Build/ Accessories:
I was given a choice of cables for the bud and chose a copper cable with a 3.5 termination. The cable is reasonably flexible, twisted copper, with a decent looking termination and small, lightweight hardware. Strain relief clips are visible in the 3D printed Val39 shell so there’s no worry about damaging the solder points. Val39 is slightly more comfortable for me than MX500. Nothing mind blowing or of concern. It's simple, light, functional and sturdy; which is something I welcome from any bud.
Riku’s “grand” class of buds come with a nice big fabric case with many mesh pockets, plenty of foams and a saucy “Fate Grand Order” playing card depicting the character the bud is named for.
Obligatory and Subjective Frequency/ Technicalities Ramble:
The frequency response across the spectrum is arguably bass boosted neutral. The bass is above the mids and treble. The mids are slightly above the treble but not by much. The bud is never-the-less very energetic and has excellent air.
Bass:
The bass is very well extended into the sub-bass region. The sub-bass isn’t at basshead levels by any means but is audible and can be felt with a slight rumble. It should be at a satisfying level for most people and surpasses many buds in quantity and quality. The driver is quite fast to the mild detriment of the bass. The quality of the bass is excellent in the attack but the transients are too fast for the bud to lend itself well to a genre like metal where slow, loose bass is optimal.
The low-bass also provides a bit of a satisfying rumble from the bud while remaining well textured. There’s no mud to be found here, just fast, clean bass.
The mid/ upper-bass can at times be slightly fatiguing for me depending on the song and foams used. Songs that have an excess of kick drum, floor tom or synth in that frequency range can at times be distracting or irritating. The same elevation here helps vocals and mid centric instruments sound appropriately lush and full bodied so I’m willing to overlook it for the most part. It does disqualify this bud from being a true allrounder for me. Though, if you like some extra punch to your bass it may be a plus.
Mids:
Simply put: fantastic. As previously mentioned the bass, while lovely on its own, does an amazing job of supporting the mids. Easily one of the best buds I’ve heard for string orchestral and acoustic guitar; violins and guitars absolutely sing. The fundamentals are spot on. Very good separation and layering of instruments and vocals. Even in busy tracks that tend to get muddled easily, vocals and instruments are clearly defined. Just great fidelity here.
Male and Female vocals, depending on the mastering, float just above the rest of the mix as they should. Male vocals have great depth and warmth. Female vocals are sweet and with thin(er) foams can have some satisfying sparkle. The dynamic range of the bud is exceptional. Chamber choir tracks are nuanced and layered well. Thicker foams seem to recess the mids too much for my taste and destroy female vocals.
Upper-mids and Treble:
Upper-mids/ lower-treble sound very good. They have a pleasing clarity which helps with the tonality of the bud in this harmonic heavy area. While energetic, I don’t find the bud’s upper-mids/ treble fatiguing unless I listen at high volume or find that there’s too much detail being forced on me.
The treble has great detail and does a good job of balancing the bass and mids. Great air and crispness without being fatiguing due to the fast driver and thus quick transients. Very good extension with faithful reproduction of the upper harmonics that add a great deal to the overall tonality, stage and imaging of the bud.
TL;DR: It sounds good.
Gear Used:
Sources:
Fiio New K3, Apple Dongle -> Schiit Magni, Tanchjim Space
Foams:
New white Faaeal foams were used on all buds. The thickness between individual foams is consistent and I consider them to be of a medium density.
Comparisons:
RikuBuds: Grand Berserker 2:
The bass is slower, looser, more lush and there’s simply a lot more of it. As a basshead, it’s lovely. Cellos and other instruments with deep voices that straddle the bass and mids sound more full and accurate compared to the GAS2.
The mids are more recessed and are less tonally correct to my ear for some instruments; though they’re frankly not too far off for the amount of bass the bud has. Male vocals are more rich while female vocals try to sparkle but can’t quite make it most of the time.
Treble on the GB2 is darker and more smoothed. Not fatiguing at all. The upper harmonics and transients are slower and more recessed.
The tonal balance of the bud is heavily shifted towards bass thus dynamic range, stage and imaging that rely on balance, fast treble, lack of distortion etc., etc., aren't on par with the GAS2 because of the slower driver and the tuning.
Great bud for metal, edm, rock and male vocals but less of an all rounder than the GAS2.
Fiio: FF5
The bass is more lean, and slightly hollow sounding in comparison. Sub-bass is rolled off with very little rumble. The bass isn’t as prominent and thus the bud sounds a bit dry. But is pleasantly smoothed in comparison and fades into the background.
