Macaw GT600s

On first opening the box one is impressed with the presentation of this your phone plentiful accessories and a nice looking box mean this immediately feel like a premium experience.
I would like to thank Apos audio for the review sample.

This is one of those IEMs that snuck under the radar for a lot of people which immediately attracts me to it as I like the more unusual IEMs.

The GT600s shell is small yet has a weight to it and feels very premium with the 2.5D dragontrail glass. I immediately noticed that this is more ergonomic than its predecessor the 100. The rounded edges and it's small shape made for a comfortable fit just what the stock silicone tips. for the review I tried all three nozzles but found myself liking the default one.
I found the trouble nozzle was unnecessary considering that this had quite a bit of sparkle at the high end without being annoying and didn't need the boost.
The bass boost nozzle was okay but kind of took away some clarity ultimately I settled on the silver which gives the this a unique sound signature unlike most earphones I've heard.

As said the treble has some sparkle, the mids are balanced to almost flat but have good details and timbre, mid bass is rapid and punchy sub-bass has a nice bite depending on the source and track.
The soundstage has a open and precise feel.

Overall I am quite impressed with this I am more than I thought I would have been coming off of reviews from the Spring1 and a few other great sounding flagships this one is definitely the one that got away from me until now.

https://apos.audio/products/macaw-gt600s-in-ear-monitor

MACAW GT600S Review:

SOUND: 8.8/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9.5/10
VALUE: 8.5/10




INTRO :

MACAW is a chinese earphones company based in Hong Kong that have begin to lauch products in 2008, they are well know for their Bluetooth earphones that became quite popular because of extreme sound value they give. Myself I own 3 earphones of this brand, the RT-10 wich is a single dynamic and the well deserved hyped T-1000 bluetooth. The third pair is there higher end IEM called the MACAW GT-600s, an exquisite Hybrid drivers IEM achievment that inspire admiration. Now, I have lot of hope about this company, because they proove with the GT600s that they can create very competitive hifi IEM if they want too, this model is just 100$ so I cannot imagine what high quality IEM they can create at 150-200$ price range but it sure could be mesmerizing. Compared to lot of 50-150$ iem, Macaw di not choose the bassy V shaped soundsignature, even if we can had some boom with Bass boost changeable nozzle, with standard nozzle (my favorite and the one I will use for must of this review) we have a near neutral sound that will please hardcore audiophile as well as music enthusiast because its not a boring balanced sound, musicality is agile and dynamic, bass is there and will hit at the right moment but never feel too loose or invasive, vocal are clear and wide, and highs are sparkly and give plenty of details. Is this a dream come true? Perhaps we find here the supreme all arounder earphones that will as well pass test of time.



DISCLAIMER : Well, I’m a chifi addict and impulsively buy 99% of my audio gear, time to time, it happen that I receive a free product from GEARBEST, wich is the only place I buy audio gear with Aliexpress. There is no affiliation with this store and when George ask if I wanna test an earphone I personally ask for this one cause it was on my buying list, so, its completly an independant choice and will stay this way to keep my objectivity clean. So, I want to thank George for this opportunity of testing a earphones I don’t feel obligate to listen to, but can enjoy

You can find the Macaw GT600s at Gearbest, and keep an eye open because it happen often this spectacular IEM are on sale.

https://www.gearbest.com/earbud-headphones/pp_762431.html?wid=21


Info :

• Function: For Mobile Phone,Monitor Headphone,HiFi Headphone,For iPod,Sport,Common Headphone

• Active Noise-Cancellation: No
  
  
• Brand : MACAW

• Is wireless: No

• Wireless Type: None

• Connectors: None

• Volume Control: No

• Waterproof: No

• Line Length: 1.2m

• Model Number: GT600s

• Resistance: 16Ω

• Communication: Wired

• With Microphone: No

• Drivers Units : 10mm Dynamic + Knowels Balanced armature

• Control Button: No

• Style: In-Ear

• Sensitivity: 98dB

• Plug Type: Line Type

• Frequency Response Range: 10-400000Hz

• Package: Yes

CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN & ACCESSORIES :



Unboxing Macaw products is always an elegant joy, this company give lot ofeffort in packaging design as well as the number of accessories included. With this higher end model come even more accesories, all of excellent quality. Unobxing experience begin by opening the hard cardboard box like a drawer, wichis a nice smooth begining, after you contemplate the IEM and nicely tided up eartips, all of this give a luxurious high quality feel to the product and best of all its all the accessories included : plenty of silicone tips, 2 pair of memory foams tips, pack of metal changeable nozzle, black braided cable of high quality and a beautiful brown leather pouch. Evven if i’m not that sensible to products presentation, this one my effect on me and even give higher attempt in term of sound and build quality, wich too, will be sumptuous.



