Aurisonics Impressions, Reviews & Discussions Thread - Page 91

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgx78 

I am classically trained professional violinist for 15 years.

I play for two different orchestras and every year we play Handel's Messiah at church and ASG-1 is amazing at reproducing live feeling of this music.

Just listening to live recording of Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique by LA Phil/ Gustavo Dudamel, timbre of strings so accurately portrayed/ not too aggressive.

Very good dynamics with thumping timpani parts and wide and deep sound-stage..

I occasionally hear coughing from the audience and I can almost pin point where they are seated. Amazing!

I just listened to the1959 Boston symphony version of this. Dynamics, timbre and soundstage are really all magnificent.

If you really want to be impressed, find Jochum's version of Carmina Burana.

Another must-listen-with-the-ASG1-album:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/rare-RCA-DOLBY-Surround-CLASSICAL-Bolt-Speakers-PROMO-/360280860678

Took me a little while.. I enjoyed them too much. ;D (Oh and sorry, the font may be a bit messed up.)

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Aurisonics ASG-1 Revision 2 Review

Introduction
 

     First of all, I’d like to thank Dale and Josh of Aurisonics for giving me the kind opportunity to allow me to review these IEMs.

  Hello, fellow Head-fiers. I am here to present a review of Aurisonics’s first universal-fit IEM, the ASG-1. It is billed to be a custom in a universal shell, and is supposed to have more than 90% fit “success”.

   Some of you may ask, is it really a good time to review these amidst the hype surrounding the AS-2 / ASG-2? Well, yes and no. No, because, obviously, of the hype about the next-generation Aurisonics IEMs. Yes, because the ASG-1 is at the $300 price range, which means it’ll be competing against top-tier universal IEMs, and especially the dynamic driver models, like the IE 80, EX1000, and FX700. So, how do these stand up to the best of the best universals? Without further ado, let’s get into the formal review.

Equipment used :
   -DAPs:  SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip (Rockboxed), Apple iPod classic 7G (Rockboxed)
   -Comparison material : Sennheiser IE 80

Packaging & Accessories :
    Aurisonics supplied everything in a compact OtterBox 1000 case.  This includes three black single-flange tips (S, M, L), a wax loop with a brush, three clear bi-flange tips (S, M, L), and the ASG-1s themselves. The IEMs come with Sony hybrid-like tips in medium size. I’d say that they are almost equal to the supplied clear bi-flange tips in terms of seal and performance, but still quite average to say the least. I have used the medium bi-flange tips that came with the IE 80, and they provide a better seal with better isolation.

Comfort & Isolation (Fit) :
    The IEMs themselves are comfortable. And, mostly, the fit should come with the tips. With the stock tips, the fit was quite loose. But with the IE 80 bi-flanges, the fit was less comfortable (due to the harder compound used in the tips), but quite comfortable still, and the isolation is much, much better. I can only hear the silent rumble of the fan two feet away from me. With the stock tips, I can pretty much hear them all the way. The better fit also improves bass response.

Build Quality :
      The shells of the ASG-1 looks like it can take quite a beating. The cables are the same as you would find in other IEMs from Westone. Lightweight, non-microphonic, tough. However, mine has started oxidizing already, and the plug is losing its gold plate. Doesn’t really affect audio quality, though.

Sound :

    Songs used:

1.    Armin van Buuren ft. Jennifer Ranes – Fine Without You (Trance)

2.    Yellowcard – View from Heaven  (Rock)

3.    Michael Bolton – Georgia on My Mind (Soft Rock Ballad)

4.    Arne Domnerus (Jazz at the Pawnshop) – I’m Confessin’ (Jazz)

5.    E.S. Posthumus – Unstoppable

6.    Sting – Every Breath You Take (Live; acoustic)

Concise Sound Impressions (100+ hours):
    Wow. These things have powerful and deep bass. Not as powerful as the IE 80, but the presentation is much better.  Powerful if need be, tamed if not. The ASG-1 presents drums in a clean, tight and well-textured fashion, and has decent punch. Other acoustic bass instruments sound clean, deep and well textured. However, with electronic / synthetic bass, I prefer the IE 80’s bigger and slightly boomier presence. Moving up to the mids. Smooth, great timbre, very clean with a warm tone. Not much sweetness up top, but quite accurate and life-like in tone, especially male vocals. Instruments sound very real as well. Treble is quite flat and smooth, hence sizzles and sparkles are quite rare. However, they grow on you, and sound just right with its great texture. On faster songs, however, I like to turn on my EQ, which boosts the upper mids and treble slightly so as not to deviate too much in the original sound signature, while making a difference big enough to make it or break it with some songs. Soundstage is just right, and again, sounds very natural, with the exception of the  lack of a center stage as demonstrated by most IEMs.
    Overall, I’d say they are a smoother and more refined Sennheiser IE 80 with less treble. Also, don’t forget that this is supposed to be a stage monitor. As such, I find its sound signature really amazing for live music. It puts you there 5 (or more) rows behind. You can really “feel” the ambiance with these.
 

