Overview
The Rose Technics QT-X is a hybrid IEM, consisting of 1 x 10mm Tesla Coil DD and 6 BAs - 2 low/2 mid/2 high configuration. Tuning is vocals and mids focused, with a large sub bass boost and some treble extension that pushes the set into bright territory.
1DD + 6BA Hybrid Design In-Ear Monitors
- Impedance: 18ohm
- Sensitivity: 108dB
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Connection: 2-pin/0.78
- Termination: 3.5mm or 4.4mm
About me -
I am a mid 30’s dad, and work full time in IT. Music has been important to me from a young age, consuming as many different types of albums and genres as I could. That is still true today, though my everyday playlists lean most in pop, bass heavy electronic music, metal, and classic rock. I have a treble sensitivity due to years of negligent concert hearing protection (both on and off stage), so my preferred sound signature is warm and bassy. This is just a hobby for me, I’m not a graph nerd and I will always state how and where I got my gear.
I received the “Value Edition” for this review, I would like to thank Andrew and the team at Bloom Audio for giving me an opportunity to review this IEM. I was provided a small discount for my honest impressions, I get no monetary compensation or affiliation links.
Gear used for this review -
- RZ-300m dongle (included)
- DC-Elite
- Qudelix 5k
- Hiby R4
- Apple USB-C dongle
- Stock cable (tested various others)
- Divinus Velvet / Eletech Baroque tips
Packaging + Accessories -
Value edition box
- QT-X IEMs (Obsidian Black)
- Grey Rose Cable
- RZ-300m Adapter
- Foam eartips x 3 pairs
- Silicone eartips x 4 pairs
- Carrying case
- Vent cover x8
The QT-X packaging is tasteful and well-accessorized. From the logo in holographic gold on the slip cover, to the quotes and images attached on the inside, you can sense from the get-go you are in for a high quality experience just opening the box. The included accessories are generous. The foam eartips were far too small to be of use to me, but I found the silicone ones to be quite nice. They don’t work for me with this IEM (more on that later), but they are like a generic Eletech Baroque in both size and shape and come with an XL! Very nice.
The included carrying case is too small on the inside to be of any serious use, but would be suitable for just the IEM and your choice of dongle. I have yet to have a need for the vent covers, but I do also want to give a special shout out to the included cable. The Grey Rose cable is 4 strands of fabric, but it is not microphonic in use. During my review, I also did not find it to hinder the sound at all like some cables in this IEM price range can. It does not feel like an afterthought, even though its appearance is quite simple. Like the eartips, the Grey Rose also will stick around in my collection for future use. If you have used the QuietSea before, it is the same cable, which I thought was already a ridiculous value for a $50 IEM.
RZ-300m Amp/DAC dongle -
I want to keep this somewhat brief since it can be purchased separate, but special mention must be made to this included dongle. It packs quite a punch! Even though it’s only 3.5mm, I found this $30-ish dollar USB-C dongle to be quite capable in driving all but my Szalayi properly in my IEM collection. On the QT-X, the volume never went above 50%. It leans warm in the sound signature, which is a good pairing with the brighter edge in tonality. The build is mostly plastic, but the cable is a nice weaving. The button only pauses/starts the music as far as I can tell. The RZ-300m can be purchased on the Rose Technics site, or Aliexpress.
- CS4398 DAC
- Dimensions: 146mmx21mmx10mm
- Weight: Approximately 13g
- Output Power: 75mW@162
- THD+N: -99dB(@32Ω)
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-50kHz (-0.5dB)
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 110dB(@32Ω)
- Channel Separation: 76dB@32Ω
Aesthetics, Build Quality & Fit -
The QT-X comes in a variety of colorful flavors, my review copy is the Obsidian Black color. With gunmetal on the faceplate, the body consists of a high grade opaque black resin. At first I mistook the build quality for metal; it feels far more substantial than most other resin IEMs I have tried. It isn’t filled with resin, but it’s very thick and feels durable.
The IEMs themselves are quite small, for some reason the pictures online make it look like a larger IEM than it is. The nozzle is a bit long, and unfortunately I have some fitment issues with long nozzles and the QT-X was no exception. I was able to mitigate this with tip rolling, and settled on the Velvets and Baroque depending on mood.
On the top next to the 2-pin port is a large vent. I noticed no pressure build up, and they isolate outside noise well once you get a good seal. Overall, the aesthetics and build quality are top notch and only the fit gave me issues, though I will admit that is more my issue than the QT-X. The quality matches the price!
Test Tracks -
- The Japanese House - Sunshine Baby (vocals/mids + sibilance)
- Fleetwood Mac - The Chain (techs + vocals)
- EPROM - Pineapple (Bass + treble)
- Empress Of - For Your Consideration (bass + techs)
- Joe Hisaishi - Merry-Go-Round of Life (treble)
Bass -
The bass on the QT-X is simultaneously my favorite part, and the one place that leaves me wanting. Sub vs mid bass. The sub bass is tastefully done, in both quantity and quality. 808 hits are smooth and satisfying, the atmosphere brought by the sub bass always impresses me on drone or ambient tracks.
