Earsonics ES3 in-ear earphones

General Information

Earsonics redefines the high-end in-ear earphones and makes it accessible to the greatest number. Technological changes and the high resolution music recordings, reinforced our choice to provide powerful in-ears able to take full advantage of these technological advances. Combining innovative design and ultimate sound quality, the ES3 offer a professional market sound quality and became the new spearhead of EarSonics music range. DESIGN Equipped with flexible rooms, The shell of our ES serie make possible a electronical adaptation according to the audio signature and the chosen architecture. Regarding traditional in-ears, the cannulas were shortened and have their own diffractive acoustic chamber for best intelligibility and a wider soundstage. DRIVERS PROPRIETAIRES To respond to the specifications of the most demanding, we use proprietary drivers. With this involvement in all drivers development and manufacturing steps, we control our electronics quality and target the best audio quality. MADE IN FRANCE The design, manufacture and packaging are entirely made in France in our Lab. All mechanical and plastic manufacturing components are made locally with our  partners. IN THE BOX ES3 come with replaceable cable 4  Comply tips 4 silicon tips 1 cleaning tool Carrying box User manual

Latest reviews

CK Moustache

100+ Head-Fier
Link to my review and measurement index thread where one can also find a full review overview, more information about myself as well as my general-ish audio and review manifesto: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/956208/




I only give full stars. My ranking/scoring system does not necessarily follow the norm and is about as follows:

5 stars: The product is very good and received the "highly recommended" award from me.

4 stars: The product is very good and received the "recommended" award from me.

3 stars: The product is good/very good, but not outstanding/special enough to get any of my two awards. ["Thumbs Up"]

2 stars: The product is only about average or even somewhat below that and somewhat flawed/flawed in some areas. [neither "Thumbs Up" nor "Thumbs Down"]

1 star: The product is bad/severely flawed to outright bad. ["Thumbs Down"]




EarSonics ES3


Source:

Personal unit.


Miscellaneous:

Really nice unboxing experience with a packaging that has got two see-through windows and a drawer that contains the accessories.

The carrying case looks nice.

Quite poor ear tip selection - two pairs of single-flange silicone tips, two pairs of double-flange silicone tips, two pairs of foam tips.

Three Balanced Armature drivers per side, three acoustic ways. Dual-bore nozzle design.

Industry-standard cable with twisted conductors; very supple and flexible. Fortunately 2-pin connectors.

I like the shell design with the grey, dotted "ES" and "3" logos and shiny black surface. I have absolutely nothing against plastic shell in-ears and even prefer them over metal shells in terms of feel in one's ears, but the ES3's shells appear a bit thin and not as premium (finish around the edges; screws) as they could or should at this price point - overall I prefer my Shure SE425's thicker and more premium appearing plastic shells over those of my ES3 that seem thinner and less premium, even though the design (shape, logos) is nice.

Comfort could be better in my ears, especially as the largest included silicone ear tips could be larger, hence it is somewhat trickier for me to get a consistent seal (similar story as with my Audio Technica ATH-IM03).

EarSonics ES3 Photo 2.png



Sound:

Largest included single-flange silicone tips.

Tonality:

Smooth v-shape with main focus on bass.

Rather unique bass implementation (which was the main reason why I bought the ES3 in the first place): boosted sub- and midbass, but almost no fundamental range boost and not the tiniest bit of lower midrange spill/bleed; as a result, the bass really only “kicks in” as a deep growl when “needed”.
The bass elevation peaks around 60 kHz with around 8 dB in quantity over in-ears with near diffuse-field flat lows (such as my Etymotic ER-4S/the ER4SR). The bass then extends at that level (almost no roll-off) down into the real sub-bass. What's great is that 200 Hz are pretty much in line with 1 kHz, so the low fundamental range doesn't have the typical added warmth that often comes with bass-boosted in-ears, but as EarSonics' ES3 don’t only focus on the sub-bass but also clearly concentrate on the midbass, it's fun, thumpy and full of impact without a hammering upper bass punch or intrusive lower fundamental range warmth/bloom. Yeah, that's a lot of fun for recreational listening.
It's fun, it's unique, it's addictive; it's simply just a really neat implementation of the bass boost.

