64 Audio (1964 Ears) A18 Tzar

Introduction
Review Introduction
Product Introduction
Technical Specifications
Sound Analysis
Stage
Soundstage
Resolution
Transparency
Layering and Separation
High Frequencies
Middle Frequencies/Vocals
Low Frequencies
Comparisons
Pairings
Suggestions For Improvement
Conclusions

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I am both a stereophile and an audiophile. I am an audiophile so as to further my enjoyment of the music I consider essential in life. Life without music isn’t much life at all, when I’m able to hear more detail or the song better rendered the reason for audiophile gear becomes is clear.

I immersed myself in a dark quiet room with only the dim lights of my Mojo and ALO CDM with stock tubes illuminating the room at times as I dimmed my screen, closed my eyes and let the A18’s play. This review will be done with the M15 and I will add a section at the end discussing how the M20 affects the A18. My sources were an S7 Edge running UAPP and my 2009 Macbook Pro running Media Center 22. I alternated between the CDM + Mojo, CDM and Mojo by itself. The CDM is probably one of the best portable DAC/amps amps but even hybrids like the CDM create distortion so I made it a point to listen with Mojo only as well. My personal preference was for the Mojo + CDM. I am grateful to 64 Audio for giving me the opportunity to review the A18’s at a discount.

The A18 Tzar is 64 Audio’s BA flagship driver supplanting the former A12. Only the Tia Forte exceeds it in price but Forte is a not a traditional BA IEM. The A18 features apex module technology which vents pressure and allows the user to alter sound signature by changing modules. As of April 2017 there are two modules available: M20 and M15. M20 provides 20dB of isolation and more bass presence while M15 provides 15dB of isolation and a more balanced signature. M20 has a single vent hole while M15 has dual vent holes.

The shells are 3d printed and you can customizable your own on http://www.64audio.com. Due to the 3D printing process my fit is perfect. I ordered the premium Abalone faceplates and 64 included their premium cable and both modules even though I only ordered the M15 module.


64 Audio prints your name on the case and it’s the best case I’ve ever used. It’s the size of two stacked cigarette packs. The captured design of the cable slot where the IEM sits inside its’ pocket ensures no stress is on the IEM when closing the case. A removable rubber insert prevents shocks and wax buildup that happens in cases with a cloth bottom. My A12 case is three times larger. A sealed rechargeable dehumidifier is included along with a cleaning brush/pick and shirt clip.

The premium cable is higher quality than my old A12 cable. Bogdan Belonozhko (CEO) informed me that the old version of their cable kept breaking at the plastic 2 pin area so 64 Audio re-engineered the connector to be a fiberglass filled resin. The new cable is stronger and worthy of a flagship product.

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The A18 has 18 drivers: 1 Tia high, 1 high-mid, 8 mid and 8 low drivers. Some of the walls of the Tia driver have been machined and removed such that the driver doesn’t need a sound tube and thus the sound emanates from it instead of being distorted by the a sound tube. A18 operates at a 9Ω output impedance which is a decrease from the 16Ω A12.
A 4 way integrated passive crossover ties the sound together into a cohesive whole and then sends it to a single bore which features the Tia tweeter attached behind a mesh screen approximately an 1/8” from the end of the acrylic canal. It has 166dB/mw sensitivity which is 1dB more than the Tia Forte. The A18 is described as neutral via the graph on the http://www.64audio.com:

There is a lot happening inside this IEM as I have shown in the images below. Note the massive hollowed out single bore near the canal portion of the A18 below:

Note the mesh screened single bore which has a Tia driver behind it (shadowed portion in the lower left). The single bore eliminates the need to clean separate tiny bores and the discoloration associated with having sound tubes that far into the canal.

In the orange area in the photo below you can see how the internal architecture is actually 3D printed (note the tracking that looks like waterlines). This area is where the short sound tubes from the non-Tia drivers are slotted into place and merged into the large single Tia bore. The low pass filter is the blue box and the sound tubes are the yellow lines.