Song-by-song impressions :

1. Armin van Buuren ft. Jennifer Ranes – Fine Without You (Trance)
      * The track starts off with mild bass & high notes. Nothing special… until the deep notes come. The ASG-1 presents these notes with authority and control. Jennifer’s voice sounds very natural, and the bass does not overshadow her voice. I think it’s pretty balanced. Some may think that it lacks sparkle. But it’s easily fixed with an EQ. I find the IE 80’s presentation to work better with these music, though.

2. Yellowcard –View from Heaven (Rock)
        * The drums easily struck me with its good snap, presence and texture. The ASG easily separated the guitar and the drums, and remained effortless even when the violins came in. And the vocals. Still, amidst the good separation, everything still sounds “one”, in other words, it’s cohesive. Again, you may find the presentation a bit too boring, and an EQ will fix it.

3. Michael Bolton – Georgia on My Mind (Soft Rock Ballad)
          * I really like this song with the ASG-1.  The vocals truly are amazing. You can really feel the emotion of Bolton’s voice. And everything else.. sounds right. The pianos are powerful when needed be. The drums really reach low, and with authority. And the brass.. sounds exceptionally right. Full-bodied and natural. Fantastic, really.  

4. Arne Domnerus (Jazz at the Pawnshop) – I’m Confessin’ (Jazz)
          * The background details are present and clear, although I am not able to understand what they are saying. It really almost feels like I am seated there, among the audience. And now, with a good recording such as this, you will really find the weakness of IEMs. Poor center imaging. Well, once you get past that, and you’ll appreciate the ASG-1’s strengths. Fantastic timbre, texture, tone and realism. The juiciness of the ASG-1 kept me listening to this song from start to end. Normally, I wouldn’t do that. However, discovering the ASG-1’s strengths with this song really kept me going.

5. E.S. Posthmus – Unstoppable
          * I found this song while looking for good auditioning / test tracks. I was really impressed with the song through my laptop speakers. And I wondered how it would sound with the ASG-1. After loading it to my Clip Zip, I played the song. Wow. Percussions really dig down low. At first, it all sounds melodic.. but the party starts at about 1:20. The song starts to be more aggressive. And the dynamics and aggressiveness of the song is no problem for the ASG-1. Reach 2:06, and the song really starts to be intense. It all sounds powerful, dynamic, yet effortless. Impressive, really.   

6. Sting – Every Breath You Take (Live; acoustic)
           * The signature of the ASG-1 all make sense now. It is originally tuned to be a stage monitor, and here, Dale’s experience really shows. He knows how things should sound for what they are. I feel like I’m among the audience. The ambiance is good. Everything sounds real. Nothing much more to say about it, really.

Conclusion :
       

       Among the top-tier universal IEMs, the ASG-1 proves it is worthy to be amongst them. And although I have not heard a lot of top-tier IEMs, the lucky ones who do confirmed this. At $300, it is a great value, and it is even available below that price, which makes it a much better value. Oh, and don’t forget Aurisonics’s superb customer support and product dedication.
       At this stage, though, it comes down to your preferences, and not much in actual sound quality. If you like full, powerful, deep and controlled bass, with smooth, warm, well-textured and refined  midrange, and a flat treble, this one is for you. It really works its magic with live, acoustic and jazz music.

(Pictures to be uploaded later. Right now, I don't have good lighting.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoahReQQuiem 
 

Nice review. Wait till you hear them with a quality amp and DAC

Quote:

Originally Posted by eke2k6 

 

Nice review. Wait till you hear them with a quality amp and DAC

I couldn't wait so I've got them on the way (and may still drive to TN - we shall see).  How is the Soundmagic A10?  I'm not sure if I'll get an amp at the moment but I saw it was around $40 so I was curious.  It's like Christmas in July

Quote:

Originally Posted by vocalist 

I couldn't wait so I've got them on the way (and may still drive to TN - we shall see).  How is the Soundmagic A10?  I'm not sure if I'll get an amp at the moment but I saw it was around $40 so I was curious.  It's like Christmas in July

Nice. I've never heard the A10, but I use the asg-1 with my Fiio E10 whenever I can. It's another step up in control, and soundstage cues become more defined.

