[glassmonkey]

AME Custom is a new South Korean company specializing in electrostatic (e-stat) hybrids. They've got two electrostatic hybrids, including the first-in-the-world quad electrostatic, balanced armature, dynamic driver hybrid (as far as I know, released in August 2019, officially). Their other e-stat hybrid is the Argent (BA/e-stat hybrid) Both of their e-stat hybrids are only $1200, which puts other manufacturers on notice about escalating prices. South Korea is not a cheap labor country, which tells you how much others are marking up their goods. The other member of their line-up is not yet up on their website, so you are hearing about it here first. That third member, the Gravitas is the only member of the line-up without e-stat drivers. Full details of the line-up are below. Gravitas details are baseline and will be finalized later.

Argent - Hybrid Electrostatic IEM
https://amecustom.com/products/argent
The Argent, hybrid electrostatic IEM, integrates four balanced armature drivers and two high frequency electrostatic tweeters for an immersive, well-rounded sound featuring warm lows and sparkling vocals.

• Dual Low Frequency Balanced Armature Drivers
• Single Mid Frequency Balanced Armature Driver
• Single High Frequency Balanced Armature Driver
• Dual High and Super High Frequency Electrostatic Tweeters
• Four Way Crossover Network
• 6N OCC Pure Copper Silver Plated Cables

Frequency Range: 10Hz - 80kHz (Theoretical)
Sensitivity: 100db SPL (@1kHz)
Impedance: 19Ω @ 1kHz (DCR 62Ω - 43Ω)

Radioso - Tribrid Electrostatic IEM
https://amecustom.com/products/radioso
The Radioso, triple-hybrid electrostatic IEM, integrates a low frequency dynamic driver with a mid frequency balanced armature driver and four high frequency electrostatic tweeters. It is tuned to deliver rich low-end response while fully highlighting the unique characteristics of the electrostatic tweeters.

• Single Low Frequency Dynamic Driver
• Single Mid Frequency Balanced Armature Driver
• Quad High and Super High Frequency Electrostatic Tweeters
• Three Way Crossover Network
• 6N OCC Pure Copper Silver Plated Cables

Frequency Range: 10Hz - 80kHz (Theoretical)

Sensitivity: 95db SPL (@1kHz)
Impedance: 21Ω @ 1kHz (DCR 100Ω)

Gravitas - 4-driver hybrid IEM
[link and further description to come]

• Single Low Frequency Dynamic Driver
• Single Mid Frequency Balanced Armature Driver
• Dual High Frequency Balanced Armature Drivers
• Three Way Crossover Network
• 6N OCC Pure Copper Silver Plated Cables

Frequency Range: 10Hz - 20kHz (Theoretical)
Sensitivity: 98db SPL (@1kHz)
Impedance: 3Ω @ 1kHz (DCR 18Ω)

I'll be following up with AME Custom to get nominal impedance ratings, too.

Post your impressions here.

 

[davidmolliere]

So I had some quality time with the Âme lineup.... I had to do some tip rolling due to the shallow fit of the demos but once I found the right ones (the Flare Earfoams) it has been a great listening experience and these 3 models are a treat

The Gravitas is a very smooth and refined sounding IEM at its price point and a very finely tuned hybrid, I really love the overall coherence and it's very engaging. I need more time with it but it does everything well, solid foundations.

The Argent is a soulful, rich sounding IEM with beautiful timbre, exquisite treble refinement and a superb soundstage. Once I had the right tips it sounded much fuller overall and the bass is very very good for a BA. The mids are probably my favorite of all 3 IEMs. The eStats is definitely done right, with a lot of refinement up top and a step up in resolution over the Gravitas.



Last but not least, the Radioso takes things even further, honoring its flagship status featuring powerful well textured bass, betting on a bigger dynamic than the Gravitas, full bodied mids but less forward than the other two, and exquisite treble that take refinement to yet another degree and I'd rate them among the best upper treble I have ever heard. Overall a very engaging listen and superb resolution! Color me impressed...

I sure look forward to the time I'll spend with all 3

 

[davidmolliere]

And here is my Radioso Review



Argent and Gravitas will follow soon...

 

[davidmolliere]

And here is my review of the Argent

And since I have been a busy bee, also my Gravitas review is up

I have had a lot of fun with the Âme lineup, this is a very consistent lineup with strong foundations and while there is a house sound that is characterized by their target Olive Welti FR, each of them has a different enough signature that they don't really overlap.

Note : Updated the Radioso review link to the headfi review.

