These were free on Cyber-Monday; thank you to the Deals thread!
If you got these on the deal or not, let us know over here --> http://www.head-fi.org/t/639086/rosewill-rhts-12004-quite-shocked-at-the-quality#post_8942097
These Rosewood RHTS-12004 woodies are really a nice surprise. They definitely have the "consumer-friendly" v-shaped signature. However, the sound is more cohesive than an iem like the M6p. In comparison, the M6 is more v-shaped and the Rosewills are more u-shaped with better extension in the bass and treble. For reference, my other budget style iems are the M6p and new Apple EarPods.
Bass: The bass is much more resonant than the M6 or the new Apple EarPods. It really combines the best of both worlds from my other budget iems: The RHTS-12004's have the in-ear isolation of the M6 and therefore have a little more punch than the EarPods, but they also have a vent like the EarPods and are therefore more airy and fluid compared to the M6. The sub-bass definitely reaches lower and has much better "rumble."
Mids: The midrange is slightly recessed. Better than M6, worse than EarPods. The mids are similar to the M6 due to the u-shaped signature, but the sound is more coherent and "together" with the RHTS-12004's for some reason. EDIT - nevermind, I'm listening to Eruption by Van Halen and the electric guitar sounds wonderful and realistic - I can even tell by the note decay that the sound is coming from an amp stack. So maybe the midrange seems recessed sometimes when the "fun" mid-bass overpowers the mids.
Highs: The treble is really good and much preferred to my other budget phones. The treble is slightly rolled off like the other two, but somehow still seems to have better extension. I think the lower treble is pushed forward a little and the extended treble is there, but way back in the mix.
Presentation: One of the strengths of the RHTS-12004 to me is the wide soundstage. It isn't tall or deep, but the width and left-right separation can be very well layered at times. Instead of having a "spherical" stage, or even a "rectangular" stage, the stage is more linear, as if the sounds and instruments have to line up in line with the ears and then separate from the inside out. It's not very 3-D, but is actually very coherent and layered at times. It's like a well defined 2-D headstage, with a linear arc extending just outside the ears on either side. With binaural recordings there is good representation of distance, however there is no depth to the front of the head. When listening to the "Virtual Barbershop" it is much easier to tell the difference between left and right and up and down, almost none of the sounds move to the front.
For me, these needed Meelec Tri-flanges and a deep insertion depth to seal correctly. The housing is light weight and wooden with a small vent next to the strain reliefs. I definitely prefer the vented bass sound to the punchier sound of the M6p. Due to the vented shell the isolation isn't quite the same as the M6, but it's very close. The only other thing about the vent is that it can whistle and make weird noises in the wind, but I only noticed this when I was sitting in front of a fan
Conclusion: My star ratings are probably a little inflated due to the fact these were FREE and are therefore a fantastic value. I prefer them to the M6p and the new Apple EarPods. I really like the wide soundstage. I also really like the longer note decay and thicker resonance from the vented rosewood shells. Now if I could just get a little more clarity and separation to the front and back of the soundstage, I would really be set. Oh, and mid-bass that gave up a little something extra to the sub-bass.
EDIT: The cable is thin and microphonic; best worn over the ear. Also, these are really sensitive and they hum when hooked up to my laptop.