Below in green you can see what 64 Audio calls the “Octaray” device which funnels each pack of 8 drivers into the sound tubes.

The improved standardization and 3D printing of internal areas and shells means less free handing, which leads to higher quality and provides 64 more control over the sound. My shells are bubble-free.

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Many factors can affect our perception of a headphones stage. Texture and depth cues are important to understand when analyzing stage properties. In the outdoors, the further away a sound is the less texture it’ll have when it reaches us. The texture is absorbed by land and atmosphere. Quiet sounds and sounds with reverb also sound further away. Highly textured sounds appear closer to us than sounds lacking texture.

Below: the Y-axis is the height, the X is the width and the Z is the depth. From these three planes we form a 3D stage.

The A18’s stage is a 360 stage that is tuned to favor the X axis/width over depth and height. It renders large space between the images in all directions. Typically an IEM will have good space between images in the X axis, less so in a 360 manner. The A18 exhibits the same layering, separation and spacious sound in all planes. Instruments are allowed to bloom in full. It avoids the smashed/flat sound in front of the face/forehead that many IEMs have. Vocals positioning is set slightly behind what could be called center-stage and in some recordings may sound slightly behind the instruments. Vocals present themselves accurately from any direction, maintaining the "pin-point accuracy" coupled with the top shelf layering/separation characteristic of the A18t. This layering and separation allows the quiet less detailed notes to be heard clearly amongst louder ones, increasing perceived space between images within the stage. A18t is very highly resolving with regard to texture detail, I can tell when a cymbal is far away (quiet without texture) as opposed to when it is close and struck softly (quiet and textured). Images are not overly dense nor are they veiled/thin. Keywords: Width dominant, good layering/separation between images, slightly set back vocals, airy presentation.
The A18’s are highly resolving and lively but never harsh. The warm neutral tuning and forward placed Tia high driver create extreme detail that's smooth with a "clean window" like effect that for me never became harsh or sibilant. Pop in the M15 for increased upper mid/high presence and a more reference/clinical presentation vs the M20 and it's fun and powerful bass. The A18 is nimble and quick despite it's powerful lower mids. I hear the starting and stopping of notes very precisely as these moments are given as much weight as the space between. Inhales, exhales, string sliding, concert hall reverberations and image textures are all present and highly detailed. The A18’s provide sufficient magnification of subtle nuance that will make detail fanatics grin, note that with A18t the majority of detail is focused in the instruments due to the vocals taking a slight step back on the stage. Mid bass is especially detailed and textured due to the influence of the Tia high driver. Keywords: Reference/clinical(M15) vs Smooth high resolution (M20), high texture detail, Tia enhanced TOTL resolution.

If due to natural tone and transparency an IEM can disappear completely then it deserves to be among the top of the line monitors in my opinion. Even my worst sources such as an old iPhone sound good with the A18’s. No hard breaks exist between the highs, mids or lows in their 4 way configuration. It’s a smooth transparent flow. Tone is natural which compliments the balanced signature. The dash of warmth isn’t enough to negatively affect transparency. A18t is more transparent with the M15 than M20 module with most sources. Keywords: Tunable transparency via modules, overall very transparent.

The A18’s layering and separation are one of its most impressive abilities. I hear the cymbals from start to finish with no detail or presence lost when they share the stage with louder instruments or more textured and closer instruments. Because the vocals are set slightly back in the mix, they may stand out less from the instruments than the instruments do from other instruments from time to time due to the nature of the recording. Pin point in-stage sound accuracy and ample space between images combine with top of the line layering and separation. M15 creates more space between the images than M20, resulting in less mid bass quantity and more "Tia effect" thus increasing layering and separation. Image separation is largely created in the horizontal X axis as the stage is very wide and not nearly as deep. Keywords: Layering/separation created in the horizontal plane, increased layering/separation with M15 vs M20, pin point image precision dominates layering/separation approach.


