Introduction – In this review I’ll be looking at the SteelSeries Flux, an IEM from a gaming accessory manufacture and a rarity in the Head-Fi community. Since SteelSeries have never received any notable attention for their audio products they haven’t had more than a few of their headphones reviewed online. This scarcity of reviews is due to a number of things. First is the nature of gaming headphones, which are typically suited for movies and gaming (clearly) and are therefore bass heavy, excessively colored and utilize a sound signature that doesn’t generally appeal to audio enthusiasts and, thus, are rarely reviewed here. This, as logic would follow, means companies like SteelSeries tend not to market to “audiophiles” with their audio products and instead market directly to their primary audience: gamers. The result of their efforts means a very small (if any) following has been made with hi-fi enthusiasts. Add to that their relatively short experience with IEMs and you can easily predict that their base model (i.e. the Flux) will be a disappointment. However, when I recently discovered that the Flux performed well beyond its price point I couldn’t help but try it for myself and see if they were any good. And as you’ll discover later, they are.
Disclaimer - These are not demo units and have not been borrowed. They were purchased with my own money out of my own interest and curiosity for the purpose of this review.
Specs:
- 6mm Dynamic drivers
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20,000Hz
- Impedance: 19 Ohms
Packaging & Accessories: SteesSeries has kept their accessories light with the Flux and only included 3 pairs of black single flange ear-tips (s, m, l) and a soft black carrying pouch - minimalistic but adequate.
Build & Design: SteelSeries have made use of shiny black plastic for the main portion of the housings and soft, bouncy rubber for the cable that begins at the straight 3.5mm jack and continues onto the rest of the housings. A single button in-line mic is placed on the left cable about 9 inches above the Y-splitter which is near the mouth and easily accessible. Build quality is relatively good for a $50 headphone but could do with a less finicky cable. That said, the cable doesn’t get tangled easily and inspires confidence when used aggressively. The style of wear is cable-down but can easily be worn over-ear if the user so desires.
Isolation: Due to their small and narrow profile the Flux fit deep into the ear and isolate very well. Overall, isolation is good for both noisy indoor and outdoor environments.
Microphonics: It is imperative that I separate this category because the Flux suffers from loud cable noise. It isn’t a mild noise that can be ignored; it’s a noise that distracts when listening at any volume. Wind noise, rubbing/surface noise, and/or bouncing noise can become very bothersome when walking or moving but can be remedied when worn over-ear. However, the lack of a cable cinch keeps the cable from falling out of place. The only quiet (and recommended) way to use the Flux is when sitting or lying down.
Fit & Comfort: One word to describe the ergonomics: excellent. My ears have had trouble with every IEM I’ve ever used except the Flux. Their slender, short profile and small nozzle keeps them from causing any discomfort or strain (even with my awkward ears). The deep fit also means the housings stay in place and only occasionally need adjustment.
Bass: The signature of the Flux is slightly V-shaped with enhanced lows that add a decent level of warmth to the sound. Unlike most headphones which tend to have stronger mid-bass humps, the sub-bass is boosted slightly above the rest of the lower frequencies adding extension, depth, and a good rumble to the low-end rare with most IEMs today. Bass is strong overall with excellent weight, impact, and top-to-bottom fullness many high quality headphones seem to lack. The full-bodied and extended lows of the Flux make for a fun listen that never bloats or intrudes on the midrange. And although the lows pack a punch they are not what you’d call bass-heavy as they maintain control, speed, and power without ever becoming distracting. This particular balance of quality and quantity should appeal to music lovers, movie watchers, and gamers alike.
Mids: With boosted lows and moderately forward treble the midrange does not share equal presence as the frequencies above or below it making them mildly recessed. That said, the mids are clear and have fairly neutral note thickness, clarity, and openness. The lower midrange has a warm tonal quality that follows from the bass region while the upper midrange is more natural and detailed. This allows for impressive vocal intelligibility for female singers (which are more realistic) while male vocals are ever so slightly chesty. Overall, the midrange is smooth without lacking in presence or definition and balances well with the rest of the frequency spectrum.
Treble: At the very top, highs are clean, well extended, and exhibit a pleasant forwardness that completes the V-shaped signature of the Flux. Treble is relatively free of harshness and show no signs of sibilance while allowing for airy vocals, good dynamics, and clarity throughout. Following the detailed upper-midrange, lower-treble is equally clear and detailed making for a smooth transition from mids to highs. Percussive instruments are also reproduced with surprisingly natural timbre and decay. All this is made possible without sounding the least bit unforgiving with bad recordings or low-quality files, which is nice to find in a headphone with added treble presence.
