Introduction
So here's my contribution to the growing collection of reviews on Rock Jaw's Alfa Genus. For those of you interested in purchasing a pair, hopefully this is a useful addition; for the rest of you, another post on Head-Fi with which to while away the time!
Before we get underway, it would be remiss of me not to thank Rock Jaw for sending a pair to review, the opportunity is appreciated.
I'm going to take the slightly indolent approach of skipping a detailed description and comments on aesthetics, accessories &c. as these have been well covered in other reviews and the discussion thread, and because I don't have the retail package.
My listening sessions have been conducted using the ODAC/O2 separates, mostly with the champagne filters. I tend to listen to jazz, classical and pop/rock and those have been used here. I stick to well-recorded pieces where I can and all tracks were CD quality or better. No mp3s were used in the making of this review
Short Version
I think it's fair to say that overall it's a win for Rock Jaw on build. The cable seems sturdy and flexible enough, and the insertion point is protected with metal. I must admit, I haven't used the Alfa Genus on the move, so I can't comment on whether microphonics would become annoying in that case.
As intended, the filters differ predominantly in bass quantity. In practice, I think most people will pick one and stick to it but the key is you get to make a selection and the alternatives are always available.
I found myself using the black and champagne filters the most. With both, the Alfa Genus produces a slightly forward sound but nontheless has a spacious soundstage with some depth to it. Instrument separation is good, balance is neutral-ish, altered slightly by the filters. (For me the silver filters are bass heavy; I probably wouldn't buy a pair of IEMs with this signature but that doesn't mean I would never use these filters.) My only real complaint sound-wise is a slight grainiess or harshness to upper registers, especially with strings but I may have to revisit this.
I focussed on the Alfa Genus whilst reviewing but have made some quick comparisons and found the Alfa Genus fared more than favourably.
Sonic Evaluation
I generally listen to a genre at a time when evaluating gear, to get 'into' that sound and see how well it's conveyed, so that's how I'll present the comments. The switchable filters are a major selling point of the Alfa Genus, so inevitably a large element of the reviews will concern them.
Jazz
Starting with the black filters, I found the Alfa Genus to present a clean, clear sound, with individual instruments in ensembles distinct, yet the music was coherent. I like to use HoneyDripper from Jools Holland's Beatroute to assess how well larger groups are portrayed. This piece gets busy and has elements of fast percussion too. The Alfa Genus (black filters) did well here, maintaining instrument separation and keeping up with the pace, never sounding muddy. The black filters bring out cymbals and the like, and have a somewhat detailed, forward presentation. That said, I did note depth to soundstage on some of Diana Krall's tracks. Overall, lower registers do take a back seat with the black filters but the music still hangs together well.
Moving on to the champagne filters, bass is stronger with more reverb. The sparkly cymbals are more subdued and less 'in your face', the bass solo in King For A Day has more prominence. The champagne filters add overall weight to the sound, at the expense of obvious detail and some clarity but the trade-off is minor. If you're sensitive to treble you may find the champagne filters a better option for longer listening sessions.
I'm still exploring my personal filter preference for jazz. Initially I thought the black filters had better balance but now I'm not so sure. Occassionally the treble is a (tiny) bit much and the bass not quite enough, so there is a slight treble emphasis. That said, the bass is cleaner and 'faster' than with the champagne filters and still present. Ultimately, I could happily take either; the differences are worthwhile but not massive. Even better, you get both and don't have to choose! With both filters, the Alfa Genus presents good, strong dynamics, especially noticeable with percussion hits. Along with the soundstage, this results in a lively performance of faster/swing style tracks. As an aside, if you can check out the Doc Anello Disneyland binaural recordings (posted on Head-Fi many moons ago) with these, you're in for a treat.
Classical
I listened a range of scales, including string quartets, full orchestras, choral, piano, expecting the richness of champagne filter to play well here, and it did.