The midrange timbre is natural and realistic except for the upper mids/presence range lacking some presence (quite comparable to my Campfire Audio Andromeda), wherefore they lack some glare and crunch and are very mild, even to extend of some perceived vocal resolution being missed in comparison to the rest of the audio spectrum.

The middle treble is in the background as well, just to come back with a mild peak just a bit above 7 kHz, but it's not intrusive and gives the treble just a bit of brightness that would be otherwise lacking due to the recessed upper mids.
Extension past 10 kHz is really good.

Frequency Response:

ES3 ER-4S-Compensation.jpg

Etymotic ER-4S-Compensation

That’s also mostly how I perceive the sound, however with a bit less sub-bass quantity and an upper treble peak that crosses the “neutral” line just barely, along with good but not exaggeratedly bright super treble extension.

ES3 PP8-Compensation.jpg

InEar ProPhile 8 Compensation

Resolution:

The BA woofer's bass balance between tightness and body is just great - it sounds just a bit more dynamic than absolutely tight-sterile ("dry"), but is still and absolutely clearly on the Balanced Armature side of things - definitely nothing for friends of a more dynamic driver-like presentation (my ES3 are, for example, also tighter and faster than my definitely softer, more impactful, dynamic sounding Campfire Audio Andromeda (that are however great in their own way with their still mostly controlled bass rumble) in the bass). Therefore the lows sound definitely tight and fast, but with just a little bit of decay lingering still existing. Bass control is very good as well.

The midrange and treble separation and details are good as in not appearing to be lacking at all, however compared to other in-ears that I own that are more or less in this price range and resolve well, such as my Westone W4R or Logitech UE900, my ES3 don't deliver as much and as precise micro details or note separation. (Ultimately the ES3s’ treble has an edge over its middle frequencies in terms of separation.)

Soundstage:

Precise imaging (instrument placement; instrument separation is good, too).

Three-dimensional and authentic - overall just slightly more oval than circular. Sounds spherical and realistic to me.
Extends further than the base of my head.

EarSonics ES3.png



Conclusion:

Recommended.

Clearly the bass tuning is what makes the ES3 unique and a very enjoyable recreational listen, but the rest of the spectrum is tuned nicely as well. Along with the fairly nice soundstage presentation, Earsonics’ triple-BA in-ears offer a really good overall package; though I wouldn’t mind more premium appearing shells and a better ear tip selection.


Photos:

EarSonics ES3 Photo 1.png
Last edited:

audioblog18

New Head-Fier
Pros: Cohesive, Controlled treble, Full sounding mids, quite punchy bass, huge sound stage, pretty resolving
Cons: Few dips at the upper mids, better accessories
The Company
“Earsonics was founded in 2005 by Franck Lopez, a musician and sound engineer, who, unhappy with the quality of in-ear monitors available at the time decided to create his own. In 2006, he begins to offer his creation for sale and enjoys immediate success, even equipping the biggest French music tour at the time. Earsonics was born ! In 2012, Earsonics launches the first universal 6 driver earphone in the world, the S-EM6. Entirely made by hand, its musical qualities garner universal praise in numerous tests. For Earsonics, the most important criteria about listening to sound is absolute precision – just like the original recording, no effects or modifications – just reality.”

Earsonics don’t need any introduction but I still decided to get some information from their site, Earsonics has been one of the most renowned brand in the earphone industry. their house sound are known to be warm and thick with an overall smooth presentation.