String instruments are a bit crisper on the attack and with less bass seem to decay faster leading the timbre to sound less natural. Male and especially female vocals can be a bit harsh at times.
The FF5’s treble is brighter and there's more air. Out of the context of comparison I consider the FF5 to be a fairly neutral bud with a good tonal balance, but in comparison to the GAS2 it sounds quite bright.
The dynamic range of the FF5 is slightly better. The subtle shifts in choir and orchestral volume are a bit easier to follow, likely because of the lower quantity of bass and seeingly faster transients. The stage and imaging are a little more blobby.
K’s Earphones: DB1E
The bud is neutral with good extension. The sub and low bass are pleasantly audible and can be felt with a bit of a rumble when called for by a track. Not as well textured or dynamic as the GAS2. The bass is good but it falls short in comparison.
The rest of the frequency range sounds fairly flat for the most part. Leaning towards being dark it often sounds somewhat lacking. The timbre and note weight sound thin. Male and female vocals sound recessed and, at times, rather lifeless. Treble is well extended and inoffensive.
Dynamic range is about on par, with some subtleties being lost at lower volumes. Stage lacks depth and imaging can be a little left and right focused.
The DB1E is good for putting in your ears and forgetting about; beautifully boring. In comparison to the GAS2 it’s frankly kinda meh.
TGXEAR: Red Serratus:
Similar bass extension with less mid-bass emphasis. Serratus’ bass has more air and better resonance and decay i.e., sounds less dampened. However, bassy instruments don’t have the same weight to their attack and at times sound oddly crisp.
Female vocals have more sparkle. Male vocals are less lush and sound a touch too thin. Female vocals can get lost in the treble at times while listening to busy tracks; sounding almost washed out in the mix. The overall timbre of the bud is slightly too bright to be correct to my ear.
The treble is more fatiguing in longer listening sessions. The upper harmonics and transients sound a little stretched out and are, again, are a bit overly bright to the detriment of the timbre.
Technicalities are quite similar but a bit better across the board on the serratus.
Conclusions (real review):
It’s a great bud in terms of price-performance. Sufficiently bassy and a bit dark, yet well extended, with excellent timbre and techs.
I was given a choice of cables for the bud and chose a copper cable with a 3.5 termination. The cable is reasonably flexible, twisted copper, with a decent looking termination and small, lightweight hardware. Strain relief clips are visible in the 3D printed Val39 shell so there’s no worry about damaging the solder points. Val39 is slightly more comfortable for me than MX500. Nothing mind blowing or of concern. It's simple, light, functional and sturdy; which is something I welcome from any bud.
Riku’s “grand” class of buds come with a nice big fabric case with many mesh pockets, plenty of foams and a saucy “Fate Grand Order” playing card depicting the character the bud is named for.
Obligatory and Subjective Frequency/ Technicalities Ramble:
The frequency response across the spectrum is arguably bass boosted neutral. The bass is above the mids and treble. The mids are slightly above the treble but not by much. The bud is never-the-less very energetic and has excellent air.
Bass:
The bass is very well extended into the sub-bass region. The sub-bass isn’t at basshead levels by any means but is audible and can be felt with a slight rumble. It should be at a satisfying level for most people and surpasses many buds in quantity and quality. The driver is quite fast to the mild detriment of the bass. The quality of the bass is excellent in the attack but the transients are too fast for the bud to lend itself well to a genre like metal where slow, loose bass is optimal.
The low-bass also provides a bit of a satisfying rumble from the bud while remaining well textured. There’s no mud to be found here, just fast, clean bass.
The mid/ upper-bass can at times be slightly fatiguing for me depending on the song and foams used. Songs that have an excess of kick drum, floor tom or synth in that frequency range can at times be distracting or irritating. The same elevation here helps vocals and mid centric instruments sound appropriately lush and full bodied so I’m willing to overlook it for the most part. It does disqualify this bud from being a true allrounder for me. Though, if you like some extra punch to your bass it may be a plus.
Mids:
Simply put: fantastic. As previously mentioned the bass, while lovely on its own, does an amazing job of supporting the mids. Easily one of the best buds I’ve heard for string orchestral and acoustic guitar; violins and guitars absolutely sing. The fundamentals are spot on. Very good separation and layering of instruments and vocals. Even in busy tracks that tend to get muddled easily, vocals and instruments are clearly defined. Just great fidelity here.