Presentation: While the Flux isn’t the most spacious of earphones it is capable of separating instruments within a given space keeping the sound open and nicely layered. Soundstage is much like an isosceles triangle, being that depth is its biggest strength while width is marginally behind. With exceptional depth, very good width, and decent height the presentation balances well with the energetic signature of the Flux – not too expansive or out-of-the head to sound distant and not forward enough to be fatiguing. Imaging is another area that impresses due to easy instrument localization and a clearly defined soundstage.
Ear-tip & Insertion Sensitivity: Since a large portion of ear tips can be used with the Flux (other than just the stock tips) it is easy to find a pair that works. I found most tips to work well except ones with very short or narrow nozzles as they tend to reduce clarity and generally compresses soundstage. Insertion is also important to adjust otherwise a noticeable channel imbalance will be heard.
Power, Amplification, & Source performance: While SteelSeries have not released the rated sensitivity of the Flux it’s easy to conclude that they don’t need a lot of volume to perform. And since they exhibit so little hiss with noisy sources I’m led to believe they are average in sensitivity and simply easy to drive due to their 19 Ohm impedance. Whatever the case, the Flux performs well with all sources and only shows minimal improvements with additional amplification.
Value: It is not expected of most manufactures to make a headphone that appeals to both a mass market and to hi-fi enthusiasts, especially a gaming company. But SteelSeries has managed to produce an incredible little IEM that utilizes a very flexible, high quality sound for music, movies, and games making it a true “multimedia” headphone. With its fun and recognizable V-shaped sound signature the Flux’s deliver a blend of engaging characteristics with exceptional performance that rival sets twice its price. Those who use Android or i Devices will also have the additional benefit of a remote for added convenience. And while I can point to two caveats (the noisy cable and minimal accessory count) I highly recommend the Flux for its ease of use, comfort, isolation, design, and accessible sound. All in all, SteelSeries have surprised me with the Flux by not making it a generic “gaming headphone” or an otherwise bad value proposition. Instead, they’ve gotten off to a great start in the hi-fi market with their admirable baby headphone.
I hope this review will be useful to some and for those who read through it please leave any suggestions or advice you may have in the comments below. Everyone’s input will help me to improve my reviews in the future and make it easier to adapt my reviews for as wide an audience as possible. Thanks for reading and happy listening!
Disclaimer - These are not demo units and have not been borrowed. They were purchased with my own money out of my own interest and curiosity for the purpose of this review.
Specs:
- 6mm Dynamic drivers
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20,000Hz
- Impedance: 19 Ohms
Packaging & Accessories: SteesSeries has kept their accessories light with the Flux and only included 3 pairs of black single flange ear-tips (s, m, l) and a soft black carrying pouch - minimalistic but adequate.
Build & Design: SteelSeries have made use of shiny black plastic for the main portion of the housings and soft, bouncy rubber for the cable that begins at the straight 3.5mm jack and continues onto the rest of the housings. A single button in-line mic is placed on the left cable about 9 inches above the Y-splitter which is near the mouth and easily accessible. Build quality is relatively good for a $50 headphone but could do with a less finicky cable. That said, the cable doesn’t get tangled easily and inspires confidence when used aggressively. The style of wear is cable-down but can easily be worn over-ear if the user so desires.
Isolation: Due to their small and narrow profile the Flux fit deep into the ear and isolate very well. Overall, isolation is good for both noisy indoor and outdoor environments.
Microphonics: It is imperative that I separate this category because the Flux suffers from loud cable noise. It isn’t a mild noise that can be ignored; it’s a noise that distracts when listening at any volume. Wind noise, rubbing/surface noise, and/or bouncing noise can become very bothersome when walking or moving but can be remedied when worn over-ear. However, the lack of a cable cinch keeps the cable from falling out of place. The only quiet (and recommended) way to use the Flux is when sitting or lying down.
Fit & Comfort: One word to describe the ergonomics: excellent. My ears have had trouble with every IEM I’ve ever used except the Flux. Their slender, short profile and small nozzle keeps them from causing any discomfort or strain (even with my awkward ears). The deep fit also means the housings stay in place and only occasionally need adjustment.