Instrument balance and tone sounded good, regardless of the ensemble size. I found it easy to follow individual instruments, yet the sound was still appropriately full with the other instruments. Listening to the likes of the Hebrides Overture and Canon In D with the champagne filters, the bass strings have decent extension. I would like the upper strings to be more liquid smooth but maybe that will happen over time. I should listen to Brahms' Hungarian Dances, there are plenty of strings there to sort out what's what!
Admittedly I have listened less extensively with the black filters but the upper registers are less smooth, maybe a bit grainy; however, they are by no means thin/brittle. At times the lower strings could do with being richer. Listening to O Fortuna, it was very vocal led and I felt that there should be more weight with the orchestra, especially the timpani. The champagne filters addressed this.
Other
In this case, 'other' consisted mostly of pop and rock. When I say rock, I'm talking about the likes of Bon Jovi.
I perhaps wasn't listening as critically as with jazz and classical pieces, and that perhaps reflects that those genres are generally more intricate, but nontheless I found the Alfa Genus (with champagne filters) to offer an easy listening experience, where you can just get lost in the music. I noted good layering of instruments, clarity and nothing overly emphasised or amiss. I heard good detail and ancillary parts of the music. For the most part, the vocals stand out and female voices manage to acquire an airy quality whilst other components retain a good comparative weight. The soundstage is enveloping, having width but not pushing the sound purely to either side.
What I wasn't expecting, coming from the other genres, was to find the champagne filters initially a bit light. Whereas before I was debating between black and champagne filters, here I would debate between champagne and silver. If you like a prominent driving beat, the champagne filters may not cut it. I would characterise the lower registers and drums with the champagne filters as 'polite'. Everything's there, it's fast, tight, clean but not dominant. That's a presentation you may or may not prefer. As an example, I tend to find Meatloaf's Dead Ringer to either be on the heavy/slow side, or bright/fast. With the Alfa Genus it seemed pretty neutral.
I wonder whether the difference in apparent weight is down to the different mix of electric/acoustic instruments and relative importance of bass in different musical styles. Perhaps the soundstage also affects things? So I'm afraid that got a bit woolly and vague but I definitely enjoyed listening to the Alfa Genus here.
Overall, here I would describe the Alfa Genus (champagne) as natural, if not neutral. I certainly appreciated not being assaulted with treble, as can happen!
As an aside, I have a recollection of similar music out of a Rockbox Sansa Zip being too bass driven and heavy. It could be due to a lack of amping, or I could be completely mistaken! Unfortunately I have misplaced the Sansa, so I can't check
Maybe someone else could.
Endnotes
In general, I have been impressed by the way in which the Alfa Genus presents sound across the styles I tested. The soundstage, instrument separation and dynamics are always good, levels of clarity and detail are more than decent. The filters largely enable you to control the level of bass you prefer. It's not possible to rapidly switch between filters, which makes it a bit more difficult to directly compare them, however, the more I listened to the (black and champagne) filters the more I noticed the differences, but they are not extreme. The champagne filter both ups the bass/weight and slightly subdues the treble, to good effect in my opinion.
I should note that I have found the filters can unscrew when fitting the earphones, which is a little bit annoying. I would also comment that, personally, I wouldn't be switching the filters while on the go, as they are small, easy to lose parts. These are minor quibbles and I applaud Rock Jaw for the inclusion of filter options. I think the Alfa Genus are an inherently good set of IEMs and having the different filters means not only do you get to tailor the sound but alternatives are always available to you, while retaining the underlying qualities. This last point is worth emphasising. Supplying filters makes the product an attractive proposition but they would simply be a gimmick if the earphones weren't up to par. As it is, I'm happy to recommend them.
A final note on Rock Jaw themselves. They (well Bob) have been very active on the forum, engaging the community and reacting to comments and suggestions. At the same time, they have followed their own path and not tried to promise everything. I think this is a sensible approach. There can be a clamour for the latest and greatest here but from a business point of view, endless revisions and tweaks can alienate customers or cause them to indefinitely delay a purchase. Thankfully Rock Jaw seem to be refraining from this.
So the final verdict is 4/5 stars (80% - 90%, including half stars), reflecting the overall package, flexibility, qualities and price point.