Male and Female vocals, depending on the mastering, float just above the rest of the mix as they should. Male vocals have great depth and warmth. Female vocals are sweet and with thin(er) foams can have some satisfying sparkle. The dynamic range of the bud is exceptional. Chamber choir tracks are nuanced and layered well. Thicker foams seem to recess the mids too much for my taste and destroy female vocals.
Upper-mids and Treble:
Upper-mids/ lower-treble sound very good. They have a pleasing clarity which helps with the tonality of the bud in this harmonic heavy area. While energetic, I don’t find the bud’s upper-mids/ treble fatiguing unless I listen at high volume or find that there’s too much detail being forced on me.
The treble has great detail and does a good job of balancing the bass and mids. Great air and crispness without being fatiguing due to the fast driver and thus quick transients. Very good extension with faithful reproduction of the upper harmonics that add a great deal to the overall tonality, stage and imaging of the bud.
TL;DR: It sounds good.
Gear Used:
Sources:
Fiio New K3, Apple Dongle -> Schiit Magni, Tanchjim Space
Foams:
New white Faaeal foams were used on all buds. The thickness between individual foams is consistent and I consider them to be of a medium density.
Comparisons:
RikuBuds: Grand Berserker 2:
The bass is slower, looser, more lush and there’s simply a lot more of it. As a basshead, it’s lovely. Cellos and other instruments with deep voices that straddle the bass and mids sound more full and accurate compared to the GAS2.
The mids are more recessed and are less tonally correct to my ear for some instruments; though they’re frankly not too far off for the amount of bass the bud has. Male vocals are more rich while female vocals try to sparkle but can’t quite make it most of the time.
Treble on the GB2 is darker and more smoothed. Not fatiguing at all. The upper harmonics and transients are slower and more recessed.
The tonal balance of the bud is heavily shifted towards bass thus dynamic range, stage and imaging that rely on balance, fast treble, lack of distortion etc., etc., aren't on par with the GAS2 because of the slower driver and the tuning.
Great bud for metal, edm, rock and male vocals but less of an all rounder than the GAS2.
Fiio: FF5
The bass is more lean, and slightly hollow sounding in comparison. Sub-bass is rolled off with very little rumble. The bass isn’t as prominent and thus the bud sounds a bit dry. But is pleasantly smoothed in comparison and fades into the background.
String instruments are a bit crisper on the attack and with less bass seem to decay faster leading the timbre to sound less natural. Male and especially female vocals can be a bit harsh at times.
The FF5’s treble is brighter and there's more air. Out of the context of comparison I consider the FF5 to be a fairly neutral bud with a good tonal balance, but in comparison to the GAS2 it sounds quite bright.
The dynamic range of the FF5 is slightly better. The subtle shifts in choir and orchestral volume are a bit easier to follow, likely because of the lower quantity of bass and seeingly faster transients. The stage and imaging are a little more blobby.
K’s Earphones: DB1E
The bud is neutral with good extension. The sub and low bass are pleasantly audible and can be felt with a bit of a rumble when called for by a track. Not as well textured or dynamic as the GAS2. The bass is good but it falls short in comparison.
The rest of the frequency range sounds fairly flat for the most part. Leaning towards being dark it often sounds somewhat lacking. The timbre and note weight sound thin. Male and female vocals sound recessed and, at times, rather lifeless. Treble is well extended and inoffensive.
Dynamic range is about on par, with some subtleties being lost at lower volumes. Stage lacks depth and imaging can be a little left and right focused.
The DB1E is good for putting in your ears and forgetting about; beautifully boring. In comparison to the GAS2 it’s frankly kinda meh.
TGXEAR: Red Serratus:
Similar bass extension with less mid-bass emphasis. Serratus’ bass has more air and better resonance and decay i.e., sounds less dampened. However, bassy instruments don’t have the same weight to their attack and at times sound oddly crisp.
Female vocals have more sparkle. Male vocals are less lush and sound a touch too thin. Female vocals can get lost in the treble at times while listening to busy tracks; sounding almost washed out in the mix. The overall timbre of the bud is slightly too bright to be correct to my ear.
The treble is more fatiguing in longer listening sessions. The upper harmonics and transients sound a little stretched out and are, again, are a bit overly bright to the detriment of the timbre.
Technicalities are quite similar but a bit better across the board on the serratus.
Conclusions (real review):
It’s a great bud in terms of price-performance. Sufficiently bassy and a bit dark, yet well extended, with excellent timbre and techs.