The Earsonics ES3






The ES3 adapts the trademark look of earsonics, it comes with a black opaque shells with the “ES” printed on the one side and the “3” printed on the other one. The shell is made out of plastic but it feels premium and well built, the nozzle doesn’t have metal filter but instead it has 3 holes that is desired to separate highs, lows and highs. The ES3 was released years ago and it falls under the mid tier department, it has 3 BA drivers one for bass, one for mids and one for treble. Other technical specifications are as follow:

  • Sensibility: 116 dB/mW
  • Frequency response: 10 Hz -20 kHz
  • Impedance: 31.5 ohm
  • Driver: 3 drivers, 3-way crossover with impedance corrector.
  • Connector: 2 pin (0.78)
Packaging






It comes with medium sized gray box, it is sleeve type and underneath the gray facade is a black box. Inside it are the IEM itself with medium black silicone tips and braided cable pre-installed, foam tips, a carrying case with several tips inside (includes double flange tips), cleaning tool, and 2 cards that are mostly written in French. The packaging feels premium and all but for me, adding a better cable, more tips and a hard carrying case would be better but that’s fine it is already a complete package in my opinion.

Fit and comfort


The nozzle is a bit short making the insertion to the ear a bit shallow, the isolation is average even after tip rolling, the diameter of the nozzle is a bit smaller too that is why it is a bit hard to use other tips. Nonetheless the comfort is good, the shell itself is light and wearing it is very comfortable and easy, but the ear guide is too stiff and sometimes it is hard to find the optimum position.

Sound


I love IEMs with midcentric to flat sound signature as I really love listening to vocals rather than instruments. My genre ranges from heavy rock, alternative rock, pop rock, acoustic, pop, jazz and folk. Majority of my test tracks are in 16 bit – 44 khz and 24 bit – 48 khz FLAC file and here is the list of my commom test tracks.

  1. Reese Lansangan – For the Fickle (background, female vocals and upper mids)
  2. Foo Fighters – Bridge Burning (Imaging, Layering, Coherence, Sub bass and Mid bass, Mids, Treble)
  3. LANY – Thick And Thin (Mid Bass, Mids)
  4. Ed Sheeran – Dive (Mid bass, Lower Mids)
  5. Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why (Upper Mids and Instruments)
  6. Paramore – Hard Times (Imaging, Layering, Coherence, Sub bass and Mid bass, Mids, Treble)
  7. Radiohead – Life in a Glasshouse (Imaging Layering, Bass, Instruments, Lower mids, Treble)
  8. Passenger – Coins in a Fountain (Mid bass, Layering, Imaging, Instruments, Lower mids, Treble)
  9. Tori Kelly – Hollow (Background, Upper mids)
  10. Ariana Grande – Raindrops (Background, Upper mids)
Bass
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Sub bass has average extension and has really great quality, the ES3 adapts the house sound of Earsonics which is leaning to warm and thick. The rumbles and guitar riffs sounds really good, the texture is just top notch for pure BA IEM. The mid bass is slightly boosted, slams are very much enjoyable as it packs good punch in it, it is not that weighty but the impact, texture, and decay speed is perfectly balanced for me, the bass is just slightly forward compared to the mids and treble but the good thing is that it doesn’t overshadow them at all. Despite having good punch, it never sounded loose and slow, ES3 has really nice bass considering the 3 BA inside it.

Mids
Lower mids is approached in a lush manner, it has good amount of body to give male vocals justice. It never sounded muddy, nasal, or veiled, the clarity is still great. The lower mids is not recessed nor forward, it is placed at the middle ground. For the upper mids, there are some audible dips but it is not a deal breaker for me, in the track raindrops, at the beginning, the vocals are placed a bit forward and at around 12 seconds there is a sudden recession. Talking about the quality, it is on the smooth side, the good thing here is that texture of vocals is still presented nicely. It never sounded nasal or sibilant, it sounds very balanced as it has really good amount of thickness but doesn’t make the upper mids sounds nasal.