The A18 sounds full of life and exciting, this is due to the Tia high driver that lifts upper mids and extends the highs. It extends well into the highs without sibilance while sparkling beautifully. Smooth sparkle combines with airiness for a nice tag team indeed. High notes do not lack weight or stage presence and they can sound far away when the song calls for it or they can sound close with shimmering detail and either way they decay with top of the line extension. M15 increases the weight and decay of the high notes while M20 has the opposite effect. The cost for this beautiful and inoffensive treble is a slight reduction in the naturalness of the timbre, a tradeoff worth it in my opinion. Treble illuminates air at the edges of the stage. The highs create contrast with the lows making both more apparent while maintaining the slightly warm yet balanced tuning. The ability of the A18 to pin point the start of sounds is especially apparent in the high frequencies. Keywords: Best in class treble extension/decay, shimmer and sparkle without sibilance/harshness.

Male vocals are slightly emphasized over female vocals due to the aforementioned emphasized lower mids. M15 brings more emphasis to female vocals while M20 emphasizes the lower mids even more thus adding more fullness to male vocals and instruments in that range. The bass is very controlled and doesn't spill at all into any other frequency ranges nor does the significant bass make A18t sound slow-on the contrary it is blazing fast. Upper mids remain exceptionally detailed despite the powerful lower mids; texture is conveyed so well, sound is uncongested. Most of the warmth comes from the mid bass. Images in the midrange aren't thick or thin and all possess an ethereal airiness to them. Mid bass is fast, uncongested, punchy and polite. Mid bass attacks quickly and displays excellent decay-more than the high end. Due to the aforementioned separation it’s easy to follow the bass line through a loud and fast metal song without trying. Keywords: Controlled, highly resolving, moderately solid vocal images, powerful mid-bass, clear, crisp, sparkly upper mids.

Sub bass reaches way way way down deep in tone with heavy weight, powerful rumble and moderate decay. Sub bass quantity is high enough to convey a vibratory and tactile rumble which puts the A18 sub bass north of neutral. This bump to sub bass warms up the signature without making it dark or veiled. Mid bass has solid impact as well, bass decay overall is long while attack is quick and fast. As with the other frequencies sub bass stands apart with good layering/separation yet blends seamlessly with the whole. Low frequency harmonics in male voices are rich and add weight to the presentation. Bass is controlled with no spillage whatsoever, one of the hallmarks of the A18t. The powerful impact of the bass is extremely addicting and I much prefer the A18t with M20 to the bass even more impactful. Keywords: Powerful/impactful sub/mid bass, controlled, highly textured, fast attack slow decay.

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A18 vs A12:

The A18 trounces the A12 in resolution due to its’ tight bass and detailed upper mids/highs that have excellent decay. A18 renders more detail and nuance, the A12 is more fun sounding with a hard hitting low end and thick syrupy mids/vocals. The A18’s are less congested than the A12’s. The start and stop of each note is also more pinpointed on the A18’s. A12 has more detailed sub bass. A18’s highs and upper mids decay longer while A12’s sub bass has more decay. The highly textured upper mids/highs of the A18 make the stage sound larger than A12. The bass heavy signature on the A12 makes it sound sluggish and less resolute with very fast music while A18 excels at conveying timber and rhythm. A18 is much more sensitive. A18 has better layering, separation and space between sounds. A12 has a more airy sound overall-especially with ADEL modules.

I hear more isolation with the apex modules. The apex module contains a resonant absorbing material to eliminate resonance and the it's passageway is engineered to have little to no resonance as well. This allows the pressure to be vented without negatively affecting the sound. I feel less pressure with ADEL than apex when inserting the IEMs and in the first few minutes of listening and after that pressure tends to be less apparent. Apex has better sound quality due to the reduction of resonance and distortion, it also makes the IEM pair much better with a variety of sources.

The A12 pairs poorly with most sources. The A18 sounds great out of everything from my iPhone 5 to my CDM. The A18’s single bore makes cleaning a breeze while the A12’s multi bore makes it a pain. The A18’s are larger in all dimensions than A12, only the faceplates are the same size. Note the massive single bore on the A18:

A18 vs CustomArt 8.2:

The A18 has more warmth but also more detail in the upper mids and highs while the 8.2 has more sub bass texture. The sub bass is more powerful on the A18. The A18 has a true 360 stage that exceed s the 8.2 in all directions while the 8.2 has a wide stage. The A18 has more treble presence, high end decay and extension. Vocals sound more rich and intimate on A18.