First thing that hit me about design of construction is how the housing is small for a dual drivers earphones, and how it look sturdy because of it’s all black brushed metal material, and to make this look like even more like a jewel, the Macaw Logo on back of IEMis made of high quality glass, the type that isn’t easy to scratch, and give a very sober and classy touch to the whole esthetic. In hand, even if earphone are very small, they have a reassuring weight to it that confirm the metal housing is thick, heavy and well molded. Changeable nozzle that came with it are impressively made as well, all metal including the mesh that have 3 different color, only thing that is a little worrysome is the rubber ring around it, wich is very important to have perfect screwing seal, but can fall from nozzle and as it happen to me, be lost cause of their minuscule size.



The braided cable is another plus, as it happen to often we buy IEM that include rather cheap cable, this time its a sturdy silver plated ofc one that do not tangle easily and feel extremely sturdy, it have a nice earhook that will fit securly any ears, not type of earhook that feel loose or clumsy, and with this cable your far fromhaving microphonic invasion as well, the jack is well made as well and will not broke easily.

Going back to housing design, its very small, about 2 times smaller than KZ ZS5, the diretion of nozzle is in an angle that make fitting fast and easy, with this IEM its possible to sleep on your ears wich its one of my only IEM pair I can say that. It have as well venting hole with mesh in front and back, they are small so still isolate well, but some yeah, open back mean little noise can escape from your ears, not to a point it will be problematic tough. MMCX connection is secure and made a click sound that confirm it. All in all, we talk of extremely well designed earphone here, that promis real durability, and this is a very precious aspect.


SOUND :



Soundstage is above average in term of widness and have good deep to it, it have an airy presentation that give a good lively imaging. With bass booster soundstage became less deep and lack in clarity while with treble booster it do the opposite. For such a small housing size, its phenomenal that the soundstage feel this big and immersive.

Amping isn’t vital with powerfull DAP because of low sensitivity, still, amping can give more dynamic to the low sound pressure and help achieve more resolved and airy sound rendering.

PraT have great speed and impact, not a lot of decay but it feel accurate and agile, timing is very well done in complex tracks with lot of isntrument so sound calibration is very well engineered with the GT600S and will even satisfy very serious audiophile.

BASS is punchy, round and energic, it have magic in mid low that help opening sound more and give punch to beat driven music, still, it dig low and sub line can be hearable, but not feel like the kick, with Bass Booster nozzle, sub become more proeminent but stole air and punch. All sound of GT600S is about impact and separation, every region have great dynamic presence and a fun but balanced rendereing. Low are smoother and less textured than mids and highs wich another time permit a better instrument separation and soundstage articulation. Not for bass head perhaps, but who know as we can transform the GT600S into boomy iem as well. Sure excellent for ROCK lover toughs!

VOCAL have great clarity and presence, it is intimate and well textured, not exactly fowards but not far from it the mid have first place and you will never struggle to understand every words of any signer or any melody of violin wich sound fabulous and well bodied with GT600s, even with ultra complex tracks that include varity of sound or instrument, GT600S keep there agility and never feel congested or overwhelmed. Electric guitar sound marvellous as well, chunky and textured, fowards but without mixing with vocal, wich make it perhaps a perfect match for rock music.


HIGHS are very sparkly with good brilliance, wich make listening harpsichord or piano a real joy as well a giving extra texture to instrument because of great treble extension. Still, it do not feel harsh or to sharp, more well resolved in a smooth bright way with fowards microdetails. Because of this treble presence, bad recording with hissing background will not be forgive, but good recording will be fully resolve and extremely musical. Paired with clean audio source like the Xduoo X20 it really is a extraordinary revealing IEM with lot of energic details to share.

CHANGEABLE NOZZLE IMPRESSIONS:



BASS BOOSTER :

This give for sure more bass, but especially in mid-low region, giving more body to impact and mixing up sub with kick in a fuller way but not very well separeted, it give a little more boom and stole some air and clarity in exchange, still, nothing feel really muffled as the mids are decent but hatch less beautifully and feel dryier. SO, insteand of a near neutral U shape soundsignature you get a bright V shaped one. Don’t see myself using it that much, but for electro and bet driven music it can sure give more excitment.


