Synopsis: The Rhapsodio Galaxy v2 are a high-end in-ear monitor with a 10.3mm titanium coated dynamic driver, a re-designed housing, and a braided copper cable. These earphones have a warm, well-extended bass, sweet midrange, and a boosted treble that, with the right fit matches the bass. These are a sizeable step up in clarity and range from cheaper dynamic driver iems. However, the fit is difficult to get right and will require time to find the right eartips and positioning in-ear. Without the right fit, the treble is bright, sibilant, and sharp...

Synopsis: The RD3 is part of the next generation of earphones from Rhapsodio. Powered by a single high-end dynamic driver, it has a warm sound and a hearty bass response. The RD3’s design includes detachable cables and a strong metal housing. For $400, its sound and build quality make the RD3 a serious contender in the mid-level price range.     Please note that this review was written listening to an RD3 loaner set. I played this for 100 hours on a loud and varied playlist before listening and I used an Apex Glacier portable amplifier through...

Synopsis: The Spectrum Series G10 is the next generation universal fit stage monitor from Future Sonics. Replacing the Atrio with a new driver, housing, and cables, the G10 surpasses it in detail and control throughout the frequency spectrum. It does this while keeping a tuning characterized by full sub-bass, a clear midrange with a small boost in the vocal region, and a balanced, non-fatiguing treble. At a MSRP of $219, the G10 is an excellent value for the sound and build quality. Thanks to Future Sonics for the loaner set I used for this...

Thanks to Greed for a 10-day loan of his Ref 1 set, which I fully burnt-in and auditioned. This set had the uber cable.   Super Brief Review (it's all just what my ears heard, if you love your Ref 1 set, that's great, no need to defend it here):   Pros: -Real, air-moving bass sound thanks to the vented dual dynamic drivers. Bass is big, full and has great extension -Clear treble. I didn't hear sibilance and the treble avoids a dark sound as well. -Very good instrument separation -Big soundstage -I found the ref 1 to be less v-shaped in sound than the...

Synopsis: The Future Sonics MG6Pro Ear Monitor is an excellent sounding custom earphone tuned for a supremely natural sound. The overall sound is very smooth, extended in bass and treble, and very well balanced by the clear midrange. The excellent reproduction of vocal and instrumental timbre, combined with superior soundstage and sense of stereo imagining are also standouts. Using a single dynamic driver which can cover the entire frequency spectrum without the need for crossovers gives the MG6PRO Ear Monitor a coherency which adds to the...

  Synopsis: The Future Sonics MG5pro is a professional stage monitor for audiophiles. It offers a different tuning than its brother, the fully stage-oriented MG6pro, by offering a brighter, more overall tonally balanced tuning. The MG5pro lifts the vocal ranges and matches this with an accurate, well extended treble. The bass is very well controlled and yet has one of the most real low-end sounds of any earphone. Using a single, full range 10mm dynamic driver, it competes with more expensive multi-armature earphones. By keeping the price at $750...

Synopsis: The Noble Audio 4C is a custom-fit in-ear monitor (ciem) characterized by a flat tuning with no peaks or dips from the lower bass to the lower treble range. This upgraded tuning eliminates the dip in frequency response found in the older model. The bass, while not boosted at all, has excellent extension , the mids are clear and the treble is flat until a lift in the upper range which adds a sense of clarity and air to the sound. The tuning is excellent for acoustic, classical, folk, jazz, and rock genres and generally for audiophiles...

Synopsis: The Noble Audio Kaiser 10 is at the summit of custom in-ear-monitors representing the flagship of new designs from Dr. John Moulton. The Kaiser 10’s 10 drivers have been brought together seamlessly for superior coherency and a very realistic, natural sound. These drivers give great depth and extension to the Kaiser 10’s balanced tuning. The bass is present and very capable but not boosted or forward, the midrange is clear and very smooth with slight warmth, the vocal range has a gentle lift to bring it to the forefront, and the excellent...

I may fill out the review a bit more.   No earphone is for everyone, so read reviews and decide what you want to hear--that's the most important thing. The 1plus2 will be excellent for many people.

Synopsis: The Aurisonics AS-2 is a high-end custom-fit in-ear stage monitor with a lively, rich sound. It has a unique, crossover-free design that allows its 15mm dynamic driver and two special balanced armatures to work together seamlessly. With an adjustable bass port system, the AS-2 provides a real bass energy in just the amount you want. Combined with a lush midrange and an accurate, non-fatiguing treble to balance it, the AS-2’s focus on an organic, live feel to music will make it a hit with both musicians on stage and music lovers at home.  ...