Treble
Treble is not emphasized here; it has good resolution and extends nicely. The overall presentation is far from being neither aggressive nor sharp, in fact it is airy and a bit relaxed. The treble of the ES3 gives a nice sense of height and depth, it is placed just a bit behind the lower mids, and it has still the sparkle to deliver cymbals nicely. The treble is made for long listening, it is not laid back but it will never pop out on your face, it has nice texture and quality but it may lack quantity, forwardness and sparkle from treble heads out there, but for me who’s opposite of it, the highs of ES3 is just perfect.

Sound Stage and Resolution

The ES3 excels in this department, it sounds really cohesive. The sense of depth, width and height is very strong here in the ES3, the stage is amazingly huge for a pure BA IEM, there’s an airy feeling here even there’s no DD present. Layering and imaging is also one of the best that I’ve tried, as I close. My eyes listening alone in my room I can easily pin point the positions of the sound present in a track, from drum roll to second voices. The decay speed of the ES3 also helped a lot; it can easily cope up to pacey rock and metal songs. The ES3 has an above average resolution especially on the bass and lower mids, the upper mids and highs are still resolved nicely but not as good as the lower frequencies.

Synergy and Sound Signature

ES3 is a warm and smooth IEM, it has the lower end to lower mids warmth and the body is being shed to the upper mids making it fatigue and sibilant free, the treble is also well extended, resolving without being aggressive. I would love pairing this with neutral to bright sources as it would retain the punch and add some coldness in it.

Aune M1s

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Aune M1s is a thick sounding neutral dap with nice black background on a budget. This guy increases the lushness of ES3 not to the extent of being muddy. Subs are well extended with a bit smooth texture, mid bass remains punchy. Lower mids is a bit too thick but is still enjoyable, upper mids remains the same with nice timbre. Treble became a bit more receseed, but retains the extension and resolution. The background is amazingly silent, staging is very good as the M1s unleashes the cohesiveness of the ES3. Average pairing for me, I want the body of ES3 to be lessened but the M1s increased it further nonetheless the technical prowess of this pair is nice.


Hidizs Sonata HD v2
The sonata DAC is leaning to warm, the mid bass bump increased while still retaining the nice texture, the sub bass remains the same except that it is a bit more forward. Lower mids was slightly emphasized and gained more thickness; the upper mids is still the same, the treble sounded a bit rolled off and smooth. The staging is just fine, not as wide as with the M1s or n5iis, background is fairly dark as well.

Cayin N5iis
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Cayin N5iis is a neutral-slightly bright and transparent sounding DAP, mids sounds lean, bass is flat and does not have any coloration, and treble is a bit more prominent than the bass. I simply love the synergy of this pair, the sub bass is still well extended with nicer details retrieval and texture, the emphasis on mid bass became less and the texture also better. Lower mids became a bit leaner and was able to have better transparency same goes to upper mids, it also became a bit more forward. The treble is well extended, better resolution and slightly more forward still, without sounding shrill. This pair has one of the blackest background that I’ve tried on SE, sound stage is huge with better layering and imaging.

Smart Phone (Huawei Mate 10)

The Huawei Mate 10 is has a sound signature of neutral-bright, sound quality is not on par with the N5iis or M1s, noise floor is a bit high. The bass became a bit rolled off and less textured; the mid bass became smoother and less impactful. The lower mids is not that affected with still having that thick presentation, upper mids became a bit leaner. The treble was not extended further but was placed a bit more forward and the quantity slightly improved while still being relaxed. Sound stage is not that huge but it still sounded pretty cohesive. This two is a nice pairing, as the mate 10 slightly boosts the upper mids to treble of the ES3.

Comparison


Earsonics ES3 vs Empire Ears Bravado

Both of this IEMs are leaning to warm, the ES3 extends a bit deeper, the sub bass of ES3 packs a bit more texture than the bravado. The mid bass of these IEMs almost have the same amount of texture; the bass of ES3 is more forward and packs more punch in comparison to Bravado’s tighter and faster mid bass. The lower mids of these two IEMs still share the same characteristics; both are neither recessed nor forward and have velvet like lushness. The texture of the lower mids now goes to the Bravado, but the delivery of ES3 is a bit cleaner. The upper mids of bravado is leaner and packs more sweetness than the ES3, the upper mids of ES3 is presented in a smooth manner and is less fatiguing than the Bravado’s. For the treble, both are not emphasized, the treble of bravado is more linear and a bit more forward on the other hand, ES3’s is more extended, better details and has faster decay. The ES3 is better has better sound stage in terms of height, it is also better in imaging.