Mid bass, on the other hand, is largely lifeless. Basslines and kick drums simply exist within the mix if there are other things going on. I am left wishing there was more weight in the mid/higher bass. However, I do not want to be too negative about the bass, because I believe the good outweighs the bad here. My library has a lot of sub bass focused tracks, and the sub bass here is GOOD. It’s well-controlled, accurate and plentiful.
Some examples; on For Your Consideration, at :24 seconds there begins a series of kick drums before an overwhelming amount of sub bass presence shortly after. On Pineapple, there are a variety of mid bass hits throughout but only the sub stands out in the mix and it pulses and booms along.
Mids & Vocals -
Lush and full, the only way it could be made better was with some more supportive mid bass. Otherwise, hands down this is where the majority of tuning went. Vocals sound rich, female vocals especially but male vocals aren’t far behind. In Sunshine Baby at 1:56, male vocals enter behind a female track before they trade off for a moment and you can get a sense of how they are tuned in the mix.
The dueling guitars at the beginning of The Chain display how weighty the mids can get, building into the vocals where Stevie Nicks cannot help but appear just a bit more than she should. Here you can also sense where the mid bass falls short, as the kick drum keeps the song moving along, but unfortunately not as present as it should be.
Treble -
The high range of the QT-X is well done, it has nice extension while being on the winning side of “too bright”. Sibilance is minimal and only an issue with an improper tip seal, or is part of the recording. Sunshine Baby is a sibilance monster, and the QT-X handles it with ease, only revealing the most egregious, unavoidable sibilance.
My only issue with the treble is similar to that of my opinions on the bass - it lacks some weight. For my tastes, this really isn’t an issue but there isn’t a lot of oomph to the sharper punches. On Merry-Go-Round of life at 1:50 when the strings kick in, it sounds nice and shiny but it's lacking note weight and air to really give it an extra shine. In Pineapple, there are some discordant treble hits on the hi hat, and it would be more pleasant with that air.
Technicalities -
Soundstage is quite good, though I was never wowed by it. On tracks like For Your Consideration, harmonizing vocals come in around you and they reach far enough that I have no complaints. On The Chain, you can hear the fingers guitar plucking quite clearly, as well as the muttering so the details are clear, but the full band coming in reveals the soundstage to be a little on the shallow end. All parts of the mix can be distinguished clearly, if properly focused on. Solid techs all around to my ears.
Power + sources -
I had zero issues driving the QT-X on any source I have. It usually lies at the lowest volume/gain setting in my collection, so I guess one downside is that I forget to turn it down before using it but that is on me!
It is not particularly source picky either. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the included 30 dollar amp/dac is more than sufficient to power it, and honestly it sounds great out of the box. It scales nicely as you throw more at it, but I don’t feel it is as necessary as some other sets to use top of the line gear to get the most out of it. Do not feel like you are missing out going unbalanced here folks.
Branding + Pricing + Value vs Deluxe -
Now, this section is a little… different than my typical reviews, but I feel that it must be mentioned. Shortly after I got the QT-X in for review, I noticed the Rose Technic branding online had begun to change to ROSESELSA. I am not crazy about this name, it’s far less coherent but for now it seems their IEMs are keeping the Rose Technics branding. Additionally, pricing for this IEM seems like a mess and all over the place, depending on which online storefront you are looking at.
The
Value edition is
$339
Contains the RZ-300m, a 3.5mm only DAC
Grey Rose cable
The
Deluxe edition is
$439
Contains the RZ-550, a 3.5mm + 4.4mm DAC
Blue Rose cable
I cannot imagine the Deluxe version is worth it for an extra $100. If it were up to me, make Deluxe the only model at the Value edition $339 price and it’s an amazing deal in today’s market.
Closing Thoughts -
I think the term “all-rounder” gets thrown out a bit too much and too often, I certainly know I am guilty of it. It’s an easy, catch-all term to assign something that is a little good at everything. I just cannot find a better term to use to describe the QT-X though, in every sense of the word it’s such a great all-rounder, all purpose IEM.
- Good bass? Check.
- Full mids and lovely vocals? Check.
- Nice treble extension? Check.
- Amp/DAC out of the box? Check.
If you are looking for an all-rounder, bright leaning natural sounding set with solid bass, keep your eyes peeled on the QT-X. Rose Technics/ROSESESLA could be a major player in the game with tuning like this (and some simplification in their branding…), and I hope to see where they go.
Rose Technics QT-X is available on Bloom Audio for $339:
https://bloomaudio.com/products/rose-technics-qt-x