Synopsis: Sensaphonics dB Check is an important hearing preservation device. Connecting between your iems and your amp or source, it can tell you, in real time, exactly how loudly you are listening to your music with your gear. The dB Check then gives you safe listening times for that volume. It’s portable and has a mic for measuring ambient noise levels in a room or space as well. The main drawback is that it only works with Shure and Sensaphonics in-ear monitors.       Introduction: Dr. Michael Santucci, the founder of Sensaphonics, is an...

Synopsis: The Sensaphonics 3MAX is a top-tier, custom-fit, in-ear monitor with a sound designed by an audiologist and tested by pro musicians.  With a professional clientele in mind, the 3MAX has been superbly engineered for a natural-sounding tuning. Vocal music comes to the fore with a smooth midrange and a non-fatiguing, yet well-extended treble. While its sister, the two-driver 2MAX aims for a more neutral version of this sound, the 3MAX adds an additional bass driver for a judicious warmth and depth. One of the keys to making this sound...

Short Review: All observations made with the high pass filters. Naturally I listened with each of the three filters, but the high pass was my preference.   Pros: I really liked the tuning of these. With the K3003, you get an approximation of a neutral sound in terms of a good balance between treble, midrange and bass and the filter system gives you a means of adjusting this balance (at a cost of slightly loss of detail with the non-reference filters). What's great is that the sound is still very fun. I'm not sure I can put my finger on exactly...

Synopsis: The Heir Audio 6.A is a top-tier custom in-ear monitor tuned for a musical take on a neutral sound by Dr. John Moulton. Combining clarity and a clean, accurate sound with smoothness and a bass that complements the midrange and treble, the 6.A gives a nice balance between detailed, bright, bass-lite, analytical in-ear monitors and extra warm, bass-heavy earphones. As always, Dr. Moulton’s skill in tuning gives an organic, coherent sound and the build quality and appearance are the best you can buy.     Introduction:  Dr. John Moulton and...

Overview: Heir Audio’s Magnus 1 is a superbly built upgrade cable for custom in-ear monitors. The cable itself is strengthened with kevlar, and both the connectors for the earphones themselves and the jack are much more strongly built than the stock ciem cable. Unlike other upgrade cables, however, the Magnus 1 is just as comfortable and easy to wear and store as the stock. Sound improves with gentle improvements in detail and extension over the stock cable as well. The Magnus 1 is also reasonably priced at $149 ($110 with an Heir Audio custom iem or...

Synopsis: The Aurisonics AS-1b is a very nice custom-fit monitor with a sound tuned for the needs of professional musicians performing on stage. It gives the listener a mid-centric sound that emphasizes the vocal range so a singer stands out in the mix. The large 15mm dynamic driver has an excellent, rich bass and on top there is a non-fatiguing, flat treble. The AS-1b offers musicians and audiophiles a lot of versatility in terms of a user-adjustable bass vent and ambient port, plus replaceable cables. It’s well-designed and well-tuned and, at $599...

Synopsis: The Heir Audio 8.A is the flagship custom-fit in-ear monitor (ciem) Heir Audio. It's tuned for a warm, rich sound. This very well designed ciem manages to combine this lush sound with  precision and clarity. The bass is well extended into the sub-bass with a lot of well-controlled mid-bass for a fun sound at first. The midrange is quite warm with a thick resonance to notes, while still maintaining clarity, however, a dip in the vocal range means that music can sound dull over time. The treble is very precise and non-fatiguing. It avoids...

    Synopsis: The Future Sonics MG6Pro Ear Monitor is an excellent sounding custom earphone tuned for a supremely natural sound. The overall sound is very smooth, extended in bass and treble, and very well balanced by the clear midrange. The excellent reproduction of vocal and instrumental timbre, combined with superior soundstage and sense of stereo imagining are also standouts. Using a single dynamic driver which can cover the entire frequency spectrum without the need for crossovers gives the MG6PRO Ear Monitor a coherency which adds to the...

The Future Sonics Atrios line of earphone monitors have undergone a revision, moving from the MG5 to the new MG7 dynamic drivers, improving the build quality and changing to new eco-friendly packaging. I've had a chance to hear these for two weeks now. I'm happy to give a complete overview so you can decide whether Atrios are right for you. The packaging: Future Sonics has moved to using much more eco-friendly materials. They have a new case for the earphones which is made from recycled tire rubber (and looks great). They've done a good job and...