TREBLE BOOSTER :

This is my second favorite filter after Standard one, it open up the sound a little more and give more air to soundstage. As well its give more highs sparkle and details, but to the cost of sounding a little harsher especially in vocal region where some sibilance can happen with potentialy hissing voice type (Serge Gainsbourg is a good test for that, and the test track Les cigarillossssssssssssssssssss have lot of ssssssssssss). Anyway, this second more sharp soundsignature is more calibrate than with bass boost and sound very nice for classical or multi layered instrumental with lot of different instruments.

STANDARD SOUND:

All sound review is make with this nozzle, wich is by far the more natural sounding and balanced, it have sweet fowards vocal, round punchy bass and wide treble extension wich is natural and dynamic sounding, have a hint of brightness in upper treble, beautifull brilliance to whole sound and wide soundstage, its so much a nice all arounder sound that I do not feel the nice of changing nozzle quite often.

EARPHONES COMPARAISONS:



GT600S vs PMV A01 MK2 :

Begining with construction, GT600S feel it will have a longer lifespan cause of his detachable cable, wich is a big drawback for the PMV as the cable connection to housing look fragile as well, talking about housing both are of good quality, but PMV is made of 1 part alluminium 1 part plastic and is about 1.5 times bigger than the GT600s so it’s less comfortable as well as looking less sturdy. Another time we compare a 1 dynamic plus 2 balanced armature to dual hybrid GT600S. So first thing that it is how PMV feel more spacious and detailed, to the cost of being brighter and more agressive sounding. Having a wider and deeper soundstage as well as better imagin and 3D feeling, PMV is more vivd and energic, sharper in sound rendering, while GT600S have rounder bass impact, more bodied mids and vocal, and an overall smoother warmer sound redering wich lead to less ear fatigue. One thing I like about PMV apart from his incredibly detailed sound is how easy they are to drive, you can get full potential of its 3 drivers with any DAP, even a Sansa clip will give plenty of power and dynamic, the GT600S are about 1.5 times harder to drive even with same 16ohm, but a 97db sound pressure instead of 100db for PMV, perhaps this sensibility is due to the fact PMV use a silver plated cable, don’t know, or perhaps its feel louder because of his brighter rendering and PrAT. All in all, PMV have a better treble extension and sharper imaging, a dryer bass response and a more exciting sound presentation for people that love lot of teeths to there music as it can be too much for some, for a more relax and less grainy and peaky listen but still energic and fowards, GT600S is there.



Campfire Audio Polaris VS GT600S :

So, we have here a 100$ iem trying to compete with a 700$ iem….not very fair for sure and even if difference in sound quality isn’t as big as some could expect, yes, the Polaris sound is from another league. The must obvious sound difference between this 2 Dual drivers Hybrid is in sound deepness and imaging, wich is way better with the Polaris as well as more dynamic. Both offer great level of details and clarity, good instrument separation (excellent with Polaris), and quite wide soundstage. Texture with Polaris is slightly better with more resolution to it, being less bassy with standard changeable nozzle, the GT600S are smoother and less bright than Polaris, to the cost of having less energy and attack in sound, Polaris have thicker bass and more impact, mid are better separated from low and high, and overall sound is more dynamic and exciting. Still, the Macaw do sound very good and have 3 type of soundsignature, and cost 7 times less than Campfire Polaris that aren’t really overpriced compared to other TOTL iem. It was an unfair battle and GT600S isn’t a looser at all, just an IEM that can’t be compared with a way way more pricier other IEM.



GT600S VS KINERA H3 :

