Spider "realvoice" Vertical in the Ear Headphone

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First off the disclaimer, the Realvoice IEM’S were given to me a month or two back for reviewing. I would like to thank Spider Cable for the review sample and my apologies for taking so long in writing this review.

Since I have had these I have used them about 75% of the time when I am using earphones, which probably averages about two hours per day. So I have put quite a few hours into them and they are as burned in as one would expect. I own quite a few earphones as well as many full size headphones. I have used this on both my 3^rd generation IPhone and on my cowon  J3. This reviewer’s ears are on the midlife side of age, so take general observations with a grain of salt. Hearing, especially at the high end of the spectrum, does degrade over time.  

 What I like:

Sound signature: Fun sound with bass that is non-intrusive but still gives a kick, excellent mids, and smooth highs, sound is non-fatiguing. Mids are warm and clear, voice presentation is especially good. Tremble is there but not overly sparkly, perhaps a bit recessed; this is not an earphone for those who like overly sparkly trembles. The non-fatiguing signature does not over emphasize detail in the music, these really are a fun earphone and not analytical. On the J3, when bass boost is used, the bass sound becomes really punchy and quite good without being muddy. They respond very well to EQ on the J3, really shining across the spectrum.  Still, without EQ, the earphones really shine with vocal presentation, a point also made by other reviewers. However, I should stress that the sound signature without EQ is equal or slightly better than the best in the same price range, including the RE0 as well as many earphones going up to the $175 price range.          

Fit and comfort:

So why have I used these so much in the last couple of months when there are obviously more expensive and better sounding earphones in my collection?  The Realvoice earphones fit well, are comfortable, and are relatively easy to just dig out of your bag and use. The lines do not tangle as easily as many of my earphones. The earphones do not go over ear so it’s a basic insert into your ear and you are set to roll. The fit is almost always the correct fit, I use double flange tips, and they do a great job with both the sound and the seal. These fit and are more comfortable than many of the earphones I own that are twice as expensive.

Build:

The Realvoice earphones are built well with solid medal earpieces that look to withstand being thrown loosely into a bag on a regular basis, as mine have been. The packaging has been described before, see for example: http://www.inearmatters.net/2011/08/review-spider-realvoice.html , so I will not go into that description.

Review request:

Spider Cable requested, when giving out samples of the Realvoice IEM’S, that the reviewer have an iPhone and one of several earphones within the $50-$100, including a pair of Head-Direct RE-0, to compare them to. I found these earphones to work really well with the iPhone. I’m actually not a big fan of the sound of the iPhone, the sound just didn’t compare to the sound of my Zune or the J3. These earphones actually made the iPhone sound better than with some of the other sub-hundred earphones I’ve used with it. The volume/mute control on the earphone line is quite handy as well. If you use an iPhone to listen to your music, than I would recommend this earphone. The sound reproduction is good, and the controls are useful. That said, the music still sounds much better on the J3 playing through these earphones.

As for the comparison with the Head Direct RE0, I would rate them very close in sound signature. After a week of going back and forth with the two, I finally just left the RE0 at home. It was easier to use the Realvoice earphones, they fit better, did not tangle as much, and the soundstage was as good or better to my ears.

My recommendation:

The Realvoice IEM’S are recommended at their current price, they do a great job within the cost/performance ratio. They are built very well, are very comfortable and easy to just pick up and use with a great sound that is mid-centric with a slight bass boost. They are easy to EQ for those music players that have that capability; they work well with the iPhone, and sell at a very reasonable price for the IEM one gets.     

What else do I own or have owned:

Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4, Shure 530, Westone 3, HiFiMAN RE262,  Shure SE535, Westone 4, Phonak Audeo PFE-112, Shure SE215, Phiaton PS 200, EarSonics SM3, Victor/JVC HA-FX700, Brainwavz M3, Fischer Audio DBA-02, Monster Golds, Monster Copper, Monster Miles Davis - 176.46, MEElectronics A151-BK , Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10,  and the ATH-CK10.

For the purpose of this review, I also borrowed my daughter’s pair of Head-Direct RE-0, this year’s model. 

There is a lot here to prejudice me against them but with only 6 hrs breakin, I already just plain enjoy them. To me, this is as much bass as I could use without mucking things up so they're fun without being overbearing at the bottom. The mids are extremely natural sounding and less IEM in nature. I wouldn't call the transition to the highs ruler flat as you may suspect from something described as natural since the lower treble/very upper mids is a bit back but far from missing and it gives these a very relaxed and real character without lacking presence or detail compared to others in the price range. It's subtle and the top bumps back up to where it belongs before tapering off gradually. A cymbal may not always sound quite metal enough but by the same token, a brush on a skin wont sound too metalic or etched either. Picking nits is easy on any IEM and here we're talking about something at a moderate price where some of these nits can be looked on as attributes as much as liabilities depending on perspective. They're forgiving of source and player without making you sacrifice music for it. They're less gritty, hashy or bumpy in response than other dynamics I've heard in this range.

Their size and fit isn't my thing as I like small nor is the somewhat bass heavy sig but they fit well, are comfy and the bass isn't over baring or messing with the mids. The controls work well as does the mic. I thought I'd move these on to another Headfi-er but I'm keeping them, for a while anyway, maybe longer. No, they're not replacing my $400 unit but they are dropping a couple others out of the mix. To me this is a fun phone with really nice mids that can be listened to all day without fatigue. It's informative without being analytical, no, not like a top tier but you won't really miss it.

The case is nice as is the build and tips. No real negatives here. In fact, there's another thing I so genuinely appreciate with IEMs. They sound best to me with the tips that came fitted to them. The whole tip aquiring and comparing scenario that we've all gone through gets tiring. Of course I tried and the hybrids take a bit to much presence and wider opening tips take away their eveness. These are well concieved and voiced as is. I can see why Spider is proud of them. Like everything, not for everybody and not what I would probably choose for my only IEM if I could only have one but then again, I'm not sure that could be anything under $100.  In the under $100 range, I've own(ed) TD100s, Maximo, M1s, ADDIEMs, M6s, PL50s, Fischers and I prefer these already. Yes, some of these may do something or other better but I just enjoy the Realvoice more. 

This doesn't seem to be just another sourced product with a label. There's been some obvious good choices on parts and voicing going on. I suspect they're still going to improve but I can already tell they're just a nice comfy product that's has enough bass for the general market ( a bit extra) and good information without shining a spotlight on poor sources or kit. They should be a commercial success.