necessary after burn-in. Before full burn-in, one might find themselves increasing the treble to limit the warmness of these, and give a bit more sparkle to the rolled off highs. 
 
The highs are also not as forward as I'd like. With the midrange being pulled back this is less noticeable, but it is still something I can hear with certain songs in my library. They aren't really very recessed though, just not forward enough in certain frequencies (and I'm sure if I had the training or the tools to create an FR graph, I could pin point that, but unfortunately I'm unable. 
 
Imaging, Soundstage and Instrument Separation: All three of these are fantastic, especially the former two. I honestly don't think I've heard better imaging and soundstage from an IEM. These are almost on par with some full sized headphones I've heard. Instrument separation isn't perfect though, nor did I really expect them to. I can't compare that to well tuned BAs. However, in comparison to other dynamics it is fantastic. And with voices and imaging, I sometimes feel like I could draw a diagram of the stage or recording studio. I've heard some TOTL IEMs before and these can't compete with instrument separation, but with soundstage and imaging, they are probably just as good, and perhaps even better in some cases. (Granted I've never spent extended amount of time with them, so I can't say for certain)
 
Overall: For $300 these are probably the most overlooked stage monitors I've seen. They do everything well and little wrong for a dynamic driver IEM. These are what I now compare others to in terms of soundstage and imaging, because they are just that good. If you are looking for a slightly less than neutral, but natural sounding stage monitor, these are definitely the ticket. If you are looking for just a musical IEM for jazz and classical, I'm sure there are others at this price point, but these should not be over looked. I'm really happy I didn't. I chose these over the UE900s, and am happy I did. 
 
Additional thoughts (and initial impressions with Silver Dragon): These are fairly sensitive IEMs, which is both a blessing and a curse. I don't need as much volume to drive these well, but there is less of a gradient to play with. And with the Silver Dragon, that impedence seems to be lowered further (I can listen a notch or two lower on my J3 with the Silver Dragon depending on the song) The Silver Dragon I also perceive slightly more forward treble. Though this might be placebo from expectation, and I can't be sure, the rest of the sound from these seems largely unaffected. In terms of comparing cables, I'm rather torn. I like the build and quality of the Silver Dragon, but like the memory cable on the stock. They both have advantages and weaknesses. I'm happy I have both, but I feel like I'd be using the Silver Dragon more for every day usage. 
 
These also totally changed my perception on burn-in. These are the first headphones I've ever owned that had a perceivable difference after a long burn in, that wasn't just psychoacoustic. Yes there was some of that, but considering that I switch between headphones constantly at home, the affects of that were limited.  
 
And the fact that these can be upgraded with two BA tweeters effectively making them ASG-2s is fantastic as well. The ability to tune these could very well be a game changer. The Aurisonics team seem really keen on getting this right for each and every one of their customers. 
 
And here are two additional photos that I had...
 
 
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