Earsonics ES3 vs Acoustune HS1551 CU
ES3 sounded lean when compared to the HS1551 CU. The bass of these two IEMs are equally well extended but the sub bass of HS1551 has more texture and quantity. The mid bass is a bit smoother on the HS1551 as the ES3 delivers more texture and is also tighter, the quantity and impact goes to HS1551. The lower mids of ES3 is more transparent, forward and textured as the HS1551 is meatier and a bit more recessed. The same thing can be observed on the upper mids, the ES3 is leaner and packs more clarity as the HS1551 still have the warmth up to the upper mids. The HS1551’s treble is a bit rolled off in comparison to the well extended and controlled treble of ES3, the sparkle and resolution also goes to ES3 while the smoothness goes to HS1551. The stage of HS1551 is fairly wide but the ES3 is simply wider, has more sense of height and depth, imaging is also slightly better in the ES3.

Earsonics ES3 vs Noble Sage

The sage sounds leaner in comparison to thick sounding ES3. The bass of ES3 is extended a bit deeper as compared to the Sage, it is also more textured as the Sage presents the sub bass in a smooth manner. The mid bass of Sage sounded linient when compared side to side with ES3, it is also smoother but in return it is more tight and fast than the ES3’s. The lower mids is cleaner in Sage, it is a more forward to but it lacks the body that ES3 making it dry sounding at times. The upper mids sounds sweeter and more transparent in the Sage, it is more upfront too. The Sage is a bit bright compared to the relaxed and airy treble of the ES3, the ES3 has more controlled and is a bit recessed while the Sage wins with crispness and resolution. The stage of ES3 is still bigger for me, but this time it is closer it is just that the sense of depth is better in the ES3, on the other hand layering and imaging goes to the Sage.

Conclusion
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Earsonics ES3 was released years ago, but hey it can still go toe to toe against newer competitors in its price tier. I love the bass as it has moderate impact yet there’s a good amount of texture and resolution, it can go deep too. Lower mids is full sounding and it sounds fantastic when playing heavy rock and metal songs, upper mids has moderate transparency without sounding shrill or sibilant. Treble is airy especially for a pure BA, it is placed just enough to have presence and not be fatiguing, it extends very well and it is controlled with nice resolution and decay speed. The ES3 is very cohesive, it is open sounding with great sense of height, width and depth, layering and imaging is realistic as well. I would say that ES3 is one of the best warm and smooth sounding pair that I’ve ever tried; I can say that under 30,000 PHP the ES3 is a beast in cohesiveness!



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audio123

Reviewer at audio123
Pros: Full-bodied presentation, Midrange, Soundstage
Cons: Accessories
Introduction

Earsonics is a French company that specialises in making iems. They have been very active in producing iems with the recent release of their flagship in Earsonics EM10. In this review, I will be reviewing the ES3 from the Music series. I would like to thank David and Earsonics for the arrangement of this review unit. The Earsonics ES3 is a triple balanced armature drivers iem that features 1 driver for low frequency, 1 driver for middle frequency and 1 driver for the high frequency. The iem design and manufacturing/packaging are made in France at their Lab. At the moment, you can purchase the Earsonics ES3 at http://www.earsonics.com/store/produit/es3/ .

