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Astrotec Impressions and Discussion Thread
Dec 23, 2019 at 7:39 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 20
B9Scrambler

B9Scrambler

Headphoneus Supremus
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Astrotec has been a staple brand in this hobby for as long as I've been a participant. Was surprised there was no dedicated thread for them, so here we go!

They were founded in 2002. In 2012 they entered the portable audio market with the AM90 (classic review from ljokerl). Their lineup expanded with the premium Lyra earbuds, affordable AX series of armature-only and hybrid iems, and headphones like the AS100 and AS200.

Over the last few years they've released a number of products, like the single dynamic AM800, NG30, GX-40/50, and others. Their modern lineup is more streamlined with them investing into Bluetooth products, like the excellent true wireless S60 and S80, and the GX successor, BX70. The Delphinus 5 is a five armature iem made in cooperation with Knowles, and handily earns it's flagship status. The Lyra lineup also saw a resurgence with the Classic, 32 ohm, and 150 ohm, but is now composed of only the Lyra Nature.

For the future, we have the Pheonix to look forward to which looks to be a very interesting beast indeed thanks to handcrafted rosewood housings within which are dual electrostatic super tweeters and a dynamic driver.

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https://www.astrotecglobal.com
 
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Jan 16, 2020 at 7:38 PM Post #3 of 20
Hi folks, checking in with some first impressions of the new flagship Phoenix; if Astrotec isn't on your shortlist, this one may change your mind!

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The Phoenix, sports cutting-edge electro-static tweeters. With limited capacity to produce bass and requiring micro-transformers, estat drivers usually require a hybrid driver setup yet their inefficiency also makes matching with other drivers very difficult. Astrotec circumvents this with their use of a highly customised dynamic driver alongside authentic rosewood and titanium alloy housings that create an optimal acoustic environment. The result is a middling 85dB sensitivity so it really requires a good source to sing. However, once appropriately matched, the Phoenix rewards with excellent end to end extension and a highly engaging W-shaped signature. Immense sub-bass extension can be expected, with lows that reach into the depths of the perceived and produce the sensation of air moving within the ear. Sub-bass itself is big and bold, delivering guttural rumble and power. Bass then resembles a slope, with decreasing emphasis into the lower-midrange; so though the mid-bass retains pleasant fullness, a recessed upper-bass and lower-midrange mitigate excessive warmth and maximise bass/midrange separation. You don’t get the hyper-defined and quick decaying qualities of most flagships. However, the Phoenix excels with regards to its dynamics and excellent driver control when properly driven, where it nonetheless retains great definition and detail. Mids achieve balance with a wide-band push through centre and upper-midrange from 2 KHz through to 4 KHz.

It doesn’t follow the conventional Harmon curve but does yield prominent vocals with excellent clarity and extension. Due to its low-end tuning, the midrange is modestly warm but never congested. As the lower-treble is significantly attenuated, there isn’t a hint of thinness or over-articulation despite its upper-midrange presence, while portraying vocals with excellent clarity and openness. When it comes to highs, the implementation of estat drivers is quite curious. Surely, some higher-price BA earphones provide more raw detail retrieval. However, the estat almost achieves parity and it does so in a smoother and more effortless manner. Part of this comes down to Astrotec’s particular implementation with notably smooth lower-treble and subsequent rise through the middle-treble. Despite this, there is no glare and the background isn’t overly emphasized or bright. This aids a crisp and open presentation. The background is well-realised and resolution is very high. There is strong extension into the upper-treble and a slight emphasis producing a moderate amount of sparkle. This grants the Phoenix excellent layering and sharp imaging in addition to a wide soundstage. Full article.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for my full review soon!
 
Jun 24, 2020 at 8:19 PM Post #7 of 20
Aug 16, 2020 at 12:58 PM Post #9 of 20
@B9Scrambler I see the Volans there:). What is the scoop? Like the mint green but how does it perform? Not sure how much a "player" they are in China but might be nice to have something that would make them a player again on Head-fi and elsewhere.
 
Nov 7, 2020 at 2:03 PM Post #11 of 20
My review for astroteс model S90pro,
This model must either be refined or removed from production, because this model has many disadvantages like unstable bluetooth receiver. Connection with TV also unstable. Disconnections happen all the time. Simple raising of my hand or turning the head interrupts the sound. This happens with different devices, so this is clearly a disadvantage of headphones. Controlling tapas on the touch panel works unstable too, but you can't lie in the headphones, touching the bed will pause. There are only 2 types of ear pads included, and both are very small for the European ear, and do not provide sufficient sound insulation and bass. And the case does not close with third-party ear pads. There is very little bass, even for a treble lover. My right earbud in the case doesn't always charge. The copper coating from the case lid began to peel off after a week. In my big ears, the headphones are not held securely, in small ones they do not sit at all. Any attempt to correct them in the ear pauses the music, if you start the music again by touching the earphone, then it is played not in the player in which you listened, but only in Google music. And the main drawback: The headphones are very quiet, in the room their volume at the source has to be set at 90-95%. And on the street and 100% is not enough. I have a large collection of headphones and a lot of experience with them. And your production have disappointed me so much like no one from my collection. For example, even your astrotec s60 model does not have such disadvantages.


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Mar 13, 2022 at 11:18 PM Post #13 of 20
Okay, I excited to say I've recently managed to buy an IEM which very few in mainland China have gotten the chance to buy. It comes from no other the Astrotec.
It's a flagship product and I can't wait to talk about it more.

Name: Phoneix 6.
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Mar 14, 2022 at 7:39 AM Post #14 of 20
The interstellar soundtrack from Hans Zimmer is probably one of the best soundtrack for testing the speed and technical ability of an IEM.
I always enjoy playing the cornfield chase track. Poorly design IEM struggle to keep up with the chaos which is taking place in the track, normally sounding collapsed. Phoenix 6 passed it and to me did as good as my electrostatic IEM, KSE1500!
 
Mar 14, 2022 at 12:06 PM Post #15 of 20
audionewbi said:
The interstellar soundtrack from Hans Zimmer is probably one of the best soundtrack for testing the speed and technical ability of an IEM.
I always enjoy playing the cornfield chase track. Poorly design IEM struggle to keep up with the chaos which is taking place in the track, normally sounding collapsed. Phoenix 6 passed it and to me did as good as my electrostatic IEM, KSE1500!
Click to expand...
Which drivers does it have?
 
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