Let me preface this review by first letting you understand where I come from as I think that will give you some valuable perspective of my thoughts and opinions about this little gem. This also probably won't be a conventional review in that I describe in detail about the sound signature but I will make clear and efficient comparisons to well known IEMs.
So I am a music producer and audio engineer, I look for a balanced sound with my earphones and headphones as I do commercial work with them. I do not own a large stable of IEMs nor do I have plentiful experience with many IEMs out there.
I am familiar with the HD 600, UE RR, SE215, ATH-M50x, MDR-7506 and DT770 Pro.
Out of the above mentioned it is the Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered that I am comparing the Carbo Tenore to. Yes, I am comparing these little IEMs to a $1000 custom IEM. They sound alike to me and I have no reason to have any bias as I spent the aforementioned $1000 on the UE RR. If anything I should bashing on the Carbo Tenores just like many other people before, complaining about how they are the flavor of the month or just "hype" as a measly under $50 earphone cannot possibly come close to a $1000 custom IEM. I attribute my objective opinions to the fact that I am a science guy, I'm all about the facts and proof, I am open to be proven wrong. Sure the UE RR is the better IEM of the two but is it $900 better? No. In fact the Carbo Tenore is better in certain aspects like the soundstage, it's just wider. And any advantages the UE RR has on the Carbo Tenore are marginal.
Needless to say I have been mixing and mastering on these guys and I have been very impressed, they work so well for me. Relatively comfortable and light, the only thing that lets it down is the build quality. Cable is thin and feels weak, so are the stress reliefs at both ends.
In my opinion these are truly underrated, I think they are expertly tuned and am bewildered by how a small sized dynamic driver can produce such detail and clarity yet deliver so much on the low end as well. If you crave for a balanced sound, I urge you to give these a shot they as are truly a powerhouse of an IEM.
So I am a music producer and audio engineer, I look for a balanced sound with my earphones and headphones as I do commercial work with them. I do not own a large stable of IEMs nor do I have plentiful experience with many IEMs out there.
I am familiar with the HD 600, UE RR, SE215, ATH-M50x, MDR-7506 and DT770 Pro.
Out of the above mentioned it is the Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered that I am comparing the Carbo Tenore to. Yes, I am comparing these little IEMs to a $1000 custom IEM. They sound alike to me and I have no reason to have any bias as I spent the aforementioned $1000 on the UE RR. If anything I should bashing on the Carbo Tenores just like many other people before, complaining about how they are the flavor of the month or just "hype" as a measly under $50 earphone cannot possibly come close to a $1000 custom IEM. I attribute my objective opinions to the fact that I am a science guy, I'm all about the facts and proof, I am open to be proven wrong. Sure the UE RR is the better IEM of the two but is it $900 better? No. In fact the Carbo Tenore is better in certain aspects like the soundstage, it's just wider. And any advantages the UE RR has on the Carbo Tenore are marginal.
Needless to say I have been mixing and mastering on these guys and I have been very impressed, they work so well for me. Relatively comfortable and light, the only thing that lets it down is the build quality. Cable is thin and feels weak, so are the stress reliefs at both ends.
In my opinion these are truly underrated, I think they are expertly tuned and am bewildered by how a small sized dynamic driver can produce such detail and clarity yet deliver so much on the low end as well. If you crave for a balanced sound, I urge you to give these a shot they as are truly a powerhouse of an IEM.