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Specifications

  • Sensibility: 116 dB/mW
  • Frequency response: 10 Hz -20 kHz
  • DCR: 31 ohms
  • Driver: 3 drivers, 3 way crossover with impedance corrector
Unboxing & Accessories

The Earsonics ES3 comes in a black package that has a matte silver protective cover. On the cover, there is the model name and brand name, “ES3 In-ear earphones Earsonics”. At the bottom of the cover, it shows that it is made in France. After removing the cover, you can see the iem, soft carrying case, cleaning tool and eartips at the front. Inside the case, there is a plastic pack that contains eartips. The brand name is printed on the carrying case. It is quite nice case to store the ES3. Beneath the soft foam, there is an instruction manual. Overall, the accessories are rather sufficient and it is presented nicely.

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IEM Build & Design

The ES3 shell is made of acrylic and there is a smooth glossy black surface. On the left faceplate, there is the number “3” printed on it while on the right faceplate, there is the initials “ES” printed on it. The dotted design gives a cool look to the ES3. The print is white in colour. On the inside of each iem side, it has a rather flat surface. The nozzle is slightly angled and has no mesh. Down the nozzle, there are 2 bores. The ES3’s housing is light weight and I am able to fit it in my ears comfortably. The iem is constructed with a solid build quality. The overall design of the iem is quite good and it is aesthetically pleasing.

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Cable Build & Design

The cable is a detachable 4 core cable with 2 pin 0.78mm connectors. On the connectors, there are blue and red dot on the left and right side respectively so users can differentiate. The connectors has a matte black housing. The cable has a memory wire section that is enclosed in a transparent heat shrink tube. It is not very flexible due to the metal inside that helps to form the shape. The memory wire section is rather short. The chin slider is made up of a transparent tube and the y splitter is made of a soft rubber material with strain relief. The jack is 3.5mm gold plated right angled with strain relief. It is a simple stock cable.

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Sound Analysis

Lows

The ES3 extends its sub-bass greatly with a natural rumble. The decay is quick and there is impact brought by the sub-bass. The sub-bass has a good amount of quantity and it presents itself musically without compromising on the speed. The mid-bass on the ES3 has body to it and each slam is being expressed with a moderate impact. This allows the mid-bass to be more enjoyable. The dynamics is great. Bass texture on the ES3 is quite smooth and this is heavily contributed with the body. Each bass note has a full bodied presentation and the decay is slightly affected with less speed. The bass operates in a very smooth approach and it provides a high level of details retrieval. There is a natural feeling to the bass presentation and the full-bodied style of expression improves the texture. To sum it up, there is strong combination of technicality and musicality.

Mids

The midrange is being expressed in a warm and smooth style. It has a good amount of body and the delivery is rather velvety. There is a thick and lush feeling to it. The lower mids has a moderate quantity to it and male vocals are being portrayed naturally. There is no nasal feeling. The upper mids has a moderate quantity to it and it is not very forward. Female vocals are presented with finesse and mastery. There is a good naturalness and it provides a creamy impact. Vocals have a high level of definition. The smoothness does not sacrifice the resolution and the midrange is thick and lush. There is an excellent execution of vocals and emotions are being conveyed intimately.

Highs

The treble is rather balanced. There is no sibilance and harshness. It is extended moderately and packs details. The depth is existent with good level of finesse. The smooth nature of the treble helps to accentuate a full-bodied style. There is a good amount of air rendered and it helps to balance out the presentation. The overall sound will not be very dense sounding. The treble articulation is precise and resolution is good. With a soothing treble, there is fatigue-free listening. Overall, the treble has a blend of smoothness and excellent details retrieval.

Soundstage

The ES3 has a great expansion in its stage width and the sound is not congested at all. The width aids in the overall presentation. The depth has a good space and the amount of space rendered is excellent. Positioning of vocals and instruments are precise with a high standard of imaging. Layering and separation is great. Resolution is top-notch.