Well done to Rock Jaw
So here's my contribution to the growing collection of reviews on Rock Jaw's Alfa Genus. For those of you interested in purchasing a pair, hopefully this is a useful addition; for the rest of you, another post on Head-Fi with which to while away the time!
Before we get underway, it would be remiss of me not to thank Rock Jaw for sending a pair to review, the opportunity is appreciated.
I'm going to take the slightly indolent approach of skipping a detailed description and comments on aesthetics, accessories &c. as these have been well covered in other reviews and the discussion thread, and because I don't have the retail package.
My listening sessions have been conducted using the ODAC/O2 separates, mostly with the champagne filters. I tend to listen to jazz, classical and pop/rock and those have been used here. I stick to well-recorded pieces where I can and all tracks were CD quality or better. No mp3s were used in the making of this review
Short Version
I think it's fair to say that overall it's a win for Rock Jaw on build. The cable seems sturdy and flexible enough, and the insertion point is protected with metal. I must admit, I haven't used the Alfa Genus on the move, so I can't comment on whether microphonics would become annoying in that case.
As intended, the filters differ predominantly in bass quantity. In practice, I think most people will pick one and stick to it but the key is you get to make a selection and the alternatives are always available.
I found myself using the black and champagne filters the most. With both, the Alfa Genus produces a slightly forward sound but nontheless has a spacious soundstage with some depth to it. Instrument separation is good, balance is neutral-ish, altered slightly by the filters. (For me the silver filters are bass heavy; I probably wouldn't buy a pair of IEMs with this signature but that doesn't mean I would never use these filters.) My only real complaint sound-wise is a slight grainiess or harshness to upper registers, especially with strings but I may have to revisit this.
I focussed on the Alfa Genus whilst reviewing but have made some quick comparisons and found the Alfa Genus fared more than favourably.
Sonic Evaluation
I generally listen to a genre at a time when evaluating gear, to get 'into' that sound and see how well it's conveyed, so that's how I'll present the comments. The switchable filters are a major selling point of the Alfa Genus, so inevitably a large element of the reviews will concern them.
Jazz
Starting with the black filters, I found the Alfa Genus to present a clean, clear sound, with individual instruments in ensembles distinct, yet the music was coherent. I like to use HoneyDripper from Jools Holland's Beatroute to assess how well larger groups are portrayed. This piece gets busy and has elements of fast percussion too. The Alfa Genus (black filters) did well here, maintaining instrument separation and keeping up with the pace, never sounding muddy. The black filters bring out cymbals and the like, and have a somewhat detailed, forward presentation. That said, I did note depth to soundstage on some of Diana Krall's tracks. Overall, lower registers do take a back seat with the black filters but the music still hangs together well.
Moving on to the champagne filters, bass is stronger with more reverb. The sparkly cymbals are more subdued and less 'in your face', the bass solo in King For A Day has more prominence. The champagne filters add overall weight to the sound, at the expense of obvious detail and some clarity but the trade-off is minor. If you're sensitive to treble you may find the champagne filters a better option for longer listening sessions.
I'm still exploring my personal filter preference for jazz. Initially I thought the black filters had better balance but now I'm not so sure. Occassionally the treble is a (tiny) bit much and the bass not quite enough, so there is a slight treble emphasis. That said, the bass is cleaner and 'faster' than with the champagne filters and still present. Ultimately, I could happily take either; the differences are worthwhile but not massive. Even better, you get both and don't have to choose! With both filters, the Alfa Genus presents good, strong dynamics, especially noticeable with percussion hits. Along with the soundstage, this results in a lively performance of faster/swing style tracks. As an aside, if you can check out the Doc Anello Disneyland binaural recordings (posted on Head-Fi many moons ago) with these, you're in for a treat.
Classical
I listened a range of scales, including string quartets, full orchestras, choral, piano, expecting the richness of champagne filter to play well here, and it did.