 

[negura]

I've been listening to these part of the AME tour. Very positive first impression for the Argent Hybrid. I really like the bass response quality of the DUAL BA drivers, tight, resolving, but impactful. I've heard tighter and more resolving BA bass, so my first thoughts are this must have been tuned a little towards dynamic driver bass response, or specific to the type of driver used. The electrostat treble is really nice, detailed but not treble forward sounding. I am wondering what one of these electrostat drivers could do in the midrange also. That said, the midrange is well present and with very nice body. I would have not guessed this is all done by a single midrange BA driver, so I wonder how steep that treble cross-over is.

So far I prefer the Argent over the Radioso, the latter having DD driver for the bass and more electrostat treble drivers. This model does not sound as cohesive to me as the Argent, it seems a bit more U shaped and I do like my midrange presence. The latter is harder to drive also.

All my listening so far has been on my phone + Ztella ESS Sabre 9281CPRO (MQA version) DAC, so that has to be factored in also.

More impressions to follow in due time.

 

[project86]

LINK to my review of the Radioso - in custom form, which may impact things based on my experience with other CIEMs and their universal counterparts. I'm totally in love with these things! Despite owning 20+ CIEMs, these are among my absolute favorites regardless of price.

 

[davidmolliere]

Beautiful in transparent shells... I look forward to your impressions, yes customs are always the real thing and total package!

 

[project86]

Beautiful in transparent shells... I look forward to your impressions, yes customs are always the real thing and total package!

My impressions are in the link in my post. Definitely love the Radioso and that's coming off a string of disappointments or ho-hum experiences with new CIEMs. I was wondering when I might find something I enjoyed enough to write about, and finally AME made that possible.

 

[arijitroy2]

Really interested in the Radioso. How does this compare to the Itsfit Fusion?

 

[hlee227]

And how does these sound compared to EJ07/ST7 as they seem very similar spec wise

 

[spw1880]

My impressions are in the link in my post. Definitely love the Radioso and that's coming off a string of disappointments or ho-hum experiences with new CIEMs. I was wondering when I might find something I enjoyed enough to write about, and finally AME made that possible.

Hi..could you give a comparision between radioso and some of the more popular hyped ciems like 64 audio a12t a18t or even visionears VE8..if you have them..

 

[project86]

Sorry I only have the A18t, which I found vastly superior to the universal U12t I heard a while back. The 12 seemed way too bass heavy, while the A18t is still a bit bassy but generally balanced and even-handed.

Radioso actually has a somewhat similar presentation in a lot of ways. Both have superb bass definition and texture. Both have very clearly defined soundstage with precise imaging. Both are versatile for all sorts of music.

Radioso has more extended, airy highs that feel pretty different though, which I suppose makes sense considering the different driver technology involved. Not necessarily sharper or more bright, just... different. I never think I'm lacking any extension when I use the A18t but then when I switch, I realize there's actually a bit more information there. Almost more of a feeling than a sound, like with cymbal decay for example.

Beyond that, the A18t has a bit more forward midrange. Just a touch. This can go either way for me, depending on my mood. Again, the Radioso is not recessed so it's not a huge difference overall.

I haven't heard the VE8 so I can't comment on that, sorry.

 

[skedra]

Just some quick impressions of the 3 models (reviews will follow in the coming weeks )

Gravitas:
Fun signature with emphasized bass and treble. Bass has a great extension, impact and texture but can feel a little thick, it doesn't, however, bleed into the midrange which is nice considering it being quite elevated. The midrange is correct, doesn't feel recessed as much as one could think, the presentation is smooth and fairly detailed. While it doesn't do anything wrong it doesn't shine in this aspect either. The treble is energetic and on some recordings, it can bite a little too much, but because of the elevation, it avoids the Gravitas being too dark.

Argent:
Probably the one that so far has picked my attention the most. Great timbre and surprisingly good bass for BA, still not as natural as a dynamic but close enough to not bother me at all. Very good timbre, texture in the midrange and treble extension. This combined with quite a big stage, both width and depth-wise makes for a really satisfying listen.

Radioso:
Very good bass extension, texture and impact, slightly lacking in terms of sheer detail though. The midrange has a decent amount of detail and good coherence but feels slightly lacking in terms of body, instrument separation is good too. Treble to me sounded overly smoothed out, while this may appeal to a lot of people I usually like a little bit of a treble bite so those felt a little lacking in that aspect. The detail was still there but the presentation of it wasn't that much to my preference.

 

[skedra]

My Radioso review is up!

 

[skedra]

My Argent review is up!