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Comparisons

Earsonics ES3 vs Dunu DK-3001

The ES3 has more sub-bass quantity than the DK-3001 and the extension on both is very similar. The sub-bass presentation on the ES3 has a smoother approach than the DK-3001. However, the DK-3001 expresses it in a more authoritative approach. Decay on the DK-3001 is slightly quicker. The rumble on the ES3 is moderate and it sounds more natural. Bass note on the ES3 has more weight than the DK-3001 and the musicality is enhanced. The mid-bass on the DK-3001 has more slam and the ES3 approaches it differently with more control. Mid-bass slam on the ES3 has strong mastery and it is portrayed gently with a smooth texture. Bass texture on the ES3 is smoother. The lower mids on the ES3 has more quantity than the DK-3001 and with the extra body, male vocals sound full and there is a better expression. There are no signs of hollowness. The upper mids on the DK-3001 is slightly more forward and there is slightly more crisp. The ES3 exerts a close control on the midrange and it is able to deliver a vocals masterclass. Coupled with the full-bodied style, the midrange is very emotional and intimate. There is a good speed with a high standard of details retrieval. Next, in the treble section, both are extended well with good definition. Treble articulation is accurate. Clarity is maintained for both. There is no sibilance and harshness. DK-3001 edges slightly with more air being rendered. Lastly, for the stage width, the ES3 has a more natural expansion while for stage depth, DK-3001 excels with more space. Resolution on both is very similar.

Earsonics ES3 vs InEar StageDiver 3

The sub-bass on the ES3 has less quantity than the SD3 and the extension on the ES3 is better as it is being stretched out more. The depth gives the ES3 more impact in this area. ES3 tackles it in the clinical style and there is an added cleanliness. The sub-bass reproduction is effortless and the technical performance ensures every note is hit with impact. Decay on the ES3 is quicker and there is more punch. Bass texture on the ES3 is smoother. The mid-bass slam on both is very similar. There is good dynamics with the ES3 having a faster mid-bass presentation and it is able to deal with busier tracks. The overall bass on the ES3 has more finesse than the SD3. The lower mids on the SD3 is thicker and it has more body. However, I find male vocals are better portrayed on the ES3 as it has a more appropriate amount. The upper mids on the ES3 is more forward and the SD3 sounds veiled in comparison. There is better execution of vocals on the ES3. ES3 is able to provide a controlled yet energetic type of sound. The midrange on the ES3 is superior to SD3 as it is competent to tackle both male and female vocals. Next, in the treble section, there is no sibilance and harshness on both. The ES3 is brighter with more extension. There is just more definition on the ES3. The air on the ES3 has more quantity and this gives more space to the overall presentation. It helps to prevent congestion in the tracks. Lastly, the soundstage tackles both the width and depth. Vocals and instruments positioning is more accurate on the ES3. The ES3 operates at a higher resolution than the SD3.

Earsonics ES3 vs Noble Trident

The ES3 has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the Trident. The reproduction is smoother with more mastery. Trident seems slightly lacking in comparison. Decay on the ES3 is slightly quicker with more rumble. The pace of the ES3 is presented with more agility. The mid-bass slam on both is very similar. Bass texture on the ES3 is smoother and it is more soothing to listen to. Each bass note on the ES3 is being expressed with confidence. The lower mids on the ES3 has more body and it is able to tackle male vocals. The Trident sounds slightly dry in this area. In terms of upper mids, ES3 has similar forwardness as the Trident but it just packs more details and emotions. Female vocals are presented with intimacy and does not sound too close. In the treble section, I find the extension to be very similar. There is slight harshness on the Trident but on the ES3, it is just smooth. There is a good amount of air rendered on the ES3. Lastly, for the soundstage, ES3 has a more natural expansion in width and the depth is not as close in as the Trident. There is just more space on the ES3. The spacious presentation aids in the overall sound. Resolution on the ES3 is better.

Conclusion

The ES3 has incredible finesse in handling vocals and the midrange takes on a full bodied approach which results in a vocals masterclass. Coupled with the emotional rendering of the midrange, the energy at the top end contributes to a complete performance. The sound is excellent as it is able to combine both musicality and technicality. The build quality of the ES3 is great and the unboxing is nice. The Earsonics ES3 is a delightful triple balanced armature iem with a full bodied sound.

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there once was an "IEM" ..called Next.

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