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Mojo:

The A12 + Mojo pairing was too warm to the point of being dark. Mojo + A18 is warm but doesn’t go dark or veiled. Detail is high and the presentation is relaxed. High’s are slightly less sparkly than with the CDM. Layering and separation are top of the line. Chord uses the term depth in a different way than I do. When Chord says depth they mean seeing into the layers of the song. Imagine a record crate full of records. You look down at the records and you can see the front of the first one but to see covers of the rest you have to flip through them one at a time. Depth in this sense is the ability to see all the layers at once in front of you like you laid all the records out in the floor. This is what the Mojo does best with the A18, shows you all those layers without you having to focus in intently to hear them. Soundstage isn’t huge and isn’t small, it’s intimate and not as spacious as the CDM. The timing of transients is one of the things Chord is known for, combining that aspect with the resolution of the A18 creates a fast and detailed sound.

CDM:

In DAC mode (when I stack with Mojo I’m only running the CDM’s Amp not its’ DAC) the signature brightens up a bit with more sparkle as compared to Mojo. Stage expands beyond Mojo + CDM. Detail is slightly less than with Mojo + CDM for example cymbals on the edge of the stage have a more texture when they’re coming from Mojo.

Mojo + CDM:

I hear more sparkle than with Mojo alone. You get the layering of Mojo combined with the stage of the CDM. Everything sounds thicker, more dynamic and bass sounds more vibratory. The sound overall is more impactful and emotive.

S7 Edge:

I used to experience a massive drop in sound quality going from my Mojo/CDM to my S7 Edge with my A12’s. Of course there is still a drop going from such a high quality setup to a phone but it is not as far of a fall as with A12. With S7E you get a big stage, great detail/texture and great sounding vocals that remain intimate.

M15 Module:

The M15 has less bass then M20 and the stage is wider. I prefer M15 with A18 and with A12.

M20 Module:

The M20 has more bass across the board and a smaller stage.

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From case to canal the A18 is a solid offering from 64 Audio. I always try to find improvements no matter how minor. The premium cable will pop out of some Android phones such as the S7 and S7 Edge, this is annoying especially at the gym. The 3.5mm Jack is a standard neutrik connector. It isn’t a problem if you’re listening in a chair (in which as you'd be using a higher quality source than an Android phone anyway) but if you’re out moving around with an Android phone it can be a problem. Also one of my M20 modules has a chrome finish and the other m20 has a matte finish, doesn’t really matter to me as they sound identical. Looks like 64 has gone to a matte finish based on the latest modules being shipped. Again these are all minor issues but in the interest of providing value to companies I always list them.

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The A18 has a neutral tuning with some warmth. It isn't totally neutral, mid bass is powerful as is sub bass but both do not congest the sound or slow it down at all. Instead they add warmth and body to the sound. The entire spectrum is extremely detailed. The highs and upper highs exhibit long and detailed decay while the mid bass is tightly controlled and sub bass is as well but less so. The A18 is uncongested, pinpoint and sounds quick due to the controlled lows and detailed upper mids and highs. The A18 doesn’t sound thick and syrupy and it isn’t thin and weak either, it's balanced in this regard. A18 has a very three dimensional sound, it can sound enveloping, distant, close or far and all at the same time as well. The A18's would be spectacular for virtual reality. Layering and separation are very good, multiple highly detailed song layers are rendered simultaneously without any congestion or loss of separation and with big space between the instruments/sounds. This layering/separation ability is one of the A18's greatest technical achievements aside from the stage and detail. The stage is the first full 360 stage I've heard from an IEM texture is highly resolute conveys distance when called for. The A18 carries a hefty price tag but top of the line sound quality comes with it and you can fine tune the frequency response with the apex modules.