Both these earphones are priced 100$, both have excellent luxurious construction, one with (very) big custom resin housing (h3) the other with (very) small quality metal housing and beautiful logo made of hard glass that make them look like men jewelry (wich it is in some way), big difference in conception is that the H3 have 2 balanced armature plus 1 dynamic driver configuration while the GT600S have just one of both armature and dynamic. So in term of sound the battle should be in favor of H3 because of mored drivers and 2 times bigger housing but we all know that even one well tweaked Dynamic driver can accomplish mesmerising result, so, in fact, it give a bigger challenge to sound engineer as more you have drivers to tweak, more the risk of frequencies error is high. So what difference hit first is how H3 soundstage is wider and deeper and how it is more prompt to sharp peaks that will create sibilance or contradictory result (bass will feel warm but mids harsh for example). Strangely, even if H3 feel darker, it feel more layered and hissy than GT600S and create ear fatigue way faster, wich is a shame cause sound potential is impressive. In term of vocal, GT600S are clearer, smoother and wider, its feel more balanced with the rest of instrumental while H3 vocal feel pumped up to the breaking point where silance or hissing can happen. Mids and Highs have lot of brillance with H3 as well, wich make them more detailed and give more air between instrument but to the cost of being quite edgy as well, even if feeling less dynamic, GT600S are more balanced and accurate with a more linera sound presentation where even if mid bass and vocal are underline with attack, the soundsignature is more realistic and enjoyable. I prefr the Macaw because I have 3 type of soundsignature possible with changeable nozzle, the housing is way smaller so I can sleep with them, and overall sound feel more balanced and energic.

CONCLUSION:

I'm quite overwhelmed by how good the GT600S are, construction is among must impressive I ever see in sub 150$ IEM and sound is very mature and addictive, have a musicality that feel natural detailed as well as punchy and fun, better of both audiophile and music enthusiast world. Changeable sound filter as another plus that I will use to give more boom the the bass time to time when needed. Here the quality step we have from 50-90$ IEM isn't a small one, it sound from another league compared to 90% of chifi IEM I heard and in term of construction 100%. Yep, we have here an underated GEM that merit more attention and praise as these are phenomenal value for 100$. Don't think twice, if you have the money and need a excellent sounding earphones that excell with most genre and give plenty of details and punch as well as a sweet immersive vocal presentation, the Macaw GT600S are sure an excellent investment that will surely have a long life span because of its high end construction. Yep, they are a keeper, even in the bed!

Greetings,

Today we're checking out the MacaW GT600s, a very good hybrid that for reasons beyond my comprehension has flown completely under the radar.

The GT100s, MacaW's original entry into the competitive world of sub-100 USD earphones, wowed audiences with it's crisp, detailed sound that could be altered via a simple tuning system. It's injection moulded steel housings and glass logo plates gave it a premium feel that wasn't commonplace in the price range. I finally purchased a GT100s earlier in the year, and after spending a fair bit of time with it found it too bright and generally unpleasant to listen to. The angular and heavy housings were also somewhat uncomfortable. They're not terrible, but not great either.

To say I wasn't overly excited to give the GT600s a listen would be an understatement. I certainly love their stylish design and that they replaced the GT100s' mediocre cable with a beautiful braided one. They even added useful preformed ear guides and terminated the cable with a common MMCX connector. A quick look at the housings showed they would be more comfortable too. The edgy design has been smoothed out where it mattered most, (against your ear) and the filter system returned mostly unchanged. But, none of those improvements would matter if the sound quality wasn't up to snuff.

Thankfully it is. Let's take a closer look at the GT600s to find out why it is now my 100 USD earphone to beat.

Disclaimer:

The GT600s was provided free of charge for the purposes of review. I am not affiliated with MacaW or Penon Audio. All thoughts and opinions within this review are my own and do not represent those of another party. There is no financial incentive for writing this review, though the MacaW GT600s does not need to be returned.

At the time of this review it was selling for 99.90 USD over at Penon Audio: https://penonaudio.com/Macaw-GT600S

Source:

For at home use the GT600s was powered by a TEAC HA-501 desktop amp. During portable use I found it required a fair bit of power to drive properly. My LG G5 worked, but it paired better with a Shanling M1 / Walnut F1 combo. A HiFiMan MegaMini / Walnut F1 combo was also quite pleasant, giving the GT600s a warmer tilt.

Personal Preferences:

I listen primarily to various EDM sub-genres (liquid drum and bass, breakbeat, drumstep, etc.), hip hop, and classic rock. While I enjoy a variety of signatures in my headphones I generally lean towards slightly warm with elevated treble and sub-bass, an even and natural mid-range response, with reduced mid-bass. The HiFiMan RE800 and thinksound On2 are a couple examples of signatures I enjoy.

Packaging and Accessories:

MacaW did an excellent job with the presentation of the GT600s. The white, black and grey box is smart, clean, and simple in it's design. The front, which displays an image of the earphone reflects that the housings are metal, they feature an MMCX removable cable, there is a built in ear guide, and that there is a tuning filter system. The right side shows off the jack and y-split while the back provides a list of specifications.