----------Sound----------
Equipment & Background – For the sound portion of this review I will be using an Audinst HUD-MX1 amp/DAC combo as my primary “reference” source, a Topping NX-1 portable amplifier, and a Sansa Fuze as a portable source. All my listening is done indoors with an over-ear headphone for added isolation resulting in almost silent listening with no audible distractions. My library consists of high bit-rate MP3s and FLAC files. The Flux also received 100hrs of burn-in before review.Bass: The signature of the Flux is slightly V-shaped with enhanced lows that add a decent level of warmth to the sound. Unlike most headphones which tend to have stronger mid-bass humps, the sub-bass is boosted slightly above the rest of the lower frequencies adding extension, depth, and a good rumble to the low-end rare with most IEMs today. Bass is strong overall with excellent weight, impact, and top-to-bottom fullness many high quality headphones seem to lack. The full-bodied and extended lows of the Flux make for a fun listen that never bloats or intrudes on the midrange. And although the lows pack a punch they are not what you’d call bass-heavy as they maintain control, speed, and power without ever becoming distracting. This particular balance of quality and quantity should appeal to music lovers, movie watchers, and gamers alike.
Mids: With boosted lows and moderately forward treble the midrange does not share equal presence as the frequencies above or below it making them mildly recessed. That said, the mids are clear and have fairly neutral note thickness, clarity, and openness. The lower midrange has a warm tonal quality that follows from the bass region while the upper midrange is more natural and detailed. This allows for impressive vocal intelligibility for female singers (which are more realistic) while male vocals are ever so slightly chesty. Overall, the midrange is smooth without lacking in presence or definition and balances well with the rest of the frequency spectrum.
Treble: At the very top, highs are clean, well extended, and exhibit a pleasant forwardness that completes the V-shaped signature of the Flux. Treble is relatively free of harshness and show no signs of sibilance while allowing for airy vocals, good dynamics, and clarity throughout. Following the detailed upper-midrange, lower-treble is equally clear and detailed making for a smooth transition from mids to highs. Percussive instruments are also reproduced with surprisingly natural timbre and decay. All this is made possible without sounding the least bit unforgiving with bad recordings or low-quality files, which is nice to find in a headphone with added treble presence.
Presentation: While the Flux isn’t the most spacious of earphones it is capable of separating instruments within a given space keeping the sound open and nicely layered. Soundstage is much like an isosceles triangle, being that depth is its biggest strength while width is marginally behind. With exceptional depth, very good width, and decent height the presentation balances well with the energetic signature of the Flux – not too expansive or out-of-the head to sound distant and not forward enough to be fatiguing. Imaging is another area that impresses due to easy instrument localization and a clearly defined soundstage.
Ear-tip & Insertion Sensitivity: Since a large portion of ear tips can be used with the Flux (other than just the stock tips) it is easy to find a pair that works. I found most tips to work well except ones with very short or narrow nozzles as they tend to reduce clarity and generally compresses soundstage. Insertion is also important to adjust otherwise a noticeable channel imbalance will be heard.
Power, Amplification, & Source performance: While SteelSeries have not released the rated sensitivity of the Flux it’s easy to conclude that they don’t need a lot of volume to perform. And since they exhibit so little hiss with noisy sources I’m led to believe they are average in sensitivity and simply easy to drive due to their 19 Ohm impedance. Whatever the case, the Flux performs well with all sources and only shows minimal improvements with additional amplification.
Value: It is not expected of most manufactures to make a headphone that appeals to both a mass market and to hi-fi enthusiasts, especially a gaming company. But SteelSeries has managed to produce an incredible little IEM that utilizes a very flexible, high quality sound for music, movies, and games making it a true “multimedia” headphone. With its fun and recognizable V-shaped sound signature the Flux’s deliver a blend of engaging characteristics with exceptional performance that rival sets twice its price. Those who use Android or i Devices will also have the additional benefit of a remote for added convenience. And while I can point to two caveats (the noisy cable and minimal accessory count) I highly recommend the Flux for its ease of use, comfort, isolation, design, and accessible sound. All in all, SteelSeries have surprised me with the Flux by not making it a generic “gaming headphone” or an otherwise bad value proposition. Instead, they’ve gotten off to a great start in the hi-fi market with their admirable baby headphone.
I hope this review will be useful to some and for those who read through it please leave any suggestions or advice you may have in the comments below. Everyone’s input will help me to improve my reviews in the future and make it easier to adapt my reviews for as wide an audience as possible. Thanks for reading and happy listening!