Instrument balance and tone sounded good, regardless of the ensemble size. I found it easy to follow individual instruments, yet the sound was still appropriately full with the other instruments. Listening to the likes of the Hebrides Overture and Canon In D with the champagne filters, the bass strings have decent extension. I would like the upper strings to be more liquid smooth but maybe that will happen over time. I should listen to Brahms' Hungarian Dances, there are plenty of strings there to sort out what's what!
Admittedly I have listened less extensively with the black filters but the upper registers are less smooth, maybe a bit grainy; however, they are by no means thin/brittle. At times the lower strings could do with being richer. Listening to O Fortuna, it was very vocal led and I felt that there should be more weight with the orchestra, especially the timpani. The champagne filters addressed this.
Other
In this case, 'other' consisted mostly of pop and rock. When I say rock, I'm talking about the likes of Bon Jovi.
I perhaps wasn't listening as critically as with jazz and classical pieces, and that perhaps reflects that those genres are generally more intricate, but nontheless I found the Alfa Genus (with champagne filters) to offer an easy listening experience, where you can just get lost in the music. I noted good layering of instruments, clarity and nothing overly emphasised or amiss. I heard good detail and ancillary parts of the music. For the most part, the vocals stand out and female voices manage to acquire an airy quality whilst other components retain a good comparative weight. The soundstage is enveloping, having width but not pushing the sound purely to either side.
What I wasn't expecting, coming from the other genres, was to find the champagne filters initially a bit light. Whereas before I was debating between black and champagne filters, here I would debate between champagne and silver. If you like a prominent driving beat, the champagne filters may not cut it. I would characterise the lower registers and drums with the champagne filters as 'polite'. Everything's there, it's fast, tight, clean but not dominant. That's a presentation you may or may not prefer. As an example, I tend to find Meatloaf's Dead Ringer to either be on the heavy/slow side, or bright/fast. With the Alfa Genus it seemed pretty neutral.
I wonder whether the difference in apparent weight is down to the different mix of electric/acoustic instruments and relative importance of bass in different musical styles. Perhaps the soundstage also affects things? So I'm afraid that got a bit woolly and vague but I definitely enjoyed listening to the Alfa Genus here.
Overall, here I would describe the Alfa Genus (champagne) as natural, if not neutral. I certainly appreciated not being assaulted with treble, as can happen!
As an aside, I have a recollection of similar music out of a Rockbox Sansa Zip being too bass driven and heavy. It could be due to a lack of amping, or I could be completely mistaken! Unfortunately I have misplaced the Sansa, so I can't check
Endnotes
In general, I have been impressed by the way in which the Alfa Genus presents sound across the styles I tested. The soundstage, instrument separation and dynamics are always good, levels of clarity and detail are more than decent. The filters largely enable you to control the level of bass you prefer. It's not possible to rapidly switch between filters, which makes it a bit more difficult to directly compare them, however, the more I listened to the (black and champagne) filters the more I noticed the differences, but they are not extreme. The champagne filter both ups the bass/weight and slightly subdues the treble, to good effect in my opinion.
I should note that I have found the filters can unscrew when fitting the earphones, which is a little bit annoying. I would also comment that, personally, I wouldn't be switching the filters while on the go, as they are small, easy to lose parts. These are minor quibbles and I applaud Rock Jaw for the inclusion of filter options. I think the Alfa Genus are an inherently good set of IEMs and having the different filters means not only do you get to tailor the sound but alternatives are always available to you, while retaining the underlying qualities. This last point is worth emphasising. Supplying filters makes the product an attractive proposition but they would simply be a gimmick if the earphones weren't up to par. As it is, I'm happy to recommend them.
A final note on Rock Jaw themselves. They (well Bob) have been very active on the forum, engaging the community and reacting to comments and suggestions. At the same time, they have followed their own path and not tried to promise everything. I think this is a sensible approach. There can be a clamour for the latest and greatest here but from a business point of view, endless revisions and tweaks can alienate customers or cause them to indefinitely delay a purchase. Thankfully Rock Jaw seem to be refraining from this.
So the final verdict is 4/5 stars (80% - 90%, including half stars), reflecting the overall package, flexibility, qualities and price point.
Well done to Rock Jaw