- Driver type: dynamic driver + balanced armature

- Sensitivity: 98dB @ 1kHz

- Impedance: 16Ω

- Frequency Response: 10-40KHz

- Rated Power: 4mW

Sliding out the inner drawer reveals a simple sheet of black paper endowed with the MacaW logo. Flipping it back, up top you find the GT600s earpieces secured within a foam inlay which covers the cable that is neatly wrapped and Velcroed. Below is another foam inlay in which rests the bass and treble filters (reference pre-installed) and spare ear tips. The metal plate holding the foam tips is a premium touch carrying over from the GT100s. Beneath this second inlay is a wide, flat cardboard box containing the leather carrying case and manual, along with a single sheet of paper which explains the left/right indicator. In all you get;

- GT600s earpieces
- silver-plated OFC braided cable
- 3 pairs of filters (bass/reference/treble)
- 3 pairs of silicone tips (s/m/l)
- 2 pairs of foam tips (m/l) in a metal holding plate
- leather carrying case
- manual

Overall this is one of the most pleasant and premium unboxing experiences I've seen at this price. The packaging is attractive and intelligently designed so that it provides you with full coverage of the earphone and it's features without the need to put it in words. The accessory kit is comprehensive in that it includes everything needed to get yourself going. About the only extra item I could ask for is the metal plate from the GT100s that the extra filters screwed into when they weren't in use.
Build, Comfort, Isolation:

Unlike most earphones I would consider the GT600s overbuilt, much in the same way RHA handles their products. The brushed metal housings are put together with excellent attention to detail. Fit and finish is immaculate with minimal seams between the two halves or where the “2.5D” glass logo plate is installed. The only area where I could hope for improvements is on the threading for the filters. Some precision is required to line them up so they screw in smoothly. At least the filters themselves are well built, with the metal screens cleanly installed and colored gold, silver, and black clearly indicating which is which.

The cable is also wonderfully built. Below the chunky metal y-split you find a tight and uniform braid that leads down to a well relieved straight jack. The jack is on the thicker side, but nowhere near as pudgy as the ones TFZ selected for their Exclusive series iems. Above the y-split the cable is tightly twisted. As you near the plugs you find some flexible, preformed ear guides that do an excellent job of keeping the cable behind your ear and double as strain relief. The MMCX connectors clipped in tightly out of the box and are still firm despite numerous disconnects. As always with MMCX connectors, I recomend disconnecting them only when necessary to ensure they last.

The GT600s is ergonomically sound and exceptionally comfortable, a statement I personally could not apply to their predecessor. The exterior is edgy and full of detail, yet on the inside against your ear where it rests within the concha it's well rounded and smooth. Up where the connectors plug in the GT600s is squared off, and the only place where I can see someone experiencing discomfort should the edges press against your ear. Also, if you decide to use them with a cable free of memory wire, swapping channels and wearing them cable down works surprisingly well.

Isolation isn't half bad either, even with the GT600s' ample ventilation. It came as quite the surprise when I found this earphone effectively dulling keyboard clicks, voices, and external noise such as cars rushing by. These seem like them would be fine for commuting to work via bus or another noisy method of transportation, especially if you opted to use the included foams.

Overall the GT600s has an interesting design that's made from high quality, durable materials that are put together quite well. They're also comfortable and isolate better than something so clearly ventilated should.

Sound:

Tips: The stock tips are pretty standard fare and come with tons of other earphones. While they're not bad tips, I can rarely get a good seal with them. That's also the case with the GT600s unless I go with the largest size, though they result in the earphones sitting at an awkward position. Spinfit and KZ Starline tips were an excellent alternative, giving the nozzle some extra depth helping with the GT600s' relatively shallow insertion. I found they elevated treble a touch over the stock tips which is a big plus if using the black (bass) filters. FiiO's tips from the F1 and the Stock Foams were a decent pairing for comfort and getting a secure fit, but they seemed to reduce treble energy and detail too much for my preferences. There were a few other tips that paired well, but they're not readily available from a third party. If looking for alternatives, my suggestion is to go with something with a soft silicone and medium to wide bore.

Amping/Source: The GT600s is not easy to drive. Those of you that like to listen loud will probably want to run them amped or out of a more powerful source. Running them through an appropriate source also improves performance; tighter bass and more prominent mids.