Devoured 10,000 Maniacs' Blind Man's Zoo today with PRATty mobile setup \m/ FuzeRB>E5>ASGv1de

Just love Natalie's voice and the lively drums!

Hey guys, sorry that I am asking a question that has probably been asked countless times already, but will the ASG-1 be upgradeable to the ASG-2 and would anyone happen to know a price range of how much it'll cost? Also can someone clarify the perks of using a BA and dynamic together, like what that has to offer compared to a traditional set of balanced armatures (i.e. UE700, TripleFi-10). I own both of these IEMs and would really like to know how the ASG1.2 stacks up against them, and also some impressions of the ASG-2 (or AS-2) on music such as:

1. Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine

2. Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla

3. Parachutes - Paper Birds

4. Atlas Genius - Trojans

5. Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle

6. Genki Sudo - World Order

Sorry if this is asking for quite a bit, but I would love to hear some personal impressions of how the ASG1.2 sounds with these songs. 

Thanks again for your time!

Quote:

Originally Posted by qqexpress 

Hey guys, sorry that I am asking a question that has probably been asked countless times already, but will the ASG-1 be upgradeable to the ASG-2 and would anyone happen to know a price range of how much it'll cost? Also can someone clarify the perks of using a BA and dynamic together, like what that has to offer compared to a traditional set of balanced armatures (i.e. UE700, TripleFi-10). I own both of these IEMs and would really like to know how the ASG1.2 stacks up against them, and also some impressions of the ASG-2 (or AS-2) on music such as:

1. Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine

 

2. Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla

 

3. Parachutes - Paper Birds

 

4. Atlas Genius - Trojans

 

5. Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle

 

6. Genki Sudo - World Order

 

Sorry if this is asking for quite a bit, but I would love to hear some personal impressions of how the ASG1.2 sounds with these songs. 

 

Thanks again for your time!

Hey, I can answer the first few questions, but not the last couple with comparisons as I haven't heard either UE model you reference.  That said, the 1.2 will be upgradeable to the 2.0.  The advantage of using a hybrid over just BAs or dynamics is due to a few beliefs regarding drivers.  There is a belief out there that dynamics handle bass better than BAs while BAs handle detailing, speed, and clarity over dynamics.  And for the most part it is true.  This would become your advantage.  However, this belief is just that.  It's not that BAs do this and that better than dynamics, it's that they are normally tuned more often for that than dynamics are.  The same goes with dynamics vs BAs. 

Price range remains unknown for the AS(G)-2 / upgrade.

Two days, or rather, a day and a half at this point

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinyman392 

 

Price range remains unknown for the AS(G)-2 / upgrade.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinyman392 

 

Hey, I can answer the first few questions, but not the last couple with comparisons as I haven't heard either UE model you reference.  That said, the 1.2 will be upgradeable to the 2.0.  The advantage of using a hybrid over just BAs or dynamics is due to a few beliefs regarding drivers.  There is a belief out there that dynamics handle bass better than BAs while BAs handle detailing, speed, and clarity over dynamics.  And for the most part it is true.  This would become your advantage.  However, this belief is just that.  It's not that BAs do this and that better than dynamics, it's that they are normally tuned more often for that than dynamics are.  The same goes with dynamics vs BAs. 

 

Price range remains unknown for the AS(G)-2 / upgrade.

Thanks a lot for the information. The upgrade sounds like a really sweet deal, I just hope that the price range is cost effective. I don't want to really pay more than what a new ASG-2 would cost just to get an upgrade. However, I do understand that they are a company and really need to make money as well in order to cater to the rest of the world, so it wouldn't surprise me too much >_<. 

Please note that their is no date yet for the ASG-2. The Custom AS-2 is the one nearly released. Also you can only upgrade the ASG-1 to the ASG-2 not the AS-2.

I just finished watching "Wrath of the Titans" on my ASG-1. All I could say during those explosions was DAMN

Quote:

Originally Posted by eke2k6 

I just finished watching "Wrath of the Titans" on my ASG-1. All I could say during those explosions was DAMN

I do love watching a movie through some decent headphones. Personally like using the ASG-1s and my HD580s as they have huge sound stages.

This sucks being in international waters.  It should be 7/12 already!  But in America it's only 7/11 T_T

Quote:

Originally Posted by eke2k6 

I just finished watching "Wrath of the Titans" on my ASG-1. All I could say during those explosions was DAMN

Too bad you couldn't watch a good movie with them.  I recommend Black Hawk Down to keep in line with the explosions quota.  But this is a topic for another time.