The three filters don't significantly alter the GT600s' base sound to the point that it's like owning three different earphones, but their changes are significant enough so as to alter my enjoyment of the earphone quite drastically.

Gold (Treble) – Seems to boost upper mids and low treble and reduce mid-bass presence a touch. I quite liked this filter with live instruments and recordings, and with modern tracks with recessed vocals.

Silver (Balanced) – The balanced filter is my preferred choice as is softens treble response a bit without killing the sparkle and shimmer. Vocals with this filter are slightly less prominent than with the Gold filter, but like the treble they're smoother. This filter to me gives off the most refined and well-rounded presentation

Black (Bass) – Admittedly I didn't spend a ton of time with the bass filter, simply because I did not enjoy the changes. It's bass increase is modest at best, maybe a couple dB, instead sucking out the mid-range to allow the low end to stand out more. In the process detail and clarity take a hit. I really only found it suitable with instrumental EDM tracks where it could be a lot of fun. These aren't going to be used often.

General Impressions: The GT600s is a smooth, refined earphone characterized by a mild u-shaped signature that is altered by the included filter options. Bass and treble are slightly raised above the mid-range, though not to the point of overshadowing it, unless using the black filter. Compared to a number of similarly priced earphones at this price range, the GT600s is well-balanced in it's frequency emphasis.

Treble is well-extended with a clear presence that I found appropriate. It never seemed to overstep is boundries and creep into the 'bright' category. Treble shimmer and sparkle is adequate, avoiding a dull or dry presentation. Even with the treble filters installed the GT600s' treble remains polite and well-controlled without any tendency towards splashiness. It's not the most airy presentation I've come across, but it's enough to help give the GT600s an open and spacious sound.

The GT600s' mid-range is accurate and intelligible with solid detail. Sibilance is not an issue with S's and T's sounding as they should, even with the volume raised to levels I am personally uncomfortable with. This earphone's warm-tilting sound really benefits the mid-range, with both male and female vocals equally represented and natural without coming across nasally or harsh. Guitar work is adequately crunchy though some of the finer details are smoothed out compared to more detail oriented earphones like the Blue Ever Blue 1200EX or TFZ Exclusive King. This mid-range presentation makes the GT600s an excellent earphone to pair with hip hop and rap.

This earphone doesn't shy away from the low end, offering up a tastful quantity of bass. While it's not the most impactful in it's presentation, it is well-textured and offers up decent slam and impact on bassy tracks. I also found it relatively quick, easily keeping up with quick EDM tracks and snappy double bass kicks in metal tracks. With the silver and gold filters there is little bleed into the lower mids. Bass quantity won't please bassheads but it should satisfy those that like it elevated and silky smooth. My only complaint is that on some mid-bassy heavy tracks, such as Aesop Rock's “Dorks”, the GT600 puts out too much mid-bass. Running the gold filter help negate this.

Staging on the GT600s is impressive. It's large and capacious, nipping at the heels of the Havi B3 Pro I and Dunu Titan 1, while sounding larger and more open than the Kinera H3 and Audbos K3. It's capable of bring vocals in close for an intimate presentation, or let them flit off into the distance. Imaging is well-defined with smooth movement channel-to-channel. I didn't notice any dead zones or vagueness off centre.

Overall the GT600s makes for a very solid listen. It's not the best I've heard at this price range, but it's up there. It's smooth signature with near equal presence through the bass, mid-range, and treble regions gives it's an energetic yet fairly easygoing sound that is simply satisfying to experience.
Select Comparisons:

MacaW GT100s: Going back to the GT100s, I have to admit that I enjoyed them more than I remembered in the past. They share a family sound, though the GT100s sound is much thinner and I feel it is at it's best with the black bass filter installed. With the gold and silver filters it suffers from sibilance that the GT600s doesn't show. The black filter dials this down a bit and tames some of the edginess in the upper regions. The GT100s' mid-range is similarly placed, maybe a touch more forward, but this doesn't do much beyond exacerbate the sibilance. It's a much more tiring listen. Their bass performance is similar with the GT100s being more punchy but less detailed and textured. While I enjoy the GT100s with the black filter, compared to the GT600s it lacks refinement and is much more fatiguing to listen to.

Havi B3 Pro I: The B3 and GT600s are very, very different with the GT600s being a much more bold experience. The Havi's presentation is certainly more neutral than the MacaW, with the most emphasis being placed on the mid-range and treble. It's bass isn't in the same league in terms of quantity with the GT600s being much more robust down low. Their mid-ranges are quite similar in tone with the B3 being the thinner, more delicate of the two. The GT600s has more going on in the upper ranges where the B3 lacks sparkle and shimmer. The B3's soundstage is a touch larger and more open, though I feel the GT600 gives a greater sense of depth. Imaging on both is quite similar. Personally, I find them complimentary. The GT600s is a much more entertaining listen whereas the B3 is much more laid back.

Kinera H3: The H3 is bright and bassy with a clear v-shaped signature that puts a smile on my face. Compared to the GT600s it's less balanced sound really sticks out. It's presentation is also considerably thinner. If you find the GT600s too bright, the H3 is going to be way too much. It's treble is much more prominent and full of shimmer and sparkle that the GT600s simply doesn't have, regardless of the filter. I found the MacaW's treble better controlled, though the H3 isn't unwieldy by any means. The GT600s' mid-range is more forward and liquid than the H3's which is somewhat dry, and too recessed in the lower mids. Bass on both digs pretty deep and is full of kick, though the H3 has a bit more thump to it. The GT600s sounds more spacious, but the H3's thinner presentation leads to slightly improved separation. Imaging qualities of the GT600s are a small step ahead with cleaner transitions.

Fischer Audio Dubliz Enhanced: When I tossed in the Dubliz for a quick A/B with the GT600s, I was shocked at how similar they were. No wonder I liked MacaW's new hybrid so much. Treble quantity on the Dubliz falls somewhere between the silver and gold filters. It's mid-range is in line with the gold filters, while it's bass levels are near identical to the silver filter with a bit more rumble at the deepest ranges. The MacaW is a bit more detailed in the treble but falls behind in the mid-range. The Dubliz has a more impactful low end without giving up anything in terms of agility and speed. Soundstage and imaging are nigh identical.

Dunu Titan 1: The Titan 1 was all the rage in 2015, and it's still damn good as we rapidly head towards 2018. It's tuning is quite similar to the GT600s with the gold filters in place, though I find it's aural presentation harder and more aggressive. The GT600s comes across softer around the edges. The Titan 1's soundstage is larger with more space between instruments, but it's imaging is less layered and acurate and it lacks the same sense of depth. The Titan 1 is more comfortable with it's smaller, lighter housings and simpler design, though I find they have a habit of popping out of place, not an issue with the GT600s' over-ear design.

Final Thoughts:

100 USD hybrids seem to be a dime a dozen right now with quite a few making strong impressions. What makes the GT600s so appealing is just how well-rounded and consistently good it is at nearly everything. It's sound quality rivals the best I've heard in this price bracket. Few earphones I've got on hand can touch it in terms of overall build quality, though there are some that come close. TFZ's Exclusive lineup and the TinAudio T2 come to mind. In terms of design they are visually interesting, though some like the Kinera H3 offer greater appeal to my eyes. In terms of features it's got a basic tuning system and removeable MMCX cables for those that like to tweak and personalize. It's packaging is also intelligently designed and made from quality materials with a comprehensive accessory kit to back it all up.

Overall it's a very complete package that competes with and bests most of the competition in nearly every metric I deem important. As a consumer, I would want to get the most for my hard earned dollar and the GT600s delivers. If you're looking for a new earphone in the 100 USD price range, it should be up for consideration.

Thanks for reading!

- B9Scrambler

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Some Test Tunes:

Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid (Album)
Hail Mary Mallon – Are You Going to Eat That? (Album)
King Crimson – Lark’s Tongues in Aspic (Album)
King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black (Track)
Supertramp – Crime of the Century (Album)
Infected Mushroom – Legend of the Black Shawarma (Album)
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach (Album)
Massive Attack – Mezzanine (Album)
Fleetwood Mac – Rumors (Album)
Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels (Album)
The Prodigy – The Day is My Enemy (Album)
Tobacco – screw*d Up Friends (Album)
Felt – Felt 2 (A Tribute to Lisa Bonet) (Album)
Michael Jackson – Thriller (Album)
The Crystal Method – Grace (feat. LeAnn Rimes) (Track)
Jidenna – Long Live the Chief (Track)
Skrillex – Ragga Bomb (Track)
Big Grams – Run for Your Life (Track)
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (Track)